~_____~

“Why don’t you leave already,” Namjoo grabbed the empty plate from Kris and focused on scrubbing the pan she’d used that morning.

“You still owe me a shirt.”

Namjoo felt her nerves fire up before she turned to look up at him and he immediately pointed at her arm to remind her of the incident back in Wonju.  

“You got my size, right?”

Namjoo raised her soapy hand, “Yah! Get out of here!”

He chuckled at her, “There’s a mark on your neck, and forgot to say, we’re both late for a meeting.”

Namjoo gritted her teeth and flung out her hands. Both the water and soap landed on his face before he wiped them away.

“Alright, fine. I’ll leave now.”

Namjoo turned to make sure he was really leaving before rinsing her hands and rushing into the bathroom. Craning her neck to the side she spotted the mark he’d left on her and kicked her cabinet.

“I’m going to kill you!” she shouted.

~_____~

After walking out of the bathroom Tao turned when the elevator doors opened and saw that it was only Kris. Tao eyed him before he neared.

“What?” he questioned.

Tao snorted and pointed to his collar bone, “Go somewhere last night? Aren’t you embarrassed walking around with that mark?”

Kris glanced down before pulling his shirt over it, “Ah…”

Tao took note that he looked a little embarrassed before quickening his steps.

“Looks like you enjoyed yourself last night,” Tao remarked then lowered his voice, “who is she?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kris shoved him off before opening the door to the meeting room.

Tao snorted after him and followed him into the meeting room. Before he closed the door someone shouted desperately, “Wait, wait, wait!”

He paused and stuck his head out to see Namjoo running his way. She stopped by the doorway to catch her breath and he caught sight of a band-aid on her neck.

“What’d you do? Cut yourself?” Tao asked almost sarcastically.

Namjoo placed a hand on her neck and quickly said before walking in, “Not your business.”

~_____~

Victoria glanced over at Donghae’s team unhappily. Donghae leaned back into his seat and crossed his arms.

“What’s with the meeting this morning?” he asked.

“I have a proposal,” Victoria started, “and an outline for the next mission.”

Donghae slightly narrowed his eyes, “Next mission? What are you talking about? We can’t move unless those gunmen talk.”

“I’m not waiting for those gunmen to speak. How many days…no, how many weeks are you going to wait for?” Victoria questioned as if she were interrogating him. “I’ve done my job in Wonju whether you were there or not.” Then she turned away from Donghae’s eyes of scrutiny. “Lay and Kris will follow us to Yeongwol. Namjoo, Chorong, and I will sneak into the brothel to look for any suspicious activity.”

“Brothel!?” Donghae loudly declared.

Victoria shot him a stare before continuing, “Tao, Suho, and Donghae will stay behind and come with the cops when I call for it.”

“Are you insane?” Donghae asked right away. “How can you be so sure of this!? And a brothel! You want my people to sneak into a brothel!? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is!?”

“I’m not asking for your opinion.” Victoria calmly stated.

Donghae’s face grew furious before he shot up from his seat, “No, I’m not allowing it. Sneaking into a brothel…”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea either,” Kris added.

“Look at that,” Donghae pointed out. “It’s not a good idea after all.”

Victoria gritted her teeth together. “I’ve already looked into it. Whether you believe me or not is up to you, but Chorong, Namjoo, and I will be making our move this evening.”

“No, you won’t,” Donghae pressed his hands into the table. “Namjoo is not to step one foot out of this building!”

“Shouldn’t I be making that decision?” Namjoo spoke up then she turned to Victoria. “If it’s a job, I’ll go.”

“Namjoo!” Donghae turned to her.

The room silenced and Victoria turned to Chorong. “What’s your say?”

Chorong glanced around before turning back to her, “I’ll go.”

Donghae heaved a frustrated sigh and dug his fingers into his palm, “No. I don’t like this.”

“Not everything is going to go your way,” Victoria stated. “This is my mission. If you want to stay here, that’s fine too. I’m not forcing you.”

He turned to her, “What do you have under your sleeves?”

Victoria couldn’t help, but snort, “What are you talking about?”

“You have some hidden intentions, don’t you?” he accused.

Victoria narrowed her eyes at how immature he was being. “Isn’t your imagination great?”

“Donghae,” Suho called. “It’s fine.”

“You shut up!” Donghae snapped before turning back to Victoria. “Exactly what are you trying to do?”

“I think you’re a little narrow minded,” Victoria opinionated, “you really need to cool down, Lee Donghae. No matter what I say, you won’t listen to me.”

“You’re not agreeing to my terms.”

“What terms are those?” she challenged. “I’m the one who gave you terms you violated. Don’t be pushing your childish emotions onto me.”

“Lets consummate the meeting here,” Victoria decided.

She glanced over at Donghae who didn’t move from his spot.

~_____~

Suho turned to glance at the heated Donghae and said, “Donghae, lets go.”

“No, you leave first. I have some things to clear up.” Donghae told.

“Don’t stress over it,” Suho advised, “I’m sure Victoria knows what she’s doing. Why can’t you trust her?”

Donghae turned to Suho with a glare, “Are you belittling me?”

Suho opened his mouth to speak, but Tao surprisingly took his arm, “Leave him alone.”

He glanced at Tao hesitantly before glancing at that glare in Donghae’s eyes. He’d never seen Donghae like this before. After the mention of Eunhyuk, Donghea had really changed. With no choice he followed Tao out and one by one the meeting room emptied.

When the door closed Suho turned around, “I’m worried about Donghae.”

“What’s there to worry about?” Tao questioned. “All he wants to do is be in control.”

“You wouldn’t know.” Suho told.

Tao narrowed his eyes. “Are you so quick to judge to me?”

He opened his mouth to retaliate, but realized he might have poked Tao’s soft spot without knowing. “Sorry.”

“I don’t care if you’re sorry. I’m just saying, sometimes we need to learn on our own. Let Donghae go with his own flow.”

“You obviously care about my apology,” Suho emphasized his statement, “don’t act so hard, Tao. Are you so embarrassed of expressing yourself?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tao brushed passed him to walk away.

When Suho turned to watch him go his eyes swayed over to Chorong who seemed to be looking his way.

~_____~

Chorong had been going after Namjoo to speak to her, but before she even reached her Kris had pulled her somewhere else before closing the door. She was left almost speechless before she turned around to see Suho talking to Tao. Suho looked so serious. Chorong missed seeing his smile.

Her heart chased itself up into when Suho turned and caught her eyes before he started walking over. Chorong remained nervously glued to her spot.

“You ok?” he first asked.

Why? Was her face reddening? Or did she look choked up?

“W…why?”

“Ah…” Suho smiled. “I mean…you looked kind of uncomfortable during the meeting. Are you uncomfortable about going to Yeongwol?”

Chorong darted her eyes toward the ground shyly. How did he know?

“It’s also ok if you don’t go,” Suho comforted.

Was he worrying about her?

“Victoria seems capable and Namjoo will follow along to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

Chorong’s beating heart slowed down. Was he only thinking of the others? Or was he indirectly hinting that she was incapable?

“No, I’ll go,” Chorong shook her head. “It’ll be better if there are three of us.”

“You’re right,” he agreed before turning to look back. “I hope Donghae isn’t putting up too much of an argument.”

“Why?”

“He seems to be giving Victoria a hard time,” Suho muttered.

Did he not worry about her at all? He was always talking about the others.

“Oh…”

~_____~

“Ah! What!” Namjoo pulled her arm out and spun around to gawk at Kris.

“Brothel? Are you kidding me?”

“What business is it of yours!?” then she moved for the door. “Move it.”

He slightly pushed her back and put his hand up against the door, “Do you even know what a brothel is?”

Was he insulting her?

Namjoo turned to the side with a snort, “What are you going on about? Get out of the way.”

He shoved her back again, “Why would you want to go to a brothel?”

“Why don’t you shut up?” she snapped. “I’m not going there of my own ill will. I’m doing it for a job.”

“A job at a brothel? How much are you going to get a night?”

“You’re really getting on my nerves right now,” Namjoo gritted her teeth.

“You can’t go.”

Namjoo narrowed her eyes. “What do you think you’re doing right now?”

“I’m,” he stared right at her, “really attracted to you, ok?”

Namjoo rolled her eyes, “What kind of excuse is that? Move it.”

“Why?”

“Look here, we don’t have any strings attached. We are nothing, but colleagues.”

“Then lets be friends with benefits.”

“What?” Namjoo’s mouth dropped open before she let out a laugh. “You’re getting ridiculous. I’m warning you for the last time, move it.”

“No.”

Completely annoyed, she stepped forward and kicked his leg. When he let out a shout of pain she pushed him away and pulled open the door. Namjoo halted in her steps when Chorong and Suho turned to look at her. Slightly embarrassed, she quickly scurried pass them and down the hallway.

~_____~

“I’ll catch you later,” Suho patted Chorong’s arm before hurrying after Namjoo.

Chorong’s body heated up from his touch and her face flushed along with the jumping of her heart. Suho…touched her. A slow shy smile crept onto her face before she spun around to catch a last sight of him then turned to look at Kris who was hopping toward the doorway.

“Ugh…that little…” he mumbled before turning to look at her and straightened up.

“What are you doing?” Chorong frowned.

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing?” Chorong interrogated. “I saw you pull her in there. What are you? Have a crush on her or something?”

“I think you should be talking about yourself.”

Chorong snorted at him and watched him hobble away.

~_____~

“What do you think you’re doing?” Donghae inquired.

“The job I was called in to do.”

“Sneaking into a brothel is your job?” Donghae challenged. “Is that the best of your ability?”

“All I’m doing is trying to track down this Hyukjae you’re looking for down,” Victoria did her best to set aside her flaming anger, “what do you want me to do?”

“You don’t need to do dirty business like that,” Donghae stared straight into her pupils. “Waiting a few days for those men’s testimonies won’t hurt.”

“And what if they say the same as I’ve heard? What will you do then? Move in on them with this large group?” Victoria asked. “Go into Yeongwol, interrogate and search just as we’ve been doing? What do you expect out of the same routine we repeat over and over? One guy or two guys that will give us information about Hyukjae? Why not go straight for him!? When this chance makes the most sense and offers us the opportunity to move in small groups, why not do it!?

“Why? You’re greedy because this is your friend we’re searching for, but you want to do it alone? How are you going to catch him in a ion camp where only women do the work? Send Namjoo alone?”

“You think I would send Namjoo to a brothel like you?” Donghae reciprocated the statement. “I’m not like you, Victoria. I’m not a person who would take my assistant and bring her to a place where women tarnish their reputations; where women and men ruin themselves willingly. No. I wouldn’t do that. I would never step near a brothel. Not in my whole life even if Hyukjae is supposedly there. I have pride and dignity, and I can’t believe that you don’t have either of those.”

That was a complete insult. Stunned, stupefied, and shocked with how he’d said it Victoria found herself speechless. She couldn’t even raise her arm up to slap him across the face. All this energy was building up within her chest growing hot and dangerous.

He’d pushed her button.

“I’m going to pull you out of this case. Just wait and see.”

Donghae stared at her heavily before he turned out to walk out. The moment the door slammed Victoria felt her lips tremble in complete resentment. 

***Way to go Hae ~___~ 

***It's about time Tao start opening up. Omgawd guise, I'm almost at 200 pages with this story *.* this IS going to be a long story  

***Oh and I have another oneshot up for Namjoo & Sehun if you're interested ^^