“Doctoring her seemed to her as absurd as putting together the pieces of a broken vase. Her heart was broken. Why would they try to cure her with pills and powders?”

― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

The morning rays shone through the curtains, the Sun greeting the morning walkers as it illuminated yet another day. Chaerin looked at the windows through her eyelashes, her bare feet on the cold floor of her room as she arranged, for almost the six time on that night, the guns and daggers on her bed. Her hair was made up in a messy bun, her black tank top dirty with the oils of the guns as she cleaned them. Her shorts also dirty. She had spent the night cleaning her weapons once and twice and thrice that night, thinking and planning on her head as she did. For some reason, cleaning the weapons was like a therapy for her, being able to watch her reflection on her weapons filled her with happiness, with achievement and contentment.

The doorbell from her door rang furiously as she set the last dagger on bed. She frowned and walked towards the hallway that led towards the stairs. She stood at the edge of it, looking down as a couple of black suited men entered her living room. She quickly got back to her bedroom and locked the door, taking deep breaths as she grabbed the weapon’s bag and started to put them in. She quickly hid them all on the bag and put the bag on her walk-in closet, closing it with the key she had hung on her neck as a necklace. She quickly loosened her hair and took off her shirt and pants, throwing on a black loose dress she had lying on the floor. She tried to brush her hair with her fingers as she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. As she did, the men looked up at her. She bowed her head and walked down the stairs to greet them properly.

“Hello.” She said and the men nodded. As they did, Woochoong entered her living room. She looked at him, her face composed as he so casually took off his overcoat and handed it to one of the men on the living room.

“Chaerin, good morning.” He said as he sat down on her sofa. She nodded her head.

“What brings you here?” She said, her voice extremely calmed, she thought, considering her heart was galloping on her chest.

“I see you couldn’t reach the president. I’m disappointed.” He said. She nodded and walked towards her kitchen. One man followed her, and she turned, smiling at him.

“You want some juice?” She said aloud, for the three men on the room.

“No thank you.” Woochoong said and she nodded, still serving herself some juice. After she was done, she sat in front of Woochoong, her legs crossed as he slowly drank the juice. “Would you tell me what happened last night?”

“There was an… inconvenient…” She said, taking another sip from her juice. Woochoong smiled and nodded.

“I know my son was there. I hope you guys are getting along just well.” He said and Chaerin smiled and nodded.

“He was the inconvenient.” She said and Woochoong laughed hypocritically.

“Is that so?” he said and she nodded.

“He caught me off handed. I was honestly surprised.” She said, and Woochoong laughed again.

“You’re such a terrible liar Lee Chaerin.” Woochoong said, but Chaerin didn’t lost her composure as she looked at him, her eyes narrowed.

“Why would you say that, Kim Woochoong?” She said, her voice daring. Woochoong straightened as he looked at her.

“Kwon Jiyong…” was all that he said. She gulped down as she stared at him. “You met with him, didn’t you?”

“What makes you think that?” She said and Woochoong rested his back on the sofa, crossing his legs.

“He doesn’t has anything to do with the swollen lip my son had this morning, right?” Woochoong said and Chaerin gulped again. “Don’t lie to me, he was there last night, you guys met.”

“I… wasn’t expecting him to be there.”

“LIAR!” He yelled and Chaerin jumped on her spot, glaring at him.

“Why would I lie about that?” She said, her voice still calm and serene.

“You knew he was there, and you went there to meet up with him.” Woochoong said with an accusing finger pointing at her. His eyes disoriented, and for a moment, Chaerin could see the face of a mental patient, a psychotic person. She smiled and crooked her head.

“In that case, Kim Woochoong, you were the one who knew he was there, you were the one who assigned me there to meet up with him and try to torture me.” She said, now her finger was accusing him. Woochoong widened his eyes at her daring behavior.

“Is that so?” He said, his face relaxing.

“Yes,”

“And you’re going to tell me you didn’t felt happy to see him.” He said and she thought for a moment. If she said yes, he could blackmail her again, so the smartest thing to say would be no, tell him she didn’t cared about him anymore.

“No, I wasn’t happy at all. In fact, I’ve gotten over him long time ago. Don’t misunderstand me for a weak woman. I’m not.”

“In that case, I have a new job for you.” He said.

“A new job? Isn’t the one I already have too tiring?” She said and Woochoong laughed.

“Forget about that, I need you to kill Kwon Jiyong.”

Jiyong walked in circles on the living room of Seunghyun’s apartment as the guys planned strategies, ways to infiltrate Woochoong’s properties. Bom and Minjie tracked Kwon Dami, both too busy to even talk to anyone at all.

“He was at the club, it means he has something more than just killing Jiyong. There should be another thing he wants for him to be exposed at such a place.” Seungri said, his gun on his hands as he charged in and uncharged it.

“What could that be then? What could we had missed?” Daesung said. Jiyong looked at them, his hands deep on his pockets. James looked at Jiyong, his blue eyes serious as he did.

“We could have killed him.” James told him and Jiyong nodded quietly.

“What?” Seunghyun said and James looked at them.

“Both Jiyong and I heard him, he was just at the room next to ours on the club.” James explained.

“We had no idea it was him.” Jiyong reasoned. James nodded, then his blue eyes widened in realization.

“Do you remember what he said?” James asked him and Jiyong raised an eyebrow at him.

“Remember what?”

“What he was talking about that person, that she didn’t knew her task yet.” James said and Jiyong nodded.

“Wait a minute, you’re saying Chaerin still has no idea she’s supposed to kill Jiyong?” Seungri said and James nodded.

“I’m just saying that’s what we heard.” James told him.

“That’s not good enough. We can’t let our guards down.” Taeyang said.

“I already told you that you won’t kill her. Let her kill me.” Jiyong said, and Taeyang rolled his eyes.

“Again with that dying bull! I’m not letting you die! I’ve almost lost my twice for yours, I won’t allow you waste all that!” Taeyang said, and on his sudden outburst, he stood up, pointing at Jiyong. Jiyong smirked and nodded.

“You still sport your hot , and I mine, so forget about it.” Jiyong said, and Taeyang yelled in exasperation as he walked out of the living room.

“Youngbae’s right Jiyong, what good could there be if she kills you?” Daesung said and Jiyong smiled again.

“She’ll be free.” Was all he said before the doors banged open and a petite woman barged in. All the men in the living room stood up, guns in hand, pointing at the woman that had barged into the house. James stood in front of them, arms wide open as he tried to protect her from them.

“STOP!” James yelled, his English accent more evident now that he was in a sudden urge. Jiyong widened his eyes, then put a hand up, urging his mates to lower their guns.

“Lower the guns, she’s Dara.” Jiyong said, and so did all the members lowered their guns, still panting at the slight fright she gave them. But she was panting as well, her hair wet from sweat, her eyes disoriented. James took a step forward and she collapsed on his arms. James yelled her name and looked at Jiyong, who was frozen in place.

“Jiyong! I need help mate!” James said as he carried Dara’s petite body towards the sofa. She was lying unconscious, her face pale, and as James put her on bed, Jiyong noticed the blood on her shirt.

“!” Jiyong said as he ran towards the bathroom and quickly grabbed a hand towel and a vase, filled it with water and ran out. James was freaking out as he put her shirt up. Jiyong quickly handed him the vase with water and James dipped the towel on it, then started to clean the blood on her stomach.

“It’s a knife injury! I need to sew!” James said and Jiyong nodded. As he stood up, Bom gave him a First Aid Kit she had. Jiyong smiled at her and handed James the kit. “Open it!” James yelled and Jiyong opened it.

“Patrol the area, there must be someone out there.” Seunghyun said to Daesung and Seungri. Both of them nodded and left, gun in hand. “Youngbae, I think you should watched the front porch, just in case.”

“Where’s the armory room?” Taeyang asked.

“It’s upstairs, follow me.” Minjie said and both of them left upstairs. James had started to clean the wound while Jiyong assisted him.

“ she had lost too much blood.” James said and started to give her CPR. Jiyong looked at him, his face was sweaty and his eyes were glistening.

“James… is she…” Jiyong started saying as he dipped the towel on the water.

“We’re losing her!” James panted as he gave her compressions.

“James, calm down, you have to stop the bleeding first!” Jiyong said as he pressed the wound hard with the wet towel.

“If I can’t make her heart beat again, there’s no reason to heal that!” James said, still giving her compressions. Jiyong shook his head, murmuring curses as he pressed the bleeding wound on her stomach. By the feelings of it, it was made with a knife, probably a dagger, but it had to be, as Jiyong thought, made almost an hour ago for her to be on this state.

“Jamie, we have to take her to the hospital, she has lost too much blood!” Jiyong yelled as he looked at his hand, now filled with Dara’s blood. James let out an exasperated sigh and let his head hang low as he so desperately gave her compressions, and she would still not respond. “James…”

“! ing mate, I’m losing her! I’m losing her!”