a case of identity

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/38280253.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: Stray Kids (Band)
Relationship: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Character: Han Jisung | Han, Lee Minho | Lee Know, Kim Seungmin, Hwang
Hyunjin, Bang Chan
Additional Tags: lawyer!jisung, prosecutor!minho, my little crime-solving duo are finally
here after MONTHS, Face blindness, Strangers to Lovers, Han Jisung |
Han-centric, office relationships (kind of), Some Plot, actually a lot, So
be warned, No angst!!, that's something new from me, second chapter
will be up shorty, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2022-04-10 Chapters: 2/2 Words: 19441

a case of identity
by wasatch97

Summary

Jisung steps into Minho’s path and the prosecutor looks at him, looks him straight in the
eyes, but doesn’t say a word.

Suspicion is thick in his throat, making it hard for Jisung to speak. “You did a good job
today, Prosecutor Lee.”

Minho’s eyes widen the slightest when he recognizes Jisung’s voice, and it takes him a
moment too long to reply. “You— You came.”

And all of Jisung’s assumptions are proven true with just those few words.

Lee Minho can’t recognize faces.

→ russian translation

Notes

Happy happy happy (incredibly late) birthday, Cal!!! ILY SM I hope you’re having an Excellent year so far~~ I
feel like I’ve been dangling this in front of you for Many Months but here it is, complete!!! I’m so happy that I
could write you something for your bday, and I really hope you like it!! ^3^

I’ve had writers block since uh September??? After whenever when our galaxies collide came out, so this was a
struggle to complete. But I’m hoping that it’s enjoyable cause I really do like these characters :3c Anyhow, big
 thank you to Heidi for helping me work out some of the plot and just. joining me in freaking out about minsung
and minchan ^^

So yeah! face blind prosecutor Minho x attorney Jisung is here~~~ pls enjoy!

cw: asshole crime suspects

See the end of the work for more notes

 Chapter 1

Jisung did not work his ass off over the past seven years to find himself in this position. He didn’t
slave away, chasing his seemingly unattainable dream of becoming a lawyer to be kneeling on the
ground, surrounded by documents he’d knocked off his new preceptor prosecutor’s desk. He didn’t
give up years of his life to university and law school, only to be caught red-handed like this, by
said prosecutor.

Jisung wants to sink into the floor and never again see the light of day.

"Attorney Han Jisung-ssi?" The man with dark purple hair who had entered the room first takes a
few steps towards him, and Jisung now sees that he’s followed by a second man. "You are the new
trainee assigned to this department, correct?"

Jisung's gaze darts from the mess of manila folders spread around him to the two men, a rosy blush
of embarrassment painting itself onto his skin. "Yes, that's me. I, um—” He scrambles to his feet,
trying to compose himself and save as much of this first impression as he can. “And are you
Prosecutor Lee Minho-ssi?"

"No, I'm the investigator for Prosecutor Lee's team," the man says. "I'm Kim Seungmin, and this,"
he steps to the side, revealing the other man in full, "is Prosecutor Lee Minho. You'll be reporting
to him for the next two months while you’re clerked here."

Jisung ducks into a bow, holding his position for a few seconds before straightening. Lee Minho is
looking him over, and Jisung takes the chance to do the same. The prosecutor is in a crisp white
shirt and black slacks, his blazer draped over his forearm. His brown hair is gelled so that his
forehead is shown, and his eyebrows are furrowed over strikingly dark eyes that are searing into
Jisung's own skin.

"Hello, Prosecutor Lee," Jisung says, dipping his head in another slight bow. "I hope that we'll
work well together."

Lee Minho is silent for a moment, giving Jisung the time to shift nervously on his feet, before his
voice cuts through the silence of the office. "We'll see. Luckily for you, I'm a prosecutor, someone
who looks past first impressions for other details, even if you were snooping around my desk.”
Jisung blanches. “So, Attorney Han Jisung-ssi, you best clean this up." He waves a hand at the
files around Jisung's shoes. "And don't bother putting them back where you found them, they're
case files for tomorrow, so you can start by reading through each of them. Sit over there." He
gestures towards the table in the middle of the room, and without further comment, strides over to
his desk and hangs up his suit jacket on a rack, right beside his prosecutor robe. After sitting down,
his attention is instantly fixed on his monitor screen, leaving Jisung alone with the attention of only
Seungmin.

The smile Jisung directs towards Seungmin is tentative, and he’s relieved when the investigator
smiles back. “I don’t believe I’ve made a very good first introduction. I’m looking forward to these
next months— I hope you’ll take good care of me.”

Seungmin opens his mouth to reply, but is cut off by Minho. “The files, trainee. Smalltalk is for
lunchtime and breaks.”

Jisung flushes and bends down, gathering the folders up into his arms. Seungmin helps, and stacks
the documents in front of the chair closest to what Jisung assumes is the investigator’s desk. “Best
get on with it,” Seungmin says, patting the top of the stack. “I’ll treat you to coffee later on, hm?”

As Jisung settles into his new spot, he swears he sees Minho look up from his work to watch him,
but when he turns his head to look, the prosecutor is focused on the documents spread out on his
desk in front of him.

Jisung figures it was his imagination.

✧✧✧

“He caught you going through his desk?” Hyunjin snickers, unhelpful as always. “Han Jisung,
you’re doomed.”

“I— Will you stop laughing?!” Jisung glowers at the tiled floor of the bathroom where he’d hidden
away to make a panicked call to his roommate. “I wasn’t going through his desk, I just happened to
elbow a stack of folders…”

“Jisung. Jisung-ie. My best friend. The first time your new boss ever saw you, you were on your
knees. Jesus Christ, what a message to send.”

“I hate you. So much.” Jisung glances up to find his own face, skin burning red, reflected back at
him in the mirror above the sinks. “I’ve got to go— I hope you have a really shitty day.” He hangs
up before Hyunjin can say another word.

“Okay.” Jisung closes his eyes, clenching his hands into fists. “It’s going to be okay. Fuck Hyunjin
— I’m good at my job, and I’ll prove it to them.”

With new resolve, he heads towards the door, only to jump out of the way right in time before it
opens. Jisung finds, to his surprise, that Seungmin is standing there, one hand holding the door
open while the other gestures for Jisung to follow. “Coming? I promised you coffee, didn’t I.”

“How did you know where to find me?” Jisung asks when they fall into step beside each other.
Seungmin is walking the halls purely from muscle memory, but Jisung has to keep some focus on
the investigator so that he doesn’t lose track of where they are.

“Well, I figured you’d be feeling a bit embarrassed about how we found you earlier, so I checked
the most obvious hiding places around this wing of the building.”

Jisung considers hiding his face in his hands and groaning in shame, but Seungmin’s smile is kind
and soothing, in a way. He thinks that maybe he and the investigator can become friends. “You’re
definitely right— that had to be one of the most humiliating things to ever happen to me.”

Seungmin laughs, but it isn’t from his own amusement. He comes to a stop in front of a coffee
dispenser tucked into an alcove, and reaches for a paper cup. “Don’t worry, I understand. And
Prosecutor Lee may come off as prickly, but like he said, he won’t hold a first encounter against
you.”

"Is he normally so abrupt?" The question slips out before Jisung can consider the brazenness of it.

Seungmin smiles, handing over the first cup, now filled with hot coffee. "He's not the easiest
person to work with, I should know. I've been with him for a couple years now." Seungmin shrugs,
taking another cup from the stack for himself. “But, he’s brilliant and headstrong— the
combination never leaves me bored or wanting of work.”

“Ah,” Jisung murmurs, doing his best to reign in his interest. “How old is he? I expected my
prosecutor-in-charge to be older.”

“Yes, he is one of the younger people in his field— he’ll be thirty this year,” Seungmin tells him.
“At such an age he’s done quite well for himself; he was offered a position at a large law firm last
year, but he turned it down.”

Jisung’s eyebrows raise, intrigued. “Why would he pass up an opportunity like that? Wouldn’t it
have been a positive financial choice?”

“It would have been,” Seungmin agrees. “But he doesn’t want to be a lawyer. He wants to find and
fight for the truth, not defend those who find themselves opposed by the prosecution. It’s an
admirable goal.”

“It makes sense,” Jisung acknowledges. He pauses to take a sip of coffee. “It seems that I have a
lot to learn about Prosecutor Lee.”

Seungmin laughs, but then adds quietly, "He likes to give off the impression that he enjoys being
alone."

Jisung’s interest rises further. "But does he actually?"

Seungmin just smiles at him. “Let’s get back— our break time is almost over.”

✧✧✧

"Han Jisung-ssi, you've made some progress with the files, I hope."

Jisung starts, his head snapping up when he hears the prosecutor’s voice coming from right behind
him. "I— yes. As you can see." Minho has mercifully stepped to the side so that Jisung can look up
at him without performing acrobatic tricks with his neck.

"Good." One word, nothing more, and then he’s gone, striding back over to his desk. Jisung
watches as he sits back down in his chair, linking his arms and stretching them out in front of him
before reaching for a pair of circular-framed glasses. The prosecutor puts them on and Jisung finds
himself close to smiling as some of the man’s icy demeanor melts away. Minho is almost cute,
Jisung thinks, when he idly pushes the glasses up the bridge of his nose a bit when he looks down
to study a document.

"Lawyer Han," Seungmin hisses from his desk, and Jisung snaps himself out of whatever trance
he’d fallen into and back to reality. "You best focus on finishing up, or he won't let you go home."

It’s true— Jisung ends up seeing Seungmin off as the investigator leaves before him. Now, left
alone with just Minho, the silence is deafening. Jisung tries his best to be quick with the rest of the
documents but he’s more interested in being thorough, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of
Lee Minho with incorrect facts or false statements.

What doesn’t help his struggle is how he can feel eyes on his back every once in a while. He’s sure
that Minho is monitoring him, and it only makes him more tense. Normally Jisung can work under
pressure— he has to— but this is different. This is scrutiny, and paired with what happened earlier,
it makes Jisung frustrated and antsy.

When Jisung does finish he lets out a sigh, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms above
his head. He’s exhausted and in desperate need of some shut-eye, but it does feel good to be
finished.
“You’ve completed your task?”

Jisung drops his arms from above his head and turns in his chair to look at the prosecutor. “Yes, I
did. I’m ready for tomorrow, to meet the accused.”

“Good.” Minho doesn’t smile, but his face softens slightly, as if he’s pleased. “You’ll take charge
of the cases, then.”

Jisung’s eyes widen. “What do you mean?”

Minho’s gaze darkens, exhibiting his annoyance at having to clarify. “I have an appointment in
court tomorrow, it’s the sentencing date for my latest large case. I’ve read your transcript— you’re
competent, so with Investigator Kim’s support I don’t see any reason why you won’t be able to see
these cases through.”

Competent. That’s definitely a compliment. “I’ll work hard,” Jisung tells him, bowing his head.
Minho nods at him, finished with the conversation, and Jisung packs up his things. He steps
towards the door, bag in hand, but then pauses. He must stand still for quite some time because
Minho speaks up from behind them.

“Is there something you’re wishing to tell me, Attorney Han?”

Jisung turns slowly, flushing a bit when he meets the prosecutor’s eyes. “I wanted to say that I’m
sorry about earlier. That wasn’t how I wanted our initial meeting to go.”

Minho leans back in his chair, regarding Jisung with his arms crossed. “And?”

“I’ll do my best to show you my abilities.”

The prosecutor sighs, disappointment etching itself onto his features. “Han Jisung-ssi, understand
that proving anything to me is futile, because it doesn’t matter. All I need to know is that you can
manage this work and what you need to do is focus on that: the work. Get it done, and we’ll be
able to coexist well together.”

Jisung lets the words sit with him through his bus ride home, considering Lee Minho. Clearly, he
doesn’t care for strangers, and is only tolerating Jisung because he was assigned to him.

Shifting to his side, Jisung watches buildings go by through the window, his mood becoming
emphasized by the raindrops that begin to pepper the glass.

✧✧✧

“You can’t pickpocket— it isn’t legal,” Jisung sighs. “It doesn’t matter if you claim he was an old
friend. You took his wallet and removed all the cash, and Kang-ssi filed a report against you,
saying you haven’t spoken since middle school.” Jisung glares at the man sitting across from him
who is grumbling under his breath in annoyance. “You’re going to be asked to settle, and I suggest
you do what Kang-ssi wishes.”

“This is the second week of settling these cases,” Jisung grumbles when the accused leaves the
room. “It’s exhausting and very repetitive.”

Seungmin smiles, giving Jisung a pat on the shoulder as he passes by. “You’ve done well, though.
The last trainee Prosecutor Lee had under him was transferred out within a week. The prosecutor
claimed that he was incompetent and a detriment to his work.” Jisung winces. “You should be
proud that you’ve come this far— I believe Prosecutor Lee is becoming somewhat fond of you.”
Jisung snorts. “Yeah, he barely acknowledges my existence unless it’s to assess my work.”

“But his feedback is always either positive or constructive— he’s never badmouthed or gotten
annoyed with you or your work.”

Jisung shrugs, flipping through his next case file. “I guess. I just wish he would open up a bit, I
don’t know a thing about him— how he works, what cases he’s been on, the process he likes to
take when interviewing suspects.”

“Are you saying that I haven’t done my part as your preceptor prosecutor?”

Jisung jumps to his feet, taken aback at Minho’s sudden presence in the doorway. “I— I mean, I
just—”

“You’re right,” Minho says, stepping into the room. “Which is why I’m here to ask for your
assistance, Lawyer Han.”

“What do you mean?” Jisung tilts his head in confusion.

“I have a new case,” Minho says, addressing both him and the investigator. “Our team does.”

Then he smiles, directly at Jisung.

It’s small but it’s definitely there, and Jisung’s heart skips a beat.

“It’s a case of embezzlement,” Minho continues, stepping forward so he can hand both Jisung and
Seungmin folders that he’d had under his arm. “A firm caught one of their employees husting
funds. The police thought it was a one-man operation, until the suspect slipped up, revealing that
there may be more to the crime. Our goal is to discover the identity of the partner, and prosecute in
court accordingly.”

“And this is what we know about the case?” Seungmin asks, flipping through the contents of his
folder.

Minho nods. “Next week we’ll begin with questioning him and then attributing it to what we
already know. I hope to see you both here on time,” he side-eyes Jisung who winces. He struggles
with timing, and has missed his morning bus twice since beginning his two-month period at the
prosecution headquarters. “On Monday I’ll be meeting with my peers who will give me more
information on the case. Until then, we work on closing minor cases and preparing others to be
sent to a different team.”

The prosecutor’s eyes flash and he glances down at Jisung, observing him for a moment. Jisung
shrinks under the scrutiny, but it doesn’t seem like Minho is looking for flaws. No, it’s almost as if
he’s gauging Jisung’s emotions through his posture and the way his hand is fiddling with his pen.

During the moment of observation Jisung notes something about Minho too. Something strange.

Throughout the entirety of the moment, Minho doesn’t look at his face.

✧✧✧

When Monday comes around Jisung can’t help but feel excited. As of today the investigation into
the embezzlement case will truly begin, and Jisung can hardly wait. He’s excited to learn from
Prosecutor Lee, and to work out in the field. But when he enters the office he’s greeted with a stack
of documents on the table in front of his chair, and given the vague instructions to “Close up the
remaining minor cases.”

Jisung’s excitement dips into mild disappointment, but he sets about combing through the papers.
His phone buzzes at one point but he ignores it, only checking the device when he completes his
work.

jinnie
I’m going out to dinner with some friends tonight
want anything? I’ll grab something to go for you
it’s meat

hannie
YES PLS
beef??

jinnie
of course

hannie
you know what I like
I’m trusting you with my order, hwang hyunjin!!
(but I expect a generous serving)

jinnie
at this point you’re just extorting from me
:/

hannie
you love me~
^3^

“Anything we would find interesting, Han Jisung-ssi?”

Jisung slaps his phone down on the table, cheeks burning red. Minho is standing opposite him, an
eyebrow raised. “My roommate was planning dinner, I’m sorry.”

To his surprise, Minho waves him off. “It’s okay— you’ve finished all the work I had planned for
you, so you can take a break. I’m leaving for a meeting with my peers, so report to me after, and
I’ll have something ready for you. This time it will involve the case, which I’m sure you’ve been
looking forward to.”

“I have to admit that I’m very interested in working on the embezzlement case with you,
Prosecutor,” Jisung admits, rubbing the back of his neck.

There’s a pause, in which Jisung’s thoughts run wild, but then, “And I you.” Minho is smiling at
him for the second time. “I’ve appreciated your diligence over the past couple weeks— with your
worth ethic and level of comprehension, I’ve found that you’re a valuable asset to our team.”

“But his feedback is always either positive or constructive— he’s never badmouthed or gotten
annoyed with you or your work.”

“I—” Jisung blushes and is unable to hold back a smile. “Thank you, sir. That means a lot to hear.”

Minho nods at him once, and then his attention shifts. “Investigator Kim, walk with me to the
meeting?”
When the two men leave the room Jisung grins, a giggle escaping him. He’s experiencing a strange
feeling of validation— an intoxicating feeling that tingles throughout his body and makes him want
to move. To twirl around like a little kid.

But Jisung doesn’t twirl or jump or laugh. He chooses to walk the halls of the building, and while
he’s visibly calmed himself, he can’t tame the smile on his face.

“Prosecutor, you really don’t need to attend this meeting.”

Jisung pauses mid-step when he hears Seungmin’s voice coming from around the corner.

“I do— I prefer to learn information from the source, and not from summarizing emails sent after
the fact.”

Minho.

There’s a sigh, and then, “The chief prosecutor is in a gray suit with a green tie, and the lead
deputy prosecutor is wearing a dark blue skirt and blazer. Those are the two you’ll need to greet—
the others will greet you.”

Jisung’s eyebrows furrow in confusion as Minho replies. “Thank you, Investigator Kim.”

“Of course. I’ll be going, then.”

Jisung hurries down the hall, going back the way he’d come, before Seungmin can catch him. He’s
truly bewildered— what a peculiar conversation to have, discussing the clothing of fellow
employees. But then again, the way in which they were speaking was not at all like two friends
gossiping at the water coolers during lunch.

Frowning, Jisung rubs at his temple. Why did this conversation seem to be a necessity for Minho?

“Attorney Han?”

Jisung jumps at the call, and turns around to find Seungmin a few yards behind him, staring at him
with a curious expression. “Investigator!” He bows quickly. “Sorry I didn’t see you approach, I
was lost in thought.”

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Seungmin says, kind in expression as he draws nearer. “Prosecutor
Lee just stepped into the meeting, so would you like to go get lunch with me? We have some
time.”

“I’d like that,” Jisung says, grinning. “You’ll have to pick the restaurant— I have to admit I’ve
never spent much time in this part of the city.”

Seungmin grins, amusement flashing in his eyes. “Then leave it all to me.”

✧✧✧

During lunch, Jisung decides he really likes Kim Seungmin. Though their personalities conflict in
places— Seungmin seems to operate in a concise manner whereas Jisung is abstract— they get
along quite well, and Jisung believes that they’ll stay friends even after his two months come to an
end.

Over the course of the meal they discuss life and work, but also Lee Minho. Jisung builds an
understanding that Seungmin is Minho’s confidant, as they seem close, although they respect their
difference in rank.

(“Lee Minho-ssi… He is a kind person,” Seungmin tells him at one point. “But the world hasn’t
been kind to him.”)

But Seungmin isn’t entirely open with Jisung when sharing information about the prosecutor. He
withholds specific details, instead only painting the picture of Lee Minho in Jisung’s mind with
broad brushstrokes.

All in all, it’s a pleasant outing, and Jisung is much more relaxed by the time they’re walking back
into the office. Minho is already there, sitting behind his desk as he goes over some paperwork, his
glasses perched on his nose. He looks up when he hears them enter, and he looks Seungmin over
first, and then Jisung.

Jisung swears he sees the corner of Minho’s mouth twitch when their eyes meet, but it’s gone
before he can match it with his own.

“How did the meeting go, sir? Were you able to learn anything useful about the case?” Jisung asks,
slipping into his seat. He angles his torso towards Minho, watching him with rapt attention.

“To be truthful, they didn’t know much more than what was in the documents I gave you last
week,” Minho tells them. “But, the chief gave me the go-ahead to begin interviewing the suspect.”
His gaze shifts to hold Jisung’s again. “I’d like you to go with me to the detention center tomorrow,
Attorney.”

“With pleasure,” Jisung breathes, incapable of holding back his excitement. Minho does smile this
time, small and sweet and accompanied with a fond shake of the head. Jisung’s heart rattles against
his rib cage.

“Don’t look too pleased, Han Jisung-ssi. This man is at the center of a serious crime.”

“I understand,” Jisung says, looking down in embarrassment, “but this is my first big case. I hope
you’ll forgive me if I came off as unprofessional.”

Minho doesn’t say anything— he simply sends Jisung a look before returning to his work.

Jisung is unable to understand what exactly that look means, but it’s apparent Minho isn’t upset or
disappointed in him. In fact, if he had to guess, he would say that it’s quite the opposite.

✧✧✧

The interview room at the detention center is cold. Jisung shivers as he and Minho wait, side by
side in metal chairs on one side of the table. He glances enviously over at Minho who seemed to
have anticipated the temperature and brought a long, gray wool coat with him. Fashionable and
warm.

“Han Jisung-ssi?”

“I, yes, sorry,” Jisung holds himself steady as another shiver threatens to wrack his body.

“Are you cold?”

Of course he notices. “I’m fine.” Jisung smiles, but knows that it isn’t convincing even before he
sees Minho’s reaction.
“Take my coat.” Minho begins to shrug the garment off, and ignores Jisung’s futile attempts to
stop him. And so Jisung finds himself face to face with the prosecutor as he leans forward to adjust
his coat over Jisung’s shoulders. “Better?” His hands linger on Jisung’s shoulders for a few seconds
longer than necessary, and Jisung tries desperately not to go completely red in the face.

“Yes, better,” Jisung croaks, unable to look Minho in the eyes. “Thank you.”

Minho opens his mouth, about to respond, when a buzzer sounds and the door to their left clicks
open. A guard guides an inmate to the chair opposite them, bowing slightly to Minho before
stepping away.

“Oh Jeonghoon? My name is Lee Minho, and I’m the lead prosecutor on your case.” The man
glances Minho over before looking away. Ah, so this is how it’ll be, Jisung thinks.

“I’m Attorney Han Jisung, and I’ll be clerked under Lee Minho-ssi throughout the duration of your
case.” Jisung does his best to sound friendly— it may help to build some rapport. “To clarify, I’m
on the side of the prosecution— your representative lawyer will be district-appointed, as you
haven’t hired one yourself.”

Interestingly enough, Jeonghoon’s attention centers on Jisung, and he unconsciously leans slightly
towards him. “A lawyer working for the prosecution?”

“We’re not here to discuss Han Jisung-ssi,” Minho cuts in. “Now, it will be in your best interest to
assist us in our investigation— there’s potential for your sentence to be reduced, but only if you
give us the information we need.”

Jeonghoon is quiet, considering, and then with a gesture towards Jisung, “I’ll talk, only if he leads
the investigation.”

Jisung glances over at Minho to find that the prosecutor has pressed his lips together in a thin line,
eyes narrowed at the man in front of them. Jisung raises an eyebrow and the prosecutor scribbles
something onto a notepad he’d brought with him before handing it over to Jisung.

When you gave up the information that you’re a lawyer he got it into his head that he could use
you. If he bends your will you could benefit him. But we can use this to our advantage— you’ve
already started building rapport, so continue. Let him think you’re on his side and that he’s
winning.

Jisung closes the notebook and sets it onto the table. “Then, let’s begin.”

✧✧✧

In the end, they don’t get much out of Oh Jeonghoon. They’d fallen into a kind of good cop bad
cop routine, with Minho speaking harshly and painting beautiful pictures of what life would be like
behind bars. Then Jisung would swoop in and comfort the inmate, speaking warmly and letting the
suspect believe he’d been won over.

“Let’s end this here,” Minho murmurs in Jisung’s ear, his eyes still fixed on Jeonghoon. “He won’t
give us anything else.”

Jisung frowns but nods, addressing the man opposite them with a smile. “Thank you for your
cooperation today, Oh Jeonghoon-ssi.”

They collect their things, but before they can leave the table, Jeonghoon speaks up again. “Han
Jisung-ssi.” Jisung raises an eyebrow at the lack of title preceding his name, but nods at the man to
continue. “You do know that he’s using you to get to me, don’t you? You’re a pawn in his little
game.”

Jisung turns to fully face Jeonghoon, who is looking up at him smugly. “Why are you saying this?”
He keeps his voice even and calm. “This does not pertain to the case, or any questions we asked
you today.”

“You’re easier to talk to. Maybe it’s the professionalism… or lack thereof. You’re more like me,
Jisung-ah. You don’t like being looked down upon.”

“What makes you think I’m any less professional than Prosecutor Lee?” Jisung asks, noting the
spark of disbelief in his voice. Minho has grown tense beside him, but he’s let Jisung continue to
control the situation.

“Your age… The fact that you smile.”

Minho tenses beside Jisung and Jisung instinctively touches his arm, gripping the sleeve of his suit
jacket to create a physical bond between them. “So you like leading? Being the stronger one?”

“I certainly don’t like being easy,” Jeonghoon says, looking pointedly at where Jisung is holding
onto Minho. Minho has gone rigid, and Jisung aches to get him away from Jeonghoon— for some
reason the inmates comments are tormenting Minho, even though they’re focused around Jisung.

“Are you trying to suggest that my achievements come from the fact that I’m sleeping with my
boss?” Jisung finds that he feels more tired than upset. “Jeonghoon-Hyeong,” he adds emphasis on
the honorific. “For a second you had me going. I thought that your partner was the submissive one
of the two of you, because of how you tried to empathize with me. But then you mentioned a
relationship— you were the one who brought it up. You’re smart, I give you that— you’ve done
your very best to try and protect your partner.” Jisung laughs a bit. “Throughout this conversation
you’ve been speaking to me, but have been watching Prosecutor Lee for his reactions to the things
you’ve said about me. None of this has been about us— it’s all about you and your need to feel that
protection that your partner gives you.” Jisung releases his grasp on Minho’s sleeve and glances up
at him. The prosecutor’s attention is already fixed on him, listening to his every word. He turns
back to Jeonghoon and continues. “You said I’m a pawn, but in reality that’s you— your partner is
using you to get what he wants, which is money. And you’re smart enough to realize this, but
you’re addicted to the feeling that you get when you two are together.”

Jisung doesn’t need to look at Jeonghoon to know that he’s hit the nail on the head— his silence is
enough. But when he does look, does observe the damage his words have brought on, something
softens in his chest.

“Wipe your tears,” Jisung tells him, gently. “You’re more than what he’s told you you are. You
have a chance here, a chance to help us and make him realize that you are so much stronger than he
thinks.”

Jeonghoon is silent, face white and eyes rubbed red. But then he speaks, and Jisung finds a sense of
pride curl within him. “Seo Seongho. If that’s even his real name. He’s been smuggling the money
I gave him access to out of the country. I don’t know much, but I suspect he’s receiving and
distributing drugs in return. That’s… That’s all I can tell you.”

“Thank you,” Jisung whispers, and watches as Jeonghoon is led out of the room by security. The
man has just exposed someone he is not only tied to by business, but has also given his heart.

“Well, it’s over,” Jisung says, turning to look up at Minho. He feels bone-tired, even though
they’ve only been with Jeonghoon for just past an hour. “Prosecutor?”

But Minho isn’t preparing to leave— instead he’s standing completely still, watching Jisung with
an expression he’s incapable of deciphering.

Finally, he speaks. “You did very well with him.”

Jisung shrugs. “I did what I had to.”

“No, Lawyer Han, you don’t understand.” Minho takes a breath. “Some people would’ve gotten
into a spat with him over what he said. If you weren’t there, I would’ve left without saying
anything and would’ve missed out on getting that information. But you didn’t do either. Instead,
you empathized with him.”

Jisung frowns. “Yes, because that’s what we planned—”

Minho cuts him off with a shake of his head. “That wasn’t a performance or some strategy. That
was real. You saw through him, to who he was— I saw him as a man in a prison jumpsuit, but you
saw him as something else entirely.”

“And?”

“I believe I’ve come to understand it— why you’re here. Why you chose to become a lawyer.”
Minho smiles, and it’s perhaps the softest look he’s ever shared with Jisung. “You’ve chosen this
path for yourself because you have incredible respect for human life.”

There’s white noise in Jisung’s head. “I suppose that’s true,” he murmurs, glancing away as he’s
unable to hold Minho’s gaze any longer. “In the past I’ve been told that it’s one of my faults.”

Minho’s lips dip into a frown and he shakes his head. “It’s a gift. It’s what makes you unique, Han
Jisung-ssi. And in time, it will make you very strong.”

✧✧✧

“Jisung? You said to bring ice cream…”

Jisung glances up at Hyunjin from his position on the couch. He knows he’s a bit of a mess,
dressed in some semi-clean clothes he’d found on his bedroom floor and sporting a frown. “Jinnie,”
Jisung makes grabby hands towards his best friend, who hurries to his side, shopping bag in tow,
after slipping off his shoes.

“You look down,” Hyunjin says as Jisung claims a pint of mint choco. He sinks down onto the
couch beside Jisung. “Did something happen at work? Today was the first day of the big case,
right?”

Jisung pauses, any vigor he’d found while preparing to dig into the ice cream disappearing. “Jinnie,
you’ve known me for years— why do you think I became a lawyer?”

“Well, you’ve always wanted to help people,” Hyunjin supplies. “I think that it can be said that
simply, because fighting for someone’s rights is hard, but needs to be done. Why do you ask?”

“Prosecutor Lee Minho,” Jisung whispers. “He… He makes me feel so validated.” His unruly
emotions begin to unravel and he feels tears slip down his cheeks. Hyunjin pulls him into a hug
and rubs his back, trying to soothe him. “I don’t know how he does it but he understands me, and
better than I do, I think.”
“Then why are you crying, baby?”

Jisung wipes away his tears, sniffling a bit as he draws out of Hyunjin’s embrace. “It’s been really
hard, working towards this goal. At times I’ve forgotten why I even chose this path. But he said
something this afternoon… and it was like everything just clicked into place. I wasn’t just part of a
whole anymore. I was whole.”

“Oh, Jisung,” Hyunjin drags Jisung into another hug, one which he easily reciprocates. “You’ve
grown up.” It isn’t condescending— Hyunjin is being entirely honest and reflective. “You’re all
grown, and making your own way in the world.” He snuggles Jisung a bit closer to him. “When did
it happen?” Jisung’s eyes slip shut as Hyunjin pets his hair. “When did you start altering the world,
instead of letting it alter you?”

✧✧✧

“I forgot to give you your coat back when we left the prison.”

Minho accepts the coat from Jisung and hangs it on the rack behind his desk. “I hope it kept you
warm while we were there.”

Jisung smiles up at him. “Of course. Thank you for giving it to me.”

There’s a moment of awkward silence and Jisung begins to turn away, but then Minho calls his
name. “Would you like to have lunch together?” He looks almost shy— definitely reserved—
standing there at his desk, glasses slipping down his nose. “As a thank you for being the cause of
the progress with the case, of course.”

Of course. The case. Jisung bites back a flash of disappointment. “Yes, I’d like that. I’ll let
Investigator Kim know when he comes back—”

“Let’s make it just the two of us.”

Jisung can’t do anything but blink, startled and at the same time struggling to fight a blush.
“Okay,” he whispers, finding himself growing quite flustered. “Just us.”

Minho looks strangely pleased, before indifference begins to fight the expression. Why is he trying
to cover up his feelings? “Good. I’ll let you know when I finish this up,” he gestures vaguely at his
desk, “and then we can leave, if that works for you.”

“Yes— Yes, it does.” Jisung fumbles with his hands and his words. “I’ll just go sit over there,” he
waves a hand towards his spot at the table.

“I know where you sit, Han Jisung-ssi,” Minho says, now clearly amused, at Jisung’s expense.

“Of course you do.” Jisung is blushing, he’s very sure of it. “I’m going to go sit. Over there. Before
I botch this conversation any further.”

It’s then that Minho giggles, an adorable sound that makes Jisung’s heart beats much faster than it
should, and lingers with him as he stumbles towards his chair, desperate to sit before he falls over
from a disturbingly large wave of affection for the prosecutor.

✧✧✧

Minho ends up bringing Jisung to a pork belly restaurant. He seems to know the owner, as he
smiles at her, and wastes no time in ordering for them. The meal passes pleasantly, but the
conversation circulates around the case, never dipping past professionalism. Maybe that
disappoints Jisung a bit, but he’s reminded of why he came to work under Minho in the first place.
Minho is his mentor, here to pass on information that will benefit Jisung in the future. The same
goes for the lawyer and the judge Jisung will clerk under next.

Minho is fascinating to listen to— he reflects on the questioning and mentions parts where Jisung
might have been able to squeeze a bit more out of Jeonghoon, but overall he seems to hold Jisung in
high regard for what happened that day at the detention center. They then go on to discuss tips for
questioning in general, from a prosecutor’s viewpoint, and then adapt it to fit what Jisung will need
to know from his clients as a lawyer.

“I’ll go wash up,” Jisung says, when the meal comes to a close, and Minho nods. It’s disappointing
to end their conversation, and Jisung reflects on what Minho had told him as he washes up his
hands, barely acknowledging a man who comes up beside him to do the same. He begins to head
towards where he and Minho had been sitting, but his name is called from the direction of the
counter.

“Han Jisung-ssi?”

Jisung turns, finding Minho standing at the counter, but to his utter confusion the prosecutor isn’t
looking at him.

He’s looking at the man Jisung had nodded to in the bathroom.

Sure, they’re wearing similar outfits, but Jisung is facing Minho head on…

“I’m here, Prosecutor.”

Minho looks momentarily startled as his attention shifts to Jisung, but then his face loses any
emotion he may have shown prior. He looks empty and entirely blocked off— so different from
how he’d appeared when they had been eating earlier. “Yes, of course. I was just paying.”

Jisung walks a bit closer, coming to stand beside Minho. They don’t speak or look at each other—
something has become incredibly uncomfortable between them, and Jisung isn’t sure what he
should do.

How could Minho have missed him? It doesn’t make sense. He was right there.

But, as Minho’s receipt is being printed out, Jisung’s eyes suddenly widen. “A cash receipt!”

Minho glances over at him, eyebrow raised. “What do you mean?”

Jisung turns to him, eyes alight. “We’ve been having trouble finding a place to start with the search
for the suspect but think about this— Seo Seongho would’ve had to seduce Oh Jeonghoon because
under normal circumstances, Oh Jeonghoon wouldn’t have agreed to help someone embezzle—
we’ve been told by his coworkers that he wouldn’t have involved himself willingly in something
like that. And we know it wasn’t done using money because he has real feelings for the partner.”

“And where would you take someone to win them over…” Minho murmurs. “Yes, and it makes
sense that he’d be paying that way, given the fact he was hiding his identity.”

“We’ll have to ask Oh Jeonghoon for locations where they ate together, and specific days,” Jisung
says. “I know it’s a bit far-fetched, but it’s something, right? If we can find either the phone
number he registered under the card or the number to the account itself, we can back trace it. I
doubt there will be much legitimacy to it, but it can’t hurt to try.”
Minho shakes his head, smiling. “I think I should recruit you to work permanently for the
prosecution, Han Jisung-ssi. You’re a little too good with the investigation side of things.” Jisung
grins, pleased. “You should visit Oh Jeonghoon by yourself— he’ll give information to you more
easily than anyone else. Meanwhile, I’ll get in contact with someone who can help us.”

“Help us? Who?”

Minho looks Jisung over, quiet, and then, “Just an old friend.”

✧✧✧

“Where’s tall, dark, and handsome today?”

Jisung rolls his eyes, but at the same time must fight a smile. “I’m here on Prosecutor Lee’s
behalf.”

Oh Jeonghoon nods, suddenly looking sullen. “Given you’re back, I’m guessing you want
information?”

“Yes,” Jisung admits. “We have a plan ready to set in motion, but for it to work I’ll need to know
when and where you two last ate together.”

On the other side of the glass, Jeonghoon is silent for a long moment, staring down at his hands.
“If I give you this information, will he be caught?”

“That’s our hope, yes.”

“He deserves to be caught,” Jeonghoon whispers, and Jisung knows he’s trying to reassure himself.
When he looks back up, their gazes meet and hold. “I’ll help you. But I need to tell you something
first.”

Jisung tilts his head, “Tell me something?”

Jeonghoon nods, and a smile flickers on his lips. “I wanted to thank you for what you said last
time. It gave me a lot to reflect on and brought around some realizations. I just… I wanted to say
that to you.”

“Thank you, Attorney Han Jisung-ssi.”

✧✧✧

When Jisung returns to the office, he finds that Seungmin isn’t in the room— no doubt already
interviewing the store owner and staff to save them some time— and Minho isn’t alone. The
prosecutor is standing at the row of windows with a man attired in a police uniform. They look
comfortable together as they speak quietly, meaning that they definitely have some kind of past.

“Attorney?” Minho is looking at him now, checking him over as if looking for any indication he
may have been harmed at the prison. “You’re back.”

He doesn’t ask about Jisung’s findings, as he’d been put on conference call with Minho and
Seungmin after he’d left the prison, so his words are fairly flat. “You have a guest?” Jisung asks as
he gravitates towards the pair.

The police officer turns around and oh— he’s attractive.

Jisung realizes for the first time that he has no idea if Minho is unattached. He also realizes that he
wishes he wasn’t.

“I’m Bang Chan,” the officer greets, holding out a hand for Jisung to shake. He has a pleasant
smile, which he directs all too easily at Jisung. “Minho-yah called me up this morning, saying I
could help his team with a case.”

Minho-yah.

“It’s good to finally meet you, Han Jisung-ssi. I’ve been told a lot about you.”

“Hyeong,” Minho chides.

Hyeong.

Oh no.

“I’m glad to meet you as well,” Jisung says, putting on his best smile. No matter what the
connection is between these two, it will do him good to work on making connections within the
police force himself.

Focus on the positives. Don’t overthink.

“From what Minho-yah has told me, you’re going to need some assistance reviewing security tapes
and going through cash records from a restaurant, and I may be able to help further along the line
as well,” Chan says, turning serious. “I’ll do my very best to assist you in catching this man.”

But… He’s nice. Bang Chan is clearly very kind, and that’s probably what hurts the most, Jisung
thinks after the officer has left, escorted by Minho who said he’d walk him out. Jisung doesn’t
think he could dislike Officer Bang, even if he tried.

Even if he is dating Minho.

✧✧✧

“Coffee?”

“Oh!” Jisung’s jumps a bit in his chair at the prosecutor’s sudden appearance. “I believe I should
be the one getting you coffee,” he comments, but accepts the styrofoam cup anyhow. “Thank you,
sir.”

Minho doesn’t give any indication that he’d heard, as he often does, and instead leans over Jisung’s
shoulder to peer at his computer screen. “The embezzlement case?”

“Mhm.” Jisung wills himself to focus on the topic at hand, not on how Minho’s lips are just inches
from his cheek. “I’ve been writing up the information I gathered earlier today at the prison.”

“Oh, that reminds me.” Minho steps to the side, the warmth that had begun to encase Jisung
disappearing. “My acquaintance— Bang Chan-ssi— said he would send over some documents that
can prove useful in this area. I’ll forward them to your email when they arrive.”

“Acquaintance? It looked like you two knew each other quite well,” Jisung says, trying to keep his
voice light and airy. It’s none of his business what Lee Minho and Bang Chan are to each other, but
he feels uselessly emotionally entangled anyhow.

“We went to high school together, and reconnected when our paths crossed during a case a few
years ago,” Minho tells him, thankfully not seeming to pick up on Jisung’s inner turmoil. “He’s a
good resource. He often gives me details of cases and new information before it’s properly
processed through the system.”

“So he’s an asset?”

“You could say that.” Minho smiles, but there’s something sad just under the surface of his
expression. “Chan-hyeong is an honest person, and always has been. But to me, when it comes to
my personal life, honesty can be dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

Minho nods, not elaborating. Jisung blinks, teetering on the edge of confusion. “And me? Am I an
honest person in your eyes?”

“Yes, you are. But you know how to keep secrets, unlike Chan-ssi. It’s what will make you a good
lawyer.”

“That’s a good thing? Dishonesty?”

“There’s a great difference between dishonesty and knowing what not to share.”

Minho’s phone rings and his attention is drawn away, leaving Jisung to mull over the unanswered
question.

What does all of this mean? Does Minho have some secret that he can’t entrust to someone who
has taken an oath to protect the country? Is Minho implying that he may be able to trust Jisung
with whatever he’s hiding?

On top of that— Minho has called Jisung an asset before, too. Is that all the prosecutor sees him as,
too? Something to benefit him?

The thought hurts more than it should.

✧✧✧

Coming to terms with his growing feelings for Lee Minho has been more difficult than
acknowledging any other crush he’s had. Maybe it’s because Minho is acting as his boss, or maybe
it’s because of the great amount of respect Jisung holds for him, he isn’t sure. But he does know
that his regard for Minho is only getting stronger, and he doesn’t think it will be going away any
time soon.

They’re a month into his training period at the prosecution offices, and Jisung has truly enjoyed his
time spent there. It had been difficult at first, mainly because it took time to grow close and feel
accepted by Minho, but at this point everything seems to flow just right.

There has been some trouble regarding the progress with the embezzlement case, as they’d
stumbled into many dead ends with the cash receipt, but Chan had managed to get their case files
to a hacker contracted under the police force, who has been working on uncovering any ties that
may be hidden between the faux identity of Seo Seongho and whoever he truly is.

Minho has been working around the clock, getting into touch with all his contacts he thinks will be
able to assist the investigation. Jisung feels guilty every time he goes home, leaving Minho fixed at
his desk for who knows how many more hours.

It’s the affection talking— Jisung wants the best for Minho, and it hurts to see him overwork
himself.

Now, at home on a Sunday, Jisung can’t help but wonder if Minho is at work. He probably is—
Jisung smiles a bit at the image of his workaholic boss his brain conjures up. He’s becoming
increasingly fond of Minho, and it’s almost scary at times.

Finding himself craving ramyeon, Jisung slides off of his bed and wanders into the kitchen,
hunting through the cupboards. Unluckily, neither he or Hyunjin have gone shopping in quite a
while, leaving virtually nothing edible in the apartment. For a moment Jisung contemplates
ordering something and having it delivered, but ultimately decides to make a trip down to the
corner store.

He pulls on a random pair of shoes— they may be Hyunjin’s for all he knows— and pulls his
sweatshirt’s hood up over his greasy hair. There’s a limit to the things he’s capable of doing over
the weekends, and showering is turned down in favor of binge watching anime series.

Oh, what his coworkers would think if they saw him like this— a complete wreck with goblin-
esque habits.

To his utter horror, when he’s a third of the way to the shop, he’s bombarded with a sudden wave
of hail crashing down from the heavy, dark clouds above him. Letting out a little shriek, Jisung
pulls his hood down further over his hair, trying to shield himself as much as possible from the
offending weather. He dashes towards the nearest shelter which happens to be the bus stop, and
sinks down onto the bench with a groan. All he’d wanted was instant ramyeon but here he is,
stranded out in the middle of a storm.

It can’t possibly get any worse than this.

The next bus pulls up to the curb and the doors open, letting a few stragglers out into the hideous
weather. One figure darts towards the covered bus stop and Jisung glances up, expecting to see
some disgruntled Seoul resident.

But fate or whatever is up there pulling the strings must despise Jisung, because he knows the
person standing in front of him.

Of course he does.

Because it’s Prosecutor Lee Minho.

Jisung instantly throws his arms up in front of his face and glowers down at his lap in complete
embarrassment. “Just don’t look at me,” he squeaks, his voice pitched high with alarm. Oh how he
wishes he’d showered before going out— or at least washed his face.

“Why… What? Why would I look at you?”

What?

Jisung lowers his arms until he’s watching Minho through the shield of just his fingers. Minho
looks baffled and is staring at Jisung with a kind of confusion that could almost be laughable. “Do
you… Do we know each other?”

Gaping at the man in front of him, Jisung lets his hands fall into his lap. “I know I look like
garbage but that’s taking it a bit too far, Prosecutor.” His voice has returned to normal, aside from
the tinge of humiliation.
Minho’s eyes widen the slightest bit. “Jisung. You— I—” The way he stumbles over his words is
very out of character. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m sorry, will you forgive me?”

Jisung sniffs and takes his time answering, allowing himself a chance to make Minho nervous for a
change. And he does look nervous— his eyes have grown massive, and a kind of horror has taken
over his face, an expression that Jisung knows isn’t meant for him, instead meant for himself. It
makes Jisung soften.

“Yes, of course,” Jisung says, unable to hold a grudge against the man. “What are you doing here?
I mean, why are you in this part of town?”

“I needed some work done on my car, and the auto shop I go to is near here,” Minho explains. “I
was taking the bus back home, but the driver told us that it was getting too dangerous to drive, with
the storm, so he let us off here.”

“Ah.” Jisung rubs his shoulder, uncomfortable. What should he say in this situation? “I was— I
was going to the store to buy ramyeon. Do you want to come with me? It may be a bit more
comfortable inside, out of the storm.”

And that’s how Jisung finds himself dashing through waves of hail, right beside the prosecutor
who has slowly begun to consume him. It feels odd, but at the same time comfortable as they pour
hot water in their ramyeon cups and talk, sharing smiles and occasional bouts of laughter. Out the
window in front of the table they’re standing at, hail continues to pelt the street, but Jisung feels a
strange sense of peace with Minho at his side, eating shitty ramyeon and telling each other
nonsensical stories about everything and absolutely nothing.

When the storm halts and they part at the bus stop, Jisung watches Minho get on the bus, a feeling
of longing growing within him. When Minho finds a seat and scoots close to the window, finding
Jisung at the stop, he waves, face lit up with a beautiful smile, and Jisung realizes that he’s not
alone.

Jisung has never been oblivious to human behavior— it’s part of his job to observe it. He knows
that Minho has grown fond of him, with the way he turns his body towards him as they speak, and
with the frequency he looks at Jisung, almost as if searching for approval. But it clicks then— Lee
Minho sees Han Jisung as more than a coworker, another face in the crowd. To Minho, Jisung is
something special— something precious.

The realization leaves Jisung with a sense of euphoria for the rest of the day.

✧✧✧

“We found him.”

Jisung’s eyes widen and he rises from his chair at Seungmin’s words. “Seo Seongho?”

The investigator nods. “Prosecutor Lee got the call early this morning, before anyone in the office,
and already left for the police station to meet with Officer Bang. He said that as soon as you arrive,
we should head to Seoul Detention Center. The suspect is currently being processed, and after that
you’ll be able to question him.”

“Then by all means, let’s go.” Jisung grabs his bag and follows Seungmin through the building and
out onto the curb, sharing a grin with him once they’re sliding into a cab. “I can’t believe this is
finally happening.”

Seungmin hums in agreement. “I was starting to think this would become a cold case.”
“I bet Prosecutor Lee is pleased,” Jisung says, glancing out the window.

“Oh, he is,” Seungmin replies, eyes fixed on Jisung the entire time. “He is.”

✧✧✧

To Jisung’s surprise, when they pull up to the detention center Minho is standing outside, clearly
awaiting their arrival. When Jisung emerges from the cab and their eyes meet, Minho grins, and
he’s positively glowing. Jisung is drawn to him like a moth to a flame, and soon they’re just a foot
apart from one another.

“You’re happy,” Jisung whispers, forfeiting a greeting.

Minho laughs that pretty little laugh Jisung has only heard a couple of times. “Aren’t you? We’ve
finally got him— Kang Daeseong, as his birth records read.”

“Of course.” But seeing you like this makes me even happier.

“We should go in,” Minho says, and the bubble around them pops. “We’ve already compiled a list
of questions together, so we’ll base our investigation around them.” He holds the door open to let
Jisung and Seungmin through. It’s cold, just like last time, but before he can do so much as shiver,
he finds Minho’s coat draped over his shoulders again.

“You don’t need to—”

“Let’s go,” Minho tells him, and Seungmin sends Jisung a look— raised eyebrows and all.

On the walk to the visitation room, Jisung’s body tingles with both nervous and excited
anticipation. He’s looking forward to completing this case— his first major case— but he also
wants to meet this man, the man who charmed an intelligent, steadfast employee into a life of
crime.

“I’ve heard from security that he’s unpleasant and hasn’t cooperated with them so far,” Minho
warns Jisung before they enter. “‘A cocky fuck,’ is how one particularly disgruntled guard
described him.” Jisung bites back a smile at the flash of playfulness in Minho’s eyes. “We’ll need
to be careful.”

“Okay,” Jisung concedes. “I’ll follow your lead, Prosecutor.”

When they enter, Kang Daeseong is already seated at the table, reclining back against his chair,
and looking far too smug for someone in handcuffs.

“I’m Prosecutor Lee Minho, and this is Attorney Han Jisung, who is working for the prosecution
on this case,” Minho introduces when all three of them are seated. “The two of us are leading the
investigation into this embezzlement case which you seem to be the center of.”

Kang Daeseong says nothing.

It turns out to be a theme— throughout the entire time Minho and Jisung spend with him, he
doesn’t speak. They pose some questions but he’s silent, and instead watches them with sharp,
cruel eyes. It makes Jisung’s skin crawl with how intently he’s focusing on them, as if he’s trying
to read their very minds.

When it’s clear that no progress will be made, Kang Daeseong is taken from the room, and Minho
follows Jisung out of the building, both of them needing fresh air.
“It felt like he was the one doing the interviewing, even though he didn’t say a word,” Jisung says,
lost in thought as they walk side by side, away from the detention center. “He makes me feel
incredibly uneasy.”

MInho stretches his arms above his head as they walk— they’d agreed to a loop around the block
after the intensity of the interview. “Yes. He’s going to be a hard man to crack.”

“I hope we can,” Jisung mumbles, staring blankly at the ground in front of them.

“...Han Jisung!”

A shout of his name jolts him from his thoughts, but not before arms wrap around his body and
pull him out of the road. He’d apparently been so caught up in puzzling the case out that he’d
nearly walked into oncoming traffic.

“I—” Jisung blinks up at Minho, finding to his surprise that where his hand had pushed against
Minho’s chest, he can feel the frantic beat of the prosecutor’s heart. “I’m sorry, I should’ve been
paying more attention.”

To his surprise, Minho only encapsulates him further, arms securing Jisung tight against him.
“Why is it,” he whispers, lips too close to Jisung’s ear, “that you, a grown man, can’t take care of
yourself?”

“I’m…” Jisung blushes with shame. “I—”

“Do I need to do it?”

“…What?” Jisung’s words are caught in the fabric of the shoulder of Minho’s suit jacket.

“Tell me.”

Jisung blinks. “I don’t understand…”

“While you’re working with me, should I put you in my care?” One of Minho’s hands comes up to
cradle the back of Jisung’s head. “Should I be the one to protect you, Lawyer Han?”

Jisung’s eyes widen, and he finds himself incapable of saying a word. Minho doesn’t seem to mind,
instead sighing and continuing to hold Jisung close. He seems oblivious to the fact that they’re
standing on the corner of a street, in the middle of a sidewalk, and Jisung finds that being in the
public eye is the least of his concerns.

Minho withdraws, one hand on Jisung’s shoulder while the other touches his face. Minho’s thumb
skates over Jisung’s cheek with the utmost care. Jisung’s own hands grapple uselessly at the front
of Minho’s suit jacket, ultimately coming to hang limply at his sides.

“I’ll do it,” Minho eventually says. “I’ll protect you.”

Jisung is thoroughly overwhelmed, but he knows he can’t allow this exchange to end here. “And
you? Do you not need protection, Prosecutor?” His questions are rewarded with a fond smile,
which spurs him on. “I don’t like things that are one-sided.”

“Okay.” Minho touches his cheek again, and then lets his hand fall to rest on Jisung’s shoulder,
over the soft fabric of the coat he’d lent Jisung. “Okay.”

With a slight struggle Jisung frees himself from Minho’s embrace, sure that if he stays in his hold a
moment longer he’ll melt. Minho watches him closely as Jisung smooths out the wrinkles in his
shirt and adjusts his badge so the lanyard isn’t caught on his breast pocket. “We should be going,
we’re taking up quite a bit of the sidewalk.”

“Yes.” Minho clears his throat and turns to look at the signal light. “No walking into traffic this
time.”

“Oh, and Han Jisung-ssi— keep the coat and wear it tomorrow. The second interview is scheduled
for the morning and I don’t want you to be cold.”

✧✧✧

Two minutes into the second interview, Jisung learns what type of person Kang Daeseong is.

The accused broke his silence after Jisung posed a question about Oh Jeonghoon— and definitely
not because he cared for the man. Daeseong is showing off— it’s clearly what he’s wanted to do
all along.

“I’m a grifter, Han Jisung,” he says, scarily calm. He’s reclined in his seat again, watching him and
Minho with a twisted smirk. “Oh Jeonghoon is nothing like me— unlike him, I’m capable of
making people bend.” But then he leans forward, tilting his head a bit as he studies Jisung. “What
makes you think that you’ll be any different than him when it comes to me? Do you think I can’t
break you?”

Jisung knows what he’s doing. He’s weakening them, and he’s going for Jisung first because he’s
the least experienced of the pair. In a way it’s terrifying to be singled out by this man— his eyes
seem to cut into Jisung’s very skin, and his smile gives away the fact that he knows much more
than he should.

Minho tries to redirect the questioning, but once Daeseong has started, there seems to be no
stopping him.

“It’s been clear since the first time I saw you that you chose this line of work because you love the
high of validation you get after helping out some poor, misplaced soul.” His words are calm, not
spoken with visible hatred, and perhaps that’s what digs the deepest. “You came from a broken
home, didn’t you? Were you a band-aid baby? Is that where you first started trying to patch up
people and their relationships?”

Jisung looks away, his body tensing. He never brings up his family— even Hyunjin doesn’t know
the extent of what happened during his childhood. How the hell did Daeseong figure something
like that out? “I don’t see how any of this applies to our questioning.” He fights to keep his voice
from wavering.

“But it does,” Daeseong says, smiling, though there’s ice in his eyes. “I don’t appreciate people
prying into my affairs, and it seems you don’t, either. Does it, squirrel-boy.” Humiliation hits
Jisung like a baseball bat to his stomach and his eyes sting. He senses Minho leaning closer to him,
as if to shield him, but he keeps his eyes fixed on the table. “That’s what they called you in school,
right? Compared you to some kind of rodent, at least.” Daeseong laughs. “Does it feel good to be
reminded of the past? Right here in front of your dear prosecutor?”

“Let’s step outside for a moment.”

A wave of relief surges through Jisung at Minho’s quietly spoken words, and he makes for the
door, barely able to hold his head up. He hates the fact that Kang Daeseong has beaten him, and
shame tingles throughout every inch of him. He’d achieved what he wanted— he’d begun the
process of dismantling the prosecution.

“I’m sorry, Prosecutor.” The words escape him as soon as they’re alone in the hallway together.
Jisung’s chest heaves as he hides his face, unable to stop a few tears from escaping his closed eyes.
“He— he got to me. I’m emotionally compromised, I… I can’t go back in there. I’ve failed you.”

“No,” Minho whispers. “You have not, and you will not ever fail me, Han Jisung-ssi.” Then he’s
taking Jisung into his arms and holding him close— protecting him.

Just like he’d said he would the day prior on the sidewalk.

Jisung lets himself fall into the comfort of the embrace, settling his head against Minho’s shoulder,
his suit jacket soft under his cheek. “How did he make it hurt so much?” Jisung whispers, a few
more tears escaping. “I’ve never— nothing anyone has said ever made me react like this.”

“His whole brand is built around reading people to collect their strengths and weaknesses, and then
use that information against the person until he gets what he wants.” Minho adjusts his hold on
Jisung but doesn’t let go. “I thought that he would do this, given how he acted yesterday. I’m sorry
— as your mentor, I should have prepared you for this. Verbal abuse is something we must face in
this job, but his cruelty is intensified by his manipulative tactics.”

“I’ll take Investigator Kim in with me this time,” Minho continues, and squeezes Jisung’s
shoulders, gentle as always. “Watch from behind the mirror, if you’re feeling well enough.”

“Good luck, Prosecutor,” Jisung murmurs.

Minho walks towards the door, about to reach for the handle, but then he spins around and hurries
back to Jisung. “Do you trust me, Lawyer Han?”

Staring up into Minho’s eyes, Jisung can’t help but let the word slip out. “Inexplicably.”

Something warm takes over Minho’s face, and his hand clenches at his side, as if he’s trying to
hold himself back from reaching for Jisung.

“I’ll get him,” Minho tells Jisung. “I promise you that, Han Jisung-ssi. I’ll get him, and then you
and I will make him pay.”
 Chapter 2

From behind the two-way mirror, Jisung watches Minho and Seungmin reenter the interrogation
room. Daeseong watches them, calculating in expression, and grins when they sit down in front of
him. “Lost your lawyer, I see.”

Minho ignores him and nods at Seungmin to begin the questioning. “The police caught you in a
drug den after a targeted raid. Tell us why you were there— do you have a long-standing
relationship with those people or are they new clientele?” The investigator speaks with precision,
his voice and presentation almost as commanding as Minho’s. But Daeseong ignores him, focusing
instead on the new target of his malice.

“You’re interesting, Lee Minho-ssi. You’re so… closed off.” Daeseong looks him up and down.
“You speak in the same removed, authoritative tone to the guards, the staff, everyone I’ve seen you
with— even your investigator. Except for one person.” Daeseong’s eyes flicker up to the mirror,
and he smirks, almost as if he can see Jisung.

“I can see that something in your life— in the way you present yourself— is a lie. By becoming an
authority figure you’re compensating for something you’ve lost.” Daeseong tilts his head slightly
to the side, eyes snake-like as he observes the prosecutor. “It’s in the way you walk and talk. It’s in
the way you interact with anyone who isn’t that boy. That lawyer.”

“What makes you think dismantling the prosecution will get you anywhere?” Minho asks him.

“I don’t know— maybe I just like seeing people crumble.” Daeseong’s smile is too close to
genuine. “And you’re a fun one to try and figure out, Prosecutor. But one thing is glaringly obvious
when it comes to you: your one mistake is that you let yourself care about him. because it’s going
to break your heart when he ends up walking away when he figures your secret out.”

Jisung blinks away tears of frustration. He’s angry, confused, and hurt— he just wants this to end
so he can go back home and crawl into bed. Kang Daeseong is making him physically sick from
the putrid quality of his feelings.
“Now that you’ve run your mouth, it’s my turn to talk,” Minho says, asserting himself by leaning
forward a bit in his chair. His eyes are sharp too— but he isn’t menacing, out looking for blood.
Not yet. “When was it that you became so cynical? Was it when your partner left you? Or when
your child stopped recognizing your face?”

Daeseong goes pale in the face just as Jisung’s eyebrows raise in surprise. “I don’t know what
you’re talking about.”

“The tan line around your fourth finger has had some time to fade, so I’m guessing it’s been a
handful of years.” Minho looks pointedly at Daeseong’s left hand. “There were no marriage
licenses filed under your name, but you don’t seem to be someone who lacks dedication. You
married under a false name, didn’t you?” Minho grins lopsidedly at the man. “How did they take it
when they found out about your actual career— about the drugs? I bet they left right away.”

“Shut up.” Daeseong glares at the prosecutor.

“But you had a child, too. The tattoo on your wrist that you unconsciously try to hide by pulling
down your sleeve— it’s very pretty. A bird hatching, yes? And it’s inked in color, meaning money,
time, and love was put into it. It can’t be for a spouse, given it represents the birth of new life, so I
have to assume that you had it done when your child was born.” Smirking, Minho leans back in his
chair, glancing over Daeseong who had become stiff as a board. “You look for her, don’t you? But
even if she walks past you on the street, she doesn’t recognize you— her cockroach of a biological
father.”

“Enough!” Daeseong is on his feet, slamming his hands down on the table.

Minho doesn’t flinch, even as Daeseong glowers down at him. “Kang Daeseong-ssi, I suggest that
you take some time alone to consider this— give us information so things won’t get too
complicated, and potentially have some time removed from your sentence. If you don’t, I’ll hunt
down witnesses and accomplices, everyone I can find until I have the full picture of what operation
you’ve been running.” Gathering the folders he’d brought with him, Minho stands up. “I hope you
remember your mistake: underestimating the characters of both myself and Han Jisung-ssi.” Minho
sweeps towards the door, pausing to look over his shoulder just once. “I’ll see you at the trial.
Wear your best clothes.”

✧✧✧

“Jisung? You’re back?” Hyunjin’s voice comes from somewhere in the kitchen.

“Yeah, barely,” Jisung groans, tugging off his shoes and abandoning them by the door. He shrugs
off his jacket and suit coat, but before throwing them over the back of a chair as he normally does,
he separates Minho’s coat out, giving it a home on one of the hooks behind the door.

“Nice coat,” Hyunjin comments, finally coming into view with a bowl of sliced strawberries and
two forks.

“Not mine.” Jisung flops onto the couch beside Hyunjin and plucks one of the forks from his hand.
“It’s Lee Minho’s.”

They eat strawberries in silence for a minute, and Jisung begins to finally relax after such an
exhausting day, when Hyunjin speaks. “Are you two dating?”

Jisung’s fork droops in his grip until he finally sets it on the coffee table and retreats into himself,
bringing his knees right up to his chest. “Today we questioned the suspect, or, I should say, it was
both of us in the beginning. Then the suspect said some really horrible things to me and I just… fell
apart. I don’t understand why he affected me so badly, but I felt humiliated and upset— it was all
just a big nightmare.” Hyunjin has set down his fork as well and is watching Jisung intently as he
recounts the day’s events. “After I left, the suspect went on to say some horrible things to
Prosecutor Lee, but somehow he didn’t let it get to him. In the end, he was victorious, not the
suspect.” Jisung rubs his palms against his forehead, beginning to feel an ache forming. “Honestly,
I don’t know what I’m feeling right now. I know that Prosecutor Lee and I are fond of each other,
but nothing serious can happen between us, not yet.” He thinks about Kang Daeseong and Minho
in that room together, and how Minho had flinched at the mention of him hiding something. “I’m
just really tired, I think.”

Hyunjin stares at him, clearly not quite believing the excuse, but ultimately nods. They end up
spending the evening together, curled up on the sofa watching one of Jisung’s favorite dramas over
again. Hyunjin doesn’t ask anything else, and for that Jisung is very grateful.

✧✧✧

When walking into work a few days later, Jisung spots Minho headed towards the entrance as well,
coming from the direction of the parking lot. Jisung, eager to see Minho again, closes the distance
between them and walks by his side, glancing up at him to gauge his expression.

But Minho’s face doesn’t change. He stays staring straight ahead and walking forward at an even
pace, as if Jisung isn’t standing right beside him.

“Prosecutor Lee…?”

To Jisung’s utter amazement, Minho startles so badly that he drops the briefcase he’d been
carrying. “Han Jisung-ssi?” he asks, eyes wide. “I— I must’ve checked out, I had a long night last
night. I—”

“It’s alright,” Jisung says, cutting off his spew of words. It isn’t alright, he thinks, because what is
this? It’s not the first time Minho hasn’t recognized him, no. “Let’s go inside— we have a lot to
do.”

They don’t talk much on the way to the office, a slightly uncomfortable air following them.
Luckily, Investigator Kim is already at work and breaks the chill between them with a grin. “Kang
Daeseong’s preliminary hearing has been set for this Thursday. After that’s completed, we’ll know
when his trial date is.” He grins. “It’s almost over.”

“A relief to hear,” Minho says as he goes over to his desk. “I’ve interviewed many criminals, but
he has to be one of the worst.”

Jisung nods in agreement as he sits down. “I just want him in prison, for as long as possible.” Out
of the corner of his eye he catches Minho watching him, a little smile on his lips. “So, what’s our
plan for the hearing?”

“Mostly we just need to compile all of our data and break out the points we want to make,”
Seungmin tells him. “Then Prosecutor Lee will present it at court to settle what evidence we’ll be
using.” He glances over at Minho who nods. “I think it would be best if I worked on gathering our
witness statements, while you two go through the information we've received from the police and
from the previously conducted interviews.”

“Is that alright with you?” Minho asks Jisung, and Jisung can tell that he’s truly wanting his input.
“Yes, that’s fine with me,” Jisung says, smiling a bit to ease the tension evident in Minho’s
expression. “Let’s do this.”

✧✧✧

“Han Jisung-ssi.”

Jisung jolts from slumber, bleary-eyed and unsteady. Looking down at him is Minho, coat on and
briefcase in hand. He’s looking at Jisung with part amusement, and part concern. “Are you
awake?”

“Sorry,” Jisung pushes his bangs out of his eyes, hoping to appear somewhat composed. “What
time is it?”

“Nearly midnight,” the prosecutor says, lips curled in now definite mirth. “Investigator Kim left
hours ago.”

Jisung takes a moment to register the time, but when he does, his eyes widen in alarm. “The bus!
The line will have stopped running by now.” He buries his head in his hands, groaning.

Minho makes no noise, possibly assessing the situation, but then he startles Jisung further. “Come
back to my place. It’s close and I have a spare room that you can use. You’ve overworked yourself
these past few days, helping me search for Kang Daeseong’s contacts. You need some rest.”

Blinking at him in bewilderment, Jisung hunts for what to say. “Me, come to your home?”

Minho nods, looking surprisingly unbothered, quite the opposite of how Jisung feels. “It’s quite
obvious that you live far away, given that you’re consistently late,” Jisung glowers at him, but
Minho brushes him off with a smile. “Getting home will be difficult for you tonight, so the only
reasonable solution— besides you continuing to sleep here at the office— would be to come stay at
my place for a night.”

“Yes, yes, I understand the logic,” Jisung waves a hand. “If you’re sure I won’t be inconveniencing
you, I’ll come.”

“I’m very sure.” Minho offers him a hand up, and if their fingers linger together a little longer than
they should, neither one of them mention it.

✧✧✧

Minho’s home is beautiful.

It’s decently sized and quite close to the offices, and unlike some of the other houses on the street,
it’s not at all tacky. Instead, it follows more of a rustic trend, with dark wood floors and ceiling
supports. Windows line most of the walls, and Jisung is sure that during the day Minho wouldn’t
even need to switch on the ceiling fixtures with the amount of natural light that would filter into the
home.

After receiving slippers at the door, Minho leaves Jisung to wander about the living room and
kitchen a bit as he grabs some clean clothes for Jisung to borrow and sets out a towel and
toothbrush for him in the bathroom.

Eventually he emerges and Jisung gravitates to him, letting Minho show him where the door to the
guest room is. “If you need anything, my room is upstairs,” he tells Jisung, gesturing to the
stairway in the corner of the room.
“Thank you,” Jisung whispers, unable to keep down a smile. “Go get some rest, Prosecutor. I’ll see
you in the morning.”

“Yes. I’ll,” Minho raises a hand, as if reaching towards Jisung’s face, but drops it quickly when he
realizes what he’d been about to do. “I’ll do that. Get some sleep too, Attorney.”

He swivels on the heels of his feet in the direction of the stairs, but he lingers, as if remembering
exactly what Jisung is— how nice the hug at the detention center felt.

Jisung forces himself to leave first, turning around and heading to the bathroom. When inside he
closes the door and leans against it, and only then does he hear Minho’s footsteps recede.

After showering, Jisung dresses in the clothes Minho had left him and slips from the bathroom into
his temporary bedroom. When Jisung lays down on the bed he’s met with a surprise— the
mattress, unlike his own, is soft. Above that, it’s soft to a point of comfort, but not so malleable that
it’ll eat him in his sleep.

Though Jisung is gifted with incredible hospitality and a fantastic bed, his mind won’t stop
replaying all the times Minho had flat out ignored him or disregarded him. It doesn’t make sense—
even if Jisung wasn’t someone Minho had feelings for, as was just an acquaintance, greeting him
would still be the cordial thing to do.

But then again, it wasn’t like Minho was purposefully ignoring him. It was almost as if he didn’t
recognize Jisung.

Groaning, Jisung sits up in bed. Knowing he won’t be able to sleep yet he decides to get a drink of
water from the kitchen— maybe it’ll help clear his head.

To his surprise, when he sneaks into the living room, he finds a light on. Looking further, he
discovers that Minho is on the couch, a book in his lap, but his head has tilted to the side in sleep.

Jisung smiles at the sight.

Crossing over to him, Jisung slides the book off his lap and marks the page before unfolding the
throw blanket that had been displayed over the other end of the couch and carefully settles it over
the prosecutor.

Jisung is busy tucking the blanket in around Minho when he feels fingers circle his wrist. Eyes
widening, he looks down to find Minho staring at him, his confusion softened with the haze of
sleep.

“I came out for a glass of water,” Jisung whispers, blushing furiously. “You looked cold.”

“Oh.” Minho then registers the book on the coffee table and the blanket draped over him. His lips
curl into a private smile. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.” Realizing his position, Jisung withdraws, adding a few feet of distance between
them. “I'll be going to bed now. Goodnight, Prosecutor.”

Minho nods, his eyes holding Jisung’s for a moment too long. “Goodnight.”

When he’s back in the dark sanctuary of the guest bedroom, Jisung closes his eyes and makes
himself think.

He must figure Lee Minho out.

There has always been something off about him. Not in regards to his ability to work, but with the
way he handles people. He’s distant, as Seungmin had told him when Jisung began working at the
prosecutor’s office, but over the past weeks he’s clearly formed an attachment to Jisung, letting
Jisung see him in a more vulnerable light.

Jisung isn’t a fool— he knows interest and attraction when he sees it. Yet Minho hasn’t made any
real advances. There’s a plethora of reasons as to why, including their current mentor-student
situation, but that will be over soon. Their age gap isn’t very large at all, just five years, so Jisung
rules that out. There’s something else… Something is making Minho hesitate, even though at times
like earlier on the couch, there’s longing in his eyes.

Does the hesitation stem from that nameless horror that Kang Daeseong had mentioned? Does it
have something to do with the times Minho hasn’t recognized him? The reason behind whatever
this is can’t be solely emotional— Minho keeps calm when it comes to his work, and he doesn’t
have many relationships around him that might aggravate him. He even knows how to
compartmentalize criminals and their harmful words.

What if Jisung is looking at this wrong? What if all of this doesn’t have to do with feelings? If not
emotion, could it be medical?

Jisung’s eyes fly open.

Medical.

The dots connect.

A few months ago he had watched a television show with Hyunjin that discussed rare topics, and
Prosopagnosia had been one of them.

The more Jisung thinks, the more it makes sense. All the times Minho had ignored him until he
heard Jisung’s voice. All the times he’d missed him in front of restaurants or the office. The times
Jisung had caught Seungmin telling Minho about the outfits of his higher-ups. Of course Minho
would be hesitant to start a relationship if he’d been harboring such a secret.

Jisung takes a deep breath, trying to relax as best he can. He’ll have to be patient and come up with
a way to figure out if his diagnosis is correct. But the thought that the man outside his door may be
incapable of distinguishing faces from one another— including his own— keeps him awake for
quite a while.

✧✧✧

The next day, when Jisung and Minho arrive at work together, Seungmin doesn’t say a word. He
does raise an eyebrow and look pointedly at Jisung’s borrowed button-up, that he’s had to roll up a
bit at the cuffs.

Jisung sends back a glare.

Later, after taking a coffee break, Jisung comes back to the office to find Minho pulling on his
prosecutor robe. Momentarily stunned, Jisung pauses in the doorway and watches Minho straighten
it before smoothing out the crimson sash.

Jisung doesn’t think Lee Minho has looked more beautiful than he does now— when he’s
preparing himself for battle. He’s never seen Minho in court, but something in him tells him that
that’s where Minho thrives the most.
“Are you going to come in?”

“Oh,” Jisung’s eyes widen when he realizes he’s been caught. “Yes, I came to look for you. I was
wondering if I could hitch a ride with you to the courthouse.”

“Of course.” Minho smiles at him, but he looks strangely intimidating with his hair gelled off his
forehead and dressed in his robe. “Are you ready? I need to be there soon, for preparations.”

“Let’s go.”

It’s a strange feeling, walking next to someone you admire and have great respect for when they’re
so obviously in their element.

Jisung can’t tear his eyes away.

Lee Minho is intoxicating and exhilarating and Jisung knows that no one will ever steal his
attention like this man has.

✧✧✧

The hearing goes well, and they aren’t asked to exclude any of their evidence. Jisung, Minho, and
Seungmin celebrate by going out for a drink, which all turns into a fuzzy, warm memory for
Jisung.

(“Han Jisung-ssi,” Minho had called when they’d parted to go their separate ways. As if on a
string, Jisung turns and hurries back to the prosecutor. “Han Jisung…” Minho had repeated, tipsy,
and staring into Jisung’s eyes as if he’s searching for something, something he can’t quite find.
“Kang Daeseong was right. I think that if… If you walk away,” Minho touches the fabric of his
shirt, right above his heart. “It will hurt.”)

Jisung doesn’t let himself linger too long on thoughts of that night, because they impede his focus
and make his heart beat at a dizzying speed.

The night before the trial, Minho, along with Seungmin and Jisung, stay late at the office. Minho is
nervous, Jisung can see it, but instead of displaying it in ways Jisung could relate to, he stays silent
and focused— the only change is that every once in a while he turns away from his monitor and
keyboard or written report to stare out the window. It’s dark, there’s nothing to look at, but it’s his
cover.

“It’ll be okay,” Jisung whispers to him when he drops off a report he’d finished drafting. “You
know this case back to front.”

“Of course it will be okay.” Minho takes the report from Jisung’s hands, not looking at him once.
He presses his glasses further up his nose, as they had slipped a bit, and then adds something a bit
softer to the abrupt reply. “You’ll be there, right? In the gallery?”

Something warm melds with Jisung’s blood until he feels jittery from pure affection. “Yes. I’ll be
there.”

For the first time that night, Minho smiles. “Good. I’ll look for you.”

Time drifts by as they work, and throughout the building office lights begin to turn off until theirs
is the only room lit up. Seungmin is the first to leave, packing up his things and then wishing them
both luck. It’s comfortable, being alone with Minho, and at some point Jisung ends up moving his
chair behind Minho’s desk so they can work side by side, murmuring little comments to each other
about what the documents they’re reviewing.

It’s comfortable. Peaceful.

But then the door clicks open, and to Jisung’s complete surprise, it opens to reveal Bang Chan, in
all his uniformed glory.

“Hyeong? Why are you here?”

Jisung can’t help the jealousy that snaps viciously in his chest at the relaxed greeting. He knows
he’s being particularly foolish— Minho has all but spelled it out that he wants Jisung. There’s
nothing to get himself worried over.

“I knew you’d be here late, Minho-yah. You’re quite predictable, you know.” Chan walks closer
and dips his head in Jisung’s direction, smiling. “I wanted to wish you luck— both of you.”

Minho smiles, a beautiful smile directed at Chan. Jisung wilts. “I see. Thank you, hyeong.”

“I’ll be there tomorrow; I’m looking forward to seeing the outcome. You’ll be brilliant as usual,
I’m sure.” Chan sure is good at buttering people up.

“Flattery won’t get you everywhere,” Minho chides.

Chan laughs. “Would you like to go out to eat after?”

“I don’t know what my plans are yet.”

Jisung lets their conversation fade into the background as he stands up to move his chair, keeping
well out of their way. He packs up his things as quickly and quietly as he can, not wanting to
disturb the prosecutor and officer, but also wanting to leave as speedily as possible. He catches
Minho’s eye as he heads towards the door, and something close to disappointment is flooding the
prosecutor’s expression, but it’s gone before Jisung can put much thought into it.

When Jisung reaches the bus stop his phone buzzes, and his heart thumps painfully when he notes
the contact name. He picks up anyhow— he’s learned that it’s hard to deny Lee Minho anything,
including his time.

“You left in a rush. I had hoped to see you off.”

“I’m sorry if I upset you,” Jisung says, keeping his voice low even though there are only two other
people on the bus. “I didn’t wish to disturb you and Officer Bang.”

“You wouldn’t have.” There’s some shuffling, and then the sound of a car being unlocked. “Have
you gone far? I can take you home, or if you’re hungry we could get something to eat?”

Jisung’s heart warms at the concern, but he knows he has to refuse. “I’m afraid I’m going to have
to turn both of your offers down, Prosecutor. I’m already on the bus.” The urge to get off at the
next stop and ask Minho to pick him up and take him to dinner is so strong. “You should go home
too, and get some sleep before tomorrow.”

“Oh, I see.” He sounds dejected, and Jisung frowns. “I’ll go home, then.”

“Sleep in your bed this time, not on the couch. It isn’t good for your back,” Jisung tells him, tilting
his head against the bus window.

Minho hums, amused. “I’ll do that.”

“Then… Then this is goodnight.” Don’t hang up, don’t hang up—

“Does it have to be?”

Jisung’s eyes widen, a hopelessly smitten smile taking over his face. “What do you mean?”

“Stay on the phone with me. So that I know you make it back to your apartment.”

“Should I?” Jisung is teasing him, but Minho’s response startles him with its abrupt honesty.

“You should. I worry about you— you know that I do.”

“Then I will,” Jisung whispers, the cool glass of the window soothing against his cheek that’s
burning with a fierce blush that stays with him throughout the rest of the bus ride.

At home, Jisung finds that Hyunjin’s bedroom door is already closed, and his lights are off. He
tiptoes around, preparing for bed as quietly as he can, all the while whispering little comments to
Minho and receiving them in return.

“Where are you now?” Jisung asks him when he’s finally made it to bed. He curls up on his side,
his phone caught between the bed and his cheek.

“In the kitchen, getting water. You?”

“On my bed,” Jisung replies, failing to stifle a yawn.

Minho chuckles, followed by the sound of the sink tap being turned on. “We should hang up here,
shouldn’t we?”

“Mm.” Jisung’s eyes slip shut. “Go to your bedroom. I want to make sure that you get to bed, and
don’t end up working more.”

“As you wish.”

There’s creaking as Minho ascends his stairs, and then the rustling of blankets a moment later.
“Made it to bed.”

“Mm,” Jisung is more asleep than awake— the only thing keeping him from stepping over into
dreamland is Minho’s voice.

“Goodnight, Han Jisung,” Minho whispers. “Thank you.”

Jisung doesn’t have a chance to think of why he’s being thanked before he slips into the darkness
of slumber.

✧✧✧

The second Jisung’s eyes open, he knows something is wrong.

First, there’s sunlight filtering in through his blinds. Second, he realizes that the noise that awoke
him was Hyunjin banging around in the kitchen, probably scouring the cabinets for anything
edible.

Which means…

Jisung reaches for his phone that had fallen to the mattress beside him. He tries to turn it on, but
the battery is dead. He must’ve fallen asleep before ending Minho’s call and plugging the device
in.

Scrambling out of bed, Jisung turns into a whirlwind as he goes through his room— changing into
a suit, grabbing his nice shoes, finding his wallet and picking up his useless phone, and searching
for his battery pack. When he stumbles into the kitchen Hyunjin looks at him with wide, horrified
eyes, but doesn’t say a word.

Not when Jisung shrieks when he sees the time on the microwave clock.

If the horror of being late hadn’t woken Jisung all the way up, the mad dash to the bus stop does.
Luckily, when he boards, he’s able to find a seat and plug in his phone. When the device turns on,
his heart sinks.

Prosecutor Lee Minho

Are you on your way?
Han Jisung-ssi?
I can't wait any longer, I’ll see you after the trial.

Jisung groans, bringing his fist down hard on his knee. The one time he swore to himself he
wouldn’t be late, he’s gone and slept in. Minho isn’t likely to be thrown off his game by emotions,
but it’s clear by now that he both feels something for him and relies on Jisung.

But, part of Jisung’s mind argues, this could be his only opportunity to run an experiment— to find
out if what he has noticed about Minho is true.

✧✧✧

Jisung pushes the door open, just far enough so that he can walk through and not cause a
disturbance. The trial has already begun, and up ahead, towards the front of the room, Jisung spots
Seungmin. He chooses not to go to the investigator, as he’s playing around with an idea, another
way to figure Minho out, and he can’t afford to have Seungmin give away his presence.

Minho, who is sitting on the opposite side of the room from the defendant, is focused on the
papers in front of him. He looks the same as ever— brown hair coiffed up out of his eyes, eyes that
give away none of his thoughts. Dressed in his prosecutor’s robe he looks every bit the intelligent,
regal man Jisung has begun to know him as.

Jisung tears his eyes away from Minho and looks around for a place to sit. There’s a bench near the
back of the room on his left that’s empty, and he settles on sitting there as it’ll do well for the plan
he’s concocted.

When Jisung begins to move towards his chosen seat Minho’s attention is briefly caught by the
movement in the aisle, and the prosecutor glances at Jisung, but no recognition passes over his
schooled expression. He’s quickly drawn back to the defending lawyer, who is in the midst of his
opening statement, leaving Jisung to let out an anxious breath and find his spot.

Though Jisung is out of the way, he’s still clearly in sight— there can’t be more than fifteen people
present. Minho could easily seek him out with one glance, but he doesn’t look at Jisung once
throughout the trial. Instead, every so often when he’s seated and not questioning witnesses or
making statements, he glances at the door, a kind of wilted sadness in his eyes that is gone before
Jisung can swear it was ever there.

He’s looking— waiting— for Jisung to come.

The trial concludes before the end of the next hour, and Jisung is one of the first people to exit the
courtroom. He doubts that Minho will walk down this corridor, as he hadn’t spotted Jisung, so
Jisung walks down the next hall to the side door where the prosecutors often exit. It doesn’t take
more than a few minutes for Minho to appear, still dressed in his robe. The handle of his briefcase
is held in one hand while he clutches a few files to his chest with the other, his expression
darkened into one of dejection.

Jisung steps into Minho’s path and the prosecutor looks at him, looks him straight in the eyes, but
doesn’t say a word.

Suspicion is thick in his throat, making it hard for Jisung to speak. “You did a good job today,
Prosecutor Lee.”

Minho’s eyes widen the slightest when he recognizes Jisung’s voice, and it takes him a moment too
long to reply. “You— You came.”

And all of Jisung’s assumptions are proven true with just those few words.

Lee Minho can’t recognize faces.

“Yes,” Jisung tells him, trying not to react to his final analysis. He feels the slap of shock, even
though he had assumed that Minho was face blind days ago. “I nearly missed my bus, but I made it
just in time.”

He can practically see the gears in Minho’s mind spinning, trying to figure out which person that
had entered late was him. “But you were there?” he asks to confirm, his voice tiny.

Jisung nods. “I told you last night— I would be there.”

Minho shifts the files in his grasp and Jisung quickly reaches for them, scooping them up and
away before Minho can argue. “Let’s go drop these off?”

Minho smiles, clearly thankful that Jisung is giving him an out and not questioning the obvious
elephant in the room. “Sounds good.”

The air is surprisingly warm outside, so they take their time as they walk towards the parking lot.

“I thought you might not have come because of Bang Chan-ssi.”

The comment startles Jisung, and he looks over at Minho in surprise. “Why would he concern
me?”

“You just left last night with not much more than a word is all,” Minho says, looking terribly
uncomfortable, and Jisung feels bad. He didn’t mean to hurt Minho; he’d just wanted to leave
before he did something ridiculous and embarrassing for the both of them.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left so abruptly. Forgive me?”

Minho smiles, though small. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

They’re still dancing around it— around Jisung’s obvious discovery of Minho’s illness. But Jisung
lets it be, not willing to touch such an important conversation when they’re already in a fragile
state.

“Minho-yah.” Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. “You did well.”
Minho smiles at Chan who had arrived at his side and shifts slightly to face the police officer.
“Hyeong, you did come.”

Jisung, after nodding to Chan, wanders off a bit to let the two speak. He trusts Minho completely,
and he knows that Chan is important to him, so he pushes his silly jealousy aside. Yet, as Jisung
watches them from several yards away, feels something strange, something like disappointment.
Seungmin has his hair color that Minho easily recognizes, and Chan has his uniform. But Jisung is
just another man in a suit— indistinguishable from the crowd of employees and observers.
Impossible for Minho to recognize.

“You’ve done well for yourself, Minho-yah,” he hears Chan say as he’s about to turn around the
corner of the courthouse in the direction of the parking lot. Pausing, he lets himself eavesdrop for a
moment.

“You too, hyeong.” Minho’s smile is evident in the way his voice lilts the slightest bit.

A long silence follows, and Jisung contemplates sneaking a glance at them, but then Chan is
speaking again.

“There’s no chance for us now, is there.” Chan sounds sad but resigned.

“I’m sorry, hyeong,” Minho says. “I’ve changed a lot since high school and early college. I wanted
to leave that part of my history behind, but when we met again, I realized that I shouldn’t forget it
— just store it away. And I think you and I are too fixed to those memories, that something more
than good friendship might not let me move on.”

“I understand.” There’s the sound of a sign, but not a heavy, unhappy one. “You better take good
care of yourself, Lee Minho. And don’t let that lawyer slip away after your two months are up.”

“Hyeong!” Minho's voice rings out, rich with embarrassment. Jisung smiles to himself, pleased.

He then wanders off himself, letting the two have some time alone. The trees are budding out as
spring descends on Seoul, and Jisung can’t wait to see green leaves and flower petals after months
of rain and snow.

He lets himself wonder what it would be like to see cherry blossoms with Minho.

“Han Jisung-ssi, there you are.”

Jisung looks down at the hand now wrapped around his wrist, eyes wide as he’s turned around to
face the newcomer. “Prosecutor?”

“Han Jisung…” Minho trails off, forfeiting honorifics as their eyes meet. “I, um,” he blinks, fingers
shifting against Jisung’s fluttering pulse. “I just wanted to thank you for your help on this case.
You’ve played a crucial role throughout.”

It’s clearly not what he wants to say, and Jisung is close to screaming, but he reigns himself in. “Of
course. I’m sure we’ll get the sentence we’ve been hoping for.”

Minho blinks rapidly, “Yes, you’re right. The sentencing. I’m sure we will— at this point the case
is cut and dried.”

Feeling as though he’s ruined the delicate mood, Jisung tries to recover some of it. “It’s thanks to
you, Prosecutor. Your talent and dedication has gotten us to this point.”
Minho ducks his head, trying to hide a pleased smile. “You’re too kind, Attorney Han. This case
was ours.”

Jisung aches to touch him, to feel the warmth of the growing blush on his cheeks and touch his soft
hair. But Lee Minho isn’t his— Lee Minho doesn’t belong to anyone. He’s a force of nature, strong
and steadfast.

“Han Jisung-ssi? Is something wrong?”

“No,” Jisung whispers. “In fact, everything’s just right.”

✧✧✧

The sentencing goes as expected. The judge charges Kang Daeseong with embezzlement and drug
trafficking, amounting to twenty years in prison without early parole.

To Kang Daeseong’s shock, Oh Jeonghoon makes a statement. It’s just as powerful as Jisung
believed it would be when he made the request of allowing the convicted man time to speak.

(“Lee Minho-ssi, can I ask something of you?”

“Of course.”

“At the sentencing, can Oh Jeonghoon give a victim impact statement? I think he needs the closure
it would bring— to move on with his life he’ll have to accept that while he committed a crime, he
was also manipulated.”

Minho watches Jisung, and it feels as though he’s observing every bit of his countenance. But then
he’s nodding. “I’ll see what I can do.”)

From where he’s sitting, to the left of the judges, Minho finds Jisung easily— they’d met earlier,
so he knows what Jisung is wearing— and smiles. Jisung grins back, wishing he could reach for
Minho and hug him.

All in good time.

After the sentencing ends and Kang Daeseong is carted off, but not before glowering viciously at
both Minho and Jisung, Jisung can finally escape to go and search for his prosecutor. They meet in
the hall, just like at the trial, but this time Minho barely has time to set down his briefcase before
Jisung is on him, wrapping his arms around Minho’s neck and hugging him tight. He feels Minho
laugh, fond, and then he’s being hugged back.

For a second, the world stands still and there’s nothing but Jisung and Minho. Everything is warm
and Jisung is so happy—

“I hate to interrupt, but you’re blocking the hall.”

Jisung flies away from Minho, turning around to find Seungmin watching them with an eyebrow
raised, arms crossed. “Sorry, Investigator Kim. We were just leaving…” To punctuate the
statement, he grabs Minho’s wrist, who in turn grabs his briefcase, and then drags the prosecutor
down the hallway and out through the entrance of the courthouse.

“You didn’t need to drag me, Attorney Han,” Minho tells him when they’re out of the building and
walking side by side. “I believe you know by now that I’d follow you just about anywhere.”
Face burning, Jisung manages to glance at the prosecutor. “I know.” He nods, more to himself than
to Minho. “I do know that.”

“I got you something,” Minho says out of the blue, slowing to a stop. Jisung does the same,
looking at him curiously. “Our two months are coming to a close soon, and I wanted to give you a
gift to commemorate it. Think of it as a thank you, if you will.”

“Prosecutor Lee…”

Minho shakes his head and reaches for Jisung’s left hand. Jisung feels electrified as he lifts it, but
then Minho is reaching into his pocket and extracting a silver watch. He slides it onto Jisung’s
hand, arranging it around his wrist so that it fits just right. “I noticed you’ve never come to work
with a watch, so I figured it would be something you might like.” His fingers brush over the silver
band and clasp before cautiously looking up at Jisung. “From what I’ve observed, it will help with
two things— as an attorney, you’ll be charging clients by the hour, so you’ll need a reliable time-
piece. And for the other… Well, as we both know, you struggle with schedules and timing.”

He doesn’t add the third reason, but Jisung does in his head. This watch is expensive, and its design
leads Jisung to believe that it may be a limited edition piece. Very few people will own this watch.

Minho has given it to him as a marker, so that— out of everyone he could choose— he’ll be able to
recognize Jisung.

Jisung is overcome with a surge of what must be something not far off from love. This man— this
incredible, brilliant man— both breaks his heart and makes him fall deeper at the same time.

“Thank you,” Jisung whispers, afraid that if he speaks any louder Minho will discover how shaky
he’s become. “I’ll treasure it. Thank you for it, and these past weeks. I’ve learned a lot from you,
and now I’m determined to become as committed to my work as you are to yours.”

Something dark and intense flashes through Minho’s eyes. “Han Jisung-ssi…”

Jisung waits for him to continue, but when he leaves his name hanging in the space between them,
Jisung raises a shaky hand and rests it against Minho’s cheek. He knows this is incredibly forward,
even between them, and although Minho’s eyes widen, he doesn’t push him away. He lets Jisung
touch him, intimately, right in front of the courthouse for all to see. “This isn’t a goodbye, Lee
Minho-ssi. I’m not disappearing. In fact, you can see me now.” The metal of his watch brushes
Minho’s neck for emphasis and the prosecutor tenses, skin growing warm under Jisung’s touch.
“Trust me, please.”

“I’ve always trusted you, and quite possibly more than I should,” Minho murmurs, eyes darting
away.

“I’m glad that you do,” Jisung whispers. “Even if you aren’t, I’m glad.”

Minho’s phone ringer shrieks, cutting through the tension that had built up between them. Jisung
stumbles back, caught off guard, and Minho fumbles for a moment too long before withdrawing
his phone from his pocket.

“Investigator Kim says there’s an office dinner to celebrate the closing of the case,” he tells Jisung,
disappointment clear in his eyes.

“Let’s go,” Jisung says, tapping his arm. “I can’t wait to boast about you.”

(“Blue jacket with pinstripe tie is the chief prosecutor,” Jisung whispers when they arrive. “Brown
coat to his left is the deputy.”

If Minho is surprised by Jisung’s sudden assistance, he doesn’t show it. Jisung is sure that Minho
knows that Jisung has discovered his secret.)

✧✧✧

They’re on a date. They must be.

After escaping the company dinner they’d wandered about for a while before stopping at a street
vendor to purchase a little meal of hotteok.

(Jisung tries to pay, saying that this is Minho’s day, and they should celebrate, but Minho insists,
muttering something about Jisung, and this all being possible because of him.)

The atmosphere that Jisung had created when he touched Minho’s face has stuck with them, and
Jisung tingles with both irrational fright and anticipation. It’s silly, he knows, since he’s spent such
a large amount of time with this man, but here they’re free— no longer confined by the parameters
of their jobs. Here they can look at each other in whatever way they want, and they don’t have to
hide it.

After the meal, for the first time, Minho takes Jisung’s hand in his. The prosecutor’s palm is
smooth, lacking the rough texture of calluses Jisung has built up over the years. Their hands are
different, but they’re both warm, and their fingers link perfectly.

Later, when the sky is darkening and streetlamps are turning on, Minho whispers an offer to
Jisung, inviting him to come back with him to his home.

Jisung accepts.

✧✧✧

By the time they enter the house, they both know they must confront Minho’s diagnosis before
they can go any further.

“It’s clear that you’ve figured it out,” Minho starts, when they’ve slipped off their shoes and have
moved towards the living room.

“Yes,” Jisung says, careful with his choice of words. He doubts that Minho would run from him at
this point, but he knows that this is a matter that needs to be treated with delicacy either way. “But I
still need you to say it.”

Minho lets out a shuddering sigh. He looks pained, wrinkles of stress and nervous anticipation
aging his features. “I’m unable to recognize faces.”

There it is, out in the open. No more hiding.

“Can you tell me more? About how it happened?” Jisung fidgets with his new watch. “I don’t
know much, but you can be born with it, right? Or have it brought on by an accident.”

Minho nods, glancing from Jisung’s face to his watch, and then to his own hands. “It happened
freshman year in college. I was partying with my friends and there was an accident. I was sent to
the hospital with brain trauma, and when I woke up, I couldn’t tell my parents apart from my
doctors, or most scarily, my reflection.” He frowns, pained at the memories. “It was… it was
awful. And I was so ashamed, because if I hadn’t been drinking it wouldn’t have occurred. I was
depressed for a long time, unable to cope with what I’d made myself into, but eventually I made a
pact— I would change my life around. So, I switched my major and worked to become a
prosecutor, all the while keeping my disability a secret.” He looks back up at Jisung. “This brings
us back to another point: why haven’t you exposed me?”

Jisung shrugs. “I only recently confirmed it— the day of the trial. And I don’t see why I should,
you do your job well and are passionate about it; who am I to get in the way of that?”

A glow alights in Minho’s eyes, something warm and fond that continually builds. Still, he presses
the matter. “Just like a police officer can’t be colorblind, a prosecutor shouldn’t be unable to tell
faces of suspects apart.”

“Yet you haven’t made any major errors.”

“No, I suppose I haven’t. But that’s largely attributed to Investigator Kim’s guidance.”

Jisung smiles at him. “Then don’t overthink. Investigator Kim has kept your secret— why are you
so concerned over me?”

“If something happens and I’m caught, I don’t want anything to be linked back to you,” Minho
confides. “Although you didn’t have authority during these past months, I wouldn’t dare risk
tarnishing your reputation; especially as you’re just beginning your career outside of school.”

“You’re not concerned about Kim Seungmin-ssi?”

Minho looks up, and Jisung finds that his eyes have turned molten. “Obviously I’d do my best to
protect him, but,” he pauses, insecurity turning down the corners of his mouth.

“But?” Jisung’s heart is thumping against his ribs at such a pace that he’s afraid he’ll faint.

The prosecutor’s face twists into something of nervous concern. “Kim Seungmin isn’t you.”

“Tell me,” Jisung is nearly breathless. “What is the difference between him and I?”

Minho takes a step towards him, and Jisung’s breath hitches. “It… It comes down to my feelings,
those feelings that are irrational, yet somehow have complete control over me.” He’s close now,
and Jisung’s blood is rushing in his ears. “This attorney,” his fingers skate over the band of
Jisung’s watch before he grasps his hand. “How is it that when I’m with him, I feel something I’ve
never experienced before?”

“How?” Jisung can hardly get the words out. “How do you feel?”

“Like I’m flying,” Minho whispers, his eyes endless and dark, unrelenting as he stares Jisung
down. “And then I plummet downwards at a speed I can’t control, with my heart in my throat. It’s
terrifying yet enticing and somehow all my natural fears have shifted.”

“What do you mean?”

Minho swallows. “‘Will someone discover my secret’ has been replaced with ‘Will he leave, now
that he knows I can’t see— will never see— his face?’”

Jisung is helpless, and he breaks through the fine membrane they’d created, the line between
storytelling and their true emotions. “How could I possibly? How could I leave?”

“You tell me,” Minho breathes, suddenly so close that Jisung can count every one of his eyelashes.
“My feelings,” Jisung says, shuddering as Minho releases his hand so he can touch his shoulders,
then neck, and then cradle his face. “My feelings are all for you. That’s why.” Minho’s gaze is
intense, but Jisung can’t look away for a moment. “Kiss me, please.”

And Minho does.

It’s sweet at first, a careful caress of lips, but then it transitions into something more; something
deeper, darker, hungrier. Jisung finds himself pressed up against the doorframe, all but being
ravished by Minho’s warm mouth. It leaves Jisung gasping for air when they fall apart, Minho
panting against his neck.

“Han Jisung…” Minho nuzzles at the underside of his jaw, and then places a kiss over Jisung’s
pulse. “I hope that by now you understand that I’m very much yours— there’s nothing I can bear to
deny you.”

They're fragile, his words, breathed against Jisung’s skin between kisses. Fragile and so hopeful.

“Minho-ssi.” Jisung presses at his cheek to get him to raise his head and meet his eyes. “I told you I
don’t like one-sided things. You have me, as I do you.”

Minho shudders, and rests their foreheads together, his hands settling at Jisung’s waist. “I know
that I’m hardly a decent partner for you, but let me ask this one thing.” Jisung hums his acceptance.
“Be with me. Attorney Han Jisung, I don’t think I can do without you.”

“Of course I’ll be with you,” Jisung whispers, and kisses him briefly to confirm his words. “I don’t
want anything else.”

“I’ll learn,” Minho says, suddenly tensing under Jisung’s touch. “I’ll learn to recognize you, and
not by the watch. You… Your importance to me is momentous, and it’s painful to think of passing
by you by mistake again.”

Jisung smiles, eyes watering. No tears fall, but the wave of emotion is strong. “Okay.” He brushes
a few stray strands of hair from Minho’s eyes. “Okay.”

✧✧✧

Late that night, when they’re curled together in Minho’s soft bed sheets and Jisung’s beyond
content in both body and heart, Minho digs around in his side table until he finds a notebook and
pen.

“What are you doing?” Jisung asks, finding his voice warm and affectionate.

He tries to push himself up to see what Minho is doing, but the prosecutor presses a hand to his
chest, guiding him back down. “Stay there,” Minho tells him, a little smile on his lips as his
fingertips dance along Jisung’s jaw. “I’d like to draw you— your face.”

“But…” Jisung frowns, confused.

Looking up from the notebook Minho smiles. “I see the lines of your face, Jisung. I’m just unable
to process your countenance. I’m actually quite good at drawing people.”

Jisung watches him in silence, until Minho puts aside the pen and gestures for him to come closer.
Jisung settles against the pillows, leaning into Minho’s side, and takes in the drawing.

It’s him, very clearly him. The likeness is superb, from Jisung’s full cheeks to the shape of his
 eyes.

“Incredible,” he whispers, and Minho kisses his shoulder in reply. His skin tingles.

“I said I would learn to recognize you,” Minho tells him, cheek brushing where his lips had been.
“Give me time, and I’ll do it. I may not ever see you, but I see the lines, I can feel them,” he brings
Jisung’s face around to fully face his, and his fingers explode the curves and angles of his jaw and
cheeks. Minho’s eyes are so dark, so honest, and Jisung doesn’t think his heart will ever beat the
same.

“Han Jisung,” Minho breathes his name, so it comes out as nearly just air and very little sound.
“You’re beautiful.”

Jisung’s breath audibly catches as he’s suddenly filled with so much emotion that he can’t breathe.
There’s nothing that he can possibly say in reply, and his body jitters as he overflows. After a
moment he can name this feeling that has ambushed his heart so completely.

Love.

He loves Lee Minho. Prosecutor Lee Minho who is brilliant and snappish and beautiful. Lee
Minho who sees through fabricated evidence and manipulative criminals. Lee Minho who can’t see
faces.

Is he being foolish for loving so quickly? Maybe, but the look in Minho’s eye, the one so fond and
adoring, makes Jisung believe it’s reciprocated.

After all, he’s never been one to do something one-sidedly.

End Notes

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