[00SJ24] Love Quindecagon

words: 1208
rate: PG13
(Day 24 of the Fanfiction series.)


On the twenty-fourth day of the challenge, some of the members were gathered in the 12th-floor dorm watching a movie. Shindong, Sungmin and Yesung were sitting on the larger couch facing the television set immersed in an action movie. Kibum was on the smaller couch with his laptop on his lap while Donghae managed to sit atop the couches’ adjacent armrests, watching the movie while his legs aimlessly swung just barely missing the side of Kibum’s screen and the glass Shindong was holding, lightly tabled on his own knee.

All was calm in the living room. The hero was creeping down a silent hallway, his gun poised before him. He slowly approached the corner and the members watching the movie silently sucked in anticipatory breaths.

“SHIN DONGHEE!”

The members jumped, suddenly surprised at the exclamation made in the living room rather than in the movie. Heechul stepped before them, swiping the remote that Sungmin threw into the air with surprise and turned off the movie. Hands on his hips, he glared at Shindong who was staring at Donghae.

“Sorry, Hae… I didn’t mean it,” Shindong apologized,

Donghae, who was now drenched in his hyung’s lemonade hopped off the armrests and sighed heavily, “It’s okay, I’ll go change. Kibum, are you coming?”

“Game. Go away,” Kibum muttered, his gaze concentrated on the screen as his fingers danced along the keys. He was the only member in the living room who hadn’t jumped in surprise.

“Are you kidding me?” Donghae gaped as he stared down at the younger man, “Eunhae!”

Kibum’s gaze whipped towards the other man, “Don’t even start–”

“I just did!”

“Yah! This is an interrogation not a drama!” Heechul exclaimed, wedging himself between Donghae and Kibum who had put his laptop to the side to stand up. Standing directly before Shindong, he glared, “Why have you closed your site!?”

“YOU HAVE A SITE!?” The other members exclaimed in unison,

“For my stories,” Shindong nodded, “And I closed it because I’m making a statement.”

“What? That you want to piss off Kim Heechul!?” Heechul demanded,

“I think his statement is that he wants to close his site,” Yesung said matter-of-factly,

Shindong blinked at his hyung before slowly turning back to look at Heechul who was also giving Yesung a typical you’re-lucky-people-think-you’re-hot-and-how-the-hell-does-Ryeowook-stand-your-logic look. Shindong cleared his throat to get Heechul’s attention, “I’m tired of reading stories and series where we’re all gay… all fifteen of us.”

“What’s wrong with being gay!?” Heechul and Donghae demanded. Yesung, another gay member present, was staring at the ceiling, his head bouncing left to right as he sung softly to himself about his beloved turtles.

Donghae looked around Heechul at Kibum, the last of the gay members in the living room, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I’m not gay,” Kibum answered simply, sitting back down and pulling his laptop back onto his thighs, “I just happen to have a boyfriend. Up until you, I’ve been perfectly straight.”

“Not gay? Up until me? Why I ought to –”

“Focus!” Heechul exclaimed, snapping his fingers in front of Donghae’s face, “We were just insulted!”

“I didn’t insult you… if anything, the writers insult us by assuming that just because we’re a mass-male band, then we’re all automatically gay,” Shindong defended,

“I like being straight,” Sungmin piped up, “There’s no such thing as a perfect line, so my sexual orientation is the only thing that’s perfectly straight!”

Heechul blinked, face scrunched up in confusion, “Have you been hanging out with Yesung a lot lately?”

“Everyday,” Sungmin nodded,

“Ah… makes sense now,” Heechul glanced at the other members, who were also nodding in revelation. His attention focused back on Shindong, “Okay, fine, make a statement, but why don’t you literally make one by posting it or whatever instead of closing your site? I need something to read!”

Shindong’s gaze narrowed, “I’m not the only damn writer out there, so go find something else to read!”

“No! The whole point of this challenge is that all fanfiction writers piss me off,” Heechul whined,

“I thought the whole point was to get everyone to call you hyung,” Kibum stated flatly,

“That too,” Heechul nodded, “But seriously, isn’t it going a bit far to just close your site because other writers have stories where we’re all gay?”

“It’s bad enough that I rarely get paired up in stories, but if they’re not going to pair me off to the rest of you, at least make me straight and give me a girlfriend or something!” Shindong exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest, “But no, they keep me single, gay and alone.”

“I feel like Shiwon should be a part of this conversation,” Sungmin commented then,

“Fine, fine… Donghae, go change your shirt and when you come back, we’ll call Shiwon,” Heechul instructed. Turning his glare from Shindong, he gracefully plopped down on the couch beside Kibum, “Yah, who are you playing against?”

“Kyuhyun. I’m beating him,” Kibum smiled,

Heechul watched the screen, “That’s not Kyuhyun. I mean, that’s his screen name and avatar, but he’s probably trying to teach Zhou Mi again. Notice how he’s only doing the same move over and over again?”

“Ugh! Then why the hell am I playing him?” Kibum slammed his screen down, effectively cutting off the game. “There’s no satisfaction unless I’m playing you or Kyuhyun.”

“You’re doing what with him and Kyuhyun?” Donghae questioned as he came back, a new, dry shirt on,

“Games,” Kibum stressed, “Geez, didn’t you listen? I’m straight, I’m just gay for you.”

“That’s oddly sweet,” Shindong murmured,

“Okay, it just went from drama to fucking fluff. Let’s call up Shiwon so I can go back to convincing Shindong to reopen his site,” Heechul stated, pulling out his cellular phone, “Where is he? Do you guys know?”

“He’s walking one of my pets,” Yesung said then,

The other five members looked at him, startled. It was Shindong to reluctantly ask him, “Your pets… you only have turtles.”

“Yup,” Yesung nodded proudly,

“And Shiwon’s out walking one of them?” Shindong slowly asked,

“Yup, even using their favourite collar and leash!” Yesung exclaimed happily,

Heechul blinked. Five times exactly before shaking his head as if dispelling Yesung’s inane comments from his mind. Then he turned his attention back to his phone, “Yeah, well, we’ll call him anyways.” He held the phone to his ear,

“Hello?”

“Shiwon! Sex god in bed!”

A heavy sigh, “This can only be Heechul… at least say it in mandarin to pretend you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“You didn’t know it was me? You have caller I.D.!” Heechul exclaimed as he turned on the speakerphone,

“Yesung’s turtle is being aggressive. I didn’t have time to look at the screen before answering,” Shiwon defended as Yesung nodded sympathetically.

“Yah, well, we’re having a discussion about being gay versus being straight,” Heechul stated loudly so that his voice would carry to the phone’s microphone.

“Oh my Buddha. Okay…”

“Well, in the fanfiction world,” Heechul added belatedly, “But yeah, it’s okay to be gay right?”

“Not literally… but fictionally?” Came Shiwon’s hesitant inquiry,

“Yes,” Heechul replied.

Pause.

Distant scolding aimed at Yesung’s turtle.

Another pause.

“Yah! Shiwon! Answer already!” Heechul commanded impatiently,

Sigh.

“I refuse to answer.”

Click.


(Day 25: Those who rise in the east)

[00SJ22] feminine!Heechul pt 5

words: 1058
rate: PG13
(Day 22 of the Fanfiction series.)

“If I ever get my hands on a fanfiction author…” Heechul grounded out as he plopped down at the dining table on the twenty-second day of the challenge.

“Isn’t Shindong an author?” Kibum asked from his seat across from Heechul,

“Yes,” Heechul spat, “Just wait until I see him.”

“And why are you at our dorm?” Yesung inquired, glancing between the two members,

“Since SJ-M is in China again, Heechul has no one else to – is that a turtle on your head?” Kibum blinked as he eyed the little shell balanced atop Yesung’s dark locks,

Yesung blinked, reached up, touched the shell and brought it down just as little legs and a head popped out, “Oh! That’s where you’ve been hiding! You’re a sneaky one!” He grinned as he joined the other two at the table.

“What did the fanfiction authors do to you, now, hyung?” Sungmin asked as he joined them at the table,

“They’re always dressing me up in pink,” Heechul scowled, “Making me all feminine again.”

“Pink isn’t so feminine anymore,” Kibum commented,

“He’s right,” Sungmin nodded as Yesung’s turtle began to make its way towards him,

“And Sungmin loves pink,” Kibum added,

“I do,” Sungmin nodded again,

“And it doesn’t help that you have pink on your clothes now,” Kibum continued,

“True,” Sungmin agreed again,

Heechul uncrossed his arms and scowled down at his t-shirt, “But the pink lettering on black makes it stand out more!”

“Why are you even wearing a Team Shiwon shirt?” Kibum questioned,

“Hankyung left me behind, didn’t he?” Heechul countered,

“But… Shiwon left for China, too,” Kibum replied simply.

“You want me to take off this shirt, then, Kibummie? Huh? You want me to walk around shirtless? Naked!? WHY DO YOU WANT ME NAKED!?” Heechul demanded, jumping to his feet as his palms slammed onto the table.

Kibum slowly raised a brow, folding his arms over his chest, “No body wants to see you naked. I promise you.”

“Not the way these writers write,” Heechul said as he fell back down into his chair. Slowly, he began to clutch the front of his own shirt with his hands, “Describing my beautiful body with their words… talking about hands caressing my skin… it’s like their words are undressing me as I read them!”

“Then don’t read those kinds of stories!” Kibum exclaimed,

“And then they have me dressed in pink and silk…” Heechul looked away, his cheeks flushed, “It’s like I’m a damn concubine for that Chinaman.”

“Well… you do jump Hankyung often,” Sungmin commented, “And drag him off to dark corners.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m the concubine! Why can’t he be one of mine?” Heechul demanded,

“You want a concubine?” Yesung blinked,

“I have Hankyung and according to the writers I have Shiwon… so, instead of calling me the slut, why can’t they be my concubines?” Heechul hissed, “Always placing me into the role of the woman and then giving me the double-standard like I’m not a man also.” He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, “I can’t see why I’m the only one in Super Junior who’s not allowed to have a mistress or two.”

“Maybe because no one can picture Hankyung or Shiwon as a mistress,” Kibum stated bluntly, “They’re both just too man-”

“Finish your statement and I’ll retaliate Kibummie,” Heechul threatened darkly,

Kibum raised his brow again, “-Ly.”

“Eunhae.”

This was followed by an exasperated exhalation from Kibum and the loud sound of a door quickly shutting. Yesung turned his attention back to those at the table with him,

“I think Eunhyuk was about to join us and then thought better of it,” Yesung stated,

“That’s it, I’m never wearing pink again,” Heechul sighed,

Kibum, Sungmin and Yesung glanced at each other, suddenly seriously worried,

“Hyung,” Kibum said, emphasizing the word with his tone, “There’s no need to take it that far.”

“Isn’t there Kibummie? Isn’t there?” Heechul questioned, his tone forlorn, his eyes flat, “How else am I to protest the writer’s words about me? How else am I to extract change from the fanfiction world? I must be the change I want to see in fanfiction.”

“You’ve totally butchered that saying,” Sungmin shook his head,

“What saying?” Heechul asked,

“That’s what Ghandi said,” Sungmin explained,

“No, no, no… Sungmin, are you feeling okay? I said it. I just said it, not this Ghandi person,” Heechul waved his hand flippantly as if erasing his dongsaeng’s previous statement. “This Ghandi person isn’t even in the room.”

Sungmin glanced at the other two, but Yesung was quietly scolding his turtle and Kibum merely shook his head in defeat.

“So, you’re never going to wear pink? Ever again?” Sungmin prompted,

“Nope. In fact, I’ll just wear black,” Heechul nodded decisively,

“So you’re going to be ‘emo’ now?” Kibum leaned forward, startled,

“What? No, no… why would I want to be that person? Who is Emo? No, I’m going to be Heechul, like I’ve always been,” Heechul said,

“Emo isn’t a person it’s a style,” Kibum explained,

“Well, obviously they don’t have style. What kind of name is Emo?” Heechul scoffed,

“No, hyung, it’s not a person –”

“That’s it,” Heechul stood up abruptly, “Sungmin, let’s go.”

Sungmin, glancing at Kibum confusedly, slowly stood up, “Me? Where are we going?”

“I’m giving you all of my pink clothes,” Heechul said swiftly, sternly, “Anything pink or containing pink.”

“Are you giving him the shirt off your back too?” Kibum asked sarcastically. When Heechul pulled the shirt off and tossed it to Sungmin, Kibum sighed heavily as he stood and began to follow them to the other dorm, “Oh my Buddha, I was just kidding.”

“Hey, Heechul, do you have this shirt in a smaller size?” Sungmin asked as he admired the pink print on the black t-shirt.

“Heechul, wait!” Yesung called out.

The other three members paused by the doorway, glancing back at Yesung. “Yes?” Heechul replied,

“Do you have turtle-sized shirts? My little friend here wants a Team Hankyung one,” Yesung grinned.

Heechul blinked, glanced at Kibum and Sungmin before all three raced out of the dorm. Yesung blinked and then shrugged, turning back to his beloved turtle,

“Don’t worry, one day, turtle-discrimination won’t exist,” Yesung insisted. Then he paused and leaned closer, “What’s that? Oh, yes, I do think pink would suit you, too.”


(Day 23: The Best Man for the Job)

[00SJ21] He's a Homewrecker

words: 1313
rate: PG13
(Day 21 of the Fanfiction series.)


Twenty-one days was twenty days too many. Actually, twenty-one days was too many, however, since the members knew they would never be so lucky with Heechul around, they grudgingly allowed him one day to not complain about his excessiveness.

Thankfully, on the twenty-first day of the challenge, Heechul was not present when Eunhyuk had a complaint. In the beginning, Heechul trusted the members to complain to him on their own because, he knew, that at least one of them would become so overcome with passionate anger towards fanfiction writers, that they would complain without his prompting. However, in the last few days, Heechul had become watchful. The previous evening when Henry had struggled to withhold a complaint form him only pushed him harder.

So, Eunhyuk found it quite fortunate that when he had a complaint, he didn’t have to face Heechul. He loved his hyung, but sometimes the bastard’s smug smile made a person want to shoot him. Or themselves; whichever came first.

Eunhyuk was in the radio station with Eeteuk, Yesung and Henry. Eunhyuk and Eeteuk had just finished their show and the members were all just doing their own thing as they waited to pack up and leave. The members weren’t even giving Eunhyuk much thought since he had been absorbed in his cellular phone since the show ended.

“Damn it,” Eunhyuk murmured, practically slamming his phone down on the table.

The members slowly turned their attention to him, but it was Henry, who sat on his other side, that asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Who has Heechul’s number? I need to call him,” Eunhyuk scowled, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed,

“Why don’t you have his number?” Eeteuk asked as he pulled out his own cellular to look up the requested digits;

“He would send me texts in the night saying ‘Eunhae’ and ‘Kibum’s watching you’… so I blocked and deleted his number,” Eunhyuk confessed.

“So why do you need it now?” Yesung inquired, “Have a fanfiction complaint? Are they messing up the truth about your lover, too!?”

Eunhyuk blinked, “I don’t have one! I’m straight!”

Eeteuk smacked him upside the head, “The staff, Hyuk… the staff!”

“Sorry,” Eunhyuk murmured, “But yeah I have a complaint. Because of damn fanfiction I can’t even have a decent conversation with one my sunbaenims.”

“Who?” Eeteuk asked,

“You have a sunbaenim?” Yesung added,

“People actually have conversations with you?” Henry joined,

Eunhyuk scowled at him, “Stop hanging out with Kyuhyun.” He turned his attention to the older members, “Tablo. I wasn’t aware of this, but apparently there’s a ship with me and Tablo… well, long story short, his wife heard about them and Tablo hasn’t spoken to me since!”

“There’s a ship with you and Tablo?” Eeteuk blinked,

“How did his wife hear about it?” Yesung wondered as Henry muttered in mandarin.

Eunhyuk glared, “I have no idea what you said, but I bet it’s something snarky… something Kyuhyun would say.” He looked to the other members again, “Yes and I don’t know… but now I feel like I’m some kind of homewrecker without even meaning to be!”

“You shouldn’t be a homewrecker,” Eeteuk scolded solemnly, “It’s like all those stories of Kangin being with someone else.” He glanced at Yesung, “You know… I’ve come across many stories of you being with Kangin.”

Yesung blinked, “Why would I be with Kangin? He’s not small and cute like Ryeowook. And I’m sure raccoons and turtles don’t get along.”

“You’re… not a turtle… or referred to a turtle,” Eunhyuk commented,

“No, but I have turtles,” Yesung said matter-of-factly,

Eunhyuk blinked and then looked back at Eeteuk, “So, yeah, I can’t even talk to a great sunbaenim like Tablo because of fanfiction writers.”

Henry leaned back in his chair, arms crossed as he regarded Eunhyuk, “Is this why Junsu-hyung won’t return your calls either? Have you gained the wrath of Yoochunnie, too?”

Eunhyuk blinked, “No! We’re just best friends! Yoochun is over-reacting way too much! Besides, I’m pretty sure there are more Junsu-Yoochun stories compared to Eunhyuk-Junsu stories.” He glanced away, “And if he had a choice… I’m pretty sure Junsu would pick me; I have better hair.”

Henry uncrossed his arms to reveal his cellular phone. He held it up to his ear, “Yoochun-hyung? Did you hear what Eunhyuk said?”

Eunhyuk’s jaw literally dropped open. His eyes narrowed, a sharp retort on his tongue when his phone rang. He swiped it up, answering it without looking at the caller’s identity; “Hello? Junsu … Yah! I didn’t say that! I mean… I did but… Henry tricked me! He set me up! He’s not cute and innocent, that’s Ryeowook!”

“Not as innocent as you think,” Yesung murmured as he drew little cartoon turtles on the sheets in front of him,

“I’m not trying to make you and Yoochun fight!” Eunhyuk exclaimed, “What? My blonde hair from when we debut? No I was not trying to copy him! Hello? … Hello? Junsu?” Eunhyuk turned his attention back to Henry who had put down his phone just seconds before, “You! Junsu’s mad at me now!”

“I’m not the one who’s trying to come between him and Yoochun,” Henry stated,

“I’m not!” Eunhyuk exclaimed,

“Or between Tablo and his family,” Yesung added absent-mindedly,

Eeteuk turned in his chair to face Eunhyuk, eyes narrowed, “You wrote all those stories about Kangin with other people, didn’t you!?”

Eunhyuk blinked, “What!? No! I didn’t… I was the one complaining… how… how did this turn on me!? Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be my mother or something? Why won’t you protect me?”

Eeteuk turned his gaze away, “I would never mother a homewrecker like you.”

“Oh sure, you’ll mother Kyuhyun but you won’t mother me,” Eunhyuk threw his arms in the air exasperatedly as he collapsed back against his chair;

“Well, of course. If I didn’t mother Kyuhyun, who would Henry get to play with then?” Eeteuk beamed at the youngest member present.

“I know what will make you feel better,” Yesung said. He held up a piece of paper, “Turtles!”

Eunhyuk opened his mouth to reply when his phone rang again, “Hello? Ah, Jaejoong-sshi… no… no I wasn’t trying to make Junsu and Yoochun fight… No, I… since when have I ever had the influence to make Junsu do anything? I…” Eunhyuk closed his eyes as if in pain as he held his phone to Eeteuk, “Jaejoong wants to talk to you.”

“Me?” Eeteuk blinked as he took the phone,

Eunhyuk dropped his head to the table, “He said he wanted to speak to my mother… I’m assuming he means you.”

Eeteuk held the phone to his ear, “Hello, Jaejoong? Ah, yes, yes boys will be boys. Oh, well you see, it all started when Eunhyuk got it in his head to steal Tablo away from his family. So, he began to moonlight as a fanfiction author …”

“I… I’ve never even written a story in my life,” Eunhyuk murmured weakly to the other members,

“Really? You should have said that earlier. I just text Kibum saying you wrote an Eunhae story,” Henry grinned,

Eunhyuk sighed heavily, “That’s it… in the next sub-group you and Kyuhyun are not allowed to be together.”

“I know, where do kids get these crazy ideas from?” Eeteuk’s voice became dominant in the room again, “… Hmm… oh yes, I do blame it on bad parenting, but what can I do? Kangin doesn’t even acknowledge his own children!” Eeteuk nodded a few times as he locked gazes with Eunhyuk, “Yes, that’s probably where Hyukjae got the urge to break up families… so that his home wasn’t the only one broken.”

Eunhyuk sat up with the purpose of defending himself. However, Eeteuk continued his conversation with Jaejoong and Eunhyuk gave up. As he glared at Henry, he wondered how fanfiction could have ruined his life despite being straight.


(Day 22: feminine!Heechul pt 5)

[spin] Sustenance

rate: PG13
words: 6300
(Last of the Shatter series which is a sequel to the Surrender and Succesion series.)


“YOU BASTARD!” The young guy gripped the gun even harder, his finger trembling on the trigger as his eyes narrowed dangerously, his face reddening with anger.

“You’re right,” Sungmin shrugged as he gripped his daggers. It had been so long since he held them, had to use them, but almost immediately they became an extension of his arms. He was trained for this, he was ready. “I am a bastard. I received orders to assassinate your brother five years ago and I did it.”

“Sungmin –”

Donghae kept one hand on his gun, but stretched out the other to silence Youngwoon, “No… he needs to do this. That look on his face… he has something to prove, something to accomplish from this… he needs to fight this guy or else he’ll continue living with his demons.”

Youngwoon gripped the edge of the bar counter, not believing he was allowing Sungmin to fight alone. They had both been assigned that mission five years ago when they first became real Agents. He remembered it well:

It was morning when they got the manila envelopes and the mission was to take place that evening. If he recalled correctly, he had been the excited one, the anticipatory one. Sungmin, on the other hand, had been nervous, anxious, worried he would fail the mission. They had been together since they both entered the Agency and trained together. They always sparred together, trained together, studied together. They had become fast friends, which ultimately had sealed their fates of being partners once they were Agents.

The mission was to assassinate a young businessman. He was an intern in the governmental buildings of Seoul. However, it was soon learned that information from the government was being leaked to unsavoury characters in Seoul. Worse of all, it was suspected that information was being sent north of the border between the Koreas. The Agency found out that the businessman had gained his information by threatening key people in the governmental buildings. Then, once they gave up their information, he would kill them anyway. After all, he couldn’t have any witnesses to his deeds.

The businessman had to be stopped at all costs. The Agency had tried to arrest him before, but if they made a public arrest, that meant revealing to the rest of Korea the existence of that branch of the government. Their proof was decisive against the businessman and so, they decided to leave his demise to their Assassination department.

Shortly after eight in the evening, Youngwoon and Sungmin had gone to the apartment building, managing to slip into the building after someone was leaving, even holding the door open for the pair of seemingly innocent young men. They had made a beeline to the stairs, bypassing the elevator and barely registering the security camera on the roof. They reached his floor, but stayed inside the stairwell.

Youngwoon had barely glanced at Sungmin as he headed to a window in the stairwell. He pulled it open and began climbing out of it without a backward glance at his younger friend. Sungmin peered out the window, watching as Youngwoon began to inch sideways on the wall, lunging from the windowsill to the closest balcony. He almost missed, gripping the top of the railing with one hand. With a suppressed groan, Youngwoon pulled himself up. He glanced inside the balcony’s glass doors, but the curtains were drawn. He silently hopped onto the balcony, crossed it with all speed to its other side and, without a thought, leapt to the other balcony, his hands grasping the railing securely.

Sungmin had watched until Youngwoon was about five balconies away. Youngwoon finally looked back at him across the great distance and signalled for him to proceed. Sungmin closed the window and left the stairwell, stepping into the corridor with all the confidence that he lived there to dispel any suspicions of his presence should anyone see him. He slowly walked down the corridor, gripping his hands to stop himself from shaking too badly. Then, half-way down the hallway, a door opened and Youngwoon’s bald head appeared. His friend signalled for him to quickly join him. They were in.

The sounds from the bathroom told them where their target was and the running water told them they had some cover for any noises they might accidentally make. From that point on, all it took was a surprise entry on the target and a quick bullet to the head. Soon, the shower’s hot water was mixing with the red liquid seeping from the target’s head. They had closed his door and left, this time, a more direct route than their entry.

BANG!

The gunshot ripped Youngwoon from his memories. He came back to the present just as he saw Sungmin do quick movements with his daggers. He heard the distinct clink of metal on metal. The sound told him Sungmin had intercepted the bullet. The angry red line that was now bleed on the apple of Sungmin’s left cheek told him that the bullet still managed to graze his face. Close, too close. The young man was shooting to kill.

Suddenly, Sungmin lunged at the younger man, crossing his daggers in an X and forcing the top apex beneath the gun, angling upwards to the ceiling. He met the younger man’s eyes directly and could see the anger, the intent. He had killed many people in his career as an Assassin, and he had come across that look before but, this time, it held something different, seemed more personal, more narrowed to just him.

“Your brother was a traitor and a murderer! He was giving information to South Korea’s enemies! There was even proof he was sending information to North Korea! Do you not understand how dangerous that is!?” Sungmin demanded, struggling with the younger man who was trying to free his gun, but Sungmin kept pressing him, pushing him back.

“Then arrest him! You didn’t have to kill him!”

“He had to be stopped. He knew too much. He had to be silenced,” Sungmin stated, his voice deadly flat, all remnants of the bartender Youngwoon and Donghae knew was gone. “He placed himself before the country, before you and your mother.”

“DON’T TALK LIKE YOU GAVE A DAMN ABOUT MY FAMILY!” The young man roared, using his anger to fuel his strength. He managed to shove Sungmin back, aiming the gun at him again, “YOU KNOW NOTHING OF WHAT MY BROTHER’S DEATH DID TO US!”

BANG!

Sungmin shifted his arm. For a moment, it felt as if time slowed down. He wasn’t sure if he was already dead, or going insane, but he was sure he saw the bullet. He saw as it grazed against the dagger he drew up, saw as it sparked from the metal-on-metal friction. It slid along the dagger before continuing, this time, not to his head, but into his forearm. He felt the burning pain right down to his bones, but he bit down hard to stop from crying out.

“SUNGMIN!” Youngwoon cried out. He turned ruthless eyes on Donghae but was startled then. Donghae’s entire body was tense, his gaze focused on the pair. What surprised Youngwoon, however, was that Donghae’s gun was still raised, still aimed at the young man. He could tell Donghae was biting down hard, his jaw stiff and then, realized for all of Donghae’s words, the younger man was having just as much trouble just standing back and watching.

“JUST STOP THIS!” Youngwoon exclaimed then, “What will killing do for you!? You’ll just get arrested afterwards anyway for murder. Is it worth it? Is this all worth your freedom!?”

“DON’T TALK TO ME ABOUT FREEDOM WHEN YOU TOOK MY BROTHER’S LIFE!” The young man yelled, swinging his gun towards Youngwoon and shooting wildly.

SWOOSH!

Suddenly, a dagger and a bullet were on the ground, dropping directly from the air where they crashed together. Sungmin immediately stepped between the shooter and Youngwoon. He was down to one dagger, which was all he needed to protect himself, but a second dagger would be more security. However, he didn’t dare risk bending and picking up the other dagger, he’d be too vulnerable, too open to another attack from above.

His left hand, the one with the dagger and the one that had been shot, was burning fiercely and it took a chunk of Sungmin’s strength just to keep holding it up. He had to finish this and do it fast. He watched the young man and could see that he was slowly losing his control on his own anger. If he didn’t finish it fast, the young man would grow unpredictable. The fact that he had shot at Youngwoon so suddenly, despite his intent so centred on Sungmin, only alluded to the damage and chaos he could cause.

“Why don’t you just kill me?” Sungmin questioned, “What’s taking you so long to pull that trigger and shoot me?”

“I have tried to shoot you,” the young man grounded out,

“Then why waste bullets on someone else? Why not try your luck with your remaining bullets on me? I only have one dagger left, who’s to say you don’t get lucky and actually shoot your target dead on?” Sungmin taunted, hoping the little confidence that allowed him to say such words was not misplaced.

“You can still walk away,” Youngwoon interjected, “You can still drop the gun… it doesn’t… it doesn’t have to keep getting worse.”

“I’ve already killed twice, there is no ‘getting worse’ than that. If I drop this gun, I’ll go to prison anyway,” the young man argued, “I might as well make being incarcerated worth it.”

“No, that’s not how it’ll happen,” Youngwoon insisted,

“What are you doing!?” Sungmin demanded, not talking his eyes off the younger man,

“You’ve been so concentrated on him, you forgot about us,” Youngwoon stated,

“Youngwoon, shut up!”

“My friend here hasn’t lowered his gun even an inch,” Youngwoon confessed. He watched Donghae’s eyes widen slightly, but kept them on the young man.

The young man, as if he really did forget about the other, briefly glanced at Donghae to confirm what the bar owner revealed, “If he shoots at me, I’ll shoot too!”

“He won’t shoot unless you shoot,” Youngwoon stated,

“Youngwoon, stay out of this!” Sungmin practically growled, what was his best friend doing, saying?

“And that’s why, you should put your gun down and not kill anyone,” Youngwoon said,

“Don’t listen to him; he’s just trying to distract you from killing me!” Sungmin exclaimed, “You’re wasting time, aren’t you? You should just shoot me, shouldn’t you?”

“If you shoot, this guy will shoot you,” Youngwoon warned, “What good will it do you to be dead?”

“YOUNGWOON, SHUT THE HELL UP!” Sungmin roared,

“I could say the same to you!” Youngwoon retorted angrily, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

“You think I give a damn if he kills me? I killed his brother! I was the reason he targeted Yesung. I was the reason Yesung got distracted that night,” Sungmin recounted and then bellowed, “YOU ALREADY KILLED YESUNG, SO JUST KILL ME ALREADY!”

“DO YOU WANT TO DIE THAT MUCH!?” Youngwoon demanded, his fists slamming on top of the counter.

Silence fell amongst the four young men and for, a moment, Sungmin wasn’t sure who Youngwoon was directing that question to. However, he didn’t have to think for very long because the young man broke the silence first.

“STOP TRYING TO CONFUSE ME!” He yelled, taking a step back.

Sungmin tensed immediately. That was the first defensive move the young man had made. Was he really backing down? Or just trying to lure him into a trap? Worse yet, he could tell the young man was descending faster and faster into his own dark insanity. If they waited much longer, he may lose the last of his control and go on a rampage with his remaining bullets. He may have his dagger for some semblance of protection and Donghae may have his own gun but, he was fully aware that Youngwoon was unarmed.

“I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO DO! YOU’RE TRYING TO CONFUSE ME SO I WON’T SHOOT ANYONE, BUT THAT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” He warned, despite taking another half-step back.

Sungmin couldn’t wait anymore and, he was half-worried Youngwoon would say more, further confusing the young man. He lunged through the air at the young man, his arm raised, holding the dagger upside-down as a shield for his face. The young man reacted as he predicted.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Sungmin slumped to the floor, his body hunched over for just a moment before it toppled to the side and he was motionless.

“SUNGMIN!” Youngwoon and Donghae cried in unison.

They waited, prayed for some signal or sign that Sungmin was still alive. However, all they got were crimson trails sneaking out from beneath Sungmin’s body. Donghae felt the onslaught of tears immediately, fought against them, knowing if his vision was compromised, he wouldn’t be able to avenge Yesung’s and, now, Sungmin’s deaths. He gripped the gun even harder, narrowed his eyes and took aim.

Youngwoon felt his heart freeze the moment he heard the gunshots. No, no, no, this can’t be happening. His mind flashed with happy images of his best friend from when they trained together, from later on when they worked together at the bar. No, no, no, it can’t end like this. They couldn’t lose another friend. No, not after fighting so hard for so long. He felt a cold resolve sweep through his body. He didn’t care he wasn’t armed, he couldn’t be idle anymore. He couldn’t keep running from what he was trained to do. Grabbing a knife from the counter, Youngwoon vaulted the bar counter only to freeze,

“I still have one more bullet in this gun,” the young man aimed it at him, kicking aside the lifeless body and stepping towards the bar owner, his shoes leaving bloody footprints on the floor, “I can finish my revenge.”

“Not unless I kill you first,” Youngwoon said darkly, ruthlessly. He was done trying to reason, he was done trying to talk sense. No, not as his best friend lay dead on the ground, the floorboards inked with his young blood. No, he was trained to be an Assassin and so, he would come full circle and kill the brother of his first mission.

“Don’t forget about me,” Donghae replied angrily, “I won’t let you get away for what you’ve done… what you just did… I WON’T LET YOU LEAVE HERE ALIVE!”

“Don’t get into other people’s business… you have nothing to do with this… I just want him dead,” the young man said, his voice rough, edgy and thick with anger, his dark eyes alight with triumph so close in his grasp.

“I tried to save you, tried to save your life but you had to go and shoot…. And kill…” Youngwoon shook his head, “I tried to save your mother some grief this time around, but you wouldn’t let me, would you!? No, you had to go too far!”

“MY MOTHER DIED THE DAY YOU KILLED MY BROTHER! You think she cared about anything – anyone – else after that!? I was sixteen and she abandoned me for alcohol! EVERYTHING MY FAMILY HAS BEEN THROUGH HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF YOU!” The young man roared angrily.

BANG!

A dagger and a bullet dropped to the ground, right in the middle between Youngwoon and the young man. Suddenly, the gun dropped to the ground with a loud thud. The young man fell to his knees, a knife stuck in his chest, just a little left to his sternum, perfectly horizontally between his ribs. Trembling, he slowly looked down at the knife impaling him. It had been thrown, whipped sideways so that it hit him horizontally. The aim had been precise, the impact decisive.

Slowly, he looked up at Youngwoon, whose hand was still outstretched from throwing the knife. “You said… you tried… to save my life,” the young man stammered as pain slashed throughout his body, his strength draining quickly and his vision blurring dangerously, “But my life… ended… five years…”

The young man fell to the ground and spoke no more.

Youngwoon’s eyes travelled from the young man’s body to the floor between them, the dagger and bullet. Suddenly, he ran to Sungmin’s side. The younger man was propped up on an elbow, one arm slung across his abdomen, “You… I thought you…”

“And if you ever trained… with Yesung… you would’ve heard… me breathing,” Sungmin muttered, wincing against the pain that burned in his abdomen and arm.

“Where did he shoot you!? Lay back down!” Donghae cried as he replaced his gun and ran over to his friends,

“Well he tried… for my head… again,” Sungmin said as he allowed them to lay him back down on the floor, “He was still predictable, but I had… a feel his anger would… affect aim. Deflected bullets… two to stomach… one in arm… again.” He squeezed his eyes closed tightly as he gulped for air, “I’m sorry… Yesung… I can’t… join you after all.” He glanced up at the faces of his two friends, “There are… still people who… aren’t dead… Have to live… for them.”

Youngwoon let out a strangled laugh as tears began to spill down his cheeks. His restricted heart suddenly felt free and light. He bent over Sungmin, embracing him as best he could without hurting the younger man. He had almost lost Jungsu once, had lost Yesung already and, to think, he almost lost his best friend… He felt such warm relief that he cried even harder.

Donghae, so affected by the tough bar owner’s tears, had to turn away. He took out his cellular phone, dialled and held it up to his ear, “This is Agent Lee, Department Head for International Intelligence and Defence. I have one agent down and target dead. Location is in Seoul’s former neutral territory…”

…

The lights were dim in the room, a small handful of men and women sitting at a metal table. The metal table between them had many papers scattered before each sitting place. Hanging above the table was a large sheet of glass which acted as a computer screen as Donghae, who headed the meeting, displayed his facts and report, signalling the end of the case.

“It seems that as means for money, the younger brother got into bad business in Japan and began doing the same thing his brother did here in Korea. The Japanese Agency found out and had been tracking him since, even when he returned to Korea to continue searching for Agent Lee Sungmin and former-Agent Kim Youngwoon,” Donghae explained, the large sheet of glass displaying pictures and information he had been putting together. He had left the bar and returned to the Agency and had been there since.

He glanced down at the two folders before him, each with a small photograph paper-clipped to the front. One was Agent Miura and the other was Yesung’s, “His mother has been called and, this time, she’ll be informed of everything that happened, including the case of her older son’s exploits. If she understands the Agency’s reasoning for assassinating her older son and the reason her other son is now also dead, it will hopefully, help her to begin to heal or, at least, to continue living with their ghosts.

“Former-Agent Kim Yesung had been targeted because of his connection to Agent Lee Sungmin,” A picture of Yesung, Shiwon and Agent Miura appeared on the screen, “Choi Shiwon had been targeted by mistake. Presumably, the younger brother had been watching the bar, lying in wait for Kim Youngwoon. When Choi Shiwon exited, he must have assumed it was Kim Youngwoon. However, when it turned out to be Choi Shiwon instead, the younger brother had already killed Agent Miura. Instead of trying to kill Choi Shiwon, he framed him and escaped,” Donghae continued.

“How did you find out who the murderer was?” One of the other agents present questioned,

Donghae pulled up images of Yesung and Agent Miura’s wounds on the screen, “If you pay attention to the abdominal wounds of both former-Agent Kim Yesung and Agent Miura Haruma, you’ll see that there is a coarse jagged pattern in the way the wounds are formed. Agent Lee Sungmin was examining the photos when he realized the familiarity of the wound patterns. He matched it to the wound patterns of victims he had seen five years prior, the assailant being the older brother who was Agent Lee Sungmin and former-Agent Kim Youngwoon’s first Assassination mission.”

“How did you manage to trap the younger brother? It seemed easy – too easy,” another agent commented, no suspiciousness in his tone, just a simple stating of the facts,

“Myself and Agent Lee Sungmin approached former-Agent Kim Youngwoon and told him our findings. Together, the three of us devised a plan. Former-Agent Kim Youngwoon would open his bar, presumably after days without business while I and Agent Lee Sungmin waited in the back for our murderer to appear,” Donghae shrugged, a little grin breaking his solemn expression, “It did seem too easy, but it was our only plan at the time and we had nothing to lose. Fortunately, the plan worked and we were able to ambush the younger brother… In this case, the easiest solution was the right one.”

“You’ve all read the reports by myself and Agent Lee Sungmin,” Donghae stated, “Are there any other questions?”

When all answered ‘no’, Donghae turned to one of the agents closes to him, his vice-head, “Status on Agent Lee Sungmin?”

“He was treated in our infirmary and ready for discharge,” she answered,

Donghae blinked, “Really? He was shot four times and he’s ready to leave? Lucky bastard!”

Some agents stifled their laughs as his vice-head explained, “Bullet extraction was successful. He was put on blood transfusions and antibiotics immediately after. He’s still healing and still weak, but he’s refusing to stay put. He threatened to kill our doctors and nurses if they didn’t release him from the infirmary by day’s end.”

Donghae laughed softly as he turned off the computer, the images dissolving from the hanging glass sheet. The lights turned on as he stacked his files together and then enfolded them in a dark-brown folder, large, red print on the front reading ‘Complete’. “Status on Choi Shiwon?”

“Released from holding,” his vice-head answered swiftly,

“Status on Agent Park Jungsu?”

“Apparently he’s being released later today,” his vice-head said uncertainly, glancing at the other agents who were equally surprised,

“Any information as to why he was put on lockdown or why, suddenly, he’s being released?” Donghae questioned,

His vice-head shook her head, “None, sir. These are just the reports being released from the Chief from just before the meeting.”

“Very well… take the reports and the transcription from this meeting. Make three copies, one for myself, your files and deliver the last to the Chief,” Donghae instructed. He glanced to the other agents, the Head and vice-Head from the Assassination Department and the vice-Head from Covert Investigations. “Meeting adjourned.” Donghae handed his brown folder to his vice-Head, “Leave this on my desk for me, please.”

He waited until the room was empty and then, slowly, he sank to his chair. He propped his elbows on his thighs and then arched downwards, his head curling to his chest as his hands laced over the back of his head, holding it down. So much had happened and he was exhausted. Everyone had been affected from one plot for revenge. All it had taken was one young man’s desire for revenge to change all of their lives. Yesung had been murdered, Shiwon had been framed and even Jungsu had been placed under lockdown. The last one couldn’t have been in the young man’s plans and yet, Donghae had a feeling all three were connected to the mission.

He had been trained to never get emotionally involved in a mission and yet, last night, it had happened. It was hard enough to push away his feelings after Yesung died, but last night when he saw Sungmin drop to the floor, his hold was slipping. In that moment when he believed – truly, in his soul, believed – that Sungmin was also dead, he stopped caring about the mission. He didn’t care if it was ever resolved, or if he went against any Agency policies. All he cared about was killing that young man and getting his own revenge. Donghae shuddered then, could he enact revenge as that young man had been doing on him and his friends?

Warm, large hands cupped his shoulders, slowly spinning his chair to face the side. He felt a warm presence before him and, slowly, raised his head. Shiwon was kneeling before him, a smile dimpling his cheeks.

“It’s over,” Shiwon said simply, softly.

That broke the last of his hold. He was so tired, so very tired. He was physically, emotionally and mentally drained from the entire mission, from all the events. He cried heavily, gasping for gulps of air as Shiwon wrapped him in a firm embrace. Donghae cried into his shoulder, held onto him tightly as if he were Donghae’s last grasp on reality, on the present, on life.

“You always were a cry baby,” Shiwon teased lightly, gently, trying to soften the mood.

Somehow, through his tears, through his purge, Donghae managed, “Shut up or I’ll kill you.”

…

Sungmin left the infirmary with silent and scared doctors and nurses behind him. He had threatened them and was still wondering if he was serious or not. He entered the waiting room outside of the Agency’s infirmary looking for Youngwoon, knowing his best friend was waiting for him. He was wearing black slacks and he only managed to slip on his short-sleeved button-up onto his arms, not bothering with an undershirt. His abdomen was bandaged heavily, as was his left forearm. As he spotted Youngwoon talking to a middle-aged woman, he tried to button his shirt with just one hand.

The sound of a slap was crisp in the waiting room.

Sungmin froze, his right hand loosely holding the halves of his shirt together. Youngwoon slowly straightened from his ninety-degree bow, his cheek red. The older woman slowly collapsed into a nearby chair, crying hysterically, her sobs echoing in the waiting room and radiating down the halls and even into the infirmary.

Youngwoon murmured more words to her, but he doubted if she heard any of them. He wasn’t even sure she heard most of what he said before she slapped him. What he did know, without a doubt, was that she heard him say he had been the one to kill both of her sons. Slowly, he turned and walked away, leaving other Agents to finish the explanations. He spotted Sungmin and walked over,

“That’s their mother… isn’t it?” Sungmin asked, beginning to button his shirt again,

Youngwoon nodded. He glanced over his shoulder before continuing to walk away, “I saw her and recognized her from the first son’s funeral… I thought perhaps she should know who it was that ended the lives of both of her sons.”

“That was… brave of you,” Sungmin stated,

“I had to attempt to make peace with her… I can’t do any more than that,” Youngwoon shrugged. He was a silent a moment before glancing sideways at the younger man, “I can’t believe you actually convinced them to let you go after only a few hours after surgery.”

“I was very convincing,” Sungmin replied swiftly,

“Very threatening more likely,” Youngwoon shook his head with a soft chuckle, “You’ve changed so much since our training days… to think how blasé and confident of an Agent you are now.”

“I had to change,” Sungmin shrugged, “If I was to continue as an Agent after you left… especially after you left. That first mission… I wouldn’t have succeeded if you weren’t there.”

“It was both of our first times,” Youngwoon shrugged, then added, “By the way, why did you tell that kid yesterday that you were the one who killed his brother? You and I both know it was me who did it, despite what our reports say from five years ago.”

“You weren’t armed, Youngwoon. If he was going to kill one of us, he might as well focus on the one who can actually fight back,” Sungmin stated, “And in the end you still killed him…”

“And you put in your report that I didn’t and told Donghae to do the same, why? Again?” Youngwoon questioned,

“We may know who really killed the brothers… but in the eyes of everyone else, I’d rather have the mark of the Assassin, than you,” Sungmin replied, “You left the Agency after our first mission, I didn’t want the stain of blood to follow you.”

Youngwoon was silent a moment before stating quietly, “Thank you.”

Sungmin smiled at him, genuinely smiled at him. They were silent before Sungmin asked, “Where are we going?”

“Down to the holding rooms… Jungsu’s being released,” Youngwoon stated, eyes narrowing and hands fisting at his sides,

“Do you know why he was put on lockdown in the first place?” Sungmin inquired,

“No, the Chief didn’t say a damn – wait… those are their voices,” Youngwoon stopped immediately from turning the corner. He and Sungmin stood there, silently listening.

“You better put everything to right, Chief!” Jungsu’s voice stated, “The whole Agency probably thinks I deflected! Must I go through the strife you put Yesung through!?”

“Stop being so dramatic. I’ll release a statement and everything will go back to normal,” the Chief replied flippantly,

“It’s that easy to just control everything? You do things, decide things on your own without a damn care for anyone else involved! Do you have any idea what your decisions have done to people!? It ruined Yesung’s life – he was almost assassinated a number of times – not to mention recently and now my own reputation is damaged –”

“Damaged, but not irreparable. It can be fixed,” the Chief interrupted.

“And what if this case hadn’t been solved!? What if it continued on for longer? Would you have continued to lie to everyone? Huh? Would you have kept it all to yourself as the rest of us suffered!?” Jungsu demanded angrily,

“Watch your words, Agent Park. I am still the Chief here,” the older man’s voice cut like a physical blade.

“Yes, sir,” Jungsu grounded out.

Youngwoon and Sungmin rounded the corner. Both Agents turned to them, both involved in the conversation, neither sensed the presence of others. “What have you been lying about now?” Youngwoon demanded of the Chief, approaching them with Sungmin at his side.

“Sungmin!” Jungsu called suddenly,

“You’ve been lying to me? About what?” Sungmin looked at the Chief, confused.

“Yesung’s still alive,” Jungsu stated, throwing a hate-filled gaze at the Chief.

“WHAT!?” Youngwoon roared at the middle-aged man,

“That… that can’t… I saw him… I saw him!” Sungmin stammered,

Jungsu shook his head, “We moved away, remember? We didn’t… not really, but we just assumed he did! I got reports from financing and saw that the Agency was sending money to Seoul General Hospital in steady payments since Yesung’s presumed-death day. When I was arrested, I was sneaking into the Chief’s office to find out more information.”

Sungmin was silent, too stunned and startled to say anything. Youngwoon, sensing his silence, glared angrily at the Chief, “We saw his body at the funeral!”

“A body double,” the Chief said flippantly, “Very easy to arrange with my position and power.”

“Just as easy as to manipulate the lives of your Agents!?” Youngwoon demanded. He went to lunge at the Chief when Jungsu restrained him immediately, “Let me go, Jungsu. He deserves what’s coming to him! After all we’ve been through! Sungmin, for God’s sake… everything the Chief’s made him suffer!”

“You’re all making a mountain out of a molehill,” the Chief brushed aside their angry words and expressions, “I did what I had to do. I knew that if Agent Lee thought Kim Yesung was dead, then he would dedicate himself to the mission and that it would be resolved even quicker. And look, I was right.”

“By chance,” Sungmin grounded out, “What if I had killed myself instead!? WHAT THEN!?”

“You wouldn’t have killed yourself,” the Chief waved aside his hostile words,

“You don’t know what the hell I would have done!” Sungmin exclaimed. Quick as lightning, his fist made fierce contact with the Chief’s jaw.

The Chief stumbled backwards, even falling onto his behind, clutching his jaw, “AGENT LEE!”

“You’re lucky I don’t kill you,” Sungmin spat darkly, icily. He turned on his heel and began walking back from where he came, “Consider this my resignation.”

Jungsu, throwing the Chief a grinning look, followed, a fuming Youngwoon at his side.

…

They opened the door to Yesung’s hospital room. Late afternoon sunlight poured into the private room and onto the single bad. The body in the bed was someone none of them believed they would ever see again. The room was silent, save for the soft beeping of the heart monitor. Wires connected Yesung to different machines that monitored his vitals, and an IV line was sending him an assortment of medication to keep his health stable as he recuperated.

Slowly, Sungmin stepped into the room, tentative, scared, as if any minute this dream would fade away and he would wake up cold and lonely and Yesung would still be dead. Donghae and Shiwon (who they got on their way out of the Agency) and Jungsu and Youngwoon, waited by the door, silently slipping just inside the doorway as they watched. None dared to breathe, dared to make sudden moves, dared to even hope, even with the proof right before them.

Sungmin felt so many emotions at once, he couldn’t name them all, couldn’t acknowledge them all. His anger at the Chief slowly faded from his mind, replaced by the astounding relief that Yesung was, in fact, still alive. Endless hours and countless days of never-ending tears hit Sungmin again with full force as he reached Yesung’s bedside. He cried, the tears pouring from his dark eyes as he barely repressed the sobs that threatened to choke him.

He stood there, willing Yesung to open his eyes, to wake up, but he didn’t hope too much. The nurses told him that Yesung had been unconscious since he was brought in, that they weren’t sure if he would ever wake up despite his miraculous victory over a close death. He swallowed hard against the lump forming in his throat as he reached out with trembling hands, grabbing the hand nearest to him, the one without the IV line in it.

He held it gently at first, simply relishing in the warmth, in the feel of Yesung’s hand that he was sure, so sure, he would never feel again. He was angry at the Chief for lying to him and angry at himself for never realizing, never suspecting. So caught up in his own grief, in his own sorrow, that his mind had been clouded, fractured, unable to see the clues before him, not even able to see past the disguise of the body double at the funeral. He should have known. He should have sensed. His grief revisited him anew and he realized how blinded he had been.

Slowly, ever so slowly, as if scared to break the dream reality before him, he tightened his hold on Yesung’s hand. He fell to his knees at the bedside, pressing the back of Yesung’s hand against his tears, imprinting the feel and allowing himself to finally – finally! – believe that Yesung was not dead.

He cried then. Cried real, soul-deep, heart-wrenching cries that shook his small frame. They echoed in the room, touching, enveloping everyone there. He cried out of relief, cried out of happiness, cried out of love. He cried for regaining his light, his happiness, his love. He cried for regaining the other half of his life, his soul, his heart.

Everything that had happened, melted away, briefly pushed from his mind as all his thoughts, all his emotions, all his intentions focused on the man lying before him. His heart beat again, slowly at first, as if it hadn’t beat in so long. He felt it beat strongly, surely and knew, just instinctively, that it was in time with Yesung’s.

He clutched Yesung’s hand, pressing trembling lips against it, reverently, lovingly. Suddenly, he felt the weak pressure of his hand being squeezed back. His eyes darted to Yesung’s, but they were still closed and his vitals had all remained the same. But he had felt it, he was sure. He laughed quietly through the tears as he stood, leaning over Yesung.

With his free hand, he brushed the hair back from Yesung’s forehead. He brushed his lips against the other’s, “Wake up, Yesung… Come back to me.” Then, he whispered, breathed the words from the first night he surrendered to Yesung, “It’s just about you and me.”

First, he heard it, the deeper breaths rather than the shallow puffs of slumber. Then he watched as awareness slowly slipped into every line of Yesung’s face. Then, slowly, slowly, his eyes opened, their dark depths cloudy and dull before, eventually, lighting with recognition. Distantly, Sungmin could hear the collective gasps of his friends, but he was concentrated on Yesung.

Yesung locked gazes with him, his dark eyes searching, reading and understanding the emotions playing across Sungmin’s face and eyes. Finally, he attempted a small smile as he promised, “You and me.”

“Always.”


(Epilogue)

[spin] Shatter Series Epilogue

Epilogue: One month later…

Yesung & Sungmin

“I look stupid.”

“You look adorable!”

“That doesn’t help my disposition.”

Sungmin pursed his lips, hands on his hips as he stood in the shallow end of their veranda-pool. Clad in just blue swimming trunks, he stared up at Yesung who stood on the veranda, glaring down at him. He thought Yesung looked great as always. Especially since Yesung had been out of the hospital for just a week and half. Clad in black swimming trunks, Yesung’s abdomen still displayed a silver scar spanning his entire abdomen in a slight-jagged pattern.

“But I think you look good!” Sungmin argued,

“Fine… I feel stupid,” Yesung muttered,

“That’s fine with me, just get in the pool already,” Sungmin stated, “And don’t you dare take off your water wings!”

Yesung glared at Sungmin and then the neon pink, blown up floatation devises on his biceps. “WHY DO I EVEN HAVE TO WEAR THESE!?”

“You heard the physiotherapist! You have to do water exercises to help rebuild the strength in your abdominal muscles. Doing it in the water will help lessen the strain of weight as your muscles get used to bending and stretching first,” Sungmin chided,

“I know THAT, what about THESE!” Yesung exclaimed as he slowly walked down the steps into the shallow end, walking towards Sungmin until the water reached just below his chest.

“You’re still recovering. Those are just in case you slip and I don’t see you,” Sungmin replied, talking as if he were talking to a five-year-old rather than someone two years older than him, “They’ll help stop you from drowning.”

Yesung narrowed his eyes at the other, “Or I could, you know, stand up.”

“FINE! I don’t even know why I try to be helpful sometimes!” Sungmin exclaimed, turning to leave.

Yesung sighed heavily, rolling his eyes just before he reached out and grabbed Sungmin. He turned the younger man back to look at him, “I know you’re just worried about my safety.”

“Not worried, obsessed, I know and I am working on not being that way,” Sungmin insisted, looking away because his eyes were shining with unshed tears. “It’s just… half the time I’m scared you’re not really alive and that this is the lie and… and…”

Yesung sighed as he brushed away Sungmin’s threatening tears with the pads of his thumbs, “I know… I know… look, I’ll wear the damn water wings if it makes you feel better, okay?”

“And the snorkelling mask?” Sungmin asked hopefully,

“No.”

“What about the inflatable tube?” Sungmin inquired,

“No. The water wings and that’s it,” Yesung muttered, “Geez, couldn’t you at least get a different colour? Neon pink, really?”

“Studying is very time-consuming! I apologize if I was too busy to stand in the store and sift through the different colours of water apparel!” Sungmin exclaimed angrily, arms crossed defiantly over his chest.

“Right, because making drinks is difficult,” Yesung rolled his eyes,

“It is if I want to be versatile! And stop rolling your eyes at me, I know you did it before, too!” Sungmin accused. He let out a frustrated sigh, turning and storming through the warm water, “You’re so irritating sometimes! I hope you drown! With or without the water wings!”

Yesung barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes again. Instead, he watched Sungmin’s retreating back, slowly folding his arms just above his scar. He waited, mentally counting in his head the seconds before – and it happened. Sungmin turned back, eyes filled with tears again.

Sungmin waded back to him, “I’m sorry, I don’t hope you drown!”

Yesung merely opened his arms for Sungmin to walk into, folding him in an embrace. That’s how it had been between them for the past month. He and Sungmin would argue over a trivial thing, somehow Sungmin would – every time – wish or hope for his demise and then come back apologizing. He knew it was because Sungmin was still on edge, still sensitive about the entire issue. Sungmin was like a constant fuse and Yesung was constantly stopping him from blowing up. It was as if, since Sungmin was perpetually scared that Yesung really wasn’t alive – he would wake up several times a night to make sure the older man was beside him – he was easily giving up on all of their arguments, cutting them short and ending them in unfounded anger.

“Are you done being petulant?” Yesung asked, as he had gotten used to asking, knowing the straight-forward question broke through to Sungmin and bringing him back from whatever dark corner was sucking him in.

“Yes,” Sungmin sighed, “I really don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

“Stress from ‘studying’… and the Chief,” Yesung rolled his eyes, “You know, more Agents called today asking for you to help them plan their missions.”

“I know,” Sungmin shrugged as he began to play with the water’s surface, “But I quit for a reason.”

“You wouldn’t be working with the Chief, just those Agents… and they said they’d pay you commission,” Yesung shrugged, “I say do it. If not for the extra cash, then at least to rub more salt in the Chief’s wounds that missions are suffering without you as head tactician for the Agency.”

“Like we need extra cash,” Sungmin gestured to their penthouse apartment behind him, “But if it’ll annoy the Chief even more, I’ll consider taking commissions.”

“Good, now let’s do these damn exercises,” Yesung grinned at him.

He began to slowly bend at his waist when, somehow, he lost his balance, his feet slipping from beneath him. He began to flounder from being startled when Sungmin immediately grabbed him and pulled him up again.

Yesung tore off the water wings and whipped them at the water (although they just bounced and floated away), “See! These do nothing in real-life scenarios!”

“That’s why I got you a snorkelling mask and inflatable tube!” Sungmin stated, watching the neon pink water wings float around them,

“I don’t need any of that,” Yesung scoffed as, with one arm, scooped Sungmin to him, holding him securely against himself, “See, I have you to save me.”

Sungmin grinned up at him, accepting Yesung’s kiss.

Yesung remained in the hospital for two and a half weeks, before being discharged. Afterwards, he found the Chief and promptly punched him on the other side of his jaw. According to all records, Kim Yesung had already died, so, Yesung took on another identity, feeling his chance to truly start anew. He continues to work for Youngwoon as an accountant, wear amazingly expensive suits and, more than once, Sungmin still finds spy tools in them. His identification card now reads Lee Yesung. He took Sungmin's last name.

Sungmin never returned to the Agency. Instead, he began to study more about drinks – alcoholic and non – even going so far as to studying to be a barista. One day, he suggested something to Youngwoon and they are now partners in their business. However, he’s still a bartender, now adding non-alcoholic drinks to his menu. Every once in a while, he takes requests from Agents to assist in tactical planning for missions. The Chief constantly tries to get him to return to the Agency.

…

Shiwon & Donghae

“She’s beautiful,” Donghae grinned, staring down at the little baby in his arms, wrapped in a pink blanket, her little hands fisted and eyes barely open. “I bet she’ll have my eyes.”

“How the hell could she have your eyes?” Shiwon shook his head as he sat beside Donghae in the hospital room.

“I hope she does! Donghae has very nice eyes and Shiwon – no swearing around my baby!”

Shiwon grinned sheepishly at his ex-wife and one of his best friends, “Sorry DoHae.”

She shot him one last reproving look before turning her gaze back to her daughter in Donghae’s arms, “At least you two aren’t crying. My husband practically created a lake in this room when I handed her to him.”

“I would too if she were my kid,” Donghae insisted, “To think that people can create such beautiful beings. The miracle of life would definitely require for me to have my own dam.”

“Get a uterus and we can have our own kids,” Shiwon suggested lightly,

Donghae narrowed eyes at him, “Why do I have to have the uterus? You get one! I can’t be pregnant while working at the Agency!”

DoHae laughed melodically as she leaned back against her pillows on her upraised bed, “Oh, I do love that you two visited me. I only gave birth last night, how did you two learn so fast I was here?”

“Your husband called last night crying,” Shiwon stated solemnly, “I couldn’t tell if you were having the baby or if you already had the baby.”

DoHae laughed again, “Really? Oh, I do love him! And I love that he called you both so immediately.”

“He indulges you,” Shiwon agreed,

“He does!” DoHae smiled, a mischievous glint in her almond-shaped eyes, “In fact, he even allowed me to name our daughter!”

“Oh, is it something really pretty?” Donghae asked excited as he handed the little bundle to Shiwon, “It has to be so she’ll grow up pretty too. Not that she won’t, what with you as the mother.”

DoHae had to laugh again as Donghae winked at her playfully, “Oh Donghae, I’m sure you’ll most certainly approve of the name. After all, she’s named after her godfather.”

“Who’s her godfather? Do I know him?” Donghae inquired, confusedly,

“You,” DoHae beamed at him,

“You’re naming her Donghae!?” Shiwon demanded, thick eyebrows narrowing,

DoHae rolled her eyes, “No, don’t be silly. I’m naming her Bada!”

“I approve! One hundred percent!” Donghae exclaimed as he jumped from his chair and pulled DoHae into an embrace, “And I accept status as godfather, too!”

“Wait, wait, wait… Donghae gets godfather and a namesake?” Shiwon slanted a look at his ex-wife, “That’s a little biased, isn’t it? I’m your best friend!”

“Donghae’s my best friend now, too. Not to mention, he saved my life when your cousin decided to go axe-murderer on us,” DoHae stated,

“I’ve saved your life plenty of times when we were married, you just weren’t aware of it and Kyuhyun wasn’t an axe-murderer… just a normal murderer,” Shiwon defended,

“I was in danger when we were married!? AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME!?” DoHae demanded, all gentleness and lightness gone from her as her eyes narrowed dangerously and she crossed her slender arms, “I WILL KILL YOU CHOI SHIWON!”

Shiwon snorted at her before dismissing her by turning his gaze to the little baby in his arms, “I love you, too, DoHae.”

“I want to strangle you,” she retorted, bitterly, “That’s it, I’m naming my second-born Donghae.”

Shiwon snapped his gaze back to her, jaw dropping, “DoHae! That’s not fair!”

“And not telling your then-wife she’s in danger, is fair?” DoHae countered,

“Fine,” Shiwon sighed, “If we’re ever married again, I’ll tell you whenever you’re in danger. Although, I can’t see that happening.”

“Because I’m not going to die anytime soon and DoHae has a husband?” Donghae questioned, towering over Shiwon, arms crossed over his chest,

“No,” Shiwon looked back down at Bada, “Because I’m not a mob boss anymore.”

“Then, if we’re ever married again, I’ll name whatever children from that union after you,” DoHae conceded,

“That’s all I ask for,” Shiwon looked at her, smiled and nodded.

Donghae glared back and forth between Shiwon and DoHae, “I hate you both, you know.”

“Fine by me,” Shiwon and DoHae replied in unison.

Donghae threw up his arms in the air exasperatedly as he plopped back down in his chair. Suddenly, Bada began to cry and, instinctively, DoHae held out her arms, knowing why her daughter was crying. Shiwon stood and carefully handed over the bundle before sitting back down. DoHae reached to her bedside table and picked up a tiny bottle of milk and began to feed Bada.

“She’s already on the bottle?” Shiwon raised both eyebrows in surprised,

“Well, not by choice. I don’t know, she just won’t…” DoHae paused and looked up at him, “That is, I tried and she… You know, there are some things I just can’t say directly to you.”

“Why? We were married, it’s not like I don’t know you,” Shiwon said nonchalantly, ignoring the glare from the seat beside his own.

“That’s why!”

“Well, we’re best friends,” Shiwon stated,

“No, the first reason out-rules the second reason,” DoHae shook her head before looking back down at her daughter, “Besides, I’d rather Donghae not kill you.”

“Donghae knows I love him,” Shiwon insisted, reaching over for his hand, only to get his own hand slapped away. He looked over at him, “Hae…”

“Sometimes I hate you more than DoHae,” Donghae muttered, crossing his arms again,

Shiwon sighed as he forcibly took Donghae’s hand into his own, “Fine, I can be the one to have the uterus.”

DoHae stared at them, “You… I thought… You two are kidding… right?”

“Of course,” Shiwon laughed as Donghae deadpanned, “Dead serious.”

Shiwon turned to Donghae, “Hae! I’m not being serious!”

Donghae let go of his hand, pulling his chair closer to the bed, “You’re just upset because I got godfather and namesake.”

Shiwon continued to lead his business group, turning it into a type of sponsoring company, helping other, smaller companies fulfill their full potentials. Other than working with other companies throughout South Korea (many being former gangs his group convinced to legitimize themselves), he also helped support Youngwoon and Sungmin in their business venture. He and Donghae soon began the process of their own venture: adopting a child.

Donghae stayed with the Agency, despite the Chief’s lies. He became one of the most respected Department Head in the Agency for his policy of need-to-know-basis missions. In his policy, it was made required that all parties involved in the missions – including any familial repercussions on the other side – be fully informed after mission’s end of reasons for any casualties. Unbeknownst to him, his efforts would place him in the lead to succeed the current Chief. And, despite all past arguments, when he and Shiwon received their child (and the second child they adopted afterwards) he was the motherly figure. They named their daughters DoHae and ShiHae.

…

Jungsu & Youngwoon

“Youngwoon, sometimes I feel like I made a mistake.”

Youngwoon, standing in the middle of a large room under construction, dressed in a black suit with white pinstripes and arms crossed over his chest, watched the progression of the building, “About what?”

“Leaving the Agency,” Jungsu stated as he came and stood beside Youngwoon,

“Why? You couldn’t stand to even look at the Chief after what happened,” Youngwoon reminded before calling out, “Hey! Watch the measurements on the bar! If it’s too small I’ll get yelled at by Sungmin and then you’ll get yelled at by Sungmin!”

“But I think the Agency is the lesser of two evils,” Jungsu said,

“Compared to what?” Youngwoon glanced at him before glancing away and doing a double take. “Oh. Dear. God.”

Jungsu stood before him in a duck costume. Not clothes with duck-print, and not a costume where there was a large duck around his middle. No, the costume was an encasement around Jungsu’s entire body, his face visible in the duck’s mouth. At the moment, two yellow wings were akimbo (if ducks had hips) and the face in the duck’s mouth was glowering at Youngwoon.

Youngwoon laughed then, heartily and loudly. The construction workers around them stifled laughs as Youngwoon repressed the urge to double over or – heaven forbid – fall to the floor from his mirth. He held his stomach, beginning to ache from his enthusiastic response to Jungsu’s costume, “Oh, please tell me there’s no rational reason you’re wearing that. Please tell me you’re wearing it to be whimsical or something.”

Jungsu’s stare grew even harder, “Far from likely. I was undercover and – believe it or not – this was the most inconspicuous cover I could use.”

“What? Was the suspect eating at a burger joint or something?” Youngwoon questioned, his laughter slowly dying as he signalled for the construction workers to keep working,

“I’m dressed as a duck, Youngwoon, not some striped bee with a chef’s hat,” Jungsu stated,

“Eh?”

“Never mind,” Jungsu waved a wing at him, “No, a seafood restaurant. This is their mascot. Although I wish their mascot was something… different. Something more manly… like a crab or a lobster. Oh! Or a shark!”

Youngwoon laughed as he reached out and petted the duck’s head, “Jungsu, no matter what sea creature the mascot is, it’d never be manly. But you do look cute!”

Jungsu scowled at him, swiping at Youngwoon with a wing, “I don’t want to be cute! I’m a private investigator for goodness’ sake. Not to mention I’m older than you.”

“Well, you left the Agency to start your own business,” Youngwoon shrugged, “You have to make some sacrifices as you start out and, if dressing up like a cute duck is one of those sacrifices, then so be it.”

“You’re insufferable,” Jungsu hissed,

“And you love me for it,” Youngwoon stated matter-of-factly as he took out his cellular phone and took a picture of Jungsu in the duck costume,

“BASTARD!” Jungsu lunged at him,

Youngwoon managed to withstand the force – and bulk – of Jungsu the duck, holding his beloved back with one hand on the duck’s bill as he turned his attention to his phone, “I love it when you call me pet names. I’m sure the other guys would love to see this picture.”

“Youngwoon, don’t you dare!” Jungsu exclaimed, wings flailing as he tried to hit Youngwoon or, at least, disconnect Youngwoon’s hold on the beak,

“Or what?” Youngwoon inquired as he dared right in front of Jungsu, sending a multiple picture message to their friends,

“I’ll sabotage your restaurant!” Jungsu threatened,

Youngwoon scoffed, “You wouldn’t dare,” he glanced around at the construction before replacing his phone in his pocket, “If you did that, you’d piss off Sungmin too.”

“I won’t let you sleep in our bed!” Jungsu warned,

“I don’t need a bed,” he raised an eyebrow at the older man, “I’ve proved that several times… last night being one of them.”

Jungsu, face flaming now, then stated darkly, “I will take a flame to all of your pinstriped suits!”

Youngwoon’s jaw (and hand) dropped. His eyes narrowed dangerously, “You’re just evil!” Before he could say more, he felt his phone vibrate. Pulling it out, he opened it, “Actually, maybe I’m the evil one.”

“What? Why!?” Jungsu cried, trying to get a closer look at Youngwoon’s phone,

“Shiwon just sent the photo to his gang – I mean, his coworkers,” Youngwoon laughed.

Then, Jungsu flung himself at Youngwoon, this time effectively taking the bar owner (and future restaurant owner) to the ground. He straddle Youngwoon, his yellow wings crossed as best he could over the duck’s round body, “I refuse to get off until you apologize.”

Youngwoon raised an eyebrow before moving his arms, linking his fingers behind his head like a pillow, “Fine by me, but the longer you stay there, then tonight, the longer I’ll wait until I let you get off.”

Jungsu’s eyes widened to saucers, immediately scrambling off Youngwoon. It was clumsy and difficult with the large duck costume, but he managed it after four tries. Youngwoon chuckled softly as he slowly got to his feet, taking care to brush off the sawdust from his suit. He looked at Jungsu and smiled softly at him,

“Are you done with your investigation for the day?” Youngwoon asked,

“I have to write some reports and figure out if I can solve this case yet,” Jungsu said, crossing his duck wings once more, “So, I’m going to my office after here.”

“Alright, are you still coming to the bar tonight?” Youngwoon inquired, “The others will be there.”

Jungsu nodded.

“Oh, and don’t wear the duck costume,” Youngwoon stated, reaching out to pat the duck’s large, yellow head again,

“Why? I thought you’d want to give everyone a good laugh,” Jungsu scowled at the younger man,

Youngwoon smirked before grabbing the duck’s lower bill and pulling Jungsu as close as possible. He peered into the duck’s mouth, the top bill pushing against his forehead, “But I can’t kiss you when you’re in this.”

“Ugh, always the sweet talker,” Jungsu muttered, fighting the blush from his face. He had to keep some kind of dignity, after all.

“And you always liked it rough,” Youngwoon shrugged. He winked at Jungsu, “I knew it from the first time you flipped a drunk onto a table for trying to feel you up.”

“Yeah well… you remember that the next time you tease me,” Jungsu warned. Then, duck bill held high, walked out of the restaurant-in-the-making.

Jungsu left the Agency after training his vice-head to take over his position. However, knowing no more than the life as a Cover Investigations Agent (the others, save Youngwoon, still called it Stalking) he decided to set up his own private investigation business. With his former connections with the Seoul Police Department, he was able to establish his business fairly quickly. Eventually, he would go on to receive assignments from the Police Department themselves and sometimes, even his former co-workers at the Agency.

Youngwoon began to want more from life than just his bar. Fortunately, Sungmin approached him with the idea of opening a restaurant, combining Sungmin’s skill behind the bar and Youngwoon’s surprising skill in the kitchen. They became partners, but Youngwoon decided to stay out of the kitchen, choosing just to approve of the restaurant’s menu instead. He was destined for suits, not aprons. The restaurant, having a prime location in the heart of Seoul, became popular and soon, he closed his bar. His former customers, however, became regulars at his restaurant, indulging in the food and non-alcoholic drinks. In his office, there is a picture on his desk of Jungsu in the duck costume.

…


Fin.

[spin] Signature

rate: PG13
words: 5639
(Part of the Shatter series which is a sequel to the Surrender and Succesion series.)


Sungmin stood up from the couch with a scowl plastered on his face. He had been sitting there for countless hours staring at the photographs, and still his mind was blank. No, not blank, blocked. It was as if there was something he was missing from the photographs and something was preventing him from understanding, from seeing all.

Pacing over to a side table in the expansive living room, he picked up the whiskey bottle and sloshed a dash of the amber liquid into a small, glass tumbler. As he just barely stopped from slamming the bottle back down on the shiny, black cherry surface, he undid the top two buttons of his black shirt, revealing a sneak of his creamy skin and contrasting white undershirt. Leaning his side against the high table, he glanced over towards the coffee table.

He raised the tumbler to his lips and smelled the heavy, sharp scent of the whiskey Yesung loved so much. He paused, tilting his head to look at the translucent liquid.

Yesung.

He placed the glass back on the table and quickly strode towards his bedroom. He pushed open the doors to the closet and barely blinked when he saw Youngwoon in there putting away clothes he had washed for Sungmin.

“Everything okay?” Youngwoon asked casually as he picked up another stack of folded clothes from a basket on the floor, “Did you eat the lunch I gave you yet?”

“No.” Sungmin walked through the large closet to a large bag on a hanger, picking it up from where it hung, his dark eyes stinging as his gaze swept over the protective case. “I was just looking for any of his suits but… you picked this up from the dry cleaners. When?”

“This morning while you were off at the Agency,” Youngwoon answered as he put the clothes away and then picked up the empty basket, “You owe me a couple thousand won, by the way.”

Sungmin swallowed hard, his voice struggling to stay hale and whole, “Yeah… of course.”

“Why did you want one of his suits?” Youngwoon inquired as he headed towards the door,

“I… I needed help with the files from Donghae,” Sungmin explained.

Youngwoon raised an eyebrow but turned towards the open door, “Well, if you need me, I’ll be on the phone with the Chief.”

“Still can’t convince him to release Jungsu?” Sungmin asked lightly,

“If I had any power in the Agency still… any at all, even as an assassin, I would waltz right into the building and give that old man a piece of my mind,” Youngwoon growled. Then, after inhaling deeply, he calmed, “But we both know I gave up those privileges years ago. So I’m reduced to calling the Chief.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t ambushed him at his house yet,” Sungmin admitted,

Youngwoon shot him a look, “Where do you think I was last night while you were sleeping?”

Sungmin couldn’t help but smirk as his best friend left him alone in the spacious, walk-in closet. He heard the distant sound of the bedroom door closing, the sound snapping him back to his goal. He looked back at the suit bag in his hands. He felt the threatening sting in his eyes. He swallowed, pushing back the raising flood of emotions he had been managing to dam the entire day.

He hooked the hanger onto nearby hangers in the closet so that the bag faced him instead of slipping between the other suits. He slowly unzipped the bag, revealing a pristine white blazer and charcoal black slacks. He ran his fingers along the crisp edges of the collar, leaning in, desperately trying to smell any hint of his beloved. However, all he could smell was the light, pleasant scent of cleanliness. He straightened, sighed with resignation as he carefully unhooks the blazer from the hanger. He hesitated just a moment before slipping it on.

The jacket was just slightly too big in the shoulders and in length of the torso and sleeves. However, it felt comfortable and, for a moment, realized the appeal to blazers that Yesung always had but he, never did. The material felt like a comforting, warm blanket, wrapped securely around his torso and limbs. Despite feeling nothing in the jacket of Yesung, he still could feel his presence. His head dropped slightly, eyes closing as he pulled the halves together in front, overlapping them to cocoon him. He heard a slight crinkling when the blazer enveloped him like a second skin. Releasing the halves, he slipped a hand into the inside pocket of the blazer and pulled out an envelope.

“What the…” Sungmin pulled off a yellow sticky note that was attached to the front of the envelope and read the unfamiliar print, “This was found in the blazer when we were cleaning it.” He opened the envelope and pulled out two sheets of paper, "I'm surprised they didn't mention whatever weapons Yesung probably sewed into the..." He read the first lines. The envelope and sticky note drifted to the ground.

“Dear Sungmin…” He forced the words out, his eyes taking in each word, his heart imprinting each letter; “I’ve been trying to think of what to get you for your birthday and I still don’t know what to get you. As I’m sure that you’ve skilfully inspecting that numerously-scratched out date that I am writing this several months ahead of time. Embarrassing, I know, but do I get points for admitting to it? Thought not.”

Sungmin couldn’t help himself, he laughed. It was a withered, sad-attempt at a laugh, but it bubbled forth and tickled his tongue and lips. It was an odd feeling, but being able to laugh again and having done so because of Yesung, felt good, felt right. The stinging in his eyes was still prominent in his senses, but less so than before. Without any hesitation, he continued reading.

“In all truth, I’ve been walking around trying to figure out even what to just say to you. Erm, write to you. I couldn’t think of what to get you for your birthday but this letter seems to be even harder than that. So, I began to think about the beginning. I began to think about how I met you. I don’t think you ever knew this, but when I first met you, I was drunk,” Sungmin chuckled as he muttered to himself, “I knew you were drunk. Dead drunk. I was your damn bartender, how couldn’t I know you were drunk?”

“And yet, when I saw that jerk with his grubby hands trying to take advantage of you,” he read, “my world was suddenly crystal clear. Suddenly I was no longer drunk and all I could think about was you. You were all that filled my head. In all honesty, for a while, you were all I thought of. In my monotonous lie of a life of working for a gang, you were the highlight of my week. You were what I worked towards each day. You were the constant in my double-life. And for that, I am grateful.”

Sungmin slowly dropped to his knees, his heart beating slowly, steadily and strongly. Just moments ago, he was sure it had been broken, had died and would not be revived. However, this letter, these words – Yesung’s words – were reviving him, bringing him back from the brink of oblivion and despair. He had wanted to follow Yesung into death, but Yesung was pulling him back into life.

“You stayed by my side, fought by my side and the price you almost paid was your life. In that moment, I realized you were more to me than I ever thought. I fell so fast for you, Sungmin, and I now know that from the very beginning, from when you first began working at the bar, I had already begun to fall for you. As shallow as it sounds, I did fall for you when I first laid eyes on you,” Sungmin paused in his reading to smile slightly, “You weren’t so bad looking yourself, Yesung.”

“But when I got to know you, even that first morning-after together, that’s when I realized I wasn’t wrong to feel what I did for you back then. You knew me before we even spoke. After I told you the truth, you understood me and accepted me. After so long of not trusting anyone, of keeping all my truths, all my lies to myself, I was able to tell you everything. You accepted everything whole-heartedly, without any restrictions. When both my lives merged that day having you with me made everything easier. And for that, I am grateful.”

With one hand, Sungmin held the letter. With the other hand, Sungmin clutched both halves of the blazer tighter around him. He remembered the morning Yesung told him everything. He remembered when the gang members found out about Yesung’s true mission. He hadn’t thought a lot about why he accepted all Yesung told him at face value. He hadn’t thought a lot about why it was so easy to stay by Yesung side during those difficult days. All he knew then was that it was what felt right, that had he not accepted all Yesung explained and had he not fought by Yesung’s side, then he would be making a mistake. As the soft material of the blazer hugged him, he acknowledged that once more.

“Do you remember when all of that stuff happened with Key? I mean, Kyuhyun? It was as if our pasts were coming back again. Well, my past since you were secretly taking missions from the Chief without telling me and… well, that doesn’t matter anymore. I’m over it, really.” Sungmin chuckled softly, “Don’t lie… you still resent… resented that I was able to hide something from you.” He sighed before continuing, “For a second time, we joined our skills. We fought side by side and I knew… well, you know how I don’t like having partners when I go on missions? Well, when we were doing that last mission and putting our heads together, I knew that if I had to have a partner, then I’d want you. I know, I know, a late realization, but it’s not my fault you came into the Agency later than me.

“I know that talking about what happened a year ago isn’t your favourite thing to do, but I need to because it’s one of the ways I can tell you how amazing you are. You did your part in the mission so precisely, so perfectly that had we been Agents in the same department, I would envy you… we would have been rivals,” Sungmin snorted quietly, “Yeah right. The Great Yesung envious and rivalling me?” He shook his head as he read on, “Also, in a room of lone wolves, the son of a mob boss, a mob boss and several Agents, you were the only one to realize I was still alive. The fact that you even had to doubt my life is something that I regret to this day.”

“I wish I had doubts now,” Sungmin said quietly, feelings tears line his lids and begin to blur the edges of his vision. He inhaled slowly, deeply as he kept reading, “I wish I could have let you know sooner that I wasn’t actual dead and that I was just acting for the others’ sake. I wish I could have stopped everything before it got that far. I wish you didn’t have to risk your life just to get to my side. You fought with me, did so much with me, for me. And for that I l –…” Sungmin blinked, “I l –…” He flipped the pages, but the second page was completely blank, just bearing the same folds as the first page. “He stopped writing… He didn’t finish his sentence… He didn’t… Damn it, Yesung, why didn’t you finish your sentence!?”

He hugged the pages to his chest as he closed his eyes, “It’s just two words, seven letters long, couldn’t you have finished writing before putting down your damn pen?” He sighed heavily as he slowly straightened to his full height. He looked down at the first page again and panicked when he saw something small splash onto the page, the words beginning to run. With his free hand, he began to dab at the wet stop, trying to stop the ruin. When he managed to stop the course of the tear, he calmed down somewhat, sighing with relief.

He looked down at the letter again - unfinished letter – and, with his free hand, wiped away the tears that had begun to impede his vision. He wished Yesung had finished the letter, wish he knew what Yesung had wanted to say to him for his birthday. The second page had been completely bare, meaning that Yesung had wanted to write so much more, meaning he had only know a bare half of what he was meant to read. Slowly falling back to the ground in the white blazer that had been Yesung’s, Sungmin hugged the letter to his heart and even the blank page because it had been something that Yesung had touched.

…

“What exactly did he do wrong?” Shiwon inquired from the steel-frame bed that was pushed against a corner in the small room he had been isolated in for days.

“Who knows? All I heard was that he was caught trying to break into the Chief’s office,” Donghae scowled as he paced before the other man, “Now there’s all these rumours flying about that Jungsu’s a traitor, that he’s selling information… It takes everything I have not to yell at or punch every person who says something.”

“But you can’t because it’ll mean you’re on his side and you won’t have any power or influence if you’re on his side,” Shiwon surmised, confirmed by a slight nod from Donghae. Sitting with his back against the cold, cement wall, arms folded over his broad chest and his legs crossed at the ankle on the mattress, he watched Donghae pace. “Does it really matter though? I mean, with the power and influence you have, you can’t even get me out of here.”

Donghae flashed him a narrowed look, “You think I haven’t tried!? It’s a little difficult to bust a former mob boss out of jail AND request he be let free despite being caught with a dead body at his feet and a knife in his hand.” He held up a hand immediately to silence the retort he knew the other would say, “Framed, I know, but that doesn’t erase the fact that you were caught in a questionable position.”

Shiwon quirked one thick eyebrow, “I was going to say that I was kidding, but apparently you’re not in a jesting mood.”

“Far from it,” Donghae sighed as he came over and plopped on the edge of the bed. He propped his elbows on his knees, bowed his head below his heart and laced his fingers over his head. “The situation with your case is more difficult than we previously assumed… the guy who was murdered was a foreigner, Miura Haruma.”

“The Japanese consulate getting uppity?” Shiwon inquired,

Donghae shook his head slightly, keeping it bowed beneath his hands, “Worse, he was an Agent for the Japanese. They had gotten permission from the Chief for him to work undercover here for one of their own cases. The guy’s not only one of their best undercover agents, he’s their head computer analyst and hackers.”

“So, an important person to the Japanese Agency?” Shiwon concluded,

“Very,” Donghae sighed, “So, I don’t know if the person who framed you specifically went out to kill Agent Miura or if the person was aiming to frame you specifically…”

“Maybe the person the Agent was after is the person who framed me?” Shiwon asked,

“That’s an even more difficult thing… the Japanese Agency refuses to divulge any information on Agent Miura’s case because it concerns the Japanese Intelligence and etcetera, etcetera,” Donghae let out a frustrated growl, “It’s just a big mess and I wish Sungmin would just climb out of his hole long enough to help us on the case. He’s a brilliant tactician, but also a great analyst. I’m sure if he looked at the files long enough, he’d make connections or see something that me and Jungsu haven’t.”

“Speaking of Jungsu, can you even talk to him?” Shiwon questioned,

Donghae shook his head, “That might give away my hand and I can’t have that, especially since the Chief is personally keeping an eye on Jungsu. He’s on lockdown in a holding chamber, but he’s not allowed to have any contact anyway. He’s not even allowed that ‘one call’ that civilians are given in jail. Whatever he was doing, though, he knew he was risking something and I think it’s related to this case.”

“Why do you say that?”

“When he was caught, I hadn’t left the building, I was down here talking to you. When I went back to my office, I found his office key on the floor of my room,” Donghae explained, pulling out a small, silver key as he did so, “My door was closed and locked, meaning he slipped it in himself. When I went to his office, the door was locked also and on his desk were the files for the murders of Yesung and Agent Miura. He was working on something but before he left to do God-knows-what in the Chief’s office, he locked up his office and made sure only I could get in.”

“Doesn’t the Chief have a master key to his door or something?” Shiwon suggested,

Donghae shook his head, “No, Jungsu wouldn’t be Jungsu if he weren’t extra careful about his work. When he got promoted to Head of Covert Investigations –”

Shiwon glanced at Donghae who looked at him and they both chimed in unison, “Stalking –”

“He had the locks changed on all of his cabinets, drawers and door,” Donghae explained, “Only he had access to the files in his possession. He left the files for me, which makes me think he knew if he were caught he wouldn’t be able to continue the investigation…” Donghae sighed as he stood up from the bed, “I just wish I knew what the hell he was doing last night to get himself put on lockdown.”

“Stealing and selling information? That hardly sounds like Jungsu at all,” Shiwon scoffed, “Besides, if he were going to do that, he should’ve done that years ago… when it would’ve been helpful to me.”

Donghae crossed his arms as he narrowed his gaze on the other man, “Don’t you even think about going back to that way of life. It was hard enough living on different sides of the law, but to be living together and on different sides of the law…”

Shiwon raised a questioning brow at him, “You could have come to my side. Much easier than converting an entire gang and attempting to convince other gangs to legitimize themselves.”

Donghae blinked before scowling at him, “Damn you Choi Shiwon… always tempting me to do things I’m not supposed to do.”

“You don’t always complain about such things,” Shiwon grinned at him, his cheeks dimpling,

“Well, I better go,” Donghae muttered,

“Why?”

“Because you’ll tempt me to do more bad things,” Donghae smirked before adding seriously, “And because I left some files on my desk… on the off-chance that Sungmin does decide to come into the sun for a bit and help with the investigation. If he has, then I’ll go see what he’s come up with. If he hasn’t, then I have more hours ahead of me in contemplating the investigation.”

“Hae…”

Donghae turned back to look at Shiwon, startled to find the other man standing right before him. He blinked and then tilted his head slightly to look at him directly, “Yeah?”

“Don’t take so much upon yourself,” Shiwon said quietly, “It’s bad enough that you don’t have Jungsu helping you… but if Sungmin still isn’t up to leaving his bed then, find someone else to help you, even if it’s Youngwoon or another Agent. Don’t try to do it all on your own.”

“But I have to,” Donghae stressed, “Because this isn’t just another double-murder… this is Yesung.”

“I know…” Shiwon said and then repeated in an even softer, quieter tone, “I know…”

Donghae sighed heavily as he suddenly closed the distance between them, practically lunging at Shiwon’s hard chest, wrapping his arms around the other man, clinging to him tightly, “I can’t ease up on this investigation… I can’t let someone who’s a stranger help… they need to know Yesung… need to know Yesung.”

“I know… I… I understand,” Shiwon embraced him back, “I would feel the same way if I were in your position… I do feel the same.”

“Can I just bust you out of here?” Donghae asked quietly, “It’s what you’ve wanted since you were placed here… Just let me do it.”

“And then where would we be? You wouldn’t be able to finish the investigation,” Shiwon chuckled softly at him,

“But at least I wouldn’t be alone at night,” Donghae muttered into Shiwon’s shirt.

Shiwon squeezed him comfortingly and then brushed his lips against Donghae, “Go finish your investigation. I’ll be waiting here to celebrate when you’re done.”

Donghae nodded as Shiwon released him. He squeezed Shiwon’s hand, headed to the door and then looked back, hand on the doorknob, “Jungsu’s room is next to yours… find out a way to break in from here… like the vents or something,” Donghae slanted a look at him, “If you still have the mob boss in you, I’m sure you can find a way to talk to Jungsu.”

Shiwon blinked and looked down at the small, multi-tool device Donghae had pressed into his hand. He looked up and smiled, dimpled, “I wasn’t the best mob boss for nothing.”

…

“Nice jacket,”

Sungmin looked up from his seat on the couch. He was sitting once more with the files spread out before him, elbows on his knees and the whiskey tumbler in his hands. He watched as Donghae closed the door behind him and sat on the adjacent black-leather couch.

He sat forward, “I wasn’t sure if you would show up or not.”

“I’m depressed, not cold-hearted,” Sungmin stated before looking back at the files, “But thank you for informing me of what was happening to our friends. Shiwon?”

“Bored but coping.”

“Jungsu?”

“Lockdown with no word. Youngwoon?”

“I convinced him to go home for at least an hour. At least to get a new set of clothes… he’s already used up his week’s worth,” Sungmin smiled slightly, “I told him I didn’t want to see him in the same clothes a second time because I might go crazy and think I was reliving the same week.”

Donghae blinked, “You smiled. Sort of… how are you doing?”

“Barely holding on, so we better get onto the case before I crawl back to bed,” Sungmin quirked his lips at Donghae before sobering and looking back at the files,

“Okay, but one more question… isn’t that Yesung’s blazer? And his whiskey?” Donghae questioned,

“I can’t have a nice white jacket like this?” Sungmin questioned,

“You hate wearing blazers.”

“And I can’t drink whiskey?”

“For a bartender, you don’t drink… you hate the taste.”

“Yeah… they’re Yesung’s,” Sungmin placed the tumbler down, the smell of the whiskey filling his nostrils; more than he ever allowed his entire life. “I was studying these files for hours this morning and I kept coming across a missing piece… I got so frustrated and then realized that if Yesung was still… around… that he’d talk me through it and eventually I’d be able to solve any problem I came across during my tactics planning. I thought that if I got closer to him, that somehow… somehow it’d be like he were still… around.”

“Has it been working?” Donghae asked tentatively,

“It’s… what? Four o’clock? Hasn’t been working for the past three hours,” Sungmin sighed,

“Why don’t you confer with Youngwoon?” Donghae inquired, “At least while he was here…”

Sungmin shook his head as he aimlessly picked up a paper from one of the files, “Youngwoon wouldn’t know. Even if he studied the files for as long as I have, I don’t think he’d figure out what it is I’m missing that’s connecting the murders.”

“I thought you were partners when he was still in the Agency? Surely he would have some of your analytical skill? And, being your former partner, he could help your train of thought,” Donghae suggested, “I’ve often done the same thing with other Agents.”

“I guess, but mission-wise, Youngwoon’s only been on one. He left the Agency after…” Sungmin trailed off as he let the paper fall from his fingers.

“Is something wrong?” Donghae asked with concern,

“That’s it! That’s why this seems to connect… this is why I’ve felt like I’ve been missing something this entire time,” Sungmin stammered excitedly as he began to bring forth the photographs from both the murders,

“What? What is it?” Donghae asked hurriedly, falling to kneel beside the coffee table in an attempt to get a closer view of the pictures,

“My first mission,” Sungmin stated as he put the photographs side by side, “Mine and Youngwoon’s.”

…

That evening, Youngwoon opened his bar for the first time since Shiwon was framed and arrested. The bar had been open an hour and half and he had a feeling it would be a slow night, especially since most of his regulars still probably thought his bar was closed. Dressed in one of his black suits with silver-dotted pinstripes, he stood behind the bar, wiping it down for the thirteenth time.

He sighed, “Man, I wish Sungmin reconsidered and agreed to be bartender for tonight.”

“What bar owner cleans and runs his own bar?”

Youngwoon looked up at the young guy who came in and sat at the bar. At least, he assumed he was a young guy. Youngwoon immediately took in the guy’s worn clothes, his tanned and wrinkled face. It was the eyes, Youngwoon realized then; dark eyes that hadn’t seen much of the world despite the appearance of a wizened face. Youngwoon felt something clinch in his memory and the finally piece slid into place.

Without even skipping a beat, Youngwoon straightened, “Can I get you a drink?”

“A beer is good… any beer,” the young guy said. He clasped the cold bottle Youngwoon handed him and took a long, slow sip.

Youngwoon waited, but the young guy said nothing more. More customers came in, greeting Youngwoon enthusiastically and ordering drinks. As an hour dragged on, he began to wonder if what he felt when the young guy came in was what Sungmin had been waiting for.

“My brother would’ve liked this place,” the young guy said when Youngwoon was wiping down the counter again. “Small, quiet… just a nice, clean place to relax in after work.”

“Oh? You should bring him around sometime then,” Youngwoon suggested. He offered a small smirk, “Can’t blame me for self-promoting my own bar.”

“I wish I could bring him, but he’s gone,” the young guy stated gruffly. He paused to take a long sip from his beer. Then, he continued, “He was murdered five years ago in his own home… can you believe that? Murdered? Without any care towards his friends or his… his family…” He gripped the bottle so hard, Youngwoon was waiting for the dark glass to break.

“We – my mother and I – were given no reasons… none, not even by the authorities. They even toned it down, demanded we not go to the media,” his words came like a low growl, his hand shaking when he raised his bottle for another swig, “It was like not being able to acknowledge how he died… to get justice. Can you understand how that must have been for us?”

Youngwoon dropped the rag he had been holding and folded his arms loosely about his torso, “I can’t say I do. I’ve never lost anyone close to me in such a way.”

“I’ve wanted to avenge my brother from the moment I learned he had been murdered,” the young guy admitted darkly, not even looking at the bar owner, “I wanted to kill the men who killed my brother.” He drank the last of his beer, placing the bottle down with a loud thud. He looked up at Youngwoon with dark-fire eyes, “Do you think it’s worth it, my wish for revenge?”

Youngwoon stared at the young man who glared at him will ill-concealed, quiet rage. He waited three heart beats, waited until his thoughts settled and he knew his words were true from his heart, “Yes. If someone had taken away from me someone important… I would want revenge.” Silently, Youngwoon wondered how he was able to keep his words calm, even and emotionless.

“Good,” the young guy stood up, pulling out a gun that was hiding beneath his shirt. Both hands clasped around the gun, steady and true, he narrowed his eyes, “I’m glad you agree with this then. Well, even if you weren’t glad, this would still happen.”

Youngwoon stood still and silent as one customer saw the gun and yelled. His expression was unflinching as the few regulars who had come that evening began to drunkenly run out of the bar. As the door slammed securely shut after the last customer, Youngwoon steadily stared at the young guy.

He inhaled slowly, steadily before stating flatly, “Your brother never used a gun.”

“And look where it got him, six feet under the ground!” The young guy explained angrily, face flushed from both anger and alcohol.

“Then why did you use a knife on those other people?” Youngwoon questioned simply, “Why use the cut that was signature to your brother’s style?”

“Because it was on his behalf,” The young guy stated, “Because I wanted to take away the people important to you.”

“You murdered someone I didn’t even know,” Youngwoon said,

He laughed bitterly, “You mean that Japanese kid?” He barked out another laugh, “That brat’s been following me for God knows how long. Probably for as long since I left Japan. I had to get rid of him. Even came across a guy who was leaving your bar… I’ve seen him with you a few times here.”

“You didn’t kill him. You just framed him,” Youngwoon stated, a silent question in the air between them,

“I want revenge, I’m not stupid,” the young guy spat, “I knew I wouldn’t have a chance against that guy. I barely had a chance against that first idiot I killed.”

Youngwoon gripped his fists as his arms remained folded.

“It took me five years! Five fucking years to find you! You thought you were so smart sneaking into my brother’s apartment, but I saw your face on the camera, yours and that other guy’s face. He was there that night, too, when I killed the first guy,” he laughed tauntingly, “I’ll get him after, but for now –”

“I wouldn’t do anything rash if I were you.”

The young guy swung towards the voice, his gun at the ready as two figures stepped out from the darkness of a hallway that lead to the back rooms. Without turning to look at them, Youngwoon waited as Donghae and Sungmin stepped into the peripheries of his vision. Donghae was holding up his gun and Sungmin was limbering up his fingers.

“You can try to kill all three of us, but the moment you shoot once, the other two will get at you. You won’t be able to stop all three of us,” Donghae stated, slowly stepping towards the young guy.

“I’ve waited five years for this, do you really think I care if I die too?” He barked, “No, getting this guy…” He paused, finally seeing Sungmin’s face as he stepped completely out of the shadows, “Well, well, well… what luck to have you both here.” He smirked, his lips in an evil twist, “No, so long as I get to take one of these bastards down, I can die happy.”

The young guy gripped his gun tighter, more securely as he narrowed his eyes, his gaze darting between the three men before him, “You took away my older brother. He looked out for me, he practically helped raise me since our father died. You took away my mother’s son just months after she lost her husband. You took away one of the most important people in my life! No, neither of you bastards deserves to live, but if I can only take one of you to hell with me, then so be it.”

Sungmin suddenly stepped forward, partially blocking both Donghae and Youngwoon from the young guy’s aim. “Then kill me.”

Brows slightly raised in suspiciousness, the young guy demanded, “And why should I kill you instead of your partner over there?”

“Because he had nothing to do with your brother’s assassination,” Sungmin revealed, idly slipping off the pristine-white blazer from his shoulders and draping it over the bar, “Oh, he was there,” Sungmin added when he saw the young guy’s disbelief, “He was definitely there with me, but he didn’t do anything but accompany me to your brother’s apartment.”

Sungmin stepped closer until he was a bare metre from the young guy. He swiftly withdrew two daggers he had strapped to his low back beneath his shirt. The wicked blades glinted in the dim light of the bar. He locked gazes with the young guy, “I was the assassin who killed your brother.”


(Coming soon, Chapter 5: Sustenance)