A/N: "Italics"= Scenes from Nineteen Minutes, the drama/the script.

Rated T for swearing. If you abhor vulgar language, well, I warned you. Enjoy ! ^^
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The music was loud, the beats hard and fast. Sweaty bodies all grinding and moving sensuously to the beat of the music. One lanky body swaggered out of the pack and swayed unsteadily to the bar. The bartender wiping the bar down with a towel, barely hid a grimace at the sight of the young man.

"What can I get you?" He yelled over the cacophony.

"Gimme a Rum & Coke." The young man slurred, barely able to keep his head up. The bartender eyed him carefully, wondering if he should tell him to lay off the booze and go home. The young man lifted his head and stared drunkenly at him. "Are you deaf? Rum & Coke. The you waiting for? My funeral?"

Recognizing the drunken man's face, the bartender rolled his eyes and went to prepare his drink. A fellow bartender siddled over to him and jabbed him in the ribs. Almost dropping his shaker, he glared at his friend. "What?"

His friend tipped a shaggy head at the young man at the bar, whose arms were slung around the shoulders of a beautiful girl. A girl who should not have gotten past the bouncers at the door. "He's here again."

"Every day for the past six weeks." He replied, bored.

"I wonder what a rich kid like him is doing here, all sloshed and . Doesn't he have better things to do, like cruise around the city in his Maserati and his model friends?"

"Who the cares, Drew. The press doesn't. He obviously doesn't. Everybody knows he's a disgrace to his family. If he wants to get smashed, let him."

Drew glanced at him. "You got some beef with him or something?"

"No. I just don't give a about kids who are born with ing silver spoons in their mouths and wasting their lives away. Privileged kids like them have no business getting all up on our stomping grounds. Ruins the business." He poured the drink into a glass and slid it in front of the young man. He didn't even receive a backward glance from the little bastard, who had his hands all over the girl.

"Hey, L." Drew called, waving him over. "Look. Is it me or is the guy not drunk anymore?"

Confused, L glanced over and watched as the girl's small hands slid along the young man's back and dip slowly into his back pocket. Her nimble fingers withdrawing a thin wad of cash. The girl moved to pocket the money when a hand clamped down on her wrist. L watched as the girl froze as the young man leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. Caught red-handed, she gingerly placed the wad of cash in his palm and turned to leave. But the man rose from his seat and jerked her back against his chest roughly. The girl stiffened as the man's hand slid up her thighs and cupped her . The man lowered his head until his lips rested on the shell of her ear and whispered something only she could hear. She shook her head and struggled in his grasp, whimpering when his hand tightened on her .

"ing bastard." L growled and stomped over to the couple. Wrenching the girl from his arms and shoving her behind him, he glared down at the man. "What the do you think you're doing?"

The young man slid a heated gaze towards the girl cowering behind L. "I was about to do her until you showed up."

"The hell you are." L barked. He turned to the girl and whispered, "Don't make me ID you. You and I both know that you're underaged here. Either you leave right now or I'm hauling you down to the station." The girl nodded once and stumbled hurriedly out the door.

"Son of a !"

L barely had time to brace himself before his head snapped to the right, pain exploding his senses. His hand reached up to wipe the blood from his cut lip and he lifted his head, eyes darkening with barely controlled anger. "Either you get your out the door or I'll throw you out."

"You can't ing do that! Do you know who I am?" The young man yelled, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck.

"You could be a piece of on the ground and I wouldn't give a . Now get out." L replied, taking a step toward him.

The young man obviously wasn't used to being challenged. But he recovered quickly and moved up, bringing them eye to eye. "What are you going to do about it?"

L didn't even blink. Spoiled bastards like him had nothing on the twenty years he'd been out on the streets. He smirked and slid his gaze to the figure towering behind the little bastard. "Throw him out."

The man barely had time to look back when he was lifted up and deposited on the streets seconds later. Humilated, he scrambled to his feet and moved to go back in when he was blocked by two towering bodies. Knowing he wouldn't be able to get past those bouncers, he stomped off and disappeared down the streets.

"How dare they throw me out!" He muttered angrily, his hand fumbling for his phone. He pulled it out and dialed a number. A second later, he pulled it away from his ear and glanced at the screen. "What the is this ?! No signal? You've got to be kidding me!" He yelled frustrated.

The man wandered down a few more blocks, unknowingly heading down the shadier side of the city. He tried dialing again, but was only met by a busy tone. Angry, he threw his phone across the street and watched it shatter as it bounced roughly off the wall. Muttering under his breath, he reached into his back pocket and withdrew a pack of cigarettes. He lit one and took a deep drag. Feeling better, he meandered down the street and turned into a dark alley.

"Stupid ing es." He muttered to himself. "Ugh. What the is this?" He grimaced, lifting his expensive shoes from the shredded newspaper scattered along the narrow alley. Wiping his shoes on the wall, he picked up his pace. He was halfway to end of the alley when he thought he heard something. Startled, he stopped and listened. Hearing nothing, he continued walking. Five minutes later, he heard it loud and clear.

"Run, run as fast as you can." A voice singsonged, the words echoing in the distance.

Scared, he made a run for it. As he neared the end of the alley, a shadow appeared menacingly out of nowhere and stopped him in his tracks. His eyes widened as the shadow seemed to glide towards him. He nervously took a step back. And then another.

"G-go away." He stuttered, not taking his eyes off the shadow. "Please. What do you want? Money? I have lots of it. Here." He fumbled for the wad of cash in his back pocket and it at the cloaked figure.

The shadow made no sound as it approached him. Knowing that he could die, he his front pocket briefly and ran. He slid, he scrambled, he crawled. But the alley seemed to have grown longer, the exit never quite in his reach. He glanced back over his shoulder, stopping when he didn't see anyone. Panting loudly, he rubbed a hand over his tired face, wondering if he was just imagining things. Laughing nervously, he turned to exit the alley when something silky brushed against his face. A chill tingled down his spine and he gulped, his mouth going dry. He lifted his head slightly and his eyes caught sight of the same dark shadow that was stalking him just minutes before.

His legs buckled beneath him and he scrambled hastily, trying to get away from the figure. "No. No. No." He moaned. "Please. Don't kill me. I'll do anything." He begged, sobbing as the figure descended over him. He whimpered pathetically when the hooded figure whispered into his ear.

"Yes, anything. I will do anything you want." He nodded fiercely.

The shadow stood up, towering over him. "I want..." A cold voice trailed off.

"What? What do you want?" He asked anxiously.

"I want to play a game."

"Game? What game?"

"Hide and seek. I will give you twenty minutes. If you can outrun me, you live. But if I find you..." The figure chuckled darkly. "You die."

"No...No..." He moaned weakly, crawling backward.

"Twenty minutes, Jin." The figure whispered. "The clock's ticking." With that, Jin scrambled to his feet and ran for his life.
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The figure laughed at the pathetic sight, his body nearly bent over from the force of his laughter. He straightened abruptly when a growl sounded in his ear. He smirked to himself as he readjusted the earpiece.

"What?" He replied softly, knowing the wire could pick up everything.

"What the do you think you're doing?" A voice barked angrily in his ear.

He pulled up his sleeve, revealing a sleek wristwatch. Two minutes. "Hunting the prey." He replied cheerfully, walking in the direction Jin ran off in.

The voice sighed in exasperation. "You could've just shot him in the back of the head in the alley."

He chuckled. "But where's the fun in that?"

"ing sadist." His partner mumbled under his breath. "Do you even know where the little is hiding?"

"Nope. That's what I have you for." He said, eyes scanning the area carefully. He nearly laughed when he heard his partner sputter indignantly.

" you, Achilles." His partner replied bitingly. But nevertheless, he put an eye to his scope and scanned the streets from the rooftop. "He's four blocks from you. Che, I should just snipe him from here."

"Don't ing do it, Ares. He's mine." Achilles growled menacingly. His feet silent even as he ran.

"Then stop ing around and kill him." Ares retorted back.

"Aye aye, Captain." He saluted mockingly, knowing that Ares was tracking his movements from his scope.

"Shut the up."
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Jin ran. He could feel his legs trembling from exhaustion and the sweat plastering his shirt to his body, but still he ran. He didn't know how long he'd run for, but he knew that running the streets wasn't the best idea. He needed a change of plans. He came to a stop, hands on his knees, panting loudly. He hadn't even rested for thirty seconds when he heard the haunting voice. Shuddering violently, he glanced around looking for a place to hide. Spotting the abandoned building, he ran towards it. Yanking the door open, he darted in and headed for the stairs that led to the roof. He prayed to God that he wouldn't be found.

Little did he know that God wouldn't answer. He was a marked being; for the Devil had already gotten to him first.
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"He went into the abandoned building on Seoul Street. He's hiding on the rooftop." Achilles heard Ares' voice whisper from the earpiece.

Spotting the half open door to the abandoned warehouse, he stepped in. He climbed carefully up the stairs and came upon a closed door. He wondered if his prey even had the brains to formulate a surprise attack and smiled in approval when his partner's voice told him his target was standing behind the door, a steel pipe in his hands.

"Let me snipe him." Ares said, irritated.

"No."

Twisting the knob carefully, he backed up slightly and slammed a booted foot against the door. The force of his kick slamming open the door and smashing into his prey, knocking him to the ground. Achilles stepped onto the rooftop and stared down at Jin. Glancing at his watch, he chuckled. "Pity. You only had one minute to go."

Jin slid his hand into his front pocket, pulling out his switchblade. He held his hand behind his back and stood up slowly. "Why me?" He whispered, fingers flicking the blade open.

Achilles shrugged nonchalantly, his gloved hands dipping into the pockets of his cloak "Your name was on the list."

"What list?" He replied, gripping the handle of the blade tightly.

"The Murder List."

Without warning, Jin was consumed by anger and desperation. Roaring his fury, he lunged at him. The blade gleamed dangerously as it arced down towards Achilles' chest. But the blade never made it. Jin's body jerked twice and his grip loosened, the blade clattering harmlessly to the ground. Jin's eyes traveled to Achilles' face and widened briefly before his body shuddered and collasped lifelessly.

"Che." He pocketed his gun and bent to pick up the knife. "I told you he was mine."

"I couldn't wait." Ares replied, packing up his sniper rifle and shouldering the heavy pack. "You should thank me."

" you." Achilles retorted, rolling up Jin's sleeves. "You missed. The heart was mine."

"I wasn't aiming for the heart."

Curious, Achilles lifted Jin's head up and parted his hair. He whistled in approval when he saw the small hole at the base of his head. Satisfied, he placed the head on the ground and brushed aside Jin's bangs. "So, the arm or the forehead?" He asked, tapping the knife against his thigh.

"I don't care. Just do it and let's go."  Ares growled, his patience nearly gone.

"Okay, forehead it is." He twirled the blade between his fingers in an elaborate pattern once, only stopping when he heard the irritated cough. Humming softly to himself, he went to work. Each of the blade was deliberate and utterly precise. Once he was done, he wiped the blood on Jin's shirt and threw the knife towards the building across the street. He smirked widely when he heard a distinct clatter as the knife landed.

", that almost hit me."

"ing liar. I was off by half a centimeter." Achilles replied, smiling. Glancing down at Jin once more, he got up and disappeared down the stairs. Once outside, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. He scanned the streets, looking for his partner. Not seeing him, he dialed a number and waited.

"Looking for me." A voice whispered in his ear. He glared at Ares, who laughed softly at his startled expression. Wrinkling his nose at the smell of gasoline, he glanced questioningly at Ares, who pointed at the empty cans leaning against the door of the warehouse. He glanced up at the walls, smirking when he noted the dark wet look, letting him know that Ares had been busy. He smiled wickedly as the operator's calm voice flooded the line.

"119, what is your emergency?"

"There's a dead body in the warehouse." He rasped into the mouthpiece.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"There's a dead body in the warehouse on Seoul Street."

"Can you be more specific about the location of the warehouse?"

"Corner of Seoul Street." He repeated vaguely.

"Do you have an exact address, sir?"

"No." Achilles deadpanned, listening to the sounds of fingers tapping on a keyboard. "Is someone on the way?"

"Yes, but I need you to stay on the line with me. Are you sure the victim is dead, sir?"

"He's about to go up in flames too."

"Excuse me?!"

"Bye bye~" Achilles singsonged, throwing the phone into the pool of gasoline and turned to leave. Ares dipped a hand into his back pocket and pulled out a lighter. Flicking it open, he turned and tossed it carelessly over his shoulder. The lighter smacked against the door and fell, igniting violently. The once quiet night was now filled with the sounds of crackling fire and the smell of smoke. Nobody saw the two hooded figures walking away from the burning inferno and disappear into a black SUV.

By the time the ambulance, firetrucks, police cars and news vans arrived at the scene, the entire building was nearly consumed in flames. Hurriedly, the firefighters got to work, hooking up the hoses to the fire hydrants and tried to dose the flames. Four other firefighters rushed into the building, looking for the victim. The detective assigned to this case signaled for the chopper and gave the okay sign. The night exploded as bright white light shone onto the burning building.

"Do you see anything? The victim?" The detective barked into the radio.

"Negative, sir." The Captain responded back, his team already clearing the first few floors of the abandoned building. "We're heading to the roof."

"Taemin, do you see anything on the roof?" The detective asked, glancing up at the building.

Taemin shined the light around the rooftop, scanning the area sharply. Tucked in a corner near the door, he spotted a figure lying sprawled on the floor. "Affirmative, sir. There's a body up here."

"You heard the man. Go! Go! Go!" The detective yelled into the radio.

"We got him. Oh man, what the ?" One of the firemen rasped, catching sight of the dead body.

"Worry about that later. We need to get him and get out. This building's going down!" His Captain yelled, lifting the dead body in a fireman hold and running out down the stairs.

They made it out safely and glanced back at the building, no longer in flames. "Good work, guys." The Captain called to the men who worked hard to dose the flames.

"Thanks, Captain!"

The Captain set the body down gently on the floor and backed away to give the paramedics some room. They checked the vitals and shook their heads. Loading the body into the body bag, one of the men moved to zip the bag when the detective knelt down beside him.

"Wait." The detective pulled on some gloves and moved to brush the victim's hair away from his forehead. "What in the world..." He whispered.

There etched in blood red letters was the word, "Pride."
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"So how was it?"

Ares ignored the driver, opting to rest his hooded head on the window and closed his eyes. Achilles met the driver's gaze in the mirror and smirked.

"Ah, I see." The driver drawled. "That good?"

Achilles chuckled. "It was..." He paused. "...stimulating."

"Oh ho~ Well, I guess y'all are back for good, huh?"

Achilles eyed him weirdly. "What have you been smoking, Hermes? We never left." He looked over at Ares, who laughed.

"He must be referring to our "vacation", Achilles."

"Ah..." He replied vaguely. "Whatever."

"By the way, the boss has something for you. Both of you." Hermes replied, tossing back a white envelope.

Breaking the seal, Ares withdrew a white card and chucked it at Achilles. "You read it." He muttered.

Rolling his eyes at his partner's laziness, he flipped the card over and skimmed the content. His blood froze when he read the last sentence. He nudged Ares with a booted foot and flicked the card to him. Ares snatched the card from the air and read quietly, his head snapping towards Achilles, who sighed solemnly.

"!" Ares swore, his fist crumpling the card.

Achilles lifted his head, his eyes catching Hermes' questioning gaze and shook his head. "Where are we going?" He asked softly.

"To headquarters." Hermes replied, stepping on the gas.

Nodding in resignation, he leaned his head against the window, his eyes spotting the series of black letters tattooed across his right wrist. Letters that formed θάνατος. Death in Greek. He lifted his head and met his partner's gaze, watching as Ares the same letters that marked his left wrist. The words on the card etched in their minds, the voice whispered hauntingly in their ears. The voice that they've already tried once to escape. He was back and this time, there would be no mercy.

I know what you did. That sentence alone sealed their fate.
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"CUT!" Woo Jin's voice blared from the microphone. The SUV stopped and Ji Yong and TOP emerged from the car. The stylists rushed forward to fix their clothes and hair.

"Replay the scenes for me." He watched as his assistant director rolled back the tape. "Mmm... good. We'll edit in the special effects and CG's later. Okay! We'll take a two hour lunch break."

Woo Jin walked to Ji Yong and TOP, nodding when they bowed. "None of that bowing." He replied, waving his hand dismissively. "The scenes were great. At this rate, you're going to exceed my expectations."

"Thank you, Kim PD-nim." Ji Yong nodding his head in thanks. "I still have much to learn."

"Woo Jin is fine." He replied casually. "I'm not older than you guys by much."

"Ah, hyung then?" TOP suggested timidly. Seeing Woo Jin nod, he continued. "Where's Tiffany-ssi and Taecyeon-ssi?"

"I told them they can come later since we won't be filming any of their scenes until after lunch. I was notified that Tiffany may also be a little late due to a slight schedule overlap." Woo Jin answered. He glanced down at his watch. "Well, go get something to eat. We still have a lot of filming to do."

"Thanks, hyung. You make sure to eat something too." Ji Yong called over his shoulder.

"Should we call for take out?" TOP asked, nudging Ji Yong.

"Yeah, I don't want to go out right now." Ji Yong sighed, pulling off the black cloak. "I might just take a nap in the dressing room."

TOP tugged his cloak over his head and rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension. They approached the door to the dressing room and glanced at each other when they smelled food. Curious, Ji Yong opened the door and walked in.

"Oh, annyeong!" Ji Yong greeted, stepping aside to let TOP in. He dumped his cloak on the sofa and approached Tiffany and Taecyeon, who were seated on the floor, eating from various dishes set up on a foldable table.

"What did you do? Bring the whole restaurant?" TOP joked, taking a seat next to Taecyeon, who handed him a pair of chopsticks.

Tiffany laughed. "No. We just didn't know what you guys liked, so we ordered a bit of everything." She waved Ji Yong over, who plunked himself down next to her. She handed him a pair of chopsticks and gestured at the array of dishes. "So, we have kimchi fried rice, rolled eggs, spicy beansprout, kimchi, spicy ricecakes, vegetarian kimbap, miso soup, kimchi stew with pork, kalbi lunchbox, bulgogi lunchbox and a box of Bon Chon chicken."

Ji Yong and TOP could only gape at the amount of mouthwatering food littering the table. Taecyeon and Tiffany glanced at each other and laughed, breaking them out of their trance. "You know, you can just eat a little bit of everything." Taecyeon replied with a grin. "There's more than enough."

"But you better hurry up or he's going to eat it all." Tiffany smiled teasingly. She reached into the bag behind her and pulled out two lunchboxes, handing one to Ji Yong and one to TOP. "Eat, before it gets cold!"

"Thank you." TOP replied, opening his lunchbox and digging in.

"Well, friends take care of friends, right?" Tiffany smiled.

Ji Yong could only stare silently at her, not knowing what to make of her. Here she was offering them food like none of their problems even existed. They'd only had a decent conversation barely two weeks ago and friends for about a day before a scandal engulfed them. Not only was she mindful of her fans, but she didn't try avoiding him either, choosing to face the press head on. With him. From that moment on, he vowed to get to know her better, knowing that her friendship would be something he'd cherish. He'd protect her from the raging fans and support her whenever he could. No one was going to ruin this friendship. Ever.

He flinched slightly when something touched his lips, his eyes meeting Tiffany's.

"You weren't eating." She murmured, pushing the meat clamped between her chopsticks gently against his lips.

He smiled softly and opened his mouth, letting her place the meat in his mouth. "Thanks. I was just thinking." He replied, opening his lunchbox.

She cocked her head, eyes curious. "About what?"

You. He thought. But his mouth said something else. "I got a gift a few days ago. It was weird." Tiffany stiffened, her eyes widening. "What?" He asked, concerned.

"I got one too." She whispered, a flicker of uncertainty flashing across her face before disappearing.

"That's strange." TOP remarked slowly. Tiffany and Taecyeon glanced at him. "I got one too."

"Me too." Taecyeon replied, remembering the box buried somewhere on his cluttered desk.

"What'd you get?" Ji Yong asked. "My box had a black knight chess piece, the Ace of Spades playing card, a silver pocketwatch and a white card labeled with the number two on the front and some English words on the back"

"Mine was a black bishop, the King of Clubs and a white card. Only mine had the number three on one side and one short English sentence on the back." TOP said, looking at Taecyeon.

"My box had the black rook, the Jack of Diamonds and a white card marked with the number four on the front and the back was a quote from Macbeth in English." Taecyeon replied, trying to remember anything.

"Wait." Tiffany said suddenly. "Were any of your cards signed?" They paused momentarily, and then shook their heads at the same time.

"Why?" Ji Yong asked softly, a feeling of dread filling his stomach.

"Because mine was." She whispered.

"What was in your box, Tiffany?" TOP asked, curious.

Tiffany gestured for Ji Yong to hand her bag to her and she dug around, fishing out the white box. Opening it, she tipped the box over, spilling the contents onto the floor. The three men leaned over and spotted the black queen chess piece, the Queen of Hearts playing card and the white card, the number one clearly visible on the front. Ji Yong reached over and flipped the card over, eyes immediately skipping over the English words and settling on the three words after it. Your Secret Admirer.

"Secret admirer?" He glanced at her, noting the way she fidgeted under his gaze.

"I don't know who it is. Taeyeon and I think it's from a fan. But now, I'm not so sure. I wouldn't be worried if I was the only one who got a gift. But, you three have one too. So, what does this mean?" She rambled anxiously.

TOP the card, his long fingers tracing over the embossed words. "Do these words mean anything to you?"

Tiffany nervously clasped her hands in her lap. "Well, it's a quote from one of my favorite plays in high school. It's from A Midsummer's Night Dream by Shakespeare. These lines are referring to one of the female characters, Helena, who's suffering because she's in love with someone who loves another. She believes that ugliness and bad personalities can be attractive to someone already in love. That love is not just based on one's appearance, but rather the way someone perceives their beloved." She frowned. "But nobody knows that. I never told anyone that I fell in love with this play in high school."

"Could it be..." Taecyeon trailed off, eyes furrowed in thought.

"What?" They answered in unison.

"A sasaeng fan." He whispered, as if the idea itself was a curse.

"Oh my God!" Tiffany gasped, startling them. "Oppa, the umbrella guy..." She said anxiously, turning frightened eyes at Taecyeon.

"What umbrella guy?" Ji Yong asked, a tiny frown marring his face.

"Well, one time when Sica came home after hanging out with her friends, she said some guy with an umbrella followed her to our dorm. She told us that he tried to break into the dorm when Sica closed the door and when he couldn't, he left the building. When she told us about it, we all vaguely remembered seeing a guy holding a yellow umbrella standing at the corner of the street, just looking up at our building. Every day for a couple of weeks. But after Sica's encounter, we never saw him again." She paused. "I'm not even sure if it is a him."

"So you think it's a woman?" Taecyeon blurted.

Tiffany sighed heavily. "No. I'm just not ruling that out. I mean, none of us ever saw their face. Not even Sica. Maybe he or she thought Sica almost found out and disappeared before we got suspicious." She threw her hands up, frustrated. "I don't know."

"Right now, we need to figure out who's sending us these gifts." TOP interrupted. "If it is the umbrella guy, Tiffany is the one that's in the most danger."

"Right, because he or she knows where my dorm is." She whispered. "So what should I do?"

"Make sure you're never alone." Ji Yong replied, looking at TOP and Taecyeon, who nodded. "Since filming ends late, make sure you always have a ride home. If not, we'll take turns dropping you off."

"But, oppa." She protested. "Our dorms aren't even in the same area. It's inconvenient."

"Friends take care of friends." TOP replied, repeating the words she said to him earlier.

"But —"

"No buts. Your safety is more important than convenience." Ji Yong murmured softly. "Besides, you're the queen." He smiled, the black chess piece. "A knight always protects his queen." I promise.

Tiffany smiled weakly, a blush staining her cheeks pink. "Thank you, oppa." She turned to Taecyeon and TOP, who were eyeing the two strangely. "Thank you."

"Can we eat now?" Taecyeon moaned, his stomach growling loudly. "I'm so hungry. I'm gonna eat all of this."

"Yah!" TOP yelled. "That's mine!" Moving his chopsticks and snatching the piece of chicken from Taecyeon.

"I saw it first!" He yelled.

"Too bad." TOP smirked wickedly, popping the chicken into his mouth and chewing ostensibly.

Chuckling at their bickering, Tiffany shook her head in amusement as she moved to put away the gifts. As she reached for the white card, her hand brushed gently against Ji Yong's. "Ah, sorry." She murmured, withdrawing her hand slightly.

Ji Yong merely nodded and picked up the card. Feeling bold, he placed the card into her palm and folded her fingers gently. "Here."

"I...um.. thank you, oppa." She stuttered, wondering why her heart fluttered at the feel of his hands. Stop it, Tiffany! She shook her head mentally. He's your oppa. Friend. Just a friend. Nothing more. Nothing less. She shivered suddenly when she felt a warm breath tickling her ear.

"I meant what I said." Ji Yong whispered, his lips barely grazing the shell of her ear. "I'll be your knight." If you let me.

Tiffany pulled back slightly, her eyes meeting his. "Why?" She breathed. His eyes darkened and his mouth opened to form the one word that took her breath away.

"Instinct."

Ji Yong watched as she gasped. He could tell that his answer surprised her. Hell, it surprised him. He had no idea what possessed him to say such a thing. Not wanting her to feel awkward, he opened his mouth to apologize when the distinct sound of a phone ringing filled the room.

Tiffany hastily pulled out her phone, answering breathlessly. "Yeoboseyo?"

"Hello, Tiffany."

She stiffened, her voice becoming shaky. "Who is this?"

"Ah, ah." The voice rasped. "You already forgot?"

"What are you talking about?" Her voice rising, catching Taecyeon and TOP's attention.

"Things base and vile, holding no quantity. Love can transpose to form and dignity. Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind. And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." The voice whispered wickedly. "Remember me?"

"You..."

"Yes?" The voice prompted mockingly.

"Who are you?" She yelled, her small hands curling into fists.

"You may call me..." The voice paused, "The Puppeteer."

The phone slipped out of her hand and would've fallen if Ji Yong hadn't reached out and caught it. Throwing a concerned look in Tiffany's direction, he angrily jabbed a button, putting the call on speaker. "Okay, whoever you are, leave her the alone."

"Ah, Kwon Ji Yong to the rescue." The voice singsonged. "How predictable."

"I don't know what it is you think you're doing, but you better stop." Ji Yong retorted bitingly.

"Cocky, aren't you?"

"Look, you little er —"

"How vulgar." The voice remarked airily. "But that's to be expected. A fallen hero such as you is befitting of such uncouth behavior."

"Listen —"

"No, you listen." The voice interrupted harshly. "You think you can protect her? Don't make me laugh. I'm going to show you just how weak and pathetic you are."

"You will not lay a single ing finger on her." Ji Yong threatened, no longer able to think calmly.

The voice laughed. "You have no idea what awaits you, Kwon Ji Yong, Choi Seung Hyun and Ok Taecyeon. But you will. Very soon." The line went quiet and they looked at one another, wondering if he hung up. But then he spoke. This time, his words were for Tiffany. Her, and her alone.

"I'm coming for you."
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A/N: Okay, so this is hella long. Sorry, I got a little carried away~ I just got uber excited cuz the plot thickens~~ There were so many places where I wanted to split the chapters, but I felt like this monster of a chapter needed to end right here. It's dense, I know, but ya know, I thought I should reveal a lil bit of my plans. Anyone have any ideas? Do let me know, I'm very interested~ :D And yes, this is to be continued. Muahahas! >:D

Anyways, I kinda thought the Jifany [yes, finally !] was a tad OOC, but the shipper in me couldn't resist giving them a lil something, ya know? Can you blame a fangirl for trying? *O* LOLLL.

So, I hope you guys like ! Do enjoy & see you in Chapter 9: And so the pawns moved... (Part 2) ^^

P.S. I have no idea why there's so much cursing going on in this chapter. LOLL. There's more swearing between the characters here than in my own life. o_o