The air was frigid, it was snowing so hard when he left from her apartment. He walked past the darkness, and perhaps some of the things he had told her were true but some were lies. He was never good at telling the truth, anyway. Though he knew they promised each other to keep no secrets, to him, that didn't mean he couldn't lie. And he lied by telling her he wanted to think about things alone. He also lied by telling her his men were here outside when Seungri and Youngbae weren't really waiting for him.

The two were still out there somewhere, doing their own thing. Maybe Seungri was getting wasted since he has already driven CL back to Dara's unit but he was sure Youngbae was at home, that distant three bedroom house he rented in a small village four hours drive from the city, probably sleeping or cleaning his guns.

He sighed, fogging the air with his breath. He felt bad he had to lie to her. He felt hurt when he saw that look in her eyes, what more when she cried and tried to stop him. 

If only he won't stay by her side longer. 

After hearing Seunghyun's revelation about the government's plan to eliminate their group, he went speechless. What is going to happen to his people? It bothered him so much that he didn't notice the white SUV following them until they were nearing Dara's apartment. He didn't want Dara to freak out, but he told her it was not Seungri nor Youngbae in the end. And that proved what Seunghyun warned him about was true.

He feared for Dara tonight, and him being anywhere near her would take her into much trouble.

But he feared more for tomorrow. For the days to come. He was sure of himself that he'll come back to her after some days... After meeting with his men. He was sure he'd see her again somewhere after investigating on something.

But what if she'd get tired of him?

He ran a palm down his face and looked up at her unit. Her room was still dark. She didn't even step out of her balcony unlike she used to. He stepped back and walked away, his mind giving him so many painful images of her crying in her bed.

Oh, what will the baby think of him. It was haunting him too. He was such a bad father. And it made him drown himself in guilt.

He tried to bring back his composure when he saw a car from the parking lot. He squinted his eyes and tried to see the plate number and he was so sure it was the same one following them. He immediately contacted Seungri.

"Yeah, hyooong," Seungri answered in a sing-song manner. It made Jiyong smirk a bit. At least the boy was happy.

"You drunk?" he sniffed and leaned back on a tree, hugging himself from the cold. "Where are you, rat?"

"Hmm... Out here in the cold... Not too far from Dara noona's apartment." Jiyong pursed his lips and sighed in annoyance. Hell, he was damn near Dara's too. And that fact made him itch to go up and back to her. But tonight's a different case. He was so sure the car he was eyeing was the one following them.

"I'm thinking of getting a drink," Seungri blabbered nonstop. "But Youngbae hyung's at home. I feel bad for him. I think I'll just grab some beer and— hey... Hyooong! You sniffing? Yah... Are you crying? Damn! Did Dara noona kick you out of bed?"

" you,"

"Ooooh! Someone's got kicked out ahahaha!!!" It made Jiyong smile a bit, rather than pissed, hearing the playful guy . He mentally complimented himself for deciding to call Seungri for it slightly made him feel better.

"You wanna get kicked out too and sleep out there?" Jiyong warned, letting the boy think whatever he was thinking about him being kicked out. He was sure the guy was going to take Dara's side if he opens up anyway, it would be better to humiliate himself now. "It's snowing... It's cold..."

"Damn it!" he heard Seungri say. "What do you want me to do hyung?"

"Check who owns the car with a plate number 04- 5718. I need the result the soonest,"

"Fine. I'll ask for Minzy's help. I remember her being able to hack the transportation department's database when she was on an assignment."

"Good," Jiyong said, lighting a cigarette stick as he started pacing away from the apartment complex. He didn't know Minzy and Seungri were even that comfortable to even share their knowledge to each other but he didn't ask either. "Pick me up at the bus stop near Dara's. And make sure to bring some cans of beer with you."

**************

Empty cans of beer scattered everywhere in the living room the next morning he woke up. His head pounding in pain, Jiyong shot up to a sound of someone snoring somewhere beside him. He didn't have to guess who it was. They were only three in the apartment, and Youngbae, no matter how tired he is, does not snore. He groaned at the sight of the culprit.

With his mouth hanging wide open, a thread of saliva oozed out of Seungri's mouth as he turned to Jiyong's side, an arm and leg ready to wrap around him.

"Chaerin my darling. Hmmm." the now blonde guy mumbled making him grimace. He stood up, scampering away from him. He kicked Seungri's before clutching his slightly longer than the usual hair and when he found a rubber band, he tied it up and dashed to the bathroom.

"Hey you look like ," Youngbae just got out of his room when he was about to open the door. The muscled man looked fresh from the bath, shirtless, and only in a pair of jeans that it made Jiyong wonder how the man manges to drink a lot and yet, never gets himself drunk. 

"I feel like ," he told Youngbae back and nursed his temples as he walked past him.

"Hey..."

"I'll be fine. Just got a hangover,"

"You sure?"

He nodded back a bit and went in and the moment he shut the door close behind him, he found himself emptying his stomach on the sink. He mumbled some curses as his head throbbed in pain, pounding mercilessly making him hold onto the edge of the sink for balance.

"Dude, you alright?" Youngbae knocked on the door.

"Yeah," he managed to say. After making sure he's got nothing to throw up out anymore, he brushed his teeth and washed his face.

Youngbae was in the kitchen, still shirtless, when he got out. The man was already cooking some rice and boiling something on the pot. 

"I'm going to kill that bastard later for making me do this again. This is his duty!" Youngbae slammed the ladle hard on the table and huffed. He then turned to the pot on the stove and cursed when he grabbed the handle with his bare hands and it made Jiyong chuckle, but not too long.

Like an arrow that shot through his heart, everything that was so wonderful the morning before they went out to visit Choi Seunghyun flashed before his eyes. It was just yesterday when his left hand got a small burn for holding the saucepan barehandedly. He remembered the way she shot him a surprised, amused look, the way her high pitched giggles sounded in his ears, the way she giddily stared at him when he confessed it was his first time cooking for someone, the way she picked his shirt, his cap, his shoes. The way she dressed Hayi prettily. The way she said a thousand thank you's because it was his suggestion to go visit Seunghyun.

Everything, for once, felt normal that morning. She slipped with a sudden confession of her idea of romance and it somehow left a pinch in his heart, but everything else, nonetheless, was perfect. He lived in a dream that day, only to be shaken up awake by reality really quick.

"Hmmm... What's cooking? Smells nice,"

Jiyong heaved a sigh as a familiar annoying, but thankfully, annoying enough to distract him from his thoughts of Dara kind of voice, broke the silence in the kitchen. He turned to his left and saw Seungri walking towards the table half asleep, scratching his crotch and unaware of Youngbae's fury. He stepped aside when he saw the latter scowl at the other guy.

"Nice your , you dimwit!"

"Ouch!"

Jiyong shook his head and grabbed a cup and filled it with coffee when he saw a pot of it already brewed. He sat on his space in the dining table and watched as the two fought with flying profanities and violence. He took a sip of his coffee and started contacting Minzy, wanting to check out if she's found out what he wanted to know.

"Oppa," the girl with a thick accent answered. "I got it."

"Good."

"Shin Mung Soo," Minzy said. "A vehicle rental owner,"

Jiyong stood up and brought his coffee with him, leaving the noisy kitchen for the living room. "What?"

"The car you were pertaining to was just rented out. Maybe you could ask Seungri to find out who rented it from the owner." He heard Minzy sigh for a moment. "Or maybe..."

"Or maybe?"

"Or maybe your are just overreacting."

Jiyong scoffed and leaned back to the couch. That's a possibility, he thought, since he almost always overreacts whenever it's about Dara. But how about Seunghyun's warning? That alone couldn't be ignored.

He decided to switch the topic.

"How's father?"

There was another sigh before the girl talked.

"He visited the training ground the other day. There's a rumor that he's implementing birth control soon among the clans because of the growing population in here but nothing's final yet. You know we could only handle as much kids in the training ground."

"Are the supplies coming in fine?"

"Yeah. But I heard... A group of officers were still at the Docks Inn. Old Hwang told me about it."

It was Jiyong's turn now to sigh and stare into nothingness. After arriving by the Docks to leave goods and supplies, the assigned officers should have left by night. He surely needed to talk to Kang Daesung and find out what they're up to. 

"Thanks for the info, Minzy," he said, his headache getting even worse each moment. "How about Bom noona? How is she?"

"She's doing fine. It was as if nothing happened."

"She's always been so good at keeping her feelings," Jiyong worriedly said knowing the doctor ao much since his their childhood. "Please look after her."

"You don't have to say it."

"Good."

"So, that's all my assignment is?"

"Yeah," Jiyong smiled briefly. "For now,"

He took a deep breath as he shut his eyes after ending the call. The pounding pain in his head never ceased, in fact it's getting worse as he thought of Dara and her safety. He snapped his eyes opened and switched his gaze to his hand phone on the side table, wondering if she's left any message there but he stopped himself before he could even stand up to get it.

She has always been such a huge distraction, a bad but beautiful one, and he couldn't afford to get distracted this time. He could only sigh as he fought with the urge to call her. To text her.

Maybe not now. Maybe when it's a bit safe.

**************

With slow, careful steps, Seunghyun made his way to the security screen when he he