Chapter Twelve

"What are you doing here, Jiwoo?" Sangbae asked, shocked to see her.

"Just taking care of something," she replied, then pulled her arm away from their grip. "It's nice to see that you're siding with the enemy."

"I wasn't planning on going against you."

She was in no position to start an argument nor be interrogated by any of them, so she made her way to the door. "Let's go. I have to discard the evidence."

"Hey, I'm not letting you off the hook-"

"You're really getting under the devil's skin," she rolled her eyes, then shook her head. "The devil is by your side yet you continue to agitate her. Shall we all leave before she changes her mind and leave you in here to burn? Staying in here will open a portal to hell if you're interested."

Jiwoo continued walking past the dead or unconscious bodies around the house. Before she left the building, she had two bombs set up on the wall. She waited till the MadTown members got out of the house and into their car. Jiwoo drove behind Madtown and then slammed on the breaks and pressed the button that would trigger the bomb to go off. She waited a few seconds and then turned her head back to see the house engulfed in flame. 

"One less pest to deal with," she whispered to herself, then stepped on the gas, driving past Sangbae's vehicle.

As she drove, she found them following behind closely. Knowing that they deserve an explanation, she drove to the beach because nobody would be there late at night. Jiwoo got out of her car as soon as they arrived and she sat down on the hood of the vehicle, watching as everyone else got out and surrounded her. She didn't think that she would have to reveal herself so soon.

"So, I'm not who you think I am," she started, taking her cap off. "I've seen more than all of you, so ask away."

"Who are you?" Sangbae asked, with an angry expression on his face.

"My name's still the same. Real leader of 9Lives; nice to meet you, Kim Sangbae," she stuck her hand out, waiting for a handshake that she never got, then scoffed. "Guess not, but hey,you're lucky."

"How so?"

She smiled as she put her cap back on. "That I'm letting you live. I could've just killed you, but I have a soft spot for you guys. Since you've seen what I am, I can't let you out of my sight, but don't worry, this little deal includes full protection from me... As long as you don't expose my identity, then we're all good, but you guys are giving me that dirty look, so I guess we're not that good."

Sangbae glanced at s, then watched as they left the scene, leaving Jiwoo and Sangbae alone. They made eye contact and she saw the anger mixed with sadness on his face. The only thing she wished to do was to  leave as soon as possible. She couldn't stand seeing him like this and she knew what he felt. 

"So, that kiss was nothing, right?" he asked, letting out a laugh. "You're a great actress."

"Not completely," she admitted, jumping off of her car. "But you don't trust me anymore, so everything I say is utter bull, is it not?"

"Do you have any feelings for me?" he asked, clenching his fists.

She responded. "I'd be a liar if I said none."

"Thank you," he mumbled as he bowed before walking towards his car. "Let's go!"

The looks that each member gave her was nasty, but she welcomed it. It wasn't the first time she's gotten those looks and it definitely won't be the last. When she got home, the atmosphere made her regret coming home. Her day ended with not good news, but bad and she felt the weight on her shoulders getting heavier by the minute. Stepping into the infirmary only made her want to collapse. 

"He... didn't make it," Hyunwoo reported, looking at Dongwook. "He passed away half an hour ago."

"I took care of it," she said, walking closer to his bed. "But they know my identity."

"Juhwan? He should be dead from that explosion."

She shook her head. "No, not him. Madtown is who I'm talking about."

"From your expression, they're alive, aren't they?"

"I have a soft spot for their leader, but I'd rather not talk about them any longer," she said, taking off her jacket. "Maybe if I stayed in Hong Kong, Dongwook wouldn't have passed early. 19 year old kid who left everything behind to follow me to a new country. At this point, my leadership can be questioned."

Hyunwoo disagreed, then placed his hand on her shoulder. "No, death cannot be prevented in the society we live in."

She rolled up her sleeves and ran her fingers over the fresh cut on her arm. "It only gets more complicated from here."

She glanced at Dongwook for one last time before leaving the room. Having too many thoughts might just kill her, so she distracted herself with paper work. Forgetting about the world for just a moment was a bliss, but she couldn't stop thinking about Sangbae. She knew he held himself back and tried not to show weakness, but she saw past it. She found out so much about him in one day; she felt as if she's known him forever. 

"Hey, you might want to treat those cuts or they'll get infected," Hyunwoo said, walking into her office. "You're going to work instead of sleep? That's interesting."

"I can't sleep."

He crouched down next to her and wiped the dried blood off of her arm. "I knew you loved him."

"I don't love him," she said, leaning back against her chair. "A little bit of feelings doesn't mean it's love. He already knows who I am and just before he left, I saw that smile. The smile that didn't hold a single happiness, but only sadness and regret. It was the same one my father gave me before he..."

"Jiwoo," he sighed, looking up at her. "Don't divert your mind into the past."

"Dwelling in the past is a hobby of mine," she smiled as she looked up at the ceiling. "When will the better days arrive?"