Case 3: Childhood Reunion

"Jae Min" she tugged at his shirt. He looked at her in a questioning way. 

"What is it?".

"What block did the murder happen again?" she tries to confirm the uneasiness in my chest.

“The fourth I think?" Jae Min replied to her. Now her anxiety has been answered.

It's his block, she wonders whether that person will be okay. When they arrived at the crime scene, she immediately went to the opposite direction of the crime scene. Taemin follows behind, seeing his car parked behind hers somewhat made the detective nervous.

"What is he doing here?" she talked to herself as she looked in front of the small pocket mirror she carries in her bag. She opened the car door and told Jae Min to investigate the crime scene. 

"Where are you going Ms.Rae?" Jae Min asked her rather curiously.

"I'll tell you later" she waved her hand and walked away fast, as fast as the detective could. Rae walked straight and found his house on the twenty-third from the left side. She came across a music store, with the name Melodic Store.

Various musical instruments such as piano, guitar, cello, and other musical instruments can be seen from the see-through windows. She came inside in a rush, some decluttered classical pieces on the floor distract the detective's attention despite being panicked. She found herself having nostalgia as she entered the music store. 

Everything in the store smells like his old friend, his favorite music pieces and his hobbies are all lined up inside a glass pane. It feels like walking in a small music museum.

As she arrives on the counter desk, a familiar figure asleep soundlessly with his hand still gripping on a pencil. She checked his pulse for clarification and indeed he's alive at least. She sighed in relief and then smack his head hard.

The sleepy man awakened with a hiss and a deadly glare aimed toward her. He fixed his glasses position and glared menacingly at her, "Bastard, what the heck are you doing!?".

"I'm just checking whether you're alive or not," the detective sighed

"Of course I'm alive!! What the heck is wrong with you!?", Aldo snarled.

Aldo Minstral's peach skin is still somewhat amazed by the detective. His wide eyes glared at her. Despite him having a small body posture, he is cute, but manly at the same time. However, don't be fooled. Aldo is actually a cursing machine, who will get angry at almost everyone, mostly the one who woke him up from his sleep. 

"Aish, what the hell," Aldo said mid-yawn. 

He stretched up his arm upwards. The detective sighs in relief, he looks unharmed.

"You haven't been informed about a case?" she asked him bluntly.

"Hm? No, I think, probably because I fell asleep", he shrugged off. 

She punches his shoulder lightly, "But still you're being careless Aldo, leaving your store unattended".

He sighed while scratching the nape of his neck awkwardly, "I'm stuck in a rut with my lyrics, I also called you this morning to ask you to hang out you know". He caresses the female detective's forehead while skiving my bangs out of the way.

"Today is your mum's death anniversary, right? You're alone?", he asked.

Rae froze in one place, yes that’s right. The detective forgot about her mother's death anniversary, her brows furrowed and she exhales more.

“Don't tell me you forgot, geez” Aldo frowned.

"I’m a little bit busy nowadays, maybe I’ll go after this" Rae coughed awkwardly.

“Alone?” Aldo didn’t seem to like the way Rae stutters.

“Ah, no?” the detective looked at him unsure.

Since they were little, Aldo has always been a worrywart and overprotective brother figure for Rae. He is her childhood friend and sometimes they contacted each other until the present day. Lately, however, Rae’s been busy with work and so is Aldo, both of them strive to find themselves money to eat and live for the next day.

"So what's with all the ruckus around the neighborhood? Did something happen?" Aldo asks obliviously as he reviewed his lyric paper on the desk counter.

"Yes, I'll brief you later" Rae grimaced. “By the way, have you noticed anything suspicious around the neighborhood?”.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully with his eyebrows narrowed downward, "Not sure about that, I was a little bit sleepy upstairs you know writing lyrics and all". As his childhood friend, the detective knows that he had a songwriting hobby since he was in middle school. He had talents in the music department, but most people dislike him and avoid him. 

Despite his artsy look, he was labeled as a thug in his young days. He almost had no friends except for the perky detective, he claimed Rae as his little sister. The teachers had massive headaches thanks to Aldo antics. However, deep down though he's actually pretty sensitive.

"Hey" Aldo flicked the daydreaming detective temple. She winced painfully with the words "ow" uttered from her mouth automatically. 

"Something in your mind?" Aldo asks again, this time in a serious tone. She shrugged off and patted his shoulder "Nothing really".

"That freak is here?" Aldo asks unamused.

He must have meant Taemin since he’s able to see Taemin from the see-through glass windows.

"Right, that freak huh...well, my brother sure loves to play the pronoun game", the detective scoffed lightly.

Rae walks away slowly from him because she receives text messages from his assistant that there's something she needs to see at the crime scene. That's her cue to leave this place, as much as she misses Aldo's presence, she has to leave. She walked toward the glassy wooden exit door.

"Hey" Aldo called her. She turned around to face him. 

"We should hang out, you've been ignoring my calls" he complained like a child.

"Ignoring isn't exactly the word, busy would be the correct word", she thoughts sullenly.

Aldo waved his hand with a smile, she replied back with the same expression as him. After the wonderful reunion, Detective Rae returned to the crime scene and positioned herself next to Jae Min.

It’s time to get serious at work.