credits: tarozuki

credits: ISHIEMARU

credits: IBMINO

credits: gheloves2ne1

Dara struggled to free herself from the man's hold, her scream muffled by his hand covering . Her heart was pounding hard inside her chest as panic consumed her. Where were the guards assigned to her?

"Relax, Dara. I'm not going to hurt you," the guy said. "We're the ones assigned to guard you after all."

As soon as the guy freed her from his grasp, Dara spun around to face the guy, taking a few steps back to put a distance between them. "You're from the Deputy Mountain Master unit?" She asked suspiciously, her chest heaving up and down as she darted her eyes around.

"I am the Deputy Mountain Master," he informed her while clasping his hands behind him. "My name is Haejin."

Dara gawked at the guy in flabbergasment, totally shocked that the prim and proper-looking man was a mobster. But then again, she saw those types in the Triads party that she attended before. This whole Triads empire was made up all of sorts of people that she could not comprehend.

When Haejin stepped forward, the girl immediately backed away in fright. "Don't come near me," she said in alarm.

"There. That's right. Be cautious of your surroundings."

Dara didn't know what to make of the man. Did he purposely frighten her to prove a point. Was he really an ally? Or an enemy?

"You're weighing whether I'm an ally or an enemy, are you not?"

He's a mind reader!

"Care to join me for a walk, Dara?"

"I don't know. Are you going to try to kill me?"

A smirk formed on Haejin's lips, bemused with the girl's retort. "You're interesting. I think I can see a glimpse of why Jiyong was captivated by you."

Okay, he knew Jiyong. But that didn't mean he really was the Deputy Mountain Master.

"If you're still doubting if I was really who I said I was, you can ask the men who drove you here." He waved his hand in the air and instantly, Dara's guards who were staying hidden all along stepped out.

"Miss Dara, we apologize if our boss scared you," one of them said. "He is indeed the leader of the Deputy Mountain Master unit."

"Satisfied?" Haejin cocked his eyebrows at her, the hint of smile she saw earlier completely gone from his face.

_____________________________________________________________

DARA’s POV

This is weird. No, he IS weird. There is something unsettling about him, but I just can't put my finger into it. Maybe it's his dead, stoic eyes. Does he even blink? He seems like someone whom parents used to scare their kids with so that they'll eat their vegetables. He can surely fuel any kids' nightmare by just staring directly at them. If not for the fact that he is Jiyong's sworn brother and a high ranking official of the Triads, I would've run back to the hotel.

We walked along the garden and sat on a bench in front of the fountain. I stole a glance at him again and noted the serious, thoughtful expression on his face as he crossed his arms and his legs and leaned back on the bench. He reminded me of the movies I watched where the psycho killer carefully planned their murder and played their victims at the palm of their hands before executing their evil plan. *Shiver* I seriously should stop scaring myself. Where were my guards again?

"Break up with Jiyong," he suddenly said. I was too stunned to even utter a word. For a moment, I thought I was just hearing voices and those words didn't actually come from him. But I heard him clearly. And clearly, he was not on his right mind. I mean, why the hell would he say that?

"You're a good and promising member of the society who doesn't need to experience the terrifying world that we have. What was Jiyong thinking in bringing you in?"

"I'm sorry, but why are you telling me this? What is it to you?" I asked. "Of course, Jiyong and I talked about it and we are well aware of what we did. I don't think our business is something you should poke your nose into."

He shifted his head sideway, his serious gaze drilling into mine, as if trying to discern what was going on in my mind. I was beginning to think he could really pick out my thoughts and it was honestly creeping me out. Just with his gaze alone, he seemed to be the type of person who wouldn't think twice of crushing a little boy's dream by explaining in lengthy detail - flowchart and all - that Santa Claus does not exist.

"Were you coerced in doing this? Did he seduce you and make you believe you can't live your life without him?" He asked.

"I was not coerced into anything," I hissed. "It was my decision to stay despite of him being a mobster." He is INSANE! I am talking to an insane person.

"But you have a beautiful life. Why would you throw that away?"

"I love him. I'm not throwing away anything because I still have a beautiful life now - a life with him."

Okay, seriously, the more he talked, the more I was starting to get convinced that I was in the presence of a machine. It was like talking to a computer with artificial intelligence. The only acceptable answers for him were the pre-programmed logical reasoning and 'feelings' had no place whatsoever in his mechanical world.

"Have you thought about the consequences?"

"Yes. I know there are a lot of dangers surrounding him and I know I'm putting my life on the line. I had been in the brink of death before, so I'm well aware of what my decision entails."

"No, that's not the consequences I meant," he mumbled mysteriously and shifted his eyes back to the fountain.

The lights surrounding the fountain were reflected on the water, giving it a sense of grandeur and elegant beauty as if the droplets spilling were pieces of precious, shiny jewels that would magically disappear once it hit the ground.

"I meant, have you thought of the consequences when this 'love' of yours starts to wane? Once your relationship starts to lose the warmth and excitement you were initially blinded with? When it becomes an act of tolerating and enduring instead of the happy life you envisioned? What then?"

My mouth partially opened but sadly, my mind was devoid of an answer to his questions. His words were exactly the future I was afraid of. But, I have no doubt that I love Jiyong and I know that he loves me too, which was why I didn't want to entertain the idea. We promised to stay together, and I will fight for that promise.

"I don't know why you're bringing this up. If it's out of concern, thank you but Jiyong and I are fine."

He glanced at me and blinked in bewilderment. "That didn't answer my questions."

"I don't think I need to answer them."

"So, you haven't thought about the possibility at all?"

"It's not something that I should think about because it's not going to happen," I said in defiance. This conversation is seriously making my chest hurt. I just want to go back to my hotel room and get away from him...away from his stupid questions and away from the stupid 'possibilities' he was spouting.

"I apologize if I upset you," he said softly. "Actually, I saw your picture in the amusement park and you two looked happy together. Then, when I found out you're someone who doesn't really belong to our world, someone who gave up a lot for him, I thought what if he gets tired of you? What will happen then?"

My heart hammered painfully with what he was insinuating. "Why exactly are you telling me this, Haejin?"

"I don't know," he mumbled. "I've seen a lot like you – a mobster's woman who gets ruined because of us. That's why I got curious. Why would you want to stay with him when you have a beautiful world with your family and your friends? Jiyong should not have pulled you in into this hell."

I shot up to my feet, unable to listen to his words anymore. Our conversation completely drained my energy. If I exposed myself more to him, I would probably be having nightmares for the rest of my life. I already felt weak with all the negativities he showered me with.

"I have an early day tomorrow," I informed him. He stood up and faced me, studying my expression with his careful gaze. He pulled out something from his wallet and handed me a black card.

"I know it's none of my business, but when the time comes that you need help in escaping our world, I will be able to help you."

"Chessmaster," I mumbled, reading the card he gave me with a series of number underneath the word.

"Yes. That's my alias."

"Chessmaster, huh? So you play with people's lives? Like everyone is your pawns?" I asked without glancing at him, my eyes focused on the black card.

"No," he replied flatly. "I give people choices."

_____________________________________________________________

Jiyong rolled over to his side, his eyes shut close, and stretched his arms sleepily, reaching for the girl who was supposed to be at the other side of the bed.

"Babe..." He called out in a raspy voice, still half-asleep.

"Babe..." He repeated, patting the bed blindly. His eyebrows furrowed as he forced his eyes to open, only to find an empty space beside him. Jiyong immediately sat up, his mind a bit hazy and disoriented as he checked the time. The guards assigned to Dara had already texted him that they safely arrived in the hotel. But, the girl had not sent him any messages.

Recalling their fight earlier, Jiyong ran his fingers through his hair and let out a heavy sigh. He ing yelled at her. Before he even realized it, he was already yelling at her because of that stupid lipstick mark on his shirt. God, they find new things to argue about every ing time.

He lay on the bed again and grabbed Dara's pillow, her familiar scent still lingering on the sheet. 'She must be so ing mad,' he thought. Tomorrow is the start of Dara's Product Convention and he knew he should let her be while she was still fuming with anger or else, she would get distracted. Trivial fights happened to them a lot of times and this was just one of those fights.

Jiyong hugged Dara's pillow and stared at his phone by the bedside table, his eyes slowly fluttering closed.

She will come back soon.

He forced his eyes to open again and looked around, seemingly bothered by something that he couldn't quite fathom. His gaze landed on the line