IMPORTANT

I wish everyone a good 2018. I hope we are able to smile this year and cherish the good memories of the past.

Secret Agents Dictionary:

Conclusion I - a judgment or decision reached by reasoning.

“But…” Audrey’s smile faltered. Mi Jung was older than her. That baby inside her mother couldn't be her.

Then if it wasn't her what did that mean?

Lee Sooman read the confusion on Audrey's face and proudly smiled.

“You are as smart as your mother. Quick to reach a conclusion. Your father was all heart, gentle and an amazing person that wanted to save everyone and your mother was the smartest. I guess their best assets were well divided.”

“What do you mean?” She couldn't understand at all.

“Check the other picture.”

Audrey looked at the next picture and gasped. There was a little baby boy with more or less two years beside her father hugging a duck soft toy.

“You have a brother Audrey, an older brother.”

Audrey shifted her eyes to Sooman speechless.

“Your parents were blessed twice. You have a brother.”

“Is he alive?” She asked immediately making Sooman chuckle.

“Yes, very much alive and before you ask yes he is a good person, one of the best. He was the one that inherited your father's good heart, the need to protect everyone, his eyes, and your mother's courage. He is indeed very much alive.”

She chuckled covering . Somewhere there was someone that shared the same blood as her, someone she didn't know and yet was connected with her in a special way.

“I want to meet him!”

“You will, very soon. I will call him here.” The old man took a deep breath as if he was also relieved that everything is finally ending “Destiny is a funny thing. Even though you grew up far away from each other you found a way back to be together.”

Audrey checked the next picture. It was a beautiful shot of a younger Lee Sooman holding a small girl that was for sure Mi Jung, his wife was beside him and next to her was Audrey’s mother holding her husband’s hand that was carrying a small baby wrapped in a pink blanket, and was leaning down to show it to a little boy holding his leg. She was there in the picture and the little boy looking at the baby in awe, a look of love in his eyes, was her brother.

Some bonds are truly unbreakable.

Audrey knocked on the door to Areum’s and Jinki’s house and then entered.

“I’m upstairs!”

Audrey ran up the stairs and only stopped at the bedroom where Areum was kneeling on the floor over a box with male clothes that she was folding carefully and putting in the closet.

“What are you doing?” Audrey asked knowing exactly what she was doing but giving it time before she exploded telling her friend all about what she just found out.

“Jinki’s clothes from his old bedroom. I'm putting them where they belong now.” She seemed so happy and Audrey sat on the bed raising her eyes to the cute little stars pending from the ceiling.

“This is like a princess's room.”

“Jinki says the same...but he doesn't mind.” Areum touched her hot cheeks “He is amazing. He says he just wants me to be happy.”

“Yeah...By the way, Areum, I have something to tell you!”

Areum immediately sat beside Audrey and grabbed her hand “Me too! I have something really important to tell you.”

Audrey hesitated and then Areum stood up and disappeared into the small bathroom next to the closet.

“Did he pick up your Stitch soft toy? The one he gave you on your birthday?” Areum couldn't stop talking about how she wanted to go home and get her soft toys for the house.

“Better.” Areum appeared at the door carrying something that looked like a pen.

Audrey stood up knowing what it was and approached Areum so that she could look at the pregnancy test.

Positive.

“Oh My God Areum...is that…”

“Yes!” Her friend beamed in complete happiness.

“But you know sometimes they fail and…”

Areum took her other hand from behind her back where she was carrying three other similar tests, all positive. “I really wanted to be sure before breaking Jinki’s heart.”

“OH, YOU ARE PREGNANT!”

Audrey wrapped her arms around her friend and they hugged each other jumping around the room, interjections of happiness coming from their mouths.

“But, but Jinki…”

“I will tell him tonight.” Areum chuckled. “I found out this morning before he left but I want to surprise him later. We have some plans together and I want to make it special. I'm going to hide the tests again. And after we come back we will tell my dad.”

“I can't believe it. This is great!”

Areum opened one drawer from the bathroom cabinet and hid the tests there. “Well I was almost sure but I didn't want to create false hopes again.”

“Well, all the training needed to work.”

Areum chuckled “We keep training though…” She bit her lower lip and Audrey laughed sitting on the bed again.

Areum followed her and sat on the floor at her feet waiting patiently.

“So tell me. I'm all ears. Tell me what you found out.”

It was Audrey's time to show Areum something, a picture of her parents when they were young, the first picture she saw. Areum grabbed it and looked at it intensely.

“These are my parents. My father Hyun and my mother Marie-Line. She was French and now I can finally introduce them to my best friend.”

Areum smiled at Audrey trying to hold in her emotions. She knew how much Audrey wanted to meet her parents, how much she suffered for that. There was a moment she told herself and everyone that it didn't matter if she never found out but Areum knew it wasn't true.

“They are really beautiful. No wonder they had such a gorgeous daughter.”

“But there is something else.” Audrey showed Areum the other picture and her friend grabbed it. “I have a brother and he is alive. An older brother.”

Areum looked at the faces in the picture carefully. She could easily recognize Sooman and his wife - she saw pics of them in an album Jinki had of his childhood and there was a little girl that looked a little like Bora - Mi Jung. Then Audrey’s parents that somehow seemed familiar and then a little boy smiling with a huge smile. Areum froze then and all color must have left her face because Audrey asked her what was wrong.

“You said your mother was French?”

“Yes, why? Is that a problem?”

“Oh My God.” Areum stood up in incredulity moving her eyes around the room and then back to the picture as if she was in shock.

“What's wrong?” Audrey stood up also and Areum grabbed her friend by her shoulders.

“Where is this brother? Did Sooman tell you?”

“He said he would call him here for me to meet him.”

“Call him...well...He isn't here.” Areum chuckled and ignored all the questioning looks her friend was sending her. “You always told me that I was really good with mysteries right? That I should write books about a modern Sherlock Holmes.”

“Well...”

“Maybe you're right! Wait here and trust me!”

Areum looked around the room as if she was lost in the middle of the boxes and then jumped over one that was in the corner and opened it taking out several books from inside it.

She opened a big blue one and leafed through what seemed like an album and stopped in one page.

Audrey stood motionless not knowing what to do and wondering what Areum was thinking. She couldn't see her face but noticed how she closed the album with a thud and placed it carefully inside the box before she stood up.

When she turned Audrey widened her eyes, Areum’s eyes were sparkling.

“This is...so...It's unbelievable.”

“What is? You are scaring me!”

“We need to go to Lee Sooman now! LIKE RIGHT NOW!”

“What why?” Areum didn't answer and pulled her friend by one arm jumping over the boxes and clutter on the floor.

She didn't want to jump to conclusions even though it was so obvious to her, even though it all made sense.

“The nightmares, the toys, the cookies…” Did Audrey’s friend lose her mind? “...the mother, the eyes…” Areum stopped in the middle of the stairs slapping her forehead dramatically “I was so blind! How could I miss that! I’m the one that loves you...and…”

“You are freaking me out!” Audrey complained trying to pull Areum’s hand away since she was hurting her arm.

“Audrey! This is freaking amazing and at the same time makes no sense! I need Sooman to explain!”

“Explain what?” Audrey asked ignored once again.

Areum’s brain was like a train that left its station already, running at full speed towards its destination.

Even though she knew the answer there were so many loose ends her father in law had to explain. She would go easy on him at the start like a good detective would do.

However, the old man wasn't in his study, in his place was Director Oh, sitting at his desk typing on his computer. She froze surprised to see both women there but quickly recovered. She was going to finish her mission later but if it had to be now, then be it. The place didn't matter. She had everything ready already and the faster the better.

“What are you doing here?” Areum asked releasing Audrey now that both reached their destination.

“Working. Isn't it obvious?”

“This is Lee Sooman’s private study…”

“You shouldn't be here alone.” Areum finished for Audrey “Where is he?”

“He had some things to do. Everyone is very busy today.”

Now that the horrible woman said it Areum realized that something was wrong. She didn't see anyone outside or inside the house. Usually, they would pass by several agents guarding the building.

“Where is everyone?”

“Everyone?” Director Oh chuckled closing the laptop down now that she did everything she was supposed to be doing there and taking a USB pen from it.

That gesture made Areum and Audrey realize that something was definitely wrong. Audrey stepped back and into the door of the study.

“Well let me see. The big boss had to leave the mansion to discuss something important with a friend.” She knew he went to the cemetery, the old fool was falling into the emotions of the past, too blind to see how his family was near to be ruined in the present. “Jonghyun is writing his new novel stuck at home, Mi Jung went to pick up her daughter from preschool, Jinki is out on a mission with Minho and Kibum. Minho’s is out doing some I don't care about. Taemin is busy with his new girlfriend and her little brother is playing games and your father is sleeping. He took sleeping pills because cancer is a . Yes, that's basically everyone that lives in this amazing big house like a freaking happy family!”

Audrey took her phone from her pants' pocket trying not to be obvious. “What is wrong with you?” she asked suspiciously wondering why that woman stopped acting like she was on their side.

“What is wrong with me? I'm tired of pretending, that's what is wrong. Tired of having to breathe the same air as you two.”

She walked to the front of the desk and Areum grabbed a golf trophy Lee Sooman had in one of the shelves on the wall, and threatened Director Oh with it. The woman only laughed.

"I’m trained, you know? The old man actually gave me some training when I came to live here. I trained with Jinki. I was able to be by his side like an equal, not like you, a stupid weak woman that is only good in bed.”

Areum was bursting with hate and Audrey grabbed her hand before she actually threw that at Directors Oh's head.

“What do you want? To whom are you working for?” Audrey asked since Areum was busy trying to control her anger.

“I want revenge. I came here to collect information to destroy the ones that made me an orphan.” She turned to Areum, her eyes like two flames “Can you see now why I would have been the better choice? I know how much he suffered and you know nothing!”

“I love him! I give him love! Revenge won't make them come back! Hate is not the solution!” Areum answered, her hands trembling.

“You must be so happy just because you got yourself pregnant, as if that meant that you got your happy ever after! That doesn't exist!”

“I know that you gave me the medicine for it not to happen! I know how low life you are, you jealous !”

“Give the USB drive back and we will let you go!” Audrey suggested trying to be the only calm person in the middle of that.

“No way. This USB drive here is very valuable.” Director Oh sighed “I've spent so many years in this house and there are only 3 things I'm taking from here. It's funny.”

“What do you mean?” Audrey asked.

“The drive…” She raised her hand showing it to them. It was so close but both women didn't dare to try and take it. They knew Director Oh could fight and she had a gun for sure and would use it in need “And...” The two most important people to the one she loved.

“I actually love Jinki you know.” the softness of Director Oh's voice made Areum hesitate “I don't want to hurt him but I have to. His parents hurt me so much but it's not his fault. It isn't our fault that they were on opposite sides.” She smiled sadly “I used to think we were like Romeo and Juliette and that at one point he would notice me and love me and everything would be better and I would have no reason to hurt him but then you came along.” Her voice became raspy again “YOU HAD TO RUIN EVERYTHING!”

“Give the drive and no one needs to get hurt!” Audrey insisted.

“Give us the drive !” Areum asked not as nicely as Audrey.

“Come get it! Prove you are not only good for !” Director Oh raised it above her head acting like a little girl.

“You disgraceful face!” Areum lowered her hand with the heavy trophy ready to go and fight with her for the drive but Audrey pulled her back whispering close to her ear.

“You are the fastest one. You go call for help while I stay here with her so she won't run away. She has the drive and I recorded what she said on my phone as a proof. Take it and get Jonghyun or Taemin to come.”

“No way I'm leaving you here alone with this psycho !”

Director Oh laughed crossing her arms “Everyday I am amazed wondering what he saw in you.”

“I'm prettier than you and my heart is way more beautiful than yours fart sniffer!” Areum wasn't paying attention still answering to the older woman teasing and Audrey grabbed the trophy from her hand and pushed Areum back.

“Go! This is what she wants! You are the one who has to go.” She was the runner between the two and besides if Audrey left them alone they would fight like two cats because of a man. “Just go!”

“I'll be fast!”

“Be careful!” Audrey advised Areum one last time before giving her her cellphone and pushing Areum out the door and closing it. Audrey stayed with her back to it ready to hit Director Oh if she tried anything.

“I'm armed you know. I can kill you if I want.”

“Then why don't you? Why didn't you kill Areum since you seem to hate her very much?”

“My hate for you is the same.”

Audrey furrowed her brow. She had no idea why that woman hated her so much but she could feel it ever since the first time their paths crossed.

“Your blood, I hate it.” Director Oh remarked “And trust me. I would have killed you and that useless woman a long time ago but I can't. He wants you, both of you. And now it's the right time.”

Audrey was going to make more questions but she didn't have time. Oh swiftly grabbed the trophy and both fought for it until the older woman won and threw it to the floor. Audrey backed to the door now defenseless searching for something to help her.

“Areum will call them here and they will know what you did!”

“Who cares? I won't be here anymore. Areum won't be here also...and you won't be here either!”

As soon as she finished she wrapped an arm around Audrye’s neck making her choke. Audrey still fought to pull her arm away but suddenly everything turned black.

Areum never run as much in her whole life. She sprinted all the way down the stairs and out the house screaming for help but no one showed up. She was sure that somehow Oh was the responsible one.

She crossed the grass almost slipping and jumped over the stairs that led to the entrance of Jonghyun's house and knocked on the door like a mad woman peeking at the windows but no one came out so she groaned calling Jonghyun's name desperately.

Director Oh said he was writing so maybe she did check on everyone before to make sure she wouldn't be interrupted. Her plan didn't work because Audrey told Areum about her parents so that took them to Sooman’s private study.

“Aish Jonghyun where are you?” She leaned forward placing her hands on her legs resting a little trying to recover her breath. Her side hurt, probably because she didn't run much ever since her wedding and was out of shape. “Damn it!”

It was pointless to try and find a writer in a huge property. He could be anywhere, trying to find inspiration and quiet. Areum took a deep breath. There was a training room where she was before with Jinki and they had weapons there. That was the best place to go for now. She had no idea where Taemin was.

She ran back to the house and turned right on the hallway screaming Taemin's name, Jonghyun's and everyone really, just trying to find someone.

Where was everyone? She wanted to scream it out of frustration. The room was only a few steps away. She only had to turn left again and that's when Areum went against an arm and fell on the floor hitting her lower back.

The impact was painful to her and she had a hard time standing but worse was the pain in her head from how she bumped against the windowsill.

“Hello.” Director Oh stepped out from her hiding place holding a gun. “I can admit that you were smart to come this way but sadly I am smarter.”

Areum touched her bloody head and tried to stand up again but she got dizzy and fell on her knees “Where is Audrey?”

“Hum. Inside a bag, ready to be carried.”

“W-what?”

“You wanted to go out on a date with Jinki right? I saw you nag him for days, using your seductive charms like a fox. Well, I'm going to make your wish come true, just not with him.”

“What did you do to Audrey ?” Areum stood up placing her bloody hand on the wall for support. “Where is everyone?”

The desperate question made Oh laugh. “I gave the staff time off. Told them that Lee Sooman wanted them to rest for the rest of the afternoon. And then I sent the free teams to practice in the woods. We are alone here Areum. Taemin is at his place, probably , rolling around with that and Jonghyun is writing his lame novels near the lake watching the leaves fall.” She chuckled mocking them, all of them that always made her life miserable “And we are here with an old sleeping man, and a sick boy that is playing games so loud he can't hear you scream.”

Areum cried stepping back down the hallway. She had to run again and find a way to stop that woman. She was the only one that could do it now. She needed to gain time until someone noticed what was happening. Oh wouldn't dare to shoot her right? She said she wanted to take her so at least she would try not to hurt her badly.

“There are guards near the walls.” Areum could try and reach them. They would never leave their posts. If she was fast enough she could try and reach the main gate or something. It was insanely far if you are being followed by a crazy woman but she had to try.

“There are. Are you going to run all the way there while I shoot at you? With your head bleeding like that and your back hurting? You have a baby inside you. You need to think of it, what if you fall or go against something hard again or maybe stab yourself with something or maybe I shoot you right in the belly?”

“You are such a cruel …”

“Life made me like this!”

“No! Everyone in this house suffered and no one is like you.”

Oh ignored Areum’s remark and instead grabbed a black bag from the floor. It looked like the ones Areum used to see on television, the ones used to place dead people. And she realized that Audrey was probably in one of them. Areum widened her eyes. That's how she was going to carry her and Audrey out of there without anyone knowing.

“Where are you taking us?”

“You will see, very soon.”

Areum turned around and started to run again, her vision becoming fuzzy, holding the side of her body. She didn't turn in the direction of the door this time so she entered the hallway that connected to the kitchen and that's where she stopped because a black bag was beside the door that lead to the parking lot behind the house. Audrey was inside that bag and Areum clutched her heart in pain. She couldn't go through that a second time, she couldn't lose her again.

“Don't worry she is alive.”

Areum turned around, her hand moving to the counter to grab something she could use to defend herself but Director Oh was quicker and grabbed her arm.

Areum pulled it with all strength moving her body away from the older woman as much as she could suspecting what she was trying to do.

She heard about it before when she was writing a book. There is a place on your neck that once hitten it can cut the oxygen to your brain and make you fall unconscious.

It was true that it worked if you knew how to do it well. It could also kill you and that's why Jinki once told her that he didn't want to learn it when Kibum taught several members inside the agency. He didn't want to take that risk but Director Oh didn't seem to mind to take it at all.

Areum managed to release her arm by elbowing Director Oh on her chest and then whimpered backing away, walking around the center counter of the kitchen. Director Oh walked after her and both of them played a cat and mouse game around it.

“Give up, you don't stand a chance.”

Areum walked around the counter and instead of running away she let herself go against the cupboard behind her. She couldn't leave Audrey alone with her, not while she was conscious and able to take her from the house.

“You are right, I'm weak.” Areum her lips and let Director Oh approach her. That was the craziest thing Areum ever did but she didn't stand a chance, she was so tired and her body hurt so much, she needed time to recover and think about the next step. “But inside me is a baby, Jinki’s baby. You said you love him so please don't hurt this baby, he would never forgive you.”

Director Oh’s expression seemed to soften but she ended up laughing at Areum instead. “I don't care about that baby. With time he will see that you are not the right one for him and he will understand.”

Areum let herself fall to the floor in complete surrender and Director Oh sighed pretending to be disappointed and closed the distance between them.

“You are weak.” She crouched to pick up Areum from the floor but instead was hitten with a big heavy saucepan that Areum took from the cupboard behind her back.

“I might be weak but I can act!” Areum exclaimed hitting the woman’s face repeatedly with the saucepan with all the strength she mastered. The first impact made the older woman release the gun that fell to the floor and Areum was quick to pick it up. While she tried to figure it out - she cursed mentally at Jinki for never really teaching her to shoot. Director Oh that was confused for a while grabbed her hands. They fought for the control of the gun and Director Oh with a huge bruise on the side of her head and her face red with anger was winning, pointing the gun at Areum’s belly.

“I'm going to kill you!” She spat the words furiously at Areum that with one last spurt of strength pointed the gun up and shot it. Better use the bullets on the walls instead of dying with them.

“What are you doing?” Oh asked incredulously pulling the gun that Areum fired all over the wall of the kitchen hitting pans making the sound reverberate and bullets fly in all directions, luckily above their heads. Director Oh widened her eyes realizing the noise they were making.

“I'm also smart sometimes! Guess that's why he loves me!”

Once the gun stopped shooting Areum moved forward and hit Director Oh with her own head which made both cry in pain due to their wounds but was enough to make her release her.

“I'm so going to kill you….”

Areum moved slowly away from her attacker, covering the wound of her head that was now bleeding again. She managed to walk all the way to the door of the kitchen when Director Oh pulled a knife from the counter.

“If I have to cut your legs for you to come with me, I will.”

Areum cried knowing she had to run again and leave Audrey alone a little longer. She moved down the hallway hearing Director Oh’s steps behind her, her heart pumping wildly in her chest. And that's when she remembered the phone Audrey placed in the pocket of her sweater. She completely forgot it like a complete idiot. She touched the pocket to be sure it was still there and with relief tried her best to run just enough to find some distance between her and that woman.

Areum quickly entered the music room and closed the door locking it. It wouldn't be enough to stop Director Oh since there were two other entrances and in a couple of seconds she would reach one of them, but she had a chance now.

Areum crossed the room moving her eyes from one door to the other trying to guess the right one. If she made one mistake she would open the door that led her face to face with that woman again.

Areum prayed realizing for the first time that she was crying not only from the pain but also from the fear she was feeling.

At first, she decided to go towards the door that led back to the hallway on the other side but in the last minute, she turned to the other that went to the living room.

Areum opened the door, her hand trembling and to her relief, no one was outside. Areum entered the living room like a mad woman peeking at her back knowing that her pursuer would show up soon and then she picked the shovel of the fireplace to defend herself and crouched behind the couch knowing that she couldn't go farther and that soon Director Oh would find her anyway. Areum didn't have much time to make the phone call so she had to be quick. She unlocked Audrey’s phone and to her relief, there was a missed call from Kibum. He probably finished the mission and called Audrey but they were too busy that they didn't notice. Areum called him and waited biting her lower lip, on full alert trying to hear steps.

“Please Kibum, please…” He wasn't picking up though and soon the ringing of the phone wasn't the only thing Areum could hear. The voice mail message finished when Areum heard steps in the hallway just outside the door of the living room and she quickly left a message.

“Living room under the couch…” She turned off the call and threw the phone under the couch as fast as she could before she stood up and approached the door of the living room. Areum waited, her heart threatening to leave her chest and raised the shovel. It wasn't that big and there was a chance she might miss that but at least it was something sturdy. One hit with that would be a big blow.

The door was open but no one entered the room.

“Areum?” Director’s voice made Areum tremble in fear “This will be so much easier if you cooperate. I won't hurt that baby if I can avoid it.”

Areum waited, counting the seconds to herself, her eyes on the floor. As soon as she saw a glimpse of that woman's shoes she would swing the shovel at her with all her strength.

Areum was against violence, she did convince Jinki to choose another way besides his revenge but damn it felt good to hit that woman's face before in the kitchen. Areum was sure she wouldn't be able to kill her even though she hated her with every cell of her body but she would make sure that woman wouldn't hurt Audrey or her baby or anyone in that house. Not on Areum’s watch, she wouldn't. Jinki wasn't home, neither Sooman or Jonghyun so she was the one in charge. And that ugly wasn't going to win.

“Areum?”

She held her breath and waited.

Director Oh entered the room like Areum expected and she immediately swung the shovel at her. Director Oh was fast and moved away from it but still, the shovel hit the side of her head making her lose her balance and fall on the floor.

Areum slowly allowed herself to breathe again when Director Oh didn't move and cried of relief.

“Oh my god, Oh my god….” She quickly ran outside and in the direction of the music room again still grasping the shovel. She needed to get to Audrey and check on her. However she couldn't step far and stopped in the hallway panting, resting her head against the wall. She was exhausted and her adrenaline was slowly wearing off, her legs started to tremble and it was as if they were made of jello. “Put yourself together Areum, you did it…”

Areum placed her hand on the wall and gave a few steps in the direction of the kitchen until she heard movement behind her. She widened her eyes in fear knowing what it was but before she had time to turn around and defend herself with the shovel Director Oh grabbed her with all strength and both fell to the floor. Areum tried to crawl but Oh’s hands grasped her legs pulling her before she reached the shovel she released when they fell.

“Give up.” Director Oh muttered between her teeth but Areum didn't stop squirming, moving her legs vigorously trying to kick the older woman with them. Director Oh raised her arm and elbowed Areum’s back in the same place where she hurt herself before. The pain was too much and Areum screamed and stop fighting. Director Oh sat over Areum and wrapped an arm around the younger woman's neck making Areum roll her eyes in pain before she lost her consciousness like Audrey did.

Director Oh let go of her as if she wasn't more than a doll and let her fall with a bump on the floor. She touched her head worried and in pain knowing that it was best to search for medical attention later and then grabbed Areum by her arms and pulled her all the way to where Audrey’s body was.

She hated Areum but she had to recognize, for a useless woman she put a hell of a fight.

Kibum stretched on the back seat of the car and yawned loudly. Minho that was driving followed him complaining about how that kind of thing was contagious.

“Ah, I'm going to pull Audrey into my bed and hug her to sleep as soon as I arrive home.” Kibum said with a smile.

“Ew, Kibum I don't need to know that stuff!” Minho complained making Jinki chuckle.

He couldn't take the eyes from the side window admiring the people outside going on with their usual routines not knowing the danger that their normal lives faced, not knowing that people like him were protecting them. It felt good to know that he was useful but it felt even greater to know that he would arrive home and get to have a little of that normal life and go out to buy furniture with his wife.

A cell phone started to ring and Kibum moved on the back seat.

“Damn where is my phone?”

While Kibum searched for it Jinki the seat looking at him with a weird expression.

“What's wrong?” Minho asked noticing Jinki. Kibum stopped his search for the phone too.

“What is that song?” Jinki asked.

“My ringtone? Ah, it's a lullaby from Audrey's childhood. It's French.”

Jinki blinked his eyes and suddenly took his hands to his head groaning in pain. Kibum that found his phone eventually - the caller id was Audrey - told Minho to park on the side of the road.

“Oh ! These attacks are getting serious!” Minho stopped the car and both he and Kibum watched Jinki without knowing what to do. “He should contact a doctor. This is not normal.”

“He gets this when he remembers something...give him a moment.” The melody coming from Kibum's phone stopped and he rubbed Jinki's shoulder tenderly. “Calm down Jinki.”

Jinki wasn't hearing him or Minho anymore. He was far away lost in his past.

All the memories he recently recovered flashed through his mind but with a different color to it as if the last piece of a puzzle was found and now he could see the whole picture.

He was back to that accident and he just had crawled out of the car where his parents still were.

Jinki could smell the scent of gas and the sound of the flames in the front part of the car was getting stronger. He knew he didn't have much time. He sat on the ground over the glass shards of the broken windows, his teary eyes settling in that vision that should only belong to a nightmare. His mother’s body was upside down, still stuck to the car seat by the seating bell, her head falling to one side, half her head covered with blood. Jinki hiccupped crawling to her and his eyes fell on his father that seemed even worse than his mother, his lifeless hand near his mother, his eyes open but not really seeing him. They seemed like the characters of the movies his father liked to watch, the ones that wouldn't come back anymore, the ones that were dead.

His father moved his lips and only one word came out from them before he closed his eyes "Run..."

You are brave Jinki.

His mother told him that once, days before that happened. But he didn't feel brave enough.

His father repeated it to him that morning before they ran away, while his mother collected the essential for them to survive.

He made him a request. He asked him to protect her so Jinki needed to pull himself together and do it. He remembered how he told his father that he didn't want him to be a star how his vision settled on his mother grabbing the pink soft bunny that prompted a cry of a little girl.

His little sister ran into his field of vision and grabbed his mother’s legs crying, not understanding what was happening and why they had to leave their house like that.

“You are going to help us, aren't you? His father asked. “If for some reason today I ask you to run you must do it, ok? You will grab her hand and run as fast as you can. Promise me that!”

He was the oldest brother, he needed to protect his little sister, he had to. His parents gave him that mission.

“You run as fast as you can and you search for Lee Sooman. Repeat the name.”

“Lee Sooman…” Jinki mumbled getting on his knees again and crawling back to the car. He repeated the name to himself several times and peeked inside the back seat car. His sister wasn't sitting in her chair anymore, instead, she hid her head on her knees and was crying, swaying her body to the front and back probably in shock. At least she didn't seem hurt.

“Grab my hand!” Jinki’s voice came out strained so he had to repeat it several times stretching his hand as further as he could inside the car.

The little girl didn't move at first and Jinki cried lowering his head and crawling inside the car over the glass that cut his hands.

“Grab my hand please, we need to run.”

She raised her head, her eyes looking like pools of tears and Jinki moved his fingers to highlight his request.

“Please fast…”

A sound of cars arriving made both kids shriek and the little girl lifted her arm stretching her small hand to grab her older brother's one. However, their fingers only briefly touched before someone pulled Jinki's legs and then grabbed him up taking him away from the car.

“NO, NO I NEED TO SAVE HER!” The little kid screamed shaking his legs kicking his “savior”. The man carried him safely away trying to calm him down, speaking to him but Jinki couldn't hear anything, his eyes were in the window of the car where now was a man dressed in black like his father used to dress taking his sister from inside.

“I need to save her. I can't let go of her hand I can't…” Jinki cried “We need to go to Lee Sooman’s…”

“It's ok. I'm here. I'm Lee Sooman, I’ll keep you both safe Jinki.”

Jinki came back to the present, his eyes now seeing Minho in front of him with a worried expression. His lips were moving but he could only hear a buzzing sound.

“...you ok?” He heard faintly “Jinki?”

Someone opened the door on the other side and Jinki flinched scared before he realized it was Kibum with a bottle of water.

“Drink it and take your time.” Jinki tried to raise his hand to the bottle but it was as if he couldn't control his body. Hot tears were falling down his cheeks and suddenly everything in his memories made sense.

The one he wanted to protect at night from the monsters. The one who owned a pink bunny soft toy and liked Christmas cookies as much as him. That liked to dance around their mother when she sang those silly French songs that most of the times they didn't know what they meant. The one that once bit his arm because he didn't lend her his toy. The same one that snuggled closer to him when there was thunder outside and both wanted to cry. The one he was supposed to protect and grab her hand and failed.

“I have a sister.” Jinki mumbled cleaning his cheek. “I-I have a sister!”

Minho tilted his head “Yes you do, Mi Jung!”

“No! Not Mi Jung! I have I…” Jinki moved his fingers as if he also remembered how her small fingers felt in his “I have a real blood sister.”

“You remembered it?” Kibum asked urgently “Because of the song?”

Minho stared at them completely lost his eyes growing in size.

“My mom used to sing that song to us.” Jinki his lips.

“Jinki,” Kibum placed his hands on Jinki’s shoulder “Think carefully, what is the name of your sister?”

Jinki blinked his eyes, tears welling up in them again. Before he had to close his eyes to be able to remember things well but now he simply had to think about his parents sitting on the couch, his father's arm wrapped around him pulling him closer, his mother sitting beside them with a bowl filled with tasty snacks and a little girl climbing over him making him complain because there wasn't room enough for both. In the end, they always fitted, it always felt warm to be all together watching tv.

Mommy, Jinki doesn't let me sit on the couch.

There is no space anymore!

Jinki is poo!

Audrey is fat!

Jinki hiccuped and even before he answered Kibum knew.

“Audrey!”

“!” Minho ran a hand through his hair “Do you mean that Audrey? Our Audrey is your sister?”

Jinki sniffed and Kibum squeezed his shoulder.

“I knew it. I just had this feeling that…” Kibum closed the door and sat on the back seat again.

All three of them stood in silence trying to assimilate that new information.

“This is crazy, how you ended up meeting again.” Minho remarked “But why didn't Sooman adopt her too? I mean he saved you both from the accident or…?”

Jinki rubbed his temple, his head hurt so much. “He did. I don't know.”

Kibum raised his phone to his hear to check the message Audrey left on his voice mail. He couldn't wait to meet her again and tell her what they just found out. She had a brother and someone as great as Jinki. She would be so happy.

Heavy breathing was the first thing he heard and then instead of Audrey, Areum spoke, something about the couch and suddenly the call was turned off. Kibum stared at his phone confused.

“'What now?” Minho asked turning on the car again. Why couldn't they have a normal day for once?!

“I have a bad feeling.” Kibum said his lips “Audrey called but Areum was the one who spoke.”

Jinki the seat and Kibum gave the phone to Jinki for him to listen to the message.

A cryptic message like that wasn't a good sign for sure.

Director Oh…now Sung Hi since she didn't have to pretend anymore, left the van and closed the door before she took a sight of what would be her hiding place for a while.

It was a decrepit old factory not that far away from Sooman’s property but so insignificant that she was sure they would take their time finding it.

She looked at the time on her watch and then picked up her phone from the passenger's seat. Seok answered the call almost immediately, probably because he was impatiently waiting for it. That was the culmination of their revenge, the final phase of their plan.

“I have them.”

“You are amazing! How are they?”

Sung Hi walked around the van and opened the back door. Areum was still unconscious but Audrey was looking at her fiercely with her hands tied on her back, half her body still inside the black bag, covered with a cloth.

“Lee Audrey is awake but the other isn't.”

“Did you kill her? I told you not to…”

“No. But she was difficult. I had to improvise.”

Audrey whimpered moving her upper body trying to rub her hands on the floor as if that would help her somehow.

“Very well. You did well. Oh, I can't wait to start it.” Seok chuckled “I've waited so long for this, for our game. Finally, we will be able to make them pay.”

“You won't hurt him right?” Sung Hi asked again.

“I told you that I won't kill him. Hurt has a more broad meaning.”

Of course, he would hurt him, Jinki would hurt as soon as he found out what happened at the mansion and he probably did already.

“And it's all thanks to you.” Seok praised her like she liked but Sung Hi didn't smile turning off the call. Her eyes and Audrey's met and Sung Hi couldn't help but see Jinki in her. It was ridiculous how no one made the connection between them, how Areum never noticed that the one she called sister had the same eyes as the one she called husband, the eyes of the killer of her father.

Sung Hi quickly looked away at the woman still unconscious and placed her hands on her legs hesitating. One of them, or both probably would die soon and Jinki would be devastated.

Audrey mumbled something imperceptible looking at Director Oh pleading but she quickly grabbed Areum by her feet closer to the door of the van and then grabbed her body with a grunt to carry her inside. It didn't go well and she let Areum's bag with her inside fall to the ground and instead decided to pull it.

Audrey watched the older woman in silence and flinched when the door was closed with a thud leaving her once again in darkness.