Since the university was closed for the next couple of weeks for police investigations, Semi spent Monday with Wendy and Seulgi to reassure them that she was still alive.  They too had been to visit Tao, and he had apparently managed a vaguely coherent account of what had happened to him, which meant that Seulgi was now asking questions about Minseok, and Wendy wanted answers to the holes in her story.

“It’s so complicated, though,” Semi sighed, but there was no way such an excuse would ever deter somebody like Wendy.  She ended up spilling the story in full.

“Holy ,” Seulgi breathed when she was done.  “You’re married to Xiumin as in the Xiumin?  Oh my God.”

Semi was disconcerted that Seulgi recognised the name, but before she could ask about it, Seulgi went on.

“My uncle was involved in that case,” she said.  “Actually, he was the first one on site.  Xiumin shot him in the shoulder.  The whole thing didn’t make the press nearly as much as it should have done because of the scandals during presidential elections that year, which all hit the news just when Xiumin got arrested, so it got virtually no attention.  I knew I recognised him from somewhere.”

Semi dropped the glass of water she was holding.  “You’re related to Chen?”

“Oh yeah, Uncle Jongdae mentioned he had some sort of cute nickname in the office.”

Semi sighed and closed her eyes.  “This is absolutely insane.”

“Well, it makes sense why he kept asking me how you were all the time and telling me to keep an eye out for you when I first mentioned you were my friend,” Seulgi reasoned.  “He said he was working on a really big case this time round, but I didn’t expect him to be involved with you.  Well, I didn’t even realise you had anything to do with the police until Thursday, so….”

“And Jongin,” said Wendy.  “Tao said he’s an undercover policeman.”

“Jongin works for the FBI.”

Both their jaws dropped.

“He’s one of their top field agents.”

“But what’s he doing in Korea?” Wendy demanded.

“He was assigned as my bodyguard in the States because Luhan sent an assassin after me.  The FBI lent him to the police department here to help them with the case.”

“I would never have guessed,” Seulgi murmured.  “He doesn’t look anything like a secret agent.”

“He’d be a very bad secret agent if he did,” Wendy pointed out.  “Anyway, I guess this means all Junhong’s weirdness is forgivable.  I always knew Professor Lee was a creep.  I hope he rots in jail.”

It was near eleven when Semi got home, casting her shoes haphazardly on the shoe rack and combing out the absurd hairdo Wendy had insisted on attempting.  Accidentally catching a mouthful of hair and gagging, she went into the kitchen in search of a glass of water.

“Hi,” said a quiet voice as she stood by the sink and gulped it down.

Narrowly avoiding inhaling the water in surprise, Semi set the glass down and looked across at the table.  Minseok was sitting there nursing a hot mug of coffee, and he looked horrific.  His eyes were nervous as they met hers, and they quickly dropped from her gaze.

“You look really unwell,” she told him bluntly.  He glanced up at her again, eyes scanning briefly over her form and face, though he made no comment.  After a moment or so, Semi pushed away from the counter and went to take the seat opposite him.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked.  Minseok averted his gaze.  “Are you actually going to talk?  You were the one who initiated conversation.”

He looked down at his coffee.  “I’m an awful person,” he mumbled.

“Minseok—”

“I’m sorry.”  One of his hands traced around the rim of the mug.  “I know I’ve been apologising a lot recently, but really, I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that.  I just never seem to be able to do anything right.”  He exhaled loudly and slouched in his chair.

He looked so small and forlorn that Semi reached out for one of his hands.  She had to tug at it a bit before he let her pick it up from the table top.  “I’ve had time to think, and I understand why you asked me that,” she said.  “Yes, I was offended, and yes, it was the wrong thing to ask me, but I was no better when I told you it was a choice between me and Luhan.”

His hand trembled slightly.

“Jongin told me you’re working with the police again to try and arrest Seungri.”

Minseok’s eyes met hers for the briefest second before he glanced away again.  They were filled with tears.

“He wanted to kill you,” he said in a small voice.

“And you stopped him.”

Slowly, Minseok nodded and swallowed.  “Is it….”  He cleared his