Chapter 4

 

Jungsoo POV

 

“Why are you looking so worried this early” Heechul scares me and he hands me a cup of coffee, “Well?”

“I was just thinking about the next job.” He sighs and I know where he stands on this “Jungsoo don’t you think that we are getting to.. to old for this?”

“Wait… Are you finally admitting that we are old” I can see his face crumbling and he sighs again “We are. We should think about our future”

“We are, this job is for our future” He raises his eyebrows and I put down the papers “Jungsoo you have Emilia here, you guys are in a what seems to be stable relationship, why are you still involving yourself in such..”

“She is irritated at the color of the walls” I fess up what really had me frowning to him and he is looking confused to me. “That is why you where really frowning? The walls? Because she said that”

“What if she doesn’t want this life? She used to be an arms dealer, she also used be in this kind of work”

“No, no she didn’t. She only delivered things, she isn’t aggregated into a mob, she doesn’t run one. She doesn’t get blood onto her hands.” Heechul is right, but it doesn’t really make me feel more comfortable, only less. “than what if she is done with this. What if she wants to remove herself of this world.”

“She probably would like you to stop with what you are doing right now.” Heechul stops talking when Kangin walks in and he hands me a folder with some more information that I requested and by the looks of his hands he didn’t get it voluntarily. “thank you Kangin” He nods and walks off, I see Heechul looking after him and after he is out of hearing distance, he slaps me “Are you doing all of this because of him!?”

“What makes you say that?” I lay down the folder and He is shaking his head. “Lately you two have been working together like thieves, it is like you are doing things so he can take over later..” Heechul mumbles and he is now just thinking out loud.

“Don’t be ridiculous, this is my empire.” I take all my things and Heechul is looking disappointed at me “Jungsoo just think everything over. You just might be throwing something great away, because you can’t let go. Because you feel the weird and dumb need to be this person. Cause what is an empire if you don’t have anyone else to share it with.”

 

After the early morning talk with Heechul he got me thinking, about everything. What let to me working out like maniac. “Well who upset you this time?” Hyukjae walks in and it seems like I will be receiving a lot of unwanted advice today.

“Do you agree with what Heechul all said?” Hyukjae stops for a moment and nods his head “Not with everything, but with most I do. Do you want some advice hyung?” I nod and he stands up and lays his hand on my shoulder “If I were you, I would start thinking about what color to paint the walls and nothing else. You have a chance to start over, to start a new fase, a new life almost. Don’t lose it.” He leaves after giving his say and it seems that everyone shares that thought. Than why can’t I see it? Why doesn’t it feel like that, why do I feel like something bad is coming. Something terrible.

 

“Hey” I rush into our room to quickly grab something and I rush by Lia, she seems surprised and I try to look for it but I can’t find it… I thought it would be smart to keep my gun in my room since lately I have been going out a lot, but now… Did I leave it downstairs?

“Are you looking for this?” Lia is points to my gun that she had laid down onto the table. I grab it, put it quickly into my holster and I can’t bare to make eye contact with her. I never wanted her to know. “I didn’t want you to see or to know” I mumble it and Lia is looking down, disappointed almost “What did you expect, but you know.. So long I don’t know right?” I can feel the sarcasm dripping of her words and I am not sure what to say, why did I even use those words. “That makes it all better…But is your house so you can do what you want” the door swings open and I see Hyukjae standing there, he looks confused at me. Like he didn’t expect me to be here. “Are you ready to go?” He directs his question to Lia and she nods, taking her coat and her bag “Where are you guys going?” She stops in her tracks, but doesn’t answer. I look at Hyukjae and he seems to have finally notice the angry yet awkward tension that is hanging in the room. He gives me a knowing smile and simply says “We are buying paint.” .

 

Hyukjae POV

 

“Are you okay?” We have finally reach our destination and the entire ride, Lia has been in her own thoughts. She lets out a deep sigh and she seems doubtful “I am okay Hyuk…” I nod and get out of the car and walk to her door to open it.

“So, which color would you like?” We have been standing in front of the colors for the past 30 minutes, but she still hasn’t been able to choose. “I don’t know… I just…” She keeps on walking back and fort and she finally stops next to me and lets out a deep, irritated sigh “I am just not sure anymore.” I am not sure why, but I put my arms around her and pull her a but closer to me. “I told him to go buy paint with you” She gazes back up to me, question-mark marked into her eyes “It is your way of making the house yours as well” She looks down with a smile, but her joy quickly turns back into sadness.

“Want to get some food?” I nod to her question and I let go of her, the coldness taking over the place where she just was. She looks back at me and it seems... No, it wouldn’t… I would swear that she was blushing… but... I shake of the thought and quickly open the car door for her.

 

“So, where are you taking me?” I look back and Emilia stops to also tie her shoelace “We are almost there” She continues to follow me and we end up in a big crowed, I see that a lot of people are bumping into her and I quickly grab her hand to pull her closer to me. I feel her put her hand lightly onto my back and I lead her trough the crowed to the place I have been wanting to take her to.

“This is it” I take Emilia inside and the suspicion quickly falls of her face, she walks to the window and to take in the beautiful view. “A table for two please” I ask the lady for a table for us and I walk to Emilia “It is beautiful isn’t it”

“It is breathtaking” She softly whispers, slightly turned red  she quickly looks back out and the lady comes back to us “Your table for two is ready, please follow me” I pull the chair back for Emilia and sit in front of her “Is it the first time here for you?”

“It is for me, the first of many” Still looking outside she is still taking in everything

“Aah nice to see that you are introducing your girlfriend to this restaurant” Lia turns to face the woman and agrees with her “Always nice to see a loving couple here” The lady walks away and Lia is just smiling softly down, before looking out again.

“Stay like that” I quickly tell Emilia not to move, the light is falling so beautiful onto her face, the background is stunning, just looking at her… IT… I quickly take the photo and I show it to her “Wow, you are good at taking photo’s”

“No, I am not.  I am all right… Thank you, but if you want to see someone take nice photo’s you should go to Donghae”

“Mmm, I think you are wrong, you made me look so pretty in this photo” She continues to study it and I can’t keep my tongue any longer “It wasn’t me who made the photo breathtaking”

Luckily our food arrives and I shift the attention quickly to the meal and a different subject, paint. “And have you yet decided what color you want to paint you walls?”

“I am not sure yet, I like white, but… I don’t know, right now I just want to have a different color.”

“a color you mean, your room is so awfully white. It needs some color”

“I know right” She chuckles and talks over some other options she had in mind “But thinking of Jungsoo I can’t paint the walls bright red or any real color, so I think I am going with crème or a light undertone of another color.”

“Oee that does sound nice, remind me if I ever need advice on paint”

“To come to me.” She playfully puts her hair behind her back “I will give you advice, wanted or not” I laugh at her adorable reaction and I can’t help but stare at her a little, causing her cheeks to turn redder.

 

Bo POV

 

“Em are you ready to go?” Hyukjae is waiting for me by the window after I excused myself to go to the toilet and I nod “Just look out the window one more time and don’t move” I quickly take a photo of him and he looks really good on it. “Okay lets go and get some paint”

“are you not going to show me the photo?” I shake my head and walk a bit further away from him “I will keep it for safekeeping” He laughs and follows me. Taking my hand once again to lead me through the busy crowd.

 

“Lets go with this color… Or no…” Stuck between the top two, I can’t decide which one to choose. “Which one do you like better?” I turn my question to Hyukjae and he silently points to the first one “You really liked that color, it is warm, I think you will really like it” I nod in agreement and Hyukjae walks off to order the paint and after waiting for a while we are handed the bucket of paint.

“Should I help you?” I know that Hyukjae is strong, but to be fair he isn’t that strong and even now he seems to be struggling a bit “I am good.” He walks a bit further, but I can see that his hand is also starting to hurt. I swiftly walk closer to him and place my hand beside his and like this we can carry it together.

“I was supposed to carry it” Hyukjae is still bickering a lot about it, but I can see that he does appreciate my little move.  “Stop bickering” I say it playfully to him and I can hear him chuckle a little.

 

“Okay it is finally upstairs” Hyukjae sits down onto the c

hair, puffing a bit “what color is your room? White right?” he nods and leads me to his room, I look around and it is white, a bit dirty even.

“You said you liked the color right?” Hyukjae turns around from cleaning his desk and looks confused at me “Why is the paint bucket here?”

“Your room, it needs a bit of color” I put my leaves up ad he is still looking confused at me “Emilia you bought this”

“To make walls prettier, your can definitely use it” I start to unpack the foil we got to make sure that everything is covered and after looking confused for a few seconds longer he starts to help me, still shaking his head. “Unbelievable”

 

“You shouldn’t touch the ceiling!” Once again Hyukjae touched the ceiling and this is now the 10^th stain he has made on his white ceiling. “Oppaa!”

“shouldn’t it go there though? Also here” He firstly strikes on my  arm and then softly ticks onto my nose “You..Oohh” At first I am a bit baffled, but I quickly strike back and he now a beautiful stripe on his cheek.

 

“What is going on here?” Hyukjae and I have been chasing one another, fighting each other with paint brushes, we stop when Jungsoo speaks up, standing in the door opening he doesn’t give off a good vibe.. Not at all. I put my brush beside me and Jungsoo slowly steps in. Looks at the walls we have painted so far and points to the spots on the ceiling

“It isn’t supposed to go up there”

“That is exactly what I said” I give Hyukjae a I told you so look and he tries to defend himself, but he quickly just shakes his head. Jungsoo looks back at the wall and then I notice his hands… I make eye contact with him and I can see that he has noticed that I saw it… once again.

“Hyukjae’s walls were dirty so we decided to give them a nice color. His room needed some warmth” Jungsoo hides his hands beside his back and looks down “He has been so kind and nice to me, so I found that he deserved it.” Jungsoo slowly nods and he lets out a slight chuckle “Then why don’t you two continue painting.” He stares coldly to me and then walks out….

“Are you okay?” Hyukjae carefully reaches for my shoulder and makes eye contact with me “I never saw him looking so cold to me”

“He…Em-“

“We should quickly paint the rest of your walls, if we wait to long it will be dark and then we can’t air your room out.”

“em” I finally make eye contact with Hyuk oppa and he looks concerned at me “Don’t boil it up” I nod and he gives me a small smile, he softly pinches my hand and we continue to paint the walls.

“Wow, it really does look amazing!” We are finally done and I open his windows completely and the sunlight makes the walls look even better “thank you em!” Hyukjae gives me a hug from behind and I put my hands above his as well.

“I like that you are calling me Em” we part by hearing a nose by the door, but when look there is nothing to see there.

 

                                                                                                                      

Jungsoo POV

 

“What are you thinking about?” donghae walks in and I turn away from the window. “About tomorrow” Donghae sighs and shakes his head “Isn’t your anniversary coming up soon?”

“why?”

“Focus on that instead. Let your hands heal firs” He walks away and I can’t help but sigh. I lean against the wall again and looking out the window the sight of Hyukjae hugging Emilia from behind.

They seemed happy, painting his walls. They seemed normal, a kind of normal that Lia seems to be wanting. That she seems to be yearning for. Something that I can’t offer her.

“Why are you looking out the window so seriously?” Lia lays down her towel on the bed beside her and she is seemed to have showered in the time that I have been standing here.

“I am just thinking about things” I walk a bit closer to her and I softly caress her cheek, only to hide my hands quickly.  “I am sorry” I whisper it and I can see her eyes shifting onto my hands “You keep on saying that lately” I nod and she seems to be avoiding my eyes “I am sorry”

“Stop…I need you to stop saying that.” She slowly stands up and gets her keys out of her bag “Where are you going?” I stand up as well, walking closer to her, she stops me by stretching her arms out “Don’t. I just want to get some air, get my head straight.”

“Lia just wait” I pull her closer and caress her cheek, softly kiss her lips. “I am sorry”

“You don’t get it do you..” she slowly distances herself from me and she puts on her coat “I don’t want to hear that anymore”

 

I wake up after finally falling asleep by the front door slamming closed, laughter. Who… I walk downstairs annoyed, but I stop in my tracks when I see Lia. Smiling, wrapping her arms around Hyukjae. Placing a kiss onto his cheek. Not sure if I should or shouldn’t walk further down, I continue to watch them.

“Okay, be careful, I don’t want you to hurt yourself” Hyukjae carefully takes away any object of her and places her onto a chair “I will get you some water.”

“Oppa~ I don’t want to go to sleep yet”

“It is already late, you should” Lia carefully takes a sip of water and she quickly puts the glass back down again “I don’t want to see Jungsoo” Her words cutting like a knife, I watch her trying to stand up and Hyukjae lifting her up “Oppa, I don’t want to see Jungsoo, he.. he doesn’t understand that I want him to be something different than… I don’t want to see his bloody hands and think that he..” She stops talking and I walk back up the stairs, I close the door of our room behind me and I hear Hyukjae and Lia coming closer.

I am anticipating if the door behind me is going to open, but I can hear them pass it. I hear a door further opening and closing.

I guess someone else could see this like a wake up call, but to me. I put on my jacket and I see the boys waiting downstairs for me. 

“Lets do some business guys” I put on my sunglasses and we all head outside, I get in the car and as we drive off I see Lia standing in the door opening watching us leave.

To me this is indeed a wakeup call, a life lesson, but perhaps not the one that anyone would like.