Kihyun heard the front door open, he smiled as he heard his cousin walk in to the house. Jungah was mumbling to herself, and then she paused, seeing the older male in her kitchen.

“Oppa, hi.” She said with a tired smile, Kihyun chuckled before giving her a quick hug.

“Long day at work?”

“Yes. I didn’t know you’d…Well, I know you’d be dropping by..but why are you cooking so much?” She asked, noticing the amount of plates on the counter.

“Ah, they~”

“Anyway, I’m going to go shower. Welcome back to Seoul, Yoo Kihyun.” She waved him off before heading to her room, she didn’t notice Hyungwon and Changkyun sitting outside her garden.

“She seems tired.” Changkyun mentioned, Kihyun nodded back in response.

“Who wouldn’t be? Her job forces her to interact with other people.” Hyungwon mused, the gates opened and Wonho stepped in with Minhyuk, the two males were chatting amongst themselves while carrying some bottles of beer with them.

“Does noona drink?” Changkyun asked, Kihyun shook his head.

“Not really. But, she’s okay with it.”

Wonho was smiling as he got insid the house, Hyungwon grinned at the older male.

“I am an . Smiley face. Wow, hyung.” Kihyun said dryly, Minhyuk cackled and made himself comfortable on the couch. Jooheon appeared by the veranda doors and Wonho almost jumped in surprise.

“Did you climb over the wall again?” Hyungwon said, Jooheon flashed him a grin.

“I don’t even want to know the answer.” Hyungwon said to himself, he stood up and walked towards the guards.

“Nothing out of the ordinary?” He asked, as he glanced around the property. The younger male saw a familiar R8 pull over, Shownu slid down from the vehicle.

“So far, nothing, young master. And, no signs of Kim Donghee making a move.”

Hyungwon nodded back, Shownu was already inside the house. He looked around briefly before taking a seat across Minhyuk.

“Don’t mention Kim Donghee’s son. Changkyun might throttle us.” Minhyuk commented, Wonho nodded at the male.

“What about his connections?” Shownu asked, he ed his coat and leaned back on the seat.

“We found some companies who have been funding his campaign. We’re looking into it.” Kihyun spoke, Jooheon was helping him set the table.

“Companies?” Shownu asked, he heard footsteps bounding down the stairs. He paused and looked around again.

“Does the owner of the house know we’re here?” Wonho voiced out, Jooheon paused and looked at Kihyun.

“I think I mentioned it.” Kihyun blinked in reply, just as Jungah appeared by the foot of the stairs clad in a hoodie that was way too big for her and a pair of leggings.

“Wow. Full house.” She muttered, Changkyun gave her a small smile.

“Not that you’re not welcome here, my Dots. Come by anytime, leave your weapons by the gate though.” She added, Hyungwon rolled his eyes.

“I meant you, baby Chae.” She said without glancing at him, Wonho smiled and bumped fists with the male. Hyungwon made a face at her, but he stood up and stepped out of the house.

Kihyun grew amused.

“Hi, princess. How was your day?” Minhyuk asked as the girl sat next to him.

“Terrible. I had..reports..and there’s this new system at the mall. It was simply..crap, oppa.” She murmured as she leaned back.

“You didn’t skip lunch, I hope. I know halbae dropped by.” Kihyun said as he handed her a cup of warm tea.

“I had lunch with One Dot.” She shrugged.

“You two hung out without me?” Jooheon frowned at her, Kihyun slowly shook his head.

“She was worried that her boss might come after me, that’s why she came over. To send a warning.” Shownu said, sounding amused, Changkyun glanced at their eldest.

“Manager Shin was adamant about suing him.”

“How about we sew his mouth shut instead? Isn’t he that ert boss of yours?” Minhyuk mused, Jooheon nodded along. Hyungwon walked in, he showed Jungah his now already empty coat pockets. She gave him a thumbs up.

“Wait, you’re serious? Oh my god.”

Minhyuk grinned and playfully mussed her hair.

“Let’s eat, Jooheon’s princess.” Kihyun called from the kitchen, Jungah was eyeing Minhyuk warily as he hopped towards the kitchen.

And then she turned to Shownu, the male paused, his brows going up.

“I didn’t say anything.” He said to her, Changkyun glanced at the two again.

“But that’s exactly your style. You don’t say things. They just simply happen.” She pointed out as they walked towards the dining hall.

“Minhyuk can cross stitch, I think.” Shownu said to her, but the corners of his lips were curling up.

“I made the wrong friends.” Jungah muttered to herself before taking her seat beside Wonho.

 

 

 

Jungah looked up as Haerin walked ahead of her, the two were had attended a meeting at another branch and had just returned to the mall.

“Did you see the new installation art they installed downstairs? I hear it’s only for the month.” Haerin asked her, Jungah shook her head.

“I haven’t done the usual rounds yet, I thought Joon was going to do it for us.”

“We should check it out, we’re always here and yet I’ve only seen it on Instagram.” Haerin said, Jungah nodded back at her. The two women made their way to the mall’s atrium and saw the display downstairs.

“Wow, it is pretty.” Haerin said, Jungah grew amused.

“Be honest, you don’t get it.” She chuckled, Haerin sent her a dry look, Jungah shook her head s she continued to look at the oddly shaped art piece.

“But, unnie, I will have to ask questions, you know.”

Jungah paused, she looked at her friend as she leaned against the balustrade.

“The other day…Heejun standing..no, kneeling outside by the doors, that was you, huh?”

“W—Well, technically, not me. But…it was my friends, I…I didn’t expect that~”

“Just that kind of new friends did you make this time? They’re terrifying, but their sense of humor is gold.”

“You though that Heejun kneeling out there, half in the cold was humorous?” Jungah blinked at her, Haerin grinned at her.

“Well, ever since that incident, he hasn’t been bothering me or anything. So, yes.”

“I guess they helped.” Jungah muttered under her breath, Haerin nudged the girl again.

“They’re just…a bit overprotective, those guys. Don’t worry.” She fibbed, Haerin smiled and looked at her.

“Which one? The one with the fancy car? Or the other one with the fancy car?”

“Very funny.” Jungah shot back, and then she felt a hand on her shoulder. Haerin turned quiet as she looked at the male who had approached them.

“Noona, I’m right. It is you.” He said with a small shy smile as he faced her.

“Rowoon-ah,”

“Do you have a fancy car too?” Haerin mused and Jungah slapped her arm.

“Hey, long time no see.” Jungah said to him, Rowoon nodded back.

“Are you busy, noona?”

“She’s not. And I’m leaving!” Haerin winked at the two before jogging away from them, Jungah grimaced and puffed her cheeks.

“She’s…She’s had way too much coffee today. What brings you here?” Jungah asked him, Rowoon smiled and gestured for the girl to walk with him.

“I’ve been sent to run some errands. For my mother.”

“I see.” Jungah chuckled, noticing the shopping bags he was carrying.

“Noona, do you have some time for coffee? Let’s grab a cup.” Rowoon said, Jungah saw a male approach them and he took the bag from him.

“Now?”

“Just only for a bit, noona. It would be awkward to sit at a café alone. ” Rowoon nudged her shoulder, Jungah nodded.

“Okay, there’s a coffee shop upstairs. But, if my boss catches us, you better explain for him.” She said as they approached the escalator. Rowoon grinned at her.

“I’ll tell your superior that you were kind enough to help a lost soul as he navigated through the shoe department.”

Jungah laughed and shook her head.

“I hope he’ll buy that.”

“He has to, I spent two hours just to find the pair of shoes eomma sent me here for.”

“Aigoo, good work, Rowoon-ah.” She teasingly said as she patted his hand, Rowoon grinned at her.

“But, noona, do you get off work late? Do they ask you to work late?” He asked as they reached the top floor, Jungah glanced at him.

“Not really, I’m usually out the door by six or something.”

“Ah, here I was thinking you aren’t allowed to go home until the mall closes.”

“It depends which department you belong to.” Jungah told him, Rowoon nodded back att her.

“So, what kind of coffee do you like, noona?”

 

 

 

Minhyuk picked up the list, Kihyun looked at the two. Changkyun was taking small sips of his soda.

“You got a list?” Kihyun asked, they were inside his office at SK Holdings.

“They’re all familiar names.” Minhyuk murmured, his eyes still scanning through the documents.

“Yes, I looked into some of the companies, there, most of the are clean. Some are…paper companies, but nothing fishy.” Changkun spoke, and then Minhyuk paused, he noticed a familiar name on the paper.

“Kihyun-ah~”

Kihyun’s phone started to ring, Kihyun was in the middle of chewing on a donut. He slid the green icon across the screen and put the call on speaker.

“Jeon Wonwoo,” He greeted the caller, Changkyun rolled his eyes.

“Oh, hyung, is this a bad time?”

“No, no. What’s up?” Kihyun put the donut down and grabbed a napkin.

“Nothing, really. Are you back in town?”

“Yes, just a couple of days ago. I heard you took Jungah to that charity event. I hope she didn’t cause trouble.” Kihyun mused, he was about to pick up his phone but Minhyuk stopped him with a grin on his face.

Kihyun sighed and put the phone on the table again.

“Yes, it was fun, hyung. But, I’m…calling regarding noona too.”

“What’s this? Is he her babysitter?” Changkyun muttered under his breath, MInhyuk leaned forward and wanting to listen in.

“Oh, okay. Why? Did something happen?”

“I noticed…I mean, noona and I have gone out to dinner a couple of times, I’m not..interfering or trying to meddle into this, hyung. But, I think your friends..are a bit too much. They may have made her uncomfortable.”

Changkyun scoffed and grabbed his phone.

“My friends?” Kihyun looked at Minhyuk, the latter shook his head.

“Why?”

“Especially, the other guy. He seems very demanding and bossy towards noona. He always says that you asked him to check on her, and he kind of insists on the fact that he is a friend of yours that’s why he always has to know where she is.”

“He’s overreacting. I’m telling Jooheon hyung.” Changkyun rolled his eyes again as he started typing on his phone.

“Ah, I did ask my friends to check on her. But, other guy?” Kihyun carefully asked.

“That big guy. Jungah said his name was Son Hyunwoo.”

The three males automatically grimaced.

“He seems like trouble, hyung. He probably makes Jungah noona uncomfortable.” Wonwoo added.

“It doesn’t seem like it.” Minhyuk said to their youngest, Changkyun nodded back.

“Ah, hmm, I’ll talk to him about it. Thanks for telling me.” Kihyun didn’t know what else to say.

“Of course, hyung. Let’s meet up soon.”

“Sure. Enjoy your day.” Kihyun said as he tapped on the red icon, he ggrimaced and shook his head.

“Jungah noona has never been uncomfortable around us. She gets along with Shownu hyung well, despite her trying to test his patience on an almost daily basis.” Changkyun pointed out.

“That’s a lot of words. Wow.” Minhyuk mused at him, but he went back to the list.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s because he has feelings for her? Or he’s not used to having guys around Jungah?”

“He’s probably intimidated by him, I mean most guys are.” Minhyuk waved him off, and he was pointing at the list again.

“What is it?” Kihyun asked, Changkyun looked up.

“That twerp’s family. Jeons.”

“So?”

“They’re here. They also support Kim Donghee. Look.”

Kihyun and Changkyun looked at the list and saw it.

Jeon Banking Group

“Uncomfortable? Hah.” Changkyun shook his head and pulled his laptop to him.

 

 

 

Jungah let out a yawn as she stepped out of the mall’s doors, the place was still filled with customers. Which was pretty normal, most customers would drop by to look around and do some shopping before heading home.

She took out her phone and started to call one of her hyungnims.

“Yes, young miss.”

“I know you guys are the basement waiting, but there’s this newly opened dim sum place across the street. Can you just pick me up there? I’m on my way to cross the street.” She spoke quickly as she jogged towards the sidewalk.

“Yes? Young miss, we can take you there. We’ll bring the car~”

“It’s fine, it’s super near. Just pick me up from there, I’ll send you my location pin in a bit.” She said with a smile as she ended the call, Jungah pulled her purse closer to her as she waited for the pedestrian light. She ran her fingers through her hair as she walked with the crowd, her eyes were scanning around, trying to spot the restaurant.

She made her way through the sea of people, and she spotted the familiar sign. Jungah sent another text to her guards and rushed towards the restaurant, she was about to grab a hold of the glass handle when she felt someone tap her on the back.

“You look familiar, are you a sales assistant Galleria?” The man asked her, Jungah paused and she slowly shook her head.

“I work for Galleria, but not in sales, sir.” She said, a little unsure. The man was dressed casually, dark jeans and a hooded sweatshirt.

“Ah, really? No wonder you look really familiar, my wife’s a regular there.”

“Oh, then…are you here to grab dinner with her?” Jungah asked, she felt a little clueless. But she didn’t want to be rude and cut him off.

“No, well, running into you is good timing, because I’ve been planning to get her something.” He started to take his phone out, Jungah chewed on her lower lip.

She just wanted her dumplings.

All she wanted was to eat dumplings while watching some TV at her place.

“Here, take a look.” The male waved her to move closer, Jungah nodded and leaned over to peer over his phone. But the male suddenly yanked her by the arm and started dragging her with him. Jungah was about to open , but his palm immediately flew over it.

She started to squirm underneath his grip, but the busy crowd didn’t seem to notice that she was being pulled away to the back alley.

Jungah frantically scanned around her surroundings, she grimaced as her left Louboutin heel came off.

Ew, wet pavement.

Jungah, focus!

“Everyone’s having a hard time trying to get to you, who would have known,” The man whispered into her ear, she grimaced, feeling his breath against her neck.

And then she started to grow dizzy, she couldn’t focus on anything. Her eyelids had become so heavy.

“The mafia’s princess is actually very gullible.” He said as he ran the tip across her neck, Jungah wanted to scream. And then she froze when she felt something cold and sharp against her side.

“One wrong move, and your insides will be spilling across the street, princess.” He mused not noticing the shadow a few steps behind him.

“Ah, one wrong move. How about you make yours then?”

 

 

 

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