Soora's POV

It was strange, sitting in the big van with Daehyun. “This is crazy”, I said without really noticing it and Daehyun glanced at me while driving past a green light.

“I know, right?”

We were on our way to the mall – Daehyun's idea, not mine – and it seemed like neither of us knew what to do with each other. There was a new feeling filling the air and I didn't know how to cope with it. Daehyun parked the car and we walked towards the big building. “I'd never have imagined that you would skip school for a shopping trip”, I joked around and he grinned.

“Well, I'd never have imagined that you'd be with me on the day this happens”, he replied, carefully taking my hand and I swear I was beet red at that point. “Remember the first time we came here to grab something to eat?”, he asked and I managed to pull my gaze away from our linked fingers.

“Ah, yeah, high school had just begun, right? And we started complaining about all the lovey dovey couples around us.” He chuckled and I got what he was up to. “And now look at us”, I continued with a quiet laugh. “Dude, this really is crazy.”

“It's not like I'd regret it though”, Daehyun answered, squeezing my hand once, causing me to bite my lower lip to suppress the urge to smile like an idiot.

“Yeah...”

We spent a lot of time at the mall, trying on ridiculous clothes or making fun of other people. It was really fun and we never really stopped talking, not even while eating. It was already afternoon when we passed by the last stores and my feet began to hurt because of all the walking. A shop window caught my attention, and I broke away from Daehyun to have a look at the jewelry. There were all kinds of things, from leather bracelets to shining earrings.

Behind me, Daehyun let out a sound of astonishment. “Look at that one, it's beautiful.” I followed his gaze and there was a necklace with a pendant that looked like from a fantasy novel. The bead shimmered in blue and was held in place by a silver frame that wrapped around it.

“It really is”, I whispered, barely managing to turn away. “But many necklaces are. And they are often not very cheap!” Daehyun shrugged and followed me with a smirk as I walked towards the exit.

“I never thought skipping school would be this fun”, he uttered and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Sure, but we shouldn't do this again or our teachers will kill us! Imagine Mr. Yang, he'd lecture us for hours.”

“God, please no!”, he exclaimed in sudden shock. “Anything, but that!”

Our conversation quieted down for the moment as we walked towards the car and Daehyun drove me home. Being a gentleman, he even opened the car's door for me to get off and I smiled at him once again. “There it is”, he said, smiling back at me.

I cocked my head to the side. “What?”

“Your smile, idiot. You... You look so pretty when you smile”, he replied bashfully and I lowered my gaze. Romanticist.

We stood there for a while until I glanced at him again. “I should get going, Hye-sun must be waiting for me to come back.”

“Ah, sure, take care and...uhm-”, he stuttered, obviously struggling with something before carefully framing my face with his hands and placing a soft kiss on my forehead. He then engulfed me in a hug, mumbling a quiet “I...I love you, Soora” as he let go, bit his lower lip and walked up to his seat in a hurry.

I was surprised at first, felt embarrassed, but then, I had to grin and waved at him. “L-lo-love you too, Daehyun.” The way his eyes sparkled made my heartbeat quicken and ignore the slight feeling of – was it guilt? – as I watched the car disappear into the streets of the city. It had been just like the day before: Me trying to calm down, because of Daehyun and what he had done. So this is what it feels like? This is love? I thought, clutching at the spot where my heart was beating. It feels interesting. In a good way.

After a long dinner with Hye-sun, I looked at my phone for the first time since that morning and found two new messages from Jongup, but none from Zelo. My heart sank a bit, but I was quick to straighten my back and read my best friend's messages.

12.04 PM “So, are you feeling better?”

The next one was from an hour ago. “Soora? You still alive? Daehyun doesn't reply either, are you alright?”

I thought about whether I should tell him or not, but decided that it was only fair and I called him instead of typing. It was easier that way.

“Soora?”

“Yup, hi Jongup”, I said cheerfully. “I wanted to tell you that I'm fine, sorry for not replying, I was out all day and didn't look at my phone!”

“You were out? W-why, I thought you didn't feel well?”

I took a deep breath and suddenly, the words stopped and it took me a moment to form some sentences. “Well, there's something I've got to tell you”, I began carefully. “Daehyun came to visit me and, well, we went to the shopping mall together...”

I had to clear my throat and that's when Jongup seemed to get the message. “You sound too embarrassed for this to be of no importance. Did ...something happen between the two of you? You can tell me, you know?”

I felt my face run red again and was glad that he couldn't see me. “I... Yes, I think there might...be something happening. I mean Daehyun was...he...Don't tell anyone yet, but he k-kissed me, okay?”

A long silence. “...Jongup?”

“I never expected him to make a move, to be honest.”

“You knew about it and didn't tell me!?”, I shrieked with wide eyes and he chuckled.

“It wasn't my task to tell you, alright? And you never asked in the first place. Congrats, Soora. I'm happy for you, you know? And if there's a problem with anything, just ask me, please, will you?”

I nodded even though he didn't see it. The fact that he seemed cool with it sent a feeling of relief through my body. “Of course. Same as always.” I chuckled before my thoughts began to move towards another person. “Did you, by any chance, hear of J- Zelo?”, I asked quietly and Jongup clicked his tongue at the other end of the line.

“Uhm, I tried to call him, but he didn't pick up, so, there's nothing new yet. Sorry...”

“Ah, never mind”, I was quick – maybe a bit too quick – to reply. “I just hope he's fine, that's all.” And I hope he's still alive and didn't run into the Untouchables. I glanced at the camera bag on my desk and swallowed. “Well then, I just wanted to tell you about Daehyun. So...thanks for listening and, yeah...I'm tired.”

“Alright, thanks for telling me about it, princess, I'm going to eat something and then sleep, too. Thanks for calling, you sound more cheerful now and I wish you sweet dreams. Bye.”

“Bye.” I ended the phone call and sighed. No news from Zelo. But at least he hadn't talked to Jongup either. Maybe he wasn't mad at me after all, but had a problem with the organization or something like that... He wouldn't want to endanger those who are around him, I guess.

Pling. From: Daehyun

“Sleep well, Soora~ I'll come and pick you up for school tomorrow, okay? Just wait for me! <3”

I grinned again as I yawned and got ready to go to bed. If only the world had more people like Daehyun, there would be so much more happiness and love, for sure. “Thank God that I got to know him”, I mumbled, sending him a quick reply before going to bed and sleep, dreaming of nothing but a warm and soft embrace and someone humming my favorite song.

The days passed by faster than before.

Daehyun came by every morning to take me to school on his motorbike – much to Hye-sun's dismay, who thought of the machine as dangerous – and we'd spend the afternoons at his parents' café or at home, watching movies. Sometimes we'd invite Jongup over so that he wouldn't feel neglected, but I could see it in the way he glanced around the room that he felt awkward with Daehyun and me now being a couple.

We even went to an amusement park on our first week-end together and it was so much fun. I knew that Daehyun didn't like roller coasters, but he overcame his fear and rode some of them with me. The pictures we could see after the ride were always the most fun part, because he'd look totally stressed out while I was having the time of my life. Well, that didn't make him less cute or adorable, not at all. I really liked that he did so much for me and I didn't even know how to pay him back. Whenever I'd ask him about it he'd just smile and say: “As long as you're with me, it's worth it. Don't worry about a thing.” And the way he'd hugged me would always make me agree, at least for the time being. Daehyun was the most caring boyfriend I could ever have imagined, I really loved the way he treated me.

I had tried to hint at our relationship somehow towards my father, but he was still thinking I was a little girl and didn't really grasp the situation. He'd fight with Himchan about his girlfriend soon when he'd come back from Japan anyway, but at the moment, he seemed to be oblivious to it. Another kind of reaction had been Sohee.

After I came to school with Daehyun, she had sent me a questioning gaze through the classroom, but I wasn't able to talk to her until lunch. “So...you are- I mean, are you a couple now?”, she had asked carefully and I was biting my lower lip with a slow nod.

“I guess so”, I had answered, but Sohee hadn't talked for the rest of the day. And the next one. And the day after that. Whatever it was, I had done something wrong and I would definitely try to fix it somehow. I just didn't know how to do that yet.

Still, every once in a while – okay, almost every day – I caught myself thinking about a certain tall stick-figure with brown hair and my chest tightened for a split second whenever it happened. Jongup still hadn't managed to get a hold of him, but I guess he just gave up on even contacting him, because he didn't care... I was the only one who knew Zelo the way he was after all, well, aside from Yongguk. I had considered going to the orphanage once, but I hadn't found the courage, because it was the only place where he felt really safe and I didn't want to intrude just like that, because he'd probably run away and never trust me again. If he had ever actually trusted me, that is.

That's why, eighteen days after Zelo's sudden disappearance, I found myself still sitting in front of my camera with the picture of Sleepy on it. Why should I keep it, now that the main reason was gone? I mentally slapped myself for this thought. Just because he's not here doesn't mean he doesn't have his problems anymore! I could just bring it to the police after my visit to Youngjae...

I'd try to meet up with Youngjae in the afternoon, because the way Daehyun was worrying about his best friend made me want to talk to him. Daehyun on the other hand, didn't know about it yet. He'd be gone for the week-end, visiting some relatives in Busan, which is why Youngjae would be working at the café more often than usual, making it easier for me to get a hold of him. I sighed as I took the camera, felt its weight and decided to put the picture on a USB-stick for easier handling. I wouldn't walk into the police station with a high-tech stalker-camera – they would probably think I was the criminal then.

I felt another sting in my heart as I thought of Zelo again. Choi Junhong. I wouldn't admit it to anyone, but I missed his sassy and snarky remarks. The house felt empty, even though Dad was coming home again in the past days and I bit my lip as I put the image of Sleepy on a green USB-stick. “Even if he's gone, I'll help as much as I can”, I mumbled, tucking it into my jeans' pocket.

I let Jongmin drive me to Daehyun's parents' café at 5pm, when there weren't as many people as in the afternoon. Bingo. Youngjae was cleaning the tables, there were only two or three couples, who were already eating their huge bowls of ice cream, when I entered. “Welcome-”, Youngjae started, but stopped when he recognized me. “Ah, hello, Soora. Daehyun's not here-”

“I know, hi Youngjae”, I interrupted him with a smile and a short frown showed me that he was actually confused, but he was quick to put on a neutral face again. Just the way he always behaved around other people. A little bit like Junho- No, stop. “I wanted to talk to you for a while, if you don't mind.”

He stopped wiping the table, froze for a second. “I'm working, I can't-”

“There are no customers right now and if there are, you can just go to the counter. It's not a big deal, right?”

He thought about it once more before actually showing me the hint of a smile and nodding with a shrug. “O-okay. Why? Did something happen?” He gestured me to follow him behind the counter and choose my flavor. He was calm and serious, his emotions barely visible, but there was something to him that made me like him. Somehow. Maybe he'd be nicer, knowing that I was Daehyun's girlfriend.

“Not really. I'm just a little curious about your whereabouts and stuff. It's been a long time since we were able to talk to each other, right?” Again, Youngjae stiffened for a second, but I blamed his behavior on his lack of confidence. “I'd like those as a smoothie, please.” I pointed at the ice cream flavors I wanted to have and he put them into a cup to mix them together with some kind of machine. While he was waiting for it to finish, he put together his own serving of chocolate and vanilla. Classic.

After sitting down at one of the tables, I took a sip of my smoothie and it tasted great, making me smile in satisfaction. Youngjae remained quiet, as if he was waiting for me to start talking. He was hesitating, because he tried to grasp why I was interested in him all of a sudden. “I heard you want to become a policeman?”, I asked. “Daehyun said you had to take many tests.”

“Ah, that...” He relaxed a little bit, but why? Was there something he didn't like talking about? “Yes, I... actually passed all of them... I'm...really happy.” His face once again showed me a tiny smile and I nodded.

“So, how are you going to continue now? Concerning your job here.” I pointed at the shop we were sitting in. “Will you quit? That would be sad, I wouldn't get to see you anymore.”

“It's not like I'm your boyfriend, there's no need to see me”, he replied with a chuckle. An actual chuckle. Maybe he wasn't that cold after all, he just had to be sure I wasn't going to cause any harm...whatever. “But for now, I don't have to quit. The things I'm doing for the... police at the moment, make it possible for me to just keep living my life the way it was before. It's quite...interesting though.”

His eyes sparkled at that and I became curious. “What kind of work are you doing then, if you don't have to be at the police station?”

He cleared his throat. “I, uhm...I mean...I'm afraid, I can't tell you.”

I shrunk in my seat. “That's mean.” But then, I had an idea. “Say, are there any...I don't know, maybe gangs you have to hunt down in the night?” Like the Untouchables.

The spoonful of ice cream he was about to eat stopped in mid-air. “Gangs?”

“You know, those people who deal with drugs in the dark and stuff”, I replied a bit too quick and Youngjae swallowed with a frown.

“I..uhm. I'm afraid, I don't know what.... Well... No, no, I haven't heard of stuff like that for now...How come you thought of something like that?”

It was my turn to hesitate. “Well, I... I know someone, who is scared of people like that. It's ridiculous, because he's, like, six feet tall, but I just wanted to ask, you know?” Youngjae stared at me for a few seconds.

“Six feet is quite tall.”

“Don't tell me.” I retorted with a wave of my hand. “And he's so skinny, it looks like he's a stick-figure, I swear. And I'm sure he knows some martial arts, he doesn't have to be afraid of anything, right?”

Once again, his stare seemed to intensify, but then, he suddenly...laughed. A nice sound, he should do it more often. “Sounds kinda funny the way I imagine it. Well, don't worry about it. I'm sure the police will get them one day, your friend will be safe, you can tell him that.”

I hid my smile by lowering my gaze at my smoothie. “Yeah... Funny.” A moment of silence made me awkwardly shift in my place. Sure, Zelo would be safe, that's what Youngjae had said, but... I was wondering if the police actually knew about all the that was going on in the dark alleys of Seoul.

“But how about you? What are you up to, recently? And your brother? Didn't he go to Japan a while ago?”, Youngjae's careful voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Ah, yes, Himchan was studying in Japan. He told me he'd come back this week, but didn't know when exactly.” I had been so happy when he called last week, bouncing through the house in excitement. I'd finally get to see my brother again! “But I'm looking forward to it. I for my part...I'm still trying to keep up with the stuff we learn at school, but it looks like I'm just not that gifted when it comes to Math. English is fine though.”

“Daehyun's good at Math, isn't he? He should help you. Be a good person from time to time.”

“He's always a good person!”, I exclaimed and Youngjae giggled.

“I know, I know, he really is, just like his mother.”

I took another sip of my drink. “He is worrying about you, you know? I mean Daehyun.”

That made him raise his eyebrows in surprise. “Worrying? Why would he?” The way I saw Youngjae right now, openly joking with me, enjoying himself, I didn't know where Daehyun's problem was.

“He says that you're avoiding him. He talks about you a lot, but every time he wants to hang out with you, you say you've got something else to do... He said something about new friends of yours.”

“I... My friends- He really said that?”, Youngjae asked with big eyes, but quickly put on a neutral face again. I knew that reaction all too well. It was like Zelo, again. He didn't want me to know how happy he was about those news. “He says I'm avoiding him?” I nodded and he ran a hand through his hair. “That's not the case. It's just that I got to know new people and I like hanging out with them, too.” There was a hint of irritation in Youngjae's voice, but I kept going.

“But Dae wants you to stay his best friend. He's afraid to lose you, because there are others.”

“Well, maybe he should grow up, because sometimes you have no choice but to go with what you have.”, he snapped, only to bite his lower lip a split second later. “Sorry, that was rude. I want to be friends with him too, but at the moment, there's just so much to take care of and he's got stuff to do at school. We're doing different things at the moment and I've got a job to do. My... new friends can help me with it, but Daehyun can't and I just need some time to get it all in order before I talk to him again. It's got nothing to do with him as a person... Would you...Would you tell him that?”

I raised an eyebrow. “So, you're taking a break from him?”

“That sounds harsh”, he mumbled, but nodded. “Just for a few more days, then everything will be settled, I promise.”

“Don't promise me”, I reminded him, but he just sighed.

“Sure...” The doorbell rang, signalizing that a new customer had stepped into the café and Youngjae shot up from his seat. “I'll be right there!”

I stood up too and smiled reassuringly. “It's okay, he'll understand. But please just talk to each other if something's up, will you? Daehyun's complaining all the time, just go out and eat something together, I don't know, but talk, okay?” The boy nodded hesitantly.

“I'll try...Thank you, Soora. Thanks for telling me. I nodded, sliding the money for our ice cream over the table and collected my stuff to leave. The new customer was dressed in black and my heartbeat quickened, but I put it off just like that. Not every person dressed in black belongs to them, get yourself together, Kim Soora! But one more thing came to mind and I turned to smile at Youngjae. “Jae?” He raised his eyebrows. “Make sure your new friends are worth being called friends, please.”

He grinned back at me. “I... I will, don't worry, Soora. See you.”

“Bye.”

Exiting the small café, I pulled out my phone with a sigh. Now that the Youngjae-issue was kind of settled, there was just one more thing left to do. The USB in my pocket felt cold all of a sudden. I took another breath before opening my contacts. This was a horrible mistake, I knew it, but I wanted him to know.

“I'll go to the police, I'll find them and help you, I promise.”

I hesitated, but wrote another message, because I wanted him to know that I hadn't forgotten it.

“Happy Birthday, Junhong”

After a short look around, I figured that I should use the map function on my phone to find the way. It would take about 20 minutes and wasn't far away from where I lived. I started walking. I'd end Junhong's problem today.

Pling.

“Don't.”

More than two weeks and all I got was this? Everything would be fine. I glanced at the sun. It would go down in about an hour. Enough time for me.

“As if I'd ever do as you say.”

With my eyes almost glued to the phone, constantly checking if I was still on the right path, I finally reached the police station without any problems. But I wasn't alone when I got there. A person was leaning against the wall of bricks around the corner, barely visible since he was standing in the shadows, but I'd recognize his figure anywhere. My stomach began to bubble, but I told myself that I was just nervous. Still, I felt a spark of happiness when I saw him staring at me.

“I won't let you do it.”

“I'm not the one who ran away without an explanation”, I replied, still angry at him for just leaving.

“I thought you'd know the answer. Looks like Jongup really kept his promise.”

The person broke away from the wall and there he was, standing between me and the only thing that could help him. Was it Zelo?

No.

Zelo was just his mask.

It was Choi Junhong. And damn, he looked angry.

Sorry for making you wait this long, here have some extra long chapter with fluff and friendship everywhere *throws flowers*

I know, there will be quick changes from now on, and I know, I can't write fluff, but it had to be in here somewhere.

Deal with it, I tried my best after all °^°"