( /ˌdes.tɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ : the place where someone is going or where something is being sent or taken )

 

Sunwoo looked upon the busy traffics of metropolitan city of Seoul right under him from his office with an empty look. His mind now was roaming through each and every possibility that could link between himself and the case.

 

But to his own disappointment, he found nothing; and he had even met a dead end.

 

“Do you possibly think that...there’s someone behind all this? Maybe it’s from our competitors? Or even from one of the BR Corporation’s staffs?”

 

“I don’t know,” Sunwoo sighed. “If that’s true, who is the culprit behind all this? And, why?”

 

He bit his lower lips. He could still remember how people look upon his arrival to the company this morning. Most of their eyes contains hateful and even exasperate looks which had tell him more than enough about one thing; he had been recognized as a killer.

 

All his good reputation and even his good deeds been forgotten by a single blow of fake accusation.

 

Maybe this is what the culprit wanted from him?

 

With that belief, he tried to think the possibilities into people closer to him too – he just couldn’t believe anybody at this moment; he was too scared to even cling to anybody to help him now, which includes his supporters that helped him to obtain his position.

 

“What should I do?”

 

Sunwoo massaged his temples. To be truth, he felt like as if he was going to stress himself out by thinking all those deceit people that only know how to save themselves; even though they have to against their opponent with their foul play.

                                                                                       

All he knows for now is he had to be more careful. Or else, he would lose his position for forever.

 

If they play foul on him; he could also do the same to repay them back. But he wasn’t going to use the same way as them, but, he will seeking for his justice by law.

 

“But as your older brother, I can’t stop to feel worry about you. You’re my only family left, and I don’t want anything could harm you,”

 

Sunwoo weakly smiled. He knew better how much his brother loves him and even more right after their father’s death years ago. His brother was his father, his mother, and his everything at that time. But as if his brother was supposed to spend his lifetime all outside Korea; he rarely could see him and he felt lonely.

 

And it hurts.

 

BEEP

 

A beep came from the intercom had eventually snapped Sunwoo back to the reality. He swiftly pressed one of the buttons on it. “Yes, Secretary Kim?”

 

“Sir, Miss Yoo Sera would like to see you now. Do you want to let her in even though there isn’t any appointment-“

 

“Just let her in,” Sunwoo ordered. “Anyway, she’s my lawyer. She doesn’t have to do any appointment to meet me afterwards.”

 

“Yes Sir.”

 

Sunwoo shifted his gaze towards the doorway that revealed a young woman that had already officially becoming his lawyer for the case. Then, he made his way to the sofa in front of his desk as well as motioned her to sit across him.

 

“So, Miss Yoo,” Sunwoo gave his usual professional smile. “Which progress were you now in the case so far?”

 

“Choi Sunwoo,” Sera gave a serious looks towards Sunwoo. “You better tell me the truth.”

 

“What truth? I had already told you-”

 

“Do you actually the killer, or not?” Sera questioned.

 

“Why- I have already told you before, don’t I?” Sunwoo rolled his eyes in annoyance. “I’m not!”

 

“Okay, let’s say if you’re right,” Sera sighed. “Then, how can the police authorities had found an evidence that can be used against you?”

 

Sunwoo became dumbfounded. “Wh-what did you say? They found evidence that can be used to against me?”

 

Sera nodded.

 

“Have you seen what it is?”

 

Sera shook her head. “No. Not yet. But I’m sure we will see it later on.”

 

Sunwoo cupped his face. He was too speechless to even say anything about the case that had gradually trapped him inside the darkness that he couldn’t even see the way out from it.

 

All that he wished for is this case will come to its end.

 

“Mr. Choi Sunwoo. You really need to tell me everything, so that I can help you better. If you keep your mouth close, I...I can do nothing to protect you.”

 

Sera looked towards Sunwoo who was now facing her. She could see his eyes gleam with moisture as if he was about to cry, and somehow she couldn’t believe her eyes, as the person that she faced now wasn’t Choi Sunwoo that she had just talk to seconds ago – he was absolutely different – as he was Choi Sunwoo that looked fragile.

 

And the next words that came out from his mouth were surprising her even more.

 

“Please help me.”

 

“This is the voicemail of-“

 

TUT

 

Dabin growled. He pressed the red virtual button on his phone with disappointment. By today, he had called her for many times already and yet the results were all the same; she didn’t pick up her phone.

 

“Seo Inhyoung...just what are you trying to do?”

 

He threw his phone to his bed before he ruffled his hair and sighed hard. He couldn’t even try his best to even figure out Inhyoung’s mind even though they had lived together for almost three years.

 

And that fact just made Dabin once again realized something. Right from the beginning of their relationship, he never knew her – he never knew Seo Inhyoung.

 

Now, he had even wondered if Seo Inhyoung was actually existed in his life; as he could see that her image in his mind was slowly turned out vague.

 

He was afraid that he would forget her. No, he won’t let it happen.

 

“I have to find something that could lead me to her...”

 

Dabin then quickly went towards the drawers and opened it. He scanned for all the contents inside it before he simply rummaged through it and looked for each Inhyoung’s belongings, if in case it will turns into something that could help him to find her.

 

“No. There’s nothing here.”

 

Dabin then swiftly opened another drawer which is the second drawer from top.

 

DUK

 

“Oh?” Dabin took a white notebook that had fallen near his stature with an inquiry looks. “What is this?”

 

Then, he bent down to see the bottom surface of the drawer and found a hidden compartment on the surface. He shifted his gaze towards the book as his fingers slowly ran through the red rose’s painting on the book’s cover. “Red rose...”

 

With the curious feelings that started to grow inside him, he turns the cover over and read the sentences written on the first page of the notebook.

 

For piece of memories that I wanted to cherish throughout my life; should I endure the pain?

In order to protect the one whom I love; should I surrender?

And to love him, my dearest; I’m willing to do anything to be with him.

I’d made my choice – nothing could stop me.

Don’t stop this pain.

 

“March 20xx,” Dabin read the date at the bottom of the page in surprise as the date was a date in three years ago. And again, he read the last sentences of the passage.

 

“Don’t stop this pain,” Dabin’s scrunched his eyebrows. “What pain that you have to endure, Inhyoung ahh?”

 

Another pages been flipped over. And once again Dabin read its contents.

 

For shall I believe that love is eternal,

And how these feelings are pure;

I’m sorry,

I’m such a betrayer.

 

“Betrayer?” Again, consternation grew inside Dabin as he couldn’t decipher the meaning behind Inhyoung’s words. He wondered if those words are meant for him. Then, he glanced over to the date.

 

“It is written in last year’s July,” Dabin swallowed. He felt something wasn’t right. As he chose to believe in his instinct, he continuously flipped the pages of the notebook and stopped right when he saw an address instead of a piece of Inhyoung’s poetic words.

 

Dabin tore the page from the book and looked at it full with hope.

 

“Maybe this address,” Dabin stated to himself. “could put my search for Inhyoung to an end.”

 

Sunwoo put one of his hands on his chest. For some unknown reason, he felt that something bad is going to happen soon to him.

 

He didn’t know how; but he could felt it.

 

“Here,” Sera gave out a small cup of coffee from coffee vending machine for him. “I don’t know if you’ll like this but, well, caffeine is quite good to put away your fatigue.”

 

Sunwoo gave out a subtle smile. “Thank you, Miss Yoo.”

 

Sera took her seat beside Sunwoo as they were waiting for Detective Na outside the investigation team’s room. Both of Sera and Sunwoo were ended up here as she received an urgent call from Detective Na regarding the new proofs.

 

And as Sunwoo was the main suspect for this murder case, she bring him along together with her to actually see for the proof; and yet, she was afraid if Sunwoo would be arrested once again in front of people like the other day before.

 

It wasn’t good for his reputation; and she have to protect his image as his lawyer.

 

 “Mr. Choi Sunwoo,” Sera cautiously began her sentences. “If you’re innocent, then you have nothing to be feared of. Everything will be just fine, believe me.”

 

Sunwoo just stared to Sera’s face in awe because as if she could read his mind, she was saying things that he would like to hear right at this moment. He knew that he shouldn’t believe in anyone bluntly; but he was sure enough that a person named Yoo Sera would help him.

 

Yes, he was sure of it.

 

“Ah, you’re here, Miss Yoo,” Detective Na called out for them as soon as he went out from the investigation team room. “And Mr. Choi.”

 

“So, shall we?” Sera asked for the detective’s permission as soon as she discovered the tension air that lingering around three of them, mostly between Detective Na and Sunwoo.

 

Detective Na smirked to Sunwoo before he led them to the investigation room. “It’s not like all people could access this room,” He stated while he shoved his pass card into an electronic board. “Especially if the person is the prime suspect.”

 

Sunwoo swallowed hard. He knew that the prime suspect that Detective Na been referred to was him. But he wasn’t going to lose. He will eventually prove his innocence.

 

But, maybe, he had to put more effort for it.

 

Sunwoo gasped. He put his hand on his mouth in disbelief. And Sera was also been dumbfounded and stood rooted to the ground.

 

“You now know what I meant, right?” Detective Na flashed his victorious smile to Sunwoo. “I’m not going to let you free from now on, Mr. Choi Sunwoo.”

 

“That wasn’t me!” Sunwoo raised his voice to emphasize his denial statement. “I’d never been in that kind of place before.”

 

“Look,” Sera finally regained back her voice. “Could you please replay the CCTV’s footage once again?”

 

Detective Na nodded. “Sure, if that will make you believe it.”

 

He clicked the play button. And once again, they watched the CCTV footage. It was footage of a man in his black attire walked through a tunnel street in between the time duration which the victim’s been killed. But what makes them more surprised, when the man in that suspicious attire is...

 

“Choi Sunwoo,” Detective Na called for Sunwoo’s attention as he pointed to the figure’s face that could be clearly captured by the CCTV in the footage. “This is you, right?”

 

“I admit that he have the same face as me but-“

 

“Are you now saying that,” The screen been pointed once again. “This man...is your twin?”

 

Sunwoo shook his head. He was completely loss at words. “I-I don’t know.”

 

“Detective Na, could I talk to my client for a minute?”

 

As soon as Detective Na nodded, Sera quickly faced Sunwoo. “I don’t even understand all this.”

 

“Me too,” Sunwoo claimed. “I swear I have never been to that place ever before.”

 

“But how you would explain your image in the footage?” Sera sighed. “It’s obviously you.”

 

Sunwoo hung his head low. “Then, what should I do then? It seems that I couldn’t prove my innocence, isn’t it?”

 

“I’ll find a way,” Sera tried to assure Sunwoo. “But for now, you must be under police’s supervision.”

 

As if it was on cue, there was a police officer came inside the room and handcuffed Sunwoo before Detective Na came in between Sera and Sunwoo with his professional face.

 

“You’re under arrest as the top suspect for this murder case, Mr. Choi Sunwoo. I had to bring you to jail as you’ll be under my supervision from now on. I hope that you could give us your cooperation.”

 

Sunwoo weakly nodded and followed Detective Na while he had been escorted by the police officer beside him. And Sera just could to see Sunwoo’s back and heaved a sigh.

 

This wasn’t going to be easy.

 

Dabin glanced for the address’s paper on his hand once again before he shifted his gaze towards a mansion before his eyes.

 

“No. 197,” Dabin looked to the house’s number beside the big and luxurious house’s gate. The mansion itself was so spacious and been painted in white and black color to give out a retro feels. It was built in modern contemporary style; yet it looks so simple and stylish at the same time.

 

It was obviously opposite from Dabin’s shabby house.

 

“Who could be the owner of this mansion?” Dabin questioned himself for a question that he didn’t even could answer. “And what it has to do with Inhyoung?”

 

Dabin folded the paper back and was just about to keep it into his pocket when he heard a sound of door opened from a distant.

 

And soon after he had a look on the person who came from the house, his face turned dismal, and he could suddenly felt the throbbing pain on his cheek.

 

“Choi Dabin.”

 

“You,” Dabin stuttered himself as he discovered that the unknown man that had once punched him before was hurried towards him as the gate started to open. “I’m sorry. I’m mistaken your house as-“

 

“You’re mistaken?” The man lifted an eyebrow as he had already coming closer to Dabin. “No. I’m sure my house is what you looked for, isn’t it?”

 

“No. It just-“

 

Suddenly the man snatched the paper inside Dabin’s hands and read it. Then, he showed it in front of Dabin’s face. “See? It is obviously that you find for me.”

 

“No! I’m actually in search of someone named Seo Inhyoung!” Dabin snapped back as soon as he was in the verge of his patience, and he just couldn’t stop himself from getting back the paper from the man’s hand.

 

“Seo Inhyoung...” The man carefully uttered the name before he lurched forward towards Dabin. “Why you’re looking for her? Isn’t that she is with you all this time?” He smirked. “Don’t tell me that she is leaving you now after what both of you had done to my life.“

 

“Wait,” Dabin tried to process every word that he heard just now, and as everything was still unlinked with each other, he took his turn to ask for a question. “The ‘her’ that you refer to...is that woman is Seo Inhyoung?”

 

The man scrunched his eyebrows. “Y-you don’t know?” And so, he eyed Dabin before he slowly let out a sigh. “Follow me.”

 

He gave a cue for Dabin to follow him as he started to enter his house compound and straightly went towards for his front door.

 

Dabin’s normal mind told him to run; but his guts told him in another way round, as he could felt that his answer for the real identity of Inhyoung was laid inside this house.

 

And he chose to believe his guts.

 

Dabin walked across the garden and made his way through cobblestones pavement before he finally encountered with the doorway that welcomed him in.

 

Maybe it wasn’t a good choice, but at least he knew he won’t regret this decision.

 

“This is actually our house,” The man started to introduced his house to Dabin before he gave a picture frame to Dabin. Dabin stared at the picture carefully. “It’s belongs to me and...”

 

He knew the girl inside the photo.

 

“...Seo Inhyoung,” He weakly said out her name. “She is my fiancée.”

 

Dabin’s eyes bulged. He couldn’t believe his ears. “Just what did you say? She is-“

 

“Maybe you won’t believe me,” He looked towards Dabin with vacant stares. “But she is mine in the first place, before she chose you, Choi Dabin.”

 

The picture frame was slowly fallen weightlessly from his grip. Dabin shook his head in bewilderment. “No. It can’t be...”

 

“And to be frank, even though she was with you; she was actually still my fiancée,” He continued to tell his story without even looking to Dabin’s face. He slowly squat down and carefully rubbed his fingers on the frame’s surface. “And in fact, we’re just ended our engagement several weeks ago. And that’s when I finally knew about your existence in her world, Choi Dabin.”

 

He stood up and gave a sardonic looks straightly to Dabin’s eyes. “You’re the one who took her away from me. For your question before; that’s what you have done to my life.”

 

DUSH

 

PRANG

 

A loud thud sound echoed throughout the living room; together with the smashed glass that was in contact with the hard floor surface – right after Dabin launched his punch on the man’s cheek.

 

A terrible jolt stinging on his cheek, and blood oozed out from his mouth.

 

The man wiped the blood from his mouth and faced Dabin with his irk smile on his face. “So, you want a fight don’t you?”

 

Without any warning, he was also launching his attack on Dabin which made Dabin’s body been pushed involuntarily to the back. But, Dabin didn’t want to surrender.

 

He would fight, like a real man.

 

“I don’t want to hear your lies!”

 

“I’m telling you the truth, Choi Dabin,” He sneered. “Face the fact.”

 

“So, where is she now? Where is she?!” Dabin shouted in rage.

 

“I don’t even know what you are talking about-“

 

Another punch landed on his face. And as he had lost his temper, he kicked Dabin’s stomach harshly before he stood up. “Let’s just fight shall we? I’m sure that a simple talk couldn’t actually express our hatred feelings towards each other.”

 

Dabin eyed him back. With the sudden adrenaline pumped inside his veins, he answered the challenge with a nod.

 

And as if both of them had lose their mind; they were now attacking each other more fiercely – and no one could tell what would eventually happened to both of them in the end.

 

It’s all happened because of their feelings towards the same girl. A girl named Seo Inhyoung.

 

 

Petite's Note : Frankly speaking, this chapter was quite challenging for me - yup, seriously it is. Those poetic(?) words I made by myself is really hard to create as I'm trying to arouse your curiosity for Inhyoung as same as how Dabin wondered about her too. And....for the last scene - the fight scene - between Dabin and the unknown man; well, I hope that you can imagine their fight :) So, our Sunwoo had been arrested as the police found the proof that shows his own face in the CCTV footage! But well, he said it's not him; so who the person is then? Stay tuned~~

Songs recommended for this chapter are 'You're Special' by Boys Republic (Dabin's part) and also 'Over the Destiny' by 2AM (Sunwoo's part).

 

Words count : 3, 212