“JongUp,” The man spoke. JongUp noted his voice was rough, as if it was scraped against sand paper.

                JongUp stood unmoving. His eyes fixed onto the single black orb of the masked man standing infront of him. JongUp noticed that the man’s left eye was closed, healing from a scar, making it look like he was doing an eternal wink. If it wasn’t for the tense atmosphere in this claustrophobic alley, JongUp would have laughed at how ridiculous he looked, in addition to the ninja suit he was wearing. Who on this age and time wears these out in the open? Without looking, JongUp could feel three other presence surrounding him, similarly dressed. He silently thank DaeHyun for giving him effective training for ‘emergency situations’ like for example, now- Or not, because he was close to rolling to the floor to a fit of laughter. He controlled himself and plastered a blank face.

                “Stubborn, I see. Just like his brother,” The man mocked.

                DaeHyun? JongUp’s eyes widen at the mention of his brother, all humor from before diminished. “Who are you? What do you want?” JongUp cursed as he heard himself stammer.

                “Ah, you have a nice voice,” The man commented, smirking behind the mask.

                JongUp resisted rolling his eyes at the man. He was taking his own sweet time and JongUp had none for his nonsense. He was itching to move out but the three surrounding him makes it impossible to do it without getting caught. Plus, who know what weapons they have beneath the layers of clothes.

                The man infront of him took a step forward, his hands busy playing with a single shuriken. JongUp felt himself tensed up as the light reflecting from the shuriken hit his eyes. The man started, “You see, I have something for your brother. I had even promised a large reward, but apparently he wouldn’t listen.” The man lifted his right hand with the shuriken and swiftly threw it to the wall by JongUp’s left, his eyes never leaving JongUp’s. JongUp gulped as he heard the shuriken embed itself deep into the brick wall between two bricks. “So, I would like to ask for a favour from you,” He continued. “That is, if you are willing.”

                JongUp contemplated. Something was really amiss. If DaeHyun had avoided this man, he must be dangerous and it was best if he avoids him too. However, the man had not answered his question. So JongUp repeated, “Who are you?”

                “Let’s say I am your brother’s old friend,” the man replied, his eyes in a steady gaze to JongUp, making his skin crawl.

                “What if I am not willing?” JongUp challenged.

                “Oh you will,” the man declared with a smirk pulling at the side of his lips beneath the mask.

                All of a sudden, JongUp heard two familiar shriek to his sides, instantly, he got to a stance and whipped his head to the source of the voices. On his left was JunHong and on his right was YoungJae. Both of them were held from the back by two separate ninjas with their hands covering their mouths. Their eyes were wide and clearly filled with fear.

                “NO!” JongUp growled. Just when he was about to pounce to release his friends, he was rendered immobile by the third ninja, pushing him roughly onto his knees.

                The man infront of him laughed mockingly at the scene before him. Still smirking, he said, “If you are not willing… then I will keep your friends.”

                JongUp was clearly trapped. He had prayed before for his friends to head home but apparently his silent prayer was not heard. From his awkward position being held by the ninja, he peered at JunHong who was trembling with fear and his mouth covered by a hand and then to YoungJae who was silent but terror obvious in his wide eyes with a blade held close to his neck. JongUp bit his lips as he realized the state he was in. He had to make a decision, and fast. Making up his mind, he said to the man, “Tch. Fine, I’ll do it. Now,  let them go.”

                “Not until you listen to what I have for you brother, or you if you want to. Well, you are not bad yourself, sneaking away unnoticed from your friends when you felt presence following you. Well, too bad they were caught in the end,” The man leered at JongUp who returned the gaze without blinking. When the man was sure JongUp was listening, he continued, “Tell your brother this: He has to complete what he- or rather his brother- has left behind.”

               Brother? JongUp frowned when the word left the man’s lips. What did he mean ‘his brother’?

               “I am not in favor of having a mission undone, especially one that is postponed for three years,” the man continued. “Either you or your brother, next week Thursday 2345 hours at base. A handsome sum of money is waiting upon completion of the mission, as promised. Make sure you tell him this, for if none of you appear on that day at that time, I WILL find your friends and slit their throats infront of you.”

               With that, the man and his underlings vanished to the night. The three of them dropped to the ground as their trembling legs gave way.

               JongUp landed on all fours as he breathed hard, his hot breath becoming clouds of vapour in the air. His mind was in a daze. What just..?

               Then, he felt himself being shoved to the right. Still in a daze, he let himself fall onto his side, catching his breath as he looked at the angry maknae infront of him.

               “What the hell was that? You disappeared all of a sudden and then this?!” JunHong bellowed. “Not only that, YoungJae and I were pulled into this! You have a lot to explain to us JongUp hyung.”

               JunHong’s eyes was burning with confusion, anxiousness and anger as he glowered at JongUp who was staring back with his tongue tied. Their silent eye-contact broke when they heard a groan from behind JongUp. JunHong hurriedly got to his feet and dart to the source while JongUp flipped his body over to look at his friend.

               YoungJae was lying on his back with his hand cupping his neck where the blade was earlier. Through the blood seeping through the gaps between his fingers, JongUp fathomed that  the blade had cut YoungJae’s neck.

               Helping YoungJae sit up, JunHong asked, “YoungJae hyung, are you okay?”

               “Yeah,” YoungJae replied, scrunching up his face as pain seared in his neck. “I’m f-fine.”

               “We need to patch this up,” JunHong commented as he examined the cut. Peering over his shoulder, he saw that JongUp was still on the ground, staring at them uncomprehendingly. “HYUNG! Get over here and help, will you?”

               Snapping out of his trance, JongUp got up clumsily and walked along with his friends to the nearest clinic to clean up the wound.

~~~~

               With the excuse of carelessly playing with a penknife, they got off easy and managed to get YoungJae's wound cleaned up in the nearby clinic. In silence, they visited the drink store to get a drink before settling down on the breakwater facing the wide ocean, against the fence behind their residence where they usually sat to enjoy the cool breeze.

               Here was also where JongUp would always be at if he wanted a peace of mind or just to get a moment away from life. However, his mind was too messed up right now as he thought over what had happened earlier. Brother? DaeHyun’s ‘old friend? How come he hadn’t seen him before?

               As JongUp pondered, he could not help but feel uncomfortable as he felt two pairs of eyes staring daggers on his side. Turning his head to his left, he saw that the two pair of eyes belonged to JunHong and YoungJae.

               “W-what?” JongUp asked, smiling sheepishly.

               JunHong rolled his eyes from JongUp to YoungJae. Jerking his head to JongUp on his right, JunHong motioned to YoungJae on his left, “YoungJae hyung, go talk to him.”

               YoungJae sighed and leaned forward to look at JongUp. “What was all of that? Who are they and what do they want with your brother?” YoungJae confronted.

               “I don’t know myself…” JongUp replied looking away. There was silence for a while as JongUp thought it over. Shifting his gaze back to the two on his left, he said, “If I tell you this do you promise not to tell anyone at all?”

               YoungJae cocked his head to the side in question but agreed anyway, “Yeah.”

               “JunHong?” JongUp asked his friend who was busy plucking the innocent grass infront of him.

               Looking up, JunHong answered, “… Yeah.”

               Taking a deep breath, JongUp continued. “I’m not entirely sure what had happened but from what I know, DaeHyun hyung is a ninja.”

               YoungJae suddenly coughed as his drink went to the wrong pipe. JunHong panicked and  immediately pat YoungJae’s back. “HYUNG DON'T DIE!!”

               “I-I’m okay, I’m okay,” YoungJae reassured as he rubbed his bandaged neck that hurt even more after the coughing. “Continue what you were saying,” YoungJae said to JongUp.

               “Uh, yeah, so Hyung is a ninja. He taught me a few things too,” JongUp looked at YoungJae weird as he continued.

               “Well, that explains the vanishing part,” JunHong nodded to himself.

               JongUp glared at the second interruption and then cleared his throat to continue, “From what I know, long time ago, when I was probably 5 years old, DaeHyun hyung was in a clan. I found that out one day when I had a nightmare then I woke up in the livingroom with a ninja beside me. I thought he was my savior.” JongUp smiled at the memory. “Anyway, I don’t know what happened but a year after that, when I got home from my school’s camp.. that was the day I went home to DaeHyun crying alone at home- the night when my parents died.”

               JongUp paused as he heard gasp from his friends. His friends knew his parents were gone but he guessed it did not hit them when they died.

               “I’m sorry, JongUp.” YoungJae voiced.

               JongUp looked at their apologetic expressions weird before continuing, “From then on me and DaeHyun hyung lived together in the same house. We carried on life like it was just the two of us from the very beginning. I went to school to complete my education while DaeHyun hyung worked in the morning to support us and at night as a ninja. I guess DaeHyun hyung went to another clan from the change in colour of his suit. He was actually happier then and once in a while he would bring his chingu to our house.” JongUp cocked his head to the side as he remembered something. “Speaking of which, I haven’t seen his chingu in a while. I actually forgot his name too. He was a nice guy. When I had no school, he, hyung and I would go out together.”

               “But it has got nothing to do with you so why are they after you then? And why are you so bothered?” JunHong prompted.

               “I find it weird. I haven’t seen Daehyun hyung in a ninja suit for a while and he seem so gloomy. I asked him about his night job before but he would just snap at me to forget about it.” JongUp rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought he quit already but why are these people still after him?” JongUp sighed. “Most importantly, what did he mean Daehyun’s brother?”

               “He might mean you since you are his brother,” JunHong remarked, unthinking.

               “But I haven’t got anything to do with them and I don't remember leaving anything behind…” JongUp said, his attention deep into his mind.

               They were silent after that, YoungJae and JunHong enjoyed their drink and the cool evening breeze while JongUp played with his drink, his thoughts far away.

               “Hey guys, I got to go,” YoungJae said, checking his watch for the time. “I’d better be home before Mum does or I would not hear the end of her nagging if she sees my neck.”

               JongUp and JunHong said their goodbyes to YoungJae as he stood up and waved at them, leaving the two of them behind. JongUp looked at his partner who was finishing his drink. After slurping the last few drops, JunHong pelted the empty plastic cup to the side, missing the bin by inches. JunHong clicked his tongue in annoyance but ignored it and continued to play with the grass infront of him.

               “JunHong..?” JongUp was observing his friend’s actions and from them, he knew something was bothering him. He was certainly irritated.

               “What,” JunHong muttered, still distracting himself with grass.

               “…” JongUp did not respond.

               “What?” JunHong snapped after a while of silence, now annoyed at JongUp. JongUp merely kept his gaze steady to JunHong’s eyes, knowing his friend too well. JunHong finally gave in. “Fine. I’m angry okay,” he sighed.

               JongUp cooled off his gaze but still looked at his friend, egging him to continue.

               “I’m just angry that me and YoungJae got pulled in to this when we did not even know anything,” JunHong confessed. Lifting his head, he looked at JongUp accusingly, “How come I don’t know all of these, huh? How come I did not know anything about your past, about you?”

               JongUp’s gaze softens as he scoots closer to JunHong without saying a word. JunHong’s gaze was to the sea as tears started to pool on his eyes. JongUp noticed JunHong’s moist eyes. He wrapped his left arm around the taller boy and pulled him close as the tears started to fall.

               “I’m afraid, JongUp,” JunHong admitted as he wiped the tears carelessly with the back of his hands.

               JongUp tried to comfort JunHong by rubbing soothing circles on his back and whispering to JunHong’s ears, “Shhh.. it’s okay.”

               “It’s not okay!” JunHong pulled away. He glared at JongUp through his watery eyes and growled, “Next time, tell us about your issues, at least tell me, especially if it would involve us and even putting our lives in the line. Who knows if I wake up one night with a knife on my throat or worse… I don't wake up at all?” JunHong swallowed his own saliva. “I don't like that I don’t know anything. Promise me you will tell me your issues next time.”

               JongUp was taken aback by JunHong’s words but nonetheless, he understood. It was his fault their lives were in danger, and it was best to make it up to them. They were afterall, like his family. “Okay, I promise.”

               “Really?” JunHong asked for verification.

               “Yeah,” JongUp replied, his lips pulling to his signature smile.

               A small smile escaped JunHong’s lips before he looked back at the ocean with his heart beating fast, a little too enjoying the comfort around his shoulders.

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Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo~

I realized I am updating like one every month. LOL I type too slow omg I’m sorry for the slow updates, thank you soo much for sticking with this series ^^ I hope you like it so far~

Please anticipate the next update~ ^^

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! :D