Case 11: Boundaries

Rae takes a sip of her sweet vanilla frappuccino, what a wonderful taste and not to mention the sugar is needed for her brain to work properly under the pressure. Troy who sits across her with an americano stares at her blankly, as if he's dumbfounded about something she did.

They decided to take a small break in the cafe, whilst with a small notebook in her hand, she scribbled her mind map hastily. Troy's gaze, however, disturbs her train of thoughts.

"Is there something on my face?" Rae asks the rookie police blatantly.

"Not really but from what I heard from Jae Min, you're a rebellious Inspector, hence why you lost your job. This is not the first time you did this. Why did you do that?" Troy asks. Rae looked up to the ceiling, wondering what answers she should give to this gullible police officer.

"I will do anything for the sake of truth Troy, even if it means to forsaken my wellbeing", Rae answered nonchalantly. Troy's expression changed to fury, he grabbed her wrist out of nowhere.

"You're wrong, the way you see things is wrong. There's something more important than truth" Troy furrowed his eyebrows at the female detective in anger and distrust. "What about your family? Your friends? What if they see you in your pitiful condition? They will be sad!". Rae pulled his hand away from her wrist. She sharpened her gaze to Troy, he looked emotionally tired to her.

“I lost my mother because I averted my gaze from the truth” she scowled at the rookie male.

“You what?” Troy gasped at how nonchalant I answered his retorts.

"Troy, why are you so concerned about me? My personal affair is my own business. I dedicate my life to the truth, I pursue evildoers, and then let the court punish them for their misdeeds, a fun life before death", Rae pushed his hand lightly away from her, trying to straying the topic away from her deceased mother.

Something about Troy's concern for her baffles her, she never feels someone other than Jae Min and Aldo worrying about her wellbeing, perhaps he has ulterior motives. What worries her though is how he got somewhat triggered by her action. There must be a reason for his sudden outburst.

"You're being emotional now, what gives?" Rae asked the solemn pretty boy in front of her. Troy gazed into the distance, his eyes aimed at the horizon, looking into the distance with a sorrowful gaze.

"Nevermind" he replied solemnly.

If the boy himself wants to play secret with her, he might as well try to stop sticking his nose into her privacy. Rae continued with her sipping while Troy just gazed into the distance like a heartbroken pretty boy. Rae tries to break the ice between them.

"Why did you follow me anyway?".

"No clue".

"You're pretty stubborn you know that".

"Say What".

"No, I said you're pretty", Rae smiled at him sarcastically.

"Huh?" Troy's face turns strawberry in an instant, like a shy grown-up man.

"Yup" I give him a big thumbs up.

Troy and Rae had a light chat afterward. Apparently, he stayed near her flat block, just two blocks away from each other.

"Ah right can I add your Cocoa ID?" Troy asked out of the blue, his eyes glimmering in stars. So cocoa chat messenger is apparently a trend in South Korea, that she knows of but she doesn't know why it's more trending among teenagers than Kkum does, another social app the female detective uses to troll people. 

Cocoa theme looks very plain, like it's all chocolate and green, while in Kkum people can talk to random strangers and troll people for life. Rae would keep this hobby of hers a secret from everyone though.

"Why do you use Cocoa?" Rae blurted out her mind by accident.

"Cause that's what most people use?" Troy answered almost quickly.

She smirks at his mundane answer, such an answer is normal she guesses. As if he knows what she’s thinking, he stepped on her left foot, his eyes screaming for attention.

"Hey! What was that for!?" Rae growled at the pretty boy in front of her who wore an annoying smile.

"Your fault, not mine" he stuck out his tongue.

Is he pouting because of the ID? She hasn't given him her Cocoa ID. Rae planted her hand on her face, what cute gullible police he is, still she felt like he was hiding something darker beneath his playboy facade. The reason for her assumption is quite clear to be honest, his dislike of lawyers, his sudden outburst because of her recklessness. 

They just met and yet he seems to be pondering about something when he sees her. Maybe the detective is just being too self-conscious? She erases the assumption out of her mind to avoid a possible misunderstanding situation.

She was about to leave the comfy chair to pay the bills when suddenly her cell phone rang loudly, and from the ringtone, she immediately knew who the caller was. She slowly takes out her cell phone from her pocket, hoping that her hunch is wrong.

'Inspector Vaan’

"Oh, it’s him" she cursed under her breath.

She pulls a deep breath and smiles, probably the biggest smile she could ever afford to do.

"Good day Inspector, how can I help you?".

"Don't 'good day' me! Why are you leaving the crime scene?".

"I apologize for my misbehavior, but Troy and I are investigating the case! Even as we speak!".

Troy is holding his laugh, yeah right go laugh all you want. If the Chief knows that both of us slack off, I'm sure as heck he will get mad at us.

"As long as you understand the importance of the case" the Inspector answered, somewhat delighted. "However if I find out that you're slacking off, I will take you out from the case".

"Yes sir! I won't let you down!" she managed to make her stutter fade out a little bit. After paying for our drinks, she told Troy to leave first and meet up with Jae Min.

"Where are you going?" Troy asked in curiosity.

"I'm going to meet someone, it's important for the investigation".

Troy is unsure about leaving her behind, he once again asked her Cocoa ID. She sighed but she still gave her Cocoa ID to him anyway, but after that, she shoos him off. However, after parting ways with Troy she finds herself in trouble. In the opposite direction, a loud yet funny voice filled the streets.

"Help! My wallet got stolen by that jerk with a baseball hat!" a tall grown man yelled at the top of his lungs as he ran as fast as he could to chase the baseball hat man that positioned himself in front of her, he looked backward all the time. He's probably scared that the tall man behind him will catch him.

"Hello, pay attention to what's in front of you" she grins as she taunts the pickpocket man who is now aware of her presence in front of him.

He's startled and panicked by the sudden taunt, he clenched his fist and aimed his knuckles at her left cheek with his left hand.

"I see, so left-handed is he," she thought midways as he attacked her mindlessly, she avoided his attack and parried his left arm with her right arm blocking him, leaving his left arm locked. She used this chance to counter with her other free hand, aiming her left hand to his cheek. The man in front of her is now dazed. However, she is sure that he will try to jab her with his main left hand.

She bends down to avoid his left arm jab, the height difference between the pickpocket and her are ironically useful. She bent down and jab his ribs with her right hand as hard as she could. The man doesn't realize what she’s planning, got jabbed on his right rib as she speculated.

She tries to measure her power not to fracture his bones too much but that should do it.

However, the man still tries to pass, he tries to push her small frame but she cannot allow that to happen. Since he's already injured, she just sticks out her leg and then he falls on his own. Funnily, land on his face clumsily.

He had no energy to get back anymore, still, maybe she jabbed his rib too much, he's been holding it since he fell.

"You're under arrest, you foolish pickpocket" she sat on the man's back with a smirk.

She calls the nearby police officer to take that man to the police station for further interrogation. She finally got her hand on the wallet which is good news. The man, submitting his defeat, walked away with his head down probably shameful for what he did or something else entirely.

"Hey!" The tall man who's been chasing the pickpocket approached her daringly.

"You got my wallet, I'm relieved".

"Mhm".

The mysterious tall man that stands in front of her is kind of attractive, his broad shoulders and height makes me envy him, he looks so strong and yet a pickpocket manages to snatch his wallet. I notice that his suit brand comes from a very expensive brand, it must be from Louis Vuitton!

This man must be rich! Beneath his suit is another expensive blue shirt from another famous brand. He smells like mint and wears new brown looking shoes? This man is probably a businessman or a person with high status as a CEO. His fair skin reminds her of Jae Min.

"Thank you for helping me! For a girl you sure are amazing! What's that!?" He is amazed by the self-defense technique she uses on the pickpocket.

"Just a normal kind of self-defense and a self-taught Bartitsu" she answered uncomfortably.

"Cool, let me repay you by buying you a drink!" he flashed her a kind smile. "Starbluck it is!".

"Excuse me?".

"Well we're going there," the man said forcefully.

"But I just got there-".

"Ah sorry, I should introduce myself first! How rude of me" the fair tall man cut me midways.

"Hey that's also considered rude" she raised her eyebrows.

"I am Dominic Ergo, nice to meet you," he shakes her hand firmly.