‘Care to finally tell me what has happened between the two of you?’ Junmyeon placed a glass of golden liquid in front of his boss and friend. Baekhyun turned his eyes away from Chanyeol seated further away with his colleagues and picked up the drink to his lips. The moment it hit his taste buds, he grimaced.

‘You’ve tricked me. It’s apple juice.’ He observed, gaze accusatory.

‘You’ve had enough alcohol for the week.’ Junmyeon shrugged innocently. ‘Seriously, should I be worried about you? Before you were just bitter. Now you seem completely… empty.’

‘I’ve been dumped for the first time in my life.’ Baehyun said humourlessly, downing the rest of the offering. The taste was rather sour. Junmyeon frowned.

‘I’m sure that was not what happened.’ He refuted confidently. It was the younger’s turn to shrug.

‘I might have realised that I cared about him more than I initially thought but he went ahead and ended whatever we had had before I had a chance to admit my feelings. It was for the best, anyway.’

‘How was it for the best? Your logic is completely ed up, Baekhyun.’ Byun winced. Maybe because Junmyeon hardly ever cursed, his anger always inflicted more permanent damage. ‘You’re here, after all, sending him longing stares and drinking too much whiskey for your own good. He doesn’t look any better, to be honest.’

‘He looks fine.’ Baekhyun scoffed. ‘Just like he promised, he’s getting over me just fine. Look at him, all happy and cosy with those heads over there. And I’m fine with that, I really am. It’s what I wanted from the start.’ He sent another heated glare at the group he had been observing.

‘Yeah, you don’t seem bitter at all.’ The bar owner observed ironically, but Baekhyun barely registered the tone of his voice. He only sighed. ‘Anyway, what was it that brought you all the way here?’

Baekhyun wetted his lips, apprehensively.

‘Yi Fan thinks he has found the source of our trouble with Hong Kong but right now, we’ve been on a standby. It’s better not to alarm the rat yet.’

‘Is it..?’ Junmyeon did not need to finish the sentence, seeing how Baekhyun’s expression hardened. The latter nodded once.

‘It seems that I underestimated him but it’s fine. It doesn’t hurt nearly as much as I thought it would. When the time comes, I’ll get rid of him myself. For me, loyalty is worth more than anything else. Without it, we have nothing. I’ll cut out those cancerous cells before they spread even further.’

‘No regrets?’

‘I’m long past that. Don’t be stupid.’ Baekhyun’s grimace held disdain. ‘He’s brought it upon himself.’

‘Hong Kong wants to know when they can expect us to fully commit to the deal made with them. I think they are alluding to the mess that are our relations with the Chinese mafia. Ever since you’ve decided to give them up, it’s brought nothing but trouble.’

Baekhyun looked sharply at the man in front of him. Recently, Jongdae had been slowly becoming bolder and bolder with his words and actions towards his boss. Baekhyun scoffed inwardly. He should have seen it coming.

‘Are you accusing me of inability to handle my enemies?’ Although his smirk suggested amusement, his eyes stayed cold. Jongdae visibly gulped in discomfort, which for now satisfied Baekhyun. He wanted him to know who was in control until the very end.

‘Not at all, sir. All I’m saying is… the second shipment from Hong Kong is coming through tomorrow. If the situation repeats, they might not be so easily persuaded like last time. Without their cooperation and the Chinese withdrawing their supply, we will be left with nothing. It will leave the syndicate in a very precarious position.’

Baekhyun regarded the man standing in front of him from his chair for a few moments.

‘Tell me, Jongdae… I’m just curious. Who do you think it was that leaked the information about our shipments?’ As soon as he said, he saw the other flinch.

‘It did not necessarily have to be an insider. These things are not difficult to find out. They could have tapped our phones.. or…’ Jongdae’s voice faltered, flustered. Baekhyun just continued starting at him impassively.

‘Is that so.’ He finally replied. ‘The shipment will reach the docks tomorrow around 5. I’ll send some people ahead as usual but I need you in your office, waiting for my call in case something goes wrong. Be prepared.’

Jongdae only nodded and left the room soon after. The older’s eyes trailed after him, disdain quickly turning into burning hatred. He was going to enjoy cutting off Jongdae’s limps, one by one. Filthy thief.

He then called for Yi Fan to come and the tall man returned with no one other but Chanyeol in tow. Baekhyun was surprised but congratulated himself for not jumping in his seat. As days passed by, he was slowly learning to look the younger in the eye again.

‘Send some reliable people to the harbour tomorrow in the afternoon. I’ve already told the youngsters to go and supervise the exchange, as usual, be we don’t know what may happen this time, so it’s better to have some backup. They shouldn’t be too visible, though, if you know what I mean. Jongdae will stay here in case I need him.’ He exchanged a quick look with Yi Fan that seemed to have passed unnoticed by Chanyeol. Yi Fan just nodded – he had always been a man of few words.

‘Should I go with Tao this time? I may be of use.’ Chanyeol stepped up to the task, directly addressing Baekhyun.

‘No. I will need you with me here.’ The older belatedly realised what it might have sounded like, for Chanyeol’s brows lifted in surprise. It had been sometime since Baekhyun requested him for anything. Especially now, with the unspoken chill between them. ‘What I mean is, I want you to stay around. We’ll get involved if necessary. Have the car ready and be on a standby. I will need somebody I can trust with me.’ He turned his eyes away from the younger as he voiced out the last sentence.

He still wanted Chanyeol to know that he trusted him, no matter what. It was probably the only small way in which he could amend his wrongdoings towards him. At the same time, he could not help but want to keep Chanyeol away from the epicentre of the possible proverbial fire. Baekhyun seriously doubted that he himself would be needed in the docks, therefore the possibility of involving Chanyeol in a dangerous situation was relatively low.

Whether Chanyeol was pleased or not with his task, or with Baekhyun’s not so subtle care for that matter, he did not betray his emotions, he merely nodded firmly.

Maybe it was for the best, a part of Baekhyun reasoned. You silly, silly fool, the other part took to pitying him.

The next day, Baekhyun happened to see more of Chanyeol than in the past few weeks combined. Despite Yi Fan being continuously present, the younger apparently deemed it necessary to linger around and check up on Baekhyun, who felt both annoyed and somewhat flustered at the actions. He was already restless as it was, the atmosphere heavy with unease and uncertainty of the upcoming afternoon. Baekhyun really did not need Chanyeol to distract him, today of all days.

At some point, when Yi Fan left the room to get the documents from the safe in the office across the corridor, Chanyeol moved up closer, to stand next to the desk, at which Baekhyun was seated, looking through some papers. The silence between continued. Several times, Chanyeol looked like he wanted to say something, but ultimately always backed out, tightening his lips apprehensively.

Finally, unable to take the visible tension, Baekhyun sighed and looked up.

‘What?’ He asked bluntly. He never coddled the younger, but especially today he didn’t bother hiding his brusque attitude. 

‘You trust me.’ Chanyeol said in a low voice, after an obvious internal struggle. Baekhyun resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It seems that the more he cared about the younger, the shorter his temper towards him became.

‘No , Sherlock.’ The impatient comment left Chanyeol somewhat embarrassed.

‘What I mean is, after what happened between us, you pushed me away and I-I thought-‘

‘You thought that I stopped trusting you? I’ve always trusted you, Chanyeol. I will always trust you with my life.’ Baekhyun turned his chair towards the young man standing a few metres away. He seized him with a serious look. ‘Regardless of what might have happened between us, or whoever caused it, regardless of your obvious hatred towards me, there are only two people whom I trust completely and you are one of them.’

‘I do not hate you!’ Chanyeol quickly refuted, stuttering. In those brief moments, Baekhyun saw the old Chanyeol, the clumsy young boy who was too talkative for his own good. Just this brief glance warmed his soul. ‘I just-‘

Just then, Yi Fan came back and Baekhyun turned away, as if nothing have happened. Chanyeol swallowed the incoming words and closed his mouth. This was clearly not the place for the conversation that he wanted to have with the older.

So he just continued to stand there, purpose unknown, until he was shown the door.

‘I’ll call you when I need you here.’ Baekhyun barely looked at him and the intention was clear – that was the extend of what the younger was allowed to be involved in. He just nodded and left, albeit with a heavy heart.

Just because Baekhyun was not there in person, did not mean that he would not make sure to keep an eye on the deal from afar.

‘Still no sign of their cars?’ He asked again after five minutes of prolonged silence in the speaker.

‘Not yet.’ Taecyeon murmured on the other side of the connection. While Tao and Sehun waited for the shipment in their usual place, a few other guys, including the man on the line, remained around, in more secluded points, ready to interfere at any given moment.

Baekhyun knew that no news most likely equalled to good news, but in this particular case, he could not shake off the strange premonition he’d had since the morning. Somebody was playing him, he thought bitterly. It was already a good half an hour since the containers reached the harbour but they were still not being released to the two young men awaiting them.

On top of everything, it was all happening unnaturally quietly, not at all like Baekhyun thought it would turn out. He had rightfully suspected that the Chinese would not try the same trick twice; therefore, it had forced Byun’s people to take additional precautions in regards to the product’s transport while already in Korea.

But it just didn’t feel right.

‘Call Jongdae in here.’ He calmly ordered Yi Fan. ‘I think we’ve waited long enough. Something fishy is happening behind our backs, I can just feel it.’ Yi Fan never questioned his boss’s intentions, so he reached for his cell and dialled the appropriate number.

‘He isn’t responding.’ He replied after a few rings. ‘Is it possible that he’s already left the premises?’

‘I guess he’s not as idiotic as I initially took him for. He must have felt my suspicion on him – I wasn’t exactly subtle about it. It’s fine. The kill always taste better after the chase.’ He laughed humourlessly. ‘Go ahead and check his office just in case. While you’re at it, call Chanyeol in. The three of us will need to get our asses to the docks, after all.’

Yi fan nodded and hastened his step. Baekhyun stood up and put his jacket on, making sure his phone was secure in the inner pocket. But before he even had a chance to draw his hand away from it, the cell rang. It was Yi Fan.

‘Are we ready?’ He asked but was interrupted. Yi Fan sounded hesitant.

‘Boss, you better come here. Jongdae is not in, as we’ve already established, but neither is Chanyeol. I found his phone on the floor. There are no signs of struggle, but-‘ Baekhyun shut the conversation out before stumbling out of his office, crossing the corridor in great urgency.

‘Where is Chanyeol?’ Was the first thing that came out of his mouth when he reached the traitor’s room. Yi Fan stood there, in the middle of the space, looking around for any possible clues. He finally  lifted both tea cups, barely dipping his mouth in each. He grimaced.

‘My best guess is that after you turned him away, he came here to pass the time. For whatever reason, Jongdae drugged him and took with him. He couldn’t have been alone – even when unconscious, carrying his body would be beyond Jongdae’s physical ability.’

‘That son of a .’ Baekhyun cursed under his breath. He took out his cell phone once again, dialling Jongdae’s number and putting it on speaker. Jongdae did not pick up, not on the first, not on the second, and not even on the fifth try. Baekhyun sensed Yi Fan’s worried eyes on him but he kept dialling. His hands shook a little but he brushed it off.

Jongdae picked up the call after approximately ten minutes.

‘You’re persistent, I have to give you that.’ Was the first thing that Baekhyun heard. On the contrary to what the older might have imagined, Jongdae did not sound in any way pleased or victorious. His voice was rather quiet and neuter.

‘Nothing you didn’t already know.’ Baekhyun observed after a moment of silence. ‘Now, tell me where you are so I can tear you apart, finger by finger.’

‘Why don’t you ask what you really want to know.’ Jongdae responded, his voice still emotionless.

‘Where is Chanyeol?’ Baekhyun voiced out after another tense moment.

‘He’s here with us, but probably not for long, I’m afraid. I can’t stand looking at his face, it constantly reminds me of your affection towards him.’ He stilled for a moment, but ultimately decided to continue. ‘You know, he was just sitting there, talking to me about some I could not have been bothered with, and all I could think of was that you had ordered to kill Victoria. You had killed the person I loved, yet your lover was sitting across from me, well and breathing. I suffered a moment of insanity but I’m sure you understand. An eye for an eye, isn’t that what you always say?’

‘Jongdae..’  Baekhyun his lips slowly. He would lie if he said he wasn’t nervous. The other didn’t sound angry, nor was he his usual subdued self. The eerie calmness of his voice made Baekhyun uneasy. ‘Tell me where he is and I’ll make sure you don’t suffer for too long when I kill you. You don’t have much of a choice – if I don’t get to you first, the Chinese will kill you for sure. You’ve betrayed us and I’m sure you see how that does not exactly makes you trustworthy in their eyes.’

‘That’s all right. I’m taking my share and leaving the country tonight, anyway. You’ve always taken me for a fool but I can take care of myself. I’ve prepared a few surprises in case I get stopped, which makes me untouchable to them right now. The only thing left is to decide whether I want to shoot your myself or leave it to them. But I guess I won’t be able to resist. Don’t worry, Baekhyun’ he said with the air of finality ‘I’ll make sure he doesn’t suffer for too long.' He echoed the older’s earlier words. Then he hang up and the line went dead.

‘I got it.’ Yi Fan, who had been on his tablet during the conversation, nodded. ‘His attempt at covering the signal was poor, since he probably didn’t have enough time. Let’s go.’ He stood up, but Baekhyun’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

‘I need you at the harbour, Yi Fan. We still don’t know what’s going on with the shipment. I’ll go get Chanyeol myself.’ Yi Fan looked at him like he was out of my mind.

‘You can’t possibly go there alone. Even with the two of us, we need to be extremely careful. When you took me in, I swore to put your life before mine, and I’m not about to break that promise. There is no way I can let you get yourself killed. It’s a suicide.’

‘You also swore to listen to my orders and I’m ordering you to first make sure that the deal is secure. Then take whomever you have in there and follow me. I’m not a helpless little boy and that’s my final word. You’re wasting my time.’

How unoriginal, Baekhyun thought to himself, scoffing, when he arrived at his presumed destination. An abandoned factory in the middle of the woods, are you ing kidding me?

He stopped the car right in the middle of the main yard, not caring to be careful. If they were there, they must have already spotted him anyway. He shut the door loudly, taking out the gun he always carried with him. He knew it would probably be of no use but it gave him a sense of security.

Fear is just a state of mind, is what his father used to say. Until recently, there was nothing that Baekhyun feared, not even his own death. However, he had come to fear Chanyeol’s death and he hated himself for it. He had always known that caring was dangerous, it always turned into the carer’s weakness that ultimately led to his destruction. If it were anyone else, Baekhyun thought that he would probably be able to sacrifice their life for the greater good.

As it was right now, he was the selfish fool, who wanted to keep Chanyeol close for the sake of his own sanity. If anything happened to the younger… Actually Baekhyun did not even know his own limits in this respect. Something like this happened to him for the first time in his life. He didn’t even cry when his father was murdered, yet his pulse quickened just at the thought of Chanyeol’s discomfort.

Nevertheless, he confidently strolled into the building, keeping up the unfazed appearances. There was no way he was going down without a fight.

He entered the obscure place, blinking to adjust to the shadows hanging over it. Eyes moving and mind calculating, it didn’t take long for him to spot a tall figure, half seated half splayed on the floor in one corner, hands handcuffed over his head. The man wasn’t moving and Baekhyun’s heart immediately dropped to the floor.

However, before he managed to take even a few steps ahead, he was welcomed by the same eerie voice that he had heard in the receiver barely an hour before.

‘Love is terrifying, isn’t it?’ Baekhyun sharply looked to the right, where Jongdae was casually seated on a messy table, a gun in his hand. The younger was looking at Baekhyun but his weapon was directed towards the man on the floor. ‘More potent than a drug, it makes you do things you would never suspect yourself of doing. Do you think that I wanted to fall in love with Victoria? It just happened. I thought that you, of all people, would understand me.’

‘Why would I understand? I’ve never loved anyone.’ Baekhyun’s statement did not come out nearly half as convincing as he wanted it to.

‘You’ve become such a bad liar, Baekhyun. I would laugh but it’s not even funny.’

‘What did you do to him?’ Baekhyun asked, referring to the unconscious Chanyeol.

‘I tied him up and beat him until I felt that I was satisfied, at least temporarily. It took quite a while, if I might add.’ Jongdae offered simply. Baekhyun tensed, silently gritting him teeth. ‘Don’t take it personally – I was actually more offended by his existence than anything else. It had nothing to do with you. And anyway, it’s not like he’s gonna live much longer.’

‘You’re going to beg for death by the time I’m done with you.’ They stared at each other for a moment, assessing the situation.

‘You really shouldn’t have come here, Baekhyun.’ Jongdae interrupted the silence. He looked almost regretful. ‘But you’re not my concern. I already said, an eye for an eye. At first I figured I might just help the Chinese sabotage your shipment and get rich in the process, but actually, Chanyeol for Victoria seems like a fairer deal. I’ll kill him and leave you for them to play with. I’m sure they will be able to come up with some ideas of their own.’ He took out another pair of handcuffs, his pistol still directed at Chanyeol. ‘Now, be a darling and help me out. Who knows, you might just buy him additional few minutes.’