Everything in his mind about Seohyun became loops and loops of information that suddenly tangled itself up.

“I don’t understand,” he had never known himself so unable to comprehend such easy information. Siwon felt quite dumb on the spot.

“I came to the city of Seoul for a job, that is true,” Seohyun went on, “but I’m not a reporter. What happened yesterday, I’m sure you have a lot of questions for me to answer; I can’t tell you anything though.

“My job takes up all the free time I have, it’s become much harder to squeeze in even a bit of my personal life. It’s become an advantage that my parents had left me quite early.”

Seohyun paused to smile a bit pitifully. He watched her still unable to comprehend any of her words. None of it filled in the blanks to the questions he had.

“I like you.”

His ears were ringing, his heart was leaping, but he didn’t move. He couldn’t. Not when she was still questionable.

“Like an officer who will first try to save a victim, I will have to look after my job and complete it. After that…everything comes after that.” Seohyun nodded her head. “Thank you for having appeared in my life and letting me experience the things I never had.”

“Why?” 

Her expression changed as if caught off guard by his voice, but she didn’t look as if she expected anything.

“I came here just because I wanted to see you for a bit, hoping that it can make my day better if I look at you for just even a minute,” the words rolled out, “and you’re making this seem like…like we’re saying goodbye? Yes, you’re wrong, absolutely wrong for thinking one-sidedly.”

Seohyun blinked wildly.

“Do you even know how to care about a person? Then I’ll teach you,” he took a stride forward. “I got it, I understand, so I won’t ask anything. If you stop to think for a minute, I care. No one’s going to care about you if I don’t. So…let me care about you first. You don’t have to bother about me. Ok? Ok?”

Siwon felt bad that he made her feel like he wasn’t reliable. All he wanted now was to give her what she didn’t have. Her words made him want to treat all the more better. Whatever her job was, he was certain he’d be able to help her. Right now, Siwon was completely confident that he wanted them to work out.

\ \ \ \ \

Seohyun tried to take a step back when he got closer, but she had already backed up into the counter. She glanced at him looking almost worried, unsure, and insecure until she realized until she noticed his warm gaze drenched in a trance. Not once did he look away from her, and she could feel the beating of her heart picking up its pace.

Seohyun blinked her eyes quite a few times before she felt him kiss her.

\ \ \ \ \

“Stop here, stop here!” Luhan called and shoved some bills at the driver before climbing out of the car.

He didn’t know why he hadn’t headed back to the company to look for An Kor there instead. Maybe he felt that the people working under his father were keeping secrets from him. There was no one he could trust out there.

Rushing ahead toward the schedule board he ran his eyes down each location name until he saw Jeju on the list. There was roughly about 5 minutes until the plane departed. Would there even be enough time for him to make it to the gate?

“I won’t know if I don’t try,” Luhan muttered underneath his breath.

Swerving around he darted down the hallway sometimes shoving people aside and some other times almost coming head to head with others. When he finally reached the desired gate, the small lobby to it was already empty. Heaving a disappointed sigh he chewed on his bottom lip and jumped in spot before turning down the long hall.

If An Kor was on the plane, he’d be able to head back to Jeju without any trouble, yet there was always another chance that there would be another flight there. Running back toward the main loading area, Luhan stood around in line impatiently for almost 20 minutes before he finally reached the desk receptionist.

“Is there another flight to Jeju Island?” he breathlessly asked.

“Please wait while I check,” the female receptionist with red lips said before typing into the computer. A moment later she looked up, “I’m sorry, the seats have all been filled in.”

“No, no,” Luhan shook his head, “what time does the next plane leave?” 

“There’s a schedule board over…” the woman stared.

“What time!?” Luhan raised his stern voice, still feeling breathless. “This is an emergency. Or…is there someone name An Kor among the passengers?”

“Sir…”

“Please! This is an emergency!” Luhan almost yelled.

The woman blinked at him taken aback by his attitude before staring at the screen again.

“No, there isn’t.”

Luhan hung his head back feeling as if all hope had abandoned him. A deep, deep anger overrode him and before he might explode from having run around so much he stomped out of the airport.

\ \ \ \ \

Victoria found herself sitting inside a small glass cubicle while at the bus stop. A young teenager sat on the opposite end of the bench with an Ipod in hand and earphones in his ears. Her eyes traveled from the young man to the others nearby. Women and men alike were dressed in their daily outfits that would complement the work they did. Some carrying briefcases or bags, and the others nothing at all. A few were look through their phones, perhaps checking the day’s weather or wondering if anything crucial had happened to the country. 

A large green bus with posters of a currently airing drama on the side pulled up to the stop with a loud gasp. People exited and those waiting climbed onto the bus. Victoria remained where she sat. However, the bus had not yet driven away. When Victoria glanced back at the bus she discovered that the driver was still waiting for her to get on. Without a word she stood up and walked away.

The day was like any other, there was nothing different about it. People traveled the same from work to their homes, teenagers and children went to school and returned home. Everything had been set up for them in such an organized manner that life seemed to be at the peak of its perfection.

Leaves dangled from their vines, a wild animal would be killed crossing the road and its body left to rot on the side of the street, someone would rob a store and get away with it, everything had been set so orderly.

Jealousy?

Victoria halted in her footsteps under a swinging branch, its leaves swaying back and forth with the morning wind. The sunlight sparkling on her. Traffic ceased to move and a of laughing girls walked by. Her eyes stared after them and followed until they disappeared around the corner.

Yes, she was jealous. She was jealous over the ordinary life of the teenager who was listening to his music and dreading the day at school. She wanted to work at an office and return to a warm home where someone might await her. Victoria wanted to walk with friends and laugh at silly things together, she wanted to gossip about handsome men. The normalcy of it all, she wanted to experience it again. If she turned back time she would have worked harder at making friends stay. It was all too late now.

To love someone would only interfere with the life she already had. Victoria had already resigned herself to her position. There was already a full time commitment in completing her assigned tasks and Victoria knew she wouldn’t abandon her job no matter what. But looking at the normal lives others had made her yearn for a little of it too. She missed the presence of joy and content security it all brought her. 

About an hour later she started up the familiar walk toward the apartment. Once she looked up from the ground she saw no other than Luhan sitting on a bench not far away from their place. His head was hung low and both hands sat on either side of his head. However Victoria looked at it, it looked like he was in some great amount of pain. Walking toward him she paused beside the ancient green armrest which had a fair amount of scrapes left on it.

“You hurting somewhere?” Victoria started.

He lifted his head up slowly and didn’t look at her. With a quiet sigh he left his hands dangling over his legs.

“I’m going to Jeju.”

She creased her brows. “Why?”

“I lost An Kor again,” he generalized, “I’m going to find him and that house. Why my father bought it, I’m going to find the answer.”

Victoria continued staring at him. His suggestion was too sudden that she didn’t know how to react. It sent her mind running in almost a blur.

“Are you crazy?” Victoria asked at last. “Jeju? In this short amount of time you’ve only figured out that much? Closing in on someone without them knowing takes a great deal of time and smart.”

“I’m running out of patience!” Luhan jumped to his feet and for the first time it felt like he was staring her down. “How much longer do I need to wait to make a move? What else can I find out here in Seoul when the minion’s mouths are shut so tight? I’m not capable like you and Seohyun who can break into homes without a noise and escape without a scratch! I know they’re planning something in Jeju and I am going there no matter what! Don’t you dare stop me, Victoria!”

Victoria felt a knot inside her become tighter. Fire blazed in her eyes before she grabbed his arm and pulled him into a secluded alley pushing him against the wall.

“Shut up, just shut up!” Victoria hissed dangerously. “You try to say anything about me and Seohyun, and I can kill you on the spot.”

Luhan seemingly glared back.

“Listen to me,” Victoria persuaded, “I know how much you want to find the ‘Golden Mary’ and do your mother justice. It’s not like I haven’t thought from your perspective. But when I say it takes time, I’m not just saying it. To anyone else, patience is a virtue, but for me, it’s the only thing we can hang on to.” Victoria could only hope he understood her position. “Luhan,” Victoria said, “I’ll tell you a secret and why I’ll make sure we get the ‘Golden Mary’."

He looked at her. 

“The ‘Golden Mary’, why does it have so much power? I bet you don’t know that,” she explained, “the ‘Golden Mary’ isn’t just a key. The business powerhouses are after it because if the chambers are unlocked, anyone can be blackmailed. There’s going to be treason, bribes, scandals that can ruin your reputation for life, lies that can bring you into debt. You won’t know Hell until you’ve faced the wrath of the ‘Golden Mary’. That’s why people will kill for it, because it’ll turn you in a split second into a millionaire. All the wealth in the world will be yours. It’ll be like finding gold in some absurd place like Africa. And I’m not lying; this is nothing but the absurd truth.”

His eyes didn’t waver from hers and Victoria was glad to see that.

“Seohyun and I are government agents currently working undercover to retrieve the key,” Victoria honestly shared. “So please, don’t be like Seohyun and move on your own. I want all of us to make it alive; no one needs to die over a key. Listen to me and don’t foolishly go out there by yourself. I’ll protect you, both you and Seohyun. Once Seohyun recovers, Jeju it’ll be. Understood?”

He turned away from her breaking off their eye contact. Luhan quickly lowered his eyes and pushed her hand off him.

“You remind me of my mother.”

All the sudden seriousness of the situations evaporated leaving Victoria dumbstruck. 

“She lost everything after putting us all under her care,” he quietly continued, “that’s why I feel that it might happen to you too. Don’t worry about us, Victoria; you should just focus on yourself.”

Her eyebrows slightly moved up. She was astounded by his words. She was…like his mother? How?

She placed her attention on Luhan again. He looked a little down, depressed.

“Why? Does it bother you?” Victoria wondered.

“No,” he still refused to look at her, “it makes me feel a little closer to you. You aren’t so scary after all.”

“Geez, you’re becoming good at surprising me with your antics,” Victoria muttered.

Just what was he meaning to say this time?

“Ok, I got it. I won’t do anything without letting you know. I promise.” He turned back to look at her and Victoria couldn’t help but lend him a smile.

When they got back to the apartment Seohyun was already working on lunch.

“Oh, you’re back?” Seohyun greeted chirpily. “I’ll have lunch ready in a bit. You’re not too hungry, were you?” 

Victoria stared at her. It was unusual for her to see Seohyun all dressed up in an apron with a spatula or whatever it was in her hand.

“How come you two came back together? Did you meet up somewhere?” Seohyun wondered.

Luhan made a face at Seohyun, “You sound so insincere.”

“I did your laundry! It’s on the sofa!” Seohyun called after him as he walked away. She turned back to Victoria with a bright, cheeky smile.

Victoria found herself frowning, “Did something happen?”  

“No,” Seohyun turned away, a smile still glued onto her face.

\ \ \ \ \

A score of sighs spilled from Donghae’s lips as he drank away quietly at the bottles of soju on the circular table. There was no way he could put into words how low he felt. He was like a smooth sailing boat that relied on the waves to carry him forth, but all of a sudden a bomb from nowhere had struck him, and now he was nothing but a sinking ship.

Victoria’s words made him feel horrible, useless. She had pinpointed out every one of his flaws, everything that was the worst of him. And they were all the reasons why he couldn’t be anybody. Donghae was just a nobody. He was a gold digger. A thief, just a plain thief who was good for nothing.

He took another sip of the shot glass in his hand. Donghae wanted to drug himself. Forget that there was a person like him who existed. The deepest desire to wash everything away was so strong that he really wished he wasn’t alive. 

His head shot up when the shot glass disappeared from his hand. Suddenly his surroundings returned. People were chattering, there was laughter, and orders for more food or drinks. Everything became a blur at first before it softly transitioned back and he saw women and men. The drifty air drenched with the smell of liquor and chicken wafted up his nose drilling his senses. A mental force seemed to smack him from behind and he felt a large wave of depression slam into his body, his heart. He was being held down, unable to escape from it. Donghae was at a loss of words, he didn’t even know what he was doing anymore.

“Are you ok? Why are you drinking so much?” the sober Siwon from before him asked, a face full of concern staring back at him.

Perfect. Siwon was perfect. Donghae felt a sarcastic laugh fall from his lips and he lowered his head slightly when he recalled the way Victoria always looked at him. Her eyes were always filled with desire,

“What are you going to do, when you find that thief you’re looking for?” Donghae rose his eyes up to meet with Siwon’s.

“Oh, well, of course I’m going to look for him until I find him,” Siwon nodded his head, “and bring him in. He’s stolen a lot of goods.”

Another sarcastic laugh dripped from his lips. It would be the end of him if he revealed his identity. Everything about them working together seemed so much more entertaining at the moment.

“Why is this so ironic?” Donghae muttered. 

“What?” Siwon asked confused.

Donghae stole his glass back and drank it down in one gulp. The bitter-sweet flavor of it slid down his throat burning his esophagus. While his lips he poured himself another drink.

“It’s really nice, isn’t it?” Donghae started. “Being educated, being born to the right family. It’s just so perfect that I’m so jealous.”

Throwing his head back he took the shot down in a second.

“It’s unfair how god decides to throw a person into the streets and another into a home with everything. Why does one have to suffer when the other doesn’t? Why is the successful more important? It’s all just so silly.”

“What’s wrong?”

Tossing the shot glass aside he picked up the bottle of alcohol and gulped it down.