Joong's POV
I walked into the hospital room with a sense of purpose, but there was a knot in my stomach. Today was the day we had all been working towardâthe culmination of everything we had been through. The arrests had been made. The case was over. But as I stood outside Zee's door, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was different now.
Everything that had kept us professionally bound togetherâour shared goals, our shared missionâwas about to end. The case was concluded, and with it, our partnership.
I knocked softly on the door and pushed it open, finding Zee sitting up in the bed, looking better than he had the last time I saw him. His eyes flickered up to meet mine, and for a moment, I saw that familiar wariness in his gaze, like he was still trying to read me. But there was something else there tooâsomething I couldn't quite place.
"Hey," I said, trying to keep my voice light. "You won't believe it. They made the arrests. Wichai and the others, they're done."
Zee's expression didn't change immediately. He stared at me for a moment, absorbing the words. Then, finally, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"That's good," he said quietly. "It's over."
It wasn't the celebratory tone I had expected, but it made sense. He had been through a lot, and even though the case was closed, the aftermath wasn't always as satisfying as you hoped.
I sat down in the chair by his bed, the silence stretching between us. It wasn't uncomfortable, but there was this undercurrent of tension that neither of us could ignore. This case had been our world for so long, and now that it was over, it felt like we were both caught between what had been and what was next.
"I've got to say, it feels strange," I murmured, looking out the window. "Like, I've spent the last few months working alongside you every day, and now... now what?"
Zee's eyes stayed on me, but there was something more intense in them nowâlike he was trying to figure out what I was really asking.
"You mean professionally?" he asked, his voice low. He knew what I was getting at, of course.
I nodded. "Yeah. It's done now. The case is over, so I guess... we won't be working together anymore."
He didn't immediately respond, but I could tell the same thought was running through his head. The job had brought us together, but it wasn't just the job anymore. Things had changed. The space between us wasn't just about work anymoreâit was something more personal. I wasn't sure if Zee realized it yet, or if he was just too afraid to acknowledge it.
Zee shifted in his bed, looking slightly uncomfortable. He opened his mouth like he was about to say something but hesitated, clearly unsure how to put it into words.
Then, unexpectedly, his gaze softened, and he looked directly at me. "Joong, I... I don't want it to end."
I blinked at him, caught off guard. My heart skipped a beat. I had assumed he was going to say something about the case, about how relieved he was that everything was wrapped up. But instead, his words sent a rush of warmth through me.
I swallowed, unsure how to respond at first. "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.
Zee took a deep breath, his eyes searching mine, and for the first time in a while, I saw a flicker of vulnerability in his expression. "I don't want things to stop between us. Not just professionally, Joong. Personally."
I stared at him for a moment, my mind racing. Was this it? Was he actually saying what I thought he was?
Zee glanced away, almost as if embarrassed by his own words, but when his gaze returned to mine, I could see itâhe meant it.
"Well... in that case," I started, a teasing smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth, "I guess you'll have to 'date' me like how I dated Mina, huh?"
Zee's eyes darkened, and I saw the muscles in his jaw tighten. It was the kind of growl I'd heard him give before when he was irritated or caught off guard, but this time it was laced with something elseâa mixture of exasperation and something I couldn't quite place.
"I will not 'date' you like how you did with Mina. That was for work." he growled, narrowing his eyes.
I chuckled, unable to help myself. "Oh come on, Zee. You don't have to act all tough about it. I'm pretty sure you know what you're getting at."
Zee leaned forward slightly, his gaze locking on mine. "You're infuriating, you know that?"
"But you like it," I teased, leaning in closer, my smile widening. "You'd miss it if I wasn't here."
His lips twitched, and for a split second, I thought he might actually smile. But instead, he just exhaled a sharp breath, shaking his head.
"I might regret this," he muttered, but there was a hint of something in his voice. Something softer, more genuine.
I leaned back in my chair, letting the moment settle between us. The tension, the teasingâit was all there, but it felt like a weight had been lifted. There was something undeniable between us now, something I couldn't ignore.
"Joong...What I'm trying to say is that... I don't want to stop seeing you either. Not just because of the case. I don't want it to be over between us."
Zee met my eyes again, and for the first time in a long while, I saw the guard in his expression slipâjust a little. His shoulders relaxed, his breath evened out, and I could almost see him trying to make up his mind.
"I guess we'll have to see where this goes then," I said finally, my voice low but steady.
And for the first time, as I looked at Zee, I realized that maybe the end of the case wasn't really the end at all. It was just the beginning of something new. Something real. And I had no intention of walking away from it now.