18 | Face-off

***

It had been 3 hours that passes yet Yoong has yet to receive any call or text message as an update coming from Agent Seo. He couldn't stop himself from worrying as he feels like something happened to the young agent. He tried to call her a few times but she wasn't answering. 

"President Im, what's wrong?" Secretary Kim noticed that he hasn't touch his food since she left him from the dining room. And the fact that his phone is on top of the table is telling her that he's waiting for anyone to call or message him. "Any problem?"

"Agent Seo." The young President sighs heavily as she looks up to his secretary. "She hasn't message me since her last one."

"Didn't you tell me she's just in the dorm? She's probably preparing for your invitation later." Secretary Kim is confused.

"No. I lied." Yoong revealed. "The truth is, she went to Agent Kim's location."

"Agent Kim? Why?" Secretary Kim curiously asked, pulling the chair and took her seat. It instantly intrigued her to hear about it.

"Well, she found out Agent Kim didn't really went for a vacation. Even me I have no idea he is even on a break. Then she received coming from 'doctor', telling her that he is with Agent Kim. I was honestly happy to learn that she doesn't need to find him but I have a weird feeling about the doctor."

"So she's apparently confirming about Agent Kim's location right now?"

"Yes. And I told her to keep me updated about his condition but she hasn't called me yet." Yoong once again sighs, glancing over his smartphone.

"I'm worried."

"Did she ask anyone to come with her?"

"Nope. That's why I'm more than worried." 

Secretary Kim stood up from her seat. "Let me know the address, I'll send her a back-up."

"I wanted to do that but she ask me earlier not to."

"It's you who told me the caller is strange. We have to make sure she is safe, President Im. It's no harm to send her our agents."

Yoong got quiet as he thought of his secretary's words. Indeed, she is right. "Alright, let me talk to the Director." He stood up but was pushed down to the chair. "Why?"

"You haven't touch your food. I can do it for you." Secretary Kim genuinely smiled, earning back a smile from the President.

-

Feeling cold and couldn't move, Seohyun is slowly gaining consciousness after her blackout. She felt pain over her back and on her wrists. After a while, she had a full realization she is being handcuffed on her back, while sitting in a woody chair. A rope on the other hand is being wrapped tightly on her stomach and two feet, which makes it difficult for her to move. She couldn't see anything in the room except for a table and a light above her. She winced in pain when she tried to move. "Where the hell am I?" 

[You're finally awake. Thank God.] Seung-hyun's voice suddenly pop up on her earpiece. [They took you to their basement. And by the way, that old man who greeted you was just wearing a mask. My data identified him as Chung-ah. He's one of the Korean recruits of Ares. And the person that hits you on the back is Yunho.]

Seohyun goosebumps upon learning it. "Do you mean?" As it makes sense for her now, why Yunho tried to assassinate the President.

[He's also part of Ares... which is connected to Donghae. My question is, why did you come to that place? You haven't explain to me.]

"That old man, he called me, telling me that he has Junghyun, my fellow agent." Seohyun explains in a whisper, making sure no one from the outside can hear she is talking. "This only just means... Yunho, he knew about Agent Kim's disappearance and probably he is the one who abducted him."

[That seems the case. But hold on, I tried to call you a back-up but I stopped to see how far they can do with you. Since they only put you in that room and left the mansion.]

"The Police are on after Yunho. They probably won't be back right away."

[That's what I am thinking. Now, you have to escape before they return.]

"No. I need to know more. Now that I know Donghae and Yunho are connected, I feel like there are more secrets they can tell us. I need to know why did they abducted Agent Kim. And where is he right now." Seohyun replied seriously and confidently. She's now so near and she can't missed the chance to decode everything about Ares.

[Okay. I'll be just here, watching you.]

Seohyun looked around and finally realize her specs is on the floor, just a couple of steps from where she is sitting. She exhales heavily and smile wearily. But it instantly disappears when she thought of the President. "Can you do me a favor, Oppa?"

-

Yoong just watches the two cars of the palace leaving when his phone beeps on his hand. He hastily opened it and read the message he received.

Agent Seo: I'm sorry for not updating you right away, Mister President. But I want to confirm that I'm doing fine.

However, I couldn't go to the Palace after this. Because I might return too late. Junghyun, he is doing fine also but is in a coma.

Maybe tomorrow we can hang-out again? 
Sending you a sweeeeeet good night :)

"She's... doing fine." He softly said since his secretary is standing next to him. He is relieved to learn about it.

"Wait, does this mean we have to halt them?" Secretary Kim exclaimed.

"It looks like." Yoong sheepishly smile and gives his secretary a pat on the shoulder, indicating that she can do it now, while he's walking back to the palace.

Taking his seat on his desk, he opens the Junghyun's laptop, feeling like he needs to see it even though he knew he is now safe in a doctor's place.

The first folder he opens is his photos, which contains pictures of him with fellow agents. He also have photos with his family as well as photos of him and himself. He can't help and recall the good times he had with Junghyun before he suddenly distanced himself from him and he somehow wanted to return that, even though he doesn't know if he still wants to be friends with him.

He then suddenly saw a photo of him only but when he enlarge it, it turns out his other side, Yoon.

"He knew about us?" Yoong couldn't believe what he learned and that cause his heart to be heavy. "Why didn't he ask me about this?!" He wondered why and he never heard he shared it to the others. "Is this the reason he got cold suddenly?" as he thought about it, it's making sense to him. Junghyun choose to be quite with what he learned than telling it to others. "Aigoo."

Looking through more on the folder, there isn't any interesting photos anymore. But as he was about to close it, a photo got his attention that cause him to enlarge it. His eyes widened to see Agent Seo and him, caught stepping inside the car. "Aish, he stalked us, didn't he?!"

He eventually close the folder with a note to himself to question the agent once he's back. 

On his second folder, there are only five videos inside, which he didn't think twice and opens it one by one. Much to his surprised, it's a CCTV camera of the dorm's hallway. The title of video is a date to which it was captured.

"Wasn't this the day I was stabbed behind?" Yoong can't be wrong about it. He's memory is as crystal clear.

To confirm it, he skipped the minutes of the first video but find nothing of his self. So he opened the second one which is the same date. This time he saw himself but it only showed of him fetching Agent Seo.

The third and forth doesn't show him nor the young agent. Until the last one, it shows of him with her, dropping her to her dorm and Hyo appears, drunk.

Yoong goosebumps the moment the guy from behind him can be shown stabbing him and then runs away. He is somehow flattering to see Agent Seo, saving her alone. However, her smile dismisses when the next scene of the video shows off Agent Hyo, talking on the phone in the hallway while watching her fellow agent. She then left to her room in a hurry which is suspicious for him. He rewind the particular scene and take a closer look, to see her facial expressions. He can't believe she looked like she's in trouble or something. 

'What does this mean?' The video just gives him goosebumps, as the possibilities of the latter being one of the culprit of the incident is telling him the danger is just nearby. His heart beats races and he hastily took his phone to contact Agent Seo. However, before he can do that, his head suddenly aches, causing him to drop the device on the floor. He held his head and endures it. At the same time, his hair slowly turning brownish as Yoon slowly took over his head.

-

Secretary Kim just casually opened the door in the President's bedroom to send him his medicine when she had to stopped just as she walks in, because a guy, wearing all black is sitting in the sofa, watching the TV immensely. Her heart races nervously as she immediately recognized him as Im Yoon. 'Why all of a sudden he is here?'

"Sheesh, how did they end up blowing that lead?" Yoon mumbles oblivious of someone nearby watching him. He had been watching basketball for the past 2 hours. But as soon as the game is over, his attention shifted to the young lady reflecting on the TV screen. He turned and find the beautiful Secretary Kim. "Oh, Hello, Miss Kim." He eventually greeted her with a smug smile. "What is that?" He get up and approach her to see what's on the tray.

"Why... are you here?" Secretary Kim nervously speaks, looking fearlessly straight to Yoon's eyes.

Yoon chuckled and grabs the tray, only to walk to the balcony and throw it away. "You are not going to put me to sleep again, Miss Kim. Yoong will not return not until I say so!" He warned her seriously. "Understood?"

"B-But it's too late-"

"It's still 9. That's too early. The night is still too long." He interrupted and before he could hear her response, he grabs his leather jacket and walked out the room.

Secretary Kim hurriedly followed him but he is walking too fast. "Please don't leave!" It's hard to catch up on him.

"Why would I follow your order? I have to see Agent Seo." Yoon said as he walks downstairs in a fast manner.

"Stop him!" Secretary Kim shouted when she saw three butlers. But it only causes Yoon to runs off, and he successfully escapes the palace. "Aish! Follow him!" she frustratingly ordered which everyone complied. "This isn't happening." Taking her phone out, she rang the chief security's number. "Yoon is back. Please don't leave your sight on him." And ordered immediately.

***

"I'm hungry." Seohyun sighs while still trapped inside the room, waiting patiently for anyone to come. 

[You want some waffles?]

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