“Strip off your makeup and face each other bare.”

---

“What’s happening?” Joohee calmly asked Dongwoo, who had zoned out beside her, “Why are you here with… that man?”

Dongwoo shut his eyes tight, small wrinkles extending from the edge of his eyes like a fish’s tail. “It’s a long story,” he replied, and noticed that people were beginning to gather around them, some with looks of genuine concern, others merely drawn by curiosity. Dongwoo leaned over and whispered by Joohee’s ear, “Could you excuse yourself for the remaining of today? We really need to talk. I’m – not trying to patch up. It’s really important.”

Joohee looked uncertainly at Dongwoo for a moment before nodding in the slightest, almost in a lethargic manner. “Wait for me over there,” she mouthed and directed him to a corner nearby with her gaze.

 

Woohyun bolted to the backstage and found that the stage lighting fixture had indeed been tampered with – in fact, it looked like a hasty job, with a tell-tale pair of pliers lying carelessly on the ground. He combed the area anxiously with a calculated gaze but eventually halted, puffs of mist emerging from his mouth as he briefly panted. He quickly slipped his right hand into a glove retrieved from his pocket and picked up the pair of pliers. He scrutinized it with a stern look but then broke into a smirk. “As expected. Leave no trace.”

He was about to turn on his heels and reunite with Dongwoo and Joohee in the front, but a call came in that exact moment.

“Woohyun, where are you now?” Jiwon spoke in a seemingly casual tone.

“J-Jiwon,” Woohyun returned in a suppressed voice, “Listen, I don’t think I can go back to VCA. Boss seems to have suspicions about me.”

“What did you do?”

“I…” Woohyun hesitated, “– forgot to report on the previous mission’s status.”

“Is that all?” Jiwon laughed, “That’s not going to be a problem, is it? You just forgot, not like you did it on purpose.” Woohyun frowned. He thought Jiwon should have had a better understanding of the organization, having been in it longer than he has.

“But what matters is what Boss thinks,” he clarified, “and I think he’s misunderstanding something.”

“Alright, y’know what?” Jiwon replied in his usual carefree tone, “If you’re really so worried, I have a place you can take refuge in for a while. It belongs to a relative who just relocated overseas. She tasked me to rent it out but I haven’t gotten about to doing it so… just nice, I guess. It wouldn’t be on Boss’ radar either.”

Woohyun raised his brows in delight and didn’t think twice before saying, “Thanks man, you’re the best.”

“Nah, don’t worry too much, okay? To Boss, this is all business. We’ll all be safe if we go by the rules.”

“Hm,” Woohyun sounded as he furtively assessed the area again and stole a glance of Dongwoo and Joohee. He knew better than anyone the urgency of their situation, but he couldn’t help giving in to his intense curiosity at the moment. Somehow, he felt like that was the perfect moment for the question, even though his restless feet started jogging lightly on the spot. “Say, Jiwon,” he began, “How did you get into VCA? We’ve been friends for so long but I’ve never heard you talk about it.”

There was a brief pause before Jiwon spoke up. “Because it’s not a glorious thing. My mum was so fed up with my dad’s philandering tendencies that she hired one of the VCA men to kill the two mistresses he had then, but she didn’t have enough money to pay them and this dragged on so they wanted to kill her, but I volunteered to join the organization in exchange.” Woohyun reined in his feet and stood still to process the heavy information.

“It was barely three months before my dad began playing around with women again and my mum had to suffer alone, again,” Jiwon continued, “Nothing changed, even after my mum took such a drastic act. It was all useless.”

Woohyun stayed silent for a while and Jiwon mused aloud, half-jokingly, “, I shouldn’t have told you, huh? Now you’re going to see me as this secretly depressed kid.”

“We all have our own dramas, especially at VCA,” Woohyun quickly dismissed Jiwon’s worries. “Did you ever wonder how it’d be like to work in a normal company?” he continued, unwittingly revealing his desire to lead a simple life.

Jiwon laughed. “So it’s not only me,” he said in a contemplative tone, “I did, of course. But nothing can be changed now because we’re here. We just have to make do with what we have. It’s… not too bad, right?”

“You think so?” Woohyun returned, clear skepticism enveloping his words.

“We earn good money, at least,” Jiwon replied, a little resignedly.

“It’s kinda sad that money is all we have left to go on –” Woohyun rattled on, immersing almost entirely into the pensive mood when Dongwoo and Joohee pushed aside the black curtains which connected the main and back stages. Dongwoo looked ready to exclaim when Woohyun frantically placed his palm over Dongwoo’s mouth and cut the call, saying, “Oh, hey, Jiwon, I need to rush off right now, got some urgent stuff to do. See you soon yeah.”

Woohyun didn’t wait to hear as Jiwon quietly muttered on the other end of the line, “Yup, good luck friend.”

“What are you taking so long for?” Dongwoo blurted out as soon as Woohyun hung up, “We’re in a life-and-death situation here but you still have the leisure to chat with your friend?” Woohyun exhaled sharply and pushed past Dongwoo and Joohee as he offered a brusque apology. He kept going with increasingly hastened steps while his eyes stayed fixed on his phone. A fuming Dongwoo quickly caught up with him and boldly held onto his shoulder, the force momentarily halting his pace. Woohyun swerved around and Dongwoo soon found his arm firmly pushed aside and folded at an oblique angle.

“Guys, stop it!” Joohee loudly exhorted and then lowered her voice as she reminded, “We need to move fast, right? There’s something I need to get from my apartment first. Where should we go after that?” Following a brief pause, she turned to look at Woohyun, “You have any plans?” Aside, Dongwoo’s expression inadvertently warped into a bitter frown as he traced Joohee’s line of vision.

“Yes,” Woohyun replied as his fingers nimbly typed away on the phone, “First, your place, grab whatever you need, and then we’ll head to our hideout.” With that, he shoved his phone to Joohee. “Key in your address.”

Dongwoo found the passage of time a blur as Woohyun and Joohee settled everything – he was whisked away into a cab and before he knew it, dumped alone in there on standby as Woohyun insisted on accompanying Joohee so he could protect her. He tried to contest Woohyun – he was, after all, Joohee’s childhood friend – but Woohyun corrected, with a sneer, “childhood friend who attempted murder”. He clenched his teeth and felt the heat rise to his temples, until Woohyun continued in a more benign manner, “This isn’t entirely personal. I’m professionally trained. It’s just a more practical choice.”

Woohyun was on high alert, cautiously watching every inch of their surroundings from the moment they stepped out of the cab, into the lift, and then along the narrow corridor to her apartment. As they approached her door safely, Woohyun felt prompted to look down the staircase situated just a few strides away from where they stood. He caught sight of a man heavily covered from head to toe – clad in a long-sleeved black hoodie with a snapback beneath, long denim jeans and sport shoes. The man was scurrying down the steps but something seemed off to Woohyun. It took him a few moments to fathom why – it wasn’t until Joohee emerged from the house that it finally struck him. Despite moving at high speed, the man’s footsteps were extremely faint, unusually so. He’s probably been trained too. Woohyun threw a quick glance down at the ground floor as Joohee locked the gate, but the man was already nowhere to be seen.

On the way to the hideout, the three of them squeezed into the passenger seats, with Joohee in the middle. She didn’t skip a beat, showing them the evidence she’d long wanted to share with Dongwoo. Joohee felt on edge as they reviewed the evidence, eager for some progress yet also doubtful of how far it’d carry them. The crime was clear as day to her, but after considered thought, it might not be very helpful from a legal perspective since little concrete information was offered and the perpetrators’ faces couldn’t even be seen. Moreover, the connection between these and their parents’ unfortunate deaths is shaky at best. Nevertheless, Woohyun turned pale at some point into the recording and revelation dawned upon his face. It’d be strange to admit, but Joohee felt a surge of excitement on witnessing his reaction. Perhaps it was helpful after all.

Just then, the cab pulled into the hideout. The courtyard lay before them and Woohyun’s gaze burned intensely as he scanned the seemingly harmless environment. It was a minute detail which would’ve escaped anyone’s eyes if they weren’t looking for it. A red ribbon tied to a tree branch, frolicking freely with the wind. He’d seen it a thousand times, but for the first time, it made his blood run cold.

The first time he’d seen the ribbon was eight years back, during their first mission together. Woohyun was still a jittery newbie, drilled with all the tactics but still apprehensive of actually using them. Woohyun questioned Jiwon when he saw him meticulously tying a red ribbon around a flower’s stalk. Jiwon returned with an affable grin.

“I was just like you when I first started out. This,” he said, gesturing to the ribbon, “was what I came up with to keep myself going. It’s a symbol of peace.”

“Peace?” Woohyun repeated, catching the absurdity of its meaning in such a situation.

“I’d tie a red ribbon and make a short prayer before I begin. I know all it does is my conscience and make me feel a little less bad. There can’t be any real effect at all, even if I wished it would,” Jiwon explained with a wistful smile. “But it gradually became a habit. Now I don’t feel right if I don’t do it before a mission. It’s almost involuntary.”

Chattering voices from behind the main door grew louder and louder, and Jiwon hurriedly led Woohyun behind a bush in the backyard.

“Hey,” Jiwon whispered, “Very few people know my secret behind the ribbon. Don’t tell anyone, ‘kay?”

Woohyun pressed his lips into a toothless smile and nodded his head.

“Thanks, uncle,” Joohee was saying to the cab driver when Woohyun snapped back into reality. Just as Dongwoo pressed down on the car door handle, Woohyun exclaimed, “Stop!” Dongwoo paused mid-action and turned to him with a quizzical look. “Don’t leave the car. Let’s get out of here, it’s not safe,” he finished.

“What do you mean?” Joohee blurted out, “Didn’t you say this place was –”

“I’ll explain it later,” Woohyun muttered, a little impatiently, then ordered the driver, “Uncle, let’s go now! We’ll settle the destination on the way.”

The cab drove to the next neighbourhood and then around in circles as the trio discussed their plans.

“I’m really sorry things turned out like this but,” Woohyun began, “Any of you have somewhere remotely safe to go?” For a prolonged minute, only the sound of the radio playing at minimum volume, mixed with occasional white noise, lingered in the air. “Hold on a second,” Dongwoo finally said as he fished out his phone and dithered ever so briefly before pressing on the call button.

“Hyung, are you in the office right now?” A short pause. “Same place right?” Another short pause. “Alright, I need to borrow your office for a while. Bringing Joohee and another –” Dongwoo hesitated as his peripheral vision caught sight of Woohyun and then pushed his tongue through clenched teeth as he continued, “– friend with me. We’ll be there in about 20 minutes. Thanks, see you.” After Dongwoo conveyed to the driver the address and brief directions to the financial tower where Dongyoon worked at, the cab was once again engulfed in silence as the three found themselves consumed by their own thoughts.

Joohee felt increasingly on edge with neither of the accompanying men offering her any comfort or sense of direction. She’d expected some sort of speculation and discussion upon their perusal of the evidence and this seeming lack of progress worsened her throbbing uneasiness. Dongwoo reclined in his seat with his eyes shut while Woohyun bore a hole in the front seat with his vacant stare, his expression growing grimmer by the minute.

“Hey,” Joohee called in a small voice as she lightly nudged Woohyun, “Did the recording remind you of something? You don’t look too good.”

He turned to look at her, bitterness lining the ridges of his brows. “Yeah, sorry, I’ll explain to you guys later.” Restating his earlier words, Woohyun’s voice sounded drained, with an underlying tone of vexation. He quickly reverted to his detached state and Joohee settled for wordlessly fixing her eyes on the road ahead.

“Joohee,” Dongwoo, who had been watching the exchange discreetly, spoke up, “Thanks for showing me the evidence. It’s definitely going to be crucial.” Joohee responded mildly, but her eyes revealed that she was listening, and at the end of Dongwoo’s short monologue, the edge of her lip curled into a lopsided smile. “Thanks,” she returned. “Objectiveness…” Dongwoo mused, “It’s really important. Uncontrolled emotions can drive you to do crazy things.” He finished off with nervous laughter as Joohee merely gazed downwards in contemplation.

“Sorry, uncle,” Woohyun suddenly exclaimed, “Can you drop me off at Jinri High School first? It shouldn’t be too far off.”

“Hey, you’re going off on your own?” Dongwoo hissed, “You know the situation right?” His words betrayed the fact that he found security in Woohyun’s expertise, despite his ever-hostile attitude towards the latter.

“I won’t be long. Just give me the postal code of your destination.” Woohyun proceeded to scribble the postal code – and Dongyoon’s name, as reminded by Dongwoo – on the underside of his left arm, and bolted out of the cab as soon as they reached the vicinity of the school.

 

Apart from cordial greetings to service staff, silence followed Dongwoo and Joohee from the juncture Woohyun stepped out of the cab to when they laid foot on Dongyoon’s office compounds, made their way past various security gantries, the empty corridor emanating with the sterile scent of detergent, and then finally, as they stood before Dongyoon’s office door. They’d stolen glances at each other and contemplated conversation, but neither could get past the thick atmosphere of misgivings.

Dongyoon opened the door just mere seconds upon their arrival. “Come in. I heard your footsteps.”

After letting out a heavy sigh, Dongyoon told them they could take a seat anywhere. Dongwoo quietly sat himself down on the two-seater sofa, while Joohee settled down by the small glass-top table. “I ordered food delivery, so we can just stay here,” he carried on, and upon seeing that neither of them were ready to speak, added, “Where’s your friend?”

“Um, he,” Dongwoo said, “– had errands to run.”

“Okay, the food will be here in about half an hour,” Dongyoon informed them, and then returned to his seat behind the rectangular wooden desk, upon which a sleek transparent name plate was perched. D&G Deputy Director, Financial Accounting, it read.

After ten minutes filled with keyboard typing sounds and fidgeting movements, Dongyoon spoke up again, restlessness evident in his tone, “You guys didn’t come here to listen to me type. Seriously, what’s up?”

 Dongwoo and Joohee exchanged looks, and Dongyoon raised his voice just slightly as he said, “Also, what’s with the two of you? Joohee, did Dongwoo do something to you? Since we’re all here now, let’s just talk it out, huh? I can’t care less if you’re away from me, but you’re gonna drive me crazy if you sit in front of me like this.”

 

“Oppa?” Eunmi cried in glee as she spotted Woohyun waiting by the gate. She couldn’t help breaking into a wide grin as she playfully said, “Why, you never come to pick me up personally. Is today a special day?”

“Yes, very special,” Woohyun returned jokingly as he lightly pressed on the back of Eunmi’s head with his right palm. Eunmi giggled and Woohyun further teased, “You like it so much? You’re a high-schooler and you still want your elder brother to pick you up, tsk.”

“That’s right,” Eunmi said without reservations, “I would bring you to class with me if I could.”

As Eunmi looked forward with a bright expression, Woohyun gazed at her side profile with a melancholic smile. “It’s about time you stop being so attached to me yeah,” he mused, letting slip a heavy thought in the midst of their otherwise light conversation.

Eunmi swerved to look at Woohyun just as he turned his gaze back onto the street. “Where’s a good place to eat near here?” he said, “Let’s grab lunch first, you must be hungry.” Eunmi brushed off her uneasiness and recommended a place that she frequents for lunch with her friends. “You’ll be surprised at how cheap and good it is!” she remarked in an upbeat manner, and Woohyun returned, “As expected, you students have all the tip-offs on such good deals.” They passed by many other students from Jinri High and among them, one of the groups greeted Eunmi with surprise.

“Oh, Eunmi-ya! It’s been a while!” one of the girls piped up. “This is…?” She added, gesturing to Woohyun with her eyeline.

“My brother! He’s handsome, right?” Eunmi replied, half-giggling as she grabbed onto Woohyun’s arm. Woohyun smiled in courtesy but avoided meeting their eyes. As soon as the group left, Woohyun quickly retrieved a cap from the inside of his coat and put it on, concealing the top half of his face.

“Why?” Eunmi laughed, “It’s not like you to be so shy.”

“I just don’t wanna attract too much attention, y’know,” Woohyun replied, passing his excuse off as a narcissistic joke. To his relief, Eunmi guffawed and hit him playfully on the forearm. “Yeah, then I can have you all to myself. Not a bad idea.” Woohyun responded by bumping Eunmi on the shoulder, perpetuating the playful atmosphere between the siblings.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the small family-run stall and sat themselves down at a cosy corner. Eunmi enthusiastically introduced her brother to the amicable lady boss who was already familiar with her. They ordered all her favourite dishes and chatted as usual – there was little to forebode what came next.

After lunch, Woohyun paused by a quiet park on the way to the taxi stand and hesitated for a moment as he stood before Eunmi. “Eunmi-ya,” he began, “I’m sorry, this is only temporary, but I’m leaving you at aunt’s place for a while.”

Eunmi’s expression was unreadable as she nonchalantly returned, “Why? You know uncle doesn’t like me there.”

“I’ll be away for work,” Woohyun explained, a sense of helplessness evident in his voice, “I can’t let you stay alone.”

“I’ll be fine,” Eunmi said, getting increasingly agitated as she protested, “You’ve been away from time to time. It’s okay, I’m used to it. I can take care of myself –”

“Eunmi, just listen!” Woohyun held her firmly by her shoulders to grab her attention, “It’s not safe for you to stay there alone now. Just bear with it for a while, okay? I’ll get back as soon as possible.”

“What do you mean by that?” she retorted, barely keeping up a strong front, “When are you coming back?”

“It’s… hard to say.”

Eunmi bit her bottom lip and then said with a shaky voice, “How do you expect me not to worry when you can’t even tell me basic things like that?”

Woohyun pulled his sister into a tight embrace and patted her back as he mumbled apologetically, “I know, I know, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault, Eunmi.”

Eunmi calmed herself down and broke free from Woohyun’s firm grasp in the midst of snorts and sniffles. “No,” Eunmi said, regaining her cool for a moment, “I’m sorry for losing it.”

“I understand your need to keep certain things secret.” Her voice became choked and stifled again as she carried on, “But I’m old enough now. I can share your burden. I want to help, too.”

“Eunmi…” Woohyun uttered, turning his face away as tears filled his eyes, against his wishes. After a prolonged moment of deliberation, he faced her and said, “You’re right. I know you’re mature enough to handle this. I will tell you, but now’s not a good time.”

Eunmi’s expression was pained as she processed Woohyun’s words. The spring breeze felt unusually chilly as it brushed past her face. Reluctantly, she nodded and through clenched teeth, said, “Okay. I’ll wait.”

She threw her rapidly blurring gaze into the faraway distance as she continued, “But please promise me you’ll come back soon, okay?”

He held her hands tightly and earnestly said, “I’ll tell you everything when I’m back. For sure.”

Eunmi struggled to swallow her tears as she lifted a trembling pinky finger before Woohyun.

Woohyun let his tears fall as he returns her gesture. “For sure,” he repeated, and then pressed a kiss onto Eunmi’s forehead before hugging her tight once again.

 

On the way to their aunt’s apartment, Woohyun nagged non-stop at Eunmi to take care of herself. Even at the doorstep, he gave her a last reminder to deliberately choose crowded areas to walk through and to try to get her aunt to accompany her whenever she goes out.

“I’m really sorry for troubling you,” Woohyun told his aunt, “I know how difficult it is for you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve never done my part for you two. This is the least that I should do,” she replied. “But Woohyun, aren’t you a self-defense martial arts instructor? What is it that needs you to be away and maybe even uncontactable?”

Woohyun put on a small sheepish smile and evaded the question, saying, “Thanks for taking our Eunmi in. She can be a bit playful at times, but she’s a good girl.”

“Woohyun,” his aunt spoke up again, a worried expression colouring her face, “I hope you’re not getting into anything too dangerous.”

Woohyun reassured his aunt that he’d take care of himself for their sake, but the moment was soon interrupted as he noticed Eunmi sobbing uncontrollably from the corner of his eye. He began approaching her, but she put her palm up between them and said, “No, it’s okay. I… just need some time. You should go quickly.” With that, she turned her back to him. Woohyun stopped in his tracks and gazed at her back, shivering as she struggled to contain the tears and hiccups. His right hand raised just slightly before he folded it into a fist and let it fall back to his side. “I’ll be back. Stay healthy and listen to your aunt,” he said, “Don’t stay up too late. Don’t –” Woohyun found his voice cracking as a suffocating sensation rose up his throat. “Don’t drink sweet beverages at night,” he continued, this time in a softer voice, “Don’t be in pain. Don’t worry about me.” Please be happy.

“I’ll be back,” he repeated once more, and then his heels to leave, but jerked to a halt before he was able to take a step. He bit his bottom lip and briskly ran towards Eunmi, embracing her in a tight hug. Eunmi cried harder and harder, and Woohyun’s expression collapsed into one of agony as he her back. “Yah, don’t cry so hard. It could be dangerous.”

Contrary to his warning, Eunmi broke down further as she cried, “If you don’t keep your promise, you’ll get it from me, okay?”

Woohyun nodded vigorously. “Of course, of course,” he said and then tore away from her. “Now, I really need to go. See you soon.” As soon as he said that, he bolted away down the stairwell. For the first time in his life, he was afraid of the word “goodbye”. He had never been superstitious, but at that moment, he really didn’t want to say “goodbye”.

 

After composing himself, he made a call while walking to the taxi stand and the first thing he said when the line got through was – “you bastard.”

“What, are you drunk?” Jiwon’s voice sounded on the other end, genuinely confused.

“I trusted you,” Woohyun snarled. Jiwon’s voice softened as he said, “Woohyun, what are you going on about –” Struck with realization, he paused abruptly mid-sentence. “Oh, you… found out?”

“Crazy bastard,” Woohyun continued through gritted teeth, ready to slam the phone down.

“Wait, Woohyun, wait!” Jiwon exclaimed, desperation in his voice.

“What?” Woohyun replied curtly, “I have nothing more to say to you.”

“I’m really sorry, but I had no choice,” he blurted out, stumbling over some words in his haste, “If I didn’t follow the orders, I’d need to be on the run too.”

“If that’s all, I’m hanging up,” Woohyun maintained a cold demeanor towards Jiwon. The drastic contrast from Woohyun’s usual warm self made it all the more chilling. Jiwon caught his own thoughts, however, upon recognizing that he was the one who first turned his back on Woohyun.

“Woohyun,” Jiwon’s voice dropped to a deep timbre as he spoke, signaling an unusual serious disposition from someone whom Woohyun had known as happy-go-lucky, even if he could more or less tell that it was a façade.

“Think twice about it. You’re just going to get everyone into trouble. Think about all the lives that are going to be affected. Seriously, even if our organization is persecuted, there are gonna be others out there doing the same thing. Your fight for justice won’t solve anything in the end.” The low tone lent an added earnestness to Jiwon’s voice, causing Woohyun to wonder if it was merely an illusion of sincerity, but the last speck of trust he had left for his best friend allowed him to believe that it was genuine.

“You’re right,” Woohyun finally replied, not withholding his spite, “There are so many people dying everyday anyway, so what about I kill you now? Doesn’t make a difference, does it?”

“Woohyun!” Jiwon exclaimed immediately in shock and exasperation. It was so unlike Woohyun to act this way, but it showed Jiwon, without a shadow of doubt, how hard Woohyun was hit by his betrayal.

“Jiwon,” Woohyun spoke up again, deciding to return the apparent candor. “Honestly, I was so glad to have you in VCA. I don’t know how I could have made it through without our talks and drinking sessions. I might have killed myself or something. But let’s just accept that we have different views now, hm? I can’t force you to be on my side if you’re convinced otherwise, but you have to know there’s no way I’m stopping now, either.”

Jiwon stayed silent on the other end and Woohyun sighed. “I really wish we had met under different circumstances. Then maybe we could still stay friends.”

“I’m sorry, I’m really so sorry,” Jiwon said, his voice slightly muffled and shaky, almost as if he were holding back his tears. “I wish I didn’t have to do this either. To be honest, I don’t want you to die. I really… don’t.”

Woohyun found himself smiling just a little at his best friend’s sentiment. “I hope that after all this has passed, we will be able to live well,” Woohyun responded. Both of them noted the sense of finality in his statement, that it seemed to be a given they would no longer be involved in each other’s lives. Jiwon’s voice descended to a whisper as he replied, “Right?” Woohyun could draw out Jiwon’s broken smile in his mind.

After he hung up, Woohyun’s smile collapsed like that of a puppet whose strings have gone loose. Do we even deserve to live well after all the lives we have robbed? He began to laugh bitterly. Ah, my life’s a joke.

 

It was subtle, but the more Dongyoon focused on Dongwoo’s explanation of what conspired in Canada, the more his brows furrowed. He had just heard about what happened between Dongwoo and Joohee at the airport, and had barely processed all that when this new information demanded his attention and challenged his logical reasoning. Empty lunchboxes and half-eaten food sat on the glass-top table to their left, quietly testifying to the tense atmosphere.

“That happened?” Dongyoon exclaimed in disbelief, uncharacteristically losing his cool. His undirected gaze was intense as he mentally scrambled to piece everything together as quickly as he could. That means that they haven’t let the matter go yet… Why are they still bringing it up after so long? I thought it’s all over. Damn it!

“Still, how could you have even thought of doing that to Joohee?” Dongyoon confronted his brother in exasperation. Dongwoo sighed restlessly as he replied, “I don’t even know myself! I wasn’t in the right mind, okay?”

“Guys, hold on,” Joohee stepped in, holding the mp3 player and stack of photos before Dongyoon, “That – is all over. I’m still in one piece so that’s great. We need to discuss what to do next. But first, Dongyoon, I’ve got something to show you.”

“What do you think?” Joohee looked to Dongyoon in anticipation after he perused the evidence. Dongwoo, who stood a short distance away with his arms folded, also had his full concentration on his brother. Dongyoon bit his bottom lips just slightly. When he looked up, his eyes met Joohee’s bright eyes filled with eagerness for his response. He then turned to Dongwoo, who flinched at the sudden spotlight.

“To be honest,” Dongyoon began, “It’s all too vague. We can’t put a finger on what exactly the guys are doing. I don’t think it’s going to be very useful if we just hand it to the police like that.”

The sparkle in Joohee’s eyes dimmed as Dongyoon wrapped up his opinion. “But it’s worth a shot, right?” she insisted, her emotions turning against her rationality. “If there’s something more behind our parents’ death – if those weren’t just pure accidents – I want that to be revealed.”

Dongyoon grabbed Joohee’s hands and looked her in the eyes as he said, “Look, Joohee. I know you want justice. Who doesn’t? But the situation isn’t that simple. If this involves the mafia like we’re speculating, then it’s more risky than we think.”

“Dongwoo,” Dongyoon paused his speech to call Dongwoo over. “You too. Do you guys think any of our parents would want us to get ourselves into danger like that?” Dongwoo and Joohee remained silent and Dongyoon continued, his words as sharp as ever, “Is there really a point when our parents have already passed on? This is not going to bring them back from the dead.”

“We can save ourselves all the trouble and danger by putting it aside and not pursuing it. If we had concrete evidence, I might say it’s worth a try, but at the moment, chances are bleak, to be very honest. Let’s give it up, hm?”

Dongwoo moved to sit on the sofa and buried his head behind his arms as he plunged into deep thought. Joohee stood still at the same spot but her gaze was naturally diverted to the top right corner of her vision as she focused.

“The thing is, they’re already after us now,” Dongwoo pointed out. “Since we have no choice but to pit ourselves against them anyway, we might as well stand up for justice.”

“Just hide until it tides over,” Dongyoon suggested.

Dongwoo unintentionally rolled his eyes. “When is that going to be? How can we ever be sure? Are you really fine with us hanging around in your office indefinitely?” The questions he threw out began to shape an opinion that was clearly at odds to Dongyoon’s.

“Dongwoo has a point though,” Joohee softly concurred, “We’re just going to be on tenterhooks the whole time if we don’t make any plans at all. In any game, it’s not sufficient to just defend – we need to attack too at the right time.”

“But this is not a game, it’s life-and-death!” Dongyoon blurted out, “That’s exactly why your parents ended up –” Joohee stood agape. She was already feeling intimidated and perplexed by Dongyoon’s headstrong position, given how nonchalant he was normally, but it was now clear that he knew something more.

“My parents?” Joohee directed her words to Dongyoon, who froze as soon as he realized what he was saying. “No, I mean, they probably –” Dongyoon interjected, but his fluster easily gave him away. Someone as composed as him wouldn’t be shaken like this unless they had something to hide. “No, go on,” Joohee said, a menacing undertone to her voice, “How exactly did my parents… die?”

Dongyoon looked at Joohee, his troubled expression and trembling lips revealing the inner turmoil brewing within. He was on the brink of spilling it all but remained silent. Dongwoo stormed up to his brother, brazenly holding him by the collar. Dongyoon effortlessly towered over him with his height and Dongwoo looked as if he was struggling to match up in dominance. “What the hell, you –” Dongwoo seethed, “You were an eyewitness!” Tension abounded as Dongyoon simply looked on without a word as Dongwoo’s grip on him grew tighter by the second. Finally, he said, “So what if I was?”

 

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?”

– Luke 14:28 (NLT)