\ \ \ \ \

The atmosphere in the kitchen was pretty stiff the next morning. When Luhan awoke, Victoria was eating a bowl of cereal with a cup of coffee and Seohyun was cooking her own breakfast. It didn’t feel as jolly as it had been just the other morning.

“Morning,” he greeted trying to sound cheerful.

None of them bothered to greet him back but concentrated on whatever they were doing.

“Sorry to disappoint, but no one’s gonna cook for you this morning,” Victoria said without looking up from her bowl.

Luhan watched as she kicked at the chair opposite of her and assumed she wanted him to sit down. After grabbing his own bowl of cereal he took a seat across from her and stole a glance over at Seohyun who was staring at the content in the bowl she was using to cook.

“I have something on this morning that I have to get over with before I get a headache,” Victoria told. “I’ll be back quick. You’re not going anywhere are you?”

Luhan slowly shook his head. Victoria placed her bowl into the sink and walked away. Once the door closed Luhan turned back to look at Seohyun wondering if they’d fought over something. Or had Seohyun found out about Victoria liking Siwon?

“Everything ok?” asked Luhan.

Seohyun ignored him. 

“Seohyun,” he tried again.

“Just don’t talk to me right now,” Seohyun told, her voice had an edge of irritation to it.

Luhan lowered his head and chewed away at the cereal in his mouth confused.

\ \ \ \ \

After packing the food she’d cooked, she left the building right away. Seohyun really needed some fresh air and the need to clear her mind was so strong that that was all she could focus on. She was pretty sure that Luhan was confused with the way she was acting but she wasn’t yet ready to confront him either. Whatever he was hiding from her, perhaps she’d have to find out later when she felt more prepared.

Seohyun found Siwon waiting for her at one of the old picnic tables at the park. He waved to her when she walked over.

“You feeling better?” he asked. “Wow, look at all this food.”

“Sorry, for the weird call last night. I must have bothered you somewhat,” Seohyun apologized sitting down.

“No, it’s fine.” Siwon shook his head. “I’m glad that you can come to me when you’re in trouble.”

Seohyun smiled at him and started to unpack the food she’d cooked.

“So how did your morning go?” Siwon wondered.

Seohyun stopped what she was doing and placed her hands into her lap.

“Actually, Victoria and I had an argument last night,” Seohyun admitted, “I didn’t mean for it to turn that way, but for some reason…it just did. And so, this morning we just ignored each other. I want to talk to her, but I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s alright,” Siwon patted her on the back. “Everything takes time.” 

Seohyun turned to look at him with a smile. “I never thought about having someone there for me, but I’ve always wondered if I’d ever have anyone who would wait for me to come home at the end of the day. It actually feels really nice knowing there is someone there for me. I think it’d be nice if there were someone for Victoria. I’m sure she wonders about it too.”

\ \ \ \ \

Headache. It all brought on nothing but a headache. She just wanted to get everything over with, find the damn key, and return to the government where she wasn’t required to step outside into the world. Victoria glanced at the black cellphone in her hand and wondered why Siwon had even bothered trying to give it to her at all. What he expect from her? It wasn’t as if one word from her would change Donghae. Would he ever realize it and stop trying to set them up?

Romance. The thought of it made Victoria’s blood want to boil. She despised the thought of just that at the moment. Nothing but romance irked her. It was romance that was destroying Seohyun’s sight. Her goal right now should be just the ‘Golden Mary’. Victoria, even though she had nothing against Seohyun wanting a normal life with Siwon, just wished Seohyun could be able to see the importance of the ‘Golden Mary’ again. Hadn’t she been the one who tried hardest for it when they first arrived? 

If Victoria had to find the ‘Golden Mary’ alone, she’d do it without a doubt. Her only real wish right now was to go back. Who cares about a life full of friendship and love? Victoria had done mighty fine without it so why would she need it now?

The bus stopped at her destination and she finally got off. Once again she found herself staring up at the apartment building, her heart slowly building up with dread. Really, Victoria didn’t want to go back in. She didn’t want to see Donghae again. Not after those words she had spat out at him.

Her heart raged out at Siwon unintentionally. What did he want from her? What exactly did he expect her to do with Donghae!?

Frustrated, Victoria stomped into the building. She just wanted to get it all over with and go to sleep. She wanted to sleep for such a long time that when she woke up everything would be ok again. She felt scornful when the elevator door opened and she found herself staring at the hall she had just a few days ago. Victoria didn’t want to step out.

Her heavy footsteps brought her closer and closer to Donghae as the minutes ticked by. She loathed this place. She disliked the sight of his face. Her heart was just burning with fury at the moment. Truthfully, she was just angry with Seohyun and herself for not being understanding as she should have.

The dim light from overhead cast a soft glow on her when she turned to stare at the black door. It didn’t matter if he was in or not. She’d find some way to get the phone to him. Victoria pressed the doorbell about four times and was just ready to walk away when she heard loud footsteps shuffle toward the door. Great, she’d really have to deal with him. 

The door unlocked and opened a crack. Victoria sniffed alcohol and nothing but plain alcohol. It made her want to gag on spot.

A pair of lazy brown eyes looked back at her and Victoria suddenly wondered what the inside of his apartment looked like when he smelled this bad. Pushing the door open she stepped in without waiting for his invite. Bottles and bottles of any brand of beer and soju lie all over. She didn’t spot any broken bottles, thankfully. There were bottles on the floor, the counters were full of bottles, and there were even a few scattered in the living room.

A snort left her lips, “You’re really a sore loser.”

Slightly turning her head she watched Donghae push the door closed before walking pass her. As he did so, he kicked at a bottle on the ground.

“Your phone,” Victoria held the phone out to him.

She watched as he lowered his eyes to the black model in her hand. He didn’t look like he cared much for it at the moment and Victoria didn’t care much for him either. Victoria would have just shoved the phone at him in the doorway and walked off, but she didn’t. She couldn’t forget the favor Siwon had asked of her. As the good girl she was, she’d make sure she did as requested before leaving. And hopefully, hopefully they’d all leave her alone after this. 

Walking toward him she grabbed his hand and forced the phone into his palm. She rose her eyes up to glance into his miserable eyes shoving the thought of pity away. There were specks of hair above his lips. He hadn’t shaved, she realized.

“Siwon wants you to show up for work a.s.a.p.” Victoria said before glancing around at the bottles of alcohol and figured one last word wouldn’t hurt. “And if you’d stop living like a wretched poor maybe you’d be better to look at.”

Victoria turned to walk away but stopped when she heard something hard crash against the ground. Slightly turning her head back she saw the black cellphone lying on the ground, its screen shattered in pieces. Shocked that Donghae had just literally tarnished his own phone she turned around so that she could face him. A deep frown covered her face confused.

“What are you doing? Are you crazy?” she muttered unhappily.

He snorted at her question, “Why does it matter if I’m a sore loser? Do you always have to point out the negatives in my face just to lower my esteem?”

Victoria’s hard stare on him disappeared.

“You come here not to give me back my phone, but to talk about Siwon? Do I really need to hear his name coming from your mouth?!” his voice boomed against the walls.

She still only stared at him. 

Donghae took a step forward and grasped her arm, “Don’t you think there’s a reason why I’m like this? Don’t you think there’s a reason why I tried so hard to look perfect!?”

Victoria’s annoyed frown returned again, but when Donghae began to pull her forward her body began sending her waves of alarm. The hand on her arm tightened its hold telling her that it refused to let go. He forced a kiss on her and grabbed hold of her other arm. Victoria could only press her hands against him and try to fight back. A few cries escaped , but she literally felt imprisoned in his arms.

She tasted alcohol and smelt alcohol from his breath. For a second she really wondered if he was still sane. Victoria tried hard to push him away again but her fight turned out unsuccessful. He stepped back pulling her along with him. A mess of panicked waves swarmed her mind and Victoria couldn’t figure out what she could do. It kind of felt like her brain was unable to transmit any message through her nerves.

In the fight against him, Victoria twisted her head from side to side but Donghae still managed to smother her lips. The intensity of it made her body burn, but fact was, she couldn’t enjoy any bit of it. Another cry fell from her lips when she pulled back but that was before Donghae twisted her around and pushed her onto a flat soft surface. More panicked waves washed over her body when he sat on top of her. She was suddenly wondering why she hadn’t just karate chopped him out there.

His lips pounded against her skin and Victoria found her hands forming into fists. She slammed them into his sides but he didn’t react. The need to kick her legs about failed her when he tightened his folded knees against them. The wonder about why she hadn’t twisted his head off amazed her. Why hadn’t she violently attacked him and pushed him off? Did she worry about how much she might physically hurt him? All her questions blurred in her mind the moment his hand began pulling at the buttons on her shirt.

Legit fear began to claw at her. For once, she really thought what she feared most would occur and from someone she’d least expected to do so. In the end, did that mean she trusted him at least a little bit? Did she believe just a little bit that he’d never hurt her?

Victoria’s watery eyes opened up when she felt him lean his head against her shoulder. He gripped her sleeves with both hands and she thought she felt him shake. 

“Can’t you…think about the feelings I have for you? Can’t you think about them once?” Donghae cried.

Victoria felt her heart shudder and she immediately pushed him off to run for it. Everything that happened every that just passed through her mind like a fog that came at night and disappeared in the morning. No one would know of its existence.

Her breath fastened and she became breathless by the time she was standing in the doorway. Her buttons mismatched her hair in a mess. Victoria felt horrible and for the first time since her father’s death, horribly scared. She looked down, her eyes blurry from all the tears held back and searched for the keys in her pocket. Pulling them out with shaky hands she fumbled for the right key and inserted it into the lock only to drop them on the ground.

\ \ \ \ \

Luhan set down his Ipad and turned around wondering what all the noise at the stairway was. Curious, he got up and walked to the door. When he opened it, the sight of Victoria crouching on the ground surprised him nonetheless. Taken aback he only stared at her for a few abrupt seconds.

“Vic…toria?” he asked quietly. 

Gripping the keys tightly in her hand she stood up with head hung low. A strange frown crossed his face at her wild hair before he saw the mismatched buttons of her shirt and glanced away. He saw a tear or two spill down her face before his lips fell apart shocked.

“Wha…” before he finished Victoria threw her arms around him, her hands clenching the back of his shirt into her strong grips as she pressed her face into his shoulder.

With wide eyes Luhan glanced around afraid he’d feel embarrassed if someone happened to walk by. Very hesitantly he raised a hand to pat her on the back. It was obvious that for now he wouldn’t be able to question her.

\ \ \ \ \

“I’ll walk you to your apartment before I go,” Siwon offered running out of his car after Seohyun.

“How long do you work today?” Seohyun wondered stepping into the apartment building.

“Maybe 9,” Siwon replied starting up the stairs with her. “You’re not doing anything?”

“Most likely not,” Seohyun shook her head, “but…I guess I need to talk to Victoria about some things.”

Siwon nodded and lightly gripped her shoulder in encouragement. They paused a floor away and Siwon only found out when he followed Seohyun’s gaze. Above the flight of the old creaky stairs in front of them was Victoria in Luhan’s embrace. Siwon turned to glance at Seohyun whose eyes seemed locked on them before she turned to look at him.

“I guess I should leave them alone for a minute,” Seohyun smiled awkwardly before heading back down the stairs.

\ \ \ \ \

Hesitantly concerned Luhan, whose back was pressed against the wall, couldn’t find it in himself to just walk away. Victoria had retreated into her room and he wanted to grant her some time alone before they might actually talk. The feeling Victoria had just given him moments ago felt made him feel like she wanted comfort and that she had been afraid of something. To see Victoria who would openly ask for some kind of warmth was kind of different to him since she was always by herself. And she always seemed capably strong.

Luhan turned his head to glance at Victoria’s room again before he gently knocked on the door. Figuring it was alright he slowly pushed the door open and found Victoria tossing her shirt from earlier into the garbage bin. Her hair was now in a neat tightly knit bun and her face clear of all stress from earlier. Yet, there was something about her that didn’t seem really happy.

“You ok?” Luhan asked steeping a foot into the room.

“Yea,” Victoria quietly muttered sitting down at her desk.

Her blank eyes landed on the ground, they were wide, and they stared hard at the blank space on the floor. Luhan didn’t quite know what to say. 

“At this point, I really want to find the ‘Golden Mary’.” Victoria’s voice was low and contempt.

He nodded.

“Thanks,” Victoria said without looking at him, “but can you close the door? I want to be alone for a bit.”

Luhan nodded again and backtracked out. Once the door closed he stared at the door. A billion thoughts rushed through his mind and he wondered if all the stress factors were starting to hit Victoria. He turned away and walked down the hall only to stop again when the door opened and closed. Seohyun had finally returned from wherever she’d gone that morning. For once, she looked carefree. Luhan finally felt the urge to find out what had happened between the girls but he couldn’t say anything. If he caused even the slightest bit of drama, it’d only make Victoria all the more miserable.

“What?” Seohyun asked. “Where’s Victoria?”

His eyes still laid flat on her. Should he tell her about Victoria’s feelings for Siwon? Should he break the ice and tell Seohyun that she should start stepping up on her job?

“What’s wrong with you?” Seohyun arched an eyebrow before walking pass him.

When he turned around Seohyun had already reached for the doorknob to Victoria’s room. 

\ \ \ \ \

Victoria looked up when the door opened and Seohyun walked in. she couldn’t bring it in herself to feel the least bit annoyed at the moment. It was as if Donghae had drained all the energy from her and the fear that had crept along had run away with everything else she had. Without a word Seohyun sat on her bed and they were in silence for a few seconds.

“I’m sorry,” Seohyun first apologized. “I didn’t mean to start arguing with you yesterday. I apologize if I made you worry. For now, lets just focus on the ‘Golden Mary’. Since it’s what we came here for, lets just do that. I’m not going to stop halfway at something I already started.”

“I know,” Victoria said without much energy. “I know you’re not a quitter.” She quieted before continuing, “I didn’t tell you before, but we’re going to Jeju after our next break-in.”

Seohyun’s eyes widened in surprise and repeated, “Jeju? Why?”  

“Just…” Victoria nodded her head, “I’ll tell you about it later.”

Seohyun eyed her for a moment more before getting up. “You look tired, get some rest.”

\ \ \ \ \

When Seohyun closed the door she couldn’t help but wonder why Victoria looked so tired when it was barely evening yet. She turned to stare down the hall; the urge to ask Luhan why he’d been hugging Victoria earlier stung her inside. Yet she didn’t want to pry into something that wasn’t her business. Maybe if she left the two of them alone, the answer would come to her naturally. Seohyun still wanted to know what they were hiding from her and the need to interrogate Luhan about the key he was looking for still lingered. 

She didn’t want to be played like a fool any longer.

**Tsk tsk...foolish Hae. 

A/N:

***Haha! Seems Seohyun has become the center of attention now xD For a story like this, I, of course, will need a character like hers. I want to portray that other than being cold, lonely, and isolated from the world Seohyun does have a human side where she really does show that she wants to depend on someone. Unlike Victoria who will put put up a front and do everything herself. Don't want to spoil anything but remember Luhan's "You must be like those people who hold up a strong front to protect everybody else, but you're actually just a very passive kind of person. But you know, those people are the kind of people who lose it all at the end." I did say you can take it as a kind of foreshadowing, right? ^^ Victoria's facade will break down sooner or later, and if not now, then after a few shortcomings and large hills she will have to surpass will she give in. Seohyun is already a step ahead of her, whether you under stand what I'm saying or not.