The Mystery Gang (Troisbang)

[qiguai]

Title: The Mystery Gang
Pairing: Suhoon/Hyunmin/Jisang, Injoon/Gwangchul
Word Count: 17,000+
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Language, suggestive situations, drug use
Summary: The Mystery Gang is a crime-solving group of five young men- Hyunmin, the Fearless Leader, Suhoon, the subtle second-in-command, Hyunchul, the sharp brains of the operation, Jihwan, the hyper and caring youngest, and Injoon, the somewhat-useless pothead who somehow ends up being useful after all.
Notes: For kebing, who inspired these crazy shenanigans. An AU roughly inspired by the cartoon Scooby Doo, Where Are You?, but only very roughly. :)



Two boys step through the door of a pitch-black bedroom. One heads right through, ignoring the creaking floorboards beneath his feet as he swings the beam of his flashlight around the room.

"Be careful!" the second hisses as he enters soon after, his steps slow and cautious. The former ignores the warning and continues further inside, swiping away the heavy layers of dust on the pieces of furniture around him. The second boy stumbles across and slaps his partner's arm. "Hyunmin!"

"What?" Hyunmin mutters, glaring at his partner but making no other signs of retaliation.

"Do the words 'caution' or 'trap' mean anything to you?" the other grumbles with his arms crossed.

A light shrug. "There aren't any traps."

"Oh, really? How do you know?"

Hyunmin gives Suhoon a crooked grin. "I just do, trust me." As expected, the grin makes Suhoon pause, slightly flustered, and Hyunmin runs his hands along the surface of an antiqued dresser. It doesn't take but a few seconds for Suhoon to regain his composure.

He makes for the dresser and grabs one of Hyunmin's arms. "Like I'm going to let you set off traps when our friends are god-knows wh-" A hollow clicking sound echoes through the otherwise silent room as Hyunmin's fingers press into a strange indentation in the wood. For a split second, Suhoon's eyes widen, then disappear as his entire body drops through a hole in the floor.

Hyunmin curses and grabs his walkie-talkie, sputtering names until finally Injoon's chipper voice crackles through the speaker. "'Sup?"

"Suhoon's been kidnapped again."

"-and that's how I- I mean, my team- deduced that Mr. Kim had been hiding the missing jewels in a secret room beneath his abandoned mansion the entire time. He'd never died, but faked his death and created the story of his ghost to prevent his greedy children from getting their hands on his wealth." Flashbulbs go off in Hyunmin's face as he beams into the television crew's cameras.

Two policemen escort an elderly man, face painted white with heavy make-up and wearing a tattered gray robe, into the back of their policecar. Suhoon watches from a few feet away, sitting in the back of the van with a towel around his shoulders because of course the old man's underground lair had to be complete with a slimy, revolting moat. His anger, however, is pointed not at the grumbling old man in the car, but at Hyunmin, who at the moment is chatting rather intimately with a female news reporter in a skirt definitely not suited to the current fall weather.

"He's taking all the credit, isn't he?" he mutters to Injoon, who sits with his legs dangling over the edge of the open back of the vehicle. Injoon gives Suhoon a sympathetic look, then glances over at Jihwan, currently passed out across the back seat.

"Probably," he replies. Suhoon doesn't respond, but pulls the towel closer around him and continues glaring at their blissfully unaware leader. Hyunchul wanders back over from talking with a more decently clad reporter and adjusts his glasses as he observes his friends.

"Good job, Suhoon," he says and touches the older boy's shoulder lightly. "If you hadn't infiltrated that guy's basement, we never would have found it."

"Yeah, like I did it on purpose," Suhoon sneers, but a small smile forms on his lips despite himself. Hyunchul gives him another pat and walks around the side of the van to check on the sleeping Jihwan. The van rocks as Hyunchul climbs into the back to prop up Jihwan in the seat. The sleeping boy falls onto Hyunchul's shoulder and starts to drool, but Hyunchul doesn't seem to mind.

"Poor kid," Hyunchul chuckles. "Chasing that asshole up and down that many flights of stairs must have been tough."

"He should be done soon," Injoon comments, not liking the tension emanating from the damp boy next to him. Suhoon shrugs, of course not needing to ask who as he watches Hyunmin scribble something onto the lady reporter's notepad- probably his number.

"Yeah," he sighs before getting to his feet. "Come on, Fearless Leader's business is done, we might as well get in the van." Injoon follows and squeezes in next to Hyunchul, who gives him an apologetic look and gestures toward the still-sleeping and immovable boy next to him. Suhoon climbs into the passenger seat and closes his eyes just in time to pretend to be asleep, too, when Hyunmin takes his place behind the wheel.

"Jeez, everyone's asleep already?" he chuckles to Injoon and Hyunchul. Hyunchul's jaw tightens and he turns to look out the window.

"Apparently," Injoon says, forcing a small laugh which is enough to get Hyunmin to turn back around. The van rumbles to a start and they head home, Injoon wondering what the point of being a crime-solving group of friends was if the 'friends' part was becoming so questionable.

The door slams behind Suhoon as he walks down the front steps and across the lawn. Hyunmin's shouting from the front door but not bothering to step outside. Suhoon flips open his cell phone- it's been five minutes, Injoon should be here soon. He all but jumps when a hand grabs his shoulder and spins him around.

"I asked you a question," Hyunmin pants. There are lines creasing his forehead and between his eyebrows, and Suhoon could almost swear he looks worried. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Suhoon rolls his eyes and shakes Hyunmin's hand off. "I told you, to Injoon's."

"May I ask why?" Hyunmin puts his hands on Suhoon's shoulders and doesn't wait for an answer. "I already told you, those girls mean nothing to me. I'm nice to them so they'll write good articles about us. The more publicity we get, the more jobs offers we'll get. The more jobs we get, the more money we'll make!"

"I don't give a shit about the money," he says under his breath. Hyunmin frowns and drops his arms. "We didn't start this business to make money."

"I know that," Hyunmin grumbles. "But there's nothing wrong with making a little cash since we're good at it." He reaches out and pulls Suhoon into a hug. "Come on, come back inside. All that matters is that we're together, all of us, right?" He kisses Suhoon's forehead. "We'll always be together, Suhoon, and the Mystery Gang will always be a team."

A car pulls to a stop behind Suhoon with a squeak and they both recognize the grinding, ready-to-die-at-any-moment sound of Injoon's engine. Injoon looks between the two of them questioningly and Suhoon pushes Hyunmin's arms away.

"That's just it, Hyunmin. That isn't all that matters and we're not all together anymore," Suhoon says without looking at him. With that, he turns and climbs into the van.

"Eight days," Injoon mumbles to himself. He taps his pencil on his desk absent-mindedly and hums as he stares at the calendar. Eight days since their last job and eight days since Suhoon had started sleeping on his couch. Across the room, Suhoon is still snoring lightly, while poor Jihwan is exiled to the floor. Not that it impedes the kid's rest at all, and Injoon is grateful Jihwan has the amazing ability to sleep anywhere. After confirming that the two are indeed still asleep, Injoon gets to his feet and steps out the back screen door. He pulls a joint out of his pocket and lights it. He takes a long drag and checks his cell, smiling.

He's gotten three text messages and one call from Hyunmin the entire duration of Suhoon's stay, and that is an incredible amount considering Hyunmin's temper and general lack of communication skills. Hyunmin always says he's calling or texting to update Injoon about how he's still trying to find them another job, but Injoon can sense the real message. A new job means they have an excuse to get together again. Getting together again means Hyunmin gets to see Suhoon. Really, it is a rather transparent scheme.

Unfortunately, Hyunmin's attempts only further highlight the problem, not that he's noticed. After all, why is it they can only get together to discuss a job? But for the past few months, the few times all five have spent any significant amount of time together have been planning and completing assignments. Even Injoon can understand where Suhoon is coming from. All of their jobs recently have been just that, jobs. There's been no thrill, no fun in it all. They've solved the cases, collected the rewards and moved on. That isn't how the Mystery Gang is supposed to function.

In high school, it had started as a joke. A rumor had surfaced that a mysterious man had been seen wandering the school ground nightly. Naturally, everyone had assumed he was a ghost. But they had been bored and decided to check it out on their own. It took one night for them to track down the "ghost," only to discover he'd been an ex-employee of the school who'd been sneaking in and stealing vital records to get his revenge.

The word had spread and soon more and more people were asking for their crime-solving "expertise." They had decided to continue, but not because it made them famous or earned them rewards, but because they found the work fun. Chasing down lame bad guys was far more interesting than smoking pot in Injoon's basement, though they still did that as often as they could. Now, everyone in their region knew, which is why they get so much media coverage. Things had been getting better and better for them as a business; if only Injoon could say the same for them as friends.

A buzzing sound interrupts his thoughts just as he begins contemplating walking down the street to buy some burgers, and Injoon instinctively answers. He regrets it as Hyunmin starts shouting excitedly through the line, "I did it, we've got a job!"

Injoon yawns. "Really?" It sounds as if Hyunmin is moving around and Injoon can imagine him pacing his empty, quiet apartment, fidgeting with the phone. The image is enough to make him grin.

"Yes!" he exclaims. "I've already called Hyunchul and we're meeting tonight at the usual burger joint, okay?" There's a pause, more shuffling or, in Injoon's imagination, nervous fidgeting. "Make sure everyone's there, okay?"

Injoon sticks his tongue out between his teeth and tries to keep from laughing. "Of course. Jihwan's still asleep, but I'll let him know as soon as he's up. We'll be there."

"No, I mean-" Hyunmin groans, grumbles, growls, starts muttering. "You know, everyone needs to be there, bring everyone, I don't know where-"

"Don't worry," Injoon says, sighing happily. "I'll bring Suhoon." A click and the line goes dead, but Injoon doesn't really care. A shuffling sound inside alerts him to Suhoon's presence. The older boy frowns, his eyes still slightly swollen with sleep. "It was Hyunmin."

"I know," Suhoon mumbles and rubs at his eyes. "What'd he want?"

"He says we've been hired for another job."

Something in Suhoon's expression changes, going slightly cold. Then he yawns and stretches with a strange smile. "Of course, we meeting at the usual place?"

"Yeah." He stubs out his joint on the brick wall. "We'll go wake up Jihwan and head out."

Injoon isn't surprised when they find Hyunchul waiting for them outside the restaurant. After giving Jihwan, who immediately runs up to the older boy to jump on him in greeting, a quick smile, his face goes stern. Injoon can feel Suhoon tense beside him and he wishes he could do something.

"I heard what happened," Hyunchul says noncommittally, but his expression softens a little as he speaks. "I won't ask questions or anything, but let's try to make it through this meeting without incident, okay?"

Suhoon nods and Injoon nods to keep up the facade that the comment is intended for everyone. Putting an arm around Suhoon's sagging shoulders, he follows Hyunchul and Jihwan into the restaurant. Hyunmin is seated at a booth already, purposely facing the door and for a split second his face brightens when the four enter. However, Suhoon's not paying attention and glancing vaguely around the restaurant, thus missing the change. Sometimes Injoon truly appreciates his bachelor status- relationships are so complicated. By the time they're all settled in the booth, Suhoon on the end with Injoon, Hyunchul and Jihwan sitting between him and Hyunmin, Hyunmin's expression has turned sour.

"Let's just get this over with," says their disgruntled leader.

"Always good to see you, too," Hyunchul says, giving Hyunmin a rather forceful pat on the shoulder. Jihwan, stuck between the two, winces and leans in close to his plate of french fries.

Injoon leans across the table to Hyunmin and smiles, trying to both distract and break the awful tension steadily building. "So, the job?"

Hyunmin looks surprised, then relieved. He pulls a small notebook out of his back pocket and flips it open. For a few seconds, he just sits there, re-reading his notes. Hyunchul's leg starts bouncing in agitation. Jihwan peeks over at his clearly bothered friend, then at Injoon, begging him with his eyes to do something. Injoon just shakes his head. He's not going to do anything to further anger Hyunmin. He, for one, wants to leave this meeting in one piece. Luckily, Suhoon for whatever reason decides to speak up for the rest of them.

"Are you trying to build up suspense or something? We all have lives, you know." He doesn't flinch as Hyunmin looks up sharply from his notebook, his expression a mix of surprise and anger. Their eyes meet for a only a moment before Hyunmin glances away, then back down to his notes. Suhoon looks to the ceiling.

"We've actually been hired to re-investigate a past case," he says carefully.

"Which one?" Jihwan pipes up and leans over to try and read Hyunmin's notes over his shoulder. Hyunmin grins and pulls the notebook out of the boy's line of sight.

"That's the weird part." He pauses, not sure how to continue. "It's our first case."

"Our first?" Hyunchul's even interested now, Injoon can tell, though he keeps his face neutral and arms crossed. "The haunted museum?"

Hyunmin waves him off. "No, no." Another pause and he closes the notebook. "Our first case. The one we solved in high school."

Injoon almost laughs. "Our high school?"

"Yeah," Hyunmin chuckles, face thoughtful. The five of them go quiet a moment, each lost in their own memories.

Suhoon, once again, is the one to break the silence. "You mean some guy is creeping around at night again? Is it the same guy?" He leans forward to rest his arms on the table and Hyunmin leans back against the back of his seat automatically.

"The administrators say no," he replies, albiet quietly and with his eyes on Injoon, not Suhoon. Injoon shifts in his seat uncomfortably. "They've run countless checks on their databases and no information has been altered or stolen. They know because they've got a much better system now. They've even run inventory checks on the entire school and nothing's been taken. There's just some guy lurking around at night, pretending to be a ghost."

"And, naturally, they call in the kids who solved the original case," Hyunchul says, smirking.

"To be honest, they're not offering us much of a reward," Hyunmin says. "None, actually. But I thought we could use this kind of a job. Something to, I don't know..." Another anxious glance at Suhoon and he rubs the back of his head.

"We could use something different," Hyunchul interjects quickly, looking to Injoon for assistance.

"Going back there will be kind of fun, won't it?" Injoon asks the group and is thankful for Jihwan's eager nod. Suhoon remains perfectly quiet and Hyunmin sits staring at him.

"Yeah, lots of fun," Hyunchul mumbles into his root beer float and he waves to the waitress to bring them their check.

They agree- or rather, Hyunchul dictates as after the meeting Hyunmin is, for once, silent- to meet up the next morning at Injoon's house at eight. Though not entirely pleased that his house and belongings are going to be put into jeopardy by this gathering, Injoon knows it makes the most sense as he owns the van. The blaring alarm at seven A.M. only reminds him of everything that could possibly go wrong during this job.

One, he counts to himself as he brushes his teeth, their high school is a good four hour drive from their current location. That means all five of them will be stuck in that van for hours and even Injoon can't be expected to keep a conversation going by himself for that long. Two, there is the question of seating. It seems like such a minor problem, but Injoon knows better. For years, Hyunmin drove and Suhoon sat in the passenger seat to keep him both under the speed limit and on the right track as the leader never asks for directions. Jihwan and Hyunchul would share the middle seat and Injoon would be able to stretch across the back. There, he could smoke pot or nap or anything he felt like. But how would this trip work?

And then there is a third worry floating around the back of Injoon's brain as he shoves some clean-looking clothes into a duffel bag, and that is the idea of going back to their high school. The idea feels strange, like being asked to remember a very important event but not really wanting to because you know there's a reason you don't remember it. His instincts tell him that nothing good can come from going back. And yet, with that dread is a vague feeling of hope.

Suhoon and Jihwan are waiting by the front door when he leaves his bedroom. Jihwan's eyes are swollen and tired and he sways slightly next to Suhoon. Suhoon is carrying both of their bags and staring out the window with an unreadable expression. Injoon's stomach grumbles and it's not from hunger.

They file out the door in silence and Injoon immediately sees what has Suhoon's attention. Hyunmin is leaning against the van, a backpack slung over his shoulder. They're walking out the door and he's about to say something- what exactly, he's not sure- when a dull buzzing sound makes both boys jump. Jihwan glances at Suhoon and yawns as the older boy struggles for his cell phone. Confusion flashes on Suhoon's face, followed by something else, but he gives Injoon an apologetic smile and walks back into the house before Injoon can figure it out.

"Weird," Jihwan mumbles and Injoon nods in agreement.

"What's weird?" Hyunmin asks, appearing suddenly before them, and this time both Injoon and Jihwan jump. Hyunmin eyes them both suspiciously. "What's wrong with you two?"

"Nothing, just tired," Injoon replies quickly. Hyunmin nods, but his eyes are already looking past Injoon at the house. "Suhoon forgot something."

Hyunmin looks away and shuffles back to the van without another word, where Hyunchul's now waiting, too. "What's up?" he calls over.

"We're just waiting on-"

"I'm ready!" The screen door slams as Suhoon rushes down the front steps and past Injoon and Jihwan. He turns and smiles at Injoon and Jihwan as he passes them. "Are we going or what?"

The pair blink and, for a moment, say nothing. "Um, yeah," Injoon finally stutters and grabs Jihwan around the shoulders to lead the boy down to the car. Suhoon has a bounce in his step as he jogs to the van and crawls into the back, and both Hyunmin and Hyunchul watch him with gaping mouths.

Injoon can't blame them. He hasn't seen Suhoon smile like that in... years?

The building looks like every other high school. The brick walls, the white shutters and doors, the high walls surrounding its campus. There isn't anything particularly special about the school, but as they pull into a parking spot, not one of them speaks. The trip hadn't been nearly the trainwreck Injoon had feared it would be. Rather, Hyunmin had spent all five hours talking to everyone but Suhoon, while Suhoon alternated between napping and fiddling with his cell phone.

Hyunmin hadn't noticed Suhoon's nearly constant cell phone usage, though he'd tried several times to get a rise out of the boy. Injoon had been seated next to Suhoon for the trip, partly because sitting next to Hyunmin somehow felt like a betrayal and partly because Suhoon's sudden change in behavior had him curious. More than curious, actually, he was alarmed. Disturbed. Quite frankly, worried. Could Suhoon have snapped? But during the drive, Suhoon had been perfectly calm and completely silent, which would have been reassuring- he never was much of a talker- had he not been so focused on his cell phone. Injoon couldn't think of anyone outside the three in the van with them whom Suhoon would be texting, but that's all he did on the trip. Five hours of trying to lean in and figure out whom Suhoon had been texting resulted in failure.

He's still holding onto the phone when they all crawl out of the van and look up at the familiar school building. Injoon wants to take in the details, figure out what's changed and what he feels looking at their high school, but he's too distracted by the odd behavior of his friend to fully appreciate the experience. The others are starting to notice, too. Hyunmin attempts to lean over and glance at Suhoon's screen as he texts furiously, but as always, discretion isn't his strong point. Suhoon wrinkles his nose and scoots to the side and around Injoon.

Hyunmin frowns, turning to address all four, "We have a meeting with the principal in an hour. Since we're early, I guess we'd better take a look around?"

Injoon looks to Hyunchul, whose eyes widen and fall to Jihwan, who looks across the way to Suhoon who is already walking away from the group and through the gates. The barely contained frustration on Hyunmin's face is apparent, but he follows after and Injoon says under his breath, "I guess so." Hyunchul cocks his head at Injoon and hangs back a few feet behind Jihwan as the three follow Suhoon and Hyunmin. Jihwan glances back curiously but doesn't join them.

"This is awkward, huh?" Injoon chuckles.

Hyunchul ignores the statement and gets right to the point, as expected, "Suhoon's texting someone. Who is it?"

Injoon swears Hyunmin's head moves slightly and the boy slows down a bit, but then again it could be paranoia. Either way, he speaks in a low murmur, turning his head as if glancing behind them to hide their conversation. "I couldn't get a good look the entire ride up here, then Hyunmin tried to look and now I don't think I'll get a chance to lean in and see."

Hyunchul nods, the slightest move of the head. "Since we'll have to investigate the school at night, we'll probably end up staying in a hotel. I'll suggest we double up to save money. Suhoon will do anything to stay away from Hyunmin, so go with it when he says he'll room with you."

"How do you know he'll room with me?"

A small smile. "Habit. I always room with Jihwan and you always end up rooming alone. If we try to swing it any other way, he'll know we're up to something." As the group nears the entrance the the building, Hyunmin calls over his shoulder something neither of them pays attention to. "Sure!" Hyunchul calls back before lowering his voice for Injoon. "Just do your best to get a hold of his phone or, if he happens to make a call, listen in as best you can. You can do it."

Easy for him to say, when Injoon is the one in the group with the subtly and grace of a panicked stampede. But he nods, brow knotted in concentration such that he half-trips over the slight step up into the school building. Suhoon flips his phone closed and shoves it into his pocket, Hyunmin's eyes following it and earning another glare. "Stop staring and lead the way," he says, a slight smirk on his face when Hyunmin starts at the sound of his voice.

The administrative offices are almost immediately to their right, though it takes the distracted Hyunmin a good five minutes of staring around the open hall to figure it out. The lobby inside is small and slightly cramped as they file inside. The secretary glances up before waving them down a small hallway to the side without a word or, Injoon notices with indignation, a proper greeting. Some things never change.

They already know the way- down the narrow hallway, to the right on the very end. The name on the door's small plaque is different, Principal Kim, but the feeling they get looking at it is the same; there's always a cold sense of dread mixed with confused guilt when one looks at the principal's office. Even after years away, Injoon still feels the urge to hurl himself through crying, "I didn't do it, I swear!" One glance around tells him he's not the only one feeling this way. Jihwan backs into Injoon and Hyunchul and Hyunchul gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Hyunmin takes a deep breath and reaches for the knob, almost falling forward as it swings open on its own. They all simultaneously jump as an equally startled woman stares at them on the other side.

"May I help you?" she demands as she almost drops the giant stack of paperwork cradled in her arms.

"A-Are you the principal?" Hyunmin asks, his voice faltering.

"I'm sorry, no," she apologizes quickly. "The principal is out for the afternoon. Didn't the woman at the front desk tell you?" She looks exasperated at Hyunmin's shake of the head. "I'm so sorry, she's a temp. We told her to call you this afternoon. The principal was called away to a meeting and won't be able to meet with you until tomorrow."

Hyunmin's distraction proves useful for the first time, as he nods and turns to Hyunchul for what to do next. "Did he say if we could look around today or later tonight?"

"I'm afraid he didn't, and I can't give you permission myself. The temp was supposed to tell you to reschedule your meeting for tomorrow afternoon. There just isn't enough time before school and he's busy during the day. Do you mind coming back again?" The woman looks so apologetic, all they can do is trudge back out into the empty halls.

"That was pointless," Jihwan mutters to no one in particular. Suhoon is sliding his phone back out of its hiding place and Hyunmin is returning to his deeper state of distraction as something slams into Injoon's shoulder, nearly toppling him over. Luckily a hand grabs his arm just in time, and he's pulled up to meet an eerily familiar face- perfectly proportioned, always just a little bit goofy, and mismatched against the serious suit pants and sweater-vest.

"Gwangchul?" The man's eyes widen at his name, followed by a burst of a smile. Injoon's pulled into a tight hug and he's laughing before he even realizes it. "Holy shit, what are you doing here?"

Gwangchul looks around, acknowledging the rest of the group with his bright smile. All Injoon can think is how tall Gwangchul's gotten and how oddly deep his voice seems. "I work here, believe it or not." Injoon looks around, still laughing, but stops when he sees his friends' expressions. Jihwan is unsurprisingly giddy, but Hyunmin and Suhoon stare in wary disbelief while Hyunchul is outright frowning.

"C'mon, guys," he pleads. Hyunchul meets his gaze, his expression softening.

"Sorry," he says quickly to both Gwangchul and Injoon. "I guess we're just so surprised. It's been a while." His smile seems genuine enough and he extends a hand which Gwangchul readily shakes.

"It's okay, I can understand," Gwangchul replies, but keeps his eyes on Injoon the entire time in a way that makes Injoon feel instantly comfortable and completely thrown off balance at the same time. "I heard they were calling you guys in to help with the problem."

"You're... a teacher?" Hyunmin asks, still not comprehending the situation.

Gwangchul chuckles sheepishly. "Hard to believe, huh? I don't know. For some reason, I just couldn't leave this place." He glances around the hall, then back at them, once again giving Injoon a lingering look. "Lots of memories."

Injoon flushes and nods, feeling eyes on him. He glances to find Hyunchul giving him a hard look and it worsens his flush. Suhoon, surprisingly, is the only one no longer gaping or, alternatively, showing suspicion. Putting on a friendly smile that Injoon could sense is hiding something, Suhoon pulls Gwangchul aside and mumbles something in his ear. The others can see Gwangchul smile, nod, say something back, then they return as if nothing's happened. Hyunmin and Hyunchul keep their eyes on Suhoon, who gives them a shrug in return. Jihwan looks to Injoon who can only stare cluelessly at Gwangchul.

"We'd better head to the hotel and start planning, hm?" Suhoon says after a moment of very strained silence. Hyunchul's eyes beg Hyunmin to do something, but all Hyunmin can do is say something affirmative and follow. Hyunchul sighs and grabs Jihwan by the arm to hurry after Hyunmin, but Gwangchul stops Injoon from going along. He body-blocks the path to the exit and watches over his shoulder until the others are out of sight.

"Can you come back tomorrow morning?" he says in a rush, looking at his shoes in a shy way Injoon doesn't remember ever seeing before. He looks up when Injoon hesitates with a hurried, almost scared expression. "Come on, we need to catch up."

"Things are complicated right now. Suhoon and Hyunmin-" Injoon hears Hyunchul calling his name from outside the building. His gut tells him he should say no or at least not give an answer without consulting his friends, but he finds himself saying, "Yeah, okay," before hurrying past Gwangchul and down the hall. Just before exiting he takes a quick look back to find Gwangchul watching him, a broad, dazzling grin on his face.

Their hotel turns out to be a pathetic stretch of a motel. "It's cheap and clean," Suhoon insists, unruffled by Hyunchul's complaints.

"We can't even afford an actual hotel?"

Much to everyone's surprise, Hyunmin sides with Suhoon, albeit weakly, "Well, we haven't made any money recently. It's probably a good decision." Suhoon doesn't acknowledge the comment. When they pick up their key cards, Hyunchul and Jihwan head off together in one direction, leaving Injoon to deal with the impending situation. Suhoon doesn't hesitate and grabs the card from Injoon's hand.

"It's down this way," he says, waving Injoon to follow him. Patting Hyunmin on the back, Injoon leaves him staring dejectedly at the thin piece of plastic in his hand.

Usually, on these trips Injoon would spend most of the evening in Hyunchul and Jihwan's room. They'd order Chinese food and roll around on the beds watching the free cable channels until Injoon would drag himself back to his room somewhere between three and five in the morning. Somehow, though, sharing a room with Suhoon feels like a commitment, so as much as Injoon wants to sneak off, he finds himself sitting on the edge of his bed and attempting conversation.

"You sure you're okay rooming with me?" is all he can think to ask.

"Who else would I room with?" Suhoon replies, stretching out across his bed with his eyes glued to his phone. He hasn't stopped texting since they've arrived at the hotel.

"Well, um," he struggles. Hyunmin's name feels like taboo and it hangs in the air, unsaid but ever present.

There's a sharp clack as Suhoon flips his phone closed. He rests his head on his forearms and looks in Injoon's direction, but not at his face. His eyes meet Injoon's for a brief moment before closing quickly. "I'm really sorry to put you in the middle of this," he sighs into the folds of his sleeves.

"Don't be," Injoon says quietly, feeling guilty for wanting to leave his friend alone like this. "Are you... you know, okay?"

Suhoon's back shakes slightly in what Injoon assumes is some form of laughter. "I'm fine," he says, voice tired. "To be honest, I'm more worried about Hyunmin than myself. He seems to be taking it pretty hard." His eyes open when Injoon makes a strange noise, a question he starts to ask but stops midway. "Try not to worry. This is something between Hyunmin and myself. I don't know how it'll end, but it's got to end sometime."

"That's vague," he mumbles before he can stop himself. Suhoon laughs softly.

"I guess it is." He rolls onto his side, facing away from Injoon. "Look, don't let me hold you back. I know you usually hang out with Hyunchul and Jihwan so go if you want. I'll stay here and do some research or something."

It's an offer of escape which Injoon gladly accepts. He feels guilty because he knows Suhoon probably could use someone to talk to, but somehow Injoon can sense that that someone isn't himself. Rather than feel like an intruder in his own room, he grabs his bag and heads for the motel room door. Just before leaving, though, he makes a bold attempt, throwing subtlety out the window, "Who do you keep texting?" His voice is barely audible, but he knows Suhoon hears him.

"I'd tell you if the answer were something important," is all Suhoon says.

Jihwan stops Injoon when he starts to leave at three in the morning. Hyunchul is snoozing in one of the two beds, so he pulls Injoon outside and shifts nervously from foot to foot. "Are you going to meet Gwangchul tomorrow morning?" Injoon's face must betray his surprise because Jihwan immediately looks concerned. "Please tell me you won't go."

"How did you find out about that?" he whispers, distressed but relieved that it's no longer a complete secret.

Jihwan shrugs. "Hyunchul said you were acting weird, but couldn't figure out why. I think it was pretty obvious. Anyway, you're avoiding the point." His small, cute features tremble slightly as he tries to look serious. "You can't go."

"I can do whatever I want to," Injoon scoffs.

"Don't you think it's a little weird he happens to be around when these strange incidents are happening in the school?" he insists, but looks guilt doing so. "I know, it's Gwangchul, but it's so weird and considering the last time we saw him-"

"It's just a coincidence," he interrupts, flushed, but Jihwan just rolls his eyes.

"You should know by now that such coincidences don't exist." There is still a panicked mix of worry and guilt in Jihwan's eyes, and Injoon readily takes advantage of it.

Injoon places a hand on either of Jihwan's shoulders and looks his friend straight in the eyes. "I'm just going to go say hi before class starts. If I get any weird vibes, I promise to leave and never go back there alone. How about that?"

The worry in Jihwan's eyes lessens a bit, but he crosses his arms firmly. "You have to come right back here afterward and tell me what happens."

He grins. "I promise, Jihwan, but only if you promise not to tell Hyunchul or the other two."

"Fine," Jihwan sighs, and Injoon gives him a pat on the head before sending him back into the room. He turns to head in the direction of his own room just in time to see a shadowy figure approach the same direction from where the cars are parked. Moving with caution, he sneaks down the path to his room to find Suhoon fumbling in his jacket for the card key. He literally jumps in the air when Injoon steps up beside him, sliding his own key through the slot to let them both in.

"You scared me," Suhoon tries to laugh casually but fails, instead emitting a strange hacking sound as they step into the dim room. He heads straight for the bed, but Injoon takes a seat at the edge and crosses his arms.

"Where were you?" he asks and almost growls in frustration when Suhoon removes his jacket and shoes and begins to crawl into his bed. "Damnit, Suhoon, I'm not going to let this go."

"You went out; I went out." He crawls in completely and kicks at Injoon still sitting on the end of the bed. Injoon gets to his feet but continues staring at Suhoon, who pulls the covers over his head.

For a second, Injoon is hopeful. "Were you with Hyunmin?"

Suhoon almost laughs out loud. This time, it's genuine. "No."

"I didn't think so," Injoon says, though still disappointed. "So where were you?" Suhoon sits up in bed, placing his hands in his lap and staring at the cheap motel blankets.

"Like I said before, if it were important, I'd tell you."

"Anything worth sneaking out in the middle of the night for is important," Injoon insists.

Suhoon gives a small smile. "I suppose so, but-"

"But you're not going to tell me," Injoon finishes for him with a tired sigh. With that, he removes his own shoes and tucks himself under the blankets. Suhoon is staring at him when he goes to shut off the lamp between their beds. "You'll tell me if it's something important, right?"

Suhoon smiles again and nods, and Injoon turns off the light.

Injoon sneaks out of the hotel room around seven in the morning. Silently thanking the school system for making school hours start early enough to avoid his friends, he pulls into the bustling high school parking lot just as the students start to arrive as well. His pulse quickens as he drives slowly through the lot, examining every face but only finding himself lost in a sea of students. He wonders how suspicious he must look, prowling around a high school in a van, but then he spots Gwangchul standing by one of the smaller entrances and Injoon is so relieved-

Though he can't figure out why he's so relieved, when he isn't sure exactly what he's doing here except Jihwan told him not to go and every brain cell in Injoon's head agreed. But Gwangchul is standing outside the school and he looks exactly the same. The way he stands is so familiar, with his hands shoved deep into pockets, leaning against the wall a few feet from the doors to avoid the rush of people and his shoulders just slightly hunched over. To most, utterly unapproachable, but Injoon's seen that stance often enough to know better. Gwangchul's waiting when he'd rather be doing anything else- he hated waiting the most.

Injoon parks the van and walks across the teeming lot, but Gwangchul's head pops up before Injoon can call over. A slow smile and a slight wave and Gwangchul straightens up a bit. Injoon walks up until he's about three feet away, then pauses, unsure where or how he should stand. Should he lean against the wall with Gwangchul or maybe ask if they go inside? But that might be rude. It isn't until Gwangchul laughs suddenly that Injoon realizes he must have been silent for too long.

"It's been a while," Gwangchul says. "But quit worrying and get over here." He jerks his head toward the wall and Injoon joins him there. "It must be weird being back."

A light laugh. "A little. What's weirder is you." Gwangchul gives him a questioning look and Injoon grows self-conscious. "I-I just never thought you'd become a teacher."

"Mm, me neither." Gwangchul looks up at the sky, then to the side, at the last few students jogging through the door. "Nothing really suited me and I guess I just couldn't let go of this place."

"We had a lot of fun here," Injoon replies with a dreamy grin. "You know, all of us," he adds when Gwangchul gives him an odd sideways look.

"Yeah, good times. I can't believe it's been years since I've seen you five." He steps away from the wall and crosses his arms. "Now spill- you said somethin' was up with Suhoon and Hyunmin."

Injoon rubs the back of his neck and looks down at the ground. "I don't think I should be telling anyone." Though he doesn't look up, he can sense Gwangchul rolling his eyes.

"Stop acting like you don't want to tell me."

The sudden rush of familiarity- the words, the tone, Gwangchul's expression- makes the story leave Injoon's mouth as quickly and easily as if he were breathing. He takes a deep breath after and waits. Gwangchul's face is neutral, but his eyes are clouded, darker. Injoon doesn't remember Gwangchul ever making a face like that.

Not answering immediately, Gwangchul returns the the wall but keeps his arms folded. "Sometimes I'm really glad I didn't go with you."

"I'm really sorry," Injoon says in a nervous rush. Gwangchul raises his eyebrows in surprise. "About everyone else. Seeing you here was just, you know, weird." He feels guilty because he can't help but feel suspicious of Gwangchul, too, but doesn't dare say it.
There's a pause and Injoon thinks, this is it, this is where he realizes that three years does change everything, but then Gwangchul gives him a crooked grin and says something Injoon's brain fails to process for a good two minutes, "Got any pot?" Visions of dark, smoke-filled rooms and low laughter swirl before Injoon's eyes as Gwangchul leans in close enough for his forehead to lightly touch the side of Injoon's head as he mutters, "You still smell like it."

"I-I do?" he chokes out.

Gwangchul takes a deep breath which might be a sigh. The grip on Injoon's shoulder tightens and Injoon hadn't even noticed Gwangchul had been touching him. "Let's get high."

"You're a teacher!" he hisses, though really it's not a very valid argument and Gwangchul hadn't exactly asked.

A bell echoes through the speaker above the door and Gwangchul makes a frustrated, "Tch," sound. He removes his hand rather reluctantly and gives Injoon an all-too suggestive wink. "Just be here at noon, okay? I have a two-hour break." Without waiting for an answer, he turns and enters the building, leaving Injoon stuck with a very difficult decision, though he already knows what he's going to do.

The entire drive back to the hotel, Injoon tries to come up with a version of what happened to tell Jihwan. The kid is a worrier, always has been, and Injoon knows he won't be happy to hear that Injoon plans to- is tempted to- go see Gwangchul again, considering the circumstances. He knows that it can't be a mere coincidence that Gwangchul just happens to be around when this kind of case pops up, but that doesn't automatically mean he has to turn down an invitation from an old friend, right?

His stomach does a nervous flip. The parking lot in front of the motel is deserted when he arrives, and he literally breathes a sigh of relief to find Jihwan isn't standing outside his door when he arrives. As soon as his goes to unlock the door, though, three sets of hands grab him and pull him backward. Twigs and branches scratch his arms and face as he finds himself forced into a nearby group of pushes, curled up at Hyunmin, Hyunchul and Jihwan's feet.

"About time you showed up," Hyunmin growls before returning to peak through the shrubs.

"And we'll talk about that later," Hyunchul adds and does the same. Jihwan's eyes are wide with apology and he helps Injoon to his knees.

Injoon gives him a pat on the back and pulls him close. "What's going on?" he whispers into the boy's ear.

"Suhoon's missing," Jihwan whispers back. "We went to check on you two about an hour ago- I tried to stop them, I swear- and found your room empty. Unfortunately, by then I'd already told them where you were, so..." He glances up at Hyunmin and Injoon's gaze follows. His face was taut with a strained mixture of worry and anger, as if ready to snap at any moment. The only person left unaccountable for is Suhoon and as much as Injoon knows he should tell their friends about his similar disappearance the night before, Injoon bites his tongue.

The four of them are left crouching for a good fifteen minutes before Suhoon appears in the parking lot, turning around the corner from the main street. He only gets as far as Injoon's van before Hyunmin is on him. He looks ready to burst, but says nothing, standing before Suhoon with balled fists and a deep frown.

"May I help you?" Suhoon asks, a bit apprehensively.

Injoon can see Hyunmin gulp, glance to the side, then finally meet Suhoon's gaze levelly. "Wh-where were you?" he asks in an impressively firm voice.

"I went out," he replies with a half shrug before moving to walk around Hyunmin. Hyunmin lets him, but Hyunchul steps out of their hiding place to stop Suhoon himself.

"Is all of this secrecy, this sneaking around, really necessary?" he asks with his arms crossed, shooting Injoon a look while directing the question at Suhoon.

"Do you find me suspicious?" Suhoon asks with an amused smile. "We've been friends for years and yet we can't trust each other with a few secrets?" Hyunchul doesn't answer.

"Were you with someone?" Hyunmin asks weakly. Suhoon half-turns in surprise and frowns a little.

"Yes."

Hyunmin lets out a strangled laugh before continuing, "Who?"

There's a pause and Injoon watches as Suhoon stares straight ahead, deep in thought. "You'll find out soon. Just wait a little longer, okay?" No one agrees, but Suhoon takes the silence as his answer and enters his and Injoon's room.

Thanks to Suhoon, Injoon's indiscretion is left unquestioned. Hyunchul and Jihwan walk Hyunmin back to his room after ordering Injoon to play babysitter in his own. Jihwan mouths to Injoon over his shoulder a quick, "Don't go anywhere," as intuitive as ever. The silence inside the room is unbearable, though, with Suhoon brooding in front of his laptop and Injoon finds himself pacing up and down the row of motel rooms instead. Before he knows it his wristwatch is beeping to tell him it's eleven, time to make his decision.

Without so much as a blink, he marches to his van and drives away before he attracts any attention.

Gwangchul steps out the back entrance of the school just as Injoon pulls around the corner and waves him toward the park rows of the parking lot. The engine dies and the side door of the van slides open slowly, Gwangchul's head poking in as if asking permission.

"You've added a third seat," he notes as he settles into the seat farthest back. Injoon crawls through the front seats to the middle row.

"Makes traveling easier." He can't help but stare as Gwangchul stretches out across the entirety of the seat, the definition of relaxation. "Who the hell let you teach?" he asks, shocked at his own informality. It doesn't phase Gwangchul, who folds his arms behind his head and smiles.

"I'm a pretty good teacher, thanks," he chuckles.

"Good teachers don't get high in vans in the parking lot of their school."

Gwangchul sighs. "You have a point." He looks at Injoon with a lopsided grin. "I couldn't help myself. I don't do this with just anyone."

Feeling the color rise to his face despite himself, Injoon leans over the back of his seat to dig under Gwangchul's seat. After a few seconds of fumbling, he successfully retrieves a small duffel bag. "Shit man, what are you doing with that much?" Gwangchul mutters and sits up in surprise.

Injoon rolls his eyes. "It's not full, you idiot." He pulls a small plastic bag out of the duffel bag. "Brown paper bags are cliche." He tosses it into Gwangchul's lap and stuffs the duffel bag back down under the seat.

Gwangchul holds the bag up to the light. "Good plan."

"Don't sound so impressed," Injoon grumbles, obviously miffed. Before he can say any more, a perfectly rolled joint is shoved in his face. "Looks like you've been practicing."

Another grin. "A little bit." Injoon lights the end of the joint and Gwangchul pulls it back to his lips. "Do you mind?" Injoon shakes his head. Letting his eyes drop closed, Gwangchul inhales deeply, holding it in for a moment before letting the smoke curl out of his mouth in a long exhale.

Injoon takes it from between Gwangchul's fingers and inhales similarly, leaning over the back of his seat. A grin spreads across his face and the cool vinyl feels good against his skin. "I haven't done this in an entire... day," he half-giggles.

Gwangchul takes the joint back and smirks. "Always the dedicated pot-head."

Injoon frowns through the growing cloud of smoke between them. "Like you're one to talk. You gave me my first joint, after all."

"Excuse you, I haven't done this in a year." A smirk spreads across his face and he gives Injoon a half-lidded stare that makes his hair stand on end. "We had plenty of firsts together, huh?"

Well, how does one respond to that? Injoon pouts, out of thought or displeasure, he's not sure. "And we haven't done this together in... four years." He peers at Gwangchul over the seat and is struck by how much older they are- Gwangchul dressed like a teacher, not like a student. His hair is shorter, more appropriate for an adult. His eyes look tired. He frowns at Injoons avoidance of the greater and dirtier implications of his statement, but remains silent.

The joint suddenly manifests itself in front of his face and Injoon takes it into his mouth. Gwangchul's arms snake over the seat and grab Injoon, pulling him over the seat between them and forcing him to land awkwardly on top of Gwangchul. His elbows dig into Gwangchul's ribs and Gwangchul's knee knocks the air out of Injoon's stomach as he lands. The joint flies out of his mouth and onto Gwangchul's sweater, the acrylic starting to smoke upon impact. Gwangchul curses and shoves the blunt quickly into Injoon's mouth while trying to pat out the small fire on his chest.

"As smooth as ever," Gwangchul grumbles as he inspects the small black spot on his sweater.

Injoon shrugs, fully aware that he should feel guilty but just high enough not to care about his friend's sweater nor his own slightly inappropriate position sprawled across Gwangchul's knees. He can tell when Gwangchul notices it, though, because his eyes narrow into little crescents and he reaches out to smooth the wrinkles in Injoon's t-shirt. Then his fingers tighten in the worn material and pull hard, the force sending Injoon topping over and closing the small distance left between them. He pulls so hard the burning end of the joint almost ends up stubbed out between his eyes, but Injoon avoids that unfortunate event by grabbing onto Gwangchul's shoulders and finds himself staring straight into Gwangchul's unfocused eyes. The suggestiveness of their position is too obvious with Injoon's legs now fully straddling Gwangchul's and Injoon blushes with the wilting joint dangling between his lips.

The joint is removed from his mouth, Gwangchul's face moves closer and Injoon squeezes his eyes shut. The rolled paper is replaced by something much softer with the slightest taste of pot smoke; Injoon thinks to himself that this is exactly as he remembers. Gwangchul's lips make the slightest movement against his and then freeze as something in the van rustles loudly. Injoon's eyes pop open to find Gwangchul's staring off to the side. He follows the gaze and there Jihwan is, peeking over the top of the back seat from the back of the van with an embarrassed flush on his face.

"H-Hi," he mumbles, looking from Gwangchul, to Injoon, to the back of the seat which he's gripping with white knuckles.

Injoon's brain is moving in slow-motion. "Have you been here the entire time?"

Jihwan's blush deepens. "Um, yeah."

"Why are you hiding in the back of Injoon's van, Jihwan?" Gwangchul asks and Injoon is amused at how much he sounds like a real teacher.

"Because he was coming to see you," Jihwan replies with a frown.

"You're suspicious of me?" Gwangchul's smirk is noticeably sad, but Injoon thinks he might be imagining things. Jihwan nods quietly before drumming his fingers on the seat.

"A little at first, but you seem pretty much the same." He pauses and grins. "It's good to see you and Injoon together again."

"Oh," Gwangchul laughs, looking back at Injoon and raising his eyebrows. Injoon blinks back until Gwangchul moves his legs under Injoon's weight.

"Shit!" Injoon bounces back off of Gwangchul's lap and hits his head off of the van's roof. Rubbing the soon-to-be bump, Injoon moves into the middle seat. Jihwan meanwhile reluctantly crawls over into the back seat next to Gwangchul and the two try very hard not to laugh at their friend.

"I can't blame everyone for not trusting me, to be honest." Gwangchul takes a quick drag from the joint. "It's a huge coincidence, first of all. Then there's what I said when you left..." He trails off and his eyes gloss over. Jihwan stares at his hands and Injoon feels a lump form in his throat.

"Did you tell Hyunchul you were going to follow me?" Injoon grumbles, trying to change the subject.

"Of course not!" he almost shouts, his bottom lip poking out just a bit. "I didn't really mean to spy. I'm just worried about everyone. I didn't know what else to do. Plus, you never did tell me what happened this morning," he says with a pointed glare at Injoon. Too bad he's far too high at this point to care. He'll feel guilty later.

"Did something happen?" Gwangchul asks, looking to Injoon.

Injoon chooses his words as carefully as he can in his current mental state. "Let's just say I'm not the only one sneaking around these days." Gwangchul frowns as if about to ask for more, but a strange gurgling sound from Jihwan's stomach catches his attention.

"Hungry, kid?" Gwangchul smiles and ruffles Jihwan's hair affectionately. "Have you had breakfast?"

Jihwan grins back and shakes his head sheepishly. Injoon grips his own stomach and groans, "Shit, I haven't either. I'm starving-- I think I could eat a chocolate-covered cheeseburger. Or five. And some fries, oh my god." He moans obnoxiously and Gwangchul slaps him on the back of the head.

"The pot can't be helping either," Gwangchul mutters. Injoon answers with another loud groan and rolls in the van's seat. "Why don't you guys go get some food? I have to head back in soon anyway."

Injoon frowns, but nods in agreement. Gwangchul climbs out of the van with a yawn and one dazed smile over his shoulder, then Injoon and Jihwan pull out of the school lot and head to the first fast food joint they spot.

The food turns out to be the perfect excuse for why Jihwan and Injoon were out. Hyunchul gives them an unbelieving glare, but he can't argue with the pile of fast-food wrappers in the back of the van. Hyunmin crouches into the middle seat and doesn't say a word about driving despite his usually absolute refusal to give up the wheel. Suhoon is once again absorbed in his cell phone, and he's so distracted he slides into the van next to Hyunmin without a second thought, but Hyunmin continues to stare out the dirty window of the van and appears not to notice. Injoon and Hyunchul exchange a worried look, but what can they do? Hyunchul climbs into the passenger seat and the five drive back to the school.

The receptionist's attitude is much improved today as she greets them with a bright smile, offers them coffee and leads them down the hall to the principal's office. "I can't apologize enough for my behavior yesterday," she fusses with a dramatic hand to her temple. "I don't know what was wrong with me! Principal Kim has informed me of how important your task here is, so if you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask." With that, and one last offering of coffee, she almost runs back down the hall.

Injoon, who has somehow taken up the front position, glances back at Hyunmin. "You'd better go first," he says gently. Hyunmin blinks at him and nods slowly before opening the door and leading them inside. Upon entering Injoon smacks into Hyunmin's back and it takes all he has not to shout in frustration. But then, as he looks to his left and sees Jihwan's face contorted in shock, then to his right and finds Hyunchul's expression almost a mirror image. He pushes Hyunmin aside to step beside him and his jaw drops, because behind that familiar desk is a face equally familiar but out of place.

He tries to speak but his voice catches in his throat and he's not sure why, but he feels tears in the corners of his eyes. "Jisang," is the only sound that successfully leaves his lips. The always shockingly tall man standing behind the desk smiles and Injoon wants nothing more than to run across the room and hug him, but it's as if time has frozen and he's afraid that if he dares to move, the spell will break and that man will shatter and dissolve back into memories.

Hyunmin is the first capable of forming a full sentence, "What are you doing here?"

Jisang cocks his head. "I guess you weren't expecting this, huh?" He chuckles and looks down self-consciously, clasping his hands behind his back in the way Injoon remembers so clearly it's like a video playing before his eyes. Jisang smile is bright and there is a hesitation before he speaks.

There's a sudden sob and Injoon realizes that Jihwan's crying. Hyunchul walks around the puts an arm around the boy, still not daring to speak himself. Suhoon stands toward the back, completely calm but smiling. Hyunmin looks beyond words and Injoon feels as if he's the one who has to speak. It's not what he wants to ask, it's too soon, but the question slips out as soon as he opens his mouth, "Where have you been?"

Injoon can feel his friends tense around him, but Jisang doesn't look surprised. He looks up from his shoes and his eyes are sad. "I've been around."

"That's enough of an answer for now, don't you think?" Suhoon says, making the others jump. Injoon nods and he's relieved that someone else has finally spoken up. Patting Injoon on the shoulder, Suhoon steps in front of them and nods at some chairs around the desk. "Why don't we sit down and discuss the job first and handle the tough questions later?"

"Sounds like a good idea. Please sit down, guys." Jisang drops formalities and it eases the tension as they awkwardly try to arrange themselves around the room. Injoon out of the corner of his eye spies Suhoon and Jisang exchange a look that makes him wonder how many tough questions there could possibly be.

Five years ago a group of seven male seniors assisted in the arrest of a disgruntled former employee who had been stealing information from their high school. Soon they were getting requests left and right to solve more and more cases; they became, in their own way, famous. As graduation drew closer, they made plans. They would move away, to the city, and together turn their new-found hobby into a successful business. Everyone packed, everyone was of a like mind, at least that's how it appeared.

Two weeks before graduation, their leader disappeared. Kim Jisang simply dropped from the face of the Earth. The police were called in, but the case was closed after three days. The problem was, Jisang had always lived alone, his parents long since passed away. After checking with the neighbors and his landlord, the police came to one solid conclusion: he'd just left. A few people around his neighborhood had seen him packing and throwing away things, his landlord said Jisang had contacted him about ending his lease. There was no foul play, just unanswered questions which were not the concern of the police. Hyunchul and Hyunmin urged everyone to keep moving forward with their plan. They finished packing and had Injoon's van stuffed and ready to go the day of graduation.

Suhoon collapsed half-way across the stage as he went to accept his diploma. A trip to the emergency room confirmed that it was exhaustion and stress-induced, but the incident only worsened the growing strain between the six remaining boys. When Suhoon woke up, Hyunmin was there, whispering things to this day only the two of them know, but by the end of that day Suhoon was out of the hospital and saying he was ready to go. The van was still prepared, why not?

At the last minute, sometime between Injoon and Hyunmin fighting over who would drive and Hyunchul and Jihwan cramming themselves in between the bags and boxes, Gwangchul decided he wasn't going. He grabbed his few things out of the van and said, "I don't want to do this anymore." Before Injoon could try to stop him, Hyunmin agreed to let Injoon take the wheel and, in a daze, the five remaining boys drove out of their hometown to make a new life for themselves.

Now, suddenly, they're all together again, in the very place they started out. Gwangchul isn't literally in the room with them, but each of them is aware of his proximity as Jisang lays out the all-too familiar situation.

The sightings of a strange man had started a month ago and occurred at least twice a week. Every report had been almost identical: a nondescript man either walking around or just standing on or near the back staircase of the building. All of the sightings had been reported by students and there was no connection between them, ruling out the possibility of a prank. The faculty had even waited a few weeks before informing the PTA and student body council about the sightings because they were hopeful the perpetrator would give up if he or she weren't given the attention they were seeking. Last week they'd had no choice but to make an official announcement. Since, there'd been countless rumors about ghosts, child molesters, wandering hobos, and as expected the number of reported sightings had increased. A few, at least, seemed genuine, and it appeared that their lurker was appearing more often now that he or she were finally holding the spotlight.

"The PTA demanded we question the original guy from five years ago," Jisang says with obvious displeasure. "He's perfectly settled and stable in a small town miles from here. He even works nights at his new job, so he has an alibi for every single sighting."

"What has this new 'ghost' been doing at night? Any attacks or stolen property?" Hyunchul asks, holding his chin in his hand thoughtfully.

Jisang is visibly exasperated. "That's the worst part- he isn't doing anything. I've told the PTA that this must be some lonely person who really wants attention and happened to hear about the supposed ghost sightings from back then. Our ghost is perfectly harmless and will surely go away if we just let it be, but the parents..." He drifts off, and they can all sense the responsibility and frustration weighing on their friend's shoulders.

"So we need to catch this guy and make sure he stops this crap so the PTA will calm down," Hyunmin says, his voice tired. Normally, the Mystery Gang would never accept cases like these in which there's so little motive and actual damage being done. Jisang had started that tradition back when they first started taking cases around town. If we're not careful, we'll have every single lonely guy in a hundred-mile radius pretending to be a ghost for a chance that we'll hunt him down and make him famous, he'd said.

"I'm sorry to make you do this," Jisang says as if reading their minds. "I thought about calling in someone else, but it didn't feel right."

Jihwan, who'd been silent the entire time and perched on the edge of Jisang's desk, perks up slightly. "How long have you been the principal?" he asks, a completely innocent and yet fully loaded question.

"I moved back a year ago." He laughs a little. "Gwangchul was just as shocked as you all are now." His mentioning Gwangchul brings a new level of tension to the room. Injoon's gut tightens as he senses Hyunmin's anger before he speaks.

"Why the hell didn't he tell us you were here?" All eyes are on Jisang, who looks to his shoes.

"I asked him not to."

Before anyone can question Jisang further, Suhoon breaks his silence, "I knew Jisang was here, too, so if you're going to point your anger at anyone, point it at me. He contacted me yesterday."

Injoon feels relief that at least one mystery is solved so far, but the strained expression on Hyunmin's face reminds him that things are getting more and more complicated. "So," Hyunchul asks, rubbing his temples and taking off his glasses. "Just to clarify, this whole time you've been texting Jisang?" Suhoon nods. "And he's the one you went to see today?"

"And last night," Suhoon adds in a mumble and Injoon watches Hyunmin's face turn a comical shade of purple. Suhoon gives Injoon an apologetic look. "I said you'd know when it was important, right?"

Injoon wants to glare or scream or feel some shred of rage, but just can't. They're supposed to be happy right now and not one face in the room is smiling. He forces one onto his face and stands up to face Jisang, who had gradually shrunk into the corner behind his desk. "I'm glad to see you," he says, though his voice is weaker than intended.

Jisang's face brightens into a grin, the first genuine smile Injoon has seen all day, and pulls Injoon into a hug that doesn't require words to understand.

(next part)