Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

July, 2007.

“Your brother is no longer part of our family.” Jun-ho stared at his mother in disbelief, his eyes widening.

The morning Jun-ho woke up, he found his brother who was supposed to be next to him missing. More precisely, not just his brother— but all of his belongings were gone.

Jun-ho insisted on asking about the reason for his brother's disappearance, but both his mother and father were snippy when Jun-ho mentioned it.

In the end, Jun-ho could only accept the bitter pill, because as children, it was impossible for him to find out his brother's whereabouts.

Even so, there was never a day that Jun-ho didn't think about him. Jun-ho always thought about his brother, Hwang In-ho. On certain nights, Jun-ho would cry in his bed, staring at where his brother's bed should be.

In-ho was a caring, loving and protective brother to Jun-ho. Jun-ho loved him, just as his brother loved Jun-ho.

Since In-ho disappeared, Jun-ho's family began to fall apart. The originally harmonious family experienced a rift. Jun-ho's father quit his job and started drinking, and soon his father died in a drunk driving accident. And when Jun-ho's mother remarried, her nature completely changed. To the point where Jun-ho felt that he didn't have a family anymore.

In the end, Jun-ho grew up to be a dissident. His relationship with his mother deteriorated over time, so when Jun-ho graduated, he eventually entered the police academy and had to live in a dormitory during his education, making him live independently, away from his mother and stepfather.

.

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October, 2022.

After his graduation, Jun-ho's life stabilized. He's still trying to find information about his brother's whereabouts, until a letter mysteriously falls under his door when Jun-ho returns from duty.

Jun-ho grabbed the letter, staring at it for a moment before looking around for any sign of someone who might have placed it in front of his apartment door.

Jun-ho walked into his apartment, plopping down on the couch with a soft thud. He placed his hat on the low table in front of him, his eyes focused on the letter in his hand, flipping through it before finally opening it. 

The letter was written in a handwriting that Jun-ho recognized, even though it had been a long time since he had seen it, Jun-ho could tell that it was In-ho's handwriting.

“Hyung..” Jun-ho rubbed the paper lightly, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Relief flooded his heart knowing that his brother was okay.

It's been a long time since we've seen each other, Jun-ho. 

What are you doing right now? Are you doing well?

I'm fine, and I hope you've been fine too.

I miss you so much, I hope we can meet again someday.

OOO-OOO-OOOO

Hwang In-ho.

Chapter Text

September, 2025.

Jun-ho exhaled as he crumpled the folder in his hand, trying to calm himself down. He made up his mind before firmly pushing open the café door, making the bell above it ring quite loudly.

Jun-ho scanned every inch of the cafe, looking for the person he would meet today. Then he noticed someone raising their hand while looking in his direction; it was the person he was looking for.

“Sorry if I interrupted your time.” Jun-ho said as he bowed his head slightly.

Meanwhile, the person waved his hand casually. "No problem, you've come all the way here. It's best if you sit down and order a drink first."

Jun-ho nodded, shaking the man's hand as he sat down on the café's chair. After telling the waiter his order, he started making small talk to the man in front of him.  

"So in the e-mail Jun-ho-ssi said that you know something about the house. What do you mean by that?"

That's right, the man in front of Jun-ho is Ali Abdul, a journalist who wrote an article about the house that was rumored to be a designed murder scene in Seoul.

Jun-ho cleared his throat quietly, before speaking in a low voice, not wanting anyone to hear him. “I suspect that my omega was murdered by the owner of that house.”

The person in front of Jun-ho gaped, Jun-ho had to gulp before continuing his story. "In October three years ago, my husband, Lee Myunggi, took permission to go to the home of one of his acquaintances and I haven't seen him since. I really regret not listening to his request to install a spouse app or asking where he was going at the time." 

Jun-ho had to take a breath before continuing. "The police conducted a search for my husband, but the search was stopped because no one knew where he had gone and no one had seen him at all. But then a few months ago his body was found on Cheongyesan mountain. His DNA matched my Myunggi perfectly, but he was missing his left hand."

“What?” Ali was shocked.

"It seems that my husband's hand was cut by a sharp object. But knowledge of what happened to him is limited to that. Who did it is unknown, what happened to Myunggi? I really wanted to know the truth of this case, so I kept looking for information. And when I saw the news that there was a murder and the victim's left hand was missing, I immediately searched for articles related to this news and found yours." 

Jun-ho paused again when the cup of coffee he'd ordered arrived, he inhaled the smoke to calm his mind, before continuing. "I became suspicious that my husband's acquaintance was the same person who owned the house. I realize it's a stretch to link the two cases, but I don't think it's possible for these two things to be unrelated."

The journalist frowned, thinking for a moment. "So that's it. There are indeed similarities between the two cases. But if as you say, your husband was victimized three years ago. While the house was only completed a year ago, then there is no way..."

“The house didn't exist when my husband was killed.” As Jun-ho interrupted, Ali nodded slowly.

“In that case, I'd like to show you something.” Jun-ho opened the folder he had been holding. The edges were slightly dented from his previous firm grip, but at least the paper inside wasn't destroyed, just small tears on the edges.

“What is this plan, Jun-ho-ssi?” Ali asked as Jun-ho was straightening out the curves on the plan.

Jun-ho looked at Ali briefly before looking back at the floor plan. “I suspect that this is the house they used to live in before moving to Seoul.” 

“The house they lived in?” 

Jun-ho nodded.  "The house in Seoul was just completed last year. I was wondering, where did the previous owners live? If what's written in the article is true, it's possible that the owner also had his son kill people there. I wondered if the previous house also had a ‘windowless children's bedroom’ and a ‘hallway leading to the murder scene’. Then, if the house was for sale, the floor plan would have been displayed in the property information. I made up my mind to look for a house with a layout similar to the one in the article by checking property company websites one by one."

Ali glanced at the floor plan before looking at Jun-ho again with a skeptical gaze. "How did Jun-ho-ssi find it? There are so many property sales, the number can't be counted."

Jun-ho paused for a moment and then cleared his throat softly. “I only focused the search in Seongnam.” 

Ali looked confused. “Why?”

Jun-ho looked out the window that directly faced the street. "I was organizing Myunggi's things and found his bag. It was the bag he used when he traveled a long distance and needed a place to store money. If it's just a short distance, Myunggi never carries a bag and usually just slips the cards he needs into her pants. So I thought to look around Seongnam instead."

“So this is the floor plan Jun-ho-ssi found?” Ali grabbed the floor plan in Jun-ho's hand.

“Yes, it's only half an hour away from our house.”

It was a printed plan of a two-story house with a strange design. The front door, the restroom, the living room, and then the triangular room on the side. 

Jun-ho watched as the journalist analyzed the floor plan he was given. 

“You're right, the children's room has a similar design.” Ali said, his eyes remaining on the floor plan.

"It's not just that. Look at the bathroom." Jun-ho pointed to the bathroom on the first floor.

“It doesn't have a window...” 

Jun-ho nodded. "That's right. Not to mention there's an empty space next to the dressing room that looks like it could be connected to the children's room."

Jun-ho let the journalist analyze the floor plan further. He sips his coffee slowly.

"By the way, when is this house for sale?"

Jun-ho put down his coffee cup. “March 2024.” 

Ali nodded his head. "That's exactly a year after the house in Seoul was completed. Is this house sold yet?"

“The house no longer exists.” 

“What?” Ali stared at Jun-ho with an incredulous look.

"I wanted to see it in person, but it was burned down in a fire a few months ago. It was just an empty patch of land." Jun-ho sighed, rubbing the handle of his coffee cup. "I wanted to investigate. I want to find out what this strange triangular room is?" Jun-ho tapped in the direction of the triangular room.

"There are still many things I don't understand. I feel that if I gather more information and understand more about this house, I can find a link to my omega murderer. Well, even though I myself don't have anything that can be used as evidence..." Jun-ho sighed, resting his back against the chair.

"Okay, I understand. I'll show this floor plan to Sangwoo-ya who works as an architect and ask for his opinion. Can I take a picture of the plans?" Ali asked as he fumbled in his pocket for his cell phone.

"Please just take it, no need for photos. By the way, I'm not sure if it's useful or not, but I also printed out this page of advertisements for houses in Seongnam from a property information site for you." Jun-ho handed over another paper from the folder he was carrying.

“Thank you, I received all these documents.” Ali stood up from his seat followed by Jun-ho.

"I'm really sorry for troubling you. Please convey my regards to Sangwoo-nim." Jun-ho bowed his body. 

They walked hand in hand out of the café. As they stepped out, Jun-ho felt the sun's harsh rays, causing him to squint his eyes.

“Uh, I'm sorry this question is presumptuous, but is it possible that your husband had a problem with someone during his lifetime?” 

Jun-ho looked at Ali and then at the asphalt beneath his feet. "No, he didn't. As far as I know, he had no problems with anyone. My husband was a good man, I can't imagine anyone wanting to kill him."

"Oh, I see. I hope the culprit is caught soon." Ali looked at him with a pleading gaze.

"Thank you. I really hope the perpetrator will tell me what really happened." Jun-ho smiled bitterly at Ali.

Finally, the two of them parted ways at the station. Jun-ho stared at Ali's departure while exhaling a rough breath. He finally turned around to go back to his apartment.

.
.

The next night, after returning from his exhausting work, Jun-ho took off his shoes lazily. He walked to the bathroom, intending to go straight to bed without eating that night. 

As Jun-ho stared at the water flowing beneath him, he sighed heavily. His mind had been so busy lately, so many things were bothering him.

After finishing rinsing his hair, Jun-ho turned off the shower. He opened the dewy glass door and grabbed a towel that was draped over the metal side of the glass wall.

Jun-ho wrapped the towel around his waist, and grabbed another towel to dry his hair. He exited the bathroom, walking toward the closet to get some clothes. Just as he pulled out a black shirt and gray sweatpants, the sound of his cell phone notification caught his attention.

Jun-ho walked towards the nightstand beside the bed, glancing at it briefly while one hand was busy rubbing his head. When he saw the e-mail sent by Ali, Jun-ho immediately sat down on the bed. Laying his clothes haphazardly on his bed while he draped his towel over his shoulder.

Good evening.
I'm Ali Abdul.

I just met with Sangwoo, we discussed a few things about the house. And these are some of the points that I've summarized in our discussion:

• The triangular room was built as an extra room for a reason.
• It is possible that there is a basement under the courtyard of the Seongnam house to put the victim's body.
• There are differences in the houses in Seongnam and Seoul, namely the number of windows, the door to the child's bedroom, and the type of bed used by married couple.

Jun-ho exhaled reading it, he closed his eyes with his left hand, his hand closed behind his hand. After thinking for a moment, Jun-ho typed a reply message.

To Mr. Ali 

Thank you for your help, and thank you for letting me know.

I'm surprised that you and Sangwoo-nim were able to scrutinize the information in this much detail just from the house plan. Please convey my greetings to Sangwoo-nim. I understand that this is a selfish request, but can we meet one more time? I would like to say one thing as well as my gratitude. I'll be the one coming to Sillim-dong, if you don't mind, please let me know when you have time to meet.

Sincerely, Jun-ho.

Chapter Text

September, 2025.

Exactly a week after the last e-mail Ali sent, today was the day they would meet again.

Jun-ho was now at one of the cafes in Sillim-dong, as they had previously agreed. Jun-ho tapped his coffee cup as the steam billowed into his face, inhaling the aroma deeply to calm his nerves. Lately he's been too busy, his work has been piling up, not to mention he's also been looking for information about houses with strange floor plans. Those things certainly made him lack rest.

He even came here immediately after finishing his work in a hurry. Even though it was the weekend, a case sometimes could not wait until work time.

When he glanced at the door, he could see Ali standing there looking left and right, seemingly looking for him. So Jun-ho took the initiative to stand up from his seat, until Ali, realizing his existence, approached him.

They exchanged greetings, asking each other how they were as small talk. Ali ordered a glass of iced cappuccino before finally speaking seriously.

"The owners of that house are the Alpha and Omega couple. I heard their family name is Hwang." Jun-ho listened intently, giving no reaction. “They apparently have two children.” Ali's words made Jun-ho's jaw harden, but he tried to remain silent.

"The family has a child named Hwang In-woo, from what I heard, the Hwang couple loves the child very much. They often take In-woo out for walks."

Ali paused his words, looking at Jun-ho's face before continuing. "According to Sangwoo-ya if the house in Seongnam is completed in 2022 and the Hwang family moves to Seoul right after In-woo's one year birthday in 2024, then In-woo is born in 2023. Before In-woo was born the Hwang family lived with a child who may not be the Hwang couple's biological child. It was concluded that the great attention paid to In-woo was inversely proportional to the circumstances of the child being confined to the house and forced to kill someone."

Jun-ho nodded slowly, his expression growing tenser by the moment. His coffee on the table began to cool from neglect.

Ali, who saw that Jun-ho didn't want to respond to anything, continued. "It seems that the Hwang couple was confused about where they could raise In-woo in that horrible house. That's why an extra room was built, a triangular room separated from the dark side of the house."

"As In-woo grew older, the Hwang family became increasingly worried about their adopted son possibly meeting In-woo. That's why they moved to Seoul, and made double doors so that the two children couldn't meet." Ali's coffee finally arrived, he accepted it with a smile towards the waiter. Jun-ho waited patiently.

“And a neighbor said something about the boy.” Ali looked down at his drink, stirring it with a straw before taking a sip. "They said right before the Hwang family moved in, they saw a little boy standing in front of the window. But if you remember the floor plan correctly, the child was not standing, but sitting on the mattress because of the placement of the mattress against the window. Maybe he intended to harm In-woo or Hwang-nim. I don't know if that was the reason for the Hwang family's sudden departure but-"

Jun-ho's stomach suddenly felt queasy, he stood up from his seat. “Excuse me.” Jun-ho walked quickly toward the restroom.

Once inside, Jun-ho hurriedly turned on the faucet on the sink, then washed his face with the cold water that felt piercing on his frozen skin. Jun-ho rested his body on his hands, panting, staring at the still running water before lifting his face to stare into the mirror. Jun-ho wiped his face with his left hand, then let out a rough breath as he chuckled. After turning off the faucet, Jun-ho finally stepped outside.

His steps were unsteady, but he tried to straighten up. He could see Ali, who was playing with his phone while sipping his coffee, turn off his phone upon seeing Jun-ho's return.

Jun-ho pulled out his chair and sat there as before.

“Are you okay?” Ali asked, Jun-ho could tell the suspicious tone in Ali's voice.

“Sorry.” Jun-ho looked down, rubbing his nose while fixing his clothes. Reluctant to look Ali in the face.

"Sorry Jun-ho-ssi, I know this is quite presumptuous. But what is your relationship with Lee Myunggi-nim exactly? I read the article on Lee Myunggi-nim's discovery before coming here, and it said that he was unmarried."  Ali asked with a tone of curiosity mixed with fear.

Even the sounds in the café seemed to disappear between the two of them, it was so quiet as if they were separated from the place they were in.

Jun-ho finally gave up, he sighed before looking at Ali. "Apparently you already knew. I apologize for lying to you."

Ali gave him a surprised look. “So it's true, that you...”

"Yes, you're right. I am not Lee Myunggi-nim's husband. My name is Hwang Jun-ho, I'm the younger brother of the owner of that house in Seongnam and Seoul, Hwang In-ho."

Ali had a puzzled look on his face, digesting the information Jun-ho had given him.

Jun-ho sighed, looking down at his fully chilled coffee. “It's a long story.”

"When I was 10 years old, my brother suddenly disappeared without a word. My parents seemed to cover up the reason for his sudden disappearance.

.

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July, 2007.

“Your brother is no longer part of our family.” Jun-ho stared at his mother in disbelief, his eyes widening.

The morning Jun-ho woke up, he found his brother who was supposed to be next to him missing. More precisely, not just his brother— but all of his belongings were gone.

Jun-ho insisted on asking about the reason for his brother's disappearance, but both his mother and father were snippy when Jun-ho mentioned it.

In the end, Jun-ho could only accept the bitter pill, because as children, it was impossible for him to find out his brother's whereabouts.

Even so, there was never a day that Jun-ho didn't think about him. Jun-ho always thought about his brother, Hwang In-ho. On certain nights, Jun-ho would cry in his bed, staring at where his brother's bed should be.

In-ho was a caring, loving and protective brother to Jun-ho. Jun-ho loved him, just as his brother loved Jun-ho.

Since In-ho disappeared, Jun-ho's family began to fall apart. The originally harmonious family experienced a rift. Jun-ho's father quit his job and started drinking, and soon his father died in a drunk driving accident. And when Jun-ho's mother remarried, her nature completely changed. To the point where Jun-ho felt that he didn't have a family anymore.

In the end, Jun-ho grew up to be a dissident. His relationship with his mother deteriorated over time, so when Jun-ho graduated, he eventually entered the police academy and had to live in a dormitory during his education, making him live independently, away from his mother and stepfather.

.
.

"But then, after years of no news. Finally, my brother sent me a letter with his phone number in October 2022. It seems like my mother told him where my home address is, because he shouldn't know where I am since I've moved out of my mother's house."

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October, 2022.

After his graduation, Jun-ho's life stabilized. He's still trying to find information about his brother's whereabouts, until a letter mysteriously falls under his door when Jun-ho returns from duty.

Jun-ho grabbed the letter, staring at it for a moment before looking around for any sign of someone who might have placed it in front of his apartment door.

Jun-ho walked into his apartment, plopping down on the couch with a soft thud. He placed his hat on the low table in front of him, his eyes focused on the letter in his hand, flipping through it before finally opening it.

The letter was written in a handwriting that Jun-ho recognized, even though it had been a long time since he had seen it, Jun-ho could tell that it was In-ho's handwriting.

“Hyung...” Jun-ho rubbed the paper lightly, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Relief flooded his heart knowing that his brother was okay.

It's been a long time since we've seen each other, Jun-ho.
What are you doing right now? Are you doing well?
I'm fine, and I hope you've been fine too.
I miss you so much, I hope we can meet again someday.

OOO-OOO-OOOO

Hwang In-ho.

Seeing a series of numbers in his brother's name, Jun-ho hurriedly reached for the phone in his pocket. He opened the password on his phone with a shudder, quickly opened the phone app and punched in a series of numbers.

Jun-ho waited for the deafening ring of the call, his hands feeling cold. When the sound of the call went silent, replaced by the sound of the call connecting made Jun-ho feel his heart stop, he was silent for a long time.

“Hello?” That voice. A voice that sounded vaguely like In-ho's a few years ago, but had grown heavier with age. The voice warmed Jun-ho's chest, evoking a sense of nostalgia like all those years ago.

"Hello? Who-"

"Hyung, it's me." Jun-ho cut in quickly, his breathing ragged. Afraid that if he didn't answer In-ho would hang up and he would completely miss the chance to talk to his brother.

"Ah... Jun-ho." The voice was soft, caring, almost making Jun-ho cry.

"Hyung, where did you go all this time? Why didn't you ever tell me?" Jun-ho tried his best to stay strong, but eventually his voice shook with pain.

“There are so many things that happened during this time Jun-ho, but at least we are okay.” The words didn't give Jun-ho any satisfaction, he wanted to ask more but his brother changed the subject.

"What are you doing now, Jun-ho? Are you living well?"

"I..." Jun-ho was silent for a moment. "My life these past few years has been fine, Hyung. Maybe I was devastated when you left me back then, but knowing you're healthy and doing well, I'm happy." Jun-ho had to wipe away the tears that were starting to fall down his cheeks.

He heard In-ho sigh in the background, probably a sad look on his face. “I'm sorry Jun-ho.”

Even though they were separated by distance via cell phone, Jun-ho could feel the awkward atmosphere that was starting to envelop them. He thought it best to stay away from the topic for now.

“Ah yes, I've become a cop now, Hyung.” To look for you, even if it doesn't get any results in the end. He continued inwardly.

“Oh, really?” In-ho's voice in the background was surprised, Jun-ho could sense another tone like fear or caution but he ignored it because his brother was probably just genuinely surprised.

Jun-ho nodded even though he knew In-ho couldn't see him. "Yes, I went to study at the police academy after high school."

"I'm sure you'll make a great cop, Jun-ho..."

"Thank you, Hyung." Jun-ho smiled to himself, resting his body on the sofa while his eyes stared up at the ceiling.

"What about you, Hyung? How's your life now?"

A long pause, Jun-ho had to see if the phone was still connected. He almost called In-ho but In-ho finally opened his voice.

“Ah, yes... I'm married now.” In-ho's words from the other end of the line made Jun-ho's eyes widen.

"Married? Since when Hyung? To whom?" Jun-ho asked a barrage of questions, making In-ho on the other end of the line snort.

“Well, I got married not too long ago.” In-ho paused. “I married an Alpha named Gihun.”

"I believe in your choice, Hyung. I hope that he's a good man." Jun-ho smiled bitterly, his chest aching because he couldn't even see his own brother's marriage.

“Yes, he's very kind and caring.” Jun-ho could feel as he said that that his brother was smiling behind him. “We recently moved to Seongnam.”

“What? You're in Seongnam?” Jun-ho was startled, checking to see if he'd heard wrong.

"Yes, is there a problem Jun-ho?"

"I'm currently assigned to this area. But I didn't know that you lived here, Hyung." 

In-ho from the other side cleared his throat softly. "Yeah, like I said, we just moved. It's very possible that you don't know where my house is."

"Can... I meet you, Hyung?"

"It's not possible right now, Jun-ho. But someday I will invite you to visit our house."

Jun-ho smiled sadly, forcing his voice to sound okay. “Okay then Hyung, I'll look forward to it.”

After that, Jun-ho and In-ho continued their conversation with chit-chat about their childhood, letting the conversation slide. Although In-ho often shied away when Jun-ho talked about his leaving home. The timer on their phone reached over an hour.

When the call ended, Jun-ho's feelings were mixed between happiness and tightness. In the end, he closed his eyes and leaned his whole body against the sofa. He feels lonely again.

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.

"Since then, my brother and I have exchanged news frequently. Although I was really curious about where he lived and I wanted to talk to him in person. I respect him and refrain from finding out where he lives anymore. Because he's probably busy with his household affairs, it seems like he's having problems that he can't tell me about. I was quite happy that I at least got to hear from himwinstead of not knowing about him at all."

"But then one day my brother told me that he had given birth to a son. I felt like a stranger, I never knew that my own brother was pregnant, it was the same blow as when I found out my brother was married." Jun-ho smiled bitterly to himself while Ali patted his shoulder to encourage him making Jun-ho look at Ali with a weak smile.

"We lost touch for a while after that, maybe he was busy taking care of his son. Although I feel empty again, I'm okay if he's happy." Jun-ho raised his glass, taking a sip of his coffee.

After setting the glass down, Jun-ho continued his story. "My brother contacted me in May of this year. I was told that he and his family were moving to Seoul, and I was surprised that he invited me to visit his house."