The hammering in my chest never wavered. Sehun’s men called to tell him that a man was trying to get into my apartment, and we were on our way to check on the situation. As we left the premises of their old headquarters, Sehun assured me that he left some of his people to patrol the place. With a hand on the small of my back, he said, “Your sister is safe. I made sure to have the apartment monitored. No harm will come to her.”

I muttered a small ‘okay’ as we got in the car, trying (but failing) to calm myself down. The gun he placed in my coat pocket felt heavy even with its small size, and I was really  hoping that whatever we were facing wouldn’t warrant me actually grabbing for it. “So he broke into the apartment?”

“Tried to. My men captured him before he could even make it to your window.” Sehun’s grip on the steering wheel tightened even further, and he had quite the dangerous glint in his eyes. He looked really pissed.

I gulped at the thought of a stranger shattering my sliding window, but with the knowledge of the man being captured already, a tiny shard of relief started to spread through my chest. “Okay, good. Where are we going now?” It dawned on me that maybe when Sehun said we were going to say hi, he meant something different entirely.

“We’re going to my yacht to get some answers from him. I had him transported there since that’s the closest place from here and it’s far from where you live.”

Amidst the murderous aura Sehun was emitting, he smiled. “I had a very different type of date in mind for your first time on my yacht.” My cheeks went hot again just as he turned to face me. “But I guess this is also okay.” Sehun leaned back on his seat and switched gears to have the car go faster. I had no idea why that simple gesture alone had such a strong effect on me, but boy was he attractive when he did it.

It almost made me forget what we were about to do. “Wait, so we’ll interrogate him?”

“Yes, unless you’d rather not come?” Sehun looked at me again with a slightly softer look in his eyes. “I want you there, but if you want to rest instead, I can have Chanyeol drive you back.”

If someone had told me a month and a half ago that I would be with a gang leader and about to interrogate a man in his yacht, I would have laughed in that person’s face. And yet there I was with Sehun, about to do exactly that. Except that he was actually giving me a chance to back out. Sehun knew that it was not my cup of tea, that I was still very new to the inner workings of the mafia regardless of how long I have been exposed. I felt a new surge of appreciation for him when I realized that he was still giving me room to adjust.

But…

I wasn’t just some nofie anymore. I was best friends with a sniper, my professor was graciously feared among gangs, and I was being courted by a notorious mafia leader. Whether I liked it or not, there were numerous targets on my back.

I’d rather see those targets on me up close. “I’m coming with you.”

The pounding of my chest came back stronger than ever before, but  Sehun had a look of pride on his face, and that somehow helped with my nerves. “Alright, darling. We’re getting close.”

I should have seen it coming. Sehun’s huge yacht was black. It appeared sleek despite its size, and it was parked along the harbor. Although it was a little challenging to see at night given its dark color, it was still easy to tell that it was really big. As Sehun and I approached the bridge leading to its entrance, Chanyeol and three other men caught up to us. Sehun placed a hand on my waist and kept me beside him as we walked, so that the four males could surround us. To protect us.

Sehun boarded the yacht first, lending me his hand as I followed after him. Once inside, he didn’t let go of my hand and instead pulled me into a spacious living room. There, a few more men dressed in black were stationed, all armed with their respective weapons.

And there in the middle of the room was a battered up man sat in a chair. His hands and feet were tied and he was wearing a blindfold.

Sehun gave Chanyeol a look, and the latter nodded his head and told half of the males in the room to leave. Sehun’s hold on my hand tightened just a tad more before he whispered in my ear, “I’ll talk to him first.”

Not trusting myself to speak, I nodded my head at him and he let go of me. He walked towards the man, standing just in front of him. Recognizing the presence close to him, he started to thrash against his restrains. He gritted his teeth, “I know you’re there !”

Sehun didn’t even seem fazed. He made a gesture to the guy stationed behind the captive and soon the blindfold was off. The guy immediately surveyed his surroundings, taking in the predicament he was in. But his gaze soon went back to Sehun, giving him a nasty glare. “You think you’re so ing tough, having all of these subordinates answering to your every whim.” He scoffed. “Take all of this away and you’re n–“

Crack!

Sehun landed a swift yet powerful blow at a point at the side of the man’s head. The guy couldn’t even let out a shriek of pain, too shocked and stupefied at what just happened. His mouth was open at an abnormal angle, with drool mixed with blood starting to drop on the floor.

“You talk only when you’re asked a question.” Sehun adjusted the black gloves I didn’t notice he put on. “I don’t particularly care for your identity, but I do want to know who was the who sent you.”

Even with the obvious injury to his jaw, the man still managed to laugh. “Boss just wanted to know if it was true.” He tried to salvage his abnormally open mouth as much as he could, but it was evident that one side of his face had become immobile. Then he lifted his eyes to look directly at me. “You truly did take on a Belle.”

Sehun placed his thumb on the point he hit, the skin just in front of the guy’s sideburns, and immediately, his screams of pain filled the yacht’s living room. I subconsciously gaped as Sehun just pressed even further, making the man wail even more. “Answer my question you ing airhead! Is it that hard to follow a simple command?” He pulled his thumb away from his face and the guy stopped screaming. “I already broke one joint that’s holding your jaw in place. You could at least cooperate before I break the other one.”

Sehun’s entire person screamed danger; the type that makes you want to run the other way. When the captive still stubbornly kept quiet, Sehun let out a laugh.

He let out a humorless laugh before he punched him right at his chin, creating another audible crack. “That was your mandible, and now–“  Sehun pushed the man’s head upward before swiftly landing a powerful blow to the same point on his face as before, earning another round of groans and wails.

Sehun put up his knee right on the captive’s neck, effectively blocking his airways without the use of his hands. He was pressing on the side of the guy’s face again. “Who the sent you?”

There were tears in the guy’s eyes, but finally he complied. “K..Kim Yeonseok…”

Recognition swarmed Sehun’s features as he suffocated the man even more. “Why would he go after my Belle? That Cadre has no conflicts with me.”

The man was slowly turning an ugly shade of violet, his eyes not able to focus on anything anymore. “Maybe n-not with you…” His unfocused eyes roamed around as if searching for something, then they settled once again on me. “but with her.”

There was a beat of silence that followed, one that was too long for my liking. Sehun’s expression remained unreadable even as he withdrew himself from the battered up man. “Extract all other intel you can from him.” He faced Chanyeol. “Flip a coin. Heads, you kill him. Tails, you drown him at the bottom of the ing river.”

I remained silent. I let Sehun grab my hand and pull me out of the yacht. I let him walk me back to his car, and I let him drive me back home.

It wasn’t until we were back at the front of my apartment that I found my voice again and finally ask the question swimming inside my head. “Why would a Cadre have a problem with me?” I faced him. “Sehun, what type of problem would I have with a Cadre?”

Not a long time had passed since the happenings of Red Velvet’s party. It was only since then that I had been exposed to the mafia. Heck, despite being best friends with Jongin, who worked as a skilled sniper for Twin Dragons, I lived only as a nofie – minding my own business and liking it that way.

How could a nobody like me ever cause conflicts with a man as powerful as a Cadre?

Sehun’s expression gave nothing away.  He remained stoic as ever, which was a contrast to his usual direct and overwhelming self whenever he was with me. However, seconds later, his features softened and he sighed. “If I promise to tell you tomorrow, would you let me? I want you to get some rest first.”

So he knows about it?! “What?! But I want to know now!” I was beginning to realize that I wasn’t fond of the whole delayed gratification thing when it came to questions I needed answers to. I pouted at Sehun, which made him smile despite him trying to keep a serious face.

He then chose that moment to step out of his car and open my door for me. After helping me get out, he spoke again. “I swear I’m not hiding anything from you darling. This was all part of the process in my head, but the man who tried to get to you tonight…he ruined the sequence of it all.”

“What process are you talking about?”

Sehun raised a hand to take nonexistent dust off the black scarf he gave me. “I’m courting you, correct?”

I nodded my head, not sure where his train of thought was going. He smiled. “Then you’re not my Belle yet.”

My eyes widened at him. “Huh? I thought once I’ve accepted your courtship, I’d be your Belle already?” I couldn’t help the questioning tone in my voice.

Gentle fingers rubbed a spot on my chin affectionately. It almost made me forget how the same hand basically massacred the captive’s facial bone structure not long ago. Sehun bit his lip as a thumb grazed my bottom lip. “Technically yes, you’re right. And it thrills me to know that you have said yes. There are just some things I want to do first, both for you and for me, before I make it official.”

“Like what?”

“Like doting on you even more, and taking you on trips.” He got even closer. “Maybe even get you into some training.”

“Training?”

He smiled again and shrugged. “Yes, training. All of that, and some transparency.”

“You lost me at that last part.” It was the wee hours of the night. My brain had no more room for riddles.

Sehun just chuckled again, his shoulders shaking. “Right, well. I basically just have a lot to tell you still about my world before you officially become my Belle, and with the way things have played out tonight, I guess I have to skip the doting and the dates.” Sehun bit his bottom lip, eyes zeroing in on my own lips as he did so. “I just want you well-rested when I do it, baby.”

I pouted again, not liking the feeling of this real-life cliffhanger. “You’ll really tell me all about it tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“You promise?”

“Yes, I promise.” Amusement filled Sehun’s tone, but his eyes were full with something else. “Now stop pouting. Your lips are so ing tempting.”

To: kkamjong <3

Going out with jongdae today, then we’ll meet up with sehun. Still not sure where we’re going but, I’ll try to get it out of jongdae one way or another ^^ how are things over there? Call soon~

I let out a subconscious sigh as I bore holes on the word “Delivered” right underneath my message bubble. I haven’t heard from Jongin since he left the week before, and it was slowly but surely getting on my nerves. My sister turned out to be right when she said my Nini reserves would run low by the next week. She, who was none the wiser about the happenings the night before, laughed at me the next morning. She said I looked like the LOW BATTERY sign gadgets get when they reach 20 percent. The new week had barely started and already my moods have downgraded a considerable amount.

And it was showing. “I take it Jongin hasn’t contacted you yet?” Jongdae was driving me to where we were going to meet Sehun. When asked where exactly was that, he brushed it off and just said that it wasn’t important.

I nodded my head and discarded my phone in my pocket. “He’s very busy I’m guessing.” He better be still alive.

The male just chuckled at me grumbling at the passenger seat. “Sehun had me monitor the activities in Busan, to get a feel of what Twin Dragons is doing. I got word that they’re dealing with a fallen mafia.”

“Fallen?”

“Yep. A gang that fell apart basically. The Cadre probably tapped them to clean up after that gang since they share some assets.”

“That’s the huge blow Jongin was talking about?” He said Twin Dragons took a big hit and needed all the reinforcements they could find. They needed to recruit everyone to clean up after a fallen gang?

“Hey, cleaning up is no easy task, missy. Do you know how many connections you have to close and tracks you have to hide? For people you’re not affiliated with no less? It’s a solid hassle, so Junmyeon’s probably lessening his frustrations by making everyone help out.”

The tightening in my chest toned down the tiniest bit at that knowledge. If it was a clean-up job, then there wouldn’t be a lot fighting, maybe? And he would be okay. But then again, I didn’t really know anything about those jobs. “This would be so much easier if he just texted back, even if it’s just once.” I felt the urge to take my phone out again, but I forced myself not to by lacing my fingers together.

Jongdae let out an annoying laugh. “He’ll reach out soon enough, but for now, we’ve got more important things to cover.”

“Like what?”

Jongdae smirked at me. “Like how you’re now the queen of Seven Suns.” A cheeky wiggle of his eyebrows. “Welcome to the dark side!”

Just like that, my whole face reddened. “N-not yet! Sehun said it’s not official yet.”

“Whatever, you plump tomato.” Jongdae laughed at me wholeheartedly. “To me it’s already a done deal.”

I blew a raspberry at nothing in particular. “Hey, what exactly constitutes the courting thing? How does one become someone’s Belle?” A part of me wished someone made a manual or a written step-by-step process of the entire ordeal just so I could wrap my head around the idea better.

Jongdae made a thinking face. “Hm...well, it differs for every person from what I know. I’ve heard of people doing it through letters or signing contracts, especially if it was an arranged relationship in the first place. Then some leaders, they court women they meet during Mafia Bingo, regardless