It had only been a week since I had been recovered. Test after mental test to ensure I hadn't completely lost my mind while in UKnow's clutches, hours of pointless therapy, and a month off from duty. Chief had given me two months, but I convinced him that being off work would be worse for me than going back. He had agreed.

Junsu decided to take me out for coffee, at a small shop huddled on a quiet street where very few people passed. It was an older building, but it was quiet and I felt remotely at peace with the soft, dark colors that littered the walls and the strong, bitter scent of coffee hanging in the air.

When Junsu had arrived at the precinct, I had never seen a man so emotional as he was. He'd latched onto me, refusing to let go. “I missed you...so much,” he sobbed. I didn't pry him off, but I had tried my best to look uncomfortable. Truly, I was content with his bone-breaking hold.

“Junsu, stop crying. Man up.”

“No,” had came the muffled answer. “I have every reason to cry my guts out. I never thought I'd see you again.

I noticed Junsu's eyes were glued to my face. I sighed and looked at him. “What?”

“I'm afraid you're going to disappear again.”

I smiled at his childish statement. “No, I'm not going to disappear again,” I said.

“But UKnow's still out there.”

“Not for long,” I answered quietly and sipped at my coffee.

Since I had been rescued from the apartment, my mind had been a confusing blur of mushed together emotions and memories that I couldn't properly put together. People wanted to know how I survived, what he had done to me. I refused to answer the questions I was constantly bombarded with. Only those that I was closest to—Junsu, Changmin, Park—they asked nothing unless I offered something of use.

To everyone, I wanted UKnow put behind bars for good. I wanted him to suffer. However...I had seen a completely different side to UKnow—I had seen Jung Yunho. I had seen a human being that had taken the wrong path, only because he had no other choice to use as survival. He was not just the killer that had heavily tortured me mentally for two years. He was the boy who had saved me from myself on one night due to one selfless act. He was not just a face, just a malicious being. There was so much more to him than what I ever could have thought and I had no idea how to process any of it. Before I had wanted him dead for what he did to Changmin, but now...How was I to defy what was right and wrong with him anymore?

At first, I wanted to be angry with him. He had thought this all through. He had made me sleep with him, knowing that I'd begin to doubt my judgment. But then I cursed at myself. He hadn't made me. No. It was mortifying to admit, but I had wanted it.

These very thoughts plagued me at night. I didn't understand myself anymore. Why had I done this to myself? Why had I opened to such a dangerous man? Now things were far more complicated before. My duty versus my emotions.

“You okay?”

I looked up at Junsu, seeing his eyes filled with concern. “Yeah,” I replied, “I was just thinking.”

“About UKnow?”

“I suppose.”

Junsu said nothing more, though his eyes sparked with questions. We continued to sip at our drinks in silence. I had no intention of telling him or anyone else of what had occurred between Yunho and I.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it forth, looking at the screen. It was Park.

“Hello?”

“Kim...” His voice was tense, broke on my name. “We've got a serious problem.”

“What is it?”

There was silence on the end for a moment and I clenched the phone tightly. “Its Uknow—he's struck. And he used your brother.”

The phone nearly slipped from my hand as I struggled to catch the breath that had been lost. I shot to my feet. Junsu followed my actions, an alarmed look upon his face. “What?” I demanded. “What happened? What's going on?”

Park exhaled heavily from the other end. “He...Yunho's got a bomb on him and demanded for your presence. You need to get here now.”



Park had directed us to one of the large parks in the suburbs of Seoul. There was a large break in the grass, a construction on the ground that was supposed to be an appreciated work of art. It was a large foundation of cobblestones and mosaics set to one edge of the park.

I jumped out of the car before Junsu had even brought it to a complete stop. Park and Changmin met me, faces drawn. “What the ?” was all I managed to get out, trying to see past their frames and the large line of police cars and vans. The bomb squad was settled off, awaiting commands.

“I got a call on my cell phone,” said Changmin. “It was UKnow. He told me that he had taken Jaejoong and where he was to leave him. He said for you to be the only one to approach Jaejoong and speak to him. No one else was to go near him.”

I pushed the hair back from my face, stomach lurching dangerously. “Alright. Let me go see him.”

“Just keep your head on straight,” Park warned.

I said nothing and bodies passed for me, murmurs passing over me as my eyes locked on the form in center of the rock platform. It resembled a stage too closely, waiting for the performance to start.

I approached, slowly. My heart was beating against my rib cage as I neared Jaejoong's kneeling form. He looked up at me, worry clear in his eyes. I dropped to one knee in front of him.

“About time you showed up,” he mumbled and I could see his form quivering.

“Did he tell you anything?”

Jaejoong remained silent, eyes locked on the device strapped to his chest. There was no timer, just a small black box with wires and buttons protruding from it. UKnow was probably holding the trigger in his hands as he watched us from a safe distance. “In my front pocket...he left a note for you. You're supposed to take it.”

I saw the corner of the paper peeping out from my brother's jean pocket and pulled it away. “I'll be back,” I said. Suddenly, a sense of my own fear washed over me and I gripped the back of Jaejoong's head to press his forehead against mine. He willingly did so as his breathing quickened. “I'll get you out of here safely, I promise.”

“Just in case...” he said, voice shaking horribly. It gripped at my heart. “Please, take care of Hana for me.”

“You'll get to keep doing that, alright?” I said and he nodded hesitantly.

I got up and disappeared behind the barricaded lines. Changmin followed behind me, but I gestured for him to stay so I could look at the note on my own first. Something inside me was leery of what he had written, if it would give away something that was important, or that would end me. Opening the note, my eyes skimmed over UKnow's abrasive handwriting, different from the usual, elegant scrawl he displayed. He was nervous.

Detective,
Your loved ones are in danger in the square.
Our special place, just you and I.

I stared at the paper for a moment. “What the hell?” I muttered, my hands crumbling the edges.

“What is it?” Changmin asked and I handed the note to him, nearly smacking him the face with the paper. He read over it, his eyebrows crinkling together. “You got this off Jaejoong?” I nodded. “We're already in the square...” He was right. “And Jaejoong's here so...Dammit, this is stupid! Where the is he?”

“Jaejoong...” I said suddenly.

Changmin was startled by my sudden voice, following my gaze that was locked on the large buildings about half a mile away. “What about Jaejoong?” Changmin asked skeptically.

I didn't speak at first, lost in thought as my teeth ground at my bottom lip. Something was not right. I was in the square with Jaejoong, my loved one...

But Jaejoong wasn't my loved one.

'Loved one' was plural.

And everyone knew there was lost love between Jaejoong and I, even UKnow knew that. He wouldn't refer to Jaejoong as such a thing when he knew my feelings. He would—

“Why do want to protect Seoul so much?” he asked

“These people—I have a love for them to an extent. Not individually, but as a whole. They make this city and country, the good ones anyway.”

Those people kept me going. The civilians of this city were what made me. I loved them.

My eyes snapped back to the buildings to our north. They were several stories high, a lower suburb that was known mostly for shopping. A lot of people gathered there on the weekends—especially on Saturdays. There would be hundreds.

Today was Saturday.

Those blocks of tourist traps and bargain deals had a simple name amongst the people.

The Square.

And the roof of one of those buildings amongst the many that sat as part of The Square...was where I set eyes on the face of the infamous UKnow for the first time.

“You ing bastard...” I growled and turned to the surrounding police force. “Its a dud!” I announced. “The bomb on Jaejoong is a distraction!” My voice was growing in volume as my steps hurried towards the north. “The real danger isn't even here!”

“Jin Ae!” Changmin called. “Where the are you going?”

“The Square!” I shouted back, turning to him before quickening my pace. “Get backup over there asap!”

If adrenaline had been going through my veins before, it most definitely was now. I scaled the stairs, leaping two at a time. My throat was dry as I struggled for an even breath. He could not do this. Whatever he was planning, it was big and he wanted me to witness it.

Just before I reached the door to the roof, I paused and tried to regain oxygen before pulling the gun from its holster. My heartbeat was pounding in my ears. Slowly, I pushed the door open, peeking through the crack. UKnow's tall, dark figure stood with his back to me. I inhaled and pressed through. My feet tapped against the cement as I inched towards him. I was not even going to try to be quiet; he was waiting for me.

Yunho turned to look at me, his form placed only a few feet from the ledge. A smile formed on his face. "I expected you sooner.”

“Traffic,” I answered and he chuckled. My eyes darted to the cellphone in his hands.

“I knew you'd figure it out,” he said, looking back down at the crowded area below. The large murmur of their conversations rose to meet us.

“What's your plan?” I asked, trying to cut the discussion short and sweet. My hand was quivering on the gun and I cursed at myself.

Yunho turned to me and held up the cellphone. “To put it simply, I press send and this whole block goes boom.”

My breathing caught in my throat, his words slamming into my gut. “W—why? You're not a terrorist.”

UKnow's expression remained light, unperturbed. “Because I was told to.”

“By who?” I demanded.

Yunho looked around, as if expecting someone else to be watching, before his eyes turned back to me. “Those higher powers,” he answered. “What I did with you was not in their plans. I disobeyed. Now, I have to prove myself to them.”

“No, you don't,” I said. “You don't have to prove anything. Give me the phone and turn yourself in.”

“And why should I do that?” he asked.

“Because it'll be easier if you do. It'll be easier for you to just turn yourself in. If you do that, I can make things work in your favor. Just listen to me.”

“No.”

“Yunho, stop it!” I snapped. My whole amount of willpower was almost nothing. I couldn't do what I was supposed to. The emotional bond that I had formed with this killer was eating away at me. The man who saved me...I could barely keep my gun aimed at him. “You don't have to do this...” My voice had dropped to almost a whisper.

“But I do,” Yunho said. “Someone like me...I can't stop. Ever.” He paused, inhaling deeply as all sense of neutrality left his face. There was a sense of helplessness amid his face. “Someone has to stop me.” He dropped the words one at a time, thorough in his pronunciation. Almost like he was begging for it. “Jin Ae...” he breathed and it was the first time I had ever heard him speak my name. “Somone has to stop me.”

I clicked the safety off, watching as his thumb moved over the cellular device. The helplessness on his face continued, branding into my eyes as he was about to do something we both knew he was dreading to do. But he was tied to his own law and someone had to break it for him.

Just as I made my mind, there was a loud bang—the door slamming against the wall as it burst open. Then, two shots that sent bullets zipping past my head and into UKnow's shoulder. He fell back with the impact, dropping the phone. His back slammed against the ground, his head ricocheting off the hard surface.

I whipped my head around to see Changmin approaching, gun raised with a vengeful glint in his eyes. Quickly, I assumed my position and moved towards UKnow, trying to contain myself as I held my gun over him. I grabbed his clean shoulder and forced him on his back, seeing an exit wound. He hissed in pain as blood pumped freely from the injuries. My stomach plummeted, but I tried to remain solid in front of Changmin.

“UKnow,” I said, pleased with the way my voice stood firm. “You're under arrest for about every ing thing in the book.” I gripped the handcuffs on my belt and slapped them on UKnow's wrists. I let out a held-in breath and looked at Changmin. He looked far from happy.

“What the were you waiting for?” he demanded.

I opened my mouth to argue, but I really had nothing to say. Getting to my feet, I pulled UKnow to his. His face was contorted as he stumbled along between us, both of us holding tightly to his arms. Not a word was spoken as we descended the stairs.

A group of officers met us half way. Changmin instructing them to do a sweep of the rooftop and contain the bomb trigger. Their faces were frozen in shock at the sight of the convict between us. When we broke free from the building, there was a blockade of police cars and officers with an unbelievable crowd brewing behind them.

“Let's get him to a hospital,” I said to Changmin. A sense of finality in my voice. Paramedics came running, ready to work over him once he was safely secure in the ambulance.

Yunho never said a word, his face pale and jaw gritted as he was strapped to the gurney and left to the paramedics. His jacket had been removed, revealing large splotches of crimson on the stark white shirt he wore. I took a seat beside him, feeling claustrophobic in the small ambulance as it rolled forward. Its screaming sirens bombarding my ear drums. UKnow's eyes stayed on me, coming to a quick close when gloved hands worked at his mutilated shoulder.

I kept expecting him to say something, but—for once in the time I had known him—he had nothing smart to say. When I met his eyes, I saw that he had humbly accepted defeat.

He had finally been stopped.