"May I help you?"

.
.
.
.

It was an old man.

"Do you know if there are kids living here?" Clover asked politely. The younger ones tried to peer into the house over the old man's shoulder.

"Hmm...... If you mean Jiyongie and the rest then they are not here anymore." The old man answered back weakly, rubbing his shoulders.

"Not here anymore?! Why?" Seungri asked agitatedly.

"They moved out a few hours ago." The old man answered, undeterred.

"What?! Do you have any idea where they went?" This time it was Daesung who asked.

"No. They didn't tell me. But if you want to find them you can try the primary school nearby. I think little Jennie and little Jisoo studied there." The old man provided helpfully. Lisa's and Chaeyoung's eyes lit up when they heard their unnies' name. Looking at their oppas, Seungri and Daesung nodded. The hitmen thanked the old man and hurried to their next destination, Hope Primary.

~~~

"What?! They dropped out?!" Chaeyoung almost fainted. Their hopes were dashed once again.

"Yes. Just a few minutes ago, their brothers called to drop them out of school. We don't know the reason though." The principal said, looking confusingly at the crowd in her office.

"Thank you..." Seungri thanked the principal and walked out lifelessly.

"What now?" Lisa mumbled dejectedly as they stared at the energetic primary school kids running around. Both Chaeyoung and her should be in Primary school now at their age.

"We'll go back and search through our database again. I don't believe we can't find them." Clover stated darkly and stomped off.

"Wait Clover!" Diamond called but the man walked off without turning back.

"Heart noona, Diamond noona, we would like to walk around ourselves. We'll go back soon." Daesung asked politely. Both woman exchanged glances before nodding.

"Okay. Come back soon." Heart ruffled Daesung's hair before walking off with Diamond, leaving the kids alone in the school compound.

~~~

"V.I oppa, D-lite oppa, where are we going?" Lisa asked, using their codenames. They weren't allowed to use their real names in public.

"I don't know." Daesung shrugged.

"Want to go back to the orphanage?" Seungri suggested absentmindedly, making three pairs of eyes turned to him in surprise.

"Why....? It's burnt down isn't it?" Lisa questioned, her eyes a little empty.

"Dunno. I just feel like going back. It's okay if you feel uncomfortable. I'll go myself." Seungri smiled gently at their maknae. Now that the boy isn't the maknae anymore makes him feel even more responsible for the girls. He looped one arm around Lisa's shoulder and squeezed her arm reassuringly. The girl looked up at her oppa and smiled.

"I'm fine. Now that oppa said it, I want to go back too. It was my home after all." Daesung noted the past tense she used and her uncomfortable gestures.

"Are you okay with it too?" The second maknae turned oldest oppa turned to Chaeyoung and asked for the now second maknae's opinion. Chaeyoung nodded her head wordlessly, fiddling with her fingers. Daesung frowned at Chaeyoung's actions. He reached out and grabbed her hands.

"Are you sure?" Daesung asked, worried.

"Y-yeah... I'm more worried about Lizz though." Chaeyoung mumbled, smiling a little and looking worriedly at her little sister.

"Don't worry, oppas are here." Daesung smiled his infectious angel smile at the girl. As expected, Chaeyoung returned the smile and nodded.

"Hyung! Ddukbokki!! Can we buy some?" Seungri suddenly shouted, pointing at the street stall nearby.

"Sure. We can eat along the way." Daesung nodded as the four of them bought a cup each. The hot steamy rice cakes held in between their hands warmed their freezing bodies and heavy hearts.

Throughout the route to the orphanage, they passed by familiar structures they once saw everyday. Although the environment had changed, they can't deny the familiar cold breeze that blew on their faces when they stood in front of the space where the Orph once stood.

"I-I-It's still here...." Lisa stuttered as she dropped the cup she was holding. It had been 2 years since they were there. And the scorched building was still there. It hasn't been demolished. They wonder why.

Without another word, the four of them disposed their empty ddukbokki cups and walked into the garden gingerly. Similarly, it was covered with a blanket of white snow. The foliage grew tremendously under the help of the sun and rain. No one trimmed it. Some plants were starting to wither because of the cold weather while some winter plants were thriving under the snow. The four assassins tread over the plants and reached the enormous door that marks the entrance to their already burnt down home.

They were silent for awhile before Daesung pushed the door open carefully, hoping that the building would not crumble. After a few seconds, the doors were wide open. With Daesung and Seungri leading, the girls followed behind.

*creak creak*

They stepped on fallen furniture and wooden boards making them break and crack like they were crappy dried wood. The walls were scorched black and most of the furniture were covered in a blanket of ash and dust. Every time and every where they blew, there would be a cloud of dust rising up to the polluted air.

"Should we split up for now?" Chaeyoung questioned, knowing that their destination were in opposite ways.

"No. We'll stick together." Daesung answered, refusing to be separated with the girls.

"It's okay oppa. We'll be fine. I'm saying the truth alright." Lisa smiled and assured the boys by patting their upper arm.

"Hyung, they'll be alright. They trained, remember? Meet us half an hour later at the garden okay?" Seungri reassured his hyung.

"Okay!" With Lisa's answer, she pulled her unnie towards the left wing while Seungri pulled Daesung to the right wing.

~~~

"Lizz, do you think our room will still be intact?" Chaeyoung asked when both girls were walking through the dark corridors, only dimly lit by the sunlight through the window. Lisa looked down, shuffling uncomfortably.

"Lizz? You okay?" Chaeyoung stopped and grabbed Lisa by the shoulder.

"Y-yeah... Let's hurry." Lisa nodded forcefully before pulling Chaeyoung through the pile of wood and reaching their shared room in a matter of seconds.

"It's blocked." Chaeyoung noted, staring at the huge block of fallen wood that obviously fell from the ceiling. Lisa blinked and nodded. The older girl wordlessly stepped back.

*BAM*

With a swift move, the wood was punched and broken into pieces. Silently, the girls stalked in. Surprisingly, the ceiling was still intact, and the room wasn't that blackened. Maybe it was because the room was further from the origin of the fire. Both girls roamed around the small place on their own, reminiscing the times they had in their own small but warm room.

"Rosé U-Unnie... Look at this..." Lisa called from the desk that the four girls shared. Chaeyoung walked to the younger's side. Lisa picked up the thing she saw. It was a picture of the four girls. They were smiling so brightly that it matches the blinding sun at the top of the picture. Unknowingly, tears started streaming down their faces. Lisa hugged Chaeyoung sideways as she bury her face in her unnie's shoulder. Chaeyoung took the picture off Lisa's hold and took a closer look. A tug at her heart called her to flip the picture behind.

"Lizz, look..." Chaeyoung pat Lisa's hand to gain her attention. The younger complied and looked up, wiping her tears dry.

"It's a note!" Lisa widened her eyes at the words written at the back of the picture.

The note read 'Dear Lisa and Chaeyoung, I don't know if you girls will ever come back to this place but this picture is for you to keep if you ever find it. We just want to say we won't ever give up in finding you girls. We know you're alive. And we'll find you even if it means taking forever. And also we're living okay if I would say. We met Jiyong oppa, Seunghyun oppa and Youngbae oppa. They took really great care of us. I hope you're eating and living healthily. Wait for us!! From your dearest sisters, Jisoo and Jennie. Ps. *Address*'

The girls broke down and cried. They cried and cried until no more tears could be shed.

"U-Unnie... The address..." Lisa croaked.

"It's no use... It's the same one as the one we went. They're not living there anymore." Chaeyoung sighed and wiped her tears dry as she stood up, pulling Lisa up on her feet.

"Let's go find V.I oppa and D-lite oppa. Our time's up." Chaeyoung said, her voice dry from crying.

"Wait unnie. I want to write them a letter too." Lisa suggested. Chaeyoung turned back and smiled, agreeing.

~~~ Earlier on

"V.I, is it safe for them to be on their own?" Daesung questioned for the umpteenth time throughout the walk to their room.

"Yessss hyung!! Stop being a worrywart!" Seungri groaned at his hyung before stomping away down the corridors, Daesung scurrying behind him, "Are you sureeeee?"

"Yesssssss......." Seungri's voice trailed and echoed down the corridor.

~~~

"So, this is our room? Pretty decent." Daesung noted after they pushed their surprisingly still intact door. Their room was at the furthest side of the right wing, so the damage wasn't major.

"Yeah... Surprisingly." Seungri nodded to himself as he walked in and felt the familiar walls with his hand clad in fingerless gloves. The boys explored their room by themselves and let the reminiscence wash over them.

"Uwahhhh~~~ this bed still feels as comfortable as ever!! Even better than the base's." Seungri plopped down on his bed and lied down.

"V.I! It's dirty!! For goodness sake!! The blankets and sheets are caked in dirt!" Daesung shrieked as he attempted to pull the younger up.

"Eyyyyyy, okay okay. But this cannot be compared to blood cloaked right?" Seungri nodded and stood up himself, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yes, yes. For your information, I'm not always bathing in blood during missions okay."

"I know. But your brains always lead me into bathing in blood, right?"

"I'll try not to next time. Hehe." Daesung grinned at the younger's answer. The tactist plans were always safe, but sometimes pretty bloody.

"Make up some unbloody plans will ya, hyung?" Seungri sighed. Just at that time, a letter flew from the desk to the floor. Both heads and eyes turned to it.

"What's that?" Daesung asked before bending down to retrieve the small piece of paper.

"Read it out hyung." Seungri sat down at the stool nearby.

"Dear Daesung and Maknae, this is Jiyong hyung, Seunghyun hyung and Youngbae hyung here." Daesung read the first line and their eyes widened. The younger assassin leapt up to his feet and peered over his hyung's shoulders as both read the letter silently.

'Dear Daesung and Maknae, this is Jiyong hyung, Seunghyun hyung, and Youngbae hyung. If you are reading this right now, that means you're alive, well and back at the Orph. Jiyong here. DAMN YOU MIDGETS! WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?! DON'T YOU DARE TO DIE YAH! WE'LL DEFINITELY FIND YOU! Youngbae here. Don't mind Ji's caps. He's just worried sick. Are you boys fine? Eating healthily? Don't fall sick! If you're cold, make sure you wear a jacket! Don't catch a cold! Have you guys been sleeping properly? Are you. Okay enough. Seunghyun here. Youngbae wrote too many questions. My turn. I'm gonna keep it short ya. I'm the oldest after all. Have to keep the mature image. Daesungie and Seungri ah, I know you're somewhere on this world and I'm sure you guys are alive and well. Just make sure to grow strong and healthy okay? Eat lots and lots of food. Make sure you don't skip dessert. Especially ice cream~ okay. Seunghyun hyung is too much. Youngbae here. The most sensible one. The table has two crown locket necklaces. It's for the two of you. I don't know when we're gonna be able to find you guys so keep that as a memento first. If you miss us too much just kiss it to sleep okay? Okay that was Seunghyun hyung. I kicked him away. Anyways. Our letter is getting too long and Ji is being really annoying. Jiyong here! I SWEAR TO FIND THE TWO OF YOU EVEN IF IT MEANS GOING TO THE END OF THE WORLD. Okay. That was Ji obviously. And here's our address, find us if you read this! *address* Ending! Bye!! From your beloved hyungs ^^'

The two maknaes went from laughing to crying and laughing again. What a letter. Turning their attention to the desk, there indeed lies two crown necklaces. With a click, the locket opened and revealed a picture of the five of them. Smiling to each other, Seungri and Daesung pocketed the locket necklace into their pockets safely.

"I wonder how are the hyungs doing..." Seungri smiled sadly when he noted that the address that was written on the letter was the same one as the one that they went earlier.

"I'm sure they're fine. Judging by their letter." Daesung chuckled, followed by Seungri.

"I really hope we'll find them soon." Seungri sighed and started towards the door.

"We will. I'm sure of it." Daesung nodded firmly before following his maknae out of the door.

"Hopefully. Hyung! We should write a letter too!" Seungri stopped midway.

"Why not?" Daesung grinned as they head back and wrote a handwritten letter and placed it under paperweight on the desk.

"I hope they see this!" Seungri grinned before both boys walked back to the garden to meet the girls.

Kekekeke! 1 week and I'm back~~ did you enjoy the chapter? 

-Yuui-