The drive was now silent after the short crisis Shinni’s father put us through by visiting Wooky Oppa out of the blue. Not awkwardly silent and that’s what I found myself  hating the most. Some music was playing in the background. “Hollywood” by the Black Skirts among others. I loved that band. I loved that song in particular. It suited perfectly my current state of mind.  I had my legs stretched with my arms crossed on my chest and my head leaning on the chair. I was looking through the window trying to catch a glimpse of the lights as I’ve always done in the highways during road trips. That’s always been my tip to fall asleep. I was almost sleeping. Almost. A part of me was still disturbed by the strong scent of his intoxicating perfume and his strong presence. I wished that part had been stronger; I hated myself for feeling that confortable. I closed my eyes at that thought. At this point catching lights wasn’t even helping.

- Sleeping? He spoke breaking the silence. I took a breath. His voice echoed differently somehow.

- No…

- Sara-ya…he spoke after another silent. I opened my eyes as if I wasn’t sure I had heard him properly. I didn’t have the courage to look at him as I was trying to get rid of that pain in my chest at the sound of my own name.

- Hmm? I casually answered closing my eyes back and pretending I wasn’t affected. ‘Pretending’.

- I…I just wanted to say that…I…I’m really sorry. He added more confidently in the last words. I opened my eyes back. He sounded genuine. Too genuine too much of my dislike.

- I know. I simply said after another silent. I felt him glancing towards me before looking back at the road.

- How? He asked after a small moment of hesitation. ‘Because I’m starting to know you now and I must say it scares the hell out of me’ I thought to say for a second before simply explaining:

- You called me 50 times after I left the wedding and before Mino had disappeared so I don’t think you wanted to discuss the weather…

- Oh…yeah…right… He sounded almost disappointed but I brushed it away. Now it felt awkward but not for too long as the vampire called him, his phone being already connected with his car he simply took it from the dashboard.

- Hey…what’s up?

- Hum good…answered the vampire. I wanted to update you on our trip, I’m one hour away from Busan now and after asking Hana on where exactly she thought Mino was… she told me that he would be on the Gwangan bridge…explained the vampire and I couldn’t help but straighten myself on my chair as I was sensing something weird.

- Okay… but why are you- oh…oh I see…he spoke with a change of tone in the middle of his sentence as he seemed to have realized something.

- You see? Spoke again the vampire meaningfully as I frowned.

- I…I see…it’s…well noted…you let me know if you have any other…’updates’…ok. ?

- I will…spoke the vampire before hanging up the phone.

- Ok what was that…what’s going- I barely had time to ask as he suddenly and dramatically put on the brakes after taking the emergency lane. Now I understood the meaning of the seatbelt, no I felt it since I almost went trough the windshield. – What the hell is wrong with you are you mad-

- – he yelled beating the wheel three times matching the rhythm of his curses before he hid his head on his hands. I freaked out.

- O…Oppa…what…what’s going on you’re scaring me…

- I…I need to calm down…I need to calm down…

- Yes…that’s a good idea…breath in…breath out…I asked as I could hear him obey diligently his head still behind the wheel. Now I was really scared. – Ok what’s going on?

- I feel better…he spoke to himself completely ignoring my question and before I could realize It again, he was flying to the pedal back on the highway except that he took the first exit out retook the highway but the opposite way. He was driving fast, too fast and I had somehow an impression of déjà-vu except that it seemed much more dramatic.

- Why are we going back? and slow down for god’s sake you’re gonna get us killed !

- Please don’t ask me anything my head is about to burst just do as I tell you ok…he ordered and begged at the same time his eyes still on the road as I frowned at him, a strong part of me wanted to object as I had no clue of what the hell was happening but the emotion in his voice, the tension of his look, the way his hand were crisped on the wheel told me to not to.

- Ok…ok…what…do I do…

- Take my phone, it’s on my pocket…he asked and I obeyed. I opened his leather jacket’s pocket and found his cigarettes, then his phone.

- Got it…

- Code is 1233, call my secretary his name is ”Choi the right hand”, put me though it…I obeyed once again dying to beg him for an explanation.

- Yes sir? Spoke the man after the phone barely rang twice. It was almost three in the morning.

- I need you to call the police and alert them about speed limit for my car and Ki-Wong’s…send them our locations’ tracking ok?

- Sir I’m afraid it’s going to be complicated you’ve already used that card this month-

- I know…I know but it’s really important this time I promise….

- Sir-

- I’m willing to give up on my cards for the next six month if they let this one pass ok ?

- Sir it doesn’t work like that-

- Hyung…. he called out for him this time desperately as I widened my eyes at him. ‘Hyung’? Was the situation that serious? That he needed to ask on a personal level?

- Ok I get it…spoke the man dropping formalities as well. – Ji-hoon’a…you…you tell me if anything else…

- Thanks hyung…he added disconnecting the phone.

- Call Ki now…I looked through his phone wondering if I was ever going to get an explanation but my instincts told me to simply obey. – “Cutie” with a “K” for Ki he added as I couldn’t help but steal a glance. – No comment…he spoke answering my inner thoughts.

- Hey…spoke the latter with a serious voice after it rang once.

- Change of plans we-

- I know…I had Jin-hyuk on the phone I’m on my way already and I’ve flashed something like 5 radars already…

- Don’t worry about that I’ve already alerted the police they tracked your location nobody’s going to stop you…

- Perfect…the only thing I’m worried about now is the C.P; do you think they’re still following us?

- I’ll take care of it just drive as fast as you can I think you should be able to get there before us…

- Ok then let’s speak later…

- Ki…not a word to Wooky

- Of course not man you think I’m crazy…talk to you later…spoke the other guy and I felt like throwing up. Why couldn’t I hear Sunny say anything? What was going on? Why so serious?

- Oppa what’s going on I’m seriously freaking out…

- How does work your joker?

- What?

- Have you used it the last card, the thing you spoke about earlier… how does it work exactly…your grandmother  texted you earlier about that bastard going to Chang-wook…was the joker?

- No…no that was just a favor…I haven’t used yet…I hadn’t planned on using it until the last minute…in case something goes wrong with the initial plan…

- Ok something just went wrong, you have to use it…

- What…what do you want me to do exactly…I asked. I wasn’t going to ask what, why or how… The tension in his voice, in his friend’s voice, in his acts told me everything.

- I need you to get rid of the C.P, check if they’re still following us and if they are…they have to get ing lost…they need to go back home…I can’t have any of them around I can’t have any picture of any of us leaked tonight, is that possible?

- I…I’ll see what I can do…

- We don’t have time…you have to call her…he pressured me as he saw me trying to type a text but he was driving so fast that I had difficulties proceeding.

- I…I can’t call her…

- Why not?

- She knows I’m with you and you’re not suppose to know about the board and certainly not the joker…

- Ok…he resigned. I had sent my text now. – She’s not sleeping right?

-  I’m sure she is not…especially not after the argument we had. I put a hand on my chest trying to stop the wave of anxiety invading my whole body when my phone notified me her answer. – She said “are you sure that’s the priority”?

- What does she means?

- She’s asking if I’m sure I want to use my last card on the C.P…she’s right what if we need it later when we find Mino what if we’re too late or his father-in-law finds him first, what if-

- Tell her yes. That’s the priority. Tell her that you can’t afford to have any of them around. That they all need to be back to Seoul. He spoke confidently. I looked at his expression and gave up on insisting.

- All right. I simply said before typing back the answer. To what she answered “ok”.

- “Ok”? That’s all she said… “Ok”…That’s it…how is she going to do that…

- The president will take care of it…

- WHAT? He spoke looking at me for few seconds before putting back his eyes on the road. – Is…is she that powerful? He asked and I ignored.

- Oppa what is going on? I dared to ask once again.

- I…I’ll tell you but you have to promise me that you’re going to stay strong because I need you to make another phone calls…

- Ok I promise-

- You can’t have a panic attack or something like that…

- I won’t…I begged as my tension was about to explode and annoyed by his assumptions. 

- You…you have to call Busan’s local police and ask to get you through the suicide rescue team…

- What? What…wait what??? Why…What? I felt my stomach and my heart reversing their mutual spots…- you must be wrong…no actually you’re wrong Oppa…Mino is not like that…he would never try to-

- He already did. Two years ago.

(…)

Her breaths were heavy but al least she had got rid of the sobbing crisis that took all of her only few moments ago. She was massaging her hands one by one to keep them from shivering. She was going through shock, sadness, pain, sorrow, guilt and so many other feelings weighing on her chest. Millions thoughts, memories, images, sounds were going through her head. How is it when you think you know someone but you actually don’t, or didn’t…she slowly came to realize what it meant that night. Few things made more sense now or drastically took another meaning. She couldn’t help but think of him, and how he went through all of this by himself.

- Are you ok now? What you’re thinking…just keep talking about it don’t shut your thoughts…he spoke focusing on driving but terribly affected by her state after he had explained what Jin’s call really meant.

- I’ll feel better when we’ll find him I just can’t think of anything else…

- Don’t worry now we got it under control…he referred to the suicide patrols they had ready and to the fact that he made her call hospitals and police to check if they had reported ‘anything’ unusual. He felt sorry to make her do that but he was glad she was quite strong and dealt well with it. At least she pretended to.

- I…I know…I know…it’s just that I’m reminiscing…things…I had no idea…how could I have been so clueless…

- I’m impressed…I was sure Tae would’ve told you…we all swore to keep it secret but I was sure he would tell you…he really is a good friend… he spoke remembering that terrible night when these seven men promised to the eighth that his secret will be buried with them. Three of them out of loyalty to their brother. Three others out of their loyalty to him. It’s funny how al of them were somehow linked to that story despite the age difference and the low interests in common.

- He didn’t keep it a secret out of his friendship for Mino he was trying to protect me…she said with a weak voice as a wave of pain went trough her body.

- What do you mean?

- Tae and I have known each other since forever…we’ve been stuck together since garden school…I knows things about him his friends doesn’t know and so does he…he knows that I would’ve been able to keep it a secret from Hana if only he had asked me to…it’s just that he didn’t want me to carry such a burden so he went through it all alone…she spoke her voice slightly cracking at the end of the sentence.

- I envy you. He simply said after a small silence. She frowned. – You guys are really a team…

- No we’re not…I didn’t have his back on this one…so we’re not…

- But you might have had his back on something else…this is how it should be, him doing something for you, you doing something for him…he explained as he picked her interest. - You’re being delusional if you think you’re gonna be dealing with everything together…it’s simply impossible. I would’ve done the same if I were him…so…don’t…don’t feel guilty about anything…he spoke wisely as she frowned at him. Wisdom. That was side she had never suspected would be within him - What ? 

- Nothing…it’s just that you sound so serious and wise…she confessed.

- Because you thought I was the type to fool around 24/7?

- Huh yes…

- Well I actually do…you just witnessed an exception…he teased as she let a small laugh.

She felt slightly better. She took a deep breath and decided to do the best thing she could, the thing she happened to be the best at: look into the bright side. Be positive. That story, their story might not have a happy ending but it won't have a tragic ending either. She promised herself. While closing her eyes and  picturing the ending she couldn't help but think of the begining. It started a thursday afternoon when Tae suggested to meet Mino for dinner at a ramen place. "Ramen". Something felt odd somehow from the choice of the place as none of the two guys were the ramen type. That was her type. She was the one often begging for ramen, tteokbokki, or kimbap but always ending up in fancy places with her boyfriend and his friends dissing her about her "popular" taste. They could be so snobbish when it came to food most of the time making her almost feel lonely. However that evening she was about to meet her partner in crime in the supprised guest Mino had brought and introduced as his girlfriend as they had their mouths wide open. "Her name is Kim Hana, she's my girlfriend" he explained and she felt the urge to explain that she knew her also amused by the official introduction. At least she thought she did. They've been classmates for seven years and last time she had checked she was engaged in a pretty relationship with her math notes. She might still be she thought for a second as she was awkwardly standing in front of them trying to get rid of his arm behind her shoulders. She felt Tae clearing his throat. "Hi Hana, I'm Tae...Welcome to the family..." he saluted standing before giving her tap with his foot as she was still froze on her spot not processing the image in front of her. She hadn't saluted them yet.  The geek and the coolest boy of highschool. And here she thought her favorite mangaka was being disillusioned clearly she was wrong. It could happen in reality too...she remember giggling in joy at that thought as these two were about to make history and instantly became their number one shipper. "Hana-ya Annyeong..." she spoke all bubbly as the other one responded "Annyeong" akwardly. Then both guys realized that they've been in the same class for years without really adressing each other. That evening she realized their common love for ramen she couldn't be more happy.  "I'm so glad to finally have another girl in the group...it's so tiring to be around these guys all the time...I mean sometimes we meet with the cold lesbians also but I don't really like them...they're always so gloomy and tortured...they give me that bad vibe to be honnest ...well you know them too...but now that you're here I'll have someone more like me..." she spoke without taking a breath as she remembered the way she widened her eyes at "like me". She remembered also the way both Mino and Tae complained about her chatty ways but they knew deep inside that she was trying to lift the mood, to make her feel welcomed and he especially secretly thanked her about it. "you secretive bastard...how long were you planning on hidding this..." spoke Tae to his friend as no one else than her stepped in before her "boyfriend" had the chance to reply : "oh it's very recent actually, we started to date yesterday" she honestly confessed as she and Tae looked at each other, then at Mino who had closed his eyes as he had clearly planned to hid this little detail then burst into a big fat laugh to what Mino soon joined as Hana stood their inncently and completely oblivous to their laugh and the reason behind it. Clueless. That was also the first fact about her new friend she had found. She felt excited and geniunely happy about finding some more soon.  She then looked at him and secretely thanked him for bringing her in. She was going to like her she knew it. In fact she already did just by the way she made his eyes shine like they never did, he deserved it. To be happy.