She watched Victoria drive off with a wave before crossing the street toward the spy’s car. As if he’d been waiting for her he scrolled down his window when she approached.

“Where’s my memory card, lady?” he asked in an unlikeable tone.

Chorong dug into her pocket and clenched her fingers around it. A burning sensation wired through her nerves before she released it and handed it over with her fingers lightly wrapped over it.

“Here you go, Mr. Photographer,” Chorong told. “You know watching my house like this is considered an invasion of privacy. I could call the cops on you.”

Lee Dongsun snorted mockingly, “Is that a threat?”

Chorong shrugged, “If you watch very carefully, there’s a god on our block. He will punish you discreetly. I mean, he’s very bad.”

Chorong placed the palm of her free hand onto the side of the car and felt the car heat up immediately with her touch.

“Then, goodbye now,” Chorong dropped the melted memory card into his hand before turning around to walk off.

“What the…” he screamed after her a second later before belting out various shouts of panic when he felt the car overheat and a gastric amount of smoke huffled out from the hood of the car.

Without concern Chorong got into her car and drove off.

>_____<;;

Victoria was finally able to concentrate in class for once. She was in a good mood and she thought today would be a day where she would finally be able to enjoy herself again. It wasn’t very long, though, before that peace suddenly turned around.

While leaving class Chorong suddenly called. Namjoo wasn’t in the house when she returned from the store. Again, Victoria felt a panic swerve through her.

She immediately left campus and thought of no one, but Chanyeol at first. If Namjoo wanted to go somewhere she might have gone to him.

As expected he answered after the first ring, “Hello?”

And suddenly Victoria thought of the possibility that Namjoo might not have gone to him. How would she be able to ask without setting an alarm in his head?

“Um…” Victoria started, “I’m just wondering, if Namjoo stopped by.”

There was a moment of silence before Chanyeol said, “I’m not home right now.”

“Oh…well…”

“Is something wrong?” Chanyeol asked.

“No!” Victoria half shouted before chewing on her bottom lip. “No, nothing is wrong.” Then she nervously laughed, “Gotta go.”

She hung up before biting on her tongue.

“Where are you?” she asked underneath her breath before finally stopping at her last resort.

Since Chorong had already set herself to looking around the city, Victoria thought she’d try another method. The police department came into view just a few minutes later and she quickly walked in. It didn’t take her long to find who she’d come for.

Changmin was sitting at his desk as always viewing a portfolio when she stopped in front of his desk. His eyes shifted up to look at her and he immediately set down the portfolio.

“I need a favor,” Victoria began.

He looked around then back to her, “You know, there are other officers around.”

“No,” Victoria grounded her voice, “because you seem to know my family better than anyone else does. Please, I need a favor. It’s urgent.”

Changmin blinked his eyes a few times before nodding, “Ok. Shoot it.”

“Namjoo’s missing.”

“What?” Changmin asked confused and twisted his hand. “From the hospital?”

Victoria shut her eyes and quickly shook her head before looking at him, “She returned home yesterday. She was still sleeping this morning, but she’s suddenly gone when Chorong got home. I don’t know where she would go. Please, I’m scared. Help me look for her.”

Changmin’s face sunk into sympathy for her, but he didn’t know what he could do about the situation. Where would he look anyway? If Victoria didn’t know, how would he know any better?

“Wh…” Changmin began but changed his sentence, “she could return home later. Since you say it like that, I don’t think she would have anywhere else to go.”

Victoria felt her heart sting even more, “No, you don’t understand. Namjoo isn’t emotionally stable right now. Just…please help me look for her. I don’t want to lose her again. I’m begging you.”

Changmin pressed his lips together and looked almost conflicted before he quietly sighed, “Ok. I’ll get a few officers to look around. Go home, Victoria. I’ll call you when I find her.”

>_____<;;

Namjoo listened to the classic the taxi driver was listening to and watched old buildings pass by. Within her head she was trying to picture that field of golden wheat where she had once bid farewell to Luhan. Would it still be around? Would it still look the same?

“Still have no place in mind yet?” the old man questioned from behind the wheel. “Want me to cruise around some more?”

Namjoo glanced at him from where she was sitting and asked, “Do you know of a golden wheat field?”

The old man chuckled, “There are lots of fields in the countryside. Which one are you looking for?”

Namjoo tried to conjure up a specific picture and the location in her head, but she didn’t know. She couldn’t remember. How far had it been from the palace? And in what direction had they headed in?

“Never mind,” Namjoo shook her head. “You can stop around the corner.”

 She was tired and feeling hopeless. Namjoo wanted to go to the place that had Luhan, but she didn’t know where it was. Slightly frustrated she alighted from the cab and walked a bit before she found a bench to sit on.

>_____<;;

Chanyeol glanced out the window of his office then to the clock hanging on the wall. He had still yet to go out for lunch and since Victoria called asking about Namjoo he could only guess something had happened. The longer he sat there the more his mind raced. Finally sick of doing nothing, he clocked out for lunch.

There was a fresh scent of food swirling around the air when he started walking from block to block. Though hungry he couldn’t feel his hunger calling for him to appease it. Heads of black and brown blurred his vision, but even if he seemed to tower over everyone he couldn’t spot anyone who might look like Namjoo.

He ran across the street a few times and turned his head every which way until he came to a halt after crossing the street. His heart palpitated when his eyes zoomed in on Namjoo, who was sitting alone on the bench by the bus stop. Chanyeol could feel his lips slightly part and turned to look down the road for any oncoming cars. His feet quickened across the concrete and he jumped onto the curb, but slowed when he wasn’t sure how he would approach her.

Namjoo seemed to be looking at the buildings ahead of her, but he wasn’t sure if she was looking at anything at all. She looked dazed and lost. Her small figure made her look depressed and very alone. He thought he wanted to hug her and bring her close, but he knew Namjoo didn’t want him and it hurt a little bit when he realized it. At the back of his head he could still hear her crying about the person who wouldn’t come back to her anymore.

Chanyeol stared at her for a while longer before he finally took those small steps that led him closer to her. Without saying anything he sat beside her being careful to leave a gap between them. She didn’t seem to notice him even when he turned to glance at her.

Throughout his life he had never known Namjoo to be as silent as this. He wasn’t familiar to that look in her eyes. Namjoo was as foreign to him as she had been before he ever began talking to her. And that was a little sad.

“What are you doing here?” Chanyeol finally asked after a minute.

He watched her head slightly shift in an upward direction and her eyes flutter before she turned to look at him and turn away. Namjoo tilted her head toward the ground without a word. She didn’t want to talk and she hadn’t wanted to see him. That was what he understood from her quiet movements.

Telling himself it was alright he stood up and said, “Come on. Your sisters are worried. I’ll take you back.”

She didn’t stand for a while and maybe he thought she was hoping he would just leave her alone, but when she realized he wasn’t going anywhere she also got up. They stood apart from each other while by the streetlight and slowly crossed the road together when it gave way. It was quiet, so quiet. He’d never been so quiet with her before. This…was so different. It was unsettling.

It felt like a long hour before they finally arrived at his car in the lot of his workplace. Chanyeol unlocked the car and watched Namjoo stand by the door before finally opening it and got in. He would turn to look at her when he found the chance to, but there was this desolate expression in her eyes he couldn’t make sense of. Throughout the car ride she never once talked to him or looked at him. And he thought being with her made him a little lonely.

Namjoo didn’t move from her seat when he pulled up in front of her house. Her eyes were glued to the window and she made no movement. What was she thinking about?

“We’re here,” Chanyeol spoke and watched her turn her head before unbuckling the seatbelt around her.

Namjoo reached for the door handle and stared at the dashboard before slightly turning her head as if to look at him, but her eyes never did meet his. Chanyeol sat there expectantly only to have Namjoo turn away a second later.

“Thank you,” she quietly said and opened the door before walking out and he felt his heart sink as he watched her slowly walk up the stairs to her house.

And he thought, Namjoo had probably been right when she’d asked for the breakup.

>_____<;;

At the sound of the door opening Victoria spun around from where she’d been sitting in the sitting room.

“Chorong?” Victoria called wondering if Chorong had finally headed back home after being out for half the day, but she quickly halted in her steps when she saw Namjoo walk in through the door.

A smile suddenly lifted the worried expression she’d been carrying the whole day. Hurrying forward she threw her arms around the blank Namjoo.

“Oh my god…I was so scared!” Victoria cried out. “I was so worried. Are you ok?”

Namjoo didn’t reply and only blinked her eyes when Victoria released her.

“Are you hungry? You didn’t eat anything, did you?” Victoria asked. “Come on, I’ll go get something for you to eat.”

Victoria began turning around to lead Namjoo into the kitchen, but stopped when Namjoo suddenly hugged her burying her head into her shoulder. And a few seconds later she heard Namjoo crying heartbreakingly. A flood of relief washed over Victoria at Namjoo’s outburst, but it made her heart ache at how hurt her sister still was.

>_____<;;

Chorong had been stuck in traffic for the last two hours and finally frustrated finally resorted to searching on foot for her missing sister. She speedily walked through the crowds slightly pushing her way through, but even as far as she traveled she couldn’t find her sister. Chorong hadn’t remembered being so worried sick. In her head she saw all horrible things Namjoo could do and all the bad things that could happen to her.

Frustrated and stressed she finally stopped to clear out her mind. Taking a few deep breaths she thought over the areas she’d already looked in and tried to think up any other places she’d missed. Her heart was racing and her legs were crying to her for a rest, but Chorong couldn’t bring herself to relax.

“Chorong?”

She quickly turned around at the voice and saw Suho walking out of the mart behind her with a few bags in hand. Chorong felt an unexpected wave of surprise flush through her at the sudden meeting and looked away.

A few seconds later she found herself sitting with him at a bench near a café. The muscles in her calves were finally squealing from delight about the rest she was finally getting, but the rest of her body felt tense. She shouldn’t be sitting, but walking, searching.

“Here,” Suho handed her a bottle of water. “You look flushed.”

“Thanks,” Chorong quietly thanked and took the bottle from him before taking a long gulp from it. She realized she’d been more thirsty than expected.

“How’ve you been?” he asked. “It’s been a while since I last saw you.”

He shot her a smile, but Chorong couldn’t return it. The muscles in her face didn’t want to smile even if it were to be a lie.

“Not well,” Chorong felt her heart sink and her stress turn into unwanted tears. “My sister is missing.”

The smile immediately disappeared from Suho’s face, “Missing?”

Chorong nodded and reached a hand up to quickly wipe the tear hanging at the edge of her eye, “She just woke up from a coma. Why did I even leave her alone this morning?”

“I’m sorry,” he sympathized. “I’m sure she didn’t go far.”

Chorong pressed her hand against her face before sniffing back her tears, “I’m sorry, this is embarrassing.”

He shot her another smile and reached over to pat her on the back for comfort.

“It must’ve been hard,” he said.

Chorong felt her heart make hurls and melt into thankful sorrow that someone seemed to understand. Her phone started ringing crazily breaking the spell of the moment and she quickly searched for it. Victoria’s chirpy voice told her Namjoo had made it back and for her to head home. Relief flooded Chorong’s face and she finally felt like lying down somewhere to let it all out.

“My sister,” Chorong told turning to him, “she’s back home now.”

“That’s good news,” Suho smiled glad at the news.

Unsure what to do next she stood up awkwardly and squeezed the water bottle in her hand, “I…I’ll go now.”

She watched him nod his head, “Get home safe.”

Chorong smiled and began to turn around, but paused and turned back to him, “I…I’ll call you.”

This time a bashful smile splashed itself across his face, “I’ll wait for it.”

Chorong couldn’t help, but smile and waved at him before turning around to run off. Her heart was racing and she felt joy override her system.

When she got home Victoria was in the living room watching some drama rerun. For once, Victoria looked as relaxed as any other day. It was a good thing though and a very good thing to see.

“Where’s Namjoo?” Chorong asked walking into the living room and sat on the arm of the couch.

“Asleep,” Victoria replied.

“Did she tell you where she went?”

Victoria pulled her lips into a firm smile and answered, “No, and I didn’t ask. If she wanted us to know, she’d have said something.”

“Hmm…are you sure you’re really thinking that way?”

Resting her elbow against the couch and leaning her head into her hand Victoria said, “Namjoo finally cried and that’s a sign of improvement. I don’t want to push her just yet.”

“That’s good,” Chorong commented and turned at the sound of the doorbell.

“Someone follow you home?” Victoria also turned toward the hallway.

“Don’t know,” Chorong replied before getting up.

If it was the spy Chorong was sure she’d teach him a lesson on the spot, but when she opened the door she saw Changmin standing on their doorstep. She stared up at him before turning her head back.

“Victoria!”

“Actually…” Changmin started.

“You can talk with Victoria,” Chorong cut him off and turned away.

“What?” Victoria asked meeting with Chorong when she walked out of the living room.

Chorong placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder, “Good luck.”

>_____<;;

“What the heck…” Victoria muttered and turned to watch Chorong walk up the stairs before making the rest of the way to the front door.

She stopped when she saw Changmin standing on the front doorstep and wondered what he was doing there.

“Hey,” she greeted when she saw him.

He looked flustered, “I couldn’t find Namjoo…”

Victoria felt her lips fall apart and a kind of sense shook her. She’d forgotten about asking him to help search for Namjoo earlier and suddenly felt like slamming her head against a pile of bricks. How could she have forgotten?

“It’s fine, I’m sorry,” Victoria reached up to scratch the back of her head, “she actually…um…returned home.”

This kind of stupid expression crossed Chagnmin’s face and he raised his eyebrows to look at her almost dumbfounded.

“Ok…well…that’s good,” Changmin remarked trying to withhold a sigh.

“Sorry…” Victoria apologized.

“Never mind then,” Changmin excused. “I’ll head back then.”

Victoria watched him begin to turn around and suddenly thought about what Namjoo had said to her before.

“You know…Changmin isn’t so horrible. I think…you feel that way too.”

He had done quite a few for her while Namjoo was in the hospital and they weren’t just small matters either. Victoria did owe him quite a bit.

“Hey,” Victoria called out and watched him turn, “thank you, you know, for today and when Namjoo was in the hospital. I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” Changmin smiled. “If that’s all, I’m leaving. Have a good night.”

“W..wait,” Victoria stuttered when he took a step down. “Do you want to go out for dinner or something? You know…something friends would do.”

Changmin half snorted and laughed, “Sure. I’d like that.”

And Victoria finally smiled in reply before waving to him. Closing the door after her she headed back in and found Chorong peering into Namjoo’s room a minute later.

“What are you doing?” Victoria wondered.

Chorong twisted her head around to look at Victoria before stepping back and closed the door.

“I told you she was asleep didn’t I?”

“I was just making sure she’s all right,” Chorong stated. “I was thinking about how unsettling it’d be if there was just two of us.”

“Obviously that’s not the case,” Victoria said walking away.

“So when are you planning to head out for Lee Shin Il?”

Victoria stopped in front of her bedroom door and turned to face her sister, “When Namjoo’s powers are stable. We can’t fight without her. Grandma did say we’re only strongest when we’re together.”

Chorong’s eyes swiftly swerved to the ground, “How much of this do you think will affect our daily lives?”

“We’ll fare through it. We have so far, haven’t we?”

Pressing her lips together Chorong replied, “Yea.”

>_____<;;

So for a few days everything seemed to return to normal. Namjoo rested at home in the care of Chorong while Victoria went to school and work. Then when they had time they’d sit together to watch some TV shows together and even had a movie night before Chorong knocked out in the middle of the movie. On Friday afternoon while waiting for Victoria to return from class Chorong and Namjoo prepared sandwiches, snacks, and drinks for their picnic.

They enjoyed the breeze that late afternoon when the sun was at its highest in the sky. There were joggers, people out for exercise, and children running along the river. Watching the lives of others made them think about the separate life they’d had before reuniting under one roof. Things had by far changed…a lot.

“Lets go to Incheon,” Victoria said, “when all of this is over.”

They were sitting on flat land on a blanket Victoria had sprawled out. The noise of the children running around nearby served as a sort of music to their ears, but the girls didn’t let it annoy them.

“Why Incheon?” Chorong wondered.

“Songdo Resort,” Victoria finished. “Lets go there; spend some time together.” And she cast her eyes over to the quiet Namjoo before smiling. “It’s where we were last together as a family, before mom was taken away. Lets fix what fell apart and become a family again.”

Victoria met with the smiles of her sisters and felt a bliss that hadn’t been there for a long time fly over them. 

***Well things are slowly returning back to normal :) 

***ChangToria's date next chapter ^^ 

***And Chorong takes the next step forward next chappie ^^

***and I have a new oneshot up as the introduction to my next series for HanJoo ^^ City Blues