Eun Ah set a cup of coffee down in front of Jinbum in the kitchen before walking to the other side to stand next to Yongguk.

"So Woon introduced you to each other 3 months before you left and you two schemed this whole thing together?" She asked incredulously.

Woon had filled Eun Ah in on everything, explaining to her that the kind old man that made her coffee, was really Yongguk's partner to try to take Ryu down.

Jinbum lifted the mug to his lips and took a sip, "He told me that he knew someone who needed help with a case involving Ryu, so I offered my hand."

Yongguk wasn't as relaxed as Eun Ah and Jinbum. He stood stiffly beside Eun Ah, his gaze boring through Jinbum's skull. The last think Yongguk wanted was to have the two of them meet. He still had no idea what Jinbum's connection to Eun Ah was and until he figured but what his real motives were, he didn't want him near her.

"You know Woon and Ryu?" Eun Ah tilted her head curiously.

Jinbum cleared his throat but nodded hesitantly, "I did some work for Woon a while back and Ryu…me and him have a bit of a past. Let's just say that I was more than happy to help take him down."

Yongguk wanted to scoff. Jinbum was indulging more information to Eun Ah than he ever did to the multiple times Yongguk asked him.

Eun Ah laughed, disbelievingly, "I can't believe after all this time it was you. What are the chances of that? This whole time I thought you were just a sweet old man. Turns out you have a secret identity. James Bond would be proud."

Jinbum tried to laugh with her, but he could only produce a strained sound, "I know." He glanced at Yongguk whose face was still hardened over. "It's strange how the world works."

Yongguk's hands curled into his fists as he crossed his arms across his chest. "You couldn’t imagine my reaction when I found out that the man from the café that was chatting you up. was going to be my partner."

Yongguk had to resist the urge to just throw Jinbum out of his house. The picture just seemed so out of place to see a man he didn't trust fraternize with the Eun Ah.

He was clearly had some connection to her and the fact that he still wouldn't come clean, unsettled Yongguk.

If all he wanted to know was if Yongguk was alive, why couldn't he just leave once he saw him? Why did he have to accept Eun Ah's offer to come in?

"So at the café?" Eun Ah prompted.

"He didn't know me and I didn't know him." Yongguk stated blankly.

Jinbum looked away, not meeting either of their gazes. He knew that, that wasn't true. They didn't know that at the café, when they first met, he actually knew them.

When Woon introduced them, he had to feign surprise when he saw Yongguk. The only reason Woon even paired the two of them together was because he asked Woon to do it.

Woon would never ask him to do that. But when he had sent the note to Woon, 3 years ago, asking him to meet with him, his only request was to put him to work with Yongguk.

He could still remember the look of disbelief and disappointment on Woon's face when he came into the restaurant and saw him in person for the first time.

He was obviously expecting someone else.

"So what about at the restaurant?" Eun Ah ask as she poured herself a cup of tea.

Jinbum opened his mouth to reply, but Yongguk beat him to it, "He knew who you were. That's how we were able to know that you went missing. He saw it happen."

She gasped, "You were there?"

Yongguk shot her a small lopsided smile. "Who did you think shot him and saved you?"

Eun Ah looked pissed, "Himchan took all the credit."

Yongguk couldn't help but let out a loud laugh, the first one in a really long time. "Of course. He had to capitalize when I asked him to cover for me. After all these years he's still trying to show off in front of his sister. What cute siblings."

Eun Ah rolled her eyes and gently shoved Yongguk's arm away. Jinbum watched as Yongguk grinned while brushing her hair back. Eun Ah's smile slowly slipped off her face as their gazes locked and darkened.

Yongguk and Eun Ah both took a step away from each other, but Jinbum could see the look of longing in the male's eyes as Eun Ah dusted her shirt off and faced forward, "So…um, you two worked together  even before Yongguk's…accident, to try to take Ryu down."

Both of them nodded simultaneously.

 Eun Ah blinked, with doubt in her eyes, "So at Ryu headquarters, with Jaehyun 3 years ago. It was you, wasn't it? You were the one who saved me that first time."

Jinbum cleared his throat and nodded slowly. "I had been keeping tabs on Ryu's activity so I saw you being taken to his house."

Yongguk couldn't stop the snort that escaped his lips, "The world's filled with coincidences…right? I mean, it's not like you were following Eun Ah or anything. How lucky that you were watching Ryu's HQ at right when she was getting taken there."

Jinbum shifted uncomfortably at his sarcastic tone while Eun Ah looked between the two of them, wondering where the sudden tension came from.

"I'm guessing there were more pictures than what you got last." Jinbum said gravely.

Eun Ah looked at Yongguk whose jaw was clenched, wondering what they were talking about. "Trust is a fickle thing."

A heavy silence hung over them as the two men engaged in a staring contest. Eun Ah bit her lip and stood in front of Yongguk, almost as if she was blocking him off with her body.

"You should stay for dinner." She offered with a small smile.

"What the hell are you doing?" He hissed in her ear, his body tensing. He didn't want the two of them together. Not when he didn't know his connection to Eun Ah.

He didn't want him getting to close to her.

Eun Ah glanced at him from the side of her eyes before facing at Jinbum with a steady look, "What do you say? You helped keep Yongguk alive. The least I could do is make you dinner."

Jinbum looked over at Yongguk who was subtly shaking his head behind Eun Ah, signalling him to politely reject her offer and be on this way, out of their lives.

But he had spent years doing that.

And he was tired.

So that was why he met Eun Ah's expectant gaze and mustered up the most genuine smile, matching the glitter in her eyes with some of his own.

"I would be honoured."

Yongguk's face almost bursted in anger, but all he could do was shoot a venomous glare at the older male as Eun Ah clapped her hands.

"Great!" She gracefully moved around Yongguk until she flung open the cabinets. She scanned the contents until her eyes landed on a bag of rice. She got on her tippy toes and stuck her hand out, trying to reach the bag but her fingertips on grazed it.

Jinbum shot a smile off at Yongguk who just glared, relentlessly. He wanted to know what sort of game the old man was playing at.

The whole innocent old grandpa façade wasn't going to work on Yongguk, not when he knew firsthand how sneaky he could be. He was more dangerous and calculated than half the gangs he had come across. He wouldn't be sitting in their kitchen enjoying coffee while Eun Ah made dinner if he didn't have a reason to.

If Yongguk doubted him before, he fall out didn't trust him now.

But his inner rampage switched off when he heard Eun Ah grunting behind him. He looked over and saw her knee propped up on the counter while trying to reach the rice.

He momentarily forgot about the old man and was replaced with something kinder. He just stepped up behind her, carefully wrapping an arm around her waist, hugging her from behind. Eun Ah gasped at the sudden sensation and almost fell backwards off the counter if Yongguk hadn't gently lifted her up and placed her back on the ground.

Yongguk took a step away, letting go of her while trying not to remember the feeling of his arms around her and reached the bag easily, with his height.

"Ask for help next time. You'll hurt yourself if you go around climbing on top of things." He scolded gently.

Eun Ah opened but couldn't think of anything of say. Her heart skipped a beat as she ducked her head down. Yongguk sighed when she looked away and glanced up at the cabinet. He reached up and pulled the bag off the shelf and dropped on the counter.

Eun Ah watched him with shy eyes as he dusted his hands off. The two of them shared a look before she coughed and looked away.

Why was she so nervous around him?

"Don't…don't make anything big or complicated. Don't push yourself. The two of us have lived off of ramen for months. He doesn't need a feast." He said while rubbing the back of his neck.

Eun Ah nodded and tilted her face away, "It's not any trouble. If the two of you haven't eaten a home cooked meal in months than I should prepare something nice."

"Eun, you're no one's personal chef. He'll be fine with whatever you make." Yongguk said, trying to catch her gaze.

"Okay, but don't be so rude. He's your partner."  

Jinbum watched, almost fondly as the way the two of them looked at each other. Even if they were scolding each other, their words were so tender and caring that it was clear that they were just showing that they loved each other in the subtle ways that they could.

The looks were so loving that he couldn't believe that two people their age were sharing it.

Sure, they were almost nearing their thirties, but the emotion he saw seemed so mature, something that people that have been married for years or decades share.

They were lucky, to be so in love with each other so early in their relationship, but apparently fate thought that they were too lucky because now the situation had them acting like strangers.

He knew about that.

He knew about treating people he cared about…people he loved, like strangers.

"There was a few times when I was helping Yongguk where I didn't understand why he was doing all of this for you." Jinbum said quietly.

Yongguk and Eu