'Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love' - George Eliot

 

 

 

"You know that it'll be safer if you stay away from him, why aren't you listening to me?" Yoojung's mother's eyes watered. It was just yesterday did she found out who Yoojung was dating and she indeed had a shock of her life. Yoojung pursed her lips tight to stop it from trembling. She was trying her best to stop herself from crying, knowing that her mother was right. It was just yesterday did she introduced Minseok to her, and after years of being curious about who her father was, her mother had finally told her who he was.

 

But after knowing who he was, the curiosity was instantly replaced with regret.

 

"You should've continued hiding that fact from me." Yoojung had cried to her mother after everything was revealed to her.

 

Who would've thought that her father was a murder suspect and had killed himself due to the immense pressure and stress that was placed on him. She didn't know that she had moved to the province because of all the fingers that had been pointed towards them. 'A murderer's family' was what was labelled on them, as told by her mother. That was why she decided to move to a province, where electricity was scarced and where people care more about farming than watching the TV.

 

The both of them moved back to Seoul though, since she got a job and it had been more than a decade since the incident. Everything should've already been forgotten, well, that was what she thought until people started following her on the streets. She was almost kidnapped once but someone had rescued her, and that was her current boyfriend and the person she deeply loves, Minseok. 

 

Since then, he had been beside her almost 24/7, he fetches her to school and fetches her home. They'd sometime hangout in his house since he lives alone and they were basically only apart when she's at work or at home. He was self-employed and she had always wondered how he earns so much money. She did asked him once, but he just shrugged and told her that his job simply pays him big bucks. Thinking that he didn't really want to talk about his job, she didn't pester him so much about it. 

 

"Just for today, we'll move back after today. Please, mum." Yoojung said, her voice shaking. 

 

Her mother had decided to move back to the province where they lived once and Yoojung didn't decline the offer. 

 

"The person that your father was suspected to have killed was his friend, and also Minseok's father." Her mother had told her last night and Yoojung felt like her whole world was crashing down. Her heart felt so heavy and she had cried throughout the night, not knowing what to do. She had even went to the extend of not answering Minseok's call and simply sent him a text, telling him that she was sleeping and she would see him tomorrow. 

 

Yoojung left the house and was greeted with Minseok waiting at the lift lobby, as usual. She forced herself a grin and went into his embrace as soon as he opened his arms. "I can't believe you chose sleep over me." Minseok said and Yoojung let out a genuine chuckle.

 

"Sorry, but girls need their beauty sleep." Yoojung said and Minseok gave her a soft smile, ruffling her hair slightly so that he won't mess it up. Yoojung just grinned and went back to hugging Minseok, trying her best to not let her tears fall again. Her eyes were swollen from crying too much last night, hoping that Minseok didn't take notice of it, but of course, it was futile. Minseok had sharp eyes, but why wasn't he asking her anything?

 

"Let's go. You'll be late for work." Minseok said and pulled away from the hug. Yoojung gave a smile and nodded. The both of them held hands as usual and went out of the apartment building. Yoojung entered Minseok's car when he opened the door for her and closed the door after she was inside. 

 

"You cried last night, didn't you?" Minseok suddenly asked as he was driving. Yoojung looked down at her hands, dreading to answer the question. If she did, there would be more questions after that, and it would eventually turn into a situation where she had no choice but to tell him what her mother and her talked about last night, and she really didn't want to talk about it to Minseok, especially when it was his father that her father was suspected of murdering.

 

"I saw the look on your mother's face when she saw me. Was your mother not happy with me?" Minseok asked when she didn't reply his first question. Yoojung just chuckled at how worried Minseok sounded. Well, it was partially true. Minseok's lips twitched when he heard Yoojung's soft chuckle. 

 

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, I'm sleeping over at your house for tonight. My mum's going to visit my grandma today and won't be back until tomorrow." Yoojung said and Minseok nodded casually since Yoojung occasionally sleeps over at his house whenever her mum's not at home. Which was quite often since her mum usually has to go on business trips.

 

"You haven't answered any of my questions you know." Minseok said, his voice serious and Yoojung let out a soft sigh.

 

"I did but for a totally different reason. I was watching 'The Notebook' on TV before I fell asleep." Yoojung lied smoothly. She was an excellent liar, although she rarely lies. But when she does, it wouldn't be noticeable. This meant that she was excellent at hiding her feelings as well, and as always, Minseok knows that. Not wanting to force an answer out of Yoojung, he let it pass. 

 

"If you say so." Minseok said and Yoojung gave a lop-sided smile. Mentally grateful that he wasn't persistant. 

 

After they've reached Yoojung's company building, Yoojung got off the car and Minseok saw her off. 

 

"See you later." Minseok gave her a soft smile and caressed her cheeks lovingly, her hands on top of his. Yoojung just hummed in reply, enjoying his loving gesture. He pecked her lips and she grinned, wishing that this would continue on forever, but she knew it wouldn't. She gave Minseok a wave before entering the company building, Minseok returned the wave, giving her a loving smile and went inside the car after Yoojung entered the building. 

 

He let out a sigh and put his wireless in-ear in his right ear before driving away from the company building and started working on his own job.

 

"Do you want to know what I think?" A female voice sounded as soon as he placed the in-ear in his right ear. Minseok let out a deep breath through his nose, not wanting to hear his partner's theory but decided to keep his in-ear on. There were mics, tampered audio, cameras and trackers placed inside this car, so, his partner knows everything. Well, she needed to know everything to help him. For example, telling him short-cuts, and talking to him without the use of in-ear in case of an emergency. 

 

"She's lying about the movie and her mother told her about you, seeing her act like that, I think she's going to bre-" She said and Minseok stepped on the accelarator. 

 

"Don't even bother continuing Jiyeon. Have the client paid yet?" Minseok cut her off and asked. Breaking up with Yoojung... He had expected it but he wouldn't allow it. He had actually tried to keep a distance from Jiyeon. He didn't know who she was and had followed her because a client had requested to do a background check on her, that was when he realized who she was. 

 

Saving her from being kidnapped was completely coincidental. He had told Jiyeon to do a background check on her kidnappers and realized that they were hired by the same client that had asked him to do a background check on her. With all that being said, his job? He was basically a mercenary who did everything that was requested, but he had the choice to accept or reject the offer. He don't accept requests that involves killing. Stealing though, was a piece of cake. Especially when he had a teacher who was a martial artist. His partner? A professional hacker who basically sees everything. She hacks everything, even the government files when needed without being detected. 

 

"Yes he did. Anyway, Xiumin-ah, after you get the package from this man, all you have to do is place it in a locker at a subway station. The client will pick it up after that. Ah! He also mentioned that some people would be present as well, to steal the package, so he was asking you to be careful and make sure that the job is done." Jiyeon said and Minseok looked at the screen below the air-con for a few seconds before looking back up on the road. It simply showed him a man in his 40s. Xiumin was his alias name, under his field of work.

 

"Jiyeon-ah..." Minseok called out and Jiyeon just let out a questioning hum. Minseok hesitated a bit before asking his question.

 

"Can you help me find out where Yoojung lived before she moved back to Seoul?" Minseok asked and there was silence for a while. 

 

"You do know that we've done a background check on her and it was stated that she have been living in Seoul her whole life, right?" Jiyeon asked and Minseok sighed, knowing what she was talking about. However, Yoojung have told him that she was staying in the countryside before moving to Seoul and her house was rented out for years before they came back to Seoul again.

 

"So, you're really thinking that she would break up with you?" Jiyeon asked and Minseok just let out a sigh, having this gut feeling that it would be happening soon, but he wouldn't let it happen. Even if he had to tell her that he knew everything before she did, and it all didn't matter since he still loves her. Besides, he had been finding for evid