Mr Minatozaki sat across Jin-an at the police station with Sana by his side.

‘Why did you do this?’ He asked the man that was handcuffed to the bench. ‘What did Mina ever do to you?’

‘I didn’t like that she was picking on Dahyun. All I wanted was to give my daughter a blissful marriage but with Mina in the picture, that can never happen.’

‘She was only investigating the explosion case. It had nothing to do with Dahyun so why would you be after her? Unless you had something to do with the explosion and you were trying to hide the evidence.’ Mr Minatozaki said and Jin-an took a deep breath.

‘Indeed I do.’ He turned to face Sana and the girl looked at him in disappointment. ‘Your friend was involved with the mafia wasn’t she? Struggling to pay her debts. She loaned a sum of money from the mafia, is that correct?’

‘Yes. But how does that…’ Sana stared at the man in front of her as he looked back with amusement in his eyes. Suddenly, it clicked. ‘You’re the mafia.’ Sana said in realization and he tapped his foot.

‘I applaud you, investigator. You sure are sharp. I am the boss. She took a loan from me.’

‘But how does that link to the explosion?’ Sana shook her head, trying to piece the information together.

‘Your suspicions were right. It was a rigged explosion. The police were paid off. I had my men to sabotage the system.’ Jin-an said and smiled, seemingly unrepentant.

‘What? You wanted Yerin dead? How could you? She was my friend!’ Sana slammed her hands on the table.

‘Then explain the fire at the firm.’ Mr Minatozaki said sternly.

‘It was a warning.’

‘A warning for what?’ Sana asked but just then, an officer entered the room to notify them that the visiting hours were over and that they had to leave.

‘Papa, I’ll go visit Dahyun. She must be devastated now.’ Sana said and Mr Minatozaki nodded. He drove her to Dahyun’s house before returning back home.

Dahyun was lying down on the couch when the doorbell rang. She got up and looked through the peephole to find Sana standing outside. She quickly opened the door and let the girl in. Sana looked at Dahyun with tears in her eyes and walked up to her, hugging her as she cried.

‘Shh, everything will be okay.’ Dahyun said as she rubbed Sana’s back. She brought the girl in and gave her a glass of water to compose herself.

‘I’d like to move in with you.’ Sana said after some silence.

‘Why?’

‘My parents are unreasonable. They are blaming you even if you had no part in this. My mum wants me to call off the wedding and my dad agrees to her decision.’ Sana said with a sniffle.

‘If that’s what they want, we should listen to them.’ Dahyun said and held Sana’s hands. The girl looked up with tears in her eyes and stared at Dahyun.

‘You too? Did you make a mistake? Did you?’ Sana asked and Dahyun looked into her eyes for a few seconds before shaking her head slowly. ‘Then it’s good. I know you’re innocent.’

‘My dad injured Mina in his blind rage and for that, I feel sorry as well.’ Dahyun sighed. She looked at Sana and saw that the girl was staring at the glass in her hands. ‘Sana?’

‘You won’t abandon me right?’ Sana asked and Dahyun’s eyes widened.

‘I won’t but if I took you in, your parents might call the police on me. That might worsen the situation.’

‘But you said you’re not guilty. So why won’t you let me move in with you if you have nothing to hide? Unless… You played a part in that explosion as well…’ Sana lowered her head and Dahyun cupped Sana’s cheek, making the girl look at her.

‘I don’t.’ Dahyun said firmly and Sana smiled. Dahyun pulled Sana in for a hug and felt the girl relax in her arms.

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‘You agreed to let Sana move in with you?’ Jin-an asked over the phone. His appeal to return home while a lawyer was being arranged was denied since he had pulled a gun on Jihyo. He was considered a dangerous man and was to stay in prison.

‘No. She went home to her parents just before I called you.’ Dahyun said and rubbed her forehead.

‘To think that things would have played out this way.’

‘It’s all your fault.’

‘My fault?’

‘If it’s not your fault, then who is to blame? Me? I never wanted a part in your underworld activities. If you hadn’t gone out of your way to murder Yerin, none of this would have happened. Why do you want to take such a cruel revenge anyway? There were so many other innocent lives taken in that fire!’ Dahyun half yelled into the phone.

‘Her father passed down the trouble to her! He himself worked for me. It’s his fault that she is in such a mess because he never told her the truth! He had his own debts to pay and he wasn’t giving back what he owed. I just wanted to lure him out but it seems he didn’t care for his daughter.’

‘But still, Sana was in there as well. She could have died!’ Dahyun clenched her jaw.

‘It’s either she dies or we get exposed. Do we deserve this? Don’t forget, the underworld is known for its lack of humanity and mercy. Do you think I’ll spare her? The world is a cruel place.’

‘Why did you start in the first place?’

‘Do you think we were born rich? Our bloodline is far from that! Your ancestors were poor and so would you be if I didn’t step in! A line had to be drawn and the fastest way to make money was by illegal loans and drugs.’ Jin-an hissed and Dahyun closed her eyes. She could feel a headache coming on.

‘I don’t know what to say about you. Not even the best lawyer can help you. All the evidence is pointing to you. The syndicate is busted. You’re done for.’ Dahyun growled.

‘And you? You think you’re innocent? I don’t think you are with that other girlfriend of yours.’ Her father mused.

‘It wasn’t serious.’ Dahyun growled. ‘It was for business! She was just a model from the photography company we had a deal with.’

‘You still have the syndicate to worry about. With me gone, leadership will be passed to you; the heiress to the throne.’

‘I don’t want your disgusting job. I never wanted a part of this.’ Dahyun’s grip on her phone tightened.

‘I don’t think you have a choice here.’

‘I do. I know what you have been doing. I can hand the information to the police and have them shut you down.’ Dahyun threatened.

‘You useless brat. Betraying your own father?’

‘A father like you if better off behind bars.’

‘Your mother would be disappointed.’ Jin-an taunted but Dahyun wasn’t fazed.

‘Mom would be more disappointed by what you have become.’

‘Whatever you say. Don’t forget your roots. You can bury it but it will always be there to haunt you.’Jin-an said and Dahyun hug up the call. She dropped her phone on the table and rubbed her face.

Her phone buzzed and she saw that it was a message from Sana, asking to meet her at the place where they had used to spar.

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Sana was looking out of the window with her arms crossed as she waited for Dahyun to arrive. She had just come over from Tzuyu and Chaeyoung’s house.

‘Sana unnie?’ Tzuyu asked and pulled the girl into a hug. ‘Mina isn’t here.’

‘I know. I just want to…’ Sana couldn’t find the words to explain what she wanted to do.

‘I understand.’ Tzuyu smiled and led her to Mina’s room. ‘If you need anything, we’ll be outside.’

‘Thank you.’ Sana smiled and Tzuyu gently closed the door. Sana took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the girl that still lingered around the room. She saw that there was a wrapped present on the bedside table and walked over. Sitting down on the bed, she placed the present on her lap and saw that it had her name on it. Why didn’t Mina give it to her?

Opening it with shaky hands, she saw that it was a pair of owls connected by a string. Sana’s eyes began to water as she rubbed the smooth wooden surface of the owl’s head. She took Mina’s pillow and hugged it. Her heart never felt so empty before. Looking up, she saw something hanging on the wall. Sana stood up and saw that it was a dried up bouquet of flowers. There was a small card tied to it.

Happy Birthday, boss :) Hope you’ll like them. –Mina 12/29

Sana almost cried. Mina had asked her the day before her birthday if she was free to have dinner and she totally forgot about it. Mina must have been waiting for her to text her when she was ready to have dinner. She hugged the flowers and sat down at Mina’s desk. There was a terrible feeling in her gut as she looked at the flowers.

There was a soft knock on the door as Chaeyoung peeked her head in.

‘Do you want to talk?’ Chaeyoung asked and Sana smiled. The girl entered with Tzuyu following behind her.

‘I think you need to know this.’ Tzuyu said and Sana looked at the pair in confusion.

‘Know what?’

‘Dahyun knows of her father’s involvement. She knows that he had tried to kill Yerin three times. He had wanted to threaten her with the fire at the firm but then he had intent to kill with the explosion. Her accident was the final straw because she was actually on her way to make a police report.’ Chaeyoung said and Sana gasped.

‘She has never told me.’ Sana hugged the pillow tighter and Tzuyu looked at Chaeyoung.

‘I heard her talking on the phone to her father on the day of the explosion. She was talking secretively and I happened to hear it by accident. That’s how I found out and I just started to keep an eye on her.’ Tzuyu said. ‘She was also my good friend and would sometimes ask me in a third person’s view about her situations.’

‘I’m sorry Sana.’ Chaeyoung looked at the girl who finally broke down, sobbing into Mina’s pillow. Just then, her phone rang and she looked at the caller ID, it was a call on Dahyun’s phone. She had taped the line to monitor any suspicious activity. Placing the call on speaker with the microphone muted, the three girls listened in shock as the truth was confirmed.

Dahyun saw Sana’s back and walked towards the girl.

‘Looking for someone to spar?’ Dahyun smiled but Sana didn’t turn around.

‘I wanted to come here to purge my unhappiness. But after coming here, I feel worst. I remember you said that Taekwondo is like life. When you fall, you must stand up. Seize all opportunities that are thrown at you.’ Sana said and turned to look at Dahyun.

‘What are you trying to say?’

‘I’m trying to say that after all that trust I have given you, you chose to betray me. Hurt me.’ Sana said as Dahyun walked up beside her. Sana took out her phone and played the recording of the call, making Dahyun’s eyes widen.

Dahyun glared at Sana and grabbed the girl’s arm.

‘Why? Why must you do this to me? I never hurt any of you! It was my dad!’ Dahyun yelled and Sana intensified her glare.

‘You knew and yet you didn’t tell me. You didn’t stop him either. So why?’ Sana asked and Dahyun growled.

‘Because of Mina! If she hadn’t dug into places she wasn’t supposed to be in, none of this would have happened! She brought it upon herself! Making me the black sheep, she was trying to take you away from me! The only way for me to win you over would be to make it seem like she was lying!’ Dahyun seethed and grabbed Sana’s arm, flipping her on her back.

‘She wouldn’t have known you were involved! She was just helping me!’ Sana yelled back. Dahyun pulled her up by the collar and threw her over her shoulder. Throw after throw without retaliation; Dahyun pushed Sana up against the wall, hands gripping .

‘Why won’t you just give me a chance? Why? Why aren’t you fighting back?’ Dahyun yelled in Sana’s face as the girl tried to pull her hands off.

‘You said you’d protect me.’ Sana croaked and Dahyun’s eyes softened. Her anger receded as she remembered the time when she said that. Yet here she is now with a choking grip on Sana’s small neck. Her grip loosened and she stepped back, tears welling up in her eyes. Sana gasped for breath as she rubbed her neck.

Dahyun stepped backwards away from Sana. She felt like she couldn’t even look at Sana after what she had done. Her legs weakened and her knees buckled, causing her to drop to the foam mat. Rather than getting up, she sat there in defeat, hugging her legs as she sobbed. There was nothing she could do to ever make it up to the girl.

It was over. She lost.

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‘I must say your friend was quite an actress. Coming up with such an elaborate plan to lure me out. The information in her bag was nothing but blank papers and random newspaper cuttings. I’d say only a quarter of what I searched through had relevance to the secrets I was trying to keep under wraps.’ Jin-an said.

‘Why did you have to ambush her? You couldn’t confront her?’ Sana scowled.

‘That’s not how we work. People never listen if you tell them nicely. Sometimes it takes a little more force than that.’

‘How did you know Yerin was going to make a police report?’ Mr Minatozaki asked.

‘I had someone follow her of course. She is sharp indeed, she could tell there was someone watching her and she wasn’t wrong. I had my own group of investigators tailing each one of you, watching your every move. The witness you spoke to about the accident was bribed. I thought you would have confronted Eunbi but I guess you’re not as aggressive as I thought you were.’ Jin-an mused.

‘Yerin ending up in the mental institution was your doing as well wasn’t it?’ Sana said and the man nodded.

‘Dahyun can be quite cooperative if you are threatened.’ Jin-an chuckled and Sana would have reached across the table to punch him in the face if it wasn’t for her father who was holding her back.

‘Explain the explosion.’ Mr Minatozaki demanded.

‘I had been observing you and Yerin for a few days. Knowing that the case you were working on then required you to visit the building often, I had my men pose as mechanics and technicians to go in and gibe the pipes a little service. That’s how they planted the device and rigged the explosion.’ Jin-an said and Mr Minatozaki sighed.

‘And what did you gain from this?’ he asked and the man simply shrugged with a smile.

‘Nothing.’

‘You’re sick.’ Sana snarled and the man laughed. The officers came in to take the man away and Sana went home with her father. Yerin had been pulled out from the institution and revealed that she had put up an act so that she could work with Mina to finally get the truth out.

A celebratory dinner was held at the Minatozakis’ and a toast for Mina’s sacrifice and bravery.

Sana returned to her room after Jihyo and the rest had left. She sat at her desk, looking at the pair of owls when she heard a voice behind her.

‘Why are you sad?’

Sana turned around and saw Mina sitting on her bed. She couldn’t believe her eyes, she blinked a couple of times but Mina was still there.

‘Why? Do I look like a ghost to you?’ Mina laughed as Sana sat down beside her.

‘You haven’t been smiling recently so I’m here to remind you to do just that.’ Mina said and drew an upwards curve with her finger. A smile spread across Sana’s lips as the girl smiled through her tears. She leaned forward to give Mina a hug only to find herself sitting upright on her bed. The lights were off and the room was dark. The pair of owls was beside her on the bed.

It was just a dream.

‘I swear to the gods I’ll find you. Just you wait.’ Sana muttered to herself under her breath.

One Year Later

Sana was walking through the supermarket as she shopped for groceries. As she walked through the aisles, she could feel someone watching her. Pretending not to notice, she turned into an aisle and made a quickly left to reappear from the other side.

Jihyo jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder and she turned around with a sheepish smile Sana was not amused.

‘Why are you following me?’ Sana demanded and Jihyo scratched her neck. Sana looked down and saw that the camera in Jihyo’s hands. Rather than her Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, it was a Nikon D750. Mina’s D750.

‘Where is she?’ Sana asked and placed a hand on Jihyo. Jihyo lowered her head and sighed. She led Sana outside and they walked towards the open carpark.

Always smile more. You’re the prettiest when you smile, Mina’s words echoed in her mind and Sana’s lips curved up into a small smile as she followed behind Jihyo.

Jihyo pointed towards a black Subaru Impreza in the distance and Sana took off without another word. She opened the door and looked around but the car was empty. Puzzled, she turned around to ask Jihyo where Mina was only to find that the girl had disappeared.

Determined to find the girl, Sana ran towards the next building. Memories of their first meetings came to mind as she walked towards the place where Sana had first run into Mina, almost literally. She turned the corner but the walkway was empty. She walked down the walkway as she remembered how Mina had blocked an attack from Zico, getting hurt herself, how Mina had pulled her in for a fake kiss to prevent their cover from being blown, how Mina had comforted her after Dahyun broke up with her, how Mina carried her on her back to get her to the hospital when she was sick.

Sana turned the second corner only to be met with emptiness. Her gut feeling told her that she was close and so she walked down the corridor. She remembered how Mina had danced with her in the ballroom and how close they were standing to each other and the last video message she had left.

Feeling a presence behind her, Sana turned around just in time to see Mina duck behind a pillar. Sana’s heart was beating so hard and fast that she felt as if it was going to burst out of her chest at any second. With each step she took towards the pillar, her heart pounded in her ears as the excitement rose within her.

She peered around the pillar and saw Mina, back pressed against the wall, looking down at the floor. The girl was dressed smartly as usual, just like how Sana remembered her to be; in her brown oxfords, khaki pants and a white shirt with sleeps rolled up to her elbows. Her aviators were hanging from the front of her shirt.

Mina slowly turned to face Sana and a nervous smile spread across her lips.

‘Hi.’ Mina nodded her head and Sana covered . She hugged Mina without a word and sobbed into the girl’s shoulders as Mina simply patted her back to comfort the crying girl.

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‘How have you been?’ Mina asked across the table. The girl had taken Sana to a restaurant to have lunch.

‘How have I been? The cheek of you to ask that when you disappeared off the face of this world.’ Sana pouted. ‘I thought you were dead! I still had things to tell you and I felt so… Hopeless. So lost.’

‘I’m fine; I’m here now aren’t I? For real.’ Mina smiled and held Sana’s hand over the table.

‘Why didn’t you contact me? You only contacted Jihyo?’ Sana asked and Mina nodded.

‘Are you done? If you are, take a walk with me. I believe I owe you an explanation.’ Mina said and Sana nodded. The former paid the bill and the pair drove down to the Han River.

‘Where do you want me to start?’ Mina asked and Sana shrugged.

‘From after the beating.’ Sana said as guilt lumped in .

‘I was hospitalized for six months after that. I didn’t think I wanted to burden you until I was recovered.’ Mina said as she sighed.

‘You’ll never be a burden, Mina. Why would you think that?’ Sana asked and looked at the girl.

‘It’s not the same Sana. I can’t be a photographer anymore. Well I could still stay at the firm if you’d like but I can’t do any field jobs anymore.’ Mina said and looked down.

‘What? Why?’ Sana asked and Mina sat down on a bench. She patted the spot beside her and Sana sat down on her left.

‘You will understand when you see this.’ Mina said, close to a whisper. ‘Please don’t be scared.’

She bent over and rolled up the left pant leg to reveal not her leg but a wire formation. A 3D printed titanium prosthetic that started from the top of her knee. Sana’s eyes instantly watered and she began to cry again.

‘I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.’ Sana cried as she covered her face. ‘I brought this on you.’

‘It’s not your fault. I sacrificed myself so that you could finally get the truth. There’s a price to pay for everything.’ Mina smiled and patted Sana’s shoulders. ‘It would be inconvenient if I were to tell you. Besides, it’s not like anything would happen.’

‘I still need to tell you this even if it’s long overdue.’ Sana said and Mina looked at her.

‘What?’

‘I love you. I still do. I don’t care that half your leg is gone. What matters is that you’re alive. This is part of you now and I have to accept it. I do accept it. This is what love is. No matter what happens, I’ll be there for you to hold you up and make sure that you know that you are loved. Your flaws are part of why I love you and no matter what you think or others say, you’re perfect to me.’ Sana said and Mina broke into a huge grin.

‘Really? It means a lot to me hearing that from you.’ Mina smiled and Sana nodded.

‘I mean every word I said. From the bottom of my heart.’

Mina smiled and placed a gentle hand on Sana’s cheek, turning the girl towards her and leaned forward, brushing her lips against Sana’s, making the girl smile. ‘Thank you, princess. For not leaving.’

‘I would never leave you.’ Sana smiled but slapped Mina’s arm.

‘Ow… What’s that for?’ Mina pouted and rubbed her arm. ‘It stings man.’

‘That’s for making me worry and wait for a year.’ Sana said and Mina laughed.

‘Alright alright, my bad.’ Mina raised both her hands in defeat before leaning forward to kiss Sana’s cheek.

‘Does this make it up? How about this?’ Mina snickered as she began to pepper Sana’s face with kisses, making the girl giggle uncontrollably.

‘Keep doing that and your debt would be repaid real soon.’ Sana laughed.

‘Then can I have a never ending debt so I can keep doing that?’ Mina grinned cheekily and the girl pinched her cheeks.

‘That won’t be a problem for me at all.’ Sana smiled.

Love is a beautiful thing indeed.

Total word count: 49 069 words

Thank you for the support that you have given me and I hope that you can leave me some feedback of what you thought about the story :)

With this, we have come to the end of another story. Till next time~ ^^