Chapter 10.1
 

That evening, everyone was gathered at Yuri’s office room in order to discuss the real serious business. Obviously, especially someone like Yuri, Yongsun, and Moonbyul would have the highest motive in this plan…to obliterate the SuperSoldier project from this world. So the leader had discussed the plan after she had a private conversation with both Yoona and Yongsun. Their objective of this plan is to destroy all the information and knowledge of SuperSoldier forever, and that could mean that they needed to kill Hwang Steve as well. He used to work in the old project…and now he was being the leader. They couldn’t risk this happening again in the future. Too many victims were contributed into this already…only the three survivors of the project, was more than enough curse. However, Moonbyul got a question on how they would know where Hwang Steve would be…he could be anywhere, as well as the data of SuperSoldier project too. It was like searching for a needle in a vast deep ocean.

“How would we know where will he be?”

“I assume where his daughter is…he will be there.”

Yuri pressed the button on her laptop and showed GPS on the projector right in front of them. Taeyeon stared in front of the screen and could see where it was located in the C.I. main headquarters and for a sharp mouse…she knew immediately who carried that GPS. She diverted her eyes to her leader and it seemed it was all according to her plan.

“Since when did—”

“She offered it, the GPS is in her earring and so high likely no officers would detect it.”

“…What?”

Taeyeon was completely lost. However, the more that Yuri explained the situation the more she was shocked. Her leader used Tiffany as to help them track Hwang Steve, their main target for their assault. It was like Tiffany had secretly cooperated with Yuri with this plan. It just sound so impossible to Taeyeon that a person like Tiffany would do something risky like this…against her own father. Yuri was extremely confident that the new laboratory would be located at that same old warehouse…where the old laboratory was located. That place was a part of to C.I. department’s property, and so it had all of those abandoned equipment that was essential for the human-experimenting project. Or at most they would be close by to that place. It was the best area to conduct such an inhuman experiment without having anyone caught them. As Taeyeon listened to the whole thing…she was stunned, and in a state of shock. It made the mouse reflected on many things that happened…and none of those incidents seemed to make Yuri surprise at all.

“…It’s all planned?”

“Taeyeon?”

Others around were confused with what the mouse uttered, but not Yuri. She only looked back with those clam emotionless eyes as if she understood what Taeyeon was saying. The grumpy thief looked back into her leader’s eyes…and realized that her instinct said was true. It was all planned. When she put some thought into it…how would the officers knew this area out of a sudden. How did they manage to come so close to the dark alley? If they knew where she was they would’ve come since the beginning already…if it was by luck then they would’ve found them many years ago. Taeyeon realized…something was odd about it.

“Those officers…! It is all planned isn’t!?”

“…Sometimes, you can be too sharp for your own sake, Taeyeon.”

“Eh? I’m lost, what are you talking about Taeyeon?”

Moonbyul was lost, but not the other two ladies. They knew about it already during the private discussion that happened before this official meeting. They did know all the truth through Yuri and all the hidden plans she had been plotting…with Tiffany. The Yoona was shocked to learn the truth… such things like this wasn’t something she would expect at all, from both Yuri and Tiffany. As for Taeyeon, she seemed to be enraged for some reason. In some ways, Yuri leaked the information about Tiffany that she was close by to the dark alley so to have Tiffany be abducted by her father once again. Taeyeon couldn’t think straight at the moment, right now, she was angry. All she could feel was the anger boiling inside her when she knew the hidden scheme Yuri plotted.

“About how those officers came so close to dark alley…about that woman giving herself in…it’s all the plan??”

“…Yes. It is.”

“People were killed from that!! If I wasn’t there Jimin would be dead too! Also…you knew how much risk is this and yet you used her—!”

“It’s a deal I made with Hwang Tiffany. I did tell her the risk, but she still accepted it. It is a fair deal that we came to an agreement with.”

Yuri stayed so firm to what she said and she even explained the deal she made with Tiffany. She told how the officer Hwang would be her spy and force herself to get involve with SuperSoldier project in order to find its exact location. The more Taeyeon listened to it the more she couldn’t believe it. It’s so outrageous that she couldn’t believe Tiffany was willingly to do something like this. She was literally selling her father out to Yuri, and the mouse knew her leader very well…that she could be so heartless that could make the ruthless Kim terrified.

“…I know you’re good with manipulating people. Someone like her wouldn’t be selling her father out so easily.”

“How much did you know her anyways, Taeyeon?”

“…!”

How much did she know Tiffany? It just made  wondered what and how much did Yuri knew her…she barely saw any moments that Tiffany could be alone with her leader. She did take some confidence that she knew the officer the most since she was with her majority of the time in dark alley. But seeing that confidence in Yuri’s eyes, Taeyeon didn’t know what to argue back to her at all. It was the moment she started to realize that she didn’t actually know Tiffany as much at all.

“We will commence the moment we received a signal from her, telling us the exact location of where the project is continuing.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Everyone replied in unison but except Taeyeon. There were too many things for her to process and many of it was unbelievable to her. Part of her couldn't believe how Yuri plotted of these with Tiffany…and that officer giving information to their leader too. At least she was getting the information into her head but then the next thing that Yuri stated gave her a heart attack…

“Taeyeon, you’ll be staying here and look after the base while everyone goes on the mission.”

It wasn’t just Taeyeon, but literally everyone except Yuri. They were shocked, and couldn’t think of a reason why Taeyeon shouldn’t be going at all. She was a strong and smart fighter that was essential for their front line. The best hacker out of everyone living in the dark alley, it would be her. None of them couldn’t figure out what would be the reason behind Yuri’s order to leave Taeyeon at the base…obviously Taeyeon rebelled and protest against it.

“What the—! Why!?”

“It is not your problem, you shouldn’t risk your life on something that’s not a matter related to you.”

“For all these years, none of the task I did is related to my matter! Why now!?”

“The deal is what needs to be kept. In return for Tiffany’s cooperation, is to ensure you won’t participate in this mission.”

“…What??”

She was stunned. Completely stunned. Yuri said it was the deal she made with Tiffany…whatever you received; you’ll have to pay equally back. As Tiffany gave her cooperation to Yuri to be the spy in the enemy’s headquarters…so definitely she knew that Kwon Yuri would launch an invasion into the base to annihilate the project once and for all. Therefore, Tiffany requested for Taeyeon not to go…for Taeyeon not to participate in this mission. That somehow replayed her words in her head about how Tiffany would stop her from revenging…was this her plan all along? To prevent her from going to kill Hwang Steve? This just made her so annoyed with how a weak woman like her was capable for such a thing to make a deal with Yuri. Not many dared to do such a thing…and hardly Yuri would accept a deal with someone unless she found it as an extreme good deal. Tiffany alone wouldn’t be able to stop her from going. Even Yoona, Yongsun, or Moonbyul… They wouldn’t be able to stop Taeyeon if she was being really serious. But if it was Yuri, then that would be a totally different story, since probably she was the only one that could order over Taeyeon unconditionally.

“You’ll remain station here, without any further arguments.”

“…!”

Others could see how much Taeyeon was struggling against that absolute order. Everyone knew that Kim was the one that wanted to go the most since her whole living was for this day…to revenge on Hwang Steve. However, despite how much Taeyeon wanted to disobey her, she couldn’t do it. Yuri’s order was absolute to everyone and no matter how much she despised it; she needed to do it…that’s the golden rule within the family. Leader’s order is absolute.

“Right now, prepare for the commence any second from now. Be ready to leave at anytime when we receive the signal from our spy.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Taeyeon remained in silence without saying anything. She tightened her grip without being rebellious against Yuri at the slightest. Yongsun glanced at the corner of her eyes and saw how upset Taeyeon was…from her actions, from her expression, it said it all. She just stood there listening to the plan that she wouldn’t be participating…for Yongsun to just watch the poor girl looking down onto the floor like this made her hurt. As for Taeyeon…she was hopeless with what to do. She even wanted to storm out from this place immediately because it was utterly pointless for her to even be here and listen if she was to stay at this place. She really did underestimated Tiffany after all; the woman really did make her stop the revenge, forcefully, by having her locked up in this place. She did just stood there in silence until the whole discussion ended. It wasn’t just anger that was stirring inside her heart…but it was filled with fear as well. She couldn’t understand why… The more she heard the plan that Yuri organized, the more she was scared. The mix of fear and anger create a complete mess that she didn’t know what to feel anymore.

“…”

After the whole discussion was done, Taeyeon was the first to leave the room and Yongsun could see that. She seemed to know what was going on inside Taeyeon’s mind and gave the girl sometime to cool herself down first before she plan to approach her. Probably no one could understand how she felt right now…Taeyeon obviously needed to calm herself down, and so she went to the roof deck to get some cold breeze of the night.
 

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Sitting under the moonlight, watching the clear sky having few stars and the full moon. She allowed the cold breeze to tackle her bare skin in order to calm herself down from her anger from Yuri and Tiffany. She was wearing her usual sleeveless black shirt and shorts in order to allow her limbs make contact with the wind. She was sitting down on that cold concrete floor while her mind drifted off. Their stupid deal just prevented her from the goal of her life…to take revenge on Hwang Steve. She lived for 20 years for this, but both of them came to stop her so easily like it's a piece of cake. Obviously she would be so angry about it…but it wasn’t just anger that was dominating her feelings, it was fear. She had this overwhelming fear ever since the discussion started and the more Tiffany was mentioned from Yuri. The more the leader mentioned the more she felt lost…she didn’t know what Tiffany was doing at all. It felt as if she didn’t know her at all…but then Taeyeon questioned why she was feeling like that. Tiffany was nothing to her…she was just a toy, a mere toy, and nothing else. But deep down could she always deny that?

“Ugh! Dammit…! ing hell!!”

Taeyeon banged her fist onto the floor with full force and sighed when she replayed the discussion in her head once again. So Tiffany knew about the officers…she knew they would appear, she plotted to tell her to stop the revenge. It was all planned. At that moment she was actually swayed by Tiffany’s words and she didn’t know whether to believe it or not. She was confused…half of her wanted to believe that she’s a liar and only did good things to her to trick her. However…another half that she couldn’t deny was that she wanted to believe in her, that her words were real, and it’s not trying to deceive her in any kind of way. Taeyeon only could bit her lips and shook her head. The more she think about Tiffany, the more fear accumulated inside her heart. She feared what will happen to her after this? She was with her father, Steve, the main target, would she be okay? Will she be safe? Will she be harmed? Will she die? The more she thought of it, she could feel her heart trembling and she was having a shortness of breath. She squeezed her eyes shut and banged her tightened hand onto the floor without mercy for her hand. The only way to express her stress and frustration would be inflicting pain to herself. By coming out to gaze at the moon didn’t really help her at all.

“That woman…frigging hell…”

Taeyeon sighed and was completely lost. She didn’t know what to do anymore…she was prohibited to go in the mission…it just reminded herself that last smile she saw…that farewell smile. It gave her a chill down her spine, which it left an impression that it would be the last time she would meet Tiffany. There wouldn’t be that genuine smile and touch anymore. She had to admit that even for a short while…she experienced the feeling to be cared and loved. She hated to admit that she missed that feeling…she missed Tiffany’s presence beside her. The only thing she carried right now was that necklace that the officer let behind. She took it out form her pocket and stared at it while it was resting on her palm. Having the chance to observe the pendant, it was an outline of a tree in the middle of the circle. It was made from gold, and seemed to be quite old too. She clutched onto it and remembered how this necklace used to be around that woman’s neck. When she thought about it…ever since she met her, she never called her by her name, not even once. How many times did Tiffany call her name already? So many times that it was uncountable. Never she had uttered through those lips at her at all. She sighed again and looked back up to the shining moon. It was beautiful, and unfortunately, Tiffany wasn’t there to see it.

“Tiffany: Wow…it’s so beautiful. It’s not something I can see in the city.”

“…I guess that’s what she will say.”

Unconsciously without realizing, she actually thought about what would the officer say if she were to be here. Her mind was truly occupied about Hwang, for the entire time. She didn’t know how long she had been up here, but it must’ve been for quite a long while already. Maybe an hour or two? Or longer than that? She was lost with time until she heard the door roof deck door opened. Taeyeon glanced to see who it was and it was the tall raven-haired woman. That moment she thought it was Tiffany…her eyes grew wide and she was about to stand up already.

“You…”

“I thought about waiting for you to come down, but I give up.”

She walked out from the shade and revealed that gentle eyes of hers. It was Kim Yongsun. She was completely deceived, that was when Taeyeon realized that Yongsun’s appearance was similar to Hwang’s. She almost mistook her as Tiffany already, thankfully she didn’t utter her name out by accident, or else it would be so embarrassing and humiliating.

“Can I sit with you?”

“Ah…yes.”

She sat down beside Taeyeon and looked up into the sky. It was a beautiful scene today. She only smiled while she enjoyed the scene above her along with the nice cool breeze. They didn’t utter a single word for quite a while and enjoyed the silence along with each other’s accompany. However, it hit the point that Taeyeon got curious with the reason Yongsun came up here to talk to her.

“…Yongsun, what is it that you want to talk to me?”

“I know you’re upset with Yuri stopping you from going, yes?”

“…Pretty much.”

“Are you scared?”

“E-Eh?”

Taeyeon was surprised with how Yongsun was able to read through her thoroughly. She expected others to think that she was angry and upset…but not scared. Taeyeon just simply nodded softly while she played around the necklace on her hand without saying a word. Yongsun simply just watched over her actions and threw in more questions at Taeyeon.

“Can you tell me why are you scared?”

“…It’s…complicated.”

“Go on.”

Yongsun was probably the only person that Taeyeon could talk to openly. She always had this gentle motherly self, which made her always comfortable to talk about her feelings and issues. It was always like this ever since Taeyeon became a part of the family. Yongsun was probably the one that the mouse respected and was able to open herself to…but after the Yongsun disappeared, Taeyeon had no one to talk to. Even though she knew Moonbyul and Yoona for so long…for some reason, she couldn’t talk to them about it. So Taeyeon talked about the fear that ran inside her…the fear about Tiffany. Obviously she wasn’t telling everything but she did told quite a lot coming from Taeyeon, who never said her feelings to anyone. She told how this was the first time she was ever scared like this…ever since that night when her parents were killed right before her eyes. She couldn’t understand why she would be so afraid like this.

“I…can’t stop wondering about it. That frigging woman, become Yuri’s spy? Is she nuts? Ugh…I can’t believe it.”

“Hmm.”

“I can’t stop thinking about her. I can’t understand why is she doing this…and what’s the point of it. She could die…yet she didn’t care about it at all.”

“Hmm.”

“…It annoys me, it really did…and I’m so confused too. I don’t understand these hectic emotions inside me at all. I can’t believe I’m scared so much like this….the last time, would be that night my parents were killed.”

“Eh~ Haha, I see.”

Taeyeon was surprised that Yongsun was laughing at her after she vented out her feelings. She didn’t understand what part of it that was funny for the older raven-haired woman at all. She had that puzzled look at her and couldn’t wait to ask her what was the reason behind her laugh. The curious mouse demanded for an answer.

“W-What was that for??”

“Haha~ you’ve become so cute for the past years, unnie.”

“Ehhh??? What?! I don’t get it!”

“Hahaha!”

“Yah! Yongsun!”

Taeyeon got a little more curious and frustrated with what Yongsun was thinking. After all these years that both of them didn’t have their private conversation, nothing really did change at all. Despite Taeyeon became colder and more merciless, but she was still the same old innocent Kim Taeyeon that Yongsun always took care of. After she did enjoy her moments teasing her, she decided to go to the main point in order help the lost sheep understand her feelings.

“…You love her, didn’t you?”

“E-Eh?? W-What?! NO!! No way that I—!!”

Taeyeon was blushing madly. Her heart started to pick up the pace and her face started to burn. She couldn’t believe that Yongsun asked that at all and she was flustering and panicking even more. She couldn’t understand why would she be so restless like this. Yongsun just only giggled at her and looked away with that cheeky smile across her face. The answer for Yongsun was just so obvious that she couldn’t believe Taeyeon was purely dense to not realize her feelings. She couldn’t help but to pat the younger girl’s head while laughing at how naïve Taeyeon could be. Taeyeon would always be the little Taeyeon that Yongsun knew.

“…I had enough with running away from Moonbyul, for nine years isn’t?”

“Yongsun…?”

“Even it looks impossible for both of us, Moonbyul showed me we can do it together…she reclaimed what is hers…and taught me that nothing is impossible.”

“…”

Yongsun told everything to Taeyeon about how Moonbyul declared a challenge against her. It was that famous rule among people of dark alley; the winner takes everything while the loser surrenders unconditionally. What Moonbyul claimed as her victory prize was Yongsun’s life, which was why she was taken back to the dark alley to be with everyone again. As Taeyeon listened to the whole story she wasn’t surprise as much since it was Moonbyul after all. The young innocent puppy, she could so outrageous when she was truly serious with something. The young mouse watched Yongsun’s expression and she could see that warm gentle smile from her as she talked about Moonbyul. She was happy. She could tell that Yongsun was happy that her life belonged to Moonbyul forever. For some reason, it quite somehow reminded her of Tiffany…how she sold her body and soul, just in order to be with Taeyeon.

“That’s why, I will never run away from anything anymore, we will walk down this rough path together…with hope in our hearts.”

“…Hope?”

“Yes.”

Yongsun turned to Taeyeon and patted her head again before she told her gratefulness that she had. She never felt this much relieved for her entire life until Moonbyul broke into her comfort zone. It made her realize that she always ran away from the future because she was scared to confront it. Always lurking in the shadows and running away from everything. She was scared of Center, Light, and even Moonbyul. She was terrified with the unknown future up ahead…but the warmth from Moonbyul’s hand told her everything would be fine, and there was nothing to fear. If Moonbyul was with her, she had faith that she could move on without being afraid anymore. Yongsun found the one that she wanted to be with and wanted to move on together with. As Taeyeon listened carefully word-by-word, she was in a moment of awe. She seemed to be able to relate her feelings to Yongsun and was deeply touched by her words.

“…..”

“...I believe you found it too. That person you want to walk down the path together with…right?”

Only but silence remains between the two, and no replies from Taeyeon. But just by glancing at her was more than enough; Yongsun could obviously saw that blush across Taeyeon’s ears. She simply looked away without answering back; it was a form of indirect acceptance. Obviously Yongsun didn’t push on further and only sat there closely by Taeyeon’s side. The mouse obviously needed the time to understand her feelings; especially she was a stubborn type as well. Just as much as Yongsun was very smart, Taeyeon was as well. She could tell that Yongsun saw through her, completely. The raven-haired woman’s words made her realize that either way, she needed to admit these feelings inside her no matter what. Despite how much she wanted to deny its existence…it would never disappear and it would grew even more too. The moment Yongsun asked her that question, her face popped up, Tiffany’s smile came into her head.

She remembered the moment she unconsciously gave in to the officer at the park…deep down inside her heart, she accepted Tiffany. She was yearning for her because she had faith that Tiffany could heal the severed wound on her soul. The times she spent with her, was probably the most comforting and relaxing moments of her life. When she disappeared and everything returned back to how it used to be, it felt utterly empty inside. She felt like she lost the light and purpose of her life. She felt like she was a living corpse, like how she used to feel ever since her family’s massacre. In the end, she seemed to have figured out what was the cause of her fear. She was scared to be alone again. She was worried about Tiffany’s whereabouts and safety. She was scared for Tiffany… it was the moment everything seemed to fit perfectly like a puzzle. The clouds in her mind started to disappear and she started to realize the truth regarding her feelings…

“…If you want anything, then take it with everything you’ve got, in order to claim that is your and only yours. Isn’t that our style?”

“…”

Taeyeon turned back to her and stared with those innocent eyes. The moment of realization of her feelings and what Yongsun was attempting to teach her. If she wanted anything, she needed to claim that it’s hers…by force. It was always the golden rule of the dark alley. If you want it, steal it, take it, and claim that it’s yours until the last moment of your satisfaction. Those words just somehow calmed Taeyeon’s feelings down instantly as if it gave the answer to what she wanted. Her eyes became softer and Yongsun could tell that Taeyeon finally reached the point of realizing her true feelings. She was no longer in a state of denial anymore and then she patted the young mouse’s head again. Yongsun was relieved to see her young girl finally understand her real feelings without having anything to cloud it any longer.

“I believe your worries are solved right?”

“…It is.”

“We will always take what we want…and desperately steal what truly belongs to us, to show that we’re the rightful ownership.”

“…Yes, we will.”

“Hehe, it does feel relief, isn’t?”

“It does…. Thank you, Yongsun.”

“Always, you will always be my sister.”

Yongsun patted her back and made Taeyeon smiled out with utmost relief. Just from their conversation, it seemed the young arrogant mouse had changed. The life in her eyes became softer and seemed to be livelier than usual. It was as Yongsun thought to be…she knew that Tiffany was the right person that will bring the real Taeyeon out from the shadows. Thankfully, things were not too late between her and Moonbyul…but she wouldn’t want Taeyeon to experience that pain. To be running away from herself for 9 years never gave her a pleasant or peaceful feeling at the slightest.

“Let’s go talk to Yuri, I’ll convince her for you to come.”

“E-Eh!? Really??”

“Yes, it was because you have a new reason to go there.”

She slowly stood up from the floor and extended her hand to Taeyeon. Without any words exchanged, the mouse took that hand and was pulled up to stand on her feet. After Yongsun pointed it out…the reason she wanted to go seemed to have changed. Taeyeon was utterly surprised; the feeling of revenge was not her main motivation anymore…the reason that was driving her to go was to go to see Hwang Tiffany. She needed to see her…and reclaiming the ownership on her property.

“You know I never can support you for your revenge. But if it is for your new reason, unnie then I’m more than glad to fight for you.”

“Yongsun…”

“You better rest well and get ready soon, it will be a tough fight.”

“…It will be.”

“Let’s go back in then.”

Yongsun leaded the way as Taeyeon followed her from behind. She glanced at that necklace in her hand again and returned it back into her pocket. She looked forward and it was so obvious the life in her eyes changed. It was not hunger for revenge as usual. It was filled with hope and determination that was overwhelming inside her heart. She didn’t utter any single word out, but it seemed her mind was made up already. Nothing would cloud her emotions and feelings anymore…after she had realized what she truly wanted.
 

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hey, sorry it takes me long to update. been busy with college. hope you like this