"No matter how far I reach for you,

It is just an empty dream,

No matter how crazy I run,

I remain in the same place."

“Run”, [EP] 화양연화 The Most Beautiful Moment in Life pt.2 [2015]

The groups had since scattered across the city, preparing themselves to assemble at the rendezvous point that Jay had instructed them to be at in an hour. Nari and the allied groups quickly retreated to the old Training Centre, making the best of their unknown whereabouts to recon and heal whoever needed healing.

“I get to kill JYP,” Nari announced as she put her gun down on the table, the members who weren’t busy assembling weapons or patching up wounds all paying close attention to her as they stood around the command table.

Song Mino scoffed, “I don’t think anyone else would be up for that job,”

“Except Jay Park, of course,” Junhoe shrugged, rolling his eyes ever so slightly.

“Well then,” Nari smirked, “I guess I’ll just have to get to him first.”

Chanwoo and Onew, the resident doctors, stepped into the room at that point, clicking the door glass shut behind them. Nari could see Irene, Sulli, Taemin, Krystal and Amber in the distance, laying peacefully on operational tables, surrounded by their team-members as they looked on grievously.

Nari’s stomach dropped at the sight of her wounded friends in the distance. She couldn’t bear to let JYP and his allies get away with what they’d done to her friends – what they’d done to all of them. But the people she way mad at most?

The allies that had betrayed them out of sheer cowardice. Cube, Woolim, all the circles they thought had sworn allegiance managed to change sides in good timing, apparently forgetting about the years' worth of friendships built through the alliance.

Was Myungsoo there when Krystal got shot?

Nari didn’t realise exactly how hard she scrunched her knuckles up; she looked down discreetly, whilst everyone present was chattering about tactics, to see her nailed had drawn blood on the palms of her hands. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to reassert her dominance over her emotions – the control that had considerably crumbled since Bobby walked into her life.

Nari glanced outside to see Bobby remaining by Minho’s side as Sulli’s body was wired up to numerous monitors and drips. Again, Nari’s stomach felt as if it would fall out her . She gulped when Bobby met her eyes.

She blushed, suddenly feeling embarrassed of the years’ worth of forgotten history and mystery that Bobby (and everyone else for that matter) glimpsed not long ago. The tense reunion with Jiyong, not to mention the shock of seeing Jaebum alive and kicking, had haunted Nari to the bone.

Nari swallowed bile at mere thought of her old mentor. She was still processing the sight and mere existence of him, but no matter how hard she tried to focus on the task at hand of getting to the JYP building, nothing could shake the haunting memory of how indifferent he was towards her.

And Bobby. He’d been different with her too – distant. Nari hated how strange things with her and Bobby had suddenly become, and she blamed herself. She quickly debated the reasons for his distance, yet all that seemed logical was the fact that she was merely a stranger in his eyes. The boy whom Nari so quickly built such strong affections for, revealed her darkest secrets to and showed all her weak spot to, had become so distant in a fraction of that time.

Yet it was as she pondered her relationship with Bobby, that a vital question was asked.

“What other allies can we get on our side?” Wendy questioned as she cleaned her gun out. The action made Nari shiver ever so slightly – clearly some dirty spots would never fade.

“Aren’t you guys best buds with Loen?” Jinwoo scoffed as he rubbed his bruised jaw casually.

“Not that they’ve decided to show up anytime soon.” Seulgi rolled her eyes.

Loen have kept unusually quiet.

“It doesn’t matter,” Bobby sighed, “After today, all of our Family will be on our side, not to mention most of SM. And if Jay’s group join us like he said they would…I don’t see how we won’t be able to match JYP.”

Just listening to Bobby speak hurt Nari. Like she was repeatedly getting stabbed in the chest. He was never one for words, yet in the past few hours Bobby had grown from a bratty kid to a man who could inspire those around him better than even she could. Nari hated that.

“He’s right,” Kang Seungyoon agreed, “I don’t think JYP and their allies will be expecting a counter-attack of this magnitude. I say, we hit him first, and hit them hard.”

“Then what are we doing standing around here?” Junhoe piped up, clearly frustrated over the apparent lack of action.

“We need to talk strategy first,” Nari berated the team, “We can’t just go in there guns blazing and hope for the best!”

“And why not?” Bobby challenged Nari, the look in his eyes reminding Nari of their early acquaintance, “I say, the best way to be unpredictable is to not have a strategy at all. Besides, the enemy probably knows as little about our own allies as we do.” He seemed to smirk ever so slightly when he said that - as if it were aimed right at her like a bullet from a gun.

What the heck is that supposed to mean?

The stabbing pain hit Nari again as his eyes bore into her’s – everyone else around the table seemed to disappear, and she wished they didn’t. She was angry that Bobby was behaving this way towards her, but she couldn’t stop the feeling. The only thing to do was to go with it, “Because that rookie mistake has clearly worked out well for you so far.”

Something inside Bobby’s eyes snapped – Nari had tried to hit a nerve, and that’s just what she did.

“Well, whilst you’re stuck planning and cleaning your guns out, we’re wasting precious time.” His jaw locked tightly as he clearly held his anger deep inside, “I say we go ahead now whilst they’re still reeling.”

Again, the stabbing pain – only this time, the knife felt lodged deeply in Nari’s back. She balled he fists tightly by her side.

He knows why I clean the guns. He knows everything about it. Yet he has the freaking audacity to make a joke?

“Well,” Nari sighed as she picked her gun back up, trying her best to appear threatening despite the hurt she felt, “I’ll leave you to it, Kim Jiwon. Clearly my opinion doesn’t matter.” Nari made swiftly her exit from the building without a second look back, not at Sulli sprawled across the examining table, not at the look of despair on Minho’s face, the strain on Irene’s and especially not at Bobby.

The fresh air upon leaving the building was a huge relief for Nari. Her cheeks had flushed red from the anger, her hands shaking ever so slightly. Why had Bobby taken such an aggressive front towards Nari? Was he trying to reduce her to tears in the most crucial moment of their lives?

I don’t plan on giving him that success.

“Song Nari!”

Nari closed her eyes and sighed at the sound of Bobby’s voice, her hands immediately tensing by her sides.

Spinning on her heel, Nari quickly Bobby, “What the heck is your problem, Kim Jiwon?!”

He scoffed, looking astounded, “Problem?”

“Don’t play freaking dumb with me, ,” Nari took a predatory step towards bobby, but for once he didn’t bother backing off the way he usually did out of fear of being punched. Nari was prepared to take that as an invitation, but she wanted to push his buttons a little more, “I knew you’re just a Rookie, but I never took you for a coward and a liar!”

“Fine!” Bobby threw his arms in the air, “You wanna’