It was lunch and as usual, Yoohyeon was the first person who arrived at the cafeteria. But it seems that someone had broken her early record for today as she saw Taehyung was sitting alone while playing with his food. She went towards him and patted his shoulder.

"Having lunch alone, coffee boy?" Taehyung's head snapped up when he felt a light tapping on his shoulder. Too far in his thoughts that he did not hear her greeting.

"Good afternoon, Miss Yoohyeon."

"Where's Matt?" she asked looking around.

"He went to the hospital to check on Miss Dami." Yoohyeon nodded and she sat beside him as he stared at her from the corner of his eyes. Seemingly confused at her sudden change of behaviour.

Yoohyeon paused in her thoughts, as she tried to set her mind in order as to what to say to Taehyung. She was by no means thoughtless nor was she the most vocal to express her emotions. She found being direct would be the best. "Are you still mad at Siyeon, Taehyung?"

Taehyung quickly shook his head. "N-no I'm..."

"Then, why aren't you trying to find her?"

Taehyung sighed, he kept thinking of the same question ever since he had his conversation this morning with Sua. "How am I supposed to find her? I don't even know where she is. Even if I asked you, Miss Sua or Miss Handong where Siyeon is, you girls wouldn't know neither."

Yoohyeon nodded at that, "Yeah, we don't but I think someone might know."

Taehyung's breath caught in his throat, only managing a one-word reply. "Who?"

"Madam Yoona."

"H-how could she know?"

Yoohyeon shrugged with her palms out. "I'm just guessing. Besides, she's the one who raised us since we were teens and we came to be who we are now. If we have something that troubles us, the first person we seek is Madam Yoona."

"Are you sure that Siyeon is with Madam?" Taehyung asked again, lest he would ask a question that would only lead him nowhere.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her yourself? Give me your phone." Taehyung gave his cellphone to Yoohyeon and she keyed in Madam Yoona's number in his contacts list.

"Here's her phone number. Better you call her right now because she's always busy at night." Taehyung took his phone back from her.

Taehyung nodded, smiling a little in thanks. "Thank you, Miss Yoohyeon."

"Dude, you're older than me. Stop calling me 'Miss' will ya?" Yoohyeon exclaimed.

"But, you're --"

"What? Because my rank is higher than you? Taehyung, You're dating Siyeon who has a higher rank than me and the rest, including Jiu because she's the first person who had been recruited by Madam Yoona." 

"I-I don't understand.." Taehyung's eyebrows met in confusion.

"Meh, you don't have to. I'm confused about it too. Alright, gonna meet someone right now. Later, coffee boy." Yoohyeon stood up from the seat and walked away, leaving Taehyung in a turmoil. Without hesitating, he pressed dial on Madam Yoona's number, hoping she would know where Siyeon was or at least seen recently. He waited for Madam Yoona to pick up the phone call and luckily, she picked up as soon as the phone rang.

----------------

"Hello."

"G-good day, Madam Yoona. Sorry for disturbing you this afternoon. My name is Agent Kim Taehyung and--"

"You are looking for Siyeon, is that right?" 

"H-how did you know, ma'am?"

"Because the girls are not going to ask me where she is."

"I'm sorry, why won't they want to know where she is Madam Yoona?"

"Meet me at the second headquarter after lunch. It's an order."

"Ma'am?"

-----------------

Madam Yoona hung up the phone call abruptly as Taehyung looked down at his phone.

"I hope she knows where Siyeon is," Taehyung sighed.

______________

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Gahyeon was carefully pushing the wheelchair seating Jiu as she left no room for argument that Gahyeon lead her to Dami's room. As soon as they got out of the elevator, Gahyeon walked forward and stopped when they almost reached their destination.

"There." Gahyeon pointed where Dami's room was. Jiu nodded, indicating she move forward again.

As they arrived near the door, two agents took note of their presence, double-taking as they saw familiar faces. The girl they just saw a couple of minutes ago looked sheepish as their mentor, despite being in a wheelchair, glared at the two agents. 

"Miss Jiu?" spoke one of the agents.

"Move," Jiu ordered them.

"But, Agent Matthew is inside--"

"I said move!" The agents could not stop her anymore as they saw Jiu's stern face.

"Y-Yes miss." They both gave way for the girls as one agent helped open the door for them. The duo went inside where they saw Matthew was sitting beside Dami's bed.

"Jiu.." Matthew was shocked as he saw Jiu and Gahyeon's sudden appearance.

"What happened to her?" Jiu asked and she forced herself to get up from the wheelchair. Luckily, Gahyeon moved quickly as she helped Jiu towards the unoccupied seat beside Dami's bed, where Dami still laid restless and had not woken up since yesterday.

"Matt, I'm asking you. What happened to Dami." Jiu asked again but Matthew was still tongue-tied, having no idea how Jiu came to know that Dami was in the hospital.

"Tell me, Matthew!" Jiu snapped.

"Jiu unnie, calm down," Gahyeon tried calming her down.

Matthew took a breath, sighing as he let it out. Best to get it over with. "Someone set a time bomb inside the building where she and the police elite squad had their mission yesterday. She tried to save a member of her team and she did...by sacrificing herself..." His eyes went down to her abdomen.

Jiu's eyes followed his, eyeing Dami's sheet-covered form. "How bad is it?"

"Her abdomen... it's completely burned." Matthew moved to lift up the blanket from Dami's body and showed the bandaged form to Jiu and Gahyeon. Jiu's expression alarmed in shock while Gahyeon couldn't take a look at the raw wounds, even if they were already closed and red from inflammation.

"Doctor Wendy said that the Angel Dust had spread internally when the bomb was activated. She couldn't remove the drugs from her body due to her severe burns," Matthew informed them.

Jiu glanced at Dami as she patted her hair slowly, trying to ease her pain even if that was the only way she could. "Why didn't I know about this. Why didn't they tell me..."

"Dami wouldn't let us tell you. Jiu, understand from her perspective, please forgive her. I know she had her own reasons." Matthew hoped Jiu could understand Dami's pleas for her presence in the hospital to be kept in secret. The moment was broken however as his phone rang and glanced down on an unknown number.

"I'm gonna take this call for a sec." Matthew walked out of the room leaving the two girls.

Gahyeon felt sympathy for Dami's condition and she was especially worried for Jiu. She looked at Jiu, who still grasped a tight hold on Dami's hand. The reaction she expressed was understandable. As she could only imagine the responsibility and amount of burden to be taken when leading a group who had to do dangerous tasks.

"Gahyeon..." Jiu suddenly called her.

"Yes, Jiu unnie?"

"Can you please... leave me alone with Dami for a while?" she asked.

"Sure, unnie whatever you need." Gahyeon fulfilled her request, looking back once before she closed the door.

After Gahyeon left the duo, Jiu looked on at Dami, who looks as if she was in deep sleep, which she hadn't been seeing ever since they have officially become agents. A good nights sleep was far in between, especially so if they were working on a case. Dami was always involved in car accidents because of her racing habit, but she never had serious wounds nor injuries except for occasional broken bones. But, every time she got any, she always told the girls not to worry about her, especially Jiu. And now, Jiu realized why Dami was bluffing any of her injuries.

"You always told me not to worry about you because you hate to make me in a grievous mood.... don't you, Dami?" Jiu spoke to her friend. Her only reply was Dami's rhythmic breathing, made more dreadful as she wore an oxygen mask as well as other tubes injected to her hands and chest.

Jiu grasped her friend's hand in both of hers as her tears started to fall down her face. "I hate you, Lee Dami...I really hate you being like this..."

Outside, Gahyeon watched forlornly at the two occupants in the room. She averted her eyes as Jiu broke down in tears. Her eyes instead fell on Matthew who was done taking the phone call, as he leant against the wall a few feet from the door.

"Urm... Mister?" Matthew turned around as someone called him from behind and saw the familiar girl.

"Yes?"

"Is...Dami unnie gonna be okay?" she asked him.

"I-I don't know kid, but I hope that she will be alright," he responded but Gahyeon seemed to not be satisfied with the answer.

"I'm afraid that she will become like Hyungwon oppa."

"Who?"

"He also had the same Angel Dust experience when he used to work with the gangsters who made the drugs."

"D-do you know where he is right now?" Their conversation was cut off when someone called Gahyeon's name from a far distance.

"Lucy!" Gahyeon turned around and saw Hyungwon waving and walking towards her. Her eyebrows rose as she remembered that he promised to pick her up from the hospital. He stopped next to her, glancing at Matthew before resting his eyes on her.

"There you are. I was looking for you everywhere," said Hyungwon.

"Hyungwon oppa..." 

Looking at her face, he knew that Gahyeon wanted to tell him something. "W-what's wrong?"

---------------

"How is she right now?" asked Hyungwon after Gahyeon relayed the happenings on Dami's mission and her injuries that followed.

"She's still unconscious. Her abdomen looks so bad. Jiu unnie is inside with her right now. She looks upset about it too," said Gahyeon.

"I just hope... she won't get mad when she's awake."

"Say, Hyungwon." Matthew suddenly interrupted their conversation. He nodded towards Gahyeon. "She said that you had a similar experience with Angel Dust, did you remember what happened?" Hyungwon only shook his head, as he didn't remember anything when he was affected by the drug.

"I just remembered the girls gathering around me when I woke up from unconsciousness. It's like...the drug was controlling my body and I was unable to remember anything," Hyungwon scratched his chin.

"That time, I saw Hyungwon oppa, he was like a beast with red eyes and his veins popped up around his body. He accidentally hurt Handong unnie and she got a big bruise around her waist. Jiu unnie and Dami unnie were the ones that managed to stop you," Gahyeon added.

"With what?" Matthew asked.

"Dami unnie used her taser and Jiu unnie used a syringe and injected Hyungwon oppa with an unknown drug."

"Catnip? Because she always brings it with her all the time." Matthew remained silent and sighed.

Then, he spoke, "I don't wish for it to happen but I can feel something's going to overturn Dami's state of unconsciousness." That time, the door slid open and they saw Jiu pushing her wheelchair as she went out of the room. The rest stood up as they saw her.

"Jiu unnie, are you okay?" asked Gahyeon.

"I'm okay, Gahyeon. Thank you," Jiu replied with a tight smile.

"Matt," she called Matthew.

"Yes, Jiu?"

"Inform me as soon as she opens her eyes. Right now, get three or four more agents to look after her as soon as possible," ordered Jiu.

Matthew stopped breathing for a second. Dreading the answer as he asked the question. "Why?"

"Just to be prepared if something happens to her when she's awake," Jiu replied simply. Just enough to ease his curiosity, while Matthew knows the real reason why as he learnt just a few seconds ago.

"I understand."

"Let's go, Gahyeon."

"Yes, Jiu unnie." Gahyeon helped Jiu to push the wheelchair and they walked back to Jiu's room along with Hyungwon following behind.

"When did you arrive, Hyungwon?" Jiu spoke to Hyungwon.

"Not long ago," he replied. As they reached at Jiu's room, Jiu suddenly asked them to stop.

"What's wrong, Jiu unnie? " Gahyeon asked.

"Hyungwon, can you help me?" Jiu spoke to Hyungwon.

"What is it?"

"Take me to the second headquarters right now." The couple looked each other in alarm before they turned to Jiu.

"B-but Jiu unnie, your condition?"

"Don't worry about me. I just want to meet someone who can solve this problem."
_______________

NiTE Second Headquarters.

As soon as Taehyung arrived at the headquarters, he gasped and stood frozen for a second as he took in the second building. It was large alright, just a little bigger than the first when comparing the breadth of the two buildings. To say he was amazed at the size would be an understatement.

"It's two times larger than NiTE. How can Madam Yoona manage all the employees here?" he mumbled. His awe was cut short as his phone rang. Madam Yoona's name appeared on the screen.

-----------------

"Good evening, Madam Yoona."

"Have you arrived, Agent Taehyung?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Meet me at level 9 and go to room 1."

"B-But I thought... level 9 are for Dreamcatcher squad?"

"Not in the second headquarter. You don't have to use their ID to go up here. Get your temporary pass from the information centre. I will be waiting."

----------------
After Madam Yoona hung up the call,  Taehyung proceeded to the entrance and walked into the entrance hall. His eyes still could not stop looking around the vast second department.

The difference between the first and second department was that the first department was only for the agents that were recently recruited and in training program for five to six years before they were sent to the second department. And this location was where they would then be allocated between the combat section and the medical section. It was well planned and organized, but none of the agents knows who exactly manages the allocation.

"The medical squad and the combat squad... This almost looks like the departments in the U.S. Army," Taehyung said out loud. He went to the information centre for the pass he needed to meet Madam Yoona.

"Good evening, how may I help you?" the female employee asked as he stepped in front of an empty line.

"Hello. I'm looking for Madam Yoona's office. May I know the way to her office?"

"Madam Yoona? Do you have any appointment with her?"

"Madam Yoona have told me to see her today at level 9. She instructed me to come here to get a temporary pass."

"Are you an agent? Do you have an ID card?"

"Yes, of course." Taehyung gave his agent ID card to the staff as she checked out the information from his ID number.

"Agent Kim Taehyung. Yes, Madam Yoona has set up a meeting with you today. You're going to the VIP elevator which is just beside Hall 1, and scan your ID to get access and that's where you will go up to Madam Yoona's office," The staff informed him the ID as Taehyung thanked her.

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome and forgive us; In this second department, we have strict rules if any visitors were to meet our boss. That's why we're taking precautions as we need your ID for confirmation to get a temporary pass. Luckily you're an agent too which makes things easier."

Taehyung corrected her, "I'm actually still in training."

"Ah, you're a new agent. How's the bosses in your department? Are they doing well?"

"Emm... I thought Madam Yoona is the boss of NiTE agency?"

"Madam Yoona is the CEO of NiTE but she's not the boss of the first headquarter."

Taehyung drew back at that, clearly, he was not informed of this information. "I don't know about it."

"Hmm... I bet the girls still haven't informed you and the rest of the trainees it seems."

"I'm sorry, what? The girls?"

"I mean the Dreamcatcher squad." Taehyung was shocked when the staff told him that the girls are the bosses of his headquarter.

"W-what?!"

"Dreamcatcher squad are actually the bosses of the first department while the second department is controlled under Madam Yoona herself. But I guess the information that the Dreamcatcher squad are the heads are not well known. I don't know why they don't tell you guys this," she whispered conspiratorially.

"I-I see. Thank you for the info." Taehyung could only thank the staff as he dazedly walked towards the elevators.

"You're welcome again and have a nice day." Taehyung was in a daze as he processed the information. Now not taking his surroundings in interest as he did a few moments ago. He pushed the button and the elevator door opened. Scanning his temporary ID to the scanner, the door then slid close and took him to level 9.

He leaned back at the back of the lift as he processed the information he just learnt. He huffed out a laugh, drawing one conclusion in this. No wonder the news of him and Siyeon dating spread an uproar in the agency.

"If the Dreamcatcher squad is actually my boss from the first department and Siyeon is one of them... so it means that I was dating my boss?!" The realization hit him then, but he couldn't react as the doors suddenly opened. He walked out of the elevator tentatively, he froze when he saw something unexpected.

"Wow, what is this place?" He gasped when he looked around the area. It's not a normal office that he usually sees. It looks a lot like when one walks inside a mansion or a luxury penthouse, with a fountain in the middle. Adding to that, a small swimming pool surrounded by a quaint little garden and also photos of Dreamcatcher squad were portrayed on the wall. Walking closer, there were doors with each of the members' name on it.

While he marvelled the view, he walked around trying to find Room 1 that Madam Yoona promised him to meet. Then, he saw a sign showing Room 1 -10 at the corner leading to the right corridor and Room 11-20 leading to the left one. He turned to the right side and immediately found the room.

He took a deep breath, readying himself on what was on the other side of the door. Luckily the inside was normal enough as he saw rows of books covering the walls and thick but comfy looking rugs and sofas were lined throughout the room. His eyes landed on Madam Yoona who was sitting on one of the couch in front of a fireplace with a teacup in her hands.

"Did you get lost, Agent Taehyung?" asked Madam Yoona.

"Y-yes err I mean, sort of," he replied.

"Must be your first time coming here. Have a seat." Taehyung walked towards the couch and sat on it, facing Madam Yoona while she served him with a cup of tea.

"Thank you," Taehyung smiled before he took a sip.

"I bet you attracted flies when you stepped on this floor."

"E-eh?"

"I was watching you through the CCTV."

"I'm sorry. I was just shocked at how beautiful this level is. This room looks like a library."

"You're right. We are in the library. I made this office area look like home because of the girls. I brought them here first when they were teenagers. I didn't want them to get stressed when they were still in training, especially when they just escaped from their own hell," she stated. "So, why do you want to see me?"

"Um... Miss Yoohyeon told me to ask you if you know where Miss Siyeon has been hiding."

"Yes, I know but why should I tell you? I thought you have broken up with her yesterday?"

"No, what I did yesterday... I made a mistake. I don't want to break up with her. I unknowingly put a lot of pressure on her and I didn't know about her suffering. I just... I want to help her by bearing her pain but it's still not enough. I want to take her away from her nightmare. I don't want her to suffer for the rest of her life. I love her, Madam Yoona. I don't want to lose her again." Looking at his face, Madam Yoona knew that Taehyung really loved Siyeon a lot.

"Agent Kim Taehyung. Before you met Agent Siyeon, was there someone significant in your life?" she asked him.

"Y-yes... my late girlfriend," Taehyung confessed.

"When did you start to forget about her and move on?"

Taehyungs looked up at Madam Yoona at that question. He was hurt for sure when he first lost her after the incident. But time heals, and after countless hours of mourning and crying himself to sleep, he moved on. It was a long process but he moved on. "I... I just forget about it and moved on, Madam Yoona," he replied simply. Madam Yoona smiled sympathetically.

"You and Agent Siyeon are the same. Both of you have lost someone you've loved but it's a different experience when forgetting the past and moving on. You were able to move on from your past but for Siyeon, she couldn't. She had been suffering since she was a teen, and all of us are more affected emotionally, physically and mentally from our youth. When I first met her, I could tell that she was different." Madam Yoona paused. "Same as Dami, they never asked anyone for help because both of them would rather keep it inside. This is especially bad for Siyeon as she is very sensitive in love."

"W-what do you mean, ma'am?"

"The reason why Agent Siyeon said that she doesn't love you or rather convince herself so is because she doesn't want to lose you. Admitting that, she is afraid she will lose you like she lost Agent Hongbin two years ago."

"What happened Madam Yoona?"

"I think you've already heard of the incident. She lost her fiancé when they were doing their mission together along with Dreamcatcher and Vixx squad. When she woke up from her coma, she was frustrated and upset that she couldn't see him anymore and out of nowhere, she ran away from the hospital and disappeared, without any news from her for a year."

"Do you know where she had gone?"

"No, I don't. But, she did text me when she was gone and told me not to worry about her." Taehyung remained silent as his face turned gloomy.

"Agent Kim Taehyung, I know you love Siyeon and I know she loves you back but I know she didn't mean to say those things to you yesterday. She just wanted to protect you and didn't want to lose someone she loves again." Madam Yoona tried to make him understand about Siyeon's situation.

Then, he broke his silence. "I don't want her to protect me. I just want her to accept me and my feelings towards her. I do love her and I can't live without her. I've already fallen in love with Miss Siyeon, Madam Yoona." After Madam Yoona has heard enough of Taehyung's confession, she turned towards the side table and took out a piece of paper and wrote something down.

After she was done, she gave the note to Taehyung. "Here."

Taehyung took the note, seeing an address. "What's this address?"

"It will lead you to find Siyeon. She's there right now but if you want to go there, you can go after 9 at night." Taehyung stared at the piece of paper, finally hope rising in his chest with the help from his CEO.

He quickly stood up from the couch and bowed to her. "Thank you, Madam Yoona!"

"This is the first and last time I'm going to help you. Don't you ever leave Siyeon and don't you ever make her cry again," she warned him.

"I will and I promise." He kept his promise from Madam Yoona thankful beyond doubt as he had his chance to be reunited with his love.

"Now, go get her back in your life."

"Thank you so much, ma'am." He bowed again and walked out from the room as Madam Yoona watched him leave.

"He reminds me so much of you..." Madam Yoona sighed. She looked down and took out a picture from her coat and she stared at the picture of her with a man and a little girl between them. A much simpler life when they were together.

"I miss you..."

-----------------------

After 16 hours of flight, he walked out of the arrival gate and saw workers, about a handful of people, were waiting for him at the arrival. He went to his workers and they bowed at him.

"Did I make everyone wait too long?" he asked.

"No, boss. We've arrived just recently," said his worker.

"Alright, let's go." The person nearest to him helped with his luggage as they went to the parking space.

"Boss," his assistant called.

The man turned to his worker. "Did you find her?" 

"Yes. We finally found her. She's the CEO of the agency called NiTE." He felt grateful after his assistant told the good news.

"How is she?"

"Our members we have sent to spy told us that she and her team are in a dangerous situation at this current time." He bit his lips, feeling worry as he was told of the news.

"Tell our boys to be prepared. We're going to be their aid."

"Yes, boss."




 

"Yoona, I'm coming..."



 

End Of Chapter 48