Youngbin needed to get out - not just to get answers but also to escape from the prison that the house has become. It's been three days after Hwiyoung revealed the truth and ever since then, Inseong and Jaeyoon have been looking at him with pity in their eyes and little sad smiles and he hated that. 

The opportunity came during the fifth day. It was raining hard and they all retired to their rooms after dinner. Youngbin paced inside his room for hours, waiting and waiting, not bothering to sit or lay down as he was afraid that he might fall asleep. He kept glancing at the clock, waiting for it to strike midnight and when it finally did, he quietly opened his door and stepped out. The hallway was empty. He can see a bit of light peeking under the door next room where Inseong and Jaeyoon were staying and he knew for a fact that the two were probably engrossed in watching a drama.

"Now i only have to worry about Hwiyoung," Youngbin mumbled to himself. 

Just as the words were out of his mouth, the lights in the kitchen came to life. That answers that, Youngbin thought. 

After a few minutes, the lights were turned off again. Youngbin wasn't sure what Hwiyoung was going to do and so he rushed back inside his room, keeping the door slightly ajar. He waited for a few more minutes before going out again and this time, all was quiet except for the steady patter of rain on the roof. Youngbin tiptoed towards the living room. He crept up slowly towards the tv, his hands feeling along the back of it for the car key. Within seconds, his fingers brushed over a small boxed-like shape and he grabbed it, thankful that they didn't change where they hid the key. 

He rushed outside, not bothered by the rain and within minutes, Youngbin was on the highway back to Seoul. 

---

 

Hwiyoung stepped away from the shadows and watched as the car pulled away from the house. 

"Are you sure this is right?" Inseong asked, appearing beside him. He was the only one who didn't agree with this idea. 

Hwiyoung nodded. "It would be worse if we didnt' let him go. He needs to find the answers himself," the kid replied. 

"And Chani? Have you told him about this?" 

"I'll tell him soon. For now, i want Youngbin and Dawon to have a talk."

 

---

 

Youngbin reached his apartment building by the time the sun rose. He climbed the steps slowly and with steps as heavy as the feeling in his chest. He paused just in front of the doorway, hand frozen on the knob. He closed his eyes and counted to ten to calm himself and then he pushed the door open. 

The place looked the same as it was before but somehow, Youngbin felt disgusted by it. This place was suppose to be a haven, a sanctuary and yet it reeks of betrayal to him right then. He slowly made his way around and turned everything over. Within the hour, he had found one of the cameras - it's a thin, small box that had the exact color of his walls. 

"Lee Dawon!" Youngbin wasn't sure if Dawon could hear him or not but he didn't care. He's pretty sure Dawon would know that he's calling him out. "You ing piece of come out here!" Youngbin yanked the camera from the wall then and slammed it hard against the floor. Not contented, he proceeded to stomp on it until all the wires came out of the casing. 

Knowing what he was looking for, it only took Youngbin several more minutes to remove all the cameras. He even double checked every inch of the place just to make sure. It was only after he was done that he felt the exhaustion. He had been driving for hours straight with no food and water and the adrenaline had already left his body. Youngbin wanted to stay awake, afraid that Dawon might take advantage of him passed out but his entire body is screaming in agony and so he went to the bedroom, locked the door and let sleep carry him away. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You look like ," 

Youngbin jumped out of bed, all traces of sleep suddenly gone from his body. He clutched at his chest, heart beating wildly. Dawon pushed himself off the wall and stood right in front of the open door. "I'm glad you missed me though," Dawon said with a smirk 

The guy standing in front of Youngbin was so different from the one he came to know. And yet the longer he looked at him, the more he saw traces of his friend hiding behind the styled blonde hair and blue contacts. Youngbin scrunched his eyes shut, maybe this is just a dream, he thought. But when he opened his eyes again, the guy was still in front of him looking like he's having a good time. 

A thousand questions flitted inside Youngbin's mind but only one word escaped his lips, "Why?" 

"Because i was bored," Dawon answered without hesitation.

"W-What?!" Youngbin was expecting some sort of deep explanation or just something,really... not that.

Dawon sighed. "I was there during the SF Group announcement. I knew who you were and i knew every person in that room. Anyway, it was supposed to be a productive day for me, but your father just stole the show."

Dawon turned and walked out into the living room leaving Youngbin with no other choice but to follow. 

"I have been following SF Group for years and i figured it was a great way to meet the new CEO but then, they announced a new guy as the next in line? God, I was so annoyed," Dawon explained, his voice still holding some sort of anger or annoyance. 

Everything Dawon said just gave birth to more questions instead of the answers he was seeking. Youngbin can't even wrap his head around everything and it's starting to give him a terrible headache.

"But the first time we met th-"

Dawon met his eyes. "That was all planned. I had some of my guys "beat" me up," he said. "Besides, a guy like you, you wouldn't know how a real fist fight wound would look like," 

"Why?" Youngbin repeated.  

Dawon sighed. "Nothing, okay?! I was just curious about you. I wondered what you would do next. I thought you would go running to your mother's family and ask for their help but no, you just removed yourself from the picture and allowed that bastard to take what's rightfully yours." 

Youngbin was quiet after that. Since he was little, he was already being groomed as the future CEO and he liked the idea of it - the money, the power. Only a fool would really turn that down. But still, a part of him always thought of a different life. Something away from all the money and just, living life as a normal person. He entertained the idea a few times but he always knew what was expected of him and so he did everything to please his father. 

But Chani suddenly came into the picture. Youngbin was shocked and angry but now that he thought about it - the burden of being the next CEO suddenly lifted from his shoulders, the eyes of the media directed onto another - it was liberating.

"You know, i feel like you're actually enjoying this kind of life," that comment brought him back to reality. Dawon was pacing around him, like a predator circling its prey. 

"But you were working for my father," Youngbin exclaimed, suddenly remembering the fact from the conversation Hwiyoung had with Inseong and Jaeyoon. 

"Oh, that came after i started working at the coffee shop. I accepted it. It was good money and i don't even have to do anything."

"And the kidnapping?" Youngbin asked meeting Dawon's gaze. 

"My doing," Dawon replied with a straight expression. "The best way to gain absolute trust is by saving the life of a person or something along those lines" he continued. 

Youngbin closed his eyes, his head was reeling with all of the things he learned up to this moment and he wants nothing more than to think that this is all a dream. His father, Dawon, Chani everything is just one big mess. 

"Don't worry, it's going to be okay,"

Youngbin opened his eyes at that. Dawon's face was close to his and somehow, the eyes that were looking at him belong to the person that he has considered his friend. He almost believed those words, until he felt something prick his palm. 

He turned his hand over and saw a small droplet of blood right in the middle of his palm. He looked back up at Dawon but the other's face was starting to contort into different shapes. He wanted to scream and lash out but his muscles aren't doing what he wants them to do. In a few seconds, all that greeted him was darkness.