“What is this?” You turned away from the mirror to see your boyfriend bend down and pick up a folded piece of paper. His slim fingers flipped the card. You returned to fixing your hair. In the reflective glass, you saw a corner of his lips lift into a smirk.

            “‘You are one of the brightest stars to grace the darkness that is this campus.’ Quite the poet your admirer is. Is this even legal?”

            His index finger slid down the edge of the paper. Even though there was a smile on his face and his tone was mocking, you saw a hardness glint in his eyes. The wine glass in his other hand was tipping precariously, and you wanted to say something before he spilled the liquid all over your lush white carpet.

            “Oh stop it. They’re just kids.”

            You reached over to pluck the love letter from him but he held on. A steely look replaced the previous warning one. “I sent you there to be on a mission, not to flirt with little boys.” His voice was low, deeper than it normally was.

            “Yongguk.” This time it was your turn to give him precaution. “You know that I know what my job is, and where my loyalty lies.”

            Gone was the brewing storm and in its place was the charm of a man who knew how to use it. “Of course, my darling. I was just toying with you.” Yongguk placed the glass on the dresser and beckoned you with one finger. You followed his direction, willingly entranced. He closed his legs so you could sit on his lap and he tilted a finger under your chin. “After all, it’s a cat chase mouse world we live in, and these little rats have no idea who’s chasing who.”

            It was moments like this, when Yongguk would utter these ominous threats, that you look past the man you love to see the man everyone else feared. It wasn’t that you didn’t know what he did. Hell, you were in the business yourself, having been trained single-handedly by your father. But knowing the gentle man Yongguk was when he was with you, and then seeing the cold ruthlessness he showed his men sometimes gave you quite an awakening that you were in bed with one of the most dangerous men in Seoul.

            “Penny for your thoughts, love?” Yongguk’s right palm was sliding up and down your thigh but his smile was beaming at you with an open curiosity.

            You bent at the waist to at his neck. “I just can’t quite reconcile that this cuddly man wearing a teddy bear sweater is one of the coldblooded leaders behind the city’s underground.”

            His lips furled into a smirk against your shoulder as he allowed you to bite him, a sleeping lion allowing his skilled mate to playfully provoke him. You pulled away to look at him, knowing that he didn’t quite like to be too marked up in front of his subordinates. Yongguk shrugged as he stood up, his hands supporting your bottom, as he shuffled his way to the bed. “I can show you that Mr. Teddy Bear can also be quite a beast in the sheets too.”

            The moment was gone but when you woke up the next day and got ready, it nagged at you. It was Yongguk’s idea, no, command, to send you to the university. The son of his biggest rival was slowly amassing his own group, and it bothered him. You remembered being there at that meeting, right after he had just snarled at a couple of guards for making mistakes, reacting too violently for such a small error.

            His eyes had been wild and hard as he turned around and around, staring at his domain, at his kingdom, at all the things that can threaten to topple at any moment before they settled on you. You were much too used to Yongguk’s ups and his lows but the decision he made afterwards, chilled you.

            “You,” he pointed at you, not gently, but in a do-or-die way. “You’re next for this mission.”

            It was only afterwards, in the peaceful quiet of your room that he was gentle again. “You know you’re the only I trust, baby.” Life with Yongguk was like this. His bark was worse than his bite, to you at least, but his bark still hurt. It was a constant volleying between his ever volatile mood and the favor he so obviously lavished on you.

            A hand dropped on your shoulder and you jolted. It was Yongguk and he was staring at you. “You’re mad at me.” He said the observation matter-of-factly. There was no trace of any emotion to the look he gave you through the mirror.

            It still never failed to amaze you how well he knew you. You turned to look him directly in the eye. “Yes. I wish you would have as much faith in my love for you as you do in my abilities. You sent me on this mission to get closer to him and when it’s working, you drop cryptic comments. Make up your mind.”

            You held a breath. You seldom spoke back to him like this. Yongguk didn’t smile. Instead, he leaned in close so his next words were spoken quietly but clearly. “This little brat thinks he can take my turf, but he sure as hell will not take my woman.” He kissed you hard, biting on your lips and drawing blood before pulling away. “There. Much better.”

            There was a rose on your desk when you walked into the classroom. Your first instinct was to glance up at where the younger man sat, in the middle of the room. But his seat was empty. When you reached to pick it up, a hidden thorn jabbed your finger, causing you to bleed. You let out a wry smile. Your love with Yongguk was like this. Beautiful, until there was pain.

            You tossed the rose into the trash can in time for the students to file in. You dabbed your finger with a tissue and held it closed in your hand. Smiling brightly at the tired faces of the college students, you began. “Welcome to class.”

            After the class was over and everyone filed out, he was the only one who remained. He was young, but not much younger than you were. There was a soft look on his features and you had to fight to remind yourself that this man has had received the same training you did when you were growing up. He was the next to inherit the group who was always at odds with Yongguk. He probably even has had blood on his hands.

            “Daehyun,” you greeted him.

            “You’re bleeding,” he said softly. Of course. Being in this business meant your observational skills had to be above others, and you probably developed an innate sense for blood.

            You had to look up at him; he was significantly taller than you were. “Just a small paper cut.”

            “Let me see,” his voice was enticing, his concern touching.

            “It’s quite alright. I’ll put a band-aid on it.”

            “Let me see,” he repeated, this time a little more forcefully. That was when you were once more jolted back to the reality that yes, he was a university student, but he was still head of a mafia.

            You held out your finger and his eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t look like it was from paper.” Then his gaze fell onto the blood red petal sticking out of your trash. “Ah, I see you have another admirer.” There was a dangerous, possessive look that appeared in his eyes. “Looks like I have competition.” And then he smiled, all charm, and you steeled yourself. “Have a good day, Professor. And don’t let some jerk who doesn’t know how to take care of flowers hurt you anymore.”

            Your eyes followed him out the room. The month that you have been at the university had taught you many things about this man who was a budding threat. Some you expected, but moments like this, when he seemed wiser and more clairvoyant beyond his years, still surprised you.

            When you went home, you made no mention of the rose to Yongguk. There was no doubt in your heart that it was he who had sent it. Your boyfriend said nothing, only giving you a cursory look, allowing his eyes to linger on the band-aid that wrapped around your finger. The fact that he said nothing was proof enough. It was done on purpose, a subtle reminder.

            As you were drifting off to sleep, you felt his lips pepper your skin with kisses. “I love you, I hope you know that,” he murmured, and there was nothing but sincerity in his words.

            The next present was two roses. This time, you bent to inspect them and saw nothing. Wordlessly, you placed them in an empty vase and went out to buy more to make them appear to be decorations, and nothing more. You found yourself apprehensively wondering what Daehyun would think. But such thoughts were dangerous, and you felt a wild panic claw at your heart. What was wrong with you? It was just a rough patch with Yongguk, you reassured yourself. Nothing more.

            This time, before he left the classroom, he dropped a box on your desk. Without a word, he just flashed you a heartbreaking smile and walked out. Your hands shook when you opened it. A beautiful necklace peeked out at you. Light hit the crystals in the crescent pendant and you quickly closed it. You couldn’t bring yourself to throw it away, as you should. Instead, you slipped it into your bag. Keeping it at the school was dangerous. Clearly, Yongguk knew a way in or the flowers would not keep appearing on your desk.

            Daehyun approached you one week later. “Do you mind meeting me out by the quad?” His expression was calm but there was something else flickering in his eyes. Was it anticipation? It was right by finals time. Soon, you would no longer be on this mission, no longer be his teacher.

            You agreed, thinking there would be no harm. His full lips broke out into a wide smile. “I’ll see you there at three then.”

            The walk from your office to the quad where students were still milling around was a good ten minutes for you to clear your head and to quiet the raging pulse that was jumping at your throat. This was forbidden. Yongguk would find out. Yongguk would kill you. Yongguk would hate you. Yongguk would-

            “Hello sweetheart.”

            Standing in the middle of the meadow, out in broad daylight, in his teddy bear sweater, was the man himself. Yongguk was holding onto a giant bouquet of roses and in his other hand were soft pink and lavender balloons. Girls walking by was staring at him, clearly enthralled by his looks. Suddenly, all thoughts of Daehyun melted away.

            “What are you doing here?” What you meant was, why was he exposing himself? He knew he had enemies on this campus. And why was he linking you to him, when that had been everything he didn’t want.

            His gummy smile didn’t fade. “I figured I’d come here and announce to the world that you were mine. Is there anything wrong with that?”

            Yes, but seeing him there, openly acknowledging you, made you feel like all those years was worth it. “No,” you whispered. “But it’s still-”

            “No ‘buts’,” he smiled as he leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on your lips. His hand went into your bag and pulled out the box Daehyun had given you last week. Your heart was in your throat. Of course he knew.

            But there was no change to the soft expression. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the box onto the grass. From his own pocket, he presented you with a ring. “Marry me?”

            This went against all his principles. He wasn’t supposed to have ties that could hurt him. He especially was not supposed to let the world know. The balloons were drifting into the sky now and Yongguk was down on one knee. The wind blew by and ruffled his hair, creating an even softer look.

            “Yes,” you whispered. Yes because you loved him despite the ups and downs. Yes because even though you knew why he was doing this, you still loved him. Sometimes Yongguk hurt you beyond what was imaginable but you had long given yourself to him. Yongguk grinned and slid the ring on your finger, locking you in.

            The last thing you saw before Yongguk’s lips came over yours was Daehyun, standing behind him with a bouquet of his own, and a completely blank expression on his face.   

I wanted to try something new. Also, I've been having an idea in my head for a longer story and this may be the start for it.

Please comment below and let me know if you want something similar to this to be fleshed out!