Secrets... Baekhyun has a lot of them. And because of these secrets, he has to lie, and they eventually lead to more lies until they form an endless spiral of guilt. There are only a few people he can be honest with, but with people like his parents, Jeon Raon and his other friends who have no involvement in the criminal world whatsoever, all he can do is give them vague answers and these lies as he watches them believe every piece of false info. Because they trust him, but he has already betrayed them.

One day, they might find out about the dangerous work he does. He won't need to tell them personally, he might be as famous as Yunho when that time comes. Until then, he's going to keep his lips sealed.

"Iced coffee for you?" Baekhyun turns to the direction of the friendly voice.

A man dressed in a full navy business suit and black tie is walking his way, holding two cups of coffee bought from the cafe in the building behind him. His jet black hair is pushed back and combed to the side in such a neat manner. Baekhyun can't see the faintest strand of hair sticking out of the man's head. 

"Hyung, you didn't need to." Baekhyun greets the man with a slight bow of his head before he takes the other cup of iced coffee from him.

"You said you wanted to talk?" The man sips on his coffee, eyes glancing over at a quiet Baekhyun which is a rare sight.

Baekhyun throws his head back and marvels at the huge office building standing high and mighty in front of him. There are twenty floors and the exterior is made of glass. On the very top of the building are big white block letters that read out 'Daebak Soft'. It's still a wonder to him knowing that the man who has just given him the cup of iced coffee is the CEO of this successful company.

"Junmyeon hyung, I still can't believe you own this whole thing." Baekhyun continues to let his mouth hang open.

It's mindblowing because it only feels like yesterday when he was an eighteen-year-old high school student lazing off on Junmyeon's worn out couch with it's leather peeling off and countless creases. That was almost six years ago, on the second floor of the small rented shop lot unit near Junmyeon's neighbourhood. Those were the days where a cardboard sign, scribbled 'Daebak Soft' in Baekhyun's messy handwriting hung in front of the door. He spent his hours after school there, eating ice cream and complaining about the summer heat and how the heater never worked in the winter, while Junmyeon programmed away on his computer.

"Yeah, Daebak Soft has come a long way, hasn't it?" Junmyeon is smiling, reminiscing the past. "Should've stayed in that cramped place, it was much easier to manage.  I would kill for a few hours of sleep now."

"I liked that place." Baekhyun agrees as he nods his head, unable to talk further. 

Junmyeon notices the thick silence between them. The sounds of the busy city make the mood less melancholic; the honking and screeching of cars, rushed footsteps of people overtaking slow unhurried ones, the sliding of the automatic glass doors, the distant chatter and occasional punch of laughter.

"Enough of changing the subject. I'm making time right now for you, Baekhyun." Junmyeon reminds him, a little smile on his face. "How has life been treating you? The world of crime here, it's getting more dangerous." He pauses, almost hesitating to continue, but he does. "I want to believe you weren't behind this, but you sound like you would take care of matters like these. You were the one who escaped from The Black Seals, impersonating to be the driver who would drive the people they trafficked to Gwangju, right?"

"How'd you know?" Baekhyun sounds genuinely surprised, ignoring the worried look Junmyeon is giving him. "It was something I wanted to do myself. Joohyuk occasionally checks about what The Black Seals are doing and that day they were doing something I didn't like."

The Black Seals are one of the many underground gangs in South Korea. The gangs in this country are comprised out of twenty members at least. As for The Black Seals, they first started claiming territories in Gwangju, hence the location of their headquarters. They threaten small businesses in their 'territory' for extra income, but lately, they've been getting involved in trafficking people from China and North Korea.

"Baekhyun, you know how dangerous  "

"I know, hyung." Baekhyun interrupts, setting his iced coffee down on a high ledge next to him. "We got the information of each person they trafficked from them and when we drove somewhere safe in the outskirts of Seoul, I handed them their documents. I told them to run, to get away from the people who brought them here. I saw the grateful looks they gave me and I realised why I took this on. Maybe those gang members had guns in their pockets when I met them, but I was careful enough to not get one pointed at me."

"You can't blame me for worrying, Baek." Junmyeon rubs his face in exasperation. "Just be careful, this con artist business will get you involved with all these underground gangsters, most of the time."

"I know, but I want to do this. For how long, who knows." Baekhyun says, turning to Junmyeon with a reassuring smile. "Hyung, you know I always promise that I won't get seriously hurt. And you believe me, just like that. Why are you okay with me doing this?"

"I'm not," Junmyeon sighs, "but this is what you want to do right now, you want to help people and this seems to be the only way you're comfortable with it. I can't stop you on that part. Just remember... if you ever want to quit being a con artist, you're always welcome at Daebak Soft."

"You know, if my parents... If they ever ask you..."

"I'll tell them you're doing a good job at Daebak Soft, don't worry." Junmyeon gives him a thumbs up. "It's just your job to not make it obvious that you have too much free time on your hands."

Baekhyun isn't sure if he knows anyone who is more understanding than Kim Junmyeon. He tells him all of this complicated, vulgar information which doesn't suit a kindhearted, charming man like him, but he still listens to him and gives him advice on what he should do. Junmyeon is well informed on the crime business too even though he doesn't want to meddle in it. The older boy is only doing this to make sure Baekhyun isn't doing anything foolish.

Baekhyun takes Junmyeon's words into consideration. Maybe after he helps enough people and earns enough to buy his parents a beach house in Jeju and travel to Greece, he'll start thinking about leading a normal life. For him, his future is still uncertain and blurry. He'll focus on the present moment now and let his life take its course.

Aside from Junmyeon, Baekhyun doesn't keep anything from his two friends, Joohyuk and Taehyung. They're a tight trio who have been working together for five years. So, the minute he enters his house and the both of them happen to be in, they spring up from the couch at the sight of him entering. Raon is sitting on another couch, observing the situation.

Joohyuk is glancing and slightly gesturing his head at Raon before he stares at him and mouths. Who is she?

"We came in and found her eating p