the homosexual underground ~ kim lip
a/n: so.... i had taken a break from writing since I got a few new video games, and I may or may not have developed a small obsession with Disco Elysium. ○_○ anyways, the brain went brrrrr and now we have a pride month fic!!! a win is a win for the girls, gays, and theys 😌 also this would've went up sooner but I did two rewrites of a fic I'm probably going to scrap 🫠 but enough about my writing struggles and onto the gayness :D
tw: implied fem! reader but it can be read as she/they or they/them instead, brief descriptions of a hanging and a dead body, mentions of drug and alcohol abuse, slightly ooc! kim lip, some dialogue was taken directly from Disco Elysium because it was too funny not to use, I use Jungeun instead of Kim Lip because it feels more fitting for this universe
summary: with time running out, you and your partner, kim jungeun, have to find a witness to a hanging. your partner-in-solving-crime gets a little too distracted by the potential witness, which leads to some revelations for both of you.
♡ Masterlist ♡
"Watch out!"
You grab Jungeun's arm as she stumbles up the staircase.
"I'm alright." She flashes you a quick smile. "I’m still recovering from that hangover."
You frown before letting her arm go. When Jungeun turns away from you, you lightly cough to hide your growing embarrassment.
You don't know why you've become so overprotective of your partner-in-solving-crime - perhaps it's pure pity for the girl?
No, You think as your heart stirs in your chest, it's something else.
~
The two of you were assigned to this case from different police districts, due to poorly drawn district boundaries. You were supposed to meet your partner on Friday, but that was quickly pushed to Saturday, then Sunday... and it was Monday morning when you first met Jungeun.
You already had your expectations dropped to the floor, there was a dead body to be taken care of and your current partner, who was on the scene three days earlier, had not done anything to further your investigation.
Even with all of this considered, you were still disappointed when Jungeun stumbled down the stairs of the local hostel - your agreed meeting point.
Wearing the most atrocious disco outfit known to man (seriously, who puts that many sequins on a blazer), Jungeun, in all of her unkempt glory, put out a shaky hand for you to grab.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that she had spent the last three days drinking booze and consuming substances of all kinds - you were surprised that her heart didn't give out before her mind did.
You weren't sure if it was the booze, drugs, the stress of policing, or some other stressor, but Jungeun had no recollection of anything to do with the case or her personal affairs. She didn't even remember her name when you first met.
Despite all of this, Jungeun did good police work. Albeit very unconventional, her methods did squeeze some answers out of the locals. Answers to her past, the current political situation in the local area, and crucial details to the case.
The case - a man was hanged in the back of a hostel cafeteria, the Whirling-in-Rags. Due to some brilliant detecting, you and Jungeun had managed to figure out that eight people were involved with the lynching.
The current suspects? A group of workers who were striking against their employer. Seven of them sat in a booth in the Whirling-in-Rags, with shoes that matched the ones at the crime scene.
Where was the eighth person?
It was impossible to squeeze answers out of the workers - they were a tight-knit group, and you needed more than frozen footprints to convince them to talk.
So, it was time to explore the city and find out what secrets the workers were hiding from you and Jungeun.
By poking around, you had found a smoker in the apartment building behind the Whirling-in-Rags who was present for the crime. Jungeun confronted the smoker, who easily dazed your partner with her sunset-colored hair and honey-suckle voice.
Despite this, Jungeun managed to find a key that the smoker pointed out. This key let you into the apartment building, and a quick conversation with the cleaner told you exactly which apartment the smoker could be found in.
You had climbed a set of stairs, when Jungeun had stumbled... which led you back to the present moment.
...Why her? Why did you feel so strongly about her?
~
You and Jungeun had made your way to the smoker's apartment, who was waiting outside for you with a cigarette in her hand.
"Gendarmerie! You found me." She smoothly takes a drag of her cigarette before offering you a brilliant smile.
You've worked in homicide long enough to know when someone is trying to win you over with charms, but your partner is completely oblivious to her act.
"We got your hint. Found the key right under that stone." Jungeun explains as the smoker chuckles.
"Beautiful." She comments before taking another puff of her cigarette.
A sparkle appears in her eye as she looks at Jungeun.
"So, tell me, are you here to make things right again?" The smoker asks.
"Honestly, I'm just trying to not screw anything up." Jungeun shrugs and relaxes her shoulders for a moment.
The glare that you send her immediately has her back at attention.
"Beautiful." The mysterious smoker repeats to herself.
A streetlight nearby illuminates her features, showing off her slender frame and picture-perfect face.
"I have some good news for you. My Sunday Friend is visiting me tonight. I told her about you, and she'd like to say hello. Step in, she's already waiting." The woman nods toward the door behind her before stepping aside to let you enter.
"Very well, I'll talk to her, but first I want to talk to you. I have so many questions." Jungeun tilts her head at the woman, who simply takes another drag of her cigarette.
"That's nice, but I don't have anything to tell you. It's my friend you're looking for, not me." The smoker looks around at the other apartments, which have lit windows to help combat the oncoming darkness of nighttime. "Besides, I've got to run."
A visible frown appears on Jungeun's face, and you can tell that she's disappointed that the smoker is leaving her again.
It takes every muscle in your body to repress a smile from appearing on your lips.
"But I just found you again!" She softly whines as you cough and cover your mouth.
The shit-eating grin that you're trying to repress is bubbling to the surface, but you won't let your guard down in front of the smoker.
"Just look at it..." The woman gestures to the various roads and buildings in the distance. "It's a beautiful night. Who's going to stay in on a night like this?"
"Only if you'll promise that we'll talk again. It's important." Jungeun stresses the last word as laughter starts to bubble over from your lips.
She's whipped and she has no idea.
"We'll talk," The smoker reassures your partner, "But just not tonight. Take care, alright?"
With that, the woman disappears into the night, leaving you and your partner to investigate the person in the apartment.
When Jungeun turns to you, you have to bite down on your lip to prevent any more laughter from escaping.
"There's something so different about her that I just can't put my finger on..." Jungeun trails off as you let a small smile appear on your face.
"Different, of course." You fold your arms and wait for your partner's response.
"She smells good. Why on Earth does she smell so good?"
"She smells good..." The shit-eating grin just appears on your face, despite your efforts to stop it.
You have to squint your eyes and take a deep breath so you don't explode with laughter.
"That's weird, right?" Jungeun innocently asks.
"She smells good and that's weird." Your mouth tightens to hold back the laughter.
You're barely holding it together - how can she not know?
"Come on, detective. Let's go - we've got a potential witness to interview - her 'Sunday Friend', remember?" You nod at the door before Jungeun takes the hint and enters it.
~
After a good night's rest in the Whirling-in-Rags (which was rare, given your occupation), you walked downstairs to greet your partner for the day.
You found her talking to the smoker, which intrigued you until you heard the phrase "the homosexual underground" being thrown around.
I don't know what that means, and I don't think I want to know what it means.
Once you realized that she was teasing Jungeun, you had to put your poker face back on for the day.
"Ready, detective?" You ask as you approach the two women.
"Yeah, I'm... ready." She pauses for a moment before looking at the smoker. "Thanks for giving me something to think about!"
Okay, now you really don't want to know what they were talking about.
~
"Hey, Lieutenant!" Jungeun lightly grabs your shoulder as you walk by the bookstore on your way to the canal.
"Yes?" You put your notebook back into your coat pocket to look at her.
"I want to ask you something..." She combs a piece of hair behind her head as she awaits your answer.
You hum lightly - you're not usually one to entertain her silly antics or random questions, but you've made some good progress on the case, which has put you in a good mood.
"Are you a part of the homosexual underground?"
You blink rapidly for a few moments before deeply sighing.
So this is what the smoker and Jungeun were discussing earlier.
"Don't you have better things to think about, detective - like the case?" Your words have a biting edge to them that cause Jungeun to verbally back track.
"Yeah, but-"
"-But am I?" A smile briefly appears on your face before you regain your composure. "I'll spare you another 20-hour mind project - yes, I am. Now, let's get back to work."
"You are?" Jungeun stares in amazement as you nod.
"Sometimes girls like girls." You shrug to yourself.
"I didn't mean to offend, I was just asking-"
"-for yourself?" You raise an eyebrow at Jungeun, who nods. "I figured it out yesterday when you were talking to the smoker. I didn't want to spoil the moment for you."
"What if there was a specific girl that I liked?" She asks as you pause before responding.
She's probably referring to the smoker - maybe they were talking for longer than I thought?
"What is she like?"
"Well, she has oceans of patience with me. She's kind but firm when she needs to be. Comforting yet composed and ready for action." Jungeun says as your eyes widen.
She's talking about you.
"Well," You cough to cover your embarrassment at the revelation occurring in your head, "you could always tell this girl how you feel. Maybe after the case is solved, the two of you could really get to know each other?"
Jungeun nods at your suggestion.
"You're right, I'll have to ask-" She blushes and bites her lip, "her after we solve the case. Let's go, Lieutenant!"
Jungeun charges ahead as you fall into a comfortable jog behind her. Maybe you can blame the wind and exercise for your flushed face instead of the woman in front of you.
