Paint Me Blue

XVII. A Friend That Stinks

As War concluded his interviews with the neighbors and made his way back to Yin's car, he caught sight of Yin crossing the road from the opposite side. Yin's forehead was creased with worry, his breaths coming a bit heavier than usual. Despite his disheveled appearance, he still looked undeniably attractive.

Part of his shirt clung to him, soaked with sweat, and his normally pale complexion was faintly flushed. Strands of hair stuck to his forehead, slightly damp, with beads of moisture clinging stubbornly to the tips of his brows. With a quick motion, Yin ran his hand through his hair, brushing it back.

War found himself staring. Though his expression remained as calm and impassive as ever, something stirred inside him, and his heartbeat quickened ever so slightly. He couldn't deny it...Yin was undeniably good-looking. He always has been at least in War's eyes.

Yin stopped beside the front passenger seat, where War was standing, his gaze fixed on Yin's face. The sight of Yin's sweaty features triggered an automatic response in War, his hand instinctively dipped into his pocket, fingers curling around a handkerchief. As he realized what he was about to do, he froze. His body had moved on its own, echoing a habit from the past, back when they were still together. War had always been the more affectionate one, constantly performing small acts of care like this.

Yin's eyes flickered to War's hand, half-hidden in his pocket, almost expectant. Noticing the unintended attention, War quickly pulled out the handkerchief and, instead of reaching out to Yin, clumsily wiped his own face with it. Yin's gaze lingered for a moment, his eyes blinking as if caught off-guard by the sudden change in gesture, the fleeting expectation fading away. The air between them turned awkward, heavy with unspoken memories.

War cleared his throat, attempting to dispel the awkward tension lingering between them.

"What happened to you?" he asked, his voice steady but with a faint trace of curiosity.

Yin used his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead, his breathing still slightly labored.

"Ran after the first girl," he replied simply.

"You found her? Already?" War's tone was calm, almost unsurprised, as if he had anticipated this development.

Yin paused, slightly taken aback by War's lack of reaction. He raised an eyebrow at the shorter man, his confusion evident.

"Now that's some surprise reaction you got there," he remarked, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "What did you get from questioning those neighbors?"

War gave a slight nod, his expression unreadable as he reached into his bag and retrieved his sketch notebook. Flipping it open, he gestured to a page where he had already started a rough sketch.

"One of the witnesses described seeing someone coming in and out of 1605," War began, his tone shifting into that of a detailed report.

"At first, I thought she might have been mistaken. But then Bonz received a clip from the CCTV." He paused, showing the sketch to Yin while he continued to explain.

"The footage captured a figure appearing on the 16th floor. It disappeared into a blind spot near 1605. The time stamp matches the witness's account."

Yin leaned in slightly, his focus now on War's words.

"And?" he prompted, sensing there was more to the story.

"I studied the gait, the height, and the structure of the figure," War continued. His calm demeanor belied the weight of his conclusion. "It's not a man. The one coming in and out of 1605 in the middle of the night... is a woman. A petite teenage girl, approximately 160cm tall."