“Yakuza, huh?” Woohyun asked in the car. Sungjong looked over to see an impressed smile drawn on Woohyun’s face.

“Nam Woohyun.” Sungjong began earning eyes and ears of the lad. “How about sleeping with me?”

The smile on Woohyun’s vanished almost immediately and Sungyeol who had overheard came to a screeching stop with the brakes. “Sungjong!” Sungyeol cried, it was obvious that the lad was uncomfortable to have heard it.

“What? Do you want to join us?” Sungjong asked, making Sungyeol turn away in short mumbles.

“N-no. No….” With that Sungyeol continue to drive without a sound.

Sungjong then turned his attention back to Woohyun. “After putting you in prison, I keep wondering why me, a man among men didn’t find you lovable.”

Woohyun cleared his throat and forced a chuckle. “Eh, come on. You can’t be serious.”

“I’m dead serious.” Sungjong said, wiping the laughter off Woohyun’s face. “Sure, not every man would want to bang other men including friends, but you weren’t a friend. In fact you’re still not a friend. So why don’t you just be my buddy?”

Woohyun turned away in discomfort again while Sungyeol gagged. While processing for excuses Sungjong had already made the next move, by opening the door to the car in the middle of a busy street when they have come to a red light. “Ah Sungjong!” Sungyeol cried. Woohyun, too, was caught off guard. Without minding the unparked vehicle, Sungyeol quickly unfasten his seatbelt and got out of the car as fast as he could. Woohyun didn’t waste any time and did the same. “Sungjong!” Sungyeol called while running after the lad. But he came to a stop when he saw that Sungjong had gotten into a taxi of his own. There Sungyeol quickly retreated and ran back toward the car.

“Where is he going?” Woohyun asked aloud.

“Just get in the car!” Sungyeol screamed. Once they were both in, Sungyeol stepped down on the accelerate and quickly chased after the taxi.

“What’s wrong with him?” Woohyun asked, grabbing onto the header of Sungyeol’s seat.

“He’s probably going back to that guy from earlier. Usually when Sungjong becomes inappropriate it usually means he’s still angry about a previous event. I should have known when he first started, damn!” Sungyeol bang his fist on the wheel of the car.

“So he was kidding about sleeping with me earlier?” Woohyun asked. Sungyeol scowled at him.

“Of course!”

Woohyun sighed, “That’s a relief then.” Sungyeol drove like he owned the roads, even in a busy city, he dodged and pull in front of cars like he was playing a racing game at the arcade. “But why is he going back? He already beat the man to a pulp!”

“No. Sungjong has found out the pattern to it.”

“Pattern?” Woohyun asked.

“Yeah.”

“What pattern?”

“Only Sungjong would know.”

Sungjong was alone in the alleyway with the body of the man he had dropped earlier nowhere to be seen. Sungjong had rested his hand in the exact spot that the man had laid. It was still warm. “Damn it, just a bit late.”

“Sungjong!” Sungjong turned around to see that it was Sungyeol and a Woohyun turning around the corner. Sungjong stood up with a straight back. “W-what happened?”

“They’ve escaped again.” Sungjong answered shortly. “We’ll have to report this to the boss.”

“B-but wouldn’t he be angry…?”

“Definitely.”

Sungyeol groaned in agony.

In a dark room with very little light and windows, Sungyeol hung his head and was kneeling on the ground. Before him was a man seated in a chair made of basically stone. The man before him had small but sharp eyes, hair the color of summer’s grasses, and a deadly aura. “You’ve lost Yamaguchi again?”

Sungjong who was standing beside the kneeling Sungyeol answered. “Unfortunately.”

“Then, what of the man you told me about? You didn’t lose him, did you?” The man in the chair asked.

“No, he’s here.” Sungjong said, looking behind his shoulder. “Nam Woohyun.” Sungjong’s voice made Woohyun dropped a bit. Though Woohyun was held in a Japanese prison, he still lacked the more advanced Japanese language knowledge.

“Y-yeah?” Woohyun asked.

“So you’re Nam Woohyun?” This time the lad in the chair spoke in Korean. Though he appeared Japanese, Woohyun was surprised how well and fluent his Korean was.

“I am….”

“I heard you hold a grudge against some of your own people?”

“Me?” Woohyun asked, confused by the man’s words.

“Didn’t you had plans to commit murder three years ago?” The unknown man asked. Woohyun looked to Sungjong for answer and thankfully the lad seemed to have eyes on the back of his head.

“He’s speaking about your wife.” Sungjong said, flooding Woohyun’s memory with the people back in Korea.

“It’s not right for me as a Yakuza leader, where we don’t attempt petty crimes, but if you’ll like. Join us, and we’ll help you get the revenge you seek.” The lad offered, making Woohyun nervous.

“Uh….Sure?” Woohyun quickly agreed. After all it’s not like he had anywhere else to go, and now that he’s in a dangerous zone, it wouldn’t be safe for him to immediately refuse their offer.

“Then that settles. Sungjong,” the man diverted his attention back to Sungjong, “I’ve received more information on the expansion of Yamaguchi’s plans. He plans to take over a certain space in South Korea. I need you to go there and gather all the information you’ll need and report them all back to me.”

“But, why me?” Sungjong asked.

“You know all about South Korea, don’t you?”

“Sure, but there are so many other members you can ask—”

“You’re going because one, I do not trust anyone else’s efforts more than you. Two, you know South Korea well enough to gathered the most quickest and accurate information. And three, you have more connection in South Korea than I do.” The lad said, not willing to listen to any excuses from Sungjong. “In three months time I heard Yamaguchi will be launching a certain party for a certain event. Find out what it is before the end of the three months.”

“But boss I—”

“Don’t forget to take Sungyeol and Nam Woohyun with you. I’m counting on you, Sungjong.” The man concluded.

Ryosuke opened the door a crack to see who it was that was banging on his door. His eyes widen at the sight of the three figures. “Sungjong?” Sungjong waved a hand to the man with a gentle smile, while Sungyeol wore the biggest one. “W-what are you doing here in Tokyo?”

“Came to visit my best friend.” Sungjong answered.

“But usually aren’t you pretty busy in Kobe?”

“I’ve cleaned up a lot of mess before coming here. But, aren’t you going to invite us in?” Sungjong asked, with that Ryosuke opened the door and allowed the three to enter.

“Sure, just take off your shoes. Who knows, maybe you’ll track blood or unneeded clues into my house.” Ryosuke said so they could all hear. Sungjong scoffed a smile. He knew how much Ryosuke hated him for being apart of a Yakuza, Japan’s most known gang members, group. At the sight of fried chicken, Sungyeol rushed in and over.

“Chicken!”

“Don’t touch them Lee Sungyeol!” Ryosuke tried to scream but was stopped when Sungjong grabbed onto his arm.

“Ryosuke, let’s talk in the room.”

Woohyun walked in on his own amazed by the size of a Japanese dwelling. “Wow, I never knew you can do so much to such a small place.” He commented, but no one paid him any attention. Sungyeol who has gotten comfortable was eating away the sticks in the last, unopened, box.

Inside of Ryosuke’s small room where his bed alone took up half of the space in the room. Ryosuke took a seat on his bed as Sungjong was the last to enter. As the taller shut the door, Ryosuke’s eyes were never away from him. “What’s wrong Jong?”

Sungjong turned around to face Ryosuke. “My boss, wants to send me to Korea.”

Ryosuke’s eyes rose a little, “You mean? South Korea?”

“Yeah.” Sungjong answered before taking a seat next to Ryosuke. With Sungjong’s recent activities, Sungjong had grown out of his bony figure into a more masculine one. Making him even bigger in size compare to Ryosuke.

“Did you accept the offer?”

“I couldn’t reject it.”

“So you’re going then?”

“Apparently.” Sungjong answered with no spirit.

“Why? Afraid you might run into him again?” Ryosuke asked. But the question wasn’t about if, it was what.

“I’m afraid he won’t recognize me if we do happen to cross paths. After all, it’s been three years since I’ve last heard about him too. Maybe unlike me, he must have gotten along well without me.”

Ryosuke crossed his feet and heaved a depressed sigh. “Of course. You chose the path of the Yakuza after your mother’s passing, a job that always put you in high alerts. A job that you wanted in order to become forget about your pain. That guy must have became a famous photographer living his dreams and you’re still the only one trying to forget the past.”

Sungjong exhaled deeply before turning to Ryosuke. “Either way, would you comfort me again if I happen to run into him again? And again to sulk about everything he had said and do?”

Ryosuke breathed a gentle smile. “You think I’d turn my back on you just like that after you’ve rejected me?”

Sungjong revealed a cheeky smile. “You are my only and one true best friend, Ryosuke.”

It was on that very same night where Myungsoo had left Sungjong in the dark. Sungjong who still worried about the latter decided to take matters into his own hands. But before he could he noticed a call from Ryosuke. Sungjong took the call after its second ring. “Ryosuke?”

“Jong….Where are you?” Ryosuke sounded faint for as far as Sungjong could hear.

“What’s wrong Ryosuke? You don’t sound so good—”

“Are you with Kim Myungsoo?” Ryosuke asked under a heavy breath.

“Myungsoo is in danger Ryosuke, I don’t know why but this guy approached me and has plans of hurting Myungsoo. So I—!”

“So you are with him.” Ryosuke breathed an upset smile. “Why is everything always about them, Jong? Why did it have to be that low scumbag Hoya? Why does it have to be Kim Myungsoo? Why can’t you see me?”

Sungjong was at a complete lost. “What are you saying Ryosuke? Are you hurt too?”

“Ever since you first befriended me in a crowd where I knew no one, I thought you were an angel sent only to me….Jong. That’s why as we grew, your face never seemed to change or age. So for a long time I believed you were my angel. But when you confessed your feelings about that Hoya….I thought maybe an angel like you liked humans like him.” Ryosuke was now weeping as he spoke. Some of his words came out blurred.

“Ryosuke…?”

“Why couldn’t you notice me? I’ve done so much to become like him, I even approach people who he has met and worked with. But all you ever talk about were them!”

“Ryosuke, I don’t get what you’re saying….Why are you suddenly crying?”

“I like you, Lee Sungjong. I’ve always wanted to have you, because I liked you that much.”

“Ryosuke….” Sungjong thought it would be awkward but for some reason he felt guilty. He had made his friend cried by being the reason behind it, and he blamed himself for not noticing it. Especially when Ryosuke was so good at reading Sungjong’s thoughts and feelings. But Sungjong has let his friend down.

“That bastard!” Sungjong looked up to see that Woohyun was coming his way. The lad was angry with a hand covering half of his face as he was also searching.

“Ryosuke, um….Let’s talk later.” With that Sungjong hung up and quickly dialed 119. And that was the beginning of how Woohyun went to prison without Myungsoo and Suzy’s knowledge at first.

”So, does this mean you’re inviting me to go along with you back to Korea?” Ryosuke asked. Sungjong smiled at him.

“Why not? I mean eventually that Hoya would find you either way.”

Ryosuke sighed. “So you knew about it all along?”

A cunning smile formed on Sungjong’s face, “Isn’t that why I used to always sit in between you two?”