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“I can’t lose you…” Dara laid in her bed, staring out of her bedroom window. She barely knew him and yet he knew her...he’d been watching over her all this time because he “can’t lose her”. But how could he lose her if he never had her in the first place? Jiyong spoke as if they’d been dating for a long time but that wasn’t the case. Dara didn’t understand why she was so important to him, why he had to risk his life to protect her when she wasn’t his to protect.

    She turned over to her side and looked at the photograph of her mother. What are you hiding from me? For some reason, she had a bad feeling about it ever since Jiyong mentioned SM and how they apparently had been tracker her mother. But why? Why was it so essential for SM to hunt her mother down and kill her? Again, more questions arose and confused Dara even more.

    With a sigh, she rolled onto her back and stared at her blank ceiling, in deep thought. Maybe Jiyong was right, maybe it was time for her to just let everything go before someone got hurt. It seemed the more she pried the more problems came about anyway…it was obvious she was never going to find the answers she wanted. It was time to give up and try to live normally again. But could she do that? Could she be normal again?

    “We got a new case. This time, it looks like SM decided to hit up on a celebrity.” Chief Yang announced as he walked into the office.

    Dara who had dozed off, startled awake, spilling her coffee onto the floor. She groaned and quickly wiped it up with paper towels. Bom eyed her suspiciously and walked over to help her out. “So, what’s with you lately? For the past few days, you’ve been acting strangely.”

    “Sorry, Bom. I’ve just had a lot on my plate lately. I mean, my Dad’s getting married and my brother just got engaged. Things have been pretty hectic.”

    “Right. You Dad’s fiance seemed really nice though. She actually talked to me at their engagement party. She asked about you and how you were doing...I think she really cares about you, Dara.”

    Dara sighed and stood up. “I know she does, Bom. I never said she didn’t. Anyway, we shouldn’t be talking about my stupid problems right now. We have a case to work on…”

    “Right.”

    Dara walked out of the precinct, followed by Bom and together they went to the location of the crime. Just like the other cases, their victim was poisoned. Except this time, their victim showed signs of broken ribs and bruised ribs. Il Woo pulled up in a van with Chief Yang and Seungri and walked over to the body. “Well, it looks like someone tried to save them. Possibly tried mouth to mouth resuscitation. Poor girl, I was really a fan of her.” Il Woo sighed in dismay.

    “Who is she exactly? Sorry, I don’t keep tabs on celebrities.” Dara admitted.

    “Tiffany Hwang. She’s one of the models from Victoria’s Secret.”

    “Well, of course you would know that, wouldn’t you? You ert!” Bom slapped Il Woo.

    “Hey! Easy! She’s also a singer. Given she’s no Ailee, but the girl has a nice set of pipes. Such a shame for her to go down this way. I wonder why SM would target her…”

    Dara furrowed her brows. SM seemed to targeting just about anyone even celebrities but the reason was unknown. But she knew Jiyong must’ve seen what happened. He had to be the one who had tried to save the girl. Of course she’d tried to keep a distance from him the past couple of days after their last conversation but it couldn’t hurt to go back just one last time. “Maybe she knew something about them and they had to take her out.” Dara muttered.

    “What could she possibly know that would drive SM to kill her? She’s a celebrity! I doubt she’d involve herself with gang activities.” Bom shook her head, frowning.

    “I don’t know. But I intend to find out.”

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    Jiyong paced around his room, anxiously. SM was starting to get bolder and going after celebrities. Tiffany Hwang, although seemed like an innocent girl was associated with SM big time. She worked under them for a couple of years before running away and starting a new life, a better life. And now she was dead for leaving and betraying them…

    When Jiyong had picked up on the poison, he went to investigate. One of the SM’s men had tried to force himself on her but she resisted. He was aiming to get her back but she didn’t want to go back and so he forcefully made her drink the cyanide. Jiyong had tried to save her but it was too late. She was already gone. Of course he didn’t let the guy get away with it. He tracked the man down and dragged him into the forest to finish him off and then set his corpse on fire so that no one would know what happened.

    However, he knew that the police would no doubt investigate Tiffany’s case and knew that Dara would connect the case right back to him. He would’ve done something to the body but what could he do? She was a celebrity with fans and a family, people that had the right to know what happened. So he left the body in the hotel.

    His body tensed when he sensed Dara nearby. She hadn’t come around for a while and although it’s what Jiyong wanted, somehow he couldn’t feel a tinge of pain not seeing her. He’d even stopped looking for her in order to keep his distance but it was hard. But now she was back...he just hoped she wouldn’t pry for answers this time.

    Jiyong picked up on her footsteps as they grew closer until they stopped abruptly. He turned and saw her standing at the top of the steps. His heart nearly lurched out of his chest upon seeing her. The Dara he normally saw was always dressed in black jeans, a shirt, and leather jacket but this Dara...this Dara in front of him now was one that he had never seen before. She was dressed in a short lacy black dressed with a thin black sweater draped over her. Her dark brows hair fell into soft curls just below her shoulder.

    His breath hitched as he walked closer to her. Dara blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Y-you look beautiful.” Jiyong breathed.

    “Th-thank you. I...um...have a date tonight.”

    “A date? Well, that’s nice.”

    Jiyong ignored the slight anger he felt upon hearing her confession. He frowned inwardly at the fact that another man would be gazing at her beauty besides him. Dara cleared and slowly approached him. “Anyway, I know you tried to save Tiffany today...there were signs that you tried to resuscitate her.”

    “Yea...I smelled the poison again and tried to help but I guess I got there a little too late.”

    “SM did this to her, right? And knowing you, you probably went after them…”

    Jiyong was shocked that Dara knew him well enough to know that. He sighed and nodded guiltily. Dara looked around awkwardly until her gaze landed on her mother’s papers. She looked back at Jiyong again. “About my Mom’s report…”

    “It says nothing about SM does. It’s just about the possibility of using animal blood in order to save some people who lost too much and can’t find a donor.”

    “Oh, I see. Well, thank for taking a look at it. Jiyong, I’ve been meaning to ask you...and I know I probably shouldn’t but I just thought I’d go for it.”

    “What is it?” Jiyong eyed her curiously.

    “What’s your connection to SM? Besides you sister’s death, I mean.”

    “Dara…”

    Dara bit her lip and looked at him sadly. She had a hunch but she wanted to hear it from him. “They...did this to you, didn’t they? They changed you into what you are somehow.”

    Jiyong’s eyes flickered to hers. Again, his heart rate sped up gazing into those eyes of hers. The eyes that did not judge him. “Yes…”

    “How did this happen?”

    Normally, he wouldn’t gotten angry at her for asking so many questions but not tonight. He wanted to open up...he wanted her to know the truth about him. It was dangerous but he didn’t feel right keeping it from her anymore. “The day that SM attacked at my sister’s work place...I kept waiting for a call from her or anyone really...I kept waiting for someone to let me know my sister was alright. But the call never came...and I couldn’t take it anymore. So I went to my sister’s workplace and…”

    Dare placed a hand on his shoulder, looking at him with the utmost compassion and sincerity. She knew how hard it was for him and didn’t want to push him. “Hey, you don’t have to tell me. I understand how much it must hurt you.”

    But he just shook his head. “I-I found my sister...but she was dead. I remember going there and seeing her body sprawled on the floor, her clothes torn and her bleeding and so badly beaten. I...I was so angry...so ing angry that I lost it. I grabbed a gun from the ground and went after them in a blind rage. I managed to kill a few of them but not before they overpowered me and beat me. I out...and the next thing I knew, they had me strapped down to this chair and injected something into me. It made me stronger but it also made me lose my humanity.”

    Dara just stood there, watching Jiyong recall his painful past. She wiped a tear from his face causing him to look at her, his dark eyes filled with pain. “Why did they do it?” She asked carefully.

    “They planned to use me as well as some other people they gathered as weapons. As animals to do their dirty work but it backfired. When they changed us, we were supposed to forget our human memories but I never forgot mine. I never forgot about my sister and what they did to her. So, I went after them and killed them. I became the monster I was so afraid of becoming...I lost sight of who I was. I was scared that I ran away and found TOP. Ever since then, we’ve been hiding out here.”

(Distance by Chrisitina Perri and Jason Mraz- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACQ7W9gtjq0&list=FLLOl7gdsOZEgBAF7h1_Fa1Q) 
 

    “It must’ve been so hard for you to go through that. I can’t imagine what it was like… I’m so sorry you had to endure such a past. I’m so sorry.” Dara flung her arms around him and hugged him tight.

    Jiyong froze for a moment. He didn’t know what to do or what to feel but Dara’s warmth sent his heart pounding. For three years, he longed to talk to her and finally did after all this time...he longed to touch her...and now here she was, hugging him and making him feel normal. She made him feel human. “Dara…” He whispered and hugged her back.

    “I understand you now. But don’t worry, I won’t let them hurt you anymore. I’ll protect you from them, ok?”

    “How will you protect me from them?”

    Dara pulled away and took a step back. Jiyong looked at her, wondering why she was acting so differently today. She didn’t even push about her mother. “I...I’m going to do what you want me to do…”

    “What?”

    “I’m going to stay away. I won’t come here anymore. I’ll keep my distance so that I can keep you safe. If this is the only thing that will protect you, then I’ll do it. I don’t want you to have to suffer anymore because of me. I’m going to walk away tonight in order to protect you.” Dara smiled sadly.

    “You’re...going to walk away…?”

    For some reason, that hurt Jiyong more than he thought. But this is what he wanted right? Didn’t he want her to stay away from him? Didn’t he want her to stop all contact with him? Still...it pained him to hear her say that. “It’s what I know I have to do. I’ll make sure that the police never find out about you, so don’t worry. Just stay hidden and stay safe, alright? Anyway, I really should get going...my...date is probably waiting for me.”

    Dara gave him a small wave before turning to walk down the stairs. Jiyong watched as she walked away from him...nothing had been so painful. He closed his eyes and sighed. “He’s a lucky guy…”

    “What?” Dara turned slightly.

    “Your date...he’s lucky to have someone as amazing and beautiful as you. And Dara… I want to thank you…”

    “For what?”

    “Making me feel human again…”

    Dara stared at him for a moment but a slight smile formed upon her lips. “You didn’t need me for that. You are human, Jiyong. I’ve never thought of you as anything less. Despite what people think or what you think, you’re not a monster. Take care, Jiyong. I’ll keep my promise.”

    With that, Dara walked away. Jiyong clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth, feeling an indescribable pain in his heart. He tugged at his hair and fell back against his dusty sofa. “You are human, Jiyong. I’ve never thought of you as anything less…” She thought so much of him…she considered him an actual human being. He wasn’t a monster to her. He’d killed people and showed her his “beast” side and yet she still didn’t think of him as anything short of being human.

    Dara was the first person to ever look at him the way she did...the first person to ever make him feel worth something. She was probably the best thing in his life and he was letting her walk away… the pain never hurt so bad.

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In the end, Jiyong wasn’t able to stay away from her. It took a lot of self-debated but he eventually gave in to his selfishness. He tracked her scent down to a fancy restaurant in town and perched himself on a nearby building. Through the large glass window, he watched her dance with her date and felt a pang of jealousy. HE wanted to be the one to make her smile. HE wanted to be the one to hold her so closely like that. But he couldn’t...he couldn’t because of what he was.

    Despite what Dara said, it didn’t change the truth beneath. He was a monster...a beast and threat to her safety. Because of that, he had to remain in the shadows. Jiyong watched as Dara’s date left for a moment. She nodded to him and walked over to the glass window, staring out into the night.

    Jiyong was almost tempted to go to her but he couldn’t. He had to stay away. He had to keep his distance from in order to protect her like she was willing to do for him. The wind ruffled his always messy hair as he stared at Dara longingly. Soon, Dara’s date came back and took her away again. Jiyong shut his eyes tightly before turning away and disappearing into the night.