"I'm a wreck."

 

"Yes, you are," said Jongin turning away from Sehun's slightly smeared eyes.

 

There was another silence between them, as they sat, sipping on the cheap wine usually served in the party room. Sehun stared at the ripples in the cup, his hands gently touching the hills of its sides. Baekhyun cleared his throat, having carefully thought of what he was going to say.

 

"You are a wreck now and recovering is an option, but it's not going to be an one any time sooner. You are one of Min Jung’s strongest pillars and she needs you to be strong for her so she could do the same for you. Just let it all out," he said, ruffling the back of the younger's hair. He had been doing so for a while now, ever since he had arrived.

 

"Sehunnie, I think you should take a break from work for at least a day and spend it with Min Jung. You're going to be busy, and with grief mixed in as well, you're going to keel over," warned Jongin, signaling the employee for another drink.

 

He nodded. "He thought he didn't mean anything important to us..."

 

It was silent, just Jongin drinking from a glass of something stronger. It finally sunk in for Baekhyun, realizing Sehun was talking about Luhan and that he was deeply hurt because of this.

 

"How do you know?"

 

"I read his journal. It wasn't a good thing to do, but I had to. I just wanted to know, at least so I could have some closure."

Baekhyun turned to the side.

 

"So you really do like him in that way?"

 

Sehun nodded, having no desire to play coy and deny it. He had already come to terms with it. Jongin let out a small chuckle.  

 

"Guess we really are similar, us boys."

 

It then dawned on Baekhyun. "Su Hyun gave back to me printed copies of his information. I don't know how she got a hold of it, but when I looked through it, I found out that Luhan is a Korean citizen. Half Korean actually. It says that his mother was Korean, but didn't say who she was or if any of his parents are alive. Maybe she's still here," said Baekhyun. Something lit in Sehun's eyes. A light, his last hope, Luhan's mother. She would give him what he needed, just her presence would be enough to do him some spiritual goodness.

 

"How can I find his mother?"

 

The end of spring was nearing, the air becoming humid and a bit hard to breath in. It was a Friday, traffic heavy and people walking to their every destination. Sehun made his way to a house, it was small for a family, but if only one person lived there, it wouldn't be too bad. Birds sang, the wind picking it up a bit and carrying the sound off to whatever horizons graced it's path. Sehun noticed a mother bird, coming back in from food scavenging and landing in her nest. A robin. He brought up his hand, looking at the piece of paper he held so dearly with his life. On it, was an address he had messily scribbled on just an hour prior before hurriedly making his way. He had been researching for a long time, trying to dig through Luhan's documented family. He had gone straight to Junmyeon, asking him to search for the hospital that Luhan's birth took place. It was almost chilling how a file sat in the lone corner of the documentation room in the large Kim hospital. It belonged to Junmyeon and his family. It listed the mother's name, Lee Sul Yeon, home number and her address. When Sehun called the number, no one answered. Searching it up, the house was sold to a new owner. He checked the emergency contact list and the name of her sister was written down.

 

"Lee Ji Rin."

 

Taking a deep breath, he walked past the open gate and lifted his hand up to knock on the door. The place seemed familiar. He knocked again, praying that someone would answer. He was going to turn back, retreat until another day, but the door opened abruptly and his eyes came into contact with an older woman, probably early forties. Her eyes seemed tired, as if rudely awoken from a much needed nap.

 

"Hello, is there something I can do for you?"

 

Realizing he had been staring, brought his hand out to shake her hand. She took it curtly, as if annoyed by this intruder.

 

"My name is Oh Sehun and I'm looking for Lee Ji Rin?"

 

She seemed uninterested, yawning and leaning lazily against the door. Sehun felt intimidated, but told himself to keep going. He needed to do this.

 

"You're standing right in front of her. What do you want, Oh Sehun? What business does a young handsome man like you need in front of an old woman's house?"

 

"Well, actually, I was searching for your Lee Sul Yeon which I believe is your older sister," he said, slowing down halfway because of her piercing eyes.

 

"And? What do you need with her? If it's more private investigating , then you can cut the bull and leave. We have been done with you people years ago." She reached back to grab the handle of her door but Sehun stepped forward, desperate.

 

"No please, I'm not here for that. I, I just need to talk to his mother about Luhan."

 

Her eyebrows knitted together, arms crossing and hips jutting out.  

 

"What are you?"

 

"I'm a fashion designer from Exotic company. Luhan had worked as my secretary for a while and I just wanted to tell his mother something really important." He didn't want to come as a bearer of bad news, but his situation made it seem so.

 

"Wait, do you know where he is?! Where have you seen him? Is he still in korea?!" She asked, voice rising and her hands grabbing onto his shoulders to anchor him down, as if she'd lose him.

 

"No, actually..."

 

"Sul Yeon, let me get her first! She's-"

 

"He passed away."

 

His voice nearly cracked, tears once again making its presence. Her hasty movements stopped, hands dropping down to her sides.

 

"You're not serious...are you?"

 

"I wish I wasn't," he replied, scrunching up the now damp piece of paper on his hands.

 

"I...I'll go get her. You can come in,"she said, eyes no longer gleaming with the hope that had appeared less than a minute ago.

 

He followed her inside, taking his shoes off.

 

"You can sit on the couch over there. She's out in the yard, I'll get her."

 

Sehun sat down and couldn't relax. He had come here to find the mother, and suddenly he didn't know what it was he needed to say. They hadn't known about his death, making him even more confused. Was Mr. Liu really Luhan's father? His head turned towards the quick footsteps and hushed voices. Sul Yeon, a woman who looked so young, the birth mother of an angel. Sehun's angel. His breathe was almost taken away, seeing the immediate resemblance. Luhan took after his mother, that, he was sure of.

 

"H-hello, you're Oh Sehun? You know where Luhan is?"

 

Sehun nodded sadly as she sat across from him dropping her dirtier gloves from yard work, onto the clear glass coffee tape.

 

"Not too long ago, he passed away. He committed suicide."

 

He watched as Sul Yeon's face went from hopeful, to sad all over again. She continued to repeat Luhan's name, again and again.

 

"I...I took a couple of pictures of him. Would you...like to see?"

 

Sul Yeon forced her eyes away from its gaze, nodding with yet another sob. Her face all of a sudden, looked so much older now.

 

He reached into his pocket, taking out his phone and going to the two picture he took. One, with Luhan sleeping peacefully next to Min Jung, the setting sun's light cascading over the hills of his features. The second was while he was cooking alongside Kyungsoo and Baekhyun, lips slightly ajar looking at Kyungsoo who must've said something funny. He handed it over to the mother's shaking hands. She looked at the picture of her son's peaceful sleeping face and her's contorted into sadness. Her free hand coming up to hover over to repress the sobs.

Turning it to the next, she looked at his face, letting a bit of laughter come out, seeing how her son was happy. Yet he ended his own life.

 

"Why? Why did he kill himself?"

 

Her eyes seemed betrayed by Sehun, who had Luhan right next to him, yet couldn't keep him happy enough to live.

 

"I don't know, but I do know that Mr. Liu isn't his father. I was wondering if you knew..."

 

She nodded, eyes locked onto the screen, as they would be while she told him all of her past with Luhan's real father, flipping back and forth between the only two pictures she has of her son.

 

"I was only eighteen and just found out I was pregnant when I eloped with Christopher Liu. We were almost like Romeo and Juliet, with our relationship discouraged by both our families. I was the daughter of a big mafia boss and he was the son of a huge corporation chairman who owned way more assets than I could even imagine. I was expecting to get married with him, and have the child together. But once we finally got far from home, I sprang what was good news to me to him and it seemed a light switched in him. He all of a sudden was regretting leaving, even though he himself proposed the idea. I eventually found out he was already married. I was so in love with him that I defied my parents, my whole family for him. He backed out, but I knew I couldn't return. I would be shunned by my father for carrying a child. I didn't want my child to grow up in that kind of business. I wanted him to understand the freedoms of a normal civilian. I wanted him to love openly," she said, stopping to take a breath.

Sehun was shocked. He had not been expecting this sort of situation.

 

"Where is your family now?"

 

She continued staring at his phone, her primary focus on her son.

 

"Out of spite, Liu's father gave the members all a job offer, and they took it. I was living with a friend at the time, when my sister told me that my parents had been assassinated by some of the ex-members."

 

Sehun felt out of place, almost as if he had entered a different part of the world. The dark side.

 

"Tell me, was he doing good? You must be close friends with him. Did he eat enough? He looks bone thin in this picture," she indicated, showing the second picture.

 

"That, I can't really answer myself. We were close but he always kept personal things to himself. I only knew him for about a month and a half.

There always seemed to be a shroud of secrecy between Mr. Liu and his company."

 

Sul Yeon finally allowed herself to return Sehun's phone sighing heavily.

 

"His real father passed away a couple years ago, that must be why so much shady things are happening."

She became quiet suddenly. Her finger on her chin while Lee Ji Rin came back with three tea cups. She gestured for Sehun to help himself, which he politely bowed to before focusing back.

 

"No, it can't be..."

 

Sehun perked up. "What can't be?"

 

Waving it off, she took a sip of the tea, her shaking hands clattering the porcelain cup against the surface of the tray.

 

"Well, I remember specifically that Luhan wanted to find his mother. He looked so sad," said Sehun, recalling the day he stood next to Min Jung, discussing their dreams. "He said it was one of his dreams."

 

Sul Yeon set the cup down and was preparing for another onset of sobbing. Ji Rin put her hand on her shoulder in comfort, something she has been doing for the past years.

 

"My baby...I tried. I tried to find him, but whatever I did, I just couldn't get to him. I even went to China, trying my best to find him, yet he has always been guided away from the public eye."

Sehun took out his handkerchief that laid uselessly in his shirt pocket. For once, it was going to be used for something important. She took it and wiped her tears.

 

"After I gave birth to Luhan, whether his father was there or not, I was content. It was hard at first, because a single mother was looked down upon everywhere we went even worse than this generation. Luhan could barely go to school without being bullied and wherever I worked, it'd always be spread. It was hard to come right out and tell everyone that yes, I am a single mother whose baby's father left us. However, we are happy and content with each other."

 

Sehun nodded, understanding. He thought of Min Jung and how he was always afraid that it'd get out to the public how she was his daughter, though not biological. He was too afraid to let her be seen because it would hurt her more than him for at the end of the day, he'd still have his career while she'd have trouble progressing her next crucial years.

 

"Those early days, I worried too much on what I'd see and hear that I forgot to enjoy the time I had with my son. We spent time together, but I'd busy myself with work. When I realized that I worried too much about appearances, everything fell into place. I felt so much better then."

Her eyes dazed off into the distant past, the good days that she dearly wished to return to with all hopes of seeing her son's healthy and young face gone. She seemed to be pulled back into the real world once again.

 

"Why is the Liu corporation at your fashion company? You're not possibly partnering up with them are you?"

Sehun nodded slowly as if he were in some sort of trouble he didn't know of.

 

"No, no, no, no. That's not going to be good for your company. With my knowledge, they've been able to become big through illegal means. They're going to make sure your company falls," she warned.

 

"So," he began, "We're going to be a step ladder for them?"

She nodded. The way her light hazel eyes were so sure, gave him chills. He wondered if Luhan was ever sure of anything, because he's never seen that look from him before.

 

"Thank you so much for having me. Though I came bearing such news, I've also come just to talk with you. You see, you've helped me more than you think. I just wished...that I didn't have to come here like this."

 

He stood up with Sul Yeon and Ji Rin following behind. He walked back to the door and put his shoes on.

 

"Oh Sehun, you are always welcome here," she said with a half hearted smile. Grief still fresh in her heart.

 

"Thank you mother. You know, Luhan looks just like you. It's comforting because I thought I'd lost everything of him, but your presence is comforting. Thank you. I'll visit again."

 

He bowed deeply in respect, before turning to leave. His heart felt lighter, though he was still thinking of Luhan.

 

"Sul Yeon...do you think he's..."

 

She continued watching as he walked away. "What do I think he's what?" She asked, turning to Ji Rin.

 

"You know...does he like Luhan...in that way? Or were they just friends?"

 

She shrugged. "How important must someone be to search and visit their mother?"

 

Sehun returned to the office, knocking on the president's office door. People rarely ever went there unless they had urgent business, and boy did Sehun have urgent business. On the millionth knock, the door flew open, a sleep deprived Junmyeon with disheveled hair and dark under bags standing in front of him. His hair color no longer a light blonde. He had recently changed it to a dark brown.

 

"Junmyeon, I visited his mother, and she told me something!"

 

Pushing him inside without letting him speak, he locked the door behind him. Right when he was going to explain, his paranoia got the best of him, checking under Junmyeon desk and chairs for microphones.

 

"Can we talk over some boba?"

 

Junmyeon looked at his watch and nodded. "This had better be important because I'm about to skip out on meeting with a few board directors."

Sehun walked on ahead, leading his hyung. It was hard to keep still, his fingers tapping as time seemed to pass too quickly. They entered the full elevator. Junmyeon noticed how jittery Sehun was, maybe something bad had happened. He continuously checked his watch and what floor they were on.

 

"Hey, you alright? What happened?"

 

"I'm fine. I just have to tell you something."

 

The elevator stopped on the fifth floor, Kyungsoo getting on."

 

"Sehun! Something happened!" He was on the phone, seeming to be just as nervous as he. Junmyeon was suddenly becoming alarmed, a bad premonition that something was going to happen. Reaching the lobby, they excused themselves, the elevator already half empty. They rushed out of the building, Junmyeon nearly tripping over his own feet. Sehun lead them to the large intersection, carefully watching his surroundings.

 

"Really, what's happening? On a scale of one through ten, how bad is the news?" He asked cautiously.

 

"I think ten, but it could easily escalate over," said Sehun.

 

"Same," said Kyungsoo. They crossed the street, Junmyeon answering his phone call. "Hello, Junmyeon speaking."

 

He nodded every now and then, his face paling all of a sudden.

 

"Okay. I'm with him right now, I'll make sure he knows."

 

Sehun could bet his everything that was a call about bad news. They rushed and his eyes searched for the boba shop that Luhan always told him about. It was pretty empty, as it was past noon. The three entered, going to the upstairs area by the corner where not many people were. Sehun stood in front of the counter and waited for the cashier to finish the order before them.

 

"A chocolate Boba please. With pearls."

 

His mind couldn't even reminisce about Luhan because of the fear. He stepped aside for the other two to order, getting whatever they saw first, for they were not there to relax. They watched impatiently as the lone employee took care of their order, fumbling every now and then because of the rush.

 

"Here you go."

 

They nodded, thanking her quickly before walking over to the table and settling in, though uncomfortably.

 

"Sehun, I got a call from the administration that they caught someone they didn't know snooping around the twelfth floor. They were trying to pry through your room by temporarily dismantling the lock."

 

"Yes, and I got a call from Chanyeol saying that a couple articles were released in China about the Liu Corporation and their new fashion line. He sent me a link and the design is..."

 

He stopped to pull up the link, shoving the phone in front of him. Sehun nearly gasped out loud, hand coming to cover his mouth. It was his design, something he had drawn from his first year of college.

 

"They've released the first couple of pictures of designs which Chanyeol recognized to be all of yours."

 

He scrolled through them, noticing one piece that especially made him cringe. It was the dress, inspired by the very person who left him years back.

It was a dress inspired by her, his Mickie.

 

"What happened while meeting his mother?" whispered Junmyeon.

 

"She told me all about the Liu Corporation.  There's a lot to it, but to make it short, they're mafia backed up and will use illegal means to take us down to get higher."

 

Junmyeon’s eyebrows scrunched, clearly angered and fearful. He took out his phone, and dialed a number before speaking. "Hello, Kris? Can you go to the building and initiate a lockdown? Don't let a single person leave, and get Tao to search for the creepy old Chinese guys that he always avoids. Tell him I'll buy him gucci."

 

He nodded over the phone, Kyungsoo watching Sehun as he nervously sipped his boba.

 

"Since when did you like boba?"

 

He stopped and looked at the drink for a second before looking back. "Since Luhan gave me one. It's good."

 

Kyungsoo nodded, eyes becoming just a bit softer despite the sticky situation they were all swimming in.

 

"I haven't told you guys about this because I didn't think I needed to, but you remember Su Hyun? She's put microphones around our offices. I don't know if she's working with them or just against us..."

 

Junmyeon slammed his phone down. "Why didn't you say anything sooner? Let's go back. Who cares if they hear us talking now. We're going to make sure this ends them."

 

Sehun had flinched as the president stood up and walked off, throwing his untouched drink away. Kyungsoo and Sehun followed. He took out his phone and searched through his contacts. He suddenly remembered how he had given her his number, yet didn't ask nor care to ask for hers. He mentally face palmed, this time following after Junmyeon. Just like always, he thought. He'd drag them down again and out of the ashes, it'll be them picking him up.

 

Junmyeon stomped into the building, letting the trusted security force that worked under Kris into the building. Kris entered, his arms folded.

 

"Another spy infiltrator?"

 

Junmyeon nodded curtly. Kris shook his head. Sehun threw his drink away, moving aside for the entrance of the door to be locked. Kris's walkie-talkie crackled on, voices reporting.

 

"Group B has reached the south exit."

"Group C has reached 11th floor helicopter exit."

"Group D has reached west exit."

"Group E has reached east exit."

"Group F has secured the party room."

 

"This is captain MinHo, we've secured all entrances and have locked them down."

 

Kris replied, "Okay. Stay in position. If anyone wants to leave, don't let them. They will become a person of interest."

 

"This is Vice Captain Ilkook, we're with Huang Zitao and coming down soon."

 

Kris stuck the walkie talkie back into his bullet proof vest.

 

"This is B4 captain Jungkook. We've secured the entire twelfth floor."

 

Kris walked off, spouting orders to the first group to guard the front entrance. The receptionists looked around in worry. Junmyeon walked over to the head receptionist in charge of managing their group.

 

"Make an announcement that we will be having a lockdown in this building and that all workers on each floor to be gathered in the halls." She nodded quickly. The elevator opened, guards with their guard up while Kris pushed Kyungsoo, Junmyeon and Sehun behind him. Baekhyun and Tao along with Captain Ilkook came out, in absolute terror.

 

"Junmyeon! What the hell is going on?!" shouted Baekhyun, looking everywhere in exasperation.

 

"I've put this whole building in a lockdown. We have mice that needs to be caught."

Baekhyun nodded in understanding.

 

Tao on the other hand, seemed extremely uneasy, walking over to Sehun and linking his arms. He was easily afraid, especially with things of this seriousness. Sehun wondered why he wasn't crying yet.

 

"Tao, we need you to sniff out the weird people. Can you do that?" asked Junmyeon sweetly. Tao shook his head, burying it into Sehun's chest.

 

"Make another announcement for all temporary employees from foreign companies and interns to make their way down to the lobby. Tell them to take the stairs."

 

The receptionist nodded, following orders. Soon, she began speaking overhead his exact words.

 

"Junmyeon, what's really going on for there to be a lockdown of this caliber? The last time we had trouble with mice, you didn't have to go this far," said Baekhyun, worry etched onto his face.

 

"We don't have just mice, we have rats. It'll be the end of this family if we don't catch them now. Who knows how much damage they've done to this company already."

 

Kris's large hands went over Junmyeon’s shoulder, holding him close.

 

"You've built this whole thing, Junmyeon. If they ever take it down, and I'm not saying they will, you will arise stronger."

Sehun tensed as the elevator came down again. It opened and another security guard along with a man unknown to them came down. He laughed uncontrollably once he saw their concerned faces, shouting profanities unknown to Sehun. He was speaking mandarin.

Kris shouted back, gun in his hand as he stepped closer.

 

"You guys, stay behind the desk and get down."

 

They did as told, the other receptionists doing the same.

 

"Tao, what did he say?"

 

"He said that it's too late. The one that they should've gotten rid of first is already dead."

 

Sehun gulped. His stomach boiled and he felt he was going to be sick. It couldn't be, he thought to himself. It couldn't be.

 

He listened carefully, catching Luhan's name in the midst and seeing how Tao's eyes widened, he was eager to know.

 

"He said Luhan had been the one who aided in the falling of this company, and because he couldn't remove himself from this place, he suffered the consequences. Death."

 

Angered, Sehun stood up despite the insistent protests coming from the other four below him.

 

"Kris-hyung, ask him again. What happened to Luhan!"

 

Though startled, he did as asked. The man replied with another series of laughter, then suddenly came to a halt. As if he had realized that he did something he shouldn't have. He began to plead desperately.

 

"W-what is he saying?"

 

"Liu killed him. Michael Liu, Luhan's older brother. And now he's begging to be killed," replied Tao.

Sehun's legs gave out, landing back on the floor heavily. It was different because now, he knows that Luhan was taken away from him. Luhan never left him.

 

"Hello? This is Junmyeon. I ordered this lockdown. Cancel the signed agreement with the Liu Corporation immediately. Tell the security watching you all to allow you to do so."

 

Sehun's phone rang. His face paled, seeing how it was from Min Jung's teacher's personal cell phone.

 

"Hello, this is Oh Sehun."

 

"Min Jung is missing! We've searched the entire building and proximity and we tried your office number but no one is picking up!"

 

Sehun's face fell, the others watching as he scrambled to get up and leave. Tao held him down while he fought to get up.

 

"Where are you going Sehun?! It might be dangerous here!"

 

"I don't care if it's dangerous! Min Jung is missing and someone might've taken her!" His eyes had become a blur because no, no one could take her away from him. She was his comfort, his life. His future. She was his daughter and to lose her would result in his own end.

AN: i honestly dont know how i feel about this chapter...but im waaaaaaay too lazy to make it "better"