25th March 2013 is the day I died. I died without ever telling my version of the story- a story that ripped lives out of this world and shattered innocent hearts. 

It was around the time when Joon-hyung had come back to Hong Kong for a holiday with our other cousin that I finally managed to get in contact with my cousins. It had been 4 excuciating years since my family had fleed and at that point, I had no idea my father was working alongside the drug gang. I couldn't understand why my cousins wanted to come back but it turned out that they thought they ought to see the birthplace of their ancestors- the ones my father would eventually help to murder. I was scared of course when I saw them in the national art gallery but Joon was the one to approach me first. 

'Sorry, excuse me? I feel like I know you.'

'I'm Hyun Ki... And you're Joon right? Shin Joon? Joon-hyung?' 

'Hyun Ki-ah! You're still here after all this time? You didn't move either?' 

I shook my head, 'no... I don't know why though. I would have loved to come to London with you all.' 

I was so oblivious back then to what secrets my father held but we kept in contact and Joon often sent me photos and memos of what was happening in London. I was always close to Joon-hyung despite our 3 year . He taught me how to play soccer and how to battle and actually win on the Playstation 2. Everything went well for the next 6 years until I heard the news.

The Shin Family massacred in England.

All my relatives dead, but us. It caused me to become suspicious. I was no longer a kid and I demanded to know the truth about why we had never left Hong Kong. My father sat me down and told me everything.

'Don't worry, son. We're safe. Dad's made it all alright for us.' 

And I believed him as any naive son would. I was furious and argued but deep down, I thought that was the last we'd hear from them. I was wrong however. So very wrong.

They came in the middle of the night. I had been yelling at my father again for betraying our family but the screech of tyres outside our rented mansionette was enough to shut the both of us up. We heard the doorbell ring and I was going to yell not to open it but my father grabbed hold of me and pushed me under the bed. We heard gunshots and the cry from my sister.

'Stay hidden, Hyun Ki. Do not come out for anything.'

My father began running down the stairs in the hope of saving my mom, the wife he loved so dearly but her screams could be heard on the downstairs landing followed by extra shots, just in case. My father slowly backed away into the room we had been arguing in just minutes before and he stood in front of the bed where I hid beneath. 

'I-I thought we had an agreement...' he started

He never finished his sentence.

One. Two. Three.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

It took every ounce of my willpower not to scream or cry. I shut my eyes and waited to die until I heard the van drive away. 

'Son... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry'

I stared at my dying father as I crawled out from under the bed. I touched the seeping wound on his chest, the sharp metallic smell making me want to vomit everywhere. 

The first few months in Korea were hell. I knew how to speak Korean being Korean myself and being talked to in Korean by my mother but my vocabulary skills were that of a 5 year old. As my father had said, there was indeed money in Seoul and along with a card my mother had placed in the envelope, I was able to access the account and pay for a language course for English speakers.

I had my greatest possession- a cake tin full of the photos and letters Joon had sent to me. I looked at them the most often during that first year in Seoul. Being alone was dangerous and it was more often than not that I put a noose around my neck. I had a few friends but they were more like acquaintances and it was those acquaintances that persuaded me to attend a prom that a neighbouring school was holding. 

I decked myself out in a suit borrowed from a friend and went along with the mindset that the night would be and I would just go back home and forget about such an awful experience. 

And that was when I saw her.

I couldn't believe it. 

A cousin of mine was alive and in Korea and standing in front of me and the first thing I thought to do was run to her and give her a hug but it didn't end up like that. She yelled at me and blamed my father, wanting me to leave and never see her again. She cried but I couldn't put my arms around her and tell her it was okay because I too, blamed my father. I couldn't say I was suprised by her actions. She told me to leave, plainly, though in rather more harsher terms. She was furious that I was standing in front of her and at first, I couldn't understand it.

And then it dawned on me that she thought I knew about my father's plans of betrayal.

I lurked around a bit, awfully creepy I know, but I just had to. She cried on some guy's shoulder before going back to her dorm. I assumed she was living with him since he passed her his key. I watched as she walked off and other students began milling out of the hall into the courtyard until a felt a firm hand on my shoulder. 

'Hyun Ki-ssi? You're Haneul's cousin?'

The guy's voice was low and his stature was looming over me. Never in my life had I felt threatened by someone simply from their presence. 

'Y-Yes... What do you want? Who are you?' 

'I'm Kris Wu and nothing... Well... Look, Haneul's only recently come here and she's fragile still. I don't know who you are really but can we meet again?'

I stared at him. His eyes were hard and cold but there was a glimmer of warmth in there somewhere whenever he said Haneul's name. 

'Are you Haneul's boyfriend?'

He chuckled, 'no, she's just living with us. Since we're all she has at the moment, I'm trying to keep a lookout for her.'

'As a boyfriend?'

He laughed again. 'As a brother.'

I met with Kris often and on one occasion I even went to their dormitory for lunch when my cousin was out with her then-friend, Kim Shinyeong. During the entire affair with Shinyeong and some other guy called Daehyun, Kris kept in contact with me, alerting me if anything big was happening. 

When Haneul was in hospital after being hit by a heavy object thrown at some height by that psychopathic girl, Kris called  me to come immediately. I almost died just seeing her in the intensive care unit. How could I have let my baby cousin be so vulnerable to just a mere girl? Why didn't I see the signs? After all, Kris had kept me completely up to date. I blamed myself yet again and this time, a guy called Lay took me outside. I had seen him come rushing in to see Haneul and the youngest, Sehun was shocked at his actions.

After about 5 minutes, he was visibly shaking and dragged me outside with him. I learnt that he couldn't bear hospitals but for Haneul, he had run in, facing his fears, just to see if she was okay. I liked him a lot actually; obviously not as much as Kris but I still thought that Lay was a great hyung to look up to.

When Haneul went back to London, the guys were all in agony. I had seen one of the Chinese guys, Luhan I think was his name, just wandering around in Myeongdong but he wasn't the handsome and youthful face I had seen before. His eyes had lost it's twinkle and I bought him a meal right away because he looked like he hadn't eaten in days. That was when he told me where my dear cousin was and he didn't know when she'd be back either. 

That night, I recieved a phone call from Haneul and I learnt that she was back in London, staying with friends. I was frantic however, knowing that the gang was heading back to London too. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had let  the final member of my family die so I spent the night with the guys, discussing what to do. It so happened that Baekhyun (someone else I had always really liked) recieved a phone call from Haneul's worried friends, asking for someone to take her back. 

The next day, Baekhyun took off to London and brought her back safe and sound. I came to the airport and hid in the crowds. I wasn't sure how she'd react to my being there but a month or so later, she turned up at my doorstep demanding answers.

She had brought me a souvenir from London, the home that was never mine. I showed her my cake tin of aall the most precious belongings I owned. I couldn't bring myself to hug her and I didn't need to. She did it for me. She held my waist for minute after minute and at last, I felt like I had someone worth living for again. 

On March 23rd, I learnt of the gang's wherabouts through a friend working at custom control in Incheon Airport. I thought long and hard over my decision but I figured that family is worth dying for. It sounds very poignant and saint-like of me, doesn't it? I fought with my head, making up situations where I'd whip out some kung fu and whoop their asses when they came for me but ultimately, I knew that my time was nigh. They were here for me anyway. Haneul no longer existed to them- she was a child that had passed away from a tragic illness at a young age. My father had been taken completely by surprise to be able to disguise my existence.

I told myself that Haneul was worth dying for. I felt like I owed her my life. She had found it in her to welcome me again into her heart and she was always stronger than me. I was comforted by the thought that she would be safe under Kris and Lay and Baekhyun and everyone's watch. I greeted death happily, peacefully and most importantly, without any regrets.

I wondered about whether or not to include the nitty gritty details on how Hyun Ki died but I decided to go with the secrets and undercover stuff that I never mentioned in 'That Girl, That Boy'. Hopefully you'll be able to tie it all in with the story and you'll like how Hyun Ki's always been undercover ^^