It was not until the clock struck the middle of the night when Mino's voice grunted loudly throughout my apartment from the living room's couch. With feather light steps I quietly sneaked up behind him and observed what was going on, careful not to be discovered. When the revelation of Mino's true identity came into my perspective, I knew I had better keep my distance from him.

"I know that you're here, Areum. Let's talk." he suddenly grumbled and threw his legs over the couch, placing them onto the cold wooden flooring. "I know that you're probably terrified of what is going on, but I assure you that you're most likely over-thinking." he said with a strained voice, his back to me though I could still clearly see him pulling his shirt up and examining the now completely formed bruise on his left rib-cage.

I shook my head and crossed my hands over my chest, refusing to talk with him and instead deciding to leave him alone and occupy myself in the kitchen while making something light to snack on, as well as some tea for relaxation of my nerve-system.

Just as I was pouring the boiling water into the cups I heard feet shifting behind me, a couple of quiet hisses here and there and then a presence behind me, his breaths unsteady from the pain and exertion he just put on his wounded side. "I really am sorry, Areum. I ask of you to not misunderstand, also. All that I am doing is with a purpose." he tried again, making me let out a heavy and tired sigh.

"Look, Mino..." I began and spun around, stumbling back after realizing that he was much closer than what I initially anticipated. He stood close, his face inches from mine, his body hovering with his towering height. I felt myself gasp and so inhaling his soft scent of aftershave, mixed with a slight tint of coffee.

He chuckled awkwardly, taking a big step back away from me. "Sorry... Was I too close?" he asked while scratching his neck, a soft tint of red appearing on his cheeks as he leaned himself onto the small kitchen table.

I shook my head and heaved another sigh for that night. "I don't know who you are, Mino." I said with a sympathetic tone of voice. "We've spent months talking, but after what happened earlier I realized that all the things you told me might have been lies. What's more, you've been hurt by a dangerous man and he knew my name. Mino, he knew it!" I nearly exclaimed, my fists shaking at my sides as I closed my eyes to control my emotions.

In a couple of short strides he was near me again and when I opened my eyes in surprise there was hurt on his face. His hands, that were hovering near my shoulders, were uncertain whether to hug me or pat my arms. "You know that's not true, Areum. Everything I've ever told you, it was never a lie. I would never lie to you!" he defended himself, his hands finally settling on my shoulders, squeezing them in assurance.

"But he knows my name..." I muttered, closing my eyes and looking down at our feet. "I don't even know who he is, but he looked, hell he even sounded dangerous. He near killed you in front of my door, Mino!"

His hold on me tightened as he gritted his teeth in frustration. "You shouldn't worry, Areum..." he whispered. "He won't do anything to you."

With a sudden burst of anger I slapped his hands away, my back tight against the counter. "You don't understand, Mino! He knew I was watching; he was after you and because you dragged him here, he's after me, too! He knows that I'm someone who means something to you, so he'll do anything to annoy, hurt or anger you! I'm in danger because of you, damn it!" I yelled, bringing my hands around my torso in a hug to keep the warmth flowing around my body. I was scared, but all he felt was confusion at my sudden outburst.

"That won't happen, I promise!" he defended once again, trying to step closer once more.

My palms shot up to stop him in his actions. "Then what happened earlier... What was it? Why did you come here?" I asked with a breathy voice, not allowing the shakiness to come out.

His hands fell to his sides as he observed my every miniscule action. "I wanted to give and tell you something." he confessed without a second thought, ruffling his hair in the process. "Only, I made a mistake because I had not noticed GD in the area; he saw me, though."

"Who is he and how do you know him?" I asked again, ignoring his first sentence.

His hand froze in his hair before travelling down to his neck. Slowly, he bit his lower lip and his guilty gaze fell down to meet my scared eyes. "Listen, I know this might sound terrifying, but remember that I have my own reasons for everything." he muttered, his eyes trying to convey just how much he wanted me to trust him.

"Speak." I urged him with anticipation of whatever it was he was about to say.

"GD is a drug dealer and I'm working under him; bringing him money after a successful deal. This month, there wasn't enough profit, so he's been a bit agitated about it and seeing me walking around leisurely must have annoyed him." he told me with a low voice and a slow pace, bringing information in so that I would have an easier time to understand.

I bit my lip hard, clenching my fists as the feeling of betrayal washed over me. "So all this time that we spent, I was talking to and came to like a drug dealer." I whispered in a voice that broke at the end of the sentence, tears slowly filling up to the rims of the lids. "Are you kidding me?" the question flowed out just below the whisper and I wondered whether he heard it.

"Let me explain." he begged, but I cut him off by walking by his side, my destination being the door of my apartment.

"Get out, Mino." I demanded, swinging the door open so that it hit the wall behind it and swung back. From the unexpected noise, I saw Mino flinch and for a second, the feeling of betrayal was replaced by deep guilt. For a second. "I don't want to see you. Ever. Get out." I continued to speak, my voice decreasing in volume the more words got out.

"Areu---"

"Mino, get the out!" I yelled louder and the man who was standing at the end of the hallway turned around to stare at the scene that was happening.

Mino's eyes widened as his back hunched, guilt washing over his features. With slow footsteps he shuffled closer to the open door, stopping in front of me and trying to look me in the eyes but I avoided such contact. "Whenever you'll be ready to speak, just call me. I'll wait." he muttered before closing the door and disappearing into the silence of the night.

My eye twitched as my back met with the cold surface of my door; now tightly closed. The tears that I was trying so hard to hide were now streaming down my face. The betrayal and guilt became an intertwined emotion of raw pain in my chest, and it was not fed by my tears or a clogged throat that added to the whole façade of pain.

He broke my trust by feeding me lies and hiding the truth but why did I feel like I was the one at fault when I did not do anything at all?

"Ah..." a broken chuckle escaped my throat as a bitter smile adorned my face. "That was it..." I whispered and rubbed at my eyes to make the tears go away.

I never did anything; never listened to his reasons.

It was going into the second week after the incident with the infamous GD, or whom I learned also went by the name of G-Dragon. Apparently, the man was widely known not only in the world where corruption went unpunished, but among normal youngsters of high-school. That's how I came to know his alias, by asking EunYoung.

It was that loud and wild co-worker of mine who shared what she knew about the dangerous man. Not surprisingly at all, my intuition about his level of danger was right a whole of hundred percent. He was a man who sent out smaller bait into the streets to advertise different clubs and gatherings, all for the sake of selling illegal substances. All that was being done in the middle of the day, on a busy street. He went unnoticed by law.

As I got the gist of the information, my mind started to wander back to the night where I came face to face, or at least eye to eye with the man and it sent a shiver down my spine. To know that Mino was his minion broke my heart even more, but something about his eyes when he went out my door was clenching at my heart in great pain and I could not help but want to talk with him. I wanted to sort out everything.

I was scared.

My thoughts had been disrupted by the bell above the door clinking as a new customer just came in. And true to that observation there was a light cough coming from in front of me as that customer tried to get my attention. The whole situation was strangely ironic; it felt like déjà vu.

"Can I get my order?" a soft voice spoke and when my eyes lifted up to gaze at the gentle man's visage I faced the familiar soft brown eyes and symmetrical baby face from months ago. He was one of Mino's friends that frequented this café, but his service was usually done by EunYoung.

"What would you want?" I asked with a gentle smile which was getting heavier by the second; the worry for Mino returning. I was on the brink of asking how Mino was doing from this `JinWoo oppa` guy, or whatever EunYoung called him.

"Just a latte, please." he smile with a softness that his face suggested and it relieved some of my stress. Surely, if he was not bothered by anything, it must mean that Mino was okay.

But why was I worrying about him, anyway? He said everything would be fine.

Just as I was about to turn away to head to the small kitchen and finish the older, by what Mino told me, man's order I stumbled into EunYoung who in return nearly spilled the coffee that was in her hands. "Ah, sorry, Areum." she apologized quickly and bowed her head, scurrying over to JinWoo and placing the coffee in front of him. "It was about your time to come, oppa, so I just made you your usual." she blurted out with flustered cheeks, her hands meeting each other behind her back as she tip-toed.

I chuckled lightly, leaning into the doorway and grinning at her being flustered and at a loss for words in front of the man that she so obviously liked; EunYoung was never short on words.

Shaking my head I settled for sweeping the floors while the two talk; allowing them some kind of privacy. When my impromptu job came to an end was when JinWoo bid his goodbyes and left the café with a jangle of the bell.

"Areum, shouldn't you go and ask him about what's bugging you?" EunYoung said after slapping herself a couple of times with a gentle touch to let will her shyness leave.

"There's no such thing, EunYoung." I chuckled while placing the broom into the storage room.

She kept quiet for a second too long and it made me turn around and face her figure, her eyes boring into my own and scrutinizing me. "Go." she whispered with a most of a hand towards the door and it was enough to send me barrelling out and yelling the name `JinWoo` to make the man who was getting into the car freeze mid-action with a startled face.

"Wait up, JinWoo, I need to ask you of something." I gasped while running faster, not wanting to lose any more time.

Slowly and with uncertainty, he put his leg back onto the ground and closed the door of his car. "Yes, what is it?" he asked with another smile.

I wheezed when in front of him and looked up with a glint of hopefulness in my eyes. "Mino... Where is he?"

As the door of the apartment opened just a tiny crack and his voice filled out with a fogginess of morning, my heart leaped in my chest and I had an urge to simply pull that door opened and hug him, apologize for my behaviour, how I exploded; I wanted everything to go back to the way it was.

"JinWoo, what the hell took you so long to come--- Areum...?" he began with a hint of annoyance in his voice, but it quickly changed into a flabbergasted surprise as he saw me.

"Hi." I sheepishly greeted and pulled my hand up to wave as a small greeting. "I think we need to talk about some things, Mino." I whispered and stared into his eyes that quickly sobered up from his sleepy daze.

He stared back, dumbfounded by my sudden appearance, but moved back none-the-less, allowing me to enter. "Was it JinWoo?" he asked quietly, closing the door behind us.

I nodded. "He came in today and EunYoung practically kicked me out to get him to take me here." I explained and settled myself on the couch of his living room.

"I thought you wouldn't call; or come at that." he muttered, staring at me as if I'd simply been his morning hallucination.

I lowered my head and bit my lip, trying to formulate an answer. "I felt guilty for not listening for your reasons after you so clearly stated that you had them. I was too scared to come, though. G-Dragon seems like he's not your ordinary gang-man. It looks like it's a serious mafia syndicate, and that definitely is not reassuring. I'm still not over the fact that a man from such syndicate knows me." I stated, lifting my head up only to see him already sitting in front of me.

He nodded his head, approving of my words. "I'm working under him simply to take him down." he said in a sudden rush, as if trying to tell me everything he had before I changed my mind and walked back through that door and out of his life. "It is a big syndicate of drug dealing and ion, and GD's at the very top of it; he's the Godfather, if you may. The police has been onto him for a while now, but they needed an insider to finally destroy him."

I brought my hand up to my lip and bit onto the nail of my thumb. "Are you the insider? How did you even become one?" I asked with a new kind of worry; a worry of what would happen if Mino would be discovered.

"I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The police scouted me and trained me, then they sent me in; that was about two years ago. Everything's coming to an end soon, that's how I know you're going to be alright. Trust me." he reassured with a smile that crinkled his eyes and scrunched the skin at his nose.

"So... You're not police, but you're not mafia, either. What are you, then?" I asked with genuine curiosity, some part of my guilt diminished by the stupid grin of the fully grown man in front of me.

"The police needed a person from the outside whom the enemy did not know about, and they happened to spot me, a cousin of Song Gunhee the policeman, who only graduated college with perfect scores in physical education. Just the right kind of person. They could trust me and nobody knew me. It was a perfect solution for them to use me, and so I agreed. Only cause I had nothing better to do, really."

"You're mad, Mino. Who the joins mafia for a takedown only cause they had nothing better to do?" I asked, bewildered.  My hand came into contact with my forehead as I rubbed it in contemplation of the choices I made that led me to the conclusion of liking this mad man.

"I do, obviously." he chuckled and stood up, walking a couple of steps forward and plopping down next to me, his hand slithering around my shoulders as he brought me into his warm chest for a hug. "On another note, I'm really glad that you decided to come back to me."

"I'm seriously thinking of leaving, just so you know." I blabbered with a scowl, sneaking my arms around his torso and burying my face into his shoulder.

"You won't." he stated calmly.

My eyebrow lifted up as if on reflex as I laughed. "I won't?" I asked with a surprised voice.

"You won't leave me because I won't let you to." he whispered into my ear and his grip on me tightened and a shiver ran down my spine as a bright red blush appeared on my cheeks. "Not this time. Not now. It was plenty enough when I walked out at that time, but now it's definitely not happening. We're sitting this whole thing off until the end."

I gulped and my nails dug into the skin on his shoulders. "And what after that?" I asked quietly, my voice quivering from embarrassment.

His chin settled onto the crown of my head as he murmured, "Everything and anything."

And though admittedly this was most likely the cheapest thing I have ever heard, it warmed my heart and was enough of a reassurance that we'll make it work.

"Yes Mino, I'm almost home, now. I can already see the staircase so don't worry. Nothing happened." I chuckled as I started ascending the stairs while reassuring the older man of his insecurities about my safety. "Bye now, Mino. Finish everything that you had to and you might come visit me again later." I promised with a small smile powdered with sunshine as he released a heavy sigh.

"Okay, but if anything, call me right in." he warned and then the line went dead after his gentle goodbyes.

"Your heart was of glass, in the end, wasn't it?" I laughed and stuffed my phone into my bag, surfing it for my keys right after. "Where...?" as my hands grabbed something metallic and cold I sighed in relief and my eyes flew up, sending a small bow of my head to the neighbour that just walked out of the apartment.

When finally at home, I released a big sigh and plopped on the black chair in the kitchen, remembering everything that happened in the run of a month. Too much, I finally decided and smiled while crossing my hands on the table in front of me and resting my head into the forearms.

"But on the other hand..." I mumbled and a bashful smile graced my lips as my thoughts wandered back to the black-haired man who already managed to save me twice. "Mino..." his name rolled off my tongue without my understanding and when it finally registered in my mind a scarlet blush quickly covered my cheeks.

I shook my head as if to rid myself of such distracting thoughts and slapped my cheeks a couple of times, standing up from the chair and sauntering towards the saucepans and pans, oven and fridge. Let's make ourselves something to eat, okay?

While in the middle of my cooking, there was a gentle knock on my door that made me freeze for a moment, my eyes settled on the window over-looking the quiet street that I lived in. There was not supposed to be a visitor today, apart from maybe Mino who would have called if he decided to come over.

Quietly tip-toeing to the tightly locked doors I peeped over the peep-hole, for it to appear black; someone was blocking it.

I shook my head and took a couple of steps back, planning to grab my phone from the kitchen table and have Mino's name on the dial because my gut instinct had no good feeling about this. My gut was never wrong. Ever.

The gentle knocking came again when I was in the arch-way of the kitchen, my hand prolonged to the phone, reaching for it. This time, however, there was a voice accompanying the knocks. An eerily familiar voice. "Miss Han Areum, I do know that currently, you're inside, so please just open the door without me breaking it down." his velvety voice proclaimed with a venomous sweetness that sent a shiver down my spine and made my hand freeze mid-air.

I clenched a fistful of my shirt on my right side, muttering curses underneath my breath while trying to calm myself down, willing my other hand to move and hurriedly call Mino for help. "W-what do you need?" I shouted in a voice so that the violator behind the door could hear me.

"Talk."

"I don't believe you." I answered back with my voice more stable now, scrolling through the list of contacts on my phone and pressing the green button for call when noticing Mino's name.

There was quiet behind the door and quick relief flushed my entire being; but then the door swung open as it was unlocked from the other side and a grinning G-Dragon stepped through, his hair no longer fiery red but a night-black. "You should have opened the door willingly, Miss Han." he chuckled and dropped the break-in instruments onto the couch into which he plopped down seconds later.

"What do you need?" I asked, quickly hiding my phone behind my back, not blocking the call and letting it connect through.

"Talk." he provided the same answer as before and grinned at me with mischief. "I told you that already."

I shook my head but otherwise stood frozen in the arch-way of my kitchen. "And I told you that I don't believe you." I answered him back, not breaking off the eye contact.

He nodded his head thoughtfully and then crossed his hands over his chest, sending me a look-over. "But I must say that Mino sure knows how to pick women. Sad he isn't part of the men who over-look the ion in my main areas."

I scowled at him and my grip on the phone tightened. "There's no need to put a person like Mino into the same filthy category as you, Mister GD." I spit with ferocity by which he was taken aback, but then his eyes narrowed into thin slits and I swore that the sun of tomorrow will not be able to reach me as I will be buried six feet under the ground.

"Funny you said that. It seems you know Mino's situation quite well, too. That's why you're going with me." he demanded and slowly stood up from the couch, his gaze never wavering and observing each and every small action that I did; like a predator stalking his prey.

"What do you mean?" I asked with a dumb face.

"Mino's never been in a gang, Areum, and it was obvious. He was suspicious from the start but it was amusing to keep him alive; he always managed to entertain me. Then, all of a sudden, the income of the area he was supervising started to drop; it was around the time when you appeared. I figure the lover-boy decided to abandon his duties and call quits. Well, tough luck. You'll die and he'll continue to work under me while mourning." the black-haired man boasted while nearing me, making me back off.

He doesn't know... He doesn't know that Mino's with police.

"You're an for thinking that way, G-Dragon. You're a filthy manipulator that has a kink of always being dominant, am I right? Isn't that the reason as to why you're trying to kill me and break Mino, cause you're scared he'll break your law and will be able to stand up against you? Right?" I taunted the man, quietly observing how his futures morphed into a grimace of pure rage and he leaped to jump at me, but I managed to dodge, sending my phone flying to the other side of the room and barrelling into a cupboard.

I stood up quickly, opening the drawers where the cutlery lay and took out a kitchen knife that was soon pointed at a livid G-Dragon who looked eerily calm. "Put that down and maybe I won't be using it against you, Areum." he threatened and my hands shook as the weight of the weapon dawned on my hands.

I won't be able to hurt him; but he doesn't know that.

"Take another step and you're dead, GD." I threatened back, spreading my legs at my shoulder width.

He scoffed and leaped at me again, this time faster. With ease, he pushed my hands to the side, the knife falling away from the sudden impact. His other hand quickly jabbed me in the jaw and a metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth. A stinging pain bloomed all around my jaw and neck.

Before I even had a chance of fully regaining my consciousness, there was another chomp onto my spine and that was when the room began to spin as the blackness over-took my senses.