Secret Agents Dictionary:

Escape: To break loose from confinement; get free or to avoid a serious or unwanted outcome

- Several years ago -

Mi Jung walked around the school playground crossing her arms and pouting her lips. She wasn’t a little girl anymore, she was ten years old and she hated how everyone treated her as if they were scared of her. Yes, her father was very powerful and rich but she only wanted to have real friends in school not a bunch of lackeys doing everything she wanted and agreeing with her. Yes she was bossy, yes she was spoiled and yes she was conceited sometimes but she was like everyone else. She only wanted to have friends.

Funny thing was that she got all the praise and her brother, that most people didn’t know that was her father’s adopted son, was getting all the hate.

Jinki wasn’t the most communicative kid. He liked to do puzzles and read books, or play video games alone. He rarely spoke much and he was very much afraid of the other kids that were bigger than him.

The fact that no one could understand her new brother upset Mi Jung a lot. Jinki was good natured; he had a good heart and was gentle and sensible. Sometimes she used to call him dubu because he was just like tofu. He was precious and even though his age was the same as Mi Jung she treated him as a young brother, helping him get ready for school, carrying his bag and even scaring the kids at the old school when they were mean to him. This time the school was bigger and she wasn’t in the same class as him. That worried her.

The previous night she told her dad about the fact that kids were mean to Jinki but her dad ignored her plea to transfer her to his class. She even found out that he asked the school to place them in different classes on purpose. That made her upset until her dad explained.

“Jinki needs to make friends. He needs come out from his shell. If you stay by his side all the time he won’t be able to.”

Mi Jung end up accepting her father explanation but still she decided to check on him everyday.

She got around the main building when she saw it.

Two older kids were around Jinki while he played with the new handheld game console her father gave him for his birthday. They were pushing him and bullying him to give it to them.

Mi Jung puffed her cheeks upset and stormed in their direction pulling the sleeves of her uniform up, ready to fight scream and whatever she needed.

“HEY!” a kid screamed coolly standing beside the two other kids.

He was shorter than Mi Jung and Jinki and yet he gave a strong presence with his thin body.

Mi Jung smiled because she knew him, his name was Kim Jonghyun and sometimes she saw him at her father boring parties. His parents weren’t rich and often Mi Jung heard how Jonghyun dad was poor before but his business was growing and developing into a big one.

That gave Jonghyun the opportunity to study in that school, and that also made him the target of bullying at first. However Jonghyun was used to the normal public schools, he was a fighter, he didn’t give in to the bullies and now no one dared to be mean to him.

Kim Jonghyun was the bravest kid Mi Jung knew and secretly she admired him from a distance, too scared to get closer to a kid that was so much like her and yet so different.

“What are you two doing?” Jonghyun asked showing interest in the two older kids and then grabbing Jinki’s console from their hands. “Ooh new toy! Nice!” He turned to Jinki with a smile “is this yours?”

Jinki nervously blinked his eyes “Y-yes…”

Mi-Jung frowned because Jinki was like that, always stuttering in front of people he didn’t know well, so insecure, still so traumatized with what happened to him.

“Here! Pretty cool!” He gave the game back to Jinki that bowed at him. “What are you two looking at?” Jonghyun asked, with a fierce expression, to the other two kids that already knew about his reputation of beating up kids on his old school, and they walked away as quick as they could.

Mi Jung followed them with stern eyes.

Jonghyun sat beside Jinki. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Jinki nodded his head surprised that that cool kid was speaking to him.

“Everyone thinks I used to be really tough at my old school and beat everyone up but…” Jonghyun lowered his voice and Mi Jung hide behind a tree trying to listen to the conversation “Don’t tell anyone but…I never beat anybody in my whole life. I’m so weak! Look at my arms…” He showed them to Jinki “The rumors worked though...I’m smart right?!

“You made the rumors?” Jinki asked and Jonghyun chuckled.

“My friends from my old school helped…specially my friend Minho. He goes to other school. His parents are rich too. “

“Wow…” Jinki looked at Jonghyun with admiration and Jonghyun raised his hand to him.

Jinki stared at it.

“You have really good grades and I’m really jealous of you. Also you make funny puns in class.” Jonghyun laughed “Maybe we can be friends too?”

Jinki blinked his eyes surprised, since no one ever wanted to be his friend, since he was adopted, and no one ever laughed at his silly jokes. His eyes moved from Jonghyun’s hand to his face.

“Really?”

“Yes. Why not?! I could use a friend that isn’t afraid of me and actually can help me in math!” Jonghyun rubbed his head “I’m good in Korean…we could help each other.”

Mi Jung peeked from behind the tree, at something magical happening.

Jinki grabbed Jonghyun hand and smiled at him.

Jinki first friend! That made Mi Jung all warm inside. She knew that not only that was the start of a great friendship that would last a life time but was also what Jinki needed to leave his shell and fully be the person he was meant to be. She wasn’t wrong!

It was also the first time that Mi Jung saw him grab someone else’s hand beside hers.

She smiled with tears in her eyes while Jonghyun patted Jinki shoulder amicable and asked him if he wanted to have lunch with him.

They left together and Mi Jung stayed behind knowing that she didn’t need to check on Jinki anymore from now on and all that was thanks to Kim Jonghyun.

- In another school some years later… - 

“Are you deaf? Pick up my bag!” One of the girls screamed and Audrey pretended once again not to hear her.

“Aish this …” The other girl said crossing her arms over her chest. “She doesn’t even have parents….they abandoned her…”

“I heard her mother was a and killed herself after she was born.”

Audrey bit her lip and raised her eyes to the two girls.

“Look at the orphan near tears!”

Both the two mean girls started to laugh at Audrey’s misery and she stood up staring at the bag that one of the bullies let fall on purpose after they made her trip and fall on the floor.

Audrey bit her lip and then kicked the bag with all her strength making it slide on the hallway.

“YA!” The owner of the bag screamed ready to slap Audrey.

She didn’t though because someone screamed.

“OH MY GOD!” The three girls followed the owner of the scream and Audrey widened her eyes when she saw Areum on the middle of the floor, her legs in a weird angle, the bag under her, probably the thing that made her trip. “Who left a bag here?!” Areum complained cutely standing up awkwardly. Three boys that passed them by whistled and tried to see her while she fixed her skirt.

“YA!” she complained blushing cutely and then grabbed the bag walking to the two girls. She pushed it against the owner’s chest “Next time try to be more careful, ne?”

Areum smiled cutely at them and they walked away after the boys since they knew that Areum often had lunch with the orphan. Areum wasn’t popular but there was something about her that made her likeable by everyone in school including the teachers. That was her lucky charm since no one dared to do anything to her; beside she was cute like a pet. Who would hurt a cute kitty or puppy?!

Areum waited for them to disappear and then fixed Audrey’s shirt collar. “I’m sorry I didn’t came earlier.”

Audrey nodded her head trying to swallow her tears. She was so tired, not of the bad names or the things they said about her but about what they often said about her parents. She couldn’t remember them, she had no clue about who they were, but she wanted to believe that they loved her, that she was conceived with love. That something big made them abandon her and lot the lack of love.

“I want to disappear.”

Audrey confession made Areum grab her hand, offering her a huge encouraging smile in return “Come with me. I know the perfect place where no one will find you.”

Audrey cleaned her eyes and followed after Areum’s up the stairs.

- 3 years ago –

Areum was having the worse weeks of her life.

Still no news of Audrey and she tried for several times to contact the police about the matter.

Her editor was pressuring her to write a short story for a magazine but she couldn’t because she couldn’t stop thinking about Lee Jinki and the way he broke her heart.

That day was no different. She stayed home in her pajamas drinking coffee and staring at her laptop in search of inspiration than never came.

It was all her fault in the end because she always let her heart rule over her head. She let Lee Jinki enter her life and she made him important and now look what he did to her?!

She closed the laptop and moved her fingernails on her head, scratching her scalp upset, making a mess out of her hair. She was going insane over a man that only wanted her for ! Great!

Someone knocked on her door and she stood up fixing her red pajama pants that had several cute Pucca’s on it.

Areum opened the door and almost closed it again when she saw who was it, no other than the source of all her predicaments, Lee Jinki!

“Hi!” He said placing his foot on the door way so she couldn’t close the door on his face.

“What are you doing here? Came to make fun of me?” She asked with bags under her eyes and he sadly pushed the door making her step back.

He looked at her face and messed up hair, her cute pajamas and smiled. She still looked wonderful to him even though she looked like someone who didn’t left home for days. He knew she didn’t. He knew every step she did the last weeks.

 Jinki was really in love because Areum looked even more beautiful than ever in his eyes.

“So you really came to make fun of me!” She said crossing her arms over her chest mistaking his smile of happiness for seeing her with one of scorn.

He closed the door behind him and grabbed both her hands pulling them away from her chest.

She looked at him surprised and tried to release herself. She was so concentrated on that, that she didn’t see him move his head on her direction catching her lips on his, his hands released her arms and  he pulled her by her waist against him instead.

The kiss was so intense that she didn’t resist at first and answered to it, her heart beating like crazy, his scent making her weak.  She didn’t want it to end and when his tongue entered she was in heaven again. It all changed when he hummed, pushing her in the direction of her bedroom like he did on their first night together.

Areum resisted this time, of course, and raised her knee to hit him between his legs. She didn’t use much strength because she didn’t want to hurt him badly but still he complained bending forward, swearing, and she ran away hiding behind the couch with a pillow in her hand.

He rarely was hit by other agents because he never let his guard down and yet that woman could hit him and he wouldn’t even move! She truly was dangerous to him. Perfectly Dangerous! The thought made him smile even if it hurt.

He watched her in a daze, with red lips still open as if he was still replaying what just happened in his mind and recovering from the hit.

“You didn’t have to do that!” He said straightening his back still feeling a little hurt although his pride was the one suffering more. Yet he couldn’t blame her for acting like that. He broke her heart.

“You hurt me more than that! Trust me!” She raised her pillow when he stepped towards her. “KEEP AWAY FROM ME….with your tempting lips and body and smell….”

He burst into laughter and she puffed at him upset.  She loved him too!

“You are so cute!”

His words made her even more upset “Stop saying that! I’m not falling for it anymore!”

He walked closer to her and she backed away.

“I can’t stay away from you. Your lips are the tempting ones…I want you so badly!”

She whimpered because his words were making her weak on her knees but she wasn’t going to give in that easily. Last time at the library she almost let him have with her and look at what he did in exchange?!  He hurt her deeply.

“Don’t come closer!” She warned him again peeking from behind the blue pillow as if that was going to help her resist him.

“If I do step closer what will you do?” He asked teasingly, playing with her.

“I’ll hit you again and this time it will hurt a lot more!”

“No please don’t!” He chuckled “I want to make love with you and I need my intact for that!”

“M-make love?” she asked stuttering, her cheeks becoming a little red.

It was such a beautiful vision and he was happy he said the right words. A romantic like Areum would love to hear something like that from him and it wasn’t a lie either.

“Yes Areum, make love! That’s what two people in love do. They make love!”

She bit her lip in deep thought and he took the opportunity to walk closer to her but she strolled back again. “Are you mocking me now? Because I told you that I loved you! It’s not funny!”

He ignored her and paced towards her one step at a time.

“I told you to keep away!”  She warned him, her eyes on his feet but he ignored her, only stopping when he was in front of her, a mere step between them. She didn’t move and that was a good sign so he grabbed the pillow from her hand and threw it back into the couch. Areum’s eyes were on his and he could read in her expression and in her body how anxious she was. It was rather cute and he didn’t resist touching her cheek. She closed her eyes like she did on that night at the club, the one he kissed her for the first time and leaned against his touch. It was amazing how only that gesture made him go insane.

“I lied.” She opened her eyes when he said it “I’m a liar Areum, but I won’t lie about this any longer. Your mother was right. When you feel it you need to say it. I love you!”

She panted a little taken back with the sudden confession. “Really? You are not mocking me?”

“No. I’m not. I really love you!” He did and he spent everyday from that day on telling her that. Life was too short and she needed to know.

“Then why did you…at the library…”

“I was afraid of this. I’m not good with relationships! My life…..who I am….I’m not perfect Areum! I’m going to be a very bad boyfriend but I’ll do anything to make it up for you everyday. So please, let me touch you again! Let me love you!”

So he was afraid of commitment or love?!

 Areum read about it before and she could understand it a little. It was scary to give all of yourself to someone, to give them power to hurt you!

She her lips, butterflies dancing around in her stomach, her heart bursting with happiness.

“Then you can step closer to me.” She said in a low voice, eyeing his chest embarrassed.

“More? Closer than this?” if he was closer to her she would be in his arms.

“Yes…”

He moved his hand to her back and stepped closer making her bump against his chest.

“Closer?” he asked his nose touching her cheek.

She smiled and he kissed the cute dimple of her cheek. “Yes.”

“Hum. I need a bed for that!”

“I have a bed in my bedroom. I think you saw it before!” she said caressing his chest.

“I hope I see it a lot more from now on!” he whispered against her ear sending shivers down her spine.

“I hope so too!”

He kissed her and then picked her up in his arms bridal style, carrying her to the bed.

“I feel like you always carry me to bed.” She giggled and he placed her over it, climbing on top of her caressing her face.

She watched him while he slowly kissed her nose and then her forehead and her eyes that she closed. She giggled when he kissed her cheeks and then her lips. Too slowly and lovingly making her impatient for more.

“Thank you, kitty!” Jinki said before kissing the corner of her lip.

“For what and...kitty?”  For forgiving him, maybe?!

“For existing…and...it fits you!”

“What?” She laughed pulling at his clothes, her hands grabbing his green sweater and pulling it upwards. He helped her and took it off and she caressed his chest over his thin white undershirt. She could see his hard s under it and the vision was very arousing. “You have too many clothes!” she complained and he silenced her with a kiss, his hands moving to push her pajama pants down her legs.

Areum watched him sit on her bed over her, taking off his undershirt leaving his chest bare and his s finally uncovered for her to see, and then pulled the rest of her pants off from her.

She giggled when he pulled her pajama sweater upwards revealing her stomach and started to kiss her skin there, massaging her thigs while doing so.

“Come here….” She called him “I want to kiss you again!” He raised his eyes to her finding a passionate aroused ones looking back at him but he didn’t move still kissing her stomach and moving his teeth to the elastic of her .

“W-what are you doing?” Areum asked raising her head to see him. He didn’t answer, and she saw Jinki pull her down, his fingers caressing her while he did so.

“You said I could come closer….”

She swallowed nervously hearing and feeling him speak too close to her skin, and then covered so she wouldn’t scream when he started kissing her inner thighs, his fingers moving in her core, rubbing her.

She closed her eyes and raised her hips when one of his fingers entered her and moved her hands on the bed helpless. He watched her, kissing her stomach again and moving to her s, his nose and free hand pushing the sweater upwards revealing her erect s to him.

She was beautiful and he saw all of her before that night but yet he couldn’t stop admiring Areum’s body. He one of her s watching how her skin reacted to it and heard her moan with the action; then he smiled diving in completely, engulfing the with his mouth, kissing and it gentle moving his mouth with the same rhythm of his finger inside her.

“Jinki….” She moaned pulling his hair “Kiss me…please…”

Her plead was enough to make him climb on top of her, taking his finger from inside her and answer to her request with a heated kiss.

It was so intense that she couldn’t stop moving her body against his. The pleasure was like waves hitting her and she needed him desperately.

He pulled off from the kiss and she complained making him chuckle.

“?” He asked moving to the bedside table, to where he found one before.

“Same place!” She said taking off the sweater and spreading her legs for him.
The vision almost made him come and he quickly moved his hand on the drawer finding what he wanted. It was the last one and he made a mental note to buy more. Buying more condoms was a necessity! He wouldn’t be satisfied with one time only. He was so thirsty of her and her body. He was sure a onetime thing won’t be enough.

Also he didn’t ignore the fact that she didn’t sleep with anyone else after that night because the box was as he left it last time. Well Taemin would have told him if she did too…

He quickly took off his pants, his eyes moving to her body over the bed. She embarrassedly covered her face and closed her legs and he couldn’t stop smiling.

“Are you ready for me to get closer?”

She peeked at him from behind her hands confused.

“You said I could get closer!” He had the on now and she spread her legs again when he kneeled in front of her. That was the closest he could get to her.

“Yes…” it was so embarrassing though. That was no ordinary . She loved him and he said he loved her. “But you won’t disappear after this, right?”

There was a hint of fear on her question and he hesitated, his at her entrance. If he did it, he needed to stay by her side. He needed to commit to that love. He couldn’t dare to hurt her again.

“I won’t ever leave you. I’ll protect you! I promise!” He would. That was more than a mission as an agent; it was his duty as the man who loved her.

“Protect me?” She found the idea weird but he silenced her with a kiss, his hand caressing her before guiding his inside her. She moaned against his mouth and he moved slowly at first letting her get used to it.

He didn’t need to be that gentle for a long time because soon her body was demanding more and more and he answered to it with the same necessity.

There was no way back now. He knew it and he couldn’t hold back any longer.

That pleasure, that feeling inside his chest was probably everything that was missing from his life.

Her love was healing. His father was right! Her touch on his skin, her lips on his and her body rubbing against him was all he needed to take the pain away from his scars, to forget about the world outside. Maybe it was madness but was the best kind of madness!

When he was with her there was no missions, no agony, no revenge, only her and everything she represented to him. Peace. Hope. Love.

- Present day –

Minho was good at tracking people, not as good as Kibum but he wasn’t that far behind. Besides finding Jinki’s wife wasn’t that hard when she clearly didn’t know where she was going or where to hide.

He found her inside the dining room, under the table, and that almost made him laugh. She was clearly Jinki’s type and he tried to hide how that amused him before he entered the room.

Minho could hear her muffled cries and he knew she saw him walking around the table. He squatted suddenly and she gasped raising her crying eyes to him as if she was a scared, hurt, animal.

Then he crawled under the table with difficulty, since he was tall, and sat there by her side.

It was kinda ridiculous how two grown up people where sitting under a table.

“So…do you do this often? Hide under tables?!”

She peeked at him and then looked away pulling her knees to her chest.

“I used to hide under them when I was little.” It was the only place her father couldn’t reach for her and somehow it became a habit ever since she wanted to cry in peace away from everyone.

“You are not little anymore!” Minho held tilting his head so he won’t bump it against the table.

Areum didn’t answer and Minho sat in a crossed legged position.

“About what just happened...”

She hid her head against her knees and answered with a muffled voice. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Well your problem, since I’m going to speak anyway!”

She hiccupped cutely and he smiled crossing his arms. “You know what we do right? I also have a family and right now they think I am living a spoiled bohemian life in Korea. Well that’s what they always wanted me to do anyway!”

She didn’t move.

“I’m lying to my family either. All of us are. That’s necessary when you have this job. We can’t risk the life of the ones we love because of our selfishness.”

Areum rose her wet eyes to him “He knew Audrey was alive!”

“So what? I did…everyone in the team did.”

“He is my husband!” Areum raised her hand with the wedding ring as proof.

“He is and you know how it killed him inside knowing that he needed to lie to you everyday because it was the best thing to do?”

“The best thing?!”

“Yeah...it’s not only your life Areum…its Audrey’s. If you knew about her being alive you would want to be near her and worse if they captured you, you would give the information away!”

“I would never do or say anything that would hurt Audrey!” She complained upset.

“Oh really?!” Minho raised the sleeve of his shirt and Areum paled when she saw the burning mark on his arm. “They burned me for information. I’m an agent, I learned to live with physical pain, to fight against it, you haven’t. They would kill you slowly until you told them what they wanted. Do you think your husband would want that?”

She looked away cleaning her wet cheeks.

“He loves your Areum. He did what he had to because it was the best. He lost so many people already.” Minho words made Areum tremble and he knew it was working, that she was thinking about it in a different perspective “The same for Audrey. She couldn’t simply risk everything and give you a call!”

“Then I’m selfish…that’s what you are saying?” She asked.

“No, you don’t understand yet what you got yourself into. Jinki was a fool falling for you and taking you into this life. He even risked everything taking you into honeymoon madness. Still a very memorable one…”

Areum smiled through her tears and Minho knew his words wore sinking in.

“Don’t punish them more than they punish themselves already!”

Areum sniffed her nose and said a weak thank you. “I need more time to think….about all this.”

“I understand but please get out from under this table!”

Areum nodded and he helped her crawling from under it.

-  Several Years ago - 

“Why don’t we eat with Mi Jung noona today?” Taemin suggested noticing her eating with her friends in a far way table. “Jonghyun hyung has a crush on her right?” He asked Jinki.

Jinki smiled agreeing with Taemin and they both walked with their trays to her table.

Mi Jung seemed excited to see them and she quickly moved so her brothers could sit.

Jonghyun came out with his lunch after and sat on the table too not even raising his eyes to her.

“Are you hungry?” Jinki asked his friend teasingly and Jonghyun only groaned eating his food not even looking at Mi Jung that watched him slightly curious.

“Why do they do that?” Taemin suddenly asked making everyone raise their eyes to witness the scene in the middle of the lunchroom.

A boy from Taemin’s class was wearing a big cardboard around his neck saying I’m gay and his two bullies surrounded him posing for a camera while another took pics.

“They make him wear it all day!” Taemin explained.

Mi Jung frowned her eyebrows upset. In that school you are either a shark or the food. You either get bullied or you become a bully. If you are lucky enough to be rich and untouchable then you are blessed.

“Is he even gay?” One of Mi Jung’s friend asked “I mean poor guy!”

Jonghyun let his chopsticks fall from his hand and stared at her “Is he sick? Does he have a contagious disease or something? What if he likes men? What is the problem? He can like who he wants to!”

The poor girl flinched and Mi Jung moved an arm around her “Hey don’t speak like that to her. She isn’t at fault here!”

Jonghyun stood up. “You are right!” He pulled the sleeves of his shirt up and Mi Jung blinked her eyes surprised because that was exactly what she used to do when she was younger and was getting ready to protect her brother. “I’m tired of these s!”

“No Jonghyun wait…” Jinki said worried that Jonghyun might get into a fight. He seemed stronger even though he was short and thin but in reality Jonghyun was an awful fighter. Jinki was one hundred times better ever since he started his training, and he stood up ready to protect him.

Taemin moved on his sit too but Mi Jung grabbed his arm so he wouldn’t move. He was new at school and young, yes he had the protection of the name of his new family, and hers and Jinki’s but still it was best not to risk it.

They watched Jonghyun stride to the middle of the room and Jinki followed after him.

Jonghyun stopped in front of the scene making the guy who was taking pictures complain.

He ignored him and instead searched inside the pocket of his uniform black coat.

“Ah…here it is!” He mumbled to himself using it to write on the cardboard the poor guy had around his neck. Jinki smiled reading what he wrote and when Jonghyun stepped back to admire his work every eyes were on them.

Jonghyun patted the boy’s shoulder and then blinked his eye at the bully beside him, before returning to his table.

Jinki stayed behind but then followed after him letting the others read what he wrote.

“WHAT THE !” One of the guys screamed and Mi Jung rose on her sit to read what Jonghyun wrote too.

“I’m gay!” Was still there and under was “So what? I have a bigger than the idiots taking pictures with me!“

Taemin chuckled just when Jonghyun sat on his sit again. One of the idiots came after Jonghyun for retaliation but Jinki grabbed his arm immediately and twisted it making him scream.

Jonghyun turned around with food on his mouth surprised and Jinki released the bully.

There was a time when Jonghyun was the one protecting Jinki and to Jonghyun he was still that gentle boy and yet, he knew how to protect himself?!

Mi Jung noticed Jonghyun’s confusion, since he clearly didn’t know about Jinki secret training, and she quickly intervened when the other bullies joined the first, ready for a fight.

“Hey! You know who is the owner of the companies to whom your parents work don’t you?” She crossed her arms acting like the princess she was “If you want to keep coming to this school and sleep on your warm beds I suggest that you walk away and forget that this happened!”

She was so scary and determined that she didn’t have to say more and they left.

“Why did you do that?” Jonghyun asked upset, surprising her. “Do you think money is everything? That you can come and threaten them just because you are daddy’s little girl!”

She widened her eyes and Jinki tried to interrupt. He knew Mi Jung was getting mad.

“Aaah Let’s not get upset over this, she was only trying to...”

“Save your !” She finished for Jinki making things worse, placing her hands on the table in a challenging pose. “I was saving your !”

Jonghyun stood up too.

“Oh boy!” Jinki exclaimed letting himself fall beside Taemin that was amused with the scene.

“I don’t need your help! You can go back to your beautiful branded dresses and makeup and rainbow ponies!”

“Next time I’ll let them beat you up!” Mi Jung said with a smirk.

“Fineee!”

“Fine!”

Jonghyun grabbed his tray and stormed out. Jinki blinked his eyes confused just when Mi Jung grabbed hers too and followed after him.

Taemin laughed and Jinki wondered why.

“I think Jonghyun’s crush is mutual!”

“Excuse me?” Jinki didn’t know much about love but in his experience people in love don’t fight like that.

“I think Mi Jung noona might have found someone that isn’t afraid of her attitude.”

Jinki nodded his head thinking about it for a while.

He certainly never saw Mi Jung get so upset before with anyone else besides her father.

- 3 years ago -

Audrey woke up and turned her head on the bed looking for something familiar that could explain where she was and what happened.

The first person she saw was Jonghyun. He was sitting on an armchair reading a book.

“What happened?” She asked with a husky voice before sitting up on the bed. Jonghyun quickly stood up and placed his book on the chair before he walked to her side.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine I think!” She was confused though and he clearly could see that.

“Do you know what happened? Can your remember anything?”

Audrey bit her lip and tried to think. She remembered the mission, her conversation with Key, no, Kibum, and then the fire. She was so scared…and then someone spoke to her, someone helped her.

“I heard my mother.”

“Excuse me?”

“My mother. She grabbed my hand or maybe it was Kibum….”

She moved her eyes confused and Jonghyun offered her a cup of water that she drank slowly.

“We had to save you from the fire, but neither your mother nor Kibum where there. Onew saved you!”

“Really? I almost could swear they were.”

“You inhaled a lot of smoke. It’s normal to be this confused. Don’t worry.”

Audrey drank the rest of her water and moved her eyes around the room. It looked like an infirmary.

“Is everyone ok?” She asked and Jonghyun nodded his head offering her a gentle smile.

“Yes. We are all fine. Jinki had some minor injuries, but he will be fine. He is with Areum now.” He his lips “She is preparing your funeral.”

Audrey took a deep breath “The mission…”

Suddenly she had the urge to see Areum. She was probably suffering so much right now, thinking that she was dead.

“How is Kibum?” She asked raising her eyes to Jonghyun.

He didn’t seem surprised with the question but he was with the name she called him. She knew his real name?! That couldn’t be a good sign.

“He is ok.”

“Where is he?” she asked placing her feet on the floor.

“He left!” Jonghyun answered grabbing his book.

“Left?”  How could he leave? Where would he even go?

“He said he had work to do and just left.”

“Work? Like a mission?” That worried her. Would he be safe? Did he go alone?

“No, his real life work.”

Audrey didn’t even know he had a real life work. “Where is he? Seoul?”

“I don’t think so. When he normally disappears…” Jonghyun made a quick pause “He goes to Paris.”

Paris….he said they could go there together someday.

“Do you need help to get back to your bedroom? You probably need to rest more.”

Audrey wasn’t sure if she needed help or not. There was too much things troubling her at that moment. “Can I go see Areum?”

“No way. Too dangerous!” Jonghyun answered immediately. “Go rest Audrey!”

He left before she insisted again and she watched him close the door so she could have more privacy.

Her clothes were changed into a pajama and she was sure it was Mi Jung’s doing.

Everyone was there, probably taking care of her, it was even Jinki who saved her not Kibum.

And still he was the one who worried her the most.

To think that he didn’t even wait to see if she was ok before leaving, hurt her deeply.

He kissed her. She didn’t dream with that. He was sweet to her and she thought she was special to him.

Audrey caressed her arm and stood up, grabbing the bed to support herself.

Maybe he only kissed her to make her stay, to trust him, for the mission.

Suddenly she felt empty.

- Present day - 

Jinki opened the door of the bedroom and the first thing he noticed was the tray with the tea and pain killers Mi Jung said she would bring for Areum to take; and the only scented candle lighting the bedroom.

Areum was lying in one side, on their bed and she didn’t say anything when he entered the bedroom.

He did what the others suggested. He let her alone for the last hours and he only came up to check on her quickly before leaving again.

“Mi Jung said your head hurts. Why didn’t you take the pills?”

He asked worried but Areum didn’t move or say anything.

He turned to leave hoping that a night of sleep would help her reconsider what happened and see things differently when she spoke.

“Where are you going?”

He hesitated closing the door again.

“You hate me, don’t you?”

That was what he feared the most in the world. To lose her love, to lose her respect and admiration, to lose her…

“ No. I’m just angry. Don’t go.”

Her plea made him happy and he walked to the bed sitting by her side. She moved her tired sleepy eyes to him and he felt bad because, once again, she cried because of him.

He his lips nervously and moved his hand to grab hers but she moved away.

Ok, she didn’t want that so instead he leaned forward.

She closed her eyes firmly and he kissed her forehead moving away.

“Audrey cried a lot when you left.” He whispered “This isn’t how she imagined meeting you again.”

Areum grasped the covers of the bed and pulled them to her chest. “I missed her so much. I thought she was dead, that I was alone…and here she is…alive!”

“Yes, and that should make you happy!”

He was afraid she would get mad but Areum seemed to be pretty calm now. Maybe Minho conversation with her really helped.

“We promised each other that whatever happened we would stay together! She broke that promise!”

Jinki sighed leaning against the bed and he rubbed his neck tired “Sometimes we need to break promises. Sometimes there are things more important…”

“Like?”

“Like….protecting the person we love the most.”

Areum released the covers like a little kid throwing a tantrum and that made Jinki smile. She was forever his grown up little girl ”I hate that! To protect me…”

“It’s not an excuse! It’s love…” He leaned forward so he could face her and Areum gaze fall on his. “We love you Areum. Can’t you see that?”

She didn’t say anything but pulled the covers over her head hiding her face from him.

That was all she needed to do to show him how she was weak to his charms.

“I know. She asked SHINee to protect me!” she said from under the covers and Jinki pulled them away so he could see her expression while he spoke to her.

“She didn’t ask me, I did it because you are the woman I love.” He lied down beside her “You are not a mission Audrey asked us to do. You are my Areum.”

Areum pouted a little avoiding his eyes and that made him smile smitten. Sneakily she grabbed his hand and pulled it to her chest, holding him against her.

“Will you ever forgive me and trust me again?” He asked leaning closer to her.

She didn’t move away even when he nuzzled his nose against her forehead.

 “I don’t know.”

“I love you so much.”

Areum closed her eyes and turned around in the bed, her back now facing him. “Don’t say anything. It hurts!”

He hesitantly moved his hand on her waist and to her stomach. She didn’t push him away and instead grabbed his hand to her chest again.

He sneaked closer to her, so closer that their bodies fitted perfectly, and he hugged her against him.

They stayed in silence, in the darkness of their bedroom even when the candle ended and Areum didn’t release his hand. It was comforting to both. Jinki hoped that she would slowly heal and accept him and maybe even Audrey into her life. He was certain she would. Areum had a big heart.

Areum let herself be weak again. She was in a strange house surrounded by strange people and even if Audrey was near it was as if she was still very far away. Jinki was her safe harbor and even if that upset her, his warm body against her, his scent, his fingers caressing hers, and his lips against her neck was still the best medicine for her uneasiness and sadness.

Could she ever let that go? Could she ever say goodbye to him?

- Several years ago -

“Can you give me a ride?”

Jonghyun almost let the key of his car fall with Mi Jung request.

“Jinki and Taemin already left. Well can you?!” She asked again since he wasn’t answering, his eyes moving from her white blouse to her short blue mini skirt and then up again.

“Really?” He asked.

Mi Jung didn’t answer and instead opened the door of the passenger’s seat.

That was Mi Jung, the princess and Jonghyun didn’t say anything and sat on the driver’s seat still wondering how a hot popular girl like her wanted to be in the same car as he.

They didn’t speak all the way to her home. She didn’t even thank him for driving further away from his house to leave her at the mansion she called home.

He waited for the gates to open after confirming his identity and then drove her to her door, parking in front of it as if she was his date and he just took her home.

Mi Jung didn’t even move and he turned off the engine.

“Why are you upset with me?” She asked turning to him and Jonghyun frowned.

“I am?” he didn’t think he was. They didn’t normally talk with each other so he didn’t understand why she thought he was upset.

“Yes. You don’t look at me as you normally do!”

He puffed outraged with the fact that she was hoping that he still fawned over her.

” Is this all a game to you?”

“What?” She blinked her perfect beautiful eyes and Jonghyun bit his lip.

“Life! You walk around school with you friend acting almighty when there are real people suffering and you pretend not to see.”

“I do see it. I just can’t do much. I have the name of my father and there are other ways to fight a battle.” She was once like Jonghyun, until her father showed her what he did on his free time, that there were other ways to do the right thing.

“Well I don’t know what way you use to fight yours but you could actually make a difference instead of buying new mini skirts and a new nail polish!”

Mi Jung chuckled with his comment and Jonghyun watched her surprised with her reaction.

“Oh if only you knew…” She said mysteriously eyeing the house she lived in “I’m not the princess you clearly think I am…But….I do admire you!”

“What?”

She turned to him as if she was going to tell him a secret. “I admire your courage and I also love the poems you write in class. You have a talent with words and I’m sure you can do so much with that Jonghyun. You have a gift!”

Jonghyun looked away but she could see him blush.

His reaction made her giggle and he brushed his hair away from his eyes nervously.

“You always make me laugh!”

“When I write romantic poems?” He asked.

“You know, romantic guys are not my type. I always liked the dangerous ones.”

“Oh really?” That disappointed him a little. “I’m not really dangerous…”

“I disagree with you. You actually are as dangerous as you are romantic. Perfectly dangerous!”

“Why?” He swallowed all his attention on her beautiful face.

“There is nothing more dangerous than a man that can make your heart flutter. That is very dangerous.”

She smiled beautifully and then opened the door of his car.

Jonghyun stared at her, still not believing what he heard and she waved at him from the door of her house.

He waved back weakly and smiled before turning the engine of his car on.

Did the princess of his school, the crush he had for a few years now, the beautiful Mi Jung, tell him that he made her heart beat stronger?! Damn!

- Present day - 

Audrey moved her hands on Key’s back and he pulled her closer to him, tightening the hug.

They were both inside the room where Audrey spent years building the second Aeon, which was a few meters away from them, unused.

She didn’t stop crying ever since Areum left and Kibum was doing a lousy job making her calm down, or so he thought. She held into him like a koala and he let her, caressing her back not saying anything. He didn’t even know what to say.

“Areum, she is more like a sister to me.” She said after a while, hiding her face against his chest. “She saved me so many times, she helped me ran away from my life. She is my only family.”

“She will forgive you. You will see!” He said drawing circles on her back, dreading the moment she would want to pull away from him because secretly he was loving that moment more than he should.

Audrey pulled away just enough to look at his face “Do you know that feeling that you’re alone in the world? That there is no one in whom you can truly rely on?  That there is no one that could grab your hand…that the only ones you cherished in this life aren’t here anymore?”

“I know.” He said pulling her against him “I know how that feels!”

“You do?” She asked stubbornly pulling away. “You said your parents are alive.”

“I didn’t mean my parents. I’ve lost special people too.”

“I’m sorry!” she answered cleaning her eyes.

Kibum watched her and then moved one of his hands to help her, his fingers gently cleaning her tears away from her cheek.

Her gaze locked with his and both felt it again. That inexplicable attraction, that strange adrenaline invading their blood, making their hearts beat like crazy.

Kibum preferred not to name it but Audrey, that was once so afraid to name it, wanted to scream it out loud. Love.

She moved closer and then hesitated, examining his expression to see if he was going to scold her again, like he did so many times before in their weird relationship that she couldn’t label ever.

He didn’t move, his eyes still on hers, his finger still caressing her cheek and moving down to the corner of her lips.

She moved closer, so closer that there was nothing else he could see besides her eyes.

It didn’t matter because there wasn’t anything else he wanted to see at that moment.

Audrey closed her eyes and kissed his lips in a sweet short kiss that he didn’t reciprocate, still watching her. She was beautiful with her eyes closed, giving in to her passion for him.

She fluttered her eyes open and frowned cutely because he wasn’t moving. It was always like that, with her giving and not receiving anything in return.

She pulled his hands away from her and rubbed her cheeks ready to leave but Kibum grabbed her gently, his hands around her waist pulling her to him, making her turn again.

This time Audrey didn’t have time to think and he sweetly kissed her, both their eyes closing.

He kissed her for a while, not too eagerly but clearly a little more desperate than it should be.

They didn’t kiss in a while and both were suffering with the longing.

Audrey caressed his neck and Kibum pulled away slightly, watching her. Both were breathless and yet he wasn’t entirely satisfied so he tilted his head and kissed her again.

It was wrong. He knew it was and yet it tasted like heaven.  It was better than a glass of wine after a long day of work, flying for the first time, doing water ski, it was better than anything he ever experienced!

She moved to pull him away because it was all so overwhelming to her but he grabbed her wrist slowing down the kiss, letting her breathe and relax against him.

Her heart was beating so much that Audrey wasn’t sure if she would survive that. She missed him so terribly much.

She hummed against his lips and he moved back again, letting both rest from the attack.

He eyed her lips and cute nose and still he was sure he wasn’t satisfied. He needed more. A kiss wouldn’t clench his thirst entirely; he wanted to kiss her all over, not only her lips.

Audrey smiled shyly, a sweet adorable smile and closed her eyes leaning for a third kiss but this time Kibum stood up startling her.

No! He couldn’t! Audrey was a distraction! Audrey was his weakness! And he wasn’t weak!

“You better go to your bedroom and rest!” he said as if nothing happened, as if he didn’t hungrily kissed her for a few minutes.

Audrey sniffed and he knew he hurt her again. Why did he keep doing that?!

“Why do you hate me?!” She asked moving her fingers over her thighs.

“I don’t hate you!” It was completely the opposite.

“I think you do! Yesterday you visited me on my room. We talked for hours, we laughed together. Areum even saw us on the balcony watching the stars. We spent hours together and I know you enjoy being around me and now…this. You are always like this! You disappear and come back, give me hope again and kiss me and then you walk away just to disappear again! As if you can’t give all of you to me, accept that we love each other…”

“Not that talk again!” Kibum said sternly.

Admitting that feeling was the same as admitting that he failed.

Audrey stood up “Exactly! Again and again…and again. It’s like a cycle where you trample over my heart!”

It hurt him to see her like that, he once again shouldn’t have kissed her but she seemed so eager and he also needed her.

“You are a coward, Kim Kibum!” She remarked before walking away and he stared at her.

“Coward?!” No! He hated that word! He hated that concept. His courage never ever failed him until…until he met her and she started making him lose his ground.

She was the one who was making him fail as an agent. It was all her fault and yet he couldn’t hate her, only love her more and more as if God was punishing him for his sins.

- Present day - 

Mi Jung left the bathroom and sat over her bed admiring the man lying there.

Jonghyun was reading a book, wearing only his underwear like he used to and she stared at him for so long that he lost his concentration and looked at her.

“What?”

How to tell him that she would be so lost without him? Without his wise words, without his warm embrace, without the sweet tone he reserved for their daughter…How to tell him that the moment he entered her life she was blessed like she never expected ever to be. That his love was the most precious thing she ever had?!

“What?” he repeated now a little worried.

“You still are very dangerous!”

At first he thought she meant in the field as an agent, since sometimes he worried about his skills. He was always the weakest between the members. Jinki was good at fighting and smart, Kibum was fantastic as an undercover agent, Taemin was like a ninja and deadly, Minho was the man you wanted to have if you were surrounded by the enemy and he…well he was always best with words and plans. Still he tried his best all the time.

Jonghyun placed his book over the bedside table and smiled at her, fully understanding what she meant now. It wasn’t in the field. It had to do with something that happened in the past, something she told him when they started to be more than acquaintances.

“Am I?” He asked with a smirk “Do I still make your heart flutter?”

Mi Jung moved her hand to her chest rubbing it where her heart was. Jonghyun swallowed admiring his beautiful y wife wearing one of his favorite and short black satin nightdress.

He didn’t care that it was a famous brand and crazily expensive, she was the iest woman ever when she wore it and she knew the power that tiny piece of fabric had over him.

“I think its beating so much that I might have a heart attack!” She said seductively.

“Bora?” Jonghyun asked his lips, his eyes moving to Mi Jung erect s under the nightdress.

“Sleeping. I was going to leave her with my dad but it’s a mess at the main house now so…We may be lucky. Maybe she will sleep the whole night! She was tired! She really had a lot of fun annoying Areum!”

Jonghyun groaned when Mi Jung kneeled on the bed giving him a better view of her cleavage.

“She does like Jinki a lot!”

“I seriously think she likes Areum too. Bora always tries to scare everyone away before she “adopts” that person!”

“So much like her mom!” Jonghyun said pulling the covers down for Mi Jung to move over his body.

“Me?” She asked brushing her hair away from her neck.

“In the beginning you were so mean and dictatorial!”

“Ya!” Mi Jung complained sitting over his lap, straddling him, one leg on each side. ”You were the one who yelled at me saying I was a spoiled!”

“I didn’t!” He said clearly lying.

Mi Jung ignored his lie and pulled the nightdress over her head, siting with only her over him.

“Make love with me Kim Jonghyun!”

“Is that an order? You were always so bossy!”

Mi Jung wrinkled her nose and placed her hands over his chest “It’s a request!”

Jonghyun laughed and caressed her cheek “It’s always a pleasure!”

She lied down on top of him; their mouths joining and they kissed for a while until he rolled with her in the bed and pulled away. ”Did you lock the door?”

Mi Jung chuckled because he was always so worried that Bora might enter and catch them in the act.

“Yes!” She wrapped her legs around him “Kiss me! It’s an order!”

Jonghyun groaned, and she laughed with his reaction, but still he kissed her muffling her laughter. They rolled around in the bed making out.

They were lucky that night!

Bora only woke up when it was already morning.

- 3 years ago - 

Kibum entered the room where he would normally practice the fighting techniques with the rest of the team, when he froze, almost bumping against Audrey.

She widened her eyes having the same reaction as him, since he didn’t see her after the mission where she almost died for real.

He stepped back, his eyes moved around the room realizing that the agency turned it into Audrey’s office where she was building Aeon; and then he turned to leave without a word. He didn’t dare to look at her for more than what was necessary.

However she quickly stepped in front of him with her cute glasses and a white scientist coat with a felt bunny pin on it.

She was like a little girl playing scientist and yet he knew how smart and competent she was.

Her eyes on him made him uncomfortable, so Kibum looked away.

He missed her. He spent more than half the time he was in Paris thinking about her. It was funny how he tried to run away to Paris to immerse himself in Gi’s memories and yet Audrey was all he could think. They were so different and yet they both left a huge mark on his heart.

“I knew it!” Audrey said taking off her glasses that she rarely used “You are avoiding me!”

“I’m not!” He said with scorn because she was right “Don’t be silly!”

Kibum rolled his eyes and Audrey crossed her arms.

“You arrived three days ago and even missed the weekly meeting with the team so yes you are!”

She was smart. He couldn’t beat her!

“I wouldn’t miss a meeting for you!” He said as rudely as he mastered, as if the idea was ridiculous. Kibum was good at being mean when he wanted, so good that Audrey bit her lip clearly hurt with his words.

He walked away trying to ignore her reaction but she went after him “I missed you!”

He didn’t even look back, but slowed down his pace.

“When I woke up from almost dying you were the first person I wanted to see!” She said making him stop. “But you weren’t even in the country. My well-being doesn’t worry you? Weren’t you worried with my health? I could have died!”

He knew, Kibum knew and he blamed himself for that. His incompetence almost cost him her life and Jinki’s. He bit his lip and turned around.

“Of course it worries me! You are the person we are trying to protect, you are needed in the agency, for the mission.”

That was clearly what Audrey’s didn’t want to hear and her eyes became humid quickly. “Then, what you told me before about traveling together and the k-kiss…?”

Kibum suspected that she would ask about that. He clenched his hands into fists and stared at her  “It was a way to make you feel more confident and calm down for the mission. It worked…well it would have worked if someone didn’t sabotage it.”

Audrey moved her eyes to the white sneakers with small bunnies Mi Jung gave her and tried to control her emotions. She couldn’t be weak, she wouldn’t cry over  a man and if she did she wouldn’t let him see.

Agent Key walked away and left the room meeting Director Oh that was outside. He quickly masked his sad eyes and walked by her without saying a word.

Director Oh watched him walk away not happy with what she just heard and saw and then entered the room.

She didn’t like Audrey. Actually she hated to see any of her agents acting romantic. They were secret agents, they were chosen for the greater good, and their lives were chosen to be sacrificed for the sake of others, not for flirting, dating or marrying.

Audrey was worse. She acted like a sweet girl and yet she quickly climbed inside the agency. She had her own office, all agents working for her, protecting Areum, a stupid useless girl that she called her sister, and even Director Oh needed to help her with her work. Ridiculous! And now, now she even wanted to date one of her boys!

“We don’t film or write romantic stories here!” She said with no mercy making Audrey clean her eyes embarrassed realizing that she wasn’t alone in the room anymore.

“I know!” She answered weakly as if she was once again being scolded by one of her teachers or bullies.

“Get back to work! That’s the solo reason you are here!”

As if she would ever forget it. Audrey turned around and sat on her desk, a complete mess with all the plans, Aeon blueprints and annotations. Director Oh left and closed the door leaving her alone with the early stages of Aeon.

Of course Audrey was only there for that reason. Her life wasn’t important like Areum used to tell in her stories to make her feel better. Audrey was only a mean to an end. She wasn’t special like she often thought she was when she was little, imagining that someone would save her from the orphanage.  The only person who visited her there was a man she couldn’t clearly remember anymore. He told her that he would take care of her but he never showed up again and she was sent to a foster family.  

He probably realized what everyone did, what her parents did too. She wasn’t special, she wasn’t worth much.

Only Areum saw something in Audrey, and now she was mourning her.

Audrey was alone again.

She placed her arms over the desk and cried.

In the weeks, months and years to follow, Audrey worked like crazy in the only thing that made her worth something – Aeon; until the day she could meet Areum again.

- Present day - 

Areum woke up to an empty bed so she grabbed a pair of jeans and a purple blouse and went down the stairs in search of Jinki.

She didn’t sleep much the whole night and she knew he didn’t too. Yet he respected her, he didn’t spoke anything, he mostly hugged her through the night or held her hand until she fell asleep. The next morning he wasn’t there anymore.

That helped Areum made her decision. He lied to her too many times to count, he hid Audrey’s being alive from her and yet he claimed to do it in the name of love. In that Areum wanted to believe, that he loved her. What other possible reason would he have to have married her? If he didn’t love her why did he do it anyway? Besides if there was something she didn’t understand was that second life of his, and all the mess Audrey was in. Since she wasn’t sure about what to do with Audrey returning into her life, Areum decided that she wanted to know more about it.

That was why she was searching for him. To first tell Jinki that she was going to give it a try at their wedding, that if he promised to never lie ever again, even if it was to protect her, that she would forgive him. And second because she wanted to know more about that Aeon machine and Audrey.

Areum was a little lost until she found her way into the green house. She knew that the secret passageway was there but she didn’t know how to open it so she waited for a while for someone to pass and maybe help her. That was when she saw the door open and a woman came out from it.

She looked older than Areum and she bowed to her respectfully.

“Oh hello!” The woman seemed to know her even though Areum never saw her in her life. “I’m director Oh.”

“Oh nice to meet you!”

“I saw your face on the file.”

File? She even had a file. Areum wondered which informations were there and what did that woman know about her.

“I was searching for Jinki, my husband!” She wasn’t sure if that woman knew him as Jinki, maybe she called him Onew instead.

She really didn’t seem pleased with the way Areum addressed him.

“Not searching for Lee Audrey?”

The comment made Areum a little uneasy “No. not Audrey.” Not yet. She still needed to understand.

“I heard about your mixed reaction to the news.”

Apparently everyone knew everything beside her.

“It’s hard to forgive someone who lied to us. It’s a big lie!” Areum didn’t know why she felt the urge to justify her actions and feelings to that woman.

“I understand! However I’m glad you forgave agent Onew.”

“I didn’t really forgive him but I want to speak with him because I think we can work it out and save our wedding!” She couldn’t let go of him. She loved him. That night in his arms was just another proof that they could be together if they worked it out.

“Wedding?” the woman asked as if nothing of what Areum said made any sense. “I’m surprised that you are still going to keep the pretense.”

“Excuse me? I don’t understand!”

Director Oh smiled as if what she was going to say gave her a great pleasure “They didn’t tell you yet!”

“About?” what secret did they keep from her now?!

“The wedding with agent Onew was part of the Aeon mission. It was the way discussed to make agent Onew stay by your side longer without you being suspicious, to make you fully trust him and his intentions.”

The words sink in on Areum’s heart as a bulldozer destroying the remaining hope she had on getting her life back together, on trusting Jinki, on that love.

Her pale face and the way she sat on the bench didn’t stop Director Oh for continuing her explanation.

“The Aeon mission was very complicated. It lasted for years. To secure Lee Audrey’s safety we planted several agents around her apartment. Agent Onew was there once and you caught him so he had to improvise.”

He improvised? He asked her for a coffee…he kissed her at the club….he….he slept with her.

Areum grasped her chest. She didn’t have more tears to spare. Her heart was broken and beyond repair.

“It was actually a strike of luck that he met you. He found a way to get closer to Audrey!”

She was the one who led them to Audrey? Areum raised her terrified eyes to that woman.

“Agent Onew presence by your side also helped us make Audrey collaborate with us. She is very protective of you and of course she didn’t like the fact that agent Onew used you for info. I hope you don’t hate us for what we did. This mission is for a greater good! The faith of humanity is more important than anything else.” Clearly including her feelings…

Areum didn’t know what to say or think. She simply stared at her hands on her lap, slowly processing all the information. Didn’t she want to know more about Aeon and Audrey?! Well she did now. It wasn’t what she expected though. Everything was far worse than she anticipated.

“Are you ok?” Director Oh asked gently, but Areum wasn’t listening to her anymore. She was making a huge effort to make air enter her lungs. What that woman just spoke was far worse than any lie Jinki told her. That meant that everything Areum lived, all that he said to her, all that he made her feel before and after she found out he was an agent was a lie. Last night, every night, every moment spent together, their wedding, that relationship was a lie!

“Well I’m going now. Excuse me!” The woman walked away and Areum covered her face. She wasn’t feeling well, she suddenly felt light headed. Maybe she was going to faith. She didn’t care anymore. Anything was good as long as she could escape that nightmare.

Suddenly her hands were wet and Areum knew she was crying again.

She couldn’t stop replaying everything that she lived with Jinki ever since the first time they met. Every word, every touch, every kiss….that first night. She was such an idiot!  He told her so many times how she needed to stop being so innocent, believing everyone. In the end he was only warning her about himself. She felt so humiliated, so stupid and the ring he gave her to ask her to marry him and the one next to it, the one he put on her finger on their wedding day, were burning her skin now.

She was a mission! All along she was only a mission to him. He probably thought she was ridiculous too, falling into every lie he told her…even the previous night. Maybe he was still trying to keep his role by her side as husband. Maybe to have the upper hand with Audrey.

Areum was tired! She had enough! She wasn’t an object! She didn’t deserve to be treated only as a way to reach to Audrey! She was a person. She had feelings!

“Areum?” She raised her eyes to Jinki. He was in front of her watching her with a worried expression. He was still wearing the clothes from the previous day and looked tired.

“Are you ok?”

Ok?! No she wasn’t ok! She was in so much pain that she wasn’t even sure how she was still breathing.

“Did you marry me for a mission?” she asked immediately with a weak voice, gathering her remaining strength to ask for the truth.

Jinki swallowed nervously and that made her even more upset.

“Who told you that?”

“Not important. Did you?”

She was a little surprised with her composed voice when she wanted to scream and kick everything.

“Was it Minho?” he asked curling his hands into fists “He still holds a grudge against me because of his past relationship. He blames me for…”

“ANSWER ME!” She was tired. She didn’t care about Minho or old grudges, she only needed to know the truth and it needed to be from him.

“Areum…” He clearly didn’t want to answer it.

“Just answer me, please!” she pleaded near a nervous breakdown.

“Yes….” but he quickly added “that’s what they think. It’s not true though!”

Areum released a loud cry as if she was a wounded animal and covered her eyes with her hands.

Jinki kneeled on the floor in front of her, desperately explaining “I made them think it was…I wanted to marry you for real. Taemin suggested it at the meeting when they wanted to take me away from the mission because it was the only way to remain by your side.”

She sobbed loudly because there he was admitting it. A mission! She was a mission!

“They needed me elsewhere but Taemin covered for me and he suggested it in such an eloquent way, which is rare for him, that they accepted it. But I married you because I wanted to. Because I love you! I actually asked you to marry me…”

“Shut up!” She ordered with so much anger that he was taken aback. He never saw her like that, so upset. Areum never hid when she was angry and yet she was never really angry. That hurt a lot and he wasn’t sure what to do.

He needed to tell her everything. He asked her to marry him before the command to leave the mission came, before they ordered him to marry her. He was going to marry her anyway, with the agency blessing or not. He would do it even if it meant leaving SHINee, giving up on his revenge! She needed to know and then maybe she would believe him.

“No, let me finish!”

“NO!” She screamed in anger “Did you sleep with me for a mission? Did you have with me so I could tell you about Audrey? DID YOU?”

That hit him in the guts and Jinki paled. There was no way out. What he feared the most she was asking now.

“Who told you that?” He asked with a dangerous sparkle in his eyes “I’m going to ing kill Minho!”

“Just answer me!”

He bit his lower lip trying to grab her hand but she moved them away. “ANSWER ME! Did you sleep with me for a mission? You did right? Because you needed to know what I knew about her disappearance…” Suddenly it all came back to her “You asked me about her that night! I remember! I’m so stupid!” She sobbed tangling her fingers in her hair.

Suddenly everything was making sense. How he disappeared after that night and how he came back…it was all orders. He played with her heart because of a mission.

“Areum please…” He pleaded observing her lost heartbroken expression.

“Please tell me that it’s not true. That you didn’t sleep with me for the mission!”

He couldn’t say it was for the mission. Because it wasn’t entirely. He slept with her because he wanted it, but he also used it for the mission. He was the lowest, he did feel like the lowest that night and now, now everything he did was going to be his ruin.

She stood up and he did the same knowing that she was reading in his eyes the answer to the question.

“You did!” The disappointment in her voice matched the sadness of her eyes and Jinki grabbed her shoulders. She fought him, trying to push him away with anger but he was stronger so he held her and pulled her into his arms.

Areum struggled so much that he gave up afraid to hurt her and released her.

“Listen to me!” He insisted “I slept with you because I loved you. That was the main reason. I screwed up, I did, but what we did that night was special!”

That was it. She slapped him.

He wasn’t even surprised and yet that hurt much more than every hit he ever received in his life.

“It was special to ME!” She said furious “Not you….It was only for you, so don’t you dare say it was special! Don’t you dare mock my feelings! I trusted you and everything was a lie from the very start. I was a mission all along! You told me what I needed to hear so I would fall in love with you! You made me want to marry you, have your kids….” She was almost screaming now and her voice failed her.

“No Areum…” He said lifeless. He didn’t. He never played with her feelings. He never lied about what he felt.

“I HATE YOU!” She screamed pushing him away before she run off into the hallway.

She passed by Jonghyun, Minho and Taemin, that came attracted by the screams, and they didn’t make a move to stop her.

“What happened?” Minho asked, surprised with the furious look on Areum’s face.

Jinki didn’t look better, his cheek was red and he had a lost expression as if he just went through hell. However when Minho spoke he clenched his teeth and turned around walking on his direction as if he just heard the devil.

“Hey, hey wait!” Jonghyun said, but it was too late.

Jinki punched Minho with all his strength making the younger man fall backwards against the wall.

“What the !” Minho quickly regained his balance and moved to punch Jinki too.

Jonghyun quickly grabbed him and Taemin placed himself in the middle pushing Jinki back.

“YOU TOLD HER, YOU ING BASTARD!” Jinki accused Minho.

“TOLD HER WHAT? ARE YOU INSANE?” Minho answered back trying to pass by the shorter Jonghyun.

“YOU MADE HER HATE ME! SHE HATES ME NOW! ARE YOU HAPPY? JUST BECAUSE OF SOMETHING I DID IN THE PAST TO SAVE YOUR !” Taemin had to hug his brother, Jinki was like an angry bull when he was upset.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!” Minho answered “I really don’t!” He said frankly to Jonghyun.

“Let’s calm down and talk about this! It’s an order!”

That seemed to work and Taemin slowly released Jinki.

“She knows about me sleeping with her and asking about Audrey, about the orders to marry her.” Jinki explained rubbing his cheek. It didn’t hurt anymore but remembering her expression when she said that she hated him did.

“I didn’t tell her anything. I swear. I know how important she is to you and I know how much I suffered when…” Minho swallowed “I swear I would never do something like this!”

Jinki rubbed his face in pain.

“Then who did it?!” Taemin wondered.

“Who cares?!” Jinki exclaimed in desperation “She hates me now!”

With that he stormed outside and Taemin followed after him.

- Present day -

Areum walked down the hallway and end up at the entrance of the mansion. She didn’t know where to go. She could go outside but where? She barely knew the gardens and she couldn’t simply walk away. They would never let her. Instead she stood there hearing new screams coming from the room where she was before. It seemed like Minho and Jinki were fighting.

She bit her lip wondering if she should get back but then scolded herself for once again worrying over a man that saw her as a mean to reach his objectives.

Then she heard him.

“Areum?”

Jinki was calling her, he was searching for her and she panicked. She didn’t want to see him anymore. She was tired; she only wanted to be alone away from that house and that reality she fell in. What happened with her quiet normal life?! She was on a honeymoon, she was happy!

“Areum, I need to explain!” He screamed once again getting nearer.

She quickly climbed the stairs and dashed into the corridor almost bumping against Audrey.

She looked awful too, with tired swollen eyes and no makeup - that was never a good sign , and for a moment they only looked at each other.

“I heard the screaming!” Audrey said “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Areum. I know you don’t believe me now but I understand what you are feeling and I’m really sorry, because it also is my fault.”

Areum hesitated turning around.

“Areum?” Jinki worried tense voice reached her from down the stairs and she turned to Audrey again.

“Hyung wait!” Taemin seemed to be just after Jinki and they were clearly climbing the stairs now.

“I need to find her!”

Areum seemed so lost that Audrey couldn’t help but remember a moment in the past when she was the one feeling like that. Trapped in a reality that only made her cry day after day. Back then Areum was the onlyone who offered her an hand out of that reality, the one who pulled her up the stairs into an hiding place, the one who told her crazy stories that she often write on her cute notebooks, the one who made her “disappear” for a few hours just enough to feel strong again.

“I want to disappear!” As if she was reading Audrey’s thoughts, Areum repeated the words her friend said years before. “It hurts too much! I don’t want to see him!”

It was Audrey’s time to save Areum, to do something worthy, so she grabbed her hand. “Come with me. I know a perfect place where no one will find you!”

She pulled her friend and both run down the hallway, like they did years ago.

Hi! Well what to say...Im sorry it took a while.

Also Im sorry but this is once again a sad chapter. 

We get to see more about Jonghyun this time and his relationship with Mi Jung.

Also about Audrey and Areum and finnaly all the truth was revealed and damn...Areum is mad! XD

Can we even blame her?! 

Also more of Key and Audrey!

I dont have much to say ahahaha Well im sorry for all the mistakes and typos and well you know me.

Also I was a romantic in this one.

Have you noticed the Perfectly Dangerous here and there?

Jinki used it to describe Areum.

Mi Jung used to describe Jonghyun....can you feel me?!

Guess who is next?! XD

Tell me what you think about this last chapter in a comment, subscribe and upvote.

See ya~