A/N: Brace yourself. It's a long one.

[ THE PRESENT ]

"How could you not know where she is?!"

Hyuk tightened his hold on Ju Han's collar. He didn't usually got mad, but the current situation triggered his fears, which resulted in the fury. Ju Han should've known better -- he was a cop. What was he thinking?

Granted, the situation got out of hand, but she was a freaking civilian. 

And now, she's missing.

Ju Han could not look at him. "I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking," he exclaimed, struggling against Hyuk's grasp, "I...It's my fault."

Hyuk tightened his hold on him.

"Look, I'm wrong okay? But we're not going to find her if you torture me like this!" argued Ju Han, "We have to find her and get her out of here!" 

Detective Lee, despite his frustration, realized that Inspector Cha had a point. Blaming him for his mistake was a waste of time;  he was right when he said they had to find her. Immediately, Hyuk released his colleague and looked around. Everything was in chaos -- people running around and shouting. He was sure his team would get here on time, but they had to find Kim Sun Hee.

He glared at Ju Han.

"This is the last time I'm letting you have her," he said.

Then he started running. 

[ 1 WEEK AGO , WHITE DAY ]

He wasn't sure if the convenience store was the best place to find chocolate. But since it was White Day, he figured they must have special chocolates available. 

They did, but there were too many.

The poor detective scratched the back of his head as he scanned the shelves for the choices available. There was plain milk chocolate, fancy chocolate with caramel, chocolate with strawberries -- everything inside of pink-colored boxes. He was overwhelmed with everything that he saw; it had been years since he took this kind of thing seriously. His last girlfriend wasn't a big fan of these festivities.

But Kim Sun Hee looked like the girl who did.

"Aisht, this is too difficult," he complained, "Why am I even doing this?"

He put one of the boxes back and heaved an exasperated sigh. 

"This...is crazy," he continued, "Why am I even here? I must be out of my mind."

"Are you okay, Mister?"

Hyuk was startled with the tiny voice. He turned around and saw a teenage girl -- a high school student, judging from her uniform -- gazing at him with curiosity. 

"Are you okay?" she asked again.

The flustered detective looked at the girl then at the selection of chocolates. How does he explain himself?

The high school girl looked at him then at the chocolates. As the realization dawned on her, she flashed him a bright smile. Staring at her, Hyuk thought that she seemed familiar. Did he see her somewhere? 

"Were you supposed to buy chocolates for your girlfriend?" she asked.

He shoved his hands inside his jacked. "I...well, I...," he stammered, "I was...just about to go."

"But you didn't buy anything."

"I'm not even...sure."

He glanced at the box of chocolates, feeling so embarrassed for being caught by a high school student. Hyuk figured he should leave.

"Mister, a convenience store is not the best place to find White Day chocolates."

The girl put her hands on her hips, looking at him a bit sternly. He was surprised that she talked at him with such confidence, despite the fact that they had just bumped into each other.

"I'm...not here for that."

"Really? I watched you put one box back after the other just a few minutes ago. And you even asked yourself why you're doing this," she remarked, "I don't think you're just going to eat those White Day chocolates for yourself."

She was persistent, that girl. Hyuk read her name plate and saw that her first name was So Min. For such a small girl, she had so much spunk, it astounded him. As he continued to survey her, he realized that she was also looking at him from top to bottom. Hyuk couldn't explain it, but there was a sense of familiarity in the air -- too much, in this girl's case.

"I wouldn't lie to myself already if I know the answer."

Detective Lee saw the girl shoot him a daring look.

"I'm sorry?"

She smiled. "Forgive me, Mister, if I'm being so casual, but I think you're kind of confused," she observed, "My friends tell me I'm really good at observing people and I can see that...you have someone in mind."

Hyuk faced the girl. "And what gives you the right to inspect a detective?" he asked.

She gasped. "You're a detective already?!"

"What do you mean 'already'?" 

So Min seemed taken aback in the same manner as he was. She caught herself gaping at him, then immediately closed . Hyuk, on the other hand, was surprised with her reaction. 

"I mean...you look so young to be a detective," she replied, "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I thought you were a college guy worrying about his girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

He said it so fast yet when he heard it out loud, there was a definite pang that didn't make sense.

"But there is a girl?"

Hyuk sighed. He hoped his silence wouldn't give him away, but the girl was too quick on her feet. Her face was enough proof that she understood his predicament (it was really odd since they had just met). She must've realized the existence of THE girl already.

"Do you like her?"

"Little miss, don't you think you're asking too many questions?" he shot back.

"Mister, I think it's pretty obvious already."

She pointed at the rows of chocolates. "Any guy who doesn't like anyone wouldn't be standing in front of a row of White Day chocolates and be so confused with it. If you were a guy who's secure with the girl he likes, you wouldn't be here in the first place. You'd be out there with the date already. But since you're here and you're confused, I'm willing to bet that you like a girl but you're not sure," she concluded, crossing her arms. She said all of these so fast, it was Hyuk's turn to drop his jaws. 

The student took another step closer to him, a knowing glint in her eyes.

"You know it, right Mister?"

"I..."

He stopped. Hyuk could've known a lot of things; for some reason, however, he had a bad feeling the girl knew what she was talking about. As much as he hated to admit, he also knew that she had a point.

Hyuk was so flustered he didn't notice the girl ducking beneath him to grab some boxes.

"Shouldn't your boyfriend buy those for you?" he asked all of a sudden. 

The girl smiled sheepishly, holding the chocolates. "I'm still looking for him," she answered, "Also, I'm just going to bring these on a trip."

"White Day chocolates?"

"They're still chocolates. Good for a flight."

She looked at him knowingly and smiled brightly again. Hyuk was mesmerized with her mega-watt smile as he racked his brains, trying to remember where he has seen her. A foggy memory of drinking, samgyupsal, and his drunk brother just came to mind. 

And another one -- but he couldn't quite figure where it belonged.

"I'll be going ahead, Mister," she said, "It was nice seeing you."

Without another word, she walked away from him, still leaving Hyuk baffled. The detective stared at the girl's retreating back and realized that he was standing alone in the sorry excuse of a White Day chocolate section. 

He knew she was right.

She had a point and with that, he exited the convenience store.

[ THE PRESENT ]

There was chaos in the local shopping mall as gangs terrorized the people. Hyuk's training taught him to get all the civilians out of the vicinity as soon as possible. As people streamed out of the exits, he guided some clueless civilians towards the nearest way out, helping a mother carry her child as they ran. 

Once he got them to safety, he started to thread lightly, gun in hand and stealth on the other.

"All the local stations are coming to help out," said Ju Han, who was also holding his phone and gun, "Have you tried calling her phone?"

Hyuk checked his phone, which had been calling Sun Hee's non-stop since the chaos. He saw that the call ended; she did not pick up -- or rather, she could not pick up. His heart pounded wildly against his chest as he and Ju Han went against the current of people. Up ahead, they could see a bunch of gangsters ruining the mall's shops with bats, laughing manically as they did. 

Detective Lee's blood boiled. 

Once the civilians cleared, the thugs caught sight of the two cops. Obviously, they were outnumbered, which made the gangsters turn into wolves hungry for fresh meat. There was no clear motive for their sudden attack, but judging the looks on their faces, they were excited with the prospects. 

The team was on their way, but for now, Hyuk would have to deal with this bunch of idiots.

"Ju Han," he said.

"Yeah?"

The thugs were rubbing their knuckles, taunting the two cops. Hyuk, on the other hand, took off his jacket, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, and cracked his knuckles. 

"I am never going to let Sun Hee go out with you again," he said, before he charged at his enemies.

[ 1 WEEK AGO , WHITE DAY ]

You must be out of your mind. But even though you're out of your mind, you know this also makes sense. 
 

Hyuk didn't notice that he was holding the box of chocolates too tight. He gave it a little shake to see if the sweets were still intact. The lady at the fancy gift shop promised him that these wouldn't melt so fast. She even gave him that sly wink, suggesting that if they ate the chocolate fast enough, he'd probably taste something sweeter.

He didn't bother to know what she meant. 

As he took the last step on the stairs before Ju Han's unit, he stopped. 

This is crazy. 

He was taking deep breaths. 

Never in Lee Hyuk's imagination or expectations did he think that he would end up in such a similar scenario. Two years ago, he told himself that he would never buy chocolates on White Day, never invest feelings, or even stir the slightest emotions. But here he was, in front of a doorstep, about to give some girl a box of chocolates on White Day.

Think of it as payback for the chocolates she gave you.

He used the spare key from Ju Han to open the door.

Or maybe not.

Hyuk cleared his throat to announce his return when he heard voices in the kitchen. Quietly, he shuffled towards the kitchen but stayed by the edge of the door. He peeked.

There was Ju Han and Sun Hee, standing in front of each other -- the latter looking up at the former. In her hands was a red box filled with chocolates.

Detective Lee froze.

Ju Han was scratching the back of his head sheepishly, smiling down at Sun Hee. "I don't think it's a secret anyway -- my little crush on you," he was saying, "So uhm...I know this is weird. We just met and all, but I want you to know that I've been enchanted by you since Day 1."

Enchanted. That's a big word.

"...you are definitely the most amazing woman I've met," he continued, "God, that sounded so weird, but I'm being honest right here, Kim Sun Hee. I am really interested in getting to know you."

Hyuk saw that the actress was staring intently at his old school nemesis. He couldn't see the expression on her face clearly; was she considering him? Were her cheeks blushing? 

"Ah, well," she said, looking down at the chocolates and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, "I...wow. This is...wow."

She held the box of chocolates tightly in the same manner Hyuk held his. "It's not like I haven't gotten stuff like this. It's just different, I guess," she told Ju Han, "Maybe it's because you're not a fan."

Ju Han laughed. "I am a fan," he told her, "Your biggest."

Oh my god. What the hell is this?

Hyuk couldn't explain the surge of annoyance in his system. He cringed when he saw Ju Han tuck the other stray locks of hair behind Sun Hee's ear. He wanted to get out and do something, albeit he didn't know what he was going to do with Ju Han. Punch him? Strangle him? Drag him out of the scene and dangle him outside the window?

He was too focused on Sun Hee now, anticipating her answer. She was looking down at the chocolates.

"Give me a week, Sun Hee," Ju Han told her, "I'm going to prove to you why you should give me a chance."

"A week?"

"A White Week."

"Wow, what's that?"

"Like I said, I'll prove to you that I am your biggest fan."

There was a pause.

"Sure, why not?"

Out of his excitement, Ju Han grabbed Sun Hee and pulled her into a bear hug. Hyuk, on the other hand, went brain dead and dropped the box of chocolates.

Thud!

Both Sun Hee and Ju Han were surprised by the sound. Hyuk was shaken from his frozen stance, the box of chocolate on the ground. His instincts immediately told him to shove the box aside because they definitely heard him.

"Who's there?"

At the sound of Ju Han's voice, Hyuk heaved a deep sigh. He shoved the box behind the standing desk before showing  himself to the flustered pair. 

Sun Hee's face was red, her eyes wide at the sight of him. Hyuk didn't know how to react or what to say. He shuffled inside the kitchen, hands inside his pockets, and trying his best to look as if he heard nothing. He looked at her, lips parted, wanting to say something. But the Detective didn't know what to say. 

"Hey, where did you go?" Ju Han asked, "You suddenly vanished this morning. Was it because you lost to me last night?"

Hyuk glanced at Ju Han; his mind tried to think of a witty comeback. But for some reason, he could still feel Sun Hee's intense gaze at him. He tried not to notice, otherwise, she might think that he did see them. 

He rolled his eyes. "I just needed some fresh air," he explained, unable to look at Sun Hee. "Did I miss anything?"

[ THE PRESENT ]

"You come here, Pretty Boy!"

Hyuk spat out the blood from his mouth and gritted his teeth. There were five men down on the floor; five men from the other team, that is. He and Ju Han were still standing -- both bruised and bleeding, but still standing. Only two thugs remained with one of them wrestling with Ju Han and the other taunting him. He was already losing a tooth, but he still had the guts to taunt. 

Detective Lee wasted no time in charging towards the competition, raising his fists and punching as hard as he could. 

"Stop." Punch. "Being." Punch again. "So" Harder punches. "Cocky!"

He released all the tension from his worries about Sun Hee to the face of the unfortuante thug.

"Hyuk!"

A strong arm pulled him off the nearly unconscious gangster.

"The team's here,"  said Ju Han, "Leave these guys. Let's find Sun Hee."

Hyuk was too dazed. He shoved Ju Han aside,  wiped away the excess blood, and went ahead. He could hear the sirens not far from where he stood; he should be glad that help was here. But Sun Hee's absence was more pressing, still pressing. 

He stretched his neck and walked. He was sure there were still gangsters left in one part of the mall.

And he had a bad feeling Sun Hee was in that part.

She had to be.

[ 5 DAYS AGO ]

Ju Han was piling one case file after the other. Despite the small ounce of resentment, Hyuk couldn't help but be fascinated with his work. He had just come back from the SMPA after a raid and was now filing one report after the other. Detective Lee was fast on his own, but this was impressive. 

DA Park was also astounded with Inspector Cha. The sunbae watched the young inspector as he typed. 

"Do you have something going on Inspector Cha?" asked the district attorney, "Looks like you're running a marathon there."

Ju Han entered the button and smiled.

"I...have a date, actually."

His answer drove Hyuk back to his work, shutting himself. But this was the station; no matter what he did, he could still hear the chatter. 

"Ohoh! I date, huh? Who is the lucky girl?"

Ju Han smiled and looked at his watch. "Her friend's about to drop her here in five minutes," he answered, "I was supposed to pick her up, but she said that she had to show up here so that you guys would know she's fine."

"Wait, what?" asked DA Park, "Who is this girl?"

And right on cue, Kim Sun Hee entered the room, astounding everyone with her beauty for the nth time. Hyuk tried not to look, but he couldn't ignore that kind of presence. He saw that she was wearing a floral sun dress. She bowed respectfully, a little bit shy as she said hello to the members of the station. Ju Han was beaming with pride while DA Park's jaws dropped. He looked at Hyuk with a silent question.

Hyuk just shrugged and continued his work.

He tried to distract himself as Ju Han oohed and aahed over Sun Hee, bashfully explaining to the district attorney how all of this came to be. Everyone in the Violent Crimes unit peeked at the little commotion -- all except Hyuk. But he still had ears, so he can hear.

"...an interesting development, I should say," DA Park was saying, "You better take care of this young lady, Ju Han. Our department has spent months keeping her safe."

"I will. Trust me," said Ju Han, "She's in good hands."

"Well, you two look good together anyway," remarked the district attorney.

Hyuk looked up and saw Sun Hee smiling as she told the DA that it's probably because of her good looks, which made the two men chuckle. She then glanced at Hyuk.

"Hello there, Detective Lee," she greeted.

He stared at her for a second before returning to his work. The past days, he wasn't as friendly as he wanted to be with the actress. It wasn't as if she did something wrong (or maybe she did?). Yes, he gave her the chocolates, but he really couldn't look at her  -- not when Ju Han was in the picture.

Speaking of Ju Han, he was already bidding the station goodbye. They were going out for ice cream or something like that; Hyuk wasn't sure. He was trying not to listen to the details. Eventually, Ju Han and Sun Hee bid their goodbyes, bowing politely as they exited the room. 

Hyuk didn't even bother to say goodbye. 

DA Park leaned over his cubicle.
 

"You know what, Lee?"

"What is that, sunbae?"

The district attorney nodded thoughtfully. "I still think you two look better together."

[ 3 DAYS AGO ]

"...and I was thinking if I should just go for it."

Hyuk took a big bite of the fried crab he bought from the stall nearby as his hoobae worried about his future. Soo Ok was obviously nervous; he was fidgeting with his rice cake. 

Detective Lee threw away the stick and wiped his mouth with tissue. "One thing I learned in this field is that you ALWAYS go for it," he said, "Whenever there's an opportunity, you take it. Whether it's a new prospect for promotion or saving a victim's life, you always go for it. Otherwise, you'll end up asking yourself why you never took the chance."

"But I don't know if I'm up for it."

"You are. You're just scared."

Hyuk was about to take another bite of the second crab stick when a familiar figure appeared meters away from him.

Wearing a beautiful blouse and pink skirt, Kim Sun Hee stood in the middle of the square. 

He almost missed a bite.

She stood out in the middle of the crowd. The actress was looking around, parasol in hand (she had a thing for all things fancy, he remembered). It was obvious that people around her noticed her beauty; the girls had to keep their boyfriends from staring. She was busy looking around. Hyuk, on the other hand, had no one stop him. Only himself. 

"Ah, isn't that the actress, Kim Sun Hee?" asked Soo Ok, "You haven't been doing bodyguard duties for her lately, sunbae. Are we done with her case?"

Before Hyuk could reply, Ju Han entered the scene, wrapping a jacket around Sun Hee. He beamed at her, which she returned with a sweet smile -- a bashful one. 

"No," replied Hyuk, returning his attention to his street food, "Someone else took the job from me."

Soo Ok frowned, staring at Sun Hee and Ju Han. "Oh," he replied, "I thought you were the one up for it."

The detective continued chewing, pretending he didn't see that.

I am, he thought, I was just scared.

[ THE PRESENT, 3 HOURS AGO ]

Hyuk threw himself on his chair and took deep breaths. He was worn out from the morning's first agenda, which was arrest two suspects for drug charges. The operation started at three in the morning and now, he was back at the station on a Saturday.

A Saturday -- his supposed rest day.

There were only a few people in the station that day. His other co-officers already left to go home to their families; Hyuk, on the other hand, was tasked to file the case for today. He planned on staying only for an hour. Once he's done, he'll go home and take a shower and probably sleep all day (or call his Mom if he had the energy left).

He heaved a sigh before he started working.

"Hello?"

The voice startled the frazzled detective.

Sun Hee walked in the station, looking around before stopping her gaze at Hyuk. 

It had been days since he had a proper talk with her. Since Ju Han had taken the task of looking after her (by dating her), Hyuk didn't have the chance to fulfill his duty to her. She was in good hands, after all. Seeing her right now in the middle of an empty station, however, brought upon another wave of feelings for the tired Lee Hyuk. 

"Oh, you're here," she said. 

"So are you," he answered, "Why are you here?"

She blushed. "I...I was looking for Ju Han. He said to meet him here."

Hyuk nodded. "Is that so?" he asked, "He could be outside."

"Why are you here?" she asked him. 

He fixed the stack of folders, hoping to look busy. "I...I had to finish overtime stuff," he explained.

"You look tired. You should rest."

"I will. I just have to finish this."

"No, you have to go home."

"I can't."

"But you look like you're about to pass out!"

Her sudden exclamation alerted him. Hyuk saw Sun Hee staring at him with concern depsite the crossed arms and frown on her face. God, he couldn't admit it, but he really missed that indignant look of hers. 

"I'll be fine, Miss Kim," he said, "Shouldn't you wait for your date?"

She pouted at him. "Why are you being so snappy these days, Lee Hyuk?"

"I'm not."

"Yes you are!"

She was exploding, Hyuk knew he had pushed a button -- one that had been waiting to be pushed days ago. 

"I don't know what happened but for some reason, you're weird again," she went on, "I promised that I would be professional but these mood swings are too much, Detective Lee. One minute, you're nice and the next, you're not. You go all cold on me again but you drop chocolates at my house. What gives?" 

Her hands were on her hips already and she sounded so agitated.

"I thought working with me these past months would've at least warmed you up to me," she continued, "I know I wasn't the best protectee or whatever you call me, but I hoped we could at least struck a friendship or something. But you've always been so confusing. God, I don't know what I did."

Sun Hee was obviously triggered and it left Hyuk speechless. 

What was he supposed to say?

She took a deep breath and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She also closed her eyes and pursed her lips. 

"Ugh, what was I expecting anyway? I'm probably going out of my rocker," she said, "I might be overreacting again, huh Detective Lee?"

The actress looked affronted as she picked up her bag. She glanced at him again. 

"I hope you take a break right after this, Detective Lee," she told him, "Maybe you'd be nicer when you've had a good sleep." Without another word, she opened the door and exited, leaving Hyuk alone. 

The Detective watched the door close behind the Actress. As usual, he didn't know what to say or do next. Whenever she left, there was that sinking feeling inside of his chest that crippled him. Obviously, he hated it whenever she left, but he never seemed to have done something about it. He began filing his papers despite the unpleasant feeling. 

She's so good at leaving. And I'm bad at making her stay, he thought. 

Maybe, this is for the best. 

[ THE PRESENT, NOW ]

When he received the phone call two hours ago about a gang raiding a local shopping mall, he wasn't too excited but couldn't let his feelings overcome his sense of responsibility. There were innocent civilians trapped in the establishment when a notorious gang decided to wreak havoc out of fun. Hyuk was already annoyed with such immaturity.

But when he found out it was Ju Han who alerted the station, he felt a sense of dread. If Ju Han called, then she was with him.

When he arrived at the scene and saw Ju Han minus Sun Hee, that was when his worst suspicions were confirmed. 

He had turned a deaf ear when his colleague started explaining how he and the actress got separated in the process. Hyuk didn't need explanations, he needed to see her all safe and sound. 

As they ran past the charging team of cops, Hyuk kept his eyes for any sign of Sun Hee anywhere. 

This isn't for the best. This isn't.

There was fighting everywhere; shouting for others to run and others to hide. His team started pursuing the members of the local gang, rounding them up. But Sun Hee was nowhere to be found.

Where are you?

"Hyuk!"

He stopped at Ju Han's voice.

Ju Han was pointing at a small group huddled near the fire exit. There was a group of men escaping, but some of them stayed behind with their bats and shards of glass. Some people were on the floor, unconscious  and most of them were men. But there was one figure who was on her knees, faced with three men -- one of them being the leader of a known gang he pursued months ago.

Hyuk's heart dropped.

Without wasting any time, he started running. 

They can't touch her. I won't let them.

She was just there.

He couldn't let them harm her.

"HEY!"

The group all stared at his presence as Hyuk arrived, breathing heavily and all that. He saw Sun Hee's eyes lit up at the sight of him. The other members of the gang, however, were not pleased to see him. 

Detective Lee raised a finger at the group. 

"She's mine."

A/N: Aaaand wait for the next chapter. :D See you!