The hallway that connected the main café to the underground headquarters was uncharacteristically dark. On top of that, the light switches wouldn’t work. Hangeng tried to turn the light on only to be answered by a faint click indicating that the power had been cut.

“Did Yesung and Ryeowook not pay the power bill?” he asked almost jokingly. The two others didn’t find it funny. They knew better than anyone that this could not lead to anything good. Heechul bolted into a sprint towards the end of the hall where the heavy door lay cracked. It was as if someone had come in and tried to close the door but had been in such a rush that it was of little to no importance to them whether it closed all the way or not. When she reached the door, she looked around trying to find a weapon to use should she need it. The pocket knife in her bag was the closest thing. Before Leeteuk and Hangeng could stop her, she shoved through the doorway and froze at what she saw. The boys finally caught up with her and stood on either side of her as they surveyed the room with similar facial expressions.

The rooms had been destroyed. Papers were strewn everywhere. Pieces of furniture were thrown against walls where there were prominent holes and damage. Someone had been there and had had a purpose for being there. And there was no way this was all caused by one of Kangin and Siwon’s wrestling matches.

Once the three could finally move, they began to walk slowly down the single hallway, looking into each of the offices and rooms for any sign of life. There was none.

“I’m going to go check that last room.” Heechul walked off towards said room. “You guys go make sure there’s no one upstairs.”

The last room was in the same condition as the rest of them. Supplies were thrown everywhere. Holes were left in the walls and furniture was displaced. Other than that, there was nothing. That is, until Heechul’s foot snagged on a cord and the door slammed shut behind her. She ran back and tried to open it. It didn’t budge. She tried the lock but still no luck. The door was sealed. She began pounding on the wood, shouting.

“HANGENG! LEETEUK!” Bang! Bang! The pounding became faster when Heechul heard a loud crash resound behind her and muffled cursing from a voice she didn’t recognize. Then there was the smell of smoke. She turned around to see the black gas building in the corner of the room. Fire. Looking around the room, she found nothing to put out the flames with. Normally there would be a fire extinguisher or something of the like in each of the rooms but the one in this room had been removed. Everything that she tried only fed the fire, causing it to grow in intensity.

“Where are you?” she shouted to the unknown voice. “We’ve got to get out of here. I need your help!” There was no answer. Soon the entire room was filled with smoke. Heechul was coughing nonstop. Crawling on the ground, she made her way back to the door and tried to get the boys’ attention. The heat from the flames and the smoke filling her lungs exhausted her. She couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of her.

“HEECHUL!” Said woman could hear Hangeng’s voice on the other side of the door. Her already weakening heart skipped a beat. He had heard her. She tried to answer but her voice wouldn’t come to her. So she settled for knocking feebly on the door. “BACK AWAY! I’M GOING TO KNOCK THE DOOR DOWN!”

Hangeng threw himself against the door multiple times before it gave way with one final kick. By the time it had opened though, Heechul was lying unconscious on the floor, the smoke enveloping her. Hangeng pulled his t-shirt up so that it covered his nose and grabbed her just before the flames reached her, burning his hand in the process. He met Leeteuk at the main stairwell just as the man reached the final step. Without a word, Leeteuk let Hangeng through as he carried the unconscious woman up the stairs and into the main café.

Heechul woke up later in a bed that she recognized all too well. Taking in her surroundings, her heart dropped to her feet as she tried to climb out from underneath the neatly tucked blankets covering her. A strong hand stopped her before she could get far. Jae’s room swam before her as she tried to focus her vision on the owner of the hand. Hangeng helped her sit up as she fell into a fit of coughs. She felt a hollowed piece of plastic pushed against her face, forcing clean oxygen into her lungs and eventually stopping the tight coughs.

“Why are we here?” she asked once she could finally speak without her lungs seizing up on her.

“We don’t have anywhere else to go. Jae offered his apartment until we can find a place.” Hangeng explained. “He has a place near the main branch for the time being.” They sat in silence for a moment before Heechul’s eyes widened. She had looked down and seen Hangeng’s bound hand.

“What happened?” she asked, indicating the injury. Hangeng moved the hand further behind his back.

“It’s just a burn. The fire was a little out of control just after I got you out.”

“I’m so sorry.” Heechul’s eyes filled with tears that stung. Hangeng used his free hand to brush the stray hair out of her face.

“No. I’m sorry. I should have told you about Jae and about everything else.” He apologized. “If I had maybe you wouldn’t be in the state you are now.” His strong arms wrapped around her as he pulled her closer. It was as if he needed to reassure himself that she was really there and not just a dream. Heechul placed her hands on his back, wanting to comfort him, and hugged him back.

“It’s okay. We all make mistakes.”

“I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you.” Hangeng whispered. Heechul remained silent, unsure of what to say because when she looked up, only more tears flowed down her face at the expression covering Leeteuk’s face. Said man left the room he had just entered and walked to his own room, shutting the door behind him softly.

The next morning, Heechul finally felt well enough to get out of bed. She made her way to the kitchen, trying not to wake a still snoozing Hangeng. When she walked in, she saw Leeteuk sitting at the table looking over what appeared to be a draft of a book his company was in the process of publishing. He adjusted his glasses before taking a sip of his coffee – white with sugar – and returning to the papers, making a few notes here and there. He didn’t even notice Heechul walk in until she spoke.

“Morning, old man.” He looked up, not phased. He was used to the woman sneaking up on him. She had done it since they were toddlers. Nothing surprised him anymore. He looked up at her and tried to act normal but the image of her in Hangeng’s arms the night before was burned in his mind. He wasn’t about to let her know that though.

“Who are you calling old?” He took his glasses off. “I’m only nine days older than you.” Heechul smirked and walked over to the counter to fix herself a cup of coffee. Taking the first sip of the miracle liquid, she took her seat across from Leeteuk.

“Yeah, well, you’re still older than me.” She responded. The mood in the room was too dark and heavy. She knew the man was hurt.

“So, how’s Hangeng?” Leeteuk asked, replacing his glasses and looking back at the papers in his hands.

“Fine.” All that was needed was her one word answer. She still had no idea what she was going to do. She loved Hangeng but not in the same way that she loved Leeteuk. Both of them meant something different to her. Hangeng was gentle and did all of the little things that meant so much to her. Those quiet moments were the ones that kept her going. But Leeteuk had a burning passion about him that Hangeng lacked and that Heechul so desperately clung to for fear of her own fire extinguishing in this chaotic world in which they lived.

“Are you okay?” Heechul knew there was more to that question than the surface revealed. She merely looked at him in response, finally turning away when she felt she was going to break under his questioning gaze. She stood up and began to walk out of the room. Leeteuk shot up from his seat and grabbed for the woman’s wrist. Heechul looked up at him, startled by the sudden contact. Threatening tears stung the corners of her eyes.

“Leeteuk… I…”she started to say but was cut off when a still drowsy Hangeng walked into the kitchen. Leeteuk immediately dropped his hand at the other man’s questioning stare. Heechul blushed as she walked towards her boyfriend.

“Come on, Hangeng. Let’s go check your hand. I want to make sure it doesn’t get infected.”

“We’re WHAT?!” Heechul glared at the men in front of her. Jungsoo sat on the edge of the hospital bed while Kangin and Yesung stood by the door, making sure they weren’t disturbed.

“Going into hiding.” Jungsoo explained. “Whoever headed the entire operation up found out we were on to them and they’re coming after us. This is our last resort, Heechul.” The woman’s expression held nothing but anger which soon faded to an aggravated understanding. She sighed.

“Fine. So where are we going?”

“It’s a little town on the coast. But first you and I are going to have to change our names. They know who we are and will come looking for us.” Heechul opened to retort but was cut off by Jungsoo.

“Think of this as an opportunity for you to begin your writing career that you’ve always wanted. I’ll start a publishing company. Yesung and Ryeowook are going to open a café. It will be a new start for us all and we’ll never have to be involved in this again. I’ll take care of everything.”

Heechul sighed and leaned back against her pillows, turning her back towards the men in the room.

“Fine. Do as you wish.”

Heechul sat in the bedroom with Hangeng wrapping his hand in a fresh medical wrap.

“Has Leeteuk told you yet?” Hangeng asked after an extended period of silence.

“Told me what?” Heechul looked at the younger man with curious, guarded eyes. She was scared she was being lied to again. She didn’t think she could take another blow like that again. Hangeng noticed the flash of fear in her eyes and had to suppress the silent satisfaction at the sight. Leeteuk hadn’t told her yet. Maybe this will pull the older man down in Heechul’s opinion. Or at least put them on the same level. It’s not that he didn’t like Leeteuk. He did. The oldest had always been a good companion but when it came to Heechul, he wanted her for himself. And now Heechul knew about Leeteuk’s feelings for her. That combined with the fact that Heechul’s trust in him as her boyfriend was quickly diminishing, he was in real danger of losing her for good. He knew he was being selfish but at this point he didn’t care.

“Jae is sending someone from the main branch to help us. They’re going to be our inside advantage. Headquarters has found out that Dragon failed twice with killing us. He has one more chance before they get rid of him themselves.” Heechul flinched at the memory of both attempts on their lives.

“Leeteuk and I haven’t talked much lately.” It was the truth to some degree. Heechul had been unconscious for the past few days and therefore unable to communicate with anyone; the time that the two elder members had together before the incident had been spent in an intense lip lock that only led to more questions and more confusing feelings for the other. But there was no need to inform Hangeng of that fact.

“I’m sure he would have gotten around to telling me.” She added. Hangeng’s heart dropped. The idea of him and Leeteuk finally being on the same level of trust was destroyed in that one sentence. She still trusted her friend more than she did her own boyfriend. Well, it wasn’t like he didn’t deserve it.

“I’m sure he would have.” Hangeng’s resolve was quickly fading. They remained silent for the remainder of the time that Heechul was bandaging his hand. By the time she had secured that last clasp on the wrap, the doorbell rang. They heard Leeteuk answer the door followed by indiscernible mumbling they presumed to be a conversation.

“Hangeng, Heechul.” Leeteuk entered the room carefully, not wanting another picture of the two of them in any form of an intimate pose etched into his mind. The one from the previous night was more than enough. Thank goodness they weren’t.

“The inside from headquarters is here.”