Cheolyong pulled up the hoodie, his hair had became longer that it covered his eyes mysteriously as he stared at the exhibition mirror along the shop where a lot of televisions line up, showing different channel but he was only interested on the news section. There had been a talk again about the sudden fire that destroy the whole building and they were listing those who were sacrificed in the fire after confirmation from the forensic. One of them was his brother in law, Cho Dongwoon.

          Clenching his fist, Cheolyong turned away from the place and walked down the pedestrian, easily blending among the crowd as he took out the list of the Ruby he had printed out and a red marker as he crossed out two pictures of the Ruby but there were still a lot on the list. It had been two weeks since his identity was exposed and he had been living as a runaway, staying for only short time in one place and sometimes even having to hole up himself down in the gutter as Seungho had been chasing after him relentlessly.

          But it was partly his fault as well to be honest. Cheolyong had been hunting down the Ruby, from the uppermost on the list and unlike his initial thought that he would kill each and one of them, Cheolyong found himself deporting the first Ruby he managed to track to Seungho. To the organization Seungho work under. He… hadn't kill for a while already. And it wasn't that bad.

          So indirectly, he had been dropping some clues and hints on where he was by doing that. Surely the South would interrogate those spies he had post to the organization before putting down the punishment. And because of that, Cheolyong couldn't stay in one place and had to keep moving because unsurprisingly, Seungho was fast in catching up on him although he made sure to be a step further than the older.

          It was a mess. An utter mess. He had heard on how MBLAQ put a sudden stop on their group promotion and only three members of the group were still active in front of camera but it seemed that Byunghee hadn't been healthy enough to continue his solo activities and had been resting a bit from some shows he was supposed to feature on. Even Sangbae whom he hadn't contact for the longest time he could remember tried to reach him by phone but of course, Cheolyong opted to just threw the phone into the drain and bought another one to erase any lead on him.

          Cheolyong was worried about Byunghee when he first the news of Byunghee getting sick but it wasn't like he could do anything about it. Byunghee was already in a good care. He shouldn't poke his nose around where he wasn't supposed to. He had taken great length severing all the ties between him and them and it was all for the best as he was not only hunting Ruby but he was also hunted down both by South and North. It was better to be alone in this messy life of his. And it would be better for him to just forget about those people.

          Cheolyong opened his sweater, dumping it on the bed. Tonight was better than yesterday. He didn't have to spend the night at some random park and had decided to rent a motel room to finally get a proper rest. He locked the room and switched on the television, making sure to put it on the news channel as to keep an eye out on what had been happening around that he might have overlooked.

          There wasn't any other news to his concern except that the death of Cho Dongwoon and Cheolyong sighed again four countless time already. Now he was really alone. All of his family had left him and he was all alone.

          It made a sick feeling twirling inside his stomach, rendering him almost breathless but he caught himself before he fall even deeper, inhaling deeply and arranging his thought. This was not the time to reminisce the past that he missed. Past wasn't something reachable. All he had was present and even the future was unclear. Not for him. And not right now.

          A knock on his door caught Cheolyong's attention. He didn't expect any guests. Cheolyong took out his gun from his holster, holding it behind him and he walked closer to the door of his motel room. He peeked through the peephole and opened the door when he saw the son of this motel owner he had known when he checked into the room.

          The son of the owner of the motel flashed a lazy smile at him.

          "Yes?" Cheolyong asked, raising one brow.

          "There's someone looking for you." The boy, a middle schooler based on Cheolyong's observation said casually, not bothering to even lift his eyes from his smartphone.

          "Who?" Cheolyong asked again.

          The boy shrugged. "He said his name is Jiman."

          Cheolyong felt his hair behind his nape stood up at that name. Is this boy kidding with him? Jiman? What would Jiman even doing here? In South? "Where is he?"

          "He said he'll be waiting by the Café across." The son said, finally turning away and left without further explanation.

          Cheolyong retreated back into his room. He took out his on road sling bag and shoved all of his needed things inside. If anything happen, he was ready to flee. Taking back the sweater he dumped carelessly, he put it on and pulled the hoodie to cover his hair and eyes.

          Making his way calmly towards the café mentioned, he entered the door and just simply smile towards the staff welcoming him. He didn't need to search for long as he saw the omnious presence of a man in a long gray trench coat and large shaded glasses effectively hiding one of his blind eyes but not fully covered the scar on half of his face.

          Jiman…

          Cheolyong walked steadily until he stood next to the table. Jiman, without even looking up at Cheolyong, tilted his chin slightly to the seat across of him and said, "Sit."

          Cheolyong pulled the chair and sat but he wasn't relaxed, he sat upright and his feet opened slightly, his soles anchoring the ground, ready for any form of attack though he doubt this man across would want to make a scene in public. Jiman might have animalistic look in his eyes, but this man is wiser and way more patient than he appeared to be.

          "I see the… What was it again? MBLAQ, is it? MBLAQ had been having problem." Jiman started and leaned back on his sit.

                    Even when Cheolyong couldn't see the eyes behind the dark shades, he still felt the shiver ran up his spine. He felt more than see the sharp gaze from Jiman, stabbing right onto his chest. He never like that feeling.

          "Why are you here?" Cheolyong asked, holding the tone of his voice low.

          "The news arrived to me whether you like it or not." Jiman stirred his warm coffee and plopped two sugar cubes inside the black beverage, noticing how his every moves was being analyzed by the younger and how the younger never let down his guard. "Strangely, I couldn't find Jinwoon."

          Cheolyong smirked, amazed at how Jinwoon able to erase his existence from Jiman's radar. "So?"

          "Are you two really going to do this?" Jiman asked, his voice didn't lose the calmness.

          "Do what?" Cheolyong feigned ignorance.

          Jiman sighed. "Don't think I don't know what you have been doing. Jinwoon practically sending letter of challenge to president and you… What have you been doing? Why are you hunting down the Ruby? Why are you standing by South?"

          "Isn't it what we're supposed to do anyway?"

          "So, you know already." Jiman nodded. "But, not this way. You're provoking the president. Did you know your life in danger?"

          That made Cheolyong snorted, barely holding back a set of laughter. "Since when have my life ever in safety? I can't recall the time where my life is not in threat."

          "Cheolyong. I know I did wrong to you and Jinwoon and both of your family. I had no choice at that time. I want nothing than to take down North. I want North to pay for what they had done to me and my friends and now I realized in order to do so, I did the same thing to you and Jinwoon as what had North done to me."

          Cheolyong blinked, dumbfounded by what he heard. Not only the words Jiman spoke but also the way Jiman had said them. It was full or remorse and regret and guilt. "What had gotten into you?" Cheolyong blurted, leaning away from this man and looked at the man as if the man just grew two heads. It was worse. Jiman was in remorse? Jiman? Remorse? Cheolyong never knew he could describe those two words together in one sentence.

          "Well… My son… I guess."

          Cheolyong's eyes turned wide like saucers. "You have a son?" He almost shouted.

          There was awkward silence followed until Jiman spoke again seeing as Cheolyong was too stunned to say anything. "He had been trying to drill into my head that what I was doing was wrong but I was too distraughted by my grudge against North until he took it into his own hand. He told me he would protect what I had damaged."

          "And what is that?"

          Jiman looked into Cheolyong's eyes, or at least that what it felt like as Cheolyong couldn't see the orbs behind the dark glasses. "You and Jinwoon. He left North and left me. That's when for the first time, I fear for something. Fear of losing him. My one and only family."

          "I don't understand." Cheolyong's tensed shoulder slumped down a bit as he hold the side of his head, trying to soak in all of the information he was given.

          "You hadn't met him yet?" Jiman asked.

          "I don't even ing know you have a son!" Cheolyong snapped. "And just because you have a son, you think you can fix things you have damaged? You can have ten children for all I know. I don't ing care! What I know is you have taken me away from my family and North have taken my family away from me. I will never ever forgive you." Seething, Cheolyong stood up but Jiman stopped him.

          "I won't ask for forgiveness but I don't want you to make the same mistake as I did." Jiman also stood up facing the younger. "I once lost the people I treasure."

          "And I? If you forgot, let me remind you. I already lost them. I already lost my family. And you are one of the reason!" Cheolyong panted slightly, emotion burning his chest, boiling his blood. His hot tears gathering inside his eyes but his pride won't let them escape.

          "You haven't lost all yet." Jiman reminded.

          Cheolyong narrowed his eyes at this man but he didn't say anything in return, waiting for Jiman to continue.

          "You have those boys you love. You have Jinwoon. You have friends who think about you, who cares about you."

          Cheolyong winced slightly. He stood there, staring at Jiman until his eyes finally drifted to the ground and it seemed Jiman could read the meaning behind his gesture. He had no one. He lost all of them. Family? Friends? He had none of those.

          "What did you do?"

          Cheolyong smiled bitterly. "I guess I am no different from you." He said in an empty voice, turning away from Jiman.

          Jiman caught Cheolyong's wrist before the boy could leave. "Then, let us finish this once and for all."

          Cheolyong narrowed his eyes, studying Jiman but he spoke no words.

################

Coughing a bit, his throat felt like it was burning and his voice became scratchy. His eyes felt dry and stung each time he blinked. He was lucky he was given a break. He wouldn't be able to continue singing. Not with this current condition of his throat. "I need water." He coughed out again, rolling off his comfy bed and dragged his heavy feet out of his room.

          The dorm was quiet. Changsun and Sanghyun would still be at their own schedule. Seungho was busy chasing after Cheolyong from what he had last heard. He was alone in this apartment and suddenly it felt like this place was larger than it used to be.

          His whole body felt like it weight tons. His head was the only thing feeling so light he might have fly. Walking down the hallway, he couldn't help glancing at a closed door he walked past in his way. A room belong to the maknae of the group. A room belong to Cheolyong. A room that is empty and still waiting for the boy. Just like him.

          Byunghee sighed. He didn't even know why he was still waiting for Cheolyong. Why he even expect anything from the maknae. That day Cheolyong left, he should have bear in mind that, that would be the last day he would ever meet the maknae. But, his heart was more stubborn than his mind.

          Because of that, now Byunghee was standing again in front of the room. Staring at the closed door with a conflicted look. He missed the maknae. He worried for the maknae. He wished, for one last time to see the maknae again and… And what? What would he do if he saw the maknae again?

          Rage out about all the lies Cheolyong had told? Interrogate the maknae and get at least some truth out of the boy? What other truth? Seungho already explained to him and the rest of the MBLAQ members. Cheolyong was a North spy. An enemy to this country but… He couldn't seem to process the words. He couldn't seem to accept it.

          Byunghee sighed again, feeling the ground beneath his soles slightly moving. He shook his head trying to stop the room from spinning and closed his eyes for a moment, focusing so that he won't collapse. And that when he heard suspicious soft shuffling from the other side of the closed door.

          Snapping opened his eyes, Byunghee didn't even dare to breathe loudly and let his ears attached to the flat surface of the door, listening carefully. Nothing. Was he that sick that he heard what wasn't there? Surely, making sure by pushing open the door won't hurt…

          With that in mind, Byunghee pushed open the door and his eyes widened and his head felt lighter than before. In the middle of the room, stood the maknae whom he had long to see. It seemed either the maknae didn't notice his presence or simply ignoring his existence as the boy moved around, picking a few items and dumping them inside a small luggage left opened on the bed. Most likely the latter.

          "Cheolyong-ah." Byunghee called, voice raspy and cracking. He already forgot he was in need for a drink to relieve his dry throat.

          "I won't be long here." Cheolyong replied casually, not even turning properly to face the older, buzzing around, picking up the things he needed. He was surprised nothing was touched inside his room. Not even the secret small hole behind his computer desk where he stored his weapons was touched. Only the fragments of the wristwatch Jiman gave was not in place. But that didn't matter to him. He didn't need that anyway and even if Seungho got his hand on the fragments as well as the chip, he wouldn't be able to tract anything. Cheolyong was not that stupid. He had long tampered with that chip.

          "Cheolyong-ah." Byunghee approached the younger, but not before closing the door behind him just in case the other MBLAQ members suddenly decided to come back home. "Is it true? Is it true that you're… You're…"

          "What? That I'm this country enemy? That I'm a spy from North?" Cheolyong stopped what he was doing and finally turned to look at Byunghee. "You have no reason not to believe Seungho, didn't you? After all, he is the officer who's going to protect this country for all of his worth." Cheolyong mocked and turned back to the open luggage on his bed.

          "Please stop acting this way, Cheolyong." Byunghee exhaled. He was tired and exhausted, not to mention his high fever was making him more sensitive and he found himself already weeping like a child when he was supposed to be the older one here. "I don't like it."

          "You like it or not is not my concern. This is who I am." Cheolyong said without any feelings could be detected in his voice as he went towards the large bookshelf filled with his mangas. He took two third of the manga on the fourth row, slightly tip-toeing to reach the height and removed them carefully. Behind those books was a box of chess set made of glass which was the exact copy of the one that Cho Dongwoon got in his office room, though, this one was a bit special.

          "Stop lying." Byunghee pleaded, the room was spinning around again and worse than before. He held his head in his hand, hoping for it to stop.

          Cheolyong snorted. "You're confusing lies and truth. That MBLAQ maknae is the lie. This is the real me. So, why aren't you calling for Seungho already? Or police? Even better, just get the whole NIS here already." Cheolyong zipped close the luggage after putting the chess set inside and frowned when he heard no reply from the older. He looked over his shoulder and gasped when he saw Byunghee already lying half-conscious on the floor. He ran towards the older male and bent down to check on him. It seemed that he was running a high fever, body shaking and teeth clattering.

          Cheolyong sighed and picked Byunghee up easily and took the latter to his bedroom down the hall, despositing the sick man onto his own bed and covered him with a blanket. He ran around the empty dorm picking up medicine and a bowl of cold water also a small towel and some bread for Byunghee to eat before taking the medication.

          "You still care…" Byunghee said tiredly from the bed when he felt cold towel being set onto his burning skin. "You are still our maknae."

          "Shut up." Cheolyong warned but his voice was gentle and filled with concern. "You should eat some and take the pills." He pushed the tray closer to Byunghee. He was about to leave when Byunghee caught his hand. The hold was loose and with no power, shaky even and Cheolyong would have been able to break out of the grip without even using force but he didn't and waited.

          "Would you come back to us again?" Byunghee asked, rubbing his thumb over Cheolyong's palm, hoping for at least a nod.

          But Cheolyong gave him a definite answer. "No." Crushing all the hope left.

          Byunghee would have retort but the answer from Cheolyong was final. He somehow knew, nothing would change the maknae's mind. And he will lost Cheolyong for real this time.

          Something told him that this would be the last time he would ever see his maknae ever again.

          It didn't matter that the company won't let out an official announcement about MBLAQ. It was already over for five of them. Seungho wouldn't forever stay with MBLAQ and would return to his place sooner or later. Same goes to Cheolyong. MBLAQ was no MBLAQ without their fierce yet secretly adorable leader and their crazy silly yet dependable maknae.

          "Just pretend I have never exist from the start. That would have been better. For all of us." Cheolyong said, closing his eyes to control the hurt he felt over his own words.

          "How can I do that?" Byunghee questioned rhetorically as his eyes drifted to the ceiling, suddenly feeling more lonely than ever.

          "You can." Cheolyong tugged away his hand gently from Byunghee's clasp. "You will."

          "Tell me something." Byunghee turned back to meet Cheolyong's eyes. "Are you really going to destroy South for North?"

          "And if I do? Do you hate me for it?" Cheolyong inquired, wanting to hear the answer for some reason he didn't even know.

          "No." Byunghee's orbs stabbed deep into Cheolyong's surprised one. "I can never hate you."

          "Why?"

          "If you're given a choice between your family and your home, which would you choose?" Byunghee asked back for his answer for Cheolyong's question lied inside his question. "Because for me, my home is only when I'm with family. There's no home without family."

          "I am not your family."

          "But you are." Byunghee sat up a bit, letting the wet towel on his forehead slipped onto his laps. "Just because you denied it, it won't change my mind. For me, you are family. My little brother whom I loved just as much as blood family."

          It felt some sort of like deja-vu. Byunghee's words just reminded him of Jinwoon's words. And he couldn't help the pang inside his chest for he had to push aside all these love he was offered without looking back.

          Because he didn't deserve it or so he thought.

          When Jiman had told him that they would end this unannounced war once and for all and once Cheolyong had nodded in agreement, he knew, that day might be his last day in this world. It was better that way. He was one of plague that won't be needed in South.

          Cheolyong however couldn't find it in himself to break Byunghee's heart even more than he already did. He planned all the cruel and mean words he was about to spit just to prove he was heartless and there was no used to give him such love as he won't hesitate to threw it aside and stampered all over it. He couldn't spilt it out in words. Since when did lying became hard for him? So, he decided to just left but was frozen in his spot when he heard noised outside of Byunghee's room. He turned and exchanged a glance with Byunghee who seemed a little bit more surprised than Cheolyong himself.

          Running towards the window, he jumped out of it but didn't leave as his luggage with his needs was still on his bed in his room. He clung onto the drainage pipe installed vertically next to the window. The height of this building didn't scare him even a bit as he waited outside and heard clearer voice of Changsun once the door to Byunghee's room opened.

          "Hyung. Feeling any better?" Changsun waltzed in and sat next to Byunghee, his eyes caught tray of food and water and pills on the table by the bedside. "You got everything here already. I shouldn't be worried. Of course the umma of the group can take care of himself better than anyone else." He chuckled.

          "Why are you back so early?" Byunghee asked, trying not to glance out of his window to make sure Cheolyong was fine.

          "It seem that Sanghyun caught your flu. So we just got out earlier."

          "Is he okay?"

          "Yea. He is probably sleeping now. Just a flu. I already took his temperature, it is not that high." Changsun yawned a bit. "I should catch some sleep too. I have to head out again in a half for another show. I know you're not well so don't bother fussing over Sanghyun. I already gave him some meds. He'll be good until I finish for today." He stood up. "You should take your medicine too. Rest well."

          Once the sound of door opening and closing again, Cheolyong swung his body and his hand caught the rail on the window before flinging himself back into the room. He met eyes with Byunghee for a moment before silently retreating, saying goodbye only through his gaze and Cheolyong was grateful Byunghee didn't hold him back. He might faltered if Byunghee did…