PSYCHO | Stray Kids AU

1 : The Coffee Shop

"Kim Seokjin. Thirty years old, born in 1992, Gwacheon, but he and his older brother grew up in Anyang. He owns this coffee shop. His father is also the CEO of some name that I don't recognise."

Kim Namjoon merely raised an eyebrow at his fellow officer and stake out partner, Jung Hoseok.

"There's nothing else on the guy?"

Hoseok shook his head, pursing his lips in thought.

"I just have a massively bad gut feeling about him."

"And yet none of these murders appear to be connected to him. Are you sure you don't just want to get coffee from his place? He seems like a nice guy from the report; rich kid, lived a good childhood and life, grew up with a brother, wealthy CEO father, opened up a popular, sweet little cafe on a university campus."

Hoseok's eyes widened.

"What? No. It's just there was something completely off about the way he spoke as a witness. He was too nice."

Namjoon frowned.

"Nice. Kim Seokjin being nice was the reason that you have a bad gut feeling about him?"

Hoseok hummed, nodding.

"All the people who are too nice are never truly nice. Don't you know that American movie, 'Mean Girls'?"

Namjoon sighed again.

"The one you and Yoongi are always watching with subtitles?"

Hoseok nodded in earnest. "The main antagonist acts so nice yet is the reincarnation of the devil."

"And so you think that Kim Seokjin, a guy who has probably everything he could ever want, is a major suspect behind the murders of university students?"

Namjoon was highly sceptical. It was like saying a cute, fluffy teddy bear had strangled and killed a child. Wait. No. Namjoon suddenly had the terrifying vision of a horror movie. He shook the imagery out of his mind.

Hoseok sighed, looking away from the coffee shop and turning to Namjoon.

"Think about it. He may not be the killer, though maybe just a helper of sorts. His coffee shop is next to the campus and constantly filled with students. It's obvious that he must know them and some sort of background information. He's got to be something like the beginning of it."

"That sounds more logical than your movie reference and gut feeling, but I'm not really seeing it."

"Look; all the killings are happening well away from all other people. And when we actually reach a dead body or the place of murder, there are no signs of major struggle. So they must know the killer. Surely Kim Seokjin must be helpful for getting people to know each other. A coffee shop is a place of socialising."

"Say that you are correct; then what do we do? We haven't got a warrant or any real proof. Not to mention, he hasn't left this shop once since we've been watching him. He lives above the shop and gets supplies and whatnot delivered to his backdoor."

Disgruntled and feeling slightly offended at Namjoon's condescending tone, Hoseok frowned. Nonetheless, he remained adamant about his hunch.

"It's not about him leaving. It's about who goes in. He's not the one doing it, but I just know that he plays a part in all of this. Majorly." Hoseok insisted, but Namjoon disagreed firmly with a shake of his head.

"Whatever." He threw his hands up in exasperation and began his next sentence with a sigh, "If you're trying to say a university student is a killer, then sure. Go ahead. But I wouldn't want to make any rash assumptions if I were you."