Her world had turn upside down, then back up again. The people she knew were no longer the faces she remembered, everything had changed, yet everything was the same. She kept looking at his trembling body the whole night, his whimpers, the cries and the panting kept her awake. He had insisted to walk back to the room, only to fall midway, hurting his leg and body. She felt her hair falling out as she so desperately tried to stand him up, failing miserably, hurting him in the way.

Everything sensual turned into fear as he started to cough some blood, but he, as stubborn as he was, reassured her he was ok. She decided to stay, sending a simple text to her cousin, telling him she was ok and that she wasn’t coming back that night. Knowing too well he would be calling, she put her phone on vibrate and continued taking care of Jiyong, until he fell asleep. He was having a fever, and probably, terrible nightmares from it. His body kept spasming as she looked at him, her eyes furrowed as worry crept through her bones and veins.

She got comfortable in bed, looking at the ceiling, contemplating the thought of waking him up or continue looking at him. She wasn’t even sure what she wanted when she felt him moving harshly next to her. She sat up, and so did he with a soft scream, panting and sweating as he frantically looked around the room, his hand already holding a golden gun. She held in her breath as she looked at him. Maybe, if she touched him, he would kill her, or hurt her. But, if she talked, it would be the same, she didn’t knew what to do, what to say when he finally looked at her, his eyes slowly turning back to normal. She saw blood in them, could almost see how his soul was tampered with the death of many people, could see the madness in them, fading into the lovable, normal man she knew and loved.

“Chaerin.” He said out of breath, and she smiled nervously. “You’re here.”

“I never left.” She said, not even sure what to say. She had never seen him so exposed before, so vulnerable. It was like a whole new person, meeting someone by accident. He nodded and set the gun aside, so smoothly and silently she thought she saw wrong. He gulped and rested his head back on the pillow, letting out a sigh.

“I dreamed you died on me.” He said. She gulped too, looking at him while she hugged her knees. He looked at her, one hand over his sweaty forehead, and shook his head. “Don’t ever die on me.”

“Well, I can’t really predict the future, but I don’t really plan on dying so soon.” She said. No, she still had to take revenge on her father’s death. She had swore she would put an end to the life of that man, whatever the cost.

“If I say run, you run.” He said. She furrowed her eyebrows, looking at him confused. “If I say stay, you stay. If I told you to stay silent, you do. Can you promise?” She bit her lip as he slowly sat up, now with more difficulty due to his injuries. His brown eyes bore into her as he awaited for her answer, and, after hesitating, she nodded. “Promise.”

“I promise.” She said. He nodded and put a hand over her head, caressing her hair, then her face and hands until his hand fell back on bed.

“I need to sleep, I feel so… heavy.” He said, resting once again his head back on his pillow. Chaerin took a glass of water she put on the nightstand and gave it to him.

“You have a fever, this will help.” She said and he nodded, sipping quickly from the glass. As he finished, he chuckled, handing her back the glass. She put it back on the table and looked at him, smiling. “What’s so funny?” She asked and he shrugged.

“You could have killed me right now.” He said and she frowned.

“I would never!” She said and he shook his head, looking at her with tender eyes.

“No, I didn’t meant that.” He said and moved to the side, facing her completely. She looked at his chest, almost drooling as his shirt sticked to his skin, showing his tensed and well toned muscles. “We have to be careful, you too, from now on. Food can be the best weapon, silent, quick and almost invisible.”

“You mean poison?” She said and he nodded. She quickly nodded, now straightening herself. “I know.”

“You know how to detect poison? It’s hard.” He said and she nodded.

“I am a nurse,” She said, then looked to the side, biting her lip. Now everything made sense to her. Everything her father taught her, the self-defense, using weapons, sniffing the food before eating it and knowing how to identify poison. He had always trained her for this, for the moment he died and she had to go on alone. “I also know self-defense.”

“You do?” Jiyong asked, genuinely impressed and she nodded, looking back at him.

“My father,” She said and stopped, remembering what Kikwang told her about not telling anyone who she really was. “He always wanted me to know how to defend myself, so he enrolled me in a martial arts school.” She lied. It was the best she could do, and even if she hated it, she had to. Something within her told her she had to.

“Are you, by any chance, an only child?” He asked and she nodded.

“All alone.” She said and he chuckled, lifting his hand.

“Same here.” He said as he moved his hand, caressing her cheek. She smiled and rested her face on his hand, closing her eyes as his soft skin touched hers. He put it down, and she opened her eyes, only to see him flinching as he put a hand over his abdomen.

“Ji?” Chaerin asked. He quickly shook his head as he took deep, forced breaths, holding in his pain.

“I’m fine, I need sleep.” He said and she nodded, lifting his shirt so she could take a look at his abdomen. Her eyes widened as he continued to whimper. His skin was all bruised, purple patches all over his abdomen and side. She gulped as he looked at her, slowly lowering his shirt. “Not all of them are new.”

“They are, I have not seen them before.” She said trying to lift his shirt again, but he didn’t let her.

“It was dark, there’s a lot you haven’t seen.” He said as he touched her hand. She gulped and looked at his arms. Up close, she could see all the scars he had on his arms, his hands. She continue to look until she reached his neck, more scars. He smiled as he nodded, sitting up. “Help me.”

“Do what?”

“Take off my shirt. I want to show you something.” He said. She gulped and helped him, slowly lifting his shirt. Her fingers grazed his skin, and she gulped, feeling hyped up by that single touch. Her nerves recognized him, everything about her recognize him, and it scared her. “You see this?” He said, signaling her his lower abdomen. The place didn’t had bruises, only a thin, silver line that went down into his pants.

“What happened there?” She asked, looking closely.

"I can't remember it all that well, was out for about 5 days. I do remember running, then falling on some sort of trap, then, everything out." He said. She nodded and gulped as he ed his pants, and she straightened up, only to hear him laughing.

“I have underwear.” He said and showed her where the silver scar ended. Just above his thigh.

“Oh.” She said and he nodded, trying to take off his pants. Chaerin looked at him with questioning eyes, and he gestured her to help him.

“My leg feels stuck to the fabric, I think it’s bleeding.” He said and she quickly nodded, taking his pants off. His underwear was black, Dolce & Gabana brand. She gulped as his bulge was perfectly showing in it, even if it was black. “Take a look.” He said and she nodded, looking at his leg. Her eyes widened as she saw the gauzes filled with blood.

“It is bleeding.” She said and Jiyong flinched a slight bit as he sat up, looking at his leg.

“It looks messy, can you clean it up?” Jiyong said and Chaerin widened her eyes at him.

“What?”

“You’re a nurse, right?” He said and she gulped, nodding slightly. “Then do it, please.” She nodded again and went over his bathroom, taking his first aid kit with her. She walked back and sat on the bed, scratching her head as she looked at the gauzes.

“I think this is going to hurt.” She said and Jiyong smirked.

“I am used to the pain.” He said, almost as a whisper. Chaerin nodded and opened the first aid kit, taking out a pair of sterile gloves and putting them on, careful not to contaminate them with her own hands. Once her gloves where on, she took out sterile water and sterile gauzes, and set them on a sterile pad next to her as she looked at Jiyong’s leg. The wound was big, about 4 inches long, and it was certainly bleeding. She touched the bloody gauze with the tip of her fingers and looked at Jiyong, he was looking at her with expectant eyes.

“Take a deep breath, this usually hurts.” She said and he nodded. She pulled the gauze a bit, and he held in his breath. She frowned and grabbed the sterile water, dripping a bit of it on the gauze to detach it from his skin. Slowly, she continued removing the gauze, until the flesh was exposed. She had to hold in her breath as she saw his wound. The transplant looked pale around his reddish skin. The puncture was neatly done, but it was suturing, and he was losing blood. “.”

“What?” He asked as she started cleaning while making a bit of pressure. She shook her head as she continued cleaning the wound. She could feel his eyes on her, and she looked at him, only to see him looking at his wound with narrow eyes. “That’s nasty.”

“It is.” She said as she grabbed yet another gauze and continued cleaning the wound. The blood was slowly stopping, and she let out a sigh as she put a clean gauze, making pressure.

“ Chae, what the ?!” Jiyong hissed as he held his knee. She shrugged and looked at him with an apologetic face.

“If I don’t do this the bleeding won’t stop.” She said and he nodded, resting his head at the headdress of the bed. He let out a breath as she made a bit more pressure, flinching along with him. “I’m sorry.”

“You should have told me.” He hissed and she nodded, cleaning the remaining blood. Finally, she covered it with sterile gauzes, leaving it completely clean and ready to go.

“There, you’re as good as new.” She said and he smiled crookedly.

“Can I sleep now? My head hurts.” He said and she narrowed her eyes, then nodded.

“You should.” She said as she cleaned the bed and picked all the used gauzes.

“Please be here when I wake up.” He grumbled as he got comfortable on his pillows. Chaerin smiled and nodded, going towards him and kissing his head.

“I will.” She murmured as she caressed his head. He smiled, until he finally dozed off. His soft snores made her sigh, and she slowly moved away from bed, taking with her all the used equipment. Chaerin looked at her phone, and narrowed her eyes as she saw the screen blinking. She went over it and grabbed it, looking at the I.D. It was Kikwang. She held in a breath as she looked at Jiyong, soundly asleep in bed. Taking another breath, she quickly walked out of the bedroom and into the living room, sliding the screen and answering the call.

“Ki, hi.” She said, her voice almost a whisper.

“Where are you? Why are you talking like that?”

“I am at a friend’s house. What’s up?” She said, hoping to sound convincing. She heard him letting out a sigh, and she stopped moving, looking at the floor as she waited for him to talk. “Ki?”

“The funeral is on Friday Chae, are you going to be there?” Kikwang asked. Chaerin felt the world falling on her shoulders as he spoke. She held in a breath and nodded, sitting down at Jiyong’s sectional sofa.

“I will.” She said softly.

“I know this is hard babe, but you have to be strong.” He said and she bit her lip, nodding slightly.

“Why did it took so long?”

“They were examining the body. Chaerin, I’m sorry to tell you this, but someone altered the autopsy. The bullet found on his body wasn’t the one who killed him. That’s why it took so long.” He said and Chaerin put a hand over , trying to control herself.

“Who would have done that?” She said out of breath, and Kikwang let out a sigh. She noticed he sounded tired, he was probably lying down.

“Someone who clearly doesn’t wants to be found out.” He said. “Listen, Taemin’s coming to town tomorrow, I think we should go and greet him. Sooman said it wasn’t safe for the three of us to be together, but I terribly miss my youngest cousins.”

“I miss you too Ki. “ She said taking a quick glance at the hallway. There was no one, the lights were off and she nodded. “I will try to make it. I have to go Ki, my battery’s almost dead.”

“Alright, be careful. I’ll try and contact you tomorrow. Love you.”

“Love you too, bye.” She said and ended the call, holding onto the phone as she let out another sigh. The day was almost there, right at the corner. It was hard, and the burden inside her heart grew as she looked at Jiyong’s terrace. There was no way out, there was no way to avoid it, but maybe, just maybe, she could make it through without having to carry that weight all alone.

The lights were off, but the murmurs in the living room were loud enough to be heard by a trained ear. Slowly, he opened the door and walked out, merging with the shadows as he tried to take a better look at her. She was talking on the phone, her hair hiding half her face as she held the fabric of her shirt, clutching onto it as if her life depended on it. Youngbae narrowed his eyes as he moved closer, taking a better look. She looked like she was about to cry as she let out a sigh and nodded.

“I will.” She said. He continued looking at her, at her broken expression, at the way she held her shirt and the way she held the phone. Everything about her screamed pain, not physical pain, more of an emotional pain, one worse than many bullets stuck in ones bones.

“Why did it took so long?” She said, and he felt he was being too nosy, but her expression made him stay. She widened her eyes as an expression of horror flashed through her face. “Who would have done that?” Youngbae gulped and nodded, slowly retreating, he had had enough. “I miss you too Ki.” She said, her voice almost inaudible as he entered his room. His heart was galloping as he let himself fall, resting his back on the door. The darkness of the room allowed him to think, and the more he did, the more he wanted to forget. His father’s word kept repeating in his mind as he held his head between his hands, trying to breath, trying to forget.

“No, you’re not free. And right now, you’re far from being free. You will fulfill Jiyong’s task, if he doesn’t do it. You will kill her, and her cousins. If you do it, then I will consider your complete freedom, away from us.”

The reward was too tempting, but the price was too high. He could finally get away from his father’s grasp, forget everything and start anew. He could do it, but then again, he couldn’t give that pain to his own brother. Even if Jiyong didn’t knew it, he still loved him. He could be Jiyong’s best friend all his life, if that meant his happiness, he was used to give as much. And he always considered Jiyong the less fortunate of them both, being him the one who had to keep the image and work his off, only to impress a man that didn’t cared. No, the Kwon name was cursed, it was too heavy, and he was glad he didn’t had to carry it. After all, he was only the bastard son of one of the most important and most influential men in the whole underworld.

No, his name was completely clean, didn’t had a curse on it; didn’t had a burden to carry or a world to impress. He always considered himself the most fortunate of them both, yet Jiyong, his dearest Jiyong had to carry it all. And to top it all, his own father, their own father, was plotting against Jiyong, and was using none other than him, the man that swore loyalty to him. Youngbae couldn’t do it, he couldn’t even think of doing it, even if he was given freedom, that freedom would be stained with the blood of the happiness of the other, and even he couldn’t live with that.

Gily's Notes: I'm on a terrible writer's block right now. I know what I want, but I can't seem to put it in words. And what's worst, I think this chapter !

Also, it's taking too long, and there's so much to be revealed, so, I guess it's either long chapters or long story... I hope it will be long chapters xD

And please, forgive me if it's take long, but I have been in so much stress I think that's the reason of my writer's block. 

Happy Reading ~ 

G ♥