He showed up 20 minutes later. He looked drained as he walked in and she greeted him with a small smile. He studied her as she took the bag from his hand and took it to the living room. Some show was playing on the television and it cast a colorful glow on her as she quietly took out the liquor bottles and brought out a pair of glasses. Myungsoo noticed the way she dragged her feet and knew that she was feeling down. He wondered if maybe she was as disappointed in what happened as he was.

"Sorry for bothering you so late" He said though he didn't mean it. He was relieved to be here, with her.

"That's ok. I wasn't sleeping anyways" She said quietly, returning with a bottle opener.

"What were you doing still up? Aren't you tired?" He asked her and she simply shrugged as she took a seat on the couch and pulled her legs up under her.

He pulled his coat off and hung it off the edge of the couch and sat down next to her. Min Ah held her empty glass in silence and he waited for her to say something. Prerecorded laughter echoed from the television yet she didn't even bother to look up. He frowned and reached for the bottle opener. Popping it open he poured himself a full glass and without bothering to ask her he filled her glass too. She looked momentarily startled as the clear liquid splashed into her glass and she looked at him as if suddenly remembering that he was still there. He hid the fact that it bothered him that she could forget he was there to begin with.

They sat in the quiet room, the only background the soft noise that the people on the television made. He wasn't paying too much attention though, he kept glancing back at her. She drank steadily, lost in her own thoughts. Occasionally he would say something and she would reply lightly. If he got lucky, he might have drawn a soft smile from her or even a chuckle. Eventually though, they both just kind of stared at the television, not really watching, but drinking in a semi comfortable silence. He thought about the sharp words his father had volleyed at him a few hours earlier. Something about being useless, a disgrace, inept and the works. Once upon a time words like that had sent him crying to his room, years after that they sent him to bar fights, and now? Now they sent him to the house of his sort of ex girlfriend/current friend.

At least now he actually felt better afterwards.

Myungsoo brought himself back to reality as the weight of her head leaning on his shoulder snapped him back.

"Do you want to like, hang out? With me?" She added, her voice drawled only slightly, but he knew she wasn't that drunk which is why he hesitated with surprise, "I meant to ask you a while ago. I couldn't find the words. It's hard. Everything is so hard" She mumbled, taking another sip.

"Hang out? As in like friends or..." He trailed off and he could have kicked himself right then and there. Why the hell did he have to question it?! Of all the things to say Kim Myungsoo couldn't have felt more disappointed in his response than now.

"I don't know" She sighed, "I don't know..."

"While we're sort of on the topic" He began, his throat suddenly feeling a bit dry, "Are you still looking for your childhood friend?"

"Ah, that guy? He's gone. He disappeared and I can't get him back" She said, pulling her head away from his shoulder and refilling her glass, "I'm 99% sure he's dead. I just really want to move on"

"He's gone? How do you know?"

She shook her head and waved his question away.

"Moving on... you'd have to throw away your past then" He said treading carefully.

"Like how?" She asked, taking another drink.

"Well, getting rid of reminders. Like... that photograph you keep" He said, studying her as she went still and peered at him with uncertainty.

He could have almost seen the big lecture on the photograph's importance coming, but instead she placed her glass on the table and stood up. Myungsoo watched her as she went to her bag and dug around in there. Finally pulling out her wallet she came over to him and sat back down next to him. With a yawn she opened it and went to the small pocket in the back. He raised an eyebrow as Min Ah pulled out that familiar photograph with the hard crease down the middle.

"I want to move on. Here" She stated, handing over the photograph to him. She held onto it for a moment longer before pointing to her window, "You can throw it out just like you kept telling me all this time"

"What?" He asked shocked.

"Throw it out if you want" She said, stumbling over her own words.

He looked at her before standing up with a shrug. He went to the window and stuck his hand out. He looked back at her and he clutched the photograph a tiny bit tighter at the nervous image of her. She bit her lip as she watched on anxiously. He didn't hesitate as he let go of the photograph and a gust of wind carried it away. He watched as Min Ah's protest caught in and her eyes widened. He might have felt sorry, if he wasn't so overjoyed that the only reminder of her past was gone. If that was gone... then she could forget all about it right?

"You actually did it..." Min Ah said, in a bit of a daze as she stepped forward.

"Did you not mean it?" He asked, playing the innocence card. He knew very well she hadn't. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or if something else had happened, but he knew she hadn't meant it.

It worked as she looked at him with traces of guilt and smiled, "I did" She lied quietly.

He smiled and closed the window. Pushing the latch closed firmly and going back to their drinks. He was going to say something when the buzz of his phone caught his attention. Min Ah looked just as surprised as he did as she looked at the clock hanging at the wall. It was after 3am. She shrugged as he grabbed his phone and glancing at the blocked number he answered it. The voice on the side was clear and concise and Myungsoo fought to keep his face straight.

"I can't" He said in a low tone and Min Ah stared at him curiously, "Just hold on a minute" He said as he muted the phone call and grabbed his coat.

"Min Ah, I'm sorry I have to go"

"Go? Go where at this time?"

"Some stupid emergency at my parent's house" He said, knowing that she would understand. She nodded as she followed him to the door, "I'll see you tomorrow" He said holding the phone away from her.

"Ok, are you sure you're ok to drive?" She asked, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

"I'm fine. I didn't drink as much and it takes a tank to knock me out remember?" He joked as he was halfway out the door, "About that date... we'll go tomorrow after work"

She managed a smile before he left and she was left to think about the choice she had just made. Almost as an afterthought she went to her window and looked down below. She kept her face still as stone knowing that the photograph was gone.

~~~~~~

Myungsoo pulled in to the small diner. He wasn't surprised it was empty, even for a 24 hour type of place this was apparently even too late for some of the kids that stopped in for a late night bite. He reached in the glove compartment and pulled out his gun. He took the safety off and tucked it into its holster. Pulling his coat on, he turned off his car and waited. Sleep no longer nagged at him, instead he felt electrified. Finally a slim figure came out from the shadows. It was a man and he walked into the diner carefully. He sat at the right most booth and waited.

Shoving his keys in his pocket, Myungsoo got out of his car and walked in. A small bell chimed as the door opened and instantly the smell of pastries and food wafted all around him. A waitress looked up at him and once she saw him head over to the other guy that had come in minutes before she sat back down. Myungsoo slid into the opposite side and stared at the man quietly. He looked him over, the second member of EXO he had managed to actually get a good look at. He was good looking in general and Myungsoo found it inexplicably hilarious.

"How do I know this isn't some sort of trap or a lie?" He asked as the man pulled out a stack of papers.

"If you run my name you'll see what little there is about me. I also have a bit of a criminal record in China and honestly I heard you were ing desperate so you've just got to trust me"

"If you are then why betray them?"

"... I've got my reasons. I am getting some sort of immunity if this all checks out right?"

"If everything you tell me is accurate then yeah. Provided you continue to cooperate"

"Good" He said curtly and Myungsoo could tell that he was uncomfortable. Almost as if he didn't want to be doing this, but he was and if this was all true, then his reasons were pretty unimportant, "Twelve photographs, twelve names and brief descriptions. I've put down aliases and for a few I don't know their real name"

Myungsoo grabbed the papers and flipped through them quickly. He stopped at the man's photograph and he raised an eyebrow.

"Why not just give me 11 of them? Why include yourself?" He asked curiously.

"There's twelve members aside from the one with an x who died. If something were to happen and they figure out that only my photograph and name wasn't leaked do you think I'd make it out alive?" He explained, "Not that it matters really" He added so quietly that Myungsoo missed the last part.

"This guy is the leader?" He asked pulling out the photograph of a blond man. He was tall and the look in his eyes was stoic as Myungsoo studied him carefully.

"He goes by Kris. Only a few people know his name, but I'm not one of them. That's all I've got for now. I'll be going then"

"Wait," Myungsoo said as he stood up, "You're going to continue cooperating right?"

"I've got a number you can contact me in case of emergencies. Try not to. It's dangerous for me. I'll contact you as soon as I can get any more information or news on meetings"

"Why are you doing this?" Myungsoo asked suddenly, he didn't really care, but he was curious.

He watched the man go still.

"That's my business. Just be glad you've got someone helping you or you would never be able to catch him and also..."

"Also...?"

"Be careful with who you trust with this information. You know that you can't tell anyone that I'm feeding you information right?

"Of course, my team—"

"No. Not your team. No one. After you catch him you can use me as a witness or whatever, but in the meanwhile, you can't tell anyone"

Myungsoo shrugged, "Fine"

~~~~~~

"I'm sorry what did you say?" Min Ah asked, still groggy as she sat in her bed.

"I gave everyone the day off" Myungsoo said over the phone.

"Ah.. ok then night" She mumbled as she laid back in bed.

"Wait! Tonight let's have dinner!" He yelled into the phone and she opened her eyes tiredly.

"I just want to sleep Myungsoo" She whined burying her face into her pillow, "I want to sleep until tomorrow"

"I figured dinner would be a good way to 'hang out'" He said with a grin and she blinked in surprise.

"Alright so... dinner at 8 is good? I could probably get up by  8..." She mumbled, feeling sleep drag her under.

"8 is good! Don't forget!" He said and she mumbled some unintelligible words before hanging up and happily drifting back into sleep.

~~~~~~

"You know when you said dinner, I didn't expect you'd actually cook dinner. I didn't even know you could cook to be honest" She said thinking about it as Myungsoo drove her home. It was already midnight and she was glad that the fact that they had work tomorrow gave her an excuse to get home early.

"I secretly moonlight as a chef. It's my secret passion" He joked.

"What have you done with the serious Kim Myungsoo?" She teased.

"I'm in a great mood" He said simply as they finally arrived back at her place.

"Well considering the fact that I got free food I'd say I'm in a pretty good mood too" Min Ah said with a laugh.

"So... free food, good time, meeting Chef Myungsoo... technically it's kind of like a date right?" He asked quietly looking at his starring wheel instead of her. Her long pause did nothing to help the rare and unfamiliar feeling of nerves that came over him. This was a bit new.

"Kind of... yeah I guess it was" She admitted quietly.

"I did pretty well right? You were impressed?" He said confidently, turning to her.

"I was. I wasn't aware you could be romantic" She said softly, looking down at her hands.

"I thought I should make it worth your while. So you wouldn't regret it later" He said quietly and she paused for a second, stunned by how honest he was being with her.

"I definitely don't regret it" She said seriously and it was the truth. For a real date, without all the other stuff, it was great. She hadn't thought about useless things and instead she had felt free for a moment. As if all the other things in her life weren't happening. It had been a relief.

"Do you want to come back to my house?" He asked, his voice soft and tempting.

"I don't think that really falls under the hanging out category. Or even the first date kind" She said holding his gaze, trying to ignore the way his eyes landed on her lips.

He placed a chaste kiss on her and pulled back with a smirk "It's ok. I'm sure I can at least win more kisses tomorrow"

"Ha! Why would tomorrow get you a kiss?"

"I've got a big surprise for you at work. It's huge so I'm pretty sure you'll be excited enough to give me a kiss or two" He said confidently.

She shook her head and laughed as they said their goodbyes and she stepped out of the car.

She watched Myungsoo's car disappear in the distance and she smiled to herself as she thought about him. She replayed his rather innocent kiss and felt her stomach flutter intensely and she recalled her training days. More specifically that first night that she had spent with him. She remembered those days, seeing him in his uniform, catching his eyes during the obstacle courses, meeting up late at night. As she walked up the steps to her main door she wondered where all those feelings had disappeared over time and where this Myungsoo had been all this time. If he had shown her this side of him, she probably would have given up on finding Wu Fan long ago.

She pulled the door open and screamed when a dark figure came from her peripheral vision and grabbed her arm. She twisted her body away only to find the person foresaw her movement and instead shove her back against the door. She was about to kick when she opened her eyes and looked into Wu Fan's face.

"What are you doing?!" She asked, breathless as she stared at him wide eyed.

"Why are you back so late?!" He had the audacity to ask angrily and she blinked.

"I was— wait, what the hell I don't have to explain anything to you!" She snapped, "and let me go!" She insisted as she noticed with a disturbing clarity just how close he  was to her.

"I called you. Jong In's sick. Really sick. I haven't been back here for long enough to know where to take him. If we were in China I'd have a dozen different doctors to take him to, but here? Jong In's been arrested before I can't even take him anywhere without running the risk that he's getting caught!" He said and the strain of his voice made her tense.

"H-how bad is it?"

"Bad enough for me to come here and risk getting caught by you little boyfriend. I got a recommendation from an acquaintance here but that hack is useless He says its nothing but psychological"

Min Ah felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she thought about Jong In. She tried to think. There was one name that popped up.

"There's a man name Song Hyun Woo. He was busted a few times for illegal practice of medicine, but he tends to help guys like you and as far as I know the only reason he was fired from the hospital was embezzlement. He used to have a very impressive practice otherwise. I can get you an address—"

"Come with me"

"I... I can't. I can get you the number and address and then—"

"Come with me and I'll take you to Jong In and you can direct us"

"Jong In is sick and... I just can't. Just because you gave me that information it doesn't mean that I'm suddenly willing to help you"

"You were with him just now right? He won't return, he won't find out you weren't home. Did you forget the person that made Jong In like this is him in the first place?" He asked, his voice filled with accusations.

Min Ah fell silent as flashbacks from that night played once again, "He..." She began, trailing off quietly.

"And you're wasting time arguing with me. Come on" He snapped as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her away. She wrestled her arm and free and stood still. She met his gaze angrily.

"Don't touch me again" She said firmly.

"That's right, you're taken now" He said, his tone colored by disgust and she stiffened as he walked away.

"Just take me to Jong In" She snapped as she quickened her pace and caught up to him.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here's the second update this weekend!

Thanks for reading! ^^