After lunch Onew and Eunhyuk returned to work, Doojoon had left early because his tranining agency had given his an extremely short lunch break. So Hyoyeon took a slow walk back to the studio. Just as she closed the door, a strong hand pulled it open again. She looked up to find a smiling Junho.

“What are you doing here?” She questioned, not extremely interested to speak to Junho at this point. It was not that she despised him like most people in the area do but they had a disagreement a few days ago. She had told him that if he really wanted to be accepted and not despised by people, he would need to mend his ways and start doing things to gain the trust of people. And she gave a big hint that he could start by quitting his gang.

Junho had firmly declined. He made an excuse that in the gang, brotherhood was a big thing and he could not betray his gang like that. Although Hyoyeon could not see how leaving the gang was considered betrayal, but she had no intention to understand gang business and so she left it at that.

“I’ve come to tell you some good news.” Said Junho, his smile still fixed on his face. “I’m going to listen to you and quit the gang.” Junho announced, feeling proud of himself inside, but he was actually more concerned about Hyoyeon’s reaction.

Hyoyeon was his only true friend in the district. Gang members were not in his list of friends, which was a bad thing because it greatly shortened his list. Cut to the point, the main reason he wanted to quit the gang was because he wanted to be with Hyoyeon. He had liked her since forever and knew that if he did not do something to change people’s perception of him, he will never get anywhere close, because her bodyguards (Onew, Eunhyuk and Doojoon) will pick him off of her. It didn’t matter if the chief was going to start a manhunt and try to harm him and take him back. He was going to start on this journey and not turn back.

“That’s…amazing! I’m so proud of you Junnie!” Hyoyeon was indeed surprised and pleased as well, of course! She threw him a hug. She had always known that Junho was kind in nature; it’s just that he had run into bad company. In her head she had already begun made plans to slowly introduce the ‘new’ Junho to the guys, so that they could all help him out. 

 --------

Eunhyuk could not have been happier. His boss had just assigned him to head a project with his new colleague, the ‘hot babe’ he had been talking about to the guys earlier. It was not wrong to say she was attractive, but what caught Eunhyuk’s attention was the fact that she had an unsually quiet and cold manner around people. She would only speak the necessary and do the necessary, and that was it.

“So, um Taeyeon, since we would be working on this project together, I thought that maybe we should have a bonding session, you know, to er, know each other more so things can roll along smoothly…” Eunhyuk said, his hands gesturing as he spoke. Taeyeon looked as if she was having a hard time deciding.

“Don’t worry; since you’re new in this area, I just thought my friends and I could tell you the good things around here. You know, the more people you know, the more people you can rely on in times of need,” he continued.

Taeyeon did not want to disappoint Eunhyuk and agreed, although a little hesitantly.

“YES!” Eunhyuk shouted in his head. He had no idea why he was so excited. Did he like her already? He immediately flipped out his hand phone and sent a message to the three of them to inform them that he would be bringing a new colleague home for dinner.

Taeyeon

When Eunhyuk invited me to dinner just now, I was immediately apprehensive. I told myself that I must remain faithful to Kangin. I miss him so much. He died partly because of me; and I promised that I will love him forever, regardless of the distance between us.

It was just a dinner, I reasoned with myself. Besides, I did not want to give my colleague a bad impression of me on the first day of work, so reluctantly I agreed.

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[Elsewhere in Seoul]

“Chief, he’s nowhere to be found,” reported a man with a low voice.

“What are you all? Useless? I sent five of you, FIVE of you to get him, and you can’t even find one man?” The ‘Chief’ replied in fury.

The chief’s assistant, the only person whom the chief rarely loses his temper at, signalled for the rest to leave the room.

“Chief, it’s not their fault. If he wants to be hidden, no one will find him. You know Junho,” the assistant said in his usual calm voice.

“I trust you know the risks of having him leave. We need him. We’re at risk of police raids now.”

The assistant nodded. He was the strategist in the gang. “I’ll think of something,” was all he could promise the chief.