'When love takes over, you do things'

The woman in front of Jihyo is small with her back curving into a small hump. Her eyes were a set of light brown eyes and it was kind when it looked up at Jihyo. “Am I a too early, dear?” Her voice coarse from old age.

Jihyo can’t help but smile back. “Can we have another thirty minutes if that’s okay?” Jihyo says louder than usual.

“Oh yes of course dear, I’ll be right back.” The older lady says wobbling away.

Jihyo locks the door behind her. “You hungry Nix?”

“A little bit, unnie,” she admits with a guilty face.

“I’m going to change and then food.” Jihyo opts out of showering for the sake of efficiency. Though, Gary touching himself in the bathroom could be another reason, but Jihyo would like to keep it clean for Nix.

Kissing the enemy wasn’t part of the plan but Gary’s pull on her was just too strong, Jihyo’s so called ‘defenses’ didn’t even stand a chance. It had been amazing. More than amazing, it was like hitting all the targets with your eyes closed. Gary wanted her like no one had wanted her before and she can’t but shudder remembering Gary’s hands on her back. Gentle yet filled with lust.

Her peripherals catches Gary coming out of the bathroom, face red from the shower or something else and Jihyo smiles at the latter. “Who was it?” Gary asks, smiling sheepishly at her.

“We’ve been called out,” she informs looking at the mirror hanging against the wall. Her hair is now smoother than it was a minute ago from brushing, and her face wasn’t as muddy though a shower still sounds marvelous.  

Gary walk pass her taking Nix in his arms, the little girl immediately wraps her short arms around Gary and whispers something that made Gary look at Jihyo with a smile. Jihyo’ chest squeeze in adoration. “I think we still have time? Wanna take a shower?” Gary motions to the steaming bathroom, then his eyes widen in horror. “Uh, not that you need a shower, I’m just saying-“

Jihyo heads to the bathroom laughing. She splashes warm water at her face and use the towel from the rack to dry her face. She carefully dabs at her nose, still sore for when she hit it against Nix’s head during the landing. Opening the drawer close to her, she finds a comb and runs it through her hair once again.

She finds Nix sitting on Gary’s lap on the bed both looking at the plants around the room. They’re currently analyzing a Venus fly trap. “It eats insects?” Nix ask in wonder, her eyes round.

Gary nods. “Yeah, ain’t that cool?”

Nix leans on Gary’s shoulder, eyes still at the alien looking plant. “Really cool, m’lord.”

Jihyo didn’t want to make any noise, afraid of ruining the moment, but Gary had already turned his head to her. Jihyo stares back, his brown eyes keeping her rooted on the floor. His eyes were soft almost crinkling to form a smile.

“I’m starved,” she announce, looking away. Her heart was beating fast and she refuses to acknowledge the reason for it. She knows why and she’s terrified of admitting it to herself. Gary feels the same way, doesn’t he? She wasn’t the only one who was….falling in love, right?

Aggitation runs through her body. All her life, she’s been taught the craft of seduction and she isn’t sure if she had unconsciously did so towards the only man she wouldn’t want to. If she had, well, Gary would just be any other mission given to her… Contrary to popular belief, Jihyo actually haven’t had . Ever. She’s skilled at kissing or any other form of luring men into their deaths, but seducing someone hadn’t gone any further due to the fact that Jihyo was too busy slitting their throats.

Jihyo looks back at Gary who, in her surprise, was watching her with curiosity, like she was a rare animal. He looks relax and a smile playing across his face. Jihyo blinks, a tsunami of want hits her. She would. She would let Gary take her. She feels her face heat up as Gary stands up, Nix at his side, face full of worry. “Hey, you alright?” His voice does things to her head.

“Yeah, good, was just thinking. The lady should be coming here any minute.”

The word enormous is really an understatement to describe the Kang’s compound. The older lady had come by and is now leading them through one of the many hallways in the underground mansion. If she had been in a mission and was trying to escape from this place, Jihyo would be sweating buckets right now. Perhaps this is why it was built like this, no one can escape.

The lady stops in front of a door that resembles all the doors in the house (prison? Mansion?) and knocking three times. A voice bids them to enter and Jihyo has to bite her lower lip from gasping in bewilderment. Right in front of her was a wall of glass overlooking a huge waterfall that one might find in a jungle. If she strains her ears she was sure to will hear bird calls and maybe a lion.

The lady ushers them to the nearby leather sofa facing the gigantic windows. Jihyo catches Gary’s eyes and he shrug mouthing ‘whoa’ to her. Jihyo’s father had made a terrible mistake in pursuing Gary and Jaesuk all this time. What they were hiding in the South doesn’t compare to what she was standing in right now.

Looking at Gary’s own shock indicates that the great assassin haven’t been informed of his grandfather’s resources. She notice Gary’s clenched jaws and the tight hold he has on Nix. The three of them look up when the head of the household speaks. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes,” Gary says, and as an afterthought added, “please.”

“You three must be famished. Please bring some tea and,” he looks at Nix with kind eyes, “Would you like some hot chocolate?” Nix nods her head, her short hair bouncing happily across her cheeks. “Perfect. Three cups of tea and a hot chocolate, please. And, prepare lunch, we will take it outside.”

They all watch the elderly lady leave the room before turning their attention to the older man. Jihyo’s mouth itch with questions but she knows not to overstep her welcome. In her relief, Gary starts the conversation, his own interest obvious in his voice. “Outside? Meaning, there?” Gary glance at the jungle outside the window.

“Yes! You would like it Nix.” He sits to one of the chair near them. Although he was shorter and frail in stature, Jihyo sees power behind his twinkling eyes. Once, maybe fifty years ago, the old man in front of her had straighter back, black hair, face that was free of lines. She notes several prominent scars across his cheeks that goes down to his neck telling a story of bloodshed.

Gary asks something that caught Jihyo. “How is this possible? I remember a farm, not, not…” Gary looks around the room unable to finish. “Does my father know about this?”

Before Gary’s grandfather can reply, the lady comes back and sets their tea on the wooden coffee table. “No. Your father doesn’t know, Gary. And I would like to keep it that way, my boy. Jae Suk is a greedy man, I guess if you’re in this business, greediness is strength, but your father…doesn’t hesitate, even with family.” He takes a sip of the tea, regret splayed on his face. “I…I tried to be a good father. But, Jae Suk is different. I taught him brotherhood but…”

Gary sighs and opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. Jihyo notes the frequency of this mannerism and stash it away in her memory, finding it endearing somehow. “Sir, how long have you lived here? If you don’t mind me asking,” Jihyo bows at his direction.

“Many years, m’dear. Too long, I think. Gary was ten when I last saw him.” The older man looks at Gary with sad eyes that didn’t fit the cheery man. “You’ve grown up well, Gary.”

Gary looks away. “I didn’t,” Gary’s voice soft.

“I think you have,” the older man says regarding Nix and Jihyo. He studies Jihyo longer and she had to look away from the intensity. “Your Choi’s daughter?” It wasn’t a question. It was not common knowledge that Choi had a daughter and for the man across her to know leaves Jihyo irk. How does he know? Who’s the Intel? Is he a threat? As if he had read her mind, the older man chuckles. “No need to worry, I’m here to help you.”

“Sir?”

The older man clears his throat. “All of you are welcome here as long as you want to stay. I know the life, Gary, I know it well. For you to leave the family business is something to be admired. I want to help.”

Gary looks taken aback. “Uh…”

“Many men had tried to escape, m’dear boy. Many had died trying, but you, of all the assassins, it makes sense that it’s you who paves the way.” He regards Jihyo with a tilt of his head resembling Gary so much. “Gary?” The older man’s voice clear and authoritative. “What’s the law of the underworld?”

Gary hesitates but eventually regards his grandfather with a frown. “Leave no witnesses.” It was a good answer. Jihyo would have answered with ‘don’t get caught’ but a witness leads to messy revenge and the gangs can’t afford to deal with those.

The older man walks to Gary and place a hand on his shoulder making Gary twitch from the contact. Jihyo had to lean closer to hear. “Do not fall in love.” He chuckles, and Jihyo can feel the vibration of the laugh. “That’s the law of the underworld, Gary. Once you fall in love, you lose sight of the mission. Your father fell in love. I fell in love. And you…” Jihyo blushes when the older man smiles at her. “You’ve already fallen in love.”

Jihyo is unable to look at Gary as he stammers nonsense. “I-I, um, I think you have us misunderstood…” She hears Gary start but nothing comes after.

“Oh, then why in the world did I welcome a Choi in my home?”

This time, Jihyo makes eye contact with the older man. She doesn’t see any aggression but she definitely feels the bitterness as he spoke of her family name. Jihyo cannot blame him, the Kang’s and the Choi’s have been in quarrel for as long as she can remember, probably longer than anyone in the two families can remember.

The earliest memory she had with the most powerful family in Korea is when she was just nine. She had been sleeping with her mother due to a cold when the alarm wailed throughout the house. Her mother jumped to her feet quickly, carrying Jihyo in her arms heading to the panic room. Jihyo remembered crying, afraid.

Then, a nightmare was playing right before her eyes when a man and a boy -who was only several years older than her- blocks their route. She remembers her mother pleading, her arms wrapping around her more tightly than before. Jihyo couldn’t see who they were or what they wanted but suddenly her mother’s arms sagged and she was falling on the ground.

Exposed, Jihyo’s heart beats rapidly her breath laboured. It felt like forever staring at the murderer and then the boy steps closer pointing a gun to her forehead. She remembered holding her breathe waiting for the bullet to pierce her head but there was a commotion and the man near the boy snarls angrily, and the boy lowers his gun now directed towards her heart. When the man opens his mouth to say something, the boy pulls the trigger.

Jihyo remembered falling, her head bouncing off of her dead mother’s torso. She didn’t die, of course, the boy had terrible aim. He had shot her arms instead of her chest though the blood was spilling all over her upper body. The man was about to check her pulse when the boy calls out angrily defiance clearly loud and Jihyo thinks he might have also stomped his small feet in fury.

“Jihyo? Hey,” Gary was in front her, face contorted in concern.

Jihyo blinks shaking her head. “Sorry,” she smiles weakly.

Gary didn’t move away instead move closer. Jihyo can feel his warmth tickling her nose. “Are you sure?”

A small hand touch her own and Jihyo gives Nix a reassuring smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. I think I just need food.”

Jihyo takes spoonful after spoonful of food into as she keeps an eye on Nix, who was also shoveling down food. Lunch –lunch? Jihyo really can’t tell what time it is- lasted thirty minutes. When they were done, Jihyo studies the jungle which was more impressive up close and was right about the birds chirping. Gary’s grandfather claps his hand in delight. They said ‘thank you’ and was expecting to be invited back to the study, but the older man gives Jihyo a hesitant smile. “Dear, may a borrow Gary for a minute?” Gary looks like he was about to protest but the older man adds firmly, “Family matter.”

“Of course, sir. Nix and I will be in our rooms.” Jihyo takes Nix’s hand and give it a squeeze. She pulls the little girl to her feet trying to find the exit. Gary stands as well blocking their way. And for one crazy moment, Jihyo sees the figure of the boy who had shot her. Gary approach them more cautiously when he sees Jihyo’s agitation.

Gary says helplessly, “Jihyo?”

Jihyo smiles weakly. “Yeah, I’m fine. I think I need to lay down.”

Gary nods his head hesitantly and pats Nix’s head affectionately. “I’ll see you later,” he whispers. To her shock, Gary press his lips against hers and quickly pulls away with a smile. “Okay?"

-0-

Gary wanted to be with the girls. He wanted to lay down on the bed with them, with Jihyo press against his chest and Nix wrapped around Jihyo. However, he needed advice on how to go about his new found freedom and his grandfather seems to have the answers.

He watch them be lead away by the old woman to their room. His chest twist painfully. He suddenly feels alone. But the feeling pass when Gary hears his grandfather clear his throat wanting his attention. His eyes lingers a little longer at the door then turn to his grandfather, a man named Joong Ki, who was known in Korea as the devil.

Gary’s grandfather motion for him to take a sit. He offers Gary a cigar but he shakes his head politely. “Love is scary,” his voice cutting through the humidity of the area, “-Choi is using it against you. You’ve fallen in love, how do you know she’s not going to sabotage you?” Gary wasn’t surprise at the change in character. His grandfather was a tyrant but his aggression was never on the innocent. Nix was around and his grandfather was trying to avoid hostility around the little girl, which, Gary is thankful for.

“I don’t,” he admits, head hanging low.

“Love is weakness, Gary,” the older man’s voice a little kinder than before, “-it enslaves you, it wraps around your neck until your gasping for air.”

Gary rubs at his temple. “Are you trying to change my mind?” About Jihyo? He wanted to add.

The older man sighs. “No, Gary. No. It’s just that, she’s a Choi. I want a guarantee that who you’re going to fight for is worth your life.”

Gary nods in understanding. He knows he cares for Jihyo, he does without question. But a nagging feeling always creeps at him making him doubt Jihyo’s loyalty. Then he thought of Jihyo’s loyalty to Nix and everything seems more concrete. Jihyo’s love for Nix is enough for Gary to trust her. It should be enough... It is enough. “I need your help,” he starts, looking directly at his grandfather, with a clear voice that matches his grandfathers’ he says, “I need to kill my father.”

A/N: Hello my lovelies!!! Another udpate!!! Wohooo! Have a great weekend!!! :D Thank you for leaving comments and such they make me smile!!!