GCT 38

First, after getting out of the car, Yohan couldn’t believe the situation before his eyes.

Half of the house had been blown away and was burning, and black ash was floating in the air. He raised his arm to cover his nose and mouth.

“What is this…”

He was happily planning to go on a trip to Italy, but his house exploded right before his eyes. Was this a dream? Amidst it all, Yohan let out a cough and searched for Lear.

“Lea—”

“Yohan!”

Cutting through the hazy air and acrid dust that obscured his vision, Lear approached, calling Yohan’s name and pulling him into an embrace. It was like a scene from a disaster movie.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. Okay… What about you?”

“I’m okay, too.”

The two turned their heads again to look at the house. Was there any reason for a bomb to go off in their home?

They hadn’t even eaten a proper meal since last night. During the day, they were busy having sex, and in the evening, they were busy watching a basketball game.

Of course, they had come home in the middle of watching the game, but even after that, they were so busy enjoying their newlywed life that the pizza they ordered late at night was all they’d had.

Besides, unlike the main family home, there were no live-in employees, and the days and times people came and went were fixed.

Who on earth, when, how, and why? Yohan tried to think of anyone who might resent him.

“Shit…”

Honestly, it wasn’t just one or two people. It was an unavoidable part of life as an agent. There were plenty of bastards who committed crimes and still thought they were the ones who had been wronged.

Yohan’s heart pounded fast at the sight before him, which felt like a scene from a movie.

What should I say… After marrying Lear, he thought only a flower path would unfold before him. He had already experienced enough of a bleak life. But what was this? Something that most people would have a hard time experiencing even once in their lifetime had happened again.

If there was any silver lining, was it that Lear was alive, not crushed by the building’s debris or blown up along with the bomb?

Yohan blinked his eyes. He was in a daze. Then, suddenly, one person came to mind.

“Wait, Sheridan…!”

He wasn’t close with Sheridan, the Crawford family’s butler, but he had entrusted his house to her, and she was someone who had a rather special relationship with Lear.

Yohan, without realizing it, started walking toward the house. Lear grabbed Yohan’s waist and pulled him back.

“It’s dangerous!”

At Lear’s voice, Yohan was startled and turned his head. He saw Lear’s pale, frightened face.

“But…”

Yohan placed his own hand over Lear’s, which was holding him in a tight embrace, and held on. At that, Lear shook his head.

“I know what you’re worried about… Yohan, I can’t lose you too.”

Lear held Yohan even more tightly. His eyes were icy, not his usual playful expression, and Yohan’s shoulders flinched.

“But still… Ah, first… a call… Right, a call first…”

Though it seemed he was no longer thinking of doing something reckless like rushing into the house, Yohan still couldn’t get his head on straight. Lear, watching Yohan with a worried gaze, led him further away from the house.

As Lear led him away, Yohan’s trembling hand pulled his phone from his pants pocket. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t experienced situations as bad as his house exploding, so why couldn’t he calm his heart like this?

“Damn it.”

A curse escaped his lips on its own. It felt like the PTSD he had forgotten about while living a busy life as an FBI agent was slowly creeping back up.

He thought he had forgotten the terrible things he had seen and experienced at his post during his Ranger days by now, but was he wrong?

Yohan blinked his eyes and clenched his jaw tightly. He had to do something, but his mind went completely blank, and he couldn’t do anything.

“Who should I call?”

Seeing Yohan looking half out of his mind, Lear took the phone from his hand and asked in a calm voice. Yohan then raised his head and looked at Lear.

“Ah…”

“Yohan.”

“The… the Bureau Chief…?”

“You mean Bureau Chief Nasim Hadid, right?”

Hearing the name of the FBI Los Angeles Bureau Chief, Nasim Hadid, Yohan felt his senses slowly returning. Nasim was a mentor-like figure who had guided Yohan onto the path of the FBI.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Lear patted Yohan’s back and then made the call himself. After a few rings, the call connected.

—Yohan?

“This is Lear Crawford, Agent Crawford’s husband.”

He had left everything to Lear because he was in a daze, but hearing him emphasize the word “husband” in this situation snapped Yohan back to his senses. Startled, he tried to snatch his phone back from Lear, but Lear spun his body away and continued the call with Nasim.

—Ah, yes.

“A major explosion just happened, enough to blow our house away. You may have already been contacted by now.”

Lear turned his gaze back to the house. It was, quite literally, a total mess. The scene before him looked no different than a battlefield.

A house could just be bought anew, but Lear was annoyed that his plans to enjoy a vacation with Yohan were ruined. Moreover, he felt terrible at the thought of having to hold a funeral for Sheridan, who had been with him since he was young.

—Could you put Agent Crawford on the phone, please.

“He only got to take six months of leave, and now I suppose his vacation will be taken away too.”

Yohan couldn’t understand why he was saying such things in this situation, but he lunged forward and urgently snatched his phone from Lear’s hand.

“Hah, I’m sorry, Bureau Chief.”

—No. It’s understandable. I’m sorry.

“No, this isn’t something for you to be sorry about, Bureau Chief. More importantly… the house…”

Yohan trailed off. He couldn’t bring himself to report on the state of the house. And just then, the sound of sirens could be heard from a distance. Since the explosion was large enough to make the house collapse, it seemed a neighbor had filed a report.

—Right, the house. I just heard the news. More importantly… you’re okay, right?

“Yes, I’m not hurt anywhere.”

—I’m glad you’re not hurt… But besides the two of you, was anyone else at the house?

“My husband and I were on our way out of the house to go to the airport, and there was one person who was supposed to look after the house.”

—Is this an act of terrorism motivated by a grudge?

Yohan let out a cough and looked at Lear. He saw his husband’s purple eyes staring blankly at him with an expressionless face. Yohan mouthed the words “I’m okay” and continued the phone call.

“No one comes to mind immediately, but since there’s only one casualty… that’s highly likely.”

—Agents will be there soon.

“Yes.”

—Yohan, you will be excluded from the investigation.

“What?”

The LAPD and LAFD had now arrived in front of the house. Yohan gave a slight nod toward Lear. Lear then clicked his tongue once before going to meet the police officers and firefighters.

—If you get involved, it could cause confusion in the investigation.

“So, Bureau Chief. My house just got blown up, and you’re telling me to sit at a desk and twiddle my thumbs?”

—You know that’s not what I meant.

“I’m fine. You know I endured it even when my partner died.”

—I know, I know very well. But… the situation is different now. Besides, a civilian is involved.

It wasn’t that Yohan didn’t understand what Nasim was saying, but he couldn’t completely entrust a matter concerning himself and his husband to someone else.

“It’s a very sad thing that our butler ended up this way, but my husband is not the type of person to do something that would get his own newlywed home blown up, nor did he have a grudge with the butler, so there’s no way he’ll be a suspect. She is simply a victim. So, there will be no problem with me getting involved.”

—Yohan, you’re being unreasonable right now.

At Nasim’s firm voice, Yohan’s mouth twitched. It seemed he needed to see her in person and talk to her rather than do this over the phone.

“First… I’ll head to the bureau. Let’s talk in person.”

—Wait, Yohan!

He knew he shouldn’t do this, but Nasim’s tone sounded like she was about to say, “Nothing will really change even if you come,” so Yohan couldn’t help it. For that reason, Yohan hastily hung up the phone before she could actually get those words out.

Then he looked at Lear, who was talking with a firefighter. He didn’t care about getting disciplined or not getting a promotion.

He had a handsome, rich, younger husband, so it would be fine even if his agent status was revoked and he became unemployed. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for the persuasion of those around him, he would have left the industry after wrapping up the Declan case.

‘First… should I go over to Lear and chime in on what they’re talking about.’

Just as Yohan slightly raised his phone to check the time and was walking toward Lear, a car suddenly pulled in and stopped nearby.

‘What’s this?’

Since a bomb went off in a neighborhood where rich people lived, even if the FBI took overall command, agencies like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from the Department of Homeland Security would surely come rushing over.

Yohan stopped walking toward Lear and stared blankly at the black SUV. A man of East Asian descent, about Lear’s height, got out of the car wearing a jacket with the letters “FBI” written in large print.

“Already?”

They came fast, he thought. Yohan’s face showed a bit of displeasure. Based on what Nasim had said, it seemed she intended to exclude him completely. If so, it was highly likely that the man before him would be leading this investigation instead of Yohan.

“Agent Crawford?”

The man, who was now standing in front of Yohan as he took off his sunglasses, was a handsome man with striking features, like something out of a romance movie. He must work out quite a bit, as the white shirt visible through his jacket looked like it was about to burst.

Yohan looked at the man, who had the kind of appearance that would be loved by anyone, with a canted gaze and said.

“I’ve never seen your face before.”

“Ah, I was transferred here from New York a short while ago.”

He came from far away. Yohan couldn’t know what the story was, but judging by his tone and the aura he had, it didn’t seem like he came all this way because of a serious matter.

“From New York all the way here?”

“Yes. I’m originally from California… It’s a long story, a family matter. First, let me introduce myself. My name is Joo Taeoh.”

“Ah, yes. I see. Agent Joo.”

“Please call me comfortably. Taeoh, Teddy, Ted… whatever’s comfortable.”

At Taeoh introducing himself in the Korean way, Yohan gave a lukewarm response, leaving the man’s hand hanging awkwardly.

“……”

Despite that, Taeoh kept a pleasant look on his face, scratched the back of his head with the hand that had been rejected for a handshake, and continued speaking.

“By the way, I heard that you’re also of Korean descent, Agent. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Yes, well.”

“I’ve heard a lot about your exploits, Agent Crawford. And that you enjoy wearing Hawaiian shirts.”

“Are you complaining about that?”

“No, that’s not it. Agent Aisha told me about it… It really suits you.”

When Aisha Patton’s name came out of Taeoh’s mouth, Yohan clicked his tongue without realizing it. When did they have such a useless conversation? The only fortunate thing was that he seemed to be considerably his senior. He thought about picking a fight and giving him a bit of a hard time, but honestly, there was no reason to.

Dressed according to regulations, pleasant personality, polite… If anything, Yohan was the one with more problems, as he insisted on Hawaiian shirts, saying that being comfortable was the best thing in many ways.

“Honey, what’s going on?”

Lear, who had been talking with the firefighter, had now approached Yohan’s side and asked. Yohan replied to Lear’s question that it was nothing, let out a small sigh, and introduced the man in front of him.

“He’s from the FBI. This is Agent Taeoh Joo.”

“Ah, I see.”

Lear greeted Taeoh with only a slight lift of his lips. He didn’t like this clear-eyed young man who looked to be his age. He didn’t know how he ended up on the path of an FBI agent, but Lear thought that if he hadn’t become an agent, he would have surely fallen into a cult, and he introduced himself.

“I’m the person who is Agent Crawford’s husband.”

It was a rather poor self-introduction, but Taeoh didn’t seem to care much. Lear didn’t like that either. Not only was he of East Asian descent like Yohan, an FBI agent, and had a nice-looking face, but he was also a Beta.

“Ah, more importantly… I don’t know if you’ve heard already, but I will be in charge of this case. Other agents will soon be deployed for the on-site investigation, and I have been informed that the surrounding area has begun to be cordoned off, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

“Even if you say that, Agent… honestly, do I look like I’m in a position not to worry? Look over there. Our house got blown away. We’re about to be thrown out on the street overnight.”

“That wasn’t my intention—”

“And we still don’t know if our butler, who was like family, is alive or dead.”

Lear, who only acted polite in front of Yohan, had lived for over 30 years as a bratty and insufferable young master, so he had no problem getting under Taeoh’s skin.

“I was thoughtless. I’m sorry.”

Perhaps he was more of a sunshine boy than expected; though it was a situation where he could have shown he was displeased, Taeoh offered a sincere apology in response to Lear’s words instead of getting upset. And with that, he naturally targeted Yohan.

“I got so carried away by seeing the renowned Agent Crawford from the LA bureau with my own two eyes.”

He was a guy who knew his way around social situations. That must be why he came here before the other agents, to take the lead on the case.

“Ahem, well…”

At the words ‘renowned agent,’ Yohan’s sharp expression toward Taeoh softened a level. Yohan was slightly embarrassed, but he was only human, and he didn’t entirely dislike the flattering comment from a junior.

“If Agent Joo thinks I’ll back down just because he says so, he’s mistaken. First, it seems there’s been a mistake, so I need to talk to the Bureau Chief. Agent Joo, you just focus on securing the scene.”

The moment Lear saw Yohan’s slightly relaxed expression, it felt like a warning bell went off in his head. He first stuck close to Yohan and spoke as if for Taeoh to hear.

“Honey, are you going right away?”

“Yeah, I have to go. There’s nothing I can do in this state.”

At Yohan’s words, Lear nodded and took the car keys out of his pocket. And at the sight of Lear offering to be the driver, Yohan shook his head.

“You stay here. We still haven’t found the butler.”

“But… the drive could be dangerous. Besides, a little while ago you—”

Yohan cut Lear off before he could say something useless in front of Taeoh.

“I’m fine. Besides, I’ve been through much worse things than this.”

Yohan gave Lear’s shoulder a pat, then took the car keys from his hand. He pressed the button, but instead of a beep, nothing happened. It seemed the car key was completely dead.

“Hah, now even this…”

The house exploded, the car’s broken. He was so irritated he was past angry and felt like he was going to go crazy. Just as Yohan clenched his jaw and took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent heart, Taeoh offered his own car keys to Yohan.

“Here, take my car.”

Yohan turned his head to look at Taeoh.

“Weren’t you going to have an important talk with the Bureau Chief?”

“Well…”

“You’ll be coming back anyway.”

At Taeoh’s words, Yohan finally took the car keys he was holding out, as if he had no other choice. Then, with a word of thanks, he told Lear he’d see him in a bit, ruffled his hair once, and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

At that action, Lear couldn’t grab Yohan or even follow him, and just stood there blankly before glaring at the innocent Taeoh.

“Hey, are you okay? It’s a total mess.”

The person who greeted Yohan as soon as he arrived at the bureau was none other than Aisha. She brought Yohan’s ID card and had a worried look on her face.

“You’ve already told that new guy a lot.”

“Ah, Taeoh?”

“Yeah, that guy named Taewoo or Taesik or whatever.”

“Don’t be so grumpy.”

When Yohan looked at Aisha with narrowed eyes, she raised both hands and said.

“Do you know your eyes look a little crazy right now?”

“Of course they look crazy. My house and everything else are gone.”

“But you still have your husband.”

“That’s a given that I should have him. If I don’t, I’ll die.”

“Ugh!”

Aisha, saying it gave her the creeps, rubbed her arms with the hands she had raised in the air, horrified.

It was already annoying enough when Yohan, in his newlywed phase, sometimes walked around smelling of his husband’s pheromones, but whenever he said things like that, Aisha felt a little nauseous.

“Do you really have to say that in front of me?”

“How about you get over your ex-girlfriend now? I know you were fond of her, but it’s already been half a year. Stop being jealous and find yourself a new love now.”

“Set me up with someone before you say that.”

Yohan laughed at Aisha’s grumbling response, then casually asked about the atmosphere in the bureau.

“Anyway, how are things here? I threw a fit at the Bureau Chief before I came.”

“I haven’t seen the Bureau Chief, so I don’t know, but since a bomb went off, the CIA and NSA are on the move… but it seems they haven’t found any specific signs of terrorism.”

“Honestly, I don’t think there’s some other huge reason. It was an empty house to begin with.”

“A personal grudge?”

“That’s what I’m thinking too. It’s not like my house exploding would do anything to the house next door.”

At Yohan’s words, Aisha reached out and patted his back a couple of times as she spoke.

“Nothing specific comes to mind?”

“Nothing. Declan was taken care of a long time ago… and I wasn’t the main agent on the case I was recently assigned to. I don’t know what it would be like if we looked into Lear’s side of things…”

“No matter how dismantled Declan is… Joel Declan is still alive. I hear he’s living it up, ruling the roost in prison, isn’t he?”

Apparently, since Joel Declan was imprisoned, he’d been playing a real-life version of Game of Thrones in prison.

Yohan had also heard the stories that he had won the power struggle there and was living well, with many people under his command.

Of course, he hadn’t bothered to tell Lear. After the Declan incident, Lear would have a fit just hearing the first letter of Joel Declan’s name.

“That’s none of my business.”

“Still, Yohan, even if your husband has completely left that world, do you think there are only one or two people who are bothered by his very existence? No matter what, he’s still Joel Declan’s son… and at one point, he was the officially recognized successor to Declan. Now, he’s also the reason those guys have been shattered to pieces.”

“If they tried anything, his grandmother and father wouldn’t stand for it. They’re the type to be extremely protective of their blood relatives, more so than they appear.”

Aisha recalled Lear Crawford’s grandmother and father. The grandmother was a famous actress, and the father was also a formidable person who had worked in the broadcasting industry and achieved a great deal. Besides, he had played an important role in bringing down Joel Declan.

“You… are you okay?”

“What’s there not to be okay about?”

“True, of all the people I know, you’re the one who looks the most laid-back but is actually the toughest.”

“Thanks for the compliment, my friend. Anyway, I’m not particularly worried about that side of things. The people who might hold a grudge against Lear are likely with Joel Declan.”

“Anyway, there’s no specific person who comes to mind, is that it?”

“For now.”

Yohan let out a deep sigh.

“I was just trying to have a fulfilling vacation with my husband. If things had gone according to plan, we’d be on a plane right about now.”

“Ah, you… said you were going to Italy, didn’t you?”

At Aisha’s gut-wrenching question, Yohan sighed for a second time. And just then, as he was walking down the hallway, venting about the current situation with a face full of discontent, he spotted Nasim.

As soon as Yohan saw Nasim, he gave Aisha a pat on the back, hardened his expression, and strode over.

“Yohan.”

“I was going to see you after taking a shower. I’m a mess.”

“You weren’t really thinking that, were you.”

“Well, my favorite shirt did get dirty.”

Nasim had no idea where he found such patterns, but rather than pick on Yohan’s fashion, which was no different from usual, she planned to get straight to the conversation they were having on the phone.

“First, let’s go inside.”

“The sofa will get dirty, are you okay with that?”

Nasim clicked her tongue, then gestured with her head as if to tell Yohan to stop with the nonsense and follow her. Only then did Yohan make a gesture as if zipping his lips and follow Nasim into her office.

“I’ll turn on the air purifier.”

Yohan coughed a few times, then pressed the button on the air purifier in Nasim’s office.

“The world is a harsh place, isn’t it? By the way, wouldn’t it be better to ventilate rather than turn this thing on?”

“Are you going to keep this up?”

“It’s just that… my house doesn’t have windows anymore. No, should I say it doesn’t have them? Hmm… My descriptive skills are a bit lacking.”

“Sit.”

At Nasim’s command, Yohan patted his behind, took a seat, and said.

“I see you sent a newbie in my absence.”

“He’s not new. Yohan, he’s younger than you, but he’s an excellent and experienced agent, so don’t worry.”

“I don’t like him.”

Yohan said it outright.

“Right now, this situation… it feels like the nightmare from Diane’s time is coming back. Back then, I was naive, so I just let it go, but now I’ve got some experience under my belt, and since my house has been blown up, I can’t just let it go. You know I’m not doing this gig for the money.”

“You know I’m not deliberately trying to exclude you. It’s to protect you, to prepare for the unexpected. Besides, if personal feelings get involved, you could make a mistake. Even if you catch the culprit, it might not be accepted as evidence or testimony.”

“I know. But it’s not entirely impossible either. If I just have your permission, Bureau Chief.”

“It’s dangerous. And this is all, for your—”

Cutting Nasim off mid-sentence, Yohan said what he had to say.

“I didn’t have any particular friendship with Sheridan, who was inside the house, so shouldn’t that be fine? And with my house blown to bits, I can’t just stand by and watch silently. Even if I’m under the protection of the FBI or other agencies, in this situation… I don’t exactly feel safe. It’ll be the same no matter where I go.”

“……”

“I’m not alone anymore; I have a family now. I also know very well that there’s no one who will protect and care for my family more than me.”

At Yohan’s words, a sigh escaped Nasim’s lips. No matter how much she tried to stop Yohan, it was clear he would do something else behind the scenes, besides the agents she had assigned.

“Besides, I know that headquarters is extremely busy with the President Caraway scandal right now. In that situation, will they even properly investigate a bombing incident? The people from our bureau’s intelligent crime division have all been dispatched, haven’t they? And if it turns out this wasn’t the work of a terrorist group, the other agencies will back off too. Everyone’s busy with the DC matter right now.”

Nasim pressed her temples firmly, then looked at Yohan.

“You’re like this even now. Is there any possibility that you won’t lose your objectivity?”

“The butler’s situation is unfortunate, but… my family is still okay. And I don’t have any particular leads.”

Yohan still didn’t back down.

“I don’t know for what reason our house ended up like that, but I want to be on the ground myself until the direction of the case is established.”

“And after that?”

“I’ll step back. Whether I’m supporting my colleagues or hiding out in a safe house. Whatever.”

At this point, Nasim had no choice. She leaned back heavily in her chair and looked at Yohan, her face still filled with concern.

“You’ll have to toe the line carefully.”

“Don’t worry. If I were to have a child, I was thinking of naming him ‘Sun’ [Line] to etch your words into my memory.”

As the answer he wanted came out of Nasim’s mouth, Yohan openly relaxed his expression. At that sight, Nasim was flabbergasted.

“Enough. Instead, if your husband or family gets involved, you back off unconditionally.”

“Thank you.”

Yohan smiled at Nasim’s words and stood up from his seat. Nasim was uneasy because she hadn’t received a proper answer from Yohan.

“Yohan.”

“I understood you clearly.”

“Really, you…”

“You don’t have anything more to say, do you?”

“Don’t think of investigating alone.”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t even think about bringing your husband in as a consultant. Just start normally. The most by-the-book way.”

“Bureau Chief, you mean…”

“Work with Agent Joo. He’s your partner starting today.”

At Nasim’s words, Yohan thought of Taeoh and worried if a person who looked like he should be running a taekwondo studio with kids could properly handle the rough work at the FBI.

“Agent Joo…?”

“Yes, there’s no one more suitable than Taeoh. He’s worked in the CDT before. He was also on the Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York. He’s the right person for this job.”

“How did such a distinguished talent end up…”

“Yohan.”

“It’s just, I was wondering if it’s okay for me to work with such a great person. By the way, that’s very reassuring. To be paired with someone from the CDT. Haha.”

At Yohan’s sarcastic words, Nasim sighed.

“Do a good job.”

“I won’t disappoint you.”

In any case, Yohan gave a light bow to Nasim, who was trying to placate him, left the office, and immediately sat down at his desk. As Yohan started rummaging through his drawer to pack his things, Aisha approached him and asked.

“What happened?”

“What did you want to happen?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Aren’t you working?”

“I will. Besides, the scene is still being processed by forensics, so there’s nothing for me to do on my end yet.”

At Aisha’s words, Yohan let out a deep sigh and closed his desk drawer.

“More importantly, I got a partner.”

“A part… ner?”

“She must not have trusted me much, because she told me to work with that guy named Matteo.”

“Ah, Taeoh. So that’s how it turned out.”

“Yeah.”

“You still seem to disapprove, but he’s a good guy.”

“You know the more you say that, the more repulsed I feel, right? In my experience, the more people praise someone, the higher the probability they’re a villain. By any chance…”

Aisha, with a fed-up look on her face, shook her head, then took an Altoids tin from her pocket and handed it to him.

“Have a mint and get a grip. Didn’t you watch too many movies during your time off?”

Yohan pouted once and popped a mint from the tin into his mouth. The intense mint candy flavor that spread in an instant seemed to clear his nose, eyes, and head.

“Cough, ahem.”

“What, you’re acting like it’s your first time having a mint.”

“It’s stronger than I thought… Anyway, Aisha.”

“Speak.”

“In any case, since I’ve been given the authority, I’ll have to make good use of that Taegoo fellow…”

“And?”

“First… there are a few things I’d like you to look into.”

At Yohan’s request, Aisha straightened her posture and gave a playful look.

“Yes, just say the word, Agent Crawford.”

Yohan had no idea why his life was filled with only people like this, but for now, he continued what he was saying.

“Look into a person named Rivel Sheridan for me.”

“That name sounds very familiar.”

“She’s the Crawford family’s butler. I know she’s someone who worked for them for a very long time, but because of today’s accident, well.”

“Oh, no.”

Aisha looked at Yohan with an extremely apologetic expression. However, Yohan shrugged his shoulders and said.

“I’m fine. It hasn’t been that long since I became a Crawford… If you added up all the times I’ve spoken with Sheridan, it wouldn’t even be three hours. The ones I’m worried about are my husband. And the rest of the family.”

“Husband… every time you say that, it feels really strange.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, you just seemed so far removed from marriage.”

Yohan made a face that said he was dumbfounded.

“Me? You might not think so, but one of my dreams was to become a dad. It might seem old-fashioned, but a normal family, living with a wife cute as a bunny and kids cute as chicks.”

“Ugh… seriously, it doesn’t suit you.”

“Well, now… I can’t really imagine it either. Lear alone is a handful. In a way, he’s playing the roles of both husband and son at the same time. Sometimes it even feels like we’re in a forbidden relationship.”

“Ah, seriously. That’s disgusting!”

At Aisha’s reaction, who covered her ears as if she’d heard something she shouldn’t have, Yohan burst out laughing.

“Come on, don’t be like that. You, tell me everything you know about Taebong.”

Lear stared blankly at Taeoh, who was talking with a firefighter, his face filled with displeasure.

‘Why is he so grating?’

Lear knew he shouldn’t feel that way about someone who was working hard, but he just couldn’t seem to calm his sharp-edged feelings.

‘Well, with the house in this state… and Sheridan still not found, it’s only natural that my nerves are on edge.’

A sigh escaped him. Lear fidgeted with the wedding ring on his left ring finger and his mouth twitched. Then, he forcibly pushed Taeoh, who was occupying a corner of his mind, away and thought.

Who would so brutally blow up someone else’s newlywed home and interfere with their trip… Lear looked back on himself and asked, but honestly, no one came to mind. That made it even more frustrating.

‘I thought the Declan side was dealt with cleanly, but was it not? Well… if someone were to hold a grudge, they could. But now, of all times?’

He thought that perhaps it went beyond a grudge and they were targeting Yohan. At that moment, Lear felt his breath catch. If something terrible had happened to Yohan while he was gone… Lear didn’t want to think about it anymore. Instead, he strode over to Taeoh.

“What about Sheridan?”

“They said it’s taking some time to find her because there’s so much building debris.”

“Well, is there anything I can help with?”

“I think the area needs to be cleared first… By any chance, does anyone come to mind who might do something like this? Someone with a personal grudge, or perhaps in business…”

“No one. As you know, I never dreamed something like this would happen, and we were on our way to a trip. If it were a personal grudge, I think there would be many ways to kill me without going to such trouble.”

Although the house was equipped with various security systems, there were always blind spots. If someone had a personal grudge, it would have been simpler to show up with a gun and put a bullet through his head while he was sleeping in bed.

“I see.”

“I’ll cooperate with the investigation or whatever, so I just hope the culprit is caught.”

At Lear’s words, Taeoh nodded, then took a business card from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to him.

“This is my card. Please contact me anytime if you think of something.”

Lear, who stared blankly at Taeoh’s business card, furrowed his brow slightly. Just as he was thinking about whether he should start investigating the man in front of him instead, a firefighter waved his hand and shouted. It seemed they had found Sheridan’s body.

Lear was about to head toward where the firefighter was standing to check on Sheridan’s condition. But Taeoh blocked Lear’s path and said.

“Mr. Crawford, please wait here.”

“It’s my house, though?”

“Yes, but the scene could be contaminated.”

At Taeoh’s emotionless tone, Lear let out a small sigh. Dammit, what kind of day was this? Lear bit his lower lip slightly and stepped back for the time being.

“Calling me only when I’m needed isn’t a bad choice either.”

The moment Lear made a sarcastic comment, a familiar voice was heard from behind.

“I’m a little late, aren’t I?”

Lear whipped his head around. At the sight of Yohan, he ran over like a puppy meeting its owner after three months.

“Who are you trying to look good for, all scrubbed clean like that?”

“Sorry, I was so grimy so I did it while I was there… Anyway, you need to rest too.”

At Yohan’s words, Lear let out a small sigh.

“Are you seducing me to go to a hotel right now?”

“No.”

Yohan, wearing a sky-blue Hawaiian shirt with an FBI jacket over it, was quite stimulating. Of course, he had no idea where he bought those god-awful orange shorts.

“With your legs all exposed, what is this…”

“I told you not to bark in front of people.”

Lear stuck out his lips and came to nestle in Yohan’s arms. Yohan, saying his clothes would get dirty since he had just washed up, slightly avoided him and pulled the jacket zipper all the way up to his neck. However, Lear did not back down.

“Haa… honey. I was so lonely. And your company person was scary, too.”

“Don’t lie.”

Yohan, who squeezed Lear’s cheek with his thumb and forefinger, peeked his head out and saw Taeoh looking at him.

“What are you looking at?”

“What? No, it’s just… Agent, you’re here. With that going on, how could I not look.”

Yohan first told Lear to step aside for a moment, then took his car keys from his pocket and tossed them to Taeoh. Taeoh caught the keys flying in an arc with both hands and stared blankly at Yohan.

“Agent?”

“Matteo.”

“…It’s Taeoh.”

“Right. Taejoon. Is it okay if I’m casual?”

“What? Ah, yes. It’s okay.”

Yohan, standing crookedly with his hands in his jacket pockets, looked Taeoh up and down.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Aisha, too.”

“Agent Patton?”

“Yeah, so from now on, I’ll treat you a little more familiarly. As a sunbae and as a partner.”

Lear, who was listening to Yohan’s words from the side, was horrified. For a moment, he thought he had misheard.

“Honey, a part… what?”

At Lear’s horrified reaction, Yohan brought his index finger to his lips in a gesture asking him to be a little quieter. Lear didn’t know what his husband had discussed with the Bureau Chief at the FBI, but he wanted to have an in-depth conversation about the matter of him suddenly bringing home a partner he didn’t have before.

“Anyway, I’m thinking of returning my vacation and digging into this case. To find out why our house ended up in that state.”

“Did you speak with the Bureau Chief?”

“Do I look like I’d act on my own without getting permission from my superior?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just…”

“I know what you’re worried about. But it’s not like I’ve been doing this for just a day or two… I know when to back off, so don’t worry.”