Chapter 12

"Its been a while hyung!" Junhong greeted as Daehyun entered his small room. "How's the daylight treating you?" he asked with a smile.

Choi Junhong was a tall seventeen year old who was an expert in hacking, investigating and mediating. At a young age, Junhong was a genius at hacking secret database. He knew how to fix a computer and build one as well. He was the ideal gang connection. Junhong lived in a small room below a bar. He has lived inside the room since he was seven when the owner took him in only to use him for business. It was fine with him either way since the owner gave him three meals a day and a roof over his head. The owner wasn't really his family but he couldn't care any less as long as he could survive.

"I want you to find someone for me." Daehyun handed Junhong the plastic bag which contained the letter and a small container which had a petal stained with the person's blood. Junhong received both and studied it curiously.

"Hmmm....a psycho? You have a way with the ladies huh, hyung?" he smiled coyly.

"It's not me. It's a friend. A girl." he said.

"Girlfriend?"

"No, just a friend."

Junhong flashed him a teasing grin. "Whatever you say Daehyun hyung." He placed the items on a machine that could trace people's DNA. The reason Junhong had all these equipments was because his father used to do all the things he did. He was just finishing his father's work to live on, to survive and to perhaps go somewhere with it.

"How long has it been hyung?" Junhong asked Daehyun. "Four years?"

"Maybe. Lost count." Daehyun replied.

"I see." was all Junhong said.

"Aren't you tired of being like this, Junhong?" Daehyun asked him. "Being under this dirty bar. Hiding under a building, away from the sunshine. Don't you ever want to explore beyond your computer?"

Junhong paused and the atmosphere turned glum all of a sudden.

"I want to but, where do I go from here hyung? I thought of the things I would have done if I wasn't a hacker. What would be the consequences if I escaped this world? Will those oppurtunities ever come to me if they knew my past? Right now, I'm afraid to try." Junhong replied.

Daehyun looked at Junhong with pity. In middle school, he spent most of his time in Junhong's room. When they had the time, they would play computer games together and discover new things with his computer. During those days when he used to be a thug, Junhong was the brains and Daehyun was the brawns. In the end, Junhong was like a brother to him. Even if he came out cold as a thug, a tinge of warmth always came back when Junhong was by his side. He was like a baby brother.

"I found it hyung." Junhong announced.

Daehyun stared at the monitor screen as the psycho's face flashed. Junhong grabbed the print out from his printer and gave it to Daehyun. "Here hyung. I hope you come back and you know, fight thugs again like we used to." Junhong flashed a childish smile.

Daehyun gave him a sad smile and ruffled his dye red hair. "You know I can't do that. It's not too late to change, Junhong." he said to the young one and left.

Junhong watched as Daehyun left and his room turned empty and cold again.

He didn't like it when his heart clenched in his chest.

It made him feel like a baby.

His room was cold again.

The only companion he had was his computer but he knew, that even it couldn't heal his loneliness.

He wiped the water off his eyes and went back to tend to his other errands because he knew it was the only thing he was bound to do.

It was the only thing he thought he could do.

"Hey Eunji-ah!" a middle-aged man greeted her.

"Hey Mr. Yoon, need some flowers for your wife again?" Eunji asked.

"You know me so well." he smiled.

It was a new morning and  Eunji spent the whole night in her grandmother's house. She ignored the presence of her mother during her stay there and focused more on the other jobs she needed to do. She gradually calmed down as time passed by and tried not to think of it anymore. She had more things to do and more things to think about.

"Here," she handed him the bouquet he ordered.

"Thank you." he accepted it gladly and went on his way.

Hyosung then came in with a huge and glowing smile on her face.

"Eunji!" she called out.

"Hey!" Eunji greeted. "I already called my people. They'll deliver the flowers by next week."

"Thanks, just wanted to make sure." Hyosung told her.

"You could have just called me you know.." Eunji said with a smile. "I mean, it might lessen the hassle."

"Nah, its no problem." Hyosung said. "I'm going somewhere else later anyways. I'm going shopping."

"You seem to be in bright spirits." Eunji commented.

"I asked the person I like on a date." Hyosung shared. "I finally found him after all these years and I never would have dreamed of asking him out. I really can't believe it Eunji. It feels like a dream!"

Eunji looked at Hyosung with envy and happiness. She was always happy to see her costumers in bright spirits. It made her bad day turn good especially since Hyosung's smile brightened the whole room, but it made her long for something like that again. She couldn’t think of anyone else by her side but him. She snapped out of her thoughts and went back to conversing with her customer.

“I’m happy for you Hyosung-ssi.” She said.

“Please! Call me unnie. Let’s not be formal alright?”

“Alright unnie.”

“I better go now, Eunji-ah. I trust you.” Hyosung said.

“I’ll do my best unnie!” Eunji smiled at her.

“See you around!”

“See you.”

Then Hyosung left.

Eunji went outside again to check her mailbox. She was actually hesitating at first but she had to make sure. She hoped and prayed that maybe it had all been a dream. She prayed it was just nothing but an illusion. She opened the red tin mailbox.

She was wrong.

Locks of hair were scattered inside.

A note stained in blood was placed on top.

It wasn’t a dream.