When Victoria awoke the next morning she was utterly surprised with the sweet scent drifting through the air as she made her out of the bedroom. Nearing the kitchen door she leaned against the door frame and certainly she saw Seohyun up and about. Nearby the stove was Luhan staring dubiously into the pot of soup.

“Are you sure potatoes should be this size?” Luhan questioned who was currently checking on the rice.

“I told you to get out of here!” was all Seohyun loudly said.

Without abiding by her orders Victoria watched Luhan dip his hand into the hot soup before panning out a scream and his finger. She watched him jump up and down unable to express his pain. Seohyun ran forward and stared into the soup surprised by his scream.

“What, what, what!” she screamed shaking her head.

“Agh…it hurts.” Luhan moaned staring at his finger.

Before Seohyun could scold him, Victoria broke into the conversation, “What are you guys up to?”

Both their attention swiveled over to her. 

“Ah…Victoria, you’re up?” Seohyun greeted. “Since I’m in the process of recovering, I’ve decided to tend to a few chores around here. I’m going to do laundry later, so let me know if you want to do any for you.”

“Mine too?” Luhan chirped in.

“That’s what your own hands and feet are for,” Seohyun shot back.

And that morning, in Victoria’s very own opinion, was her first ever joyful meal shared with any other. The loneliness of having to wake up alone and eat alone dissolved from her mind. Luhan and Seohyun were definitely newly made changes in her life.

Victoria found herself staring up at the tall skyscraper in front of her where apartments were safely housed. Come to think of it, she hadn’t ever taken a good look at the fine place Donghae lived. One obviously had to be rich if they wanted to live in a home full of security cameras and safely secured. But how he had found the money to get such a delicious place was beyond Victoria’s thoughts. 

Lowering her head feeling herself become dizzy she stared at the revolving glass door in front and entered. While in the elevator she tapped her finger against the heart of her pocket, every time her name bounced off the card she would think of his name and then in time would come the kiss at the motel. There it was again, the rapid beating of her heart and the heating up of her body. Victoria didn’t like it. She didn’t like the anxiety all of this was bringing her. What she was beginning to hate most was how her nerves were building sweat up in the palm of her hands. All this nervousness…why?

A lump inched up in and she felt like choking on it. The flight up to the 5^th floor was taking longer than it should have. Easing her breathing failed to help calm her nerves when the elevator doors opened. She was met with an empty hallway with identical doors extending down each way, the lights from above dimly glowing on her. All was silent. Too silent.

Victoria felt like falling down to her knees and growing prisoners to her emotions. She had planned to drop off the card, say the words she’d been rehearsing all night, and leave. However it didn’t really feel like any of that would happen.

Her slow, steady walk led her to the apartment she’d ever entered at least twice. Reaching a finger out she pressed the doorbell. There was no answer at first. She wondered if he was at work. Victoria quickly debated whether she should ring the bell again or not then wondered if it was a good thing she hadn’t met him yet. All of a sudden she was feeling quite relieved that he hadn’t answered the door yet.

Clearing she tried again and this time still received no answer. An unexpected sigh of relief blew itself out from her lips and she turned around to leave. This time her footsteps were much quicker and smooth. Victoria was starting to feel much more at ease again than when she’d came. With a good mood she waited in front of the elevator wondering what she’d do for the rest of the day. A smile played itself across her lips until the elevator calmly roared before its doors opened and the smile playing on her lips fell.

Donghae stared back at her blankly surprised by her unexpected appearance. This time, Victoria was out of words.

“What are you doing here?” he questioned still not yet out of the elevator.

“Oh…uh…that is...I…I just came to drop something off.”

His eyes enlightened and sparkled, “Really? Oh sorry, I just stepped out to buy some snacks before going to work.”

He stepped out of the elevator and turned left to lead her to his place, but Victoria watched the elevator, her last escape, close and disappear.

“Victoria?”

Wetting her lower lip she turned around to follow him and moments later found herself watching him put away the snacks he’d bought from the store nearby. Awkwardly, Victoria realized she was still in front of the door, her fingers fumbling with the end of her shirt. 

She was uptight, perhaps afraid about which way her feelings were inclining towards. Honestly, she didn’t want to face any of it. Victoria didn’t know what to do now that she was inside his apartment watching his every move. Shyly she snuck her eyes up toward his concentrated face completely oblivious of her stare. Strangely, the thought still remained with her as her blood rushed and her heart ran. Lee Donghae was her epitome of perfection. Victoria felt like strangling herself at the thought of it.

“You surprised me a moment ago,” he looked at her with a smile that said exactly what he felt, “oh, you said you had something to drop off?”

No. Victoria didn’t want any feelings for him. She wanted him out of her life.

With heavy steps she went toward the counter and slid his card across it. Without looking at him she stepped back and stood confidently.

“I said it before, but it seems like you didn’t quite get it, so I’ll be saying it again,” she told, her heart raging against her desired words. “I don’t like you. There’s already someone else I like and I believe you know who it is.”

She watched his expression become still. He didn’t move an inch, he only stared.

Her heart felt heavy from seeing him like that but she still had to go on, “I don’t want someone who’s merely just a thief. I don’t need someone who doesn’t understand their place in society. The heck, don’t you feel guilty for stealing someone else’s identity and living a life that doesn’t belong to you? You aren’t even anything but someone who lives off others. That kind of person…is the kind I detest the most.”

His brows creased and his lips tightened. Victoria, again, clutched onto the end of her shirt for some assurance from herself that she really was getting him off her tail.

“Lets not see each other again,” were her last words before leaving the apartment, and on her way out she ran.

\ \ \ \ \

Seohyun started back down the hall after joining Victoria’s laundry with hers in a bucket and toward the living room. When she neared it Luhan stepped out with a cap on his head and backpack on his back. The sight made her raise her brows.

“Where are you going that you’re dressed like that?” she wondered.

He turned to look at her and smirked, “It’s a disguise.”

She frowned unable to comprehend his joke, if it was one or not.

“Oh, I left my pile of laundry for you on the sofa,” he gestured toward the room with a thumb. “See ya.”

She snorted while watching him leave through the door. Once it quietly shut she walked into the room to see a chocolate bar resting atop his clothes.

“Tsh…that loser.”

Down in the small yellow basement with scrubby white tiles, Seohyun loaded their clothes into the washer and dispensed some money into it. While the washing machine roared she found herself a seat at one of the three tables in the room and leaned back into the chair. It had certainly felt like a long time since she’d just sat to relax, having nothing on her mind. It felt really nice. With a content sigh she began to eat the bar Luhan had gifted her.

\ \ \ \ \

The very first thing Siwon did when he rushed in for work that morning was run through the magazines and newspapers that were updated daily in the station. He roamed his eyes up and down the pages for anything relating to Kyobo Life. In the end, he chanced upon nothing. Then why had Seohyun jumped through the window in such haste as if she were escaping something drastic and dangerous? Who had she met inside?

Siwon was getting another headache again. It was just impossible to answer any of his questions without having a solid base of knowledge about the company itself or Seohyun. He couldn’t, however, imagine Seohyun being aggressive. She was so tender and sweet and so hurt over the breakup of her parents. He didn’t want to see any bad aspect of her, most of all because he knew he had feelings for her. The last thing Siwon wanted to do was check out something behind Seohyun’s back because he was curious.

When he turned to walk away he paused when Donghae walked in through the door.

“Hey,” Siwon greeted, “you want to grab a cup of coffee with me?”

Donghae didn’t look at him but Siwon could tell he was agitated.

Worried, Siwon wondered with a hand on Donghae’s shoulder, “Is something wrong?”

Donghae slid out from his touch with an angry frown on his face. Siwon could only silently stare at the person he acknowledged as a friend.

“If you’re free later, lets go grab a drink,” he muttered before walking off.

Siwon watched him disappear down the hallway.

\ \ \ \ \

Seohyun was already bouncing her head along to the music playing from her cellphone and singing every part of the song she knew before the washer stopped. After putting the load of clothes into the dryers on the other side of the room she returned to her seat when a her cellphone vibrated. Grabbing it from the table she glanced at the text from Siwon.

“Are you busy? I want to come see you for a bit.”

Seohyun felt her heart flutter, but a sense of priority over her work blew her off.

“I’m busy right now…” she first typed in, before stopping.

It was a lie, though. She basically had nothing to do. She had all the time in the world right now. Plus, Victoria and Luhan weren’t around. Would she be a fool for having him over? Would she lose her sight of how important her job was? Would she make a mistake and fail Victoria again? Truth was, Seohyun was only afraid because she knew the closer she got to Siwon, the less she’d care about the ‘Golden Mary’. She didn’t want to abandon her work halfway through and leave Victoria to do what they’ve come to work so hard for. This time, her heart was really setting out against her. Seohyun liked Siwon a little too much.

Seohyun thought long and hard before replying, “For a bit, I want to see you too.”

\ \ \ \ \

Luhan got off at the bus stop and started toward the heavenly apartments nearby the inclining hill where Yun Man’s house sat. He crossed the scores of green yards before he finally reached Yun Man’s land. His eyes traveled from the large oak trees over to the barren house. The first thing he saw was that the bodyguards weren’t at their posts.

Very quietly he walked toward the house wondering if Yun Man had fired them or if he had moved them elsewhere. An old woman who took care of the house’s chores answered him at the door and led him into to the elegantly professionally designed home. He sat himself down at one of the sofas and glanced toward the carpeted stairs when he heard footsteps. 

“Ah…Luhan,” Yun Man greeted in his daily business suit. “What a surprise.”

Luhan rose to his feet and greeted him in return. “Where are your bodyguards? It was kind of strange not seeing them outside.”

Yun Man laughed cheerily, “I installed a new alarm system. Do you want to see it?”

Luhan later found himself staring at a white button hidden behind the toaster on the counter beside the back door.

“If the door’s locked and someone manages to open it from the outside, the police will receive the signal right away,” Yun Man explained. “You can think of it like a silent alarm, but this alarm also senses motion. I’ll know whether a thief has a partner in crime or not.”

Luhan nodded and let Yun Man wheel him back around toward the living room.

“Have you eaten yet?”

“Yes, I already did.”

“What makes you stop by today? Have you been doing well?”

Luhan nodded assuring him, “I just came by to see if you’ve found out anything new, if you’ve heard anything from my father or not.”

“I haven’t heard anything regarding his return to Korea,” Yun Man informed, “but I have heard that An Kor has made a stop back in Seoul, what for, I don’t know.”

“An Kor?” Luhan’s senses suddenly became sharper than usual. “Really? Is he still here?”

“Yes,” Yun Man shook his head, “but I have heard that he’s departing back to Jeju today.”

“When?” Luhan’s eyes grew wide.

Yun Man shook his head almost hesitantly. “I…I don’t know.”

Time was running out then. If Luhan didn’t head out right away he’d miss any chance of catching An Kor. There was no choice but to run all the way back to the bus stop. Few taxis ever bothered to stop by this part of town unless they’d been called to.

Luhan waited restlessly pacing back and forth, walking in circles, exhaling loudly, hanging his head back, and stared at the streets for what felt like almost half an hour. Finally making up his mind that he was tired and could no longer wait, he dashed down the road toward the busier section where cars were more likely to be filling the streets. He was out of breath when he successfully flagged one down.

\ \ \ \ \

Opening the door Siwon walked in and immediately found his way down the stairs to the basement. He could already hear the dryers and the clothes tumbling inside them from the fifth step. Siwon spotted Seohyun folding some laundry at the table. A smile climbed onto his lips before he walked over.

“You were doing laundry?” 

Seohyun turned to look at him with a nod, “I’ve been told to stay in and wait until I get better first.”

“Hmmm…really?” he asked wondering if being injured really could get in the way of being a reporter. “Are you in a lot of pain? As a reporter, you could just stay in at the office.”

“Ah…” Seohyun laughed almost uncomfortably. “It doesn’t matter. It’s just my luck that my vacation time has come around the corner.”

They were left with an awkward silence before the dryer suddenly quieted then beeped.

“I’ll help you get that,” Siwon offered.

Seohyun remained quiet and watched him walk toward it before suddenly running forward. In a split second she rushed pass him and slammed her back against the dryer. Siwon stared at her surprised and confused, first wondering if he’d done something he shouldn’t have.

Seohyun smiled awkwardly again with a weird laugh, “This, I’ll take care of it later.”

“Oh…why? I can help you.” Siwon offered.

“No,” Seohyun insisted, her face almost flushing from embarrassment. “It’s just…my and Victoria’s stuff.”

Siwon felt his face heat up quickly before backing off embarrassed himself. Escaping with a cough to clear his throat he locked his hands behind him. Seohyun strutted forward to pile up the clothes and started to lift them up before he intervened.

“I’ll help you,” he offered.

“I’ll carry them,” Seohyun refused to let go. “They’re not even heavy.”

“Let me do it.” Siwon’s eyes became stern.

After a long staring contest Seohyun finally released her hold on them and let him win. The way back up to her apartment was even quieter. He couldn’t tell what was running through her mind. He hadn’t meant to come to make her feel useless and he was feeling apologetic if he hurt her pride.

“You can set the clothes on the sofa,” Seohyun directed, “do you want anything to drink?”

“Uh…no, I’m fine,” Siwon set the clothes down and followed her into the kitchen where she poured a glass of water for herself.

Once she set the cup into the sink she turned to face him, “Won’t you get in trouble if you stay outside too long?”

“Patrolling is my own duty, they don’t really need me in unless there’s some kind of emergency,” Siwon explained before looking around. “Your friend’s not around?”

“He went out to run some personal errands,” Seohyun replied leaning against the counter. “Siwon-ah,” Seohyun started, “I think I’m going to take some time to myself, so I won’t be seeing you anymore. At least…not for a while.”

His expression became unchanging suddenly feeling at a loss. 

“I know it’s silly of me to be saying this one-sidedly since we’re not even a couple or anything,” Seohyun seemed half embarrassed, “but I feel like declaring it to you anyway.” She looked him straight in the eye. “I haven’t been in a relationship before and honestly I have no idea what it’s like, but seeing you gets me all excited and this is all new to me. But I’ll get into trouble if I go on like this. Not only me alone, the person I work with will go down with me.”

Questions rambled in his mind.

Seohyun bit her lip in hesitation before she swallowed and said, “I’m not a reporter, Siwon.”