The hospital ward was partly empty, aside from a few nurses, it was completely empty. But, it was a normal view for Youngbae, given the circumstance that Kwon Jiyong was hospitalized and being taken care of. He walked through the corridors, trying to ease his mind as he clutched to his phone, thinking of Chaerin. She had seen too much in her young years, had suffered too much, and now, his heart ached as he thought how much more she will suffer soon.

He wanted to protect her as he had protected Jiyong his whole life. He saw her as fragile as Jiyong, but unfortunately, he could only watch as they both withered in front of his eyes. Mourn in silence as their last ray of hoped vanished in front of them, and he could do nothing more than watch from a distance. His whole life, he had been forced to be a shadow, a person backstage, working hard to make another person shine, to protect that other person. He knew he had hated it, but now, he just felt empathy, sadness, even pity at that person, shining brightly, only to be turned off by someone so close the very next day.

“Youngbae.” He heard at his back as he so absentmindedly looked outside one of the windows of the ward. Without much emotion, he looked to the side, bowing slightly at Kwon Younghwan, who was looking at him with his hands deep in his pockets. It had always impressed Youngbae how much alike Jiyong and his father were, their faces where the same, aside from the wrinkles his father wore.

“Younghwan, good evening.” Youngbae said. Younghwan nodded and walked next to him, his escorts staying away, giving them the freedom to talk. Youngbae looked at Younghwan and let out a sigh, he could see himself in him too, some kind of resemblance, or it was just his deep desire for him to look up to someone who had casted him away.

“How is he?” Younghwan asked, to which Youngbae shrugged. He didn’t felt like talking to him, and he knew neither did Jiyong.

“He’s alright.” Youngbae said. Younghwan narrowed his eyes at him and let out a sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Younghwan said and Youngbae shrugged one more time.

“His leg got torn, it was an awful accident, but fortunately, nothing he can’t overcome. He’s strong.”

“He’s not.” Younghwan said, but smiled nonetheless. “But I’m glad to hear it. How are you?”

“I am fine.” Youngbae said. Younghwan put a hand over his shoulder, and instinctively, Youngbae moved away.

“I see, you still don’t want me around.”

“Cunning, old man.” Youngbae said. One would expect Younghwan to feel angered by Youngbae’s lack of manners towards him, but Younghwan simply chuckled at him, looking back at the window.

“I heard he was in love, that Jiyong.” Younghwan said, and now, for the first time in his life, Youngbae feared what he would tell.

“So they say.”

“And I hear she’s one of the heirs of the Lee family, that’s unfortunate.” Younghwan said, and Youngbae widened his eyes.

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb, you know all of this already. But my question is, why are you hiding this from your brother?” Younghwan said, now looking at him fiercely. “Is it that, by any means, you think he won’t kill her as ordered? Is he too weak?”

“Younghwan, Jiyong’s anything but weak, stop pushing him to his limits.” Youngbae said and Younghwan smiled, nodding slightly.

“He has to endure this, he is the Kwon heir. You know this.”

“And I hate knowing it. I hate watching a man who has been broke by his own father.”

“So you think I have been harsh on him? He has been given everything, everything you couldn’t have, why defend him?” Younghwan said, and Youngbae bit his inner cheeks, trying to ease his mind and his anger. He couldn’t fall into his mind tricks again, he couldn’t.

“He has lost much more than I have.”

“Is that so?” Younghwan said, but Youngbae only glared at him.

“But one thing I have to thank you, father. You have given me freedom, even if it meant neglecting me, I am free.”

The pillows were wet, the room was dark, the bed sheets warm as the day turned to dark, as the sorrow turned to pain and the memories into shadows. Chaerin clutched to her pillow as she bit her lips, tears no longer came down, but she had cried. Kikwang continuously knocked on her door, asking her if she wanted to eat or talk, but neither seemed like a good idea for her. She was sulking as Jiyong’s face tormented her, all drenched in dried blood, gun in hand and a dead man on the other. She closed her eyes tight, trying to ease those thoughts, but all she got was more and more morbid images of him killing and torturing.

It was a torture, not knowing yet imagining all sorts of things about one person. She screamed in her pillow, trying to muffle it, too no avail. Seconds later, Kikwang broke in, looking around the room. It was dark, the windows were closed and the curtains shut. The lights were turned off and the only light illuminating the room was the now open door. Kikwang quickly the lights, and looked at Chaerin. She sniffed as she sat up, hiding her eyes behind her hand, the lights bothered her.

“Get up.” He said and walked towards her, grabbing her hand.

“No!” She said but he was already dragging her through her bed. She fought until he let go of her, her body was almost out of bed. With a frown, she threw herself back, hiding under her sheets.

“You can’t be sulking all your life, get out!” Kikwang said. Chaerin hissed and threw him a pillow. He caught it easily, and she frowned again. “What happened to you for you to be sulking like this?”

“Nothing happened!” She screamed as she got out of the blankets. Kikwang frowned and crossed his arms, sitting in front of her.

“Is it that Kwon boy? Is everything alright?”

“Nothing is alright…” She murmured, hugging her knees.

“Did he… hurt you?”

“Not physically, no.” She said and Kikwang narrowed his eyes.

“Chae, trust in me! Talk to me. It’s been hours since you got back and all you have done is this, hiding behind your pillows.”

“Kikwang, what does uncle Sooman really does? What’s our relationship with his life? Why is my mother so clingy to him when he hadn’t been there for us when your father and my father died? Why is it so important that we all be with him? Can you answer any of those questions?” She said, anger rising as she spat the words. Kikwang gulped, looking at her with wide eyes.

“Wow, so many questions.” He said scratching the back of his head. “Can you ask one at a time?”

“Who is Lee Sooman?” She said. The thought had been bothering her since the beginning, and she needed to know everything, and she knew he knew. Kikwang looked at her with an awkward smile and cleared his throat.

“Lee Sooman is your uncle, Taemin’s father and our parent’s older brother.” Kikwang said. Chaerin narrowed her eyes and bit her lip.

“Where is Taemin? Why isn’t he here?” She said and Kikwang widened his eyes as he bit his lip, looking oddly cute.

“He’s out of town.”

“Why?”

“Because uncle sent him out.” Kikwang said. Chaerin kept pushing her luck, now that he was so talkative.

“Why?”

“You really want to know this?” Kikwang said and Chaerin nodded seriously.

“By all means yes.” She said. Kikwang bit his lip one more time and nodded, moving closer to her. She handed him a pillow, remembering old times where both of them would spent the whole night talking nonsense, holding pillows and hugging them every now and then. He held it and slightly hugged it before setting it on his lap, resting his elbows on it.

“Sooman is the owner of one of the most important companies in our country, and one of the most influential globally.” Kikwang started. “That company’s name is SM Entertainments, he scouts people to train and become idols.”

“I know that, thank you very much.” She said and Kikwang nodded.

“But not all of it. That company’s a façade to it's true identity. He’s actually one of the most recognized drug dealers in the whole world. A mafia leader, if you may say. His company creates drugs and guns, and sells them around the globe, making him one of the three main leaders of the whole underground.” He said. Chaerin widened her eyes, her breathing got caught short as her hands slightly trembled. She kept thinking of Jiyong, and how could he be involved in anything of that.

“I can’t believe this.” She whispered and Kikwang nodded.

“There’s more.” He said and she looked at him with wide eyes. “Our parents, the twins, were the second owners of the company. My father was in charge of anything related to the investigation of new drugs and, once he made it, he could continue the production of it. He was a scientist in there, your father also. But your father was in charge of guns, of anything technological. Both of them were the brains, while Sooman simply gave orders. In theory, the twins were the real owners of the company. The Lees had owned it since who knows when.” Chaerin kept shaking her head no as Kikwang spoke to her.

“Our parents weren’t saints Chaerin. They killed, and they also made people kill with their discoveries. But,” He continued, even if Chaerin’s color had drained out of her face. “They were great in what they did. So great everyone knew about them.”

“I don’t believe this…” Chaerin whispered, holding her head in both her hands.

“I know, but you must know something, you, Taemin and I are the three and only heirs to that company, which makes us one of the most wanted people in the globe.”

“What?” She said and he nodded.

“Rumor has it they are looking for us, we have to be careful, and most of all, don’t tell anyone who you really are.”

“Did they killed my father?” She said and Kikwang shrugged.

“There’s a pretty good chance they did, but we still don’t know which company was.” Kikwang said, then frowned. “I personally don’t think the Kims did it, we have been allies since forever.”

“Then who did it?” She said and Kikwang looked at her, then smiled.

“We still don’t know, but we are working hard on it.” He said and stood up. “I’m sorry for telling you all of this, but you wanted to know.”

“Kikwang.” Chaerin said as he walked out of the room. He turned around and looked at her with an apologetic smile. “The other company, who are they?”

“Good night, Chaerin.” He said and walked out, closing the door after him. She kept looking at the closed door, her heart beating fast as she thought of everything Kikwang told her. There was a hole in her chest as she tried to imagine her father doing all those kind of things. How wrong had she been on who he was, how much more would she have to endure in that life? Hugging the pillow, she cried silently, hoping for all of that to be a dream, to be a joke and not be true.

Her phone started ringing, the noise too loud, breaking her little trance of despair. She searched around her sheets and finally found it, glaring at it as she looked at the I.D. It was Jiyong. She thought of ignoring him, but who was she to blame him for being who he was, now knowing she wasn’t who she thought she was?

Rolling her eyes, she slid her finger and held the phone to her ear, taking a deep breath before answering. “Hello?”

“Hi, Chaerin.” He said, his voice sounded weak and tired. She held in her breath, but tried to play it cool by simply disregarding it.

“Hi, Jiyong.” She said, hearing a soft sigh at the other line.

“I’m glad you answered.”

“You should be.”

“Are you alright?”

“You could say so.” She said, wanting to tell him how broken and empty she felt at the moment. The emotions were drained from her, and all she could do was look at her hands and breathe, not because she wanted, but because she needed it.

“Can we meet?”

“You mean me coming to see you?”

“I’m no longer at the hospital. I’m at my house.” He said and she widened her eyes. She looked at her clock, it was past 10 pm, it hadn’t been a day since he was under the bistoury, and now he was home.

“What? Shouldn’t you be like, recovering or something?”

“I am, in my house. Can you come and see me? I still shouldn’t walk.”

“I don’t think that is a good idea.”

“Then I’ll go and see you. I will see you tonight one way or the other.”

“You wouldn’t, you know better.”

“Exactly, I know better. I need to talk to you, I need to fix a few things and I will do it. You must know me as much.”

“Don’t come over, can’t you wait until tomorrow? It’s late.”

“Alright, I’ll be there in 30, be sure to open the door.” He said and Chaerin widened her eyes, holding her breath in.

“Wait, no, I’ll come over. Just tell me the directions and I’ll be there.” She said, rolling her eyes.

“Great, it’s my apartment in the city, you know where it is. I will be waiting for you.” He said and ended the call. Chaerin shook her head as she looked at the now locked screen, secretly smiling as his voice rang through her ears. Even his voice could make her feel complete, and even if she didn’t knew him at all, he was, for some odd reason, the only person in the world she could feel she could trust, depend and rely on.

Gily's Notes: DON'T FORGET TO COMENT!!

I love your coments!!!! *greedy stare*

We are coming so close to the DISASTER!! lol!

We all know what it will come... I know that, but I still have a few tricks under my sleeve, so don't feel too rested!

Happy Reading ~

Gily ♥