It was them; unknowingly and knowingly. 

∞

11:06 pm 

The thunder had roared its light down the whole Seoul; the wet roads were seen to be filled with vehicles through the bright, yet blur of the drizzle and among the buildings of places had an apartment where the glass window had a heavy pour rolling down of a particular room. 

“It won't leave a scar.”

Ji-eun uttered, applying the ointment on the skin of the woman seated before her on the bed by the footboard; her hazel eyes looking at Iseul to find her seated still with her black tank-top hugging her figure like her leather pants had glued to her legs while her hair clipped yet her head was tilted to the other side where she was looking at the rain through the window with an aloof yet lost expression. 

“Iseul.” 

She was quick to meet Ji-eun's soft eyes neutrally with a blink, and found her hand in a neat bandage as she pulled her hand to herself in a sight; a glint of familiarity and empathy as her lips parted. “I'm used to the scars to worry about them now.”

And a soft slap on her back from Ji-eun as Iseul found a concern on her face. “That's why we asked you to get out of there.”

“I couldn't just get out without getting anything from there.”

Iseul reached out, squeezing Ji-eun's shoulder calming her down with an assuring nod as if telling her that she was alright, but was she? She could still feel the pace of her heartbeat, the anxious feeling of shock, and surprise after seeing the least man there, and the drastic change of sudden clash with him leaving his skin in a gush of red. 

Yet she couldn't get something out of her head; the shock glinted in his eyes the moment he had peered his eyes into hers and her heart was left anxious because his intensive eyes had a glint of recognition. 

And she hoped he didn't; it will get worse if he did, because as long as she had known his traits, he would never let this go let alone get himself involved by his curiosity which might lead her to do something that was not personal with him. 

He was her nemesis in other ways; she didn't want to make it in a drastic way. 

“Girls.” 

A knock on the door had taken their attention to find Se-Ju standing in his plain gray t-shirt, and black sweatpants, his hair in a soft brush on his forehead before tilting his head as a gesture towards the living room. “Come on, we have some work to do.”

Iseul and Ji-eun nodded as the next thing the trio had gathered in the living room of Se-Ju's apartment; the coffee table had three cups of coffee, a box of pizza, and two open laptops, where Iseul had leaned back after grabbing a slice along with a mouthful while beside her was seated Se-Ju with his focused eyes on screen and on his side with a one-seat sofa was Ji-eun as she grabbed the laptop on her lap doing her part; handing the surveillance system. 

“There's only a bunch of cash, and files, and that's it.”

Se-Ju's brows knitted in a deep focus; his sudden profession rushing in as if it ever left, and spared a questioning glance at Iseul to find her munching silently as he sighed with a done look, for Iseul to meet his eyes with a neutral blink of her eyes. “I need to eat to think and energy to talk.”

“Did you get enough?” 

Iseul hummed, “Among those files, I found something familiar,” She trailed off, leaning over to grab another slice while gesturing towards the laptop, “Play the video again from the last few minutes,” She paused, and leaned slightly closer to Se-Ju as both of them watched the video again where she had grabbed a file while opening it till the first page until the clash happened afterwards. 

“It's some kind of a heading.”

“It's the name of an organization.”

Iseul stated, swallowing her bite and Se-Ju kept his focus stare on the page while Ji-eun frowned at her after finishing her work. “How do you know?” 

“Dad had this file with this name of the list nine years ago.”

“Shadows.”

The name left Se-Ju's lips in a wonder but felt a slight chill and Iseul felt a wave of goosebumps through her skin as the name itself gave an eerie sensation and she couldn't help but remember that moment with her father and their conversation with a deep frown as she her lips. “Dad said it was an organization that consisted of illegal stuff happening around and they were gathering police officers for another organization to catch the criminals.”

Se-Ju nodded, “I know,” He trailed off, meeting Iseul and Ji-eun's confused eyes. “Oh-Seong uncle had briefed me about this because he was a part of it,” He paused, scratching his jawline a bit in utter confusion as he kept his eyes on the screen. “But I do remember him telling me that the organization had been over nine years ago because one of the cops died during the mission and I guess, it was influenced by high people to stop it.”

Ji-eun hummed. “But it is still happening.”

“And Choi Myung-Soo could be a part of it.”

Iseul stated, her eyes on the screen to the file with a frown of her own thoughts as she leaned back against the headrest; her leg over another while letting loose her hair on her shoulder as she tilted her head. “We should search more about this file,” She paused, her jaw hardening like the sharpening glint of her eyes; cold but a rage of fire within her. “This might have been the reason why dad was investigating Choi Myung-Soo and why his death was claimed as an accident instead of an attempted murder.”

Jeon Tae-ha hadn't died in an accident.

A message from an unknown number Iseul had received two years ago; the time when her brand was doing extremely well, until this message had left her in a juggle of her thoughts, and confusion of the beliefs she had been trapped in, but she couldn't even just trust the unknown message coming to her out of nowhere after years of her father's death, and the time she was in the agony of her life. 

Yet she couldn't neglect it because it involved her father. 

To her dismay, the number of the unknown person was out of service no matter how many times she had tried to contact it, and with the help of Ji-eun, she had tried to locate it since Ji-eun was the only one she could trust with it; the woman had been a good hacker from the time she had known her but even Ji-eun couldn't get it since the number was gone out of reach and service since Iseul reached out to Ji-eun late and the number was never used again. 

And the only option left was her friend; Park Se-Ju, her friend from her high school, and Ji-eun's cousin. 

The moment he had listened to her juggles he was right on his feet to help her but Iseul wanted to keep it discreet as she was still not sure if the message was someone toying with her or not and Se-Ju had obeyed it even keeping it from Oh-Seong since they knew he'd stop them doing a dangerous inspection alone; the thing was between Iseul, Ji-eun and Se-Ju and within the months of investigation from last nine years, they had come to known about the last investigation of Jeon Tae-ha's was on the known businessman Choi Myung-Soo. 

And since then Iseul had tried her best in the business industry to get closer to him; keeping the enemy closer could be a better way to dig into the darkness and to be known of the real reason for her father's death. 

Was his car crash really an accident or an attempt? 

“I'm confused about one thing though.”

Both of them turned to Ji-eun sipping her coffee with a contemplating look. “What was Byun Baekhyun doing there?” 

“Byun Baekhyun,” Se-Ju trailed off, pondering, “I have heard this name before,” And with a pause of his realization; his eyes lit up towards Iseul, “The car clash man of yours?” His forehead creased. “I really wanted to know if you both know each other before the clash?” 

Ji-eun nodded. “We were classmates.” 

“Classmates?” He chuckled in amusement. “He didn't look just like a classmate to me?” 

And Ji-eun's hard slap on his shoulder. “Shut up.”

“What?” 

“Don't mention him like that in front of Iseul.” 

“What is he?” He snickered. “Voldemort?”

“Byun Baekhyun.”

His name rolled off Iseul's mouth in a whisper; a tone of question to herself, as her frown deepened like her straightening torso and her eyes stared at her bandaged hand. “What was he doing at Choi Myung-Soo's house at this hour and in his study room?” 

“I was clearly informed about his business trip tonight,” She uttered, biting her lip in a trance of her thoughts, and the sole reason for her crashing into his house since it would be easy and her attention was on Ji-eun as she began to speak. “Perhaps, it was canceled,” She paused, with a soft caress on her stomach, “And he entered his house just when you had entered his study room and that is why I informed you to get out of there.”

Se-Ju sighed. “And she's a stubborn brat.”

“I wouldn't have gotten this chance again.”

“But did you actually fight with Baekhyun?” 

“Yeah,” A mumble escaped from as she stared at her hand; a lost memory in her head rushing in as she swallowed. “He's still got the reflex.”

“I actually saw him with Choi Myung-Soo at the restaurant last week.” Ji-eun uttered, leaning back and Iseul frowned at the information before the night of the fashion show flashed in her head, “He was being awfully chatty with Choi Myung-Soo; do you think there's some kind of scene?”

“Isn't he a businessman?” Se-Ju questioned, leaning back as he placed his bent leg on another. “Perhaps he was doing some business with him considering how influential Choi Myung-Soo is in the business industry.”

Iseul reached out, brushing her fingers through her hair in perplexity as she couldn't help but think there was something else happening she couldn't pinpoint it; Baekhyun had always been a mystery, back then too, and right now had pushed her more into it. 

“Did you look into Alvarado?” 

Iseul questioned, and Se-Ju nodded. “A royal family in Spain; known for their clothing and jewelry business.”

“Spain?” 

“Wasn't Baekhyun's maternal family from Spain too?” Ji-eun mused out, and Se-Ju raised his eyebrows in surprise, “Really? He's a part of the royal family?” He paused, sparing a glance at Iseul who had an attentiveness on the topic with a serious expression. “Any information about who is the head of their business?”

“Andrés Alvarado.”

The name left an anxiousness within her as she swallowed. “We're still unaware of who had bought the seven percent of shares in Choi Myung-Soo's business; it's kept a secret.”

“It was fourteen years ago though,” Se-Ju tilted his head; he could find an uneasiness on Iseul's face. “Do you have any thoughts about it?” 

“It's strange because his almost shares are bought by only Korean business people but only this Spain family holds seven percent of shares just doesn't sit well with me,” Iseul let out a sigh; a sudden gush of pain through her head as she was quick to press her temple with her eyes closing before feeling a gentle pat on the back of her head; it was Se-Ju. “Give it a rest; we'll do something about it.”

“Yeah, we will.”

“Except doing anything illegal.” Se-Ju stared at both women with a strict look as Iseul exchanged a knowing look with Ji-eun who shrugged. “We don't do illegal stuff.”

“Smashing Ji Ha-Joon's car with a written cheater bastard and rot in hell was something illegal in my field of work.” Se-Ju crossed his arms and Iseul's brows raised. “Any proof, Mr. Park?” 

“None,” He gave them a lip-tight smile. “You both didn't leave any.”

“Then, no interrogation.”

“No discrimination.”

Iseul and Ji-eun exchanged a smile where Se-Ju groaned in exhaustion at these women; one was friend, and another was his sister yet he couldn't do anything but had pulled Ji-eun's ear slightly for her to slap his arm and Iseul shook her head; a slight smile on her lips as she watched them bantering like the siblings before her eyes glanced at her hand, to the rain outside and the clash earlier with Baekhyun had played in her head again. 

The question of his appearance after years rising again, the question about his sudden closeness with Choi Myung-Soo, the question about his presence in the study room and a sense of anxiousness from all of her questions and the center had to be him; the answer was within him. 

And like the rapid rain throughout the night; the two pairs had no sleep or calm and this time the reasons were different. 

It was them; unknowingly and knowingly. 

_________________________________

8:03 am 

“Byun Baekhyun, have you lost your mind, totally and completely and,” 

Kang-min was left out of words bursting in his frustration and Baekhyun spared him a glance of nonchalance. “Look for more synonyms, Lee.”

“You think I'm kidding around?” 

“Not really.”

“And do you think marriage is a joke?” 

“Perhaps a bit.”

Baekhyun shrugged; his feet pacing to the wardrobe section of his room while clad in a bathrobe as he brushed his fingers through his damp hair while standing in front of his wardrobe to choose one of his suits as he had grabbed a navy shade one to find Kang-min walking in his black suit with a perfect upward hair style; a serious expression on his face and his arms crossed to himself. 

“What?” 

“Alliance with Choi Hae-soo?” 

“It's not an alliance,” Baekhyun frowned, walking past him outside towards the bathroom, “It's just a way to buy more time till I get to the actual purpose; I'm sure he wouldn't let it happen,” He trailed off, looking back at Kang-min's serious look with a tilt of his head. “He's planning something by trying to lure me in through his daughter but so can I.” 

Kang-min scoffed. “You're such a bastard.” 

Baekhyun gave him a playful smirk. “A handsome one.”

The next thing Kang-min found him closing the bathroom door; he had taken a seat by the footboard of his bed with a lean forward of his posture and a frown on his face as he thought about the narration Baekhyun narrated to him last night after the visit to Choi Myung-Soo's house; the business conversation turning into more of an alignment of his daughter with him and a scene happening in the study room. 

“Don't you think it's too much?” 

He questioned the moment Baekhyun had walked out; the black button down tucked in his navy shade of a pants as he stood in front of the mirror to look at Kang-min's concern to sigh, “It won't happen; I will end it before it gets too much.”

“That's not it,” Kang-min uttered, “I just don't want you to fall into a pit of a danger or even worse than that; it's your fight I'm aware,” He trailed off, straightening, “I will help you without any questions but don't get somewhere even you can't bring yourself out, Baekhyun.”

Did his words leave an anxiety? Absolutely. 

But he had already begun his fight to stop now; he had been preparing for it for years to do it, as his heart felt a jolt of anxiousness to swallow harshly as he his lips, “I don't think I can stop here but I wouldn't turn out like those people; that's not me,” He trailed off, as he buttoned up the left side of his cuff, “But if I have to get done with my purpose then I should do it.”

“Did you treat it well?” 

Kang-min's sudden question had his eyes glance at his forearm; he had put a bandage over the wound of blade mark and the scene from last night flashed in his head, the black covered figure, the familiar almond shaped alluring eyes and the familiar glare blazing towards him before immediately buttoning up another cuff. “Yes.” 

“But he must be a good fighter.”

“She.” 

“What?” 

“It was a woman.” Baekhyun uttered, tying his necktie and Kang-min's loud gasp had him rolling his eyes. “Woman?! You fought a blade fight with a woman?! Wow, must be a great fighter enough to leave a wound mark on you?!”

Baekhyun halted his hand combing his hair back abruptly, “Must be,” He trailed off, in a trance of how he let his guard down the moment his eyes had clashed with the familiar pairs but an anxiousness of being correct about it, and he didn't want to be. “That means apart from us there's somebody else who's after Choi Myung-Soo's history; I saw a file in her hands, there must be something connected with that.”

“But how?” 

“Isn't that why I'm here, Lee?” 

Kang-min grimaced. “Give me a break.”

Baekhyun gave him a look before putting on a perfume along with his shoes, “Did you look into the things I asked you to?” He questioned, slipping his arms through his blazer as the next thing both males were walking out of the room to the front door where Kang-min handed him the iPad after getting into the elevator. “I still feel jittery about this.”

“About what?” 

“The background check on Jeon Iseul.”

“Bold of you to assume that she hasn't.”

Baekhyun mused, scrolling through the screen with a focused glint in his eyes; his frown deepening as he leaned against the handrail. “She did her brand collaboration with Choi Myung-Soo's company a year ago,” He trailed off, “She launched her brand four years ago and there's no information before that?” 

“Beats me.”

“Is this how you have looked into it?” 

Kang-min rolled his eyes. “She launched her brand four years ago after studying for three years more.”

“That's the odd thing.”

Baekhyun mumbled, because she had graduated with him and he had gone abroad on scholarship to study more as he met Kang-min there coincidentally but why had Iseul joined her university a year later? Why did she go for further studies instead of going for ballet? Or was there something else he wasn't aware of nor the world was. 

The next thing he was walking out of the building; his car was already standing as he was quick to take the backseat while Kang-min had taken the driving one as the drive had started while Baekhyun kept scrolling through the screen with much interest, and focus until his eyes rounded a bit. “When did Jeon Tae-ha die?”

“You didn't know?” Kang-min frowned, and Baekhyun met his eyes through the rear-view mirror. “What?” 

“Iseul's father died on our graduation day nine years ago; you left but it was all over the news.” 

Baekhyun felt a thud behind his chest; a feeling of sink within him at the information, a shock, and a surprise as he his parted lips with a soft press on his temple realizing why didn't he find him at the police station or why Iseul was seen talking to Hwang Oh-Seong like that but something felt bitter within him.

His mind flashing Iseul's face and a question of how she must have gone through it; is that why he had felt something wrong happening during that time of leaving everything behind and another one unpleasant memory of theirs which happened on the same graduation day where he had walked away from her seeing the tears in her hatred eyes for him and a sudden jolt through him as to why he should be concerned about her right now? 

She shouldn't be his concern anymore; he should be focused on his purpose yet she had to be the distraction yet again. 

“It was a car blast.”

Baekhyun mumbled, as he found the article about it from nine years ago but a familiarity to the sight as his parents had also met in a car blast which he was sure about being planned but not having enough evidence yet this one familiar information left something odd within him; he couldn't pinpoint it yet. 

“Did you look into the shareholders?” 

“Yep.” 

“He's been surrounded by money.” Baekhyun tilted his head as he scrolled through the list of business people holding enough shares in Choi Myung-Soo's company to frown, “Alvarado.” 

“Yeah, your royal family.” 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Not mine.” 

“Fourteen years ago seven percent of shares were bought by the Alvarado family; clothing one.” Kang-min said, rounding the corner and Baekhyun kept his eyes on the screen. “Any information about who did it?”

“None.”

“My uncle is the head for now; fourteen years ago after grandfather died there was no one to hold the authority yet.” He mused, the confusion rushing more as well as the information into Kang-min added more into it. “The most surprising thing is that Jeon Iseul holds seventeen percent shares, the highest of any of the business people.”

“What?” 

“You heard me.”

Baekhyun let out a deep sigh as he closed the iPad beside him along with his eyes while his head against the headrest with a trance of his thoughts as the more he was getting into things, the more deeper it was getting while some things were leading to the woman; Jeon Iseul, why she had bought the highest shares? 

Was he wrong about the woman last night he thought of? If yes, was Iseul into something similar to Choi Myung-Soo? She wasn't the kind of person who would do that but then again, she wasn't the person whom he knew nine years ago; she was changed but this much? 

He hoped he was wrong because whatever it was between them; nemesis or whatever, it was different from their personal reasons and he didn't want her to be this kind of nemesis to him. 

He couldn't afford to have another history with Iseul in his life. 

“We have arrived, sir.”

Baekhyun opened his eyes to find the visage of his building shining under the daylight as he was quick to step out to find the blue shade of sky filled with white patches without any indication of rain yet he couldn't be much sure about it since the rain, and chaos always arrive unexpectedly. 

“Did you look more into Hwang Oh-Seong?” 

Baekhyun questioned, strolling through the lobby with his one hand pocketed while glancing at his watch before reciprocating the greeting to the receptionist with a nod until Kang-min had approached him alongside with a negative response. “Not yet.”

“Why not?” 

“I'm good at getting information but this one field is a bit difficult.” Kang-min gave him his reason as both of them got on the elevator where Baekhyun tilted his head. “Isn't this field the easiest for you?” 

Kang-min rolled his eyes. “I'm not going to use my late aunt's name.”

“You still don't know how to make use of sources, Lee.”

“As if you do.”

“Like what?” 

“Like using your royal card to get the secret information in a minute.” 

And Baekhyun went silent; blank at his words because he was correct about it as he hardly made any contacts with his maternal family except for his cousins but he couldn't use his connection even if it was his right because he still wasn't able to forget the doings happened to his father; the detest words he had heard for years while living in that place and the threats to his life. 

“Whatever.”

Kang-min smirked. “I got you.”

“And I don't like you.” Baekhyun imitated his tone. “What's the schedule?” 

“We have to discuss the new launch of designs with new designers and on which stores to be launched in for better results.” Kang-min said, and Baekhyun hummed. “Anything else?” 

“A lunch date with your sweet Mr. Choi and her daughter.”

Baekhyun scrunched his nose. “Shut it, Lee.”

“Yes, sir.”

The elevator door opened as Baekhyun was quick to walk down the floor towards his cabin while feeling the stares of the employees and greetings from them with Kang-min behind him as he stopped to glance at Maria Gracia neutrally. “Ms. Gracia, arrange a quick meeting for us.” 

The woman was left stunned for a moment to nod. “Yes, sir.”

Baekhyun frowned at Kang-min as he walked into his cabin. “Why did she react like that?” 

Kang-min could only shake his head because the man in front of him was oblivious to his surroundings especially when it came to the category of women; he was hopeless and questioned if there was any left for him or someone for his hope. 

__________________________________

9:08 am

“, that's so high, Iseul!” 

Iseul heard Ji-eun's exclaim for her to stop her movements of climbing the rock; the inflatable indoor climbing rock as she held the belt securing her body to her front before sparing a glance at Ji-eun to find her standing in the most tiniest sight that Iseul had to hold back her smile. “I'm doing great here!”

“But I'm about to have a heart attack!”

“Shut it, Eun!” 

Iseul frowned, not even liking her words seeping unpleasant feeling through her and the familiarity with it as she sighed; the sweat beating down her temples along with the strands of her high-bun hair sticking in a damp likewise her body sticking to her tight black half-sleeved cropped shirt which Iseul wanted to get out of it with cold shower as the next minute she was climbing down slowly. 

Her knees buckled up with a kind of running veins and an exercise she had gotten used to now; the part of her physiotherapy had led her to it. 

“That was awesome, Ms. Jeon.”

Iseul heard the familiar voice the moment she had gotten down to find Choi Hae-soo standing in her gym clothes as Iseul and Ji-eun exchanged a glance before giving her a greeting nod where Iseul had taken a few sips from her water bottle. “Good morning, Ms. Choi.”

She nodded. “How are you both doing?” 

Ji-eun smiled. “Hitting the gym.”

Iseul shook her head at her dry reply as Ji-eun shrugged until Hae-soo began to talk, “You are really good at climbing things, one should be careful with you,” She paused, giggling at her own joke while Ji-eun hid her smug smile while Iseul couldn't hide it as she smirked, closing the cap of her bottle. “Then, you should definitely be careful with me.”

“Even if I am, things eventually happened.”

“May I ask what?” Ji-eun questi