Yuri POV

*June-20-2017*

"Yuri, I'll just be going out early." Jessica said as she picked up her coat from the hanger.

"Isn't the court trial scheduled this afternoon? Where are you going?"

"Tiff's. It's been awhile since we have brunch together. And after that, I'll head straight to Anseong."

"Oh. Okay. See you in court."

She laughed loudly. "Alright. I'll see you in court, Mister Kwon." She went near me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Now, what was that?"

She giggled, "To calm you down for today. You've been hotheaded lately."

"We both know that's not enough to calm me down."

"I know." She giggled again. Then, she immediately captured my lips and had us into a much deeper kiss. Just when I'm about to lose my mind from her taste, she broke away. She stared at me lustfully and her lips. "I'm gonna go now, Mister Kwon." She then headed out and left me dumbfounded.

Damn. Sure that woman's a tease.

Hmmm. I should try to continue to be hotheaded, then. Maybe Stephanie might give me a hot kiss too. Or maybe, she, Jessica and I---

"ert!" Jessica suddenly shouted. It turned out she hasn't left the unit yet.

"Wh-what? I'm not even saying anything!"

"I can totally see your face from the mirror, Kwon." She opened the door again. "I'm going for real now. Stop with your erted thoughts for a ."

"I'm not even--!"

And yes, she shut the door loudly.

*Sigh*. What a daydream spoiler.

But, enough of that. I have a reason why I've been stressed out lately, though. First with Sehun, Next, with the strangers who he is conniving with: that hooded man who was actually with him in the warehouse and the Seeker as they always mentioned. Then, with Jessica's vengeance plan which, apparently, might endanger her life.

I have increased security and surveillance over the Hwangs immediately after the incident we witnessed at the warehouse. Tao's been helping too as he started to manage Hwang Security team hands on. He's been acting like Stephanie's personal bodyguard nowadays too. On the other hand, while I administer my security team, I have Rap and his underlings do some research over Kim Jongin, the one who is Jessica's dealing with, as of the moment.

We still made no progress in capturing Sehun. Rap's research, on the other hand, turned out to be uninformative. What he had gotten so far were Kim Jongin's aboveground activities. He's a physician who is doing charity works across the world. He's been practicing his profession for ten years already. He garnered numerous awards and achievements related to service excellence, customer care, and social welfare. He's been renowned as one of the best young physicians of this generation.

My hunch was also right then, that, Kim Jongin, the witness who fraudulently manipulated his testimony against Uncle Vincent, and the Kim Jongin who was Krystal Jung dating since last year were one and same. *Sigh*. What a small world...

Nonetheless, those weren't the things that had my mind befuddled for the past few days. Only last week, I stumbled across someone from my past.

*flashback*

"Oppa." someone with a familiar voice called behind me as I wait for my turn to withdraw in an ATM. I turned and found it was her. My cousin, Goo Hara.

I was dumbfounded at first, speechless as I don't know what to say.

"Can we talk somewhere else?" she asked. It seemed she's in hiding with her black hooded get-up and large sunglasses on.

"Oh-okay..."

She led me inside an unpopular coffee shop in the same block. We occupied the farthermost corner table of the place. "So, it's true then. You survived your accident." she uttered.

"Yes, did you not expect it?"

"Yeah, I thought you were already dead."

"..."

"Oppa, first of all, I want to say sorry for everything I've done. I know it's already too late to apologize but, trust me. I never really intended to connive against you. It's just that, my father---"

"And who actually was your father again?"

She was startled by my question. She then lowered her head and answered, "Siwon Goo..."

I sighed, "If you didn't really intend to connive against me then, why did you pretend to be his nephew that time? Why did you just play along with his plan?"

"He was my father, okay. I was so naive that time. I thought he meant nothing harm to you. It turned out he had an evil plan after all."

"Alright. It's already in the past. What do you want this time?"

"I want to make up for my mistakes."

"..."

She looked at me seriously and intently, "I want to be your eyes, oppa. Eyes towards your enemies."

"What are you talking about exactly?"

"I will be your spy on my father and the network of evil people who connives with him to totally bring you and Tiffany-unnie down."

So, there's even a network? Seriously, why are they all up against me and Stephanie?

"Why do you want to do this then?" I asked.

She sighed deeply, "My father's a very evil person. He'll do everything just to get what he wants, just to get his revenge. It was too late when I realized that, though. Like I said, I want to make up for my mistakes and at the same time, I want to atone for my father's sins. At least, maybe I can help with this method."

"..."

She looked down at her coffee cup sadly, "My father's already weak. His sickness was getting so much worse. Since March last year, he's been bedridden in the hospital. Yet, despite that, he never stopped on his plans. He's still hunting for your half-brother. And when Tiffany-unnie dropped BPE from her conglomerate, he even decided to plot against her, to destroy her. Then, he found out you're still alive just February this year, on that Singapore conference. You might think he's taking too long on executing his plans but, actually, all of these constraints have made his condition even worse. Actually, you coming out alive worsened his health."

"That just means he's no longer a threat, right? So, why bother?"

"My father will never stop until the last of his breath..."

"..."

"Look... Even if he's that evil, I still love and care for my father. I don't want him to end up like this. That's why I... I want you to make him realize there's no more point in this battle. That you already won against him."

"You know that I'll win against him once his lifeline's already cut, right?"

"Oppa, don't be like that..."

"Just what do you want exactly? For me to confront your father directly and tell him to stop?"

"If that is possible then, why not?"

"You're being ridiculous. Why would I waste time talking to such a man?"

"For you and Tiffany-unnie to have a peaceful life."

"Do you even think me talking to your father will help at all?"

"..."

"Your father's mind was already closed since sixteen years ago. He wanted to die in absurdity from the very beginning. Just let him rot, Hara."

"You... You've changed, oppa." A tear escaped from her eye.

"I did not. This has always been me."

"..."

"I'm sorry but, I don't trust you, Hara. I don't see any worth of me teaming up with you. In fact, just being with you already makes me unsecured. You won't help. You're just going to make it worse."

"..."

"If you have no more things to say, I'll be going ahead." I stood up and started to head out of the cafe.

Yet, halfway, she shouted, "He's after the tycoon!"

I turned to face her. I went nearer. "Tycoon?"

She continued to look away then responded in reduced volume, "The Hwang Tycoon. Jaejoong Hwang."

"..."

"My father's now targeting him instead. That will have the Hwangs totally out of the picture since---" She gazed at me. "Tiffany-unnie has no clue of my dad's connivance with her father. He's actually planning to let Sir Jaejoong Hwang as his last target, but, circumstances have changed. He reversed his target list and had the man as the first one to be eliminated."

"Why should I care? Actually, it's more favorable for me that my enemies are planning to kill each other. I am so much fine with that."

"I know you still care." She stood up directly in front of me. "He's your father's step-brother and best friend after all."

*end-of-flashback*

Should I?

Why should I?

Is there even a point to care about him? Because of him, my life went to hell.

*Sigh*.

Still, he's Stephanie's father, though.

I'd rather not have Stephanie hold more grudge on me if I didn't inform them about this.

Right. At least, for Stephanie's sake, I should.

---

Tao decided to accompany me in watching the court trial of Uncle Vincent. We both decided to wear disguises as we both wanted to surprise Pops after he gets exonerated by this week. Yeah, it's certain that he'll be freed from his case soon. Jessica has given me the most recent standings and facts of the reopened case. Uncle Vincent will sure win this.

It's only a less than an hour left before the court trial starts. We waited in the hallway for a while. Right then, the Kims have arrived, Dambi-noona, Taeyeon's mother, then him, Taeyeon. Jessica told me before that Taeyeon never attended the first few hearings. It's his first time to actually attend now.

The former two were walking