Always Forever

#18 Two to tango

His errand and investigation done, Guk-doo's eyes sweep the opulent hall of the MP's mansion all decked up for the night's social event. Gleaming chandeliers, bustling guests, butlers carrying around trays loaded with sweets and drinks, a dance floor and buffet at the opposite edges of the floor of the hall — the outlook may be spell binding to outsiders but not to Guk-doo.

I can't dig deep and get into more trouble. So all I can do for the rest of my stay here is observe. Standing next to a buffet table, all he does is observe. His pleasantries with Oh Sun and the MP are done. Nothing going on around him catches his eye. No suspicious activity so far; that's enough of an excuse for his mind to drift to what Do-young said. Did I really change that much? If I was so self-centred and awful then, how did Bong-soon love me? Does she even love me now? Looking back, I was ambition driven but always cared about my people. Like Bong-soon says, I have an overprotective streak.

It's not like I'm unaware of who I am. I just wonder what good it's done to me. What good will it do in the future? He thinks and crosses the hall, eyes once again sweeping across the floor.

Dammit. Have to remove these thoughts from my mind, he thinks again. My personal issues shouldn't come in the way of my investigation.

Although his little tryst in the security green room is over, he still may discover something. A conversation he can listen to. A glimpse of something that would cue him to solving the case.

Just as he switches his mind totally to duty mode, his eyes land on a familiar figure in the distance. Bong-soon. Her face is beautiful in its all glory, visible in plain sight. The usual cuteness and allure that surround her have doubled, that rare girlish awe and splendour in her expression too. Her short hair is neatly swept back into a ponytail, her chestnut bangs framing her forehead. She looks adorable in the outfit he selected for her. But that's not the point!

Guk-doo's initial smile shifts into a frown. It doesn't matter whether she's wearing the dress he gifted her or not. If someone from Black Wrestlers attending the party notices her presence, she would be done for. He rushes to her in swift strides, catches her hand and brings her to his side before she can even utter a word.

For a moment, he thought his eyes were deceiving him, but she's real. Her hand is slightly cold in his and she utters a light gasp as he drags her along the floor. He gestures for her to be quiet. They return to the buffet table where he had been standing earlier.

The surrounding crowd is scarce, but he blocks her from the onlookers. He doubts anyone without a motive will look their way (at present, such a number is zero). He still conceals her with his blazer and hugs her to his chest as he senses Oh Sun approaching.

"Who is that you're desperately trying to hide? New hookup?" Oh Sun is right behind him. "You didn't look the type of officer, but are you quite the player?"

She peers around the edges of his blazer, instantly recognising who his company is.

"Oh, it is Bong-soon!" She chuckles and trails off. "I never knew she was your type."

Guk-doo doesn't release his grip on Bong-soon. He strengthens his defences, pressing closer to the girl. "Well..." he throws a glance at Oh Sun over his shoulder. "She may be totally my type. But I am only shielding her from predators here. Because I recently got to know that she is my childhood best friend."

"Oh, really?"

Oh Sun's squeal of excitement blends into the loud chatter around them. Guk-doo mutters it's become so crowded. He tries to pull Bong-soon along to another spot, but Oh Sun and a few others are in his path.

Oh Sun isn't ready to let the subject slide. "Really, officer? Is that all she is to you?"

With a smug grin, she goes on though both Guk-doo and Bong-soon can't see her expression. "The other day you came in the same outfit too."