= 33 =

                                    

                                          
Hongjoong stares at his phone after he has ended the call with his sister, looking at the blank screen as he tries to process what just happened. Beside him, Mingi is poking at his shoulder to ask him what he talked about with her, asking him to say where she's currently at.

                          
"She's not coming back," Hongjoong utters with wide eyes before turning to look at Mingi slowly. "She's actually staying at a guy's house for the night, for the first time. My sister. Mingi... Danbi is actually staying at a guy's house. A guy other than the two of us." He purses his lips, "My sister has grown up."

                          
Mingi blinks as he takes in the information, his eyes travelling to Wooyoung who apparently seems to be making himself at home as he sits together with Yunho and Jongho in front of the television.
                          
His expression goes to an unreadable state as he utters, "Huh, I guess I was worrying about the wrong guy. Not Wooyoung but the unassuming San." He shrugs, "Fair play, I guess."
                          
Hongjoong frowns as he listens to Mingi talking to himself. "What are you talking about? Are you drunk?"
                          
"No..." Mingi utters. "But it just feels like I lost a battle before I even started to hold up my weapon."
                          
Hongjoong holds Mingi in place as he sniffs the latter's body, trying to find out if he's been drinking. When he smells nothing of sort he falls back onto his chair. "You're not drunk, but the way you've been talking is like you are."
                          
"I'm not, just a little bit dazed. Tired from work, perhaps."
                          
Hongjoong eyes him suspiciously before nodding slowly, "Right..."
                          
"As long as she's happy, right?"
                          
"Of course," Hongjoong looks at him from the corner of his eyes, but not before he tries changing the topic and beckons for Mingi to follow him to somewhere quieter where there won't be listening ears. He drags the latter to his room before opening his laptop. "Soyeon's paintings... I think I've somewhat connected all the pieces."
                          
Mingi looks surprised at how fast Hongjoong seemed to work, but wants to listen to his explanation first. "What is it, the puzzle that you have managed to piece?"
                          
Hongjoong taps his keyboards and his finger slides on the trackpad, opening up several websites. Then he activates his phone and opens soyesul's social page, putting the phone down beside the laptop. He opens the first post, before going to the website page which seems to be a news piece. He shows them to Mingi without saying anything, prompting him to connect the dots between the painting and the news piece.
                          
Mingi looks at the picture of the abstract painting, before transferring his attention to the piece of news about the first Reflectors' crime; the son of a conglomerate who embezzled the company's funds. He scratches his head as he tries to piece the two information together, but comes up with none.
                          
"I really have no idea what you're trying to point out, Kim Hongjoong."
                          
Hongjoong doesn't say anything before moving to another painting, then another piece of news about the Reflectors' crimes. Each piece of news is paired up with a painting, but even until it comes up to the 20th post, he's not sure what he's supposed to see.
                          
"I still don't get it."
                          
Hongjoong doesn't falter. "Bae Soyeon has been painting something related to the Reflectors' crimes every time."
                          
Mingi frowns. "And how did you come up with that conclusion? How even is an abstract painting related to the crime committed on the conglomerate's son?" He points back to the first post.
                          
"Good question, but this was what I found." He opens another website, types 'James Lee' before clicking on an article for his interview. "The interview was done at his house," he stops at a picture, "and look at what painting is behind him in this picture."