~_____~

The plane ride didn’t even last an hour. After 45 short minutes they were already in Namwon. Thanks to the fact that Namwon was the setting of a famous love story, many couples came to the city. The second Chorong exited the plane and started her way through the airport all she saw from right to left were couples of young to old ages.

It felt awkward being surrounded by people who were lovey-dovey, plus she and Lay were a team of the opposite . Chorong quietly feared that others would mistake them for a couple. It was already bad enough that she couldn’t even think of anything to say to him. She just wanted to deal with work and get it over with.

Since work was what held the most priority for her at the moment, Chorong continued reminding herself to work hard and stay focused. It was important that she catch up to the others.

Traffic was heavy and bustling outside. A large tour bus was parked just behind a long line of taxis waiting for customers. In the distance Chorong could hear horns going off and heavy engines rumbling against the concrete. That was right. It was just mid-afternoon. There was yet a whole day to waste.

She tilted her head to look up and saw an airplane just taking flight. Had Suho arrived at his destination yet? Probably not. She wondered if he was enjoying his flight knowing how calm he would be.

“Wow, it’s warm,” Lay commented stretching his arms out.

Chorong nodded in reply. “What should we do first? Check in or go to the police station?”

“Mmm…are you hungry?”

She shook her head.

“Then lets go to the police station first and check in after we’ve looked around a little. Sound good?”

“Lets do that then.” Chorong agreed.

After filing out some forms and getting the guns licensed to them they finally started their venture around the city. The streets were plain with various cracks in the center of the road. There were cars parked all over the side of the streets and some young students in school uniforms were roaming around when they should still be in school. Chorong spotted a lot of the older adults walking around busy at work or carrying out their own errands. She spotted smoke coming from a house where a mom was probably preparing a late lunch in the kitchen. Chorong thought she could see her mother clumsily preparing a meal with the housemaid in the home she hadn’t visited the past year.

“It’s a pretty small city,” Lay said looking around. “We could trace each street to another really easily. I would have to say the people working for the gang would have to know the residents around here really well.”

“What?” Chorong turned to him before quickly planting what he’d just said into her head. “Oh yea.”

“We’re getting near the park. Do you want to go to the bridge?” Lay asked.

Chorong followed his gaze to see a green pond and a silver stone bridge built over it. Without answering she followed him across the pavement. There were a few visitors and foreign tourists around the park taking pictures of the pavilion and the scenery that surrounded the life it kept within it. Instead of heading toward the pavilion like the rest, Lay walked toward the bridge and stood on it while looking out upon the deep green pond. There was nothing, but a blank greenness that seemed to reflect the white sunlight. It sparkled spontaneously and Chorong thought she could feel the little currents tickling her toes even when she wasn’t wearing sandals.

“It’s quite nice here,” Lay complimented, “even if it’s not as refined as Seoul.” There was a small smile that tingled his lips when Chorong looked at him. He looked like he was at peace with himself, with everything. For some reason, Chorong admired the fact that could feel so good about himself.

“Have you been here before?” Chorong wondered.

“No, my grandma came here with my grandpa before he passed away,” Lay explained turning to her then turned away again. “They say Namwon is known as the City of Love, you know, because of its connection to the love story of Chunhyang. There’s a lot of myths about how lovers meet, like if they cross each other’s paths at this park they’ll have a happy life together. Oh…I think there’s one for this bridge too. Mmm…I think my grandma told me that any couple who steps on this bridge once a year is ensured a happy marriage.” He laughed somewhat as if he’d just cracked a really good joke before turning to her. “I don’t know if I believe those things though.”

When their eyes met Chorong quickly looked away. Within her head she repeatedly convinced herself that it wasn’t true. They wouldn’t be ensured happiness because they weren’t a couple to start off with. And she didn’t want it to be Lay, but Suho. Not Lay, but Suho.

Chorong didn’t like this. Why Namwon? Why such a city with such myths?

As if realizing her uncomfortable feelings Lay became quiet before speaking up, “Chorong, lets become good friends.” Chorong still resisted eye contact. “There wasn’t a chance for us to work closely together like this after what happened in Wonju, so I wanted to partner up with you again. You seem like a really genuine person, I admire that and your effort to be different. I’d like to get to know you more.”

Friend? Lay…wanted to work with her? He still remembered what she’d told him in Wonju about her family, about her time in the Police Academy? Even with someone as incompetent as her?

“Lets work together well, seriously this time.”

Very slowly Chorong lifted her eyes up and turned to look at him. There was a strong, firm smile on his face and she looked at the hand he’d held out for her.

This was official. Chorong finally felt a sense of assurance that she could do this. They were really a team after all. This kind of feeling of achievement was so different. Suddenly, all her silly thoughts of being over-worried about those love stories in Namwon disappeared. What did it matter how people saw her anyway? They wouldn’t know, they knew nothing.

And Lay… she’d worked with him the past week, and he was supposedly her teammate. Why was she so worried around him? Chorong just needed to loosen up a little. Yes, Lay could be her friend. They would work well together. And Suho…she would have to worry about him when she met him again in Daegu. Chorong knew what she was doing. Why did it feel like her priorities were only sorted now?

At last she finally took Lay’s hand and smiled back at him.

~_____~

Life seemed as lively as ever when they stepped out of the police station. Vehicles were going out in every direction nonstop that it was difficult to monitor the streets. Each sidewalk seemed manifested by humans. There were heads, heads, and more heads everywhere Suho looked. If there were to be a chase in the city Suho couldn’t guarantee that not an individual could be safe from getting hurt. The sudden sight of the bustling human traffic seemed all the more scarier.

He stopped to scratch his head and turned to look around. There were so many cars coming and going that he almost had trouble looking for an oncoming cab. He felt like a young child lost among a crowd.

“Over there,” Kris tapped his shoulder and he turned to see a cab pulling up to the curb to let off a woman and her child.

Suho and Kris immediately took the cab and directed him to their hotel. Finally feeling safe and secure Suho sank back into his seat with a loud sigh. Even if Ulsan wasn’t as big as Seoul, Suho decided that it was large cities other than his home town that left him nervous.

“Can I ask a favor?” Kris’ voice popped up into his head.

Suho turned and suddenly realized that Kris wasn’t just going to let him rest just yet.

“What is it?”

“You mind calling to see if Namjoo has arrived in Busan?”

Another glance at Kris and Suho thought he was quite pitiful. With just a nod he drew out his phone and dialed for Namjoo. He could feel Kris’ hard stare on him while he waited for Namjoo to pick up.

Suho shook his head when he nervously turned to meet Kris’ stare, “Not picking up.”

And just when he was about to hang up someone picked up. For a second Suho couldn’t understand any utterances. It sounded like a lot of endless panting and some breathless swearing. Other than that the only thing he could differentiate was the loud pounding steps and something that sounded like gravel being crushed, but Suho couldn’t determine what was going on.

“Hello?” Suho knitted his eyebrows together. “Namjoo? Namjoo? Hello?”

“What the hell are you calling for!?” Suho recognized Tao’s angry voice.

His face became blank and his eyelids fluttered. “Hey! What’s going on?!”

“You idiot! Why do you have to call now!?” Tao grunted and groaned very loudly. He still sounded very breathless to Suho. “Shoot! Now I don’t know which way Namjoo’s gone. I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, what –” Suho started before he only heard the beeping tone that told him Tao had rudely hung up on him. “Aish…that jerk!”

Suho redialed and waited for Tao to pick up, but he didn’t.

“What, what!” Kris sounded even more anxious. “What happened?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Suho shrugged. “Something must have happened.”

“Who answered? Was it Namjoo?”

Suho eyed Kris before answering, “It was Tao.”

“Why does he have her phone?”

A frown forced its way onto Suho’s face. “I don’t think that’s what matters. They must have caught someone. Oh well, Namjoo can handle it, or if it gets dangerous Tao will do something about it.”

Suho was about to turn away, but he caught sight of Kris’ conflicted face and it made him feel really bad for easily brushing his worries off. Suho sighed again. Why was he feeling dutiful to someone like Kris now?

“What?” Suho questioned.

“Tao wouldn’t know what to do,” Kris told with a frown across his face. “Last time when Namjoo got taken, he couldn’t even step up.”

Suho raised a brow before sinking back into his seat. Tapping his fingers against the screen of his phone he said, “Tao’s capable. You have to believe even a criminal like him has a conscience. Toward someone like Namjoo who’s been good to him, he’ll know how to pay her back. I don’t think he’s so bad. Though he’s a brat I think he’s a little like Namjoo, hard to understand. He’ll take care of her just fine.”

And Suho had no idea that what he’d just said triggered the biggest alarm in Kris’s head.

~_____~

Victoria sat on the edge of her bed allowing her toes to brush against the blue carpet of her room. Even with the window open and the breeze against her face she wasn’t feeling any better. Donghae had made her feel bad, but she felt she was right too. Where the heck was it that she stood?

Ruffling her hair up she shook her head and let out a shout. She was so frustrated. Donghae always made her so frustrated. Was he making her apologize to him this time around? No, but what she’d said had its reasons too. She was right, she wasn’t wrong.

She dropped back onto her bed and just lie there for a few empty minutes. She turned to pick her phone up and realized she’d been in her room for over half an hour. If Donghae was hungry he would have gone to get some bibimbap all for himself. And she thought he would gladly be eating a bowl of it all by himself. She could see him greedily stuffing it into his mouth hungrily with wolf eyes on her to make her jealous and angry. And he would eat more and more until there were none left.

The image of it irked her so bad she stomped right out of the room and charged down the hallway toward the elevator.

It wasn’t yet dark and since night time was drawing closer Victoria assumed it only seemed all the more exciting for young adults to be out and about. The sidewalks were just as packed as it was during the day. In reality, daylight wasn’t any different from nighttime.

Victoria calmly crossed the streets until she recognized a large sign hanging off the side of a building. She was confident it was the restaurant Donghae had mentioned earlier. Chewing on her lips she walked forward and turned to open the door.

The scent of cooked delicacies swarmed right into her face the second she stepped in. Victoria felt her eyes close for a moment to allow the scent to drift up her nostrils. Her stomach grumbled and she could feel the food sliding down and into her stomach. It definitely felt like she was in a cloud of paradise. She could feel water. Oh, she was so hungry.

When the door slammed shut after her Victoria’s senses awoke back to reality. A few customers at their own tables were staring at her before she saw Donghae making a face at her then lowered his head as if embarrassed. Victoria snarled and walked pass the various circular tables and a fridge with cold alcohol before taking a seat across from Donghae at his long table near the back.

Donghae muttered. “Can’t you go sit somewhere else?”

“Sit somewhere else?” Victoria repeated with attitude before her eyes landed on the bowl of bibimbap he was currently having. She knew it! Immediately turning around she raised her hand up, “Ahjumma! I want a bowl of bibimbap!”

“Aish…how embarrassing,” Donghae kept his head lowered.

Victoria narrowed her eyes on him before her eagle eyes darted toward Donghae’s bowl of food. She was so hungry she didn’t want to wait anymore. As if with a mind of its own her hand jutted out for his bowl, but Donghae quickly grabbed it in defense.

“Yah, what are you doing?” Donghae questioned. “Quit making a scene.”

She watched his eyes dart around to look at the other customers glancing their way. Victoria’s lips clamped together before she smiled.

“Why? Embarrassed? They can just think we’re a regular couple out on a meal together.”

“C…couple?” she watched his face constrict and felt her smile spread even more up her face.

“Is being my boyfriend a shame to you?” Victoria leaned in and shook her head in front of him.

She tightened her hand on the bowl that Donghae wasn’t letting go. It was so easy to spot irritation spreading across his face. His cheek was twitching.

“You’ll probably get booed for being mean to your woman, now let go,” Victoria thickened her voice.

Donghae chewed on his bottom lip and narrowed his eyes. “You’re even greedy for food.” Then he also tightened his grip on the bowl. “Apologize to me first, and then I’ll let you have it.”

“A…apologize?” Victoria repeated in distaste.

A sharp smirk made its way onto his face. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

This time Victoria felt her smile twitch.

“Well?” Donghae asked after a long second.

Victoria replied by shoving the bowl back at him. “Jerk.”

“Tsh…”

“One bowl of bibimbap,” the curly haired store ahjumma set her fresh bowl in front of her. “Are you paying together or separate?”

Victoria twisted around to look up at her while she wiped her hands on her apron.

“Together,” Victoria was glad even her brain and not just her reflexes worked fast.

The ahjumma nodded and turned to walk away. Victoria twisted back around to meet with Donghae’s deadly glare. A smirk crawled onto her lips while she mixed her bibimbap.

“Ah…thanks for the good meal,” Victoria said happily before indulging into her food.

Donghae snorted at her before he resumed to stuffing his face in an ugly manner and set down his utensils a few minutes later. When she looked up she saw him gulping down the glass of water beside him and set it down with a loud satisfied sigh.

“That’s right,” Donghae pointed a finger at her, “you owed me lunch which we had on the plane. But we can also use that for dinner. Thanks, Victoria. I’ll wait for you outside.”

Victoria felt drop open when Donghae walked away. She hadn’t expected this. No, this shouldn’t have happened. A stampeding frustration belted out from her as she turned around to watch him leave.

“Yah!!” she shrieked.

~_____~

Donghae let out a laugh when the door closed behind him. Stepping aside for some young customers he leaned against the building inhaling the fresh air.

“She’s thinking to outsmart me, well we’ll see about that,” Donghae talked to himself.

With a slight turn of his head he peered into the restaurant to see Victoria still eating greedily. Another laugh shot itself from his lips.

“Tsh…that was low of you,” Victoria grumbled when they walked back.

“Yes, yes it was,” Donghae nodded fervently. “It’s the first time someone paid for my meal.”

Victoria turned to look at him a little surprised.

Donghae turned to look at her before looking away, “And I don’t know what got you so angry earlier, but I guess I should apologize if we’re to work together tomorrow, huh?”

Victoria paused slightly before catching up to him again. “I don’t know why I got so caught up in my anger. I’m sorry, too.”

Donghae turned to look at her before snorting, but smiled afterward. “Then lets call it a night even though it’s not practically nighttime yet. I’d like some time alone now that I think of it.”

Victoria turned to look at him again. “Donghae, I’m sure we’ll find Eunhyuk.”

He nodded before they walked into their hotel and split up. 

***Heh~ I hope you're enjoying my quick updates ^^ before I totally get busy with classes and go missing for another week. 

***Next up, TaoJoo and another new day for the teams! Yay! I finally completed something for LayRong. Whether you trust me with my pairings or not, I'm gonna make you so wretched over deciding on them, and you will like them xDD Alas, HaeToria make up!