The afternoon passed too fast in Daeun’s eyes. Soon enough, Hoseok was telling the other two that he and Daeun needed to go, in order to attend an important business meeting. Seohyun started crying as Daeun was walking away. Running back towards her oldest friend, Daeun embraced her. She mumbled words of comfort to Seohyun, and Daeun told her that she’d do her best to return to Seoul as soon as she could. Seohyun could only babble and say that she’d better make it back in time for their wedding, or she’d forget their friendship altogether. Daeun, herself, could only mask her sadness with a laugh and hug her friend even tighter.

          On the ride to the airport, Daeun turned away from Hoseok and looked out the window. Her eyes were tearing up as the scenery flashed across. As precious as the memories she had made in New York were, this was the place she called home. And now she was flying out to Jeju, to meet with some unknown man. It seemed that not only her own fate was riding on her shoulders but the fate of everybody left in New York.

          Hoseok had patted her hand, quietly offering her comfort as she sniffled.

          A private plane had been chartered for their luxury to the meeting. It arrived the moment they did at the airport and extra hands had assisted them into loading their light luggage onto the plane. Another man had informed them that The Boss was already waiting at the villa for where their meeting had been scheduled. Politely thanking their attendees, Hoseok and Daeun boarded the plane.

          The interior was as impressive as the exterior. Large seats were parked on either side of the plane with enough space for a grown man to lie down in comfort. To the end, there was a private bar where expensive bottles of alcohol were lined. The seats were made of soft leather and when Daeun sat into one, even the sigh of the cushion sounded luxurious in her ears. Their captain briefly made an entrance to introduce himself before strolling to the cockpit.

          The ride was short and Hoseok took the time then to instruct Daeun of how to act through the meeting. As she was not allowed to directly meet with The Boss, he had told her to patiently wait outside until she was summoned. If there were any questions asked, she would give short, courteous answers and then redirect her words to Hoseok.

          “He’s not going to be who  you think he is,” Hoseok told her, “You might be envisioning a large, mean looking tattooed man, but take that image out of your mind. There’s only one rule when we meet The Boss, and that is respect. It’s like offering food to a dangerous animal, show your submission and once that’s accepted, you are allowed in its presence.”

          Daeun knew that Hoseok was speaking to make sure she was not nervous for the meeting, but each word he said only made her heart beat faster.

          There were not many things she knew about The Boss. She knew he had a vast amount of power, commanded a great multitude of people, and practically pulled each of his mission teams into and out of the country by mere words.

          Soon enough, they arrived at the place of meeting. As the villa was situated on private land, she was sure that people had been hired to take care of the greenery. Really, that was all she could around her. Trees, bushes, flowers of all species surrounded the place. Every couple of feet there was another gardener that was pruning. A small stream ran through the entire estate and every so often she thought she spotted koi swimming in the waters. They were led into a small room where they could put down their belongings. In her room, a hanbok had been laid out. She was unsure if that was for her but as she took upon a closer inspection, a small note had been laid on the clothing.

          A small gift from myself. A beautiful garment for a beautiful woman.

          The words seemed awkward in her eyes. Nonetheless, she was in no position to refuse an offer from The Boss so she dressed herself.

          A few minutes later, she met Hoseok outside her room. He was dressed in the counterpart of her hanbok. The Boss held respect in very high sights, which meant he held Korean traditions as well.

          They were led through the outer courtyard of the Hanok (traditional house) where a man stood alone in the middle. He was garbed in an exquisitely coloured robe and stood straight in posture. In one hand, he held a composite bow and in the other he was fitting an arrow through. He pulled back the string once the arrow had been fitted.

          Quickly being shuffled into the next wing of the house, Daeun was unable to see the arrow fly but without a doubt believed it hit its target. The man who had shot from the bow stood with a very regal posture, with confidence emitting even at the distance she had walked by.

          The house stretched on forever as they were woven through rooms and hallways. At last, they were stopped in front of closed wooden doors. The woman who had been leading them held out a hand, indicating for them to go through. Hoseok stepped up first but when Daeun followed in suit, the woman put her palm up.

          “You’re going to be waiting in another room,” Hoseok whispered to her, “Don’t worry. I’ll be close by.”

          She looked at him, about to ask another question, but he had already walked through the door.

          Following his words, the woman ushered her into the room just next door. There was a tea set that had been prepared for her and an earthy scent swirled through the room. There were no chairs but cushions had been laid out. She was instructed to sit there and wait.

          Time seemed to crawl by. Daeun tried to drink but her stomach only rumbled in her nervousness. Minutes ticked without a sound until she heard a shuffling. Looking up, she saw the man that had been outside bypass her room. He stopped when he saw her inside, standing and observing her.

          Unsure of what to do, Daeun did the only thing she could think of: bow. She rose to her feet, gave a 90 degree bow, and waited until the stranger accepted it.

          He did.

          She studied him when she was finally allowed to meet his face.

          He was certainly not young, with the lines around his eyes and mouth, but he had a sparkle of youth when their eyes met. He stood with such straight posture she found herself standing upright to match his. His hair had been left in its natural graying state but the colour only augmented his rugged handsomeness. With his hands clasped behind his back, she felt like a servant girl standing before her emperor.

          “Come with me, my dear,” he spoke, his voice low and soft. His words were simple and clipped, yet carried warmth. No, she was not a servant girl standing before an emperor, she felt like a granddaughter, meeting her grandfather after a long period of time.

          “Come, Daeun, let’s not keep Hoseok waiting.”

          So this was The Boss. This was Ryukwan.

         “Hoseok, it’s been a while,” Ryukwan spoke once they were inside.

         Hoseok rose immediately to meet the man when he heard his voice. He was taken by surprise to see Daeun walking in behind him.

         “She was waiting patiently in the other room, but she’s no stranger, is she? It’d be very nice for the three of us to speak like this,” Ryukwan continued.

         Daeun was still staring mesmerized at him. He truly was not at all like how she envisioned. She thought meeting him would be like when she met Hong Jung Yee: surrounded by body guards and suspicious eyes. Not standing in the middle of a traditionally furnished room with a meal set before them and not a single body in sight but the present party. It felt like an afternoon tea party.

         The same woman from before once again shuffled in and set a dishes on the wooden table before them.

         “Please, sit,” Ryukwan gestured towards them.

         They waited until he was seated before slowly taking their own spots.

         As the woman was about to leave, Ryukwan reached out and took her hand. He kissed it gently before whispering, “Thank you.” She bowed and gave him a small smile.

         “My wife,” he explained when they were left in silence, “The love of my life for over thirty years, believe it or not.”

         They held their silence, only smiling politely.

         “Don’t be shy. Dig in. Unfortunately my stomach cannot handle food as rich as this anymore. Yeonhwa will bring me something a little later but please, this is prepared for the two of you,” he motioned towards the cuisine set before them.

         As they started eating, Ryukwan asked them questions. Daeun stayed silent as Hoseok had told her to do. She was glad that Hoseok did all the talking, as she could envision becoming dry at the utterance of a single word. When Hoseok finished reporting everything about Hong Jung Yee, Ryukwan turned his attention towards Daeun.

         “Unfortunately, I have heard of the news of Jung Yee’s side business. My disappointment in him is like the disappointment a father feels towards a son he’s caught smoking for the first time,” he sighed, “Daeun, what do you think I should do?”

         She nearly choked on her tea when she heard the question.

         Hoseok opened his mouth but could not continue as he saw Ryukwan slowly raise a hand.

         “Daeun can speak for herself,” he said with a stern voice, “Please, share with me your opinion.”

         Nervousness made her heart pound and she her lips. “Well, as Hoseok said, I worked with Hong Jung – I mean, Mr. Hong for a while. He has a very strong belief in his work and power. I think that you are the only person he will listen to. No, I know you are the only one he will listen to.”

         “So you’re proposing that I be there at their exchange then? When he meets with the Viktor family?”

         “If you want to stop it – or continue it – whatever you see fit, then yes. There is only so much influence you have over him when you’re halfway across the world. If you’re there, you are the one to speak the terms with Robert Viktor.”

         Ryukwan seemed to contemplate her words. “When is this meeting?”

         “A month’s time,” Hoseok answered for her, “That is when they will meet.”

         “Ah,” Ryukwan nodded, “I had heard about the deteriorating health of Antonio. I assume you have been meeting with his son, Robert, then?”

         At the mention of his name, Daeun could feel her muscles tighten. Her breaths slightly increased in speed and she her dry lips again.

         Ryukwan looked about to ask them something again but they were interrupted by a knock at the door. This time, a suited man walked into the room. Ryukwan nodded after the man bowed once to him. Quietly making his way to Ryukwan’s ear, he whispered something. Another nod from his boss and he then disappeared out of the room.

         “I’ve got business to attend to,” he apologized, “All the amenities I have are yours to use. Do not hesitate to make yourselves at home.”

         They nodded and stood with their heads bowed, until he left the room.

         When he was out of earshot, Daeun let out a sigh of relief.

         Initially, they had talked about touring Jeju once their meeting with Ryukwan ended. But once they returned to their rooms, they both felt mentally drained and said that they would meet at dinner instead. She closed the door to her room after speaking briefly with Hoseok.

         While the rest of the house was traditionally furnished, the guest rooms were slightly more modern. She had a private bathroom and a small bed was tucked to the side. A drawer was pushed beside it where she had started setting out her minimal outfits for her brief stay. They were scheduled to meet once again with Ryukwan tomorrow for last minute instructions which meant they had to stay the night. While she had been out at the meeting, a bathrobe had been placed on her bed.

         Seeing as how there was time before dinner, she explored her room. It faced the garden she had passed by earlier and she had a great view of the outside. Walking into the bathroom, she saw that a single bathtub was stationed in the middle of the large room. Her fingers ran through the cabinet and she noted a prettily packaged bath bomb sitting in a small basket. That would be nice to use for her shower. She walked back to her bed and started dozing off into sleep when her cell phone buzzed.

         Have you touched down safely?

         It was from Namjoon. She had forgotten to reply his last message. Rolling over to her stomach, she typed out her reply:

         Yes. We’re in Jeju now. Just finished the meeting.

         It took but a second for his response.

         How did it go?

         She pondered at his question.

         Good, I guess. We’re meeting him one last time tomorrow morning.

         Does that mean I have to wait another day to see you?

         A smile formed on her lips.

         Missing me already I see.

         I miss you every time I don’t see you.

         Ew. The cheese is dripping with that last sentence.

         She waited for his text but it didn’t come. Scared that she had offended him in some way, she sent another message:

         I miss you too.

         Another brief pause before:

         I knew if I waited it out you’d finally admit it.

         She laughed.

         .

         You know you love me. ;) So what are you up to now?

         Her heart did a strange flip seeing the word “love”. She ignored it and focused on his question.

         Nm. Lying in bed about to take a nap. Hbu?

         Heading home. Finished tonight’s gig.

         She was about to ask him about his work when she received his next message:

         Video call?

         Ok.

         She waited patiently until the dialing tone and picked up soon after. Namjoon’s face exploded into view and she let out a laugh at how close it was.

         “Are you trying to show me the inside of your nostrils?” she .

         It was extremely loud on his end. She watched with amusement as the camera shook and bounced in his hand. There was a crackle before it became silent again and his face was positioned nicely in the middle.

         “Needed to get off the bus. It’s strangely crowded for being nearly 3am here,” he commented.

         They talked about random things as he walked from the bus stop to the house. They talked about her meeting with Seohyun and her fiancée, they talked about how Taehyung had been promoted and Jungkook was extremely jealous; they talked about everything they had missed the past few days.

         “Oppa, can I ask a question?” she asked after he finished telling her about the gig he just finished.

         He nodded. The camera shook again as he unlocked the door to the house. It was dark inside and she waited until he was in their room before speaking again.

         “What happened that day with Hong Jung Yee?”

         His eyes darted into the distance before turning back to the screen.

         “You don’t have to tell me if you’re feeling uncomfortable about it,” she quickly said.

         He shook his head. “No, it’s alright. I’ve sort of come into terms with it these past few days.”

         She waited patiently until he spoke again.

         “He’s my father.”

         At that, she rose from her prone position and sat up straight on the bed.  There were no words she could say to follow up with that statement.

         “Your father?” she echoed.

         “Yeah. The one who left me nearly ten years ago. The one who I never thought I’d see again. What are the chances, huh?”

         “Are – are you sure?” she stuttered.

         He laughed. “He doesn’t look any different from when I remember him. We met the day after actually. I lied about going for a jog that morning. We met up at the coffee shop because I wanted to confirm everything that was happening. Ten years ago, he was a cop and now he is a mob boss.”

         “He’s working undercover!” Daeun blurted.

         A look came over Namjoon’s face. He laughed again and ran his fingers through his hair. “Of course. That’d explain everything.”

         Again, she was stuck on what to say.

         “You’re the first person I’ve told this to, Daeun,” he said to her, “I haven’t even told my mom about it.”

         Something else seemed to be on the edge of his tongue so she let him sort his words out.

         “It’s really good to see you, Babe,” he finally said. She could see that it wasn’t what he wanted to originally say, yet she didn’t push any further.

         She smiled at him. “Same. But it’s getting late on your end. Go to sleep.”

         “Mhmm. I should. Good night. Or good evening… whatever the time is in Seoul.”

         “Night.” She waved one last time before ending the call.

         She hadn’t even noticed until a knock at a door awoke her from her slumber. Night had started to settle in outside her window and she realized she must have fallen asleep for at least a couple of hours. The knock came again.

         Trudging to her door in her half-awake state, she slid it open to reveal Hoseok. He stood at the doorway with two bags in each hand.

         “Good evening,” he smiled at her messy hair and smudged mascara, “I guess you had a good nap.”

         “I slept past the time we were supposed to meet for dinner, didn’t I?” she hit her forehead with a hand.

         He laughed. “Yeah, sort of. I guessed you were asleep when you weren’t outside the house huffing impatiently at me being late again.”

         “I’m so sorry. Give me a minute to wash my face and I’ll be out,” she turned to leave towards the washroom.

         He set a hand of bags down and grabbed her arm. “No worries. I went out and got fried chicken. We can eat indoors tonight.”

         “And beer?” she asked, hopefully.

         “Of course,” he held up the other bags.

         Daeun relayed everything she had heard from Namjoon and Hoseok relayed everything he had heard from Seokjin when they talked earlier. They sat with their backs propped against the edge of her bed; her sitting crossed-legged with an empty bottle of beer in her lap and him with one hand propped on his leg holding a bottle and the other bringing a drumstick to his mouth.

         They had found an extra bottle of strong vodka in the kitchen earlier when they were rummaging through for some cups. That bottle was now sitting between them over half way finished.

         She smacked her lips and reached for her empty bottle. Hoseok held her hand down and laughed, telling her it was empty. She giggled and watched him poor another cup.

         The alcohol coursing through her blood made her a bit dizzy, but she was fine with it. As long as she peed it out, she would not get drunk. It happened everytime she had a drink. Besides, she was with Hoseok, and not some stranger. He was somebody she could trust.

         He slowly crawled onto her bed and closed his eyes with his head on her pillow. He was full and the drinks made his eyes heavy with fatigue.

         “If I fall asleep and miss tomorrow’s meeting, I’m blaming it on you,” he slurred.

         She scooted over until her head rested against the back of the bed. His hand slipped off the side and brushed her cheek.

         “You can’t blame it on me. You’re the one who brought the beer over,” she shot back, taking another swing.

         His heavy breathing reached her ears and she lazily hit his arm. “Yah, Jung Hoseok! Don’t fall asleep on me now.”

         He murmured and then coughed. “Let me be. I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep since we landed.”

         The empty glass finally hit the floor. Her eyes wandered to the last bottle of beer but it was too far for her. She had no energy to reach for it so she let her arms down to her side.

         “What do you mean?” she muttered. Sleep was getting to her head as well.

         It took a while for him to answer but he eventually spoke. “I’ve been having bad dreams. It’s like being back brings each and every memory with it. I keep seeing my dad. And my mom.”

         At the back of her mind, she remembers enough of his story to not say anything.

         He drops the topic but moves onto one that is more sensitive to her. “I recognize the look you have whenever his name is brought up. It’s the same look I had whenever somebody mentioned my father.”

         She knew what he was talking about but did not want to pursue it. She curls up on the floor and places her head in her hands.

         “You’re angry at the world. At him, for changing who you are. You’re scared and you’re hurt because of what he has done. You want to hate him but you’re also afraid of what he could do to you,” Hoseok continued, “You get nightmares reliving that moment over and over. Every mention of his name brings you back to that night and it haunts you again.

         I felt all of that after I killed my dad. I felt I had turned into a monster. I wanted to end my own life for doing something as terrible as that. I felt all of it for a long time until recently.”

         She wanted to shut him out but she found she could not.

         “You helped me forgive myself, Daeun. Once I had done that, I didn’t feel so awful about it anymore. I still know I did wrong, but I’ve made my own peace with it. I’m not saying you need to forgive yourself – you didn’t do anything wrong. But make your own peace with it. Until you do that, Robert Viktor is only going to haunt you forever.”

         She blamed it on the drinks. It had a way of messing up the body. Her vision blurred and she whispered, “I don’t want to forgive anybody. I want to hurt him like he hurt me.”

         “Will getting revenge make you feel better? Would seeing him dead bring that peace? It won’t. Those emotions will only turn into more anger and more regret. You’ll be scared not of him anymore, but of the things that you are capable of. I know. First hand,” he said.

         His voice floats down from above and beyond her head. She mused, thinking it was like God was lecturing her down from heaven.

         There was movement on the bed as Hoseok stumbled off of it. He stood above Daeun, who was still curled at the bedside. He had felt like a cracked plate glued together. Any wind would send him toppling and he would shatter again. That was how he saw her then. A fragile human being, still coping with the damage that had been inflicted upon her.

         She wiped her tears angrily with the back of her hand. She hated Robert. All the things she had to suffer because of him. She was scared of him. She had seen that look when he walked up to her afterwards – the look that held a promise of finishing what he had started.

         His soft finger brushed her wet cheek.

         Opening her eyes, she saw him lying on the floor next to her. He had curled down across her on the floor, one hand stretched above her crown, the other outreached towards her. He brushed her eyes; he brushed her bangs; he brushed her arm. Each time he touched her, she felt a bit of relief.

         Perhaps this was what he had felt that time at the mountaintop when he told her about his family. This was why he had unloaded his burden in her presence. He had trusted that she would carry it with him.

         “I’ve wanted to ask you a question,” he said gently. Her tears had stopped and she was now looking at him. “That video message you sent to Namjoon; was part of it for me?”

         So he had figured it out.

         “The part on the poster at the end. You stopped filming when it said “present”. It was an anagram for serpent, wasn’t it?”

         She nodded. “When they were walking beside me, I glimpsed an image of their logo. But when I was in the bathroom again, there was no logo in sight. I didn’t know how to tell you guys where I was. It was then I saw that poster and I knew you would understand.”

         “But you sent it to Namjoon.”

         “He was the first on my contact list.”

         “Yet you meant it for me,” he said the last part quietly, almost to himself.

         She had heard it though. She had wrestled with the thought only recently. It made her mind spin with why throughout the entire time she was captive, Hoseok was the one she was hoping for. All she wanted was to see him burst through the doors, understanding her message, and whisk her away. When Namjoon had come for her instead, she couldn’t understand why she had felt disappointed.

         “Yes,” she breathed, answering his statement disguised as a question.

         She didn’t know what happened next. One moment Hoseok had been staring at her and the next she felt his lips on her.

         The kiss came like a crashing tsunami on her body, with all its fervor and power. He cupped her face, in his strong palms. She clenched her own fist down near her torso but he drew himself closer to her, bringing himself forward. Her hands came up on their own and soon, her fingers were entangled in the mess of his hair. Her breath, molding into his until he was all she could taste, smell, hear and see.

         Her response urged him to reach more for her. He pushed her back onto the ground and he climbed over her. She consumed his passion and released all her emotions in return.

         Her hands were in his hair, on his back, in his shirt. She felt the cold from the floor transfer from his hands onto her cheeks, her arms, her stomach.

         Somehow, they made it onto the bed, where she sat on his lap. His teeth nipped at her tongue and then transferred over to her neck. It made her moan and throw her head back. It made her forget who she was and allowed him to take the shirt off over her head.

         He had only imagined kissing her when she said that single word. But his body had acted on its own and he had grabbed her face towards his, placing his lips on hers. He had fully intended to bounce away but she had gripped his shirt, pulling him closer again. His eyes could only hold her form as he took his own shirt off.

         Her skin shivered when it touched his. He brought her closer towards him and this time it was her turn. Her lips travelled over his body in a fiery, sensual dance. She felt his hands travel from her knees up to her thighs and she couldn’t tell if the goosebumps were from him or the wind that blew in through the windows.

         It wasn’t until his hands pressed in the inner part of her thighs that the memories came.

         Suddenly, it wasn’t his body against hers. It was his hands against her legs. His thighs against her waist.

         Daeun tried to push Hoseok away.

         He misread her body language and only lustfully pushed himself further upon her.

         “Hoseok,” she choked out.

         His fingers in her mouth.

         “Hoseok,” she tried again, throwing herself harder away from him. The chokes became lodged in as each image she was seeing grew clearer in her eyes.

         His fingers around her throat.

         “Hoseok!” she screamed and fell away from him.

         Her scream.

         She blindly scrambled up from the floor and made her way to the door. She slipped and knocked over a bottle but got up before Hoseok could reach her. Her fingers were clumsy as they opened the door and she ran out.

         In the periphery of her eyes, she sees Hoseok still sitting, confusion spread across his entire face.

         Daeun ran as fast as her legs could take her. She ran through the hallway, through the garden and through the front doors of the building. The blinding street lights and the whizzing cars did nothing to stop her. She ran with her hands to her ears and tears streaming down her face. She ignored the looks of the people that were outside, gaping at a girl running barefoot in a bra.

         She ran with the wind whipping past her hair.

         She ran but there was nothing to stop the pictures flying across her eyes; the crying she heard in her ears; the screams that echoed throughout the room in her mind.

         When at last she could run no more, she collapsed on the side walk and covered her face with her hands.

         She should have known for them to resurface. What with the images that have been triggered in the warehouse with Robert. She should have protected herself more. She should have done many things.

         When at last she could run no more, she let all the tears out and succumbed to the pain.

My greatest apologies at this insanely late update. But it's finally here. After all this, the Daseok moment you have all waited for (after I first go back to her and Namjoon's relationship...) I love reading your comments, so first thank you to all those who I have been talking to! Even if you're a silent reader, I thank you so so much for continuing to read! <3