Qri couldn’t help but smiled when she saw Jiyeon smiling and laughing whole-heartedly again like she had never been sad. The younger girl seemed a lot happier for this past week since she has been receiving phone calls from Hyomin more often, though Hyomin had no promise for when she would come back home, it was a great relief to see Jiyeon was less worried and could live her life normally.

“Unnie, it would be great if you could join us at dinner today, we are out at your favorite place” Jiyeon pouted on the phone as she was talking to.

“Eat well and don’t worry about me I’m eating well here”  

“I’ll eat well and stay healthy when you come back home” Jiyeon showed her determination

“Good girl”

“Unnie, are you happy right?” Jiyeon’s eyes wavered as she asked the question

 “Yes, unnie is very happy”

 “I’m glad to hear that” Jiyeon smiled widely

 “Jiyeon ah, please take care of yourself and don’t worry about me”

“I will unnie” Jiyeon promised like a kid

“I have to hang up now”

“Unnie, wait” this was the time Jiyeon hated the most

“I’m listening”

“I miss you unnie, I really do, please come home when you are ready” Slight sadness was filled in Jiyeon’s voice.

“I miss you Jiyeonie, and please remember I love you”

“I know I love you too” Jiyeon tried to smile

“Bye”

“Bye unnie” Jiyeon pressed the phone close to her ear until the static sound then she hung up

“How is Hyomin doing?” Qri decided to ask to bring up Jiyeon’s mood as younger girl seemed to linger on the phone call conversation that ended a while.

“She said she was doing great” Jiyeon recalled

 “That’s good to hear” Qri said as she gulped down soju

“Yeah, she sounds happy” Jiyeon smiled thinking of her sister’s voice.

“Hyomin surely knows what she is doing so don’t worry she is a strong girl” Qri reasoned

“I know but …” Jiyeon paused

“No but, didn’t you promise Hyomin to live happily for her? Qri reminded Jiyeon

“That’s what I’m doing now” Jiyeon pursed up her lip to form a cute pout.

“I’m sure that what she wants” Qri smiled

“Doesn’t she want to be with me after many years apart, I thought she would want to stay with me?” Jiyeon sulked with this fact that she couldn’t figure out why her sister would run away

“She may need time to be alone, to think freely and adapt to things around her” Qri was seeking possible ways that Hyomin would do this.

 “But I don’t think Hyomin unnie is being alone” Jiyeon was skeptic

“What make you think that? Qri asked

“ It seems like there is someone always around her, sometimes she even whispers as if she doesn’t want to disturb someone sleeping” Jiyeon came up with her own logics through her conversation with her sister.

“You are over paranoid, aren’t you?” Qri knew Jiyeon was smart and she would never underestimate the younger girl.

“I’m sure unnie is with someone” Jiyeon confirmed her logical instinct

 “It’s a good sign then at least she is not lonely” Qri ensured

 “But why Hyomin unnie has to keep this from us?” Jiyeon could never stop her never-ending doubt.

“Hyomin always has her reason for what she does and I respect her for that” Qri voiced out her attitude toward a woman who somewhat held a deepest place in her heart.

“I just want to make sure that the person who is by her side now is treating her well” Jiyeon softened her voice, all she wanted was the best for her sister and she wished she could at least do a lot of thing for her.

“ Hyomin deserves the best” Qri held up her glass of soju, signaling Jiyeon to take her glass, Jiyeon smiled and lifted up her glass to make a toast

“ For our Hyomin” They said in unison as they cheered 

***************************

“No please” A man begged pitifully in front of a woman who was around the same age as him, he was shaking with fear, a gun was aiming at his head and he knew there was nowhere he could escape. The fierce eyes that stared back at him didn’t help but made him even more scared, nothing in her eyes but calm and heartless gaze.

“You could have considered twice before you decided to betray me” Calm and scary voice came from a woman who was holding a gun firmly.

“I was wrong and I feel sorry for that” A man cried

“Save your sorry for later” The woman announced followed by a loud “BANG”, then the man dropped to the cold floor, second gunshot was heard throughout the dark hall, the man screamed in pain, he was holding his both legs.

Eunjung walked toward Changmin who was now laying on the floor in agony, she stopped before him and then stepped on his leg where he was shot, he cried out in pain and his face was twisted in agony, blood came flowing out.

“You’re lucky enough that my father had governed our gang with mercy, if not you might not be able to breathe now” The whole committees listened quietly to their leader, no one dared to say anything.

“But you know our rules right, no second chance for a betrayer” Eunjung sent a hard kick on his legs again.

“Get him out of my sight” Eunjung commanded then two strong built men came over and took him away, then silence filled the room. Eunjung walked back to her seat, beside her was Hyomin who looked stiff but her face showed no emotion.  

“Don’t you think sparing his life would give him a chance to plan on murdering you again?” An old man asked.

“I’ll make sure he has no chance for that” Eunjung firmly stated.

“How can you be so sure?” the man continued to ask.

“With his limp legs which could lead him nowhere and insufficient financial and power support, there is nothing he can do, besides our network is watching him” Eunjung explained and they could understand what she had handled beforehand.

“Could he leave any potential threat? He continued to asked

 “I think we have all the root under control” Eunjung  

“So you decide to maintain former leader’s rule?” Another man asked

“My father was a great leader and I planned to follow his footpath” Eunjung answered with a great respect to her decreased father.

“Arraso” The man nodded.

“Now that anybody else has any questions?” Eunjung asked, she wanted to leave this place as soon as possible and it seemed to be understood so there was no other question raised up, the silence gave way to Eunjung to continue her speech.

“Thank you everyone for coming as witnesses for a judgement today” Eunjung stood up and bowed to the board of committees sitting in two rows, she looked at her side and saw Hyomin sat still so she grabbed her hand which made the latter startled a bit, it was happening only for seconds when Hyomin came back to her sense, she looked around to see all eyes of the committees were on her, she stood up and followed Eunjung out of the hall, followed by the members of committee.

***********************

“Hey, are you alright?” Eunjung asked as she noticed that Hyomin was exceptionally quite since they left the committee board meeting for punishment the guy identified and verified for planning on murdering her and Hyomin last month, Changmin, was from the sub-gang in their association.   

Hyomin just gave a faint smile as response, how could she say that she was okay when she just witnessed a guy was hit by a gun and the one who pulled the revolver was none other than the woman sitting beside her now, and this was the first time she had ever seen this in real life.

“Are you scared?” Eunjung asked again

“Not really” Hyomin shook her head. “It was just em, the first time I saw this” she spluttered a bit as she tried to explain.

“Understood” Eunjung shortly responded as she kept driving, “This is the way we have been followed over century, there is no room for betrayer” She sternly added; Hyomin stole a glance at Eunjung, she was right from the start to call the woman next to her, a Satan, she could be merciless and heartless when it came to her enemy but at a rate she could understand the position Eunjung was standing, when power was everything people were fighting for, and the royalty was hard to find, it wasn’t strange if she would wear shining armor around her through it was heavy.

“Are you tired?” Hyomin asked out of nowhere which made Eunjung raised her brow

“What with the question?” Eunjung didn’t understand.

“Are you tired with what you have to deal with and where you are now?” Hyomin repeated her question

“ It would be a lie if I said no, but I was destined to walk this path so I’m living with what I have and what I don’t have, I know if my brother was still here, he might do a better job than I do” Eunjung expressed herself emotionally.

“I’m sorry” Hyomin knew what it was leading to, she inwardly sighed, the sin that would always tie to her and then would be no way she expiated this sin.

 “ Thousand sorry would never bring him back, so it’s useless to say that” Once again Eunjung was back to her Satan side, it hurt but Hyomin couldn’t blame the latter for those harsh words she threw at her.

“I know it couldn’t be enough even my life itself” Hyomin said with her guilty tone.

Eunjung couldn’t say anything more, deep inside of her she wanted to tell Hyomin that it was alright, it happened, we couldn’t turn back time, and she started to believe that her brother was a part to be blamed as well but she held back those things she wanted to say, because a part of her was afraid if she said those words, it would also mean that she was forgiving Hyomin, then what the reason left to hold Hyomin back with her if it wasn’t for a revenge. At this time, when no one else around that meant anything to her, she found Hyomin was someone she would like to be around and cling to the most, Hyomin’s hand always gave off a magical touch that Eunjung grew fond of it, her presence alone meant a lot to her or even when her comfort silence said a thousand words. Eunjung knew this was a guilty pleasure that she was drowning herself in it, just a moment longer, please wait a moment longer.

“Aish, what’s a gloomy day!” Eunjung pretended to exclaim boringly, but it worked because it drew Hyomin’s attention. “Anything you want to do today, I’m bored”

“Maybe going back home and I’ll resume my knitting” Hyomin answered nonchalantly

“You are so boring” Eunjung just shook her head

“You are no fun either” Hyomin snapped

“Do you want to do something fun then?” Eunjung her lip in seductive way, and it made Hyomin swallow her saliva.

“What are you thinking? Hyomin shifted uncomfortably

“What you think I’m thinking huh?” Eunjung smiled devilishly with her mischief tone.

“You ert” Hyomin shouted

 “Look, who is called ert here, I didn’t say I would do anything but you’ve already imagined so far” Eunjung laughed.

“I know you’re ert from the look in your eyes” Hyomin argued, Eunjung pulled over the car and stopped it, Hyomin carefully watched Eunjung.

“You wanna know if only my eyes that are ert” Eunjung leaned forward closer to Hyomin, the latter held back her breath as Eunjung was leaning closer. Just then someone knocked on the car window which startled them, they quickly parted away.

Annoyingly Eunjung lowered her glass window to a police greeting her with smile.

“I’m sorry to disturb what you were doing but you parked your car in “ No Parking Area” the police men informed , and it made Eunjung and Hyomin’s face turned red with a remark he mentioned.

“Arraso and I’m leaving now” Eunjung told the police.

“Before you go, please take this fine ticket and go to pay later” The police man said

“Thank you” Eunjung quick