Seungri and YoungBae are thoroughly confused. Their boss has never let anyone go...ever. The man is normally heartless and has no symphothy for anyone. They don't know what Jiyong said or did but it got their boss to let them go. YoungBae gives the man props because he is indeed the first to be let go. They are not going to go easy on Jiyong now that he some how slipped between the cracks but they now know to keep their eyes open. 

 

Seungri goes back into his hyung's office and flops on the nearest chair. Seunghyun like the workaholic that he is is of course going to the various emails that he gets sent everyday. Bae walks over and sits in a chair closest to the boss's desk. Seungri and Bae want to say something about what just happened but they don't know how to do it without pissing the man off. 

 

Seunghyun sighs. "Are you two just going to sit there are burn a hole threw me with those eyes." The man closes his lap top and turns his chair towards them. "What is it?" 

 

Bae pauses for a bit and being older than Seungri he decides to ask the question they are both pondering. "So boss...about what happened..." 

 

Seunghyun knows what they are getting at. "Are you wondering about Jiyong?" 

 

"Ne...not to question you...but...why did you...let him go?" 

 

Seunghyun stands from his chair and adjust his jacket "Because I wanted to...is that a problem?" says the man now looking directly at the younger. Bae feels that the man could snap with any further questions. "No sir..." 

 

"Give me the proposal for Samsung..." 

 

"Oh yes sir...they are wanting another loan..." 

 

"Bae...." "Sorry sir I just had to look. I didn't want to tell you about something and it wouldn't be worth your time..." Which is a true statement. A lot of major companies sometimes have no choice but to borrow money to stay a float. Even companies like Samsung need a little extra capital every now and then. The bad thing about them is that they are known to cheat people and they tried to do that to Seunghyun last year. The man dropped their loan with a quickness making Samsung blow up their phones and even threaten them. Seunghyun wasn't going to have it and never contacted them since. 

 

The only reason why Seunghyun is taking this proposal this time is mainly because he knows that he is crushing the CEO's pride. He is giving money to a so called billion dollar company who will owe him until every won is paid. These funds are of course illegally gained from Seunghyun and there is no trace of the money given and that's what gives Seunghyun leverage. If anyone ever finds out that a company gained funds illegally...they are doomed and of course Seunghyun is safe due to the hush agreement in their the contract. 

 

"Next time...don't touch. Things are sealed for a reason dumb ...work on my numbers...that is your job. If you want to be a good donsaeng do as I say and stop messing with ..." 

 

Bae nods. The boss is giving a weird vibe since he dodged the question about Jiyong and then going on to another topic. Bae has opened plenty of letters in the past and this is the first time SEunghyun has ever said a word. "Ne sir...I won't do it again." 

 

Seungri smiles. "Hyung..thanks for letting him live....I kinda like him..." Seunghyun walks towards the door. "And why do you find that weak minded person interesting?" 

 

"Because...he is cute...and I like how he shakes when he is scared." Seungri grins. 

 

"You are not right in the head..." The older mutters as he leaves the room. It's very common for him to leave out of a conversation when he is done with it. Seungri is cute at times but sometimes his way of thinking makes the older wonder if he should have left the man in a crazy house. 

 

Bae catches up with his hyung. "Boss..." says Bae steps behind the man. "I'm sorry...I won't open the proposals again." Seunghyun then feels like an . He didn't mean to snap at the man. It's just letting Jiyong go was something he has never done before...it's kinda eating at his pride. "It's okay...I'm sorry for yelling." That's one thing that Seunghyun is not afraid to do...is admitting that he was wrong and apologizing. I guess you could say that is the softer side of the man with hard edges.

 

////////////////////////////////////Random street/////////////////////////

 

Jiyong is walking in the middle of a dimly lit street. He is in a daze and still trembling with fear. The poor man felt that he was going to be killed today by the man with dark eyes. "I don't care about your peaceful life" That keeps playing in his head. Jiyong doesn't consider his life peaceful. He is just happy to be living.  With no parents, no friends, and only his granny in his life...he is grateful for what he has....

 

Being dragged out of his grandmother's noddle shop with such force he swears the pots are still boiling with now spoiled and burnt noodles. His shirt has a slight rip due to the struggle of not wanting to leave out the door. The man didn't leave peacefully even though he knew that two against one was not going to be a win. 

 

The way Seungri's crooked smile tugged the man to the car and shoved him in like a rag doll. How the two ignored the cries and plies of letting him go. The man thought that he wasn't afraid of death but that moment proved it. He doesn't want to leave his grandmother. She is all that he has and to leave now with no word would just break his heart. 

 

The man still doesn't want his grandmother to know of what happened. She worries about him so much Jiyong couldn't bare telling her such news of a murder that he witnessed. Granny Kwon is old and Jiyong wants her to have a happy life the rest of her days on this earth making noodles with him. Jiyong at times feels bad that he is not married and doesn't have a grand child to present to her but Granny never complains. 

 

"Hey mister...why you out so late..." says a voice behind Jiyong. He can hear that it's a younger person so Jiyong turns around to find some school brats with a smirk on their faces. Jiyong sighs. "I'm poor....I don't have any money....so don't waste your time...." 

 

One of the kids comes up to Jiyong and looks him lover. "You have nothing on you...nothing for some cigs....?" Says the kid walking around the man. Jiyong then remembers that Seungri gave him some cash for a taxi earlier. He is really not in the mood to fight some young delinquents. "Ne...I have nothing...so leave me alone..." says Jiyong turning around with a low voice. "Not even a dollar?" says another kid coming closer. Jiyong then balls his fist. "ING LEAVE ME BE YOU BRATS!" The two kids get wide eyed to the smaller man yelling at them. "Fine fine..." 

 

The kids shrug their shoulders and leave the man alone. "What's up with that old man..." Jiyong hears the kids whisper in the back ground. Jiyong  is happy that he doesn't really have money because he would have been beat up if he looked like he had anything of value.  It has to be at least 3am with the way that the lights of bars are now glowing and more and more kids and hookers are linning the street corners. Jiyong knows where he is now and it's sick that he was only a twenty minutes walk from where he was taken. 

 

"Aish those jerks." says Jiyong walking into a corner store. He can't walk home with scratches of dried blood on his arms. He goes to the med aisle and picks up some cream and band aids. He walks up to the counter and takes the money that Seungri gave him and puts it on the counter. The woman looks the  man over and shakes her head. Of course he would be judged at 3am...he looks like with his messy hair and sweaty apparel. "Take care of yourself child" says the woman handing him back the change. "I'm not a junkie..." Jiyong mutters as he walks out the store. 

 

Jiyong stands on the street corner and rips open the pack of oiments and Band-Aid. Some of the scratches sting on contact. "Why me..." Jiyong mutters again as he throws the remaining treatments in the trash can. Jiyong continues his walk home and tries his best to finger comb his hair to something decent. Most of the sweat is wiped off with his forearm. "Coming home granny..." 

 

////////////////////////Noodle Shop//////////////////////

 

Jiyong walks into the store and of course granny is sitting and waiting for the man's return. It's very unlike Jiyong to not come up after closing the shop. Jiyong walks over to his frowning granny. "I'm sorry...I took a walk...."  Sooeun who is Jiyong's granny stands and pulls her grand child into a hug. "Why must you worry me..." says the older woman with relief. Jiyong hates to make her worry. "I'm sorry....It won't happen again." The woman releases the hug. "Why did you take a walk my baby boy. Did you have a bad day? Want granny to make you something nice?" Jiyong chuckles because his granny still treats him like a little kid at times. "No granny. I'm just going to finish cleaning up and go to bed." 

 

The smaller woman puts her hand on Jiyong's head. "Well that's good you don't have a fever." 

 

Jiyong smiles and leans down to place a kiss on his granny's cheek. "I'm fine. I just need some rest. You go on to bed. I will be up soon." Jiyong smiles again and so does Sooeun. "Okay...I will come back down here if you are not in bed in 15 minutes. Ne?" She has with a Command to her voice. "Ne ne." says Jiyong with a laugh. 

 

The older lady goes up stairs and Jiyong goes over to the covered pots that are full of now ruined noodles. It's expensive to provide money to run a shop. The remaining money that Seungri gave him he is going to use to buy ingredients tomorrow morning. The man is going to have to learn to live with all these new people in his life. How they just show up like they own the place...

 

Jiyong pulls out a mop and dips it into a bucket of cold water...which would have been hot if he wasn't taken. Jiyong rings it out and smears it across the floor. The younger then freezes as the steps in the exact place he was taken. It pisses him off to no end no being able to defend himself. "Aish..." Jiyong continues to smear the mop around, but then gets too frustrated to mop as he puts it away. He doesn't feel like cleaning. He just needs some sleep to forget. 

 

///////////////////////////////Itaewon Markets//////////////////////

 

Jiyong is out early because he needs ingredients to make proper noodles. He needs finely milled flour and red peppers to make Kimchi. Jiyong goes to the markets because grocery stores don't have that natural quality the way that the ajummas present. Jiyong most of the time is the youngest one there and it is rare to see men around. 

 

The ajummas don't speak to him much. Jiyong is not that social anyways so he doesn't care. He just likes working in the shop and doing nothing else but serving noodles. There are not people to bug him and Noodles is what he knows best so he is confident when serving and answering questions. 

 

At the market....shy Jiyong is in the mist. He knows what he wants so he goes to the same seller every time. "Hello Jiyong ah....what brings you here so early in the month? Gain more costumers?" Jiyong smiles with a bow. "No not really. I accidently ruined some the other day, so I wanted to get more flour today and red peppers." Jiyong smiles gently with his red shopping tote. "Please give me what I can with this much" The woman smiles. "Ne agashi. Just wait a moment. " The woman starts to fill a bag with flour while Jiyong patiently waits. "Did you find a nice girl yet?" 

 

Jiyong blushes. "No..." 

 

"You know my  Yurin is still available....you should ask her on a date...." 

 

"Ajumma..." Jiyong whines. "I'm not ready to date yet..." 

 

"You need to start dating Jiyong ah. Someone to love brings more joy to your heart." She gives the bag of peppers and flour to Jiyong. "Consider it. Ne? And here..." She hands him another bag. "Our Peaches have done well this year. Share some with your grandmother" 

 

Jiyong nods. "Ne thank you ajumma." He bows again and turns around to walk out of the mass of ajummas who are starting their morning shopping. Jiyong is happy that he went early because the true morning rush is starting to come in. The man makes it back out to the streets of Itaewon again as he holds his bag tight to prevent pickpockets. 

 

"ACK!" Jiyong falls to the ground with his bag falling as well. Some men in suits where running down the street and somehow knocked the man over. "Could have said sorry...." Jiyong mutters as he starts to pick up his items. Luckily the bags saved his four and peppers. The peaches are slightly dented but everything is okay. "I'm just unlucky." Jiyong says to himself as he slowly stands and feels pain run up his leg. The way the men ran into him slightly rolled his ankle. Jiyong tries to stand on it but it just hurts. The younger needs to get home so he decides to walk it off despite the pain. He can wrap it later. 

 

"Jiyong...." Jiyong ignores the call and continues to walk. He then hears a car stop and a car door open and shut. Jiyong then turns to see a familiar face. "Jiyong shi...are you okay...I see that you are limping..." Jiyong looks the man over and shakes his head. "I'm fine." 

 

"You must not remember me. I'm Dongwook the detective...remember...I'm of no harm..." says the man with a smile.

 

"I'm fine..." Jiyong continues to walk with a slight wince. "You don't look okay..." Jiyong turns. "Please...just leave me alone. I saw nothing okay.."

 

Dongwook smiles. "Okay okay...you saw nothing....now let me give you a ride home..." says the older coming over to snatch Jiyong's bag. "Yah..." says the younger with a frown. "Give that back..." He has been picked on enough the past couple of days. "Only if you get in my car so I can take you home. Walking is only going to make it worse." Jiyong doesn't care. He feels he deserves the pain....just unlucky. 

 

The older hands the bag back to the younger only to get it snatched away. "Okay I will leave you alone. Just remember you can always talk to me." He slips a card in the bag. "I know that there is something going on and I will find out. I can help you...but only if you talk to me. Those scratches on your arm and stress in your eyes doesn't show that you are fine...I will leave you now..." The man walks away and Jiyong is scared again. This damn cop won't leave him alone too? 

 

//////////////////////////////////Noodle Shop//////////////////////////

 

It was a average day with no  Seungri or Bae. Jiyong has been busy all day preparing noodles and making more Kimchi. Today he let his granny have a day off so she is spending the night with some friends a couple of doors down. Jiyong loves that she still has a social life and that she is happy. 

 

Also Jiyong is happy that she wasn't here today either. She won't see his slight limp or the out of season winter boot supporting his now painfully swollen ankle. Jiyong worked the entire shift with no breaks in a way as sick punishment. Jiyong feels that he deserves this pain...he can't defend himself...it's almost as if death is knocking at his door. 

 

Jiyong normally doesn't get depressed but having your life threatened is a lot to take on. He hasn't said a word to anyone and his smile is only a cover to what is really happening inside. He hasn't cried....only yelled at times to random people so far. The door dings open. "Sorry we are clo..." Jiyong's eyes. widen and he can't move. 

 

The man comes into the shop and takes a seat at a random table. "So...is this where you work Jiyong shi..." Jiyong is scared again...it's the man with the dark eyes paying him a visit...."I didn't say anything...." 

 

Seunghyun then stands and comes closer to the man. He looks the man over in the yellow apron. "How can you say you didn't say anything and someone clearly saw you talking to Dongwook." 

 

"I didn't say anything...." says Jiyong with a low voice. "Bull..." says Seunghyun raising his hand making the younger raise his head. "So you are going to kill me now..." says Jiyong looking the man directly in the eyes. "Kill me then. I deserve to die..." says the younger putting his head down. The older puts down his hand and doesn't know what to do next. The words of the younger are sad and dark and it's almost depressing. Jiyong doesn't feel a strike or a blow. He wants him to do it. "Kill me....do it...." says Jiyong looking past the man. "What is wrong with you..." Mutters the older looking the man over. 

 

Jiyong then starts to tear up again. "What's wrong with me...you not only threatened my life you people constantly reminded me that I will die if I speak. How can I live with tape over my mouth and even with tape no one believes me. I have not once but twice I have told the cop that I'm fine...that I wasn't dragged out of my Noodle shop last night and have you wanting to kill me." The words are with a bite and Jiyong at this moment is fearless. 

 

Seunghyun looks the man in the eyes. "SO you want me to kill you..." says the man revealing his gun in his side pocket. Jiyong looks the man in the eyes and nods. "Do it..." The older man looks at the younger's eyes at how intense they are...but really he is not so strong. "If you are ready to die....why are your hands trembling...." He then grabs Jiyongs neck but doesn't add any force. "I could just kill you now...that's what you want....Ne?" say the man with dark eyes staring into the coffee ones.

 

Jiyong trembles and tears start to flow again. He looks past the man and doesn't say a word but just balls his fist. Seunghyun smirks and then releases the man making Jiyong confused once again. Seunghyun then pulls out a random chair in the middle of the floor. "Sit..." 

 

"Ne?" 

 

"Sit dammit..." says Seunghyun eyeing the younger. Jiyong takes a seat as told and avoids eye contact and this is where it gets really confusing. The older then kneels down to the ground and looks at Jiyong's feet. "Aish...you don't walk on a sprained ankle....give me your foot...." 

 

The younger then eyes the man making the older annoyed. "Just do it..." Jiyong brings out his left foot in the winter boot and the older cradles it in his larger hand   while the other hand undoes the laces. Slowly the boot comes off and all the pressure from walking all day sends pain to Jiyong's foot. The younger winces as his foot is freed and swollen. Jiyong looks as the man reaches in his pocket to pull out a knife making the younger want to move his foot in almost a struggle. "Aish...it's to cut bandages...we need to wrap this...." 

 

Jiyong stops his wiggles as feels relieved when he does see some bandage taken out. Slowly Jiyong's foot is wrapped up and placed gently on the floor. "Now don't walk on this. Ne?" Jiyong nods. "Why are you doing this..." 

 

Seunghyun doesn't answer and puts the remaining items away. Jiyong is almost frustrated.."Why" 

 

"Because you looked pathetic." says the older with a bite. Jiyong feels another lashing of cold words. "Is that why you didn't kill me either?"

 

"Soak your foot at least once a day in a ice bath...don't walk on it too much...." The older then stands. Jiyong stands as well wincing in pain. "Aish didn't I tell you to not walk..." 

 

This man is weird. "Would you like some noodles...." 

 

"What?" 

 

"This is a noodle shop...would you like some....to say thanks..." He's nuts. Jiyong is nuts but he is not a mean person. Despite the rudeness of the older Jiyong is not going to change. "Please...have a seat...I have some left...." The younger hobbles back into the kitchen and prepares what ever is left in a bowl. The older surprisingly is sitting and waiting for the food. It's not often he gets something home made. Jiyong hobbles to the table and places the bowl down. "Here...." says the younger with no eye contact....

 

Seunghyun frowns. "ing sit down and stop moving so much..." 

 

"Please eat..." Jiyong hobbles back in the kitchen not listening...why should he listen to that devil...

 

Seunghyun looks the steaming bowl over. The man could poison him, but he takes a bite and his eyes almost roll back to the freshness. He of course doesn't show it on his face. . Jiyong continues to clean up the kitchen and prepare noodles for the next day. The man is still afraid of the Seunghyun and he figures if he is going to kill him...he won't hesitate when he really does.

 

Jiyong comes over when he hears the clinging of the empty bowl. "You finished?" 

 

The older stands. "Not bad" He puts some cash on the table and then leaves. Jiyong picks up the bowl and then looks down at his bandage. "Crazy bastard..."