“You're not the one...right?” Zero said, clutching her phone tight.

“You stupid, kid. What are you trying to say?” Jinuk shouted from the other line. He was worried about how she sounded over the phone, but knowing her, she wouldn't say anything no matter how much she was troubled by what bothered her. 

“I just... wanted to know where I should go from here.”

Jinuk paused. He didn't know how to answer her. It was partly his fault for persuading her to live and become Zero. He was the one that pushed her. “Whatever you think is right.” He said, “However... if it gets to difficult... You can always start again.”

“I guess you're right.” She said. The call ended in Jinuk's ear and it took him a good second to sink in her tone of voice and what she had said. He knew he had to read between the lines, but most importantly, notify Dongwook that she had contacted him. So far, Dongwook and the others had been searching for her for almost two weeks.

-~-

“Do you think we'll find her?” Doojoon asked with his fingers holding his shot glass. He didn't feel right to be letting out stress on soju while Zero was still missing. On the other hand, Dongwook was acceptably wasted.

“Maybe... Now that we know her goal. We just got to keep an eye out for any movements.” Dongwook took another shot. He eyed Doojoon's glass and took it from him, “It's time to let out stress.” He said and washed down his words.

“I don't think I can do that, sir.”

“I'm sure this is taking a toll on you from learning everything that happened. You'll soon regret not drinking your full when you have the chance to.”

“I can't stop thinking about her and my mo – her mom.” Doojoon sighed and refilled their glasses. He watched his senior take the shot before taking his own. They let the alcohol sink in for a few seconds until Dongwook spoke up again.

“You... perhaps... do you like her?” Dongwook asked. He watched Doojoon's ears turn red and his body tense up. He already had his answer.

“I... can't let myself do that. I don't deserve to.” Doojoon whispered with thoughts of more to say, but a second later, Dongwook collapsed onto the table.

-~-

Meanwhile, Zero was engaged in a gang fight between four members as their leader was standing off to the side watching.

“Like I said,” She panted. Her sides hurt from being kicked repeatedly a moment ago.  She pretended to be vulnerable so that they wouldn't feel threatened. “I want to join you.” She faced the leader who remained quiet. One of the mens attacked her from her blind side and managed to cut her forehead with the ring he wore. She fell to her side and held her arms up. “Hear me out.” She watched the four men stand in front of her. She waited for them to calm down before finishing them all off in a couple seconds. Now, there was no one else standing between her and the leader. Kang Joohyun. She stared at the tall statured man. He had a scar beneath his eye that ran all the way down to his collarbone. She noted that he was one of the most ruthless in the area.

His smiled showed that what she did amused him. He didn't feel the need to run from seeing her stance. “So, what makes you think I'll allow a man like you to join me.” He said in a raspy voice as his men tossed and the ground.

“Nothing. I didn't plan to.” She wiped off the blood that annoyed her eye. “I just came with a message and a warning.”

“And what would that be?”

“Someone knows what you did fourteen years ago. If it gets out to the police, you'll be walking with hand cuffs. Your entire human trafficking business would come to halt as soon as they find out where you're working.”

Joohyun's laugh roared. “Who might this person be? Could it be you?”

“I can't say much since you're being watched by them right now.” She cocked her head to the side where two officers were watching. “Either they were too afraid to stop the fight or they were given orders just to stay nearby.”

“Oh, I didn't even notice.” He turned to them and waved with a mocking smile on his face. The officers ducked and called their superiors.

“I'm running out of time. They must of called reinforcements.” She pulled out a card and placed it on the ground. “If you want to meet with this person, come to this location...alone.”

He laughed once more and told her she was an interesting person. He also let her know that he felt pleasured to have her in his presence before she leaped over the wall.

“Sir, I don't think you should trust that man.” The one that had cut her said. He weakly stood up using the wall as support.

Joohyun laughed once more and kicked the man down by aiming for the chest. “Who could I trust? The people that couldn’t even take a scrawny looking man like him or someone that knows every detail about me.”