~_____~

Chorong was thankful for the extra clothes Namjoo leant her without asking for it. When she had offered to sleep on the ground or on the sofa Namjoo had told her to just sleep with her on the bed, as if they had been long time friends.

In the dark of her colleague’s room her eyes traced the dull hue of the crescent moon floating in from the window. A still silence wavered about. With eyes tracing the walls Chorong thought again about how empty it was here. No pictures on the walls, no decorations, everything was too clean and organized, but there was nothing there that said it was home.

The shifting of Namjoo on the bed made her glance over her shoulder. So, she thought, Namjoo wasn’t sleeping either. Even though the silence deepend on it wasn’t as awkward as Chorong feared.

“Are you ok?” Chorong worried.  “I heard you were at the hospital.”

“It’s nothing.” Namjoo sounded expressionless, but Chorong took it as a statement that the conversation would end there and go no further.

Turning onto her back Chorong stared up at the ceiling, “Can I ask you something?”

With her back to Chorong she asked, “What?”

“You and Suho, why do you work so much? Just out of curiosity, I mean, is it because of a sense of responsibility, some kind of attachment, or is it some kind of escape?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Namjoo lied hoping to dodge deep talk.

“Just…you two are so dedicated.”

She thought Namjoo slightly turned her head to look back, but their eyes never did meet.

“Sorry,” Chorong apologized. “I’m probably keeping you up.”

But she was surprised when Namjoo suddenly spoke up.

“What else would we do? There’s no one; nothing else, but work,” her tone was smoothed with glumness. “You know, Suho has his problems and I have mine. There’s no place for us. We’re just kind of out there with nowhere to belong, like a fish shouldn’t be on land but it can’t go back in the water either.”

Of course it wasn’t like Suho could return to Military Operations after killing a friend. Chorong didn’t think he’d go back there willingly, not after so many ongoing years of needed theraphy. It’d be hell for him and it would all just trigger those memories everyday. When she thought about it like that, it was awful.

She didn’t think Namjoo would be able to land herself out there with a degree from the Police Academy. Being stubborn she’d sought her way into the police force and even if her father was dead, Chorong didn’t think Namjoo would find it in herself to go to any position lower than a cop’s.

The two of them really did stick out of the blue. They were groupless.

“Actually, we like it.” Namjoo went on with a lighter tone. “Without the strees we usually wouldn’t have anything to deal with. In life, you kind of need something to keep you going and work is probably the answer for outcasts like us. We just kind of fused work into our lives; without that there’d be no hills to climb, nothing to do. We may say ‘work is work’ all the time, but it’s the only way we can live.”

“But you can make more friends now,” Chorong added hopeful. “There’s so much of us, isn’t there?”

“For Suho maybe,” she quietly said, “as you know, he’s different from me. Everything was well in place before all this.”

Chorong’s heart gushed in fear of disappointment.

“Do you still not like our team?”

“I just prefer things as they were before your team came,” Namjoo quieted even more.

Chorong turned to look at her. The hue of the moon barely shone over her making her look like a shadow hidden away.

“Suho likes popcorn and movies; it’s a rule for him that they go together. Go see him tomorrow, go to the movies, and have lunch. He’ll enjoy it,” Namjoo quickly advised before pulling the blanket over her even more. “I’m going to sleep.”

An oozy warmth drenched Chorong from inside and she found herself smiling. Hidden underneath all that cold exterior just like the shadow she was hiding under was a lot of warmth and friendliness. Namjoo wasn’t such an awful person after all.

~_____~

An unexpected call that morning woke Suho up. The plan to sleep in was now ruined. Tao’s frantic voice was totally worse than his rooster alarm. Sitting up with dishelved hair in bed Suho yawned as the blanket slid down his torso.

“What?” Suho asked.

“Are you listening to me!?” Tao raised his voice impatiently.

Scratching the side of his face he turned to peer at his alarm clock, “Tao it’s eight in the morning. Can you call me back in two hours?”

“No! I need you now!” Tao demanded.

Bending backward to stretch his front Suho found himself landing onto the bed before staring into the blinding rays of the welcoming sun.

“What were you saying earlier?”

“What’s a good energizer? Something healthy,” Tao rushed his words.

“I don’t know. I’m not a nutritionist.”

Tao cried out frustrated on the other end of the line, “Will you pay attention!”

“I am,” Suho bluntly stated. “What are you up to? Is Donghae there?”

“I’m going to cook,” Tao answered before Suho let out a huge gasp and sat up.

“Are you planning to burn down his apartment!?” Suho questioned. “I’m telling you don’t touch the stove. Donghae loves his stove.”

“Can you shut up?” Tao ordered. “I’m not that stupid.”

“Sure,” Suho nodded without sincerity, “sure.”

There was a loud sigh before Tao asked, “What does Namjoo like to eat? You must know her favorite food at least.”

“I don’t know,” Suho dug at his nails bored. “Anything. Oh, she likes beer.”

Tao sounded baffled before screaming at him, “I’m not going to give her beer after she passed out yesterday! Do you want me to kill her?”

“Whoa, Tao,” Suho sarcastically said, “you’re thinking too far ahead there. Just make something you can, like noodles or something. Namjoo will still gratefully eat that.”

“Are you sure?” Tao sounded almost like a child uncertain of himself. Suho could tell that he was desperate about pleasing Namjoo, but to see him like this was different.

“Yes, yes,” Suho nodded then hung up before snuggling back under his blanket like a hamster under new sawdust.

Two hours later after waking and a fresh shower he was just about preparing breakfast when the doorbell rang. Today he was really planning to get some rest. He’d felt apologetic toward Namjoo yesterday. Not once had it crossed his mind that she may have been that fatigued, so since he couldn’t do anything without her he thought he’d stay in.

Everyone needed a moment to breathe. They were only human after all.

Setting the butterknife in his hand down and wiping his hands against his sweats he started toward the door. Maybe it was Donghae visiting, or maybe it was Tao. He hoped it wasn’t the latter.

To his unexpectation Chorong was standing on the other side.

His brows shot up in surprise, “Chorong?”

She managed a smile, “Sorry, for dropping by so unexpectedly.”

Quickly shaking his head he told, “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

A slight awkwardness grew inbetween them upon realizing he hadn’t invited her in, but at the same time he wasn’t planning on inviting her in. Today was his day to relax.

The smile further spread across her lips and she glanced downward before finally drawing the courage to look up at him, “You know, if you’re not busy I was hoping we could go out to the movies.”

~_____~

Donghae just walked out of the elevator with a bag in his hand, the other pressing his phone to his ear. This time he didn’t want to make the same mistake he had yesterday. Victoria should open the door this time for him and he’d call her ahead of time just to make sure she knew he was coming.

To his dismay she wasn’t picking up.

“I bet she’s doing it on purpose,” he mumbled to himself when he arrived at her doorstep and pressed the bell.

Tapping his toes repeatedly against the ground he looked around the empty hallway. No one was coming to the door, so he reached out to ring the bell again. Before he touched the buzzer the door unlocked and opened.

“I knew you…” Donghae started loudly before going quiet when Yoona stuck her head out.

“Ah…it’s you,” Yoona nodded in greeting.

His confused eyes landed on her, “Is Victoria sleeping or something?”

“Ah…” Yoona went on again before smiling sheepishly, “actually, she’s not in.”

Donghae didn’t trust her. The smile on her face read of something. She was lying.

“Is she feigning sleep again?” Donghae assumed. “She’s trying to avoid me, isn’t she? Tell her it’s not going to work.” Then he held up the bag of food he’d bought along the way, “I bought her breakfast, so tell her to let me in.”

Yoona glanced at the bag and barely laughed, “I’m telling the truth. She’s not in.”

With that being said for the second time Donghae frowned. He kind of believed her after all, but he still didn’t want to think it was true.

Pushing the door open Yoona invited him to look around, “She’s not in, really.”

It was no lie. Victoria was nowhere in sight even when he went in to walk around. Victoria’s bedroom was empty.

“Where did she go?” Donghae spun around to stare at Victoria’s beloved secretary, who shrugged din reply.

“She said she had somewhere to go, but didn’t tell me,” Yoona looked innocent.

Biting his lower lip Donghae narrowed his eyes and looked around once more as if he could find some clue to her current whereabouts. If Yoona meant what she’d said it definitely meant that no one had broken in, but where else did Victoria have to go?

~_____~

Tossing her phone aside after turning it off Victoria turned to resume attention onto the road. She was currently headed toward Donghae’s hometown, Pohang. What she planned was to look around the neighborhood he had grown up in, see if he had any friends left behind, and ask around to see how he was as a child growing up. Victoria was looking for information about his family.

To know every little detail about Donghae would help her find her answer to whether he should be considered suspicious or not. She would go to his school as well and talk to the teachers there. And she would ask if Eunhyuk had grown up there with him.

The drive lasted a few hours and she stopped by a coffee shop to take a break. Her body was still in pain, but her wound should have started healing by now. It was only a matter of time before she joined Donghae at headquarters again.

After chucking some painkillers down she turned her phone on to see the message Yoona had sent her.

“How did it go?” Victoria asked after calling her secretary.

“He believed it, but wow, he was super suspicious. I swear you two are from the same pond, if only you two got along.”

“Funny,” Victoria commented not amused.

“Well I’m not lying here. I think you two could work well together if it weren’t for all this suspicion you two are holding against each other. It’s such a waste of teamwork.”

Biting her lip she rolled her eyes, “Forget that. Hearing you say that makes me sick.”

Yoona laughed in reply.

“Where are you?” Victoria asked. “Have you started doing what I asked yet?”

“Yes, yes,” Yoona nodded. “I’ll text you his school and address. I finally got them after he left.”

“Good.”

“Is that all? When do you plan to return?”

“Maybe by evening.”

“Alright then,” Yoona nodded. “I’ll find out who Lee Hyun is and get onto the other things.”

Hanging up Victoria glanced around the shop over-stenched with coffee beans. The warm rays of the sun were beating in through the glassy windows, but a clean breeze of cold air brushed in when the door opened. Rubbing her arms to keep warm she turned when her phone went off again.

This time she stared at the screen.

Donghae’s name was flashing continuously.

Of course, she thought, he wouldn’t leave her alone. He would never leave her alone. Of all the fights colleagues had with each other, why did theirs have to lead to this?

Debating whether to ignore him or not she watched her phone die out only to ring again a few seconds later. Upon noticing the heads turning her way she finally picked it up annoyed.

“What the heck?” Donghae greeted not so kindly. “You’re only answering now? I called you how many times?”

“Well excuse me,” Victoria rudely returned the greeting, “I don’t remember making you my watch dog.”

“What!?” Donghae’s voice bellowed from the other end. “Watch dog?”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing right this moment?” Victoria questioned. “Calling me to ask where I am?”

There was a moment of silence from the other end of the line and Victoria took it as she’d caught his tongue. Part of her was enjoying this, yet the other part of her wondered what she was doing.

“Hey,” Donghae called out slightly thrown off, “I’m only watching out for you.”

“Watching out for me?” Victoria asked. “Did I ask you to?”

“Look,” Donghae grounded himself, “in your condition what do you think you can do if someone tries to attack you?”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but your concern is not my problem.”

“Are you…” Donghae started fueled up over her ignorance before catching himself and took a deep breath. “Never mind. Forget it. I don’t want to get into a stupid argument with you.”

“Same.”

“Where are you?” Donghae directly asked with no desire to jump around the bushes.

Victoria stared out into the morning street.

Your hometown, she imagined herself telling him. And she saw him rushing right at her from inside her head. What would happen next was something she couldn’t predict.

“The seaside.”

“What?” He sounded confused and lost. “Why are you there?”

“Because I want some air,” Victoria dragged her lie. “I’m hanging up now. There’s going to be no service, so even if you call I won’t answer.”

Hitting the button she ended the call. That should do him for a while.

Today she would find out what Donghae’s childhood had been like. And she’d get her answers to everything she wanted to know about him as well.

Grabbing her coffee she turned to walk out of the shop.