JAEHYUN

Jaehyun was never one to meddle with another person’s business. Ever. It was his personal philosophy to not interfere with matters that didn’t involve him. But Ren had been an exception.

He remembered it so clearly, a few years back.

Ren was drenched in crimson red; her own blood covered her skin as she tried to steady herself on one foot while clutching on her almost severed arm. She was staring at the man infront of her, as if in a daze.

The shadows in the room flickered and Jaehyun swore he heard voices.

Jaehyun could feel an endless pit in his stomach as he watched the man scream at unforeseen forces that threatened him. The man clawed at his own throat, as if someone or something was choking him. His screams turned into gasps, so painful that his head began to turn red.

“Ren” Jaehyun called out. But Ren didn’t budge. She was trapped in a catatonic state, lost.

Fear. That’s what it was, what crept up in every corner of the room.

That’s what Jaehyun felt as he continued to watch what was unfolding. Watch, as he felt his body betray him, giving into that cold, bottomless terror.

Jaehyun had to shake himself back to reality; it was all in the past. He’d never let Ren face it all alone again. He could still remember the look on her face when she realized what she had done, the pain and anguish she felt as she asked him to knock her out to end whatever hold she had against the enemy who was fighting for his life.

“Please” She screamed, her voice ragged as she begged him for help. “Stop me before it’s too late”

It was at that moment, he realized that he had to protect her, he promised himself despite knowing what she was truly capable of. He’d stand by her side. Taeyong and the others came a few minutes later to witness Jaehyun holding a knocked out Ren and a defeated foe, too traumatized, too broken to even talk of the horrors he’d beheld.

JAEHYUN

“Well” Ren drawled out, eyeing him from bottom to top. “You look different”

“Did the face give it away?” Yuta chimed in as he put an arm around Jaehyun’s shoulders. “I must say, those beautiful locks suit you”

Jaehyun could only sigh in defeat. He had been a subject of teasing the moment he arrived at their meet-up, just a few blocks from Otrov’s base. His friend, renowned face tailor, Hwang Miyoung, did him the honor of tailoring his face into that of a woman. Jaehyun did his best and objected down to his last breath, but the older lady was stern with her decision, saying that the best disguise is the most unexpected one. She even lent him her extensions for his hair and a dark coloured pant suit that would fit a 6 foot pregnant woman.

“You look like your cousin, Soojung!” Johnny burst into laughter as he leaned on the streetlight for support.

“I hope you all choke” Jaehyun replied as he tried his best not to freeze all of their sorry butts.

“Save that for later” Taeyong said, fighting a smile. “We’ve got work to do”

Jaehyun walked beside Ren who was, weirdly, all cleaned up. It was the first time he