Mission XVII: Disguise Half II [Whole]
Perfectly Dangerous
Secret Agents Dictionary:
Whole: Containing all components; complete; An entity or system made up of interrelated parts
- Sometime in the near future -
Minho couldn’t stop crying.
Actually he was never the crying type. His mother used to joke and say that he was since birth a baby with no feelings or fears.
Nothing seemed to scare him enough for him to shed some tears but that wasn’t true.
Minho had many feelings, he had fears too, he simply only cried when it was the right moment to do so. Besides he was always a happy kid, he had the gift of being friendly with everyone, of bringing joy wherever he went but his parents always failed to see that as a good trait. Instead they wanted him to do well at his studies, to follow the path they settled for him as if he had no say in it.
However that day he was crying.
He raised his hand to clear his tears, dirtying his face with blood, the blood of his friend.
“He can’t be dead…” Minho mumbled, still checking the man’s pulse on his wrist extremely worried and Soul stopped him.
“Focus!”
Right! Onew trusted him, if he didn’t let him stay behind he wouldn’t be now able to help him.
Once Minho stopped shaking he felt it, a weak but steady pulse.
“Let’s pull him out carefully!” Minho said helping his fellow member that was on the ground away from the car to stand up. “We need to take him to a safe place quickly.”
They had no idea if more enemies would show up, if the car would explode.
His team mate was bleeding from his head and was dizzy but didn’t seem like a major cut. He and Soul were lucky; besides some scratches they seemed ok.
“Let’s pull him together….”
“Give me your gun!” Soul asked Minho taking it from his hand since she lost hers during the accident. “I’ll keep watch while you two pull him.”
Minho glanced at her noticing how she was limping from her right leg and then back to the task in question.
“Don’t worry pal, we are going to save you!”
- Present day -
Jinki strode down the hallway wrapping the cotton wrap around his hands ready for his daily session of “punching”. Normally it was a relaxing time for him. He waited until everyone left the gym – Minho was there until late – and then he trained punching the bag for 20 minutes.
However that day it was different, he couldn’t relax at all since Areum was after him. She followed him around all day, pressuring him to teach her how to fight like Key taught Audrey.
Jinki almost wanted to punch Kibum for doing that now.
Jinki pushed the door of the gym open and walked inside the empty room and in the direction of the punching bag as if it was indeed Kibum.
“Are you pretending that I am not here?”
She asked again and Jinki took a deep breath and glanced at her. She actually looked cute that day wearing an old dress from Mi Jung that was a little tight on the chest making her s look bigger. On Mi Jung, that pink dress was very innocent but on Areum it made her look ier.
He made a mental note to buy her clothes next time he left the mansion. They were going to stay there for a long time and she barely had any clothes to wear. It wasn’t as if she could live there wearing Audrey’s and Mi Jung’s things.
“I’m not pretending anything.” He answered patiently gently pushing her back so the bag wouldn’t hit her when he punched it.
She stood there looking at him while he started his training session.
“Can you at least explain to me the reason why I can’t learn how to fight? Is it because you don’t believe that I can learn?”
He stopped the bag and looked at her. The only way she would stop nagging him was if he told her what he felt about the subject honestly.
“No, I just don’t want you to be a part of this world.”
“What do you mean? This world is your world! I want to be a part of the world you live in!”
“I told you, I can protect you. There is no need for you to fight!”
“Well last time I saved you, didn’t I? I could have done more if I knew what I was doing!” She argued placing her hands on her waist.
“Well last time you saved me because you got us in trouble in the first place. You were reckless!”
His comment hurt her feelings and he stepped closer to her when she bowed her head, caressing her upper arm. “I didn’t mean to hurt you I…”
“You helped teaching Audrey didn’t you? You treat her as an equal, as someone important for SHINee, for the missions, to help you defeat Dokko, avenge your parent’s death.”
That was the main reason for all that. She wanted to help him; she wanted to be more than his wife. She wanted to be an ally.
“Are you possibly jealous of Audrey?”
“No!” Areum covered her face ashamed “Yes. I want to be like her in your eyes, I want to be useful to you!”
“What do you mean? Useful?”
“Look at me walking around the mansion the whole day doing nothing while you are all working, or training or doing something important. I just sleep and eat and walk around and have with you.”
“That’s enough for me.” Jinki joked receiving a bitter look from her.
“It isn’t for me!” She crossed her arms in front of her chest “Audrey is a part of the team, she can even enter the meetings. She understands what you all are doing and I’m just here…I'm only good in bed!”
“Ya!” He grabbed her by her shoulders and made her look at him. “You know that you are more than that! You are not a fighter Areum, you are pure, the only sane, untainted thing in my life! And you know you are talented and special. You are an amazing writer, you have a beautiful heart and you are the most precious person to me! So don’t you dare to say that you are useless!”
She bit her lower lip and he released her “Writing can’t help you right now!”
It was her time to hold on to him and she grabbed his hand, slipping her fingers in the middle of his, knowing that that was his weakness. “I want to know you better. I told you that I would love Onew too; I think I already do but I need to understand you, all of you. And for that to happen you need to let me in and help you.”
“You know me already.”
“Not the real Lee Jinki, not the one that keeps pushing me away from his darkness.”
“You do! I never lied to you about who I truly am. I am only able to truly be myself when I am with you. Can’t you understand that? And I’m not pushing you away, I’m keeping you safe.”
“Like you lied to me?” She asked distressed “Can’t you see that the only thing keeping us away from each other is that you don’t let me in? I want to be your wife. I need to be more than the girl who sleeps with you, the one that hugs you at night when you have a nightmare. I know you told me already about your childhood, about how you entered SHINee but I don’t want to know about the past, I want to know about the present. Can’t I be beside you in everything?”
He groaned sitting on the bench behind him and she sat beside him, not releasing his hand.
“Let me practice with the trainees.”
The comment made him laugh and she frowned. “It’s too rough for you. You would be dead tired after ten minutes!”
“I’m just trying really hard to understand what it is like to be you.”
“But that is the thing!” He exclaimed “You don’t need to try hard. You don’t need to fight, help in the missions or know what I am doing; you just need to be you! That’s enough, just be beside me.”
“Couples share!” she answered stubbornly making him shake his head. How could he share all the gruesome things he did during his mission with her
“Parents share!” That made him freeze.
“What? Parents?”
She looked at their hands still holding each other in her lap and then back at him. “My period is late. And since we married we are having with no contraception’s and well…I asked Mi Jung for a pregnancy test.”
Jinki didn’t react at first, his eyes on hers as if he was still connecting the dots until he leaned forward and kissed her.
She felt him smile against her lips and she wrapped her arms around his neck, answering to the kiss softly. He giggled pulling away and she couldn’t help but smile too.
“It’s still not certain but…”
“Pregnant...” He said to himself, his eyes shining brightly, his hand on her tummy. “We are going to have a baby!”
“I told you I am not sure yet!” She grabbed his hands in hers again “I want to be your wife Jinki, that’s why you need to let me in.”
“I’m not training you now if you are pregnant!” He caressed her tummy again, his dorky smile making her warm inside. He couldn’t hide his excitement, his eyes on her tummy.
“It’s too risky. I don’t want you to lose the baby!”
She frowned realizing that revealing her possible pregnancy wasn’t a good idea after all. She expected to make him realize that she could help him and instead she gave him more reasons to push her into a sealed box away from any harm.
“Shall I pray to not be pregnant then?!” She asked pulling his hand away from her tummy.
“No!” He raised his worried eyes to her “Nooo!” Jinki pulled her for a hug that she reciprocated, caressing his back.
“Then will you…” She said against his shoulder, smiling because he was adorable “Teach me something basic, just enough for me to protect our baby in case I have to…”
“I won’t let anyone get near both of you!”
“Aish!” She pushed away just enough to face him “Only when his father is busy protecting the world!”
“His?” the corners of his lips raised “A boy? You think it’s a boy?”
Areum had no idea what was the gender of the baby, if there was any baby inside her. “Jinki please! Listen to me! Just enough to not be a nuisance. Just some self-defense techniques like Audrey!”
“Audrey is pretty bad! “ He answered back.
“I can run pretty well. I have a good stamina also. I think I can do well!”
Jinki chuckled “As if I will let anyone get closer to you and the baby!”
She gave up.
He would never ever listen to her until the excitement of the news died out, if it would ever do.
“Just calm down a little! I’m still not sure I am pregnant! My period can come tomorrow!”
“I knew we were practicing right!” He said with a smug face and his happiness contaminated her.
“Yes we did practice very well and frequently too!”
“Ok! I'll teach you how to defend yourself!”
“WHAT?” She wasn’t expecting him to agree anymore.
However he raised his finger and poked her nose in warning “Soft basic things only, since you are pregnant, just enough for you to run away in case of danger.”
“Good!” She pinched his cheek happily and stood up from the bench “I’m going to have tea with Audrey! Want to come?”
They were still holding hands and even though he shook his head negatively stating that he had to train he didn’t release her hand, his fingers caressing hers as if he didn’t want to release her.
“You need to let me go Jinki. She is waiting for me!”
His eyes moved from her hand to her face and her heart skipped a beat.
“Having you and this baby is more than I ever imagined myself having.”
The fact that someone like him, someone so special and sweet had to live all his life feeling guilty for something he couldn’t stop, for something that happened when he was a little kid, for his mother's death, broke Areum’s heart.
She fell in love with him without knowing anything about that. He only told her that his parents died in an accident and she only got to know the full story after she found out about his secret life. And now step by step he was recovering memories from his past and opening up to her. He told her about that dream, about his father’s request about how he blamed himself for not being able to protect them. Areum knew deep down why he was reluctant to teach her how to fight, to let her be a part of that side of his life.
Just for being his wife she almost died and letting her be a part of SM was something that resembled his parents and he didn’t want that.
Areum bended forward and gave him a quick kiss “You deserve it!” he deserved all happiness in the world and if it depended of her she would give it to him “So try to take care of yourself ok?!”
“I will!”
She pated his head as if he was a kid and then released her hand from his hold.
Jinki watched her leave the gym looking back at him a few times, smiling, before she left.
He couldn’t believe he was going to be a father.
All he could do with the baby, the things he never did with his father. He would make sure that he would never have to ask him to protect someone, that he would never feel in danger, that he would raise him to be healthy and happy.
Jinki giggled standing up from the bench, fixing the cotton wrap around his hands.
Damn Areum was going to have his baby!
Areum couldn’t deny that his enthusiasm didn’t pass to her. Having a baby in that situation was a little scary but she never felt as safer as she did inside the mansion. Yes, at times she felt like a prisoner, majorly if she needed to buy something and to rely in others to do it, like a pregnancy test, but besides that she didn’t mind it. She loved to walk in the garden, and just spend hours watching the clouds and writing small stories inside her head. If she tried, Areum was sure that she would write something good there. Maybe Jinki was right and she should truly try doing it.
She didn’t check her emails anymore since the wedding and her agent was probably starting to worry about her, wondering if she was still on her honeymoon. Also there was her father that she wanted to visit and couldn’t yet. She needed to ask Lee Sooman about it, probably during lunch later that day.
With that thought Areum decided to go back to her bedroom to change into something more presentable. However she never managed to climb the stairs, something catching her attention outside the window.
Minho was outside sitting below a huge stone table where sometimes Bora used to play with her dolls.
She wasn’t sure if it was because he was always honest to her and she was thankful for it, or if it was the fact that he was doing the same thing she often did, hiding under a table, but Areum decided to go speak with him.
He barely reacted when she crouched and crawled under the table, sitting beside him, covering not to giggle because he was so tall that he had to bend forward not to hit his head against the table.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hiding…I decided to try it.” It seemed to work for her and why not?!
“You are too big to hide under a table, I’m sorry.”
Minho didn’t smile covering his face with his hands instead, releasing a deep sigh.
“Is everything alright?” Areum touched his shoulder gently “You can tell me if you want. Sometimes talking about it helps and you helped me before.”
“I did?” He asked turning his head to face her “Wasn’t I an ? Always saying hurtful things?”
“No…not at all. You were honest to me. Besides how can you be a bad person? You are really sweet when you want to. Jinki told me about the things you do in your free time, how you volunteer and donate money to many causes. You are a really good person.”
“Am I?” He looked away “I keep hurting the ones I love the most….I disappoint them.”
“I do too.” She said pulling her knees against her chest and hugging them. “I almost killed Audrey and Jinki. I was so awful to them. I even got my father hurt in the process.”
“Yeah, you !”
“Hey!”
They both giggled and Areum placed her head over her knees watching Minho. “Who did you disappoint? That woman that helped us escape?”
“How do you even…?”
She opened her eyes wide and blinked them prettily making Minho frown “You looked at each other like this…like Love!” She giggled but he didn’t find that funny at all “She is special to you isn’t she?”
“She lied to me to protect me.”
“Like Jinki did to me.”
It now made sense to her how Minho could understand what she was going through before. He lived the same.
“Worse, I became who I am now because I wanted to see her. I wasn’t sure if to save her or simply get my revenge for what she did to me.”
“And do you know now why you did it?”
“I just wanted her back. I wanted my Nana back, that person I fell in love with, you know?! But maybe she never existed at all.”
Minho watched how she playfully tapped her feet like a little girl, no wonder Jinki liked her, she was like sunshine after the terrible life he had.
“I’m not an expert but for me everyone has two sides, the one they show everyone, the sunny one and then the one only special people can see, the moonlight one.”
“Aren’t you reading Jonghyun’s books too much?” He laughed but Areum grabbed the sleeve of his arm catching his attention so he could hear her.
“Jinki and Onew are like sunshine and moonlight and yet they are one. Sometimes you don’t know that moonlight exists and yet you already love it because it’s what makes that person be who they are now. It’s just that you need to get used to it. Once you do…You realize how blessed you are that you truly know and love that person despite of their ugly sides. I don’t mean that that aren’t secrets between you anymore, just that you two reached a comfortable relationship where you know each other's limits, where you trust.”
“So you say that I should feel blessed that I know about Nana’s moonlight. What is this seriously?!”
Areum made a frustrated sound with her tongue and frowned staring at Minho “Aren’t you lucky that someone loves you so much that they are willing not only to give their life for you but also show you their darkest side without any fear? Someone that knows exactly who you are, all the mistakes you made, and loves you the same none the less? Isn’t that a blessing?”
Minho cleared his throat and looked away knowing that what she was saying was true. Tears came to his eyes as guilty assaulted him again. What he said and did to Nana, scaring her away from him was the same as throwing luck away. Who wouldn’t give everything to have someone like her in their lives?!
“She left. It’s too late.” He mumbled with a weak voice hiding his face from Areum.
“No. You can search for her. If you found her once I’m sure you can find her again.”
Areum’s words made him feel better even though he knew that that wouldn’t be that easy. Nana wasn’t a normal woman and if she didn’t want to be found she wouldn’t be and last time they talked she was very upset with him.
After that they stood in silence and Areum watched Minho’s profile wondering why she had the feeling she saw him before all that happened?!
He was truly handsome just like her type, maybe that was the reason. Suddenly it hit her, the sense of dejavu, she knew where she met him before.
“The club! You were at that club where I kissed Jinki for the first time!”
“I was!” He agreed noticing how Areum’s expression darkened when she realized that he tried to seduce her before, now everything making sense inside her head.
“Was Jinki with you that night?”
“Yes. Watching us like a falcon, burning in jealousy.”
“Really?”
Minho smiled and patted Areum’s head as if she was a pet “Yes. He was crazy about you already and as soon as my seducing didn’t work out – I still wonder why you have such bad taste in men - he said he would talk with you but you didn’t seem to want only to talk…and he didn’t seem to mind!”
Areum blushed deeply forcing an embarrassed smile that made Minho laugh whole heartedly.
“He was in love with you, he still is.”
“Sometimes I’m jealous of how everyone seems to be so close to him. I wish I could help him more. I asked him to train me and I had a hard time convincing him since…” She stopped speaking realizing that she almost told him about the pregnancy. Since Minho was always honest with her she decided to be too “…I might be pregnant.”
“WOW!” Minho loved kids and she was sure he would be a very dedicated uncle. Bora was adorable but Jonghyun always over protected her, jealous that she would like the uncles more than him. An absolute nonsense since she worshiped her father. “Jinki must be extremely happy.”
“I’m not 100% sure so don’t tell anyone!”
“I won’t, anyway we will be away for a few days so once he comes back I’m sure you will know for sure already.”
“What?”
Areum's confused expression was all that Minho needed to know that he messed up.
“He didn’t tell you yet? About the mission that we have tomorrow?”
“No he didn’t…I can’t believe him!” They just talked about sharing and he didn’t tell her! “Is it because I’m pregnant?! Is he an idiot?!“ She mumbled some more inaudible things to Minho and then turned to him “Do you think that it’s possible for Jinki to be a normal man someday. Like, one with a family?”
“Like Jonghyun? Yes for sure. We will suffer as a team since Jinki is a very good agent but yes…I’m sure the baby and you come first.”
“Really?”
“Really. Nothing is more important to Jinki than family. He lost his once and I’m sure he won’t risk losing it again.”
Areum nodded her head; feeling blessed that now she knew what Minho was talking about.
Family was indeed important to him and that’s why she was sure that he probably wouldn’t give up on his revenge easily.
She spoke with Minho for a few more minutes oblivious to the person watching them from inside the mansion, from the same window she spotted Minho.
Jinki swallowed hard trying to ignore the jealous ache inside his chest. Yes, they were sitting beside each other and seemed very close but he trusted both of them. He knew Minho would never make a move on her and she would never cheat on him. However he was envious of the way they could speak so carefree with each other. He missed that, going on dates with her, having innocent conversations about everything.
Maybe after the mission he could risk it and take her out for a date. Yes, only the thought made him happy. He could ask same agents to go with them, the privacy would be an issue, but he would do anything to see her smile carefree like that again.
“Agent Onew?” Director Oh voice made him turn around and his expression stiffened immediately when he saw Seul Hee, also known as Soul, smiling back at him.
She was still the same, red hair falling over her shoulders, fringe combed to one side, falling over her eyes that were a different color every time he saw her – this time they were like gold-, a sweet easy going appearance that contrasted with her y, teasing personality.
“Onew! Did you miss me?” She asked cutely blinking an eye at him and he simply sighed ignoring her and turning to Director Oh.
“She is coming with us then?”
“She is your date for the party.”
“We are going to be a sweet romantic couple!” Soul said playing with her hair before she peeked from the window. Jinki placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back. The least that woman knew about his and the members personal life the best. Soul was on their side but still it was best to not trust her 100%.
“Is that your fake wife?” Soul asked pointing at Areum. Jinki wasn’t sure why she knew about Areum being at the mansion but he had an idea about who spilled the beans. Director Oh fixed her glasses as if it wasn’t her fault at all that that piece of information was known by Soul.
“Not fake.” He answered slowly and loud enough for both women to hear “She is really my wife.”
“Weren’t you ordered to date and marry her?” Soul asked curiously, half closing her eyes in thought “Director Oh told me that it was part of a mission…”
Jinki glared at Director Oh and then wrapped an arm around Soul diverting her attention from the window and walking away from it.
“No. Wrong info, she is truly my wife.” He released Soul and turned to Director Oh that stepped back startled with his fierce expression “Your job here is not to analyze my personal life or discuss it with other agents. It wasn’t an order. I married her because I wanted to and as of today I ask you to keep away from her and my personal life, please. Let’s just speak about things that concern Agent Onew and not Lee Jinki.” Jinki bowed to the two women quickly “Now excuse me, I need to get ready for lunch.”
Soul smiled delighted with Jinki's reaction, he was still the same she remembered and she liked it. She always liked strong man after all. However Director Oh didn’t seem to like his reaction as much as Soul, her eyes on the window from where they now could see Minho and Areum walking back inside the house.
Soul was extremely good at reading people, she was trained to and she knew that not everyone inside that mansion seemed to approve of Jinki’s marriage.
“Who do you want to play with?” Mi Jung asked Bora that was in the middle of the living room looking from aunt Audrey to aunt Areum.
Aunt Audrey was sweet and she used to read books to her but aunt Areum was like a kid her age, she was clumsy, didn’t know any cute children songs and also uncle Jinki seemed to like her too much. Bora was a little jealous but if he liked her then it probably meant that she was cool.
That day during lunch, while everyone ate like a family, Bora was happy and didn’t mind that Areum was there too. She didn’t even mind that uncle Jinki was always offering food to her and being the sweetest. She was his wife after all. Bora actually liked how aunt Areum joked about the food mimicking the voice of Poporo.
Bora peeked at Jinki that was sitting by her father’s side on the couch, both talking about the boring award ceremony she went to and then back to the two women in front of her. She raised her finger to Areum that widened her eyes surprised thinking that she would never be chosen.
“Aigo…guess I’m not needed today!” Audrey said with a chuckle pushing Areum forward in the direction of Bora. “Practice!” She whispered to her friend that swallowed with difficulty, nervously staring at the little girl in front of her. Would she be able to truly take care of a baby, raise a little girl like that?!
“Oh!” Jinki exclaimed from behind Areum and she glanced at him, panic all over her face.
Jinki smiled back at Areum, ignoring her struggle “Bora…” he said full of aegyo making the little girl beam at him “Aunt Areum knows how to make up pretty stories. She writes like daddy!”
“Really?” That seemed to catch the little girls attention and Areum saw for the first time in the little girls eyes some respect.
“I do. I write stories!”
“Do you know any about princesses?”
Areum smiled crouching near the little girl so she could talk with her “Many!”
“Come with me!” She grabbed Areum’s hand and pulled her out of the room.
Jinki waved at his wife before she sent him a thankful smile and left the room.
“I’m glad Bora is warming up to her.” Jonghyun remarked.
“She was just jealous of Jinki and suspicious since she is a new person in the family. She is like her father!” Mi Jung commented.
“Hey!”
Jinki wasn’t listening to the couple anymore; instead he was observing Taemin that spent the whole lunch in silence. He wasn’t the most talkative normally but when he was with family he always participated in the conversation. Something was worrying him and Jinki knew it wasn’t the mission.
Ace was never nervous about a mission. If he had to do one he just did and it was it.
It was something different, something new to him.
Taemin was oblivious to his brother’s eyes on him, playing with his phone as if he was waiting for a call.
It wasn’t a lie. He did tell Mina that he would call her later and he did but she didn’t pick up the phone. She sent him a text wishing him good night leaving him with so many questions that he was going insane.
It wasn’t like him to be so obsessed over someone, to worry that much.
He was almost convinced on ending with that pain and ride his bike back to her house when his phone vibrated on his hand.
Taemin crossed the door to the balcony and answered the call, his eyes skimming the perimeter instinctively checking for anyone that could be eavesdropping. It was something he did without thinking even when he was safe at home.
“Yes?”
“Taemin?” A crying voice came from the other side making him apprehensively immediately. Mina never cried in front of him before, not like that.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“My brother. He is terribly sick again. He is at the hospital right now. They connected him to a ventilator. I don’t want him to die…I don’t know what to do.”
“Are you with him?” Taemin asked knowing that he was the worse person to contact when you are in need of a comforting word. He was better acting than talking. Yet she probably didn’t have anyone to call but him.
“No. I had a problem!”
“What kind of problem?” Taemin turned in his spot his eyes falling on Jinki’s that was inside the room looking at him. He probably sensed that he was troubled already so Taemin turned around again, hiding his face from him.
“My father…He was upset with me because I didn’t sleep at home.”
“Oh!” He rubbed his neck, remembering that night they spent together. It was normal that her father was upset. He probably sensed that his daughter had with him. “But what do you mean? Where are you then?”
She didn’t answer his question “My father has a strict idea of with whom I should have with.”
Taemin blinked his eyes confused. Then he wasn’t worried about his little girl sleeping with a man, instead he was worried about her sleeping with him?
“Yes but where are you?”
“I’m also at the hospital, as a patient.”
“What?” His body stiffened immediately.
“It’s a long story…”
“Where are you?” Taemin almost screamed on the phone losing his mask of indifference. Mina was hurt and there wasn’t anything that would stop him from reaching to her. “I’ll meet you there!”
“Aren’t you busy today?”
! The mission…they were going to prepare for it that day and leave the next day. That lunch was a way for Lee Sooman to join the family before they all left. If Taemin missed the briefing he couldn’t go on the mission. It wasn’t advised to.
Taemin closed his eyes, for the first time in his life conflicted with something.
His bigger enemy was alive inside him and it was called Taemin. Right now it wasn’t the right time to come out and yet Ace didn’t stand a chance if he wanted to.
“Aren’t you alone?” He asked in pain, hoping that her words, that her voice would make him decide.
“Yes but…”
Taemin turned around, this time his eyes searching Jinki’s and not running away. He was beside Areum that was on the floor making a puzzle with Bora, now both back inside the living room. He was saying a joke for sure since both girls were laughing at him. He caressed Areum’s back tenderly and then raised his eyes to Taemin, his smile fading immediately.
His brother stood up from the floor and walked in the direction of the balcony, in the direction of Taemin.
“Which hospital?” Taemin repeated the question, memorizing the name of the hospital “I’ll be there no matter what!” He turned off the call just when Jinki stepped outside the balcony.
“Hyung...” Taemin cried as if he was in pain reminding Jinki of the little boy that used to have nightmares, that he often tucked in bed, the same one that he did a blood pact with.
“There was a time you said that I deserved to be happy.” Jinki remarked glancing at Areum that was bickering with Bora about a piece of a puzzle both fighting to find out where it connected. “I can say the same back to you. You also deserve to be happy Taemin. Happy and loved.”
“I need to go somewhere…Someone is in danger.” Taemin answered “But what will everyone think…the mission…I’m not sure I’ll come back on time for it.”
Jinki smiled reassuring him and placed his elbows on the handrail of the balcony as if that wasn’t a problem at all.
“You protected my back so many times in the past. You helped me with Areum, you helped me with…father…You won’t need to worry. Now it’s my time to protect yours. Do whatever you have to and call me if you need help.”
“Hyung….I never thought that this would happen to me.” Taemin looked at his feet as if he was embarrassed and Jinki punched his chest playfully.
“Aigo, why are you acting as if it is a crime to love? Because it’s about a girl right?”
Taemin didn’t answer but raised his eyes to Jinki.
“I’ll tell Base. I’m sure the team will understand. Also, your brother, your grandma and everyone else that loved you and loves you want you to be happy. You can go with no remorse.”
“I’ll go then!” Taemin said awkwardly giving Jinki a quick hug. He stepped inside the living room and almost flew down the stairs.
Jinki watched him from the balcony and even waved at Taemin.
Yes, Taemin wasn’t dead all that time; he was only dormant inside him waiting for the right time that he was strong enough to be one with Ace.
Jinki left the bathroom only on his green boxers and sat beside Areum in the bed.
Even though she was hiding behind one of Jonghyun’s novels that she was rereading, Jinki knew that she was upset with him.
“Ok, what is wrong?” He asked running a hand down his wet hair and Areum placed the book on the bed immediately.
Her hair was still a bit dump and she looked the cutest only wearing one of his black shirts that were big on her, covering her hands and her pink with grey kitties that made her look like a little girl, and yet he tried to be serious and listen to her.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the new mission?”
“You are pregnant! I didn’t want to worry you. They say the first months are the most dangerous ones, besides I would tell you now.”
Areum creased her brow in disbelief before she grabbed her pillow to hit him with it.
He barely moved grabbing the pillow from her hands and easily puling it away and placing it on her side of the bed again for her to lie beside him.
“So the baby is an excuse for you to hide things from me now?” She asked ignoring his sweet smile and the way he was caressing her arm tenderly. “I’m praying that I am not pregnant now!”
That comment erased the smile of his face and Jinki grabbed her by her shoulders and made Areum lie down on the bed.
“W-what are you doing?” She asked confused when he climbed on top of her, a serious expression on his face.
“Jinki?” Areum tried to push him away “We are having a discussion here, I don’t wan to have right now!”
He ignored her and instead grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms over her head grabbing both her wrists with one of his hands, the other supporting his weight so he wouldn’t totally fall over her.
Areum gulped, totally defenseless under him. In a way that position was y and she couldn’t help but be reminded of some moments of rougher they had in the past.
However Jinki didn’t seem to want to have with her either, at least not for now.
“I’m going to make you a question and I want you to answer sincerely!”
Areum nodded and he spoke again “Do you really mean it?” His expression softened “Do you really wish that you were not pregnant?”
Was that the important question he had to make her?! Areum almost had an heart attack with his actions!
Mi Jung was right, he truly wanted to have a family and that possible pregnancy seemed to be really important to him.
Of course she did wish to be pregnant. The idea of giving birth to his baby made her all warm inside….and scared if you think about the massacre that giving birth was.
“Areum?”
She moved her legs under him, brushing those stupid thoughts away. “Not that I don’t want to be pregnant, more like right now it’s not the right time. I mean you are going on a mission that you forgot to tell me about!”
“Stop nagging and answer me, why do you want to have my babies?” He grinned like the Cheshire cat and released her wrists slightly, now pinning her down with his body, his mouth inches from hers, his nose touching hers.
“Why?!” she moved her body against him knowing what he wanted. He used to tell her everyday how much he loved her, the words coming easily from his mouth and now she knew why. He was afraid to die at any moment and he wanted his feelings to come across to her clearly.
However for Areum that lost her mother when she was young and had a tumultuous relationship with her father, talking about her feelings wasn’t the easiest thing.
She was only good with words on paper and she always saved the I love you’s for the special moments, for when she couldn’t held the torrent of feelings inside her anymore.
But now, ever since she knew that she could lose him, things were totally different. Every moment was worth an I love you.
She could understand the urgency to say those words, to show what she felt not only in action but also with words.
“You know why!” She answered teasingly making him wrinkle his nose.
“Say it Areum, like you did last night when you climbed over me like a very naughty kitty!”
“Ya!” She pulled her hands from his hold and used them to cover her face, the tips of her fingers the only thing he could see coming out from the sleeves of his shirt.
“You are so damn cute!” He exclaimed pulling her hands away and pinning them above her head again, his melodious laughter making her smile too.
Just a few minutes ago she was upset with him and yet only his smile was able to make her forgive him.
“Say it Areum…that you love me! That you are crazy about me!”
“As you said, I told you that already last night!” She tried with a weak voice but Jinki shook his head.
“No, no…” He wasn’t going to give up on that and Areum closed her eyes when he started kissing her neck, his free hand ing the shirt she was wearing, his lips trailing her skin, his wet hair touching her making her raise her body against his, feeling a part of him that she wanted inside her.
“Damn!” She moved her arms on the bed helpless since he was still holding her, and he reached her and her before he moved down her body, his nose brushing on her skin and stopping over her stomach that he kissed tenderly.
He delivered several kisses there making Areum wish that she was truly pregnant since he was being the sweetest.
As if his cute sweet and y actions weren’t enough he had to say those words too “You are the best thing that ever happened to me Areum.”
She groaned, not able to contain the love she felt for him any longer. He knew exactly what to do or say to make her explode with feels and maybe that’s why she was always able to write the most beautiful romantic scenes ever since she met him.
He hovered over her again and kissed her lips nosily, her lower lip and kissing her neck again.
“Jinki…release me.” She asked but he didn’t convey to her request.
“No. Say that you love me!”
“Release me so I can touch you!”
“Oh!”
As soon as he let her move her arms she pulled him to her lips, holding him against her with all her strength.
“I love you.”
Her confession made him kiss her more passionately and even though Areum tried to stop him and push him away from her body she barely managed to make him move an inch.
“What’s wrong?” He asked after she managed to get free from him and take a deep breath.
“I’m not going to have with you!”
“Why not?” He was romantic and y and they were almost in their bed. Why weren’t they going to have when all of her body was clearly screaming that she wanted to have with him?! “Are you feeling sick?” His eyes fell immediately on her tummy that was now bare for him to see.
“No! Can you forget my possible pregnancy for a while and focus on the fact that you hid the mission from me!”
“Aigo!” he laid down back on the bed and she laid her head over his chest, hiding her face on his neck, breathing his scent and hugging him.
He wrapped an arm around her knowing that he wasn’t going to win that battle, not while she was upset over that.
“I wasn’t hiding. I was going to tell you, it’s just that I am not used to do it.”
She kissed his neck and raised her eyes to him “So you will start sharing things about Onew’s life with me?”
He knew what she meant and after all the arguments they had over it the last days she was probably right.
“I’ll try.”
That was better than nothing and Areum smiled delighted, closing her eyes and moving the tips of her fingers on his chest, drawing small imaginary hearts on his skin.
“Can we have now?!”
She giggled with his question and he moved a hand under her shirt that was now ed.
“No. You need to sleep. You need to be wide alert tomorrow! After all, my baby needs his father alive!”
“His…a boy again!”
“It’s just a way to put it. It might be a girl…or maybe nothing. Might be only gases!”
He laughed hugging her tighter against him “Another reason to keep practicing!”
“Another reason for you to rest and come back alive with no scratches!”
Jinki sighed stretching his arm to turn of the lamp on the bedside table, giving up on the .
- Earlier that afternoon -
She said that she fell from the stairs. That was the lie she told at the hospital and for Taemin the hospital staff was either stupid or didn’t care to find out the truth.
Even if falling from the stairs could justify her hurt arm it couldn’t justify the big bruise she had on her cheek.
“I look like a victim of a very over protective boyfriend.” She laughed but it didn’t contaminate Taemin that wasn’t in a painful mood, his dangerous eyes on her.
“Does he hit you often?” even though his voice was soft, Mina could see how his hands were curled into fists.
“Sometimes.”
“You should tell the police.”
“NO.” She immediately grabbed his arm as if she was afraid that he would. “Even though I hate him, he is my father. Besides I don’t have money to take care of my brother. His treatments are expensive and he isn’t well now.”
“I do.” He offered without a second thought “I have money. I can help you take care of him.”
“Are you asking me to marry you Lee Taemin?” She joked “Why are you even wanting to help me?”
“Because…” Why didn’t he care about hiding himself anymore, with keeping his distance from her?! “I want to take care of you. For the first time since….” He couldn’t tell her, he still couldn’t tell her about his brother that died, about Jinki, about everything. It wasn’t the right time “I have someone else I want to take care of.”
That sounded too much like a confession and Mina smiled at him, wincing because her face hurt while doing so.
“Do you love me Taemin; is that what you are trying to say to me?” She asked caressing her hurt cheek with the tip of her fingers.
“I like you.”
She wasn’t expecting for him to answer like that and it was as cute as it was funny.
“Well…that is everything but romantic.” She hummed in thought pursing her lips and then sang “I put a spell on you...because you're mine. All mine…”
He frowned recognizing the song and wondering how she could joke at a moment like that.
However he knew the rest of the lyrics, the ones she didn’t sang.
You know I love you, I love you, I love you;
I love you and it aint hard and
I dont care if you dont want me…
I'm yours right now…
because you are mine.
He wasn’t sure if she chose the song for a reason, if she was trying to send him a message or mocking him. Either way Taemin took a deep breath to try and calm his heart, which didn’t work, and leaned forward, careful to not hurt her, kissing Mina so she wouldn’t sing the rest.
Because if she said those words he wasn’t sure if he would be able to not say them back at her.
There was something special about the way Kibum looked while he slept. Maybe it was because he was defenseless and couldn’t roll his eyes at you or attack you with one of his witty remarks, or maybe it was the way he looked perfect.
Audrey couldn’t stop looking at his paled pink lips, his beautiful upper lip that provoked her feelings that she could never fight.
The previous night they talked for hours and when she noticed Kibum fell asleep beside her in bed. Audrey covered him with a blanket and fell asleep looking at him. It was morning already and he was probably really tired since he didn’t move during the night and he was still sleeping.
She was wondering if she should wake him up to have breakfast so he could leave for the mission but Audrey wanted to extend the time they had together.
She was barely moving afraid to wake him up when he moved his lips, stretching his legs. He didn’t wake up immediately moving his fingers over the pillow, opening his mouth a single word coming from it.
“Gi…”
Audrey’s eyebrows dropped and she looked at him sadly, losing the grin she had before.
She heard about Gi before, she heard about her from Kibum. He didn’t tell her everything about her, but from what she heard Gi was someone extremely important to him, the reason Kibum was an agent now.
It was funny how almost every member in SHINee became a secret agent because of someone they loved and because of that they weren’t allowed to love again.
Yes, Kibum loved Gi and maybe he still did.
She sat on the bed now wide awake in every sense. There was no way that she could delay his departure anymore. Extending their time together was childish, hoping that she was special to him was a nonsense.
He moved in the bed oblivious to her thoughts and yawned before opening his eyes.
Kibum struggled to sit on her bed and smiled weakly at her but she didn’t smile back at all.
“Morning.”
“Morning. It’s almost time.” She said sounding a little like Director Oh. Kibum frowned probably noticing the similarity too and finding weird how the lovely Audrey form the previous night was now sounding so different.
“Aren’t you coming to have breakfast with me…us?”
She ignored his question pulling the blanket she used to cover him from over his legs. He looked at her confused with her bad mood.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Look…” he knelled on the bed thinking that he knew what that was all about “I know that you don’t like when I go on this missions but…”
“I don’t care!” She said furrowing her eyes “You are a secret agent after all and they go on missions! It’s part of your job!”
“Wow!” He moved from the bed wondering what happened that made her so upset with him. The previous night she was so sweet, using every excuse to touch him and for several times he felt like kissing her.
“About what I asked you yesterday…”
He interrupted her “About helping you find your family? Yes I will help you. As soon as I get back I’ll visit the orphanage. I have some contacts in France too. I will help you. If you have anyone of your family left I will find them.”
Audrey nodded her head knowing that it was time for him to leave. She could simply follow him to breakfast but after what happened she would rather not.
“I’m going to leave now.” He warned her, smiling teasingly like she hated and loved.
“Be careful. Don’t get hurt.” She mumbled under her breath, avoiding looking at him.
However he grabbed her chin and made her look at him so he could plant a kiss on her lips.
A sweet goodbye kiss that Audrey barely had time to answer back.
However he seemed to like her response to it and offered her one of his best smug smiles.
“See you soon.”
Kibum left and Audrey stared at the blanket that she still had in her hands.
Maybe she was a fool for being so mean to him before. After all he was going away for a few days, in a dangerous mission. He could get hurt he could never come back.
No.
Only the possibility almost broke her heart.
She threw the blanket over the bed and ran outside and down the corridor, stopping by an inch and hiding before she crossed the corner.
Kibum was at the end of the stairs speaking with a woman that Audrey recognized as the new agent, Soul.
She didn’t dare to peek knowing that they would probably catch her, so instead she stood in absolute silence listening, trying to control her breathing.
“So you are also here.” He crossed his arms and seemed a little annoyed.
The day before Areum told Audrey about Mi Jung’s opinion of Soul and even though Areum didn’t take the warnings serious, Audrey wasn’t as innocent as she was and knew exactly what Mi Jung meant.
“I thought they told you. I’m traveling with you today!” She tilted her head and played with her ponytail, curling her hair. “You don’t seem happy to see me!”
“You are not my favorite person and I just woke up. “
Soul chuckled ignoring his raspy comment. Key was always like that.
“I wonder why? We seem to get along just fine when we want to.”
“I’m not your friend.”
“I never said you were. It was just after all.”
Audrey couldn’t help it so she dared to peek and saw how Kibum was grasping the woman’s arm, speaking a lot lower now as if he knew that she was listening.
Maybe he did…he was an agent after all.
“Never mention it again; it was a long time ago.”
“Why?” The woman raised her eyes to the stairs and Audrey hid again, her heart beating extremely fast. “Because perfect Key can’t sleep with a woman while he is drunk, mumbling another woman’s name?” Even though she laughed out loud Audrey couldn’t hear her, thinking about her words.
Gi?! She was still a presence in his life…
Was that the name he moaned during with Soul, the woman he wished to be with, the one his heart craved.
Maybe that could explain his on and off relationship with Audrey, why he never touched her again after their first time together. Yes there were caresses, kisses, moments of weakness that almost end up in but he always refrained his desires, he always stopped, finding an excuse.
“What is her name anyway?!” Soul voice broke Audrey’s line of thought. “Hum….”
“This is not funny so please stop.”
“No it truly isn’t funny. Oh right!” Soul’s laughter reached Audrey on the above floor “I remember her name. Audrey right?”
The mention of her name made her gasp and she had to cover . He said her name?! Then maybe he slept with that woman before he was with her?! Did he truly love her then or was he just used to say the names of every woman in his life?
“She lives here right? She is the one Dokko wants, right?” Soul was the only person Audrey could hear. It was as if Kibum wasn’t in the room anymore and Audrey was too scared to check if he was. “Did you manage to her already or do you still sleep with other women mumbling her name?”
There was a weird soft sound and Audrey dared to peek. Kibum was holding Soul’s arm twisting it slightly. Audrey couldn’t see his expression but she knew that he was upset.
“Don’t you even dare to say her name or talk about this again!”
“Oh you did…” Soul smiled teasingly but then shook her head “relax Key I’m just playing with you.”
Even though she said that her eyes moved over the stairs again to Audrey and this time she was sure she saw her.
Kibum tilted his head, moving his head slightly to the side and Audrey had the feeling that he also knew and yet was pretending that he didn’t.
“That…was a big mistake!”
She didn’t know what he meant, if it was the fact that he slept with Soul or saying her name or even Soul teasing him. Audrey hoped the mistake was the first option.
Kibum released Soul and walked away and she rubbed her arm watching him leave before she turned to Audrey.
It was something out of a movie but next time Audrey wouldn’t make fun of those heroines that are too petrified to run away or say anything when they know they might be in danger.
Soul climbed the stairs, her eyes on Audrey’s and there was no doubt that she meant to talk with her.
Audrey stepped back which made Soul stop, her hand on the handrail of the stairs.
“Enjoy it before it ends.” Soul said giving Audrey a sympathetic smile “Men like Key have a past and a present. The past normally comes back to haunt them…and most of the times they have no future.”
Audrey ignored that piece of advice that she never asked for and turned around and walked back to her bedroom.
“Relax sweetie…” Soul whispered in Onew’s ear moving her hand on his chest. “It’s a party and you are having fun with a hot woman like me, you should smile more.”
Onew smiled naturally even though Soul knew it was fake and that amused her even more.
He didn’t care about her, he was just hoping that the mission went well, no one got hurt and Areum never found out about the things he had to do for a mission.
He didn’t lie to her, he said the truth, he didn’t had to sleep or kiss anyone ever since he was with her; which sometimes made things much more difficult, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t have to flirt, or dance, or do some caresses to other women just for make pretend.
Onew moved his eyes around the room, twirling Soul that was in his arms, with him while they danced. She looked extremely beautiful with a dark blue dress, her red hair curly falling on her back. He looked handsome too, wearing a formal black suit over a white shirt and an annoying black bowtie. Areum would have called him a penguin but he was sure she would have liked it.
Minho was as always drinking wine and observing the party while he flirt with a woman, his dark blue suit matching with his blue eyes. He looked like a prince and more importantly he was doing a good job at pretending that he didn’t know Onew or Soul.
“Do you think he got it already?” Onew whispered against Soul’s hair.
As a cue she grabbed his hand on her back and pulled it down to her making him frown slightly.
“He is Key the almighty. I’m sure he will be back in a few minutes.”
Key went for a short visit to the bathroom as an excuse to search the house and get what they wanted.
“You know,” Soul rolled her eyes when she felt him slide his hand back to her waist. “I slept with Ace, Minho and Key after I slept with you.”
“Key too?” That was surprising.
“He was drunk and needy….like a little kitty in love.”
Onew his lips not even daring to ask, he had an idea who was the object of his affection and Soul knowing about it wasn’t good.
“I only have Base left to do a Bingo in my SHINee card!”
Onew chuckled knowing that that would be impossible.
“Also I don’t mind repeating when something is very…” She moved her fingers on the collar of his coat “Delicious….”
“I do.” Onew answered knowing exactly what she wanted.
“I mean, I could rank all of your team in bed…and you…are on the Top spot...”
“I would be first right?!”
She wasn’t going to trick him. She probably used that in other guys and worked. It wouldn’t on him since he didn’t have anything to prove, he wasn’t proud of the fact that he slept with her years ago and above all he didn’t want to sleep with her again.
“Oh right! The wife…”
“Can you not mention her here?” Onew looked nervously at the corridor from where Key disappeared to go to the bathroom. He was taking too long. If he didn’t come out in three minutes they would have to go search for him.
As if Minho was having the same thought, both agents exchanged meaningful glances.
“Is she really your wife?”
“Yes.”
“How can you even…?” Soul truly seemed interested in it “How can a woman want to be beside a man like you? Well you are handsome, rich and y but the life you have…”
“You don’t know her.” Areum was special. Even with everything she went through, even after the lies, she was willing to love him, to give their marriage a second chance because to her love was like a miracle, too precious to go to waste. “You don’t know me.”
It was true. Almost no one knew him. He also wasn’t sure if he knew himself.
However there were some who did.
Jonghyun, his best friend.
Taemin, his brother.
Minho and Kibum, his friends and team mates.
Areum…surprisingly she knew him even though she said she didn’t. Maybe she didn’t know the name that the dark side of him used – Onew - but she knew him better than anyone, better than he did. She trusted and believed in him.
“You don’t know me.” Onew repeated “You only know Onew.”
She furrowed her brow finding that amusing “Onew…you..it’s the same.”
No it wasn’t but he didn’t have time to explain to her and that wasn’t the place to do so.
Kibum entered the room again, rubbing his right ear, the sign they agreed on, that meant that he got what they wanted, he had the list.
Kibum walked to the front door, ready to leave the party and a few seconds later Minho followed him.
Onew and Soul stayed behind but sooner they joined them outside.
If Taemin came with them, he would be waiting with a car but he didn’t. Instead Minho stood behind, following the rest of the team, keeping watch and the others strode down the street and into a secondary road where a car was parked. Key entered it since he was the one driving and Onew and Soul entered the back seat.
Just when Onew closed the door of the car and Minho was going to run to enter the side passenger’s seat someone shot at him.
He barely had time to hide behind one of the parked cars.
“GO GO!” Minho screamed but Key hesitated his eyes moving from Onew to the car where Minho was hiding behind.
“We can’t leave him…” Onew mumbled pale, his eyes on the window. He needed to make a decision. He was the oldest and Jonghyun wasn’t there.
“We need to go or we all might die.” Soul said moving on the back seat, hitting Key’s arm. A bullet made the back window explode into tiny pieces of glass. Onew and Soul hide on their seats. “JUST DRIVE! They will kill us!”
Onew didn’t say anything and Key waited for his instructions.
It all happened really quick Minho peeked from behind the car and mouthed go at Jinki, smiling at him, raising his coat and taking the gun from his waist belt and Onew the seat ordering Key to go.
For all his life Minho was used to people belittling him, not leaning on him, not believing that he would be able to do well at anything. But Onew trusted him; Onew knew that he would get out of that, that Minho would never forgive him if he didn’t trust him.
Minho respected him and it was time for Onew to show that he also respected him back. He could always find them later at the hotel they were staying. It was just a matter of gaining them time.
Key was sweating profoundly but he accelerated, the copy of the list of clients, the thing they were risking their lives for was folded inside the pocket of his coat, and if it was burning him.
They could lose their lives but they could also save many more if they managed to run away safely.
Even though he pressed the gas pedal with all his strength they didn’t go far away, a few miles in front a van coming from the road on their left hit their car.
Minho just shoot one of the attackers when he saw their escape car being hit, the poor black car overe time and then slide on the road and went to hit the wall on the other side.
“…nooo.” He run as fast as he could, ignoring the bullets passing him by, killing the shooters he could see in his way to the car, killing the driver of the van that seemed to be a bit dizzy just when he reached the car wrecker.
Minho knew that he had a few minutes before the vehicles started to catch fire, before he was able to check for survivors and try and save those that had a chance of living.
Leave the dead, the heavenly wounded, the ones who might keep you behind.
That was what they always told him during training.
You can never let feelings get in the way of the mission. Protect only the ones who can live.
Minho felt tears coming to his eyes.
the training.
The people inside that car weren’t agents, they were his family and he would do anything to save them or die with them.
Minho dashed on the sidewalk, the oil of the van who hit the car on the floor making him slide and go against it. He winced with the pain when his elbow hit the side of the car but ignored it, peeking inside the vehicle.
There was life.
Someone was moving.
But there was also blood and death.
Taemin was bored.
He hated to wait; he wasn’t a man to stay still for a long time. When he had free time he would watch movies, eat, play the piano, exercise or sleep. He didn’t like to idle, he couldn’t understand people that stood there doing nothing, not moving forward.
Yet, for the last hours he did that, staying beside Mina’s bed, watching her sleep, talking with her or simply listening her speak about nonsense and other things that both didn’t care much about but was meant to erase the silence and all the questions both wanted to ask of each other.
He was now looking at the clock, counting seconds, his mind on the team. He missed the briefing, which made Director Oh very upset for sure, and he missed the mission.
Right now at that time, he was sure that they were already at the party, maybe even had the list already.
Mina was resting, again and Taemin wondered if it wasn’t all the painkillers that they gave her.
It wasn’t after all only a broken arm, she hurt her ribs too and even if he asked her she didn’t tell him exactly what her father did to her.
It wasn’t as if he wanted to know the details, he was sure that it would make him even more furious, but he needed to know a little bit of it, so he could at least in his head do the same to that man.
The same man that entered the hospital room with a bouquet of yellow flowers in his hand.
Taemin's expression hardened and he stood up from the chair near her bed.
“I talked with the doctor. She seems to be recovering well.”
Taemin didn’t answer, his fingers touching the knife he hid below his black tee. He could kill him. He could just do it and save her from all the misery that man would try to inflict on her again.
“It must have been a big fall.” Taemin said instead, his deadly eyes on the big man in front of him.
He wasn’t scared even if he was thinner, he fought with worse men than him and won.
“Well…she is such a klutz.” The man dared to smile after that ridiculous lie and Taemin had to look away, swallowing hard.
“My son is better too. I came to visit and tell her.”
“She knows.” Of course she did. She kept asking Taemin to check on the boy making him walk from one floor to another to check on both siblings. The kid was actually adorable and reminded him a little of one of the friends he had as a kid, before everything started.
“Can we step outside?” Taemin whispered. He needed to tell him that he knew, to see how he reacted to it, maybe push him against a wall and threaten him. Would he show regret? He wondered. Many don’t, they think they were doing the right thing?! ”There is something I need to ask you.”
He couldn’t do it there, not risking waking her up and let her see it. He was still her father.
The man nodded placing the bouquet near Mina’s bed and both walked outside.
Taemin cleared his throat, scanning the corridor for possible witnesses and when he was going to speak his phone rang.
He widened his eyes since that wasn’t the normal ringtone, that was the one he attached to the team.
“I’m sorry. Just a second.”
He turned around and walked a bit further down the hallway picking up the call.
“Base?”
“Tae…” Jonghyun’s desperate voice was all that was left to make Taemin worry “the mission didn’t go well. We have a situation.”
“Situation?”
“Minho called…the mission was compromised. We need you…”
“Are they…?” Ace moved a hand on his black hair, his adrenaline raising dangerously, his body starting to get ready for what he would have to do, to enter the mission as counter measure.
“I don’t know yet…but Minho…he was near tears…and that guy never cries.”
“…”
Being together again was a blessing, having no secrets between them another.
Audrey made some tea and both friends were drinking it and eating cookies inside Audrey’s study. That wasn’t more than the place where Aeon machine was.
“How can you be sure it works?” Areum asked munching on her chocolate cookie eyeing the weird machine that looked like a shower cabin suspiciously “I mean, if you never tried it, how you can be sure that it actually works?”
“We don’t. Doing tests is too risky since the person we send back in time can create chaos. This machine was never supposed to be built Areum. This machine is a weapon.”
“I don’t understand why you had to make another one.”
“Because the one at Dokko’s is basically finished. By now they probably can turn it on already.”
“Then why do they want you?” It made no sense to Areum why you would create two of the same dangerous weapon.
“Because I have the key that makes it work. If somehow they turn it on…” Audrey looked at the big black machine with a door. Inside it probably looked like a common cabinet. “We have this to do go back in time and change it.”
“This is too confusing to me.” Areum remarked and Audrey chuckled.
“It is to me too. I hope we never have to use it.” Audrey grabbed one of the honey biscuits.
“You know, I asked Jinki to teach me how to fight because in a way I was jealous of the relationship you have with him. I don’t want to feel like a useless person here. I mean, Director Oh clearly hates me and sees me like the evil seducing female that made Jinki sin.”
Audrey laughed covering agreeing with Areum “But she looks at me like that too. She hates when I get close to Kibum or any of the boys.”
“Maybe she hates women?!”
“Maybe she hates everyone that goes against what she believes.” Audrey said watching Areum that was collecting the small crumbles from her cookie from the table.
“I didn’t do anything. Why would she hate me?”
“You did. You made Jinki human. In her mind they are like machines…although I think she always wanted to marry one of them.”
“What?” Areum wasn’t sure why she never thought about that possibility before. It was true that she wasn’t that old, she was probably around 35, she was pretty even though she always wore heavy makeup and her hair caught on a bun and those boring suits. “Do you think she wanted to marry Jinki?”
“Well who knows?! Maybe for money!”
Areum gasped covering , her shocked expression making Audrey laugh again.
“Who wants to marry a dictator like her anyway?” Areum straightened her body and made a serious face before she impersonated Director Oh’s voice “Jinki it’s imperative that you don’t leave your socks on the floor.”
Audrey laughed again.
She missed that. Those small moments of sweetness when she wasn’t able to think about anything else that troubled her. However soon silence came upon them and the girls ate in silence their minds going to the ones they loved that were at that moment out of their sight but never away from their thoughts and heart.
“Is it always like this?” Areum asked with downcast eyes, eying the crumbles as if they were hiding a secret message.
Audrey knew what she meant. The waiting. The anxiety. The worry.
Areum never waited for Jinki to come back from a mission. Well, in reality she did, but she always thought he was safe, traveling with friends or working, she never thought he would be somewhere fighting for his life.
Now so many things he said or did made so much more sense. Thinking about it made her forgive him faster.
How he would hug her tight and kiss her passionately every time he arrived home from one of the trips, how he insisted on doing fun things and spending most of his time with her the day before going, how he always said sweet, cringing romantic things like “I’ll think about you all the time I’m there.” or “I wish I could just stay with you like this forever.” before he went; or he always insisted that saying I love you every day was important.
She could understand why the present for him was so important. It was all that he allowed himself to have.
But he married her, he started making plans, he wanted a baby. Sometime along the way he started wanting to have a future.
Areum smiled thinking about how she pampered him the previous night, kissing him and whispering him beautiful words, saying I love you and all those lame things he said to her over and over again making him smile until he fell asleep.
Now she could see how important they were to him, how those words made him stronger, how they were more reasons for him to come back safe to her.
A huge commotion outside the room made Audrey jump from her seat and Areum followed her confused.
Audrey seemed in panic and Areum that thought that that noise was normal realized that it probably was a bad sign after all.
Both women walked outside and stood at the door watching a group of the trainees running down the corridor, the same ones Jinki and Minho were teaching, dressed in black.
Jonghyun came after them with Director Oh and even though they were in the middle of the corridor, he passed them by, clearly stressed about something, forgetting to greet them.
“We can’t send them. They aren’t ready yet.”
“We don’t have other agents available at the moment. “ Director Oh was sweating, a strand of her hair escaping the bun and that never happened.
“We can ask one of her trustworthy contacts in Japan…I’m sure they will help us.”
“No, we can’t involve them.”
“WE CAN’T LET MORE PEOPLE GET HURT!” Jonghyun raised his voice hitting his fist against the wall frustrated, the gesture making Areum widen her eyes. She never saw him react like that. He seemed so calm, always speaking so gently when he had an interview on tv because of a new book, or even when he was scolding Bora. He rarely raised his voice, only when he was laughing about something, or drinking.
“I’ll go!” He said after a while but Director Oh shook her head.
“Sooman seonsang-nim doesn’t want you to go. It’s orders. The trainees go and we keep in contact with Minho.”
“W-what happened?” Audrey asked, her voice barely coming out.
Jonghyun seemed to notice their presence only then and he looked away as fast as he could.
“What happened?” Audrey asked again a little more firmly now.
No one seemed to want to answer and Areum couldn’t ignore the tension, something was wrong, very wrong.
“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?” Areum asked stepping forward and grabbing Jonghyun’s colar making him look at her.
“Sabotage.” Director Oh answered for Jonghyun and Areum glanced at her not releasing Jonghyun.
He was her favorite writer and yes she admired him and he was her brother in law, but he was also the only source of true info she had about her husband.
“What?” Audrey’s eyes welled up. She feared that so many times. That moment her happiness would end, and maybe that morning she expected it.
“Someone informed them about our agents.” Director Oh tried to maintain the coldness in her voice, but even she seemed shaken with what happened.
The mole!
Areum pulled at Jonghyun's collar again and shake him “WHAT HAPPPENED? Tell me that Jinki is alright…tell me that the father of my baby is alright.”
Jonghyun widened his eyes, catching that new piece of information, his face paling. “We don’t have much information. Minho is our only source and right now things are complicated for him…”
“TELL ME!” Even though she was screaming, her strength was leaving her and Areum suddenly felt very weak.
He couldn’t be hurt. He couldn’t. He promised her that morning that he would be careful, that he would come back and they would do the pregnancy test together. He even made her giggle caressing her stomach saying that he would name the fetus little coffee bean.
“They were inside the car….Kibum, Jinki and Soul.”
Jonghyun finally started to speak and Areum released him completely and leaned against the wall, trying to focus her humid eyes on him. She could be strong, she needed to.
Audrey wasn’t doing better, already crying, completely losing it as if she knew what Jonghyun was going to say before he actually said it.
She knew it that life wouldn’t let her be completely happy. That destiny always found a way to steal everyone she loved from her. Now that Areum was back they were taking away Kibum.
“The car was hit and it turned over.”
“And Jinki? Is he hurt?” Areum asked, her lip trembling.
Jonghyun hated that part of the job. He never wanted to be the leader because of that. Leading a team meant being the bearer of bad news, the one who should put his honor above feelings and visit the families of those who parted in mission. No one in his team died before, but many times he did the job for members of other teams, because he was Lee Sooman’s heir, the one who would keep the secret family business running after he died.
“I don’t know much, just that they are going to the hospital as soon as Taemin arrives.”
“Is he deeply hurt?” Areum asked again and Jonghyun shock his head.
“No. He was hurt but apparently he helped Minho take the others out from the car. Soul was a bit shaken but she is conscious too…”
The fact that he didn’t mention Kibum didn’t escape Areum and all eyes fall on Audrey that was horrified looking at Jonghyun.
Even though she somehow felt it that morning she never expected it to be true.
No. She couldn’t accept it. She couldn’t lose him, not now when he was finally opening up to her love, when he promised to take her on a date, not after the way she treated him.
“I should have told him that I loved him.” She mumbled to herself, curving her body, realeasing an animalistic cry.
Areum hugged her immediately and Audrey barely noticed, the pain being too much.
She knew that would happen.
Didn’t Soul warn her that morning? Man like him doesn’t have a future.
“Is he badly wounded?” Areum asked, clearing the tears falling down her eyes, hugging Audrey against her, both kneeling on the floor.
“Kibum is going to be taken to the hospital.” Jonghyun informed them “Minho thought he was dead…”
Audrey cried louder with the new piece of information and Areum caressed her back whispering calming words to her, words she wasn’t feeling at all, worrying about that man her friend loved and she barely had time to know better; about the man that was her husband’s friend; worried with her husband that was also hurt body and soul and she couldn’t hug like she was hugging Audrey.
“Minho thought…he isn’t dead Audrey. He will come back to you. I’m sure. Jinki will never come back without him, and Minho will protect them. He will…He is going to be fine!”
No. Nothing was going to be fine. Nothing was ever fine in her life and Audrey should have known that life would never give her two people to love.
She never believed in curses, but now she was starting to believe that maybe she truly carried one with her, making everyone that loved her die, starting from her parents.
Taemin turned the call off. Jonghyun couldn’t go to Japan but Taemin could, he should go. Mina was recovering well and now someone else he loved needed him.
“Is everything fine?” Mina’s father asked sensing the worry Taemin was feeling.
Apparently Kibum was very hurt, and everyone besides Minho was in need of a medical attention immediately. Minho managed to take the others safely from the wreck and they were hiding inside a motel now. They all had basic knowledge of first aid techniques but none was going to help Kibum. The doctor they knew in Japan was already inside the motel but they needed Key to go into surgery. It was mandatory to take him to a hospital as fast as possible. Jonghyun said a team of agents was going to be sent, to keep them safe on the way to the hospital and inside it but Taemin knew that that was bull. They needed him. He was the only one who could do that.
“A friend had an accident. I need to go.”
“Oh that’s awful. I hope it’s nothing serious.”
Taemin was going to say goodbye to Mina. He probably needed to wake her up and tell her an half-truth like he told her father but he knew she would understand. She would probably sing a lame song and tell him to do what he had to do. Then she would smile and give him hope that everything was going to be fine.
“Did your friend drink?” Mina’s father asked following after Taemin ignoring that he preferred to be alone with Mina. “Well drinking and driving is like a mouse in an earthen jar!”
Taemin froze, stopping in the middle of the hallway and the man stopped behind him wondering what happened.
“What did you say?” Taemin turned slightly but didn’t look at Mina’s father, his hands curled into fists in each side of him.
“The old Korean saying….Like a mouse in an earthen jar. A situation with no hopes of escaping…”
There were few times when Taemin felt actually scared.
He was scared to lose his real brother before, he was scared when his brother was killed, he was scared when he almost lost Jinki, he was scared when he heard Mina crying on the phone.
However this time it was a different kind of scared, it was the downing of how destiny could be so cruel. Taemin turned around, his feet barely moving since he didn’t want to be sure that his assumptions were real. They couldn’t be real.
He wished for that day for years and now that it arrived he wished it never did.
Taemin eyes fell on the man’s face and somehow the memories assaulted him.
“No. I have a better idea. Let’s open the kid instead! He has more guts than you!”
That voice that hunted his dream for years, how could he not see the similarity?
That face, that twisted smile. The feelings he had for Mina dimed his senses.
“Is something wrong?” The man asked not recognizing the small boy in front of him.
Taemin wasn’t the kid who peed in his pants anymore, now he was the one who could cut his neck if he wanted. He could do it; he could kill him and run away.
But…Mina…
How cruel could destiny be?! He swore he would kill him after he killed everyone he loved, like he did to him, his own blood. That meant killing his son and daughter, it meant killing Mina.
Taemin felt sick and stepped back.
“Are you ok?” The man asked seeming worried. Worried? That monster?
He raised his arm to grab Taemin’s and the young man widened his eyes in fear, noticing the tattoo on his arm.
The one that he searched for such a long time, the one that Jinki was helping him track down. There was no mistake, that was the man he vowed to kill.
He couldn’t deal with that now. He couldn’t deal with the man that killed his brother, with the revenge that was his solo reason to survive all those years, with his feelings for the daughter of the man he vowed to kill.
Taemin needed to be pushed back, he couldn’t deal with all those feelings, he needed Ace back again.
Taemin moved his hands to his head in pain stepping away from that man he hated as much as he loved his daughter.
He needed to be somewhere else; everyone needed Ace and not Taemin. Taemin was useless, he was a kid, a crybaby, he had a heart, he wished to be happy.
Jinki and Kibum needed him and he wasn’t going to let them down, he was going to be Ace.
He could deal with that later.
Ace stepped back again, releasing his head, his eyes falling on the door of Mina’s bedroom. How could he face her now, how could he look at her face like before knowing she shared the same genes with that monster?!
He kissed her, he had with her, he wanted to protect her, he was maybe in love with her and all that time her golden eyes, her beautiful smile, all she was came from that man.
Without a word Ace ran down the corridor as fast as he could, the words echoing in his head.
“I hope to see you again little mouse!”
He would come back. Not as Taemin, the boy he almost killed but as Ace, to finish what he vowed to do.
Spill his blood and the one of his family.
Probably killing Taemin in the process too, Ace prevailing over him.
That little mouse was going to be his death.
So this is it....
Another "secret" revealed...
And a cliffhanger.
Also as you probably noticed we are spending more time in the present than past and....we might travel more to the future now lol
Hum....For a person that wants to keep her possible pregnancy a secret Areum has spilled the beans too much XD LOL
Poor Audrey ~
Poor Taemin ~
I hope the chapter was ok...see you soon.
Susbscribe, comment, upvote ~
If you find anything please tell me XD I read it several times but it can happen. English not my first language.
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