As the group dove into their food, a quiet hum of chatter filled the room, the earlier tension now temporarily replaced with the comforting clatter of chopsticks and muted laughter.

Lee Know leaned against the wall, his sharp gaze lazily scanning the room until it landed on Y/N.

There she was, sitting cross-legged in her chair, her attention completely consumed by the glowing laptop in front of her. She had her hair tied up in a messy bun, stray strands framing her face. And then there was the shirt—his white shirt, oversized on her, slipping slightly off one shoulder.

His breath hitched for a moment. She didn't even realize how effortlessly attractive she looked, her brow furrowed in concentration, lips slightly parted as she absentmindedly bit the tip of a pen.

Lee Know swallowed hard, a heat rising in his chest that had nothing to do with the spicy tteokbokki on the table. He tore his gaze away, trying to focus on literally anything else. But his eyes betrayed him, flickering back to her every few seconds.

Y/N leaned forward, typing furiously on the laptop. The shirt shifted again, exposing more of her collarbone, and Lee Know felt a pang of desire so sharp it almost startled him.

"Everything okay over there, Romeo?" Han teased, nudging him lightly with his elbow.

Lee Know snapped his head toward Han, his usual composure returning in an instant. "What are you on about?"

Han smirked knowingly, but before he could say more, Y/N's voice cut through the air.

"Hey, Lee Know," she said, not looking up. "Didn't this orphanage have ties to a shell company in Busan? I need a second pair of eyes on this."

Lee Know cleared his throat, forcing his voice to stay steady. "Yeah, I'll take a look."

He pushed off the wall and walked toward her, determined to act normal. But as he leaned over her shoulder to glance at the screen, the faint scent of her perfume hit him, sending his pulse racing again.

Y/N turned slightly to look at him, her expression expectant. "Well?"

Lee Know's gaze dropped to her lips for the briefest of moments before he caught himself. "Uh, yeah. This matches the pattern. Good catch."

She smiled, turning back to the laptop. "Thanks. You're not as useless as Han says."

Lee Know smirked, trying to play it cool. "Glad to be of service."

But as he straightened up and returned to his seat, his mind was far from cool.

This was going to be a long night.

Lee Know gave in to his curiosity, casually leaning back in his chair as he fixed Y/N with a pointed look. "By the way," he started, his tone deceptively casual, "where'd you get my shirt?"

Y/N didn't even look up from her laptop, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. She tilted her head slightly, her smirk turning sly.

"Oh, this?" she said, plucking at the over sized fabric. "You left it in my room after last night."

Silence.

The room froze as the words registered. Then, chaos erupted.

Seungmin, who had been mid-sip of his soda, choked violently, spluttering as he doubled over. Felix's chopsticks slipped from his hand, his wide eyes darting between Lee Know and Y/N. Han, ever the dramatist, slapped a hand over his mouth, his muffled gasp barely covering his delighted laugh.

But the pièce de résistance was I.N. The youngest member, who had been happily slurping his ramyeon, immediately inhaled it the wrong way. He coughed and wheezed, frantically reaching for Felix's coffee, only to recoil when he realized it wasn't water.

"You okay there, maknae?" Han teased, pounding I.N's back while grinning like a cat who had just been gifted a bowl of cream.

"I'm—cough—fine," I.N rasped, glaring at Y/N. "But can someone explain what she means by last night?"

Lee Know, for his part, kept his composure remarkably well. His lips quirked into a smirk as he crossed his arms. "Care to elaborate, Y/N?"

Y/N finally looked up, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Why? Afraid of the truth?"

Felix, who was now fully invested, leaned forward. "Wait, wait, wait. What happened last night?"

Lee Know shrugged nonchalantly, his smirk deepening. "Nothing much. She stole my shirt. That's all."

"Stole?" Y/N scoffed, feigning offense. "Excuse me, you left it in my room."

"And why was it in your room to begin with?" Seungmin interjected, his voice laced with suspicion.

Lee Know and Y/N exchanged a glance, the kind that only fueled the others' wild imaginations.

"That's classified," Lee Know said smoothly, grabbing his chopsticks and digging into his food as if the conversation were over.

"Classified, my foot," Han muttered, his curiosity now at an all-time high. "We're getting to the bottom of this."

But Y/N simply chuckled, turning her attention back to the laptop. "Good luck with that," she said, her tone teasing.

The maknaes exchanged glances, their minds racing with theories. Meanwhile, Lee Know leaned back in his chair, secretly enjoying the chaos he and Y/N had unleashed.

The maknaes were busy theorizing wildly, Hyunjin, Changbin, and Chan exchanged knowing smirks from their side of the room. They weren't about to let this golden opportunity slip by.

Hyunjin was the first to make a move. Leaning in close to Lee Know, he whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Last night, huh? What did you do, hyung? Did you give her the shirt as a souvenir?"

Lee Know shot him a sharp glare. "Hyunjin, if you value your ability to dance, you might want to reconsider your words."

But that only fueled Hyunjin's grin. "Relax, hyung. I'm just trying to understand. Sharing shirts? That's very... intimate."

Changbin joined the fray, plopping himself on Lee Know's other side. "You know, Minho-hyung, this explains why you came back looking so... relaxed this morning." He wagged his eyebrows suggestively, making Lee Know roll his eyes.

Chan, not one to be left out, leaned against the back of Lee Know's chair, resting his chin on his hand. "It's always the quiet ones," he teased. "You've been awfully chipper today, Lee Know. Care to share the secret?"

Lee Know exhaled slowly, gripping his chopsticks like he might snap them in half. "There is nothing to share," he said firmly, though the faint pink tinge on his ears betrayed him.

"Oh, but there is!" Hyunjin chirped, elbowing Changbin for backup. "C'mon, just admit it. Last night must've been special."

Felix, now fully invested from the maknae table, called out, "Hyung, don't torture him too much! Let him keep his secrets... for now."

"Oh, we're not torturing him," Changbin said, his grin devilish. "We're just trying to get him to confess."

Y/N, who had been quietly watching this unfold with an amused smirk, finally decided to intervene. "You know, you three are way too nosy for your own good."

"Nosy?" Hyunjin repeated, feigning offense. "We're just being supportive hyungs!"

Lee Know finally snapped, slamming his chopsticks on the table. "If you really want to know what happened, I'll tell you—"

The room went silent, everyone leaning in eagerly.

"—nothing."

Groans erupted from around the room, with even Chan throwing his hands up in frustration. "You're no fun," he muttered, though his grin suggested he was thoroughly entertained.

Y/N chuckled softly, her eyes meeting Lee Know's for a brief moment. "Let them believe what they want," she said, her voice teasing.

Lee Know smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Oh, I plan to."

The room buzzed with laughter and protests as the teasing continued, but one thing was clear: whatever had really happened last night, only Lee Know and Y/N knew the truth—and they weren't about to share it.

The teasing subsided and everyone went back to their food, Lee Know's focus subtly shifted to Y/N. She was seated next to him, still engrossed in her laptop, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she pieced together more information for the case.

Without drawing attention, his hand slid ever so slowly towards her waist under the table. It was a deliberate, calculated movement—one that no one would notice unless they were paying extra close attention.

Y/N stiffened slightly when she felt his fingers brush against her side, but she didn't look away from the screen. Instead, she smirked faintly, clearly aware of his little game. Lee Know, however, didn't stop. His hand found its way to her waist, gripping it gently but firmly.

Her eyes darted towards him briefly, a playful warning in them, but she said nothing.

Everything was going according to plan—until the maknae line struck again.

I.N, seated diagonally across the room, was mid-bite into his ramyeon when he glanced in their direction. His eyes widened as he saw Lee Know's hand very clearly where it shouldn't have been.

His chopsticks froze mid-air, and he choked on his noodles. "Hyung!" he sputtered, coughing loudly and drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

"What now?" Chan asked, exasperated, as he looked up from his notes.

"Lee Know hyung's hand is on—" I.N started, pointing accusingly, but Lee Know acted fast.

He smoothly withdrew his hand, raising both of them innocently. "On what?" he asked, feigning confusion. "I'm literally eating, Jeongin. Relax."

The others turned their attention to I.N, who was now flustered and stammering. "B-but—! I saw—"

"Jeongin," Y/N interrupted smoothly, her tone amused but calm, "are you okay? You've been choking an awful lot lately. Maybe you should eat slower."

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, seriously. What's wrong with you, maknae?"

Felix chuckled. "Maybe he's just imagining things. Long day, huh, I.N?"

I.N glared at Lee Know, who shot him a smirk so subtle it was almost imperceptible. "You're impossible," he muttered under his breath before burying his face in his bowl of ramyeon.

Y/N leaned over to whisper to Lee Know, her voice low enough that only he could hear. "You're getting reckless."

Lee Know smirked, his voice equally low. "And you're loving it."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at her lips.

Chan's phone vibrated on the table, the screen lighting up with an unknown number. His brows furrowed as he reached for it. The team went quiet, their senses immediately on high alert.

"Who is it?" Hyunjin asked, his voice low.

"I don't know," Chan replied, answering the call. Before he could speak, a deep, distorted voice cut through, sending chills down their spines.

"Digging info about me, I see," the voice began, dripping with eerie calmness.

Chan's expression hardened, and Changbin quickly gestured for him to put it on speaker. With a swift tap, the room was filled with the haunting monotone voice, modulated to perfection with a voice changer.

"Well, well," the voice continued, each word deliberate, "I am about to destroy the alive lead you have."

The color drained from Y/N's face as she exchanged a worried glance with Lee Know.

"If you can save the poor boy," the voice added mockingly, "well, I feel pathetic for him. How does it feel, saving for months for college only to end up dead?"

Seo Min-jae.

The realization hit the team like a freight train. Chan's grip on the phone tightened, his knuckles white. "What do you want?" he demanded, his voice firm but laced with urgency.

The voice chuckled darkly. "Oh, nothing. Just a little fun. Let's see how good you are at this game of life and death."

And then the call disconnected.

A tense silence followed, broken only by the sound of I.N dropping his chopsticks. "Min-jae," he whispered.

Felix shot up from his seat. "We have to go. Now!"

Chan nodded, already pulling up the last location they had on Min-jae. "Hyunjin, take the surveillance footage. Changbin, check the signal tracking from this number. Y/N, Lee Know, with me. Everyone else, gear up!"

The team sprang into action, the playful atmosphere from moments ago replaced with deadly seriousness.

"This bastard knows too much," Lee Know muttered as he grabbed his jacket, his jaw clenched.

Y/N grabbed her laptop and stuffed it into her bag. "And he's escalating. If we don't get to Min-jae in time—"

"We will," Chan interrupted, his voice steady. "We have to."

The clock was ticking, and every second brought them closer to either saving Min-jae—or losing him forever.

***

The team's van screeched through the dimly lit streets, urgency driving every move. As they neared Min-jae's neighborhood, a growing commotion caught their attention. A large crowd had gathered at a crossroads, their murmurs blending with the wail of approaching sirens.

Chan slammed on the brakes. "What's going on here?"

The team stepped out, pushing their way through the crowd. Felix froze in his tracks, his face paling as he caught sight of the scene.

A mangled motorbike lay on its side, its frame twisted beyond recognition. Next to it was a car, its hood crumpled like paper. And there, sprawled on the asphalt, was Min-jae. Blood pooled beneath him, his school uniform torn and stained.

"No..." Y/N whispered, her hand flying to her mouth.

Lee Know crouched beside Min-jae's motionless form, his sharp eyes catching something horrifying—a crudely drawn X engraved into the boy's wrist, the mark painted in his own blood. The telltale signature of the killer.

"He's still warm," Lee Know muttered, feeling for a pulse. "But it's faint."

The police arrived within moments, cordoning off the area. An officer approached Chan. "We'll need statements, but we'll handle it from here."

Chan ignored him, his focus on Min-jae. "We need an ambulance now! He's still alive!"

The officer hesitated, but another confirmed that one was en route.

Seungmin scanned the crowd, his sharp eyes catching glimpses of familiar faces, anyone suspicious. "This was no accident," he murmured, his voice shaking with restrained anger. "The timing, the mark... The killer is toying with us."

Y/N clenched her fists. "That call wasn't just a threat—it was a distraction. They planned this, knowing we'd come too late."

Hyunjin stood guard, his jaw tight. "We should've been faster. Damn it!"

As the ambulance finally arrived, the paramedics worked quickly to stabilize Min-jae. Lee Know stepped back, his hands balled into fists. "He's barely hanging on," he muttered. "But why the X? Why here, in public?"

Changbin's expression darkened. "The killer's sending a message, loud and clear. No one is safe. Not even under our watch."

Chan turned to the team, his voice grim but commanding. "This changes everything. We need to rethink our approach. If we don't stop this killer now, more blood will be on our hands."

As the ambulance doors closed on Min-jae's battered form, the team stood amidst the chaos, the weight of the case pressing down heavier than ever. The killer's game was far from over—and they were running out of time.

***

The sterile, fluorescent-lit hallway outside the surgery room felt colder than usual. The nine members of the team stood in a line, their heads bowed in silence as Kwon-ii, the highest-ranking official from the Seoul Government Agency, paced furiously in front of them.

His sharp footsteps echoed through the hallway, amplifying the suffocating tension. Kwon-ii's face was a mask of barely restrained fury, his voice cutting through the air like a whip.

"Do you have any idea what this means?" he hissed, his eyes scanning each team member. "A seventeen-year-old boy, an innocent, was nearly slaughtered on your watch! And now he's clinging to life in there!" He jabbed a finger toward the closed surgery room doors.

Chan straightened slightly but kept his gaze on the floor. "We arrived as quickly as we could," he said, his tone measured but heavy with guilt.

"Not quickly enough!" Kwon-ii roared, his voice making even Lee Know flinch. "Do you understand the gravity of this situation? This isn't just a case anymore—it's a public relations disaster. The media will pounce on this, and the government will be blamed for putting faith in a team that can't protect a single lead!"

Felix glanced at Y/N, who clenched her fists at her sides, her jaw tight. She wanted to speak, but the weight of failure pressed on her like a boulder.

"We were following a lead," Hyunjin interjected, his voice quieter but resolute. "The killer anticipated our moves and set this up. We're dealing with someone who's always one step ahead."

"That's no excuse!" Kwon-ii snapped, his face red with frustration. He turned to Changbin. "What about the voice on the call? Did you track it?"

Changbin shook his head reluctantly. "It was heavily masked. We're working on decoding it, but it's taking time."

"Time?" Kwon-ii barked a bitter laugh. "You think time is a luxury we have? Because while you're sitting here 'working on it,' that boy could die, and the killer could strike again!"

I.N's voice, quiet and trembling, broke the silence. "Min-jae... he's strong. He'll pull through."

Kwon-ii glared at the youngest member, his sharp words ready, but Chan raised his hand, stepping forward. "Enough."

The room went still as Chan lifted his head, his eyes burning with determination. "We failed this time, but we're not out of the game yet. Min-jae is alive, and as long as he is, we still have a chance to get answers. We'll tighten our strategy, double our efforts. But standing here throwing blame won't get us anywhere."

Kwon-ii stared at him for a moment before letting out a sharp exhale. "You'd better be right, Bang Chan. Because if you fail again, this case will be taken out of your hands, and you'll all be held accountable."

With that, he stormed off, leaving the team in tense silence.

Lee Know let out a low whistle, breaking the heavy atmosphere. "Well, that was fun."

"Shut up," Seungmin muttered, rubbing his temples.

Chan turned to face his team, his expression softening slightly. "We're not done yet. Min-jae's survival depends on us now. Let's regroup, analyze everything we have, and find the killer before they make another move."

Y/N glanced at the closed doors of the surgery room, her resolve hardening. "We're not losing this one," she whispered, and the team silently agreed.

The hallway outside the surgery room was heavy with tension, every second dragging like hours. The team stood in a somber line, their expressions hardened by frustration and failure, as the faint sound of medical equipment buzzed through the sterile air. Suddenly, hurried footsteps and muffled sobs broke the silence.

An elderly couple appeared at the end of the corridor, their faces pale and tear-streaked. The woman clung to the man's arm as if her life depended on it, and her voice cracked as she cried out, "Our son! Please, let us see him!"

Felix and Han were the first to react, stepping forward to block their path. "Your son?" Felix's voice was calm, almost disarmingly so, but his sharp eyes betrayed suspicion. "Who are you exactly?"

The man straightened, his voice trembling but resolute. "We're Min-jae's parents. We just heard about the accident and—"

Han's jaw tightened, his keen mind catching the glaring lie. "Parents?" he interrupted, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "That's interesting, considering Min-jae is an