"suicide?" joshua questioned, his disbelief evident. he couldn't fathom how yoo na ra's death could be ruled as suicide. it just doesn't make sense to him. he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her death than they know. 

"yes, the prosecutor and the judge concluded it themselves, and kim bin ji is free of charges," hoshi informed, taking a seat in front of joshua's desk. joshua furrowed his brows, trying to process the information. if the authorities had deemed it a suicide and cleared kim bin ji, then where did that leave their investigation?

joshua's mind raced as he considered the possibility of foul play. he couldn't shake the suspicion that yoo na ra's death was not a suicide but rather a carefully planned murder. but without solid evidence to support his assumption, he felt helpless to challenge the official ruling.

"are the prosecutor and the judge suspicious? are they allies of choi jae hyung?" joshua probed, searching for any hint of corruption or influence.

"no, hyung. i looked into it, but really, there's nothing. they don't even know each other," hoshi replied, his frustration evident. joshua sighed, feeling the weight of stress.

"but it's impossible. if not choi jae hyung, then there must be someone behind her death. it's not a suicide, hoshi," joshua asserted, his tone firm with determination. he refused to accept the official story without a fight.

"i know, hyung, but i've done my best to look for connections or external factors, but nothing. she either died by suicide, or her murderer is good at making it seem like a suicide." hoshi explained, echoing joshua's thoughts. they were stuck in a frustrating loop, unable to progress with their investigation.

"do you think a mafia group is involved in this?" hoshi pondered aloud, considering the possibility of an organized crime playing a role in yoo nara's death. it seemed unlikely, but given the circumstances, joshua couldn't dismiss it entirely.

"if that's the case... then we should drop it. we're only concerned about the choi's. if it's ruled a suicide, then that's it. let's not dig deeper," joshua decided, his tone resigned. he couldn't afford to waste time on a dead end.

joshua knew he and hoshi needed to distance themselves from the problem, especially when it comes to matters involving the mafia. joshua is distancimg them from that world for a reason, and he was determined to keep that distance. for his safety and peace of mind. 

"a clean murder like this disguised as a suicide, is definitely the work of the mafia. but alright, i'll stop investigating," hoshi says, his shoulders slumping in defeat. he couldn't help but feel disappointed at the thought of letting go of the case. he liked the thrill of the chase and the satisfaction of uncovering the truth. but for now, it seemed they had hit a dead end, and there was little else they could do.

as joshua and hoshi sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts, joshua couldn't shake the feeling of frustration and regret. he felt like they were missing something crucial, something that could unravel the mystery of yoo na ra's death. but, they were left with more questions than answers, and the truth remained frustratingly out their of reach.

a knock on his door interrupted joshua's thoughts. he then saw dokyeom holding a folder. the younger lawyer paused, noticing hoshi, who was staring back at him.

"what do you need, dokyeom?" joshua asked, breaking the staring contest.

"i need your signature," dokyeom replied, sounding serious. joshua immediately signed the papers and felt the need to introduce dokyeom to hoshi. 

and since he knows that dokyeom is capable of doing a background check on kwon hoshi, joshua didn't dare try to hide the latter. "dokyeom, this is hoshi, and hoshi, this is my brother dokyeom," joshua said, trying to ease the tension. hoshi nodded in acknowledgement, but dokyeom kept staring at him, as if he was trying to read his whole entire being.

"why is he here?" dokyeom asked, still looking at hoshi.

"he's just someone i know. he's leaving now, right hoshi?" joshua signaled for hoshi to go, ignoring dokyeom's look.

as hoshi tried to leave, dokyeom stopped him with his demanding low voice, sounding firm. hoshi paused, sensing the tension between the brothers.

"lee dokyeom." joshua warns, controlling his tone to not offend his younger brother even more. he stood up.

dokyeom glanced at him but quickly looked at hoshi "who are you?" he asked, sounding challenging.

"he's my driver, dokyeom-ah," joshua replied for him, using his eyes to order hoshi go leave. but the man is poor at reading signals that he stood there not knowing what to do and not knowing who to follow. 

"dokyeom, don't make him uncomfortable. he's my driver. i invited him here to accompany me." joshua said, hoping to ease the tension. he felt there was more to dokyeom's reaction than he showed as the younger seems to be thinking deeply. 

"hoshi leave now i'll call you later, use my car and go wherever you like." joshua says walking towards hoshi and giving him his car keys. pushing him out of the door to not cause anymore scene. 

as joshua closed the door behind him, dokyeom began walking towards it, his expression unreadable. joshua felt a surge of longing to reconnect with his younger brother, aching to bridge the growing gap between them.

"how have you been, kyeom? you've been so busy lately. you don't even contact me," joshua said, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness, hoping to evoke a softer side in dokyeom.

dokyeom met his gaze with a stern expression, without any warmth. "likewise, i wasn't even aware that you have a driver in your company. i thought you didn't like to have one," he retorted coolly, his words laced with a subtle hint of sarcasm.

joshua's heart sank at the unexpected respnse from his brother. he had hoped for a moment of genuine connection, but instead, he found himself faced with dokyeom's indifference. "i needed someone to be with me." joshua replied, trying to keep his tone steady despite the sting he feels iin his heart because of dokyeom's actions.

dokyeom's lips curled into a faint smirk, "you needed someone? i guess you didn't need me or you forgot that i existed because you only care about yourself." he remarked dismissively, his tone dripping with anger.

the older didn't understand where he is coming from. what had he done for his brother to treat him this way? joshua felt a surge of frustration building within him. he had hoped for a chance to mend their relationship, but it seemed that dokyeom was determined to keep their interactions distant. "i'm sorry, and i've missed you, kyeom," joshua admitted, his voice barely above a whisper, his heart heavy with longing for the bond they once shared.

dokyeom's expression softened for a fleeting moment before returning to its impassive state. "i've been too busy to care." he replied, his words hung heavily in the air, a clear reminder of the growing distance between them.

as the silence stretched between them, joshua couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the realization that their relationship may never be the same again. he nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat and trying hard not to cry. "how's cheol and the others?" he attempted to change the topic, desperate to save their relationship to how it was before. 

but his brother remained unmoved, indifferent to joshua's emotions. what could have caused dokyeom to act so coldly towards him? joshua couldn't shake off the feeling of betrayal lingering in his heart.

"i cannot share such information with others," dokyeom replied sharply.

joshua stood there, his eyes darkening with realization. "others" he whispered softly before looking down and sighing, the weight of their conversation bearing down on him.

"you may leave now, lee dokyeom. in the future, unless i instruct you otherwise, do not enter the office. act professionally i am still your boss," joshua stated firmly, his voice echoing with authority.

as he spoke, dokyeom's eyes softened, a flicker of regret crossing his features. he opened his mouth to speak, but joshua cut him off with a commanding tone. "leave now," joshua ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument.

dokyeom didn't resist. he had done it. pushed his joshua hyung away, further feeding the growing distance between them.