- - - - -

The office was a dark cool tone. Two pieces of furniture to the right side with a framed painting hung above it. Then ahead of him sat a medium sized wooden desk and a thin man behind it. His hair looked neatly trimmed reminding him of his own newly trimmed hair. Secretary Jung’s face was long, no glasses, eyes big enough for anyone to see that he had double eyelids, long eyelids, and a nice refined nose-maybe a nose that had been fixed.

“Ok Taecyeon?” his voice sounded nice, giving Taecyeon the impression that he had a nice general attitude toward people. Taecyeon wondered why his office felt so different from the person he was. “Oh…oh…take a seat.” Secretary Jung half got up from his seat and gestured to the cushioned chair in front of his desk.

Taecyeon nodded and sat down. “Are you going to interrogate me about the imported wine I supposedly stole?”

“In…interrogate?” he repeated.

“Then would you call this an interview?” Taecyeon opposed sarcastically remaining calm.

“Uh…sorry. The boss wanted me to call you in this morning to talk about that.”

Taecyeon wondered why the man was being so weird.

“Do you want a cup of coffee before we begin?”

“No thanks, sir.”

Secretary Jung nodded, “I had the cops retrace the phone call you received the other day but it turned out to have come from a payphone. Who was it that called you?”

“The Director.”

“Ah…” Secretary Jung nodded. “But we can’t trace him for now. Are you sure it was really him?”

“Yes, sir.”

Secretary Jung nodded once more, “Actually, I do believe you but because the Director is on the run right now the blame can only be pinned on the man we caught on camera, which is you.”

“What?” Taecyeon half shouted.

“We’re still on the look for him…so maybe if you remain our scapegoat for a few days…” Secretary Jung began then shushed up once he noticed Taecyeon’s deadly glare.

“I’m not going to be your puppet the next few days to come. This company deserves to go down in fame if the people and its CEO can’t even do their work right!” Taecyeon stood up from his seat.

“W…wait. Hold on!” Secretary Jung called when Taecyeon stepped away from his char. “You can’t leave yet.”

“What?” a frown formed on his face.

“I…I was told to keep you here for 2 hours at most.”

Taecyeon frowned.

“There…there are some things the CEO wants to know about you.”

“Are you kidding me?” Taecyeon wondered.

“Can you…sit back down?” Secretary Jung asked hesitantly.

Taecyeon sighed wondering why the secretary sounded so scared of his own boss. Slumping back down in his seat he stared at the secretary for a long time.

“So?” Taecyeon broke the silence after a minute of his life passed by.

“So?” the secretary asked cocking his head to his side.

“Didn’t you say there were questions for me? Ask them, I’ll answer so I can leave.”

“Uh…yes…yes…” the secretary looked through some papers on his desk making Taecyeon wonder if he’d just told him a lie about the questions.

“Were there really questions?”

“What? Uh…yes! There were! I didn’t lie!!” the secretary defended then panicked. “I forgot…I lost them!!”

“Look here,” Taecyeon leaned forward, “I have a life to live, things to do. Don’t waste my time, ok?”

Secretary Jung leaned back and smiled scared.

“What did he want to know? Tell me and I’ll give you a brief summary about myself.”

“Are you seeing someone or perhaps cohabiting with someone, are you divorced, do your parents live with you or do you live apart from them or do your parents also subside in Seoul somewhere, do you have any relatives in Seoul…”

“Wait…” Taecyeon called out. “Did he really tell you to ask me these kind of questions?”

“Yes,” the secretary nodded his head confidently.

Seeing how Secretary Jung had been the past half hour Taecyeon was pretty sure the secretary wouldn’t lie about that.

“Tell him it’s not his business,” Taecyeon said then walked out even when the secretary called after him.  

- - - - -

“I don’t need to see a doctor,” Victoria pleaded and held back her urge to hit him as he pulled her toward the hospital doors. “I’m fine. The bruises will disappear in a few days.”

“You still don’t look well. You’re fatigued and you…” he glanced at her arms, “you’re hurt all over.”

“I’m always fatigued! It’s not a big deal living like this!” she found herself almost shouting then shut up. “Look, even though I’m not tired I always look tired. I grew up that way. I’m fine. I hate the doctors, I don’t want to see the doctors. Can you just take me back? I really mean it, I’m fine!”

It was hard to add “please” at the end of her sentences so she decided just not to.  

“It’s just my friend. If you want this to remain private I’ll let him know. They won’t ask for your name.”

“My name?” Victoria asked. “They won’t ask?”

He frowned at her then she relaxed her tense arms at last. “Do you feel better now?”

When they walked inside they sat by some chairs for a while and a doctor in a long white jacket came out of a room. Victoria followed him in and Donghae waited in his chair patiently browsing the halls. Glancing at his watch he recalled that Yoona had left early that morning. Yesterday night he’d debated about calling her and he realized she must have debated about it too. In the end he decided not too. He wanted some air and he knew she must feel the same. Donghae had to admit that something in their relationship had become a slow burden. They still needed to talk and figure out what the problem was.

Footsteps rushed pass at the end of the corridor and he turned to see nurses accompanying a stretcher being strolled away. Two people came rushing after. It reminded him of the time when he’d rushed out of work after hearing Yoona had been in a shoot off and had gotten injured. At the emergency room he found her arm bandaged up and had learned that it’d only been a bullet scratch.

The door opened and he heard voices. Victoria walked down the hallway with a piece of paper in her hand. Getting up to follow her he stopped when he heard the doctor’s voice. Inside his white office Donghae sat on the chair in front of the mini desk.

“From the look of it,” he started off with his neatly combed hair shining under the light and his clean glasses sparkled as he talked, “it looked like she was hit by something moving very fast.”

“An animal, you suppose?” Donghae raised an eyebrow calmly.

“No, something much heavier,” his friend told, “I’m not quite sure what it is.”

Donghae frowned.

“Well, besides that her other injuries seem to have come from something else. Maybe a fight with someone in the park or something. She’s got too much scratches and for her bruises, I’ve given her some ointment, no charge.”

“Thanks,” Donghae thanked then before getting up questioned, “what about her fatigue?”

“As for that, some relaxation and fun would revive her. She looks very stressed but seems to be handling it well.” he paused then said, “Oh yes, about her leg too. Her muscles look strained maybe that’s what’s been making her limp. However, about any dislocated bones or whatnot I can’t figure that out unless she goes for an x-ray.”

“Thanks again.” Donghae tapped his desk and walked out.

Hurrying down the hallway he searched around for any sign of Victoria but didn’t see her. During that second he wondered if she’d walked out on him before he discovered her standing by the door watching people walk in and out.  

“So you didn’t leave. Are you hungry?” he questioned walking up to her.

“No.” she easily replied as they walked out.

“I’ll buy you something anyway.”

He parked his car on the street and led her to a sandwich store. After buying her a sandwich to munch on they headed back onto the street. While walking he glanced at the grey dress she was wearing in the middle of fall. Fall-a cold transition to the start of the freezing winter.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“Me? No, I haven’t felt anything.”

“It’s getting colder you shouldn’t be wearing those kind of clothing,” he cautioned.

“Uh…really?” she asked looking down at her dress. “This is all we bought yesterday.”

“You don’t…have any pants?”

“Uh…well…” Victoria scratched her head unsure where the conversation was going. “I never thought about it.”

“Come on,” he told her walking into a random store.

She followed him and looked around still biting on the sandwich she had in her hand. She was unable to comprehend what was going through his mind.

“Can you help me pick out some jeans and pants for her?” she heard him ask one of the store saleswoman.

“Why?” Victoria asked.

He just smiled and watched as the saleswoman came over with some picks. Taking them from her he turned to Victoria.

“Try them on.”

Victoria glanced at the pants then to the fitting rooms. The cold dungeon appeared in her mind and her skin grew cold. It was a fear that grew on and on in her mind and had lasted since she could remember.

“No. I don’t.”

“What?” he asked.

“I’m going to…wait outside.” she stated confusing him and walked outside.

“Sir?” the saleswoman called.

Donghae turned and glanced at the pants then said, “Could you add in a jacket too?” Then recalling the tennis shoes she wore he added, “And a pair of boots.”

Once he stepped out he found Victoria staring out into space lost. He handed her the bag and watched as she turned to him.

“A gift.” he told.

Victoria stared at the bag. “Why?”

“To celebrate…that you’re going to get better.” he came up with the excuse and smiled. “Cheer up and smile some.”

Victoria didn’t remove her eyes off his face. She wondered if she should feel bad even when she’d forgotten how to feel bad and what feeling bad felt like. Being human was a part of her that she’d allowed to die once she started killing. The word thanks didn’t go through when she took the bag from him.

“So, I have a question to ask,” Donghae told. “I’m a straightforward kind of person so I just got curious.”

“Yes?” she asked.

“That bruise on your left leg, where’d you get it from?”

Victoria glanced down at her bruise. “It was an accident.”

“What kind of accident? Did something hit you?”

Victoria’s mind had been automated to react fast when things were flying her way but not to react fast in order to dodge questions. She recalled fleeing through the woods to get away and out of sight from So Young and Jung Min. If they ever caught up to her she knew it’d be another fight that wouldn’t end until either of them died but she was lacking energy that night. She’d had no food the whole day and all the energy she’d saved was used to defend herself while running. Running into the road, getting run over, and still surviving was something of a miracle to her. It wasn’t anybody’s fault except her’s that she’d gotten run over--that bit of humanity still existed inside her at least.

“It was just an accident.” she still insisted.

Donghae finally stopped and parked his car across from Taecyeon’s apartment. Getting out he turned around and looked at Victoria.

Recalling he didn’t get her full name he asked, “What was your name again?”

Victoria thought for a moment. Well since she’d already given her name away to Taecyeon it wouldn’t be a big deal if she told the man before her, would it?

“Victoria.”

He smiled and turned around to walk her to the apartment but they stopped when he saw Taecyeon’s car come to a stop at the side of the building. The tall man got out and before heading for the three steps of stairs then stopped as if sensing someone was staring at him. Turning, he caught Donghae’s eyes. Donghae saw him laugh an exasperated laugh and just stood where he was. Donghae took it as an invitation to go over.

“I take it as things went well?” Donghae greeted.

Taecyeon just stared at him and glanced at Victoria.

“I’ll go inside,” she offered and walked in leaving the two of them alone.

When she was gone Taecyeon asked, “Why are you here?”

“Just decided to take her out,” Donghae replied as if he’d done nothing wrong.

“Where’s your fiancée?”

“Is that your problem?” Donghae asked.

“Ok,” Taecyeon said coolly, “it’s not my problem but you shouldn’t be out here and you shouldn’t be lurking inside my personal life. Don’t you think it’s cowardly of you to get your secretary to hold me back and ask me questions you wanted to know? And during that hour you took another girl out?”

Donghae snorted, “Then let me ask you something if you think I’m in the wrong.”

He waited.

“Her leg,” he nodded his head toward the apartment, “the doctor suggests she was hit by something heavy.”

Taecyeon watched as Donghae’s eyes moved toward his car then felt his eyebrows wince.

“Do you really think that’s possible?” Taecyeon defended himself.

“What if it is,” Donghae suggested then said, “who is she? Are you keeping her here because you’re afraid of something?”

“Do you think I don’t know her?” Taecyeon challenged.

Donghae waited. “I thought you said your personal business wasn’t my problem.”

Taecyeon bit his tongue to hold himself back from pouncing on his boss.