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Okaeri Izakaya – Official Playlist by Mizu Tsuki

[lsmu]

I WANT YOU BACK – Prelude: I Want You Back おかえり

I sipped my black coffee silently as I laid back in my seat.

The aroma of alcohol, freshly brewed coffee, tea and both sweet and savoury pastries wafted into my nose, combined with the squeal of steaming milk in metal pour jugs, the hiss of coffee machines and the small whispers at every table. I set down my glass and picked up my white chocolate macadamia nut cookie and took a quick bite, savouring the sweet flavour of the pastry exploding in my mouth.

"Gosh... This is good..." I mused as I set the delicious treat back down.

I turned my sights to the streets of Kabuki-chō, Tokyo, soaking in the flickering coloured lights as people walked up and down the pavement. Those lights would be turned off soon. The sun was about to rise. It was dawn. Even in the early hours of the day... I could already see people walking to and fro.

I should really hide in Tokyo more often... Low crime, practically close to zero gang members–and hell–this killer eatery right in the middle of the buzzling district that had practically everything from around the world... This place was the reason I could get that jokbal for Momo after all earlier this year.

I found the coffee cup back in my hands again as I took another sip, letting the bitter taste wash down the sweetness of the cookie. I took a glance at my bag, finding my menpo mask sitting discreetly in itt, ready to be drawn out and dawned when the occasion called for it.

Huh... The occasion.

What was the occasion of my visit to this place in the first place? I looked up, finding the reflection of the neon sign from outside the place on the glass panels of the entrance, written in both alphabet and Japanese characters. Okaeri Izakaya おかえり. 'Welcome Home'.

Home...

Funny. Home had a lot of different meanings, at least for me. From childhood to college, Tokyo was my home. After I graduated and found work in Seoul, I started feeling at home in that city. Then, everything happened in 2026, and I thought I'd return home to Tokyo, to Okasan and Otousan... And to Sachiko, my sister. But then... I had to fuck up with the Yakuza, and since then... I didn't know what the word 'home' meant anymore.

Until... Well... Until Momo.

Momo... That girl. She brought me to her home in Kyotanabe. She introduced me to her lovely family, and... She gave me love. She made my heart feel warmth again, something I had never felt for a long, long time ever since I started running. To me... Hirai Momo was my home.

But... Right now, my mind was all over the place.

The last conversation I had with Momo was earlier today at around 3 in the morning. Her call woke me up from my sleep. She called me just before the IPG–or what's left of them–finally decided to go ahead with their plan to attack Park Manse in Incheon, to save the abducted girls. Hyejin was still nowhere to be found, so they had no police backup, but knowing them... They were capable.

Were they? At least I was glad the seven prototype Project Origin stun bracelets reached them in time for the mission. At least I knew that Momo was well equipped, and she was surrounded by the best of the best in the industry. But... They were singers and dancers, right? They were not fighters, they were not soldiers... Shit.

I checked my phone again. Still no replies from Momo. My texts to Sana hadn't even been read, my calls not accepted. I couldn't help but feel jittery at the moment. It's been hours since I heard from them. Were they okay? Did they manage to save the abducted girls?

"Heya, Buddy..."

I turned and saw my friend, Mizu Tsuki, walking over with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. I flipped my phone screen down, pulling it closer to me as he sat opposite me.

"What do you think about the playlist?" Tsuki asked. I raised an eyebrow. "Hm? What playlist?" I asked.

He lifted a finger, pointing to the air. I listened more intently, and only then did I notice that some songs were playing through the sound system. I took a few moments to listen to the song, and I nodded and smiled.

"It's nice... Didn't know you have a good taste in music!" I said, poking fun at him. "Ah... Don't be so mean," Tsuki chuckled. "But seriously, this is so unlike you..." I sniggered. Tsuki shrugged. "Figured I could set up the mood better... Also good for customer retention! They can follow my playlist on Spotify, and everytime they hear the songs they'd be reminded of this place," he said.

I smiled and nodded. Tsuki was a good businessman. At that moment, a yawn escaped his mouth as he rubbed his eyes, and I chuckled as I looked at him. He did look tired.

"You should take a break from the coffee shop today," I said. "Get some rest..." "Yeah... This is not good for my health..." Tsuki admitted.

As the owner and bartender of an izakaya that opens late until early morning, Tsuki's sleep schedule was pretty much the opposite to everyone else. He'd sleep after closing up his izakaya at around 8 in the morning, woke up in late afternoon, prepared for the day, before working again when Okaeri opens at around 10 pm.

However, because he needed some extra cash, for the last year or so Tsuki had been working around the clock, turning the izakaya into a cakery and coffee shop during the day, which resulted in his decreasing hours of sleep. Initially he was okay with it, but lately Tsuki's health took a hit out of exhaustion.

"Gosh... I wish my little sis was here to help me run the coffee shop..." he mused. "Oh... That's right! When is she returning?" I asked.

Tsuki chuckled and shook his head.

"I don't know... Maybe in spring? Stardust is doing really well these days... Hey, did you get a chance to visit it when you were there?" he asked. I smiled and shook my head. "Nah... Was too busy with work back then. I'll pay a visit when I return," I said. Tsuki nodded. "You'll love it. The drinks selection is even more extensive than this place, and Rachel's a great host... I think you'll find her... Interesting," he said with a smile.

I chuckled. I had never met Tsuki's little sister who was currently running a bar in Seoul called Stardust, but he had shown me Rachel's picture before. She was indeed really beautiful and... Hot... But... Tsuki should know better.

"Oi... Stop setting me up with your sister. I'm already in a relationship," I said. He chuckled. "I know... I know... That's why you woke up at 3 this morning," Tsuki said.

I smiled and nodded. He stared at my phone as he sipped his coffee.

"Still no update?" he asked. I sighed and nodded. "Hai. No update," I uttered.

Tsuki had been playing a big part in my life on the run so far, hiding me in his small, comfy, cosy yet posh izakaya, giving me a place to stay and look for information as I laid low. To think that he did it without even asking a single question; not about the IPG, not about the Yakuza, not about anything. He even agreed to send that jokbal from Tokyo to Kyoto a day before Momo arrived... Without asking anything.

That's Tsuki for you. He was anything but nosy. He knew how to keep a secret, or let his friends keep their secrets from him. All he needed was me asking him for help, and he did. My university friend had helped me along the way countless times, and I would forever be indebted to him. Tsuki smiled warmly and adjusted his round glasses.

"Don't worry, Brother... Your girlfriend will reply soon enough," he said.

He knew I was waiting for a reply from my girlfriend, but he didn't know that the girlfriend in question was none other than Hirai Momo of Twice. The only thing he knew about my girlfriend was that she was of a 'high status'–as he liked to put it.

"Let's hope so... It's been hours," I chuckled. He smiled again. "Girls with high status... Am I right?" he remarked, sipping his coffee. "Exactly," I concurred.

I raised my glass to him, and he clinked his with mine before we both took another sip. That made me remember something.

"Hey, have you managed to get in contact with that girl you liked from high school?" I asked.

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Nope. Like I said: Girls with high status, much like your girl. The difference is your girl is actually your girlfriend, while mine... I'm just here hoping for a chance to see her again," he said. "You know, I can always help you find her... You know, with my... Expertise. What's her name?" I asked.

That was an offer I had proposed to him on many occasions, but Tsuki's response was always the same. He chuckled again and shook his head.

"No... I don't want to intrude on her privacy. If we're meant to meet again, we'll meet again," he said.

I smiled and nodded. Again, that's Tsuki for you. He respects people's privacy, almost to a fault. I took another sip of my whiskey, before turning to look at him.

"Your high school... Where was it, again?" I asked him. "Osaka. It's..." "Stop it! Please! Let go of me!"

Tsuki and I whipped around to see where that distressed female voice came from.

"Aww... Come on, pretty girl! I'll show you a great time!"

I sighed. It was a common sight in Japan, especially in red light districts such as Kabuki-chō. An old ass man was harassing a young girl, who looked like she was barely older than high school age. He must have been drinking since last night, and now...

"Fuck... It's him again," muttered Tsuki. I stared at him quizzically. "He's been here before?" I asked. Tsuki nodded. "A few times," he said, sitting and watching. I glared at him. "And?" I asked. He looked at me. "And what?" he asked. "And you're just gonna sit here? Are you not gonna stop him? You're the owner of this place!" I protested. Tsuki sighed. "I tried. But most like I'll get punched on the face again," he said, defeated. "'Again'?" "Yep... He's been here for the entire week, harassing girls. I tried to stop him, but that wrinkly ass fist of his met my mouth before I could even speak. He's quite strong, you know," Tsuki uttered. "W–Why... Why... Didn't you try punching back?" I asked incredulously.

Tsuki's glasses started fogging up as he scratched the back of his head.

"W–Well... I'm... A Pacifist, remember? And... A–And it's not like fighting is that easy... We're not in some game... Like Apex Legends or... Yakuza Kiwami..." he stuttered.

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Plus! He's an old man! What if I'm actually hurting him!" added Tsuki, as if that would do any good.

I sighed and shook my head, before standing up from my seat by the bar.

"Seriously, Tsuki... At least hire a bouncer!" I said. "H–Hey! What are you doing?" Tsuki stuttered.

I ignored him and picked up my menpo mask, before walking slowly towards the booth where the girl was being harassed. As I got closer, the stench of sake wafted into my nose. Typical... Creepy old ass drunken ojisan.

"Please! Let me go!" the girl cried.

So much for peace and quiet.

"Let her go," I said.

The ojisan turned around and sneered at me, her bald head reflecting the pink and blue neon lights from outside, making him look absolutely silly.

"What's that, Kid?" he asked, his nostrils flaring. His speech wasn't slurred, so he's not drunk. "I said: Let her go," I repeated.

He smirked.

"Who are you to tell a senior what to do, huh? Young people these days have no respect!" he spat.

Fuck. An alcoholic, a creep, and a typical Japanese grandparent? God damn... The bar was already on the floor and this man brought a fucking shovel.

"Ojisama, I am asking you respectfully: Let the girl go," I said as I took another step forward. "Why... You're troublesome, aren't you?" he growled.

He let go of the girl, who ran back to her friends, and held them close, quivering in fear. The Ojisan clenched his fists. I rolled my eyes. This man was built like a twig, how was Mizu Tsuki getting pushed around by him?

"I'm not troublesome. I'm just teaching you the meaning of personal boundaries," I replied. "Are you disrespecting me?" he glared. "Unfortunately so," I replied promptly. "Why you little punk... Why are you wearing that stupid little mask–?" "Are you drunk?" I cut him off. That offended him. Good. "HOW DARE YOU! I'll teach you some manners! Wattaa!!!" he cried.

I literally closed my eyes in disgust as he started doing some random moves, a bad copy of what Bruce Lee would do in his movies. Bruce Lee. Oh my God. So he wasn't drunk. He was much worse: He was delusional. I sighed.

"Come on, Ojisan. It's morning already. Maybe you should get some rest–"

My words were interrupted by a flinging arm. I dodged it quickly, and I saw his foot rising from the corner of my eyes. I lazily lifted my own to block the oncoming kick, meeting my shoe with his leg with a loud thud. He cried out, clutching his right leg as he hopped back, screaming in pain.

"UZAI! YOU JUST KICKED ME!" he screamed.

I sighed again.

"Just to be clear, Ojisan... You were the one who 'Wattaa'-ed in the first place," I said calmly.

He roared and came charging at me. I sighed and sidestepped him with ease, sending him tumbling towards the bar. He caught himself just before he was about to crash onto the bar counter, and he whipped around and glared at me. Seriously... When would he learn his lesson?

"You little piece of shit!" "Ojisan, you should really stop contradicting yourself... You said I was a punk, and now a piece of shit? Which one is it?" I decided to toy with him. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

His right hand rose, attempting to catch me with an uppercut.

Alright. Enough playing.

I caught his fist with ease. I pulled his arm up, drawing him close to me. I regretted the decision as the stench of alcohol assaulted my nose even more. Mental note: Install better air filters to the mask.

"That's enough, Ojisan. Stop it," I ordered.

The Ojisan grunted and had the audacity to try to knee me in the groin. Unimpressed, I caught his leg mid air, and with a quick sweep of my right leg, I swept his footing. With a surprised yelp, the Ojisan fell onto the floor as I released his leg, making him fall butt first with a loud thud.

I put a knee over his chest and pinned him to the ground. He struggled, but... Come on. He was weak.

"LET ME GO! OI! LET ME–"

SLAP

His eyes blinked rapidly as he realised that I had just slapped him on the right cheek, silencing him effectively. I grabbed the nape of his neck and brought his face closer to me.

"You've caused enough trouble. Now, out you go," I said calmly. "But–" "Out you go!" I roared.

I carried him over my shoulder with ease and walked over to the front door. I thanked Tsuki who was opening the door for me and I tossed him out like a bowling ball out of the Izakaya, onto the streets.

"Please don't come back!" I yelled, before slamming the door behind me.

As expected, he rose up and ran to the door, unashamed. I sighed and held the handle of the door from the inside, preventing him from forcing his entry.

"OI! OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN THE DOOR YOU BRAT! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!" he screamed from the other side of the door, banging on the glass.

Luckily it was reinforced, so it won't break, but this was a nuisance. I turned to Tsuki.

"Can we lock the door?" I asked him.

Tsuki nodded and walked swiftly behind the bar, taking out a key from a drawer and tossing it towards me.

"Here, catch!" he said.

I caught the key and quickly locked the door, before stepping back to watch the pathetic Ojisan banging and screaming outside.

"OPEN THE DOOR YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" he screamed.

I sighed and raised my smart watch, navigating through the apps until I found the remote app for the small taser I had secretly placed on his neck when I grabbed it earlier. I upped the voltage, making sure that the shock was equivalent to that over a static discharge... And I activated it.

"YEEEOOOWW!!!!"

The Ojisan jolted and yelped outside the door, flailing around and swatting his own neck and head like a crazy person. I held down the button as I smirked.

"S–Sabito!" Tsuki exclaimed in fear. "Relax. It's only 3000 volts," I said calmly. "What?" Tsuki asked. "It's like a thousand small rubber bands are stinging his neck. It won't kill him," I said.

I released the button, and the Ojisan huffed outside. I walked slowly towards the glass, bringing my face closer to his writhing face.

"Wanna keep doing this?" I taunted him. "You piece of–OWW!!"

I pressed the button again and released it quickly, hovering my finger above my watch.

"I've got all night... Keep talking. It's been fun!" I said. "F–Fine! Fine! I'll go! Just... Stop!" he begged.

Good. He finally learned.

I smirked under my mask as I straightened myself and stared dead at his eyes.

"If I ever catch you doing this shit again, you know what will happen to you. Understood?" I told him.

He whimpered and clawed at the nape of his neck, trying to find the device. I chuckled and brought my smart watch up so he could see it.

"Don't even try to find it. It's already embedded in your skin. One touch from me, and you'll feel the pain again. I can up the voltage to a lethal dose, you know," I said, sliding the gauge so it reached the maximum.

His eyes widened in fear.

"Okay! O–Okay! I'm sorry! I–I'll–I'll go!" he stuttered. "Good! Run along, now..." I said.

He did, still whimpering and clawing his neck. I chuckled and turned back, and to my surprise...

I was met with applause from everyone inside. The patrons... And Tsuki himself. I chuckled and lifted my palms, before sitting back at my seat by the bar. Tsuki smiled sheepishly as I took off my mask and emptied my cup.

"What... Are you a superhero now?" he asked jokingly. I chuckled. "Just... Doing what I do," I said.

Tsuki sighed and shook his head, but then he smiled wide and poured me another cup of coffee, before pushing it in my direction.

"It's on the house. As a thank you," he said kindly.

I smirked and lifted my cup, before sipping my drink. At that moment, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.

"A–Ano... Sumimasen..."

I turned around, finding the girl from earlier standing by my side. She bowed low, before smiling at me.

"Thank... Thank you so much for helping me. I–I... I was so scared," she uttered slowly.

I smiled. She was much younger than I was, of course, but I couldn't help but notice just how sweet and cute she looked. She reminded me so much of...

"Sachiko..."

My eyes widened.

"W–What?" I blurted. She was confused. "E–Eh? S–Sorry... That's my name. Uehara Sachiko," she said, smiling nervously.

I stared at her for a moment, before smiling and nodding.

"Don't mention it, Uehara-san. Stay safe," I said. "A–Ah, yes... Thank you again," she said, bowing low.

The girl ran back to her friends, and they continued talking together. I kept looking at her for a moment, before turning back to the bar. Tsuki noticed this.

"Missing your Sachiko?" he asked. I nodded. "Every single day," I muttered.

Tsuki smiled as he continued wiping the cup in his hands. Sachiko. I wondered when I would be able to meet her again. What the IPG was doing today... It was supposed to be the endgame, the one that brought this nightmare to an end.

Right... I should probably check my phone again...

One text message.

My heart stopped. It was from Momo. With trembling hands, I pressed for the message, opening it.

'We won. It's over.'

I breathed a sigh of relief. But... Why didn't she sound happy? Why did she only text me anyway? A victory... Should have made her ecstatic. What was happening? What... What cost did that victory claim?

"Updates?" Tsuki asked. I nodded. "Yes. Must have arrived when I was... Busy with that ojisan," I muttered.

Gulping, I pressed for Momo's number and called her. Dial tone... Dial tone... No answer. Shit. What was happening? In a flash, I drafted a new text message to my girlfriend.

'That's great! How are you? Is everything alright?'

Sent. Maybe she was busy. Maybe they were evacuating from the hideout in Incheon, maybe they were dealing with police and ambulances. Shit. Ambulance? Was she hurt? Why was I worrying so much?

"Everything alright?" Tsuki asked, sounding worried. "It's..."

My phone vibrated. A call. Tsuki nodded and pointed to the VIP room, so I could have my privacy. I rushed there and quickly grabbed my phone, bringing it to my ear without checking the caller ID.

"Yeoboseyo?" I said, instinctively changing to Korean.

Heavy breathing. It wasn't... It wasn't Momo's... It was...

"Someone-san?" the voice from the other end asked. A female voice. "Y–Yes. Who's this?" I asked, fear catching up with my breath. "It's... It's Ji-eun."

My eyes widened in surprise, and I pulled away from my phone for a second, checking the caller ID. It was indeed her... The Spymaster. I returned the phone to my ear.

"A–Ah yes, J–Jieun-ssi. Is... Is everything alright?" I asked. "Yes... Yes. Yes, everything's... It's... It's done," she said, but her voice was shaking.

I listened more closely. I could hear the sirens of police cars and ambulances, and... At least one fire truck? I... I could... Oh my God. I could hear a loud wailing in the background. It sounded so... So sorrowful, so desperate. So... Heartbroken. Oh my God. Who... Who was that?

"I–IU-ssi, that's... What happened?" I asked in fear.

IU took a long pause. When she spoke, her voice trembled.

"I–It's... It's... It... It's Tzuyu... S–She..." she trailed off. "What is it? What happened to Tzuyu? Is Momo okay?" I demanded. "Y–Yes. T–They're both okay... It's just... I'll... I'll let Momo speak to you in a moment. I'm... I'm calling to tell you that... T–That..."

IU struggled to speak. Shit. What was happening there? I waited anxiously.

"S–Sana... Sana told me to tell you that... T–That... That we'll bring you home soon. We'll send a team there to bring you home safely soon. Just... Just like she promised you and Momo," IU said.

She did promise to bring me back home as soon as Park Manse was defeated. That... That was a relief! That was a huge relief! I could finally go home... And so soon!

"T–Thank you, IU-ssi," I said. "W–Where are you now? Kyoto?" she asked. "No. I'm in Tokyo. I'll send you my location when you send your team here," I said. "Alright. H–Hold on to that. We'll update you as soon as we assemble the team. Might take a while... But... But we'll come. Stay... Stay safe, okay?" IU said. "I will," I replied. "Right. Here... H–Here's Momo," IU said from the other end.

I heard ruffling and shuffling, then the wailing sound became closer. IU must have been walking towards the source. Was Tzuyu the one wailing?

"Yeoboseyo... Sabito?" "Momo! Momo, Honey, are you alright? What... What happened? Who's crying?" I asked panickedly.

Momo was sobbing. She was sobbing uncontrollably. My heart sank. I really wished I was there right now, embracing her, comforting her.

"Momoring... What happened? Please tell me...." I whispered, my voice choking.

Momo took a few long moments, before finally taking a deep and long breath.

"S–Sabito... It's... Tzuyu's the one crying. It's... Ch–Chuyoung... Chuyoung didn't make it..."

[lsmu]

(LATEST CHAPTER) Book 3 Part 2 – Chapter 36: Forever, Always

"RUN!" screamed Yeoni.

They opened fire, strafing us with what seemed like endless bullets. The girls started screaming, all of us rushing to cover. I ran to hide behind a pillar, pulling Tzuyu with me. My head was spinning. Excruciating pain stung my right shoulder, the one that was hit by Taewoo's shotgun earlier, and I felt my back sore too. Some of the bullets must have hit the back of my kevlar vest.

"S–Sha? What happened? I heard gunshots! Tell me what happened!" screamed Wendy through the earpiece. "I–It's... It's an ambush. The SOU team... They started shooting at us!" Sana replied. "These are not Hyejin's SOU! We were set up!" Yeoni said. "W–What? What... Taengoo-unnie! We have to get back! We have to save them!" Irene screamed. "NO! DON'T! Don't come back here! These guys are wearing heavy armour, we can't just stun them with our bracelets! And they're shooting at us with machine guns! DO NOT COME BACK!" screamed Suzy. "But... B–But..." Irene objected, but at that moment a loud scream cut her off. "A–Appa! Appa! APPA STAY AWAKE! APPA!!!"

A horrified gasp left Tzuyu's mouth. I turned to my right, and I saw Manse sitting weakly, his back leaning against the back of a sofa. I saw a trail of blood on the floor. Hyejin must have pulled him to cover, but... His white shirt was turning redder and redder. Holes after holes riddled his large torso, a pool of blood was forming around him. His eyes were closing.

He was fatally wounded.

"APPA! APPA!" shrieked Hyejin, caressing Manse's cheeks. "H–H–Hyej... Hyej–in..." whispered Manse, sounding really weak.

Hyejin screamed in rage. She pulled her gun out of the holster and broke cover, starting to shoot the fake SOU unit at the staircase. She hit one in the head, killing him instantly, and another one... And another one. The SOU took cover, but it didn't take long for them to start shooting at her again. A bullet caught her right leg, making her stumble to the ground, shrieking in pain.

Bullets hit the floor close to her, but before it could kill Hyejin, Manse grunted loudly, his large muscular arms pulling his daughter's body away to safety behind the sofa. Sana and Jennie rushed to her side, putting pressure on her wound.

"Fuck... F–Fuck! Fuck!" Hyejin cursed, wincing in pain.

Hyejin's leg was badly injured. I could see a bloody gaping hole on her thigh, right above her knee. She was bleeding profusely. Jennie tore a piece of her shirt to bind Hyejin's leg. Yeoni looked up, looking panicked.

"Shit... Shit... We're pinned. We gotta get out of here!" Yeoni yelled. Minsoo looked at me. "Hyung! H–Hyung, let's... Let's try the front door!" he exclaimed.

I nodded. Yeoni took Hyejin's gun and started shooting to cover us, while Minsoo and I rushed to the front door to push it open. To our horror, it won't budge. It was locked. I looked down, and I noticed a mechanical lock was barring the door. Fuck!

"FUCK! FUCK! It's locked!" I cursed. "T-They... They must have locked it... A–After... After they escorted the others out..." stuttered Minsoo. "W–Who are these people?" asked Jennie in confusion.

Hyejin shook her head, sweat dripping from her forehead. She was going through intense pain.

"I–I... I don't know... I... I thought they're my team... I... I... Someone must have intercepted my... Call..." she stuttered. "I–It's... H–Him..." Manse whispered.

We all turned to look at him. Blood was starting to leak from his mouth. He tried so hard to look at Hyejin.

"H–Hyejin... C–Can you... O–Open... My... C–Cuffs?" he asked, lifting his hands up.

Hyejin nodded and did so, pressing her thumb on the scanner. The handcuffs clattered to the ground. Manse lifted his bloody hands to cup Hyejin's cheeks, staring at her eyes intently.

"L–Listen to... Me. Listen to me... H–Hyejin... F–Find... Find... Him. You... Have to stop him..." he whispered. "W–Who... Who, Appa?" Hyejin asked.

Manse tried to breathe, but his lungs were punctured. Blood spurting from the holes in his chest. He closed his eyes and grimaced in pain, but he opened his eyes again to look at his daughter.

"Black... Mamba..." Manse whispered.

Hyejin's eyes widened in surprise. I exchanged confused looks with Tzuyu. Black Mamba? That was... Aespa's song, wasn't it? Suzy opened her mouth to ask Manse more, but Hyejin reached up to grab his hands on her cheeks.

"A–Appa! Stop talking! We need to get you out of here! We... We need to get you treated!" she sobbed.

Manse smiled and coughed up blood. He shook his head slowly. Hyejin started crying. She knew. It was inevitable.

"A–Appa... Appa..." she wept. Manse smiled and looked at his daughter. "I... Give me... My gun and... Detonator. I'll... I'll... Kill them all here. Bury... B–Bury them all here... W–With me... I... You... Guys... Run. Three minutes. You've got three minutes... Before... The bombs. Run... Basement... Run..." he rambled, looking at all of us. "Appa... P–Please... No... Appa..." Hyejin wept loudly.

"Hyejin..."

Hyejin looked up, tears flowing from her eyes. Her face was covered in blood, her father's blood. Manse looked at her and smiled. His thumbs wiped the tears off his daughter's eyes.

"It's... Alright... I... Finally... S–See... You again... I'm... At peace. I'm... Happy..." he whispered.

The detective burst into tears and hugged her father tightly, burying her face on his bloodied chest. Manse chuckled and coughed blood again, rubbing Hyejin's short green hair.

"Appa... A–Appa... Saranghae..." sobbed Hyejin, her shoulders trembling. "S–Sarang–hae... H–Hyejin..." he whispered. "I–I'll... Tell... Eomma... That... You're doing... Great..."

Manse pushed Hyejin away from him, nodding at Suzy, who was crying as well. Hyejin took out Manse's gun and the detonator from her belt, giving them to Manse. The big guy smiled and nodded. His left thumb slipped to the button on the detonator, while his right hand looked steady, gripping the gun. He stared at us. Yeoni pressed a finger into his ear.

"C–Care team... Care team... Strike Force. Meet us at the... At the alley. We're exiting through the basement. Hyejin and Chuyoung's hurt... We... Meet us there," he said. "Roger that, Yeoni. Emergency responders are here. We're meeting you at the back alley. Guys, you heard him! Move out!" Taeyeon's voice replied.

I clutched Tzuyu's hand tightly, and she nodded. She still stared concernedly at my bleeding shoulder. To be honest, my head was starting to spin, my vision blurry. I knew I was losing a lot of blood... But I couldn't stop now. Not like this. I smiled to comfort her.

"I'm fine, Tzu..." I whispered.

Tzuyu stared at me, her eyes teary, but she nodded silently. I smiled again and looked at the others.

Minsoo carried Hyejin on his back, and I saw Yeoni swooping Jisoo's legs, carrying his pregnant sister so she wouldn't need to run too much while carrying that big baby bump. The rest looked ready. We all turned to look at Manse. He took a deep breath...

And he pressed the detonator.

I heard the sounds of a series of mechanics echoing throughout the building, followed by many ticking sounds. Manse roared loudly, and with surprising strength, he stood up from behind the sofa...

"RUN! GO NOW!" he bellowed.

Manse started shooting, hitting a couple SOU officers, killing them. He lifted the sofa we were hiding behind and threw it at them, knocking three guys to the ground. He charged forward while roaring loudly. The SOU troops riddled him with bullets, but he kept attacking them...

That was the last I saw of him. We were running away. We ran like crazy to the corridor that would lead us to the basement. We rushed down the stairs, reaching the basement...

"W–What the fuck?!" Dahyun gasped.

I saw three bodies, scattered messily at the bottom of the staircase. I recognised them instantly. These were Sungho, Taewoo, and Chunghee. The three directors, my ex-colleagues... They were dead, each with a bullet hole on their forehead.

"W–What... Who..." Jisoo stuttered in fear. "The... The SOU guys that took them earlier... They brought them down here and executed them," Yeoni muttered. "T–They... Want to... Erase... Everything... About... Appa's work. They... Whoever did this... They don't want... Any... Loose ends..." Hyejin stuttered through her pain. "Come on, come on, guys! We need to get out of here! The bombs, remember? Come on!" rushed Sana.

We nodded, stepping across the three dead bodies, entering the basement. Tzuyu and I exited last, and I made an effort to close the metal door to the staircase, preventing anyone from the ground floor from following us out.

"Come on, this way!" Yeoni led us, Jisoo clutching his neck tightly.

Yeoni walked past a car, the rest of us closely following him, but at that moment, suddenly we heard a volley of shots. Yeoni ducked behind a car, and everyone did the same.

"Fuck! There's more of them?" Suzy cursed. "I–I... I see three men... Three men," said Jisoo, peeking a little from behind the car.

I looked up, and she was right. Three men, dressed in similar black tactical gear like the rest of the fake SOU squad, were standing in front of the entrance to the parking lot, their rifles aiming left and right, scanning the darkened area to find any movements. Shit. They were blocking our exit. Hyejin pressed her radio.

"Seonjang... Nim... ETA..." she whispered weakly. Her radio crackled. "One minute. One minute. Stand by!" Captain Park replied urgently.

There wasn't enough time. The bombs would explode by the time they reached us. We had to get out. We had to get past these three gunmen. But how? Yeoni looked around.

"Shit... Shit. How many guns do we have?" he asked. "One..." Hyejin said, lifting her gun. "Give it to me, Hyejin. You know I'm a good shot," Jennie said, extending her arm, but Jisoo shook her head. "N–No! Jen, what are you talking about? They'll shoot at you!" Jisoo said panickedly. "Someone has to stay, Unnie. Someone has to draw the shots so the rest can run away! If not, we'll never make it out... Not before the bombs explode!" Jennie said urgently.

Bombs. Suddenly, at that moment, my ears picked up the beeping sound of a timer... Of several timers. Everyone heard it too. We looked around, until Dahyun stooped down, looking under the car she was hiding behind.

"G–Guys... It's..." she stuttered.

I followed her example and bent down to look under the car in front of me. She was right. I saw an explosive pack stuck to the bottom of the car, a timer attached to it, the red numbers blinking down every second.

One minute and thirty seconds.

"Shit. Shit, we gotta go!" Sana said panickedly. "Hyejin! Give me the gun!" Jennie said urgently. "No! Please, no!" sobbed Jisoo, not willing to let her go.

Then it hit me.

There was a reason why I survived those two shots in the back I got last December. This was why I recovered so quickly. This was why I was given a second chance at life. This was why I was here...

This was why even after Taewoo's shot hit my shoulder, I managed to keep myself up for so long, even after losing so much blood. I thought it was the adrenaline talking, but... Now I understand.

I glanced at Tzuyu. She was staring at the three gunmen blocking our exit. I realised now why I met her, why I fell in love with her. I realised now why I told Sangwoo to take care not just of Nayeon, but of Tzuyu too. I realised now why I sang 'Butterfly' in the noraebang last night. I realised why she felt like it was a goodbye... Because it was indeed a goodbye.

Without words, I reached for Hyejin's hand... And took the gun from her. Everyone turned to look at me, their eyes widening in surprise.

"H–Hyung?" Minsoo stuttered. I nodded. "Hyung, don't... Don't play the hero here," warned Yeoni. I smiled. "It's the only way, Yeoni. You know..." I replied.

Yeoni frowned, holding back his tears, but he understood. Minsoo and Dahyun started sobbing, shaking their heads bitterly. Hyejin simply stared at me, and I saw the gratitude in her eyes. I took a deep breath and smiled at them.

"Go around the cars to the left. I'll draw their shots from the right. Go. You don't have much time," I said calmly.

Tzuyu finally realised what I wanted to do, and she started to panic.

"O–Oppa?" she stuttered. I smiled. "Go, Tzu. Nayeon is waiting at the HQ. She'll be happy to see you," I said. "O–Opp–Oppa? N–No... No! NO!" she started sobbing.

I reached to grab her cheek.

"Tzu... I'm dying anyway. I didn't admit it earlier... But... You know I've lost too much blood. I won't make it back. Please. Just go..." "N–No! No... Oppa... P–Please... No... No!" she wept. "Nayeon and Sangwoo will care for you... Tzu... You'll be alright..." I whispered.

Tzuyu burst to tears. She pulled me to a hug, clinging her long arms around my neck, not letting me go. I smiled and looked at Sana. Tears were wetting her eyes too, but I knew she understood. She reached forward to grab Tzuyu's shoulder, but Tzuyu shrugged her off.

"Tzu... Come on... C–Come on... We don't have time," Sana whispered. "I'll... I'll stay with him! I'll stay with him!" sobbed Tzuyu stubbornly.

My heart ached seeing her like this... But I had to do this. She clutched my back, her body rigid, intent on not letting me go. I lifted her face up, staring into her beautiful eyes. I closed my eyes... And kissed her lips.

Her lips felt soft, felt tender. It was the best feeling in the world. I thanked the heavens for allowing me the opportunity to experience her kiss, to be the first man to ever feel her body, to ever receive her love. I knew I won't be her last... But she was my last, and I was thankful for it.

For some reason, I reached to touch her abdomen. I didn't know... I would never know... But at that moment... Somehow... I felt life. I pulled myself away from her, breaking our kiss. I stared into her eyes... And I smiled.

"I love you, Tzu... I'll forever be with you. Forever, always..." I whispered.

With that, I pushed her body away strongly. Sana and Suzy caught her and locked their arms around her. Tzuyu screamed and struggled, but her two unnies were stronger. I took one final glance at her... And I ran to the right and started shooting.

"COME AT ME, YOU FOOLS!!!" I yelled.

A lucky shot hit one gunman in the head, killing him instantly. The two started rushing towards me. They opened fire, and I felt bullets hitting my kevlar vest. It was painful. It was excruciating, but I kept running, drawing these two fools as far away from the rest as possible.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Yeoni rushing forward, Jisoo in his arms. Jennie and Dahyun running behind him, followed by Minsoo with Hyejin on her back. Behind them... Sana and Suzy dragged Tzuyu away. She was still kicking and screaming, tears flowing down her smooth cheeks.

"NO! NO! CHUYOUNG-OPPA! NO!" she shrieked.

A bullet caught my left arm, then another caught my right leg, then my other leg, then my other arm. I stumbled to the ground. I was bleeding profusely. Fuck.

They were approaching. I lifted my gun and started shooting. A shot hit the gunman on the left in his face, making him stumble to the ground, dead. The next shot hit the final guy in his knee. He dropped in front of me, groaning in pain. I lifted my gun and aimed at his head.

"Die, you fool..." I uttered.

With a loud scream, I emptied my magazine at him, shooting his head again and again...

He slumped to the ground. His head mangled. Blood splattering everywhere. He was dead. They were dead.

It was over... It was finally over.

A beeping sound.

I glanced to my right. From the reflection off the water on the ground, I could see the numbers in the bomb under the car next to me. Twenty seconds. So this was it.

A ray of light hit my eyes.

I lifted my head. It was the sun. It was dawn. A new dawn, a new day. I glanced at the exit. The others had reached safety. The blast of the explosion won't reach them. I saw the blue and red police rotary lights. So the real SOU had finally arrived. I saw a lot of ambulances too. Medical workers, emergency responders. Hyejin was treated. She was safe. They were safe.

The beeping... Ten seconds.

The other IPG members have arrived too. Jeongyeon was hugging Sana and Dahyun tightly, the three of them crying. Jisoo was crying in Jennie and Lisa's arms, Yeoni hugging them tightly. Taeyeon, Sooyoung, Seohyun, Sunny Irene, Seulgi, Joy, Suzy and IU stood together, their hands interlaced with each other as they looked at the building. Dara was sitting next to CL. I saw a bandage around her midriff.

And then... I saw Tzuyu.

Minsoo and Momo were hugging her tightly, but she was still crying, wailing even, looking in my direction. Her eyes caught mine. I smiled at her. I was happy that she was safe, but at the same time... I was worried. Would she be okay without me? Would that gorgeous dimpled smile ever return to her beautiful face?

I closed my eyes. I wanted Chou Tzuyu to be the last thing I saw on earth. I knew my arms were bleeding profusely, my legs were too, but somehow, I couldn't feel the pain any longer. Even my worries suddenly disappeared. She'd be alright. She had her Twice sisters, she had Minsoo, she had the IPG... She had Nayeon and Sangwoo too.

"Nabong... Sangwoo... Please take care of her..." I whispered.

My ears picked the sounds of the beeping timers. Suddenly I realised that there were just so many cars around me, each rigged with explosives. I smiled. It would be painless, then. It would be quick.

Five. Four...

Tzuyu... I wondered if she was actually pregnant with my child. I felt the life inside her, but... I guessed it was just the thought of a dying man. Whatever it was... For some reason, I knew a part of me would always be with her.

Three...

My Tzuyu... My princess... My love... My life...

Two...

"Forever... Always..."

One.

[lsmu]

Book 3 Part 2 – Chapter 35: Valedictorian

"H–Hyejin...?"

I had never heard Manse speak as softly as this. Well, honestly, I had only ever encountered him once in SM's parking lot late last year, but he was terrifying back then. He was still terrifying right now, but now...

"Appa... Stop this, please..." Hyejin begged. "Stop all of this... And come with me."

Manse stared at her, then at Suzy, then back at her. Slowly, he bared his teeth. He looked betrayed, he looked hateful... But I noticed that his features softened considerably.

"D–Did... Did... Did she tell you about me? Did she... Did she lie to you too?" Manse asked, pointing at Suzy, his voice not more than a growl.

Hyejin shook her head, keeping her eyes locked on Manse.

"No, Appa. I... I learned everything myself. I... I decided to come here... After your friends, BoA-daepyonim and Junhwan-ssi, told me. But before any of that... I've been doing an investigation after what happened in SM's parking lot back in December," Hyejin said.

Manse merely stared at her, unable to speak. Hyejin smiled, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I... I saw your picture, and... And I immediately recognised you. I did some research in the Big Three companies, and I found out that you were in fact my father... Moon Daesung. For sixteen years... I thought you were dead... Until last month... When I found out that you changed your name..." Hyejin told him.

"So you're... Y–You're..." Manse stuttered.

Hyejin nodded, her smile grew wider.

"I'm a police officer now, Appa. A senior inspector, in fact... Head of the SMPA's intelligence division. That's why I picked up your case. Appa... Do you know... T–That I was the v–valedictorian... Of my batch at the Police University...?" Hyejin whispered softly.

I felt tears starting to fill my eyes. The way Hyejin said those words... It sounded like a daughter trying to make her father proud. Manse stared at her for a long time, tears starting to flood his eyes as well.

"V–Valedictorian..." Manse repeated, his breath tremulous.

Hyejin nodded. Her lips started trembling, but she kept smiling.

"Mm! I–I... Harabeoji and... A–And... H–Haelmeoni... Took good care of me. Y–You... You have nothing to worry about. I'm... I'm doing well, Appa..." Hyejin said, her voice slowly but surely turning into a sob.

Manse's mouth gaped open, and for some reason, I thought I could see the corners of his lips curving up, as if he was about to smile. Hyejin blinked slowly, letting tears fall down from her eyes. She smiled wide, staring straight at her father.

"Appa... It's alright. I've learned about everything... I knew what you did... B–Back in 2012... Back when I... I auditioned. I–I... I never told you... I took that November audition to... To surprise you..." Hyejin started sobbing.

A single tear leaked from Manse's eyes.

"I... Destroyed... Your files..." he whispered. Hyejin nodded, but she kept smiling. "I know, Appa... B–But... I don't blame you... I understand... You did everything to protect me. You did everything... T–To keep me–"

Hyejin's voice choked. She stifled her sob, but tears kept streaming down her eyes. She took a deep breath to compose herself, before smiling at Manse again.

"... A–Appa... G–Gomawo-yo..." she whispered.

Hyejin stretched out an arm, opening up her palm. There was not a single pair of dry eyes in the room. Hyejin's words were the sweetest, and the way she appealed to her father... Only she could do it.

"Appa... It's alright," Hyejin assured him. "... Please... Come with me... Let's end this."

Miraculously, as if being put under a spell, Manse started walking towards Hyejin. He walked slowly too towards us last December, but... This time he didn't look intimidating. There was no sense of menace around him.

"All I ever wanted... Was for you to succeed, to have a good life. All I ever wanted... Was for you to stay as far away from this rotten industry I am in..." Manse started talking.

He took another step forward. The rest of us took a step back, unsure of what to do, but Hyejin stood her ground, staring at her father.

"And here you are... A police detective... A senior inspector... Head of SMPA's Intelligence Division..." Manse repeated Hyejin's words. "... A valedictorian."

Another step forward. Manse's breath became ragged, as if he was trying so hard to keep his emotions inside his heart. He was reaching Hyejin. He was getting closer.

Suzy's eyes darted between Manse and Hyejin. This was unpredictable. Would Manse attack his daughter? He would defeat her instantly, considering the size difference between the two. It was like David vs Goliath. Still, Hyejin stood silently, not moving a muscle. They stared at each other.

Both were a little scared, both unsure if they could trust the other, but somehow I knew both Hyejin and Manse longed for this moment. Longed for each other. Sixteen long years, sixteen excruciating years. Hyejin thought her father was dead, Manse thought he'd let go of Hyejin after destroying her dreams. And yet... Here they were... Standing in front of each other's presence.

Hyejin took a step towards Manse, reaching her trembling hands forward, reaching to touch her father's arms tentatively. It was as if time stood still, everyone holding their breaths, unsure what would happen.

"I'm here, Appa..." Hyejin whispered.

What we witnessed next was truly remarkable, amazing even. Who'd have ever thought... That the only thing it took to bring such a giant of a man down... Was the gentle touch of such a petite girl. As soon as he felt Hyejin's touch on his arms, Manse crumbled to the ground, kneeling in front of his daughter, and then... To our collective bewilderment...

He cried.

"Hyejin... H–Hyejin..." he sobbed. "Hyejin... I miss you so much..." "Na do, Appa... Neomu bogoshippeo-sseo-yo..." Hyejin whispered, tears flowing down on her cheeks.

I heard clatterings. Manse had dropped both the detonator and the gun to the ground. His massive arms flung forward, wrapping his daughter's back. Hyejin quickly kicked the detonator and gun away, and she knelt with her father, hugging him tightly. With that, she started crying too.

"Appa... It's alright... I'm here... I'm here..." Hyejin whispered, rubbing Manse's broad back gently. "Hyejin... Appa... A–Appa is sorry... So sorry..." sobbed Manse.

Hyejin pulled her face up, looking straight at us. We knew exactly what she wanted us to do. That was her signal. Carefully, we started moving towards the four girls, our eyes still fixated on the father and daughter reunion happening in front of us. I bet Manse knew we were moving to free the girls, but... He didn't seem to care.

"C–Come on. Come on, guys. Come on," Sana beckoned us.

We nodded, and worked swiftly to untie the girls. Sana was the quickest in untying Dahyun's ropes and releasing the fabric gagging her mouth. The pale girl immediately burst to tears and hugged her unnie tightly, crying on her shoulder.

"Unnie! U–Unnie... Unnie..." sobbed Dahyun. "You're safe, Dubu... Y–You're safe... You're safe..." whispered Sana repeatedly.

I worked together with Yeoni to untie Jennie and Jisoo. Jennie immediately leaped to hug her boyfriend as soon as she was freed, and Jisoo did the same. Yeoni hugged them tightly, kissing their cheeks warmly, tears wetting their cheeks.

"Noona... Jen... Are you guys okay? Are you hurt?" he asked. The two girls shook their heads, sobbing loudly. "W–We're fine... F–Fine, YeongYeong... Thank... Thank you..." whispered JIsoo. "Thank you, Yeongi... Thank you, Minsoo... Thank you for saving us..." Jennie hugged me. "Oppa! Oppa you're bleeding..."

I turned to my right, and saw Tzuyu already freed, Chuyoung's jacket draped around her shoulder, but she was looking at Chuyoung's arm concernedly. She was right. Blood was leaking from his arm. Was he shot?

"I–I'm... I'm fine, Tzu... I'm glad you're safe..." whispered Chuyoung, but I noticed that he looked pale, almost as pale as Dahyun. "No, you're not. Hyung, let's get you outside now with Tzuyu," said Yeoni.

Tzuyu nodded and immediately stood up, helping Chuyoung to stand up with her. The rest of us helped Jennie, Jisoo, and Dahyun, and we walked slowly to rejoin Suzy, Hyejin, and Manse. Manse was still clutching Hyejin's back, still not looking up, still crying bitterly.

"Appa..." Hyejin whispered. "Come on... Let's... Go back to Seoul." "H–Hyeongsa-nim..."

Manse had just called Hyejin with her title. Hyejin cupped his cheeks and lifted his face gently. He was sobbing loudly, looking a far cry from the usual stoic and intimidating man. Slowly, he shook his head.

"I–I... I can't... I... You can't... You can't just let me go. I... I've sinned too much. I... I've made too many mistakes... You... Y–You can't let me go free..." he wept, sounding so ashamed and guilty.

Hyejin smiled. She rubbed his cheeks with her thumbs.

"I'm not planning to do that, Appa... I'm bringing you to my office... But at least I'm doing it peacefully. At least no one gets hurt," Hyejin whispered.

Manse stared at his daughter for a long moment, then slowly, he smiled. Strange... I've seen him smile before, but not like this. This smile was lively, this smile was warm. It was as if we were looking at a different man. I realised it then. This wasn't Park Manse... This was Moon Daesung.

"I... Would... Maybe... I would need a lawyer..." Manse uttered, sounding ashamed. Hyejin chuckled. "I'll find you the best one. Maybe find a way to reduce your sentence..." Hyejin offered, playing along with her dad. Manse smiled. "No one's better than Junhwan..." he joked. Hyejin nodded. "Maybe he'll want to help his old friend..." she said calmly.

Manse nodded, releasing Hyejin from his hug. She stood up, picked up the detonator and gun, stashing them in her utility belt. To our surprise, Manse joined his wrists together, lifting them up in front of his chest. He looked at Hyejin and smiled.

"It'll make everyone feel safer..." he uttered.

Hyejin wiped her tears and smiled. She nodded and produced a pair of hinged handcuffs from her belt, cuffing her father's wrists gently. The mechanical locks secured themselves with a soft beep, and Manse nodded as he felt them around his wrists. Hyejin helped Manse to stand, and he took a deep breath, looking at us all. He saw that the girls were already freed, each clutching their partners. Slowly, Manse bowed low.

"Joesonghamnida, Yeorobun..." he muttered.

We didn't know how to reply to that. We never expected Manse to apologise to us. We were ready to fight, ready to die, even, to save the girls... But now... We were all free, without a single shot fired, without bloodshed. I guessed miracles still do happen.

Manse lifted his head, before looking at his ex-girlfriend. Suzy wasn't smiling, probably still shocked by the sudden change of attitude from her nemesis. Manse nodded curtly, before turning to look at Hyejin again. He looked ready.

"I'm ready, Hyeongsa-nim..." he said with a smile.

Hyejin smiled and wrapped an arm around her father's massive biceps. She reached for a device on her chest, and only then did I notice that she was wearing a police radio on her vest.

"All units, stand down. Target secured. Hostages rescued. All units: Stand down. I repeat: Stand down. Prep medical. We're coming out," she said. "Copy that, Hyeongsa-nim," a male voice replied through the radio.

Hyejin sighed in relief, and she smiled at us all. With a gentle tug, she guided Manse to start walking. We followed behind them, walking slowly towards the door.

I looked around me. Suzy walked slowly right behind Manse and Hyejin. Sana was walking behind her, her arm hugging Dahyun's small waist. Jisoo and Jennie hugged Yeoni's arms, and they walked behind Sana and Dahyun. I saw Chuyoung was struggling to walk, looking weaker and weaker, so I joined Tzuyu to support him.

"Who knew, right, Minsoo?" Chuyoung whispered. I smiled and nodded. "Yeah... Who knew..." I echoed. "I'm glad... It's over..." uttered Tzuyu.

We reached the door, and Hyejin pushed it open. The two SOU officers from earlier opened the door wider for us, and we soon stepped out. The officers stood at the ready, but Hyejin had ordered them to stand down, so they were not pointing their rifles at Manse.

"We're done here. Let's go home," said Hyejin to the SOU squad.

They didn't reply verbally, their faces obscured by their tactical helmets, but I knew they acknowledged her. I counted at least seventeen officers around us, all with their assault rifles, and I remembered that three of them were taking the three directors away earlier.

We were slowly moving towards the main staircase. I glanced at my watch. It was almost 5 in the morning. The dawn was breaking soon... A dawn of a new era, a better era. I sighed. Finally... It was over.

"Hyejin..." Manse suddenly called. "Yes, Appa?" Hyejin replied.

Manse thought for a moment, before lowering his voice to a low whisper, only barely audible to all of us.

"Listen... There's... There's still a lot of work for you to do," he whispered. "What do you mean?" asked Hyejin. "I'll... I'll tell you everything later. But... You have to know that I'm not alone... I'm... I'm not the only one doing this," he said.

Hyejin's eyes widened. She looked at Manse in confusion, and I saw both Sana and Suzy exchanging glances. Our attention was fully focused on him now. What was he talking about? Manse cleared his throat and nodded.

"Arresting me... Will stop my operation. It will change a lot of things, it will make all of your lives significantly better, but... My work was limited to the big three companies. There are still abuses in the smaller companies... Like Pledis and Blockberry, Starship, Cube, Woolim... The list goes on..." Manse explained.

We reached the staircase, and we started walking down towards the main lobby. Manse kept talking.

"... Corrupt executives are everywhere. If you truly want to make the K-pop world safe, you'll have to stop the one who controls everything... He invested in my operation, much like BoA invested in the IPG," Manse said.

We exchanged glances as we reached the main lobby and started walking towards the front door. Was he telling the truth?

"W–Who?" asked Suzy. Manse looked at her seriously. "I'll... I'll reveal everything after I'm taken into custody. I promise I'll help you. But... It's not safe to say it out in the open... He's got eyes and ears everywhere... Even in the metaverse... In the newly launched Kwangya. Even in the..."

Suddenly, Hyejin's police radio crackled to life. She lifted a hand to stop her father from speaking, and she pressed a button on the device. A man's voice spoke through the speaker.

"Moon-hyeongsa-nim! This is Captain Park Jiwon, Special Operations Unit. We're approaching the location soon! ETA: Five minutes. Please hold your position. Help is coming!"

Hyejin tilted her head in confusion.

"S–Seonjang-nim... My... My apologies. I don't think I hear you correctly. I am already with a squad from the SOU here... On location. Please clarify," she spoke.

The Captain took a second to reply.

"Eh? We were waiting for you at the SMPA HQ earlier, but you never came. We decided to go straight to Incheon after a while because your licence plate was detected near the coordinates of the mission location we received earlier," Captain Park said.

Hyejin's eyes widened.

"Huh? I was told earlier to meet the team on the w–"

Her words trailed off. She looked at her father, and it was the first time ever that I saw Manse looking afraid...

"H–He's got eyes and ears everywhere... Even in Kwangya, even in..." Hyejin repeated slowly. "... Even in the Police," Manse uttered, his voice shaky.

They realised what was going on. We realised it too. Hyejin whipped around in alarm, she looked up in horror. Something felt wrong. Something felt really wrong.

"Oh... No..." Jennie whispered.

I realised that those who we thought were Hyejin's SOU squad were no longer walking with us. We whipped around in terror, finding all seventeen of them standing at the staircase. Hyejin took out her gun and aimed at them, immediately sensing the danger.

"Officers... Stand down..." Hyejin warned, sounding terrified.

They didn't reply. Instead of obeying Hyejin's order... They lifted their assault rifles.

"I SAID STAND DOWN!" Hyejin screamed, cocking her gun.

They were undeterred. They cocked their rifles... And they aimed at us. I realised what was happening.

It was an ambush.

"RUN!" screamed Yeoni.

They opened fire.

[lsmu]

Book 3 Part 2 – Chapter 34: I Am The Best

Tense. That was how I would describe the mood in the car during our drive from Guryong to Incheon. Everyone stayed silent. I was in Sooyoung's Range Rover, sitting on the passenger seat next to Sooyoung who was driving, with Minsoo, Jeongyeon, Chuyoung, and Lisa in the back seat.

Taeyeon was in the front car–a black Mercedes GLS SUV–driven by one of BoA's security team members. Seulgi, Joy, and Irene were in that car too. Mr. Park drove the car behind us; IU, Dara, Momo, and several of IU's bodyguards with him. Seohyun and Sunny drove the Care Team's Hyundai Staria van at the rear.

Our convoy exited the highway, arriving at Incheon. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was almost 4 in the morning. The girls were already there for almost three hours... Jisoo was already there for almost three hours. I tapped my feet impatiently. I hoped they were okay... I hoped Manse hadn't done anything to harm them.

"Nervous, Yeoni?"

I turned, seeing Sooyoung. She looked really calm. I sighed.

"Y–Yeah... Aren't you?" I asked.

Sooyoung shrugged.

"Been through something similar... When Sica-unnie was abused... She... She was taken somewhere too. Taengoo and I were the ones who picked her up after she called us, asking for help. Gosh, Yeoni... I couldn't forget the look on her face that night..." she shuddered.

I nodded.

"Yeah... I can only... Imagine..." I uttered. "Then... Then... There was Hara and Sulli's death... Suzy and Seungyeon-unnie were the ones who found them, but Taengoo, Sunny, and I came to the scene shortly after... And to see their... T–Their..."

Sooyoung choked, unable to continue. I couldn't imagine the horror she must have experienced when they found the lifeless bodies of their friends. I stared at her. Sooyoung always looked so cheerful and carefree... I didn't know that she'd been through that much.

"W–What if... What if... The girls...?" I heard Minsoo asking from the back. Sooyoung shook her head. "No... I don't think so. Manse is using them to bait us, right? The fact that he released that article is also proof that he intends on smearing Jisoo and Yeoni's names and ending their career... There's no point in killing them. They're still alive. I'm sure of it," she said.

I nodded silently. I hoped she was right. At that moment, I heard my earpiece crackling to life.

"Heads up. You're approaching. Turn right at the next intersection," I heard Wendy speaking.

I knew everyone heard her. I glanced at the rearview mirror, finding Chuyoung, Minsoo, Jeongyeon, and Lisa all nodding, looking ready, albeit afraid. I was ready too. I was ready for anything.

Taeyeon's car turned into a quiet street by a hillside and we followed them. Old abandoned buildings of every kind lined up the streets on our right. This was the perfect hiding spot for people like Manse. No one would look for him here.

"The sixth building on the right..." said Rosé. "From the satellite image... It... It looks like a... Complex?" Jihyo asked.

Jihyo was right. Approaching fast into our view to the right was a medium-sized complex. Rosé guessed that it was an old hotel building, and she was right. I could still see the broken hotel neon sign hanging on the side of the building. It had a fairly large parking lot on the outside, but the entire area was closed off with metal fences. The cars slowed to a stop in front of an alley by the side of the complex.

"Kill the lights," ordered IU.

The car in front of us did just that, and Sooyoung followed. It was pitch darkness, the soft blue glow of Sooyoung and Lisa's Project Origin bracelets illuminating our surroundings. From the car in front, Taeyeon jumped down, followed by The Red Velvet girls and BoA's security team. Sooyoung took a deep breath and looked at all of us.

"Ready, kids?" she asked.

Nobody answered verbally, but we all nodded. I cocked my gun, and I heard Chuyoung doing the same. We exited the car, before gathering together with the others. Our faces were illuminated with blue glows, plus a soft pink one from Momo's bracelet. Mr. Park opened his iPad and showed us the layout of the building. Taeyeon, IU, and Irene studied it in silence for a few seconds.

"What's the plan?" I asked them. Taeyeon straightened herself and stared at Chuyoung. "Chuyoung-ssi, have you been here before?" she asked. Chuyoung shook his head. "No. Manse was a YG director when I was with him, so he stayed in Seoul. He only moved here after the YG stock scandal of 2026," he said.

Taeyeon nodded.

"Very well. Basically we'll retrace Ansel's steps. Ansel used to enter from the basement parking lot. The entrance is at the back of this building, so we'll need to walk down this alley to reach it," Taeyeon started, pointing at the alley.

I flung my eyes at the direction she was pointing. The alley was small, only lit with one flickering street lamp. It was perfect to cover our arrival.

"I've hacked into the CCTV system around the area. I see two guards at the gate to the basement. You need to take them out first," Wendy spoke through our earpieces. We all nodded. "Noted, Wendy. Once inside... We'll move towards the staircase to the main lobby on the ground floor. Ansel's sensor caught at least five guards in the basement the last time he came here," Taeyeon continued. "Easy, then," smirked Lisa, but Taeyeon shook her head. "Not necessarily, Lisa. We don't know what kind of firepower they have, and we need to take them out quietly to avoid alerting the guards on the ground floor," she said. "We need to be as silent as we can. A gunfight on the ground floor is inevitable once we reach it, but we don't want to get swarmed in the basement. It'll be a bloodbath," Irene said seriously. "Got it," said Lisa.

Taeyeon spoke again.

"Once we get past the guards at the gate, we'll get into the basement quietly. Once we confirm the number of guards in the basement, The Strike Team will take them out one by one. Do not use Project Origin in the basement. I repeat, do not use Project Origin in the basement. The sound will alert the guards upstairs," Taeyeon said.

The Strike Team members nodded.

"Once we get to the ground floor, we'll spread out and take out as many guards as we can. Dara-unnie, Minsoo, Jeongyeon... Draw the guards out with your melee weapons. You will be accompanied by one of Mr. Park's men or BoA-unnie's men," said Taeyeon, looking at Minsoo, Jeongyeon, and Dara, who nodded.

"My men will take care of the shooters on the railings, while you guys take out the guards approaching us," Mr. Park said.

The three nodded again, grabbing their weapons a little tighter. IU cleared her throat and stared at all of us.

"We don't know how many guards are inside, but we know that Manse's expecting us, so they'll be ready... Remember, our objective is to clear a path for us to get to Manse's chamber on the second floor, where the girls are held," she said, pointing at Mr. Park's iPad. "Manse will be there..." uttered Chuyoung.

Taeyeon, Irene, and IU exchanged glances.

"I think so too... I think he'll be in his room with the three directors, guarding the girls themselves," said Irene. "What should we do with them?" I asked.

IU bit her lips, looking worried.

"We... We expect Sana's team to be here by the time we reach the chamber... With... With Hyejin," IU uttered. "Hyejin should be the one talking to her dad." "That's... Optimistic," mused Jeongyeon sarcastically, but IU only sighed. "We have to be optimistic, Jeongie... That's... That's the only way we could think of to get Manse to release the girls," IU said.

I sighed and grabbed Jeongyeon's shoulder.

"Let's be optimistic for now, Jeongie," I said. Jeongyeon nodded. "You're right..." she said.

Everyone fell silent. Dara stepped forward.

"We also need to find Chaerin," said Dara. IU nodded. "Go look for CL-unnie once you've reached the ground floor, and get her out to safety," IU said. "We will be waiting out here," said Sunny, Seohyun nodding silently next to her.

Dara nodded, taking a shaky deep breath. Everyone did the same, trying to calm our thumping hearts. Taeyeon lifted her eyes and forced a smile.

"Right... Well... Let's... Do this, shall we? At least let's try to hold the ground while... While waiting for Hyejin, Sana, and the police to come," Taeyeon said. "Let's hope Sana and BoA-unnie manage to talk her into this," whispered Seulgi.

Mr. Park cocked his gun and looked at Irene and Taeyeon, before turning to his team members.

"Boys, we have two pregnant mothers with us. Protect them at all costs. Don't let the enemies even get close to them," he ordered.

His team and BoA's team nodded. We all did a final check on our weapons and armours. Two members of Mr. Park's team stayed behind to protect Seohyun and Sunny, and with Taeyeon and Irene leading us in front, we walked single file down the alley, IU walking at the very end, her knife ready in her hand.

We stopped just before we reached the gate at the back of the building, letting the shadows hide us. I saw the two guards Wendy mentioned. They were smoking, looking relaxed. Taeyeon turned to look at IU.

"You're up, Ji-eun," she whispered.

IU nodded. She picked up two really small pointy weapons from her holster and crept slowly forward, staying hidden in the shadows. I held my breath as I saw her stop a few steps away from the guards and positioned herself, lifting her arms up. Then... I heard it.

Thwip. Thwip.

Two whizzing sounds. A second later, the two guards fell limply to the ground without sound. My eyes widened. Did... Did IU just... Kill them?

"All clear. Good to go," I heard Jihyo speaking through my earpiece. "Alright. Move out," whispered Taeyeon.

We followed the Strike Force head forward into the light, moving silently past the back gate and into the basement entrance. I saw Minsoo walking closer to IU and leaned in to whisper to her.

"S–Sunbae... Did you...?" he whispered. She smiled and shook her head. "No. Those are sedative darts. They'll sleep soundly 'till noon at least," she chuckled.

Minsoo sighed, and IU chuckled some more. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief too. Gosh. The way IU fought was absolutely terrifying that day at SM's parking lot, I wouldn't put it past her to kill those guards.

We entered the basement quietly, and Taeyeon gestured for us to spread out and crouch behind several cars, hiding ourselves. I flung my eyes around the parking lot. Fuck. There were so many luxury cars here. Dara was crouching next to Minsoo, IU, Sooyoung and I behind a car in the centre area of the parking lot, with Lisa, Taeyeon, and Mr. Park a few metres to our left behind another car.

I saw the ex-2NE1 member staring at one particular car parked next to a familiar looking motorbike... A silver Mercedes-Benz AMG Coupe. I recognised that bike immediately as Ansel's bike, but I didn't recognise the car. Dara felt my stare, and she turned to look at me.

"That's... Chaerin's car," she whispered.

I nodded. Dara must really want to meet her friend now. I reached forward to squeeze her hand gently, offering my support. She smiled and nodded, before returning her gaze to the open area in front of us, the walkway to the staircase clearly seen at the far end of the area.

"I pick up six guards from your sensors. Two near the stairs up, four rotating around the area every... One minute. Joy, one is very close to your position right now. You can take him out silently without alerting the others," Wendy said.

We turned to look at Joy at the right side of the parking lot, who nodded. She whipped out a collapsible baton from her belt and crept slowly behind the guard near her. In a flash, she flung her hands around the guard's jaw, jerking it back strongly. I heard a crack, and soon the guard's body went limp. Joy dragged the body quickly behind the car she was hiding before.

"Got him," I heard Joy through my earpiece. "Good. Ddeulgi, you're next. A guard is approaching your location," said Wendy.

I peeked my head up from behind the trunk of the car I was crouching behind, trying to see Seulgi who was crouching behind a Hummer on my left with Irene, Jeongyeon, and two of BoA's bodyguards. As the guard stepped in front of the car, Seulgi lunged forward, swiftly taking the guard down with a strong neck lock, her other palm covering the guard's mouth to prevent him from making any sound. Seulgi pulled the guard's limp body to the back of the car, stashing him securely there.

"Done," Seulgi said. "Two down, four to go," whispered Taeyeon. "How are we going to take out the two guards at the stairs?" I heard Chuyoung asking suddenly. "I'll do it," said IU, "But not before we take out the other two rotating guards." "Now. The two guards at the centre. Sooyoung, Lisa, do it together," ordered Taeyeon.

Sooyoung and Lisa nodded. Sooyoung crept forward slowly, and Lisa did the same. The tall SNSD member did a quick karate chop to the neck of the guard that was standing right in front of us, knocking him out cold. Sooyoung pulled the guard's body swiftly behind, Dara and I helped her.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Lisa running silently before leaping up high, wrapping her legs around the guard's neck. I could hear the faint gasp of surprise from the guard, but Lisa squeezed her thick thighs around his neck tightly, blocking his air supply.

📷

The guard stumbled behind as he lost consciousness, and with surprising agility, Lisa pulled her body back and did a reverse somersault, landing like a cat on the floor and stretching her hands forward, cushioning the fall of the guard to avoid making sound, before pulling him quietly behind the car.

"Done," said Sooyoung. "And done," said Lisa. "Fuck you and your acrobatic moves, Lisa!" cursed Taeyeon. Lisa stifled a chuckle. "Did Lisa do her reverse somersault again?" I heard Rosé asking. "You bet I did," said Lisa smugly. "Fuck you, Lili," Rosé replied. Lisa chuckled again. "Okay, okay. So far so good. Now... The two guards at the stairs. Ji-eun unnie?" Wendy said.

IU nodded, producing another pair of sedative darts. She crept to the middle of the room, stopping just before the light touched her body. She lifted her arms, ready to strike.

As before, I held my breath and stared at the two guards. The guard on the left was standing idly, the guard on the right was opening his pack of cigarettes.

Thwip. Thwip. The guard on the left fell silently, but to our collective horror...

"Fuck... I dropped my cigs..."

The guard on the right dropped his cigarette pack, and stooped down to pick it up, inadvertently ducking IU's dart. The dart stuck on the wall behind him, and he inevitably noticed that his partner was stumbling.

"Fuck!" cursed IU in a whisper. "W–What..." the guard stuttered panickedly, before whipping around at IU's direction, lifting his gun up, "Who's there?!"

We were immediately on alert. Shit! What should we do? Instinctively, I sprung up from behind the car, pointing my gun in his direction. IU produced a knife and threw it at the guard... But she missed.

In doing so, she revealed her presence. I could see the guard's eyes widening. As if in slow motion, I watched him cocking his gun, his finger slipping to the trigger. I did the same, ready to shoot him...

BOOM.

A loud crackling sound echoed through the walls of the basement, a bright blue flash blinding us. The guard's body flew a few metres back, before crashing loudly onto the wall. He slumped to the ground, unconscious, smoke emanating from his body.

I turned to look at the source of the sound. Lisa was standing to my right, her right hand outstretched, her Project Origin bracelet glowing bright blue.

She had just used it.

"O–Oh... Oh no..." Lisa stuttered, realising her mistake.

We heard ruffling sounds from the floor above us, followed by rushed footsteps. They heard it. Everyone heard it.

"What was it? What happened?" Jihyo asked urgently. "I–I'm... I'm sorry... I..." Lisa panickedly stammered.

Taeyeon, Irene, and Mr. Park sprung up from behind the cars, their weapons ready. We followed them.

"Forget about it, Lisa! Come on! We need to get to the ground floor now! We're sitting ducks here! MOVE IT!" screamed Taeyeon.

Taeyeon and Mr. Park led us in front, running up the stairs. We followed them quickly, and soon we reached a long corridor on the ground floor. Around two dozen guards rushed to meet us at the other end of the corridor, all brandishing their katanas and baseball bats. I saw their eyes widening as they saw SNSD's Kim Taeyeon standing in front of them, undoubtedly surprised to see a legend like her.

Big mistake.

"Oh... This is gonna be good..." smirked Taeyeon.

She stretched her arm forward, and with one powerful pump, she blasted them with her bracelet, sending at least the five frontmost guards tumbling down like bowling pins. The rest yelled and rushed forward, only to be met with Irene's blast.

"Come on! Push forward!" yelled Irene.

I yelled and ran forward next to Irene, dodging a swinging katana, punching the chest of the guard nearest to me. Behind me, Chuyoung opened fire, hitting a few guys on the neck and face, making them scream in agony.

Dara swung her baseball bat, hitting the next guard square in the face, then she charged forward together with Sooyoung and BoA's bodyguards. Minsoo and IU came last, the Twice manager hitting a few guards with his kendo swords, while IU threw knives after knives at the incoming guards.

"Get to the main lobby!" screamed IU.

She joined the rest at the main lobby, and I picked myself up to follow them. My eyes widened as I saw the size of the main lobby. It was much larger than I imagined! Irene was about to step into the uncovered central area, when suddenly, I heard gunshots.

"Take cover!" Taeyeon yelled.

I quickly pulled Irene behind a sofa, right when bullets whizzed above our heads. The others hid behind pillars as bullets started raining down on us, shots coming from above. I broke cover to aim my gun at a guard who was running at us from the other end of the lobby. I shot at him, hitting his neck, making him stumble and scream in pain. I knew my gun was only loaded with rubber bullets, but when you got hit by one... It still hurts like hell.

"Shooters on the railings, remember?" I reminded Irene as I returned to my cover. She nodded. "Thanks, Babe..." she whispered.

Mr. Park opened fire, followed by the crackling sounds of the Strike Team's bracelets. I took another peek... And I realised just how many guards were actually there, swarming the place. Luckily, those with firearms were only the ones shooting at us from the balcony on both sides of the main lobby, while the others were charging at us with katanas and baseball bats.

Mr. Park's team and BoA's bodyguards immediately traded shots with the shooters above, joined by Chuyoung, who was a pretty good shot himself. I turned and shot a guard who was charging at Irene and I, making him stagger back, and Irene blasted him away with her bracelet.

"Momo! Momo, on your left!" Jeongyeon screamed.

I turned to my right, seeing Jeongyeon slamming an approaching guard in a ssireum move, knocking him out cold, before standing up back to back with Sooyoung, who was kicking an incoming guard with a powerful karate kick.

Momo was blasting guards to her left while covering herself behind a pillar. I saw a guard charging his katana at Momo, but she quickly blasted him with another pink blast, sending him flying to the wall.

"Thanks, Jeongie!" shouted Momo, continuing to dispose of more guards.

Irene broke cover and blasted two guards in quick succession using her bracelet. I followed her example and shot three other guards. I reloaded my gun while taking cover, and I flung my eyes around the main lobby.

Seulgi was fighting a few guards by herself, the usually adorable Teddy Bear looking terrifying all of a sudden, her small eyes squinting as she moved like a Wing Chun master. She fought gracefully and effectively, striking the enemies' weak points, breaking their arms and knees, dislocating their shoulders, before finishing them off with a double roundhouse kick.

I saw IU fighting together with Minsoo and Mr. Park. Minsoo was surprisingly adept in swordfighting, I wondered if the swordsman Yori had taught him a thing or two. His form was decent, and he effectively downed many guards with his kendo moves.

Mr. Park was a brawler. He fought like a beast, using his giant body to tackle and smash anyone coming at him, rarely ever using his gun. I noticed that his style was Krav Maga, one of the deadliest fighting styles in the world.

IU was... IU. She had her own style of fighting. She was scary, quick, lethal with her knives, hacking, slashing, and throwing knives at all the right angles, her face smeared with blood from her fallen enemies.

To my left, Joy and Lisa fought side by side, and I noticed that the way they fought was almost similar: Agile, acrobatic, lightning fast, although Lisa's form clearly had some Muay Thai and Capoeira influence, while Joy's was simply Taekwondo.

Joy used her long limbs effectively, keeping her enemies at bay with a flurry of kicks, while Lisa was cartwheeling and kicking to and fro, dodging katana slashes while blasting everyone with her bracelet, sending guards flying away left and right.

Chuyoung and Taeyeon rushed to join Irene and I behind the sofa, panting hard. I saw Taeyeon clutching her belly, looking a little paler than usual, and I grabbed her shoulder gently.

"You alright, Sunbae?" I asked her.

She nodded quickly, but at that moment a series of shots hit the sofa behind which we were hiding, sending pieces of cotton flying in the air.

"I'm... I'm fine. Shit. We need to take out those shooters on the railings if we want to proceed!" Taeyeon exclaimed.

"Is there any other way to go upstairs other than the main staircase? There should be other stairs, right?" Chuyoung asked, breaking cover every now and then to shoot some guards.

Irene pressed her earpiece into her ear, trying to talk to the spies back at the HQ above the noises.

"Wendy! Is there any other way to the second floor other than the main staircase?" she asked. "Hang on, Unnie. Lemme check," Wendy replied.

A few seconds passed before Wendy spoke again.

"There are two other staircases. One by the kitchen on the left wing, and one by the concierge area on the right wing. You can't go through the middle. They'll kill you!" Wendy said. "Got it!" said Irene, looking at Taeyeon.

The SNSD leader nodded and pressed a finger into her ear, speaking to all of us.

"Listen up, everyone! We need to flank the shooters on the railing. We're splitting the team in two. I will go with IU, Minsoo, Joy, Sooyoung, Momo, and Chuyoung to the staircase by the kitchen, Irene will go with Yeoni, Dara, Jeongyeon, Lisa, and Seulgi to take the staircase by the concierge area. Mr. Park and team, hold your position in the middle area, cover our movements. Everyone copied?" Taeyeon barked.

"Roger that!" Seulgi responded. "Copy that, Taengoo!" yelled Sooyoung. "Got it!" said IU. "Copy that, Taeyeon-ssi," growled Mr. Park.

Irene, Chuyoung, and I nodded, readying ourselves. Mr. Park joined us and took out a flashbang grenade from his belt, pulling the pin.

"Run as soon as I throw this," he said.

We nodded. Mr. Park threw the flashbang, releasing a blinding white light as soon as it hit the ground. We looked away as we heard groans from the blinded guards, and we rushed to join our respective teams. Irene led Dara, Jeongyeon, Lisa, Seulgi, and I to the right, rushing to the concierge area, finding the door that led to the staircase.

Dara swung her baseball bat at a guard who tried to stop us as we opened the door, while Joy flew in with a taekwondo kick to dispose of another guard next to him who was aiming his gun at us. We climbed the stairs to the second floor, exiting right behind the shooters, who were still blinded by the flashbang.

"Go! Go! Go!" screamed Irene.

I picked one guard and shot his back repeatedly with my gun, before kicking him on the chest to send him crashing through the railings to the ground floor. On the other side of the balcony, I saw Taeyeon's team had reached the second floor, and the SNSD leader used her bracelet to send a couple of shooters flying into one of the rooms.

"Yeoni! Look out!"

I turned around and managed to duck, dodging the shots of a gunman with an assault rifle. Irene blasted his side with her bracelet, sending him crashing through a door of a room next to us. More guards were inside. I shot them with my gun, but soon I realised that I had run out of bullets. I threw my gun at one of the guards, hitting him square on the forehead, before leaping to do a drop kick to send a couple guards tumbling down.

Lisa flew in with a kick, dropping another guard. She reached a hand to help me up, and we stood side by side. We were facing five guards, all unarmed, but all looked ready to kill. I stepped into my fighting stance, and I felt Lisa doing the same.

"We make a good team, right, Yeongi?" she smirked.

"The last time you said that I ended up pounding your fat booty all night long," I chuckled, jokingly slapping her big butt. Lisa grinned.

"I expect you to do that again after we save Jichu and Nini," she replied without missing a beat. "These five guys first," I said. She nodded. "COME ON, YOU FUCKERS!" Lisa taunted.

The guards yelled and charged at us. Lisa blasted the first one with her bracelet, while I struck my right hook on the second guard's jaw, sending him tumbling to the side. The third guard lunged to kick at Lisa, but she swiped down with her leg, catching his standing leg, sending him falling down, before finishing him with a powerful elbow strike onto his chin.

At the same time, the fourth guard threw a table lamp at me and managed to make me stumble back. He rushed forward with a kick, but I dodged it before slapping his ears with the back of my hands, making him dizzy. I knocked him out with a powerful uppercut.

"Yeongi, catch!" Lisa yelled.

I turned to catch the fifth guard, who was just being kicked on the back by Lisa. I locked his arms and turned him over to face Lisa, who did a flurry of punches to his ribs, before leaping up knee first, dislocating the guy's jaw, knocking him down.

"Good one!" I praised her. Lisa chuckled. "I told you we made a good team!" Lisa repeated, offering me a high five. "Why do I feel like you're actually having fun?" I sniggered. "Am I not allowed to?" Lisa asked.

I laughed and gestured for her to follow me outside back to the balcony. At that moment, we heard a loud grunt, and in a split second I saw a baseball bat swinging in my direction. I dodged it, but Lisa was caught square in the face.

"FUCK!" she winched, clutching her bleeding nose as she staggered back.

I looked up. At the threshold stood the black clad man in a ski mask and goggles. I recognised him instantly. This was the guy who struck Jennie and I, the guy who took Jisoo away. This was that Baseball Bat Man.

"You!" I groaned.

As a reply, he kicked me on the abs, sending me flying back into the room. Shit. I realised now that he was a big guy, probably as tall and muscular as Ansel. Lisa groggily stood up and shot him with her bracelet, but he nimbly dodged the blast, the blue lightning crackled as it hit the door frame behind him.

He swung his bat at Lisa, who tried to block it with her arms, but the force of his swing caught Lisa off guard. She lost her footing and stumbled behind. I groaned and tried punching him, but he caught my fist and twisted my arm, making me scream in pain. He punched me hard on the chest, again sending me flying behind.

I coughed hard, wind knocked out of my lungs. Before I could regain my composure, I felt his boot on my face. My body flew and crashed next to Lisa. I coughed up blood as I felt dizzy. Fuck. This guy was a machine!

"S–Stun... Stun him!" I yelled.

Lisa tried doing it, but again, he dodged the shot. He was so quick for such a big guy. Lisa yelled and flew in with a kick, but he grabbed Lisa's leg and threw her body to the cabinet next to me.

He picked up his baseball bat again, walking menacingly at us. Fuck. I was too dizzy to move, and he would dispatch Lisa easily! He reached us, pulled his arm back, ready to swing his bat to knock both of us down...

THWACK

The Baseball Bat Man fell sprawling to the floor, blood leaking from his head. I looked up, and saw a petite girl with a blood-smeared baseball bat standing in front of us.

"Dara-unnie!" exclaimed Lisa. "You alright, guys?" Dara asked. "Y–Yeah... Yeah. Thanks, Sunbae..." I stammered, my heart still thumping from the fight we just had. "Good. Come on! These fuckers just keep coming at us!" Dara said urgently.

She dropped her baseball bat and reached her arms out to help Lisa and I to stand. Picking the bat up again, Dara led us outside back to the balcony, where we found more fighting. Seulgi, Irene, and Joy were fighting a group of guards a few metres in front of us, and the three of us were just about to run to join them, when suddenly I heard a loud thudding sound.

Dara flew forward and crashed to the floor. Lisa and I whipped around. To my surprise, the Baseball Bat Man was standing tall behind us, looking angry.

"The fuck..." Lisa uttered.

He swung his bat to our heads, and this time Lisa was the one dodging him. His bat struck my left arm hard, making me scream in pain and stumble to my left, crashing onto the wooden railings. Lisa blasted his chest with her bracelet, but he only staggered a few steps back before regaining his footing.

"THE FUCK!" cursed Lisa loudly.

He kicked Lisa in the stomach, sending her flying and crashing next to Dara. He turned his attention to me. I was still clutching my left arm. He lifted his bat, ready to finish me off.

"DIE YOU ASSHOLE!"

Two slashes, then a stabbing sound. Blood splattered onto my face. The man screamed in agony and turned. At that moment a stiletto boot caught his chin, followed by a couple other slashes to his torso. He staggered back towards me at the railing, and at that moment I heard another stabbing sound.

I saw a dagger sticking out of his right shoulder. A hand reached to grab the hilt of the dagger. The owner of the hand pulled the dagger out of his flesh, making blood splatter out. The same stiletto boot landed on his chest, and it pushed strongly.

The man fell backwards over the railings, crashing to the ground floor loudly. I peeked down and saw that he was sprawling on the floor. He wasn't moving.

I turned around, and my eyes widened as I saw a voluptuous woman in a red leather jacket over her fishnet bodysuit standing in front of me, cleaning her dagger off the man's blood. She was the one wearing the stiletto boots. She was the one who saved me.

"Fuck... I always hated that guy," she uttered. "C–Chaerin?" Dara stuttered.

CL stood there, blood covering her face and torso. She lifted her face and smiled at Dara.

"Hi, Unnie..." CL uttered. "Oh, Chaerin!" Dara exclaimed.

Dara rushed to reach CL, her eyes brimming with tears. She crushed her bandmate in a tight embrace, and CL chuckled as she hugged Dara back, but then I saw her eyes widening.

At least twelve guards rushed in our direction, ready with their katanas. They were all shocked to see CL, Manse's main enforcer, hugging Dara, an IPG member. I could almost see the gears turning in their heads, and then hatred filled their eyes. They realised what was happening.

"Traitor!" grunted the guy at the front.

Irene, Seulgi, Joy, Sooyoung, Lisa and I slipped to our fighting stances ready to fight them, but CL walked past all of us, standing at the very front, brandishing her dagger. She bared her teeth and stared down the guards, and I could see their resolve starting to waver.

"Stand back. I'll take these fools..." CL hissed. "B–But... Chaerin!" protested Dara.

CL turned to look at her fellow ex-2NE1 member. She grinned wide, and I saw a glint in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Unnie... Don't you remember the song?" she asked. Dara looked confused. "What song?" she blurted.

CL smirked, twirling her dagger.

"Naega jeil jal naga..."

With that, CL let out a feral roar before charging straight at the guards. CL threw her dagger, catching an incoming guard on the shoulder, making him scream in pain. She leaped forward, pulling the dagger out while riding his falling body like a skateboard, and as the body crashed onto the floor, CL started fighting.

The way she fought was similar to IU with her knives, but... CL was wilder... Much, much wilder. She fought like a savage beast, she hacked and slashed the guards with her dagger, kicking the guards over the railing or through a door, blood splashing everywhere. She fought with speed, with power... And with hatred.

I knew IU always specifically aimed her knife attacks at her enemies' non-lethal points, making sure to incapacitate them without killing them... But CL didn't seem to care. One by one, she left bloodied bodies in her wake, as we all stared at her with gaping mouths.

The last guard fell on his knees, blood flowing from his slashed thigh and chest. With a loud scream, CL bashed her knee on the guy's nose, breaking it instantly, sending the back of his head crashing onto the wall. The guy slumped to his side, unmoving. I didn't dare to think whether or not the guy was dead.

CL panted as she disposed of the last guard, her entire body covered in blood. To my horror, CL started licking the blood stains around her mouth. She twirled her dagger in her hand, before looking up to see us, who were all staring in shock at her. Her eyes caught Dara, and she grinned wide, looking absolutely scary.

"I've missed you too, Unnie..." CL grinned.

Dara started crying and rushed forward, hugging her long-lost friend again.

"B–Babo..." sobbed Dara. "... Y–You made me worried sick..."

CL smiled kindly and looked at all of us. Her eyes met mine, and she grinned wide.

"Hi, Blackpink Boyfriend! Nice to finally meet you! Damn... You're handsome!" CL chuckled.

I didn't know how to respond to that comment, and the way she looked–with all the blood–made me feel uneasy, so instead I looked away. At that moment I realised that the fighting had stopped, all of the guards attacking us were either unconscious or groaning in pain on the floor, clutching their broken limbs and wounded body parts. Taeyeon's team joined us from the other side of the balcony, as did Mr. Park and the bodyguards.

"CL?" Taeyeon gasped. CL smiled and nodded. "Sorry for all the troubles, Unnie," she said. "Where were you, Chaerin?" asked Dara.

CL sighed.

"I was inside the main room, with Manse, the girls, and the three old fucks. I heard shootings and screamings, so I thought the police had come to raid the place. Manse sent me out to fight, but my plan was to run away as soon as I got out," CL explained.

"But when I went out I saw you guys instead! I thought you all were gonna get slaughtered, so I rushed down and took out some of the guards, when the flashbang hit. Then I saw Dara-unnie running to the side stairs, so I followed her up, fighting a few guys along the way," she continued.

"When I reached this floor, I saw Yeoni-ssi almost getting killed by that fucker with the baseball bat. Fuck him. He always gave me the creeps. He never said anything ever, just standing there silently with his ridiculous mask. He's the one who took Jennie and Jisoo, you know..." CL said, looking at me.

I nodded.

"Yeah... Gave me this too," I said, pointing at my bandaged head. CL nodded. "I hope the fall actually killed him," she uttered, peering down from the railings, sending shivers down my spine.

CL sighed again and stared at all of us. I knew we were all still stunned with her sudden appearance, even more so by the fact that she was fighting on our side. Lisa was evidently the most shocked, and CL caught this. She chuckled.

"Ya, Lisa! Stop staring at me like that! We've met before in YG, right?" CL sniggered. "I–I... I... Sorry, Sunbae... I–I was just... How did you... F–Fight like that?" Lisa stuttered.

I knew what Lisa meant. We had never watched anyone fight as wildly as CL before, and before this I thought IU was the scariest fighter. CL laughed, before looking straight at the Thai girl.

"Like I said... I am the best," she smirked.

Scattered laughter escaped our mouths. CL was brimming with pride, but she had a sense of humour, and I found myself immediately liking this lady. CL chuckled a little, but then she stared at all of us seriously.

"Listen, guys... You need to–"

BLAM

A loud gunshot. Everyone immediately ducked and ran for cover inside a nearby room. More gunshots were heard, hitting the wooden frames of the door we hid behind, sending wooden debris flying in the air.

"FUCK YOU CHAERIN!" I heard a man yelling. "I told you we couldn't trust her!" another man whimpered. "Where the fuck are you? Come out and play!" the third man spoke.

I glanced at the others... And then I saw it. CL was clutching her side, blood seeping through her fingers. She winced in pain and crumpled to the floor. Dara panickedly caught her body.

"C–Chaerin! Chaerin, are you alright?" she exclaimed. "F–Fuck... Fuck they got me... Fucking... Old... Fucks..." cursed CL.

'Old fucks'? I peeked through the door, and I saw three older men standing in front of Manse's chamber. That must be...

"Sungho, Chunghee... And Taewoo..." I heard Chuyoung grunting.

The three directors were standing there. The one in the middle, the short one with a bandaged nose, was holding a smoking shotgun, and I assumed that his shot was the one that hit CL. As soon as he saw me, he aimed at me. I pulled my head just in time before another shot hit the wall next to the door.

"Shibal..." I cursed. "We're pinned here, aren't we?" Seulgi remarked.

I nodded. Chuyoung peeked out and started shooting at the directors, but they ran for cover.

"YOU'LL HURT YOURSELF WITH THAT, TAEWOO-SSI!" yelled Chuyoung. "Jinyoung? Is that you? Fuck! You're here too?" laughed the man he called Taewoo.

BLAM. BLAM.

Taewoo unloaded his shotgun at Chuyoung's direction. Tzuyu's boyfriend ducked the shot, and I saw more wooden debris flying out.

"Just come out and play, Jinyoung-ah!" yelled one other director, his voice gruff. "Aren't we a little too old to play around, Sungho-ssi?" Chuyoung replied. "Come on, Jinyoung! J–Just... Just join our side! We–We'll spare Tzuyu if you do so!" the last director said.

That must be Chunghee. I noticed that his voice was trembling, like he was... Afraid?

Chuyoung grunted hearing his girlfriend's name. He broke cover and emptied his rounds at his ex-colleagues, but I knew he hit none. I pulled him quickly just as another shot from Taewoo's shotgun hit the outer walls of the room we were hiding in.

"Calm down, Hyung!" I scolded him. Chuyoung's face was red with anger, his breathing ragged. "R–Right... Right... S–Sorry..." he panted. "Fuck... I ran out of ammo."

I peeked forward. Chunghee, Taewoo, and Sungho were standing right in front of the door to Manse's room. The girls were there, as was Manse. We were so close. Only these three stood between us and the room.... Between us and the girls.

I looked at them, and I noticed that the three of them clearly looked absolutely afraid. They were trembling in fear. Why didn't they come here to get us? They knew we had nowhere to go. These old bastards... They must be so afraid. I smirked and turned to look at IU, Taeyeon, and Irene.

"Guys... These are only three guys. Three old guys, and only one of them is armed. We can beat them easily... Let's have... Joy, Momo, and Seulgi to stun them?" I proposed.

The three leaders nodded. Irene turned to Joy, Momo, and Seulgi, gesturing for them to join us. Taeyeon started briefing them.

"Girls, you heard Yeoni. Let's..." "N–No. D–Don't. Don't do it..."

We all turned to look at CL. She was being tended by Dara and Mr. Park. Blood was leaking profusely from her side. She was badly injured. She gestured for us to approach her, so we did so. Before she spoke, however, our earpieces crackled to life. Wendy spoke.

"Unnie. I... I'm picking heat signatures from all around the building... It's..." she stuttered. "What is it?" asked IU. "I–It's... We... We didn't see it before because there were so many people around. But now... N–Now..." stuttered Rosé. "Oh fuck..." I heard Jihyo cursing. "What is it, Jihyo? Tell us!" yelled Taeyeon.

Wendy, Rosé, and Jihyo took a second to reply.

"U–Unnie... It looks like... The... T–The entire building is... Is rigged... W–With..." Rosé stuttered, sounding so afraid. "... E–Explosives..." Jihyo whispered.

Horrified gasps left everyone's mouths. Taeyeon, IU, and Irene turned to CL.

"Chaerin... The spy team said they picked up heat signatures from around the building. They said it's..." Taeyeon asked panickedly, but CL nodded before IU completed her sentence. "Bombs," CL whispered. "What?! So it's true?" exclaimed Jeongyeon in shock. CL nodded again. "Manse... That... Crazy bastard. He set up bombs in and around the building, saying that he'll detonate them if you guys managed to defeat the guards and get to the room," CL said, still wincing in pain. "What... The fuck?" uttered Dara. "T–That's... That's why... I told you not to... C–Come yourselves! That's why I told you... T–To call the police..." Dara whispered.

I understood. That was why the directors didn't come to get us. That's why they looked so afraid. They were the last line of defence. If we managed to defeat them and get to the room, Manse would detonate the bombs. They knew we wouldn't kill them... Manse would.

"Chaerin... Chaerin, stay with us!"

I turned to look at CL. She was losing consciousness. Dara panickedly slapped her cheeks, trying to wake her up. Mr. Park grunted.

"We need to bring her out to the Care Team. She's losing too much blood," he said. IU nodded. "I agree. Dara-unnie, take Chaerin-unnie outside. Mr. Park, take your team to cover them," she commanded. Mr. Park nodded.

The bodyguards readied themselves and walked to the door. Dara lifted CL up, flinging her arm around her shoulders. One of BoA's bodyguards started shooting at the directors, making them scramble for cover. Mr. Park, Dara, and the bodyguards rushed to the staircase by the right wing, taking the injured CL with them, shooting repeatedly at the directors.

I watched them appear on the ground floor a few seconds later. Mr. Park and the bodyguards released a few covering shots at the three directors. Taewoo tried shooting at them, but he missed, only managing to knock a large chunk of a pillar downstairs. Soon, the group disappeared safely into the corridor, back down to the basement.

"Fuck! FUCK!" I heard Taewoo cursing. "W–We... We need to.. G–get them! We... C–Come on, Hyung! We need to kill them!" stuttered Chunghee. Sungho groaned. "And risk getting beat? Don't you see all of these bodies around us? Hyungnim will–"

His words were cut short because Momo and Lisa peered forward to shoot their bracelets at them. Again, the directors ran for cover, and I could clearly hear Chunghee whimpering in fear.

"S–Stop! P–Please! J–Just... Just stop! Just... Just come out! Please! I–I... I don't... I don't want to d–d–d..." squeaked Chunghee, sounding like he was about to cry. "SHUT UP, CHUNGHEE! YOU FUCKING FOOL!" Taewoo roared again.

CL was telling the truth. Chunghee was clearly afraid, and I knew the other two were too. Manse would detonate the bombs if we defeat them and reach the room. I turned to look at the IPG members, and they all looked afraid. I was afraid too.

"W–What... What should we do?" stuttered Minsoo. "I... I don't know... I... I don't know, guys..." Taeyeon stammered, looking depressed for the first time tonight.

Fuck. Fuck, this was horrible! I thought hard, but I couldn't come up with anything. The only way I could think of getting us out of this situation is if Hyejin and the police came and raided the place. That way these three directors would be arrested, that way Manse could be stopped before he detonate the bombs. But... Had Sana managed to convince her? What took her so long anyway?

At that moment, we heard rushing footsteps from downstairs. Were more guards coming? Suddenly, our earpieces crackled to life, and then... I heard it.

"Hi, guys! Missed me?"

Everyone's eyes lit up. Momo and Lisa gasped. Taeyeon, Sooyoung, Irene, Seulgi, and Joy sighed loudly, and I could see tears of relief starting to fill their eyes. IU chuckled, and I heard a laugh from my earpiece... Wendy's laughter. Minsoo started crying, burying his face on Jeongyeon's shoulder, who smiled brightly for the first time tonight. Chuyoung and I let out a sigh of relief... All because of that voice.

That voice. That was the voice we've been longing to hear all night long. All week long, in fact. That voice sounded like an oasis in a desert. That voice was the voice of hope we had been waiting for.

That was Hyejin's voice.

"Hyejin! Oh my God... Hyejin... Thank you... Thank you!" Irene sighed, wiping tears from her eyes.

We all rushed outside, and what we saw brought joy and relief to our hearts. The short haired detective was leading a police tactical unit, all wearing matching black tactical gears. Unlike us who infiltrated stealthily through the basement, Hyejin's team burst through the front door, streaming inside, their assault rifles at the ready, and they immediately spread out to secure the perimeter. Hyejin was walking behind two officers with ballistic shields straight through the middle of the lobby, pointing their guns forward.

"FREEZE! DROP YOUR WEAPON!" Hyejin bellowed as she saw the three directors.

Taewoo dropped his shotgun and he joined Chunghee and Sungho, immediately lifting their arms in surrender, trembling in fear. Three officers rushed forward to arrest them, cuffing their hands behind their backs. I realised now that Hyejin's team was from the Special Operations Unit, and some of the officers started rounding up the downed guards, handcuffing them and quickly taking them away.

"Hyejin!" Joy yelled.

Hyejin looked up, and she smiled wide. I noticed that her hair now had streaks of electric green on them, but she still looked absolutely beautiful. She rushed up the stairs, crushing the Red Velvet members in a group hug.

"Oh, Hyejin..." Irene sighed. "I've missed you so much~" whispered Seulgi. "I'm sorry I'm late..." Hyejin muttered. "You came just in time, Hyejin-ie..." said Taeyeon.

Hyejin chuckled and nodded. At that moment I heard another loud squeal, and saw Yeri rushing up the stairs to join Hyejin and the Red Velvet members, followed by a girl with purple silvery hair. Jeongyeon, Momo, and Minsoo gasped when they saw her.

"Yoo Beep Beep! Momoring! Minsoo!" Sana cheered.

The three rushed to hug her, and I felt a smile breaking on my face. Sana saw me and released her fiancé and Twice friends to hug me tightly, pecking my cheeks like she always does, laughing her iconic laughter. She did it. She managed to bring Hyejin back. Of course she did! Why did I ever doubt her?

"Are you hurt?" she asked, staring at my bruised arm. I shook my head. "I'm fine," I said with a smile. She nodded. "Come on, Oppa. Job's not done yet," she said.

I nodded, and I followed her to join the others. Hyejin's team had positioned themselves in front of the door that led to Manse's room, their assault rifles pointing at it. Hyejin stood in front of it, staring at the door, behind which her father was waiting. Sana and I joined the rest to stand around her. Everyone turned to look at Sana.

"Sha, did you hear about the bombs?" Taeyeon asked. Sana nodded. "I did. We can't just burst inside. Manse will detonate the bombs and kill us all," Sana said. "How are we going to do this, then?" asked IU.

Sana cleared her throat and lifted her head. She looked dead serious.

"Alright. Listen up, everyone! Yeoni-oppa, Chuyoung-oppa, Minsoo, Hyejin, and I will enter. Along with... Suzy-unnie," she said. "Suzy?" Minsoo gasped.

We heard footsteps. We all turned around, and my eyes widened in surprise as I saw Bae Suzy walking straight at us, flanked by BoA and Junhwan. Her eyes were set on the door, looking confident and resolved. Suzy stopped next to Hyejin, who surprisingly smiled at her and nodded.

Everyone was confused. What was Suzy doing here? Wasn't she in Busan? And... Was Sana actually planning to trade her with the girls, like Manse wanted? I was about to ask the question, when Sana cleared her throat to grab our attention.

"The six of us will enter. The SOU squad will hold their positions outside of the room, covering for us. Taengoo-unnie, Irene-unnie, IU-unnie, BoA-unnie and Junhwan-ssi... Please lead the rest outside and get to safety. We'll try to dissuade Manse from detonating the bombs, but still, you'll need to keep a safe distance between yourselves and this building," Sana said.

"S–Sha... Are you sure?" asked Momo, sounding worried.

Sana nodded, and the look in her eyes made Momo stop questioning her. Sana looked at Jeongyeon, who nodded calmly. The way she trusted her fiancé completely always amazed me. Sana looked at Suzy, Hyejin, Minsoo, Chuyoung, and I.

"Once inside, the four of us will move slowly towards the girls, trying to do so without alarming Manse. Minsoo, help Yeoni-oppa to free Jisoo-unnie and Jennie. Chuyoung-oppa, get Tzuyu. I'll get Dubu," Sana explained.

Minsoo raised his hand.

"But... B–But how are we going to free the girls? Manse would definitely stop us," Minsoo asked worriedly. Sana nodded.

"That's why Hyejin and Suzy-unnie are coming with us. They'll draw his attention. They'll try to talk to Manse and get him to surrender. I have a feeling that when he sees Hyejin, he'll..."

"He'll soften up," completed Hyejin. "If not... Then I'll offer to trade myself with the girls," Suzy said calmly.

We all looked at her. She looked really calm, it was almost unsettling. Sana shook her head.

"It won't get to that, Unnie..." she assured her. "I won't allow it," said Hyejin firmly.

Suzy smiled.

"... Just in case," she whispered.

We all exchanged glances, and slowly, one by one, we nodded, agreeing to Sana's plan. Sana told us to discard our weapons, so as to not appear as threats for Manse. Jeongyeon and Seulgi opened their bulletproof vests, giving them to Sana and Suzy respectively, who both wore them before turning to the door.

The six of us stood in front of the closed door, ready to enter. I took a glance at Chuyoung, and I noticed that something dripped down to the floor from his jacket sleeve. I glared at him as he noticed me. His face was losing colours.

"Hyung... You... You're bleeding!" I whispered.

He indeed was bleeding. One of the shots from Taewoo must have caught his arm earlier when he traded shots with them. I immediately grabbed him and pulled him aside, trying to get him to leave with the rest to get treated outside, but he clutched my elbows and shook his head.

"It's nothing, Yeoni.... I'm fine," he whispered. "No, you're not! You're hit! We have to get you outside to be treated–" I said panickedly, but he still shook his head. "Yeoni, listen," he said firmly.

I stared at him. He was clearly hurt, but his eyes looked confident and determined.

"Yeoni. I've been through worse. I was literally shot twice through the back last December, remember? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I go out there and do nothing while you guys are risking your lives to save the girls, to save Tzuyu. I have to go in," he said.

"B–But..."

Chuyoung smiled, but I could see the fire burning in his eyes.

"What would you do if it was you who got shot, Yeoni? Huh? Would you go outside to be treated?" he asked me seriously.

He waited for me to answer him, but I could only stare at him. He stared deeply into my eyes, and he spoke again.

"Answer me, Yeoni... Would you go outside to be treated... Or would you brace yourself and walk inside to save Jisoo and Jennie?"

Slowly, I nodded. He was right.

"Y–You're... You're right," I said. "I thought so too..." Chuyoung smiled.

He grabbed my shoulder and squeezed it. I nodded and walked with him to join the others in front of the door. Sana was hugging Jeongyeon tightly, and I noticed that no matter how tough Jeongyeon tried to look, her hands were shaking.

"Do you trust me?" Sana whispered gently. "You know I do," whispered Jeongyeon. "I know you won't disappoint me..."

Jeongyeon kissed Sana's forehead before releasing her and joining the others on the staircase. Sana nodded, and the rest of our team started walking away.

We watched BoA, Junhwan, Irene, Taeyeon, and IU leading Seulgi, Lisa, Momo, Sooyoung and Joy outside slowly through the front door, escorted by the SOU officers who took the guards away earlier. They took a final glance at the six of us on the second floor... And soon they disappeared. The officers closed the door behind them and rejoined their colleagues near us.

I took a deep breath and turned to look at the other five. There were only six of us left inside the building now other than the SOU squad members. I saw Hyejin's hand slipping into Suzy's, giving it a gentle squeeze. Suzy looked at Hyejin, and I saw the detective smiling warmly at the former IPG Head.

"Ready when you are, Eomma..." Hyejin whispered.

Eomma?

Suzy nodded and took a deep breath. She looked ready. She stepped forward, standing a little further forward than the rest of us. The detective nodded. The two SOU squad members at either side of the doors pushed the door open...

And I saw the girls. I saw the four of them. Tzuyu, Dahyun, Jennie... And Jisoo. They were each tied to a chair, sitting side by side in the middle of the room, their mouths gagged. I noticed that Jennie's head was bandaged, a reminder that she too was struck by the baseball bat before being taken earlier. The girls all looked tired. They all looked scared. They lifted their faces as they heard the door opening.

"'Mmm! Mmmm!!" Jennie started screaming as she saw us, but her screams were muffled. "Jennie-ssi! You might want to shut up!" roared a male voice.

Behind the girls, standing behind a large wooden table, stood the towering figure of Park Manse. He was holding a detonator in his left hand, his right hand pointing a handgun in the direction of the door. His eyes widened the moment he saw Suzy, undoubtedly surprised to see her here, but he maintained his composure.

"Good morning, Oppa," Suzy replied calmly, and she started walking into the room. "Ah... So you came. I was just about to blow us all up..." Manse sneered.

We followed her inside, and the moment Manse saw us, he started pointing the gun at the girls. The girls whimpered as they heard the sound of his gun cocking. My heart was aching. I wanted to just rush and grab Jisoo and Jennie... But... I knew I shouldn't do it.

"Don't do anything stupid..." Manse growled, threatening us, "I'll blow their heads one by one..."

Suzy lifted her arm up, showing that she wasn't armed. We followed her example, and I saw Manse's muscles relaxing a little. Suzy walked very slowly in front of us, taking her steps carefully, but she kept moving.

"Oppa... Let's... L–Let's just talk... Alright?" Suzy said.

Manse scoffed. He lowered his gun and his detonator, and he started walking around the table, approaching the girls... Approaching us. He chuckled incredulously, his heavy footsteps thudding on the wooden floor.

"You said you wanna talk..." Manse growled.

He walked past the girls, before stopping a few steps in front of Suzy. He glanced at the five of us, and a chuckle left his mouth again.

"... But you brought your minions with you..." he grumbled. "We're unarmed..." said Sana, showing her hands, but Chuyoung cut her off. "You took our loved ones!" he snapped.

Manse turned to look at him and chuckled. I grabbed Chuyoung's arm to calm him down.

"Hyung... Calm down..." I warned him. "Isn't it fair, Jinyoung-ah? Your new friends took everything away from me! My wife, my career, my life..." he hissed. "... And your daughter?"

Hyejin stepped forward. Manse didn't recognise her initially, for he scoffed and glared at her.

"What is a police officer doing here? Are you even a police officer? Or is this a costume? I thought Halloween's still in October!" he taunted her. "Appa..."

It took Manse a second for the realisation to hit him... But when it did, his eyes immediately widened in surprise. He recognised the petite girl standing in front of her in a police tactical gear. He recognised her instantly.

He had not seen her in sixteen long years, so she undoubtedly looked different. She was a child the last time he saw her, and now... She was a woman. A beautiful, strong, and confident young woman. She was a police officer, and she was standing by Suzy's side... She was standing against him.

Manse's eyes softened, his hand wobbled, and his mouth gaped open...

"H–Hyejin...?"

[lsmu]

Book 3 part 2 – Chapter 33: Forgiveness

“We’re here,” said Yeri.

Junhwan brought the car to a stop in front of an apartment building in Mapo-dong, and I realised that it wasn’t far away from Jihyo and Minsoo’s new place. Yeri pointed to our right at a red-bricked low-rise apartment building. Junhwan parked the car at the outdoor parking lot next to the building, and the four of us walked silently. I glanced at my watch. It was almost 3 in the morning.

“Is she awake?” I asked. Yeri nodded. “S–She… She hasn’t slept much these days…” she muttered, sounding sad.

BoA and I exchanged glances, but we didn’t say anything. The three of us followed Yeri inside, and she brought us to the lift. We cramped in, and Hyejin pressed the button for the fifth floor. We stepped outside, thinking that Hyejin must be staying in one of the units on the top floor, but to our surprise, Yeri took us to the emergency stairs.

“Y–Yeri-ya… Where are we going?” asked BoA. “She’s not in her unit at this hour…” Yeji uttered.

Yeri silently led us up the stairs, before opening the door to the rooftop. The cold January night wind blew my face as I stepped outside, but it was what I needed to keep me awake this early morning. BoA shuddered a little as she followed us out, so I flung an arm around the petite CEO.

“You alright, Unnie?” I whispered. BoA nodded and smiled. “That’s… Hyejin,” BoA said, pointing forward.

I looked up, and I saw the familiar small figure of the young detective sitting at the far end of the rooftop, staring at the Seoul skyline, not reacting to our arrival. Yeri looked at us worriedly for a moment, before walking straight to her girlfriend.

“Babe?”

Hyejin turned her head really slowly, looking at Yeri. I could see a faint smile forming on her lips, but… She looked so different. She had dyed her short hair with streaks of electric green, but that wasn’t the only thing that was different about Hyejin. As I approached her and got a closer look at Yeri's girlfriend, my heart sank.

The usually lively, cheerful, and energetic Hyejin now looked pale and haggard. Dark circles were clearly evident around her eyes, which were bloodshot. Yeri was telling the truth: Hyejin looked like she hadn’t slept for days. Her cheeks were sunken, her lips chapped.

It looked like Hyejin had lost several kilograms, like she hadn’t eaten anything for days. That was clearly not the case, for I saw many empty ramyeon bowls on the floor next to her, along with several empty crushed beer cans, empty soju bottles, and discarded cigarette butts and boxes, but still she looked terrible. It looked like she had been living on the rooftop for the past week.

“H–Hi… Hyejin…” I stuttered.

Hyejin met my eyes, and her smile was gone. She placed her cigarette on her lips and took a long drag, blowing the smoke out a second later from her lips. She shifted her gaze from me to see BoA and Junhwan, and although I could see her eyebrows lifting a little out of surprise, she still remained silent.

I glanced at BoA and Junhwan, and I noticed that Junhwan was fixated on an object that was laying on the floor next to Hyejin’s foot. I followed his gaze and saw a handgun, the same handgun she pointed at Suzy at Red Velvet’s dorm a week ago.

Hyejin looked away, staring back at the Seoul skyline. I heard Yeri sighing from my right, and I felt her body trembling. I reached to grab her hand, squeezing it. It was cold, it was trembling. I looked at Yeri and saw that tears were welling up in her eyes.

At that moment, I understood. I understood what Yeri was feeling at the moment. She was distraught at her girlfriend’s state, and she couldn’t do anything about it other than just being there for her.

I also understood why Yeri did not want to reveal Hyejin’s location until now. If Hyejin had been in this state for the last seven days, then… It was futile to talk to her. Us coming to talk to her would only make her shut herself even tighter. But… These were desperate times…

“She… She’s been like this… Since I brought her here last week…” whispered Yeri, barely audible. I pulled her to a side hug, squeezing her shoulder to support her. “Oh, Yeri…” I whispered.

A sob escaped Yeri’s trembling lips as she struggled to speak. Tears started flowing from her eyes, tears of despair and frustration.

“She hasn’t left the building… Not going to work… S-She… She hasn’t said a single word all week long… S–She… She only ate instant ramyeon, drinking, and smoking… W–When… When I came here last weekend, s–she… She’d dyed her hair green… And… A–And… No matter how hard I tried to cheer her up… T–To… To talk to her… She… She never said anything…” Yeri sobbed.

I rubbed Yeri’s shoulder as she buried her face on my shoulder, crying sorrowfully. I exchanged glances with BoA and Junhwan, and the SM CEO nodded gently. I took a deep breath and stepped forward. How should I do this?

“Nice hair, Hyejin-ie!” I said, trying to sound as cheerful as I could.

Hyejin turned to look at me again, but she didn’t react any further. She merely gazed into my eyes, and when I looked into hers, I could see that the usual fire that was burning behind those beautiful eyes was now gone. Hyejin looked like an empty shell, without the will to even continue living.

I bit my lips and searched her eyes. I didn’t know what to say next. The Hyejin I knew would scoff or blush at my comment, but this Hyejin looked disinterested, disillusioned. She simply stared blankly at me, not responding to my words. I cleared my throat and gently released Yeri from my embrace. I moved in closer, crouching next to Hyejin.

“I… I uh… Are you h–hungry? I know a place that is still open at this hour. Why don’t… Why don’t we go there?” I offered awkwardly.

Again, Hyejin only stared blankly, not refusing nor agreeing. Fuck. This was confusing. I looked at BoA, asking for her help. BoA opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment Hyejin reached slowly for a bottle of soju on the floor.

I quickly grabbed the bottle and opened it for her, pouring the content to a shot glass on the table by her side. Hyejin took the glass and gulped it down, not even winching as the alcohol burned her throat. She poured another shot herself and brought the glass to her mouth.

“Your Appa only drinks Jinro too…”

Hyejin stopped. Her eyes shifted to BoA, the one saying those words. Only then did I realise that all of the soju bottles around Hyejin bore the same brand. I turned to look at the CEO, who smiled at me and nodded, before sitting on the floor in front of Hyejin.

BoA took out her own cigarette pack, took one roll out and placed it between her lips, before patting her coat to find her lighter. Junhwan scrambled to offer his boss one, but BoA shook her head. Instead, she picked up Hyejin’s lighter and looked straight into the detective’s eyes.

“May I?” she asked kindly.

The detective merely stared at BoA, who waited a few seconds before calmly smiling and igniting Hyejin’s lighter, lighting up her cigarette. BoA took a deep drag and inhaled the smoke, before releasing it coolly to the night air.

“I drank a lot with him back then, you know… Fuck he was so strong… But I wasn’t half-bad either!” BoA chuckled.

Hyejin kept quiet, simply drinking her own shot. To my surprise, Hyejin pushed the bottle towards BoA, who smiled wider and took another glass to pour herself one. She lifted the glass at Hyejin and gulped it in one go. BoA shuddered, before sighing loudly.

“Our schedule was… Oof… It was hard back then. I was still somewhat active as a singer… And he was Miss A’s manager, so we met a lot after shows and broadcasts, and… Well… We drank a lot,” BoA said, before chuckling and turning to Junhwan, “Junhwan was there too most of the time, right?”

Junhwan nodded quickly.

“A–Ah, yes… You’re… You’re right, Daepyonim!” he stuttered. BoA scoffed.

“But you’re such a lightweight, Junhwan! Do you remember Hyejin’s Appa used to carry you to the car and drive you home after each drinking session? You were all drunk and shit…” BoA chuckled.

The lawyer blushed and chuckled sheepishly, but I knew he was as confused as I was by this conversation. I stared at BoA. Where was she going on with this? BoA took another drag out of her cigarette, before chuckling a little.

“Your Appa always ordered odolppyeo bokkeum while drinking. You know… Stir-fried chicken cartilage. Can’t say I enjoyed it too much, though! He always ordered the non-spicy version, while I love spicy food!” she giggled.

I could see the faintest of smiles forming on Hyejin’s chapped lips. Suddenly, colours started returning to her jaded face. My eyes widened. How… How the fuck did BoA do it? BoA noticed this too, and she smiled warmly.

“Strange, huh? Your Appa is such a big man and a strong drinker… You’d expect him to be able to handle spice! But no… Your Appa cannot eat spicy food… He’d gulp down glasses after glasses of water after eating anything remotely spicy!” BoA chuckled.

BoA tilted her head up, as if staring at the night sky, but I knew she was trying to see Hyejin’s expression secretly. Hyejin was still silent, but I could see a glint in her eyes. Seeing that she made progress, BoA continued.

“Man… I miss those days… Nowadays we’re all so busy… Running a company is hard. I miss the times when we could just go out and drink all night every night… Don’t you miss those days, Junhwan?” BoA asked.

“Yes… Yes, Daepyonim. Those were the days,” Junhwan agreed quickly, starting to get what BoA was trying to do. “We were always with the same group, right?”

BoA nodded and smiled.

“Always you and I… Jinyoung-oppa, Kangta-oppa, Jaesang-oppa… And Hyejin’s Appa. Always the same group. Fuck… Why was I always the only girl?” BoA mused.

I noticed that BoA kept referring to Manse as ‘Hyejin’s Appa’. I knew she did it purposely. She was trying to show that she knew that Hyejin was Manse’s daughter. She wanted Hyejin to understand that she knew him personally, that she still held him in respect.

She wanted Hyejin to know that she didn’t consider him a threat or a villain by referring to him as ‘Park Manse’, the name that was synonymous with evil in our industry for the past decade. BoA wanted Hyejin to know that she too still considered Manse her friend. She wanted Hyejin to trust her, not as the CEO of SM Entertainment, not as IPG’s founder… But as her dad’s old friend.

“I looked up to him as my role model, you know…” Junhwan uttered. “You did… You idolised him,” BoA nodded, encouraging Junhwan. The lawyer smiled.

“The way he handled pressure… The way he always managed his busy schedule perfectly… And he managed to do it all while still being able to have fun! Gosh, even now I still get overwhelmed and stressed every now and then… But he was always so calm,” Junhwan continued.

Junhwan stared into the skyline, as if reminiscing the good old days. BoA chuckled.

“Ya… I told you many times… The secret to his stress-free life is the way he eats,” BoA said. Junhwan stared at her boss confusedly. “E–Eh?” he stuttered.

BoA sighed exasperatedly.

“Junhwan-ah… Don’t you remember how calmly he ate? He’d enjoy every piece of food, chewing them slowly, as if respecting the food that was prepared for him. You on the other hand… You always eat too quickly!” BoA said.

Junhwan laughed and nodded.

“Majayo… Majayo… I can still remember the way he scolds me! ‘Junhwan-ah! Eat slowly! Enjoy your food! It’s–’” “It’s better for your digestion…”

A gasp left Yeri’s mouth. Hyejin had just spoken. She had just spoken for the first time in a week. We all turned to look at her. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her lips trembled.

“... He… He always scolded me… T–The same way…” Hyejin whispered.

We all stared at Hyejin in silence, giving her the time and space to collect herself. Hyejin dabbed her cigarette, releasing ashes onto the floor, before putting the cigarette back on her mouth, taking a long drag and releasing smoke.

“Appa… He used to cook odolppyeo bokkeum himself almost every weekend… H–Haraboeji… W–Would always ask him… To…. T–To add in gochugaru… Because he knew I loved spicy food… But… Appa would say that eating too much spice… W–Would be bad… F–For… For my throat…” Hyejin stuttered.

Hyejin took a deep breath before continuing.

“I… I didn’t mind… I–I… I loved his cooking… It tasted good without gochugaru… I… I’d eat them in a flash… And he… H–He… He’d scold me the same way… T–Telling me… To eat slowly…” Hyejin said.

“I… I told him I wanted to be a singer… An… Idol… Like Wonder Girls… Like… Ahn Sohee… When I was 8 years old. Since then… He… He… He took extra care of me… He’d… He’d show me videos of… I–Idol training… He… Trained me to sing… To dance… He… He looked after my meals… My nutritions…” Hyejin continued.

“He… He even trained me in Taekwondo… Saying that… That I should be… Strong… Should be fit… Should be healthy… ‘The industry is hard. You should be able to defend yourself’… He’d say…” Hyejin reminisced.

A faint smile appeared on Hyejin’s lips. Tears were brimming in her eyes, threatening to release the emotions she had kept inside her for God knows how long.

“He left Namwon for Seoul… A year later… He told me to… To come look for him… After finishing primary school… He told me… To audition at JYP Entertainment… He told me… He’d wait for me there… And… And he’d make sure… That…. That I got accepted,” Hyejin whispered.

BoA nodded solemnly.

“He did join JYPE in 2008. Jinyoung-oppa saw his potential immediately, and he quickly promoted your Appa. When Miss A was about to debut in 2010, Jinyoung-oppa knew your Appa was the best choice to be their manager, and he put him in charge of the Talents Development Division as well… Which was the predecessor to the current TWD,” BoA explained.

Hesitantly, BoA reached forward to grab Hyejin’s hand. To my relief, Hyejin squeezed BoA’s hand strongly as her body shook violently. BoA took a deep breath.

“Hyejin… I’m sorry,” BoA whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t see the signs. I’m sorry I allowed him to become the man he is today. I was his friend, and I thought I did the right thing by giving him a second chance, but I was wrong. I… I should’ve understood his anger, I should’ve helped him…” BoA whispered.

Hyejin nodded. Her body rocked front and back. She bit her lips.

“I thought… I thought he was dead… I’ve accepted it… I’ve… I’ve let him go… And now… A–And… And now…” Hyejin’s voice cracked. “Hyejin…” BoA cooed.

The detective turned to look at BoA. For the first time tonight, and for the first time in a week if we consider Yeri’s words, Hyejin didn’t stare blankly at someone. At that moment, for some reason, I could see past the tears that were filling her eyes. I could see past the anger, sadness, and sorrow in Hyejin’s eyes… And all I could see was love. Love for her father.

“I… I–I… I miss him so much, Daepyonim… I–I…”

She choked on her words. She couldn’t continue. Hyejin closed her eyes, letting tears finally fall from her eyes. A sob escaped her mouth, then it grew louder, and even louder. She clutched BoA’s hand so tightly, and I was afraid that she might hurt the CEO, but BoA didn’t seem to care.

Yeri rushed to Hyejin’s side and hugged her, pulling her head closely to her chest. Hyejin sobbed loudly, bawling and shrieking. BoA and Yeri stayed by her side for a long time, letting her let go of all the emotions she had pent up inside her. Hyejin cried what sounded like sixteen years of hurt, sixteen years of loneliness.

I couldn’t stop my tears from flowing out, and from the sniffles I heard around me, I knew Junhwan and BoA were similarly crying. We all felt for Hyejin. We all understood her pain. All the memories of the beautiful childhood she had with Manse… It was all shattered when she found out the truth.

“I’m…. S–Sorry… I’m… I’m sorry… Yeri… I’m sorry for being… L–Like this…” cried Hyejin. “It’s… It’s alright, Baby… It’s alright… I understand… I’m here…” whispered Yeri, tears wetting her cheeks too.

Hyejin continued crying for a few more minutes, before eventually her sobs died down. She straightened herself slowly, but her hands were still clutching Yeri and BoA. Yeri gently wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and slowly… Hyejin smiled. Gosh… She was beautiful.

“Thank you… Babe…” she whispered. Yeri breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you’re back, Hyejin-ie…” she smiled, her voice still shaking.

Hyejin smiled wider and gently kissed Yeri’s cheek, before turning to look at BoA, Junhwan, and I. She let her sight linger at BoA, and the CEO smiled warmly at her.

“Your Appa always talked about you back then… So… It’s nice to finally meet you in person, Hyejin-ie…” BoA said. Hyejin nodded. “It’s… An honour, Daepyonim…” “You can call me ‘sungmonim’ if you want… Or ‘gomonim’…” BoA joked. “... Just not ‘ahjumma’. I don’t want to be reminded of my age.”

Hyejin chuckled. BoA had just asked her to call her ‘aunty’, putting herself as Manse’s sister. BoA smiled and squeezed Hyejin’s hand, then she turned to look at Junhwan.

“This is Jang Junhwan. I’m sure you’ve heard of him,” BoA introduced him. Hyejin nodded. “Pleasure to meet you, Moon-hyeongsa,” Junhwan said, stretching his hand to shake Hyejin’s. “Pleasure’s all mine, Byeonhosa-nim…” Hyejin said, shaking his hand.

Junhwan smiled and nodded, and Hyejin turned to look at me. I smiled and waved at her, and she chuckled.

“H–Hi, Unnie…” she said. “Hi, Hyejin-ie… I’ve missed you…” I said sincerely, smiling wide. Hyejin chuckled. “Is there… Something I can help you with?” she asked.

I exchanged glances with BoA and Junhwan. There was. We really needed her.

“Yes, Hyejin-ie… A lot of things…” I said, but before I started speaking, Yeri lifted her hand. “Guys… Um… Shall we go downstairs to talk? It’s… It’s so cold out here,” she said.

We laughed and nodded. Yeri helped Hyejin to stand up, and we walked slowly toward the emergency door. We climbed the stairs down to the fifth floor and entered Hyejin’s unit, the warmth of the room a welcomed change from the cold rooftop. I glanced at the clock. It was 3.30 in the morning.

“I’ll make some coffee…” said Yeri, rushing to the kitchen.

Hyejin brought us to her dining table and we all sat there. Yeri returned shortly with our coffee and joined us, sitting next to her girlfriend. Hyejin sighed and ruffled her own hair, before looking at me seriously.

“Tell me, Unnie…” she said.

I took a deep breath. BoA was nodding at me, so I started telling Hyejin everything that transpired in the last few hours. I told her Jennie, Jisoo, Tzuyu and Dahyun were kidnapped, Yeoni and Nayeon were attacked. I told her about the notes, about how Manse asked Suzy to be traded off with the girls. I told her that CL called Dara to tell her that the girls were all there in Incheon, and I finally showed her the Dispatch news which revealed Jisoo’s pregnancy and the photo from the airport.

“Fuck… F–Fuck… This is bad…” Hyejin uttered after I was finished, her face horrified. “We need your help, Hyejin. We need you to bring the police to the hideout. Our Strike Force is on their way there now, but… You know all of our weapons are non-lethal, and as Ansel said, the place is filled with armed guards,” I said.

Hyejin bit her lips. I knew she was thinking hard.

“I… I can try contacting Incheon police now, citing the APB that was releasd by SMPA last December on Appa and Ansel… But… But it’ll still take a long time to get clearance for them to dispatch a squad to the building,” Hyejin said. “We don’t have that kind of time…” I said. Hyejin nodded. “I know. Fuck… This is difficult,” Hyejin cursed. “Hyeongsa-nim… There is one other way, right?” Junhwan tried.

We all turned to look at Junhwan. I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but Hyejin evidently did. She bit her lips.

“I… I don’t think I… I don’t think I can do that, Junhwan-ssi,” she uttered. “Moon Hyejin-ssi… You know that is the only way,” Junhwan insisted. “What… What is it?” I asked, dumbfounded.

Hyejin sighed and looked at me.

“I have… I have to lead the team there myself. I have enough clearance to request a tactical squad from the Special Operations Unit and lead them on a mission somewhere based on a substantial lead, and I do have a substantial lead: The kidnapped girls. You can be my main witness because Dahyun-unnie was kidnapped too. I can get my squad assembled in just a few minutes,” she said.

I gasped. That was good!

“L–Let’s do it, then!” I exclaimed, but Hyejin shook her head. “I… I… I don’t think I can do it,” Hyejin uttered apologetically.

I was about to protest, but BoA held my hand to stop me.

“Tell us why, Hyejin…” BoA asked calmly.

Hyejin took a deep breath.

“I… I don’t mind going there with you, and I don’t mind arresting him, but… I need to come as his daughter, not as a police detective. I… I believe… I believe there is still a chance to save him…” Hyejin said.

“But…” I objected, and Hyejin nodded.

“I know… I know I can’t just walk in there alone, not with the IPG’s Strike Team already heading there, not with his armed guards. We have to bring the SOU squad… But if I do that… If we shoot our way in… He��ll feel even more betrayed. He’ll recognise me as his daughter straightaway, and when he sees the SOU squad, he’ll be angry… He’ll…” Hyejin stuttered.

I understood. I understood completely. Hyejin still believed in Manse, in Daesung, her dad. She wanted to bring him to justice, but not with an entire squad of SOU soldiers pointing their rifles at him. Manse might get angry, he might attack, and the SOU would have no choice other than putting him down. Hyejin wouldn’t want that. She wanted to talk to her father… Wanted to bring him to justice without force. Her argument was valid.

“Still… We have to do something, Hyejin, and we need to do it quickly! I… The Strike Force must have reached Incheon by now… And… I…” I stuttered.

Hyejin nodded. She opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment the doorbell rang. We all exchanged confused glances. Who would be coming here at this hour? Yeri stood up slowly.

“I’ll… I’ll get the door,” she said.

Yeri walked to the foyer and opened the door, then I heard a loud gasp coming from here.

“Yerim? Who is it?” asked Hyejin. “It’s… Me.”

My eyes widened in surprise. I recognised that voice. I had not heard it in a week’s time, and I didn’t think I would hear it anytime soon. I thought the owner of that voice was away in Busan, shooting her latest drama.

Bae Suzy walked in, followed by a shocked looking Yeri. Suzy looked dead tired, and from her outfit I knew she travelled here directly from Busan. She must have heard the news from IU, or read the news online, and decided to drive straight back to Seoul. But… How did she know that we were here?

“H–How did…?” I stuttered.

Suzy glanced at me and lifted her phone. It showed a familiar app on the screen. It was our earpiece monitor app. Oh fuck.

“IU told me earlier, and then I read the article. I’ve… I’ve been following your conversation through Sana’s earpiece while driving from Busan,” she said, before bowing deeply at me, “Joesonghamnida, Sana…” “You… Y–You have me bugged?” I asked incredulously. Suzy shook her head. “Not exactly, but I can still access the earpiece monitor. I’m sorry… I’ll delete the program after this. I promise,” Suzy said. “Don’t bother. I’ll revoke your access,” said BoA casually. Suzy nodded. “As you should. Thank you, Unnie…” she said.

Suzy straightened herself and looked straight at Hyejin. I turned to look at Yeri’s girlfriend. She glared at the former IPG head in hatred, her fists clenching tight.

“What… W-What the fuck are you doing here…?” Hyejin hissed.

Suzy took a deep breath and started speaking.

“As I said… I… I listened to your conversation, and I agree with you, Hyejin… Manse-oppa… We can still–” “Don’t talk about my Appa!” snapped Hyejin.

Suzy lifted her palms and closed her eyes. She took another deep breath before walking slowly towards Hyejin. She knelt in front of her, and I could see Hyejin’s body going rigid as she pulled her body away, as if she tried to move as far as possible from Suzy.

“Hyejin-ie…” Suzy tried to talk, but Hyejin cut her off. “Maybe Appa was right! Maybe we should trade you off with the girls! They did nothing wrong, but you… You’re to blame for all of this! You should suffer… Only you and no one else. Not us, not the IPG, not the girls!” Hyejin charged. “You’re right, Hyejin. You’re absolutely right. It is all my fault…” Suzy admitted quickly, not even trying to defend herself.

Hyejin went silent, still glaring at Suzy. Suzy sighed and stared at Hyejin. She bit her lips and started speaking.

“I… I told you last week… I had a miscarriage after he raped me… And… A–And my womb… Is badly damaged… Because of… Be–Because of that…” Suzy stuttered. “I… I can never have children.”

My eyes widened in surprise, and I heard Yeri gasping. I never knew this. When Manse said that he broke Suzy’s body, I didn’t know that this was what he meant. Suzy’s lips trembled, her eyes glazed with tears, but she calmed herself down and continued talking.

“I… Spent the last sixteen years blaming him for my… M–My condition. I was bitter, I was angry… Then Hara… And Sulli… I–I… I kept blaming him, I hardened my heart… Not realising that… T–That I brought it upon myself… We brought it upon ourselves… Until last week,” Suzy whispered.

Hyejin’s expression was unreadable, but I thought I saw her eyes softening, her body relaxing. Suzy stared at her ex-boyfriend’s daughter, and somehow, from the way Suzy looked at Hyejin, I could almost see a motherly love emanating from her eyes. It was as if she was a mother… Talking to her daughter. The height difference between Suzy and Hyejin also further encouraged this feeling.

Suddenly I remembered what Manse said when he told Ansel about his story. He wanted to introduce Suzy to Hyejin, wondering if Hyejin would accept Suzy as her new mother, the mother figure she never had.

“It’s all my fault… And… I want to take responsibility. I… If you allow me… Can you… Can you hear me out?” Suzy proposed tentatively.

Hyejin remained silent, but slowly, she nodded. Suzy smiled softly and cleared her throat.

“As Sana said last week… His war is against me. I’m the one responsible, so I’m the one who should suffer. The girls did nothing wrong, so they should be free,” Suzy said. “Get to the point,” Hyejin shot. Suzy nodded. “I agree with Manse-oppa, and I agree with you. I… I’ll go there… And trade myself with them,” Suzy said.

Her words surprised us all, even Hyejin.

“S–Suzy? What are you talking about?” asked BoA. Suzy turned to look at her former boss. “Unnie… I won’t run away anymore. I have to pay for my sins,” Suzy said calmly.

Suzy turned back to look at Hyejin, and slowly, she reached to grab her hands. Hyejin still didn’t react. She merely stared silently at Suzy.

“If I come there, they’ll stop shooting at the Strike Force members, because I’m the one he wanted. But I still need you and the SOU team. You don’t even need to come in, you don’t even need to arrest Manse-oppa. You and the SOU team can wait outside. I’ll walk in alone. Once I’ve traded my place with the girls, you and your team can escort them safely back to Seoul, together with the Strike Force members,” Suzy laid out her plan.

She was right. Manse would order his guards to stop shooting if he sees Suzy, but… That was crazy!

“You know he’ll kill you,” said BoA. Suzy nodded. “I know, but I deserve it. If he wants to kill me… Or rape me again… So be it. I deserve it,” Suzy said softly.

Yeri looked down at the floor, crying silently. Hyejin stared blankly at Suzy, but Suzy turned to look at me, and I felt BoA and Junhwan doing the same. They were waiting for my decision. I thought hard for a second, then I cleared my throat.

“I… I won’t allow you to do that, Unnie,” I said, shaking my head. “Sana…” Suzy begged, but I raised my hand to stop her.

“Listen to me first… I agree with your plan to bring the SOU there to escort everyone back home, but… I don’t agree with your plan to simply accept Manse’s terms and trade places with the girls,” I said. Suzy sighed.

“That is the safest way, Sana,” she said, but I shook my head. “No. I think there is an even safer way,” I said.

I straightened myself and looked at all of them seriously.

“I say we all go to Incheon. You, me, BoA-unnie, Yeri, Junhwan-ssi… Plus Hyejin and the SOU team. We go there, we join up with the Strike Force… Then we meet him together… Together with Suzy-unnie and Hyejin,” I said.

Suzy’s eyes widened hearing my words, but she didn’t say anything, so I continued.

“Like Suzy-unnie said, he would order his guards to stand down the moment he sees her. But… We can’t just let Suzy-unnie trade herself with the girls. That’s why we need Hyejin. What if… What if after seeing Hyejin… After hearing what she has to say… He’ll soften up and realise his mistakes? That way Hyejin can bring him in without force… And… No one has to be harmed,” I said.

I knew my words sounded too optimistic, but I knew it was worth a shot. I knew everyone realised the same thing too. BoA chuckled ironically, shaking her head.

“You’re… So positive, Sha,” she said. I smiled. “I know… But… It’s worth a shot, don’t you think?” I proposed.

BoA, Yeri, and Junhwan nodded, but Hyejin and Suzy still remained silent. I stared at them.

“Hyejin-ie, Suzy-unnie… Your call,” I said. Suzy sighed. “I… I don’t want to risk anyone else’s life any longer, Sha…” she uttered. “And I don’t want to risk your life. No one should pay for their sins with their lives… Not even you,” I said.

Suzy stared at me, tears brimming in her eyes. Slowly, she nodded, looking down at the floor.

“Thank you… Sha…” she whispered. “That’s why… You’re a much better leader than I could ever be…”

My heart fluttered hearing her approval, and I turned to look at Hyejin. She met my gaze, and I maintained eye contact with her. I knew she was inherently a kind person. I knew she never wanted Suzy to die. I knew she could see past her anger. I pleaded silently with her, willing her to agree to my plan.

“Fuck…” Hyejin cursed.

Hyejin sighed and picked her coffee cup, sipping the steaming hot liquid slowly. She placed the cup back on the table, and she picked her phone.

“Fine… Let’s… Let’s try that,” Hyejin said, then she stood up, “I’ll go get my gears while calling the SOU.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, and everyone did the same. Hyejin went into her room, and about a minute later she reemerged from inside of it, already wearing full tactical gear, her weapons holstered. She was talking to someone on the phone.

“Right. Y–Yeah. Roger that. We’ll meet the team on the way to Incheon,” she said, hanging up. “Got the clearance?” Junhwan asked. Hyejin nodded. “Yeah… I cited the APB, and they transferred my call. Then they said they’d send a squad to the coordinates I provided them…” Hyejin said, before pausing for a moment. “What is it, Babe?” Yeri asked, noticing Hyejin’s look.

Hyejin shook her head and smiled.

“Nah. It’s just… Unusual. They’d usually ask the commanding officer to meet the squad at the nearest HQ first before going to the location, but… I guess since I told them it’s urgent… They decided to just send a team there. Come on! We’ll meet them on the way,” Hyejin said.

We all nodded and stood up, getting ready to leave. As we wore our coats and walked to the foyer, I saw Hyejin stopping in front of Suzy, staring deeply into her eyes. Suzy sighed and shook her head, before bowing deeply to the much shorter girl.

“For everything I’ve done… For all the hurt I’ve caused… Joesonghamnida, Moon Hyejin-nim…” Suzy whispered, using all the honorifics.

Hyejin stared at Suzy for a long time, not saying anything. Slowly, she cupped Suzy’s cheeks, lifting her face gently. Suzy straightened herself, and to our collective surprise, Hyejin flung her arms forward, wrapping Suzy in a warm embrace.

Suzy gasped, not expecting this gesture of love from the one she hurted the most. Hyejin hugged Suzy tightly, burying her face on the director’s shoulder. Slowly, awkwardly, Suzy lifted her hands and rubbed Hyejin’s back, her eyes brimming with tears as warmth started filling her heart again.

“I forgive you. You did what you did because you didn’t know that your boyfriend was my Appa… Besides… Everyone deserves a second chance…” Hyejin whispered. “Oh… Hyejin…” Suzy sighed.

Yeri was sobbing, and I felt tears starting to fill my eyes as we witnessed this heartwarming scene. I heard a soft chuckle leaving Hyejin’s mouth, then she lifted her face to stare directly at Suzy. The same motherly love I saw in Suzy’s eyes earlier returned, and this time… This time it was reciprocated.

“Yes, you’ve caused me… A lot of hurts… Yes, you’re the reason that Appa is the way he is today… But… Staying mad at you won’t change anything, would it? After all… Appa loved you. Like he said… He wanted to introduce you to me… He wanted us to be close… He wanted you to be my mom…” Hyejin smiled.

Suzy nodded, smiling through her tears. Hyejin opened her mouth to speak again, and the next words coming from her warmed my heart so much, the cold temperature of that January early morning in Seoul felt warm all of a sudden.

“So… I forgive you… Eomma.”

[lsmu]

Book 3 Part 2 – Chapter 32: Bombshell

My head was spinning, my ears were ringing.

I groggily opened my eyes, and the world was a blur. An excruciating pain stung the side of my head, and my hand instinctively reached up. I touched a piece of fabric. My head was wrapped with a bandage.

Slowly, painfully, I sat up. I was on a bed in a futuristic and pristine room, lit with white neon lamps. It looked like a hospital room, but... Something told me that this wasn't a hospital. A soft beeping sound caught my hearing, and I looked to my side.

On the bed next to mine laid Twice's Nayeon. Her eyes were closed, her head was bandaged just like mine did. A heart rate monitor was beeping softly by her side, an oxygen mask covering her face. Only then did I realise that I was wearing an oxygen mask too. Where was I? Why was she here?

Then I remembered.

Jennie and I were in my house in Geumho-dong. Jisoo was tied up, and then... That black-clad man with a ski mask and goggles. He struck Jennie with a baseball bat, and then he struck me...

Where were they?

Panicking, I took off the oxygen mask and jumped up immediately, only to lose my balance. I stumbled onto the side of the bed, before sitting back down. My head was spinning. My ears were ringing again. I winched and cursed, clutching my head.

"Fuck... Fuck... F–Fuck... Noona... Jennie..." I muttered.

Where were they? Where was I? What happened to them? What happened to Nayeon? That... That man... He must have taken Jisoo and Jennie, right? Who was that? What did he want from us? Did we just become victims of a robbery? But... What was Nayeon doing here? Was she attacked too?

I checked my body, and I realised that I was still wearing the same clothes. I definitely was not in a hospital then, for the hospital staff would have changed my clothes to a hospital gown if I was in one. I instinctively reached for my phone inside my pocket, taking it out and unlocking the screen.

51 missed calls, 239 messages.

"What... The fuck?"

I opened the call log. Sana, Jeongyeon, Minsoo, Irene, Taeyeon, Lisa, Rosé... and IU. Everyone was calling me. How long did I pass out? I lifted my face to see the digital clock on the wall. It was almost 2am in the morning. I... I was out cold for almost 2 hours?

I heard a soft beeping sound, then the door on the side of the room slid open. I turned around to find Lisa and Rosé. They looked horrified. Their eyes were red and swollen. They were crying. A loud gasp escaped their mouths as they saw me sitting on the bed.

"Lisa? Rosie?" "Oh, Yeongi... Thank God!"

They rushed inside and hugged me tightly. I hugged them back, clutching their backs as they sobbed on my shoulders.

"G–Guys... W–What happened? Where am I?" I asked confusedly. "We're... We're in the IPG HQ. This is the care room," said Rosé, her voice trembling. "Oh, Yeongi..." whispered Lisa.

I released their hugs and stared at them.

"What happened? Tell me what happened!" I asked. Lisa bit her lips. "We tried calling you after Dara-unnie contacted us in the spy team group chat, telling us that CL-sunbaenim called her earlier to tell her that Manse was going to do something at midnight," Lisa explained. "When you didn't pick up, we rushed to Jennie's apartment, knowing you'll be there after meeting at Stardust... But... But you two weren't there," Rosé said. "We thought that you two must have gone to your house in Geumho-dong, so we rushed there... We... We f–found you there... You were o–out cold... Bloody... J–Jennie-unnie... A–And J–Jisoo-unnie..." sobbed Lisa. "Where are they? What happened to them?" I asked urgently.

They exchanged horrified glances before turning to look at me.

"They're... They're abducted..." stuttered Rosé. "Tzuyu... A–And Dahyun too..." Lisa whispered, turning to Nayeon's unconscious body. "N–Nayeon-unnie... She was with Tzuyu when she was taken. They... They struck her head, just like you," Rosé explained.

My eyes widened in terror. Jisoo, Jennie, Tzuyu, and Dahyun were kidnapped? What happened here? Why them?

"W–What... W–Who?" I stuttered. "I–It's... Park Manse..." said Rosé slowly. "What?" I gasped. Rosé and Lisa nodded, looking terrified. "This is the retaliation he threatened us with last week..." said Rosé. "H–How do you know?" I asked. "In each crime scene, the kidnappers placed a note, all saying the same thing..." Lisa said. "What do they say?" I asked.

Lisa looked at Rosé, who nodded and shivered. She reached into her pocket and produced a crumpled paper, showing it to me. I read it.

'Trade the girls with Bae Suzy. Send her to me, and I'll release the girls.'

"He... He wants Suzy..." I stuttered. Lisa and Rosé nodded. "Y–Yes... IU... IU-unnie is trying to reach her as we speak," Rosé said.

I turned to look at her.

"IU?" I asked. She nodded. "IU-unnie's here. Listen, Yeoni... Can you walk?" Rosé asked.

I tried standing up. It took me a few seconds to stabilise myself, but soon I was standing straight. I looked at Lisa and Rosé and nodded. Lisa hugged my right arm to support me, and Rosé followed her example, hugging my left arm.

"Come on, Yeongi... Everyone's outside. We need you..." whispered Lisa.

I took one last glance at Nayeon, before nodding at Lisa and Rosé. With them supporting me, I slowly walked out of the care room. I stepped into a hallway that I had never been before, and the two girls helped me to walk slowly to the elevator at the end of the hall. We entered the lift, and Lisa pressed the up button, bringing us to the ground floor. So we were in the basement.

The door slid open. The three of us hobbled out, walking towards the common area, from where I could hear distressed conversations going on. As we approached the main area, I realised that Lisa was right: Everyone was there.

I found Taeyeon, Irene, Minsoo, Jeongyeon, Chuyoung, Jihyo, Momo, Seulgi, Joy, Yeri, Sooyoung, Sunny, Seohyun, Seungyeon, Junhwan... And BoA. They were all standing around Sana. My best friend looked shaken, her eyes were red. I could see tears still staining her cheeks, and I noticed that her hand was clutching Jeongyeon's hand so tightly, but her expression was serious.

Hunching over her laptop on the control table a little further away was IU, with Dara and Wendy by her side, both on their laptops too. The usually cute and fresh looking Spymaster looked haggard, her long wavy hair unkempt, dark circles surrounding her small eyes. She looked like she had not slept for days.

They all heard our footsteps, and they turned around to see us approaching. Irene immediately burst into tears as soon as she saw us, and as Lisa and Rosé released my arms, she rushed to embrace me.

"Oh, Yeongi... I was so afraid..." sobbed Irene. I hugged her tightly and brushed her hair. "I'm alright, Baechu... I'm alright..." I whispered. "Jennie... And... Jisoo..." she sobbed.

I nodded, understanding her. I kissed her forehead to calm her down, and she stared at me with her teary eyes. I remembered what Jennie told me earlier, so I reached down to rub her belly, only then realising that it was firmer than usual. Irene's eyes widened as she realised that I had learned the truth.

"Jennie told me..." I uttered. Her cheeks blushed a little. "R–Right... Yeah..." she muttered. "We'll... Talk about it later..."

I smiled warmly and lifted my face, finding Sana walking towards me. I let go of Irene and hugged my best friend. Her body was trembling.

"You alright?" I asked her. She shook her head. "No... Are you?" she asked, sounding uncharacteristically serious all of a sudden. "My head's okay, but... Jisoo and Jennie..." I trailed off.

Sana released her hug and nodded. I could see the anger burning in her eyes. She gestured for me to follow her to the middle of the room. Irene grabbed my hand and pulled me to walk with her, joining the other IPG members. I nodded at them, and bowed a little to greet BoA and Junhwan.

"What... What really happened?" I asked them curiously.

They all exchanged glances, unsure who should start first. BoA cleared her throat and gestured at Chuyoung.

"I think... Chuyoung-ssi should start," she said softly.

Chuyoung nodded and stepped forward. His body was shaking, his face was pale. He cleared his throat a few times before speaking.

"I... I–I was with Tzuyu and Nayeon earlier tonight, at Tzuyu's apartment in Myeongdong. At around 11.30 I went out to buy porridge from the porridge restaurant nearby, and when I returned around midnight... I saw the door gaping open, and the skylight above Tzuyu's penthouse was broken. I rushed inside, and I found Nayeon unconscious, her head bloodied, and... A–And Tzuyu... T–Tzuyu was gone..." he explained weakly.

Chuyoung took a deep breath and turned to Sana, who nodded.

"He... H–He called me right after. At that time I was out with... W–With Jeongie... Buying... F–Food. D–Dubu was at my apartment alone... A–And... I immediately sensed something was... Was wrong. I..." Sana stuttered, but her voice cracked.

Jeongyeon squeezed her hand and continued for her.

"We rushed back home as quickly as possible, and... And... And we found the same thing. The door was open, and we saw traces of struggles. Dubu... D–Dubu must have fought back, but... B–But yeah... She was gone too," said Jeongyeon.

I looked at them in horror. These attacks... They were planned. They were coordinated. Taeyeon looked at me seriously.

"Did... Did the same thing happen to you, Yeoni?" she asked.

I stared at her. Slowly, I nodded.

"Yes... I... Jennie and I wanted to visit Jisoo-noona after a... A talk that we had. We reached my house at Geumho-dong a little before midnight, and I similarly found the door left open. Jennie and I rushed inside and we... We found Noona kneeling on the floor of the living room... Her hands tied," I said.

Seungyeon gasped and clutched her mouth. The IPG members stared at me in terror. I closed my eyes. The image of Jisoo's horrified look flashed in my mind, making me shudder in fear. Irene squeezed my hand to comfort me. I opened my eyes again to look at the members.

"S–She said... She warned us it was a trap, but... B–But we didn't understand her... Before we could do anything... A man came and struck Jennie's head with a baseball bat, before... B–Before striking me down too," I completed my story. "O–Oh... Oh my God..." stuttered Seohyun. "Did you see his face, Yeoni?" asked Junhwan.

I shook my head.

"N–No, Hyung. He was wearing a ski mask and goggles. I couldn't see his face," I said grimly. "It must be one of Manse's goons..." said Chuyoung.

Everyone fell silent. Everyone was stunned. We knew Chuyoung was right. So this was what Manse threatened us about last week. I looked up, and I realised that not all Twice members were here.

"Is everyone else safe? What about Mina, Chaeyoung, and Yori?" I asked. Sana nodded. "They're safe. They're all in the hospital right now, and I've told them to stay there for the time being," Sana said. "I've tightened my security around the hospital and placed my bodyguards by the suite to guard them. They're safe," said BoA.

I nodded, before falling back into silence. Shit. This was bad. This was really bad. Taeyeon turned to look at the control table.

"Ji-eun, any news from Suzy?" she asked. "No... Not yet. I'm still trying..."

We all turned around. IU had walked to join us, scratching her head frustratedly. I felt an anger building inside me seeing her. What was she doing here? She was not supposed to be here ever again. As if reading my mind, IU looked straight at me.

"Before you ask... I've been here the entire week, Yeoni... I've been trying to find out what he was planning. I... I failed," she said apologetically. "You should be the one suffering. You and Suzy," Minsoo suddenly growled. "Not us..."

IU looked at the Twice manager. I couldn't tell what her expression meant initially, but to my surprise, IU nodded at him deeply, almost bowing.

"Believe me, Minsoo... I agree with you. I wish it was me, I wish it was Suzy... I wish none of you would have suffered for everything that Suzy and I did many years ago... I'm..." IU trailed off.

She looked down, and I could see... Tears... Dripping down from her face, dropping onto her boots.

"... I'm... So sorry... Guys..." she whispered.

Sana graciously reached to hug IU, and the petite Spymaster hugged the new leader back, her body trembling greatly. Sana rubbed IU's hair gently, calming her down.

"I'm sorry, Sha... This... This is all my fault..." IU sobbed. "Shh... It's alright, Unnie..." Sana whispered gently.

I sighed. Sana had a really big heart, a pure heart, which showed all of us why she was the perfect person to lead the IPG going forward. We spent the next few seconds staring at the two girls, before Jihyo eventually raised her hand.

"Yes, Jihyo?" asked BoA.

Jihyo wasn't expecting the CEO to be the one responding to her, so she looked a little stunned.

"I... I mean... If Manse wanted Suzy-unnie... Wh–Why didn't he just go to Busan to get her? Why... Why those girls? What did they do wrong?" she demanded. BoA stared at her. "They did nothing wrong... He kidnapped them simply because... They're the girlfriends of the people that wronged Manse," she said. "The Daepyonim is right. That's how Manse always does his revenge," Chuyoung interjected.

We all turned to look at him.

"Manse... He would not target the person he held his grudges against directly, but instead hurt the people they love the most. That's why he tried to kill Tzuyu back at SM's Parking Lot, because he knew that that would hurt me the most," he explained. "That's why he kidnapped the girls, because he knew it'll hurt not just Suzy... But all of us," said IU. "He knew Jennie and Jisoo are the ones closest to Yeoni, whom he must blame for foiling his plans from two years ago and almost killing him last December," mused Junhwan. "So that's why they didn't take Nayeon-unnie when they took Tzuyu... Because they thought she was only there by chance..." Momo deduced. "But... W–Wasn't she there by chance?" asked Yeri.

Momo, Sana, Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Minsoo and Chuyoung shook their heads.

"No. She's actually Tzuyu's girlfriend. They're bisexual," said Jihyo, looking at Chuyoung.

Chuyoung nodded. So he already knew. So he was in a similar situation with myself and both Irene and Jennie.

"Still... W–Why Dahyun?" asked Seulgi, sounding really worried. "He... He must have thought... That she's my girlfriend..."

We looked at Sana, who was still embracing IU. Jeongyeon nodded and shook her head, placing a hand on Sana's shoulder. Her eyes were wet.

"She's right... I... We kept our relationship a secret so well... Only our close friends knew she's my fiancé. But... But Sana and Dahyun... They like to flirt in public, so... So Manse must have thought that she's her girlfriend... Instead of me," Jeongyeon said slowly.

Sana nodded. She looked so guilty right now. Taeyeon sighed and pressed her fingers on her forehead, grimacing.

"Fuck... This is getting more and more complicated..." she uttered. "What should we do now? Do we know where he's taking them?" asked Sunny. "He must be taking them to his hideout in Incheon, right?" I proposed. Minsoo nodded. "Sh–Should we... Should we go there?" he asked, but BoA shook her head. "We need to know for sure, Minsoo-ssi. We can't just go there... Ansel said it's heavily guarded. It'll be a suicide..." said BoA. "But we must do something!" demanded Lisa.

Suddenly, we heard a phone ringing. We looked around, trying to find the one that got the call. None of us had our phones ringing.

"G–Guys..."

We turned to see Dara and Wendy at the control table. Dara lifted her phone, her face pale as paper. It was the one ringing.

"It's... It's CL..." Dara stuttered. "Answer it, Unnie!" commanded Sana.

Dara nodded. She walked over to join us, Wendy following closely behind her. She answered the phone and put it on loudspeaker.

"C-Chaerin?" she said.

I heard heavy breathings.

"U–Unnie... Unnie. Are you... Are you safe?" CL asked, her voice not louder than a whisper. "Y–Yes, yes I'm fine! Where are you? Are you okay?" she asked.

CL took a second before answering.

"The girls... T–The girls. They're all here. This is the thing I tried telling you earlier, Unnie. Manse... Manse brought them all here," CL said.

We all exchanged panicked glances. So it was true. The girls were all taken to Incheon.

"He... The team that took them had returned. He had the girls tied and placed inside his room. I... I think he's gone crazy. He's inside there now with the three old fucks..." CL continued. "T–Three old fucks?" Dara asked. "Chunghee, Taewoo, and Sungho..." growled Chuyoung. I heard CL gasping. "U–Unnie, where are you? Are you with... With the IPG?" she asked. "Yes, yes, Chaerin! I'm with everyone," Dara said. "R–Right. I... It's... He's stepped out of the boundaries with this. I... I didn't... I didn't think he'd do something like this..." CL said, her voice shaking. "Chaerin, this is BoA. Are you safe? Can you leave the place?" BoA asked.

CL went quiet. I knew she didn't expect BoA to talk to her directly.

"D–Dae... Daepyonim. I... No. I... I can't leave. He'll catch up with me and kill me. I..." CL stuttered. "... U–Unnie... I'm scared..."

We knew she was telling the truth. Her voice was filled with horror. She must have realised her mistake by now. She witnessed Manse murdering Ansel in cold blood, and now she saw him kidnapping Jennie, Jisoo, Tzuyu, and Dahyun.

"CL, this is Taeyeon. Hang in there. We're coming," said Taeyeon. I heard CL gasping again. "T–Taeyeon-unnie? N–No! No, no! Don't come! This place is filled with armed guards! You'll die! You gotta call the police!" CL said panickedly.

We all exchanged glances. Could we call the police right now? Would they believe us? And it's in Incheon, so we couldn't just ask the SMPA to help us. It was out of their jurisdiction. If only Hyejin was here...

"Oh... No..." CL suddenly whispered.

We were alarmed. What happened?

"W–What is it, Chaerin?" asked Dara. "U–Unnie... This... This is crazy... L–Look... Look at the news," CL said.

We lifted our heads. IU and Wendy rushed to the control station, typing on their laptops to bring the news feed onto the monitors. CL's breathing went quicker.

"I... I gotta go. I gotta go. He'll be looking for me. Unnie, call the police. Call the police! This is not something you guys can do yourselves! G–Go... Please. Please. Be quick..." CL said urgently, before hanging up.

Silence. We didn't know what to do. Suddenly, we heard Wendy gasping.

"Oh... Fuck..."

We turned to see IU and Wendy. They both had their hands on their mouths, staring in horror at the screens. We followed their gaze at the monitor. It showed a Dispatch article, the headline of their website. When I read the headline... My heart stopped.

• • • • •

DISPATCH EXCLUSIVE: BLACKPINK'S JISOO IS PREGNANT!

Dispatch's team managed to snap a few pictures of Blackpink's JISOO at her house in Geumho-dong, Seoul, over the past week, and her growing baby bump is clearly showing beneath her clothing. Is this the real reason for Blackpink's eighteen-months long hiatus? Who could be the father of her baby?

JISOO (33) is famous for never getting involved with any man before throughout her career, but Dispatch's team might have the answer: This exclusive photo from September 2027 at Incheon International Airport showed a scandalous exchange between JISOO and her own younger brother, the infamous Blackpink Boyfriend, KIM YEON-I, before Blackpink's most recent flight to California, USA, where the global idol group is currently based at.

YEONI (32) can be seen exchanging a passionate kiss with his own sister inside the car, while his supposed girlfriend JENNIE (32) was walking out from the back of the car together with ROSÉ and LISA.

Could this be the start of a mind-blowing, industry-shattering scandal? Is JISOO and YEONI having an incestuous affair, with the fruit of this adulterous relationship currently growing inside JISOO's womb? More to come as the story unfolds.

• • • • •

The article was accompanied by a few photos of Jisoo on the lawn of our house in Geumho-dong, taken with a long range camera. Jisoo's baby bump was clearly shown as she was hanging laundry on the drying cables outside. The picture they took of us kissing in the car at Incheon was also there.

"Son of a bitch!" Junhwan cursed.

At almost the exact same time, we heard vibrations from around the room. Everyone took their phones out, and from the expression on Lisa and Rosé's faces, I could almost tell what was going on. The bombshell had dropped, and the K-pop world was exploding.

"No... No, no, no, no!!!" screamed Rosé. "Oh... Fuck... Fuck. Fuck! My Instagram's blowing up! FUCK!" cursed Lisa. "It's... It's all over the news! Shit!" Minsoo said, staring at his phone.

My phone was also vibrating like crazy, but I had no will to check it out. I felt weak all of a sudden, and I staggered behind. Irene clutched my hand to strengthen me, and both Minsoo and Chuyoung rushed to my side, supporting me.

"H–Hyung, are you alright?" Minso asked. "Steady now, Yeoni... Steady..." Chuyoung said.

I grabbed on their shoulders. My head was spinning.

"H–How... How could he know?" I stuttered. "He has Jisoo with him right now. He must have seen her belly, and he must have asked Chunghee to release the article as soon as possible," Junhwan said.

This was catastrophic. Everything we tried to keep in secret, everything we planned to do in our own time... Manse had just blown everything up. Manse might have just destroyed Jisoo's career beyond repair, he might have just destroyed Blackpink. The K-pop world would go into meltdown because of this. Everything would never be the same. I clenched my fist. I was shaking with anger. I looked up at Sana.

"We... We gotta go there, Sha. We gotta save them," I growled. Rosé gasped. "Yeoni, you heard CL-sunbaenim! It's heavily guarded! We can't just strut in there! It'll be dangerous for us... It'll be dangerous for the girls!" protested Rosé. "And how can we trust CL-ssi? She could've baited us to come there to be killed! That's what Manse would've wanted, right?" exclaimed Chuyoung. "What? Of course we can trust Chaerin! Didn't you hear how afraid she sounded?" Dara objected, sounding offended. Chuyoung shook his head. "Still... There is no proof! What if he took them somewhere else? I say we should just get Suzy ourselves and send her there! He wanted her, right? Why should we risk our lives?" Chuyoung snapped. "But we have to do something! We can't just sit here and watch our world burn!" Lisa said. "EVERYONE SHUT UP!"

Sana's yell silenced all of us. She was glaring at us, looking terrifying all of a sudden. Jeongyeon grasped her hand to calm her down, and Sana blinked a few times before staring at Chuyoung.

"He's counting on us to do just that. He wants to turn all of us against Suzy-unnie, to send her to her doom. That's why he took our girlfriends, the people we love the most... He wanted us to do exactly what you said we should do... He wants all of us to turn into monsters, just like him!" Sana exclaimed.

Chuyoung blinked a few times, before turning his eyes to the floor. He looked guilty.

"I will not allow us to do that. I will not allow us to just sacrifice Suzy-unnie for the safety of our girlfriends. We are better than that!" Sana said, her voice filled with authority.

One by one, we started nodding. I felt a huge sense of pride for my best friend. She was usually so clumsy and goofy, but when the situation arose, she rose to meet the challenge. Sana Minatozaki... She was a true leader.

"I also don't think that CL-sunbaenim called Dara-unnie because she was asked by Manse. She did try to call Dara-unnie earlier before midnight. I think she really is afraid, that's why she told us to call the police and not go there ourselves," Sana said.

Wendy raised her hand.

"B–But... It'll take forever to ask the police to help us, Sha..." Wendy said. "Too many explanations, too many details, and Manse's at Incheon. The Seoul police would have to ask for permission before conducting an operation there," said Joy. "We... We... We need Hyejin," stuttered Seulgi.

Seulgi was right. We needed Hyejin more than ever, but... Would she be willing to help us? Sana and Irene exchanged glances. Irene turned to look at Yeri, who was pale as paper.

"Yeri..." Irene said.

She knew what Irene was about to ask her to do. Everyone in the room knew. Yeri looked uncertain, sweat dripping from her forehead.

"I–I... She... She... She hated the IPG..." Yeri whispered. "I know... But this... This is not just about the IPG anymore. This is... It's about the lives of Tzuyu, Dahyun, Jisoo-unnie, and Jennie," Sana said. "Please, Yeri... She's the only one who can help us," Irene begged. "You're the only one who knows where she's at right now, Yeri. Please," Sana uttered.

Yeri stared at Sana and Irene. I could see the wheels turning inside her head. She was weighing whether or not to reveal Hyejin's location. Seulgi and Joy reached to grab Yeri's hands, squeezing them gently. Yeri turned to look at me, and I met her gaze. I pleaded with her silently. Eventually, she nodded.

"Okay... O–Okay. I'll bring you to her..." Yeri said. Sana nodded. "Thank you, Yeri... We... I think Irene and I should go there, right? Together with Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy?" Sana asked.

The Red Velvet girls exchanged glances, but Irene shook her head.

"N–No... I... I want to go to Incheon," Irene said. Sana was shocked. "W–What? Why?" she asked. Irene stared at her. "I want to save the girls..." she whispered. I was dumbfounded. "B–Babe... You can't..." I stuttered, but Irene glared at me. "Why not? Because I'm pregnant? I don't care! And we don't know if Hyejin will agree to help us or not. If she doesn't agree, then what? We'll just will 'till Manse rapes all four of them? We have to do something! We can't just wait here!" she snapped at me.

Everyone was taken aback by her sudden outburst, and by the sudden revelation of her pregnancy, but Irene didn't care. I had never seen her acting like this. She shot a glare at Taeyeon.

"Unnie. We are the heads of the Strike Force. We have an armoury full of weapons! If we don't use our resources now, then when? What use of all of those weapons?" she exclaimed.

Taeyeon stared at my girlfriend for a long moment, weighing her options. Eventually, she nodded and looked at Sana and BoA.

"Irene is right. You go talk to Hyejin with Yeri... But the rest of us... We'll go to Incheon. Who knows what Manse might do to those girls? We simply can't wait," Taeyeon said.

Sana looked like she was about to object, but BoA stepped forward to speak.

"I'll ask some of my security team members to join you. Junhwan and I will go with Sana and Yeri to meet with Hyejin. Maybe we can help talk to her... As her father's friends," BoA said, Junhwan nodded next to her, immediately opening his phone to contact the security team.

Sana sighed. She still looked unsure, but at that moment Jeongyeon squeezed her hand.

"I'll go with the team to Incheon, Sha. I need to save Dubu," Jeongyeon said. "Jeongie..." Sana objected, but Jeongyeon shook her head. "I'll be fine. I'm itching to throw some of these thugs to the ground with my ssireum moves," she said cheekily. "Don't worry, Sha. I'll watch her back," said Momo.

Jeongyeon smiled appreciatively at the Japanese girl. Sana still looked like she was about to object, and she looked at BoA, asking for help. BoA smiled and nodded, giving Sana the approval.

"Your call, Boss. You're the IPG Head now," BoA said.

Her words took Sana by surprise. BoA had just officially christened Sana as the new IPG head. We all smiled and looked at Sana. She bit her lips, looking at her fiancé's eyes for a long time. Finally... She nodded.

"Alright... Fine. But not all of you should go there. We need someone to look after Nayeon... And we need tech support from here too," Sana said, her voice sounding a lot firmer.

Seungyeon looked at Seohyun and Sunny, who both nodded, communicating silently.

"I'll stay here and look after Nayeon. I'll contact Uee and Naeun to come as well. Sunny and Seohyun, you both should go to Incheon and wait outside. If anything happens, you'll be ready with first aid," she said. The two SNSD members nodded.

IU walked over to join us. Sana turned to look at her.

"You'll be staying here with the spy team, right, Unnie?" she asked, but IU shook her head. "You'll need my knives. I'll bring Mr. Park and some of his team members to help us... And I'm also partly responsible for all this. I want to be there," IU said. "Who'll lead the spy team, then?" asked Sana. IU smiled and turned to Dara. "Dara-unnie can lead them," she said, but Dara shook her head slowly. "I... I want to go there too. I need to save Chaerin," she said.

IU chuckled and nodded.

"Very well. Wendy, you lead the team then. Rosé and Jihyo, please help Wendy. I also think that Nayeon would feel better seeing her Twice leader around when she wakes up. Minsoo... You wanna stay here too?" IU asked.

We turned to look at Minsoo, who surprisingly shook his head.

"N–No... I... I wanna go. I'm the manager. I should do something to save Tzuyu and Dubu," Minsoo said. Jihyo frowned. "Minchu... No. Please," she begged, but Jeongyeon shook her head. "He'll be fine, Jihyo. Momo and I will protect him," she said.

Minsoo smiled and grabbed Jihyo's hands to assure her. Jihyo stared at her boyfriend for a moment, but she eventually relented. Taeyeon sighed. She exchanged glances with Irene, who nodded confidently.

"Very well. Ji-eun, Yeoni, Minsoo, Momo, Dara, Chuyoung and the Strike Team... Get armed and ready. We're going to save the girls," Taeyeon commanded.

Sooyoung, Seulgi, Joy, Irene, and Lisa nodded. I exchanged glances with Chuyoung and Minsoo, who both looked stressed and afraid, but determined nonetheless. We were just about to walk to the armoury, when suddenly IU gasped.

"Oh! That's right! I had a package delivered from Japan earlier today. Hang on..." she said.

IU ran up the stairs to her office, and a few moments later she returned with a black suitcase. She set it up on her table and opened it, revealing seven metal... Bracelets? Momo gasped when she saw the bracelets.

"Is that... Project Origin?" she gasped. IU chuckled. "That's right! Fuck... I forgot Sabito's your boyfriend... This is... Project Origin," IU said. "What is it?" I asked. IU smiled. "It's... Basically it's stun bracelets. Can emit electrical energy as strong as a police taser to incapacitate your enemies without killing them... And can shoot quite far as well. Unfortunately, Sabito only managed to finish seven of these in time... So only the Strike Team members get it... But... Better than nothing, right? Strike Team, take yours," she said cheerfully.

IU took out the seven bracelets from the suitcase. She gave one to Joy, one to Seulgi, one to Irene, one to Sooyoung, one to Lisa, and one to Taeyeon... But she stopped at the last one. It looked a little different from the others, with pink stripes decorating the sides of the cylindrical device. IU smiled and looked up at Momo.

"I think... This one's for you..." she said.

She gave the last one to Momo, who received it and stared at it. Momo grinned and shook her head as she read the inscription on the side of the bracelet. I took a peek to read the words. It read 'Sakura Burger' next to 'Hirai Momo' written in Hangul and Katakana. I raised an eyebrow confusedly and Momo caught this. She giggled and looked at me.

"It's... The place of our first date. This cheesy boy..." she mused, but she looked happy nonetheless.

I smiled and nodded. Momo smirked and wore the bracelet on her right hand, as did the other Strike Team members. The bracelets locked in place on their wrists and immediately hummed to life, each glowing a cool blue, except for Momo's. Her bracelet glowed pink. Sooyoung chuckled.

"Fuck... I want my custom-made bracelet too," she said, jokingly sounding jealous. Momo laughed and slapped her shoulder. "How do we use these, Unnie?" asked Seulgi. "Will it electrocute us?" asked Joy worriedly. "It's completely safe. It'll only emit the charge when pointed at a target. To use it, simply point your fist in the direction of your enemy and pump your arm once. It'll shoot the electric blast and stun them immediately," IU said. "Momo, why don't you try aiming at that wall over there?"

Momo nodded and turned to face a nearby wall. She lifted her arm and clenched her fist, before pumping her arm once strongly. A bright pink electric blast shot out of her wrist, hitting the wall with a loud crackling sound.

"W–Woah..." uttered Minsoo. "Like Black Widow's Widows Bite," Momo said, referring to the comic book character. IU chuckled and nodded. "Exactly. Now, don't forget: Each bracelet can shoot ten times, then you need to recharge it by not shooting for ten seconds before being able to shoot again. Number your shots carefully," IU instructed.

Momo and The Strike Team members nodded. IU closed the briefcase, before leading Jeongyeon, Minsoo, Dara, Momo, Chuyoung, and I together with the rest to the armoury.

The Strike Team members were already armed with Project Origin, but we weren't, so Chuyoung and I picked up handguns and some rubber rounds, reminiscing our days in the mandatory military service.

Dara took a baseball bat, while Minsoo and Jeongyeon took large wooden kendo swords, stun guns, and a few flashbang and smoke grenades. I saw Chuyoung staring at a bow and a quiver of arrows hanging on the wall.

"Did you practice archery, Hyung?" I asked. He smiled sorrowfully and shook his head. "No... No. It's just... Reminds me of Tzuyu," he uttered.

Minsoo and I stared at him, understanding his words. Minsoo reached to grab his shoulder.

"We... We'll bring her back, Hyung," he assured him. Chuyoung smiled and nodded. "Guys, bulletproof vests," said Taeyeon.

I took the vests from Taeyeon and gave two of them to Minsoo and Chuyoung. I saw Momo picking up a barbed baseball bat, and IU wearing her knives holster and restocking it with her throwing knives, looking like she absolutely enjoyed herself.

Irene took a few ballistic shirts, the same one she gave to Ansel last week, and gave it to all of us. She told us to wear it beneath our shirts and the kevlar vests for an extra layer of protection. The girls went into the dressing room to wear it, while Minsoo, Chuyoung and I wore it in the armoury.

"Which service were you at, Chuyoung-ssi?" I asked Tzuyu's boyfriend. "Hm? What do you mean?" he asked confusedly. "During the mandatory service," I clarified. "Ah... I was in the Army. You?" he asked. "Navy," I said. Chuyoung chuckled. "Nice..." he mused, before turning to look at Minsoo, "What about you, Minsoo? Air Force? Marines?"

Minsoo blushed a little as he strapped on his kevlar vest on top of his shirt.

"I... Yeah... Air Force, b–but... I never excelled physically, so... I was assigned to the kitchen," he said sheepishly.

Chuyoung smiled warmly.

"That's alright... I've heard a lot of war stories where the cooks are the ones winning the battles," he said.

I nodded. I've heard similar stories too. Minsoo chuckled and nodded.

"I... I just wish the girls are alright..." Minsoo said slowly. "Me too, Minsoo... Me too..." I said.

We finished gearing up, and we went outside to meet with the others. Wendy, Rosé, and Jihyo were already logged into their laptops, their screens showing the map of Manse's hideout that Ansel managed to get for us. We walked to join Sana, BoA, Junhwan, Yeri, Sunny, and Seohyun. Seungyeon was already gone, I assumed they had gone down to stay by Nayeon's side.

Mr. Park and a few of the IPG's security details were already waiting for us, as well as a few of BoA's security team members, all armed and ready. Sana looked at all of us as we gathered near her in the common area. She adjusted her earpiece, the same transparent one she had been wearing on every mission.

"Everyone ready?" Sana asked. We all nodded. "Ready," replied Taeyeon, before chuckling, "Fuck... Yoojin-unnie is gonna kill me after this... You too, Baechu!"

Irene only giggled before returning to her serious state. Sana smiled and nodded.

"Alright. My team will go to meet Hyejin, while you guys go to Incheon," Sana said. "Taeyeon-unnie, Irene-unnie, and Yeoni-oppa... I'll leave the team under your leadership."

Taeyeon, Irene, and I nodded. My mind was uneasy, but my heart was set. I knew we had to do this. We had to save the girls, no matter the cost. I knew everyone who decided to go to Incheon had the same determination.

"Good luck with Hyejin, Sha," I said. Sana nodded. "Gomawo, Oppa. Just... Hold the ground until we arrive with reinforcements from the police," Sana said optimistically. "Oh... Don't forget to grab your earpieces from the spy team. Do a final check before you leave, okay?" BoA added.

We all nodded. After hugging Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy, Yeri led BoA and Junhwan to her car. Sana gave Jeongyeon a long hug, looking so reluctant to let her go.

"I'll bring her home..." Jeongyeon whispered. "You should come home too. Promise me..." whispered Sana, "I still want to marry you." "I promise. I love you, Sha..." Jeongyeon said. "I love you too, Yoo Beep Beep..." Sana replied.

Jeongyeon smiled and kissed Sana's lips warmly, before letting her go. Sana looked at me and smiled, before walking away to join Yeri, BoA, and Junhwan.

"Yeoni, your earpiece!"

I turned to see Rosé waving a small box from the control table. I walked to join the others there, receiving my earpiece from Wendy. We wore our earpieces in silence, before testing the connection with the spy team. When we were all set up, we stared at each other, unsure of what to do.

"So, uh... This is it. We should get going, right?" I said.

Everyone nodded, but then Rosé rushed to hug Lisa and I tightly. My heart felt heavy. I knew she was worried for us, but I also knew she was more worried for Jisoo and Jennie.

"Don't... Die. Okay? Don't fucking die!" Rosé whispered, her voice trembling. "We won't, Rosie. Don't worry..." Lisa said.

I rubbed Rosé's hair gently while lifting my eyes. Everyone was saying their goodbyes to everyone else. Joy and Seulgi were hugging Wendy in a group hug, Momo stood next to Jeongyeon while calling someone who I assumed to be Sabito. Taeyeon, Dara, and Sooyoung were talking with Sunny and Seohyun, the five legends holding hands with each other, supporting each other. I saw Chuyoung recording something on his phone, while Jihyo and Minsoo kissed each other and whispered sweet words of encouragement for one another.

"Yeoni..."

I turned to see Irene tugging my sleeve. She gestured for me to follow her, so I let go of Rosé and Lisa and walked with her. She led me back to the dressing room from earlier, locking the door behind us.

"Baechu... What..." I asked confusedly. "Shut up..." she whispered.

Before I could say anything else, Irene pulled me for a kiss. She kissed my lips long and warmly, and I placed my hands on her waist, before rubbing her small bump gently.

"What is it?" I whispered with a smile as we broke apart.

Irene stared into my eyes. She bit her lips.

"I... I don't know what'll happen there... So... Before I regret it... Before it's too late... I just... I want to say this..." she whispered.

I waited patiently for a second. Irene's face blushed a little as she stared deeply into my eyes.

"I... I love you, Yeoni," she whispered.

My heart melted, and I couldn't help but smile. Suddenly everything felt a little better. She finally said it. She finally admitted that she loved me. Gosh, this girl was just so cute.

"I love you too, Irene..." I replied sincerely. Irene chuckled awkwardly. "Right. Yeah... I mean... D–Don't get me wrong... I didn't mean anything by saying that... You... Y–You shouldn't..." she stammered. "I shouldn't marry you..." I interjected.

Her eyes widened for a second, and I chuckled.

"Jennie told me everything. We wanted to visit Noona earlier after she told me to take the test..." I said. "So... So you...?" she asked. I nodded. "Yeah. I know. I should... I should marry Jisoo-noona... All the more reason now after the news is out in the open..." I said.

Irene stared into my eyes for a long moment, before finally, her adorable smile formed on her lips.

"It'll give her the security she needs... She needs you," she whispered. I smiled. "Won't you be jealous?" I teased her. She shook her head and chuckled. "Nah... You marrying her would give me the closure I needed. I'll go back to just being Jennie's girlfriend, without having the hope of becoming your wife..." she said.

I stared at her. In another life, she could very well be the one for me. I hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek warmly.

"You know you're still my girlfriend, right?" I said. Irene smirked. "I never agreed to it," she teased me. I chuckled. "Oh, come on... You're carrying my child!" I protested. She laughed. "Alright, fine..." she gave up. I grinned and gave her a little squeeze. "Thank you, Irene..." I whispered. I heard Irene chuckling. "I'm the one who should thank you... For giving me this..." she said, rubbing her belly.

I smiled and placed my hands on top of her belly as I straightened myself.

"Now you really are Mommy-rene," I joked. She laughed and slapped my chest. "Ya! Don't you dare call me that in front of the girls!" she exclaimed. I decided to tease her. "But... In private?" I asked gently.

Irene blushed, nodding cutely without words. I chuckled and hugged her tighter. She was simply so adorable.

"Do we know the gender yet?" I asked. She shook her head. "No. I'm only 12 weeks... Will you come with me to meet Yoojin-gyosunim later when the time comes to see the gender?" Irene asked. I nodded. "You told me a woman would want the father of her children to come with her to the OB-GYN appointment. I'll be honoured to do so," I said gently.

A chuckle left Irene's mouth. I stared deeply into her eyes.

"Will you be okay tonight? I mean... With... This?" I asked, rubbing her belly again. She smiled and nodded. "I'll be fine. You'll be there to protect me anyway..." she asked cutely, before adding naughtily, "... Right, Daddy?"

I smiled and nodded.

"I will. I promise," I said.

We kissed again, we kissed for what felt like forever. When we separated, I saw fire burning behind Irene's eyes. She grasped my hands and squeezed them firmly.

"Let's go save our girlfriends," she said.

[lsmu]

LSM Lost Files #12: Clear My Mind

“Darling… Wakey wakey…”

I groggily opened my eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them as my vision started to clear. My blurry eyes slowly focused on the source of the soothing voice like a camera.

“Ah… Someone’s finally awake,” he whispered in Japanese as he gave me a good morning kiss. “Morning, Yori…” I replied as I sat up on our bed.

His kind smile greeted me as he picked my specs off the side table and placed them on my face.

“Morning, Wifey. Time to get ready to visit Mina,” he said, gently pulling the covers off me. “I already turned on the water heater, your outfit is hanging behind the bathroom door, and your contacts are on the sink.”

“Great… I’ll go get ready…” I mumbled as I slid out of bed and shuffled on over to our bathroom.

I heard a small chuckle coming from him as I closed the door, not bothering to lock it since I don’t mind him walking in on me. As I turned towards the mirror, a sticky note on the glass caught my attention. I plucked it off and read it.

Morning, beautiful :)! Just wanted to let you know that you’re the luckiest thing that happened to me.

~Yori

I smiled and folded it up into a quarter, before walking over to my jeans and putting the note into my pocket. I had a feeling that I’d need it later. Things weren’t the brightest at the moment, so I would need every bit of positivity I could get.

“Keep it together, Son Chaeyoung…” I said to myself as I stared at my reflection through the mirror.

My head was full of things, things that kept me up at night, things that made me unsure about what was to come, things that made me feel lost, afraid… Tired…

Snap out of it.

I sighed and started to undress. I had no time to waste, Mina was waiting for me. I quickly freshened up, putting on my contacts and the outfit that Yori helped me to pick out. I headed out of the bathroom and down the stairs to my living room, where Yori was packing bentos into a cooler bag. He placed the last box into the bag before sealing it. I walked up to him, and he noticed my presence and smiled softly.

“What are those?” I asked. “Bento boxes. Mina said that she wanted something besides hospital food, right?” he replied.

I did a facepalm as the memory of her saying that came back into my mind. Aish… Chaeyoung!

“Ya… Don’t do that. You’ll hurt yourself,” Yori chuckled.

He gently pulled the hand off my forehead and kissed it before cupping my cheek with his hands.

“You look extra gorgeous today…” he whispered sincerely.

Yori said those words almost every morning, and I would usually squeal and leap onto him for a kiss, but today… I wasn’t feeling it. I sighed and pushed his hand away.

“That’s what you say everyday,” I said flatly, “Come on… Let’s go.”

I headed towards the door, leaving Yori behind. I heard him chuckling, and soon he followed me out to the garage. We got into the car, he started the engine, and we drove off towards the hospital quickly. Unlike our usual rides… This ride was silent.

I idly stared out of the window, watching Seoul whizz by me in a blur as I let myself space out. This has become a hobby of mine these past few days. In my dazed state, I could hear Yori softly humming the tune of a song as he drove us along the way. It’s amazing how he managed to always stay so positive.

Traffic was kind, and we managed to reach the hospital rather quickly. Yori re-shouldered the cooler bag as I got out of the car, and we walked together to the reception desk silently. A nurse looked up from behind the desk, and as soon as she recognised us, she smiled.

“Hi there! Here to see Myoui Mina-nim again, I suppose?” she asked kindly.

She had been working behind the reception desk for the past week. In fact, she was the same nurse who was here the night Mina got admitted. Sana told me that Momo yelled at her that night because she was panicking. I smiled and nodded.

“Ne! May I go in?” I asked. She nodded and smiled. “You know which lift to take,” she said, gesturing in a direction.

I smiled and gave her a small bow before walking towards the lift lobby. We got into the lift on the far right and took it to the floor where Mina was staying. Our footsteps echoed against the floor as we made our way down the hallway, towards the sole wooden door at the end of the hall.

Yori and I stopped in front of the door as we reached it. I took a deep breath to compose myself before knocking.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Come in…”

I took another deep breath and forced a smile, before sliding the door open.

“Mina-unnieee!!!” I squealed, although I noticed that my excitement sounded more and more fake everytime I said it on a new day. “Ah… Chaeng… Yori…” Mina said softly.

She smiled her gummy smile and stretched out her arms, beckoning me for a hug. I ran to her and hugged her tightly before letting go to smile as bright as I could at my sister.

“I’m back!” I announced. Mina chuckled and nodded. “I… Can see that…” she smiled.

Mina looked much stronger now, she didn’t spell her sentences word-per-word like she did last week. Still, she looked weak. She looked too weak.

“Annyeong, Mina-ssi!” Yori greeted as he closed the door. “I packed some bentos for you since you said you wanted something other than hospital food.”

Mina laughed gently. I pulled up a chair and sat down next to her, taking her hands in mine as she smiled at Yori.

“I was… Joking…” she said. Yori scoffed and pulled out the bento boxes. “Well… That’s a shame… But I doubt I’ll be taking these back. We’ll just have to tell the staff that we’ve settled lunch for you,” he chuckled.

Yori walked over and handed Mina-unnie her bento box.

“Sukiyaki-don,” he informed her as I took it from him and laid it down in front of Mina-unnie. “Woah… I was… Craving… This…” she mused. “Arigatou… Yori-kun…” “Mondai nai…” Yori waved it off as he proceeded to hand me my bento.

I received it from him and opened it up. The smell of his delicious cooking wafted into my nose as my stomach growled, suddenly realising that I didn’t eat breakfast.

Hang on… Yori had prepared breakfast for me at home. I saw the food on the table when I walked down. But… I went straight out to the garage… Without even paying attention to it. Oh my gosh… Chaeyoung… What was wrong with you?

“Ya! What are you girls waiting for? Go on! Dig in!” Yori said with a big smile, handing us chopsticks. “The bento won’t eat itself!”

I stared at Yori, feeling like shit. He didn’t even mention it. He… Oh gosh… Yori…

“Are you… Gonna join… Us?” Mina asked softly, waking me from my thoughts. Yori chuckled. “Of course! I’m hungry too!” Yori said cheerfully, sitting down next to me and pulling his box out.

Of course he was. I made him skip breakfast too.

“Gosh… This is… Delicious… Yori!” Mina sighed as she began eating. “Ah… It’s nothing compared to Minsoo-hyung’s, Jeongyeon’s, or Jihyo’s cooking… Or yours for that matter!” Yori said humbly. Mina smiled and turned to look at me. “You’re… So lucky… To have him, Chaeng…” Mina whispered warmly. “I get that a lot,” I replied as I picked up a piece of beef and sent it into my mouth.

Fuck. Why did I have to sound so snarky?

I looked up at Mina, finding her staring at me silently.

“W–What is it, Unnie?” I asked, feeling guilty.

Mina smiled and shook her head.

“Nothing… I was just… Spacing out…” she uttered, going back to her bento.

I nodded and went back to my food. I didn’t know what to say to her. Times were tough for Mina now. A lot of things happened to her, but somehow she remained strangely calm. Just a few days ago, I was here with her and the other Twice members when Sana and Momo returned from Red Velvet’s dorm… To bring her the news that Ansel had just been shot and killed by Park Manse.

Everyone expected her to cry, everyone expected her to bawl and scream, shedding tears of grief as soon she heard the news. I remembered Nayeon and Jihyo immediately rushed to her side and hugged her tightly that day, afraid that Mina might lose it, but instead, she only sighed and closed her eyes calmly, saying “At least… He died a hero”, before asking Sana and Momo to accompany her to visit his grave once she was discharged.

Mina’s calmness throughout this entire situation still had me baffled, had all of us baffled. I knew she let Ansel go willingly, I knew I was the one who appealed to her kindness when she initially refused to let Ansel go, but… She couldn’t possibly be that calm, right? Her boyfriend was killed! Maybe she was still in shock, maybe the reality still had not fully dawned on her yet. Gosh… My unnie…

“Ansel… Would have… Loved this…”

I looked up as I heard her. Mina was staring at her bento box, and I could see that her hands were trembling a little. I drew in a breath. This could go two ways…

“Unnie… It’s… I–It’s okay to cry…” I whispered, repeating the words that I had been saying to her these past few days.

Mina stared at her bento box silently for a few long moments, but then she lifted her face, gazing straight into my eyes. Her eyes were gleaming, but… She was smiling.

“I’m… Fine, Chaeng…” she whispered. “Are you sure?” I asked her.

Mina nodded again, but I wasn’t convinced. I opened my mouth to ask her again, but then I felt Yori’s hand on my shoulder.

“Baby… I’m sure she’s fine…” he assured me.

Suddenly, I snapped.

“You don’t know what she’s feeling, Yori! Don’t talk like you can speak on her behalf! Why are you so fucking nosy!” I yelled.

Yori blinked silently, staring at me, clearly stunned at my sudden hostility. To be honest, I was stunned too. I knew I shouldn’t do that. Why did I yell and curse at my own boyfriend… My own fiancé? He did nothing wrong… He… Fuck, Chaeyoung! What was wrong with you?

“Y–Yeah… You’re… You’re right,” Yori uttered, before turning to look at Mina, “Joesonghaeyo, Mina-ssi…” “It’s… Fine, Yori… And… Please call me… Noona…” Mina said softly. “E–Eh?” Yori stuttered, flustered at Mina’s sudden remark. Mina smiled. “You’re… My sister’s… Husband to be. That makes you… My brother in law… So… ‘Noona’. Please,” she said warmly.

I felt my cheeks blushing red hearing Mina’s words, my heart fluttering. She addressed me as her sister. She was thinking about my wedding with Yori. Why was she so kind? She was thinking about me… When she was the one who was hurting and suffering. And I… I was being an asshole.

“L–Let’s… Let’s… Finish our meal,” I uttered, feeling embarrassed for my actions.

An awkward silence filled the room, all of us unsure of what to say or do other than finishing our food. Yori helped to take all the empty containers, storing them back inside the cooler bag. I took a deep breath and forced a smile as I looked at Mina.

“So! What do you wanna do today, Unnie?” I asked as I pulled up my bag, “Nintendo Switch? Board games? Or are you still playing Apex on your phone?”

I noticed that she hesitated a little before answering.

“Actually… Yori-kun… Forgive me, but… Can I talk to Chaeng… In private for a while?” she asked gently. Yori nodded and stood up quickly. “Sure thing. I’ll be right outside,” he said.

Yori gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze before walking out, closing the door behind him. I turned to look at Mina, and as I gazed into her gentle eyes, I felt more and more guilty. Still, somehow, I kept my rock hard façade on.

“What is it, Unnie?” I asked, trying to sound as calm and cheerful as I could. “Chaeng… What’s… Going on?” Mina whispered. I raised an eyebrow. “W–What… What do you mean?” I asked. “Why… Are you acting like… This?” she asked.

My heart was beating faster. Guilt was eating me from the inside. I avoided her eyes.

“I–I… I don’t… Understand… Acting like what?” I lied. “You’ve been acting… Like this… For the past… Few days. Is… Everything alright?” she asked. “Umm… Yeah? What–” “How much sleep… Have you two been… Getting?” Mina cut me off. “I–I…” “You and Yori… You’ve been spending… At least half a day here… Everyday, since… I was admitted,” Mina pointed out. “I… We… We need to take care of you, Unnie! We’re fine! We’ve been getting enough rest! Y–You shouldn’t worry about us! We’re–” “Nae dongsaeng…”

Her words stopped my ramblings. I felt tears starting to flood my eyes. Mina rarely ever called me ‘nae dongsaeng’–’my little sister, unless she wanted to say something really important to me.

“Look at me…” Mina whispered.

Slowly, I lifted my face. I tried so hard to keep my tears from falling down, and my eyes felt so heavy. My heart ached. Mina reached to grab my hand gently, rubbing her thumb on my knuckles.

“You… You two should take a break… It's the weekend now… You two should… Just go… Have a date… Have some rest. Jihyo and Minsoo are coming… Later…” Mina said.

I stubbornly shook my head, avoiding her eyes again.

“N–No… No. It’s… Fine. We’re fine. I’m fine…” I uttered. “Son Chaeyoung… Listen to me…” she interjected.

I looked up at her again. Mina wasn’t smiling. Her face was dead serious. She was gazing straight into my eyes. It felt like she was peering into my soul.

“You shouldn’t treat Yori… Like that... You… Shouldn’t be like this. That’s no way… To treat a man…” Mina whispered.

My heart was churning inside my chest. My lips trembled. Fuck. I was about to cry.

“I know… You’re… I know you’re sad because of me… But… That’s not an excuse to be… Mean… Towards your fiancé…” Mina continued. “I–I…” “You need… To treasure him. You need… To treasure Yori. It’s… Hard to find… Someone… Like him…” Mina whispered.

I looked down, finally letting my tears fall, feeling like shit. She was right. She was absolutely right.

“I–I…. I know… Unnie…” I sobbed. “I’m… Sorry….” “He cares so much… For you… You need to… Hold him close… Treasure your time… With him…” Mina continued. “Y–You’re… Right…” I admitted. “... Don’t… Regret it later…”

Suddenly, my ears picked up the beeping sound of the heart rate monitor beside her bed. It was… The intervals were getting shorter. I looked up, finding Mina trembling. I realised it immediately.

She was angry at me. She was angry because I treated Yori unkindly. She was angry because I was acting ungrateful while I still had my fiancé by my side, while she was… Ansel was... Oh God…

“U–Unnie?” “... Don’t… Regret it… Don’t… Don’t… Be like me…” Mina stuttered, clearly sounding angry.

Beep… Beep... Beep... Beep…

“... I… Even if I want to… I… Can’t… Cherish my time… With Ansel… No more… I… It’s too late for me…” Mina whispered, her voice shaking.

Beep.. Beep.. Beep.. Beep..

“Promise me… Chaeyoung… Don’t… Don’t… Regret it…” Mina said, staring at me. “U–Unnie… You’re…” “Promise… Me… Chaeyoung…”

A single tear rolled down her cheek. I glanced at the monitor. It was flashing red.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

“Unnie… C–Calm down… I…” “Chaeyoung… You’re not… Answering. Promise me…”

BeepBeepBeepBeep

“U–Unnie…” “PROMISE ME!”

I was stunned. Mina had never yelled at me before. She was glaring at me. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks, her body shaking as I heard audible sobs coming out of her. I quickly grasped her hands, squeezing them tightly.

“I–I… I promise, Unnie. I promise!” I said.

Mina kept glaring at me for a few moments, but then she started hyperventilating.

“Chaeng… I… I…”

I panicked.

“YORI! YORI!!!”

The door slid open immediately.

“GET THE DOCTOR!” I cried.

He nodded and quickly ran. I turned back to Mina and clutched her hands.

“Chaeng…” she whispered. “Unnie… Breathe… P–Please… Please…” I started sobbing.

Her eyes started closing. Her hands slipped off mine as her body started slumping. My heart stopped beating. Oh no. No. No no no no!

“U–Unnie? M–Mina-unnie… S–Stay with me! MINA-UNNIE!!!” “Get away from her, Chaeyoung-ssi.”

I turned, finding Professor Yoojin running to us with her assistant. She quickly got to Mina’s side and pulled an oxygen mask from one of the machines. She strapped the mask to Mina’s face and turned to her assistant.

“Get me 1 milligram of Midazolam!” she ordered.

Her assistant quickly ran to one of the cabinets and produced a bottle and a feeding syringe. She stuck the syringe into the bottle and pulled the plunger back slightly before promptly running back to Professor Yoojin, who lifted the mask off Mina’s face and placed the syringe into her open mouth. She pressed the syringe against her gums before pushing down on the plunger.

In a few seconds, Mina’s heart rate slowed back to normal. Her eyelids closed completely, and she started snoring peacefully. Professor Yoojin sighed. She placed the oxygen mask back on Mina’s face and straightened herself, handing the syringe back to her assistant, before turning to look at me.

“She’s asleep now. Don’t worry…” she said calmly. “G–Gyosunim… I…”

Professor Yoojin smiled, but she looked at me seriously.

“She needs rest. Now… It’s best for you to leave,” she said. My eyes widened. “B–But…”

A familiar pair of hands wrapped around my waist. Yori pulled me into a hug and stroked my hair. Instinctively, I hugged back. His warmth felt nice… It felt fresh… Like I hadn’t hugged him for a long, long time.

“Babe… She’s in good hands. Let’s let her rest, okay?” he whispered. “But…” “Noona needs her rest. Jihyo and Minsoo-hyung are coming later, and we can always come back tomorrow… Right, Gyosunim?” Yori said. “That is preferable. Mina needs to relax,” she said calmly.

I blinked my tears. I felt like shit… Even more so now. I had just put Mina’s life in danger. It was my mistake.

“Y–Yeah… Let’s… Let’s go…” I whispered eventually.

I released Yori and walked to pick up my bag, before bowing a little to Professor Yoojin and walking straight out of the door, leaving Yori behind. Still, he caught up to me as I reached the lift lobby. I felt his hand slipping into mine. He opened his mouth to say something, but I lifted my hand to stop him.

“Don’t,” I said curtly, “Don’t tell me that it wasn’t my fault, because it was.”

Yori stared at me silently for a few seconds before nodding. We entered the lift silently, and we rode it down to the lobby in silence. We walked out of the building into the parking lot, entering our car. Yori sighed and turned to look at me as he started the car.

“Where to?” he asked. “Home…” I replied flatly. “I need to clear my head.”

He nodded and remained silent. The trip back home was equally silent as once again I stared out of the window. Somehow, my week just got a lot worse. I knew I shouldn’t be the one feeling this way, but it was impossible to not feel like that with this amount of shit surfacing at every available turn.

Mina was right. I should not have treated Yori this way, and most importantly, I shouldn’t have snapped at Yori in front of her. No matter how calm she might look, the fact remained that she was still grieving over Ansel’s death… And here I was, acting like a sulky, spoiled brat, and because of what? Because I was feeling sad over my sister? I should have known better. I was so childish, so selfish. I was an ungrateful bitch.

As soon as we got home, I silently got out of the car and entered the house. I needed to calm myself down, staying away from Yori for now. I made a beeline up the stairs into my favourite place in the house, the one place where Yori would not walk in on me.

The art room.

There was something about the familiar smell of paint and clay that put my mind at ease. I turned on the lights. The late afternoon sun shone through the blinds covering the window, casting shadows across my canvas on the easel in the middle of the room, where my unfinished painting of our backyard resided.

I sighed and plopped myself down on the stool in front of it. My eyes wandered across the outlines of the trees and shrubs that I sketched out with charcoal weeks ago. I hadn’t been able to progress much with this painting ever since this whole fiasco blew up in my face… I guessed this was the best time to work on it.

I got up and raised the blinds on the window, giving me a clear view of the garden, the lush greenery washing me with a strange sense of calm and serenity as I stared outside the window. I stared silently out for a few moments… Letting my mind wander off, trying to gather my will and creativity to start painting.

But I couldn’t. Not like this.

“Fuck… I need to smoke,” I uttered.

I walked over to my bag and unzipped the front pocket. I reached in, expecting to find the familiar feel of my cigarette box, but instead, I pulled out a note.

“The… Fuck?”

I unfolded the paper and read it.

‘Your cigs and lighter are with me. You smoke too much’ ~Yori.

“Son of a…” I cursed as I crumpled the paper in annoyance. “Where the fuck is he…”

I stormed out of the art room and took in as much air as possible before shouting.

“TOMIOKA YORIICHI! WHERE IN THE FUCKS NAME ARE YOU?!” “Balcony!” he yelled back.

I rolled my eyes and bounded up the steps to our bedroom. I stepped through the open door and saw the familiar figure of my fiancé sitting cross-legged on the lounge chair outside. He looked up and smiled as he saw me.

“Looking for these?”

Yori lifted the two objects of my desire in his right hand, a cheeky grin plastered on his handsome face. I sighed and walked outside. I wanted so badly to curse at him and snatch my cigarettes and lighter, but something in my heart prevented me from doing so. Instead, I stood in front of him and crossed my arms.

“Whatever lecture you’ve prepared for me… Say it now,” I huffed. Yori cocked his head. “Lecture? Darling… I was just going to ask you to sit here with me while you smoke,” he said calmly.

What was he planning? I glared at him, but he met my gaze undetteringly.

“Or… You could always not. I could always not let you smoke…” he shrugged. “Tomioka Yoriichi…” I said with a warning tone. “Son Chaeyoung…” he challenged, folding his arms as he stared at me.

I bit my lower lips to prevent myself from cursing him out. I sighed, defeated.

“Fine…” I muttered as I plopped myself down on the chair next to him. “That’s the spirit,” he chuckled.

Yori handed me my box of cigarettes and lighter. I rolled my eyes and opened the box, pulling out one of the long, white cylinders filled with tobacco. I placed the cig in my mouth, turning the wheel of my lighter a few times before I finally got a flame.

I lit my cigarette and extinguished my lighter in one swift motion, placing the lighter and cigarette box on the table before leaning back in my chair and taking a draw from it. The nicotine managed to somewhat clear my mind for a split second, before the effect faded as I exhaled, letting the smoke escape my lungs.

“You okay, Honey?” Yori whispered. I sighed. “You know the answer…” I replied flatly.

I saw him nodding from the corner of my eye, before reaching to the side of his chair and producing something. Curious, I turned to him and saw him holding a bowl of freshly sliced strawberries.

“Figured you’d need this…” he smiled as he placed the bowl between us. “You always feel better after eating strawberries…”

I stared at the bowl of my favourite fruit. The red, tantalising skin dotted with white spots suddenly looked unappetizing for the first time in my life.

“Don’t want it…” I muttered, taking another drag out of my cigarette. “So you’re going to relinquish the title then?” Yori quipped. “What title?” I asked. “Strawberry Princess…” he chuckled. “Ya…” I said exasperatedly, but I felt a giggle building up inside me.

I feigned a cough to hide my chuckle, and I closed my eyes and laid my head back on my chair. The cool, fading winter breeze tickled my face as I felt my hair getting ruffled by the wind, but I couldn’t care less.

You’ve been acting like this for the past few days… Is everything alright?

Mina’s words echoed in my mind. Nothing was alright. Ansel’s dead. Sana looked distraught, as were Nayeon and Jihyo, the two other IPG members. Jeongyeon told me that the IPG was practically disbanded after they found out about Suzy’s secrets, and now… Manse threatened Suzy that he would retaliate. He would bring the war that Suzy wanted.

For some reason, I couldn’t care less about the war. I wasn’t part of the IPG. It shouldn’t be my problem right? What bothered my mind was Mina’s condition. I didn’t know when she would be able to be discharged, and even after that… Would she ever be back to her normal self? Her boyfriend was murdered… Gosh… I couldn’t even begin to imagine what she must have gone through. I couldn’t even imagine how I would feel if Yori…

You need to treasure him… Don’t regret it later.

Yori… Our wedding. By now, we were supposed to be husband and wife. We were supposed to get married the day after I proposed to him. If none of this happened… If Mina didn’t stab herself…

CLICK

My eyes snapped open as I heard the familiar sound of my lighter. I turned to the source of the sound and saw Yori with a lit cigarette in his mouth.

“Y–Yori? What are you…” I stuttered.

He smiled.

“You seemed to be hooked on these. Might as well try it, right?” he shrugged.

With that, he took a drag…

And he dropped the cigarette almost instantly. He clutched his throat, coughing and sputtering.

“Holy *cough* shit! This… *cough*... is fucking *cough*... foul! It’s.. *cough* awful!” Yori kept hacking as he clutched the chair.

I stared at him blankly, and for the first time in days…

I laughed.

I laughed hard, watching my fiancé cough and stick his tongue out like he just sucked a lemon. I kept laughing and laughing, cackling loudly. He looked at me, his face full red, looking hurt.

“How… *cough*.... H–How the fuck do you take at least a few of these… *cough*... A day?” he grimaced.

He picked the cigarette off the floor while continuing to cough. I was too busy laughing to reply to him. I doubled over in my seat, clutching my stomach as tears stung my eyes.

“HAHAHAHAHA! Oh–Oh my God, Yori! You… You should’ve seen your face!”

I cackled as he extinguished the barely smoked cigarette and placed it back inside the box. Slowly, he started laughing too.

“Never again!” he declared, sliding the box of cigarettes back over to me.

I chuckled and picked it up, pocketing it as he recovered. I turned to look at him, and his gaze met mine. That gaze…

I had to talk to him.

“Yori… We…. We need to talk,” I uttered. “I’m all ears,” he said calmly, sitting up straight at attention.

I pursed my lips as I extinguished my cigarette and looked at him.

“I’ve been… I’ve been an ass these past few days, haven’t I?” I asked sheepishly.

Yori puffed his cheeks slightly, but he remained silent.

“Just… Be honest with me,” I assured him.

Yori let out the air in his mouth before slowly nodding.

“A little… But I understand,” he said.

He got up and walked over to my side. Kneeling next to me, he embraced me in a loving hug.

“I know… Things are tough for you right now, Chaeng… Really tough. You’ve got a lot in your mind, a lot of things happening around you… And they’re not exactly happy things as well, But…”

He looked up, staring straight into my eyes.

“... I’ll always be here for you, okay? Just like you’re always there for Mina,” he said gently.

My lips were trembling. Why was he so fucking sweet?

“If you need to cry, if you need a punching bag… If you need someone to listen to you… I’ll be here. I’ll always be here,” he said.

My tears were welling up in my eyes. My body shook as a sob threatened to break free from my throat. I wanted to apologise, but… My pride kept me from breaking down in front of him.

“Y–Yori… I…” “I’m sorry… If I didn’t treat you well enough these days, if I didn’t support you strongly enough. I promise I’ll be better. Okay?” he said.

Why was he the one apologising? We… We rarely argued, but I realised that was because he never argued back at me. I was always the one yelling at him, while he was always the one apologising… Even if he did nothing wrong, just like right now. Yori never raised his voice at me, Yori…

“Yori…” I whispered, barely keeping it together.

Yori rested his head on mine and held me tighter.

“It’s… Okay to cry, Chaeng…”

One sentence. Once sentence was all it took for me to finally break down in his arms. I clutched onto his arms tightly, letting myself succumb to all the thoughts in my head as I let it all out in the arms of the man I loved.

“Subete no yukō, watashi wa koko ni imasu…” he muttered.

My brain could hardly translate what he said back to Korean, but what I could make out was…

Let it go. I’m here for you.

I knew he was. I knew he always will. I cried. I bawled, I screamed. I wailed. I cried for what felt like hours, letting all my sadness and the heaviness of my heart be washed away by the tears streaming like a torrent out of my eyes. When I was finished… My eyes were hurting, my throat was sore…

“Better now?” Yori whispered, squeezing my shoulders as he gently massaged them.

I shook my head weakly, not even having the strength to lie to him anymore. I still wanted to cry, but I had no energy to do it. I was so tired. I was exhausted. I was exhausted at wishing that somehow all of these were just a terrible dream, but… It was reality. Yori chuckled and stroked my hair.

“Good thing I was prepared for it, then…” he whispered. I looked up at him. “P–Pre… Prepared?” I asked, my voice hoarse and raspy.

Yori smiled and nodded. Silently, he scooped me up into his arms, carrying me away from the balcony. I buried my face in his chest and closed my eyes, simply enjoying his warmth. I felt us moving out of the bedroom and down the stairs. He was carrying me somewhere.

I heard the familiar sound of our digital lock unlocking, followed by the cool breeze on my legs as I heard the car door opening. He was bringing me somewhere out of the house. Yori gently placed me on the passenger seat of our car before leaving me there. A few seconds later he came back with my sneakers and placed them beneath my feet. He walked to the driver’s seat, and started the engine. I opened my eyes a little to look at him.

“Get some rest, Wifey… You need it,” he smiled.

I nodded and closed my eyes again. Suddenly I felt so tired, suddenly I felt so sleepy, like all the hours of sleep I missed these past few days came crashing back onto me. The last thing I heard was the sound of our gate opening… And I fell asleep.

* * *

Grass. Pine trees.

Those were the first things I smelled when I woke up, followed by the scent of roasting… Sweet potatoes?

I groggily opened my eyes, and found that the roof of the car was replaced by sticks above my head, with what looked like tarp serving as a roof. Fairy lights–the same fairy lights that Yori was trying to install before we went on our dinner at Itaewon earlier this week–surrounded the wooden beams overhead as they snaked across the cylindrical supports, swirling down and dangling on either side of the mattress I was on.

Wait… Is this… A tent?

I sat up on the mattress, casting my gaze around the place. This tent… Why did it look so familiar? I slid out of the mattress and looked to my side, finding my sweater and jeans from earlier had been switched out with a comfy set of clothes… My clothes.

My sneakers and socks were gone as well, my bare feet greeting me as I saw a set of slippers just next to my feet. I slipped them on and stood up, observing my surroundings…

This was a glamping tent…

There was a small couch just to the right of the bed, with a small coffee table and two bean bags on either end. On the left of the bed was a bedside drawer, with a small candle lamp accompanied by a clock made out of wood.

My eyes fell onto a cardigan draping over a chair and I walked over to examine it. As I got closer, I realised that it was my cardigan, and there was a note on it. I picked the note off my cardigan, it looked like it had been folded because of the creases on it.

Morning, beautiful :)! Just wanted to let you know that you’re the luckiest thing that happened to me. ~Yori

A smile was forming on my lips. That was the note I folded and pocketed from earlier today. Gosh, Yori… He was just so adorable.

I wore my cardigan and headed for the exit of the glamping tent. Unzipping the flap, I walked out to see that the sun was almost gone, rays of the golden sun sipping through the curtain of trees from the surrounding forest. I glanced around me. Fuck… I knew this place. But… I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“Ah… You’re awake!”

I turned and saw Yori sitting on a camping chair in front of a campfire he had built. He wore his signature scarf around his neck as he clutched a pair of tongs in his hands. Just in front of him… Was the source of that smell of roasted goguma from earlier.

“Yori… Where are we?” I asked as I walked over to him. “Hm? Don’t you recognise this place? You shot your Healing Camping TTT episodes back in 2020 here!” he chuckled.

I gasped as I realised. He was right! We shot that TTT here!

“H–How did you know this place?” I asked. Yori chuckled. “Before I became your boyfriend, I was a ONCE, remember?” he said casually. “‘Boyfriend’? Ya… You’re my husband now!” I protested. “Not official yet…” he replied without missing a beat. I laughed. “Having second thoughts?” I asked. He shook his head. “Never…” he replied, before adding cheekily, “... Wifey.”

I chuckled and flung my eyes around the area. We were at the main tent at the far end of the corner, where Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Mina won their place. I could almost picture Nayeon and Sana cooking the budae jjigae on the tent on our left together with Momo. No… Furai Momo. I could almost picture myself together with Tzuyu and Dahyun in front of the tent at the other end…

“Goguma?”

I turned to see Yori lifting his tongs, offering me a roasted sweet potato. I giggled.

“Can you peel it for me… Hubby?” I asked cutely.

Yori blushed when he heard me, but he smiled satisfactorily. Yeah… He knew the real Son Chaeyoung was back. Yori nodded and grabbed the steaming hot sweet potato with his gloved hands, intent on peeling it for me, but as soon as he grabbed it, he winched and dropped it on the grass. It was too hot.

“Ow! Hot! Hot!”

I laughed out loud and hugged his arm, resting my head on his shoulder. Somehow he was so clumsy today, and I loved it. Yori chuckled and looked at me.

“Sorry…” he uttered sheepishly. I shook my head and smiled. “It’s alright… Let it cool down for a minute…” I replied.

Yori nodded and picked the dropped sweet potato from the ground, placing it on an aluminium container on the small table in front of him, before continuing to roast the other sweet potato. I sighed as I gazed at the beautiful sunset.

I finally understood completely what Mina was talking about. She was right. It was hard to find someone like Yori. Someone who never talked too much, but knew exactly what to do to comfort me. He knew when to speak, and when he did he would say all the right words, but he also knew when to just stay silent and listen to me. He knew when to hug me, and when to just let me go and figure things out myself.

I needed to treasure him. I needed to cherish my time with him. Life was feeble, life was short, and… If I could learn anything from what happened to Mina… It was that I should make sure that every moment I spent with Yori was the one that I would remember for the rest of my life.

“Yori…” “Hm?” “I’m sorry…”

He looked at me and smiled.

“You did nothing wrong…” he replied generously, but I smiled and shook my head. “No… I’ve been an asshole this week. I shouldn’t be like that. I’m grieving for Mina-unnie… But… That’s not an excuse for treating you like shit… As I have done. Mianhae… Hubby…” I whispered.

Yori smiled and nodded. He turned, and I felt him kissing the crown of my head.

“I love you, Wifey…” he uttered softly. I chuckled. “I love you so much, Hubby…” I replied.

We sat there silently for a few moments, the cackling of the campfire the only sound heard in that beautiful evening. Yori finished roasting the other sweet potato and placed it on the aluminium container, letting it cool down.

My eyes caught the sight of a bag of beef on the side, as well as a few packed rice and containers of kimchi. A few cans of beers and bottles of soju were next to it, along with a tall thermos bottle and a crate of mineral water bottles. A chuckle escaped my mouth.

“You’ve prepared everything, haven't you?” I asked. Yori nodded. “Figured you might need a change of scenery… So I planned a glamping trip for us this weekend. Was planning to tell you after we left the hospital, but… Well… We left rather early, so I thought… Why not just drive here?” he said.

I smiled and closed my eyes, snuggling into his arm a little more tightly.

“What did I do to deserve you…” I mused. Yori chuckled. “Just… Being you…,” he said. I looked at him quizzically. “Huh?” I asked.

Yori chuckled.

“All those years ago when I was… Well… Still missing you… It was always my dream to hold you in my arms. I just wanted to kiss you… To say all those words I wanted to say before you left. Now, I get to live the dream everyday,” he said.

He smiled warmly at me and I swear I saw his eyes sparkle. As I stared at him, I felt like I went back in time as I recounted the numerous times I’d seen this exact expression, the same kind smile, the same twinkle in his eyes. I could remember them all too well…

My mind wandered back to all those years ago. We were sitting under the shade of the sakura tree in our backyard eating our lunches. I never expected him to know what was going on in my home, I never expected him to be ready to help me at all costs. He said that he and his family were one call away, and he truly was… That night when I called him, he came almost immediately, standing his ground against my Appa without fear.

When I talked to him in the hospital after he lost his eye… He still wore that same, kind smile as he spoke to me, the same twinkle in his eyes prevailing as he opened up his arms and pulled me into an embrace.

I went forward a few years later, recounting when we met again after almost ten years in 2021. Again, the same kind smile and the same twinkle was there when he assured me that he wasn’t angry… When he told me that he was happy to see me again. And… When we had our first kiss in his apartment… When he pulled away, all I ever wanted to see from then on was his smile, this smile…

Like I said, Yori knew when to speak, and when he did he would say all the right words. My heart fluttered and my face was blushing hard, unable to handle his sweetness. I lifted my face up and kissed his cheek warmly. Yori chuckled and looked at me.

“Oh, I’ve also brought you a clean canvas, an easel and your painting equipment… In case you wanted to paint the scenery here while waiting for dinner,” he said.

My gosh, Yori…

I looked around, instinctively trying to find the painting equipment, but I couldn’t find it.

“It’s in the trunk of the car. You want me to get it for you?” he offered.

I stared at him. I would love to, but… Right now it would have to wait. I shook my head.

“No… Not now. Maybe tomorrow morning,” I said.

My heart was burning. I loved him so much.

“Oh? But it’s still too early for dinner… What should we do after eating goguma?” he asked.

Tomioka Yoriichi… I would never let you go.

I smirked and pulled him to stand up. I dragged him back inside our tent, zipping the flap close behind us. Yori was confused, but a second later he understood… Because I started undressing.

“C–Chaeng…” Yori stuttered, his face blushing red.

I giggled and pushed him to the bed, climbing on top of him as I discarded pieces after pieces of my clothing. I stared into his eyes hungrily, before stooping down to kiss his lips warmly. Only then did I realise that we had not have sex these past few days… Not since that threesome with Dahyun.

“I… Want to make up for these past few days…” I whispered. “For… Acting like an ass…”

His breath hitched, and I felt something getting harder and bigger beneath my body. I chuckled and started raining kisses on his face, his jaw, his neck. Yori’s hands rested on my butt, giving it a gentle squeeze. I stared at his face, finding him grinning.

“You know… Maybe you’re acting that way because it’s your pre-menstrual period…” he chuckled.

I laughed. Yori was just so cute. That could very well be the case, because I usually get my period at the end of the month, and my mood would be foul around those days. But for some reason… I felt that this time… He was wrong. I leaned forward to whisper into his ears.

“Hubby… I have a feeling that I won’t be having my period for a while…” I whispered. “E–Eh? What do you mean?” he asked, sounding confused.

I bit his earlobe and stuck a tongue inside his ear canal, making him squirm in delight. What I was about to say was purely based on feelings, but… Who knows?

“... I think I won’t be having my period… For the next nine months…”

[lsmu]

Book 3 Part 2 – Chapter 31: Love Language

"F–Fuck... J–Jen!"

I pulled my cock from her asshole, slapping her butt cheeks in the process. Jennie slumped forward, my thick white liquid flowing out of her gaping asshole. Her body twitched and convulsed as she reached another multiple orgasms, stuttered moans escaping her mouth.

"M–M-m-m-m-mhh...! D–Daddy..."

I rested myself next to her, waiting for her to regain her composure. She did it quickly, eyeing me with lust. I knew she wasn't finished, and she knew neither was I.

"Come here, Daddy..."

She crept on top of me, facing my cock, still leaking cum after our explosive anal sex. She kissed my cock gently, before sticking her tongue out, slobbering my shaft deliciously.

"J–Jen... J–Jennie..."

"Mmmh... Do you... Like this... Daddy?"

I nodded profusely. Jennie was so good at oral sex. I knew Sana was probably the best, and Jisoo's throat fits my cock like a glove, but... They didn't have Jennie's thick lips. Jennie kissed my cock slowly, before going down to suck my balls loudly while jerking me off with her hands.

"M–Mmh... J–Jen!" "Are you... Reaching, Daddy?" she whispered.

I nodded again, closing my eyes. I felt Jennie opening her mouth wider, and she swallowed in the entire 8 inch of my manhood inside her mouth. She let my cock slide inside her throat, and started bobbing her head up and down. The walls of her throat were massaging my shaft, and it made me go crazy.

"F–Fuck! Fuck! J–Jen... J–Jennie! A–Ah!"

I grabbed her head and started moving my own hips, fucking her pretty face roughly. Jennie gargled and choked, but she kept her head locked in place. My cock was hitting the bottom of her throat. I knew I was almost there.

"M–Mh! Mnng! Ngg! Nggh..." Jennie moaned with her mouth full. "J–Jen! J–JENNIE!"

I unloaded my cum deep inside her neck. I released my hands from her head, giving her the space if she wanted to pull back, but Jennie simply shut her eyes close, letting me fill her throat to the brim.

"G–Gosh... J–Jen... So good..."

Jennie threw her head back, and I watched her neck bulging for a second as a large volume of cum travelled down her throat, and she let out a loud sigh after she swallowed everything inside. I chuckled. My girlfriend was wild!

"That was... Delicious," she whispered seductively.

Jennie stood up, and she pushed my body to lay down on her bed with a touch of her finger. She grinned as she straddled me, wiggling her cute bubble butt on my cock. I chuckled and held her slim waist gently, marvelling at the sight of her perfect body on top of me.

"You can still go on, right?" she asked. I nodded. "Can you?" I challenged her.

Jennie laughed. As soon as we reached her apartment back from Stardust at around 10.30pm, we went straight to sex. I had cum once on her face, once in her pussy, and once in her ass before cumming inside her throat just now, and yet I was still hard. Jennie, however... Fuck. I had lost count how many times she had cum tonight.

"Fuck you... Why are you so strong?" she said, clapping my chest. I giggled and pulled her to lean on top of me. "I guess... Practising with three beautiful ladies every day since December made me... Stronger?" I said. Jennie giggled and pecked my lips. "Don't forget Lisa and Rosie too..." she said while grinning wide, "... And Sana!" "Ya... I only fucked Sana once on my birthday!" I protested. Jennie laughed. "Still counts!" she said adamantly.

I laughed and pulled her for a kiss. I guessed I could go one more time before finishing. I glanced at the clock beside her bed. It was 11pm. Jennie followed my sight and sighed.

"Come on, Daddy... Last sex before judgement day?" she said. I laughed. "Ya... You're talking as if Manse's gonna detonate a nuclear bomb in Seoul tomorrow," I said. Jennie chuckled. "I mean... Who knows, right?" she said.

I chuckled and stared into her beautiful eyes. Her face was covered with my cum, and somehow she looked like she was glowing tonight. I smiled and kissed her lips warmly, before slapping her bouncy butt loudly and rubbing my finger on her asshole, playing with my own creamy semen that was still leaking out of her asshole, making her squeal.

"Come on, Jen... Let me in," I said.

Jennie giggled and bit her lips. She lifted her body a little, positioning her dripping pussy on top of my cock, before slowly, she lowered herself. As soon as my cock entered her extremely tight womanhood, I felt a shiver running down my spine.

"O–Oh... J–Jen..." "D–Daddy..."

She kept lowering herself, taking my cock slowly, making sure that we both felt every bit of pleasure from the act. I felt her vagina walls closing in on me, enveloping my cock with warmth and moistness. Soon, I felt the tip of my cock reaching her womb.

"Mmmh... S–Shit... So... S–So... Full..." she whispered.

Our crotches were kissing each other. She shifted her hips left and right a little to adjust to my size, and when she was ready, she opened her eyes and stared at me with hunger.

"Fuck me, Daddy..." Jennie moaned. "With pleasure, Baby..."

I grabbed her waist and pulled herself up a few inches, before releasing her body and slamming my hips up at the same moment. Jennie jolted and squealed, and she started riding me.

"A–Ah! Ah! D–Daddy! Y–Y–YES!" "J–Jen! J–Jennie... F–Fuck!"

I reached behind to grab her butt, kneading it deliciously, slapping it repeatedly. Jennie reached up to play with her own tits, her fingers toying with her erect nipples. Her vagina was slippery now, after gushing her pussy juice multiple times and me filling her womb with my seeds from earlier, but she was definitely still so tight.

"F–Fuck! J–Jen... Jen... Jennie!" "A–Ah... D-Dad–Daddy! I'm... I–I... M–Mmh!"

Jennie's body went rigid as she reached another orgasm. I felt my penis getting washed by a surge of liquid coming out of her, and she started slipping to the left. I sat up, held her body, and threw her onto the bed, all the while keeping my cock nestled inside her. I lifted her legs up, placing her ankles on my shoulders, and I started pounding her again.

"N–Ngh... Ngh! D–Dad... Daddy... Nggh! Y–Yes... Yes... Y–Yes!"

I stooped down to eat her juicy tits. Jennie's tongue was loose now, sticking out of her mouth and wobbling left and right, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. I increased my speed and intensity, the head of my penis slamming on the entrance of her already cum-filled womb.

"J–Jen... Jennie... I–I'm... C-Cumming again..." I told her. "Y–Yes... Y–Yes, Daddy... Give it... To... Oh fuck... Oh fuck I'm c–cumming!!!"

Jennie screamed and reached another climax, gushing her fluids out. I rode her through her orgasm, my mind intent on reaching my final summit of the night. I heard the clapping sound of our skins hitting each other, mixed with Jennie's desperate moans of pleasure.

I held her face in my hands. Jennie gazed at me, her mouth opening wide. I pounded her harder, faster, stronger, deeper. I felt my cock entering her womb. It went deep, deeper, deepest. She felt it too. She wanted it.

"Y–Yes... D–Daddy... So... Deep... A–Ah... In me... Daddy... Give it... To me... F–Fill... Fill me... Make me... P–Pregnant..." she pleaded.

Those words... The way Jennie said it. Somehow I always found myself unable to stop everytime she begged me to impregnate her. Jennie knew this too. She hugged my head and pulled me closer. Our bodies were pressed against each other as we continued rocking to and fro. I was reaching. I was so close.

"J–Jen... I'm... C–Cumming..." "Breed... Me... Daddy... Gimme... Your... Baby..." she whispered.

I groaned, and with one strong thrust, I fulfilled her wish. I came again and again inside her womb, unloading every drop of creamy semen I had in store, filling her womb with my seeds for the second time tonight. She wanted to get pregnant... Who was I to deny her?

"Y–Yes... Y–Yes... D–Daddy... B–Baby... Yes..." Jennie kept rambling, her body twitching.

I let my cock stay inside her as it grew soft. I slumped on top of her, panting for breath. Jennie wrapped her arms around me, and I could feel her heartbeat. We stayed there on the bed for a while, not saying anything, letting our heart rate stabilise.

"I love you, Jen... That was.,. Heavenly..." I whispered eventually. She giggled and nodded. "I love you too, Daddy... So good..." she agreed.

We cuddled on the bed, enjoying each other's presence. The day was almost over. The seventh day was upon us. The seventh day after Manse's threat to the IPG. Even after meeting with Sana and the other leaders earlier at stardust, we were still clueless. We didn't know what to expect.

All we could do... Was to wait... Waiting for whatever Manse was planning. I turned to look at Jennie, and I could see from her eyes that she was thinking the same thing. I opened my mouth, but she was the one to speak first.

"Daddy..." "Hm?"

She stayed silent for a second, before curving her lips up to a smile. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. I smiled, understanding her without words. I kissed her lips warmly.

"A lot of things are going on, right?" Jennie mused. I nodded. "Yeah... You're right..." "Can... Can Dara-unnie really talk to CL-sunbaenim? Would she even pick up the phone or agree to meet her tonight? The last time we tried turning someone from Manse's side to ours... That someone ended up..." Jennie trailed off, her expression grim. "... Dead," I completed her sentence. "Yeah... Fuck..." Jennie cursed.

I nodded silently. She was right. Ansel's death didn't cause too much noise because he wasn't a public figure... But... CL? Even if Dara managed to convince her to reveal her boss' plans... Then what? What if Manse found out, and CL was murdered too?

"Was... Sana telling the truth?" I asked Jennie. She looked at me. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I mean... I remember she said she saw the look on CL's face the moment Mina stabbed herself. You were there, Jen... Do you think she's right?" I probed.

Jennie rolled to her back, staring at the ceiling. I knew she was trying to remember how CL looked like that night in Itaewon. A moment later, Jennie sighed and closed her eyes.

"I don't know, Daddy... I'm... I'm not a good judge of character. I myself was shocked and panicked when it happened, and... I don't know. I wasn't paying attention to CL-sunbaenim," she said slowly.

I nodded. That was understandable. Jennie cursed again, letting a chuckle escape her mouth. Her chuckles sounded ironic.

"Fuck, Yeongi... Aren't we supposed to be singers, dancers, and actors? What the fuck have we gotten ourselves into?" she chuckled. I grinned. "Yeah... You're right," I said, "I hope... All of this is over soon, and you guys can get back to your normal world," I said.

Jennie scoffed.

"What is 'normal' anyway? Before this... At least for the last few years... What's 'normal' was for most of us to indulge the bosses in their lust, just to be treated decently. Then... Suddenly two years ago Jisoo-unnie decided to fight back..." Jennie said. "And all hell breaks loose," I said, chuckling.

She laughed and shook her head.

"Worth it, though... So worth it. To be honest, Jisoo-unnie is the bravest among us all... If she didn't do what she did, we would never learn about everything that happened since 2012," Jennie uttered.

I felt Jennie's hand gently resting on top of mine. Somehow, even after everything she had said, I knew that she was afraid. Jennie was a good fighter, she never backed down from challenges, from dangers, and she would gladly fight for her fellow idols, but... Deep down, I knew she never wanted any of this to happen. Deep down, she wanted her to go back to her normal life as an idol.

Jennie hugged my arm tightly as we laid in silence, both of us still deep in thought. Maybe I should take her mind off this thing. Maybe that could cheer her up.

"Jen," I called. "Hm?" "What... What do you wanna do if and when all of this is over?" I asked her. "'All of this'?" she asked.

I thought for a moment, formulating my words.

"All of this. The fight against Manse. Let's say... Let's say Dara managed to get CL to tell her... Sana, BoA, and the others managed to come up with a pre-emptive move to block Manse's retaliation... We manage to locate Hyejin's whereabouts, Manse gets arrested..." I listed them down. Jennie laughed. "And we all live happily ever after..." she said sarcastically.

I laughed. I loved this snarky part of hers. I leaned in to kiss the crown of her head, as she snuggled closer toward me.

"Yeah... Let's say this... Chapter of our lives, it ends happily. What do you wanna do then?" I asked.

Jennie thought for a moment, then she chuckled.

"Why don't you start first?" she proposed.

I laughed, but I decided to agree. I thought for a moment, before shrugging.

"I... Well... Just returning to what I've been doing forever, I guess?" I said. Jennie tilted her head. "Like... What?" she asked. "You know... Working in my studio, enjoying my time with you, Noona and Irene... Waiting expectantly for the arrival of the twins. Normal stuff, simple stuff. I never really wanted the celebrity life," I said. Jennie scoffed. "You do realise that you are some kind of a celebrity nowadays, don't you?" she asked. "Yeah... Since I became your boyfriend," I chuckled. She smiled. "But you... You never really get used to it," Jennie pointed out.

I shook my head and smiled.

"Nah... Even after almost two years... I'm still not used to the camera flashes, the red carpets, the award shows... That's... Not me," I mused.

Jennie nodded. She looked deep in thought. I turned to look at her. I had told her what I was planning to do. Now it was her turn. Jennie cleared her throat and stared at the ceiling.

"For me... I guess I'll just go back doing what I do best. Prepare for our comeback next year, secure more deals with more luxury brands, attend more fashion shows..." she said, before turning to look at me, a naughty glint in her eyes "... Having babies with you." "Ya!" I scolded her, slapping her head jokingly. She giggled. "I'm serious! Haven't I told you repeatedly?" Jennie asked. "I want you to breed me..."

Fuck. I felt my face blushing red, and–more importantly–my boner formed almost in an instant. Those words had almost turned into my trigger words. Jennie noticed this and laughed out loud, slapping my chest repeatedly.

"Daddy! I didn't know you're so much into breeding!" she exclaimed. "W–Well... I–I..." I stammered, flustered.

Jennie giggled and hugged my arm tightly.

"You love pregnant women so much, don't you?" she teased. I chuckled. "Pregnant woman. I don't lust over Taeyeon-sunbaenim," I said. Jennie nodded and giggled. "You mean Jichu-unnie," she said. I nodded and smiled. "That's right..." I agreed. "Gosh you must love fucking her more and more nowadays, huh..." she whispered. "Y–Ya!" I gasped at her obscene comment, but Jennie laughed.

"Come on, Daddy... Just admit it. She's getting sexier by the day, her tits are getting bigger and heavier with milk, her entire body becomes thicker and more delicious... And that round, sexy bump... Gosh... Even I found her sexy," Jennie said.

Now my cock was fully rock hard. Shit. Shit shit shit. I couldn't stop myself from imagining Jisoo's sexy pregnant body right now. Jennie giggled.

"That's why I told you to fill my womb tonight. That's why I wanna get pregnant soon. I want to be sexier too, like her!" Jennie concluded. "Jen... You're literally People magazine's Sexiest Woman Alive of 2027!" I exclaimed, mentioning the recognition she received at the end of last year. Jennie laughed. "That's because they haven't seen Jisoo-unnie's pregnant body," she said adamantly.

I laughed, and Jennie laughed with me. She was right, of course. After she got pregnant, my sister did become a lot sexier. I guessed Jennie would look hot as hell if and when she got pregnant... And Irene too, for that matter. Shit. I really was into breeding, wasn't I?

"Daddy..." Jennie called suddenly. "Hm?" "Let's do a little quiz!" she exclaimed. I raised my eyebrows. "Eh? Quiz?" I asked. She nodded and giggled. "Uh-huh! Wait here!" she said.

Jennie stood up. She went to her table and picked up an iPad, giving it to me, before taking her own cell phone. She typed a link on her web browser and did the same on the iPad, before sitting down on the bed. I sat up next to her. She pointed at the iPad screen. I looked down, finding a simple web page showing on screen.

"Love... Language... Quiz?" I read. Jennie nodded excitedly. "Yup! It'll only take a few minutes. Just answer the questions as honestly as possible," she said. "W–What... What quiz is this?" I asked her, feeling confused. "Just do it, Daddy. Come on, I'm already doing it!" she said, already busy with her phone.

I stared at her confusedly for a moment, but then I shrugged. I pressed the start button. The first page asked me about my relationship status. 'In a relationship', I guessed. The quiz began... Right. First question: 'It is more meaningful for me when...', followed by two options of an answer, both mentioning something that my partner would do.

"Do I pick one?" I asked Jennie. She nodded, not looking up from her phone. "As honestly as possible," she said.

I nodded, and started doing the quiz. 'Hearing my partner say 'I Love You'' then. I tapped the answer, and the screen automatically moved to the next one. The question remained the same: 'It is more meaningful for me when...', followed by another set of two options. Okay, I understand now.

I kept answering, not knowing where this would take me. Jennie was right, it only took me less than three minutes to do the quiz, and we finished it together. The result came out.

"What does it say? What's your result?" Jennie asked excitedly, looking over to see. "Words of Affirmation... 37%, Quality Time 30%, Acts of Service 18%, Physical Touch 12%, Receiving Gifts 3%," I read the result.

I looked at her, unsure what those words meant. Jennie giggled and pointed at the screen.

"Read the description, Daddy," she said. I looked at the screen and did so. "Words of Affirmation... Actions don't always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, "I love you," are important–hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten. Kind, encouraging, and positive words are truly life-giving," I read slowly.

Jennie swiped the screen to the next one, revealing my second strongest result: Quality Time. She began reading the description.

"Quality Time. In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, "I love you," like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there–with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby–makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful. Quality Time also means sharing quality conversation and quality activities," she read.

Jennie looked up, and I met her gaze. She was smiling so wide, and something made me curious.

"What's your... Result?" I asked. Jennie smiled wider and showed me her phone. "Physical touch," she said, showing it on top of the list, followed by Acts of Service. I stared at her. "J–Jen... I... I don't understand," I said.

She giggled. She took the iPad and phone away from us, placing it on top of her bedside table. She returned to the bed, sat in front of me, grabbed my hands, and looked directly into my eyes.

"What don't you understand?" she asked. "Why did you... Want to take that test all of a sudden?" I asked in return.

Jennie smiled.

"Because... I gotta tell you something," she said. "Tell me, then..." I said. "Promise me you won't freak out," she said.

I raised an eyebrow. Holy shit... I get it now! Was she...

"J–Jen... Are... Are you..." I stammered. "Am I what?" Jennie giggled. "P–P–Pregnant?" I asked cautiously.

Jennie laughed out loud, but she shook her head.

"No! No, no, no. I wished! But... No. Not yet, at least," she said, wheezing. I was beyond confused. "W–What... Then... What is it?" I asked.

Jennie calmed herself down before staring straight into my eyes.

"Irene's pregnant," she said.

My heart stopped. I couldn't believe my ears.

"W–Wha... W–What?" I stuttered. Jennie laughed again and slapped my chest. "Ya! You fucked her like crazy almost every day and you haven't noticed her belly starting to show?" she exclaimed.

I was dumbfounded. I didn't know how to react. Why... Why didn't I notice it? Jennie giggled before staring at me seriously.

"Irene, Bae Joohyun, our girlfriend... She's pregnant. That's why she's been avoiding alcohol lately. That's why she went off with Taeyeon-unnie tonight. They're seeing Yoojin-gyosunim for a late-night check up. She's three months pregnant. Your child," she said.

Three months. So November. November... Holy shit. Was it... Did we conceive a child during the period when Blackpink was in America? Was it... Was it that night in November after we had a video call with Jennie and Jisoo... The night when Hyejin was snooping around my apartment?

"J–Jen... W–What... H–How..." I stuttered. Jennie giggled. "Daddy... You fucked her endlessly for four months when we were in the States! It's a miracle she didn't get pregnant earlier!" she said. "I–I mean... D–Didn't she... Didn't she take her pills?" I asked, dumbfounded.

Jennie sighed, but then she chuckled.

"I guess she wants your baby as much as I do... If not more," she said. "W–What?"

Holy shit. I impregnated two idols. Two! And... From the way Jennie kept asking me to cum inside her... It guessed it wouldn't be long before she got pregnant too. Oh fuck...

"J–Jen... What should... What should I do?" I asked her, suddenly feeling panicked. Jennie laughed. "What should you do? I don't know... Maybe congratulate her? She actually planned to tell you this after everything is over... But.. Considering the fact that tomorrow might be the end for all of us... I think I should just tell you now," she said calmly.

That wasn't my question.

"N–No... Jen... I mean... S–She... How would she hide it? Blackpink's on hiatus. But... B–But Red Velvet's still active! S–Should... Should I..." "Marry her?"

That was the first thought I had in mind when Jennie told me seconds ago. But... I couldn't, could I? The world thought that I was with Jennie. They didn't know about our four-way relationship. In fact, we made the effort to keep it that way earlier this month when Dispatch released that article about Irene and I.

And now... Irene was pregnant. Holy shit. It would be easier if Jennie got pregnant. We could marry publicly. But Irene... I needed to take responsibility. I wanted to take responsibility. But how? I looked at Jennie, who was smiling wide.

"But... She wouldn't... Want it, would she?" I asked Jennie. She looked surprised. "What? Why wouldn't she?" she asked. "I... I mean... She... She never even wanted to be called my girlfriend... I mean..." I stuttered.

Hang on. Jennie said Irene wanted my baby. But... She was always so cold towards me. Then... Why? Fuck, this was so confusing! Jennie giggled and squeezed my hands.

"Daddy... You do know that Irene loves you so much, right?" she asked. I nodded, but I was unsure. "I–I mean... She never said it..." I said tentatively.

Jennie giggled again. She stared into my eyes.

"That's the reason I asked you to take the test, Daddy," she said confidently. "I'm... Not sure I'm following," I said. Jennie smiled. "We all have different love languages, Daddy. Irene's isn't 'Words of Affirmation', unlike you," she said.

I was still confused. Where was she going on with this? Jennie straightened herself.

"To tell you the truth, I took this test with Jisoo-unnie and Irene a few days ago. Mine was 'Physical Touch', like you saw earlier. Irene's was 'Acts of Service'," she said. "Acts of Service..." I echoed. Jennie nodded. "She might never say it, Daddy... But I'm sure she took care of you so diligently when we were away. I bet she at least ironed your shirts, and I never do that, right? That's her way of saying that she loves you," Jennie said with a smile.

My eyes widened. I get it now. She was right. Irene did take care of me. Not only did she iron my clothes, she did all the laundry, she cooked for me, she even made some late night calls when she wasn't with me, checking if I had enough food and took my vitamins. She... She always did it while acting as if she didn't care or was forced to do it because Jennie and Jisoo were in America... But I realised now that she did it willingly... She did it out of love.

"Oh... Gosh... Irene..." I whispered. Jennie chuckled. "She loves you, Daddy. She loves you so much," Jennie confirmed. "She told me... Told us."

I turned to look at her.

"Us?" I asked. Jennie nodded. "Jisoo-unnie and I found out after we went shopping for maternity bras at Sunny's Emporium. She was in the maternity bra section, and we confronted her. That was when she told us she's pregnant, that's when she confessed that she loves you," she explained.

Oh my God... Irene.

"S–So... So... I–I... I should... Should I... Marry her?" I asked Jennie.

Jennie stared at me for a long time. I knew marrying Irene wouldn't mean that I would break up with Jennie. Jisoo, Jennie, Irene, and I... We already knew that this relationship would last, no matter how weird it might sound, so... Jennie wouldn't be jealous, would she? It was only a matter of public image.

To my surprise, however, Jennie shook her head slowly.

"No... You shouldn't marry her," she said. "W–What? But... How would..." I asked, but Jennie shushed me with a finger on my lips.

"If you're worrying about her protecting her image... You shouldn't. She told us she'll simply go on a hiatus from performing and from social media. She'll tell BoA-unnie, who'll protect her privacy cleanly," Jennie said seriously.

I nodded. I didn't think of that. Jennie stared at me.

"However... That's... Not the reason why I said you shouldn't marry Irene," she said. "What? W–What do you mean?" I asked confusedly.

Jennie smiled. She cleared her throat and straightened herself.

"Daddy, you shouldn't marry a girl just because she's pregnant with your child. That's not a good enough foundation for marriage. Marriage should be built on love, on mutual love, on the conscious understanding that by marrying each other, both would be happier, both would complement each other, and make each other better," she explained.

"If you marry Irene, sure she'll be happy, and you'll feel happiness for a period of time, because I know that you love her too. She's your favourite idol after all. But... In the long run, you'll feel unsatisfied, because you crave Words of Affirmation, loving words from the one you love, appreciation from her for everything you've done for her, praises and encouragement," Jennie continued.

"But for Irene... It's the most difficult thing for her to do. She lets her actions speak louder than her words. I know eventually you'll learn to appreciate it, but... You'll never be completely satisfied, and I will not let Irene experience that kind of marriage... I will never let you experience that kind of marriage," Jennie concluded.

I stared at her. Suddenly she sounded so wise. Jennie chuckled.

"What I'm saying is, Daddy... If you're planning on marrying someone, you really should. But... That someone is not Irene. And you shouldn't feel guilty for her. She was the one who brought up this topic initially, and she herself said that it shouldn't be her... No matter how much she loves you. It should be someone else," Jennie said.

"Is that someone you?" I asked cheekily.

Jennie blushed a little. I expected her to nod and say yes, but something in my heart told me otherwise. I tried to push it away. I was talking to my girlfriend anyway, my first ever girlfriend. I loved her so much, and I knew she loved me too. Jennie looked straight into my eyes, a big smile forming on her lips.

"No..." Jennie replied.

Somehow, I wasn't shocked. Her answer only confirmed what I had been feeling ever since that night back in 2026 when I first had sex with Jisoo, when I returned to our home in Geumho-dong after what happened with the IPG. The same feeling came back to me again after I brought Jisoo back from the Clinic of Light one day before our birthday, when I saw her cooking... Oh... Gosh...

"Jen..." "Listen to me first, Daddy... I gotta tell you the reason," Jennie said. I nodded. "Okay... Tell me..." I uttered.

Jennie straightened herself again.

"A marriage with me... Would mean that you'll constantly be in the spotlight. I told you earlier that after all this is done... I'll go back to doing what I do best: Preparing for our comeback, securing more deals with luxury brands, attending more fashion shows and movie premieres. That's my life, Yeongi. And... I'm not planning to change anytime soon," Jennie said.

"And you should never change," I said firmly. Jennie smiled and nodded.

"Ours... Would be a celebrity marriage. You do remember that I was the one who proposed for Blackpink to move to America, right? That was because I knew being in America would open more opportunities for us as a group, and I was right. Blackpink is a global brand now, even more so than it was previously," Jennie said.

She smiled at me and placed a hand on my cheek gently.

"Marrying me... Means you'll have to move to America with me. You'll have to leave your studio, your friends, Sana, Minsoo... Even Irene. And I know... I knew from the start... That's not the life you wanted," Jennie said softly.

I knew she was right, but somehow my heart ached. I loved her. I loved her so much. She'd been my friend even before I became her boyfriend two years ago, and somehow... Her saying those things... It broke my heart. Jennie noticed this too, and I saw her eyes start gleaming with tears.

"I... You know I love you, Yeongi... I really do love you. As a friend, as a brother, as a lover... But... We both know... Our worlds are different. You've taken the role of the Blackpink Boyfriend so well these past couple of years, but I know deep down... It tortures you. You hated the spotlight, you hated being the centre of attention. This life is not yours, and I fully respect it," Jennie said with a smile.

"Regarding the Love Language, mine is Physical Touch, and although I know we would both enjoy the physicality of our relationship... You'll never be fully satisfied as well. My work will create a rift in our marriage, and... I don't want that. I want us to love each other forever, I never want us to have any problem... You marrying me, that would be the start of the trouble," she concluded.

I stared at her. I felt my eyes getting wetter, and I saw Jennie's too. We both knew what was coming next. We had both understood it for a while now, but like me, she was also trying to push it away, to bury it deep down, to not talk about it. Tonight... With the sense of impending doom looming over all of us, I guessed she decided that we should finally address it.

"You're... Right..." I admitted. Jennie nodded, and a naughty smile formed on her lips. "That still doesn't change the fact that I want you to impregnate me," she whispered. "Ya!" I scolded her, making her giggle.

I laughed with her, and I touched her hand on my cheek, nuzzling my cheek on her palm gently. Jennie smiled. She took a deep breath and let out a loud sigh, as if she had just released something heavy from her chest. She smiled wider.

"I told you earlier... I took the test with Irene and Jichu-unnie. Do you... Wanna know what Unnie's result was?" Jennie asked.

I looked at her and nodded. Somehow, I felt my heart thumping a little faster. Jennie chuckled.

"Hers is 'Quality Time', followed by... 'Words of Affirmation'," she said warmly. I smiled. "Yeah... That's so her, isn't it?" I uttered. Jennie nodded. "We all know, Daddy... We all know that her dream is never to stay being an idol forever. Many times now... She told Lisa, Rosie, and I... That her dream is simple. She always wanted to settle down, to be a housewife, to spend time with her husband, to cook him meals, to welcome him home every night, and to raise his children... That's the kind of life that she wanted," Jennie said.

I didn't say anything, but my heart was filled with warmth. That was exactly what Jisoo told me herself, and... That was what I had always pictured a perfect life would be. That was all I ever wanted to have in my life. That's the kind of life that I wanted... And it was what Jisoo was picturing too.

"Daddy... Isn't that the kind of life you've always wanted too?" she asked softly.

I only stared at her, unable to form words. Jennie moved closer towards me. She placed both of her palms on my cheeks now, caressing them softly. I looked at her eyes, and I saw tears were starting to flow down. Mine were too. I reached to hug her, feeling the warmth of her body covering me.

"When you told me what you wanted to do if we managed to end this nightmare together... I knew for sure that you two were made for each other. You have the same dream, the same goal, the same picture of an ideal life. She'll be the perfect wife for you, Daddy... I'm sure of it," Jennie whispered.

Finally, I nodded. It was so hard for me to admit it. Part of me still considered her as my sister, part of me still wanted to have fun with Jennie and Irene... But Jennie was right. There was no other woman in this world that would be perfect for me. It was Jisoo. Only her.

"Jen... I'm sorry..." I whispered. Jennie chuckled through her tears. "What are you talking about, Daddy? I'm so happy for you... I'm so happy for her! You've finally managed to find the one, and who knew? Turns out... You two have been together for so long without realising it," Jennie said. I chuckled. "That's because she was my sister!" I said. Jennie laughed. "And yet you impregnated her, you pervert..." she teased me. "With twins, no less!" "Ya!"

We laughed, and we embraced tighter. Jennie snuggled close to me, and I pulled her to the bed. We chuckled and stared at each other.

"Is this... Where we break up?" I asked slowly. Jennie smiled. "Do you want to?" she asked. I chuckled and shook my head. "Honestly? No..." I uttered. Jennie giggled. "I don't want us to break up too... Jisoo-unnie said us three girls should just stick with you," Jennie said. My eyes widened. "Hang on... You've talked about this with her?" I asked. She nodded and chuckled. "Yeah... She knew. She's accepted the fact that she's the one for you," Jennie whispered.

Jennie rested her face on my chest. I smiled and kissed her forehead. My heart swelled hearing her words. So Jisoo knew... She accepted it. Was she... Was she waiting for me to accept the fact too?

"You know, Daddy... We might still have to break up in public if you plan to marry Jisoo-unnie eventually..." Jennie said. I nodded and chuckled. "That'll be one hell of a mess, don't you think?" I mused. Jennie giggled. "Yeah... Imagine the headlines: 'Blackpink Boyfriend Dumps Jennie for His Own Sister'," she sniggered. I laughed. "Fuck... We gotta tell the world that she's not my real sister too..." I said. "Yeah... A press conference, maybe?" she mused. I nodded. "Shit... A lot of things to do..." I whispered. Jennie smiled and kissed my cheek warmly. "We'll be there for you, Daddy... You'll have the strength to do it eventually..." she whispered. "Eventually," I echoed. "But we still have time..." "We sure do..." she uttered.

I stared into Jennie's beautiful eyes. She wasn't crying anymore.

"Am I being greedy?" I asked. Jennie laughed. "Oh, come on, Daddy... I was already in a relationship with Irene when you confessed to me, and I said yes to you, right?" she said, before pecking my lips. "I guess we're allowed to be greedy from time to time..." I sniggered. Jennie giggled and nodded. "You know... Blackpink won't come back until summer 2029 right..." she mused. "Yeah. What about it?" I asked. Jennie smirked. "So... You should probably impregnate Rosie and Lisa too. That way you'll truly be the Blackpink Boyfriend even after marrying Jichu-unnie!" she exclaimed. "YA! KIM JENNIE!" I scolded her.

She cackled maniacally. Seriously, this girl was just so naughty! We hugged again, staying there on the bed for a few more minutes. Suddenly, Jennie chuckled.

"What now?" I asked her apprehensively. Jennie laughed and shook her head. "No, no... I... You and Jisoo-unnie... Your story made me remember this song from the early 2000s..." she said. "What song?" I asked.

Jennie smirked. She took a deep breath and started singing.

"But for me it's waking up beside you... To watch the sunrise on your face... To know that I can say 'I love you'... At any given time or space... It's the little things that only I know... Those are the things that made you mine..." she sang, before giggling, "Gosh... That song is so you and Jisoo-unnie..."

I smiled, but I felt tears starting to form in my eyes again. That was the lyrics of 'Flying Without Wings', a song by Westlife. If I wasn't wrong, BoA sang it with them in one version. Jennie saw the tears flowing from my eyes, and she smiled warmly and kissed my lips.

"You gotta ask BoA-daepyonim to sing that song at your wedding," Jennie said. I chuckled. "Oh, now we're planning my wedding already?" I asked. Jennie laughed. "Come on... It'll take a lot of time to prepare! Better start early... And a proposal too before that! Should we shop for rings tomorrow?" she asked, sounding excited. "Ya! S–Slow down!" I said.

We laughed together again. Jennie sounded like the friend she always was to me. Maybe that was what Jennie was all about, really... She's my friend with benefits. I smiled and exchanged glances with her. A thousand words were spoken without a single word coming out of our mouths. That's the kind of understanding I had with Jennie. At that moment, I had an intense longing in my heart. Jennie noticed this and she smiled wide.

"You wanna meet her now, don't you?" she asked.

I chuckled and nodded, before looking at the clock again. It was around 11.45 pm.

"But... It's almost midnight. Wouldn't she be asleep?" I said. Jennie shrugged. "Then the three of us can just cuddle until morning. She wouldn't mind," Jennie said calmly.

I laughed and nodded. She knew me best, and she knew Jisoo best too. We stood up, got dressed, and walked quickly, taking the lift down to the parking lot. We rushed to my car, giggling excitedly as we started driving away towards Geumho-dong.

Somehow, my heart was beating faster. I finally admitted to myself that the one I truly loved, the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, the one I wanted to be my wife... Was Jisoo. Jennie knew this, Irene knew this, and they were happy with it. Even after finding out that Irene was pregnant, she herself agreed that Jisoo was the one.

We reached the house at Geumho-dong right at midnight. I parked the car behind Jisoo's car on the driveway, and we exited the car happily together. Jennie and I walked arm in arm together towards the foyer, and we found...

The door was open.

"Hm? Did Unnie forget to close the door?" Jennie asked. "That's... Unlikely. She's... Jisoo, right?" I uttered.

I exchanged glances with Jennie. Something felt wrong. Jennie rushed inside, and I followed her in. My heart was racing. Something felt really bad. We ran faster. We reached the living room. The light was on. By the sofa...

I found Jisoo. She was crying. She was kneeling on the floor... Her wrists were tied with a zip-tie.

"N–Noona?" "Unnie? What happened?"

Jisoo looked up as she heard us. Her eyes were filled with horror and panic.

"J–Jen! Y–YeongYeong! Get out of here! It's a trap!" she screamed. "W–What are you talking about?" Jennie asked. "It's–LOOK OUT!" Jisoo screamed.

THWACK

A baseball bat swung and hit Jennie square on the back of her head. She fell sprawling on the floor, blood leaking from her head. She was out cold.

"J–Jen... Jennie?! JENNIE!" "YEONGI!" Jisoo screamed.

I turned to see a black clad man, his face obscured by the ski mask and goggles he was wearing. He pulled his arms back, ready to strike again... He swung his bat.

THWACK

Everything went dark.

[lsmu]

Book 3 Part 2 – Chapter 30: Butterfly

“Come on, Oppa! This way!”

I chuckled as I quickened my steps, following my girlfriend. We had just finished our dinner in Itaewon, and Tzuyu wanted to walk around the area–to help her digestion, she said, whatever that meant. Of course I agreed with her, so we left our car near the restaurant, and instead walked along the neon-lit streets hand in hand.

The many bars and pubs in the area caught my attention, naturally. You couldn’t take the alcoholic out of the man, I guessed, but I had to restrain myself. Tzuyu had been going on and on about how I should cut back on alcohol ever since I was discharged from the hospital, and I wanted to honour her wishes. As I reached Tzuyu’s side, her hand slipped into mine, squeezing it lightly. I smiled at her, and she scrunched her nose cutely while smiling beautifully.

“This is nice, right, Oppa?” she whispered. I nodded.

“Mm! Can this be… Considered as our first date?” I mused. She giggled.

“Ya! We had our first date back in Singapore! You took me to Universal Studios, remember?” she said, slapping my arm playfully. I laughed.

“You’re right! Gosh… I’m getting old!” I admitted. Tzuyu chuckled and rested her head on my shoulder.

“I don’t mind…” she uttered lovingly. “I still love you…”

I smiled and kissed the crown of her head warmly. I guessed I should be thankful. She took care of me so well this past month, faithfully coming to my place every single day to cook for me, care for my stitches, remind me to take my medicines, and keep me company. She even helped me to find a new job in that insurance company affiliated to her family’s business.

I looked at her as we continued walking. What did I do to deserve such an angel, anyway? Tzuyu noticed my stare, and she met my eyes while giggling cutely.

“What?” she asked, waking me from my thoughts. I smiled and shook my head.

“Nothing…” I said. “Just… Thankful that I have you.”

Tzuyu tsked and jokingly pouted.

“Cheesy,” she uttered, but she giggled anyway.

We walked slowly along the streets, enjoying our date night in silence. Ever since I recovered from the gunshots, I was determined to enjoy moments like these as best as I could. I knew an opportunity to spend time with a global idol like Twice’s Chou Tzuyu didn’t come by easily, but other than that… Being shot and almost died made me realise that life is… Feeble.

Life is short, it’s fragile… So we have to make the best out of it, to do as much good as possible, to cherish the time that we have here on earth with the people we love. What happened to Ansel last week further strengthened this understanding of mine.

Gosh… Mina was such a strong woman. Everyone broke down in tears when Sana and Momo came to the hospital that day to tell Mina. Even I shed some tears… But not Mina. She simply smiled and nodded, accepting it as fate. She closed her eyes for a long time after hearing the news, offering a silent prayer for her dearly departed boyfriend, but even then… She looked at peace. She accepted it. She had no regrets.

I wondered if I could do the same should the same thing happen to me. I wondered if I would stay sane if Tzuyu was taken from me abruptly. I stole a secret glance at Tzuyu, who was busy looking at the window display of a shop we stopped in front of. She… She almost went through the same thing, didn’t she? I was on the precipice of death back in December.

“Tzu…” I called her. She turned around and smiled at me.

“Hm?”

I stared at her. I wanted to ask her how she did it, how she was able to cope with the horror she experienced… But the answer came to my mind almost immediately.

It was her sisters. Twice… They had one of the strongest bonds I’d ever seen in the industry. Each of them had their own problems, each of them had their own unique personalities, and yet, they stuck together. When one of them had to walk through hell, the others would gladly jump right down to walk together.

They stuck by Jeongyeon’s side and continued supporting and loving her unconditionally through her many health and psychological problems. They gladly embraced Momo after her mistake last year, they helped Tzuyu regain her joy and strength after what happened to me, and right now they’re sticking by Mina’s side, offering her support to help her cope with such a devastating loss.

Theirs was a sisterhood I had never seen in any other idol groups before. Their problems, their mistakes… Instead of bringing them down, it made them relatable, it made them humans. Everyone had problems, everyone made mistakes, so did Twice. The more I got to know them, the more I could see that they weren’t goddesses on pedestals. They were humans, just like everyone else.

I could understand now why millions of people everywhere loved them so much. Their overall global reach might pale in comparison to Blackpink or BTS, but once someone became a ONCE, they did so because they felt a sense of relatability to these girls.

“Nothing…” I smiled as I shook my head. Tzuyu sighed.

“Ya… You keep doing that!” Tzuyu protested.

“Do what?” I asked, confused.

“Looking like you wanted to say something, but then not saying it. It’s annoying!” Tzuyu sulked.

I laughed and flung my arm around her shoulder. I kissed her cheek gently.

“I was just admiring your sisterhood, Tzu. Twice, I mean,” I said. She raised an eyebrow.

“Eh?” she asked.

“Well… You guys… You’ve been through a lot together, and you always came up on top. You continuously support each other… I admire that,” I said sincerely.

Tzuyu smiled as we continued walking.

“You’re thinking about Mina-unnie and Ansel-ssi…” she pointed out.

“Yeah… I… I can’t imagine how hard this week must have been for her…” I whispered. Tzuyu nodded solemnly.

“She’ll get through it… She’s a really strong woman, Mina-unnie,” Tzuyu uttered.

I nodded. She was right. I wished all the best for Mina, and for all of Twice. Tzuyu grabbed my hand again and looked straight at me.

“Oppa! Let’s not talk about sad things again! It’s our date night! We’re supposed to have fun!” she said happily. I chuckled.

“You’re right. What do you wanna do next?” I asked her.

Tzuyu grinned and pointed to something behind me. I turned around, and I saw that we were standing in front of a noraebang. I laughed.

“Oh, come on, Tzu! Noraebang? I can’t sing!” I protested. Tzuyu laughed.

“No one’s judging our voices in a noraebang, Oppa…” Tzuyu said in a matter-of-fact manner.

“Tzu, you’re literally a singer…” I sighed exasperatedly. “I’m a legal consultant in an insurance company.”

My girlfriend laughed out loud, but she pulled me towards the building anyway.

“Come on, Oppa. Let’s just enter!” she said confidently. I gave up.

“Fine…” I sighed, chuckling as I let her tug me inside.

We entered the lobby, and I was pleasantly surprised. This noraebang wasn’t the tacky and colourful ones you’d usually find. It kinda looked luxurious and high class, with wooden decorations, gold linings on the furniture, and brown leather sofas everywhere. Hang on…

“Tzu… This noraebang…” I uttered.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” she asked.

“It is, but…” I said, “Is this… Do you… By any chance… Own this place?”

Tzuyu did her iconic shy smile, her upper lip pursing cutely and her deep dimples appearing on her cheeks, and she blushed a little. Holy shit.

“My family… Might have a small share in the franchise,” she whispered shyly.

Knowing Tzuyu, her definition of ‘small’ might not exactly be small by public standards. Oh gosh. I was dating a real life princess, wasn’t I?

“My God, Tzu…” I sighed. Tzuyu giggled, but then she eyed me concernedly.

“Are you… Okay with it? We can always go to a normal noraebang if you like,” she said cautiously. I grinned and shook my head.

“No, no! I was just asking,” I said. “I don’t mind going into your noraebang!”

Tzuyu giggled again and walked to the reception. The receptionist stood up and bowed respectfully, and Tzuyu produced a card from her wallet. The receptionist took it, studied it, and–like what happened back in that hotel in Singapore–a loud gasp left her mouth as soon as she realised who was standing in front of her.

“A–Ah, M–Miss Chou! W–Welcome! Should I… Should I open the VVIP lounge?” the receptionist stuttered. Tzuyu smiled warmly.

“I would be happy if you do!” she said. The receptionist bowed repeatedly.

“R–Right away, Miss!” she exclaimed.

The receptionist stepped quickly from behind the counter, and she led us to a private elevator by the side of the main entrance. She pressed level three, and bowed deeply as we entered the lift, not straightening her back until the doors closed completely. I chuckled.

“I really need to get used to all this…” I mused. Tzuyu chuckled.

“Oh, come on, Oppa… It’s nothing,” she said calmly.

I chuckled. By now I have realised that there were two sides of Chou Tzuyu. One, Tzuyu the Twice maknae. That Tzuyu enjoyed the simplest things in life, like cooking food for me at home, eating street foods in the smallest alleys in Singapore’s Chinatown, buying convenience store’s snacks and canned coffees, and walking around town together with me.

Then, there was Tzuyu the princess, the daughter of a Taiwanese tycoon, and a minority shareholder of a plethora of businesses and ventures, including the insurance company I had just joined as an employee. That Tzuyu commanded respect from everyone around, that Tzuyu could open the most expensive and private doors with a flick of a finger. That was the Tzuyu I was with tonight as soon as we entered the noraebang.

Still, both sides of Tzuyu didn’t change who she was naturally. Tzuyu, whether being a girl group maknae or a literal princess, was humble yet confident, gentle and caring, kind and full of love. I guessed I was simply lucky to be the man she was in love with.

We reached level three, where the VVIP lounge was located. The receptionist had undoubtedly informed the staff on this level, for as soon as the door slid open, we found half a dozen staff members lining up on either side of the lift, bowing deeply toward us. One of them, a middle aged man dressed in an impeccable suit who I guessed was the manager of this branch, rose up first.

“Annyeong hashimnikka, Miss Chou! It is our honour to host you here tonight!” he said. Tzuyu smiled and nodded.

“Kamsahamnida, Manager-nim! Is our lounge ready?” she asked. The manager nodded.

“Certainly, Miss Chou! Would you like any drinks from the bar?” he asked. Tzuyu turned to look at me. I smiled.

“Am I allowed to order?” I asked gently. Tzuyu laughed.

“Of course, Oppa~” she said cutely, hugging my arm. I smiled and nodded.

“Just beer for us, please. I shouldn’t get too drunk,” I said.

The manager nodded respectfully and excused himself. Tzuyu looked at me in surprise, but I chuckled as I kissed her cheek.

“You’re right, Tzu… I should cut back on alcohol,” I said, before adding, “Thank you for always caring for me.”

Tzuyu sighed and kissed my cheek warmly.

“I love you so much, Oppa…” she whispered.

Smiling happily, I walked with her inside, finding an equally luxurious looking karaoke lounge waiting for us. A private bar stood at the end of the room, where a bartender bowed to welcome us. We sat down on the brown-leather sofa, and Tzuyu started picking our songs.

“What would you like to sing?” she asked. I laughed again.

“Go ahead and pick! I’ll just sit here and enjoy your singing,” I said. Tzuyu pouted.

“Oppa! I told you no one’s gonna judge you here!” she said. I laughed louder.

“Still, Tzu… I don’t want to ruin this beautiful night with my horrible voice!” I said.

Tzuyu tsked, but she chuckled nonetheless. She proceeded to pick a few songs, a selection of Mandopop, K-pop, and some English songs. A server came with our bottles of beer before leaving the two of us in the privacy of this big lounge. I sipped one happily as Tzuyu started singing her first song.

For the next thirty minutes or so, I enjoyed a private show of Tzuyu’s amazing voice. Tzuyu insisted on me joining her after a couple songs, and I decided to relent. I picked up the mic, and started singing happily with her. To be honest, my voice wasn’t that bad, but it pale in comparison to Twice’s lead vocalist, of course. Still, she looked like she enjoyed her time, so I guessed I shouldn’t worry too much.

“Ooof! I’m tired!” I sighed, throwing myself on the sofa as we finished our latest song. Tzuyu giggled.

“Ya! Oppa! Your voice is good! What were you talking about earlier?” she scolded me. I chuckled.

“Alright, alright… It’s just… I’m in the presence of a global superstar… Kinda makes me self-conscious, you know?” I said.

Tzuyu giggled and sat down next to me. She leaned herself close, resting her head on my chest. I looked down and pecked her forehead, but then she lifted her eyes and stared right into mine.

“Oppa… I love your voice. I love everything about you. You’re the first man who’s ever won my heart… So don’t you ever let me, or anyone else, intimidate you,” Tzuyu said sincerely.

I smiled. She was an angel.

“Okay…” I agreed with her. She lifted her pinky.

“Promise me?” she asked cutely.

I felt my heart skipping a beat. How could I ever say no to this girl? I joined my pinky with hers.

“I promise,” I said sincerely.

Tzuyu scrunched her nose and smiled her amazing dimpled smile, before lifting herself up to her feet again.

“Alright! For this next song, I’ll allow you to just sit back and watch!” she exclaimed. I chuckled.

“Finally…” I sighed jokingly.

Tzuyu pouted, but then she laughed. She walked to the console to play the next song, and when the nylon guitar intro of the song started, I immediately knew what song it was. But… Hang on. It was a different version. An acoustic version. I didn’t know they had this version!

This song meant so much to me, because it captured everything I felt about her. It was the song I wrote the lyrics of on that notepad from the hotel room she opened for me in Singapore. It was… Twice’s ‘Alcohol Free’. My eyes widened as I looked at Tzuyu, and she giggled seeing my reaction.

“This one’s for you, Oppa…” she said, lifting the mic to her mouth, and she started singing.

너와 있을 땐 내게

When I am with you

신기한 변화가 있는데

Something magical happens

자꾸 미소 짓게 돼

I keep smiling for no reason

아무 일도 없는데

Though there is nothing going on

자꾸 마법에 걸려

A spell is cast upon me

밤을 새워도 안 졸려

I could stay up all night without feeling sleepy

다른 생각 지워져

All other thoughts go away

심장 소리는 커져

And my heart beats louder

사랑이 참 쉬워져

Suddenly love feels so easy

그래서 빠지고 빠져 점점 너에게

So I fall deeper and deeper for you

That's what you do to me

나는 alcohol-free 근데 취해

I am alcohol free but I get drunk

마신 게 하나도 없는데

Though I did not drink at all

너와 있을 때마다 이래

It happens whenever I’m with you

날 보는 네 눈빛 때문에

Because of the way you look at me

너는 눈으로 마시는 내 champagne, 내 wine

You’re the drinks I drink with my eyes, my champagne, my wine

내 tequila, margarita

My tequila, margarita

Mojito with lime

Sweet mimosa, piña colada

I'm drunk in you, I’m drunk in you

너는 정말 특별해

You are so special

전혀 독하지 않은데

And not hard at all

낮에 별이 뜨게 해

You make the stars come out at broad daylight

한 모금 마셨는데

With just one sip

자꾸 마법에 걸려

A spell is cast upon me

밤을 새워도 안 졸려

I could stay up all night without feeling sleepy

다른 생각 지워져

All other thoughts go away

심장 소리는 커져

And my heart beats louder

사랑이 �� 쉬워져

Suddenly love feels so easy

그래서 빠지고 빠져 점점 너에게

So I fall deeper and deeper for you

That's what you do to me

나는 alcohol-free 근데 취해

I am alcohol free but I get drunk

마신 게 하나도 없는데

Though I did not drink at all

너와 있을 때마다 이래

It happens whenever I’m with you

날 보는 네 눈빛 때문에

Because of the way you look at me

I laughed out loud when Tzuyu started doing the rap part that was usually performed by Dahyun and Chaeyoung, but… Inexplicably, I felt tears start leaking from my eyes. Gosh. Who knew such a summery song could be so heartwarmingly sweet? I guessed JYP overdid himself when he wrote this song.

My tears kept streaming out. Shit. Why was I crying so much? Tzuyu noticed this, and she quickly dropped the microphone and rushed to hug me. She caressed my hair concernedly.

“O–Oppa… Are you… Alright?” she asked. I nodded and let out a chuckle. “I–It’s… I’m fine, Tzu… It’s just… The song… It’s… So sweet,” I stuttered through my tears.

Hearing me, Tzuyu giggled. She hugged me tighter, and I hugged her back. I pulled myself away after a while, staring at her beautiful face. Tzuyu smiled gently, and she closed her eyes. I knew what she wanted me to do.

I leaned forward, and I kissed her thin lips softly. We kissed warmly, lovingly, without a hint of lust. My heart swelled as I felt her soft, smooth hands caressing my cheeks. I loved her so much. I would gladly give my life for her. I would gladly take any bullet for her again. I would do anything for her.

“I love you, Tzuyu… I love you so much,” I whispered as we broke away. She smiled.

“I love you too, Oppa…” she whispered in reply.

We kissed again, my thumbs rubbing her cheeks. She stared into my eyes as we finished, smiling so wide, so enchantingly beautiful, making my heart melt in my chest. Tzuyu glanced at the clock on the wall, and I followed her gaze. It was around 9.30pm.

“Shall we go home?” she offered. I chuckled.

“What do you wanna do at home?” I asked teasingly. She blushed.

“Oh, you know…” she uttered shyly.

I chuckled. Being her boyfriend for a while now, I knew that this shy and gentle girl could be totally wild in bed. It was almost difficult to believe that she was a virgin up until earlier this month. I wanted her, I wanted to enjoy her heavenly body, but before that, I wanted to do something. Seeing her right now… Watching her beautiful smile… I was reminded of a song I loved from back in the day.

“One more song,” I said. Tzuyu giggled and nodded.

“What song do you want me to sing next, Oppa?” she asked. I shook my head.

“No…” I said. “I’m going to sing this one.”

Tzuyu gasped, but then she laughed and clapped her hands and sat back expectantly. I stood up, went to the console, and picked the song I wanted to sing. It was an old song, used to be a soundtrack to a movie from almost 20 years back, before being re-released as a soundtrack of a drama back in 2021. Luckily, the noraebang had the song.

“What’s it called?” asked Tzuyu as the intro of the song started playing.

“Butterfly,” I said, smiling. I lifted the microphone onto my mouth and started singing.

어리석은 세상은 너를 몰라

The foolish world doesn’t know you

누에속에 감춰진 너를 못 봐

It can’t see you when you are hidden in regret

나는 알아 내겐 보여

But, I know. I see you

그토록 찬란한 너의 날개

You and your splendid wings

겁내지 마 할 수 있어

Don’t be afraid, you can do it

뜨겁게 꿈틀거리는

With a little wriggle

날개를 펴 날아올라 세상 위로

Spread your wings and fly up

태양처럼 빛을 내는 그대여

You shine like the sun

이 세상이 거칠게 막아서도

Though that world cruelly stands in your way

빛나는 사람아 난 너를 사랑해

Oh, shining one, I love you

널 세상이 볼 수 있게 날아 저 멀리

Fly way over there so the world can see you

꺾여버린 꽃처럼 아플 때도

Even when you’re in pain like a drooping flower

쓰러진 나무처럼 초라해도

Even when you feel dejected, like a fallen tree

너를 믿어 나를 믿어

I believe in you, you believe in me

우리는 서로를 믿고 있어

We believe in each other

심장의 소리를 느껴봐

Grab your heart

힘겹게 접어놓았던

You’ve tried so hard to fold your wings

날개를 펴 날아올라 세상 위로

Now spread the wings, and fly away

벅차도록 아름다운 그대여

You’re so beautiful, it’s almost unbearable

이 세상이 차갑게 등을 보여도

Though the world turns its back on you coldly

눈부신 사람아 난 너를 사랑해

Oh, dazzling one, I love you

널 세상이 볼 수 있게 날아 저 멀리

Fly way over there so the world can see you

태양처럼 빛을 내는 그대여

You shine like the sun

이 세상이 거칠게 막아서도

Though that world cruelly stands in your way

빛나는 사람아 난 너를 사랑해

Oh, shining one, I love you

널 세상이 볼 수 있게 날아 저 멀리

Fly way over there so the world can see you

The song ended, and I bowed awkwardly as I finished singing. To my surprise, Tzuyu was only staring at me, not reacting the way I expected her to react; whether to clap or to cringe at my voice. I sat next to her, and gently grasped her hands inside mine.

“Was it that bad?” I asked sheepishly. Tzuyu smiled and shook her head.

“N–No! Not at all, Oppa… It was beautiful. Really beautiful,” she said sincerely.

“Then… What’s the matter?” I asked her.

Tzuyu stared deep into my eyes. Her eyes started glistening, and I felt her hands squeezing mine tighter.

“Oppa… You’re… You’ll stay by my side, right?” she asked slowly. I raised an eyebrow.

“Eh? Of… Of course! Why did you ask that?” I asked. Tzuyu bit her lips.

“It’s just… The song…” she uttered.

“What is it?” I asked curiously.

Tzuyu bit her lips again. She looked down, before looking away at the screen in front of us. A smile rose on her lips.

“It… Why do I somehow feel like it sounded like a goodbye…” she whispered.

I stared at her. To be honest, I kinda felt the same. Only then did I remember that the song was usually chosen as the last song of a drama before everyone went their separate ways, or at a New Year’s Eve award show. I did sound like a goodbye. Shit… Why did I have to choose that song? I must have ruined the mood for her.

“S–Sorry, Tzu… I just… That song came into my mind, and… I’m sorry,” I uttered.

A chuckle left Tzuyu’s mouth. She turned to look at me and smiled, before pecking my lips gently.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a song,” she said gently. I smiled.

“Yeah… You’re right,” I agreed.

“Shall we go home?” she asked. I smiled and nodded.

“Let’s.”

We left the noraebang arm in arm, and we walked back to our car in front of the restaurant we just had dinner in. We entered the car, and soon we drove away.

Tzuyu invited me to her place near Myeongdong tonight for a change. This would be my first visit to her house, and honestly I was excited. As I drove past the many restaurants in the area, one building caught Tzuyu’s attention.

“Oh! That’s the porridge restaurant!” she said, pointing to a restaurant we had just driven past.

“Mm? Are you hungry?” I asked her. She laughed and shook her head.

“No, no. But the porridge there is really good, and the ahjumma who owns the place is very nice!” Tzuyu said happily.

“Oh that’s nice! We should try eating there sometime,” I said. Tzuyu nodded.

“They’re open until late too, so maybe later tonight we can go there if we’re hungry after…” she trailed off.

I laughed. She was simply so adorable.

“After what?” I decided to play along.

“Oh… You know… What we’re about to do requires a lot of energy, right?” she smirked.

We laughed together, and somehow I felt my boner starting to form. Shit. We were really going to do another wild sex session tonight, I guessed.

“Nabong-unnie went to meet someone in that porridge shop tonight. Maybe she’s still there,” Tzuyu mused. I raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? Really?” I asked. She nodded and giggled.

“It’s been a while since she’s interested in a guy…” Tzuyu remarked. I chuckled.

“He’s one lucky guy, I guess…” I said.

Tzuyu nodded and chuckled. Nayeon was always a mystery to me. She was extremely beautiful, not to mention hot, but so far I had never heard of her being with a guy. As far as I knew, the only one she was intimate with over the years was none other than my own girlfriend Chou Tzuyu, so I suspected that maybe she was lesbian… Or bisexual, considering how she… Well… Dominated me that night.

We arrived at Tzuyu’s apartment, which was indeed not far from the porridge shop. I parked my car next to Tzuyu’s white BMW, and we walked hand in hand to the lift lobby. I was about to press the button on the nearest lift, but Tzuyu shook her head.

“Not that lift, Oppa. Come,” she said, tugging my arm gently.

I let her tow me to a glass door further inside the lift lobby. A security guard opened the door and bowed to us, revealing a single lift door. I immediately knew what this meant.

“T–Tzu… You’re staying in…”

“The penthouse. Yep,” she said, giggling.

I sighed. Of course. What did I expect?

“Let me guess… The apartment complex…” I uttered. Tzuyu shushed me promptly.

“Yes, my family owns it. But… Don’t say it out loud. I don’t want anybody to know,” she whispered.

I chuckled and shook my head, not saying anything else. She led me to the private lift, which was by far the most luxurious lift I had ever entered, with black marbles and gold trimmings everywhere. There was no floor button inside this lift, only the open and close button, as well as an emergency button. The lift only had one destination: Tzuyu’s penthouse.

We zoomed up in a flash, and soon the lift door opened, revealing a spacious lobby leading up to a large, wooden double door at the end of the hallway. Oh my God. She really was wealthy, wasn’t she?

“Welcome to my place,” Tzuyu said cutely.

I felt my jaw dropping as I followed her across the lobby. I could see the walkway to an outdoor swimming pool on my right, and on my left was a walkway to what looked like a private gym. Tzuyu swiped her keycard on the card reader and pushed open the door, and my jaw dropped even further.

“W–Woah…”

I couldn’t stop myself from admiring the interior of her penthouse unit. It was almost twice as big as the Twice apartment in Hannam, and while Twice’s apartment felt colourful, warm and cosy, this one… Well… Felt luxurious and elegant.

“What do you think?” Tzuyu asked softly.

I had to steady myself before looking back at my girlfriend. She was standing behind the sofa in the living room, looking at me with a big smile on her face.

“Tzu… This is… It’s like the interior of a palace!” I said. My girlfriend chuckled and shook her head.

“That’s the thing… When I told Baba that I was planning to move out from the dorm a few years ago, he immediately opened this penthouse unit for me and insisted on decorating everything inside like our home back in Taiwan,” she sighed exasperatedly.

Hold on. Her home back in Taiwan looked like this?

“I told him I wanted a nice small apartment near Nabong-unnie in Gangnam, but… He kept insisting, so… Well… I got this place,” she concluded.

“Tzu! You should be grateful!” I scolded her. She chuckled and nodded.

“I know, I know… It’s just… Sometimes I feel lonely staying in a place as big as this. That’s why I like to invite Nayeon-unnie to sleep with me here sometimes, or Chaeng-unnie and Dubu-unnie… That’s why I like to sleep at Nayeon-unnie and Momo-unnie’s place a lot of times, or at the Twice apartment too,” she said with a smile.

I nodded. For all her wealth and status, she was still the maknae. I turned to look at her, finding Tzuyu walking slowly towards me, and I noticed that her eyes were staring at me with lewd intentions. I chuckled and welcomed her in my arms. Her long arms slipped slowly behind my back, making me shudder.

“But… Tonight…” she stared.

“Tonight you won’t be lonely…” I completed her sentence. She nodded and smiled.

“I’d give you a tour around the place… But…” she trailed off again, her face inching closer towards mine. I chuckled.

“... That can wait…” I whispered.

With that, her lips crashed onto mine. She kissed me hungrily, passionately, her tongue slithering inside my mouth like a snake, twisting and turning against my tongue. Her fingers nimbly unbuttoned my shirt, while my hands were just happily sliding down from her lower back, kneading her massive butt cheeks deliciously.

“Oppa…” she gasped as we separated for a brief moment.

“Hm?”

“Be rough with me tonight…” she whispered naughtily.

My dick shot up to a full boner immediately. Excited, my palms squeezed her butt cheeks even tighter, making her jolt up and squeal. I spanked her ass, enjoying the bouncy feeling.

“Like that?” I asked her. Tzuyu giggled and leaned in closer to whisper.

“More…”

The hair on the nape of my neck stood up. Tzuyu smirked and brushed my shirt off my torso, letting it fall on the floor. As I pulled away from her to unbuckle my pants and let it drop to the floor, Tzuyu pulled her sweater up, revealing a tight light blue long sleeved t-shirt, which she took off in a flash too. I gulped as I ravished the sight of the golden skin of her torso, covered only in a black lacy bra.

“Tzuyu…” I sighed. Tzuyu smiled.

“Let me give you some encouragement…” she whispered.

With that, she turned around, and slowly, seductively, she started rolling her hips left and right. My dick immediately wiggled out of my boxer, not wanting to miss the sight of her enormous ass wiggling. I gulped repeatedly as I tried to control my raging heart rate. Fuck. She was so hot!

Tzuyu lifted her hips, gently twerking so her butt cheeks jiggled deliciously. I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t hold back. I reached forward, to grab her hips, and I pulled her against my pelvis, pressing my rock hard cock against her soft, bubbly big butt. I spanked her ass loudly, and Tzuyu squealed.

“Awh! Yes!” she squealed.

I grinded my cock on her still clothed bottom hungrily, enjoying the sensation more and more. Tzuyu straightened her back and leaned herself against me, lifting her face, revealing her long neck. I stooped down and started devouring her neck, my left hand reaching up to fondle her tits, while my right was still busy kneading her tender butt.

“Mmmh… M–Mh… Op–Oppa…” she moaned.

Tzuyu held my hand on her tits, and she guided it under her bra. My palm felt her erect nipples, as our hands worked together to caress her body. I reluctantly took my right hand off her butt, bringing it forward to unclasp the button of her jeans. I wanted her. I wanted to feel her fully.

Slowly, I rolled her jeans down through her long slender legs to the floor, and I knelt down together with it. My face was right in front of her absolutely massive butt, her smooth and fat butt cheeks spilling out of her black lacy panties. I couldn’t resist it… So I took a deep breath, and buried my face in between her butt cheeks.

“A–Ah! O–Oppa! N–No! A–Ah! A–AAH!”

The warmth and tenderness of Tzuyu’s massive butt engulfed my face entirely. I sniffed her asshole repeatedly, and I felt that her panties were already soaking wet. This naughty girl. I stuck out my tongue, and without hesitation, I started slobbering her pussy and asshole over her panties.

“N–Nggh! N–Nggh! Op–Oppa! Y–Yes! A–Ahh… A–Ah! Ah… C–Chuyoung… Op–Oppa…”

Tzuyu’s body started bending down because of the pleasure she was feeling. She rested her abs on the sofa in front of her, and I felt her entire body starting to shake. That actually made her butt cheeks slap repeatedly around my face, and I enjoyed it. It encouraged me.

“A–Ah… O–Oppa… Oppa… Oppa! M–Mmh! Mmmh!!! MMH!”

I felt her body tensing. So she was nearing her first climax. I increased the intensity of my licks on her pussy and asshole. I slipped her panties to the side, and I jammed my tongue inside her asshole, sucking and slobbering noisily while my fingers entered her pussy. This made her go crazy.

“A-AH! AAH! O–OPPA! A–AH… AA–AH! I’M… C–CUMM… CUMMING!”

I plunged my tongue deeper inside her asshole, and Tzuyu screamed loudly. Her pussy juice gushed out, flowing down from her pussy down her meaty thighs and into my open mouth. She squirted again and again as her body shook, making her butt cheeks jiggle deliciously over my face, slapping me repeatedly.

Her body slumped forward, bending on the sofa as she gasped and sighed, trying to catch her breath. I stood up, licking my lips off the traces of Tzuyu’s pussy juice. I looked at my girlfriend, still bending over the sofa, still trembling. My dick was twitching. I wanted to just plunge it inside her ass right then and there. I wanted her so badly.

But slowly, Tzuyu churned, and she lifted her body graciously. She turned her body and stared at me with a gaping mouth, still trying to make her breathing return to normal. She giggled and brushed her shoulder length hair back with her hand, and somehow she looked even sexier.

“Oppa… That was… Heavenly…” she uttered. I smiled and walked forward to embrace her.

“Rough enough?” I asked her again. She giggled, but she shook her head again.

“I want… More…” she whispered.

With that, she grabbed my hand and pulled me to walk with her. She guided me up the stairs, and I realised that she wanted to do it properly inside her bedroom. Tzuyu was such a sophisticated woman anyway, so even though she wanted it rough, she would still prefer a proper location for a proper sex.

I smiled. I had no complaints, especially when my face was inches away from her big butt, which jiggled enchantingly with every step she took up the stairs in front of me. Gosh… Why was her butt looking so delicious tonight? I could just eat her ass all night long.

We reached the second floor, and she quickly ushered me into her bedroom at the end of the hallway. As the entire apartment was, this room was luxurious, with a king sized bed standing in the middle of the room, but I had no time to admire it fully, because Tzuyu quickly pushed me onto the bed as soon as we entered the room. I laid on the bed while smiling wide, and she immediately straddled me.

“My Tzuyu…” I whispered, brushing a stray hair off her forehead. She giggled cutely.

“My Chuyoung-oppa…” she replied.

Tzuyu stooped down to kiss me hungrily, but she quickly moved her kisses down from my lips to my jaw, then to my neck, my chest, my belly, all the way to my crotch. She kissed my twitching cock gently, her hands reaching to grab it. With that, she started jerking me off.

“O–Oh fuck… T–Tzuyu…”

Tzuyu giggled hearing my reaction. As she continued jerking me off, she started licking the side of my shaft, drenching my penis with her saliva. I closed my eyes and threw my head back onto the pillow, enjoying the sensation this Taiwanese girl was giving me.

“Y–Yes… T–Tzuyu… M–Mhh…”

She licked and slobbered my cock from the base all the way to the tip repeatedly, and soon, she opened her mouth and started sucking on my dick. My fingers instinctively clenched the bed sheets as I braced myself for Tzuyu’s amazing oral skills. I could feel her head starting to bob up and down my crotch, I could feel her tongue wiggling underneath my shaft, I could feel her long and thin fingers playing with my balls. This was heaven. The real definition of heaven.

“S–Sh… Shit… Shit… T–Tzuyu… Tzuyu… S–So good!”

Her oral cavity started clasping around my shaft, sending me into another level of pleasure. My hands reached up to grab her head, pushing and pulling her small head on my crotch. I felt her throat at the tip of my penis, and I knew I could not last longer.

“T–Tzu… W–W–Wait… I… I–I…”

I knew cumming inside Tzuyu’s throat would feel amazing, but I wasn’t a super human like Yeoni who could bed three girls in one night–or four Blackpink girls for that matter–and just brush it off. Tzuyu was also not Jihyo, who Tzuyu said could breastfeed Minsoo after each time her boyfriend came and make him go full rock hard in an instant. We were normal human beings, and I wanted so badly to cum inside her ass, even more than I wanted it inside her throat.

Luckily, Tzuyu understood. Just as I was almost losing my control, she lifted her head back and sighed, spit drooling all over her mouth and my penis. She giggled and stared at me while licking her lips dry.

“Come, Oppa… I want you to fill my ass with your hot cum…” she whispered sultrily.

I chuckled as Tzuyu straightened herself. She reached behind and unclasped her bra, throwing the fabric to the side of the bed. She rested herself next to me as I knelt up and positioned myself behind her. Tzuyu immediately perked her butt up, wiggling it left and right, as if inviting me.

“Gosh… Tzuyu…” I sighed. Tzuyu giggled and turned her head to look at me.

“Remember, Oppa… Be rough,” she said, winking cutely.

I laughed, but my breath hitched hearing her words. I slapped her butt promptly, and the squeal that followed further encouraged me. I used both of my hands to spank her butt left and right loudly, watching in delight as her massive butt cheeks jiggle and red hand marks start appearing on her golden skin.

“M–Mmh! Yes! Ah! Ah! Yes! Oppa! S–Spank me! Spank your naughty Tzuyu!” she squealed.

I stopped myself after spanking her a few more times, partly because I never wanted to hurt her. Instead, I placed my cock in between her succulent butt cheeks, and started grinding my shaft front and back, getting ourselves ready for the impending anal sex. I reached forward and grabbed her butt, massaging it like a dough.

“U–Ugh… S–So… T–Thick… Tzuyu…”

“Oppa… O–Oppa…”

I pulled my crotch away from her, and for the second time tonight, I stooped down to bury my face in her butt. I could never get enough of this tender and warm sensation. I would allow her to sit on my face any day, all day. Her butt was the most delicious in the world, and it was all mine. I stuck my tongue out again, and I let it slip inside her asshole again. I felt her rectum sucking my tongue like a vacuum as she started jolting.

“N–Ng–A–Ah! Oppa! A–Ahh… Mmmh!” Tzuyu moaned loudly.

I rimmed her asshole a few more seconds, and when I felt that it had enough wetness, I repositioned myself, ready to impale her. I slapped my cock on her butt a few times, before slowly, I guided it into her asshole. It slipped in nicely, partly because of just how wet her asshole had been after I rimmed it twice, and with one swift thrust, I entered her.

“A–Ah! Y–YES! Oppa! F–Fuck… M–My… Ass!”

Tzuyu… For such a gentle and elegant girl like her, Tzuyu surely loved anal sex, and a rough one at that. Not one of our sex session over these few weeks went by without her asking me to pound her ass like an animal, and she would cum multiple times every time we did it, it almost felt like she preferred it more than vaginal sex. I guessed everyone had their preference.

“F–Fuck! Fuck… T–Tzuyu! S–So tight!”

I looked down, not wanting to miss the amazing sight of her thick and ample butt cheeks rippling with every thrust I made into her. Her butt was enormous to begin with, but her rectum was also extremely warm and moist, it made me want it more and more. I spanked her butt one more time, before increasing the speed of my thrust, riding her roughly.

“A–Ah! Ah! AAH! Mmh! Ngh! O–Opp… Oppa! Oppa! N–Ngah! Y–Yes! F–Fuck!”

Tzuyu’s moan started becoming less and less coherent. My hands clutched her hips as my cock pistoned in and out of her asshole. I felt her rectum enveloping around my dick, and I knew I couldn’t hold back any longer, not after that amazing oral sex she gave me earlier.

“F–Fuck… T–Tzu! T–Tzuyu… Tzu… I–I… I think… I think I’m…”

“Y–Yes! Oppa! A–Ah! A–A–Ah… Ah…. M–Mhh! C–Cum… F–Fill… Fill y–your naughty T–Tzuyu’s… A–Ass… A–Ah! AAH! OPPA!”

Tzuyu came before I did, gushing out her pussy juice again and again as I kept riding her through her orgasm. I looked down, watching her teal bed linen getting soaked by the creamy fluids that flowed out of her pussy non stop. I grabbed her chunky ass again, and with one powerful thrust inside…

“T–T–TZUYU!”

I came. I came hard, unloading my entire payload again and again inside her warm rectum. Tzuyu’s body arched back as she reached another orgasm, and I closed my eyes as I let wave after wave of pleasure overtaking my entire body.

Tzuyu slumped forward, and my cock slipped off her asshole before it finished spurting cum, so a few strains of white liquid landed on her back and massive butt as my cum leaked out of her asshole. I staggered forward, slumping onto the bed on top of her as I panted and gasped. Tzuyu sighed and turned to kiss my lips warmly.

“Tzuyu… G–Gosh…” I struggled to speak. She giggled and kissed me again.

“I love you, Oppa… So… So good…” she whispered.

I smiled. We cuddled on the bed lovingly, stealing kisses after kisses from each other. I felt her hand creeping down to my penis again, stroking it gently, as if still wanting more. I chuckled.

“Ya… Slow down… I’m not young anymore,” I said. Tzuyu giggled.

“And yet you could still make me explode twice in a row like that…” she pointed out.

Tzuyu kissed my lips warmly, her tongue poking my lips and entering inside. This girl… Seriously. What did I do right to be blessed with such a goddess? I made a lot of mistakes in the past, and yet… Her love was for me.

“I think I can still go again…” I said. Tzuyu’s eyes widened in excitement.

“You think?” she asked. I chuckled and nodded.

“Yeah… I think. I… There’s still one place I want to enter…” I told her.

Tzuyu blushed red, but she took my hand and placed it on her pussy, rubbing it together with me. I smiled and stooped down to eat her perky tits, twisting my tongue around her brown nipples. She squirmed and shut her eyes, enjoying the pleasure. My boner was starting to form again. She knew just what I needed to go again.

Suddenly, I heard something. My head perked up to the source of that sound. It sounded like… The front door was being opened. Tzuyu heard it too, obviously, for her hand stopped rubbing her pussy with me, but to my surprise, she didn’t look shocked.

“T–Tzu?” I looked at her. She opened her eyes and smiled at me.

“Hm?” she asked calmly.

“Are you… Expecting someone?” I asked.

Strangely, Tzuyu giggled. She then nodded.

“Perhaps…” she said cheekily. “I think you’ll be happy to meet that someone.”

I was beyond confused. I heard footsteps climbing the staircase, approaching the bedroom Tzuyu and I was in. The footsteps reached the door, and I saw the handle turning, and the door flung open…

“Oh shit… I missed the first part, didn’t I?”

Im Nayeon stood at the threshold, grinning wide, showing her bunny teeth. She sighed and dropped her Louis Vuitton bag onto the floor, before taking off her coat, tossing it casually to the chair by the door. I panickedly tried to pull the blanket to cover my naked body, but Tzuyu looked surprisingly calm.

“Hi, Unnie…” she said.

“Hi, Tzu. Hi, Oppa!” Nayeon exclaimed cheerfully.

“N–N–Na–Nayeon?” I stuttered in utter bewilderment, “W–What… What are you d–doing here?”

Nayeon snorted a laugh.

“What do you think I’m doing here, Oppa? Offering snacks? Being your bartender? I’m here to join you, of course!” she smiled.

Her expensive Louis Vuitton sweater was the next to go, leaving her in her white undershirt as she approached us.

“W–What? J-J-Join us?” I stammered.

She giggled and nodded, removing her jeans. I felt my dick shooting up as I saw Nayeon’s tight and toned body. The fact that she was slowly undressing more and more also further… Encouraged me. Fuck. She looked hot.

I turned panickedly to my girlfriend. She met my gaze and grew red, doing her iconic smile again, pursing her upper lip and letting a small giggle escape her mouth. Hang on. She… She knew about this?

“T–Tzu… D–did you…?” I stuttered. Tzuyu giggled again and nodded.

“Yup… I knew she was coming,” Tzuyu said, before adding, “She’s… My girlfriend after all…”

My eyes widened and my heart stopped.

“G–Girlfriend?” I asked. Tzuyu nodded, but Nayeon sighed tiredly.

“Aigoo… Tzu… Have you forgotten to tell him? Poor Chuyoung-oppa…” Nayeon said, pulling off her undershirt, leaving her in just her matching set of white bra and tights.

“Y–Yea…” Tzuyu blushed.

I looked at Nayeon and Tzuyu interchangeably, feeling more and more confused. Huh? Girlfriend? But… Wasn’t she… Wasn’t she my girlfriend? I heard Nayeon giggling.

“Oh, come on, Oppa… It wasn’t like we’re trying to hide it! Don’t you remember how lustfully Tzuyu kissed my lips in front of you back at your place before I went to JYPE with Hyejin?” she said.

“Or… The fact that she was the one who stuck by my side when I waited for you to regain consciousness in the hospital,” Tzuyu added.

“We’re bisexual,” announced Nayeon. “The only bisexual couple in Twice!”

The Bunny rolled down her tights, tossing them into a corner. She took her place behind Tzuyu, wrapping her arms around my girlfriend’s abs as she nuzzled her neck. Tzuyu squirmed, but she was grinning from ear to ear.

“B–Bisexual…” I repeated, almost absentmindedly.

Holy fuck. I realised it now. Why didn’t I realise it earlier? I thought… I thought Nayeon was simply being naughty, but… Those touches they had, those kisses they had… The way Nayeon grabbed Tzuyu’s ass, the way Tzuyu always kisses Nayeon lustfully. And Nayeon was right: They weren’t trying to hide it. They did it in front of me.

Come to think about it, I even knew that Tzuyu and Nayeon had had sex multiple times. Chaeyoung told me that night. She told me that Tzuyu was always Nayeon’s favourite. Hang on… Tzuyu herself told me last week!

But… I always brushed it off as them simply exploring each other's bodies. The fact that Tzuyu told me that she never allowed Nayeon to penetrate her also further encouraged my assumption. I never realised that they were indeed a couple. Seeing how stunned I was, Tzuyu smiled and reached forward to caress my cheeks.

“Oppa… I hope you’re not mad at me. I wasn’t lying when I said that you’re my first love. You’re the first man that I ever loved, and I’m not planning to love any man other than you…” she said softly.

“Aww…” cooed Nayeon, hugging Tzuyu tighter. Tzuyu giggled before continuing.

“But… I had fallen in love before. I fell in love with this Unnie right here before I met you…” Tzuyu said gently.

“How can she not? I’m so lovable…” said Nayeon smugly.

I was too stunned to speak, my mouth gaping wide as the realisation hit me. Tzuyu’s eyes were filled with concern.

“Chuyoung-oppa?” Tzuyu asked worriedly.

I blinked a few times, before staring at the two beautiful girls on the bed. They were both staring at me, waiting for my answer. Nayeon sighed and looked at her girlfriend.

“I told Tzuyu to tell you right from the start to avoid confusion, but you were still recovering, so she wanted to wait until you’re better. She’s the one who asked me to come here tonight after my meeting…” Nayeon started, but Tzuyu snorted.

“You mean ‘date’,” she corrected her, but Nayeon shook her head.

“Nah… I won’t call it a date. It was just a dinner between friends, getting to know each other,” Nayeon said.

“That’s what people do on a date, Unnie,” shot Tzuyu back.

“Ya! I was trying to explain to Chuyoung-oppa here!” Nayeon exclaimed, making Tzuyu laugh.

Nayeon giggled and pecked Tzuyu’s neck before continuing.

“Now, as I was saying… She wanted us to meet here tonight to tell you about this, and also… Because I’m still carrying the guilt from that… Little session that we had back in November,” Nayeon said calmly.

My eyes widened in shock. I stared at Tzuyu. Fuck! Shit! She… She knew?

“W–Wait. Y–You… Y–You knew about…?”

Both Nayeon and Tzuyu giggled.

“She knows every single detail about what happened,” said Nayeon. Tzuyu nodded.

“She confessed to me the day after, knowing that I had a thing for you back then,” she said.

Oh shit…

“T–Tzu… I–I… I can… I can explain–”

Tzuyu shushed me with a soft, dimpled smile and a finger on my lips.

“It’s alright, Oppa. You can’t fight drunk Nabong. But at least you tried, and that’s what makes you special,” Tzuyu said cutely. “That’s what makes me fall for you.”

I blinked my eyes rapidly. H–Huh? Was I dreaming?

“W–Wh–What? Y–You’re not… Mad?” I stuttered.

Tzuyu shook her head, while Nayeon laughed out loud.

“Oppa! No matter what you do, she’ll always be head over heels for you! You’re like a drug to her!” Nayeon cackled.

“Besides… I wasn’t your girlfriend back then, so… I have no right to be angry,” Tzuyu said in a matter-of-fact manner, as she usually did. Nayeon sighed.

“But still… I felt guilty. I still feel guilty, so… Here I am,” Nayeon said.

I stared confusedly at her.

“H–How does that have to do with… W–With you coming here?” I asked. Tzuyu sighed.

“Ah… It’s her way of getting the guilt out of her system,” she said, resting her head on the pillow.

“Precisely,” Nayeon said, before snuggling Tzuyu’s neck again, “What a smart girl…”

“I–I’m… I’m not sure I’m following…” I said, still bewildered.

Nayeon chuckled and stared at me, resting her elbow on the pillow and placing her head on her palm.

“I knew Tzuyu was in love with you right from the start, and as her girlfriend, I should have encouraged her to get to know you better and supported her to get closer to you, not fuck you like I did, even if I was drunk. I should’ve controlled myself better. That’s why I've been feeling guilty since then,” Nayeon explained.

“The fact that I did it together with Chaeng also made me feel guilty to Yori, who’s my friend. Chaeng felt guilty too, so we had a little… Heart-to-heart session to clear our heads. Works like a charm every single time! Chaeng’s mind has been cleared since, but… I still have one other guilt that I needed to take care of: My guilt against you,” Nayeon concluded excitedly.

I stared at her blankly. I still didn’t get it.

“H–Huh?” I asked. Nayeon sighed.

“Oppa… For me to finally be able to live guilt-free, we need to do our little… Heart-to-heart session. You, me, and Tzuyu!” Nayeon said.

“H–Heart… To heart?” I asked. Tzuyu scoffed.

“She meant threesome,” she said flatly.

My heart stopped.

“T–T–T–Three–s–some?” I stammered.

Nayeon and Tzuyu laughed.

“Yeah… This girl right here… She’s a true, horny, bisexual. Before I met you, I could live just by having sex with her, but not Nabong-unnie. She needed to release her Dominabong self every once in a while… And when she’s feeling guilty–whether it is for fucking someone too rough in her Dominabong state, or fucking someone she’s not supposed to fuck–the only way she can stop feeling so is by doing a threesome with the parties involved,” Tzuyu explained.

I stared at Nayeon.

“S–So… So… So you… Had a threesome with… W–With… Chaeyoung and Yori?” I asked. Nayeon nodded confidently.

“And with Jeongie and Sana… Sana and Dubu… Momo and Heechul… Jennie and G-Dragon… Yeri and her ex girlfriend… The list goes on and on and on…” Nayeon said proudly. Tzuyu sighed.

“I’m dating a slut…” she mused. Nayeon gasped and slapped Tzuyu’s head.

“YA!” she said, but then she giggled and kissed her cheek again. “But you love this slut, don’t you?”

Tzuyu giggled and nodded. Fuck. So… This was really happening, then? Nayeon chuckled.

“Alright! Enough explanation! Are we going to keep talking, or are we going to fuck?” she proposed.

Nayeon and Tzuyu stared at me, as if waiting for me to react. I gulped. I felt my face burning red, and I felt a sense of dread building inside me. What… What the fuck… I… I was going to do it with Nayeon… Again? Tzuyu laughed seeing my expression.

“Come on, Oppa. What do you say?” Tzuyu asked. Shit. I… I couldn’t say no, could I?

“W–Well… I–I… G–Guess…” I stuttered, but Nayeon was impatient.

“Oh for fuck’s sake…” she groaned.

She sat up, and started pulling her bra off her chest, making her tits jiggle out deliciously as they were freed from the fabrics. My dick twitched as I watched her. She was significantly larger than Tzuyu, and her soft pink nipples looked… Really delicious.

Nayeon crawled over Tzuyu, reaching me. I automatically recoiled, my body still traumatised by that… Scary encounter I had with her back in November. Nayeon giggled, her face leaning closer towards me. She smiled her bunny smile.

“Don’t worry, Oppa… I’m not drunk, so… I’m not Dominabong,” she said. Tzuyu giggled.

“She’s a complete sub when she’s not drunk,” she uttered.

With that, Nayeon kissed my lips. Her thick lips smothered mine, and I felt her tongue poking inside my mouth, rubbing against my tongue. I felt my defences crumbling. This Nayeon was much sweeter, and although I knew she was very horny… At least she didn’t have her riding crop with her, and I wasn’t handcuffed to a bed.

“N–Nayeon…” I sighed as we separated. She giggled and grabbed my head.

“I saw how you stared at my boobs… You wanna eat them?” she asked.

I instinctively looked at Tzuyu for permission. She smiled and nodded, encouraging me. Fuck… Here goes nothing.

“S–Sure…” I said.

Nayeon grinned and immediately pulled my face, burying it onto her delicious mounds. My hands reached up, fondling her succulent breasts, as my tongue started slobbering her perky nipples.

“F–Fuck… Y–Yes… Mmh!” Nayeon moaned.

I pushed my body forward, and soon Nayeon laid her back on the bed as I climbed on top of her, my face still buried on her heavenly tits. My index finger toyed with her nipples, making her squirm and sighed in pleasure.

“Mmhh… M–Mh! Oppa… A–Ah… Oppa…”

I felt Nayeon’s hands leaving my head, travelling downwards to remove her panties. I decided to help her, and soon she was laying naked on the bed, smiling at me, looking so beautiful and delicious. Her skin was pearly white, looking so smooth and inviting.

“F–Fuck… Nayeon…” I stuttered. Nayeon giggled.

“We’re sharing the same girlfriend, Oppa. It’s only fair that you get to enjoy my body too…” she said.

I chuckled, and finally… I nodded. Nayeon pulled me for another kiss, and this time, I kissed back willingly. As I was enjoying my kiss with Nayeon, I felt Tzuyu’s body weight leaving the bed. I pulled back and turned to look at her.

“Tzu? Where are you going?” I asked. Tzuyu only giggled as she walked into her closet. Nayeon chuckled.

“Oh, trust me, Oppa… You’re gonna love our girlfriend even more,” she said.

I wanted to ask her more, but at that moment she pushed me to her side, before turning herself to sit in front of me. She smirked and lowered her face onto my crotch, and my eyes widened as I realised what she wanted to do.

“N–Nabong… W–Wait!” I stuttered.

Nayeon didn’t listen. She grabbed my cock with her hand and started jerking it off, before sticking her very long and very thick tongue out of her mouth. While staring at me with her beautiful, lustful eyes, Nayeon started licking my shaft very, very slowly, sending shivers up and down my spine.

“F–F–Fuck… N–Nabong!”

My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I felt my dick entering Nayeon’s mouth. Her tongue was so long, the tip was touching my balls as I felt inch by inch my cock slid into her warm and slippery throat. My hands instinctively reached to grab her head, and soon, she started bobbing up and down, sucking my dick deliciously.

“Mmh… M–Nh… Sllrpp… Mnggh… Mhh…”

Unlike Tzuyu, who performed her oral sex quitely yet sexily, Nayeon was really noisy. She kept making gurgling and slobbering sounds as she blew me faster and faster, and it made me lose my mind. Soon, she pulled back and spat on my cock, before going back to slobbering my shaft and balls with her tongue.

“N–Ngh… S–Shit… N–Nabong! F–Fuck…” I moaned.

“You… Mmhh… Sllrp… Does it… Mmngh… Feel good… Sllrrp… Oppa?” she asked.

“F–Fuck… Y–Yes! S–So… G–Good!” I replied.

Nayeon giggled, and at that moment the corner of my eye caught Tzuyu walking out of the closet. What I saw shocked me to my core.

“T–Tzuyu?!”

Tzuyu was wearing a dildo strap-on, the same huge, purple dildo strap-on that Nayeon was wearing in her apartment back in November. I knew it was a double dildo, for Tzuyu’s face was blushing red and she was sweating as she felt the huge rubbery thing inside her pussy. Holy shit.

I heard Nayeon giggling. She took a break from slobbering my cock and lifted her eyes to meet mine.

“Has she told you that she never let me penetrate her before this?” she asked. I nodded.

“Y–Yeah?” I asked, suddenly feeling a little afraid. Nayeon smirked.

“It’s because she’s the one who’s been penetrating me everytime we had sex together…” she said.

“I told you she’s a complete sub…” Tzuyu uttered.

I heard a gasp leaving my mouth. I looked at Tzuyu, and I noticed that her eyes were different. Holy fuck. Tzuyu… My sweet, gentle Tzuyu… She was… A dom? And not just any dom… She… She’s been dominating… The scary Dominabong… For years?

Tzuyu climbed the bed and laid herself next to me. Without words, she started kissing my neck as Nayeon continued blowing me noisily. I jolted as Tzuyu’s rubber dick slapped my thigh. Why… Why did I always find myself in this situation?

“T–Tzu… N–Nabong… W–Wait… Mmh…”

The pleasure was intense. Tzuyu’s hand was rubbing my chest, while Nayeon buried my penis inside her throat. Just when I was about to enter my climax, however, Nayeon pulled her head back, and she looked at Tzuyu lustfully. Tzuyu met her eyes.

“Are you ready?” my girlfriend asked. Nayeon giggled and nodded.

Tzuyu took her position behind Nayeon. Her giant rubber dick swung left and right, and I started feeling self conscious looking at the size. Nayeon giggled and gave my cock one final kiss, before moving up… And straddled me.

“Fuck… Here goes…” Nayeon whispered.

She lifted her body up, positioned her pussy on top of my cock, and slowly, she lowered herself. My jaw dropped to the floor as I felt my cock entering Nayeon’s extremely tight pussy.

“F–F–F… F-f-f-f-f-Fuck… Nayeon!” I stuttered.

Nayeon’s face started turning red as she felt my cock sliding inside her. Soon, I was balls deep. Tzuyu looked at me and smiled.

“Oppa… Can you help me spread her butt cheeks open?” she said sweetly.

Still dumbfounded, I obeyed her. I reached for Nayeon’s butt cheeks, spreading it open as Nayeon bent forward. Tzuyu smiled sweetly and leaned forward to kiss me, before guiding her cock and placing it on Nayeon’s asshole.

“I’m coming in, Unnie…” whispered Tzuyu.

By the squelching sound I heard and the fact that Nayeon’s eyes and mouth were gaping wider and wider, I knew Tzuyu had entered her slowly. I felt Nayeon’s butt spreading wider and wider.

“O–Oh! O-o-o-oh… F-f-f-F–FUCK!” Nayeon screamed.

Tzuyu went all the way in. Nayeon was struggling to breath, her mouth gaping so wide and her tongue loosened. Still, she stared at me… And she nodded.

“F-Fuck… M–Me…”

With that, both Tzuyu and I started moving. We double penetrated the naughty bunny together, making her body turn red all over very, very quickly. Nayeon’s tongue was sticking out, her eyes rolling over. She looked like a mess.

“F–Fuck! A–Ah! Ah… AH! T-Tzu… C–Chuyoung… A-Ah! Mmh! AAH! Y–Yes! Yes!” Nayeon continued screaming.

“N–Nayeon! S–So… T–Tight!”

“Y–Yes! U–Unnie! Yes! Mmh!”

I reached forward to fondle Nayeon’s tits, pinching and twisting her nipples with my fingers. Nayeon’s body shook uncontrollably, and from the way she screamed and tensed, I knew she had just cum. I kept pounding her through her orgasm, and Tzuyu’s rubber dick was too rigid to be pushed out by Nayeon’s squirts, so it was kept inside her, thrusting in and out of her asshole like a tentacle.

“A–Ahn… H–H–Hng… Ang… A–Ahn… Ah! Ang… Nnghh! NNGH!” Nayeon started moaning incomprehensibly.

I slapped Nayeon’s bouncy ass loudly, while Tzuyu took her turn playing with Nayeon’s breasts. Nayeon tilted her head back, her body shaking hard as Tzuyu and I kept pummelling her ass and pussy hungrily.

“A–AH! AH! Ah! F–FUCK! F–FUCK! TZ–TZU! C–CH–CHU–OP–AH! I’m… C–Cum… CUMMING AGAINNN!!!!”

Another loud, high-pitched scream, and Nayeon reached another orgasm. I sat up, pressing my body forward, pinning Nayeon in between Tzuyu and I. Nayeon flung her arms around my neck, clinging for dear life, as she kept moaning and moaning, burying her face on my shoulder.

“O–Oh… A–Ah! Mngh! F–Fuck… Oh fuck… Mmh! Mmh! S–So… F–Full!” Nayeon moaned.

I looked up, finding my girlfriend’s eyes were half-closed as she met my gaze, her face blushing so red, sweat dripping from her forehead. I smiled and leaned forward to kiss her, our tongues intertwining.

“O–Oppa… Oppa… A–Ah.. Oppa…” Tzuyu moaned softly.

The sound of our bodies clapping against each other permeated in the air. Nayeon’s moans were totally incomprehensible right now, and she looked like she was about to lose consciousness. I felt like I was about to cum. I looked at my girlfriend. I knew she was cumming too.

“T–Tzu… M–Mh… I–I want… I want to… C–Cum… In you…” I told her.

She nodded. I pulled my cock out of Nayeon’s pussy, and Tzuyu pulled her dildo out of Nayeon’s ass. The bunny girl stumbled to her side, her body convulsing violently as she blasted her pussy juice again and again, before peeing all over the bed.

Tzuyu took off her strap-on, slowly pulling out the other half of the rubber dick out of her gaping pussy and tossing it to the side of the bed as soon as it got out. She laid next to me and splayed her legs open, rubbing her labia as she looked at me.

“Come on… Oppa… F–Fill me…” she whispered.

I needn’t be invited twice. I plunged my throbbing dick inside her, making her jolt out in pleasure. I rammed her as quickly as possible, feeling my climax building ever so quickly. I felt the head of my cock knocking on the entrance of her womb. Tzuyu clasped her long legs around my back, locking me in a hold as she stared into my eyes.

“Oppa… O–Op… M–Mmh! Opp… Oppa… C–Cum… Cumming!”

“M–Me too… T–Tzu… T–Tz… Tzuyu… Tzuyu… I’m… I’m… C–Cumming!”

A final thrust, and we came together. I came buckets inside her womb, and Tzuyu’s pussy juice flooded over my penis like a broken dam. I closed my eyes and buried my face on the pillow next to her as we embraced tightly, letting the waves of orgasm wash through our entire body.

I slumped on top of her as I finished, unable to open my eyes. My head was spinning. I felt Nayeon’s hands reaching for us, and Tzuyu welcomed her. The three of us laid there on the bed, panting and gasping, catching our breaths, too tired to move.

“Fuck… That was… Wild…” muttered Nayeon.

“N–No shit…” I sighed. Tzuyu giggled.

“That was… The best…” she said.

“Got your mind… Cleared… Now?” I asked Nayeon. She smiled and nodded.

“Thanks, Oppa,” she said.

A tired giggle escaped Tzuyu’s mouth, and I heard myself chuckling too. Tzuyu turned to kiss Nayeon’s thick lips gently, before turning to her other side to do the same to me. I smiled and rested my head next to hers, closing my eyes.

“I’m hungry…” said Tzuyu suddenly, sounding adorable.

Nayeon and I laughed. To be honest, I wouldn’t refuse another meal after that… Physically exhausting exercise the three of us just did.

“Fuck you, Tzu… I have no energy to cook anything,” Nayeon sighed tiredly.

“Let’s just… Order something…” I suggested.

“But… What time is it? Is anything still open?” Tzuyu asked.

I opened my eyes. It was past 11.30 pm. We had sex for almost an hour and a half. I chuckled as I remembered something.

“Didn’t you tell me that the porridge shop nearby is open until late?” I asked Tzuyu. Nayeon gasped.

“Oh, that’s right! It’s open until past midnight! Shall I call Sangwoo?” she offered, but Tzuyu giggled.

“And you said you’re only friends…” she teased. Nayeon blushed. So Sangwoo was the guy’s name.

“Alright, fine! Oppa, you call the place, then!” she said, sulking. I laughed and sat up.

“You know what… Lemme just walk over there. I need to smoke anyway,” I said.

Tzuyu and Nayeon exchanged glances, and then they both nodded. Tzuyu hugged my waist sweetly, kissing my chest gently.

“Thank you, Oppa…” she whispered. I chuckled and kissed the crown of her head.

“What do you guys want to order?” I asked.

“Fish porridge for me,” Nayeon said.

“I’ll have the chicken one,” said Tzuyu.

“Alright. I’ll go get it for us,” I said.

Tzuyu gave me her keycard, and I stood up, leaving the two beautiful girls cuddling on the bed. I walked downstairs and got dressed, before going out into the lobby. I lifted my eyes up, seeing the stars shining bright through the skylight on the ceiling. It was a lovely night.

I took the lift downstairs to the lobby, and I buttoned up my coat as I walked out into the chilly night. I placed my earphones in my ears, and played the Spotify playlist I compiled yesterday. I took a cigarette out of my pack and lit one up, puffing up the smoke as I walked towards the nearby porridge restaurant.

It was really close, so in less than five minutes I was already walking past a decoration shop and climbing the stairs to the porridge restaurant above the seolleongtang place. It was mostly empty, safe for the young man sitting behind the counter. He lifted his eyes as he heard the door being opened.

“Annyeonghaseyo! Table for… One?” he asked.

This must be Sangwoo. He was handsome, and I noticed that his eyes gave off a strong sense of kindness. I could see why Nayeon was interested in him. He clutched a menu book and a notepad before walking to approach me.

“Umm… No. I’m buying food to go,” I said as I took a seat at the nearby table.

“Ah! Very well. What would you like to order, Son-nim?” Sangwoo asked.

I opened the menu book. I knew what Tzuyu and Nayeon wanted to order, but I hadn’t decided on my order. To be honest, everything looked nice here, so I spent a few seconds looking at the plethora of porridge options from the menu before deciding.

“Right… I’ll have one chicken porridge, one fish porridge… And… One… Kimchi porridge,” I said. Sangwoo jotted the items down on his notepad.

“Would you like anything to drink while you wait?” he asked.

“A warm cup of tea would be nice,” I said. Sangwoo nodded.

“Certainly. Please hang on, Son-nim!” he said cheerfully.

He rushed to the kitchen, and soon returned with my cup of tea. I sipped it slowly as Sangwoo rushed back to the kitchen, preparing our food. I placed my cup back on the table and I let my mind wander off as I waited for our order. Inevitably, my mind went straight to the very thing I had avoided to think about tonight as I went on my date with Tzuyu.

It had been… Six days since Ansel’s passing, and in a few minutes it would be a new day. It would be exactly one week after the incident. Manse gave the IPG one week to decide and to prepare, before promising retaliation against them for turning Ansel into their side.

Retaliation. What would he do? He could use his pull at Naver to ask Dispatch to release another condemning article about one of the idols. But… Sana told us last week that he said he would give Suzy the war she wanted. That sounded terrifying. What was Manse’s definition of a war?

And Suzy… She was off at Busan, shooting her new drama. How could she just go off like that, after everything she had done? Her secrets were revealed now, all of us knew the real reason why Manse became who he was. She was the one who started it all… She and IU, and now… All of us had to face the consequences. All of the IPG. I sighed. I was thankful that Tzuyu hadn’t joined the IPG. But… What about me?

I sighed. Manse was a vengeful person. He held grudges against those who wronged him, and I wronged him big time. I defied him. I stood up against him. And working with him back in YG… I knew the way he enacts his revenge would bear severe consequences not only against the people that crossed him. He’d target the ones they love too.

That was evident from the way he released the article to harm not just Yeoni and Irene, but Jennie and Jisoo too, aiming to destroy their relationship by creating a scandal. That was evident from the way he repeatedly tried to kill Tzuyu back in SM HQ’s parking lot.

So far… His plans were all foiled. These past two years, ever since he tried and failed to smear Jisoo’s name by releasing the news about his VLive Exclusive with Yeoni, the IPG had managed to stop him just in time. But… That was when the IPG was there to protect everyone, when they were solid. Now… The IPG was in disarray.

I hoped Sana made the right decision. Tzuyu told me that she had a meeting earlier tonight with Yeoni, Jennie, Irene, Taeyeon, Minsoo, Seungyeon and Dara at a bar somewhere. I hoped they would come up with something, something that would keep everyone safe… Something that would keep my Tzuyu safe.

“Ah… Here we are, Son-nim! One chicken porridge, one fish porridge, and one kimchi porridge to go!”

I looked up, finding Sangwoo returning to my table with a big bag filled with our orders. I smiled and went to the cashier to pay. Should I introduce myself? Maybe I should. My girlfriend and the girl he was getting closer with were a couple. It was only natural that Sangwoo and I got to know each other.

“Sangwoo-ssi,” I said.

“Yes? E–Eh… Hold on… How did you know my name?” he asked, sounding confused. I chuckled.

“I’m friends with Nayeon. She’s currently staying at Tzuyu’s place nearby. I’m buying this for them,” I said, lifting the bag. Sangwoo’s eyes widened.

“O–Oh! Oh wow… Wow. Yeah. Wow. Small world…” he said awkwardly, his cheeks blushing a little. “I–I’m… I’m sorry, but… Are you… Nayeon’s…?”

I knew what he wanted to ask. He wanted to know my relationship with the two girls… With Nayeon, to be precise. I guessed he did like Nayeon too. I smiled.

“I’m just her friend, Sangwoo-ssi. I’m… Tzuyu’s boyfriend,” I said. “My name’s Nam Chuyoung.”

Sangwoo’s mouth gaped open, and he quickly stood up to bow to me. I chuckled. I liked this boy.

“A–Ah… Nice meeting you, Chuyoung-ssi!” Sangwoo exclaimed.

“Nice meeting you too, Sangwoo-ssi!” I said, smiling happily. “Hey, good luck with Nabong!”

Sangwoo blushed as red as a tomato in an instant. He jittered awkwardly in his place, trying and failing to find a suitable reply to my comment. I smiled and waved at him, turning the door handle open. I took a step outside, but then I stopped and looked at him.

“Sangwoo-ssi…” I called him again.

“Y–Yes, Chuyoung-ssi?” he stuttered.

I stared at him. He seemed like a decent man. A kind man. A good man. Inexplicably… I felt compelled to say this.

“Take care of Nabong… And… Tzuyu too,” I said.

“E–Eh?”

I didn’t wait for his reply. I walked out of the restaurant and climbed the stairs down, walking up back towards Tzuyu’s apartment. That was… Strange. Why did I say that to him?

Shrugging, I took out my phone and opened my Spotify. My earphone was still in my ears, so I pressed play on my personal playlist. The song ‘Butterfly’ played. Hmm… Come to think about it… Tonight had been a little strange. The song that I chose in the noraebang… And those words to Sangwoo. What was happening?

I reached the apartment and went to the private lift lobby. I swiped Tzuyu’s card on the reader inside the lift, and I hummed the tune of ‘Butterfly’ as I waited. The lift reached the penthouse floor, the door slid open, and I walked out…

Finding the front door gaping open.

“Hm? Did I forget to close it when I left?” I muttered to myself.

I walked across the lobby a little quicker, but as I stepped between the walkways to the private pool and the gym, my shoes stepped on something. I looked down…

Glass shards.

“What…”

I looked up, and found that one panel of the skylight windows was broken. I was immediately alarmed.

Something was wrong.

“Tzu? Nabong?”

[lsmu]

Stardust's Official Playlist on Spotify

A collection of chill lo-fi music, selected by Stardust Bar's owner and bartender Rachel, from Book 3 Part 2 – Intermission: Stardust.

[lsmu]

Book 3 part 2 Intermission Chapter Special Edition Cover

Featuring Indonesian model, streamer, and ex-idol Rachel Florencia as Stardust's Rachel. We'll see Rachel more in Phase Two!

[lsmu]

Book 3 Part 2 – Intermission: Stardust

*“Here’s your umeshu, Sandara-ssi.”

I nodded to thank the young female bartender, who smiled and walked away. I took a swig out of my umeshu glass. The sweet and sour taste was just nice, and this bar’s environment felt invigorating after my long and tiring day of shooting my TV show.

I took a long drag out of my cigarette and puffed out a cloud of smoke into the air as I rested my back on the barstool, lifting my eyes to stare at the ceilings. My eyes caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall. It was 8.35 pm.

This week… Was weird. Everything seemed back to normal, everyone seemed busy with their own businesses.

Blackpink continued enjoying their leisure time in their 18-months long hiatus. Lisa and Rosé were announced as the new muses for a luxury fashion brand, Jennie shot another sexy photoshoot for Calvin Klein… And Yeoni was back managing his studio in Gangnam.

Sana told me that Mina was recovering well in the hospital, and Prof. Yoojin said she could be discharged soon, probably next week or the week after. Other than that, the Twice girls were back in training, preparing for their next comeback, with Minsoo faithfully doing his job magnificently as their manager. I heard Yori had just secured a new security contracting deal with a private company, while Chuyoung found a new job in an insurance company. I wished that guy well… He deserved it.

The older idols were busy with their own ventures. Sunny with her boutique, Seohyun and Sooyoung with their dramas and movies, and Taeyeon was busy taking care of her family and writing new songs. Seungyeon started to get busier nowadays, with the new Care Centre’s construction beginning in early February. I heard Suzy went off to Busan to shoot her next drama, while IU was busy writing her next album.

I took another swig out of my umeshu glass. I sighed. Like I said, everything seemed normal… But I knew nothing was.

Ansel’s dead. Manse sent his body in a bodybag to the IPG HQ the night after the murder, and Seungyeon’s team did a great job to quickly bury him properly in a nearby cemetery. Sana told me that Mina was surprisingly calm when she learned that her boyfriend had passed away, accepting it as fate, only asking Sana and Momo to accompany her to visit his grave after she was discharged. Mina was such a tough woman. I wasn’t sure I would be able to cope with it if the same thing happened to me.

Other than that, the IPG was pretty much disbanded. No one had visited the HQ for the past six days, ever since that fiasco at Red Velvet’s dorm. I heard from Wendy that Yeri returned to the dorm the day after the incident, but when they asked her about Hyejin, she simply avoided the topic.

I sighed. Hyejin… She looked so heartbroken that afternoon. It was understandable. I would have been as sad, angry, and heartbroken as she was if I was her. She thought her father was dead sixteen years ago, and suddenly, she found not only that he was alive, but he turned out to be the biggest villain in K-pop history.

Then last week, she found out that her father’s initial motivation was simply to protect her, before driven to madness by Suzy’s insistence on him doing the exact same thing that killed his wife thirteen years prior, and then by her lies that blamed him for everything that happened. Suzy… Created the monster, and now…

“Shibal…” I muttered.

Now… All of us had to face the consequences. Us leaving the IPG and not talking about it these past six days didn’t erase the fact that Manse threatened all of us. He gave us a week to think and consider our position… And that week was almost gone. Tomorrow was the seventh day since his threat. Fuck. What was he planning to do?

I took another drag out of my cigarette and dusted the ashes on the ashtray in front of me. I looked up, staring at the magenta neon sign hanging by the door. It read ‘Stardust’, written in alphabet, hangul, and katakana. That’s the name of the bar.

I had been a regular in Stardust for a few years now, and I preferred this bar among other bars in Seoul for a few reasons. One, it was located in Jung-gu, so it was away from the buzzling Gangnam, Itaewon, or Myeongdong, where people would gawk and give me unwanted attention. Two, Stardust was a small bar, and it felt more intimate. Three, it had a huge selection of drinks from all around the world.

And lastly… I preferred Stardust simply because of the owner of this bar: That bartender who served me my umeshu earlier.

I turned to look at her. She was currently talking to another patron. The bartender’s name was Rachel–although I didn’t think that it was her real name. She told me she came from Japan, where her older brother was also running an izakaya in Kabuki-chō in Tokyo, and she did look Japanese, but I always suspected that she was of a mixed descent.

Rachel evidently was a polyglot, for I have heard her speaking Mandarin, Japanese, English (with an American accent), Indonesian, French, and Spanish to other patrons over the years, along with her fluent Korean whenever she spoke to me. I guessed these facts about her contributed to how I always found her incredibly charming.

Other than that… She was much younger than I was, probably still in her late 20s or early 30s, but I felt like we connected well. These last couple of years, ever since that Yeoni-Jisoo scandal back in 2026, my visits to Stardust have become more frequent. I’d spend hours in this bar, drinking my umeshu, smoking, and talking with her. She had been a great company to me.

Rachel was really cute, yet I could tell that she had a fierce side in her. You needed to have it to run such a business anyway. As for me… I was always a sucker for fierce yet cute looking girls. Her sharp eyes, her short hair… She reminded me a little bit of Lee Saerom from Fromis_9, but… Other than that… Her attitude reminded me of someone closer to my heart. A lot closer.

I flipped open my phone, staring at the one contact number I had been mulling over whether or not to contact for the entirety of this week. I still had no courage to do it… And time was running out.

“Chaerin-ah…” I whispered.

I understood why CL joined Manse instead of the IPG. She wouldn’t stand for a lie, not when she knew the truth. She was always so practical, and she was nothing short of a rebel, even when we were still in 2NE1 together. Her zeal, her passion… I always admired her…. I always loved her.

Should I call her? I heard her begging for Ansel’s life before Manse killed him, and the way she spoke to Ansel before Manse came… That was the CL I knew. She was fierce and ruthless, yes, but… I knew she was always compassionate. She was not an evil person. She was not a heartless person.

I hovered my thumb above the call button on my phone. Could I turn her back? She didn’t witness Manse killing Ansel, but she knew it. She saw Ansel’s lifeless body afterwards. Would the horror she experienced be enough to turn her back to our side? Would she help me?

“Another round of umeshu, Sandara-ssi?”

I looked up, finding the short-haired female bartender smiling at me. I realised that my umeshu glass was almost empty, but I shook my head and smiled.

“Probably later. I’m still waiting for my friends,” I said. Rachel smirked.

“You know… That’s a first,” she uttered.

“Huh?”

“You... Bringing friends here,” she said, smirking more. “You’re usually kinda lonely.”

She was right. I was usually alone here, and I had never brought anyone else here with me. But… That didn’t mean I was lonely! One of the reasons I came here alone was so that I could enjoy Rachel’s intoxicating smirk. That smirk… She was hot. I chuckled.

“Well… We needed a place to meet that’s discreet and away from the crowds… So… I suggested your bar,” I said. Rachel chuckled.

“I know, I know… I’ve prepared the VIP room as per your request,” she said.

“Thanks, Rachel,” I said. She smiled and nodded, picking up a napkin to wipe a glass clean.

I let my eyes lingered at her shapely body for a while before taking another sip out of my umeshu. I placed the glass back on the table, and at that moment I noticed a familiar singing voice through the bar’s sound system.

“Hm? Isn’t this…” I mused. Rachel chuckled.

“Twice Jihyo’s voice. You’re right,” she said. I raised an eyebrow.

“Eh? That’s strange… You usually put on nice lo-fi music in here,” I said. Rachel smirked again.

“But this particular song… It’s fitting, isn’t it?” she said, not looking up from her glass.

I blinked my eyes a few times in confusion, but then… I understood her. The song was called ‘Stardust Love Song’, a drama soundtrack Jihyo sang back in 2022. It was indeed fitting, considering the name of the bar.

“Yeah… You’re right,” I chuckled. Rachel smirked again before walking towards me.

“Dara-ssi, what do you think of the music here?” she suddenly asked.

“Hm? It’s always nice. I love lo-fi music,” I said honestly. Rachel nodded.

“I’ve been… Updating the bar’s playlist on Spotify with some new songs, including this song you’re currently listening to. Check this out,” she said happily.

She whipped out her phone, showing me her Spotify playlist. I smiled.

“I’ll follow your playlist,” I said, doing exactly that on my phone. Rachel chuckled.

“Thanks, Dara-ssi… Now you can bring Stardust’s vibe wherever you go,” she said. I chuckled.

“It won’t be the same without you…” I blurted under my breath.

Rachel acted like she didn’t hear my words, going back to wiping a glass, but I could see that her ears and cheeks were turning red a little. I bit my lips. These constant flirtations between us… It had been going on for a few months. Should I… Maybe ask her out sometime?

“Dara-ssi…” Rachel suddenly called me.

“E–Eh? Yes?” I stuttered.

Rachel chuckled and gestured to someone behind me.

“I think one of your friends is here,” she informed me.

I turned around, finding a cute, squirrel-like girl grinning and waving at me.

“Seungyeon!” I exclaimed, standing up and giving the Care Team Head a hug.

Seungyeon giggled and hugged back, before joining me by the bar. Rachel brought a bowl of peanuts, placing it in front of her new patron.

“Fancy any drink, Han Seungyeon-ssi?” she asked. Seungyeon gasped.

“Oh? You know me?” she asked, sounding surprised. Rachel chuckled.

“Of course! You know, my brother was and still is a huge KARA fan, and although I was still a little girl back then, I could never forget you and KARA doing that… Dance,” she said.

Rachel turned around and started wiggling her cute, plump butt left and right in a rhythm while singing the intro to ‘Mister’, KARA’s hit song from back in 2009.

“Lalala lalala… Lalala lalala… Lalala lalala… One, two, three, four, five, six… Coming!” she sang.

Seungyeon laughed out loud and clapped her hands, earning a bow from Rachel. I laughed and joined her in clapping too. Seriously! This bartender girl was something else!

“Ya! Stop flirting at my friend!” I scolded her jokingly. Rachel laughed.

“Jealous, Dara-ssi?” she asked, rather seductively.

I felt my face blushing. Rachel saw this, and she giggled. Seungyeon giggled too.

“From the way you blush… I think you are kinda jealous, Unnie,” she said.

“Y–Ya!” I scolded her.

Seungyeon giggled cutely again before turning to see the collection of bottles behind Rachel. She took a few moments studying the bottles, and then her eyes lit up as she saw the one that she wanted.

“I’ll take that Ballantine 30 years that you have. Double shots, on the rocks,” ordered Seungyeon. Rachel’s eyes widened.

“Oh wow… You do know your drinks, Seungyeon-ssi!” she praised her. Seungyeon giggled.

“Kamsahamnida, Bartender-nim!” she chirped cutely. Rachel smirked her hot smirk again.

“Oh please, call me Rachel,” she said. I scowled at her.

“Flirting again,” I said.

“Jealous again,” Rachel replied without missing a beat.

I sighed exasperatedly. Seungyeon laughed out loud, clapping my shoulder. Rachel giggled, before bowing and walking away. I smiled as I watched her from behind. Did I mention that she’s got a cute butt too? And that skin-hugging black leather pants she was wearing further enhanced her round, plump butt.

“You like her, don’t you?” Seungyeon remarked. I chuckled and sighed.

“Ah… She’s too young… And I don’t even know if she’s into girls,” I said in a lower voice.

“Well… You’ll never know unless you try,” she said casually.

I stared at the ex-KARA member. She was right. I’ll never know unless I try. Probably the same thing would apply to CL too… I should really try to call her, shouldn’t I?

“How’s your week?” I decided to ask Seungyeon. She sighed and stretched her back.

“Ah… It’s been tiring. Luckily Naeun and Uee agreed to help me with the Care Centre. So… I think the preparations are going well,” she said, mentioning two other former idols from Apink and After School respectively. “What about you?”

“Same old… TV shows… Radio shows… The lot,” I said, shrugging.

Seungyeon chuckled.

“Funny, isn’t it?” she mused.

“What is?” I asked.

“... We… Us, older idols… The IPG used to take up a lot of our time, since our schedule is not as busy as it used to, or as busy compared to the younger idols. And this week… Suddenly…” she uttered.

“... Empty,” I completed her sentence.

Seungyeon nodded and smiled. Rachel came back with Seungyeon’s whiskey, and she left us again. Seungyeon raised her glass and looked at me. I raised mine and clinked it with hers, and we both drank.

“You know…” Seungyeon mused, grimacing a little to negate the alcohol’s burn in her throat.. “... When the construction of the Care Centre begins… I don’t think I’ll have much time to look after the Care Team anymore. Not as much as I used to, at least...”

I chuckled.

“If there is still a Care Team after all this… Or an IPG, for that matter,” I uttered. Seungyeon nodded.

“Yeah…” she uttered. “Suzy fucked up, didn’t she?”

“Big time…” I agreed.

Seungyeon chuckled ironically.

“But… Let’s say there still is. Let’s say we prevailed, and Sana became the head, replacing Suzy,” said Seungyeon positively. I laughed. She was always positive.

“She’s already the head, for all I’m concerned,” I said. Seungyeon nodded.

“Yeah. Suppose we continue to operate… Who do you think would be the leaders?” Seungyeon asked.

I thought for a moment before answering.

“Hmm… Irene should continue as the Strike Force Head, at least until Taengoo delivers her baby,” I said. Seungyeon nodded.

“What about my team?” she asked.

“Jisoo?” I blurted the first name that came into my head without thinking.

Seungyeon smiled.

“I have the same thought,” she said calmly.

“But she’s pregnant too… And oh gosh her belly is huge! How far along is she? Four months? Five months? Is it supposed to be that big?” I asked.

“Five. But she’s carrying twins, and they’re twin boys, right? Boys tend to be bigger,” Seungyeon giggled.

“Jinja?” I asked. Seungyeon nodded.

“Mm! Remember how big my belly was when I was pregnant with Haneul?” she said, mentioning her son’s name.

She was right. Her belly was indeed kinda big back then. I sighed.

“Belly size aside… If not Jisoo… Then who? Nabong? Sunny?” I asked.

Seungyeon shook her head.

“No. I’ll still pick Jisoo. She’s perfect. She’s the most caring, and her heart is like an angel. I don’t think her pregnancy would be a problem. We’re not kicking and punching like Taengoo’s team, right?” she said. I nodded.

“Yeah… You’re right…” I agreed.

We took another sip of our glasses.

“IU needs replacing too…” Seungyeon said. I nodded.

“That’s a huge loss. She’s the best… Not one of us is even near her skills as a hacker,” I said.

Seungyeon stared into her glass, turning the ice cubes inside it absentmindedly.

“... Except for Hyejin,” she mused.

I nodded silently. She was right. Other than IU and Sabito, Hyejin was the one who was the most skillful out of us. But… She was missing, and even if we could contact her… I didn’t think she would want to have anything to do with the IPG any longer.

“Still no word from Hyejin?” Seungyeon asked, reading my mind. I shook my head.

“No… And Yeri… Hasn’t been much of a help either,” I uttered. Seungyeon sighed.

“She’s protecting her girlfriend… I can understand that,” she said. I nodded.

“Me too, Seungyeon. Me too… I’ll do the same if I were her,” I said.

“Yeah…”

We drank again. The buzz was starting to get into my head now. Fuck. We were stuck in a rut.

“Dara-unnie! Seungyeon-unnie!”

I turned around, finding Sana, Yeoni, Irene, Taeyeon and Jennie walking towards me. Minsoo was here too, something I didn’t expect, but I guessed Sana might have asked her manager to tag along. Seungyeon and I smiled and stood up, before turning to look at Rachel the bartender.

“Rachel, my friends are here. We’re moving to the room,” I informed her. Rachel nodded.

“Noted! You know the way, Sandara-ssi!” she chirped.

I did know my way. I waved at Rachel and gestured for the guys to follow me. I led them to the private room that Rachel mentioned earlier, and we took our seats on the sofa. Rachel came shortly after.

“Drinks for you?” she asked, then she looked at Sana and smiled, before saying, “Minatozaki-sama, nanika o nomimono wa ikaga desu ka?”

Sana gasped loudly.

“Nihonjin desu ka?” Sana asked, guessing correctly. Rachel chuckled and nodded.

“Hai!” she exclaimed, before switching back to Korean, “I’m Japanese. Just like you!”

“Woah… Nice to meet a fellow Japanese person here!” Sana said cheerfully.

Rachel smirked and bowed respectfully, before straightening herself up and lifting her notepad back up again. Sana chuckled.

“You know what… You make me crave a Japanese drink,” said Sana, smiling cutely. “Highball, then!”

“Certainly,” said Rachel, jotting down on her notepad before turning toward the others.

“Umm… Just… Beer for me,” said Minsoo. “Cass.”

Yeoni laughed.

“Come on, Minsoo-ya. We’re practically in a Japanese bar here! We should order some Japanese beer!” he said happily, turning to the bartender, “Sapporo for me!”

Minsoo chuckled sheepishly.

“A–Ah yes… Then… I’ll have the same,” he said.

Rachel nodded and smiled. Yeoni turned to his two girlfriends.

“Jen, Irene?” he asked.

“What are you having, Unnie?” Jennie asked me.

“Umeshu. Choya. It’s good!” I said, raising my glass. Jennie chuckled.

“Then I’ll have the same,” she said.

“Tea for Irene and I, please,” said Taeyeon, looking at the Red Velvet leader.

Yeoni chuckled and flung his arm around Irene’s shoulders. Somehow, Irene blushed.

“Still on your alcohol detox?” he asked.

“Y–Yes…” she uttered shyly.

Hm? That’s weird.

“Alright. I’ll be back in a minute,” said Rachel, jotting down their orders in her notepad before leaving the room.

As soon as she disappeared from view, we all turned to look at Sana. She sighed and rested her back on the sofa.

“Let’s wait for the bartender to bring in our drinks… So we don’t get distracted,” she said calmly.

“Ya, the bartender’s kinda cute, don’t you think?” Jennie remarked naughtily.

“Oh don’t bother, Jen. She belongs to Dara-unnie,” said Seungyeon.

“Ya!” I scolded her.

Everyone gasped and laughed, and I joined them in laughter. We would usually talk like this in the HQ, but being here in Stardust was a nice change of scenery, I guessed. A few minutes later, Rachel came back with our drinks, and after we thanked her, she left.

“Right… Where were we…” Sana started.

“We haven’t even started, Sha,” said Taeyeon. Sana laughed her iconic laugh.

“You’re right… Ah well…I’ve got a few things I wanted to say,” Sana said.

Everyone started straightening our backs, listening more intently to the new IPG head. She took a sip out of her highball and smacked her lips, before speaking.

“First… I’m sorry for storming out like that the last time. I was simply too hurt and too disappointed… At Suzy-unnie and IU-unnie, but mostly at myself, for trusting them blindly over the years,” Sana started.

“We all did, Sha. You shouldn’t blame yourself,” said Irene. Sana smiled and nodded.

“I know… But I was her consigliere. I supported her, I was willing to do anything for her because I thought she was the one who saved me from the corrupt bosses,” Sana said calmly.

I nodded. That was the same thought we all had.

“Still… At least we managed to find out the truth. And… After talking with Mina and Jeongie… I realised that there is still so much good we can do with the IPG. Suzy-unnie might have used the IPG to protect her past, but now it is up to us to use all the resources that BoA-unnie had invested in us to do good. To protect each other, to protect the younger idols. Don’t you all agree?” Sana asked.

We all nodded and smiled.

“So… I went to talk with BoA-unnie yesterday in her coffee shop. She agreed that we need to freshen things up a bit. Hence, starting in February I’m going to talk to the Itzy girls, see if they’re interested in joining us,” Sana said.

“Yay! That’s nice! They’ll be a nice addition to the team!” Jennie exclaimed. We chuckled. Her excitement was contagious. Sana nodded.

“Yeah… And… Since we’re heading more and more towards the metaverse, with the Kwangya platform launching and all that… We’d definitely need members who are more accustomed to this… New world. We might need Taengoo-unnie and Irene-unnie’s help to talk to the aespa girls,” Sana said, turning to look at the two SM ladies.

Taeyeon and Irene smiled and nodded.

“I’ll talk to Karina and Winter. We’re having a GOT comeback soon, so we’ll meet more regularly,” Taeyeon said.

“Giselle and Ningning go to the same pilates studio with me, so I can speak to them there,” said Irene.

“Thank you, Unnie-deul,” Sana said.

Minsoo raised his hand.

“Yes, Minsoo?” asked Sana.

“Umm… Sha, you… Met with the Daepyonim yesterday. Did you tell her about what we learned from Ansel the other day?” Minsoo asked. Sana smiled.

“I’m just getting there… Right. I told her everything,” she said.

“What did she say?” asked Yeoni. Sana pursed her lips.

“Well… She… She kinda expected it, so she wasn’t that surprised. She was sad for her friend…” Sana mused.

We all sat silently. It was clear that Manse and BoA shared a mutual respect for one another. He even still considered her a friend. But still…

“Sha… What about his threat? I know we’ve all distanced ourselves from Suzy and IU, and we are not ‘standing by her side’ per se, as what Manse said… But… He doesn’t know that, right?” I said. Irene nodded.

“Us not doing anything… Not joining him… He would consider us still on Suzy’s side,” she said.

“You don’t think… Y–You don’t think any of us would actually join him, right, Sha?” asked Jennie.

Sana shook her head quickly, but she looked glum.

“No… I don’t think so. Suzy did create the monster, but Manse still did everything he did ever since. He still hurted us, abused us. He was still a villain. I don’t think any of us idols would want to join him,” Sana said.

“S–Sha…”

We all turned to look at Minsoo. His face was full of dread.

“Sha, do you think… M–Maybe… Hyejin?” he asked cautiously.

Sana stared at her manager for a while. Honestly, I had the same fear. What if Hyejin decided to join her father’s side? He would have Hyejin’s skills as a hacker, and he could become unstoppable. Shit. This was bad.

“I… Don’t think so,” uttered Irene.

We turned to look at her. She was frowning, staring at her teacup.

“I… I know Hyejin. Out of all of us here, I’m the one closest to her, although I can’t compare myself to Yeri or Joy. They’re the ones closest to her. But… At least from what I know… She won’t join him,” Irene said.

“Why not?” asked Yeoni. Irene looked at her boyfriend.

“It’s… She has this huge sense of justice and righteousness within her. After all, she’s a police officer… And what her father did… It was wrong. He was a victim, yes, but… Still, it was wrong,” Irene said confidently.

I hoped she was right. I really did. But… Hyejin’s look, the way she pulled a gun on Suzy after she heard the truth… That was a look of pain, of bitterness. She felt betrayed.

“I… Hope you’re right, Irene,” I muttered. Everyone nodded solemnly.

“Still… We must do something. What did BoA-unnie say?” asked Taeyeon after a while.

Sana took another sip of her highball. She then looked at all of us.

“She… Well she told me two things. One, we need to know where each of us are at all times, at least for these two days while we wait for Manse’s action. That’s why I’m gathering all of you here tonight. You’re all either the leaders of your division, or the representative of each idol group, and I know you all know where your members are naturally,” she said.

“The manager must know,” Yeoni said, pointing at Minsoo, who smiled.

“Yep. Minsoo knows exactly where every Twice member is right now, right Minsoo?” Sana asked proudly. Minsoo nodded.

“Absolutely. Tomorrow’s our free day, so everyone’s enjoying themselves tonight. Jihyo is in our apartment, Dahyun is with Jeongyeon in Sana’s apartment, Momo, Chaeng and Yori are in the hospital with Mina, Nayeon is meeting someone in that porridge shop in Myeongdong, Chuyoung and Tzuyu are having a date at Itaewon,” Minsoo listed down quickly.

We all stared at him with gaping mouths. Minsoo looked at us confusedly for a moment, before starting to blush.

“W–What?” he stuttered.

“Woahh… Minsoo! That was epic!” said Seungyeon. Minsoo blushed even redder.

“A–Ah… It was… Nothing, S–Sunbae…” he said sheepishly, making us laugh.

“Fuck… Do we even know where our members are right now?” asked Jennie, starting to think.

“Noona’s at home, as usual. Rosie’s doing her commercial shoot in Gangnam, Lisa’s at her place… Probably watching porn while drinking some smuggled Thai beer,” said Yeoni calmly.

We all gasped.

“How did you know that?” exclaimed Taeyeon. Yeoni shrugged.

“I’m the Blackpink Boyfriend, remember?” he said smugly. Jennie laughed while Irene tsked, both slapping Yeoni’s head.

“Ya!” Yeoni protested, clutching his head. Irene glared at him.

“Stop being so smug!” she scolded him.

“S–Sorry…” Yeoni uttered, making us laugh.

We all turned to Irene and Taeyeon, expecting them to continue. Taeyeon sighed.

“My girls are all with their families… Except for Sunny, who’s having a late-night fitting appointment with Eunbi and Cheng Xiao…” Taeyeon started, but a naughty giggle escaped Jennie’s mouth.

“Woah… That’s a huge fitting appointment she’s having right now!” she sniggered meaningfully.

Her comment made us burst out in laughter, except for Minsoo, who was looking left and right confusedly. Taeyeon slapped Jennie’s shoulder loudly.

“Fuck you, Jen! I almost spit out my drink!” she cursed, grinning wide.

“I was right, wasn’t I?” Jennie defended herself, giggling profusely, before turning to look at her boyfriend, “Don’t you agree, Daddy?”

Yeoni was blushing red.

“I–I… Y–Yeah? I g–guess?” he stuttered, clearly feeling embarrassed talking about Eunbi, Cheng Xiao, and Sunny’s absolutely huge assets. Irene pouted.

“Namja…” she muttered, although I could see her cute smile.

“Alright, alright… So Sunny’s doing her huge fitting appointment, and Yoona’s in America shooting her next film,” Taeyeon completed her words.

Our attention turned to Irene, who sipped her tea elegantly before speaking.

“Seulgi’s helping Wendy to start preparing for her wedding with Pastor Nathan this summer, Joy is with Crush, and Yeri… Well… Yeri’s with Hyejin now, wherever she is,” Irene said slowly.

“She never told you guys where she is?” Jennie asked. Irene shook her head.

“No… I’ve tried asking Yeri, but she only said Hyejin needs more time and space… So… I guess there’s nothing I can do,” said Irene.

We all nodded. Taeyeon looked up at Sana.

“Sha… Any idea on how to find out what exactly Manse is planning to do as a retribution against Suzy?” she asked. Sana nodded.

“That’s… Number two,” she said.

“What’s number two?” asked Seungyeon.

Sana cleared her throat.

“Number two…” she uttered, then she looked at me. “... For number two, I need Dara-unnie’s help.”

“Eh?” I asked. Sana nodded.

“Yeah… I… I need you to… Find a way to contact CL-sunbaenim tonight,” Sana said.

My eyes widened. That was exactly the thing I was mulling over for the past couple of days, and now she asked me to actually do it. Seungyeon noticed my reluctance.

“Can we… Can you… Do it, Unnie?” she asked.

I stared at her, and then at the rest, before looking directly at Sana. She smiled and reached across to hold my hands.

“Unnie… We all heard how CL-sunbaenim sounded when she talked to Ansel. Like I told you in the hospital that night… I don’t think she’s beyond redemption. I think she can help us. If you can contact her, and ask her to tell us what Manse is planning to do… Then… Then maybe we’ll have a chance,” she said.

Sana stared directly into my eyes. I met her gaze, but I bit my lips worriedly.

“I’m… I’ve been thinking of doing it too. But… I don’t know if she’ll pick up, Sha,” I said honestly.

Sana nodded. I knew she understood me. But… Still, her gaze was firm.

“We… Have to try, Unnie. We don’t know what he’s planning to do… My bet is on him releasing another scandalous article about one of us, but… We can’t be sure. We need to find out, so that we can plan our defensive strategies accordingly,” Sana said. I nodded.

“I understand completely, Sha… B–But… I…”

I felt a tiny hand reaching my shoulder. I turned, finding Seungyeon smiling at me.

“Unnie… Like what I said earlier…” she uttered. “You’ll never know unless you try.”

Her words sounded true. It was the confidence I needed. Slowly, I nodded my head.

“I’ll never know unless I try,” I echoed.

Seungyeon smiled cutely and nodded. I turned to look at the IPG head, and I smiled.

“Okay. I’ll try contacting her tonight. I’ll let you know as soon as possible,” I said.

Sana smiled and nodded. She released my hands, and went back to her drink, raising the tall glass to the air.

“Well… A toast, I guess? For our safety, and for the future of the IPG,” she said.

“For the new head of IPG?” Taeyeon proposed. Sana giggled.

“Still not official, Unnie,” she dodged the question. We chuckled.

“You’ll do well, Sha…” said Seungyeon, raising her glass.

Everyone followed her example, raising our glasses together.

“To our safety, to the future of the IPG, and to Sana!” exclaimed Jennie.

“Ganbeh!” we all exclaimed.

We clinked our glasses, and we drink. We stayed in Stardust for a long time after that, drinking, talking and joking with each other, enjoying our little reunion after a week of not seeing each other. Rachel came to the room once in a while to bring us more drinks and some light bites, before eventually joining us to drink.

At around 10, everyone started leaving, wishing everyone safety. Seungyeon left the last with me, but not before tipping Rachel generously and whispering something inside her ear that made her blush a little while stealing a glance at me. I slapped Seungyeon’s butt as I walked her to the door, making her cackle.

“What did you say to her?” I asked her. Seungyeon sniggered.

“Oh, you’ll see… Take your chance on her, Unnie!” she exclaimed.

“Ya…” I sighed exasperatedly. Seungyeon cackled again and turned to the bar.

“Bye, Rachel! See you around!” Seungyeon exclaimed.

“Bye, Seungyeon-ssi!” Rachel said, before winking at me. “Bye, Dara-ssi!”

I chuckled and walked out with Seungyeon. She waved me goodbye before walking to her Tesla, and I watched the cute girl drive away while smiling. I sighed and walked to my car, entered it, and started driving away.

I reached home at around 10.30, and I took a quick, hot shower. I then opened my fridge to take a bottle of beer, before walking to the balcony to sit there.

I sat there quietly for a really long time, simply staring at the night sky, letting my mind wander off. The night was beautiful, the pale moon was shining bright. I took a cigarette and lit it up. I blew smoke out of my mouth… And finally, I took my cellphone into my hands.

I whipped open my cellphone, hovering my thumb on CL’s number for the umpteenth time this week. Seungyeon was right. I would never know unless I tried. I took a deep breath, collecting my confidence.

“Fuck… Please pick up, Chaerin…” I whispered, secretly begging her.

As I was just about to press the call button…

My phone rang.

It was CL.

“What… The fuck?” I uttered.

The phone kept ringing.

With trembling hands, I swiped the green button to the right, accepting the call.

“Y–Y–Yeoboseyo?” I stuttered.

“Unnie. Unnie, listen. I don’t have much time, and I’m sorry I can only call you now, but… Listen carefully, okay?”

CL was whispering. It was like she was talking secretly. Wait…

“C–Chaerin? W–What is it? Where are you?” I stammered.

“Listen… Tonight, at mid–g–t…” she started, but her voice was breaking up.

“What? I can’t hear you, Chaerin! You’re breaking up!” I said a little louder.

“T–ight. M–ight! Unnie! M–d–t!”

What the fuck was she trying to say?

“Say it again, Chaerin! What is it?” I exclaimed.

“M–dnight! Dara-unnie! Midnight!”

Midnight?

“W–What? Midnight? What about it?” I asked. “Chaerin… Where are you? Are you alright?”

Static. CL’s voice kept breaking up. Shit. This wasn’t good!

���Chaerin! Can you hear me?” I asked, practically yelling now.

CL took a deep breath before continuing her whisper.

“Unnie. Tonight, at midnight, Manse’s going to––”

Silence followed. Huh?

I looked at my phone. An empty battery icon flashed on the black screen. My phone had just run out of battery!

“FUCK!” I cursed.

I panicked. I rushed inside, and looked at the clock on the wall. It was past 11 pm. Midnight was less than an hour away. What should I do now? What would happen at midnight?

[lsmu]

Book 3 Part 2 – Chapter 29: Lies

“Choose wisely… And… Suzy…”

A pause. Everyone’s eyes were on the IPG leader. Her body shook as tears flooded from her eyes. She stared at the living room table, her expression a mixture of fear and guilt.

“You know Ansel’s blood is in your hands,” Manse said.

Ruffling sounds came from the speaker. I heard heavy breathing. That must be Ansel’s. My heart was beating faster inside my heart. I felt Jennie’s hand trembling in my hand.

“For what it’s worth, Ansel-san… I really am sorry for what happened to the beautiful Miss Sharon. She shouldn’t have gone through any of that… And I wish her a speedy recovery,” Manse said, his voice sounding far.

“... But… You shouldn’t have agreed to meet Sana in the first place. That was your only mistake, a mistake that will cost you dearly…” he said.

I heard the sound of a gun being cocked. I looked at the monitor, finding Ansel’s dot blinking on screen, inside what looked like a large room with several tables. My heart ached. I knew what was about to happen. It was inevitable.

“Good bye, Ansel-san. It’s been a pleasure working with you. You were a warrior, a brave fighter,” Manse uttered.

More heavy breathings. Suddenly, I heard Ansel’s voice. His voice sounded weak, it was trembling, like he was in pain. But… I noticed the tone… The tone was… Peaceful.

“Sayonara… Minari… Ai… Aishiteru…”

BANG.

Everyone in the room jolted and gasped, horrified and shocked by what we had just heard. It was the sound of a gunshot.

The speaker went into static. The dot on the screen disappeared. Beside me, Sana and Momo crumpled to the floor, their bodies shaking. They were sobbing bitterly.

My mind went numb.

It happened.

Ansel Jackson… Sana and Momo’s friend… Mina’s boyfriend…

Ansel was dead.

Park Manse killed him.

The silence that fell in Red Velvet’s living room was deafening. Everyone froze in their places, everyone pale as paper. The only sound filling the room was Sana and Momo’s desperate sobs, and their sobs sounded lonely and sorrowful… It was the most heartbreaking sound I had ever heard in a long, long time.

I felt a sting in my hand, and I looked to my side. Jennie’s sharp fingernails had buried themselves into my flesh. I gently took Jennie’s hand off mine, and she jolted, realising what she had just done. She looked at me to apologise with her teary eyes, but I shook my head. I understood. I was stunned too.

I looked up, finding Dara, Lisa, Rosé, Taeyeon, Hyejin, IU, and the Red Velvet members all stunned, too stunned to speak or even move a muscle. Everyone’s eyes were red and filled with tears. Slowly, I turned my head, and I looked at the disgraced IPG leader.

Suzy was shuddering in between Seulgi and Joy. The two Strike Force members didn’t point their guns at Suzy anymore, both staring at the table blankly, but Suzy didn’t need to be restrained. She looked so frail, she looked pale. It looked like she had lost all her will to live.

“I–Is it… T–True?”

Hyejin broke the silence. We all looked at her. Her beautiful face was smeared with tears, not unlike the others’, but unlike ours… Her tears weren’t tears of shock and sadness for Ansel’s passing. Hers… Were tears of hatred.

She glared directly at Suzy. Her eyes were bloodshot, burning. I could almost see the flames of anger around her, and it made everyone around the petite detective shrunk in fear. I turned to look at Suzy, who was still staring blankly at the table, as if not hearing Hyejin’s words.

“B–Bae… S–Suzy… Answer me… I–Is it… T–True?” Hyejin stuttered.

Suzy kept staring at the table, as if she had lost her hearing. Hyejin’s hands clenched into fists.

“Answer… M–Me…” Hyejin repeated, sounding menacing, her body shaking.

Taeyeon tried to reach for the detective’s shoulders, but she stopped short just before she touched her, as if her hands were about to touch something that was burning hot. She looked at Irene helplessly, who shook her head. Together, the two Strike Force leaders looked at IU instead, looking for answers.

The Spymaster’s face was fixed on the floor. Her petite body trembled, and I knew she felt the gaze of the two SM Entertainment ladies, but she didn’t dare to lift her face. As much as Suzy, she was overcome with guilt and shame. She played a part in this too.

“ANSWER ME!” Hyejin screamed.

Suzy jolted, as if that was the first time she was hearing Hyejin’s words. She looked at Manse’s daughter, and I could see the remorse in her eyes.

“H–Hyejin-ie–” Suzy whispered.

“Just… Answer me… Is it… True? Is it… All… True?” Hyejin stammered.

Suzy didn’t reply, so Hyejin continued.

“S–So it was… Y–You? It… I–It wasn’t him… W–Who forced you. You were… Did you… D–Did you… Convince him… T–To do… To do it? And then… Y–You… L–Lied… Y–You… B–Blamed … Appa…”

‘Appa’. Hyejin addressed Manse as Appa for the first time. Even after knowing that he was her father, she never addressed Park Manse as her ‘Appa’ before. Suzy rocked uncomfortably on the sofa, her eyes darting left and right, as if trying to look for a way out. Finding none, she looked at Hyejin apologetically.

“I–I… I didn’t know… I–I… I… D–Didn’t know, Hyejin. I didn’t know… That you were… T–The one who auditioned… I didn’t know that he was… He was… M–Moon Daesung…” Suzy whispered.

Hyejin continued glaring at Suzy. Her lips trembled as tears continued streaming down from her eyes, wetting her cheeks. Her knuckles were starting to turn white because she was clenching her fists so tightly.

“S–So… H–He was… R–Right… Then… Y–You… You are… A… Slut…” Hyejin hissed.

In a flash, Hyejin reached for her holster. She whipped out her gun, and pointed it at Suzy’s direction. Her thumb cocked the hammer, her trembling index finger slipped to the trigger. Everyone gasped and took a few steps back, lifting our palms panickedly. Hyejin was blinded by rage.

“Hyejin!” exclaimed Wendy. Hyejin didn’t care. She fixed her gaze on Suzy.

“W–Why… Why did you… H–Have to… Lie? Why did you… W–Why did you… T–Turn him into… A… M–Monster?” Hyejin demanded, her voice bitter, not louder than a whisper.

Suzy stared at Hyejin’s gun. Her expression was unreadable. Slowly, she rose from her seat, and shockingly, she walked slowly towards the control table, behind which Hyejin was standing with her gun trained at the IPG leader. When Suzy spoke, her voice was firm.

“Hyejin… I… Was carrying his child… Your… Sibling. And I lost the baby, because of him. He killed my baby. He broke my body. He–”

“SHUT UP! YOU TURNED MY APPA INTO A MONSTER! IT WAS YOU ALL ALONG!” screamed Hyejin, cutting Suzy off.

“I was young… I was foolish. I didn’t know better. My friends didn’t know better… IU, Hara, Sulli… And me. We didn’t know better. We were–” Suzy continued.

“SHUT UP!” Hyejin shrieked, her hands shaking so much the gun was starting to wobble.

“Hyejin…”

Suzy stopped right in front of Hyejin, right in front of her gun. It was inches away from Suzy’s chest, and although I knew Hyejin wasn’t a killer, I was afraid that she might accidentally pull the trigger and kill Suzy. Fuck. This was dangerous. I needed to do something, but what?

Suzy stared directly at Hyejin, and tears started flooding her eyes again. Hyejin’s eyes were filled with tears too. The two women stared at each other, one pointing a gun right in front of the other. Suzy’s lips trembled, and it was evident that she struggled to speak.

“I–I’m… Sorry… Hyejin… It was all… My mistake…” Suzy admitted.

Her words took Hyejin by surprise. Hyejin’s eyes widened. Suzy took a step forward.

“You’re right… I… What I did… Turn your father… The only man that I ever loved… Into a monster…”

She took another step forward.

“I deserve… Your hatred…”

Another step forward.

“For all my sins… I… I deserve to die…”

With that, she pressed her chest onto Hyejin’s gun. Suzy closed her eyes, accepting her fate. Hyejin’s hands trembled, her lips parted open and close, struggling to form words. She kept her gun pressed against Suzy’s chest. The angel and demon on her shoulders were having a tug of war over her conscience.

“Hyejin…”

Yeri stepped forward. Calmly, she reached for Hyejin’s hands, lowering the gun, away from Suzy’s chest. Feeling her girlfriend’s touch, Hyejin’s grip loosened. The gun clattered to the floor, and Hyejin slumped on her knees. Yeri embraced her tightly, and with that… The detective broke down in tears.

“You’re not a monster, Hyejin… You’re not her…” Yeri whispered.

Hyejin bawled on Yeri’s shoulders. She shrieked and screamed in sorrow and agony, breaking all of our hearts. Yeri brushed Hyejin’s short hair gently, calming her distraught girlfriend.

“It’s alright, Baby… It’s alright…” Yeri whispered.

Hyejin continued crying, clutching Yeri’s back tightly. Slowly, gently, Yeri stood up, pulling her girlfriend up together with her. Still embracing the shaking and sobbing Hyejin, Yeri looked up at Irene and Taeyeon–who both nodded–and then… The couple left the dorm.

I didn’t know what to do next, how to carry on after the horror that just unfolded before us. I heard ruffling from my side, and I saw Sana standing up, with Momo in her arms. Both were still crying, but they both stared at Suzy and IU.

“Goodbye, Unnie…” Sana whispered.

“S–Sha? W-Where are you going?” Suzy stuttered.

“Hospital… I need to tell Mina what happened. I need… To tell her that her boyfriend… Died a hero,” Sana explained.

With that, she looked at Irene, Taeyeon, the spy team members, and both Jennie and I. Sana smiled and nodded at me, before slowly walking to the front door with Momo. Suzy stepped towards Sana.

“Sana! W–Wait…” Suzy protested. “W–We need to plan on what to do next!”

This made Sana snap. She whipped around and glared at Suzy.

“Plan? PLAN?” she yelled, sounding absolutely terrifying.

Suzy took a step back, stunned by Sana’s sudden hostility. My best friend was shaking, her face red with rage.

“What more do you want from me? Huh? You humiliated me, degraded me in front of Yeoni-oppa back in 2026… My best friend is currently laying in a hospital bed… And her boyfriend–my old friend–was just shot dead minutes ago… All because… Of your lies,” Sana growled, her tone spelling in anger.

“All you had to do was tell PD-nim the truth. But you didn’t, and now Manse is the monster he is today. You did this, you created this problem. Everyone here… E–Everyone here… And Hyejin… We are all victims of your lies!” Sana screamed.

Sana chuckled ironically, shaking her head, before staring at Suzy again.

“And now you expect me to just regroup with you to discuss with you what you want to do next? Joesonghamida, Suzy… But I have better things to do than to just follow you around like an injured puppy, I’m done. I don’t want anything to do with this lie!” Sana yelled.

Suzy’s mouth opened, like she was about to launch a rebuttal, but Sana’s terrifying glare at her effectively silenced her.

“Shut up! His war is against you. It was your mistake… Deal with it yourself! I want no part of it. I want nothing to do with you or with your stupid agenda… I quit,” Sana hissed.

With that, she turned, and walked away with Momo, slamming the door behind her. Jennie tugged my hand, and I understood her. I looked at Irene, who nodded and walked around the table to join us, holding my other hand.

“Come on, let’s go…” she said.

“W–Wait… G–Guys!” Suzy stuttered panickedly.

No one was paying attention to her. One by one, the girls started picking up their guns, laptops, and bags. Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy were the first to walk out, followed by Dara, Lisa and Rosé. Taeyeon smiled sorrowfully and walked behind the others, and finally… Irene, Jennie, and I walked out too.

I threw a final glance at Suzy and IU before I closed the door behind me. They both froze in their places, staring helplessly as they watched the IPG disassembling. They looked broken, beaten. They looked utterly ashamed. Honestly… I felt pity for them.

Everything Suzy had built these past fourteen years, every façade she tried to build… Everything came crumbling down in an instant. She had lost the respect of her juniors, her fellow IPG members… Even her most loyal lieutenant Sana. Her secrets were thrown out in the open, and it disgusted everyone, including myself.

I knew she was a victim too. She convinced Park Manse to allow her to sleep with Minister Lee Kangdae out of her naivete. She didn’t know that Manse was Moon Daesung, that he was traumatised by what happened to his wife years prior. She didn’t know that the guilt would make Manse snap.

But… When she found out the truth, she had a choice. She had a choice to come clean and to admit that it was her idea all along. She could have asked forgiveness from JYP, who I believed would have forgiven her easily, considering how much he cared for her. Manse would have been sent to prison straight away, broken and sorrowful, but he wouldn’t turn into the monster that he is today. The horror that happened for the past sixteen years wouldn’t have happened. Hyejin could still have a chance to be an idol, Jessica wouldn’t leave SNSD, Sulli and Hara could still be alive, Nayeon and Sana would never be abused… Jiisoo wouldn’t be a victim of mistreatment.

And yet… Suzy chose to protect her own reputation, her own image, her own persona. She chose to find someone to blame, someone other than her. And who better than Park Manse? Like he said, he fits the bill of a criminal. But… In doing so, she made BoA suspicious, and compelled her to give Manse a second chance, thinking that her friend only needed time. In doing so, she made Manse bitter, hell-bent on revenge… And thus… The nightmare began.

Irene, Jennie, and I stepped into the lift lobby, and we silently took the lift down to the parking lot. As we stepped out, we found Dara, Lisa, Rosé, Wendy, Seulgi, Joy, and Taeyeon there, all standing still. Dara and Lisa had lit cigarettes in their hands. We walked to join them, and Lisa and Rosé immediately hugged Jennie tightly. I saw Sana’s black Genesis GT90 driving out of the parking garage, rushing to the hospital.

“Fuck… That was… Horrifying…” muttered Joy.

We all nodded silently, agreeing with her. Dara offered me a cigarette, and I took it. Jennie did too. We lit our cigarettes and stood there smoking… All feeling like shit. Eventually, Lisa looked up towards Taeyeon, and she articulated what all of us had in our minds.

“What should we do next, Unnie?” asked Lisa.

Taeyeon stared at her, before sighing and closing her eyes.

“I… I honestly don’t know, Lisa…” Taeyeon uttered.

“The IPG… Is no more…” said Irene grimly. “... That’s for sure.”

“Where did Yeri and Hyejin go?” I asked. The Red Velvet members shook their heads.

“I don’t know…” said Wendy. “I tried calling Yeri, but she didn’t pick up.”

“Let’s… Maybe let’s give them some space for now,” said Seulgi.

We all nodded. There was nothing we could do anyway. Hyejin was heartbroken for sure, and for now, it was best to give her and Yeri the time and space that they needed to calm down.

“Still… What Manse said…” Rosé said worriedly. Dara nodded.

“Yeah… One week…” she uttered.

She was right. Manse did threaten us, saying that we had one week to decide whether or not to join him or to stay by Suzy’s side. It was either or, and both options were ones we couldn’t take.

“Shit… We’re placed between a rock and a hard place, right? Nobody would join him…” I said.

“... And nobody wants anything to do with Suzy anymore,” said Taeyeon. She closed her eyes and cursed. “Fuck… This is bad.”

“Do you think… M–Maybe… Hyejin would join… His side?” asked Joy, sounding terrified.

We all looked at her. That was a possibility, one that would spell trouble for all of us. Hyejin had learned the truth, and judging from her reaction earlier, she could very well be wanting to join her father’s side. Irene sighed.

“Let’s just… Let’s just hope that Yeri can calm her down… Then we’ll see,” she said.

“But… The rest of us… What should we do? If we don’t do anything this week… Then… T–Then…” whispered Jennie.

I flung my arm to hug her tightly, assuring her. She hugged back, but she still looked afraid. To be honest, I was afraid too. I was afraid for our safety, for Sana and the Twice girls’ safety… But above all… I was afraid for Jisoo and our children inside her belly.

We all stood there silently for a few moments, thinking and worrying. Eventually, Taeyeon looked up and stared at all of us.

“Let’s… Let’s discuss this again in the coming days. Let us all calm down first… And then… When we’re all settled down, we’ll discuss it again. Sana is still our leader, and although she wants nothing to do with Suzy or IU, she cares too much for everyone’s safety to just do nothing,” Taeyeon said positively.

A small chuckle escaped my mouth. Taeyeon turned to look at me and smiled.

“Don’t you think so, Yeoni?” she asked sincerely. I nodded.

“Yeah… Sana… Sana’s heart is too kind to simply leave us alone. Even if she wants to do it, Jeongyeon wouldn’t allow her,” I said.

“You’re right. Jeongie will help her,” said Seulgi, smiling wide.

This realisation… The realisation that Sana’s heart was simply too good to let us down, and the realisation that Jeongyeon would always be there to support her… Gave relative peace to our troubled hearts. Dara, Lisa, Jennie, and I finished our smoke, and we took a collective deep breath together. Taeyeon sighed again and stared at us.

“Well… Let’s hope we’re right. Let’s go home now… And let’s keep each other updated, okay?” she said.

We nodded, and slowly, we started walking to our cars. Seulgi searched for something inside her bag, and then she laughed out loud.

“What is it, Ddeulgi?” asked Wendy. Seulgi chuckled and shook her head.

“Nah… I hope IU-unnie and Suzy-unnie leave our dorm soon. I left my car key upstairs!” she said sheepishly, her face blushing red.

We blinked confusedly for a few moments, but then we laughed out loud as well. Seulgi was simply so adorable. Wendy hugged her arm and told her that she should come with her to Pastor Nathan’s place before returning later, and she agreed. Lisa, Rosé, Jennie, Irene, and I waved goodbye to all of them before entering my car, and we drove away together.

The drive back home to my house in Geumho-dong was relatively silent. Everyone was sitting silently, looking out of the window, watching the afternoon sun. Everyone was deep in thought, even Jennie and Lisa, who were usually very bubbly and chatty.

A few minutes later, I pulled over into my driveway and parked my car behind Seungyeon’s Tesla. We all exited the car and walked inside the house, finding Seungyeon, Sooyoung, Sunny, and Seohyun with… My beautiful Jisoo-noona.

My sister stood up slowly as soon as she saw us entering the house. She smiled her angelic smile, clutching her big baby bump, waddling towards Jennie and I. She hugged Jennie and chuckled, but when she looked at my face, her eyes changed.

She knew. She knew something bad was going on.

“Yeongyeong…?” she uttered.

She stared at me concernedly. Her soft, smooth hand reached up, caressing my cheek.

“Everything is… Okay, right?” she whispered her question.

I stared at her beautiful eyes. Honestly, I didn’t know how to answer her. The IPG was in disarray, Hyejin and Yeri were unreachable, Sana was angry… And Ansel was dead. Park Manse gave us one week to think… Before promising retribution against us. I didn’t know what lies ahead. I didn’t know what would happen.

To be completely honest, I felt a storm was brewing. I felt like whatever would happen next… It would have a massive consequence on our lives. I had a feeling that whatever it was… I wouldn’t like it. I dreaded it. I feared for Jisoo. I feared for our babies.

But… At least for the next few days… There was nothing we could do. There was nothing I could do… Other than cherishing my time with my friends… With Sana, with Minsoo, with the Twice girls. With Lisa and Rosie, with Jennie and Irene… And with Jisoo. So… I smiled.

I leaned forward to peck Jisoo’s chubby cheek, and I reached up to rub her belly gently.

“Gwaenchanha…” I lied.

[lsmu]

Book 3 Part 2 - Chapter 28: Sayonara, Aishiteru

My hands, my legs, my entire body was shaking. I felt cold sweats dripping from my forehead. Manse had just finished his story… And I didn’t know how to react.

So he… He did it… He raped Suzy… Out of his anger… Which stemmed from his deep-rooted guilt, his decade-long remorse for failing to save his wife. He didn’t know that the reason his wife fell into depression and later died was because of what Eunhye did to convince the DR Music bosses, and then he found himself agreeing to the exact same thing aftering being convinced by Suzy, his own girlfriend.

“Had I known… That my Chohee died because of some stupid idol who used her body to get what she wanted… I would never have agreed to allow Suzy to sleep with Kangdae. Had I known… That I was doing the exact same thing that killed my wife… I would never have done it,” Manse spoke, his voice filled with regret.

Manse looked up, and when I saw his eyes, for a brief moment, I saw a different person. This was not Park Manse I was sitting in front of. This was Moon Daesung. Hyejin’s father, a loving husband. He was hurt, he was broken… But a second later… That look changed.

He laughed. A deep, joy-less, soulless laugh.

“That night… I realised that all idols are the same. Eunhye, Suzy, IU, Hara, Sulli… They’re all the same. They’re sluts. Overpaid sluts,” Manse said through his chuckles.

I threw a glance at CL, who indeed was an idol too. She was pale as a paper, her eyes fixated on the piece of meat on the plate in front of her. I saw her fists clenching, trembling in fear. Manse sighed and rested his back on the chair. I looked at him curiously.

“Hy–Hyungnim…” I called.

“Hm?”

“W–What happened next?” I asked.

Manse picked his wine glass and took another sip, before slicing his steak and popping it into his mouth, answering me while chomping on it.

“Well… Emergency responses came shortly. The bitch was taken to the hospital, unconscious, all bloodied and bruised… While I was taken into the police station. I spent the night in a cell…” he said.

“The next morning, Jinyoung, Junhwan, BoA, and Jaesang came. They went to visit Suzy first the night before at the hospital… And of course… Being the lying, cunning bitch that she was and still is, she concocted her own twisted story… Saying that it was I who talked her into sleeping with Kangdae, threatening her that I would rape her if she refused, and after she did sleep with the Minister, I ended up raping her anyway. Fucking slut,” Manse continued, chuckling.

My eyes widened.

“B–But… That’s a lie!” I said. Manse nodded.

“No shit… That’s why our smart Chaerin here decided to join us instead of the IPG when that bitch approached her back in the day. I told her the truth, and she knew which side to choose. Isn’t that right, Chaerin?” he asked.

CL nodded nervously.

“Y–Yes… O–Oppa…” she stuttered. Manse chuckled again.

“Yeah… Jinyoung… Being the soft man that he was and still is… Believed everything Suzy told him. He said he’d fire me, and blacklist me from the entire industry…” Manse said.

“Why didn’t you tell them the truth?” I asked.

Manse laughed, then he shrugged.

“I guess I was too tired. Too angry. Too bitter… And hearing what Suzy told my friends only further embittered me. She was as much to blame as I was for everything that happened, and yet she acted as if she was pure as an angel. She blamed everything on me… She branded me a criminal, a predator, a monster… So I decided… To be just like that. I decided to be the monster of her nightmares,” Manse bared his teeth.

“From then on… All I wanted to do was to ensure that Suzy and her slutty friends got what they deserve… And get it they did,” Manse said proudly.

“Suzy’s broken. From what I heard, she was indeed pregnant with my child back then… And she suffered a miscarriege as a result of what I did to her. That was good. I wouldn’t want anything to do with anything that comes out of her cunt. Other than that… I made sure that Eunhye’s career never really took off as an actress, and both Hara and Sulli committed suicide. IU is the only one who still hasn’t faced consequences… But she’ll get it soon. I can assure you,” Manse said calmly.

I was shivering. The way he said those words… He was talking about his own child’s death, about Hara and Sulli’s death… And yet he didn’t sound remorseful… He… He sounded gleeful. He even almost sounded like he was satisfied.

“And then… I thought… Why stop with those sluts? Why not all? I was sure all idols are the same… And I was right! They’d do anything for luxuries, more screen time, better treatments… They won’t even hesitate to sleep with old fucks like Chunghee, Taewoo, and Sungho!” Manse said, bursting into laughter.

Manse kept laughing for a few moments, before calming himself down and continuing to enjoy his lunch. I wanted to keep probing, so I cleared my throat and asked him again.

“Hyungnim… You said… You were taken by the police. But… Then… Then you joined SM Entertainment shortly after being fired from JYPE,” I said. Manse nodded.

“Yeah… That’s… That’s BoA and Junhwan for you…” he said. I didn’t understand.

“I… I’m not sure I’m following,” I uttered.

Manse smiled.

“BoA didn’t believe what Suzy said. She and Junhwan… They knew there was something more behind the story… She begged me to tell her my side of the story, but as I said… I was too bitter to speak,” Manse said.

“I was tricked into doing the very thing that killed my own wife, and then I was blamed for everything… And she expected me to defend myself? Nah… I was determined to become the monster she said I was. At that moment, actually I didn’t care about my career anymore. I’ve ensured Hyejin’s safety anyway. I haven’t heard from her ever since, I don’t even know where she is right now… All I know is that she’s as far away as possible from this rotten K-pop industry,” Manse continued.

He didn’t know… He didn’t know that Hyejin was listening to his words that very moment.

“I was prepared to spend my life in jail, and I knew even in there I could still do some damage to Suzy and her friends’ lives… But BoA had other plans. She wanted to find the truth, and she assumed I needed time… So she begged Jinyoung to let Junhwan free me from the police, and give me another chance at SM Entertainment… Luckily, he eventually agreed,” Manse said.

He straightened himself and looked at me.

“I am forever indebted to BoA, that’s why I told you that we needed to lay low after hearing that she and Junhwan took up the Dispatch case. I will never have a direct confrontation with her and Junhwan… Or Jaesang for that matter. They did nothing wrong. They were my friends… Still are, if you ask me,” Manse said.

“Still… From BoA’s point of view, she made a mistake by hiring me into SM Entertainment. She gave me just what I needed to build my empire, to plan my revenge. But… After what I did to Jessica back in 2014… She decided she needed to do something to counter my acts, so she created the IPG… Placing Suzy as the head. Ironic, isn’t it?” Manse said, chuckling again.

Manse finished his steak. He took the glass again and finished the content, before looking straight in my direction.

“You’re probably wondering why I haven’t revealed this truth until now. Am I right, Ansel-san?” he asked.

I nodded. He was right.

“Y–Yes, Hyungnim,” I said. He smiled.

“Number one… No one would’ve believed me. I fit the bill, don’t I? Big, intimidating guy… And with the lie Suzy must have been perpetuating with her IPG… The younger idols would simply consider me a liar,” Manse said.

“And… Don’t you notice? She’s been trying to silence me forever… Repeatedly. Up until 2026, Suzy and the IPG were not strong enough to confront me directly, so she was simply recruiting more and more idols into her cause, feeding them with lies,” Manse continued.

“But… I made a mistake by trusting Kwak Jinyoung–Nam Chuyoung or whoever the fuck he decides to call himself now–to work for us. He was too weak. Him giving the names to Miss Roseanne Park gave Suzy what she needed to finally mount a real challenge against me. I had to rescind the headline… Because I wanted to keep my secrets, before revealing it at the right time,” Manse said.

“Then last December… Before you saved me. I was told that it was Suzy who gave the gun to Yeoni. To finish me off… Stupid boy obeyed Suzy without thinking, almost cost me my life. Still… The gods were in favour of me, and they sent me you,” he said, smiling wide.

Manse chuckled and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“And then… What she did two days ago: Sending your old friend Miss Minatozaki Sana to get you to join their cause,” he said slowly.

This alerted me. I noticed now that the room was empty; all the guards and kitchen staff were gone, leaving Manse, CL, and myself alone. Manse rested his elbows on the table before staring at me.

“This is the reason why I’m telling you everything right now, Ansel-san: I wanted all of them to hear the truth, to realise that they’ve been lied to by their own leader for years and years… I wanted them to hear it directly from my own mouth,” Manse said.

My eyes widened.

“I–I… I’m sorry?” I stuttered.

Manse chuckled. He pointed at my face.

“I assume they’re all listening to our conversation right now… Probably even that bitch Suzy too… Through that transparent earpiece you’re wearing in your left ear,” Manse said calmly.

I was stunned. He knew. Of course he knew. Manse chuckled as I froze in my seat. He smiled at me before standing up and walking away from the table. CL quickly stood up, following her boyfriend, hugging his massive muscular arm.

“Oppa… O–Oppa… P–Please…” she begged. Manse smiled.

“My Chaerin… You might wanna leave the room. You don’t want this beautiful red coat to be even more… Red…” he said.

Manse pulled CL for a kiss, his large palm reaching to squeeze CL’s massive ass. CL jolted, but she allowed him to kiss her anyway. Manse pushed CL away from him when he was done. CL turned to give me a long sad look, her face full of sorrow. Silently, hesitantly, she walked to the door… And she disappeared.

Manse reached his large wooden work table and walked behind it. He placed his palms on the table, staring right at me while smiling wide.

“Why do you think I let you walk inside so freely, Ansel-san? Hm? Why do you think I prepared this lunch for you? I wanted to thank you for becoming my vessel… My mouthpiece to tell the truth to those idol bitches…”

Calmly, Manse opened a drawer and reached inside, taking out a handgun and placing it on the table. So this was it. This was the end, huh? Manse smiled at me kindly and took a deep breath.

“You’ve done your part, Ansel-san. I could never have said everything I wanted to say to all of them if it weren’t for you. For that, you have my gratitude…” he spelled sincerely.

Manse took the gun, checked the magazine, and loaded it back inside. He cocked the gun.

“But in doing so… You have placed yourself in opposition to me. Let me assure you, you still have my utmost respect… And it really pains me to have to say this to you now…”

He aimed the gun directly at me.

“So long, Ansel-san…”

“H–Hyung-nim–”

BANG.

My chair fell behind, almost in slow motion. I felt a burning sensation on my chest, and pain like I had never felt before. Was this how I died?

I crashed onto the floor. I felt the wooden chair breaking into pieces underneath my weight. I heard screams from my earpiece, but I couldn’t make out whose it was. I closed my eyes to negate the excruciating pain I felt, but… Why was I still breathing? I opened my eyes, and my hands reached to my chest.

No blood.

Of course… Irene’s bulletproof shirt.

Slowly, groggily, I sat up. I looked to my left, and saw the bullet he had just shot, all mangled and crushed, but it didn’t kill me. Manse’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, his gun still pointing at me, smoke still coming out of the barrel.

“The fuck…” he uttered.

I rose up, panting, resting my hands on the table. The pain was still there, but at least I knew I was alive. I heard Manse chuckling, and I looked up, but to my surprise and confusion, he wasn’t behind the desk any longer. What the fuck?

I turned around, and I found him there, behind me. How did he move so fast? I couldn’t think of anything else, because in a flash…

Manse punched me in the chest, sending me flying across the table, before crashing onto the floor. I heard a loud, deafening crack. I coughed, and blood splattered out, dripping from my lips. I tried breathing, but every breath I took was excruciating. Fuck… He… Broke my ribs.

“Bulletproof shirt, eh?” Manse chuckled, walking towards me. “Smart…”

“H–Hyung… Nim…” I struggled to speak.

He kicked me, sending me flying another few metres, crashing my back onto his own work table. I felt another set of ribs were broken, and judging from the intense pain I felt creeping up my back, my spine may or may not be too. My vision got blurry, my ear was ringing. The pain in my chest intensified.

“Shit… I wanted to give you a quick, painless death… But you’re making things difficult…” Manse growled.

I looked up, finding him already standing in front of me. He stomped on my left knee, and I heard another loud cracking sound, followed by a sting of pain, stabbing my nervous system. He had just shattered my left kneecap. I thought I was screaming, but my voice sounded far away, like it was out of my body.

My vision got blurry and blurrier. Every breath I took felt agonising. I tried looking up at him, but I was seeing double… Triple even. I was losing consciousness.

Manse sighed and stooped down, reaching for my left ear. He took out the earpiece, and placed it on his own ear.

“Hello, Suzy…” he spoke.

I watched in horror as a smile rose on his lips.

“I know you’re listening… I know all of you are listening, so listen carefully for what I have to say…” he started.

I knew he was angry, he was furious, he was raging inside, but he looked surprisingly–almost horrifyingly–calm. Manse took a deep breath before speaking.

“You have just made me lose my best lieutenant, and you know I will not let this slide…” he growled.

Manse looked at me before continuing.

“You want a war, Suzy? I’ll give you a war… But I’m a generous person, so I’m giving the rest of you some time to prepare. One week from now, I will launch my retaliation. If any of you wants to join me, if you want to take down this bitch who has been lying to you for years, you are all welcomed to come to my place in Incheon. You know the address. If you decide to stay by Suzy’s side, or if you decide to get the police, BoA, or Junhwan to help you… Then you should prepare yourselves to face severe consequences,” Manse threatened them. “Choose wisely… And… Suzy…”

He looked at me, a look of disappointment and pity in his face. He raised his gun, placing it on my forehead.

“... You know Ansel’s blood is in your hands,” he said.

With that, he took out his earpiece, but he didn’t crush it. I understood. He wanted the IPG to listen to my execution. He looked at me and smiled.

“For what it’s worth, Ansel-san… I really am sorry for what happened to the beautiful Miss Sharon. She shouldn’t have gone through any of that… And I wish her a speedy recovery,” he said.

But then, an evil smile rose on his lips.

“... But… You shouldn’t have agreed to meet Sana in the first place. That was your only mistake, a mistake that will cost you dearly…” he said.

His thumb cocked the hammer, his index finger slipping to the trigger. My brain told me to slap the gun away, to mount another fight, but even when I tried to move a finger, I couldn’t do it. So he did break my spine… I couldn’t move. There was nothing I could do. This was it, wasn’t it?

I closed my eyes. I knew I had accomplished the mission. Sana wanted to learn the truth, and the truth she got. Now, it was up to them to decide on what to do next. It was no longer of my concern… I had earned my redemption, and now… My time here was reaching its end.

They said that when you were about to die, life would flash before your eyes. I always thought that it was a cliché… But… I understand now…

At that moment, somehow, as I felt the cold steel of Manse’s gun on my forehead… All I could think about…

Was that penguin waddle, that sweet laughter, that gentle voice, that gummy smile… The memories of the two of us started filling my head…

Our first time meeting back in school, our conversation in Los Angeles in that diner, the meeting we had at that sashimi restaurant at Itaewon, our first kiss, our first time confessing to each other. That kiss I stole from her at Changi airport… And the many nights we spent cooking in her place.

Everything came flooding back in a split of a second…

These thoughts filled my heart with happiness, with joy… With peace. Strangely, I smiled, welcoming death like an old friend.

“Good bye, Ansel-san. It’s been a pleasure working with you. You were a warrior, a brave fighter,” Manse uttered.

The last thought I ever had on earth… Was my beautiful Myoui Sharon Mina…

My love.

My life.

My everything.

“Sayonara… Minari… Ai… Aishiteru…”

BANG.

[lsmu]

Book 3 Part 2 - The Tragedy of Moon Daesung (Flashback)

Friday, October 26th, 2012 - 5.30pm. Sinsa-dong, Seoul

"Right... Here we are, girls!" "Min, Jia... Wake up. We're home!" said Fei.

Jia opened her eyes and immediately sat up, but Min stirred in her seat, her eyes still closed.

"Ugh... I'm so tired..." she muttered. Fei chuckled. "Come on, continue your sleep inside," she said, pulling the Korean rapper up from her seat. "Thanks for driving us home, Manse-oppa!" chirped Jia, tapping my shoulder. "Don't mention it, Jia! Hey, get a good rest, okay? Enjoy the weekend!" I said.

Jia, Min, and Fei looked at me and smirked. I raised an eyebrow?

"What?" I asked, although I already knew what they were thinking. Min giggled. "Oh, come on, Oppa. The ones who are absolutely going to enjoy their weekend are you and Suzy!" she said. I chuckled nervously. "I–I don't know what you're talking about!" I said, lying.

The girls giggled and looked at Suzy, who was still sleeping soundly in the passenger's seat next to me.

"Don't be too rough on the girl, okay?" said Fei, winking at me. "On the contrary, Oppa! I think you should send her back here on Monday on a wheelchair!" whispered Jia. Min and Fei gasped and slapped the Chinese girl's head. I felt my face blushing a little. "Aish... Just go!" I said, before adding, "Naughty girls..."

The trio laughed and waved me goodbye, before walking hand in hand towards the apartment lobby. I chuckled and shook my head, before looking at Suzy. She was... Gosh. She was just so beautiful, so young... So sweet. I almost felt bad for falling for a girl almost half my age, but... Love is love, right?

I sighed and drove out of the apartment complex. As soon as the car went past the gate, Suzy opened her eyes.

"Are they gone?"

I laughed. I knew she wasn't sleeping. She only acted like she was to avoid being teased mercilessly by her unnies. This girl, seriously.

"Yeah, we're alone now..." I chuckled.

Suzy giggled and looked at me, flinging her long arms around my own.

"Ya... I'm driving. Don't do anything naughty!" I said. She giggled. "Oh, come on, Manse-oppa... You know you want it..." she hissed.

Her thin fingers slipped down from my arm, tracing my thigh towards my crotch. I glared at her. Seriously, this girl!

"Ya! I'm serious!" I warned her. She laughed and pulled her hands away, before pouting jokingly. "Aww... No fun!" she complained.

I laughed and shook my head. She only turned 18 earlier this month, but she was... Oh gosh she was insatiable! We had been in a relationship since the start of the year, and even before that she was always the one closest to me, but it wasn't until she turned legal did we start having sex. And boy...

Suzy was... The definition of a sex goddess. For starters, she was otherworldly beautiful. Secondly, her body was at least on par with the best porn stars in the industry, if not better. Her 34DD tits were firm, succulent, and simply delicious, her hips were meaty and long, her butt were round and chubby.

Other than her physical gifts, she was incredibly lustful as well. I guessed it was normal for teenagers like her, but goddamn... She needed to cum at least five times before asking me to stop, and she could take my 13 inch dick with ease–balls deep–in all her three holes. She was shocked to see mine at first, but she quickly regained her composure and took it in like a champ. Crazy.

When she was in the mood, Suzy could spend the entire day just having sex, and then the next day she would ask for more. If she wasn't an idol, she would probably move to Japan and be a world-famous Japanese Adult Video actress. Who knew? Maybe after her career as a singer she would still be one.

I wondered what made her have such a stratospherical libido, but I had no complaints. I mean... Come on. Who would refuse spending every night with such a young, smoking hot lady? This weekend would be no different, I guessed. We would just stay in my apartment, mating like animals, only stopping for food and sleep. Fucking hell.

We reached my apartment building, and as soon as I parked my car, Suzy yanked my shirt's collar and pulled me in for a kiss. I chuckled as I planted my lips on hers, enjoying the plump and soft sensation. She slithered her tongue in, twisting and turning inside my mouth. I reached up and fondled her big breasts over her shirt, making her shudder.

"Mmmh... Oppa... S–Should we have a... Nice... Fuck... In the car?" she whispered lustfully.

I smiled as I stooped down to attack her long neck, but I chuckled.

"No... Dispatch could... Be lurking around..." I whispered. She grunted. "You're right... Mmmh... Fucking pricks..." she cursed.

I chuckled. I loved it when she spoke dirty.

"Come on... It's more comfortable inside anyway," I uttered.

Suzy giggled and nodded, so we hastily went out of the car. We half-ran to the lift lobby, bashing the button to call the lift down to the basement. As soon as the lift came and we entered, we pressed the button for level 13, where my unit was located, and Suzy crashed her lips on mine again, kissing my passionately.

"Mmhh... Suzy... Why are you so horny all the time?" I asked. Suzy giggled. "Anyone would be horny all the time if they knew that their boyfriend's cock is fucking huge..." she whispered.

She slid her hand down, grabbing my already raging boner through my trousers. I closed my eyes to enjoy her soft touch, and she tiptoed to reach my ear. She nibbled on my earlobe, before sticking her tongue inside my ear canal.

"I'm hungry... For your monster cock... I've been craving it... Since before we started practising today... I'm already... Soaking wet... I want you... To fill all my holes with it... My tight pussy, my throat... And your favourite asshole... Oppa... I want you... To fuck... Your little girl... Good..." she whispered very, very slowly.

I shuddered. She knew how to arouse me. She knew all the right words. Her big breasts were pressing against my chest, and I felt my cock pulsating beneath my boxers. Shit. Why was the lift taking so long?

It finally reached, and we stumbled outside, kissing and caressing each other's bodies hungrily. I punched in the passcode lock of the door, while Suzy was already busy tugging the hem of my shirt. As soon as we entered the unit, we rushed to my bedroom while undressing, leaving a trail of discarded clothing and underwear on the floor.

Suzy plopped her naked body on the bed, making her perfect, massive tits bounce deliciously. She lifted a leg up, beckoning me to join her by wiggling her toes. I chuckled and obliged, positioning myself on top of her.

"Fuck... You're just so hot..." I whispered. She smiled and pecked my lips. "What do you wanna do to your hot girl, Oppa?" she teased me.

Her chubby, clean shaven pussy was indeed already wet, and I knew I could just slide in without problems, but I didn't want to go in her straight away just yet. The sun was still up, it was still only a little past 6pm, so we had all the time in the world.

Instead, I lifted my hips and placed my cock in between her big, juicy mounds. Suzy giggled as she knew what I wanted to do. I grabbed both of her tits with my palms, my thumbs toying with her dark red, erect nipples, and I started thrusting front and back, enjoying my tittyfuck.

"F–Fuck... Suzy... So... Good..." I moaned. She chuckled. "You... Mmh... You love my big boobs... So much... Ngh... Don't you, Manse-oppa?" Suzy asked. I nodded rapidly. "Y–Yes... So big... So... Delicious..." I said.

Suzy smiled and opened her mouth wide. She stuck her tongue out, ready to receive my cock with her mouth. With my size—basically the size of her forearm—I could easily reach it, and she ended up sucking a quarter of my penis, while the rest of the shaft was buried in between her tender tits. Fuck. This was so good!

"Ungh! S–Suzy... F–Fuck!" "Mmhh... Sllrp... Ngh... Mnh... Slrp... Slrrpp..." she sucked my dick noisily, slobbering her tongue around my shaft.

Suzy brought her hands up and held mine, pressing her tits stronger. Fuck! My shaft was squeezed in between her tits, and I knew I couldn't hold back much longer. Suzy twirled her tongue on my penis head, and I felt my body tensing. She knew.

"Cum, Oppa... I'm thirsty... Mmhh... Mmnh... I want to... Drink your... Mmh... Slrpp... Thick... White... Cum..." "F–Fuck... FUCK! S–SUZY!"

I came, and when I came, I came hard. I came really hard. I exploded in and on her again and again, filling her throat, covering her face and tits. I kept thrusting front and back, and Suzy kept my penis locked in between her tits, until finally I stopped cumming, standing up from the bed, staggering and panting. I was still hard, as usual. That was just a warm-up for me.

Suzy coughed and gagged, her entire throat filled with hot white liquid, but a second later, she closed her mouth and gulped it all down. I could see her neck bulging for a second as a huge volume of cum travelled down her throat into her insides, and then, as if nothing happened, as if her entire head and tits weren't glazed white, she opened her eyes and stared at me seductively. Fuck.

"Come on, Oppa... My turn to feel good," Suzy purred.

She splayed her legs wide, revealing her pussy. She reached down, using her fingers to spread open her labia. I couldn't resist. I obliged, once again positioning myself on top of her. I let my cock brush her labia a few times while I stared into her beautiful eyes.

"Fuck you're so pretty..." I said. She smiled. "I love you too, Manse-oppa..." she replied. She knew it was my way of telling her I love her.

With that, Suzy grabbed my cock and guided it into her pussy. I could feel her labia opening, then the warmth of her vagina. I could feel her walls stretching as it took in my girth, but I've been here before, many times this month, so I pushed in.

As usual, Suzy's eyes widened, her eyeballs rolling to the back of her head, her mouth opening wider and wider with a silent scream as she felt inch by inch my cock barging inside her insides. I kept pushing in, slowly yet surely, letting the warmth of her vagina walls coating my shaft... And then, as my balls finally touched her stretched open labia, I felt my cock head reaching the entrance to her uterus.

"Ss-s-s-s-s-S-Sh-sh-shit..." Suzy stuttered. I smiled and licked her neck. "Ready, Babe?" I asked her. She nodded rapidly. "F-f-f-f-f-f-f–f–fuck–FUCK... M—m-m-m-m... ME!!!"

Her stutters turned to screams, because before she finished her sentence, I began slamming in and out of her. My dick head banged the entrance of her womb, while my shaft slid in and out of her tight vagina walls. Suzy's moans and screams quickly became incoherent as she wrapped her legs around my waist.

"F–F–Fung... Ngh... Nhhg... A–Ah... Anh... F–F–Fu... ckk... A–Angh! A–AH! AH–A–AH!" Suzy moaned.

I reached for her nipples with my mouth, sucking them deliciously as her big tits continued to bounce in rhythm to my thrusts. My hands wrapped behind her, grabbing her chunky butt with my large palms, squeezing and kneading them with passion. Suzy's body trembled and shook, twitching every time I slammed my cock deep inside her.

"F–Fuck... Ugh! S–Suzy! Y–Yes!" I enjoyed myself. "F–F–F... N... O... Opp... Ppa... H–Hi... I–I'm... C–C... Cum... M–MING!!!"

Suzy screamed as I felt a torrent of water gushed through her pussy, drenching her own legs and the bed sheets, but I continued fucking her through her orgasm. Her entire body was turning red from pleasure, and I felt her womb opening for me. That was it. That was what I was waiting for.

"Su–Suzy... I'm... Ugh... I'm... I–Ins... Side..." I told her. "H–Ahn... H–Ang... Ang... Mngghh..." she replied incoherently.

I felt the tip of my penis entering her womb. I had been cumming inside her womb almost every day since we started having sex on her 18th birthday back on the 10th of October, and I wouldn't be surprised if she was in fact already carrying my child inside her. But... Something inside me told me to just keep filling her up. Alright... Here goes then.

"Suzy... I'm... C–C... Cumm... Ugh... Cumming... I'm cumming..." I said. "Y–Yes... O–Opp... Oppa... C–Cumm... F–Fill... M–Me... F–Fill... M–m–m-m-ME!" she screamed. "F–Fuck! S-SUZY!"

I exploded inside her, filling her womb with my sperm to the brim. She came too, blasting and gushing her pussy juice out, yet it wasn't strong enough to push my cock out of her. I kept unloading my sperm inside her womb, and I felt some were already leaking outside through her stretched pussy. I came and came, before finally... I stopped, but I still kept my cock locked inside her.

"Hmmhh... Hmngh... Oppa... M–Mo... More..." Suzy moaned, already delirious.

Slowly, I pulled my cock out of her vagina, releasing a stream of thick white liquid out of her gaping pussy. I chuckled and scooped some up with my fingers, and Suzy immediately snatched my hand and brought it into her mouth, sucking and drinking my cum like it was some delicious yoghurt. Fuck this girl was hot.

I rested my body next to her on the bed. My cock was still fully rock hard, but I wanted to catch my breath. Suzy giggled and turned herself over to me, facing my cock, which was almost twice the size of her face. She rubbed her cheek on my shaft and started pecking my cock, making me chuckle.

"You're insatiable, you know that..." I said. She smiled and kissed my cock warmly. "Oppa... You're the one who made me this way... My pussy, asshole, and throat are already shaped to fit your monster cock... I don't think I'll ever find any other man satisfying," she whispered. I grinned. "Anything less than 10 inches isn't worth your time..." I said, but Suzy shook her head. "Come on, Oppa... Anything less than the size of my forearm isn't worth my time..." she said, placing her forearm next to my standing cock to compare the size.

I laughed and brushed her cum-stained hair.

"Are you still thinking about other men?" I asked jokingly. She scrunched her nose and shook her head. "No... I'm only thinking about you..." she whispered.

Suzy stuck out her tongue and licked my cock from the base to the tip very, very slowly, making me shudder. She then moved up and climbed me, straddling me so her thick butt slapped my cock. She inched her face closer to mine and pecked my lips, staring at me with her beautiful eyes.

"I'm yours forever..." she whispered.

We kissed, lovingly, hungrily, passionately, before she straightened herself and rubbed her own flat belly.

"You know... Judging from just how often you've been filling my womb to the brim... I won't be surprised if I'm already carrying Baby Manse inside me..." Suzy mused.

I stared at her. So she was having the same thought. My heart was happy, as I wanted to start a new family with her. But... Her being pregnant... That... That could lead to a tragedy. It could be Chohee all over again. That... I couldn't possibly let what happened to Chohee happen to Suzy!

"Oppa...? Is... Something wrong?" she asked me.

Her words startled me. I stared at her, but then I shook my head and smiled. I grabbed her hands and rested them on her belly.

"But... What would happen if... If you're pregnant? You're only starting as an idol," I said worriedly.

Suzy stared deeply into my eyes for a moment, but then she smiled and shook her head.

"Don't worry. I'll just... Have a hiatus for a year. It's normal nowadays, right? Miss A can continue without me, and after I deliver the baby, I'll just slot back in like nothing happened!" she said cheerfully.

I blinked a few times, not believing my ears. How could she be so positive? Would Jinyoung-hyung allow her to have a long hiatus if he found out that she's pregnant? Yeah... Jinyoung-hyung was a good guy, and he loved Suzy like his own daughter, unlike those bastards at DR Music.... They killed my Chohee.

"Oppa... Are you sure you're okay?" asked Suzy again, her concern evident in her voice.

I smiled at her and nodded.

"I promise you I'll be there..." I said sincerely. Suzy smiled and nodded. "I know you will. If I get pregnant," she said. I looked at her. "Eh?" "Come on, Oppa... We don't know yet, right? That was all just hypothetical!" she said, laughing. "We won't know until at least early December... We only started having sex on the 10th anyway!"

I laughed with her. Her positivity was simply infectious. I nodded.

"Hypothetical..." I echoed her words. Suzy nodded firmly. "Now... Come on, Oppa..."

Suzy grabbed my cock, and she lifted her body up, before bringing herself down on top of my cock, impaling her own asshole with it. She shuddered as she felt my cock entering into the depths of her rectum, and as the entirety of my 13-inch penis was nestled inside of her rectum, she leaned forward to whisper to me.

"... Fuck my ass..."

* * *

Friday, October 26th, 2012 - 8.50pm. Seocho-dong, Seoul

"Jalmeoghaesubnida!"

We dug into the soupy ramyeon. It was the perfect this in this cold autumn weather, and even more perfect after that steamy sex Suzy and I just had. We finished around an hour ago before passing out in each other's arms, and when I woke up, Suzy was already in the kitchen preparing ramyeon for dinner.

"Ah... This is good..." mused Suzy, slurping her noodles. I chuckled. "Ya... You should take shower! Your hair is stained with my cum," I said. She giggled. "Oh, come on, Oppa... You know I want to take a shower with you..." she winked.

I sighed.

"Then it'll be harder to wash the cum away because I'll be cumming in and on you again," I said. Suzy chuckled. "I don't mind being fully coated in your cum this entire weekend..." she uttered. I laughed. "Ya! Crazy girl..." I said.

She stuck her tongue out and continued eating her ramyeon. I smiled. She was simply the best. I couldn't wait to introduce her to my daughter when she comes here later this year for her audition.

My daughter... Hyejin. I wondered how she was doing back in Namwon. She was always the brightest in class, but beyond her academics, she was so talented too in singing and dancing. Coupled with her pretty face and bright personality, she was destined to be an idol.

I could still remember that day when she returned home from school and showed me her essay about Wonder Girls, her favourite girl group, and her bias Ahn Sohee. She told me about her dream to become an idol just like them.

That was the reason I decided to return to Seoul in the first place and rejoined the K-pop industry. That was the reason I had to go through all the process to change my name from Moon Daesung to Park Manse, taking on my late wife's surname. That was the reason I joined JYP Entertainment in the first place, because I wanted her to audition in this company. I wanted to prepare the way for her, and I was lucky enough that Jinyoung-hyung spotted my talent from the start, until eventually making me a director and Miss A's manager. I should be thankful for my life.

Still... Would Hyejin be willing to accept Suzy as her new mom? I was almost certain that Suzy was already pregnant... And I knew she was excited to meet my daughter, even though I hadn't told her her name. But would Hyejin accept her? Or would she be angry at me?

Nah... I guessed she would welcome Suzy with open arms. She never met Chohee anyway, and having someone with a closer age gap might help her to warm up to each other. Also, Suzy was a really popular idol. Maybe they could be like sisters. Maybe Hyejin could look up to Suzy, learn from Suzy. But... Holy fuck... They were only five years apart, huh?

"There you go again, Oppa..." "H–Huh? What?" "Spacing out... Since that meeting with the Minister you've been spacing out a lot!" protested Suzy. "A–Ah... Yes. That... Sorry..." I muttered.

Suzy sighed and looked at me.

"Still no solution, huh?" she asked. I shook my head gloomily. "No... We've been meeting every week now that the deadline is approaching fast... But... We still couldn't come up with anything," I sighed.

Suzy placed her chopsticks on the table.

"So... The next generation... Would have to... Change their image?" she asked. I nodded sorrowfully. "I guess... Everyone had to follow the government's rule," I grunted. "Couldn't we just refuse?" Suzy asked. I looked at her. "I told you, Darling... They'd cut off their support. Even SM Entertainment can't cope for a long time without the government's support, and they're by far the richest of us three. It's... It's a lost cause," I said, defeated.

Suzy stared at me in silence for a few moments, her forehead furrowing, as if thinking hard. She bit her lips, then she spoke.

"This... Deputy Minister... Lee Kangdae-nim? How old is he?" Suzy asked. I thought for a moment. "Probably around my age... He's still young. Still in his 30s. Why?" I asked. "What does he look like?" she asked again. I shrugged. "Quite good... At least for a politician," I chuckled. "Why, Suzy?"

Suzy bit her lips again, then she reached for my hands and stared at me seriously.

"So... I've been talking... With Ji-eun-unnie, with Sulli and Hara-unnie too..." she said.

IU, F(x)'s Sulli, and KARA's Goo Hara. Those were Suzy's best friends. I nodded.

"What about them?" I asked. Suzy looked uneasy. "W–Well... Since we heard the news, we've been discussing... You know... See if any of us had any idea on how to deal with this..." she started off. "And...?"

Suzy took a deep breath.

"And... Well... Hara-unnie... She... Suggested something," she uttered. "Oh? What's her suggestion?" I asked, genuinely interested.

Suzy thought hard, as if mulling over whether or not she should tell me. Eventually, she squeezed my hand and bit her lips again.

"Well... They... Hara-unnie and Sulli... They said that maybe we could... Try to... Maybe... Sleep with him? To convince Deputy Minister Kangdae to cancel the bill?"

Oh... My... Fucking... God.

"S–Suzy... Suzy... You can't be serious!" I protested. She looked up, staring straight into my eyes. "Think of it, Oppa! That's... That could be just what we needed, right?" she appealed. "N–No! What the fuck? Are you crazy? No! Why would you guys wanna sleep with Deputy Minister Kangdae just to make him cancel the bill?" I protested again. "N–Not all of us, Oppa..."

My eyes widened in surprise. She must be out of her mind.

"W-What...? Wh–What are you talking about?" I stuttered.

Suzy looked straight into my eyes again, grabbing my hands and squeezing them tightly.

"Oppa. Think about it. I only need to spend one night with him. One night, and I know I'll be able to convince him to cancel the bill. I'm willing to make that sacrifice, Oppa! For our future, for the younger generation of idols!" she said.

I felt anger burning inside me.

"No! Absolutely not, Suzy! How could I ever let my own girlfriend sleep with some old ass deputy minister just for the sake of some stupid bill?" I asked. "You said it yourself, he's still young..." Suzy said. "THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT!" I roared.

Suzy was taken aback. She stared at me in fear, and only then did I realise I was already standing up from my chair, towering above her. Catching myself, I sat back down slowly.

"S–Suzy... Please... There must be another way. We still have time to think! We still have until the 29th to come up with a solution!" I pleaded.

Suzy sighed.

"Oppa... Today is the 26th. The 29th is this coming Monday! All of you... You, BoA-unnie, Kangta-sunbaenim, PSY-oppa, even JYP-oppa... The brightest minds in the industry... You've tried so hard to come up with a solution for almost a month! And still no result. We might have the solution for you... Why won't you take it?" she said.

I shook my head.

"No! It's... I can't let you do it!" I said.

Suzy glared at me.

"Then what? You'll just let our juniors' careers be destroyed? Come on, Oppa! You know how silly everyone would look if they had to fit themselves into one uniformed image! Some of them wouldn't even debut, I think!" she exclaimed.

"You must know Park Jisoo, the trainee that joined us when she was 8 years old, the one that looked like a foreigner. Do you seriously think she could fit into the government's twisted standards? With her dark skin, her big eyes, her slightly chubbier body... She would never debut! And she's been training with us for the longest time... She even trained together with Sunmi-unnie! Can you seriously just crush that girl's dream?" Suzy said.

"There's also another trainee... Im Nayeon. She joined us 2 years ago. She's destined to be an idol, with her good looks, her singing voice, her dance skills, and I know she'll debut sooner rather than later... But her image is cute yet sexy! If we let the government pass that bill, she'll be doomed!" Suzy continued.

"Then... Who would debut? It's ridiculous, Oppa! Almost all of our trainees would never debut, and that's simply a crime! To let so many young boys and girls down, just because their executives and seniors couldn't make the sacrifice required... That's cruel," Suzy concluded.

She herself was standing right now, launching her tirade passionately. I could see the fire in her eyes, the passion in her speech. Her mind was set... And knowing Suzy... There was no point in arguing with her. Slowly... I nodded.

"You're... You're right," I said slowly. "You're right, Suzy... Please... Sit down."

Suzy sat back down slowly, but she kept her eyes locked into mine. Honestly, this was what made me fall in love with her in the first place. She was zealous, she was burning with passion.

"Just one night, Oppa. I promise you. It'll work..." she said softly.

She reached to grab my hands, her thumbs rubbing my knuckles gently.

"We're doing this for the younger idols, Oppa... For the future of our industry... For the greater good," she said. Slowly, I nodded. "For the greater good..." I agreed.

I looked up at her, finding her smiling and nodding. She leaned across the table to kiss my lips, and I kissed her back. My heart was troubled. She pulled herself away from me and smiled at me, then she picked herself up and walked to straddle me on my chair.

As I buried my face on her warm and juicy tits... As I looked up to see her beautiful face... I couldn't shake an image inside my head...

Somehow... I couldn't see Bae Suzy.

All I could see was Park Chohee... My late wife.

* * *

Friday, November 2nd, 2012 - 5.00pm. Seocho-dong, Seoul.

"Mmh... F–F–Fuck... S–Suzy!" "N–Nggh! Y–Y-y-y-yes... Y–YES! Y–YES... O–Oppa! F–Fuck... A–Ass... A–AH!"

I pummelled Suzy, my cock pistoning in and out of her stretched asshole. I could still see my cum leaking out of her gaping pussy, the same white liquid covering her entire body front and back. This was the last push for the day.

"F–Fuck... Fuck... M–Mh... Mhh! S–Suzy... S–Suzy... C–Cumm... Cumming!" "Angh... Y–Yes! YES... O–Opp... Oppa! O–Opp... AAAH!"

Suzy reached her tenth orgasm of the evening, gushing her pussy juice like a torrent. At the same time, I blasted my cum inside her rectum—my fifth ejaculation of the session—, filling her up to the brim. She slumped forward, panting and gasping, a stream of cum leaking out of her gaping asshole, mixing with the cum still coming out of her pussy.

I turned her body over and placed my cock in between her massive tits, so slippery now after being coated with my cum from our earlier titty fucking session. She opened her mouth and took in my cock, licking and sucking it clean, before eventually I slumped next to her, catching my breath. I chuckled.

"Fuck... That was good..." I sighed. Suzy giggled. "Of course... Wouldn't expect any less from your favourite slut, right, Oppa?" she teased.

I chuckled and kissed her lips. She kept referring to herself as 'slut' after she slept with Deputy Minister Lee Kangdae last Sunday, but I had no complaints. She was my slut, and... Regarding that night she spent with the Deputy Minister... It was a huge success.

On Monday, we received news that the meeting was cancelled, and just this morning, we received official confirmation that the bill was cancelled. Holy shit. Why were men so weak in the presence of a hot girl? Suzy practically only needed to spend one night with the guy, and that was it...

"Still can't believe you managed to convince him to cancel the bill..." I chuckled, tracing my fingers on her long milky thighs. Suzy smirked. "I told you..." she said smugly. "Alright, alright..." I accepted my defeat.

She giggled and flung her arms around my chest, kissing my cheek.

"Do you really have to go?" Suzy asked me. I nodded. "Well... It's a cross-company celebration for our victory over tyranny... It would be weird if I didn't come, wouldn't it? They might suspect something..." I said. Suzy giggled. "Oh come on... They know we're together, right?" Suzy said. I chuckled. "Still... I gotta go..." I said.

I picked myself up, walking towards the shower. She stared at me seductively from the bed, our blanket covering her inviting breasts. I knew what she was looking at.

"Ya... Stop staring at my cock..." I said. She laughed. "I want it in me again..." she whispered, rubbing her belly. I chuckled. "Tonight, Baby... I promise..." I said. "Alright... I'll hold you for that!" she said.

I laughed and took a quick shower, before drying myself and getting dressed. Suzy was sitting on the edge of the bed, still naked, and honestly I had to fight the urge not to just lunge on her and fuck her senseless again.

"Are you going to JYPE to practice?" I asked. She nodded. "Yup. Hey, when's your daughter gonna come to Seoul?" she asked me suddenly. "Oh? December. For the last audition batch of this year. Why?" I asked. She shook her head. "Nothing.... I heard this month's batch's audition is being held today," she said. "Reminds me of your daughter... Can't wait to see what she looks like!"

I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh, really? I didn't know they're having an earlier batch!" I said. Suzy chuckled. "Sometimes I wonder who the manager really is... Me or you?" she teased me.

I laughed and walked over to peck her cheek.

"Alright, alright... Hey, I'll pick you up after practice, okay?" I said. She nodded. "Got it! See you later, Oppa! Enjoy the night!" she exclaimed.

I pecked her cheek one more time before playfully giving her breasts a squeeze. She slapped my butt and giggled, and I walked out of the apartment, taking my car to the SM Entertainment HQ, where the party was being held.

I parked my car in the assigned spot, and took the lift to the executive level. Inside a small lounge, I found BoA, Kangta, PSY, and JYP, my four comrades who had to face the Deputy Minister last month, as well as Jang Junhwan, the ace lawyer. They cheered as they saw me.

"Aaay! There he is! Raise your glass for Park Manse!" announced Kangta.

I laughed as BoA, PSY, and JYP raised their glasses. An attendant offered me my own, and I raised it above my head.

"To the future of K-pop!" I proposed. "To the future!" said BoA cheerfully.

The others echoed my words, and we clinked our glass and drank. I took a seat next to JYP, who flung his arm across my shoulder, hugging me in a brotherly manner.

"Who knew, huh?" he said. I chuckled. "Ah well... That's the government for you, Hyung... Always changing their minds," I said. "Shit... A month of endless discussions on our end... And in the end they cancelled it themselves," said Kangta, shaking his head.

PSY chuckled.

"Well... You know... In the end we prevailed. Whatever the reason is," he said, before turning to look at me meaningfully, "Right, Manse?"

What was that supposed to mean?

"R–Right, Jaesang-hyung," I said, unsure. BoA smirked. "Ah... I don't care what the reason was... As long as our industry remains untouched. That's all that matters," said BoA calmly. PSY laughed. "Oh, BoA... Were you scared that the new bill would jeopardise your aim to become the CEO of SM Entertainment after Sooman-hyung retires?" he poked.

Kangta, Junhwan, and JYP laughed, but BoA remained calm.

"Well... I was just apprehensive... If I had to lead the biggest K-pop company in the world into a K-pop world without a soul," she said calmly. "That is true..." said Kangta. "Jaesang-hyung, are you still considering opening your own company?" Junhwan asked.

PSY thought for a moment, before nodding.

"Yeah. I mean... Hyunsuk-hyung gave no shits about his company... Instead trusting his senior artists and directors to decide for him... I mean... How could a company grow like that? That's just silly. I don't feel like I'm seeing eye-to-eye with him on a lot of matters nowadays," said PSY. "Still... It requires a lot of effort to build one, Jaesang. Just... Be ready," said JYP. PSY nodded. "If anything... I know I'll have your support, am I right?" PSY asked with a smile.

We all laughed and nodded. Of course we would support PSY. He was the one who single-handedly created the latest global K-pop craze with her song 'Gangnam Style' anyway. We toasted again for PSY's success, before talking and joking together.

We enjoyed the night of talking, eating, and drinking together. We couldn't spend many times like this together, us being busy with our own companies, and with the case now closed, who knew when we could meet together again like this. As we neared the end of the dinner, JYP tapped on my shoulder.

"Yes, Hyung?" I asked. "Manse, come with me for a sec... I wanna talk to you in private," he said.

I rose up from my seat and started to follow my boss, but the corner of my eyes caught BoA's look. The SM director was staring at my direction for a moment, before turning to talk with Junhwan and Kangta again.

I followed JYP outside of the lounge into the outdoor garden. He whipped up a pack of cigarettes and lit up one, before offering them to me. I took one graciously and lit my own. JYP rested his back on the wall and looked up, puffing a cloud of smoke into the air.

"Manse... I gotta say... I commend your sacrifice," he started. "Sacrifice?" I asked, not fully understanding what he was saying. JYP nodded. "Yes..." he said. "It was... Suzy, right?"

I stared at him in surprise... He knew?

"H–Hyung... I–I..." I stammered, but he lifted his hand. "It's alright... I know, BoA and PSY knew... Kangta doesn't. Let's keep it that way," he said.

I couldn't say anything. I only stood there, staring at my boss. He continued.

"It's... I don't know who talked you into it, and personally I hated that move... But... It was necessary, and it was successful, so... I'm going to let it slide this time," JYP said.

What... How... How did he know?

"H–Hyung... I'm... I'm really sorry..." I uttered, bowing deeply, but he chuckled. "No, no... We were desperate. And desperate times require desperate measures. Remember, Kangta floated the idea initially to have one of the SNSD girls do it, right? But I refused... I just never thought that it was you who ended up doing it," he said.

JYP took a long drag out of his cigarette.

"I'm... I always view my idols–the female idols especially–as my daughters. That's why I never agreed to do it. You have a daughter back in Namwon, Manse. How would you feel if you had to send your daughter into prostitution?" he asked rhetorically.

I was silenced. He was right, of course. JYP sighed and puffed out a cloud of smoke.

"The thing is... This industry... The K-pop industry... It's been like this for years. Rotten, vile. People might see the glitz and glam of it, but us on the inside... We know that it's not all pretty. A lot of bad things were done... Including idol prostitution," he mused.

I stared at him as he continued smoking.

"It's... It has been... Like this... For years?" I repeated his words. JYP nodded. "Uh-huh. Are you familiar with the 'Tragedy of Moon Daesung'?" he asked.

My heart stopped. 'The Tragedy of Moon Daesung'? What... Was that how they called what happened to my family back then? JYP didn't know that he was speaking to Moon Daesung himself, but... What was he talking about?

"Y–Yeah. Yeah, I've heard..." I said after a while. JYP nodded. "Do you know the reason why Yoon Eunhye debuted instead of Park Chohee?" he asked.

My mind was all over the place. My legs were shaking. The reason? After all these years... And now... Finally there was a reason? What could be the reason other than those fuckers at DR Music being unfaithful, untrustworthy bastards?

"T–The reason?" I found myself stammering. JYP nodded again. "I heard this... From one of the ex-DR Music executives from back in the day. He said... Originally they were going to wait for Park Chohee to deliver her baby... But then..." he trailed off.

"Then... What?" I asked slowly.

JYP looked straight into my eyes.

"... Then... Yoon Eunhye seduced them... And... She said she'd sleep with them if she's allowed to debut as Lee Gai's replacement instead, and... Well... They agreed," said JYP, sounding tired and disgusted.

I couldn't believe my ears. Yoon Eunhye? That... Girl? But she was... Wasn't she a minor back then? How could... How could she? How could... How could they? Those sick fucks! They were abusing a minor! And for what... Just so she could debut ahead of Chohee?

"What... W–What the fuck?" I whispered. JYP nodded. "I... I know. It's sick... And... The executives... Were convinced, and decided to do it in the end, giving her the debut instead of Park Chohee," JYP concluded.

I was at a loss for words. All the suffering I experienced, my career, my life... It originated from a girl's seduction, and the lust of some sick, old ass executives who agreed to her? What... How was that even possible?

"As I said, Manse... It's been going on for a while... And it's ironic that the girl who ended up doing it during our era to cancel the bill is someone that looks almost identical to Yoon Eunhye. I guess history is repeating itself, huh? Only–thankfully–this time no deaths were involved..." sighed JYP.

He was right. He was so right. Suzy did look like the spitting image of Eunhye. Oh God. How... How did I never realise it up to now?

He finished his smoke and threw it on the ground, stomping it with his foot. He rested a hand on my shoulder and stared at me.

"The thing is, Manse... Can I ask you to... Promise me something?" he asked. "W–What is it, Hyung?" I stammered.

JYP looked seriously into my eyes.

"Promise me... Never to do it again. Hm? Let this be the first and the last. Let's protect our girls, let's protect Suzy. I don't know what my other executives are doing behind my back... But you... I trust you. I know you meant no harm. You were only doing it to save the industry. With you and I together in this, maybe we can even bring an end to this... Idol prostitution thing that's been going on for ages," he said.

I stared into his eyes. All I saw was kindness, sincerity. Slowly, I nodded.

"Y–Yes, Hyung. I promise," I said. JYP smiled. "Good. Now let's get back inside! Fucking hell why is it so cold already? It's only November, right?" he shuddered.

He rushed inside, and I followed him in. My heart and mind were numb. I couldn't think. How... How could I... How could I do... The exact same thing... That ended up killing Chohee? How could I agree to... To Suzy's idea?

Suzy... Eunhye... They... They were all the same, weren't they? They not only look the same. They... Their hearts were the same too.

Sluts.

No. No. No. My Suzy was different. Eunhye did it for her own selfish agenda. Suzy did it for her juniors. It was different. Yes. It was entirely different.

JYP and I reached the lounge, and we sat down on our table. At that moment, my cell phone vibrated, and I checked it out. It was a message... From Suzy.

'Oppa! I'm done with the practice! Hey, are you still with the bosses? If so, take your time. I'll go home with the Unnies and you can pick me up at the dorm later!'

I texted back.

'Hi! No, I'm good. We're done eating anyway, and I don't want to be their driver when all of them are drunk! I'm picking you up now.'

I needed to get away too. To clear my mind. Yeah. This room was beginning to feel stuffy. I looked at JYP, who was busy joking with PSY, and I tapped his arm.

"Hyung... I... I gotta pick up the girls," I said. "Oh, why don't we ask another manager to pick them up? You should stay with us!" he said, but I shook my head. "No, no. It's... It's fine. I should pick them up," I said. Kangta sniggered. "Tsk... Manse, just be honest: You miss you pretty Suzy!" he said.

The bosses laughed, and I chuckled. That was a good excuse.

"You're right, Hyung," I said, smiling. JYP sighed. "Ah well... All for love. Go on then! See you in the office on Monday!" he said. "Take care, Oppa," said BoA. Junhwan nodded and smiled. "Don't be too rough on her, okay?" said PSY.

I chuckled and excused myself, before rushing to my car in the parking lot. I drove quickly to JYPE's building. During the ride, my mind was turning.

Yes, Suzy didn't mean any harm... But she was still the one who suggested it to me. So it wasn't just corrupt executives... The idols themselves thought of sex as a way to get what they wanted. Maybe they had thought of it as the norm. If what Jinyoung-hyung said was true, then probably this understanding was passed down from generation to generation, from sunbaes to hoobaes... Oh fuck. This industry was more rotten than I imagined!

Shit... Should I just call Abeoji at Namwon and tell him to prevent Hyejin from coming to Seoul next month? I wouldn't want Hyejin to join such a rotten industry! What if... Oh God, no... What if she ended up having to use sex to get what she wanted? I could only protect her so much as a director without making her feel like she's getting any special treatment... Her colleagues and fellow trainees would despise her for that. That would make her life even more terrible!

Yeah... Probably tomorrow I should call Abeoji. Maybe I should speak to Hyejin herself. Gosh... But that would break her heart, wouldn't it? It was her dream... Her lifelong dream... How could I?

I had to push that thought to the side because I reached the JYPE building. I found Suzy waiting for me at the lobby, talking to two... Odd looking girls. One was chubby, the other was... Looking blank. I supposed they were our new trainees from the summer batch.

"Well, see you around, Sana, Momo!" Suzy said, waving at the two young girls. "H–HAI! I–I mean... N-Ne! See you around, Sunbaenim!" the chubbier one exclaimed loudly in broken korean.

The two trainees bowed low as Suzy smiled and skipped to enter my car, waving towards the two trainees. As we zoomed away, Suzy pecked my cheek.

I would usually chuckle and return the favor, but tonight... I was feeling a little different. I couldn't shake the image of Yoon Eunhye from my mind. Shit. Jinyoung-hyung was right, wasn't he? Suzy did look like Eunhye. She looked a lot like her.

Slut.

No. No. No. Stop thinking that. This was my girlfriend. Hyejin's would-be-adoptive mother. Probably the future mom of my children. I shouldn't think of her like that. I forced a smile and looked at her.

"Japanese?" I asked her, referring to the two young girls she was speaking to. "Mm! The chubby one was Sana, the blank-looking one was Momo. Came from Osaka and Kyoto respectively. Joined us this summer," she said. I smiled. "You'll make a fine director one day..." I said.

Suzy laughed and slapped my arm.

"Ya! I still want my career as an idol!" she scolded me. I chuckled. "Alright, alright..." I said. She smiled and threw herself back to her seat. "Hey, how was the party?" she asked.

I thought for a moment. Should I tell her that JYP, BoA, and PSY knew?

"It was... Good? I guess..." I said. "Still prefer spending time with you..." "Aww... You're so sweet..." she cooed.

We drove in relative silence back to my apartment, before slowly going up to our unit. Suzy had bought some street food for supper tonight, so we settled on the dining table and started eating. During dinner, I couldn't shake off the uneasiness from my heart.

This girl in front of me... This... Teenage girl... She convinced me to do the exact same thing that killed Chohee. She... And her friends. I had just committed the same sin that killed my dear wife all those years ago. How was I so stupid? How was I... "Oppa! Don't space out!" Suzy called out, chuckling, before asking with concern, "Is everything alright?"

I was startled, but I forced a smile. I needed to push my thoughts away as far as possible.

"N–Nah. Nothing... Hey, How's practice?" I asked after a while. She shrugged. "Ah, same old..." she said dismissively. "... What's cool was the audition!"

I looked at her and chuckled.

"How was it?" I asked her. She beamed. "Oh gosh, seriously they're so good... But I gotta say, the highlight was a girl from Namwon, your hometown!" she said. "Namwon?" I asked. Suzy nodded excitedly. "Uh-huh!" she said, picking up a piece of kimbap with her chopsticks and shoving it into her mouth. "Her name was Moon Hyejin!"

My heart stopped. Oh no... No. No. It could just be someone with the same name, from the same hometown. It was a coincidence. Hyejin was coming in December!

"M–Moon... H–Hyejin?" I stammered.

Suzy didn't catch this.

"Yep. Moon Hyejin. Remember the name. I tell you, Oppa... If she's not debuting with our next girl group, then JYP-oppa is making a huge mistake! Seriously... She's so talented! Her voice, her moves... And she's so pretty too! Not many could pull a short hair and look as gorgeous as she was! I think she's on par with Nayeon... If not better!" Suzy said happily.

Short hair... Great voice, great dancer... Oh God... Oh God... No... Please, no.

"And the way she answered the judges! I could tell that she was so smart. She's a Wonder Girls fan, and her favourite idol is Sohee-unnie! Imagine... People would usually pick Sunmi-unnie, and she picked Sohee-unnie! She has character, that girl... I like her!" Suzy continued.

Wonder Girls... Ahn Sohee... No. No. This can't be happening!

"I should talk to JYP-oppa maybe about her–Hey... Oppa? Where... Where are you going?" she asked.

I didn't reply. I picked up my coat and rushed to the door. Suzy called my name again, but I was already inside the lift. I rushed down to the parking lot, opened my car, and drove as fast as I could to JYPE's office. There was only one thing in my mind:

I had to stop Hyejin from getting accepted.

I reached the office a few minutes later. It was already closed, but I was both a director and the manager of one of their most successful girl groups, so I had my keycard. I swiped myself in, and I rushed to the audition theatre, where the earlier audition was held.

It was empty. Of course.

"Fuck! Why did you come a month earlier, Hyejin!" I cursed.

Think, Daesung, Think! Where would they keep the candidates' files? That's right! The audition director's office.

I rushed to the office, finding it locked. Of course! I tried swiping my card, and it didn't work. Fuck. How should I enter? How could I enter?

I stared at the door. It was wooden. I knew it was reinforced, but... I'm a big guy, right? Shouldn't be too hard. Like Jinyoung-hyung said earlier, desperate times require desperate measures.

I took a few steps back, and I rushed forward to kick the door with all my might. The panel cracked a little. Good. Just have to continue doing this. Let's just hope no security was doing their patrol in this area anytime soon. I took another few steps back.

I kept kicking the door. Cracks. More cracks. Good! More! I rushed back to the end of the hallway, panting. I collected all my might, before charging forward.

"HYEAAAAAH!!!!"

With a loud yell, I kicked the door one last time, making it burst open. Right. I should think of a way to explain this to Jinyoung-hyung tomorrow, but now's not the time. I rushed to the audition director's table, finding a stack of personnel files... These were the ones I was looking for: The audition files.

I combed through the names haphazardly, until I found the folder marked with her name: Moon Hyejin 문혜진. That's it. That's my daughter... I grabbed it, and I opened it.

There she was. That's her photo. My angel... My sweet little dove... Suzy was right. Not many could pull off a short haircut and look as gorgeous as she was. Look at those eyes. Those sharp, smart eyes. Look at that smile. Oh... My Hyejin...

I took her photo and put it inside my pocket, but I brought the rest of her file to the paper shredder in the room, and I turned it on. I placed the papers on top of the buzzing machine, ready to destroy it. My hand was trembling.

I had to do this. I had to protect you. I knew I was about to shred your dreams to pieces, but... It was for your own good. This industry... They didn't deserve you. I would not let bad things happen to you. I couldn't protect your mom... But now... I'm protecting you.

"I'm sorry, Hyejin-ie..." I whispered. "Oppa... What are you doing?"

I looked up, finding Suzy standing at the destroyed doorway. She was panting, she was sweating, like she had just run the full length from my apartment to the office... She was looking at me in fear.

"Op–Oppa... W–What... What are you doing?" she repeated her words. "I... I'm... I'm saving my daughter," I whispered. "Y–Your daughter?" she asked.

I nodded.

"I'm... I'm gonna destroy her file... To save her..." I uttered. "S-Save her?" "Y–Yes... I... I need to give her a good life..." I said.

Her eyes darted between me and the file.

"Oppa... That's cheating..." she uttered, her voice filled with disappointment.

What?

"W–Wait... S-Suzy–" "Destroying the top performer's file to give your daughter a chance to join JYPE? I never thought you'd be this selfish, Oppa..." she said, staring at me in regret.

Huh? No... She took it wrongly!

"S–Suzy, wait, hear me out!" I said.

"There's nothing to hear, Oppa! I'm reporting you!" she said, picking up her phone.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She began punching in numbers, dialling up someone.

"H–Honey, wait! Let me explain!" I called out. "Don't call me that... I don't want to be in a relationship with someone who's a selfish bastard. I'm calling JYP-oppa!" she said, placing her phone on her ear.

Bastard?

"Suzy, you have to let me explain–" "There's no explaining to be done!" she exclaimed stubbornly.

What... What the fuck was she doing?

"I thought you were happy to hear about that girl, Oppa! I thought you're happy for the next generation of idols! But turns out you're just as selfish as the Ministers! Only wanting what you think is best, doing everything you can to reap as much as possible from the industry!" Suzy started accusing me.

What... What the fuck?

Here I was... Trying to be a good father for Hyejin, trying to save her from this rotten industry. Trying to save her from people like those DR Music executives, trying to save her from the influences of people like Yoon Eunhye, and...

... And Bae Suzy.

I get it now. They were indeed the same. Eunhye, Suzy... All these idols. These fucking idols. Suzy wasn't alone, right? She colluded with IU, with Sulli, with Hara too. They thought their pretty faces and perfect bodies could get them anything. They thought it was the solution for any and all problems in the world.

Slut.

Rage was boiling inside me. So that's what she was. That's what she'd been this whole time. I kept lying to myself, I kept telling myself that my Suzy was different, that my Suzy wasn't doing it for herself, unlike Eunhye. No. This... Bitch. She was the same. She and her friends.

Fucking Slut.

And this slut... She was the one who spread her legs for that Deputy Minister. She was the one who used her cunt to stop that stupid fucking bill.

Suzy... And her friends... They convinced me to agree on idol prostitution, the same thing that Eunhye did to get what she wanted. The same thingbroke my Chohee... The same thing that killed my Chohee.

She was the one who suggested the idea. And now... She had the audacity... To call me a cheat... A bastard?

Stupid. Fucking. SLUT.

The bubble of rage growing within me popped. Something snapped within me as I walked over to her. It was like my vision went red, my mind numb with anger and hatred as every thundering footstep I took towards her sent more and more rage pumping through my veins.

Chohee... My Chohee is gone... Because of these idols. My life was destroyed... Because of these idols. Idols like Eunhye, idols like Suzy... I would never let my Hyejin be one of them. I would destroy them. They were sluts, so I should treat them that way.

"What are you–"

SLAP

I slapped her, straight in that slutty face as her phone fell from her hands. I crushed it with my foot, effectively stopping the call.

"YA! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE–"

I shut her up, my hand covering her mouth as I yanked her over to the table, forcing her down on the desk, her back pressed against the wood by my hand. She squirmed and struggled, trying in vain to break free.

"Listen here... You slut..." I hissed.

I could see her eyes widening in fear. This girl. This fucking slut.

"I'll never... Let my daughter... Be one of you..." I said.

She was the cause of all this. She had the chance to stop it when her slutty friends IU, Hara, and Sulli suggested it to her. She had every chance to stop the cycle, but instead she got to my head, she convinced me to set her up with Kangdae.

She was a slut. A cheap... Fucking. Slut. All of them are.

"You... All of you... You're nothing but overpaid sluts... Who uses your bodies... To fuck whoever you want... To get what you want..." I growled.

She knew. She knew what I was about to do to her. That horror in her eyes said everything I needed to hear. Suzy's screams were muffled by my hand on her face. I pressed her down with all my might, and I knew I was hurting her. I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to hurt all of them.

"I'LL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU FUCKING DESERVE!" I roared.

I grabbed the front of her shirt, and with a powerful yank, I tore open her clothes–shirt, bra, skirt, panties–ripping them to pieces. I tossed the fabric to the floor next to me.

Suzy kept wiggling, her tears were drenching my hand as they flooded her eyes. She screamed and screamed in terror, but only muffled sounds came out. I pulled open my pants, whipping my cock out...

And I did it.

[lsmu]

Book 3 Part 2 - Chapter 27: Distraction

"Saengil chukha hamnida... Saengil chukha hamnida... Saranghaneun Minsoo-ya... Saengil chukha hamnida!"

I chuckled as I watched the Twice girls singing their happy birthday song for Minsoo, followed by cheers and claps and well wishes from everyone, including Suzy, IU, and Mr. Shin. With BoA's permission, Taeyeon told Wendy to hack into the CCTV footage of Mina's suite in the hospital, so we could see what was going on there through one of the monitors Hyejin had set up in our makeshift HQ. So far so good.

"Is Hyungnim here?" I heard Ansel speaking through my earpiece. "He's in his room," answered the voice of a man.

Dara looked up from her computer and pressed a hand onto her earpiece.

"Don't go straight to the room, Ansel-ssi. Walk around a little bit so we can have a layout of the place," she said. "Alright..." said Ansel.

Dara nodded and typed a few things on her laptop. I looked at the monitor above Lisa, and I could see a blinking red dot appearing on the blue screen. That must be Ansel. I saw small streaks of lines starting to form around him, and I looked at Wendy in curiosity. She chuckled.

"Yes, Yeoni. The earpiece has a tracking system built in it, so we can map out the wearer's surroundings within a certain radius," she explained. "Woah..." I mutter. "Cool shit, right?" chimed Taeyeon.

I smiled and nodded. The IPG's tech was always amazing, and the more I got to know them, the more I became amazed with just how advanced their technology was. I guessed BoA's investments over the years must have done some good.

Jennie reached my hand and squeezed it. I turned to look at her, finding her smiling nervously.

"Nervous?" I asked my girlfriend softly. She nodded and took a deep breath. "Y–Yeah. Shit. Even more nervous than performing at Coachella," she whispered. "Do you wanna go home and look after Noona instead?" I offered sincerely, but Jennie shook her head. "No, no... I'll... I'll get even more nervous not seeing the action myself. I'll make Jisoo-unnie nervous too," she said.

I chuckled and flung my arm around her shoulder, offering her my support. She was right, of course. We wanted to put Jisoo as far away as possible from whatever was happening right now to not make her worry too much. She was worried about the mission–as she always does because she simply was an incredibly caring person–, but having Sooyoung, Seungyeon, and the other Care Team members except for Yeri and Nayeon with her would help her take her mind off things. That was good.

Jennie and I looked at the monitor again, finding the lines now forming what looked like a layout of a... Lobby lounge? I heard Yeri gasping.

"Shit... How big is that place?" she muttered. Rosé grunted. "Judging from the outside... It looks like an abandoned... Hotel? Those windows and shit..." said Rosé.

At that moment, we heard the beeping sound of the passcode lock of the front door being keyed in, and almost instinctively, Taeyeon, Irene, Joy, Seulgi, and Jennie, the Strike Team members, had their hands on the stun-gun holsters on their belt, ready to strike. The door opened, revealing Hyejin, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Gosh... Thank God it's you, Babe..." uttered Yeri. "Ya... Calm down, Guys," chuckled Hyejin, seeing how everyone was ready to shoot. "Fuck... We're all jittery today," said Seulgi.

Hyejin giggled and walked over to kiss Yeri, before moving on to sit on her station. Irene, who was sitting in the central chair that would usually be occupied by IU during the IPG's spy team missions of the past, looked at Dara.

"Dara-unnie, can we get a CCTV feed of the place?" asked Irene. Dara furrowed her brows. "... I... Don't think so, Irene. The system is a little..." she muttered. "... Strange," completed Rosé, typing on her laptop. Dara nodded. "Strange how?" asked Irene. "It's... It's not like the CCTV system that we use in our HQ," said Lisa. "Yeah, this one's a little... Old school," said Dara, chuckling a little. "Old school?" Joy asked, lifting her head from the sofa where she was sitting with Seulgi. "Apparently... The feed is not collected through a cloud. They're stored in... Manual tapes," said Wendy. "Manual tapes?!" I repeated in surprise. Wendy nodded. "He must be worried that IU-unnie would hack into the feed if he's using modern tech," concluded Hyejin.

We all nodded. Irene sighed while Taeyeon laughed. Shit. Manse was indeed paranoid, just like Ansel and Chuyoung said yesterday. I refocused my sight on the main monitor, and I saw the lines of the lobby layout had been completed. Shit. It's a huge lobby.

"Got a good look?" Ansel asked. "There's a railing on either side of the main hall. Shooters and guards are usually there." "Got it. You may proceed," answered Dara.

'Shooters and guards'? Fuck. I was starting to feel nervous. I squeezed Jennie's hand a little tighter, and she looked up at me curiously. I smiled and shook my head, focusing instead on the hospital monitor. I noticed that Sana wasn't there, as well as Mr. Shin, so I pressed a finger on my earpiece.

"I can't see you on the monitor. Mr. Shin too. All good on your end, Sha?" I asked my best friend at the hospital.

I could hear her heavy breathing.

"Mr. Shin's going to the convenience store to buy more drinks. I'm currently in the toilet. Fuck this is the first time in my life I'm feeling so jittery, I've been peeing again and again for the last hour," Sana replied, her voice shaking. "Calm down, Sha. Take a deep breath," I said, grinning. "How's Suzy-unnie and IU-unnie?" Jennie asked. "They're joking around and talking with the girls and Minsoo, as you can see... All good for now..." said Sana. "That's good. Keep it up, Sha," said Taeyeon. "Mm!" replied Sana. "I'm going back to Mina's suite now..."

I heard the sound of the bathroom door sliding open, then Sana's footsteps, then I saw her appearing on the monitor again, rejoining her sisters and friends. They seemed happy...

"Ansel!" I heard a female voice gasping from my earpiece.

Everyone looked up. From the monitor, we could see that Ansel's dot had reached the second floor of the building, but he was standing still. Lisa threw a glance at me, and I nodded. I recognised that voice. Everyone did. Dara's face grew pale.

"Chaerin-ssi," Ansel said. "C–Chaerin?" Dara stuttered.

That was the voice I heard answering Ansel's call back when Lisa and I bugged his place that night. So that was CL. Shit. Shit, how would Ansel handle this?

"Umm... Guys..." uttered Yeri. "What is... Why does IU-unnie keep checking on her phone?"

We looked at the monitor that showed the hospital feed, and Yeri was right; while everyone including Suzy was happily talking, eating and drinking with everyone else, IU was busy checking her phone. Oh shit.

"Sha?" Irene checked. "IU's checking her phone repeatedly. We shouldn't worry about anything, right?"

Sana couldn't answer. She anxiously threw a glance at IU, who suddenly looked up at Sana. I couldn't tell how her face looked because she had her back to the camera, but I could see my best friend's reaction.

It was fear.

"Oh... No..." muttered Rosé.

IU walked swiftly towards Suzy and whispered something in her ear. Sana looked at Momo, who was busy munching on some jokbal while joking with Mina and Chaeyoung. She then looked at Nayeon, the other senior IPG member, and she understood. Her face was filled with concern.

At that moment, Suzy stepped forward. She cleared her throat to grab everyone's attention.

"Umm... Guys, I'm so sorry. But... We gotta go now. It's an urgent matter," said Suzy. "Is everything alright, Sunbae?" asked Minsoo. Suzy smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes. Don't worry. But... IU and I really gotta go now. Happy birthday again, Minsoo-ya," said Suzy, smiling.

She was smiling alright, but I could tell from her eyes that something bad was going on. IU bowed and wished Minsoo another happy birthday, and then she rushed to the door. Suzy shot a glance at Sana, before walking away as quickly as possible.

The Twice girls all looked anxious and confused. Jihyo reached Sana's arm.

"Shouldn't you follow them?" she asked. Sana nodded. "Y–Yes. Momo! Call... Call Sabito," Sana commanded.

Momo stumbled to grab her phone, dialling her boyfriend. Sana rushed to follow Suzy and IU out of the room, disappearing from the CCTV footage.

"Suzy-unnie! Is everything alright?" asked Sana, her voice innocent.

SLAP

Everyone in the Red Velvet's dorm gasped. What... What just happened?

"You... Cunning... Bitch!" growled Suzy, her voice trembling in rage. "W–Wha... I–I don't... Understand, Unnie!" stammered Sana, still sounding innocent. "Drop the act! I know you're the one who did this! So this is how you wanna do it, huh?" Suzy yelled. "Suzy. Come on! No time! Just... Come on, let's go! We need to stop them!" urged IU.

'Stop them'?

"This is not over, Minatozaki Sana. Mark my words!" threatened Suzy. "Suzy! COME ON!" exclaimed IU.

With that, I heard rushing footsteps echoing away. Another footsteps, walking increasingly faster.

"Sha! Sana, what happened?" urged Irene. "Fuck. Fuck, guys. We're fucked!" Sana replied.

I looked back at the hospital monitor. Sana had reentered the suite, rushing to Momo's side. Momo gave her phone to Sana, who pressed the loudspeaker button. Everyone huddled around her.

"Sabito! What happened? Did IU find out?" Sana asked. "Yes. Fuck. I logged out of her phone and the HQ's CCTV after that 10 minutes, but apparently she noticed a glitch when she checked back on her feed!" Sabito's voice replied.

Wendy grunted.

"Fucking obsessed maniac!" she cursed, slamming the table in front of her. "What do we do now?" asked Nayeon in concern. "Where are they going? Are they going to the HQ?" asked Jihyo. "Hyejin! Hyejin, use your tracker!" commanded Sana, pressing her earpiece.

Hyejin nodded and immediately opened her program. She typed in a few things on her laptop, and soon another monitor showed a loading bar. As the bar reached 100%, it showed the streets map of Seoul, with a blinking white dot moving rapidly in one direction...

... Towards Hannam.

"O–Oh... No... They're... They're coming here..." muttered Lisa. "But how? How did they find out?" Jennie demanded. "Sabito! How did IU find out?" asked Sana, half-yelling.

Sabito took a second to respond.

"It's.... Fuck. She... FUCK! She counter-hacked my... Fuck! Sana-ssi! She knows. She knows I'm in this too. She traced... She traced you guys! She knows you guys are doing this from the Red Velvet dorm! Fuck, fuck, fuck. Sana! Hurry! Stop her!" Sabito yelled.

Oh shit. This was bad. This was really bad. I looked up, finding everyone looking pale.

"I'm going to the RV dorm. Momo, come with me. I might need Sabito's help. The rest of you, stay here, stay safe. Don't let anyone in, okay?" Sana barked her orders.

Everyone nodded. Sana looked directly at the CCTV before speaking.

"Taengoo-unnie, can you contact BoA-unnie? Tell her what happened. The girls might need protection," Sana said. Taeyeon nodded. "On it," she said, picking up her phone and dialling BoA's number. "Be careful, Sha," said Jeongyeon. Sana nodded, before rushing out with Momo.

Fuck. This is bad. Irene looked up and bit her lips.

"Everyone, on guard. Seulgi, Joy, ready your stun guns. Jennie, Yeoni, guard the lift. The moment IU and Suzy step onto our floor, stun them. We have to stop them at all costs!" Irene said. "Roger that," said the Strike Force members.

Seulgi and Joy picked up their stun guns, while Jennie and I rushed out to the lift lobby, standing on both sides. Fuck. This was turning into a civil war between IPG members, wasn't it? I decided to listen to Ansel's conversation with CL as we waited for Suzy and IU.

"You should go... Go back to Mina, when you still have the chance," CL said. "No. I have to do this," Ansel insisted. "Do what?" she asked, sounding confused. "I have to know the truth. For Mina... For the younger idols," Ansel said. "I... I don't understand..." she stuttered.

Fuck... Hurry up, Ansel! You should be speaking to Manse, not CL!

"Guys, they're here. They're downstairs," said Hyejin.

I looked at Jennie, who nodded and cocked her gun. I clenched my fists. Fuck. I had never struck a woman before, let alone pretty women like Suzy and IU... But...

"They're coming," uttered Jennie.

I looked up, seeing the floor number on the top of the lift door rising to our level. How should I do this? Should I grab them and pin them to the ground so that Jennie could stun them? Fuck. But they're our friends, right? They're still our friends.

"Sha, where are you?" I asked. "I'm driving as fast as I can. Stall them, Please," Sana answered.

The lift was approaching. This was it. I looked straight at Jennie's eyes, finding courage in her own confidence.

"Ready, Jen?" I asked her. She nodded. "Always," Jennie said, tightening her grip on the gun.

Ding.

The lift door flung open, and with immeasurable stealth...

"Don't even think about it."

The sharp end of a knife was pressing against my throat before the shaft doors even fully opened. I could feel the cold, sharp steel, less than a millimetre away from my neck. IU was holding it against me... And against Jennie too. IU's face was calm, her hands were steady. I noticed that the knife she held against Jennie was pointing straight at her jugular.

Suzy walked calmly past us, straight at the door, not even looking at Jennie and I. IU gestured for Jennie to drop her gun. Jennie glared at her in defiance initially, but with the blades tauntingly grazing our skins, she hesitantly did drop the gun. Shit.

"Kick the gun away," ordered IU, "Or I'll paint the floor red."

In raw fear, Jennie did so, kicking her gun to the end of the hallway. I've never felt a presence as daunting as IU's right now, and even the bravest man would tremble. The petite spymaster stared at me dead in the eyes, before looking at Suzy, whose hand was already on top of the passcode lock of the dorm.

"080114" IU spelled.

Fuck! How did she know?

Suzy keyed in the passcode, then opened the door. With blinding speed, IU threw the two knives she was holding inside through the doorway, and I heard two clatters and a couple of gasps. Seulgi and Joy's stun guns were already on the floor.

"Come on, let's get inside," Suzy said calmly.

IU shoved Jennie and I forward, and we walked with her and Suzy inside. Everyone was staring at the two IPG leaders in fear. Irene and Taeyeon had their stun guns trained at Suzy and IU, but the two leaders were calm.

"Stop everything you're doing," ordered Suzy. "No. We have to learn the truth."

We turned, and found Sana and Momo walking behind us. Their eyes were fixed on Suzy and IU. Suzy chuckled.

"Fucking traitor..." she scoffed. Sana smiled. "You're the traitor, Unnie. You've been lying to all of us all these years..." Sana said calmly. "What... What the fuck are you talking about?" IU asked. Sana glanced at her for a moment before returning her gaze to Suzy. "Unnie... The IPG was created so that we can help protect one another," Sana said. "What the fuck do you think I'm trying to do, Sha? I am trying to protect all of us here! Manse has to be stopped!" exclaimed Suzy incredulously. "Then why are you trying to stop us from learning the truth?" Sana charged. "What truth? Isn't the truth that he raped me and caused all the horrors for the last sixteen years not enough?" Suzy retorted. Sana closed her eyes. "That's only half of the truth, Unnie. You know it. Please stop lying. You know that's not the whole truth," Sana said.

Suzy blinked her eyes repeatedly, not able to form words. I knew she was shocked that Sana knew beyond what Suzy had been telling all of us all these times.

"I–I... I don't know what you're talking about..." Suzy said. Sana sighed. "Unnie. My friend is out there in Incheon, in Manse's hideout, going to meet his certain death, to give us a chance to learn the whole truth. If there's nothing to add to what you've been telling us all these years, why are you trying to stop him now? Why are you trying to stop us now?" Sana demanded.

IU looked at Suzy nervously, before looking at Sana again. Irene and Taeyeon trained their stun guns on IU and Suzy, but they both looked pale and tense. Sana took a step towards Suzy.

"Like I said, Unnie... The IPG was created so that we can help protect one another... Protect us girls from corrupt executives... Not to protect our own dirty secrets from the world..." Sana said calmly.

Suzy stared at Sana in shock. Her lips were parting a little. She knew. She knew that Sana knew.

"S–Sana..." Suzy stammered. "We're here... We're risking our lives, our careers... We take time off our busy schedules to work together with you... To prevent bad things from happening to us idols. We're not here to help you keep your secrets hidden," Sana continued. "I don't know what you're talking about..." muttered Suzy, but Sana was having none of it. "Stop lying, Unnie! I know, Unnie. I know what happened back in 2012, but I only know half of it! We need the entire truth!" Sana demanded. Suzy glared at her. "And then what? What are you going to do with the entire truth? Huh? You're going to destroy my career? You're going to destroy my reputation?" Suzy challenged her. Sana sighed. "This isn't about you, Unnie. This is about all of us, about our entire industry... About Hyejin! Not everything is about you!" Sana exclaimed frustratedly.

The two ladies glared at each other. Suzy's face was red with anger.

"It's... Always... About me... He... Raped... Me..." Suzy spelled bitterly, but Sana shook her head. "Yes, Unnie, but why? He was your boyfriend. Minsoo wouldn't rape Jihyo out of the blue," Sana asked. "HE RAPED ME!" Suzy screamed stubbornly. "Before that, Unnie. What happened before that... What happened between you, him, and Minister Lee Kangdae back in 2012? What made the government cancel the Hallyu Wave Rebranding Act?" Sana asked again.

Taeyeon gasped, while The Red Velvet girls, Hyejin, and Jennie looked beyond confused. I was confused too. The Hallyu Wave Rebranding Act? What was that? I looked at Suzy, whose face was pale as a paper.

"W–Who told you... Who t–told you that?" asked Suzy. "BoA-unnie. She's on our side," said Sana. "Of course she's on our side, Sha! She's the one who created the IPG afterall!" interjected IU, but Sana shook her head. "No, Unnie... You didn't hear me correctly," Sana uttered. "She's on our side. Not yours."

This shocked Suzy and IU. They exchanged glances with each other, looking lost, looking betrayed. Suzy's fists clenched. She stared at Sana, and I could see anger starting to fill her eyes.

"So... S–She... Betrayed me too..." Suzy whispered.

Again, Sana shook her head.

"You're the one betraying her trust, Unnie. BoA-unnie put you in charge of the IPG because you were the one who was first violated by Park Manse. She put you in charge because she thought you'd have the burden to prevent what happened to you from happening to the younger generation of idols," Sana said.

"But you... You're proving her wrong. Three times. First, when you asked me to blow Yeoni-oppa in our warehouse back in 2026 to get the names out of him so that you can spill the names to the media. Then last year, when you gave the gun to Yeoni-oppa and told him to kill Park Manse, and finally now... When you ask his own daughter to arrest him..." Sana said.

Suzy stole a glance at me. She did give me the gun back in SM's Parking Lot, and with my rage and adrenaline, I took it without thinking... I glanced at Hyejin. Her face was unreadable. She was staring at the two women.

"... All... With one intention: To silence Park Manse forever. To protect your own secret," Sana declared. "Isn't that right, Suzy-unnie?"

Suzy kept silent, but IU was jittering in her place. She looked unsure of what to do. Sana took another step towards Suzy.

"If you want us to stop our operation, tell us now, Suzy-unnie. Why did Park Manse rape you that November of 2012? What did it have to do with Hyejin's audition? Tell us now, and I'll tell Ansel to come back home," Sana said, her calmness surprising me.

Suzy stared at Sana, then at Hyejin, then at IU. Finally, she returned her gaze to Sana. Her eyes were glazed with tears now. Her body shook. Sana took another step forward, standing just a step away from Suzy. She reached her hand and grasped it tightly.

"Please, Unnie... We need to know. Hyejin needs to know. The world needs to know. We need it to stop Manse, and to make sure that what he did to you never happens again in the future. That's what the IPG is all about, right?" Sana whispered.

Suzy kept staring at Sana, tears dripping from her eyes.

"Please, Unnie... For Hyejin... For the IPG..." appealed Sana.

Everyone in the room didn't dare to move a muscle. Sana had spoken the truth, and now we were all waiting for Suzy's response.

For a brief moment, I thought I saw Suzy's eyes softened, and at that moment I thought she would agree to Sana's appeals, but then...

I saw hatred.

Suzy took a long, drawn out, shaky breath... And she spoke.

"I... Am... The IPG..." stuttered Suzy, her voice shaking in anger.

I heard Jennie gasping. Irene and Taeyeon looked at Suzy in disappointment, while the others were simply shocked by Suzy's claims. That was... Arrogance. Hubris. That was... That was dictatorial.

Sana looked at her company senior, her trusted unnie, the one she had loyally supported for the past few years. The one she was willing to do anything for, even blowing me against her own wishes. A single tear leaked from Sana's eyes as she released her hand and took a step back. A small, pitiful smile rose on her lips.

"Then... You are truly lost," whispered Sana, sorrow filling her voice.

Suddenly, we heard a male voice from the speaker near the workstation.

"Well... If you want to know that much, Ansel-san... Why don't I tell you the story myself?"

That voice. That was Park Manse. Everyone's attention was averted to the monitor. Ansel's dot was blinking in what looked like a room, a large one. Did... Did Manse meet him finally?

"Is that... I–Is that... Him?" Hyejin stuttered.

Suzy's face was filled with panic. She turned to look at IU.

"Ji-eun! Disable their computers now!" she yelled.

IU looked at her, looking unsure, but she took a device from her bag and pointed it at the workstation. Wendy's eyes widened.

"EMP!" she exclaimed.

IU trained her EMP device on the computers, ready to shoot, but at that moment, suddenly, Hyejin took her handgun out of the holster. She cocked it and pointed it at IU.

"Come on. Do it, Unnie. Do it, and you'll never be able to perform again," hissed Hyejin, her voice laced with poison. I had never heard Hyejin speak with such menace before.

IU's confidence wavered. She stared at the barrel of Hyejin's gun.

"Hyejin-ie..." IU stuttered. "Drop the EMP, Unnie," said Hyejin, still pointing her gun at the Spymaster. "What... What are you waiting for, Ji-eun? Destroy their computers!" ordered Suzy.

It was a stand-off. It was a tense one.

"Come on... We don't need to be so tense! We're all friends here, right? Let's enjoy our lunch, and let's give Ansel what he wanted," Manse's voice spoke.

Manse's voice made Suzy panicked. She looked at Hyejin, then at IU, then at the computers, then at IU again.

"Ji-eun! What the fuck are you doing? DESTROY IT NOW!" she yelled.

IU was in an obvious dilemma. Her grip on the EMP device was shaky, and I could see that Sana's words had started to take hold of her mind. Seeing how her friend was unsure, Suzy grunted and stepped forward herself.

"Fine. I'll do it myself!" exclaimed Suzy.

She walked swiftly to the computer, reaching for the cables. Irene and Taeyeon cocked their stun guns and pointed them at Suzy, but before they could do anything, IU pulled her knife...

And placed it on Suzy's neck.

"J–Ji... Ji-eun?" Suzy stuttered. IU shook her head. "No, Suzy... Sana's right... We... Hyejin... Hyejin deserves to know the truth," said IU calmly.

Suzy stared at IU in disbelief. IU looked at Hyejin and nodded at her, putting her EMP device back inside her bag. Hyejin holstered her gun, before turning up the volume of the speaker. Manse could be heard speaking again.

"Right... What did you wanna know, Ansel-san? You wanted to know why I raped that bitch Suzy all those years ago?" he asked, sounding like he was chewing on something.

Ansel didn't reply, so after a few moments, Manse spoke again.

"Eat the meat. Don't waste good food," he said calmly, almost in a fatherly manner.

So they were having lunch. I looked at Hyejin, and I could see tears starting to fill her eyes as she listened to her father speaking.

"Y–Yes. Right..." Ansel stuttered. "And please answer my question. Is that what you want to know?" Manse asked again. "Yes, Hyungnim. That is what I want to know," Ansel said after a while.

IU brought Suzy to the sofa, making her sit down in between Seulgi and Joy, who both had picked up their stun guns and pointed them at the IPG leader. Jennie and I exchanged glances with Sana, and the three of us looked at Hyejin. She nodded, bracing herself to listen for Manse's answer.

Manse took a deep breath before answering.

"Very well. You might want to eat slowly, then... 'Cause this is going to be a long story..."