“Everything in this world is relative. Our every movement, every thought and every emotion is a consequence of some causal circumstance. Everything we do, no matter how subliminal, is just a reaction to something.”

“Are you seriously using chemistry to explain what you did?”

“Uhm… Eonnie, it’s actually physics. Although, not entirely delimiting it of the quantitative aspect, I was essentially employing mathematics and logic to expound on the principles behi—”

“Shut up and answer my question. Stop traumatizing me with your intelligence.”

“Fine. Yes, perhaps to a certain degree. But unlike my actions, Physics is, by far, forgivable.”

“I did not ask you a single question when you told me you had to do something. I trusted you like you wanted me to. But now, you have to tell me everything.”

“It will be to your advantage if you remained ignorant about it, eonnie.”

There was momentary silence. Umji knew she would never escape this conversation even if she used her wit.

“What I said isn’t a request. It’s an order, Umji-yah.”

“Eonnie, it will haunt you as it would haunt me. It’s not something intended for the conscientious ears.”

“Then I’ll let your story haunt me to my grave. Let’s just hope Eunha won’t be beside me when we’re both dead. I don’t want to be nagged to hell because I didn’t tell her.”

“That’s an unnecessary worry. I’m confident that you’ll die assured that she’ll nag you either way.”

“You’re right. You just know everything, don’t you?”

“I guess I do. But sometimes, it’s unfortunate that I do.”

“So, why did you disappear? Why did you have to make us believe that you died?”

She took a defeated breath and put down on the concrete bench the cup of coffee she knew would end up cold and unfinished.

“Albeit SinB’s father really killed half of Yerin-eonnie’s family, he did not plot murder against his own. He, in fact, has been searching for SinB after her mother’s death, since, for obvious reasons, SinB’s body was never recovered from the accident scene. But at some point, he gave up the search due to the Academy’s pressure.”

“But I thought he was looking for SinB to kill her too?? That thumb drive, during that not-so-trial mission we had—”

“That’s what we and SinB thought. For more than thirteen years, she lived under the assumption that she was a prey to her father. True, there was a conspiracy to eternally silence her and her mother by burying them six feet under, but it wasn’t her father who instigated that plan. He was actually trying to save the both of them.”

“I don’t unders— But if it wasn’t the founder, then who wanted them dead?”

“The second high-ranking official of the Academy, the deputy. Apparently, the power struggle we heard about the higherups of the syndicate dated back during the time of SinB’s mother’s death. Politics, money, greed, what have you, they wanted SinB and her mother out of the picture.”

“Wait. The second-in-command?? Isn’t he rumored to be the one managing the Regenade-Hunt (RH) team?”

“It wasn’t a rumor. The RH team that eradicated Academy traitors and mutineers was the same team who chased us down. They hunted SinB’s mother because she wanted to expose the syndicate, but they had no reason to kill SinB. She was just a kid that time. But he was using them to finish her too. By the way, it’s Re-ne-gade.”

“Tss. Whatever. But why would the deputy want SinB dead too??”

“Simple. Because she was to inherit the Academy.”

“WHAT??”

“Dramatic and gut-revolting plot twist, isn’t it? I mean it’s not completely out of character for SinB to be diabolic as her father, already runs in her veins, but yeah, she’s the heiress of the syndicate. That’s also the reason why SinB’s father has been searching for her.”

“He was searching for her… to soon take his position in the Academy.”

“Exactly. The deputy cannot takeover if SinB existed. That’s why he wanted to eliminate her.”

“Wait, I need to process—. The founder didn’t plan on killing his family. He has been looking for SinB because he wanted her to assume leadership of the Academy? We never saw it that way. All along we thought… So, everything SinB knew about her father…”

“… Was not entirely true. For thirteen years, she feared and hated a nemesis who never was, at least not to her.”

“Umji—”

“I know, eonnie. If SinB knew about her father’s true intentions, God only knows how the story could have ended. He is still her blood. She will absolve him at some point if she knew the truth.”

“But Yerin…”

“There would be an inevitability that they’d fall apart. Because Yerin-eonnie will never stop until she takes down SinB’s father.”

“… But then SinB would not let that happen anymore.”

“It’s unpredictable how the future would turn out if either of them knew. But there’s one foreseeable certainty, SinB and Yerin-eonnie wouldn’t ever be on the same page anymore. And breaking the Academy apart would remain in the backburner indefinitely.”

There was silence. But this time, Sowon felt the weight of the soundless world. She started to bear the weight of the truth that Umji kept from everyone. She knew that Umji was right about the possible results of SinB knowing about her father’s story; she just didn’t know if Umji was right about what she did.

“That’s why you never told anyone.”

Umji just nodded.

“It’s probably unnecessary to ask, but how did you know all these?”

“I don’t know how her father discovered, but when SinB turned 18, her trust account was unfrozen and SinB started using the money to build the café, as homage to her deceased mother. That’s when her father presumed that SinB was alive. He hired someone to find her.”

“And you dug this information from the data we intercepted from that mission?”

“Yes and no. Yes, I got from the data that he was looking for SinB and how he knew she was alive. But it took a more aggressive intercession to know why he was looking for her.”

“Oh yeah, how did you know that her father wanted her to takeover the syndicate?”

“The initial plan on how to complete the 10% of the infiltration was not to send SinB or Yuju or anyone of you to the Academy’s premises. I was supposed to go in and do it myself.”

“Umji-yah, you don’t have to tell it to my face that you would have done a better job.”

“Eonnie, I don’t have to tell that to your face because, it’s already a known fact that I’d do a better job. There’s no need to prove, more so, announce a fact; it does that for itself.”

“I don’t understand exactly what you just explained, but just go back to answering my question.”

“How I knew why the founder was looking for SinB? I asked him myself.”

“What?! You asked her father??”

“Yes. I contacted him and pretended to be SinB.”

“WHAT ON EARTH?!”

“I’ve thought about it, why would the founder hire a detective to look for SinB, and not an assassin who’d just kill her?”

“Ah. You’re right.”

“Clearly, he wanted to know who SinB have become and where he could reach her. I realized that he had a different agenda that didn’t include wiping his daughter off the cosmos.”

“You’re right. How did we miss that…”

“Well, technically, we were hired to follow Boss J— I mean, SinB’s orders. We weren’t hired to cross-examine and confirm if her reasons were accurate.”

“You’re right.”

“Eonnie, you can stop saying that I’m right? I am always right. It’s unnecessary, redundant affirmation.”

“Shut up. So, okay, you mean you spoke with SinB’s father while pretending to be his daughter.”

“That’s exactly what I said. I did that for two things. One, was to know why he was looking for her estranged, erted daughter. And second, because I was looking for more non-violent ways to get into the Academy building so I could tap the wires myself to get into their mainframe. I thought I could play fake SinB until I gained access.

“I knew everything about SinB and it wasn’t even a bit challenging to convince her father to believe that I was truly his daughter. He didn’t have an inkling that I was an ingenious hoax. That’s when he explained everything.”

“And you believed him?”

“Not instantly, but yes. I tested him for days to see if he was just up to some maleficent plan. I counterchecked everything and even tracked his every move. But he was consistent, honest and he was even revealing classified information about the Academy.

“But besides all that, eonnie… I heard the voice of a father. He was just a father desperate to find a daughter he lost a long time ago. I could not mistake the excitement, the apprehension, the eagerness and the sound of regret in his words. I knew he wasn’t faking it.”

“But if he really didn’t want SinB dead, why were you ambushed?? And how did you know that you would be killed that night?”

“I was ambushed, yes. But I wasn’t ambushed as SinB.”

“WAIT. This is the most confusing conversation I’ve ever had with you! You sure weirdness isn’t communicated by making out?? You know, Yuju might have transmitted something to you, since, you know, you two already had—”

“EONNIE! Don’t even...!”

“Fine.”

“Just let me finish. So, while monitoring the Academy’s activities, I found out that I became the RH team’s next target. I don’t know how exactly, but they’ve uncovered my identity. I knew they wouldn’t stop searching until Yerin-eonnie and I were dead. That’s just how they work. They’d chase me to hell if they had to and it would have been just a matter of time until they discovered everyone.”

“That’s why you staged your death? They actually located you??”

“Yes and no.”

“It can never be just one answer, can it?”

“No, unless you only want half of the story?”

“Can you just stop being smart? Like, just this once??”

“Can you just stop being tall? Like, just this once? NO. It’s the same logic, eonnie. You being tall, me being smart, it’s something we did not choose to be, and it’s something we cannot borrow from each other.”

“Shut up. Fine. It’s a yes and no.”

“Yes, I staged my death. And no, they didn’t find me. I gave them my location.”

“Okay. So, you were committing suicide?! How is that being smart??”

“Like I said, the RH team will never stop hounding me until I die. So, I decided to ‘die’ to cut the chase. That way I could also stall them from finding the rest of the team.”

“I don’t’ know if I should thank you or take you to a psychiatrist for a quick check.”

“Eonnie, I’ve been prying into their system for way too long, it was effortless to frame my death at the exact time and location I wanted. Just so you know, I was already having coffee blocks away when the explosion happened.”

“Oh wow. And there we were broken, angered and miserable thinking you exploded to pieces, and you were what?! Drinking coffee??”

“I apologize for that. But there was another reason why I planned my death.”

“Don’t tell me it’s because you wanted to confirm if Yuju liked you, because kid, if so, I’ll schedule a doctor’s appointment right now!”

“I’m not pathetic like someone I know. I don’t scrounge for affection as if love was charity, and I don’t emotionally blackmail people for romanticism. More so, I don’t exploit alcohol for leverage nor wait for a bloody near-death situation to profess my feelings.”

“Oh yeah! Because you only shoot people in the heart and then confess—”

“EONNIE, DO YOU STILL WANT THE WHOLE STORY OR WHAT??”

“Tsss... Fine. What’s the other reason?”

“As I was saying, the RH team uncovered my identity and this was the reason why I could not pursue anymore the plan of intruding the Academy myself. But I thought I could capitalize on my imminent death and maximize its effects. I didn’t only want to hit two birds with a stone—”

“Why would you even want to hit birds?!”

“Eonnie, we really need to recheck your IQ. They made a critical mistake somewhere and tricked you to believe a fallacious information. Unless my Yuju transmitted something to you?”

“My IQ is 151, accept it. You're actually acknowledging that your girlfriend is weird??”

“I love her just the same.”

“EEEWW. You really fancy weird. Fine. So, you were saying…?”

“So, I wanted a stone to cause an earthquake that could potentially shatter the insides of the Academy.”

“And by that, you mean?”

“I arranged to meet with SinB’s father on the night of my death, at that convenience store. Only that I made him arrive a bit later, just in time for him to witness his daughter - me- explode. I wanted him to be distraught and believe that the Academy knew about SinB and assassinated her.

“And it was exactly what occurred and more. Because just days after my feigned death - as fake SinB, there was already an organizational disarray within the Academy. SinB’s father lost confidence in his men believing there was a mole who disclosed his search for his daughter.

“He started distrusting the Academy’s officials supposing that they were conniving to launch a coup and that his allies turned against him. He was enraged and started firing people here and there. Even his appointed officers turned against each other to salvage their asses. In a matter of four days, there was a greater power struggle within the ranks of the syndicate.”

“You’ve put the Academy in a vulnerable position. Distracting them.”

“My fake death seared the foundations of the syndicate and they were oblivious. I did what I thought was best… Even if it meant I had to be heartless to SinB’s father. I played with his mind and emotions.”

There was only apathy and decisiveness in Umji’s face, but Sowon felt the pang of guilt with how the younger girl let out her confession.

“Is that why you asked Yerin not to shoot him?”

“For playing tricks on him, I owe him at least that, that he does not die that way.”

“But Umji-yah, why did you have to disappear and make us believe that you’ve died? You could have returned and explained everything and we could have helped with your hiding? We were devastated. Well, except for Yerin, but she never told anyone that you were alive.”

“I intended that one of you would be in doubt of my death. Yerin-eonnie is the most impulsive and if she realized that I didn’t die, she wouldn’t thoughtlessly go for the Academy and massacre people. And besides, I didn’t need to anger Yerin-eonnie, because her view of the Academy will never change. By dying, I wanted to devastate the other members… SinB especially.”

“Hmm… If you must know, she wasn’t particularly devastated—”

“I know, she couldn’t suppress her hormones. I’ve anticipated that since Yerin-eonnie is back. But you, Eunha-eonnie and Yuju’s anger would rub off on her, and it did.”

“But why would you want SinB to be angered? She didn’t know about her father anyway.”

“When Yerin-eonnie disappeared, SinB kept telling me that if eonnie returned safely, that she would give up the mission altogether so that everyone could just live in peace. She was bargaining for Yerin-eonnie’s life.”

“And you didn’t want that to happen.”

“Of course. Imagine the repercussions of abandoning the mission. The Academy will never cease existing. Boss JDs allies who have been giving us support will go after us for aborting the plan. The founder will eventually find out about SinB, since he already knew that she is alive. The RH team will continue to hunt us one-by-one.”

“We’ll never really live in peace.”

“SinB’s hormones cannot get in the way of the plans, so, I laid down every step to complete the mission. I had to make you believe that I died so that SinB won’t abort the plans. I had to die to make the rest of the team continue seeking revenge. I faked dying so we could live the kind of life we’ve always wanted.”

For a moment, Sowon was just looking at how peaceful the Hangang river was in spite the raid of gusty winds. Umji was just caught in contemplation. There was just deep breaths and fluttering of their feet like they were feeling an irresistible compulsion to move as if it would erase the heaviness that tainted the air.

“Umji-yah, that’s a lot of lies needed to be buried with us.”

“It’s unforgivable.”

“It seems to me that you forced everyone to dance to your music.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing, Umji-yah.”

“Eonnie, there’s nothing I could justify my actions with.”

“I wasn’t asking for justification. I just wanted the truth.”

“There are still moments when I hate myself for doing what I did.”

“As your leader, I wish I could take that burden off your shoulder.”

“It’s a weight I chose to carry.”

“Umji-yah, you just played the song you believed was what everyone needed to hear.”

“And it was enough that you danced to it, you didn’t have to share the burden with me, eonnie.”

“Kid, that’s not for you to decide.”

“Eonnie, if you only knew what I knew—”

“Umji… If I did… I would have played the same song.”

A/N: Hi, it’s been a while (a very long while). I apologize for the agony my every update has caused you. Especially that many anticipated that each update would be the last. So, I’m telling you now that there is still one last chapter before I change the story’s status to Completed. The ending will be worth the wait, I promise. ;)

It’s been 9 months since I started writing BBP, and I thank everyone who has been reading, supporting and promoting the story since. Your comments, constant encouragement and kind words fuel fans like me to continue writing.

And as mentioned in Chapter 32, I have been preparing, with the help of the talented Tou (@twicefriendonly), a thank-you mail for the readers (The content? It’s for you to find out). Of course, to be able to send the mail (snail/postal mail), I would inevitably need your contact information, that is if you are comfortable providing it. All contact information will be destroyed/deleted afterwards (of course). Why am I doing this? It's just me wanting to literally send my gratitude (and me being extra). :p

If you wish to receive the mail, PM/DM me the following information here on AFF or through twitter @eyeforsr :

Thank you again, endlessly. Until the last installment of BBP (and maybe the teaser for the next story?). Let’s continue loving our 6 babies/angels/girlfriends who have been working extra extra hard for us.