A few months later

Heo Ga Yoon has been the living her life the way she never imagined herself to. She’s always been this strong-headed, calm and firm in making the best decisions for herself; but lately, ever since he left her – nothing felt the same anymore.

It wasn’t like she didn’t try to move on; in fact she’s been isolating herself from the outside world precisely because she wants to learn to stand on her own two feet once again. She doesn’t want Ji Yoon’s help; she refuses to hear to Ji Hyun’s constant motherly nags. She also doesn’t feel like letting herself being reprimanded by two girls who are actually younger than her.

They don’t understand.

They don’t understand just how much she loves Sang Hyun.

And they definitely have no idea how much she misses him; how bad her heart aches for him.

It’s already been 3 months since he had left her. He’s already been dead for three months long.

Everybody else has continued with their lives as per normal.

Why can’t she move on with her own life?

Sang Hyun wasn’t going to come back. He wasn’t going to return no matter how many times she calls out for him.

And then there was that letter.

That mysterious letter she had discovered in her mailbox; when she finally decided to go through her personal belongings. Hers and Sang Hyun’s belongings.

The small brown envelope was tucked between a few huge other parcels. Ga Yoon would have missed it if it wasn’t for the unfamiliar writing on it. There was no sender’s address for her to recognise too.

But the thing that surprised her the most was its content.

The person, the writer; whoever he/she is – they had apologised for Sang Hyun’s death.

They dared to even seek for her forgiveness.

He/she must’ve a desperate death wish or something.

It was smart of them not to include the sender’s address after all.

Yang Yo Seob doesn’t know how to answer his friends’ questions anymore. It wasn’t their fault they kept on harping on the incident which nearly cost him his life but there was nothing much that he could do too. He’s blocked out all unwanted thoughts from his mind. He doesn’t want to be reminded of that unfortunate night.

And because of that traumatic experience too, Yo Seob actually doesn’t remember how his attacker had looked like. All that he could afford was those pair of deep menacing eyes; piercing through his skin deviously. His gaze was as sharp as the tip of blade which had been sliced into him.

“Yah hyung!” he felt someone gave him a hard shove from the side and Yo Seob snapped back to reality instantly. It took a few seconds for him to register his surroundings but he soon realised he was still seated on his bed, which the covers pulled up to his shoulders; a normal routine since the last three months.

Beside him, Dong Woon was punching the game consoler buttons furiously as he glanced sideways at the older member briefly.

“Are you okay? You looked like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“A-anye,” Yo Seob stuttered, pushing the comforter away from him. Sitting up straight in his seat, he fixed his gaze on the game that Dong Woon was caught up on, pretending to be interested in it. “I...I was just thinking of some things.”

The younger boy pressed the ‘pause’ button and set the controller on the ground beside him. He drew his knees closer to him and placed his chin on top of his forearm. Looking up at Yo Seob with much concerned in his eyes, he started to open his mouth to say something – even though he knows the former would probably brush it off completely, like how he had always did.

“Hyung...do you...do you still get nightmares about it?”

Yo Seob let out a humourless laugh as he tried to punch Dong Woon on the arm but only managed a weak hit in attempt.

“What are you talking about? It’s already been months. I’m over it...”

But Dong Woon wasn’t going to get fooled by Yo Seob’s childlike smiling face anymore. He was hurting badly but he still pushes the other members away when they tried to comfort him. He doesn’t want to share the burden with them when all they wanted to do was to lessen it for him.

“Geotjimal,” Dong Woon said firmly, his tone sharper than he had intended to use. “I’m sorry hyung. But don’t lie to me. Don’t lie to us anymore. We just want to help you...”

“Just leave me alone then!” Yo Seob cut him off abruptly, raising his voice angrily now. “I don’t want to talk about this. I don’t want to think about this. Go away, get away from me.”

“Hyung...” Dong Woon made a move for his hand but the distraught Yo Seob just pushed him away furiously. Turning his back towards Dong Woon, Yo Seob pulled up the blanket once again; this time covering his whole self with it.

The tall maknae just stared after his hyung solemnly, guilt washing over him. He knew he shouldn’t have pushed the limit button; it was a little over the top. But he couldn’t help it. He was so frustrated, so desperate to find out who had done this to his friend who had once been so lively and the mood-maker of the group – now had become one of the most timid guys he had ever seen.

“Are you still involved in all those illegal underground dealings?” Ji Yoon asked casually as she applied the lotion on both of her hands thoroughly. Looking at her boyfriend’s reflection in the mirror, Ji Yoon noticed Chul Yong shifting uncomfortably on the bed as he flipped through the pages of the magazine he was reading.

“Are we really having this conversation now?”

“I’m not feeling sleepy,” Ji Yoon replied calmly. “Are you?”

She heard a soft sigh escaping his mouth as he sat straight up in his position. Putting the magazine away by his side, Chul Yong turned his full posture to face Ji Yoon whose gaze was still fixed on the mirror, not intending to look at him.

“Look...I’m sorry okay?” he started slowly, making a move to grab her hand but Ji Yoon was quick to react as she took a brush and started to comb her shoulder length hair straight. He understood the hint she was giving him and his hands dropped back down dejectedly. “I know I wasn’t supposed to keep anything like that from you but what was I supposed to say Ji Yoonie? You’re a police detective for God’s sake!”

“Why did you even have to get involved in the first place?” Ji Yoon shot back and whirled around to face him, her two eyes flashing in anger as she slammed the brush back down on the dressing table. “Why did you have to go along with my brother’s dangerous schemes?”

“I’m not as smart as you...”

“That’s not an excuse Chul Yong!”

“I feel incompetent around you okay?” he finally snapped, for the first time ever. Ji Yoon who was taken aback, shut up immediately. She just continued to gape at Chul Yong in disbelief, waiting for him to continue with his sentence.

“I don’t know what I was supposed to do! You know I’m not book smart. There’s no way I’m going back to studying. But how could I only rely on bartending?”

“That still isn’t...”

“An excuse,” he finished for her. “I know. Truthfully, I don’t know why I agreed to Chang Sun’s hyung offer in the first place. I don’t really like doing what I’m doing right now Yoonie. But for the first time, when I held the rifle for the first time ever, I finally found something I’m actually good at. Something that I can do by myself without relying on anyone else. And it feels good, being needed by others.”

“Does killing make you feel good?” Ji Yoon asked softly, millions of thoughts running in her mind as she continued to stare at Chul Yong’s youthful face; cheerful and easy-going by the outside but nobody really knows what actually lies underneath. She doesn’t know either.

“No!” he answered quickly, shaking his head vigorously. “Don’t get me wrong Ji Yoonie. I don’t kill for the thrill of it. Those rare cases, where I really had to kill someone, I did it with a purpose. Because if I didn’t do it to them, they were going to do it to others.”

“But it’s something I’m definitely not proud of.”

Ji Yoon studied his face carefully, taking in everything he had just said with much difficulty. She wanted so much to believe him. She wanted to trust him because she loves him. So much that it breaks her heart into a million pieces when she discovered the truth about his other life which he had been hiding from her.

Because she knew the risks involved, she was aware of the consequences both of them had to bear...

“Going by the law, I am supposed to arrest you now you know. Or actually months ago when we were hiding out on the rooftop of the building.”

She sharpens her gaze on him, challenging him with the most intense stare she could manage. But Chul Yong appeared unnerved as he took her hand in his slowly; and succeeding this time round. Ji Yoon let herself be touched by him; be lost in his eyes as he gave her a small sad smile which portrays a lot of different emotions.

“I don’t care if you’re going to handcuff me now. At least...I know I have nothing to hide from you anymore. I know the pain I’ve put you through. And...I’ll gladly accept this as my punishment.”

Taking even herself by surprise, Ji Yoon threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely, fighting back the tears from spilling over. She tightened her grip around his neck and she felt him hugging her back just as tightly.

“Pabo,” she whispered though her tears, her lips grazing his ear as she spoke. “How could I do that? How could I do that to the person who’s given me so much to live for?”

“I’m sorry Ji Yoonie,” she heard him apologising into her ear remorsefully, his hot breath tickling her neck as he did so. “I’m really sorry for everything. Jebal...forgive me.”

Ji Yoon wasn’t really the type to use up her tears on anything. Even when she skinned her knees, or even when her parents left her while she was still a young girl, Ji Yoon’s strong-headed self still wouldn’t let her cry.

But she just couldn’t bear it if she would have to part with the next person who has made such a huge impact on her life.

“Don’t...don’t ever leave me. Arrasso?”

“Things have been unusually quiet, hasn’t it?”

Doo Joon looked up from the beaten up black Toyota he was working on to meet Gi Kwang’s curious eyes. The latter was wiping off the perspiration from his forehead with his forearm as he leaned back against the wall tiredly. Next to him, Jun Hyung was working just as furiously on a brand new motorcycle which engine has already caused trouble just three months after usage.

At Gi Kwang’s sudden question, he glanced up briefly for a moment before taking a screwdriver from the table in front of him and unfastening a screw from one of the motorcycle’s back part.

“No news is good news,” Doo Joon replied simply before turning his attention back on the car he was working on. “We shouldn’t be complaining.”

“I know that hyung...But it’s kind of suspicious isn’t it?” Gi Kwang argued, pushing away the appliances in front of him. Placing both hands on his hips, he turned towards Jun Hyung who was pretending to be busy with his work but Gi Kwang knows he was actually thinking about the same thing. Each one of them was.

“Don’t you think so too? But why would they disappear all of a sudden? Do you think maybe they’ve stopped coming after us for good?”

“Would they?” Jun Hyung asked back, standing up slowly to examine his handiwork. “After the trouble they caused us, I don’t think it’s that simple.”

“You’re right,” a new voice spoke up from behind them suddenly. “It really isn’t that simple.”

All three of them turned towards the direction of the familiar’s voice and saw Hyun Seung standing by the doorway with a grim expression on his face.

“Seungie! I thought you had just left for food 15 minutes ago? How come you’re back so fast?” Jun Hyung wondered puzzlingly.

“And why do you look as if your house just burned down or something?” Doo Joon called out as he motioned for Hyun Seung to come into the workshop. “Anything bothering you?”

“I just got a call from Byung Hee,” Hyun Seung told them seriously as he sauntered into the workshop slowly. “The MBLAQ guys want to meet us tonight. At the restaurant where we had our first dinner together a few months ago. And he sounded really urgent over the phone.”