“What?”

Jeongyeon stepped on the brake abruptly, making herself and Tzuyu who was sitting on the passenger seat nearly launch forward.

“What do you mean by dead?”

“D-E-A-D, dead! Jung Hookym’s dead!”

They had to pull over first since the cars behind were honking the horns madly. Once parked, they both pressed their fingertips on their earphones unconsciously, urging Jihyo to keep talking.

“I just got the news, I don’t know much either.” Jihyo kept typing while receiving messy information from the media and other agents. “It happened about an hour ago…He was heading to his youngest son’s house, who is Jung Taein’s half-brother, and his car exploded at the house gate when the family of three came out to greet him. He and his driver…Yang Hyunseo as I see from here, died on the spot, as to his son’s family…” Jihyo swallowed when she saw the latest update. “Jung Taeheon was severely injured and still undergoing surgery, his wife and the five-month-old baby…died on the ambulance.”

They were all speechless because it was far beyond they could bode. Jeongyeon grabbed her phone and opened the browse, reports and news were all over the internet, she was shock indeed, but the deceased were not what she cared at that time.

“Has Jung Taein made any statements?”

Have you heard anything from her?

“Not yet. In fact, he barely showed in front of the cameras either, only one media was able to capture the scene that he almost fainted when he entered the hospital, guards were around him and blockaded the hospital right after. Hey, speaking of this…” Jihyo frowned. “Don’t take me wrong, I know you don’t really want to see him and I’m glad you two stay out of that chaos, but you sure you can just wander around like this without accompany him? Won’t he be more suspicious?”

“Actually, he asked us to do this kind of patrol stuff and not guard beside him.” Tzuyu glanced at Jeongyeon who sank into her thoughts. “He has been suspicious since…”

“Right, I got it.” Jihyo sighed to herself. Jung Taein must had sensed something unusual that day, she was sure he wouldn’t be able to dig Jeongyeon’s past, but she couldn’t be sure if he would find out the affection between the two. After all, things had dramatically changed recently, there were a lot they couldn’t pretend like before even if they wanted to. Jihyo worried about Nayeon, she worried more about her partner. God knows what kind of stupid stuff she might do again.

“Hey, BamBam just sent a message, saying that Jung Taein sent two guys to take Nayeon home from her office. Medias couldn’t get the news they want, they might go bother her and his employees.”

“I’ll go too.” Jeongyeon blurted out. “We’re not far from the headquarters, I’ll go get another car first.” She then looked at Tzuyu, not queried, but more like confirmed. “Cover me if he asks to meet us, will you?”

Tzuyu nodded without further questions.

“Yah, you…”

Before Jihyo’s words finished, Jeongyeon already jumped off the car and scampered into the alley behind.

“It’s ok, Jihyo unnie.” Tzuyu spoke first, slightly joked. “At least she left the car to me instead of letting me walk back.”

“Yeah, not only the car but also the responsibility of facing Mr. Upstart on your own. She really owes you a lot, kiddo.”

“I know, I will ask her to reward me afterwards. Right now she’s just looking for a reasonable excuse to go see her, so…Let her be.”

The moonlight was hazy behind the clouds, the breeze was cool outside the half-opened window. No passers could be seen on the street, the world—the suburbs, were all asleep at this moment.

Sitting alone in the car, Jeongyeon kept her eyes on the Jung’s mansion which was across the street, remaining that head turned to the left posture for at least an hour. It was already midnight, Nayeon had worked overtime for days but yellow lights could still be seen from the windows covered by curtains. Jeongyeon wondered what she was doing, why she hadn’t gone to bed or precisely, what exactly was in her mind.

That day in the cemetery, her identity was not a secret to Nayeon anymore, Jeongyeon knew she wouldn’t let her go so easily if it wasn’t interrupted by her husband. But now, two weeks since Jung Hookym’s death, 12 days since Jung Taein left to who cares where, dealing with those business his father left behind and a week since Jeongyeon started her guard, Nayeon never tried to talk to her or look for her, she didn’t even spare her a look yesterday and the day before yesterday when she obviously noticed her presence outside her house.

She’s ignoring me. Jeongyeon was confused and anxious and even though she didn’t want to admit, she was upset. Nayeon always has the ability to steal the calmness from her and make her mind become a mess.

I don’t know what she’s thinking, I don’t know if she can still take it after so many s occurred because she has been ignoring me. Why?

After a while, Jeongyeon turned her head back, slightly massaged her sore neck while feeling herself at the edge of going mad. Sitting in the car and do nothing but observing was useless as expected, she almost gave up on being Ryu Jaehee anymore and just dashed into the mansion to get the answers she craved.

“Click”

The sound wasn’t loud, but Jeongyeon snapped back immediately when sensing the movement. Nayeon appeared on the driveway of their front yard, holding something in her hand which Jeongyeon could not see it clearly. She couldn’t see her expression either since she kept her sight down, but she was coming to her direction for sure. Jeongyeon watched her walking closer, her ability of moving and thinking disappeared to nowhere.

Nayeon stopped at about a feet away from the car, looking up at her for merely one second before lowering her head again. “Taein won’t be home till next Tuesday, Sana’s staying with me tonight and her father helped to keep the press away, or perhaps you already knew that.” Her voice was faint, almost like a mutter. “Nothing will happen, if that’s what you are worried about. Go home and rest.”

The ability of talk didn’t seem to come back, Jeongyeon clumsily opened the door and stepped out the car. They stood in the middle of the empty street, face to face, but not eyes to eyes.

“If you’re not planning to leave…” Nayeon gently handed her that brown coat and a blanket. “Keep yourself warm.”

Without further words or looks, Nayeon turned around and walked away. “W-Why…” She paused, no third person was there so it was obvious that who was talking and who was she talking to. “Why you don’t question anything?”

You finally got the chance to confront me without being disturbed or evaded, why…

“What do you expect me to ask?” Nayeon said, voice calm and even a little indifferent, totally caught Jeongyeon off guard.

“I…” Jeongyeon’s brain stumbled, she gasped before managed to speak: “You don’t ask anything, t-this isn’t right…That old man died, you must be shock and scared but…You don’t let out any emotions in front of me after t-that day, you don’t say those doubts you have all the times to me, you act like you’re fine but you’re not, you should…” It was her turn to lower her head. “You should ask everything. You should h-hate me, not care for me.”

Nayeon scoffed before slowly turning around, Jeongyeon gripped the corner of her shirt as she felt to be seen through. “You’re seriously saying that? You know nothing about why I’m like this?”

Biting her lower lip, Jeongyeon said with her tone weak: “I don’t. Please, you have to…talk to me. You’re driving me crazy.”

There was a moment of silence before Nayeon whispered: “Do you realize how selfish you are?”

Seeing she finally showed some sentiments but did not expect to be like this, Jeongyeon could only stare at her while trying hard to prevent her hands from trembling.

“You think I don’t wanna ask anything? Will you really answer every god damn question I’ve been asking myself over the past few years? Two years without meeting you in person, and three years…” Nayeon had to stop to swallow the tears back. No, I don’t want to cry in front of her again. “Three years living in regrets, thinking you’re g-gone because of me and would never come back, do you know what that feel?”

Didn’t bother to wait for her response, Naye