“You can at least pretend to be listening right? Since you are using us for your personal reasons! We can use some contributions you know!” Yunho shouted at Jaejoong, in front of a group of wide eyed people. He did not even consider it would be humiliating for the other on the receiving end of his scolding.   

The older man, the leader, is drawing up a plan on how the group will work together on their latest ‘project’. However, it is always during such meetings that Jaejoong will just remain seated quietly, staring into the space, and thinking about his brother. Yunho can never accept it when Jaejoong seems to be ignoring him, always getting upset by it.

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POV from Yunho

Flashback

It was some time back since I started the gang with a few of my buddies, and I was planning on expanding since Minnie had joined as well. Just when we needed someone who can do something else, aside from fire… I met him… Kim Jaejoong. He just appeared out of nowhere… and my life was never the same again.

I still remember how he was looking at me peculiarly while I was scouring through the streets looking for potential members. Apparently, someone had told him all about me, and he has come in search for me instead. Then, just as I was about to approach him, he had ‘disappeared’ and ‘reappeared’ behind me, all within a split second… bewildering me with his speed.

“Jung Yunho?” He call out to me from behind, so I spun around to face him, just to meet a car hurled at me instead. I was lucky to have dodged it fast enough… but then, a truck is thrown at me before I can celebrate my good reflexes.

With my game face on, I demonstrated my strength by setting both vehicles on fire and reducing them to ashes the second they brush past me. You see... I can do that since I was very young. You can call me talented! I can produce stronger and fiercer fire than all my buddies and Minnie added together… which is also why I am the leader.

I was so proud of myself and gloating at him for not being able to beat me… when he ‘vanished’ again. Looking around, I noticed him sitting on the top of the sign board above me… he had that damn straight face as he looked away from me. Sensing danger, I snapped my head back perpendicularly, just to meet a huge piece of concrete coming at me… a frozen concrete to be exact!

It slammed into me, just to be burnt to ashes, except it had burned slower than usual because of the thick layer of ice coating on it. EHH!!! I was sure he could control the movements of things without touching it… He could even lift himself off the ground at will… but what about the ice?

Is there another one of our kind with him? Are they a gang going against mine?

The extreme types of “special ones” comes in a few categories too… there are the type that just likes to stir … and there are also the type that fight the common enemy, which will be us… and lastly, there are the type that fight their own kind for various reasons. I need to know what type he is… Is he coming for me or is he intending to join me? What about his partner?

“What do you want from me?” I shouted at him as he continued watching me from above. Did I mention about his appearance? Fine… I shall elaborate.

First off, I believe it is possible that he is not human... and not because he can do things that normal people can't do... but his appearance! He looked so out of the world… very VERY stunning and goddess-like… his face and figure is just perfect! I was sure he is a HE because there were no s… but I am also sure that even straight men will fall for him at first glance… he is just my cup of tea!

“To join you…” He said briefly, before hurling another piece of scrap metal into my face… ouch! He is one bad beauty! I like that! But I AM getting annoyed… who attacks someone he intends to work with… is this his idea of a proposal for collaboration? Is he trying to test me? NO ONE tests me! EVERYONE around this area knows I am the best! This proud little prick! I will teach him a lesson on humility!

“Take that!” I hurled a burning piece of metal pole straight at him like a javelin… and he had dodged it easily, by just moving his head. And then I witness with my own eyes, how his hands graze pass the pole ever so slightly before it dropped onto the floor below… shattering into ice shards. The pole was totally frozen!

WHAT? He can do both?! OMO! That’s strong! It’s almost rare!!

“Are you testing me?” I shouted at him.

“No… I am showing you what I can do.” He replied after hesitating for a moment. His face is not what I will describe as proud… he just looked to be the type that can’t express himself. What’s with the lack of facial expressions?

“Why don’t you just tell me what you can do?” I asked him while still staring at him from underneath. I just can’t fathom what is going on in that pretty head of his…

“Will you believe me if I did? I heard they say you are a stuck up know it all…” He replied without even batting an eyelid. DAMN that attitude! WHO?! Who called me a stuck up know it all?! I am just… more competitive! Not stuck up!

“Nice to meet you. My name is Jaejoong… Kim Jaejoong.” I was about to blow a fuse when he literally descended from above and landed right in front of me, looking me right in the eye. Woah! Dazzling! So gorgeous! He looked visually pleasing from a distant but it is definitely an all kill up close!

“What is your purpose for joining me?” I asked him, as if the conversation is meant to be an interview.

“To find my brother… in c0dest… I will take them down and bring him back!” he spoke with so much malice in his voice that it doesn’t fit his image… I can even see contempt glowing in those raven pearls… I like that!

“Welcome aboard then.” I reached my hand out to him without much consideration. Making one more friend is better than one more enemy right? Plus… I don't worry about his intentions... my mind reading buddy, Siwon, will determine if he is lying later.

I even tried to set his hand on fire, but he had extinguished it before it even started… damn! He is really something!

“You are a two-in-one?” I asked him as I led him into our lair. He did not answer… just nodded his head slowly. I wonder how old he is when he mastered his powers... people always consider me a prodigy, since I started really young, but now that I have met him… I am sure I have met my match! It is rare to find someone who has two abilities too!

Siwon had automatically read his thoughts and memory before giving me an all clear, so I proceeded to introduce him to every one of my gang members. It's a pity that I can't mind read though... I really wonder what made him decide to join me. I know I am famous for being unbeatable and being on the most wanted list of c0dest… but he is way more powerful… he can even do c0dest in by himself if he wants. 

“Your brother…” I asked him out of curiosity. He did say something about his brother being captured right? I have a brother… so I can empathise with him as well. You have no idea how much I use to fret at the thought of my parents finding out what Minnie can do.

“He was 12… but that was 5 years ago.” He had answered quietly. That is SO c0dest! Younger kids at 12 don’t stand a chance!

I was still spacing out, trying to picture his life story in my head when I saw him turning to leave. “Wait! You will stay here… we have extra rooms! It's better for us to hang out more… helps the group bonding!” I shouted at him.

“I have a place to stay… I didn’t come to you because I needed lodging you know.” He paused for a long while before answering me again. What’s with that attitude? He can be really cold… now that I notice. A befitting nickname would be ice king… since he freezes things… but then he would fit ice queen’s description better… I wonder if I can melt his heart with my fire…

“Every members stays here! You will too” I quickly made my stand clear to him. I can’t afford to have any members roaming outside and getting killed or injured! He can be rest assured that I will at least guarantee his safety when he is here. My guys are very good at looking out for one another.

“… Where do I sleep?” Ice queen finally spoke again. Good to see that he is not some defiant little brat… that’s a relief!

“With me… if you want.” I heard Minnie say as he came up to us from behind with a folder in his hands, while looking at the ice queen amicably. My baby brother had always been the social glue here… always looking out for all of us. I believe he has the highest chance of melting the ice queen’s heart anyways.

“… Okay… will this be permanent?” He asked me again before turning to leave with Minnie. I just nodded my head in response while looking through the documents in my hands. I did not even wait for him to leave before carelessly flipping through his profile that Minnie had just handed me. From what I have read about him so far, I can reckon that this guy is pretty rich… he even stays in a high security district… I wonder who pays for it…

“Here’s the rent… Oh… I see you have my address… If you are wondering, I bought that house so I can live with Suie when we reunite. He loves the valleys… a big garden will be more appropriate.” He said beside my ears, startling me. I did not notice that ice queen had reversed and came up to me again, with a stack of bank notes in hand this time.

While he was staring at the papers and doing a show and tell about his background, I can feel the embarrassment building up. “I… I just needed to do a back ground check!” I defended myself guiltily… why am I even feeling guilty? Aish! It is basic protocol to do a background check first!

However, there is no indication as to how he got so rich... and I had a hard time suppressing the urge to ask him about the house and who had paid for it… his lover? Why am I so concerned? I should just mind my own business! So what if he has a lover?!

“I use to run a weapons trading business… and I tried infiltrating c0dest with it once… but that plan didn’t work out well. At least I still have a lot of spare cash even after winding up the business… you can consult me for financial assistance anytime. Do feel free to check my profile for more information.” He pointed at the document in my hands and answered my burning question with a tinge of amusement in his voice. Can he mind read too? What the!? Was I that obvious?!

“Yah!” I wanted to confront him for being so sarcastic but he was already half way down the hall with Minnie, while my brother introduces him around the place. What was that man?! The way he looked at Minnie is way more genial compared to when he was with me… the hell! He can actually joke and laugh with Minnie!! … And there I was thinking that he is too cold to be true…

End of flashback

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That was how we started off… kind of on the wrong foot. Even til now, I still can’t extend my warm welcomes to him especially since he is always so cold to me. I do get really hurt by his attitude at times… knowing he can be really friendly around my buddies, even becoming best friends with Minnie… but never around me.

I simply don’t know how he feels about me… hence the frequent quarrels. The thing is, I want him to tell me more… but he won’t! Because of this, I would fight with him over the smallest things… and act like some nit-picky and immature person around him... always trying to pick on him and make things difficult for him.

I have to admit that he would accede to my requests most of the time… which makes things worse! He is just so difficult to predict and understand! Take today for example, I was proposing a plan to my boys… then I noticed that he was just staring into the space like he would usually would… and for some unknown reason… that pissed me off as well.

That is SO not me! I’m not usually like that! It’s just that I can't control keep myself from saying things that will hurt him! He is the only one who can make me lose my sense of self-control... and make me feel bad about it after that! 

Then before I can take it back, he is running out of the place, looking like he was punched in the face… and that's when I know I have gone too far… should I apologise?

I think I must have hit a raw nerve... since he would not usually react like this...

TBC

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