~_____~

Kris quickly followed Namjoo up the stairs. He felt that if he didn’t keep on her tail she would leave him behind intentionally. He was aware that his opposing her suggestion to come back here had irked her. Maybe he was sidestepping his boundaries, but what was he to do if he couldn’t help it?

“Can you slow down?” he asked. When she didn’t answer and he was clearly confident that she was ignoring him, he reached out for her arm to pull her to a stop. “Didn’t you hear me? You don’t have to act like you’re running.”

“Aish!” she spun around and pulled her arm out of his grasp.

They glared and stared at each other for a few mere seconds. Would it hurt her to listen to him? Frustration about how stubborn she was flashed through him.

“What is it you want from me?” she half shouted.

“For starters, you could tone down your stubbornness,” Kris began, “and second, can you stop acting like you’re pissed off at me?”

Namjoo turned her head to the side and bit her bottom lip while letting out an annoyed sigh. When she turned to him she had a stern expression in her eyes, “Let me clear it with you that I’m not pissed at you, but annoyed to the max. First of all, you can start with putting an end to your act of ordering me around as you please. I will let you know that I don’t like it. And should I remind you again that we are nothing, but colleagues.”

Namjoo turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. Staring down at her he asked, “What makes you say that?” She turned away from him so he tugged on her arm forcing her to look back at him. “Why are you trying to tell me we’re nothing, but business?”

Jutting her arm out she shoved him back hard which forced him to let go of her. “I think you’re the one with the problem. Don’t go shoving your issues on me here. I only came here to do one thing, my job. You best just play along or find something else to do.”

Without another glance at him she swirled around and walked down the hallway. Why did she have to be so hard headed? Where did she get it from? With a silent groan he quickly followed her.

~_____~

Chafed, irked, irritated, and just plain annoyed with Kris Namjoo continued stomping down the hallway trying to recall which door belonged to Win. She had to stop and think for a second before backtracking two doors back. Namjoo stared at the tan colored door before she knocked on it twice.

“Yes!?” a voice answered.

It was definitely her, Namjoo was sure of it. Without waiting for her to open the door Namjoo grabbed the knob and twisted it before pushing it open. She recognized the room at once and turned to see the female smoking by the open window. Win had her hair up in a messy bun with loose trails falling down her shoulders. There was this smirk on her lips when she turned to look her way.

“What’s the business today?” Win questioned leaning against the window sill. “Heard you ran out yesterday, you back for more?”

Namjoo gritted her teeth so as not to let her words get on her nerves. She wouldn’t be as low as to let Win screw her in with mere words.

“That’s her?” Kris asked from behind after shutting the door.

Namjoo glanced back at him from the corner of her eyes before turning back to look at Win.

“Oh…do be as open with me as you please,” Win held out her hand, “I had a feeling you were more than what you were playing. I saw you searching around yesterday. What are you, a cop or something?” Namjoo’s brows moved toward the center of her forehead. Win pressed her lips together as if pouting before shrugging, “I mean, I told you about that little note, didn’t I? Had a feeling you were looking for something like that, but what are you going to do with that? You’re not really going to try finding that lil’ girl, are you? I mean, it’s really a hopeless cause. It’s impossible to catch all the bad guys all over Korea, isn’t it?” Win snorted a little, “You guys are always trying to act so good. I mean, do you think I’d be here if there were that many good people around?” She cocked her head a little before asking, “That the man we were talking bout? If not, why don’t you get outta here so I can give him a little service?”

“I only came here for one thing,” Namjoo spoke with a strained voice, “so you better give me an answer, so we can return to our own lives. How do you know about that note?”

A smug smile crawled over Win’s lips before she shrugged and took another puff of her cigarette. “Well suppose I was ordered to clean around, found a little something, and decided to stick it somewhere.”

“Then you knew about it,” Namjoo stated before a subsiding anger coursed her voice, “but didn’t do anything about it?”

The woman shrugged once more before running her eyes over Namjoo, “Don’t you think we’re all meant to deal with our own problems? Why would I involve myself in someone else’s business?”

The thought of little Dan Bi being forced into ual labor blazed Namjoo’s mind. A little girl being forced into dirty work while some grown woman just stood by and watched…Fury swarmed through Namjoo and her blood burned from just the thought of it. How could this woman not do anything about it!?

“Not everyone is capable of controlling the nature of their lives. Imagine if you were to get pregnant no matter how cautious you were, you can’t control the course of nature now, could you? Imagine that little girl, now you can’t control anything if you were her, could you?” Win stared at Namjoo with blank, dead, challenging eyes, “Now, in what sense, are you trying to tell me that I should’ve done?”

Namjoo’s fingers twirled up into her palm. Just what the hell was Win trying to tell her? That nothing could be changed even if one tried? That effort would fail to make any changes…they weren’t talking about her, but little Dan Bi here…why though did she feel like she was indirectly being told off?

“Lets get out of here,” Kris grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door he’d opened.

Too lost and confused in the moment she let him swing her out. Once the door shut, Namjoo bit onto her lower lip suddenly infuriated.

“Let me get back in there,” Namjoo turned back toward the door only to have him pull her back.

“To what!?” he questioned. “Didn’t you see the way she was looking at you!? The hell…she has nothing to tell you. We’re getting out of here.”

She felt him pull her forward before they started toward the staircase. Thoughts and words rambled inside her head somewhat uselessly. Namjoo thought about her rebellion, about her family and how her father and mother had opposed her in every way. She thought about how she was raised to be married off to some man she didn’t know. Even as much as she had fought, she honestly hadn’t escaped far. What she had managed to do all this time was have her mother trample on her feelings. Namjoo was still swooned by her mother continuously, indebted and guilty toward her father, and regretful toward the brother she barely went to see anymore. She hadn’t escaped her fate. Was she infuriated because Win had read her so easily? That Win was right about her incapability to control even herself; her feelings, her world?

The doors of the brothel flapped shut behind them and Namjoo glanced up at Kris before flinging her hand out from his. Emotions of frustration, exasperation, and anger flushed through her. Namjoo just felt like sitting and sinking into the ground forever.

“What? Don’t tell me you actually let her get to you,” Kris said. When she didn’t bother to reply he grabbed her arm to turn her toward him. “Don’t you think you should turn when I’m talking to you?”

Even more annoyed at how he wasn’t giving her a breather she flagged him away. “Don’t you think your damn hands are going to leave me a bruise if you grab me like that all the time!? You can’t give me some air for a damn minute, can you!?”

His brow deepened on his face, “Gosh, what is with you?”

Namjoo had to admit she really just wanted to hit him, maybe flip him to the ground or something. However, a figure passing by really quickly caught her attention and she turned away from him. Stepping to the side to get a clearer look at him, Namjoo stared at his back. He suddenly lowered his head and pulled his cap over his head some more. Namjoo ran her eyes over his figure once more before her feet moved forward and she suddenly ran after him.

“Where are you going?” Kris ran after her.

“Eunhyuk…that’s him, I’m sure of it,” Namjoo managed to say as they ran on together.

~_____~

Tao tired of the continuous stares they received from the women on the second floor. He watched completely bored as Suho questioned them from afar. Was Suho an idiot or what? Did he not see those gazes they were sending him asking for some private time together? Tao rolled his eyes before turning around.

He paced the hallway for a few seconds and stopped in his steps. The numbers 214 stared back at him from the pale brown door. Inside his head he imagined Namjoo’s possible screams calling for the help in which she wasn’t to receive in the brothel. The mere thought of it sickened him immediately. Tao turned to stare at the staircase just a few feet away from him and after a second’s decision headed out.

~_____~

Namjoo allowed Kris to run past her and watched him cross the street after the running Eunhyuk. There definitely had to be something going on if Eunhyuk was suddenly trying to get away from them. It was all too suspicious, but the chase itself was strange too. Just what was going on?

She watched Kris follow Eunhyuk down the crosswalk and was determined to follow. However, her mind seemed to work differently. The streetlights had already given way for traffic, but her legs were still carrying her toward the street after them. Namjoo couldn’t bring herself to stop even when she saw the car on her left heading straight for her. In that instant she felt arms around her waist before she was lifted off the ground and back onto the sidewalk.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Tao screamed.

Namjoo turned to look at him her mind a blur. She couldn’t find the words to say before she quickly said, “Eunhyuk...Hyukjae…after him.”

Without waiting for him to make a remark she rushed forward. In just a few seconds Tao was already ahead of her, but he paused for a second and waited for her to catch up.

Grabbing her hand he lugged her forward, “You’re slow.”

Her body lurched forward when he pulled her and she found herself almost tripping over her own feet. He was insanely fast, but Namjoo supposed speed was all she needed right now. Namjoo’s eyes settled on his back. Tao was somewhat reliable after all. It was something she hadn’t expected. Her eyes traveled down to their locked hands and it occurred to her amusingly that she was holding a criminal’s hand. His hand was big and wrapped around hers like a scarf. She recalled him patting her shoulder in the hospital, but what exactly was he doing now? Was Tao finally thinking to help her and do his job at last? Or was he going to blow her off and be a lazy idiot again?

~_____~

Chorong and Lay dug around from desk, table, to shelf and found nothing. There really was nothing in the rooms but office and more office material.

“Find anything?” Chorong turned back to look at Lay.

He shook his head looking a little frustrated, “Haven’t found anything either. Looks like their offices are really clean.”

A sigh of frustration escaped her and she got up kicking the cabinet shut. “Lets get out of here.”

All they had left was the headmistress. Again, Chorong was feeling uneasy. How would she start the interrogation? How could she do it so that it wouldn’t instigate any negative feelings? Was there any way to avoid an argument at all? She was definitely sure that the headmistress was a stubborn being and wouldn’t give anything away simply. Hyukjae had definitely been in her office, hadn’t he? Should Chorong start off with asking about him and what they had been talking about? What if the headmistress denied knowing anything? How would she make the headmistress tell her anything?

She felt horribly anxious from just the thought of how to handle the case. Chorong wasn’t smart, she wasn’t outgoing or had quick thinking like Suho. There was no real experience in the field of action like Victoria. She wasn’t a leader in her work like Lay. Chorong was only a follower, but she was the only one who knew about what had gone on inside the brothel yesterday. There was no choice, no one, but her. This was all so pressurizing.

“Chorong?” Lay called out. “Is something wrong?”

Chorong turned away from the door she had been staring at. Lay looked concerned.

“Lets get this over with,” Chorong said before walking out of the office.

She paused in front of the headmistress’ door and knocked once.

“Come in!” a voice called out.

With that as cue, Chorong opened the door to walk in. The headmistress’ office was glazed in a pretty white shade with a neat little sitting area in front of her desk. She was a middle aged lady with recently permed hair and pretty curvy lips that belonged to a high school cheerleader. Chorong saw her as a pretty woman during her youth.

“I’m Park Chorong and this is my partner, Lay,” Chorong held out her I.D. “I have a few questions to ask you,” she glanced at the name plate on the desk that read Park Eun Young and continued, “Mrs. Park. I hope you will cooperate with me.”

The headmistress immediately looked alarmed, “I was briefed about your visit here, and of course I’ll cooperate with you as much as possible. But I have to tell you, there’s really nothing suspicious here. I don’t understand why you might believe my brothel has anything of particular suspicion.”

“I would have no reason not to believe you,” Chorong kindly started off, “but after one of our people discovered initials belonging to a missing 12 year old girl intentionally hidden behind a poster as well as a note, I believe there’s reason for suspicion.” She saw the uneasy twitch in the headmistress’ face. “I will start off with a brief detail about why we’re here,” all was going well and Chorong was slowly becoming confident in herself, “a man who goes by the name, Eunhyuk, and is also known as Hyukjae has been missing for four years. Now may I ask you if you’ve heard of that name?”

An uncomfortable smile which very scarily transitioned into a confident one appeared on her face. “No, I haven’t.”

Chorong pressed her lips together before releasing them. Dropping her tone of formality she asked, “I was here yesterday, did you know that?”

Park Eun Young looked a little uncomfortable before she confidently smiled again, “No, I don’t think I would have known.”

“I would have you know that the woman who caught your conversation with Hyukjae is one of my team mates,” Chorong continued, “Mrs. Park, I hope you’re aware that lying to me will only put you and your brothel under more suspicion.”

“How dare you accuse me of lying?” the headmistress questioned with an underlying tone of dangerous huffiness.

“I don’t think I’m wrong,” Chorong calmly stated. “I’m honestly confident you know the person we’re talking about, and you also hid little girls here. I would like to know Mrs. Park, if this is a hideout in the disguise of a brothel, or if you’re in some kind of alliance.”

“I think your statements are getting out of hand,” the headmistress finally shot up from her seat. “How dare you come here and accuse me without proper evidence? This is an insult, a violation to my business.”

“Chorong,” Lay whispered from behind as if to tell her to step down.

Chorong knew she was perhaps going too far, but she only felt that without provoking the headmistress she wouldn’t be able to get anywhere. Besides, who ever said that she learned how to interrogate the professional way?

“Then I would like my questions properly answered,” Chorong stubbornly pushed on, “I will repeat myself, Mrs. Park, have you heard of the name Hyukjae?” 

She unwittingly stared into the headmistress’ eyes sternly and didn’t dare look away for a second. Eye contact was most important next in line to keeping a conversation alive, Chorong had learned, so she couldn’t let this break. She had to show the headmistress that she wouldn’t back down. The only thing needed now was the truth to be told.

The headmistress stared at her with a fierce stare. She wasn’t dropping her act and she was going to protect Hyukjae. Chorong was weak with arguments. Throughout her life she had been known as a moderately calm person. There weren’t any aggressive bits in her like her cousins, who constantly fought and argued with each other. Chorong was an observer, a follower, not an instigator. She didn’t know what to say to piss this woman off. What was best to provoke her?

“The girls here,” Chorong began, “how many of them have come here willingly? How many of them die here a night? How many of them have been sold to you? How do you get them? Does Hyukjae bring them to you? Or do you give these girls to him? I’ll arrest you on the spot if I’m confident you have anything to do with human trafficking.” The headmistress’ stare thickened and Chorong slightly turned her head so that she would look all the more serious and challenging. “What is your relationship with Hyukjae?” 

***Eh....Chorong's having a hard time :[ It's going to hurt her later. Both Namjoo and Chorong are both starting to fall. 

***I have more HaeToria for you next chapter as well as a lot of foreshadowing. And I had one in this chapter too, did you catch it? ^__- Their conversation with Win definitely has something huhu~ I swear I'm going to hurt you guys later haha 

***Anyway, here is my update for the week :)