Min Ah waited quietly outside as she finally saw the familiar taxi cab pull up. Overall, it hadn’t been a total failure. Her big questions were answered and she had an idea of the type of person Wu Fan had become. There was a sadness that came with those answers and she wondered if she shouldn’t have listened to Myungsoo all along and just stopped searching. At the very least, she could have kept going under the delusion that they were all happy.

Metal screeched as the cab pulled over and she opened the door. She took a step forward when a hand shot out and gripped her arm so hard that she cried out in sudden pain. She turned to face the person when her blood suddenly ran cold.

“You can leave on your own or I can make you” He barked at the taxi driver as he slammed the door shut.

Min Ah looked back at the driver even though she couldn’t see him through the tinted window. He had to help out a little right? He had been driving her around for so long anyways. Instead she felt her hopes sink as the engine roared to life and the car sped away. That’s right, money never bought loyalty.  She gasped as Kris dragged her down the alley next to the club. Tao ran out of the club, breathless as his eyes widened. Min Ah try to free her arm as she met Tao's eyes, silently asking for help. He frowned, trying to come up with some reason to make him let her go as he caught up to them.

"People could be watching" Tao warned as he followed behind them, unable to think of anything else to say without giving up who she really was.

“What are you doing?!” She yelled when he finally let her go.

“Weren’t you two going someplace more private?” He demanded and she felt adrenaline pound in her ears.

“I decided to go home. Turns out it was a crappy date anyways” She answered quickly, trying to seem clueless.

“I won’t beat around the bush. Who the hell are you?” He seethed, taking a menacing step forward.

“Can you blame me for not wanting to share my name with someone like you?” She said as she tried to think of a way out. She eyes the door back into the club. That was an option…

“You called him Jong In. Every single woman he has ever brought here called him Kai. In fact, he’s been involved in so much that he doesn’t use the name Jong In at all with anyone, but us. So tell me, who are you to know something like that?!” He asked as his voice dropped and he reached inside his coat.

Min Ah didn’t reply as she saw the metal glitter in the faint street light. The gun was on the smaller side, but that wouldn’t change the hole it would make in her body if he shot it. The echoes of the stupid kid begging for mercy played over and over again in her mind as she reminded herself once again that he was not the same. The man there wasn’t Wu fan. Wu Fan was dead and this Kris guy was a monster she told herself as she took a step backwards and he leveled the gun straight at her. He was prepared to put an end to this. Experience had taught him to always take care of loose ends.

“Who are you?” He barked out as she felt that false confidence that came to her when she was nervous take over.

 “Are you going to shoot me?” Min Ah asked as she cocked her head to the side slightly, ringlets of dark brown hair following suit.

“That’s the plan unless you give me a good reason” Kris seethed. He hated being played around with.

“I don’t know anything. He let the name slip out once and confessed it used to be his name. I thought it was cute so it stuck in my mind. Now, I told you what you wanted. I can leave right?” She said briskly. He had changed. He wasn’t the same guy she had known. He was the criminal her whole agency was hunting down.

“Like hell you will” He snapped as he caught up to her in a few long strides and gripping her shoulder tightly, he slammed her into the cement wall besides them.

Her eyes flew open as the breath got knocked out of her and she gripped the wall as he dug her shoulder into the cold cement behind her. He took a step closer and her lips parted as she stared up at Kris, memories of a younger more innocent boy blurring and getting tainted with the monster in front of her. Kris looked down at her, aware of the scent of lilacs wafting from her and enveloping him in an unwanted embrace. He refused to blink as he brought the gun up to her face.

“That name. How do you know it?” He hissed. He needed answers first.

“He let it slip out accidentally. That’s it” She whispered breathlessly. Her eyes flickered to Tao standing a few feet away. Why wasn't he doing anything?

“I suggest you get a new story” He snapped.

“I told you… that’s it!” She yelled as she raised her knee and made contact with his abdomen.

His eyes bulged and he coughed as she turned and slammed her elbow into his chest, knocking him back and sending him stumbling back. He stretched an arm out to grab her and Min Ah took the opportunity to run. She should have never come or gotten involved with him. If she told him who she was then they would never be able to end things cleanly. Kris gripped his gun and took aim at her running figure. His finger lingered on the trigger when Tao finally stepped forward and grabbed her.

"Don't you dare say a word" She whispered nervously as she fought his hold. How could the crybaby from so long ago have gotten so strong?!

“Stop it! Don’t you know yet? It’s Min Ah!" He yelled in a panic, the words spilling from his lips quickly.

Min Ah stilled and stared as anger and fear and nerves and so much more took over.

“Who?” Kris asked silently and she refused to turn around as she registered the way his voice had quieted.

“It’s Min Ah” Tao repeated as he dragged the dumbstruck girl with him, “He was going to find out eventually….” He mumbled apologetically to her.

“You had no right!” She whispered, regretting every decision she had made since she crossed paths with Jong In.

Footsteps echoed on the cement ground and she stiffened as she felt his presence right behind them. Kris held his breath as stared at the back of the girl he had only met hours ago. It couldn't be her. There was no way; even though it explained Jong In's behavior... it couldn't be her. Not now. He grabbed a shoulder and turned her around. She stayed silent as he gripped her chin and forced her to look up. Their eyes met and a spark of recognition flamed in his mind. How could he have not noticed before? He let go of her suddenly and stepped back.

“Are you sure?” He asked Tao, his voice void of any emotion.

“There’s no doubt” Tao answered confidently.

His mind went blank and he paused. What was he supposed to do? He looked at Tao who quickly looked away and back at her. Her head was hung low and he remembered how she had run out. He scoffed as he noted that she had been leaving. She had seen him and clearly hated what she saw so she was leaving without ever planning on telling him. Then again, did he expect anything from someone who had left back then too? A sudden wave of bitterness and resentment washed over him as he took in her posture. Who was she to judge what he had become? She hadn’t been around.

She had no right.

"Forget that you ever found us. I don’t care how, but forget every single thing about us” He warned her, his voice taking on a hint of menace, “I'll give you a minute to say goodbye Tao. I'll be waiting in the car" Kris said as he put the gun away.

"W-what? Aren't you going to talk to her?" Tao said cautiously glancing down at Min Ah who hadn't said a word.

"Why would I?" He shot back calmly.

"She came back—" Tao began before the look on his face interrupted him. He was pissed.

"Tao. Make sure she leaves. You have until I get the car to say whatever the hell you want to her" He snapped coldly as he walked past them without looking back.

“Why did you do that?” She whispered when his footsteps had faded away.

“I had no other way to stop him. He was going to shoot you” Tao explained quietly.

“I could have left… I could have left without hearing the hatred in his voice for me”

“He doesn’t hate you Min Ah… If you came with me I’m sure he would start talking to you”

Min Ah shrugged Tao’s arms away and stepped back. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground because if she looked up Tao might see the glimmer of tears on her eyes.

“I think… I think you should come with us” He tried again, but he knew it was a lost cause.

A car screeched to a halt and a horn blared in the background. Tao looked back to see Kris waiting impatiently there. He hesitated, trying to come up with some last ditch effort to get her to come along when she simply waved him away.

“Please go”

The horn blared again and he turned back quickly.

“I was really happy to see you again” He whispered.

Without giving her a chance to say anything else he dejectedly walked to the car. He turned back only to find that she was gone. Had she gone back into the club? Tao’s hand hesitated on the silver handle of the black car. Preparing himself for the worst he pulled the door open and climbed inside. Kris didn’t say a word as he quickly pressed the accelerator and the car raced again.

“You purposefully gave her away” He stated coldly.

“I needed to move things along. You weren’t really going to shoot her and she wasn’t going to tell you on her own” Tao said calmly as he stared at the dashboard.

“You knew how I would react. Why?” Kris asked, keeping his gaze on the road.

“… I thought she could help get things back to normal” Tao confessed knowing his last chance had gone.

Kris let his gaze momentarily flicker to the younger man. His head was bowed down and his shoulders slacked in a way that gave away his defeat. He mindlessly played with the silver ring on his finger and stared at a spot on the dashboard. Kris tightened his grip on the steering wheel and felt a hint of guilt come up. He had tried his best to keep Tao and Jong In safe. No matter what it was he had to do, he did it so that they could survive. Why couldn’t Tao realize that and just be happy with the way things were. A light turned red and he slowed the car to the stop.

He looked at the red light and remembered her. Had he really just walked away from her like that? No, she had walked away first he reminded himself. She had never come back. Even though he knew it was the right choice the brief look he had gotten of her left a very vivid imprint on his mind. He glanced at the hand that touched and wondered if it was any different…. His head snapped up as the horn from the car behind them blared. The light had turned green already he noted as he sped the car.

There was no room for regret in their lives he reminded himself and yet a tiny part of him had wanted to ask her one thing, did you miss me?

~~~~~~

Min Ah sat quietly on the steps that led to the lower level of the club. She heard as Tao’s footsteps faded away and a car door slammed shut. She tried to focus on the feeling of the tear drop sliding down her face. She wanted to think of nothing else, but the feeling of the drop sliding past her nose, down to her chin and finally splattering on her cold skin. She placed her hand where Wu Fan had grabbed her and held it there. She gripped her own arm, mimicking the same strength he had put into it when he had pulled her away. She closed her eyes, but it wasn’t the same. Not even close.

Her hand shot out angrily and hit the concrete wall. There was a shot of pain as a gasp escape her lips, but she kept her hand there. Finally she pulled her hand back and slowly turned it over. Skin had peeled slightly and the faintest glimmer of blood was there. A bitter smile made its way onto her face as her vision blurred. What did she expect? Him to suddenly reach for her and embrace her? Or even a hint of happiness? Why was she so shocked and hurt that he had simply walked away. Aside from the anger in his voice… what hurt the most was the cold disregard of her presence.

She pulled the small prepaid phone from her pocket and dialed the first number.

“H-hello?” Said a timid voice from the other side.

“I’m not mad. Come get me from the same place you were at before. You’ll get an extra pay day for it as long as you come fast. It’s the last time” She said quietly.

“…Alright I’ll be there soon” The taxi driver said excitedly as he hung up the phone eager to get a bit more money before finally being done with all of this.

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Hurray for on time updates! No but I'm not really gonna start celebrating until I do this for the next month lol At least summer vacation is coming... Anyways, thanks for reading! :)