I.N sat hunched over his laptop, his fingers tapping against the keys as his eyes scanned the victims' profiles for the hundredth time. His frustration was mounting—weeks of relentless investigation, and they were no closer to figuring out the killer's motive. But then his gaze froze on a line in the document, his stomach twisting as he read it again and again.

"They're all... orphans," he whispered, his voice barely audible but heavy with the weight of realization.

Felix, seated nearby, glanced up from his coffee, his brows knitting together. "What?"

"They're all orphans," I.N repeated, his voice louder now, laced with unease. "Every single victim—the schoolboy, the CIA agent, the farmer—none of them had living parents. No guardians, no family to speak of."

Silence fell over the room as the gravity of his words sank in.

Seungmin leaned back, his analytical mind already working. "If they had no family, it means no one to report them missing immediately. No one to push for answers. They'd make easier targets."

"But why these people specifically?" Bangchan mused, pacing in the dimly lit room. His voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed his frustration. "A schoolboy, a data analyst, an actor... the professions are so different. What connects them beyond being orphans?"

The atmosphere grew tense, each member feeling the suffocating pressure of the unanswered questions.

I.N leaned closer to his screen, poring over the files again, searching for anything they might have missed. His pen slipped from his hand, clattering to the floor. Muttering a curse under his breath, he ducked under the desk to retrieve it.

That's when he saw it.

Lee Know's hand.

Not resting casually but gripping Y/N's thigh with a deliberate possessiveness. His thumb moved in slow circles, a gesture that seemed both intimate and dangerous. Y/N sat still, her eyes fixed on her screen, though a faint smirk tugged at her lips.

I.N froze, his heart hammering in his chest. His mind screamed at him to look away, but his body betrayed him, rooted to the spot in a mix of shock and disbelief.

When he finally managed to grab his pen, he shot back up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. His face was pale, his hands trembling slightly as he gripped the desk.

"You okay?" Y/N asked without looking up, her voice smooth and unbothered.

"I—uh—yeah!" I.N stammered, his voice cracking. "Fine! Totally fine!"

Lee Know's gaze flickered to him, dark and sharp, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. "You sure about that, maknae? You're looking a little... rattled."

The room's tension thickened, not just from the case but from the unspoken challenge in Lee Know's tone. I.N could feel the weight of his gaze, and it was suffocating.

Felix narrowed his eyes, picking up on the strange dynamic. "Dude, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"No ghost!" I.N blurted, his voice high-pitched and desperate. "Just realized I—I need more coffee!" He grabbed his mug and stumbled toward the coffee machine, his hands shaking as he poured.

Seungmin, ever the sharp observer, watched him with a mix of amusement and suspicion. "What's really going on, Jeongin?"

"I said nothing!" I.N snapped, his voice louder than intended. He downed his coffee in one go, scalding his tongue in the process. Coughing violently, he stumbled toward the window, muttering incoherently.

Hyunjin snorted, breaking the silence. "Maknae, you're the worst liar I've ever seen."

"Shut up!" I.N shot back, his face red, though it wasn't clear if it was from embarrassment or the coffee. He turned his back to the team, desperately trying to compose himself.

Lee Know leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as his smirk deepened. His voice was low, carrying an edge that sent a chill through the room. "Poor kid. He's not built for this line of work."

Y/N chuckled softly, finally glancing at Lee Know. "You're terrible, you know that?"

"Am I?" Lee Know's gaze lingered on her, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Bangchan, who had been silent, finally spoke, his voice cutting through the tension. "Enough." His tone was sharp, commanding, reminding everyone why he was the leader. "Focus. This case is bigger than any of us, and if we don't crack it, there will be more bodies."

The room fell silent, the weight of his words pressing down on them. I.N, still shaken, turned back to his laptop, his mind racing. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more at play—both in the case and within the team. Something dark and dangerous was brewing, and he wasn't sure they were ready for it.

Felix muttered under his breath, his fingers drumming against the table. "This whole thing feels like a setup."

"Or a game," Seungmin added, his voice low. "One we're all being played in."

Bangchan's jaw tightened as he stared at the board filled with notes and photos. "Then we need to figure out the rules before it's too late."

But as the team delved deeper into their theories, none of them could shake the feeling that they were being watched, the shadows of the room seeming to creep closer with every passing second.