The beating of Sungjong’s heart couldn’t have beaten any faster. Myungsoo’s voice seemed to have drained even all of his blood. “Kim Myungsoo?” Sungjong breathed. Sungjong has always wanted to be the first to receive a call from Myungsoo, but now that Myungsoo has made the call, Sungjong wasn’t sure what to say.

“So it is you.” Myungsoo chuckled on the other end. “I thought it was you when I heard you earlier. Why did you call just to hang up?”

For a moment Sungjong was blank to what Myungsoo had meant. Why did Sungjong call Myungsoo earlier? When he remembered the reason why, he thought it to be too late anyway. After all they’ve found the shack, a place Sungjong is planning to stay in. “It’s nothing.”

“Are you still in Japan?”

Sungjong wasn’t about to lie but decided to anyway. “Yeah.”

“Really? Funny how the other day I was wondering how Japan was treating you. Actually, I was thinking of coming to Japan some time for some good sceneries. You would show me around, right?” Myungsoo asked.

Myungsoo sounded so friendly. So pure that it made Sungjong slightly mad. Myungsoo had moved on, that was a fact. “There’s nothing to see in Japan.” He bluntly commented, making Myungsoo chuckle with a hint of awkwardness in his tone. “In fact Japan is a dangerous place, if you’re looking for sceneries I’d suggest you search elsewhere.”

“Are you still mad at me?” Myungsoo asked, making Sungjong sweat. There was no doubt that Sungjong was mad at Myungsoo.

“Why do you think so?”

“You sound mad. Besides, if Japan is a dangerous place as you say it is, then why are you staying there? Why would anyone live there?”

“The same would apply to you, Kim Myungsoo. Why did you stay in your unsafe, unknown studio for a long period of time.”

“This isn’t about me, kid. It’s about the fact that you’re mad at me.” Myungsoo said, quickly cutting in. But Sungjong kept his cool, in fact he was so angry that he wasn’t positive how he would react next or say.

“Kid? You still see me as a kid?” Sungjong asked with annoyance.

“Then what should I see you as?”

Sungjong was silent for a moment then a cold glare was shown in his eyes. “Your enemy, Kim Myungsoo. One you can see as your enemy, someone who’s on the same level as you, someone who may be a threat to your life. That’s what I am to you, an enemy.”

“An enemy?” Myungsoo asked, “You think we’re on the same level? Me and you? The guy who’d always show up with women’s wear? The guy who went shopping for women’s clothes and would ask random strangers if he was a girl or a guy. You weren’t even certain about your gender, Lee Sungjong. You were always annoying and stubborn, your countless texts made you desperate for attention, my attention. But now you want me to sink to your level? That low level of yours?”

“You remember well. Just know this, Kim Myungsoo. I, considering you and I on the same level is a compliment. You’re a sister er. Nothing worse than a low desperate man like me. You said I was desperate, but you didn’t stray far. Keeping a place you no longer need just to see a woman again, you’re pathetic and has always been pathetic.”

Silence filled the air before Myungsoo speak again.

“Better not let me see you again, Lee Sungjong. This time not your heart, but I’m going to break your bones.”

Sungjong smirked a little, “Just because you say so, I’m going to come see you in person. I’m quite curious, can a sister er like you break my bones?” With that he heard that Myungsoo had hung up on the other end. Sungjong squeezed around his phone and was ready to crush it, but instead he took in a deep breath and sigh. For the first time, in a long time, he finally felt at ease. Myungsoo’s turn of words made him nervous, but also in doing so, he was able to bring out what he had bottled in for three years. Becoming a yakuza was probably the best choice he has made, even if it’ll be the job to take his life.

When Sungjong got back to the dark shack. He noticed how it was too quiet for anyone to be in. Thus when he went to check inside, all he could see was nothing. “Have they not come back yet?” Sungjong asked himself. Sungjong then decided to wait inside the home while sitting at one corner of the room. As he waited he noticed how the battery of his phone was dying.

Thus a smug was drawn on Sungjong’s pale face. He recalled always babying his phone, because it was all that precious to him. Everyone who he knew were all a call or text away, and so it was precious. Sooner or later Sungjong started to doze off as boredom slowly took over him.

Myungsoo was looking out into sea on the balcony. With the soft breeze brushing against him, it was the only thing keeping him cool. Otherwise, Myungsoo’s troubled mind would have caused him to explode. The words of Sungjong from before striked him like always. Myungsoo remembered clearly how sassy and witty Sungjong was, how beautiful he was, and how stubborn he was. “Lee Sungjong, not just you but I’d like to see you again, too. You sounded different and even more annoying. But I’ll like to see you again.” Myungsoo whispered. Then he shut his eyes, wanting to enjoy the night breeze.

When morning rose Sungjong woke up to the cry of crows. While looking around he noticed that he was still alone, the others hasn’t come back yet. Sungjong tried to get his phone in order to contact the others but he couldn’t feel it in his grip. And while searching around and on him, he couldn’t find the device.

Sungjong stepped outside and saw that as expected it was quiet and empty. He was confused as to what was happening and why was it happening. Seriously, with every minute he has to waste worrying about the group, is every minute that he could lose information on Yamaguchi. Also to know that Yamaguchi may be in South Korea would be a huge hit if he confronted the man himself.

Sungjong had stepped out to get a better view of his surrounding, and that was when he saw three strangers standing in the center of the plain. They quickly approached him with a “You!”

The homeless. Sungjong noticed.

“Are you the one they call Lee Sungjong?” The man in the center asked.

“They?” Sungjong asked to himself then quickly knew what they meant. “You have them?”

“They’re at our main base. Our leader asked us to take you in too.” The older stranger said.

“And if I refuse?”

“You won’t be seeing your friends again.”

Sungjong was thrown off, he didn’t expect any homeless to come together and use the lives of people, who were better off, to threaten another person. In fact he didn’t expect to see any laws or regulations within such group. Sungjong end up being taken away by the three men.

Hoya brushed his hair back with one hand. In his seat he turned around so he could see his manager. “What did you say? Ryosuke has been missing for two days?”

“No, you’re not hearing me. Ryosuke was seen leaving with a small group of people, it seems like Yamada Ryosuke has left Japan.” His manager said. Hoya scoffed a little.

“So he’s running away from me again.” Hoya’s words were heard with pain and betrayals. “Please find him again for me.”

“Sure.” The man said, “But first, make sure you do well on today’s performances.”

Hoya hummed. “I know.”

The crowd wouldn’t stop cheering even after Hoya has already made his appearance on stage. The words ‘I love you’ and ‘Hoya’ flooded the room and even up to beat with the music that was being played. Hoya put all of his effort into performing and even leaving his fans screaming louder than the music itself.

But his mind was elsewhere.

“I clearly saw who Yamada Ryosuke was with and that was Lee Hoya.” The older reporter said, while facing Hoya’s CEO and manager. Meanwhile Hoya was eavesdropping by the cracked open door after the reporter has made quite an entrance.

“So, you want some cash in order not to leak Hoya’s name?” The middle aged CEO asked.

“Right. I hate that Yamada Ryosuke, a Japanese who’s trying to make it big against our Korean stars. I want to get rid of him and I finally caught something big. But it came with Lee Hoya. At first I thought about revealing even Lee Hoya, but I came to you first. I know you’ll have something to offer in order for me to keep what I’ve seen to myself.”

“How much do you want?” His CEO asked immediately. Making the reporter smile.

“You don’t play at all do you?”

“I asked you how much?”

Hoya who heard it all wished he haven’t heard it at all. The man before him had plans to destroy Ryosuke’s name. But Hoya couldn’t do anything. Or in fact he could but he just couldn’t. Earlier Ryosuke had just confessed that he loved Lee Sungjong and not the famous star. So why would he help Ryosuke? Hoya was about to walk away from the scene but waited to hear the amount.

“One million. That’s how much Lee Hoya’s name costs.” The reporter said.

“Fine.” His CEO said without hesitation. “But if any of this is let out, I’ll make sure you pay every penny of it back, along with interests.”

Hoya sat down to a short interview after his performance.

“Hoya, this is a question that I’m sure your fans and the whole world would like to know. Like every artist, you’re always singing and working with music that has to do with love and breakups. Have you ever experience love, Hoya?” Asked the MC.

Hoya flashed his famous smile to the lively crowd. “To be honest I have a dirty reputation.”

“Why?” The MC asked.

“Because I’ve loved every fans and broken up with those who have left for another man.” Hoya’s comment had the fangirls roared with squeals. The MC who got goosebumps couldn’t help but laughed.

“You’re very kind, Hoya.”

“We’re here.” The man said, leading Sungjong through the opened gate. This time, rather than standing and hiding outside, Sungjong was inside of the area he had saw just yesterday. With a clearer vision this time, he could see how the homeless consisted of all sorts of people including ages from newborns to seventy nine. Every tent and shack within the gate on the three acres land appeared to be occupied.

“Where’s your leader?” Sungjong asked. He wanted to find the others as quickly as he could and to leave as soon as possible.

“You’ve been with him all this time.” The older from before said. This time they came to a stop where the man held out a hand to show Sungjong the sight before them. “Your friends are here.”

Sungjong looked over and saw that Ryosuke was surrounded by a group of five children. The children had a large and clean sheet wrapped around their tiny bodies. In Ryosuke’s hand was a book. He was reading to them.

Woohyun was seen chattering with males closer to his age.

While Sungyeol, who prefers women, was seen playing with older men. Sungyeol was known for his tricks, his magical tricks. while Sungyeol was performing to his older audience, he loved the reaction he was getting from them. Each man awed with interests and curiosity.

“They’re great people.” The leader of the homeless said. Sungjong who was angry before felt even more at ease. He knew they were great friends, but he never realized what they’re all capable of. Ryosuke can melt anyone’s heart, especially children. Woohyun who’s never good at befriending others, mainly because he’s always doing something wrong to ruin his relationships, gets along well with male his age. And Sungyeol was good with the elders, mainly because he has had a lot experience with them. “I wanted to bring you here because I wanted my people here to know who the leader of these people are. They have gifted us with so much.”

Sungjong knew then, the sheets and everything they have bought were never left at the shack because they were given to the poor. Bastards, I worried for nothing. Sungjong thought.