Case 143 🌹 Seungjin

6

He was prepossessing with his umber-colored eyes. Hyunjin was transfixed on them. No matter how many times he looked away, somehow he found himself right back on them. His almond skin glowed beneath the ceiling lights. He was captivating even just sitting there reading a book. He didn't have to utter a single syllable. All he had to do was exist within the area surrounding Hyunjin. That was enough to make his heart thud aggressively inside his chest.

Enough to drive Hyunjin insane. He wanted a touch. A single sample of contact with his smooth complexion. The officer extended his hand outward. His fingers reached for a taste. And then those soft, expressive eyes ran dull, and the polite posture of the man beside him tensed. A gentle exterior melted like the wick of a flaming candle and replaced it with a burning glare.

Sharp canines bared with a belligerent growl. Those pretty eyes filled with pain, fear, and hurt. Hyunjin pulled back, a cry escaping past his lips in shock and pain from the nails digging into his skin. The man's eyes sparked with guilt instantly and detached from Hyunjin. His hands shook as they moved to his chest. He held them there in fear.

Hyunjin frowned at his reaction. Like an abandoned stray, he whimpered quietly.

—

Hyunjin flicked the safety on his pistol with a hefty sigh while his free hand moved to pull his earmuffs down to his neck. He had another dream of that person again. For the first time in his life, that demon and angel were no longer haunting him in the night. Instead, his dreams changed into different scenes with who he presumed to be a more humane version of the angel. He still had no name or face to the body. Only the wavy hair and beautiful eyes.

They blurred over when he awoke. It was almost as if his mind was safekeeping them for when he was unconscious. He was glad his head was giving him a break. Even if his most recent dream was startling, at the very least it wasn't repetitive. Hyunjin could get by seeing the same person in different situations.

"You look tired."

Hyunjin looked away from the gun in his hand. Jisung stood by his side dressed in some sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt. "I'm fine," he said.

Jisung rolled his eyes and fixed the glasses on his face. "Why are you shooting so early? It's only six."

"Getting ready to meet my team later. Why are you awake?"

"I was doing some research about comforting trauma patients," the scientist, now assigned doctor, informed. His eyes fell a bit. "I get a feeling they don't like me here."

Hyunjin put away the gun in his hand and raised a brow at his friend. He had gotten that feeling too. First Minho locked his door, which he hadn't even done for Hyunjin, and then throughout the week, he'd seen Jeongin, Felix, and Minho purposefully avoid him. Everyone else was fine near Jisung. Just not those three. They stiffened at the sight of him.

"You're overthinking it. They don't have time to dislike anyone but the bad guys. They're just strict. Probably not up for friends," Hyunjin tried to console.

Jisung pursed his lips and pushed his glasses up with a bitter hum. Hyunjin ruffled his hair a bit and passed him by with Lily at his heel. The younger caught up and cast aside his disappointment, flashing Hyunjin a smile. "So that guy the other day—"

"Which?" Hyunjin interrupted before he could continue.

Jisung moved his hands around in stupid motions. "The one you were doing this with."