Jiyong held his gun high, pointing at the center of the man’s forehead as he smirked at him. The man shook his head slightly as Jiyong slowly put his index finger on the trigger, marking with his inner eye the place where his bullet will land on.

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.” The man said and Jiyong smiled, for the first time in a long time he felt his face twitching at the sides as his own mischievous smirked surfaced on his skin.

“Fear is completely allowed, there’s no other truest feeling than that.” Jiyong said on his own devious voice, and he felt alive again, the blood running under his skin as he felt the gun hot on his hand reminded him what it was to feel alive in front of death, and he enjoyed it with every bit of his body.

“It’s not fear what I possess, but a true you need, and only I can give it, only I have the key to that place you need to be.” The man said and Jiyong crooked his head.

“I can find that key somewhere else.”

“Why throw it away when it’s right under your own grasp?” The man murmured, and his voice sent chills through Jiyong’s spine. It was a familiar voice, no, a familiar tone, something he heard somewhere far away from now, from there. He slowly lowered his gun, the adrenaline tickling on his limbs as he did. As he did, the man smirked again, and Jiyong felt the urge to kill him, to shoot that smirk away from his face, but the way he looked, the conviction on his voice irked his curiosity, he couldn’t help it.

“I’ll give you five minutes.” Jiyong said. James rested his weight on the other leg, his own relax stance was so natural to him, Jiyong could never tell if he was either attentive or just ignoring his surroundings.

“I only need three.” The man said and opened his jacket. Jiyong pointed the gun back at him, and the man looked at him with a peculiar smile on his face. “I’m only going to give you something.” The man said pulling out a piece of paper. “Here.” And he extended his hand. Jiyong took the piece of paper and looked at it, it was a direction to the Hotel Hyatt, and along it there was a key card. Jiyong raised an eyebrow and looked at the man again.

“What’s this?” Jiyong said and the man raised an eyebrow.

“I told you I had a key.” The man said as he turned around. Jiyong looked at James who quickly went over the man, grabbing his arm and turning him around. The man was tall, but James looked taller, after all, he was 6 feet tall.

“Give me your name.” Jiyong said and the man nodded.

“Taemin.” Was all he said and freed his arm from James grasp and walked towards a car parked close to them. Jiyong kept his eyes on the car as he drove away into the darkness, then looked at James.

“Let’s go.” Jiyong said and James nodded, both of them walking back to the car. In there, Bom was typing fast on her laptop, eyes fixed on the screen. When the doors closed, she looked at them as she hit a key on her keyboard.

“There is no specific profile on data. His name’s Lee Taemin, new CEO of SM Entertainments, former dancer and singer. There’s nothing more.” She said as she looked at them, her eyes tired, with dark circles under them. Jiyong nodded and rested his back on his seat, so did James.

“That’s why he was so familiar. I’ve known almost every performer on Korea, he’s one of them.” Jiyong said and James raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know, it doesn’t makes sense. Why a mere CEO and a former celebrity will have any clues on your missing sister?” James said and Jiyong shrugged, still thinking of possibilities.

“We should get back.” Jiyong said as he drove back to the house.

The crowd of dancing people swallowed her as she walked aimlessly through them, merging her body with the rest of the drunk people in there. It was hard to breathe properly, the bodies grinding with each other started to sweat, and her own body started moving with the wave of music. She closed her eyes and lifted her arms as her hips moved sensually with the rhythm of the music. The hands that touched her felt as if the whole world was dragging her down, the bodies that grinded against her felt as if she was part of a big world, filled with evil demons, slowly carrying her away.

She opened her eyes, the beat getting faster, the strobe lights flashing madly and the people started to jump. She shook her head and started to walk out of the ocean of people and into the bar. In there, she sat in one of the high chairs and rested her body weight on her elbows, looking at her hands. They were bruised, the wounds were still fresh but the blood was cleaned. It hurt, but she didn’t wanted to put any antiseptic on it. For some reason, that pain gave her life, made her feel alive and strong. It was the truest feeling she was feeling at the moment, and the only one she could relate to. She asked for a drink, a Martini. The bartender handed her the drink and stood in front of her, watching her with what she thought, or could tell, was an apologetic look.

“Everything alright?” The man said and she let out a breath and nodded, looking at him with her head hanging low.

“I guess.” She murmured, the man rested his weight on his elbows in front of her and smiled, handing her a napkin.

“You should clean those tears, your makeup might run.” He said. She quickly put a hand on her cheek and then look at it. Her fingers were wet, she hadn’t noticed she had been crying until now.

“Thanks.” She said as she grabbed the napkin and cleaned the tears on her face.

“You can talk to me about it. I’m like a psychologist here.” He said and she shook her head smiling.

“It’s a bit complicated.” She told him. He laughed and grabbed a bottle of the Martini and served himself a cup.

“I’ve heard that before.” He said as he took a sip of his drink. Chaerin smiled and looked at him as she took a sip of her drink.

“Well, I’ll try to make it easy.” She said with a slight scoff. “I have this job…”

“And they fired you?” He said, she quickly shook her head and took another sip.

“No, I wish, but no. I have to… fire, this person.” She said. The man nodded and set his glass down.

“And he’s a friend of yours?”

“No… well, you can kind of say that.” She said, smiling at her own blabbing. “It’s more than just this person, if I don’t do it, if I don’t fire him, my boss will fire a lot more people, people important to me.” She said.

“Ain’t that a , that boss…” The bartender said and she smiled nodding.

“You have no idea.”

“Just tell him no,”

“It’s not that easy. I have to do this job, I have to fulfill it, but I can’t find a way to do it… Not to him…” She said, fresh tears falling from her eyes.

“And him, that man you have to fire, is he important?” The bartender said. Chaerin scoffed and nodded.

“You have no idea how important he is. If I… fire him… there are a lot of people who will go crazy. He’s way too good…” She said, the images of Jiyong fresh on her mind, as if a movie was going on it.

“Well, it’s one person for the job of many others. It’s not like he’s G-Dragon or something, so I think you should fulfill your job, for the sake of the others.” He said, and she laughed at his comparison, he had no idea how right he was, yet he had no idea how hard it was to do it.

“Thanks.” Chaerin said, trying to discard him. She knew with all her hear that he meant good, and that whatever he was saying was what she had to do. One life for the sake of many more, it was a code she had lived by, but now, being him the one at risk, the one she gave all to save, now she had to kill him. Maybe Woochoong would make her do it in front of him, and she wouldn’t have a choice, a way to come around it.

“Anytime.” The bartender said as he walked away, serving more drinks. She finished her drink, the alcohol making no effect on her as she was used to it. She stood up, left money on the bar and walked away, through the crowd and towards the door. The bouncers nodded at her as she walked through the doors.

The night was cold, a nice night of December, the snow was filling the sides of the sidewalks as she walked. She could see her own breathing as the smoke of cold left her body. Her hands felt icy, numb, her nose was starting to turn red as she tried to hide herself on her coat. As much as she loved winter, that night was making her pray for summer to come already. As she walked, she could see people enjoying the night, it was almost Christmas, and everyone seemed happy, filled with joy and love. She scoffed as she fastened her pace, trying to reach her apartment soon.

She walked past a square, were couples were having fun, taking photos under the Christmas tree, some kissing, some other just laughing. She rolled her eyes as she looked at them. And one couple caught her attention, and she stopped to look at them. The man was grabbing the hands of the lady, and he looked nervous. She was smiling at him as he talked to her, probably telling her sweet things. The man slowly started to crouch, and Chaerin’s heart stopped as the lady put a hand on . He was going to propose, he was going to tie their lives forever. Chaerin couldn’t help herself and started to walk closer, just enough to get on hearing range.

“We’ve spent 5 years together, and in those long years, you have helped me get over my nightmares, my darkest moments. You have been there for me unconditionally, your love has given me strength, your caring nature had showed me that life was more than just the darkness I was living in.” He said, and Chaerin felt her own hand on her chest as those words fit so well her own world.

“Jaejoong, I…” The lady started saying, but he continued.

“Miyoung, you have given me the strength I had always needed. And I know I’m being selfish, but, could you be with me for the rest of our lives? Would you still be that strength that holds me together? Would you be my bride?” The man said and the lady started to cry, slowly nodded as she put a hand on her face, cleaning the tears. Chaerin looked at her, she was beautiful, tiny, slender, her hair dyed red, her eyes big and brown. She reminded her of Dara. The man slowly stood up as he put the ring on her finger. He was taller than the lady, broader, an athletic body. As he stood up, both of them hugged and shared a passionate kiss, and that was the clue for Chaerin to continue walking away, slowly submerging on her own despair.

As she turned around looking down, she bumped into someone. Her mind was so lost in thought that she didn’t realized there was someone standing behind her. She saw her hands in front of her as she stopped with a chest, a slender, toned chest. Her breath got caught on as she slowly looked up, and a pair of arms grabbed her waist, avoiding her to fall. She stopped her eyes at his throat, the veins on it popping, a tattoo showing briefly on the side of his neck, the Adam’s apple moving as the man gulped down a mouthful of saliva. Her own mouth got dry as the scent of the man filled her nostrils, an aroma she knew too well, the natural perfume of mint mixed with cigarettes and cologne. She closed her eyes as tears started to form on the rim of her eyes, and the realization hit her hard.

“Chaerin…”

Gily's Notes: Until Monday!! Have an awesome week!!

Greet me nicely when I'm back, ok? Hahahaha love you!

Happy Reading ~

Gily ♥