A/N - So everyone is now trying to find out the truth through their own means. This means there'll be a lot of secret revealing (Part I) here!

@reilsm - Wow, you express the feelings i tried to convey in the previous chapter really well. Yup, i want Cheondoong to know that they are there for him even if he isn't willing yet to open to them. As for the  kshownow subs, i don't know... The only subber for B1A4 i know is BISS, but usually i just go search on google. will keep kshownow in mind tho, thxs 

@HanSang - did you rewrite this comment like 3 times??? Anyhoo, yup Cheondoongie is super stressed out and the blaqie brothers are going to try and do their best~ As for Two X, i was expecting a girlband from all the speculation and the fact J. Tunes already has a successful boy band, but i just didn't know if it was a duo for a quintet (my bets were on quintet tho). Saw their full mv today and live performance, they're not bad~~~ but sigh, still so jealous that they're so close to mblaq >< 

Lol at the chair thing. The moment i saw it, i totally wanted to try it out as well (but not many around my area) sigh...

And just because you mentioned y thunder (reminding me of the good days) Kekeke, just for you~~~ 

@wookielove - Secrets revealed. And yes, Joon is suffering too. I wanted to express how it isn't just Doongie who's suffering but that everyone has their own problems as well. All interlaced tho!!!

With the super long A/N done, an eventful chapter 27 is out!!!!

Chapter 27 – With tears, they look for the truth

Cheondoong POV

I felt like I was wallowing in tar, the liquid at my clothes and dragging me down. Each step I took was weighed down as if iron balls were chained to my feet. I strained and sweated, but I seem to get nowhere.

The pool of tar swallowed me, eating away at my legs then my waist and finally my upper torso. I floundered and struggled, yelling for help. But none came.

And then the tar washed over and buried me deep.

Deep in its darkness, I drowned.

Seungho POV

We all started investigating furiously. Mir hit the streets, searching for any clues about the mystery man. G.O used his connections to see if Cheondoong had gotten into any financial problems as we suspected from their conversation about money. Joon seem to have some sort of hidden lead and was furiously investigating it. And as for me? I was with Jihoonie-hyung in a quick-fire meeting.

“Cheondoong asked me for permission to go to a mountain cottage.” Jihoonie-hyung told me, finally revealing the hidden information that we had not known so long ago. “But I don’t know what delayed him by that one week.” He frowned. “So I’d suggest talking to Lee Ji-eun.”

This caught me by surprise. “Lee Ji-eun?”

“Yeah.” Jihoon looked up, wondering why I was so surprised. “IU the singer.”

“Yeah, I know.” I said, still a little stunned. “But how does he know-“

Of course. Joon and Mir had told us about his afternoon meetings and close friendship with Lee Ji-eun. But I hadn’t expected him to spend a whole month’s break with her. They were that close?

I drew in a breath. “Okay, it’s a start. I’ll call Lee Ji-eun and see what she knows.”

Jihoon nodded. “Good. Meanwhile I’ll deal with the press.”

I nodded. Now we had a plan.

Mir POV

“Do you know anything about this person?” I asked Chae Jung Hwa. She was professional looking in her neat bobbed haircut and pristine white clothes. More importantly, she knew everything that went on in this little corner of the town and that was what mattered. 

Jung Hwa peered at the photo of the mysterious man which somehow G.O had taken when we had all been preoccupied with Cheondoong. Though it was dark, his figure and features were recognizable. He had a square face with long black hair slicked back with gel. A prominent strong nose stood out with beady black eyes. Altogether, he gave off the impression of some bird of prey tracing its target from the safe perch of the skies above.

“I know him.” Jung Hwa said slowly, running her tongue over her lips. “But he means danger.” She said with an old-aged voice filled with wisdom.

“Please tell me.” I begged, kneeling down in front her.

“Is it that important?” she asked, her eyes creasing. “Is it worth that much?”

“Yes.” I said immediately and without hesitation. “It is a life or death situation. For my friend, my brother…” I bit my lip as the pain of watching Cheondoong crumple in front of me replayed in my mind.

The middle-aged woman scanned my expression then gave a ed sigh.

“Very well then, because you are like a second son to me.” she caved in. “This man is Go Ji Young and he is the leader of a criminal gang called the Syndicate.”

The name made me shiver. Syndicate. It was so…cold-hearted.

“They’re a small time gang. Small enough that the police rarely get involved. Nothing major, but they deal with local bullying and such. I know this because my son got mixed up with them a long time ago. “

“What happened to him?”

“Well they were small time so he managed to break off from them once we got the local police involved. However, for his safety he moved overseas. I was lucky enough to remain unharmed because of my connection within society.”

Indeed that was the reason I had come to her. She knew everything from when the next supply of Hokkaido chocolate was coming in to who had just graduated from Seoul University. I wasn’t kidding. She was probably only about 45. In addition, she worked as a journalist – thus her connection to information around the whole of Seoul.

“If your friend has gotten mixed up with the Syndicate, then I suggest going to the police.”

“I don’t know.” I heaved a sigh. “He seems to have some reason why he can’t tell the police, so we’re reluctant to go ahead without knowing the reason why.”

She nodded, understanding immediately. “My son was lucky enough to not have that problem. He was simply a minor member, so it was easy to extract him. But if the Syndicate have some sort of hold on your friend then that’s when it becomes dangerous.” She looked at me carefully and sipped her tea. “Still, I would advise having the police alert just in case.”

I nodded. “Thanks for the advice.”

As I walked out the door, she parted with one last word. “Don’t underestimate your friend.” She warned me.

My forehead creased. “What makes you say that? Cheondoong-hyung wouldn’t do something silly would he?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know your friend, but in my experience when people are threatened or under stress, particular when it comes to friends and family, people can – and will – do anything. So watch him carefully.”

I gulped and let the door close behind me. There was no way Cheondoong-hyung would do that, right? After all he was still in hospital.

Still I couldn’t help the sudden my tongue over my dry lips and hoping this hollow feeling was just imagination.

G.O POV

I made several phone calls and trips to the bank, getting permission from Dara-noona beforehand.

“Can I help you sir?” a lady dressed in prim and proper business clothes called out to me.

I cleared my throat and walked towards her. “Yes, I have a meeting with the manager. My name is Jung Byunghee.”

The woman nodded at me and scanned her large diary that was packed with scribbles. Finally she seemed to locate my name and invited me into a waiting room.

“Please wait here,” she instructed me. “The manager will be with you soon.”

I sat down; trying not to crease the business suit I had worn for today’s occasion. “Jung Byunghee-ssi?” came a deep but formal voice. I stood up immediately and shook the hand of a gentleman. He had greyed, receding hair but a kind, grandfatherly face. In addition, his clothes were sleek and a dark blue shade.

He invited me to sit down. “I believe you had some inquires about Park Sanghyun-ssi’s account.”

I nodded. “I have permission from his family who can’t be here right now.”

The manager nodded and chose not the probe. “Very well, but there seems to be no abnormalities in his financial balance. His salary has been paid on time and his withdrawal amounts seem normal. I cannot see any reason for worry.”

I frowned. “Nothing unusual? No suspicious amounts being entered either?” I enquired.

“No. Only his salary and small amounts of money have been entered.”

“Small amounts.”

“Ah, the kind of situation where you discover you have too much money on you and choose to deposit some back into bank.”

“Ah,” I understood. “So nothing abnormal at all.” I pursed my lips. We had all been counting on the fact that Cheondoong’s problem lay in money, but if that wasn’t the case…then…what was it?

“Thank you for your time.” I said politely but with a heavy heart.

The manager bowed. “I’m sorry we couldn’t be of more help.”

“No,” I shook my head. “This isn’t your problems. I just placed too much hope in this being the answer we were looking for.” I sighed.

The manager pursed his lip. “If you believed money was the answer to your problem, then just remember that just because there is no abnormalities with his current financial account, it doesn’t mean that it won’t be used as a threat or that it is for Park Sanghyun-ssi solely.”

My head shot up. “What? What do you mean by solely?”

“Well that is to say,” The manager frowned, as if wondering why I had not thought of this before. “Are you certain Park Sanghyun-ssi is dealing in cold, hard cash?”

I paused and tried to digest this.

The manager continued. “Money is not always given in the form of cash. Favors, items and so on. That was how people in old days did it, through bartering and not with cash.”

Ideas swarmed my head. Not just money. Of course, we had been idiots. We had been preoccupied with the idea that Cheondoong owed someone money. That was our stupid assumption. I gripped my fist.

The manager saw me assuaged by emotions and decided to gracefully depart. “I’ll leave you with this, Jung Byunghee-ssi. I hope this meeting has helped you.”

I stood up and shook his hand with gritted teeth. “Believe me. You’ve knocked more sense into me that I would believe is possible. I owe you one.”

If his theory was correct, then we all owed him one.

A/N - Wow, i think i revealed a lot here with the criminal gang (boring name i know >< but wasn't sure what else i could come up with). Actually was supposed to have more, but it got so long that the second half will be the next chapter. Kekeke, even more surprises there!