“The familiar, precisely because it is familiar, remains unknown.”
― Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

“Damnit, we’re screwed,” Jonghyun exclaimed.

“It’s too early to curse, hyung,” Kibum admonished Jonghyun who sat hunched on his desk, every sign of agitation written all over his face.

Taemin looked over Jonghyun’s shoulder, getting a glimpse of the opened browser on the laptop. “Are we one ticket short for the flight home?”

“,” Minho muttered from his perch by the window. He knew it would be hard to book a ticket to Haneul Island on the same day. It was the peak of summer and tourists were flocking into its pristine beaches whole season round. And what was worse, there were only two flights into the island and two flights out every day. The morning flight was already fully booked.

Jonghyun heaved a deep, frustrated sigh. “Do you think we could be lucky for the chance passenger spot?”

“I have an idea, hyung,” Taemin piped up, his eyes lighting up with unconcealed glee.

Kibum and Jonghyun turned to him with a shake of their heads. “No,” they said flatly.

“I haven’t even told you what it is.”

“Whatever it is, just no.” Jonghyun’s tone was firm and final.

Taemin pouted, dejected.

“We know what brilliant idea your twisted brain is cooking up, Tae. You would propose to hack the airline’s booking system and sneak one seat for us,” Kibum added.

The amazement on Taemin’s face made Minho laugh inwardly. The little brat was actually flattered that they could read into his ingenious tricks.

“Oh, I’m thinking exactly that, hyung. How did you know?”

“I could read your mind, you dolt, even before you could open your mouth.”

“But Taemin-ah, really. Don’t do that,” Jonghyun reminded in his usual gentle voice but it did not belie the steel warning underneath. “We’re not the only ones who have pressing matters to attend. The poor unsuspecting person you’ll be stealing a seat from might jeopardize his schedule and lose his job in the process. Or this might be the only time he could travel to the island and see his family. You wouldn’t want to take that away from him, right?”

Taemin groaned. He looked remorseful now that he understood the implications of his clever plan. “I got it now, hyung. I won’t do it. I promise.”

“Good. Now let’s find the best solution to this obstacle.” Jonghyun massaged his temples. He hated skirting around hurdles when they were pressed for time.

Minho straightened and walked over to the work table. “I can stay behind, hyung. Book me a ticket for tomorrow.”

“Are you sure, Minho-yah?”

“Yeah. I can drive you guys to the airport. Maybe I’d drop by Mrs. Cha right after and see how they are. It’s been a while since I last had a good bowl of selleongtang,” he said with a grin.

Jonghyun nodded, acquiescing to Minho’s idea. “Alright. Let’s go with that.”

Three hours later, the four of them stood outside the departure area. Minho took the last luggage from the trunk of the SUV and dropped it beside Kibum. “What did you pack in there, your whole room?” He huffed, eyeing the sleek designer bag with distaste.

Kibum gave him a sickeningly sweet smile because he knew how much Minho hated it. “Kibum has to bring all his essentials,” he said cutely, winking at Taemin who was trying so hard to stifle a laugh.

Minho made gagging noises at the back of his throat. He threw a glare at Kibum before facing Jonghyun. “I’ll be off, hyung.”

“Thanks, Minho-yah,” Jonghyun gave him a one-armed hug. “Remember to set your alarm tomorrow. Don’t be late. Stay out of trouble. Don’t do anything reckless.”

“Hyung, I know. I’m not a kid. Go on inside. Have a safe flight, okay?”

“Don’t forget to bring something for Hyerin noona, Minho hyung!” Taemin reminded him with a shout.

The three watched him get into the car and drive away. Minho let out a sigh of relief at finally having some time all to himself. It was not that he hated being around the guys. They were practically family, but they had been at each other’s presence in the last two weeks since Jonghyun cancelled and reassigned some of their engagements. Ever since, they were stuck at home, waiting for Seonsaengnim’s signal to leave for the island. The whole arrangement had become stifling.

He could use this evening to be alone and prepare himself for the approaching reunion. Minho found he always needed a truckload of courage and self-control before facing Hyerin and home. He took a turn at the next freeway and followed a series of shortcuts he knew like the back of his hand, dodging the busy streets and traffic. Sometime later, he pulled the car in the vacant parking near an alleyway where cheap restaurants were located.

It took him a minute or two to get to the place by foot. Customers were still lining up outside the small eating house, waiting for their turn under the scorching heat of the sun. One of the servers caught a glimpse of him and gestured for him to go inside. The cheerful tinkling of the door chimes announced his entry, prompting the middle-aged woman in her favored work clothes of loose printed blouse and mismatched pants to look up from her animated conversation with a customer. She did not look her age at all. Her curly hair was kept just below her neck. Her red lipstick could be spotted a mile away.

“Look who finally remembered to visit this poor old lady.” Her delighted greeting made Minho smile automatically. Before he knew it, he was enveloped into a warm welcoming hug.

“It’s lovely to see you, Mrs. Cha,” Minho said with quiet affection. “You look beautiful, as always.”

“Your flattery will get you nowhere, young man,” she reprimanded, but her eyes were sparkling in merriment. She held him at arm’s length, examining his face and his arms. He was wearing a plain black shirt and rugged jeans. “Have you been well? Are you eating properly? It seems you’ve lost some weight since the last time I saw you. I should have delivered food to your place more often.”

“You’re worrying again. I’m fine, Mrs. Cha. I managed not to starve.” He said it with a chuckle.

“Nevertheless, come and sit on your favorite spot. There’s Haechan’s college friend. You two can share a table for now since we’re overflowing with customers today. You don’t mind, do you?” She was tugging him into a table for two by the window where a well-dressed young man sat, his back to them. “Doyoung dear, Minho’s here. I was telling you about him earlier. He manifested in person in no time. Isn’t it a great coincidence?” Mrs. Cha pulled the wooden stool opposite the man called Doyoung and beckoned for Minho to sit. “This is Doyoung. He works for this huge company with a handsome salary and a brand new car at his disposal, but his boss is quite a nightmare. Could you imagine? He was being asked to pull miracles day in and day out.” She made a clucking sound and shook her head in incredulity, all the while she was straightening the condiments, wiping the spill in front of Minho, and gesturing to the server to bring in more side dishes.

Being in the presence of Mrs. Cha always felt like a hurricane, not a bad one. Far from it. She had a tendency of talking a mile and she did not really expect one to respond. And how she moved, swirling around her small restaurant at dazzling speed, checking on her customers’ needs, doing small talks here and there. Others might find her a riot, but Minho loved her for it. Mrs. Cha was too full of life. Not to mention she could cook heavenly dishes that can make one forget their name.

“Anyway, I was telling him how you had a knack of finding people who don’t want to be found. How much more those who were missing? I said, ‘If anyone can help you, it would be our dear Minho.’ You pulled a miracle for us once. That day I would never forget.”

Minho felt breathless when the expectant silence ensued, even when he was not the one who did the talking. He glanced at the man in front of him and did a double take. Doyoung looked familiar. Minho was sure he had seen him somewhere. But where? He tried racking his brain but the vague recollection skirted around his memory, just out of his grasp. He almost let out a frustrated sigh.

“Minho dear? What do you say? Could you help out our Doyoung? I’d hate to see him lose his job. Times are hard these days. Before you knew it, you’d find yourself out in the street just a month after being out of work.”

“I’ll see what I can do, Mrs. Cha,” he assured her. Just then, the server approached with a tray of assorted banchan, promptly placing them one by one in front of Minho. He recognized spicy cucumber salad, egg roll omelet, seasoned spinach, soybean sprouts, seafood pancake, spicy dried squid, and a big bowl of kimchi. “Thank you, Hyunwoo-sshi” he told the server.

“Thank you, Minho dear,” Mrs. Cha said when Hyunwoo moved to another table. “Your favorite solleongtang and jokbal are coming up. Now I’ll leave you two to your food.” The old lady sashayed away from their table to greet a newly arrived customer.

“Could you tell me what you were looking for? A missing person?” Minho asked the quiet young man.

Doyoung was startled. He did not expect the tall brooding man to talk to him now that Mrs. Cha had left them alone. He cleared his throat. How could he say his dilemma without revealing too much? After all, it was top secret. “My boss wanted me to find people who can locate someone who went missing more than 20 years ago.” That was what he told Mrs. Cha too. “It’s proving impossible because he does not want to reveal the salient details until he is sure he could trust them.”

Minho mulled the information inside his head. More than twenty years ago. A lot of time passed and too much happened in between. Where does one start with the search? How does one even begin? “That’s tricky.”

“Tell me about it,” Doyoung said in between bites of mandu. “He has set his eyes on this evasive agency and he tasked me to hound them when they refused our initial offer. We’ve doubled, tripled the offer. But it’s still negative. My boss is getting impatient. It’s not like we’re asking for much. He just really needs to meet them.”

What he said made Minho take a sharp intake of breath, as realization dawned on him. Doyoung and the necklace. The peculiar client who offered them a ridiculous amount just to meet with him was Doyoung’s boss. Only years of practice allowed him not to reveal his surprise. “So, you might get in trouble at work because of this?” He kept his voice casual. He did not want to pry.

“Most probably. I’m pretty much used to my boss’ ire, anyway.” Doyoung gave Minho a small smile, as if reassuring him everything would be okay. “But I need alternatives if Black Thorn agency fails to come through. Could you really help me?”

Minho stiffened. This was dangerous territory. Jonghyun had warned him time and again to stop lending help to strangers. Not that Jonghyun hated assisting those in need, but Minho tended to overdo it. He got in trouble dozens of times because he took on cases from ordinary people who were not aware of the agency, forcing him to solve those cases unaided by his team. Kibum and Jonghyun had to extricate him from several tight spots once or twice. “I’m still thinking about it. I can’t promise you anything because I’m away from Seoul for a few weeks.”

Doyoung nodded. “Good enough for me.” He took out his leather wallet and pulled a card from it, putting it face down on the table between them. “Please call me if you’ve made up your mind. It would be a huge help.”

Minho watched the young man walk away after he bade him goodbye. While he was devouring the bowl of solleongtang and a plate full of jokbal, their conversation still kept replaying inside his mind. Should he help Doyoung?

“What’s the matter, Minho dear? Is the jokbal not to your liking?” Mrs. Cha appeared at his table thirty minutes later. She frowned when she noticed the food on the huge platter was not even halved.

“Ah, no, no. It’s still as good as I first tasted it,” Minho hastened to reassure her. “I just had a lot on my mind lately.”

“Problem at work? Do you still work as a messenger for your old company?”

“Yeah. Work is fine, Mrs. Cha. It’s something else.”

Her eyes widened before a huge beam spread across her face. “Is it a girl? Did you finally get yourself a girlfriend, is that it? Oh, my Sunhee will be devastated. Poor child. She was pining for you for years and years.” Minho did not think Mrs. Cha’s daughter would appreciate how her mother spilled the beans to him. “But this is the best news you ever brought to my restaurant. It’s about time you have someone. So, when can I meet her?”

Genuinely amused, Minho gave a bark of laughter. Mrs. Cha was too much. She could arrive at the most preposterous conclusions. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Mrs. Cha. There’s no one in my life right now.”

Mrs. Cha pouted. She did not like the idea of him being a bachelor for life. Minho lost count of the number of times he had to dissuade her from setting up blind dates for him. Not that he took it against her. Mrs. Cha doted on Minho, treating him like her own child. “But dear, you’re not getting any younger.”

“Come on, Mrs. Cha. I still have years ahead of me.” He looked down at his wristwatch and saw the time. It was almost 5 o’clock. He needed to get somewhere before calling it a day. He had an early flight tomorrow. “Anyway, thank you for the meal. I should get going. Can I get my bill?”

“Oh, don’t be a stranger, Minho dear. You know you need not pay a cent in this restaurant.”

“Mrs. Cha, you can’t give me free meals every single time.”

“But I am and I will. And you will get a take away for your dinner too.” She clucked her tongue when her eyes landed on the unfinished jokbal once again. “I swear, every time you come by, you’re getting thinner and thinner. What are you eating at home? Do you even cook?” She called for Hyunwoo to prepare a takeout box for Minho, despite his protestations. “Stop protesting, young man. You know we owe everything that we have to you. If it weren’t for you, we’d be out in the streets begging. You managed to clear my husband’s name and helped us get our money back from the scammers. You can have warm food from me as long as I live. My children would do the same.”

Every time Mrs. Cha brought up the past that bound them, Minho felt uncomfortable. He did not do it to earn their undying gratitude. It was his nature to save those who needed to be saved, wanted to be saved. He could not just turn the other way when he witnessed injustice of any kind.

But eventually, he learned to live with this overwhelming appreciation. He knew Mrs. Cha and all the others were not trying to repay him for his good deeds. They were just grateful. He could accept that without being burdened now. And he was grateful for people like Mrs. Cha too, who accepted him into their midst without questions.

“You know I’d hate to see you bawling, Mrs. Cha. It’s fine. I won’t pay for my meal. And I will take the food you prepared home. Can’t say no to a delicious dinner, can I?”

“That’s my boy.” His statement pleased Mrs. Cha. She gently ruffled his hair before handing him the packed takeaway that Hyunwoo brought to the table. “Take care, my dear. Visit me when you can.”

“I will, Mrs. Cha. See you soon.”

Minho stood up and took the takeout bag. His eyes glimpsed the card Doyoung left so he hurriedly swiped it up and deposited it on the back pocket of his jeans.

~~~~~

Hyerin stretched her arms over her head. Wincing, she kneaded her right shoulder and felt the tight muscles underneath. Heaven knew she needed a good massage but she just could not get the time to go to town. Not this week.

Her nerves had been a bundle of anticipation and dread. She was counting the days to today, like a child who could not contain her excitement for Christmas eve. She knew she should temper it down, this exhilaration of things to come. Or she would suffer from disappointment later.

But she could not help it. Not when every fiber of her being was screaming in delight. She almost waltzed out of the laundry room after setting down the huge basket of freshly dried bed sheets. As expected, the inn had gotten busier and busier now that they were approaching the middle of summer. They barely had time to grab their meals during break time these days.

“Oh, Hyerin-ah. I thought you went home already. Didn’t you say you need to leave work early today?” Seo Youngmi, the owner of the bed and breakfast where she worked, looked up from her steaming mug of tea. She was in the staff dining area, putting her feet up the coffee table after a tiring lunchtime.

Youngmi was a stunning woman who did not look her age. She was over forty years old now but she could still pass up as twenty-something. Her long, riotous curls dyed in tawny brown framed her delicate, feminine face. She had wide, gold-flecked brown eyes that seemed to spark with gaiety or mischief. Her wide full lips often gave a sultry smile that drew people in.

Hyerin gave her a reassuring smile. “No worries, unnie. I don’t want to leave you with all that laundry tomorrow when I’m not around to help.”

Youngmi beamed. “See, that’s why we’re not the same when you’re having your day off. You make everything easier around here. What would we do without you?”

Hyerin simply laughed off Yougmi’s melodramatic speech. Her boss was as eccentric as one could get. She made it sound like the inn would not function without Hyerin when in fact, Youngmi and her husband, Sangchul, could run the business with their own capable hands. “You’ll survive, unnie,” Hyerin said, grinning from ear to ear. She went to the small locker where she kept her gold corduroy tote bag. “Anyway, I’m off. See you the day after tomorrow.”

“Enjoy tomorrow, our best girl. Be safe on your way home.”

Hyerin made it until she was out of the inn’s front gate before frantically digging for her phone inside her bag. She immediately checked for new messages. She saw three, all from Jonghyun.

Dino Jjongie: Hyerin-ah, we’re now at the airport waiting to board.

Dino Jjongie: I hate how slow this day is. We want to be on the island before dark.

Dino Jjongie: Boarding!!! Finally! See you soon.

curved into a smile as she unlocked her turquoise bicycle with a woven basket from the post beside the fence. She kicked the pedal and rode home, relishing the cool wind as it blew across her face and tempered the warmth from the afternoon sun. Her eyes barely registered the scenery she passed by, of rich natural hues from the trees and lilacs beside the road, laid out more vividly by the contrast from the vast azure sky. Her mind was wandering elsewhere. Her stomach giddy with excitement.

The winding road between the inn and her home presented an amazing view of the sea coast, an endless blanket of blue. But still she pedaled on without stopping by to appreciate the sight, a little too fast than her usual laidback speed. She loved the rise and fall of the path as the flat road dipped from one hill to the next. Finally, she reached the last slope that led home. She stopped just a few feet away from the gate and took out the remote control. The huge steel gate opened smoothly, revealing the meandering road to the old brown house. Her dogs gave a happy bark of welcome when they sensed her approach, running and bounding to her with glee. She barely avoided hitting them with the wheels as they loped alongside her, laughing when Seneca fell behind Sirius who kept up with her cycling.

“Guys, behave,” she ordered firmly. Parking her bike against the dawn redwood tree, she disembarked from the bicycle and stooped down to greet the exultant canines. She held out her hand and waited for Sirius to tap her palm with his paw. “Good boy. Now, give me a high five.” The black and white border collie complied, a silly grin on his face. Seneca, the huge golden retriever, followed suit, holding out his paw so she could shake it. “Miss me that much, my darlings?” She gave each one a one-armed hug, kissing the top of their heads. When they wriggled and wagged their tails, she was quick to give them a pat. “Later, guys. We’ll play later, take a long walk to the cliffs. But now I have things to do.”

Sirius and Seneca followed her as she jogged into the house. Hyerin d for the key inside the potted plant beside the front porch and unlocked the door. The fresh smell of lemon greeted her. She had cleaned this morning before she went to work. Nonetheless, she went for the vacuum after she put her bag away and retraced her steps, making sure no dust has settled on the shiny surface of the wooden floor for the short hours she had been away. Ajusshi would admonish her for obsessively cleaning if he were here.

Early this morning, he left for Seoul, worried and uneasy to leave her behind, but Hyerin assured him in no uncertain terms that she would be fine on her own. The old man had been avoiding her questions about the phone conversation she overheard a week ago. He would not budge no matter how much she pestered him. Only when she voiced out her fears of him getting hurt or going back to his old ways did he relent, telling her a man who knew of his past had resurfaced and had been blackmailing him.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head, lass. I’m not going to kill him. I made a promise, didn’t I?”

“Better keep it, ajusshi.”

She wondered if the old man had reached Seoul. He left on the early morning flight. Hyerin knew he would not contact her unless it was urgent, but sometimes she wished he would send a message at least to let her know he arrived safely. But what could she do? All the men in her life had this inexplicable aversion to instant messaging, except Jonghyun of course. It was him who kept her abreast of their life in Seoul from time to time. And of course she knew the dangers of constant contact. They did not want anyone to track and trace this place on the island.

Her father had made many enemies because of his line of work. Ajusshi had his fair share of foes too. And now that the boys were deeply entrenched in the agency, they were bound to have their own adversaries, known or unknown to them.

She sighed when she felt herself overthinking and worrying over their safety. It would do her no good if she worried herself to death. Attacking the floor with renewed vigor, she made her way into the dining and kitchen, not sparing a single inch from the trail of the vacuum. When she was satisfied, she proceeded to brew tea leaves for the lemon and basil iced tea she was planning to prepare for the boys.

She heard the meow from Namsun before she felt the feline circling around her ankle. “Oh, my baby. Did you eat well?” She went to the window ledge to check for the bowl of cat food she left earlier. “Namsun-ah, what do I do with you? You actually emptied the whole thing and it’s not even dinner yet.” The plump, green-eyed Persian cat jumped into the ledge and looked at her with steady eyes. Hyerin scratched her chin and was rewarded with a satisfied purr. “Don’t worry, love. I’d still feed you later, even if you’re becoming more and more overweight by the day.”

Thirty minutes later, Hyerin has changed into fresh, comfortable clothes of grey baggy cotton pants and bright orange oversized shirt. She wore her hair down and washed her face. Taking the book she was currently reading from the shelf in the living room and her phone from the sofa where she left her bag earlier, she went outside and sat down on the front porch. The two dogs sprawled on the grassy lawn in front of her, basking under the soft afternoon sun. Namsun crouched down beside her and stared at the canines.

She was lost inside the pages of Roberto Bolaño’s Insufferable Gaucho when the unmistakable ring of the bell from the gate snapped her back into the real world. She jumped to her feet in an instant, startling Namsun who gave an annoyed hiss. Sirius and Seneca recognized the sound too. They left their comfortable position from the lawn and ran into the road, heading straight to the gate. Hyerin went inside the house and punched the code to slide the gates open.

The loud barks from the dogs reverberated back to her when she went outside, her eyes trained on the white four-wheel drive making its way down the road towards the house. A flurry of movements bounded behind the car as Sirius and Seneca chased after it. The car turned smoothly from the driveway and parked on the lawn, next to her bike.

Before long, the passenger door opened to let out a young man clad in his signature black cotton long sleeves shirt rolled up to his forearms, ripped black jeans, and his rugged black work boot.

Her face lit up into a happy smile as she ran to greet him. “Jonghyun oppa!”

Jonghyun was sporting an elegant silver hair that glinted under the fading sunlight. He had it brushed back from his forehead, accentuating the sharp yet graceful angles of his handsome face. His puppy-dog eyes twinkled with fondness as he stepped forward and spread his arms wide.

Hyerin ran into his arms to be wrapped into a warm hug. Jonghyun lifted her off the ground and spun her around, enjoying the ring of her laughter even as she admonished him. “Put me down, oppa. Ya!”

“Put her down so she can greet me properly, hyung,” the boy with the shocking fiery hair drawled with a smirk.

Jonghyun gently set Hyerin back on the ground. “I miss you, little one.” He gave her one last hug before nudging her forward to greet Kibum.

He was still as chic as ever, from his bright orange hair to his unconventional taste in fashion. This time Kibum was donning a pale yellow shirt underneath a colorful jacket. His burgundy shorts showed off his pale and lean legs. The outfit was topped off by his favorite white shoes.

Had anyone else worn it, Hyerin would have called it flamboyant. But with Kibum, it was a classy look that drew admiring eyes, including her own. She fondly calls him her fashion guru.

He pulled her in for a quick hug. “I can’t believe I actually miss your ugly face.”

“Thank heavens,” she sighed. “I miss you too, Bummie.”

He chuckled. While he could talk a mile, Kibum was never straightforward when it came to expressing his feelings, but she knew him well enough not to take it against him.

“Noona, where’s my hug?” A pouting boy tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to greet him with the biggest smile. Her little brother – the pretty cherub with the mischievous grin who often riled her with his relentless teasing. She could say he grew fast on his feet too. Where was the scrawny, blinking boy who used to follow her around when the older boys refused to bring him along to their secret outings?

She examined his angelic face, framed by his mahogany brown hair with a few strands falling softly on his forehead. He has a cute mole on his long, straight nose. And he looked so adorable in his midnight blue hoodie and washed out jeans.

“Our favorite maknae!” She threw her arms around him and pulled him close. Although he was still as skinny as ever, Taemin had grown taller over the past few years. She could now comfortably rest her head on his shoulder. “Have you been well?”

“Of course, noona. I’m as handsome as ever. Don’t you think so?”

She laughed out loud at his brazenness. When she pulled back, she spent a few seconds more scanning his face. “Look at you. All grown up,” she said with a hint of astonishment.

“Why do I feel like Seneca and Sirius to hear you say that,” Taemin complained but with an amused grin on his face. He turned to the dogs who were enjoying the attention from the delighted Jonghyun and Kibum. “Those two had grown so much since the last time I saw them.”

“Oh, I feed them well.” Hyerin grinned as she watched the two idiots wrestling with the dogs. Feeling something missing, or more like someone, she looked back into the car. “Where’s Minho?”

Jonghyun straightened up at the mention of Minho’s name. He dusted off his clothes before walking to Hyerin, Kibum doing the same. “Oh, he was held back in Seoul. It was cursed rotten luck when we fell one ticket short for the flight home. He volunteered to stay behind and take the next flight tomorrow."

Her sudden crestfallen expression was enough to warrant a searching, worried look from Kibum. “Don’t worry, Rini. He’ll be here in the morning.”

Hyerin shrugged and gave a small smile. Of course, he would be here. He had to be here. She ignored the disappointed plummet of her heart to the ground. That was what she meant by managing her expectations. “Come inside, guys. I’ve iced tea and quiche.”

Taemin happily danced beside her at the mention of food. “Gosh, I’m starving, noona. I can’t remember the last time I ate.”

“I bet, Taeminnie. I’ll feed you properly.”

His chuckle followed her inside the house. They sat around the dining table while the dogs plopped down on their feet underneath. Namsun settled on Taemin’s lap, purring with pleasure as the boy rubbed her back. Hyerin placed a perspiring glass of tea in front of each of them. A plate of quiche followed.

Kibum sipped from the glass, grateful to wet his parched throat. “I like the way you prepared this one. Basil and lemon?”

“Yes.” Hyerin smiled from across the table. Leave it to Kibum to dissect what she put in every drink and food she prepared. She took the seat beside Jonghyun. “Try some quiche.”

“What’s in this?” Jonghyun asked.

“Bacon and cheese.”

“Wow. Give me some, hyung,” Taemin pleaded. Hyerin put two slices on his plate. “Thanks, noona.” He took a forkful and sighed in appreciation. “Hmm. I miss your food. These guys never fed me.”

“Stop being a liar, Taem. All those times you sweet-talked us into cooking for you,” Kibum said with a scowl, taking a slice of quiche into his own plate. He sampled a bite and nodded in approval. “This is good. You’ve to give me the recipe later.”

“Of course. I’ve others I’ve been dying to let you guys try. Tell me what you think.”

“What I think is that,” Jonghyun began amidst a mouthful of quiche, “you’re ready to take the next step and open your own restaurant.”

“Bed and breakfast,” Taemin corrected. “Right, noona? Isn’t that your dream?”

The corners of quirked up. “Yes, a cherished dream.”

“You can certainly open your own B&B, Rini. Here’s an idea…”

Just like that, her initial disappointment at Minho’s absence was washed away by the animated talk with the boys. They gave her juicy tidbits of their adventures in Seoul, making her laugh so much her sides hurt. The house had come alive at the sound of their mirth.

She would nurse her disappointed heart later. For now, she was going to enjoy the moment with three of her favorite men.

~~~~~

Jinki did not know why his aimless steps brought him to the front of the brightly colored flower shop. It was late afternoon and the crowd was getting thicker now that it was approaching dinner. He heard a group of friends greeting each other, linking their arms and heading to the line of restaurants in the next avenue. Mothers walked briskly, their child in tow. He felt so alone even in the midst of the crowd. Everyone was passing him by while he stood motionless outside the charming charcoal door decorated with hanging plants while buckets of vibrant blooms lined the pavement.

The shop would close early in the evening, that much he knew. On impulse, he pushed the door open, flinching a little when the wind chimes sounded too loudly in the quiet of the shop.

“Good afternoon,” the soft regal voice greeted. Jinki caught a glimpse of a flurry of green cloth before the woman of his thoughts emerged from behind a rack filled with tubs of eclectic flowers in pastel hues. She was holding a bunch of salmon pink roses in her arms, blending beautifully with her silky cream blouse and dark emerald green skirt that reached just above her ankles. Her dainty feet were enclosed in strappy, open-toe silver sandals.

Jinki noticed how her hair was tied up in a messy bun, some wayward strands tumbling down the side of her face, highlighting her delicate features. Her coral painted lips spread into a welcome smile when she saw him. “Fancy seeing you here, President Lee.”

“You look pretty as a picture.” When the words went past his mouth, he lowered his head. He did not know why he blurted that out and he would have taken it back if he could, especially when he could feel the back of his ears burning. It must be as red as tomatoes now.

But the tinkle of her laughter, a sound somewhere between the summer rain and a birdsong, soothed his growing embarrassment. It was lovely to hear

“Thank you, I guess. It’s rare to receive a compliment from you. How are you, Jinki-yah?”

Jinki hesitated before he spoke the first words that came to mind. “I just want to drop by and say hi. And er…I’ll get going. I don’t want to be in the way.”

“Stay,” she said softly. It sounded more like a plea than a command. “I could use some company.” She walked into her spotless white work table, gently laying down the flowers on top. “Would you hand me the scissors, please?”

Automatically, Jinki did as she asked. He watched her remove the plastic wrapper that held the roses together and proceed to pick one stem, stripping the thorns and some leaves off. She did the same to another waiting stalk. It was a mundane task, yes. But it looked so fascinating in his eyes. His gaze followed her elegant hands as they worked on the roses one by one.

She toiled in silence, and Jinki respected it. He did not utter another word, simply content watching her arrange the roses on her hand, adding one at time at an angle, alternately crossing, rotating, and arranging each stem by height until all ten were neatly held in a bouquet. Her movements were deft and nimble, she repositioned each as she saw fit, lifting some of the heads gently to give the bouquet a full, domed shape. She then took the ready jute twine and bound the roses with her free hand, resting the bunch down the table to tie them together. When she was done, she snipped the tip of the stems so they were all more or less equal in length.

She left the hand-tied bouquet on the table to get two rolls of paper – flod paper in white and a thin pink one. The next few minutes, she worked on the wrappings, cutting, folding, and arranging the bouquet and draping it from different sides. The last step was tying the bouquet with pretty ribbons in silver and peach. She made it all look so simple but Jinki knew this craft required skills, patience, and loads of creativity.

“How does it look?” She held the finished product out so he could see properly.

“Beautiful.”

She beamed winningly. “You always say that. We should work on your vocabulary, you know. There are plenty of words that could convey beauty just as effectively.”

How could he explain he got tongue-tied every time he was around her? How could he tell her everything he wanted to say often melted into one overused word when she smiled his way? “Beautiful suits you,” he said simply. It must be his imagination, but her cheeks seemed to burn a soft rosy pink. God, what it did to his insides. Something was doing somersaults inside his stomach.

She nodded, smiling a little as she glued a charming card on the front wrap of the bouquet. “I think this will do then. Let me book it for delivery and then I’ll close the shop. Where are we having dinner?”

“What are you in the mood for?”

“Hmmm.” Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “Let me see. I had Chinese takeout for lunch earlier. Maybe something with pasta?”

“Let’s go to Gianni’s then.”

She tilted her head. “I’ll buy, okay? You’re going to help me close the shop after all.”

“Park Gaeun.”

“No arguments,” she said with finality, holding up her hand. Maybe that was why he was drawn to her. She never let him dictate what she could and could not do. For someone who often got his way, being with Gaeun felt refreshing, as if he was a different person and not a chaebol heir who had people at his beck and call. He could even forget he had a tyrannical father who controlled his life. Or pretend that the clock was not ticking and he did not fail to take any progress on the search for his long-lost sister.

When all the buckets and bunch of flowers outside were put back inside the storage room and windows were drawn close, Gaeun and Jinki locked the door and they made their way to the next avenue.

Along the pavement, there was a tiny shop that caught Gaeun’s eyes. The window had a lavish display of artisanal chocolates in a variety of flavors and other colorful sweets. “Oh, I love their truffles. Let me get some first. Is it alright?”

Jinki shrugged and led the way to the door, pushing it open and letting Gaeun pass before entering himself and closing it behind him. The rich smell of chocolate greeted him as soon as he stepped inside. There were no tables in the shop and they were the only customers except from a towering man in casual black shirt and rugged denims. He was talking to the artisan who was showing him boxes in different colors.

“This is for someone special, yes? Let’s choose her favorite color for personal touch.”

The man was about to open his mouth to argue but the chocolate master was already laying out the boxes in front of him. “I’ll take this one.”

“A pretty choice. Pearl aqua box and white silk ribbon. This will look awesome. Let me put in the truffles.” He noticed Gaeun gazing with heart-shaped eyes at the display glass beside the other customer. “Oh hello, Miss Park. Getting the usual?”

“I think I’d try something different. Jinki,” she called. “Help me choose, will you?”

The customer in black glanced at his way and Jinki caught a glimpse of a handsome face that looked oddly familiar. The stranger must have felt the same way because his forehead wrinkled into a slight frown. Before Jinki could take a good look though, the man had turned his back and was drumming his fingers on the wooden counter.

The chocolate-maker went back with the order a few minutes later. He handed the package to the waiting customer. “Here you go. I hope she will love it.”

Uttering a soft thank you, the man left the shop without a backward glance, a paper bag with the pretty box inside held securely in his hand. 

There was still a niggling memory at the back of Jinki’s head but Gaeun was roping him in to pick the best flavors of fancy chocolates and he forgot all about the man in black.

~~~~~

Minho was frowning into the rush hour traffic on his way back to the penthouse. He hated it when his memory was being jogged by a familiar face that he could not place. First, Doyoung. And now that taciturn customer in the shop. He shook his head. The recollection would come later when he was not paying attention.

It took him more than thirty minutes to get home. He left the paper bags on the kitchen counter before heading upstairs for a shower. It was a good thing that Mrs. Cha insisted he bring home some takeaway or he would have skipped dinner tonight seeing how he had a raging headache. It must be the punishing heat of the sun.

He went for the bathroom inside his bedroom, shedding his shirt in one pull over his head and unbuckling his jeans along the way. The shed clothes pooled at the cool tiled floor as he stepped leisurely to the shower.

The quick rinse cooled his head. He loathed being out during the day. He preferred the night, not only because it got cooler when the dark set in but also because it made the perfect cover. There would be no need to make small talks with another human being. Most shops would be closed and he would exalt in the adrenaline rush of accomplishing a mission or two.

On his way out of the bathroom with only a white towel wrapped around his waist, he picked up his discarded clothing. Something fell out of his jeans so he stooped down to get it. It was the card Doyoung gave him earlier. Holding it in one hand and shaking his head to get rid of excess moisture, he stepped into his bedroom, blinking to adjust his eyes when the motion-sensitive light flooded the room.

He looked down at the card he was holding only to draw a sharp intake of breath. The wheels inside his head kept on turning. Doyoung was working for LC Group! Was it for one of the executives? If he had a good compensation and a personal car, it means he must be connected to someone high up. Why else would he be tasked to look into personal matters like searching for a missing person? Unless, it had to do with the company.

But powerful conglomerates like theirs could easily disappear someone to get them out of the way. And they would not spend so much looking for a person they disappeared.

Hang on. The mysterious client. He offered a ridiculous amount of money just to meet their team at Black Thorn. He could not be a mere executive. Could it be the old man Lee himself? That would explain the tremendous amount of pressure put on Doyoung.

Lee Yunseo.

The name echoed inside his head like a distant call from the past, over and over again. His hands tightened into fists. Lee Yunseo. One of the names in the dossier that Minho’s father left to his care. The others had mysteriously vanished. Some were in prison. And a few died, some not from natural causes as Seonsaengnim had learned over the years.

That was why Seonsaengnim had to start all over again, digging up the past, reinvestigating the trail of LC Group’s powerful chairman, trying to find who else were connected to him so that when they decide to take him down, he would not be able to sprout back like a tenacious weed.

And now it seemed Lee Yunseo was looking for a missing person, someone important most probably. What would Minho do with this crucial piece of information? Should he let Seonsaengnim know? Or should he wait until he had gathered enough leads?

Maybe he should find out first who the old man Lee was looking for and why.