Irene's POV

"What have you done?" screamed, my step-dad and I took my phone off my ear, gave it a rub and then put it back on. I was expecting it but still, it was rather loud.

"What do you mean, Kyuhyun?", I asked him, knowing very well that he doesn't like being called by his name by someone younger than him. But I did not give a about his honour or feelings. I had one goal and that was revenge for everything he made me do and everything he did to Joy and me. I will win this game between him and I. I learned from the best after all. 

"Stop playing games and tell me what you're at, Hyun. You're playing a dangerous game and know that you will lose.", he said with his growling, angry dad voice that he used when I was a kid and disobeyed his orders. Old Irene might have feared that voice but she wasn't a child anymore. She chuckled dryly at him. 

"I can't believe you said that with your whole chest. Do you expect me to believe that you will succeed in keeping any shed of your honour even after everything you've done? Honour is not a trophy to show around to the world. It must be within you and let me tell you something my mom taught me.", he audibly exhaled with so much anger. He didn't like that I was teaching him something. His ego didn't like it. But I did.

"Self-honour is the best honour and I don't believe you have any of that left. Isn't that why you seek validation from your minions? Do you really think they respect out of honour? No, Kyuhyun, they respect you out of fear or rather, they pretend to respect you. Don't even think that people consider you honourable. However, they do think that you're a man of great strength. I wonder how they will react when they know how you used that strength on your own daughter, hmm.", I paused, gauging his reaction.

You got under his skin, Joohyun. You are about to fell his wrath.

"You wouldn't dare.", he said. Those three words proved that he was indeed afraid that I would actually do it, release the CCTV footages and proofs of his illegal tradings and drug business. He was scared and that meant I had already won. I smirked inwardly.

"Oh yes, I would. But only if you don't listen to me.", I said and I instantly knew that I had grabbed his attention.

"What do you want, Joohyun?", he asked slowly, forcing each and every word out with a reluctance like a tall tree bending to the will of a storm. 

"Call Dr Taemin, ask him to prep for an emergency and that he should be there within the next 45 minutes. If he doesn't oblige, use your ways. You know what to do. You have 45 minutes.", I said calmly with command and cut the call without expecting a reply. I did not want to hear more of his taunting jibes at me or at my ways.

"You're so cool when you speak in your authoritative voice.", said Yeri who stood behind the half-opened door and peeped at me. Then came along Wendy and Seulgi. Seulgi looked tired but she was still holding up and I liked her strength and I appreciated that. 

She is a real one, Irene. Don't let her go.

"Want me to be authoritative with you, Miss Yeri?", I asked her with an intimidating voice, raised my eyebrow to make it even bossier.

Yeri and Seulgi laughed while Wendy just looked at me with a smirk and said: " You can be bossy with me all night long and I wouldn't complain."

Yeri choked on her laughter and Seulgi looked at Wendy in shock. I was speechless for a second and after coming back to my senses punched her arm playfully.

"Oh, I know baby.", I said in the same husky voice and winked at her. It was her turn to be flustered and Yeri was clutching her stomach and laughing so hard along with Seulgi. 

"Alright, guys, get a room afterwards. We won't be there to disturb you.", Yeri said playfully and we all laughed hysterically. It was just a way to diffuse the tension and I was thankful that Wendy did that. I could see Seulgi's spirits visibly lifting up and I mouthed a 'thank you' to Wendy who looked at me and gave a smile and stretched out her hand to hold mine. We both went into the room, hand-in-hand, and immediately began to make moves.

Playtime is over.

---

SEULGI'S POV 

The laughter died as soon as we stepped back into the room where Joy was laid unconscious. I wanted to wake her up and reassure that everything was going to be alright, hug her and tell somehow make her remember everything that they have done before, every kiss, every touch, every time I massaged her shoulders after a rough day in patrol, every night she stayed up just so I could hack into an enemy's database and everytime they have said that they love each other. I wanted them back and just by thinking that it is possible and it's going to happen soon made my heart jump a little in its cage. I felt a hand on my shoulder and it was Irene.

"Hey, I wanna tell you something.", she said, hesitantly. I urged her to say what she had in her mind. I haven't talked to he properly about all of this considering that I thought she was the villain but now, getting to know everything that she went through, I was all ears and wanted to give her as much as possible. 

"I-um, I'm really sorry for what happened, Seulgi. It was partly my fault too, you know. I should have protected Joy from Kyuhyun but I didn't. I failed in my duty to her and I'm sorry that I couldn't come clean to you earlier. I know that you and even Wendy thought that I was in the wrong and I don't blame you for it. It was all a bit circumstantial, right? So, if you can, just forgive me for not saving her and not trying to even give you an explanation." said Irene, so sincerely that I felt tears prick my eyes. I held it in. 

"Irene, it wasn't your fault that that spineless reptile of a man decided to make living hell for you. It wasn't your fault at all. I might have misjudged the whole thing but I understand things a lot better now. It's not a question of whether I forgive you or not, Irene. Will you forgive yourself? Please do that. It was never your fault. Remember that.", I said in a soft whisper, almost and did a good job of holding in my tears. She shrugged and smiled at me apologetically. I understood what that meant.

She wasn't ready to forgive herself but she will in time. And I was okay with it. But right now, we had little time so we got ready to move Joy to the agency compound. 

"No, Yeri, hold her legs I-"

"You hold her legs. I'm going for the head. I don't wanna hold feet in my hand.", Yeri retorted. 

Irene and Seulgi just sighed at each other, good-naturedly and went to help them. Wendy and Irene picked her up while Yeri and I packed some stuff that might be of use. I packed my laptop and a spare phone, some gloves and gas masks if the doctor tried to do anything funny, a pistol, ammo and finally the USB that Irene gave her. It was the leverage. Yeri had a back-pack with god knows what and she also had a gun in her holster and put on her jacket before getting on the elevator. I looked her proudly and walked after her, shoving my nostalgia down. 

Irene and Wendy had already brought the van around and Wendy was sitting in the driver's seat with Irene riding shotgun. We got in the back and went to the compound in 20 minutes. I grabbed a stretcher and we all laid Joy down on it and calmly went to the science floor and looked for Dr Taemin. Yeri found his room at the end of the corridor and we entered the room. 

There was a stench of something I couldn't place and Irene went forward to check what it was. She gasped when she opened the door and we all went forward, with Yeri in the back. I looked in shock as I saw the sprawled dead body of Dr Taemin lying there in a pool of his own blood with eyes wide open and legs twisted in awkward angles. Yeri instantly came closer to me and I felt my blood chill when the room filled with the ringtone of Irene's phone.

He did this. He knows that we are here now. 

Irene put it on speaker and she was shaking like a leaf. The usually stoic and strong Irene was nowhere to be seen. She was scared of what else her step-father could do and it was obvious in her eyes. She did not even put a mask on it. 

"You really thought you could outsmart me? I know you don't have the footages Joohyun so I am calling your bluff. Do what you can now. He was the only one who knew about the procedure and the reverse procedure just died with him. You will never get her to remember anything. Who won now, huh?", he bellowed in laughter. I couldn't believe that this happened. I couldn't believe that a person like him gets to lie with all the freedom in the world and others, innocents get their lives robbed by righteous and ignorant men like him. Not to point out that he was also a ual predator. How is this fair? 

I felt so angry and so mad. I kicked the closest thing next to me, which happened to be a chair and went out of the room to get some air. I felt my lungs struggling to get air and my breaths becoming more desperate for the want of oxygen. I started to sweat profusely, my head spinning and my heart beat so fast that I couldn't breathe. 

What's happening to me? What's wrong with me? WHY DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME?

"SEULGI! Look at me, okay. Just look at me and breathe deep and slow, alright? Yeah, just like that breathe slowly.", I followed what Wendy was saying and took deep, staggering breaths which started to steady my racing heart a little bit. I counted from 1 to 10 with each breath and finally, I could see clearly and I noticed that I was on the floor, my back against the wall. I wanted to curl up in a ball and just lay there to be picked up and thrown away by someone. That would be so much easier.

"W-what happened?", I asked feebly. I did not have the energy in me to muster words. I was weak from everything. I was tired of everything.

"You had a panic attack, Seulgi. It's okay, you're okay now and Joy is safe in one of the rooms now. Just calm down. It's all going to be fine.", Wendy said and unsurely pulled me in for a weak hug because she did not want to hurt me or suffocate me. I hugged her more tightly and held on to her as I let out my tears and let out everything I was feeling. I needed someone to support me and it had always been Joy. No matter what happened, she was always there for me and I felt an ache in my chest as I smelled a different shampoo as I was hugging Wendy. 

"I never should have gone there to see her. I should never have brought her into this, Wendy. She would have been happier with Taemin or maybe she would have broken up with him and then would have found a cute guy or a girl and lived happily with her. Why did I bring her into this? Why am I so selfish, Wendy? Why couldn't just get over her?", at this point, I was just mumbling to myself and I had no motivation to get up from the floor. 

"Listen up, Kang Seulgi because I'm only going to say this once. You are Kang Seulgi and you will not lose your hope like this. You're the most optimistic person I have ever met and I will not let you go down this road alone. And do you really think that she would have been happy, Seulgi? Have you seen how miserable and boring she was with Taemin? Even though she doesn't remember, she knows you by her heart. Her mind has erased you but not her heart, Seulgi? Why would she even come to you, looking for answers when it was clear that you were basically stalking her? shouldn't she have gone away form you? Got a restraining order or address the police about this? She didn't Seulgi and I believe that it's because she recognised you by not your name or face but by your heart that you wear on your sleeve. So, no, I don't agree with you. You will get her back and I will do everything in and beyond my power to help you, Seulgi, because you're my best friend in the whole world and I love you." Wendy ended her monologue and looked at me with so much fire in her eyes. I looked down and took in her words. Even though I wouldn't agree on everything she just said, I did know that I shouldn't stop trying just now. 

"Son Seungwan, I won't lose my faith that soon. But I'll tell you one thing now. If we don't succeed in bringing back her memories, promise me that we will erase the memories that she has of me now so that she can go her way peacefully and I can go my way. That's all I'm asking you. And, you are my best buddy too, Seungwan-ah. I love you so much.", I said and I purposefully said the last statement so that she won't be so harsh on my request. 

"Guys, I can feel Irene's jealousy from here. Stop confessing your love to each other.", said Yeri with a snicker. Ah, this girl knew just how to brighten up the mood.

'I am NOT jealous, Yeri.", she huffed and gave Yeri a playful slap. The playful expressions once again merged into serious ones and after a long thought, we all agreed that we will ask Joy what she wanted. That was the better choice and the best one.

"Also, while you were having a heart-to-heart, we discovered something.", said Irene and played us a phone recording.

"I have your son with me. If you don't co-operate, you know what will happen, right?"

"Oh, God. Please don't hurt him. He has gone through enough, Kyuhyun."

"Good, now listen- what?" 

There was some shuffling around and mumbling of words.

"Looks like you don't have any use for me anymore, doctor. Goodbye."

"Hello? Hello?"

And the call ended. 

"So, he killed him right after he learned that you were bluffing? Were you really bluffing, Irene?", I asked her.

"Well, I wasn't exactly bluffing but I lied. I don't have footage of what he did to me and even if I did, I wouldn't release it. But I have something even better. He is quite homophobic and it personally comes from the fact that he lusted after a guy and did the deed at his office, which caused him to fail a very important task and after that he eyed anything homoual as satanic. It is also possibly because his aunt saw this and well, let's just say his family did not take this well and neither did my mom.", she said triumphantly.

"What?", we all shouted in chorus.

"He cheated on your mom with a man and he has been disgusted at himself ever since. I know how to use his weakness against like he knows mine.", Irene said and we all had more hope. 

To add fuel to the warm fire, Yeri came out from the doctor's room with a note.

Xenon neuroprotection against traumatic brain injury can be reversed by increasing the glycine concentration, consistent with inhibition at the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor glycine site playing a significant role in xenon neuroprotection. Argon and xenon do not act via the same mechanism.

 

"Guys, the gas that is used to erase traumatic memories is called as xenon gas and this is basically the reversal procedure. If we can find a doctor, we can try to make this work.", said Yeri so swiftly that we all had to take a minute to let that in. Soon, Irene ringed up a trusted friend of hers. 

"Jisoo? Yeah, it's me. Can you do me a favour?"

Jisoo came to the floor we were in 10 minutes along with her surgical crew. Yei handed her the note and immediately she recognised what it was.

"I have to say this before. This is a risky procedure, Irene. The gas itself is not toxic but the procedure is still risky and there's a chance that it might not work.", Jisoo said solemnly and Irene looked at me for consent. I gave her a thumbs up and the surgical team took Joy from the room and started to prepare for the procedure. 

We stayed up in the gallery and it took 20 minutes for the OR to be ready, even though it was not a traditional surgery with scalpels and 10-blades. Jisoo looked at us and started the procedure. It took 15 minutes to notice any change at first but after that, Joy started to thrash, her hands wildly going up and down and after that, she came back to normal. It seemed like she was seeing something in her medically induced unconscious state because her face showed a lot of emotions and expressions.

After 10 more minutes, however, her heart rate started to lower and it became still for a second. The crash team came in Jisoo tried CPR but without any luck. She then brought out the AED's and shocked her once and the heart rate started to rise again. I let out the breath I was holding in and sighed. They still don't know whether it was a success or not. We had to wait for Joy to wake up.

Will she remember me? 

Or should I forget her for the rest of my life?

Let's see.