Joong's POV
Joong practically jogged up the stairs of the dimly lit private clinic, his heart poundingânot from exertion, but from the rush of finally finding something.
For the past few hours, he had been hopping between small clinics, looking for a pattern in Thanapon and Nattapong's medical records. Most places had been a dead endâeither the clinics didn't keep digital files or the staff was too tight-lipped to let anything slip.
But then, at this tiny clinic tucked in a quiet alley, he struck gold.
A young nurse, barely out of school, had recognized one of the names on Joong's list. "Oh, yeah, he came in a few months ago," she had said, flipping through patient files. "Broke his leg. But it was weirdâhe didn't seem like he was in pain at all."
And just like that, Joong's instincts went on high alert.
"Did he come alone?" he had asked, leaning in slightly.
The nurse frowned. "No, there was another guy with him. He paid in cashâsaid they didn't have insurance."
Cash. No insurance. Too clean. Too intentional.
Joong had barely finished taking down the details when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screenâZee.
Perfect timing.
Joong smirked as he picked up. "Let me guess, you've got something?"
Zee's POV
Zee leaned against his desk, his laptop still open to the file that had just cracked this case wide open.
"You first," he said, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.
Joong huffed. "Fine. I found a clinic that treated one of our guysâThanapon. Nurse said he came in with a broken leg but wasn't acting like someone in actual pain."
Zee's smirk widened. "So it was staged."
"Not just that," Joong continued. "Someone paid in cash. No insurance. The clinic has no formal record of it in their system, which meansâ"
"They didn't want a digital trail," Zee finished, grinning. "That's good, Joong. Really good."
Joong let out a small chuckle, and Zee could tell he was just as wired as he was. "Alright, your turn. What did you find?"
Zee glanced at his screen, fingers drumming against the desk. "You were right about the fake businesses. I got my hands on corporate registry records."
Joong sucked in a breath. "And?"
Zee's grin deepened. "Three of the shell companies under Thanapon's name are connected to the same accountant. Some guy named Wichai Kertsin."
There was silence on the line for half a second before Joong let out a low whistle. "That's a name we can chase."
"Exactly. If this guy is handling their books, he knows everything. The money, the fraud, who else is involved."
Joong exhaled sharply, excitement laced in his voice. "Damn. We really might be onto something big."
Zee laughed. "No 'might' about it, Joong. We are."
For a moment, neither of them spoke, both caught in the same rush of discovery.
Then Joong broke the silence. "Meet up again?"
Zee was already grabbing his jacket. "Way ahead of you."
Zee's POV
Zee arrived at the café firstâagain.
It was becoming a pattern, but this time, he didn't mind. He sat at their usual corner table, scanning over the files he had brought while waiting for Joong. The buzz from their earlier call hadn't faded. They were on to something big.
The bell above the door chimed, and Zee looked up just in time to see Joong stride in, his expression sharp but his eyes carrying that flicker of excitement Zee was starting to recognize.
"Still early, huh?" Joong said as he slid into the seat across from Zee.
Zee smirked. "Still cutting it close, huh?"
Joong huffed a small laugh, shaking his head as he pulled out his own set of notes. "Alright, let's get to it."
They dove right in.
Joong laid out the details from the clinic visit, including the nurse's testimony and the lack of digital records. Zee followed up with his discovery about Wichai Kertsinâthe accountant linking Thanapon and Nattapong's fake businesses.
By the time they were done piecing everything together, an hour had passed. Their coffee cups sat mostly untouched, the documents spread across the table a mess of proof that this fraud ring was bigger than either of them had initially thought.
Zee exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "This is getting interesting."
Joong nodded. "We need to find a way to get to Wichai next. If he's been managing their finances, he'll have records of all the fraudulent claims."
Zee rubbed his chin. "Yeah, but he won't just hand them over. We need leverage."
Joong smirked slightly. "Good thing I'm good at finding pressure points."
Zee chuckled. "I'll bet."
A comfortable silence settled between them as they started gathering up their files. Zee glanced at his watch. 7:48 PM.
"Didn't realize it got so late," he muttered.
Joong hummed in agreement, slipping his notes back into his bag. "Yeah. I should head out."
Zee nodded, about to say the same, when he hesitated. He looked at Joong. "You got dinner plans?"
Joong blinked, like he hadn't expected the question. "Nah, just grabbing something quick before heading home."
Zee raised a brow. "Alone?"
Joong gave him a curious look. "Yeah, why?"
Zee shrugged, but he was a little surprised. Joong wasn't exactly the kind of guy he expected to be eating dinner alone. With his sharp features, quiet confidence, and that competitive streak, Zee had just assumedâwell, he figured Joong had someone. A girlfriend, maybe. Or at least someone waiting for him.
Joong must have caught the flicker of surprise in Zee's expression because he just smiledâbut didn't say anything.
He slung his bag over his shoulder, about to step away when Zee found himself speaking without thinking.
"You wanna grab dinner together?"
Joong paused, looking at him for a beat.
Zee met his gaze, keeping his expression unreadable. He wasn't sure why he asked. Maybe because they had already spent the past couple of hours working together, and it felt natural to continue the night. Maybe because he was just curious about Joong.
Joong studied him, as if deciding something, before finally exhaling.
"Yeah," he said, a small smirk forming. "Why not?"
Zee smirked back. "Good. I know a place."