If you were unable to receive someone’s love, would you rather be a replacement or nothing at all?

※  ※  ※

Hanging on a rope, suspended from the roof, you slipped your slender legs through the opened apartment window.  Without making a single sound, you bent your flexible body and easily entered the building.  The rope detached from your thin waist as soon as you landed onto the tiled floors.

With a smirk, you made yourself comfortable on the living room sofa.  The soft cushions hugged your sore back like cotton candy.  Reaching over to a rack, you grabbed a newspaper to preoccupy your mind as you waited for the owner to return home. 

You get to about the fifth paragraph, on the fourth page, when the door creaked open.  With your right leg crossed over your left, you sat still, staring at Luhan, who had just returned.  Seemingly unaware of your presence, he nonchalantly threw his keys on top of the shoe rack and hung his jacket on the coat stand. 

Your lips parted, to announce your attendance, but before anything came out, Luhan had sprinted over and had you in a deadlock; his hand clawed your neck as he pinned your small body down by the hips with his leg.  You smirked, unaffected by his abrupt entrance.

With an exaggerated pout, you asked, “Is that the first thing you do after not seeing me for over a month?”

Slowly, he loosened his grip and stood up with his gun in his hand.  You remained half sunken into the sofa.  Luhan narrowed his crystal orbs.

“Hands up in the air,” he ordered.

Amused, you stood up and held your hands up. 

“Turn around,” he said, motioning with his gun.

You obeyed and turned around.  The corners of your lips curled up.

The sergeant hovered over you from behind.  With one hand still tightly holding his gun, he patted your body down for any signs of weaponry.  As his hands touched your right thigh, you mockingly groaned in pleasure. 

“If you wanted that so much, we can head over to the bedroom…” you purred with a sultry voice. 

Luhan staggered backward, flustered by your implications.  You chuckled, as his cheeks grew red.  "So cute..." you whispered.

“Why are you here?” he interrogated.

With a relaxed shrug, you sat back down comfortably on the sofa.  He glared at you, scrutinizing your every move.  ping your leather jacket, you pulled out a manila folder and threw it onto the coffee table.  With one finger, you turned over the cover to reveal a headshot of a male. 

“Park Jinwoo.  34.  Part of Red Eagle Mafia.  Disappeared last month with a handful of ,” you briefed as you lay back with arms extended across the couch.

Seemingly intrigued, Luhan leaned over and turned the folder around so that he could examine the information more clearly.  Shortly after, he scoffed and stood back up.             

“Do you have any leads to where he is?  I heard your team has been trying to scout him out,” you calmly spoke with closed eyes.

Laughing mockingly, Luhan replied, “I don’t.  But even if I did, why would I tell an assassin?”

With that, he trudged off to the kitchen area to get a glass of water.  You frowned, offended that he ignored you.  You were trying to offer him valuable information at the cost of your life.  Gritting your teeth, your boots clicked against the tiled floor as you strolled over to him.  You leaned onto the kitchen counter and stared at Luhan, but he does not give you an inkling of attention. 

“Fine.  Let’s race to see who finds him first,” you slyly said.

He does not look up but the glint in his eyes proved that he was listening. 

“Dead or alive.  Your choice, Sergeant Lu.  Your choice,” you taunted, leaning your back against the countertop so that you were looking up at his jaw. 

Still, he does not respond but his glass of water lingered against his lips for the longest time as if he were deep in thought. 

Growing impatient, you stood up straight, turned around, and pretended to walk toward the window to leave.

“WHY,” Luhan broke the silence with a shout, “Why is SPY after him?”

A huge smile spread across your lips, seeing that he took the bait.

Slowly, you turned around.

“Because.  He. Was.  An. Undercover. Cop,” you replied in a provoking staccato.

Luhan’s eyes widened.  His eyebrows furrowed as he paced over to you.

“Why should I trust an assassin?” he growled, hovering over your small physique.

You glowered into his captivating orbs and retorted, “To trust or not.  Your choice, Sergeant.  Your choice.”

Luhan frowned.

“But his severed head is worth a couple thousand dollars,” you informed in a chilling voice. 

The sergeant blinked, his mouth wide open in shock.  Chuckling, you placed your arms around his neck, pulled his head down to your level, and whispered into his ear, “Race you.”

With a kissed on his cheek, you let go.  As soon as you separated yourself from him, you sprinted over to the window, grabbed the dangling rope, and leapt out.  As you landed on the ground, you stalled and purposefully waited for him to catch up. 

Tappin