“Your sister seems adjusting well.” Jungwoo said with a small smile as he watched Taeri and her father talk.

“You probably met her two sides already.” Mark mused at Lucas, the latter smiled.

“Noona’s not exactly the type to let people in easily, it takes time for her.” Mark said.

“Well, Taeri is no picnic. But she’s,” Lucas glanced at her again.

“She’s cool like that.” He finished, then Mark went still.

“Oh my god.” Mark sputtered, Jungwoo followed his gaze and he stilled.

“What the hell is he doing?” Mark muttered before dashing towards his sibling.

“Why? What’s happening?” Lucas asked as he followed Jungwoo.

“Something not good.” He replied just as Mark pushed the male away from Taeri.

“Lee Minhyung!”

Taeri was staring at her brother incredulously as her brother pulled Bangchan away from her.

“And here I thought we got to you.” Mark hissed at him.

“Mark, I wasn’t~”

“We told you to stay away from her!” He grabbed him by the collar.

Lucas paused, he had never seen the youngest Lee act like that. He never expected that Mark also had the same temper his older brother has.

“I just wanted to say hi.” The male spoke, unfazed by the younger male’s grip on him.

“Let him go.” Taeri spoke, Mark paused.

“Fine, don’t do it. I’ll disappear again.” She said, her tone cold and flat. Mark glanced at her, Taeri exhaled.

“Let him go, Mark.”

Mark pushed Bangchan away from him and the male staggered back. Jungwoo bit his lip and looked away.

“I’ll see you around then,” He said before walking away from the group, Mark exhaled and faced his sibling.

“What? Disappear? Noona, he’s no good for you.” He spoke to her.

“Yeah, that’s what you said after you and Taeyong oppa beat him up.” She sat before stalking away from them.

“I think you should check on that instead.” Lucas said, Jungwoo nodded before walking after her.

Lucas looked at Mark, he shook his head.

“It was three years ago,” Mark said as they walked back towards the school building.

“He used to be noona’s boyfriend.”

“Is..he the reason why she left?” Lucas asked carefully.

“No, he left her.”

Lucas paused.

“We..Taeyong hyung found out something, it was..unspeakable. So, we took care of it. We took care of him.”

Lucas grew confused, but he saw Jungwoo catching up to Taeri and she was trying to shake him off.

“And Taeri noona..she doesn’t know that. All she knows is that…we beat him up so that he’d leave her.”

“Taeri,”

She exhaled and faced him.

“What now? Are you going to feed me more lies?”

Jungwoo sighed and just wrapped one arm around her.

“Mark is just worried about you, you know that.”

“Sure, my brothers tortured my boyfriend so that he’d break up with me.”

“Taeri~”

“I just…I wanted to see him. I’ve been wanting to see him.” She said softly, Jungwoo sighed.

“He’s not good for you, Tee.” Jungwoo used her childhood nickname.

“Everyone always says that, but nobody ever told me why.” She murmured.

“Can’t it be someone else?”

“Do I really have to marry into the mafia? Are you crazy?” She replied, Jungwoo smiled and let go of her.

“I didn’t mean it that way, but, meeting him again, it’s a bad idea.”

“You mean that would displease my brother?” She said as they reached the cafeteria.

“Taeri,” Jungwoo frowned, but she just shook her head.

“We both know that’s bull.” She stated as she picked up a tray.

“He only wants to get what his way, well, I’m not letting that happen again.” Taeri stated before walking to the food counters.

“He only did that to protect you.” Jungwoo said to himself before following her.

Bangchan took his seat beside his friend, Jisung looked at him.

“How did it go?”

“I got to speak to her before Mark could step in.”

Jisung exhaled, Changbin looked up from his desk.

“Are you sure about this, hyung?”

“I want her back.”

Changbin puffed his cheeks and stood up, he looked at his friend and shook his head.

“If that Lee Taeyong finds out again, what will happen? Will you let just one girl destroy everything?” Changbin asked.

“The risk is worth it.” Bangchan replied.

“What do you mean? Do you want her back because you love her? Or, you just want to take them down?”

Jisung turned quiet, he looked away and his brows furrowed.

“For what they did to me, I…I am going to get pay back for that.”

“That’s not what I’m asking.” Changbin argued, Bangchan met the younger male’s gaze evenly.

“Does it matter how I feel?”

“Hyung~”

“We have to bring them down. They’ve been taking the lead for years, forcing us to bow to them, even adjusting our movements just for them.” Bangchan started.

“What if that means hurting her?” Jisung asked, the older male paused.

“I will not be sidetracked again.”

Taeri pushed her tray away, she was outside the building, sitting alone.

“Okay, you can cover this now.”

She looked up just as Lucas sat down across her with his palm forward. Taeri looked at the cut on his hand, she exhaled before taking out the small paper bag from her backpack.

“Why are you not eating? This is your favorite. Beef.” He pointed out as Taeri cleaned his cut carefully and put a band aid on it.

“Is that a trick question?” She replied, Lucas bit his lip.

“Well okay, let me be blunt.” He shrugged at her, Taeri looked up and shook her head.

“There’s the Lucas I’m used to.” She said, Lucas bit his lip in worry.

“You haven’t been exactly the Taeri I’m used to since this morning.”

Taeri bit her lip before pushing her food towards him, Lucas started to eat.

“Can I ask about that guy earlier?” He spoke again, he opened the bottle of water and handed it to her.

“My family’s throwing a party this Saturday, is the mafia invited? Or is it just a work thing?”

“Everyone’s coming. Even my father will be in town.” Lucas replied, he looked at her again. Taeri sighed before speaking.

“That guy earlier…he almost died in Lee Taeyong’s hands. And I don’t understand why he was talking to me earlier.”

Lucas paused, his mind went to what Taeyong told him last night.

“I did it to protect her. No matter what she tells you, remember that.”

“He couldn’t possibly forgive me just like that. He’s not crazy.” She said softly, Lucas paused, he studied the expression on her face before clearing his throat.

“Then, will you take a piece of advice from your next favorite mafia son?”

“What?” Taeri balked at him, Lucas started to smile, he stood up and looked around, searching for dessert.

“Lucas,” Taeri sighed, he looked at her and leaned over to press his forehead against hers briefly.

“Don’t give your heart out too easily again,” He said as he pushed the food back to her.

“You~”

“Because you don’t have one.” He chuckled before walking back towards the building to buy a fruit cup.

“I put up with him way too much.”

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