“Lee Taemin, how many times do you intend to come? Minho isn’t coming back.” the bartender said, arms straighten and palms on the counter. Taemin tilted his head as he watched him, before noticing that he had a faded dragon tattoo on his left wrist. He paused for a while before displaying a small smirk on his lips. “Why did you join the Dragon’s?”

              The bartender stopped for a moment, before resuming to his work. “Boss took me in when I was young.”

              “But I don’t ever see you fight.”

              “I quit fighting.” He answered, wiping the surface of the marble table with a damp cloth. “So you used to fight?” Taemin continued asking, obviously trying to test the guy’s limit. He could sense that this guy has a strong aura, and he doesn’t understand why someone with such a strong aura would hide behind a counter.

              “Lee Taemin,” a deep voice from behind made Taemin snapped his head back, walking towards him was a man in his early forties. “Boss.” The bartender greeted.

              Boss? The head of the Dragon’s?

              “A pleasure to meet you, been hearing a lot about you. My name is Choi Siwon.” Siwon smiled, holding out his right hand for a handshake.

              Choi Siwon…my father…? Taemin squinted at him a little. Nevertheless, he took his hand, “Pleasure to meet you too.”

              “I heard you’ve been coming quite often. Anything I could help?” Siwon asked.

              “Your son. I want him.” Taemin answered, but Siwon didn’t react immediately. He watched as his attention diverted to what’s behind him. “Is that your girl?” Siwon asked, pointing to Hyehee who just came out from the washroom. Taemin looked back and gestured for Hyehee to come behind him while he held her hand, making sure that she sticks close. “Yeah, that’s right. Look after her, I won’t want to same thing to happen again in my territory. I heard what Minho did the other time.” The boss said.

              Taemin frowned.

              “I told him before not to mess with the Phoenixes, I’ve no idea why he doesn’t listen. Maybe that’s how it is, because he’s not my son, so I couldn’t control him.” Siwon said nonchalantly, as though he really don’t care about that son of his; and Taemin starts to feel pity towards Minho.

              “Anyhow, I hope you could find Minho too. That brat needed a beating, but not from old man like me anymore.” He nodded and walked away.

              “Don’t be surprised at his attitude.” The bartender said, diverting Taemin’s attention from the faraway figure back to the counter. “That’s Minho’s father?” Hyehee questioned after a long silence. She was certainly afraid of this very place, where Minho almost her, and the exact place, where her Jin oppa was killed.

              But now, there’s Taemin there with her; and she has got no reason to be afraid of anything or anyone.

              Right…?

              Taemin notice the tensed up Hyehee, he managed to calm her a bit by pulling her closer to him. “Was Minho always treated like a nobody here?”

              “No. He is the young master here that everyone acknowledges.” The ex-fighter said, but Taemin could sense that his sentence wasn’t finish, “—everyone but boss.”

              Taemin blinked, and it took him a while to be interested in the bartender again. “And your name was?” The bartender looked up with a sigh. “Kwon Jiyong.”

              Kwon Jiyong? It sounded awfully familiar...

              “G-Dragon?” Taemin questioned with a hint of surprise in his tone. The legendary fighter from the Dragon’s from a few years back. “Why did you stop fighting?”

              “You’re asking too much.”

              Taemin pressed his lips together and raised a brow. Well, never mind.

              He tightens the grip on Hyehee’s hand, signaling her that they’re leaving.

“You’ve been looking off since just now. Were you very uncomfortable at BD?” Taemin questioned as soon as they left the place. He had been watching her from the corner of his eye. Other than noticing that she took longer than usual in the washroom, when she came back to him, she doesn’t look like herself. It was as if she has a lot going on in her mind; and it scares Taemin.

              “I’m fine, why?” Hyehee forced a smile, and Taemin didn’t buy it. He held her close to him by her shoulder, “you don’t have to lie to me.”

              Hyehee lowered her head. Taemin was right, and she was glad that he noticed it.

              “I need some time alone.” She said, removing his arm from her shoulder. “I’ll go back by myself later. Don’t worry.”

              Taemin raised a brow, “and what makes you think I’m going to let you go by yourself?”

              “From the fact that I know you will trust me. Trust me when I say that I’ll be fine by my own.” Hyehee answered, stepping further away Taemin before she turned away. “I’ll be home by 7!”

              “Hey!” Taemin yelled for his sister and until he lost her in sight, he sighed.

“What?!”

              Key shoots up from his sitting position when he heard what Taemin said. “You let Hyehee go out on her own? What the is wrong with you? Just yesterday she drenched herself under the running tap and—,”

              “What can I say? She asked me to trust her I can’t say no.” Taemin retorted. Although he knew that letting her go on her own was a bad idea but he couldn’t say no when he saw how she looked at him. Her pleading eyes that expect him to trust her. “I can’t say no.” He repeated to himself inaudibly.

              Key shook his head, “you’re ing hopeless. You’re so ing trapped in her. You’re going to be dead being just her brother. Oh my God, you’re hopeless.” Key walked away, still mumbling on how Taemin is going to be hopeless because he’s so hopelessly lost in Hyehee.

              Jonghyun sighed, “You said she’s going to be back by 7, right?”

              “That’s what she said.” Taemin breathed, closing his eyes and leaning back against the sofa. Jonghyun took a glance of his watch, 6.38PM. Taemin was already sitting here when he and Key came back, and it has almost been two hours.

              Another ten minutes passed and Taemin still had his eyes closed. For a moment Jonghyun thought he had fallen asleep but he was wrong when Taemin’s eyes snapped open when his phone had a notification.

              “Was it Hyehee?” Jonghyun couldn’t help but ask, he too, was anxious about letting Hyehee out alone. “No.” Taemin simply replied, squinting at the unknown number that sent him a photo message. He frowned, and his heart started to race. Something doesn’t feel right.

              Jonghyun moved over to Taemin and waited for him to unlock his phone. Taemin swallowed, opening the message.

              The photo wasn’t clear; it was very dark with only a visible figure in the middle of it. Very soon, another text message comes in.

              “It’s an address.” Jonghyun said but before he could say anything further, Taemin already ran off.

              “Hey—,” Jonghyun shouted after him but he stopped knowing that Taemin won’t turn back. , “KEY!”

It took Taemin a little more than half an hour to get from the city till almost the outskirt of the town. He squinted at the GPS; if he weren’t wrong, it was an old sea port filled with unusable and rusty containers.

              Taemin came to a stop as soon as he saw Minho waving at his car. Tch, just as he thought. It was Minho’s doing.

              “It’s been a while,” Minho said, as Taemin got off the car. “You took Hyehee?”

              The taller one smiled, he turned around to face the sea of containers with his arms spread. “Look at all these containers.”

              Taemin frowned, the smell of rust and the sea breeze infused into his nose and he scrunched up his nose in disgust. “I locked Hyehee in one of these containers. Let’s not talk about the dirtiness of it, well; I wonder if there will be enough oxygen for her to breathe in while you find her. Shall we start the searching game now?” Minho turned around with a wide grin.

              “What?” Taemin narrowed his eyes, his hands closed to fists with veins popping up on his arms. “Let’s not waste anymore time.” Minho then walked towards one of the open containers and walked inside. Taemin followed behind, looking to see what is Minho up to. “Looks like she’s not here,” Minho shrugged.

              Taemin charged towards Minho without hesitation, pushing him up to the wall of the container with a loud thud. “Don’t with me, you bastard.” His voice echoed in the enclosed box.

              “One minute wasted here means one minute closer to losing her.” Minho snickered. Taemin clenched his teeth; he leaned in and looked him in the eye. “What exactly do you want?” he forced the words out of his clenched teeth.

              “I want you to be dead.” Minho said bluntly, and Taemin had a baffled expression that Minho doesn’t like. “Quit playing dumb; don’t tell me you didn’t know that Choi Siwon was your biological father. I wasn’t going to believe that.”

              “And so what if he is? I am from the Phoenix’s.” Taemin emphasized as he let go of Minho, who laughed in return. “The Dragon clan, it was almost the largest clan in Seoul and you’re telling me you don’t want to take over it now that it’s your chance. With Phoenix clan under you too, you’re going to be a big boss.”

              “Don’t make me repeat myself.” Taemin glared, “and I will not die here today, neither will Hyehee. Where is she?”

              Minho laughed again, and it was irritating Taemin a lot. “Now that we are at it, shall I tell you something interesting?” Minho’s right hand slowly went to his back and fish out the pistol that was stuck in his denim jeans. “Jinki was from the Dragon’s.”

              For a moment, Taemin thought he heard it wrong. “It was five years ago, he joins the Dragon’s. For some reason, he quitted soon after you join the Phoenix’s.”

              “Stop ing with me. Hyung has always been a well-mannered man, why would he get involved with the mafia?” Taemin scoffed. “Are you sure about that? He had a tattoo on his right hip. Your hyung knows a lot. He knew it since the beginning about your identity, he knows everything. He was my partner in crime. He gets along with everyone and even your father was happy with him. It was to a point that he became a threat to my position too.”

              Taemin swallowed, he looks unfocused for a second and Minho took the chance to aim the gun at Taemin.

              BANG.

A loud and familiar sound woke Hyehee up.

              She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the darkness. She groaned for a while, feeling hot and sweaty as she pushed herself up into sitting position. She couldn’t make out where she was, and it took her a while to remember what makes her open her eyes.

              It was the sound of a gunshot. The familiar sound of what took her brother’s life.

              Her head was splitting, she couldn’t recall what happened. The last thing she remembered was bumping into a guy with cap and shades while she was heading into the mall.

              The mall, right, she told Taemin that she needed some time alone and she will be home before 7. She looked around her, her vision was starting to adjust to the darkness and even though she could see, there was nothing.

              Something must have happened.

              That gunshot; who shoot it, and who got shot?

Taemin his dried lips, right hand grabbing his left arm. The sound of the gunfire was still ringing in his ear; it was especially loud to fire a gun in a container. The wound was burning like hell and it was making Taemin lose all the coordination. “…” he cursed, blood staining his shirt.

              “Only when you’re gone then I can be the heir to the clan. I’m not taking any chances.” Minho said calmly, raising his hand ready to fire another shot. “Even Jinki…he—,”

              “Stop it!” Taemin shouted. He doesn’t want to hear another thing about Jinki coming from Minho. “What? You still don’t believe that Jin—,”

              Taemin went up to Minho and smashed an elbow into Minho’s head, taking the chance to snatch the pistol. Within a few seconds, the gun was in Taemin’s hand with the mouth pressing against Minho’s temple. He was stunned, at the same time surprised that Taemin was able to attack him even with the gunshot wound. What is this man…?

              “This gun is for Jinki hyung.” Taemin said quietly, but it sounded like the loudest thing for Minho.

              BANG.

              He dropped the gun, like how Minho’s body dropped on the floor lifelessly. He doesn’t like the sound of gunfire but sometimes, he doesn’t have the choice. The ringing sound came back into his ear and together with the pain in his arm, it was making him insane. The quick movement just now seemed to tear his flesh apart even more.

              “Hyehee…” Taemin panted at the pain as he starts to feel the numb in his hand. He did not even notice that his bracelet had fallen off.

              Taemin dragged himself out from the container. Even if there are a lot of containers, he has to find Hyehee.

Hyehee was surprised to find herself not locked up in the container that she woke up in. She managed to get near to the container where the fight was through the second gunshot.

              Two gunshots already.

              There was blood trailing out from one of the containers and Hyehee thought that must be the one. She walked over and paused at the door. “Tae oppa…?” she called out, but all she got was an echo of her own voice. She stepped into the container. It was an exact replica of her dream. She did not even bother herself with the bracelet even though she spotted it already. The only thing left that she did not discover was who does that corpse belongs to.

              She took small steps towards it, heart pounding violently in her ribcage. What if it was Tae oppa?

              Her legs were trembling and before she knew it, someone grabbed her from behind.

              “…Tae oppa!”

              Taemin has been calling her a few times from the outside but she was too focused and scared to hear anything else.

              After roaming about for a few minutes outside, Taemin decided to come back to this area, and he was glad he did. Since Minho said he was good friend with Jinki, and as much as Taemin doesn’t want to believe it, he thought Minho won’t be harming Jinki’s most doted sister. Even though he did tard things but it was all to lure Taemin out.

              Without words, he pulled Hyehee into his arm. That moment, he forgot about his gunshot wound.

              “I’m sorry, Hyehee, I’m so sorry.” He apologized, but he wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for because there were so many things.

              From getting Hyehee into this , to letting Minho speaking about their brother and having Hyehee witness all these. He wants to apologize for all of it.

              “I promise you, I will end everything with my own hands and then we will leave here. Tae oppa will bring you away from all these. Please bear with it a little more.” Taemin cupped her face and stared into her eyes. Hyehee could also sense that Taemin was losing himself, be it from the wound or from the messiness in his mind.

              She wanted to ask him how he got the gunshot, or what happened to Minho, or why he wanted them to leave; but she thought that nothing is more important than being in Taemin’s arms at that moment.