~_____~

A flush of cold morning wind brushed against them as the car crumbled along the road. Suho’s car, again, was in near ruins, even worse shape than when Cho Chin Ho crashed into him. He only prayed that they would be able to get back to Seoul before the vehicle decided to break apart on him on the road.

Instead of taking the shorter route to Seoul, he’d been forced to make a longer detour to make sure that Hyukjae wasn’t following them. The detour had cost them another hour long drive. By the time they finally arrived in Seoul the sun was already at the tip of the tallest tree in the woods accompanying the highway.

They were exhausted and still overridden by the chill of a close escape. The experience of it wasn’t easily erased from his memory. He’d never had two crashes in one night nor had he ever experienced another car coming up behind him with the intent to murder. This wasn’t the only nightmare of the night.

Hyukjae had come after them, he was really there, he’d been there, and he’d attacked them head on. Plus, the gang had information on them all. All their lives were in danger.

The many thoughts rushed through Suho’s head increasing the panic rushing through his veins. He and Namjoo had really stepped into Hell.

“You ok?” Suho started once they arrived into the city roads.

“I’m thinking,” Namjoo began, “was that Eunhyuk or Hyukjae?”

Pressing his lips he was unable to give her an answer.

“If that was Hyukjae, where is Eunhyuk?”

That too, Suho couldn’t answer.

“Namjoo, this is…between us only, right?” Suho questioned. “Should we let the others know?”

Namjoo closed her eyes conflicted as well.

“Should we wait until we know Eunhyuk’s location then?” Suho suggested. “It’s better to make a confirmation before blindingly jumping ahead. Or should we not do it and tell the others?”

“We just need to find where it is Hyukjae is really hiding first,” Namjoo said. “However our circumstances are then, lets talk about it later.”

Suho could onlyquietly agree. Minutes later he finally arrived at headquarters.

“What are we doing here?” Namjoo wondered.

“I need forms to borrow a new car,” Suho explained, “and to cover the costs of damage.” Then he turned to her, “And dropping you off.”

“Here!?”

“Safest place for now,” Suho stepped out of the car, “we don’t know whether Hyukjae is doing the watching or if he has someone else keeping tabs on us. Better be safe than careful.”

“You’re going to leave me here?” Namjoo questioned closing the door.

“I’ll be back soon,” Suho said as they walked in together. “Take a nap in the library. You suddenly look like you haven’t slept for days. Maybe you should go visit the doctor, you could be exhausted.”

“What are you talking about?” Namjoo looked at him weird. “I’m not overworked.”

“I didn’t say you’re overworked,” Suho corrected, “just…you don’t have to act like nothing has happened to you at all. The things you’ve went through, I’m worried they’re taking a toll on you. Plus, nothing’s going to be easy from now on.”

“I don’t feel any of that, Suho,” Namjoo pushed him off, “I admit I’m a little stressed, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“But you will consider seeing a doctor. You will,” he prodded.

Namjoo rolled her eyes and looked away before finally turning to him.

“Fine,” she breathed, “I’ll think about it. I’m going to be in the library, look for me there when you come back.”

“I will,” Suho promised, “rest up.”

~_____~  

Victoria had looked pitiful and Donghae couldn’t help, but feel sorry for her. She had never looked so helpless before that lying in that hospital bed completely turned her into a different person.

Donghae sighed at the fever that had returned. Recovery would be a long way for Victoria if her body couldn’t cope with the gunshot wound. It never occurred to him that Victoria might be a lot weaker than she brought herself out to be. Even if he wanted to go forward with plans, there was a sense of responsibility to look out for the leader of the Aid team.

Without Victoria around; Lay, Chorong, and Kris would then move under his orders. He didn’t think time would forbid him time to assign them to different parts of the operation. If any of them caught on that he’d set Suho and Namjoo on a secret assignment, he’d be in trouble then.

Tao’s call that morning offered him time to think as he drove back to his place.

“So does that mean I’m going in for work myself? Or are you coming back? Where were you all night?” Tao’s questions piled up one after another.

“No, I’ll be there. I’m coming back in a few minutes,” Donghae said before hanging up.

Tao was having himself a good breakfast when Donghae walked in. Seated at the table with a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee looking relaxed like a normal city boy Tao turned to greet him. It amused Donghae to a point and he couldn’t help, but stifle a laugh.

Tao really looked normal and what may have been the greatest surprise was that he’d gotten up without Donghae yelling his name five times.

“What?” Tao questioned feeling mocked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

His frown sent a smirk onto Donghae’s lips before he trudged over to the fridge for a glass of cold water.

“Were you out drinking all night?” Tao wondered. “You need some hangover soup?”

Twisting around Donghae shot Tao a frown, “Hangover soup?”

Tao sent him a snort, “That’s what I’ve been eating over break cause you were drinking so much and I didn’t even know what it was!”

“I am not hungover, Tao,” Donghae said each word slowly and separately, took a gulp of some cold water, then walked toward his bedroom. “I’ll drop you off at work after I shower.”

Donghae walked into his bedroom to grab a change of clothes then made his way into the bathroom. It took him all, but half an hour to prepare himself for another long day. A simple breakfast warmed up his belly before he and Tao were on the road to headquarters.

It was another seemingly warm day, but gray clouds were about just like his schedule full of dead ends and strains. Soon, he predicted, it would rain again. Perhaps it’d be cold rain again, just a perfect match for their operation.

“Donghae,” Tao shifted in his seat to look at him, “you must have a lot of experience.”

“What exactly are you talking about?”

There were quite a few generalities of experience Tao could be talking about and Donghae wasn’t in the mood to be embarrassing himself if he said anything wrong.

“I mean,” Tao went on, “you must have had lots of interests in women.”

Donghae’s lips curved up surprised by what Tao wanted to talk about. He was like a shy younger brother.

“Ah…sure,” Donghae nodded knowing what Tao wanted advice for, but decided it was best to let Tao clarify himself.

“Just…how am I supposed to approach Namjoo so that I don’t look like a kid who’s just having a crush?”    

A tender smile entered Donghae’s face, “All humans are fools, Tao. Even adults become children once in a while. Just follow your instincts and do what you feel the moment calls for. Just remember, Namjoo knows a lot more than you. If you want to move a step forward, stay a step back. You know how she is, so you’re going to have to make sure she feels safe first.”

Tao blinked numerous times as he thought Donghae’s words over.

When they arrived at headquarters Donghae ordered, “You go in first. I’m going to stop by my office before we meet up with the rest.”

Standing in the lot Tao peered around, “It doesn’t look like anybody is here.”

“They’ll be here soon,” Donghae promised leading him up the stairs.

~_____~

Tao roamed around the hallways and poked his head into the few meeting rooms to find them all empty. He supposed that the downside of being with Donghae was that Donghae would have to be the first one at work. It was a little depressing, but Tao was most bored. Now he just wanted to nap.

Turning around the corner of the hallway brought him to the library, the perfect place to sleep. If the curtains were kept shut the room was just about dark enough for a good four hours of sleep. Tao liked the library more than ever now, but when he opened the door he caught Namjoo sleeping. She looked even neat and orderly dozed off while sitting.

He felt a smile crawl onto the corner of his lips before quietly shutting the door to make his way in. The curtains hadn’t been opened allowing only a dim light of the day to shine in through the aisles of the tall shelves. In complete silence he wondered how long she’d been sitting there.

Taking a seat on her right he turned to glance at her, his insides exploding with joy of having her to himself. Reaching his hand out for her head leaning against the top of the couch he worked to gently slide it onto his shoulder. For a moment Namjoo didn’t budge leaving him to assume that she was deep in sleep.

Closing his eyes to imagine himself sleeping there with her he thought they made a perfect picture. Namjoo’s head fit well on his shoulder and weighed ever so slightly. Almost five simple minutes of her slumber locked him into a state of imaginary romance before she suddenly lifted her head, forcing his eyes open in surprise. A loud sigh of relief and deep, intense breathing echoed throughout the room and she raised her arm up to press a hand to her forehead. Namjoo seemed to suffer for a bit from momentary shock while catching her breath.

Confused, Tao listened and turned in time to watch her get up. She looked unsteady and Tao didn’t want her to go yet. Their time alone in the library would become nothing if she walked through the door. Impulsively reaching his hand out he grabbed her lower arm expecting to turn her around, but Namjoo let out a scream of fright shaking him off and suddenly tripped backward.

With eyes widening at the small hope of being with her a while more turned into an unpredicted situation, Tao’s arms shot out to catch her. During the blow of the moment he could feel both their bodies falling forward.

Namjoo’s back ended up thudding against the wall, Tao’s face barely centimeters from it. Frozen in stance he could hear himself breathing and a ringing in his ears. He felt his arm around her waist, the other hand against the wall to prevent her from having slammed into it. As if recognizing the familiarity of him her fingers flexed around his arm.

Tao’s heart palpitated uncontrollably as a wild rush of thoughts chased themselves around in his head, but he most wanted to look at her. Slowly easing himself back with her hair brushing against the side of his face, he pressed and released his lips before raising his eyes to look at her. Their eyes locked at once and butterflies suddenly appeared inside his stomach. A flush of anticipation rushed through him.

“All humans are fools, Tao. Even adults become children once in a while. Just follow your instincts and do what you feel the moment calls for. Just remember, Namjoo knows a lot more than you. If you want to move a step forward, stay a step back. You know how she is, so you’re going to have to make sure she feels safe first.”

Lightly pressing his fingers against her back to reaffirm his hold he silently made note of her unwavering eyes. Namjoo didn’t look intimidated by him nor did she look frightened. There was uncertainty there or maybe it was embarrassment when her eyes threatened to look elsewhere.

An urge to retrieve what had been interrupted from them yesterday filled him up. They were alone after all and it didn’t look like anyone was arriving soon. Moving forward cautiously he stole a quick peck before edging back. His heart was drumming harder than ever and he wanted to hide his face in her hair by hugging her.

Namjoo had clasped her eyes shut tight before reopening them only to see him looking back at her. To break the oncoming silence Tao said what she already knew well.

“I really like you.”

Removing his hand from the wall, over her hair, and onto her face he slid a finger over the smoothness of her skin. This time he daringly moved in for another kiss. He wanted the realitly of the butterflies back in his stomach, the rush of anticipation through his veins, and the touch of her lips to his.

A clinking noise of the doorknob being turned forced him away from her as he turned to see who it was. Withdrawing her hand and quickly removing his arm Namjoo ran a hand over her face perplexed.

Suho made a little gasping noise of surprise and stared back at them both with wide eyes becoming awkward himself. A kind of half-smile held itself on his face to save himself from embarrassment appeared.

“Did I…interrupt something?” Suho questioned.

“No I just had a bad dream,” Namjoo mumbled before walking toward Suho and then disappeared out the door.

When Suho glanced over at him he wasn’t sure whether Suho had an idea of what had just happened or if it was just because Suho was being Suho.

“Come on, Tao, Donghae’s looking for you,” Suho said and walked out as well.

~_____~

“Good, you two are here as well,” Donghae greeted when Suho and Tao finally joined them in the meeting room.

Suho greeted Donghae back with an enthusiastic smile. If any of them knew his car had been wrecked in last night’s voyage to Wonju, he wasn’t sure how he was going to explain the situation. Plus, he was pretty sure that Namjoo didn’t want to have to deal with any more difficulties.

“I have good news and bad news,” Donghae explained.

“You’re not going to ask us to choose, are you?” Tao wondered with contradictory eyes.

“Alright, just spill it,” Suho cut in. “I want bad news first.”

“Victoria was shot,” Donghae informed. “We don’t know by who or why. Second, she was found at Eunhyuk’s place.”

“What?” Namjoo frowned, appalled by the news.

Suho could feel himself running cold. Hyukjae’s team were really starting to take them down. Would they go for Victoria again now that she was no longer in shape to protect herself?

“How is she?” Suho wondered.

“Recovery will be difficult,” Donghae answered.

“Then what’s the good news?” Tao asked.

“I thought about it,” Donghae nodded his head, “Lay’s starting the investigation into Victoria’s incident this morning. In the meantime, I’ll be sending you all to Wonju but I’ll be breaking you up into subunits.”

Suho carefully locked his eyes on Donghae, Victoria’s incident still spiraling inside his mind. He couldn’t forget the sight of their profiles he’d discovered in the storage shed last night. Hyukjae and his people could be keeping tabs on every one of them; whatever they did, whoever they were with, and the people they knew.

“What do you mean subunits?” Tao prodded. “We’re not going as a group? Why?”

“Suho and Namjoo will go on their own expedition in the areas we didn’t hit before when you guys were last there,” Donghae explained. “Tao, you, Chorong, and Kris will make a run through of the city for anything that seems strange. Take note, but you’re not allowed to make any moves. I’ve already informed Kris and Chorong.”

“And you?” Suho asked.

Donghae turned to look at him.

“You should go back to the hospital,” Suho quickly suggested. “We’ll be fine from here on.”

“What’s with you?” Donghae wondered.

All Suho could summon in reply was a small smile, but his insides were rotting with worry. 

~_____~

“Donghae!” Namjoo hurried out after him.

Turning around in the middle of the hallway he waited for her to catch up.

“What is it?”

“Just…if you go to the hospital, stay there,” Namjoo said, “take precaution, ok?”

The corner of his lips curved up uncertain, whether to be touched by their worry or to be worried about their worry.

“Why? Is something going on?” Donghae asked.

“I have a bad feeling about today,” Namjoo lied, “if anything happens, let me and Suho know. You will, won’t you?”

Donghae nodded, “You guys watch out for yourselves too.”

Then he turned around with a frown wondering if there should be anything to be suspicious about or not. 

***Another trip to Wonju again for Suho and Namjoo! Looks like they can't avoid the face of danger. 

***Vic's fight for her life next chapter! Will she try to trust Donghae again or not? 

***Chorong had Suho's luck now; stuck with Tao and Kris xDDD