Note: COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT!! LOL. please? Anyway, thanks for the support!! :)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Dara trembled slightly as she drove home. Her encounter with Jiyong really shook her up. Yet, she felt a little guilty for running away from him like that and on top of everything else, she wasn’t able to get him to answer any questions. She exhaled and ran a hand through her hair, keeping her eyes on the road in front of her. She jumped a little when her phone suddenly rang. She fumbled with her bag but finally managed to get her phone out. “Hello?”

    “Hello? Dara? It’s Sanghyun.”

    “Oh, hi, bro. What’s up?” Dara put the phone on speaker and rested it on her dash.

    “I was just calling to let you know that Dad’s engagement party has been put off until tomorrow night. Apparently, his fiance got called into work at the last minute. So, looks like we’re free for the night. Did you want to hang out? Maybe get some dinner?”

    “Um...sounds good. Sure, I’ll meet you somewhere. Where did you want to go?”

    “How about Blue Cafe down the street from your apartment. By the way, where are you? There’s a lot of static coming from your end.”

    “Driving…”

    “Driving? Dara, don’t you have a concussion?! Shouldn’t you be at home, resting? Are you ok? Do you need me to come get you?”

    “No, no. I’m fine. Honestly, the concussion isn’t even bad...just a slight headache is all. Nothing to worry about.”

    Dara heard her brother sigh. “I can’t help but worry about you, Dara. I don’t even know where you are most of the time and you being a cop...well that doesn’t really ease my worries either.”

    “Hey, your sister is no weakling. She’s very capable of taking care of herself. Look, Sanghyun, I know you’re worried about me and all but I assure you, there’s nothing to worry about, alright? Anyway, I’ll see you later tonight. I have to go now.”

    “Alright. Bye, Sis. Take care.”

    Dara hummed in response and hung up just before pulling into the parking structure of her apartment building. As she walked to the elevator, she noticed Il Woo about to get on. “Il Woo? What are you doing here?”

    “Oh, Dara. I was just going to go up to check on you. What were you doing out? You should be resting.” He looked at her worriedly.

    “I’m fine. I wish people would stop looking at me like I’m going to break or treat me like I’m as fragile as glass. I’m a cop, Il Woo. You need to be tough for this job.”

    “I never said that you were weak, Dara. I just worry about you sometimes. You tend to do some pretty stupid things that could otherwise get you in trouble or hurt.”

    “You shouldn’t have to worry about me.”

    Dara shook her head and stepped into the elevator. She pressed her floor and leaned against the door. Il Woo turned around to face her. “You’re right...I don’t have to. But I want to.”

    He nodded his head slightly and then walked away, leaving Dara stunned. Normally, Il Woo would try to woo her with his player charms but there was none of that. He...meant it. Dara furrowed her brows. Does he...no, it can’t be. Come on, Dara. This is Il Woo, you’re talking about. He doesn’t do feelings.... Dara brushed the thought aside and leaned her head back against the wall.

    Once Dara arrived back at her apartment, she threw the papers onto her desk and sat down on her sofa, propping her feet on top the coffee table. She looked out of her window at the gray town, watching as the raindrops fell against the glass. I’m trying to find answers but it seems the digger I deep into this, the more questions I have… She sighed and let her head all into her hands.

-------------

Later that night…

    Dara walked into the cafe and found her brother and IU sitting at one of the booths. She smiled warmly as she approached them and took a seat across from them. They exchanged small talk and kept the conversation light. The more they talked, the more Dara began to feel like her old self again and she couldn’t help but look at both her brother and his girlfriend in slight adoration. They were good together. “So, wait, let me get this straight...it took my brother a whole two weeks to ask you out?” Dara laughed.

    “Yup! I totally knew he wanted to and always anticipated it but he would always clam up and run away. It was the funniest thing!”

    “Hey! I was nervous, alright! Geez, it’s not every day that you’re around such a beautiful woman.” Sanghyun winked and IU rolled her eyes.

    “Oh, you and your cheesiness. But I’m definitely glad you finally had the courage to ask me out. I’d been waiting for you for a long time.”

    “I love you.”

    Sanghyun cupped IU’s face and brought her in for a sweet kiss. Dara blushed slightly at the PDA. But she couldn’t help but smile seeing them together. Her brother was happy and that’s all that mattered. “Which remind me! There’s something I need to do.”

    “What is it?” IU asked.

    Suddenly, Sanghyun got out of his seat and reached into his coat pocket. Dara’s eyes widened when realized what he was doing. Sure enough, he got down on one knee causing IU to gasp and cover , tears b her eyes. “Lee Ji-Eun...you are the first girl to ever capture my heart this way. I know that I will never find anyone else like you. I may not be the best guy out there for you but I can assure you that I will spend the rest of my life proving to you that you and I belong together. Will you marry me?”

    He opened the black velvet box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. IU practically choked up with tears. But she nodded and Sanghyun slipped the ring onto her finger. Dara nearly broke down in tears now but she had learned to control her emotions over the past couple of years. Instead she smiled and watched the two silence.

    After spending the next couple of hours celebrating, she finally decided to head home. Sanghyun and IU needed some time alone and she was happy to give them that time. She couldn’t help but feel happy for her brother and bit jealous that he was getting married before her...yet, she wasn’t one for commitment such as marriage. Nothing lasted forever and she knew that for a fact, so there was no point in wasting time on something like marriage. Still, she didn’t have the heart to tell her brother that.

    Since the cafe was close by her apartment, she didn’t really bother to take her car. Instead, she thought it was better to walk. And besides, she needed some fresh air and time to clear her head. The night was otherwise calm aside from the occasional sounds of sirens and people shouting but other than that, it was a calm night without her having to hunt down bad guys.

The wind blew gently, ruffling her hair slightly. Dara zipped up her jacket and shoved her hands into her pockets. She was only a block away from her building when suddenly she was grabbed from behind, a hand covered . She struggled a bit but stopped when she felt something hard press against her back. “Stop moving, . We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way.”

Dara bit the guy’s hand making him yelp. She took the opportunity to grab his arm and throw him over her shoulder. The guy aimed his gun at her but she reacted quickly and dodged the bullet before kicking the gun out of his hand. She tried to get to the gun but the man grabbed her foot causing her to fall, her knee hitting the concrete. “Damn it!” She cursed under her breath.

“!”

The man grabbed her by her hair and yanked her upward. She screamed slightly but managed to kick the guy in the stomach. He recovered quickly and advanced towards her to slap her but she redirected his hand and pulled him toward her, crouching low to flip him over her back. The man ninja rolled and got back up. He ran toward her and tried to grab her but she quickly ran and slid through the gap between his legs and got back up again.

The man stomped over to her and this time managed to punch her across the face. Dara tasted the bitter taste of blood in and spit it out. The guy charged her again but she pushed herself off the wall and kicked him on the side of his head. The guy stumbled a bit but recomposed himself quickly. Dara tried to lunge for his gun again but the man caught her and slammed her against the wall. He whipped off his belt and wrapped it around her neck, strangling her.

Dara struggled against the man, feeling her oxygen slowly being cut off. She clawed at the belt but to avail. The man smirked triumphantly. “You’ll be with your precious mother soon, .”

    Dara stopped struggling and just looked at the man in confusion. However, she was slowly starting to lose consciousness. Just as she was beginning to slip into the darkness, the pressure around her neck was relieved and the guy was knocked to the side. Dara fell to the ground, gasping and coughing. She looked up when she heard a vicious growl and then the man went flying back into the wall, his skull cracking against the brick wall. For a moment, she felt fear but it went away when she saw Jiyong standing in front of her, getting ready to attack the man again. “Jiyong, stop!”

    He whipped around to face her. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for her now as he turned to look at her. His eyes flared gold, showing nothing but pure rage. She could vaguely make out his fangs protruding from his mouth and how his veins had run black. However, as soon as they made eye contact, the fury in Jiyong’s eyes faded. “Jiyong...I’m alright…” Dara said carefully as she stood up.

    Jiyong looked at the man and then back at Dara. He looked at his clawed hands and took a step back when she started walking toward him. He backed up until he reached the wall. “Jiyong, it’s ok. It’s over.”

    He wanted to ask her if she was alright but the words were stuck in his throat. He just didn’t know what to say to her. His blood was still boiling with anger and he didn’t want her to get too closer in fear he might hurt her. “S-stay back…” He rasped.

    “Calm down...it’s fine.”

    “Jus-just stay back...please…I don’t want to hurt you.”

    Dara looked at him, her gaze instantly softening. “You won’t hurt me. Jiyong, it’s fine. Calm down.”

    Jiyong let out a warning growl. He snapped his head to his side when he saw people approaching. Dara gave him a pleading look but he just glared at her before disappearing into the night. She scoffed in disbelief before kneeling down in front of the man who had attempted to kill her. She tilted his head to the side and saw multiple gashes and saw how much he was bleeding. Without wasting another moment, she pulled out her phone to call someone.

-------------------------

Police Station

    “What were doing walking at night by yourself? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is?” Il Woo muttered as he examined the body.

    “I was out with my brother and his girlfriend, alright? We had dinner at Blue Cafe and I went home to give them some alone time. How was I supposed to know I was going to be attacked?”

    Il Woo just shook his head and worked over the body, moving the head with gloved hands. He was shocked when Dara was rushed to the precinct along with a dead body but Chief Yang had his case under wraps and was just glad that Dara was safe. But now, here Il Woo was, wondering how Dara had managed to fight off the man and actually kill him. “There’s multiple cuts and bruises on his face, and it seems you managed to crack his skull...how did you manage to do that, by the way?” He raised a brow.

“He attacked me from behind so I just slammed him back against the wall and I guess I did it too hard and killed him.”

“Right...well, then I guess my work here is done.”

Il Woo took off his gloves and took a seat beside her. Dara stared off in space, thinking about what happened, how Jiyong had saved her yet again. But...he was different. Even different from when she’d gone to see him at the warehouse. He...changed...turned into a beast. It frightened her and the anger she saw in his eyes...it sent shivers down her spine. She couldn’t even imagine what he would’ve done to the guy if she hadn’t stopped him. “Dara? Are you alright?” Il Woo touched her shoulder gently.

“Y-yea...just a little shaken that all. The guy...he mentioned something about my mother. I...think he had something to do with her death. He could have been part of SM…”

“But why would they come after you personally? And how do they know your mother? I couldn’t imagine them keeping tabs on all the people they killed. They wouldn’t bother if it wasn’t important.”

“I...don’t know. The more I try to investigate the more confused I become. Nothing makes sense. I just don’t get the connection between my mom and those men. How is she connected to them? And why did they kill her?”

“I’m sure there’s a reason but more importantly, why would they come after you? I mean, you aren’t even really associated with them besides your mother but why would they come after you too? What’s so important that they have to kill you, too?”

Dara shrugged. In honesty, she didn’t know. She didn’t have all the answers. Now more than ever, she was feeling lost and hopeless. Only more questions came up as the days went on but she knew that somehow, in some shape or form, Jiyong was also connected to SM and so was her mother. She stood up and turned to face Il Woo. “I know you’re worried about me. I know that you came to see me today with good intentions but Il Woo, you have to know that---”

“That you can protect yourself? Well, obviously...seeing what you did to this guy! But that’s besides the point, Dara. I want to worry about you. And nothing you say or do is ever going to change that.”

She shook her head and stepped back. “Il Woo, we work together. It’s not very professional for co-workers to feel this way about each other.”

Il Woo scoffed. “Really? That’s the bull you’re going to pull on me? I’ve cared about you since the beginning. That’s why I’ve been trying to help you with your mother’s case. For two years, I spent days and nights wondering how to help you, how to get close to you. But each time I try, you push me away. Why is that?”

“Il Woo, it’s not you. It’s---”

“It’s what? It’s me? That’s the oldest line in the book, Dara. I don’t know why you do this but I’m not giving up on you. I’ll keep trying until you finally realize that I’m the guy for you.”

He brushed past her and walked out of the room. Dara growled in frustration before kicking over a trashcan. She yanked her fingers through her hair and headed out of the station. For reason, she felt determined...more than usual to get answers but more than that...she wanted to talk. And so, she soon found herself in front of the warehouse yet again.

The rain drizzled lightly over head, small droplets trickling down her windshield. She got out of her car and sat on the hood, staring off into the darkness. She didn’t even know what she was doing here or why she kept coming back here. But she found it hard to stay away.

----------------

Jiyong splashed his face with cold water, trying to calm himself down. After what happened back at the alley, he just felt this all consuming rage. Never in his life had he felt that before but seeing the man trying to kill Dara, made something inside him snap. The moment he caught onto her scent, he instantly followed it and found her being attacked by the man. He lost control over himself and killed the man...he would’ve torn him apart, too had Dara not stopped him. Dara...as soon as his eyes caught hers, he felt...lost. Normally in his “beast” state, he let his instincts take over and killed anyone who pissed him off. He’d done it before when he saved her from those men three years ago and again, her gaze had his heart pounding and him feeling wrong.

It was like there was this ongoing battle inside his heart. One look from her, and he felt insecure as if she’ll judge him like everyone else...look at him like he was a monster. He didn’t usually feel offended when people looked at him that way but Dara...she was different. He kept waiting for her to look at him that way but she never did. She always looked at him like he was...fragile, breakable, the way he saw her. She looked at him as if he was actually worth something. Tonight, he almost couldn’t hear her voice when she told him to stop, being so lost in his anger but he made himself listen. He half expected her to run from him but she didn’t run this time. She stayed and tried to calm him down.

Jiyong leaned against the sink and looked into the mirror, glaring at his reflection. The human image of him in the mirror...it wasn’t real. Beneath, he was nothing but an animal...a beast. He closed his eyes for a moment. Suddenly, he caught Dara’s scent. His eyes flashed gold for a split second before turning normal again.

He flashed over to where she was and saw her leaning against the hood of her car. He stopped when he got to the edge of the fence and frowned seeing how wet she was. What the hell was she even doing out in the rain? His eyes flickered to her knee and saw how it was still bleeding and untreated. “I know you told me not to come here but...I just wanted to thank you for saving me...again.” Jiyong looked up to Dara.

She sighed and looked at him. “You saved my life again.”

“Yea but I also killed someone. What are you doing here, Dara? You didn’t need to come all this way just to thank me.”

Dara got off the hood and walked over to him. She pushed open the gate separating them and took out the papers from her jacket. They were slightly wrinkled and wet due to the rain. Jiyong eyed the papers curiously. She handed them to him and he took it hesitantly. “These are my mom’s old research papers. I thought you might be able to make sense of them.” Dara spoke quietly.

“Dara…”

“I already know what you’re going to say. I’m not going to push anymore...I just want you to take a look at those papers. That’s all.”

Dara turned to walk back to her car again but Jiyong noticed how she limped. He frowned. Seeing her in pain, hurt him. “You should really get that wound treated.”

“What?” She stopped at turned around slowly.

“Your knee. You should really get it treated. It could get infected.”

“Then I’ll just take care of it when I get home…”

“Come inside.”  

(Look After You by The Fray- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl7spqkXgpY&index=9&list=FLLOl7gdsOZEgBAF7h1_Fa1Q#aid=P-8ycCUOlVo )

Dara looked at him in shock and Jiyong suddenly wished he hadn’t said that. He shouldn’t have come out to see her but yet here he was...inviting her inside. He sighed and took her hand to lead her inside of the warehouse. He sat her down on the chair in his little attic/room before taking out his medical supplies.

Neither of them spoke as Jiyong reached into his bag and pulled out some cotton balls and antiseptic. “This is going to sting a little…” He finally said.

    Dara just nodded and hissed slightly when he began rubbing her wound with the cotton ball. His eyes flickered up to her for a moment before refocusing on her cut. They remained silent as he dressed her wound and slowly stood up, his eyes finding hers again. “You should be fine now.”

    “Why do you do it?” She asked suddenly.

    “What?”

    “You’re afraid of being exposed yet you risked that to try to save that woman, Yoona and you saved me...multiple times now. If you’re scared of people finding you out, then why do you do it? You're like some modern day Superman.”

    “I...killed people, Dara. I don’t think I really fall into the hero category.”

    “But you are. You tried to save Yoona and you saved me...and those cases in the past, all of those, you tried to help, didn’t you?”

“I guess...I guess I just do it because it reminds me of what I used to be.”

    “A doctor?”

    His eyes flickered to hers. “Human.”

    Dara felt a slight pinch in her heart. It seemed that Jiyong had endured a lot and being the way he was...it had to be hard. He even had to hide himself away in a dark, creepy warehouse with some biochemist. She looked away from him and breathed. “Do you know why I keep pushing about my Mom’s case?” He just stared.

    “It’s because...I feel like I’m the reason she’s dead. If I hadn’t called her like I did, maybe she would still be alive and it would be me who died that night---”

    Dara gasped when Jiyong suddenly gripped her shoulders, staring at her intently. He glared at her. “Don’t you ever say something like that again… as if I would’ve let you die...As if I’d let anything happen to you. You can’t, Dara...nothing can happen to you, do you understand me?”

    “J-Jiyong…”

    “You aren’t responsible for your mother’s death. Never think that. SM was tracking her and knew she was there and went after her…”

    Dara’s widened in surprise. “Wh-what?”

    Jiyong clenched his jaw and turned away from her. He silently cursed himself for even saying that. Why the hell did he tell her that?! He shut his eyes tightly when he felt her touch his back. “What did you say?” Dara’s voice shook.

    “Dara…”

    “I was right then...SM was tracking her. Why? What did they want from her?”

    “I-I don’t know.”

    “No, I think you do. Why are you keeping this from me? Why won’t you help me? If you understand my pain, why won’t you help me get rid of it by putting my mother’s case to rest by just telling me?”

    “Because I’m trying to protect you! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to get involved with this messed up ? SM is dangerous, Dara! They will hunt you down and kill you...or rather, kill you since they’re apparently hunting you. That guy that attacked you, he was part of SM. I could tell. Do you know why he went after you?” Dara just shook her head.

    “He went after you because they know you know something. SM tracks people like you, Dara. That’s why I’ve been hiding out here, because if they found me they’ll try to kill me, too and I can’t have that yet…not until I get rid of them and make sure your safe.”

    “Jiyong, you don’t need to protect me! I’m a cop!”

    “Yea, but you’re also human! Do you have any idea how fragile you are? SM will eat you alive if they get their hands on you, Dara. I know these people, ok? They are merciless and will attempt to kill you any chance they get. That’s why you need to stay away from me. If they find out you know about me, they will try even harder to take you out and I can’t have that.”

    “Look, this isn’t about me! This isn’t about my pathetic life! I spent the last three years trying to figure all of this twisted out and now that I’m so close, you won’t help me! I don’t need protection, Jiyong! I need to know why they killed my mother so I can finally sleep in peace at night! I spent nights wondering about her, wondering about why they did this! I can’t keep this up any longer!”

    “Then let it go, Dara! Just drop it, damn it!” Jiyong growled and kicked a box, causing it to fly into the back wall, crumpling on impact.

    “She was my mother, Jiyong. I deserve to know. I don’t care about what happens to me. I’ll protect you from them. I’ll make sure they don’t find out about you but I want to know about my mom---”

    “You still don’t get it, do you? I can’t tell you, Dara. I wish I could but I can’t because I know you’re just going to go after them recklessly and get hurt.”

    “Why does it matter? I barely know you, why do you care if I get hurt?”

    “You barely know me but I know you…” He spoke softly now.

    “What do you mean?”

    “I...ever since that night that I saved you, I’ve been watching over you. I spent the last three years looking after you, protecting you from SM or anyone that tried to hurt you. I...wanted to talk to you but I knew that if I did, I would cross the line and put you at risk. And now, look...here I am, risking your life by inviting you in.”

    “You’ve really been watching over me all this time?”

    “Yes...Dara, I can’t tell you what you want to know. I need to protect you. I need to make sure yourself because...nothing can happen to you. I...I won’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to you because of me.”

    “I know you want to protect me but you can’t protect me forever…”

    “I’ll protect you until the day I die. I need you safe, Dara. That’s all I want...so please, don’t do anything stupid and stay safe.

    Dara just looked at him in disbelief. Just what the hell was she supposed to say to him? She sighed and bit her lip. “Like I said, you can’t protect me forever…”

    “No? I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Because I can’t lose you…

    Dara’s lips parted as she gasped slightly. She didn't understand him...he was so hostile to her sometimes but at the same time he was...he was like this. Her brows furrowed. You can’t lose me?