“Don’t shoot unless I ask you to!” Joon’s muffled voice came through Mir’s earpiece as the latter was adjusting his position to get comfortable. Beside him, Ji Yoon was doing the same too; crouching down low so that she wouldn’t be visible to anyone in the building situated on the opposite direction.

“Hyung, I know what I’m doing,” Mir rolled his eyes as he popped a gum into his mouth casually. “Just do your job and get Hyuna out of there okay?”

“Seriously Mir, we don’t want trouble if there isn’t a need to,” Joon’s anxious voice continued to fill both of Ji Yoon’s and Mir’s ears annoyingly.

“Hyung, relax. You just concentrate on saving your girlfriend,” Mir answered while Ji Yoon crawled towards the edge and her eyes searched for the three silhouettes figures wearing only a protective vest over their tees. But Ji Yoon knew that underneath those vests and pants, guns were packed and strapped against their body. Precautions were definitely needed in case things go awry.

“And Mir,” Joon squeaked when Mir was about yank the earpiece off in frustration. “Please keep Ji Yoon safe.”

“Hyung!” Mir retorted, his tone slightly louder than he had intended. The other three who had to listen through involuntarily, cringed in response. “You’ve got to have some faith in me! It’s not like this is the first time we’ve done this!”

“But it’s the first time Ji Yoon’s with us...” Joon started to argue but was quickly cut off by Seung Ho who couldn’t stand their bickering any longer.

“Alright, break it up you two. I’ve had enough of this. I might just shoot either one of you now instead.”

There were some buzzing sounds coming from each of their earpiece before it was filled with silence a few minutes later. Both Mir and Ji Yoon heaved a huge sigh of relief. She just hopes that her brother hadn’t really been shot by Seung Ho for real.

“So...” Ji Yoon begins while lying on her stomach beside Mir. She tilted her head slightly to the right so that she could take a closer look at her boyfriend; something which she hadn’t done in days, ever since their little argument. “This is not the first time you’ve done something like this eh?”

Mir paused for a few seconds before opening his mouth to answer.

“Ji Yoonie...”

“No, it’s okay,” she interrupted. “I mean, I get it. Something huge like this, it’s not easy to tell anyone else. It’s just that all these while I thought as the police figure between us, I was supposed to protect you. I wanted you to lead an easier life, without those guns and everything else. But then it turns out...you know more about them than I do.”

Ji Yoon looked down on her clasped hands and started to fiddle with her fingers. For the first time in her life, she was stumped. She couldn’t think of anything smart to say. She couldn’t think up of the perfect argument. She’s lost.

“Ji Yoonie...” Mir spoke up again, this time taking her hand in his and giving it a light squeeze. “Listen to yourself. You’ve got this all wrong.”

Ji Yoon raised an eyebrow at him, motioning for him to elaborate further.

“You’re supposed to protect me?” the corner of Mir’s lips curved up into a warm smile. He leaned in closer until the tip of their noses touches. Ji Yoon held her breath steadily. It’s been some time...she couldn’t remember when was the last time she had shared this kind of intimacy with her boyfriend. She definitely misses it, she misses him.

“Ji Yoonie...it’s the other way around. I’m the one who’s supposed to protect you, look after you, and keep you safe always. That’s my responsibility. It’s a promise that doesn’t need to be said. You should know that.”

“I’m sorry okay?” he continued in a resigned voice, still staying in the same position. His breath felt hot against her skin, so comfortably warm. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I wanted to tell you. But by letting you in on what we’re actually capable of, I’m exposing you to more dangerous situations than you’ve already encountered. Because when you know about me, it’s not only your enemies you will have to fight...you’ll find yourself fending off my enemies too.”

Ji Yoon was the first to pull away and stared up ahead in the far distance, her gaze focused on the huge building in front of her. Her brother, his friends, they were somewhere inside on the ground level; trying to talk their way out and saving Hyuna. She wanted them to make it out alive...she needed them to make it out alive.

But...would they?

And if they did, would it all stop here?

“I don’t have the USB you guys are looking for,” Lee Joon told his rival grimly, his eyes darting towards the weak figure standing behind the tall guy every few seconds. Hyuna’s head hung down low, her long blonde curls hanging by the sides, covering almost all of her face. Lee Joon couldn’t see if she was hurt anywhere but he knew she was. She has to be. These animals won’t let her have it easy.

“Then why did you come here for?” the guy who had taken Hyuna away from the club, bellowed. “I told you specifically...her life depends on that USB Joon. You think I’m going to let her go when you don’t have the thing I want?”

“Did you kill Thunder because of this too?” Joon asked back bravely, squaring up his shoulders to level up to the guy. “Did you think we took the USB from you?”

“Thunder...” Chan Sung smirked, pacing around Joon tauntingly. “He’s such a weak kid. Why did you take him into your group Joon? I did you a favour indirectly. I took out your weakest link.”

“Shut up,” Joon gritted his teeth hard with his fists already clenched tightly by the sides, reading to swing a hit at the arrogant guy’s face. But he told himself to calm down. He needed to stick to the plan.

If Chan Sung was the only one standing in between him and Hyuna, he would have no problem taking the guy down by himself. But Joon eyed the other two guys warily. He definitely needed some help to defeat all three of them.

“So, I take it that you don’t have the USB with you now?” Chan Sung broke into his thoughts, causing him to snap back to reality.

Lee Joon took a deep breath before saying the next few words carefully.

“We can settle this the easy way Chan Sung. You let Hyuna go now, and I’ll pretend this had never happened...”

Chan Sung clucked his tongue mischievously and took a step closer towards Joon.

“I’ve a feeling...I’ll prefer the second option.”

“You jerk,” Joon spat at his opponent and took out his handgun in one swift moment; aiming it straight at Chan Sung’s temple.

The latter held up his hands defensively, retreating back a few steps.

“Whoa Joon, are you sure you want to do this?” Chan Sung tilted his head slightly towards the back. “Not when Hyuna’s in the way, do you?”

“Didn’t you want the second option?” Joon mocked him while trudging bit by bit towards the taller guy. “I’m just giving you what you asked for.”

“Are you sure man?” Chan Sung gave him a cocky smile. “My guys...they are dying for my signal. They’ve always had sights on her.”

“Try me,” Joon shot back boldly. “Do it, if you dare.”

With the smug smile still etched on his face, Chan Sung snapped his fingers once. The other two guys who had been waiting impatiently, started to fasten the rope on Hyuna’s hands.

But before either of them could even make another move, they felt something hard pointed right in the middle of their back; making them froze on the spot.

“Don’t even think about it,” came Seung Ho’s commanding voice from behind the slightly shorter guy. “Drop your hands to where I can see them.”

When he still remained uncooperative, Seung Ho pushed the muzzle of his gun deeper into the guy’s back, causing him to flinch uneasily.

Slowly, he brought up his hands and placed them at the back of his head.

“Now, your turn,” G.O’s deep voice spoke up from the other tall guy, standing on Hyuna’s right. “Do the same as your friend or die.”

Unwillingly, the guy did as he was told and gave G.O a dirty look.

“Both of you, on your knees now!” Seung Ho barked, giving his opponent a slight shove. “And don’t try anything funny or I’ll pull this trigger.”

“Woo Young, Nichkhun, what are you guys doing?” Chan Sung cried out in bewilderment. “Get up now!”

“You’re not the one with a gun on your back Chan Sung,” Nichkhun glared at him as he dropped to his knees, with his two hands behind his head too.

“I don’t think these guys are joking about pulling the trigger man,” Woo Young said, a little timidly. “I’m not taking any chances.”

“Damn it,” Chan Sung cussed and gave Joon a long look. “You’re not kidding about this, are you?”

After finishing tying Woo Young up to the nearest chair, Seung Ho hurried over towards where Hyuna was slumped over wearily and untied the knots of her rope. G.O made sure he tightened Nichkhun’s leg rope before he walked over towards where Joon was standing.

“Don’t do this Joon,” G.O whispered to the enraged guy, who still has his gun aimed directly at Chan Sung’s head. “Didn’t we say we didn’t want trouble? You promised Ji Yoon.”

Seung Ho staggered over towards where both of them were standing, with Hyuna’s dead-weight leaning against him for support. Beads of perspiration had already started to form on his forehead as he tried to balance both of their weights together.

“Let’s go Joon. We’ve already got Hyuna. The other two’s tied up; this one won’t dare to cause a commotion.”

“Both of you go ahead and leave first. Bring Hyuna safely out of here,” Joon told them grimly, his eyes never leaving Chan Sung’s face. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t try anything funny.”

“Are you sure?” G.O asked him hesitantly.

“Yes. Now go.”

Both Seung Ho and G.O exchanged brief glances before the former nodded his head vaguely. But when both of them, together with Hyuna were halfway out of the large workspace, G.O suddenly remembered something.

“,” he muttered.

“What is it?” Seung Ho asked, slightly out of breath.

“There’s another two waiting outside. There’s no other way out,” G.O told him worriedly. “How are we going to get out of here, hauling Hyuna’s weak self together with us?”

Seung Ho thought about it for a moment.

“Get in touch with Mir. Tell him, we need his help now.”