“With her around, I doubt you’ll enjoy your stay,” Eunhyuk cut in, laughing. Amber clenched her fist, but before she could hit, Eunhyuk advanced his car forward, causing his fellow agent to miss. “I’ll be going now, girls! I have to make a few phone calls regarding my case.”

“Good riddance,” Amber smiled as Eunhyuk drove away. She turned to Yoona and led her inside. “I’ve heard what happened. Word gets around here pretty fast. Are you alright? Oh, sure you are. The medical assessment results showed that you’re both physically and psychologically sound. It’s Donghae we should be worried about. I heard Daddy Lee had a fit. Poor thing. And here’s the common room! Girls’ rooms over here and the boys live over there.”

The common room, if it was to be described in one word, was luxurious. It had black faux leather sofas and loveseats, elegant white lampshades, varnished oak center tables and pots of dragon trees strategically placed at corners. The walls were immaculate white and the floor was covered in soft, lush carpeting.

But before Yoona could marvel at the interior design, Amber dragged her into the girl’s rooms. Inside was a hallway lined with several doors. The female agent took out a smart card and inserted it into a slot just above the doorknob. Instantly, the door opened and Amber ushered Yoona in.

Yoona could’ve sworn she just entered a boy’s room. Everything in it was masculine. A navy colored rug rested on the floor in front of a wooden bookshelf filled with Marvel comic books. On the sky blue walls were a dartboard and a poster of Spiderman. A used tennis racket leaned against the frame of a steel bunk bed.

“I have some pajamas here that you can borrow for the meantime,” Amber yanked out a baseball jersey and a pair of knee-length shorts from the closet and tossed them on the bunk-bed. Yoona carefully took them and stole into the bathroom.

The only thing that told Yoona that she was in a girl’s room was that the bathroom did not have a urinal. She looked at herself in the mirror. Amber’s “pajamas” were boyish, alright, but they fit her perfectly.

“Did you eat already? Yes, you did. Doctor Kang from the medical center told me you enjoyed that roast beef sandwich they gave you a while earlier.” Amber said as soon as Yoona got out of the bathroom. “Well, that’s weird. Usually at this time, Donghae would be singing at the top of his lungs. It’s awfully quiet in there. Want to have a look?”

Before Yoona could agree, Amber already dashed out of the room.

~~~

The door to Eunhyuk and Donghae’s room wasn’t completely closed. It was slightly open, casting a sliver of light unto the floor of the dark hallway. Amber flicked on the hallway light.

“Why is it so dark over here?” she complained rather loudly.

“Sshh,” Yoona whispered when she neared the room.

Inside, Donghae was already asleep. His blanket was pulled up to his chest, covering all of him except for one arm that reached out around a stuffed Pooh bear. His breathing was rhythmic, calm and quiet. His eyes were relaxed. As she watched him sleep, Yoona couldn’t help but smile.

“Cute, huh?” Amber whispered.

Yoona nodded almost automatically.

“Oh, so you do think he’s cute,” a mischievous smile played on Amber’s lips.

“Amber!” Yoona retaliated, but her reddened cheeks gave her away.

Amber giggled. “Let’s get out of here. We might wake him up. Trust me, cranky Donghae is the last thing you want to see. He turns into a dinosaur.”

~~~

“His mother died when he was baby,” Amber began once she and Yoona were seated comfortably on their respective bunk-beds. The room was dimly lit by a robot-shaped night lamp that gave off a blue-ish glow. Yoona, who was on the top bunk, pulled a blanket over her knees. It was getting chilly.

“It was a cardiac complication, they said,” the female agent continued. “Our seniors told us that after the incident, Officer Lee turned into a different man. He was no longer the happy go lucky guy that he was. He no longer treated his coworkers to donuts on Mondays. It must’ve for them, but it was even worse for Donghae. You see, it’s quite obvious that Officer Lee put the blame on his son for his wife’s death.”

“T-that’s really unfair. It wasn’t his fault,” Yoona pointed out. She rested her head on her knees, a sympathetic frown appearing on her face.

“Of course it’s not. But that’s not all,” Amber went on. “Donghae’s older brother was Officer Lee’s pride and joy. Donghwa topped both the theoretical and practical examinations held at the academy. He was awarded ‘Best Junior Agent’ almost every year and at eighteen, he was the youngest to be promoted to the Secret Service. He was smart, athletic and friendly and he had a lot of girls going for him. He was that kind of guy. But on Christmas two years ago….”

[Flashback]

The cold December wind blew sharply against the windows of that lone blue corvette as it sped along an empty road. The snowfall had ceased a few hours ago and left behind a thin white blanket that was draped gracefully upon the ground.

“Come on, let’s get father a new belt. The one he’s wearing is chipping off,” Donghae implored. He was sitting on the passenger seat, playfully adjusting and readjusting his checkered scarf. He was anticipating the look on their father’s face once he would see the belt.

“Fine, fine,” Donghwa replied as he carefully turned a corner. The road was still slippery and dangerous. “Where’d you want to go?”

“Hm,” Donghae thought for a while, scratching his chin. Where else do they sell the most durable, high quality leather belts? “Ah! Let’s go to Grand Gallerio!”

“But dongsaeng,” Donghwa said. “That area is quite dark. The streelights there were damaged by last week’s blizzard.”

“Oh, alright then,” Donghae chose not to argue but he refrained from speaking for the rest of the ride. The atmosphere was awkward and heavy. Donghwa knew this was coming. It was his brother’s childish, soundless tantrums. The silence was so loud, it hurt his ears.

“Alright!” Donghwa said at last as he turned down Hanporo Boulevard. “Grand Gallerio it is then.”

Unlike the cheery appearance of the previous streets, Hanporo Boulevard was dim and eerie. Here, there were no bright Christmas decor – only tiny, frail porch lights that would flicker every once in a while. Donghwa slowly drove the road, paying close attention to the small amount of space his headlights illuminated.

Donghwa saw the van, but he didn’t have time to dodge it. It charged at them, like a freight train on the loose, its headlights glaring like the eyes of a devil. Instead, the older agent steered the car sideways, positioning the driver’s seat in front of the van.

This is what happened:

The van driver stepped on the breaks, but not in time to avoid collision. The blue corvette was hit and Donghwa never woke up.

[End of Flashback]

~~~

Yoona fell asleep almost immediately, but she occasionally woke up from nightmares of the murder, of Officer Lee, of the car crash.

For the third time that night, she jolted up, wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead. She was breathing heavily as she stared into the darkness. There was that one voice that echoed in her mind – haunting her and comforting her at the same time.

Why can’t you stand up for yourself?

I don’t think I can protect you.

You have to stop being such a pushover.

Father would probably assign someone else to be your guardian tomorrow.

These words chased her around in circles until finally a thought began to form in her mind. It was scary, and would involve a great deal of courage. However, she felt it was the least she could do. Impatiently, Yoona descended from the top bunk. Her movements woke up Amber, who sat up too fast and hit her head against the steel frame of the bunk bed.

“I’m okay!” Amber called out before Yoona could speak. The female agent rubbed her head. “What is it?”

Yoona leaned forward and whispered into Amber’s ear.

~~~

Donghae woke up a bit late the next day. He was greeted by a plate of pancakes topped with a smiley face made of maple syrup. A sad smile crept upon his face as he sat to eat at the breakfast table at the common room. He still felt deeply scarred from yesterday’s events and even the cook’s attempts to cheer him up were not enough.

The entrance door of the common room swung open and Amber strode in looking as fresh as honey.

“Nice pajamas,” Amber squinted for a closer look. “Puppy dogs.”

Donghae ignored her comment. “Where’s Yoona?”

“Ohoho!” Amber’s face lit up in excitement. She walked towards him and leaned forward a little. “You miss her already.”

“N-no, it’s not that, w-well yeah, b-but,” Donghae scratched his nape in frustration. He looked up at the female agent, who seemed to be enjoying herself with all this. “Where is she? It’s too early for her medical checkup.”

Amber shrugged and walked off with a smug grin on her face. Then, as she neared the door to the girl’s room, she turned around and casually said, “Oh yeah, your dad wants you in his office. Pronto!”

~~~

Donghae readjusted the collar on his uniform for the hundredth time as he trudged down the hallway leading to his father’s office. Lee Myungdae’s “office” looked more like a building than a room. It consisted of two floors and was situated at the end of the right wing of the Main NPA Building.

Donghae heaved another sigh. He prepared himself.

There’s no doubt about it, he decided. I’m going to be suspended. My badge will be taken away from me. I –

His eyes began to water and his mouth felt dry. He swallowed, choking back tears.

Donghae, put yourself together, he urged himself. Think positive.

He tried thinking of other alternatives regarding his future. He doesn’t have to work at the National Police Agency. He could be a fisherman, a soccer player, a singer, a dancer…or both. The last thought made him laugh.

“Maybe I’ll even join a group and become an idol,” he was still chuckling to himself at the possibility when the door to his father’s office appeared before him like a dead end. Immediately, laughter was wiped off from his face and was replaced by a grave, solemn expression. He knocked four times, as was custom for Junior Agents. When he heard a muffled voice telling him to come in, he took a deep breath.

This is it.

Slowly, he turned the doorknob.

~~~

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review. I hoped you like it, even though it wasn't too sweet. I hope you all enjoyed the holidays! Don't forget to drop a comment and tell me what you think!