Chapter 1
You Said Remember Me II
It was an early morning. Stirring in her bed she finally awoke. The sun was already shining into her room from the windowsill above her desk just next to her bed. Sitting up she turned to look at the clock to discover that the day was already halfway into the afternoon already.
Her brother should have woken her up when he returned last night so why had he allowed her to sleep in when he was so stuck up about waking early? Rubbing her head she browsed her eyes around her closet sized room stacked with books, pictures, and posters of anime characters holding guns.
The rough knocking at the door made her jump.
“Aish…” she muttered too lazy to even step out of bed.
Nana knew she shouldn’t have stayed up so late last night waiting for her favorite idol group, MBLAQ, to perform. As she got out of bed her elbow accidentally knocked down the only family photo she had. It was a picture of her and her brother, Im Junsu, at her high school graduation. He had been the only one she’d had after her parents were murdered in a hijacking incident.
As the photo crashed onto the ground, its frame shattered into small pieces.
“Ah!” she gasped surprised.
She bent down to pick the photo back up, but the impatient person at the door continued pounding furiously. Irritated she quickly turned around leaving the photo to lie on the ground and stomped toward the front door. She passed through the small living room with a tiny TV installed and some games her brother had been playing before he’d been called out.
The sunlight was trying to make its way through the pale mild orange curtains when she reached for the doorknob.
“What!” she demanded when she pulled the door open.
The sullen expression on Kikwang’s sweaty face meant bad news and she sensed it right away. Nana was speechless during the next moment to come.
Im Junsu, her brother, had joined an elite hit-man organization - one that aimed to assassinate powerful political leaders after he dropped out from high school in order to giver her the education her parents always wished for her to have. Lee Kikwang had been one of those who worked alongside him on the front lines.
“Nana,” he called her name before his eyes started swelling up with tears. “Junsu…he…”
Her eyes grew wide in disbelief at the next words that traveled out of his mouth. Shaken with shock she pulled herself into a trance of denial. Grabbing his collar she tossed him into the house, threw him down to the floor, and place her hand over his neck threatening to choke him.
“You’re lying!” she screamed. “Junsu…he wouldn’t…he just wouldn’t…”
Tears flowed down her face uncontrollably. Kikwang sat up after assuring himself that she wouldn’t attack him again.
“Who did it?” Nana turned to him with fiery eyes.
He shook his head before Nana snatched his collars and pulled him toward her angrily.
“Who killed Junsu?”
/ / / / /
It was a mess. The alarm had been going off for 15 minutes now and even the security guards couldn’t seem to control the clash between the jail mates. Dark red blood had been spilled all over the place, the courtyard was a mass of struggles, and the echoes of a whistle rushed along with the wind. However, no one bid it attention.
Down the empty hallway, a tall man whose hair had now grown long and his face full of a full grown beard raced from corner to corner. The reckless security had infiltrated the courtyard in order to stop the fighting and had left the halls empty. It had been the chance he’d been waiting for during the last year.
The red blood roses were still lying in the depth of his memory as well as the image of the man who’d ruined it all. His heart rushed inside of his chest when he reached the large front doors, but before he could push it open someone decided to make the move before he could.
A bright white light flashed into his face blinding him. Pulling an arm up to cover his eyes helplessly he heard a low chuckle that sounded more like the mispronounced growl of an animal. Confused, he immediately turned to see familiar faces staring at him.
“It’s been a while,” one of them smiled.
/ / / / /
The alarm had gone off Wednesday morning. His dreams suddenly became a mass of cloudy white and his eyebrows twitched. Turning onto his side he moved an arm forward only to find that he had touched none other than the empty spot beside him. Slowly opening his eyes he glanced at the area where Victoria should have been sleeping in and sat up.
“Aish…” he growled annoyed at the alarm clock.
How he’d come to hate alarm clocks during the past year. Turning the beeping alarm off he took a glance, as he did every morning, at the many framed pictures he and Victoria had taken during the past year. Rubbing his bed hair he stepped out of bed and made his way down the stairs.
The scent of a freshly cooked breakfast wafted through the air and toward his nose. A smile appeared immediately on his face when he poked his head around the corner to see Victoria’s back facing him. Tip-toeing forward he threw his hands over her eyes.
“Ah!”
A cheeky smile made its way onto his face.
“Lee Donghae, move away before you’re sorry.” she warned.
He shook his head and made faces behind her. A painful cry escaped him when Victoria elbowed him in the ribs. Turning around she turned to glare at him.
“How can you be awake just now?!” she scolded. “I was up hours ago! How are you ever going to survive if you wake up this late?! Huh?!”
The corner of his lips drew up into a scowl, “Why are you yelling so early in the morning?!”
“Go get dressed,” she ordered turning around.
“I don’t want to,” he refused. “If you woke up hours ago, why isn’t there a single plate of food on the table?”
Victoria turned around with another warning glare, but he took a step forward throwing his arms around her.
Leaning against her, he said, “You smell nice.”
She turned her head to look at him, “Go sit down.”
“Yes!” he tossed his fist into the air after letting go of her and before sitting down he placed a kiss on her cheek. “What’s on the menu this morning, Chef Lee?”
Victoria snorted at him, “Vegetables and omelet.”
“What?” he whined. “Again?”
“Then you should go to the store and stock up on the grocery,” Victoria answered turning around.
Setting two plates down she poured the food onto the plates and took a seat beside him.
“You have class today?” he asked.
“I have class everyday,” she pinched his cheek. “Eat up.”
“Why? Where are you going?” he turned his head to watch her walk away.
“I’m going to get ready,” she replied before disappearing around the corner.
Donghae made a face and reached for his spoon. After gulping down breakfast he walked back up the their bedroom to find Victoria sitting at the desk tying her hair up.
“You’re done?” she questioned getting up.
“What? Where are you going?” he asked disappointed that she was leaving already.
“Going to wash dishes because men never do it,” Victoria answered.
“I do it sometimes.”
“In this household I’ve never seen anyone but your uncle do it,” she stated, “don’t you feel sorry for him?”
Opening the door she walked out closing it behind her.
Creating another face he complained, “You never want to spend any time with me in the mornings.”
Reaching for the clothes she’d set out on the bed for him he quickly changed before running back downstairs. He waited silently for Victoria as she finished washing the dishes and when she turned around he held out the tie in his hand.
“Put it on me,” he ordered childishly.
“What?” she asked with a frown. “You can do it yourself. I saw you do it the other day.”
“I don’t know!” he shouted pushing it into her hand. “I forgot!”
“I can’t believe you,” she muttered snatching the tie he’d given her.
A satisfied smile crawled onto his lips when she put the tie around his neck.
Placing a kiss on her cheek he watched her expression grow dark.
“What?” he asked. “You’re so angry today. Is it…that time of the month?”
Victoria frowned even deeper.
He sighed, “Then that means we didn’t make it.”
She purposely tugged his neck forward hurting him and as he scowled he discovered a smile fly across her lips.
“Have a good day,” she said after giving him a peck on the lips.
He turned around to watch her walk toward the door and bit his bottom lip in joy.
It was always half an hour drive back to Incheon, but he didn’t mind anymore. He didn’t mind anything after he married Victoria. Though she got angry with him every week he didn’t mind as long as he knew that she was proud he was her husband. Just the thought of it made him want to giggle like a little child. Lying beside her and watching her sleep in his arms every night or coming back home to find her still waiting up for him on school nights brought smiles to his face anytime. For once, he believed he was the luckiest man on earth.
“You’re late,” Chief Kang said not sounding angry nor happy.
“I was eating breakfast,” Donghae lied as he sat down.
Sasha glanced over, “Still cooing over Victoria?”
Donghae turned to her with a wide grin.
“Anything new?” Donghae questioned.
“I should be asking you if there’s anything new,” Chief Kang redirected the question.
“Huh? Me?” he pointed at himself. “Well, Victoria and I have been trying but we haven’t been successful yet.”
Chief Kang frowned at his answer.
“I know Chief, you’re a bit jealous of me,” Donghae smiled before Chief Kang pushed his head to the side.
“There’s been a jail break, follow me into my office.”
Donghae made a turn of his head as his eyes followed Chief Kang toward the office.
“Get your of the chair!” Chief Kang shouted from inside his office.
“Yes, sir!” Donghae loudly yelled.
“Have a seat,” Chief Kang ordered after the door closed.
Donghae did. Chief Kang took a seat adjacent to him and clasped his hands together.
“What?” Donghae wondered. “You’re being suspiciously quiet. Has something fun finally come up?”
“This is serious, Donghae,” the Chief started.
The smile on Donghae’s face dissolved.
“What is it?”
Chief Kang paused briefly, “Victoria may be in danger again.”
Donghae’s pursed lips fell open.
“What?”
“There’s been a jail break and I’ve been notified that Ren Gei has escaped.”
His eyes grew wide with surprise and concern.
“Is Victoria still at home?”
Donghae’s heart began beating really fast, “She left for work.”
Chief Kang nodded, “It’ll be ok if she remains on public ground…”
“No!” Donghae shot up to his feet. “No one can help her if he just suddenly appears! I’m going to go keep an eye on her. And don’t tell Victoria.”
“Donghae,” Chief Kang tried.
Without a word Donghae walked out of the room.
spring semester ends this friday and i'm off for summer break :D i'll get back on track with YSRMII
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