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miabebe · 11 months

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I Am What I Am (II)

A man of the shadows and a woman who belonged in the skies - fate could not have brought two more different people together.

But was this fate or was this a choice?

Pairing - Im Changkyun x OC, OC x Surprise Seventeen member hehe

Word Count - 7.7K

Warnings - Nothing too explicit but mentions of blood, guns, knives, violence, (t.w) references to suicide, murder

Previous Chapter

“I need to sit.”

Na bi peered into the darkness and her eyes fell on a couch at the far end of the room. Changkyun simply watched, buttoning his sleeves as she pushed with all her might, bringing it to the centre and plopping down on it. Her legs sure thanked her, but the fire in the pits of her stomach had reignited as she looked at him from a considerably lower and painstaking angle, standing before the table.

“Why are you here Ms. Baek?”

Na bi pursed her lips in thought. Honestly, she forgot. The sight of him had blown every ounce of reasoning out of her head. Sure, driving the car down an empty freeway at 140 kmh had adrenaline coursing through every inch of her body and yeah, maybe her ‘interaction’ earlier with that gentleman in the club had gotten her to some kind of high but she didn’t think she would ever find it this hard to get it together. There was nothing she could really process except him and the slender yet sculpted build of his body. He didn’t look very menacing but he didn’t seem like he was gentle either. Na bi wondered if he was the kind who liked it slow and teasing or hard and fast, not that she would have a problem with either-

Crossing her legs to keep it all in, she leaned back into the softness of the couch, mentally and physically pushing herself to the maximum possible distance away from this man.

“Who are you?”

“You already asked me that.” The corners of his lips curled into a smile. “And I already answered.”

“And I heard you.” She tilted her head in question. “But I’ve never heard of you before.”

“Not many have.” He tucked his hands into his pockets. “I am a myth Ms. Baek. The knowledge of my existence is a privilege.”

Na bi let her eyes scan him down then up. Recalling the way he stayed concealed in the shadows the first time she met him, she scoffed. “Privilege or liability?”

When he didn’t clarify, she clicked her tongue, shaking her head dramatically. “So you are hiding.” She sighed. “That's sad; you were a lot more interesting when you didn’t admit to being a coward.”

Changkyun smiled, unaffected. “I don’t expect or need you to understand Ms. Baek. Ignorance is a luxury people like you can afford.”

Maybe if Na bi was less drunk, she would have been sensible enough to be offended by that but she simply pouted. “Enlighten me then.”

“What you call cowardice is gameplay Ms. Baek.” He leaned against the desk behind him. “My identity is irrelevant, so I choose anonymity. I let my work speak for itself.”

“So who gets, as you call it, the privilege of knowing who you are?”

“The few who have business with me, my men” He cocked his head, looking at her. “And you.”

Na bi felt a strange combination of fear, exhilaration and curiosity grip her all at once.

“No one else?”

Changkyun shook his head.

She took a minute to take it all in. She should have been more afraid. She really should.

“Sounds a little unfortunate if you ask me.” He raised an eyebrow as she leaned towards him, half whispering. “Having all this power and no one afraid of it.”

“I don’t seek fear because I don’t thrive on it Ms. Baek.” He mirrored her, leaning too. “Imagine what I could have done to you if fear was what I wanted.”

Na bi felt a single bead of sweat roll down her neck.

“Then what do you want from me? Why are your men stalking me?” When Changkyun looked at her expressionlessly, she rolled her eyes. “Don’t deny it. They haven’t been subtle and I’m not blind.”

“No, you’re not.” She could practically hear the amusement in his voice, like he had observed the way her eyes were all over him.

He walked around his desk, pulled open the drawer, taking out a familiar picture and threw it onto the wooden surface of the table. Na bi got up, walking closer to it, picking the photo of Ana in her hands, the same one Wonho had shown her that night.

“That’s from the cctv of my headquarters a few days ago. Your friend Ana, turned up at a location that no one other than me and my men know of, asking for me, by my name."

Na bi frowned. “How did she know where to find you?”

“Your skipping sequence Ms. Baek” Changkyun walked past her, sitting down on her chair. “How did she even know of my existence in the first place? The range of my business acquaintances does not extend to people like her.”

“How do you suppose she knew?”

He hummed. “Assumption is judgement’s biggest enemy Ms. Baek. I was hoping to have a conversation with her to let her explain herself, but that was the last time anyone had seen or heard from her.” Na bi didn’t even realise when he got hold of the lighter he began playing with. “And incidentally, while looking for her-”

“-your men kidnapped me.”

He nodded. “It was a mistake and it is my fault you got roped in this mess and so, it’s only fair that until all this gets over, I look out for you.” Changkyun watched her face scrunched in confusion. “Ms. Baek, there are a lot of dark and dangerous things hidden in the shadows of Seoul. My identity holds a higher value than you can imagine. Should anyone get the idea that you might have even the slightest clue as to who I am, they would hunt you down for answers.”

“So, all these days, your men were…” Na bi blinked at a loss of words. “Protecting me?"

He gave a small nod.

Na bi stared at him. Of all the reasons she had imagined for his men stalking her, this was nowhere on the list.

“You’re telling me that rather than eliminating someone who might be a threat to your identity which you apparently so carefully safeguard, you chose to employ your men to work round the clock to protect her? All because she was a mistake?” Na bi stared at him incredulously before letting out a surprising short laugh. “Oh, you absolute asshole.”

For the first time, Changkyun’s expression betrayed his thoughts – it was a mixture of annoyance, confusion and amusement all in one.

“Either you habitually don’t think twice before you talk,” His voice was suddenly a lot deeper. “Or you’re not afraid of much when you’re drunk Ms. Baek.”

“Please,” She scoffed. “I’m not afraid of much when I’m sober either. There is not much to fear if you’re not afraid of death, and I see death every day.”

Na bi walked up to him, her shadow falling on his darkening expression.

“You’re not protecting me and this is not just about Ana. Someone like her cannot possibly be a threat to you.”

The image of those armed men in Ana’s house flashed in Na bi’s head. The only reason another group of dangerous people were after Ana had to be for Changkyun.

“Someone else is looking for you. Someone who is a part of those dark and dangerous things you claim are in the shadows of Seoul. Evidently, they are aware that Ana has you all figured it out and they knowing getting to her means getting to you, but you....You don’t know who they are, do you?”

She walked around the chair, her fingers tracing it.

“Ana was your only link to them but she’s missing. You knew, whoever they are, if they learn of me, they will come after me instead. That’s why I’m alive, that’s why I’m being monitored. I’m bait, aren’t I?”

She leaned down, meeting him eye to eye.

“Or did I misjudge the depth of your character?”

Now that she was much closer to him, her eyes once again began wandering across his face and she wondered why she was not more annoyed or aggravated at the realisation of how she was being recklessly played around by him. Changkyun on the other hand was silent for a whole minute, looking right back into her eyes before his lips curled into a smile.

“I think I misjudged the level of your intelligence Ms. Baek.”

Na bi pulled herself back feeling victorious but he got up, on his feet, eliminating the little distance she put between them. “But you are transparent and lack depth so you think everyone is as one dimensional as you are.” This time she felt her fists ball in anger. “Had you not given in to your saviour complex and unnecessarily curious nature, you wouldn’t have become the potential target that you are now. It’s not me but you who brought you to where you are,” He took the picture from her, freeing her hands. “But just because there were other reasons to keep my eye on you, doesn’t mean I wasn’t looking out for you.”

Na bi knew those were empty words from him but she couldn’t help but feel a weight drop in her stomach. It didn’t help that he was standing so close, and it helped even less when Na bi took a step closer to him, doing the top button of his vest that he had missed.

“Prove it then.” She smoothened the fabric on his chest nonchalantly before looking up at him. “Take me home.”

“Wonho will drop you- “

“Not him. You.”

He sighed. “Ms. Baek. If you haven’t figured out already, I don’t come out in the open.”

“You said you wanted to protect me, didn’t you?” She licked her drying lips. “So, it’s you or no one.”

Changkyun’s eyes flickered down there, just for a second before he met her eyes again. “I’m inviting trouble keeping you around, aren’t I?”

Na bi smiled as she walked out, knowing he would follow.

The ride to her house was pretty silent.

In that half an hour, Na bi understood Changkyun wasn’t much of a talker. If she had nothing to say, neither did he. Conveniently enough though, he would at least answer her questions when she had any and she had very few questions.

Okay, she only had one question.

“Are you getting married?”

Changkyun momentarily took his eyes off the road to throw her a glance, clearly not expecting that of all things. Well, he for starters, he was all suited up - not a crease in sight, not a hair out of place, smelling like a very distracting combination of whiskey and roses but the watch on his hand, it looked old, like a choice of sentiment rather than style.

“You look very marry-able right now.”

“Why Ms. Baek,” His voice was laced with amusement. “Would you like to?”

“Hell no.” Na bi scoffed, looking out of the window at all the buildings whizzing by. Sure, she was attracted to him, hormones and alcohol clearly amplifying it all but that was about it. “You and I can’t possibly be meant to be.”

Changkyun hummed. In thought? In agreement? She had no idea. But that was the only conversation they had the whole way home. She wanted to ask more; of course, she wanted to. Curiosity was Na bi’s fatal flaw but either this really expensive BMW’s smooth navigation was lulling her to sleep or Seoul’s air was laced with some sort of sedative tonight – whatever it was, she was progressively losing grip over herself, so uncharacteristically, she shut up.

When the car came to a stop in front of her building, Na bi rolled her head over to look at Changkyun – he was already looking at her. She definitely wanted to say something, either a thank you or goodnight, but whatever it was, under his gaze, yet again, she forgot. Not a word was exchanged, neither was any emotion - there was no sadness over a goodbye, no longing to see each him again. But in the silence of the night and the small space that held them at an arm’s distance from each other, there was one thing that was definitely there – a meaningless craving. A desire so electrifying that she could practically taste it in the air and feel it in the way every cell in her body was fighting the idea of just pulling him closer. Na bi wondered if he felt that too; she couldn’t tell.

When Changkyun made the slightest movement towards her Na bi immediately felt her breath get stuck in her throat and her heart race in her chest. At first, he simply unbuckled her seat belt and she had begun to get disappointed but then she felt him lean closer. Though this was exactly what she wanted, though he was what her body was so desperately seeking, Na bi felt her eyes close reflexively, her hands gripping whatever it could on the seat.

“The lights are on.”

Frowning, her eyes flew open to see Changkyun still a considerable distance from her, his eyes fixed on something else entirely, far behind her. Following his line of vision, she realised he was staring at the windows of her house, the only one with lights on at 3am.

“Yeah well,” She hoped to god he didn’t notice her reaction earlier. “I don’t live in the dark.”

“Did you leave them on before you left?”

She shrugged unable to remember. Changkyun’s expression darkened as he unbuckled his own seatbelt and stepped out of his car, making her hurriedly mirror his actions.

“Wait,” Na bi pointlessly lowered her voice. “You think they found me?”

He continued staring at the window for a moment before he quickly made his way into her building and up the stairs. Swearing under her breath and barely able to balance herself, Na bi followed, stupidly trying to keep up with a man who seemed to move at the speed of light. By the time they climbed four floors and had reached her house, she was a panting mess but he was still perfect, not a crease, not a hair out of place.

“9963.” She blurted, giving him the password to her door, only belatedly realising what she had done. Before she could fully comprehend the consequences of her actions, he opened her door and stepped in. Standing by the frame, Na bi watched, still out of breath and in awe as he moved around so cautiously and so quietly, like he was made of a gas or something. It took a good five minutes of looking around before the tightness in his shoulders finally relaxed and he turned to her.

“Looks like you’re safe.”

“And of course you sound disappointed.” Na bi mumbled under her breath.

The trap they were using her to set up still hadn’t led them to their prey. If only he had managed to get his hands on someone tonight, if only he got the answers he was looking for, a lot of her problems could have been solved. Kicking off her shoes, she walked in, sinking into the couch. Changkyun’s eyes followed her across the room.

“Are you going to leave now?”

Na bi looked up at the man, pushing her urges down yet again for the nth time now. Earlier today, when he called her transparent, he was right. There was nothing hidden in the way she looked at him – the desire in her eyes was as clear as day.

But his gaze was as dark as the night. He seemed so layered and unreadable and as much as she wanted to unravel all that he kept hidden away in the shadows, she didn’t think she should. Some things were meant to hold on to, and some weren’t and as Na bi herself had claimed earlier, this wasn’t meant to be. She had to let him go.

“Stay.”

“Dr. Baek, are you listening to me?”

Instantly snapping out of her trip down the memory lane, Na bi looked up at her attending and the entire team looking at her, waiting. Realising that she had in fact, not been listening, her eyes quickly flickered between the patient’s vitals on the screen and the paper in her hand. Swallowing on nothing, she took a shot in the dark, praying to whatever gods were out there that she had analysed the situation right.

“Yeah, yeah, I shall uh… do a head CT and set him up for an LP?”

That eyebrow of her attending raised in question, lowered a little. “And get his fever under control.”

Na bi quickly nodded, taking notes and sighing inwardly with relief as the team continued the morning rounds. Close. She had been letting her mind wander a bit too much. Not only was the horrible hangover headache making it hard to stay grounded to reality, her thoughts too were all over the place, mostly trying recollect the events of last night which she had navigated drunk off her face. Now was neither the time nor the place for it but clearly, self-control was not one of Na bi’s virtues. It was only when the patient next to her violently retched and threw up onto the floor that she finally got it together and put her thoughts behind her.

An hour and three separate crises-es later, Na bi found herself catching a short break as she walked down the corridor from the pantry, looking out of the window at the greying sky. Seoul was uncharacteristically gloomy today. Peeling the orange in her hand, she popped a piece in her mouth, eyes scouring through the crowd of people scattered around, looking at their feet in particular. No combat shoes.

When Na bi woke up that morning, the sun was already way up in the sky, giving her just enough time to quickly change into a fresh pair of clothes, grab her bag and run out of her house. It was only when she had finished gobbling her breakfast and finally had some substantial energy in her that she noticed the absence of Changkyun’s men - There was no one in combat boots.

She didn’t know how to feel about that. It was evident from last night that Changkyun’s enemy, whoever that was, hadn’t identified her yet so she was in no immediate danger but she didn’t still understand the sudden disappearance of her apparent protection squad. The voice of reason in her head told her that she was merely a pawn in whatever game Changkyun was playing and this was probably just another one of his moves. Her gut feeling though, begged to differ – it said something had to have gone wrong.

It was when both voices that were battling it out in her head that she felt a tap on her shoulder and the orange peel in her hand was replaced by a small bottle.

“Drink up.”

Na bi turned to see Seokmin, her closest friend at work handing her the hangover tonic he frequently used.

“Hell no, that’s bitter as fuck.”

“Get it together Baek.” He crossed his arms. “This is a hospital; you’re a doctor and you look like shit.”

“Thanks.” She murmured, cracking the seal open, trying not to taste the horrible liquid as she drank it.

“What happened last night?”

Na bi drank slower to avoid answering. He did kindly invite her out last night and so she did owe him some sort of explanation but what even was she supposed to say? I shot a man in the leg, stole his car, met up with a mafia leader, insisted he drive me home and then we…. It sounded absolutely insane even in her head, who would even believe her?

First off, mafia supposedly didn’t even exist in Seoul. After the famous Crime WipeOut operation back in 2011, the streets were declared ‘crime free’ – the cops had been advertising their success with that phrase for years now. But everyone knew that was not true. Working in the emergency room, Na bi especially knew that was not true. Every other day, people would walk in with all sorts of injuries, claiming they “fell down the stairs” or “got hit by a car” when their wounds clearly told another story. No one would dare question them though, not when they could feel the outline of a weapon in their pockets.

And now Na bi’s encounter last night had confirmed facts. Mafia very much did exist in Seoul and somehow suddenly, thanks to one man, she found herself deep, right in the middle of it all. It would be unfair to Seokmin to drag him into it too.

“I wish I remembered it all.” That was as honest as she could get with him - there was indeed a big gap in her memory of last night's events that she just couldn't recollect no matter how hard she tried.

“I need my blue pajamas.” Na bi put down the seat of the toilet and sat on it, crossing her legs, feeling much better having thrown up. She was definitely talking to Changkyun about something before she felt her stomach turn and ran to bathroom - she tried hard to remember what exactly that conversation was about again but it was pointless, she had no idea. The earlier suited man who now somehow only had his white shirt on, appeared by the door, holding out a navy-blue set of pajamas but she shook her head. “Not these ones.”

“Nearly everything in there is blue.”

“I like blue.”

“This is blue.”

“But this is not the blue I like.”

Changkyun didn't reply but his silence was loud.

“What? Didn’t you say you wanted to make sure I’m safe?”

“And safety includes a specific blue pajama?”

Na bi slid off the toilet and walked past him to her wardrobe, pouting. “I feel safe in those blue pajamas.”

She scoured through her clothes while he stood behind her, not too close but perhaps close enough to catch her if she stumbled.

“These.” She held up an old, faded pair of sky-blue pajamas. “These belong to my sister but this is me.” She pointed at the print of small white butterflies on the fabric then to herself. “Baek Na bi. White butterfly.”

And then without a warning to herself or him, Na bi pulled her shirt over her head, stripping out of her clothes. At that point, Changkyun who’s eyes were focused on her all this while, looked away, making her suddenly very conscious of her actions. Actions she didn’t seem to put much thought into; which wasn’t very unlike her but something felt different today - it was almost like she was made of two minds. Unfortunately, the second one was hell bent on being honest and irrational.

“I think…” She pulled up her pants, adjusting the elastic, looking him up then down. “I think I’m really attracted to you.”

He turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow, looking amused. “I think you should sleep Ms. Baek.”

Something did a somersault in Na bi’s chest. “With you?”

“Would you like to?” He leaned against her dresser, crossing his arms.

She mimicked him, leaning back against her wardrobe. “Very much.”

When those words left her mouth, Na bi had no idea what she expected the consequences to be. She had no idea what exactly transpired between them after that either.

As far she remembered, they were on opposite ends of the room and she was looking into his unreadable eyes for just one clue about what he wanted. Then, suddenly, somehow, they were standing right across each other, inches apart in a loud silence where she could only hear her heart race in her chest. She didn't know if Changkyun felt even an ounce of what she was feeling, or if he too wanted her as much as she craved him and there was only one way to find out.

Lord knows where Na bi got the courage, or why she gave into the stupidity but impulsively, she got on her tiptoes, hands grabbing his shirt to pull him closer and let her lips softly brush his, which to her surprise, parted. Na bi saw a hundred different things flash in his eyes, but none of them seemed like a no, so she kissed him again, more certain this time, closing the gap till there was nothing between them. His hands grabbed her waist as she stumbled, setting off something hot in her chest.

And just like that they walked back entwined, lips not leaving each other till the back of his knees hit her bed, prompting her to push him onto it, finally giving them the space to breathe. Changkyun looked up at her with his hooded eyes, his hands sinking into the comforter behind him. There was something undeniably hot about him just sitting on her bed like that, doing nothing but watching her. He was letting her make the moves.

And so she did, standing between his thighs, taking his face into her hands, leaning forward to kiss him once again. She didn’t know if his arm wrapped around her, pulling her into his lap, or if she climbed on the bed, straddling him, but here they were, just mouths moving, tongues roaming and hearts beating real fast. Na bi felt herself getting lost in that pleasure, her hips naturally finding a rhythm against him but his arm around her held her in place. He lifted her and with a swift motion, her back hit the bed and he was hovering above her, exploring her face with his eyes. She pushed the strand of his hair which escaped its place, before she noticed the small healed wound on his eyebrows, her fingers tracing them.

“What happened here?”

One breath.

Then two.

“Hit the corner of the table when I was running away.”

“Running away from what?”

“The people who killed my family.”

Na bi blinked – she did not expect that candor. Or his lack of hesitation.

She stroked it softly, “Does it still hurt?”

What a pointless question. The wound looked old, like it had been years since he got it. Na bi realised with a pang in her chest that he must’ve been young when this happened. It must hurt like hell.

She propped herself on her elbows and reached up, planting a small kiss on it, obviously a very apt medical solution. “Better?”

For the first time, he let out a soft laugh, a genuine one.

Na bi kissed it again and again and again, slowly making her way down his face, finding his lips with hers once more. Yet again, time was lost on her. She just felt an undeniable, craving need for him, to feel him, to own him. This is what it must feel like to burn from within.

She let herself sink into the softness of her comforter, freeing her hands to unbutton his shirt when his arm under her tightened pushing her up her bed, neither action hindering their mouths on each other. Na bi had her fair share of experience with men but nothing ever felt like this and they weren't even doing much. The attraction she felt towards him was like never before, it didn't even allow her to think rationally. She knew they should stop - she was drunk and he was a stranger, a dangerous one at that, but she couldn't bring herself to. And just as she wondered if he too could not stop himself, she felt him pull back.

“Na bi….” His voice was so soft? “You should sleep.”

“Don’t want to….” She muttered, pulling him closer, but he didn’t give in.

“Sleep.”

He rolled off her as she groaned, pulling herself together, curling up into a comfortable position. He was right - even though she wanted him, her body needed sleep. And to stop this madness. She tucked her palm under her head and watched him by the frame of her bedroom door, buttoning his shirt, looking back at her.

She had expected him to be gone before she knew it.

“Aren’t you going to go?”

“I’ll leave when you sleep.”

The stomach somersaults were back.

“Will I ever see you again?”

He didn’t answer her question.

“Don’t go around doing something stupid.”

She chuckled, pulling her sheets closer, feeling her eyes flutter shut under the warmth of the covers. “You don’t mean that." She yawned. "Because if I don’t then your enemies won’t find me. And if they don’t find me, you won’t find them.”

“Ms. Baek,” Na bi looked at him one last time as sleep finally took her in. “Please don’t do anything stupid.”

Trying to ignore Changkyun’s last words still ringing in her mind, Na bi pulled herself back to reality, continuing the conservation. “I should’ve let you know before I left Min-ah, sorry.”

“Yeah, you should’ve.” Seokmin leaned against the window. “I worry about safety. It can get crazy out there.”

Na bi nodded. He had no idea.

She had no idea about a lot of things either.

She had no idea what Changkyn’s actions last night meant. Or his words. Was he attracted to her? If he was then why did he stop? And if he wasn’t, didn’t that mean he was using her, just like she suspected he was? And if he was using her then why did he ask her not to do anything crazy? How was she of any use to him if she wasn’t an efficient trap? Or was she wrong? Was she not a bait? And he truly mean what he said about looking out for her? But if he did mean that then where were all his men today??

Na bi felt like she could crush the bottle she was holding with her bare hands. All these questions were just turning into a never-ending loop that she was stuck right in the middle of with no answers and no escape. She needed to get her mind off all this.

“Crazy workload today?” She pointed at all the case files in her friend's hand, desperate for a change of topic. He shook his head, looking down at the corridor as a patient was wheeled out, white sheet covering their face. When a hand slipped from under the covers from the inertia, Na bi noticed the cut across the wrist.

“There was nothing I could do.” Seokmin sighed. “He bled out.”

“Cut that deep?”

“Two cuts. One on each wrist.”

Na bi felt the bile rise in her throat.

“Let me guess, family doesn’t suspect any foul play?”

“The usual.”

Seokmin handed the files to the intern who meekly walked up to him before she took them and rushed off.

Everyone in the ER knew of these cases, Na bi had seen a couple of them up close before – cases determined as self-inflicted injury, completely ignoring the fact that it was not one but two clean cuts on both wrists. Anyone with a pair of eyes and a brain could tell that was clearly not self inflicted but somehow, these cases would never reach the point of investigation. The family didn't dare push them and medical staff did not have the authority to – they just went on to become yet another record on paper.

The mere thought of such cruelty made Na bi's stomach turn. She wondered how anyone believed that evil did not exist in Seoul when she saw evidence of it in every corner, at every given moment - even the very next one.

Ambulance sirens.

Both her and Seokmin immediately looked at each other, ears perking at the sound of not one, not two but sirens of seven ambulances getting increasingly loud.

True to her training, Na bi immediately flung the bottle in her hand into a nearby trashcan and rushed to the entrance with Seokmin right behind her, pulling her hair into a higher and tighter ponytail. The rest of the doctors and nurses had already assembled, prepping to take on the load of cases that was about to walk in. But given that 'smooth-sailing' was just not a part of the emergency department's vocabulary, the head nurse ran up to her, a worried look on her face. “Dr. Baek, Dr. Yoo isn’t here.”

Fuck, she forgot - the attending had left right after morning rounds for a conference in Busan which meant-

“Jaehyun is in charge.” Seokmin concluded, voicing her thoughts as the three of them turned and looked across the corridor.

Jaehyun's face was as white as the wall behind him, hands shaking. Shit. Sure he was two years her senior which theoretically meant he was the most experienced person here to lead the room but Na bi knew he didn't have the stomach for what was coming; especially when the hospital doors opened and all she saw was blood. Blood, blood, blood, everywhere.

“Who’s in charge?” A paramedic looked around urgently while Na bi continued looking at a frozen Jaehyun. “Who’s in charge???”

There was no time for incompetence. Not right now.

“I’m taking over.” She whispered to Seokmin before she stepped up. “Me, Dr. Baek. What happened?”

“Traffic accident.” He panted. “That’s what they said on the call but I don’t think so. Seems more like a…..”

Na bi looked around the room, her vision tunneling on the details. There were almost 40 men, most of them were severely injured, but it was definitely not a traffic accident. They had massive gashes, wounds that looked like they were cut by something sharp, like a knife. The bruises on their eyes and mouth, those were obviously landed from a fist and the way some of their ribs and arms seemed broken, this was definitely a -

“Gang fight.” They said at the same time.

“They’re criminals.” Seokmin whispered, his voice laced with hesitancy.

Na bi took a deep breath and slipped on her gloves. “And we’re doctors.”

Na bi closed the door of the storage room behind her, finally getting away from it all.

It had been 3 hours. 3 intensive hours but to be honest, it wasn’t as bad as she expected; she had seen far worse days. While there was copious amounts of blood, the wounds weren’t so deep or severe that a few stitches and dressing couldn’t handle. About five of them had to be sent for emergency surgery and were now being monitored in the intensive care. Those who had fractures were scanned and appropriately bandaged and those who had rushed here accompanying their companions were detained in a separate room till the cops arrived.

Na bi had no choice but to ask Seokmin to call for law enforcement. Given how they were taking their own sweet time to come, maybe she was mistaken about the gravity of the situation but she had assumed that she couldn’t just brush 40 people injured by violence under the rug – it was necessary to get the police involved. Regardless of the fact that every single one of those brought in was wearing combat boots.

Cracking the joints of her neck, she gripped the metal bars of the shelf before her and briefly shut her eyes.

The faces of those who were brought in today flashed before her– she didn’t recognise any of them. None of those who used to follow her were there, neither was Wonho and neither was Changkyun. Na bi didn’t know why it was necessary for her to find out but the moment she noticed the combat boots, her first instinct was to look for Changkyun. It wasn’t like she deeply cared for him or anything; it was more because of curiosity. Of course, it was plain old curiosity, what else could it be-

Her eyes flew open at the subtle sound of the carboard boxes - Someone was in the room.

Pretending not to notice, yet extremely cautiously, she looked around for the spare supplies she came for and true to her intuition, just as she tried to reach for the gauzes at the back of the shelf, she felt a presence press against her back and something sharp and cold pricking her neck.

“Where is he?”

Na bi wouldn’t have screamed, she recognised that voice but she felt a hand cover her mouth anyway. She tried to struggle free from it but the tip of the knife against her skin inched deeper.

“Where is he?” Wonho whispered harshly again.

She pried his hand from her mouth, whispering back loudly. “How am I supposed to say anything with your hand on my mouth?”

Na bi felt a sting and the blood trickle down her neck. She had encountered this man so many times but this was the first time he was hurting her. Frankly, it sort of annoyed her, making her snap in retaliation. “How would I know where Changkyun is?”

Wonho’s grip on her softened and she took the opportunity to set herself free and face him. He looked tensed.

“How do you know his name?”

Na bi held a piece of gauze against the burning cut on her throat. Fuck.

“.....he told me.”

“He told you?” Wonho looked at her in absolute disbelief but eventually shook it off like he had other more important things to deal with. He pointed his knife at her. “I don't care why he decided to disclose it to someone like you, but don’t you ever dare take his name. Not before me, not before anyone, do you understand?”

Na bi nodded slowly. She had forgotten the dangerous weight his name carried. Was that how comfortable she had gotten with all this?

“And I’m asking you for the last time. Where is I.M?”

Ignoring how silly the name 'I.M' sounded, Na bi sighed. “I swear, I have no idea; I was drunk remember?”

“He dropped you home.”

“He was wearing a suit.”

“What?”

“Are we not playing state-the-obvious?”

Wonho’s confused face turned into exasperation. “He didn’t return after that; you were the last one who saw him!”

Na bi scoffed. “What, you think I tied him up and put him in my basement?”

“Of course not. I already checked your house-“

“Wait, what-“

“I don’t think you are really understanding the gravity of the situation Ms. Baek.” Wonho moved closer to her, urgently. “He is a very important man and things can go very wrong without him around.”

Why was everyone around her suddenly going missing?

“I swear to god, I have no idea. Last night we….. I mean, I fell asleep and he left, I don’t know where he went after that or what might have happened-“

“Na bi!” Both her and Wonho jumped apart, turning at the sound of Seokmin knocking the door. “The cops are here.”

Wonho placed a finger on his mouth warning her, as though Na bi didn’t know she had to keep quiet. Fishing something out of his pocket, he handed it to her as he took a step back into the darkness of the room – her phone. Recalling what she had done with it last night, she wanted to ask Wonho if the person she shot was okay but when she looked up, he had already melted into the shadows he came from.

Adjusting her scrubs, still looking over her shoulder, she walked over and opened the door to see Seokmin waiting for her and next to him, in uniform, was her next problem for today who also happened to be a very, very familiar face.

“Na bi, this is Officer Kim Mingyu.”

Seokmin introduced her to a man who didn’t really need an introduction because if she hadn't left him without an explanation last night, she would have been introduced to him anyways.

He seemed to have recognised her too, his eyes widening, expression changing from confusion to surprise.

“Officer Kim, this is Dr. Baek, she was the one in charge today.”

“Dr. Baek Na bi.” Mingyu pieced together her name, shaking her hand with a slightly cocky smile dancing on his face. “Fate works in funny ways.”

As Seokmin frowned looking back and forth between the two of them, Na bi turned to him. “Min-ah, help me go check if everything is okay in the wards, please?” When he didn’t move, still suspiciously staring them down, she emphasised on the please once more, with a look of promise in her eyes to tell him the details later and he finally left, leaving them alone. When Na bi turned her attention back to Mingyu, he still hadn’t let her hand go and his eyes were on her lips, making her cheeks flush red.

“I’m so sorry about last night-” Na bi began when he extended his other hand towards her, making her reflexively take a step back. “Woah.”

He immediately looked apologetic, pointing at her neck. "You're bleeding."

"Oh, that's nothing." She pressed the gauze onto her wound again, pulling her hand out of his grip. "Again about last night, I'm sorry. It was rude of me, I should have said something before I left like that….”

“The way you ran out, I was worried if everything was okay with you.” And he genuinely looked concerned. Sweet.

“Everything was fine, I just had something personal to take care of.”

He nodded slowly pursing his lips, and two tiny dimples appeared on his cheeks, making Na bi smile.

“I’m glad I found you again.” He put his hands his pockets, his shoulders scrunching up. “Now I just need to meet you one more time to confirm my theory.”

“Your theory?”

Mingyu nodded. “I believe a first meeting happens by chance. The second one may be a coincidence, but a third time?” He looked around before whispering. “That’s fate.”

Na bi chuckled. “I don’t believe in fate officer.”

“Give it a chance doctor. Third time’s a charm.”

“And why do you think we will run into each other once again?”

“Because I would like to take you out for dinner tomorrow.”

Na bi crossed her arms, trying hard not to smile. “Setting up a third meeting? Well that’s cheating.”

“I don’t just leave things to fate Dr. Baek.” He leaned in so close, Na bi could smell that familiar scent of him, the same one he had on in the bar, the memory of his mouth on hers coming back. “I work for what I want.”

It would be a lie to say Na bi was not impressed. Usually, these kind of words didn't have much effect on her, she would have just laughed it off. But the first time she met him, she had judged him to be a lot more amateur and inexperienced and now clearly, he knew what he was doing and he was doing well. So, when he put his hand out looking pointedly at her phone, she gave it to him and watched as he gave himself a call and saved her contact on his phone with the emoticon of a butterfly.

She laughed. “My 8th grade boyfriend used to save my name like that.”

“I like butterflies.” He looked at her with captivated eyes. “I think they’re really beautiful.”

Their wings might be but what about the ugly creature they hide under all that colour?

Na bi took back her phone, saving his number with an emoji of her own – a dog.

Mingyu pouted, dimples popping up again and she laughed, pointing at him, “There you go! I knew you were the golden retriever kind- “

“Na bi!” She startled, turning towards the sound as Seokmin ran up to her, bending over and coughing to catch his breath before he finally found his voice. “They’re…they’re all gone.”

“What?” Na bi and Mingyu blurted together, shocked.

“The ones in the ward, ICU, the ones detained, all, every single one of them is missing.”

Na bi immediately ran towards the wards, both men following her. There were dozens of officers everywhere, talking to the staff, taking notes, walkie talkies going off but the beds – they were empty. All of them.

They checked everywhere, they checked everything but there were no traces of Changkyun’s men.

It was like they were never there.

Na bi opened the door of her house, kicking off her shoes, tired to the bone.

After hours of questioning by the cops, Na bi began to understand the meticulousness with which Changkyun’s men worked.

While the hospital had called the police immediately after the ambulances arrived, it turned out they received no such call – Changkyun’s men had somehow intercepted it. It was only hours later when Seokmin called again to check on the delay that the cops received the information, arriving within 20 minutes with a full task force but their culprits had already cleared the scene by then. They didn’t even leave any clues behind – all their belongings had disappeared with them; the security cam footage was wiped clean, any and all records made for medical reasons were shredded – they had even taken their medical waste away. No one stopped them through all this – no one dare to.

Na bi threw her bag on the couch, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. But just as she hurriedly chugged it, there was an unexpected knock on her door, prompting her to glance at the clock – it was 11pm. Who would come by now?

Had Changkyun’s enemies finally found her?

Na bi felt a chill run down her spine. As though she bad timing was the highlight of her fate, just today of all days, none of Changkyun’s men were around. She was all alone, there really was no one to help.

When another knock followed, she immediately grabbed her phone and texted Seokmin, asking him to come over immediately, then scoured through the kitchen drawers and grabbed a knife. Heart thumping in her chest, she slowly made her way to the door, first looking through the peephole to see just how many people were threatening to break down her door but there was only one. Just one man in a spotless white shirt, standing with his head down and palms on the door and without even looking at his face, Na bi knew who it was.

Sighing in relief, she threw the knife onto the dining table and quickly opened the door, as he lazily lifted his head giving her a small, familiar smile.

“Changkyun?”

He seemed like he was struggling to stand straight. Was he drunk?

“You’ve been gone for hours. Do you always work this late…..”

As his eyes trailed down her face, his smile vanished, hand slowly reaching for her neck, his finger smearing with blood as he ran it across a painful spot – the wound from Wonho’s knife seemed to have opened up again.

“You’re bleeding.” He rubbed the blood between his fingers, looking at it. “What happened?”

Was he slurring?

"Wonho came to the hospital and-"

Before she could finish, his heavy eyes fluttered shut and he stumbled forward but Na bi quickly caught him, just as his knees gave away. She could feel something warm and sticky on his back making her look over his shoulder at her hand, a sight that nearly made her heart stop. Blood.

For the first time ever, her hands shook as they were drenched in blood, his blood and as though he finally gave up, Changkyun went limp in her arms.

Next chapter

#monsta x series #changkyun series #changkyun angst #changkyun smut #changkyun mafia #changkyun thriller #monsta x Im Changkyun #Im changkyun #Monsta X IM #changkyun #wonho #mingyu #seventeen mingyu #seventeen #mingyu series #seventeen series #monsta x smut #monsta x imagines #monsta x scenarios

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miabebe · 1 year

Text

I Am What I Am (I)

A man of the shadows and a woman who belonged in the skies - fate could not have brought two more different people together.

But was this fate or was this a choice?

Pairing - Im Changkyun x OC

Word Count - 6.3K

Warnings - Mentions of blood, guns, kidnapping, possible violence, a make out scene or two?

The smell of gasoline was undeniably lingering in the air. The mud under her shoes was thick and wet, consistent with the sound of the rain echoing in the silence. The rope on her wrists was starting to burn into her skin and the heat of the car disappeared behind her as she got dragged into the darkness. It sounded like she was accompanied by three sets of footsteps. Or was it four? She couldn’t really tell. A sudden jerking motion threw her against what felt like a chair, her back hitting the wood, eliciting an involuntary groan.

She had seen and heard enough about Seoul to tell she was going to die today – she just didn’t know how or why. All she wanted was a bottle of juice. Though pouring rains had taken over the city, she was feeling unusually dehydrated. A simple detour to the grocery store after work, somehow ended with an opaque bag over her head and her body shoved into a van, the dim streetlights being the only witness. I should’ve just gone straight home.

Throughout the ride, to her own surprise, she sat unusually still. It was a fight or flight situation; her survival instincts should have kicked in; she should’ve done something but she simply froze. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything to save herself. She was never really scared of the unknown or the darkness but today? Today the black was somehow stifling. Having that bag over her head finally taken off didn’t help much either - darkness was soon going to be a constant in her life anyways.

Her eyes struggled to adjust to the very dim, barely visible surroundings of what seemed like an old abandoned warehouse, streams of light and rain making their way from scattered holes in the roof. Textbook kidnapping location, what a dramatic way to go indeed. There were people all around her; definitely more than four, perhaps around twenty? but they all stood half hidden in the shadows, visible only waist down, light particularly shining off those combat boots they all seemingly had in common.

Her cold sweat was replaced by the cold metal of a gun pressed against her cheek, turning her head towards its wielder. His frame blocked nearly her entire visual field – he was tall and broad, looming over her, his golden tresses falling into his cold eyes. Thank god his vest didn’t have sleeves because his biceps looked like they would have ripped right through the fabric. She knew he could knock her out cold with barely a swing of his arm, so she told herself to be very careful about when and how she opened her mouth before him. But that warning to herself barely sustained for a minute.

Suddenly, a light was flashed on her face, making her wince and look away but grabbing her face, the blonde man forced her to meet his eyes again, frowning in confusion.

“Who are you?”

She blinked at him rapidly, not being able to fathom if she misheard him or he had indeed just asked her the dumbest question possible. The uncomfortable series of whispers that went around like something was not right. Did they…. Did they make a mistake? Was she not the one they meant to kidnap tonight?

Her perpetrator turned towards the darkness at the far end of the room, talking to it, his voice ever so slightly shaking. “We were outside the hospital all afternoon; we had our eyes on her for hours. I don’t know how this happened…” He turned back, his eyes void of even the slightest tinge of guilt – they blazed with anger. “I asked who the hell are you.”

How dare he. How dare he be mad at her like it was her fault she was sitting tied up in this chair. Like she was the one who fucked up.

He wasn’t patient enough for an answer. She wasn’t planning on giving him one anyways.

She watched as a woman walked up with her bag, emptying its content onto the floor carelessly, eyes skimming over her discarded things. Spotting a wallet she reached for it, scouring through and then tossed a card to the blonde man who held it under the light. “Baek Na Bi” He frowned. “Emergency medicine, Seoul National University Hospital…..”

Na bi spat the blood-tinged spit pooling in her mouth on the wet mud around her. “So you’re not blind.” She looked at him, anger bubbling in her chest. “Just devoid of human intelligence then.”

“Shut up.” He snarled, his gaze on her hardening as did his grip on the gun. Of all the ways one could die, Na bi was sure hers was going to be the most deservedly pointless one.

“Or what?” Her eyes flickered to his gun and back. “You’ll stalk, kidnap and threaten me? Oh wait, you’ve already done all of the above.”

“There is a fourth option on the list.” She felt his gun right in the middle of her chest, the nose of it digging into her sternum. “Don’t push me to do it.”

Na bi tried not to swallow the phantom lump in her throat or let the defiance in her eyes die out. Thankfully for her, a sound from the shadows turned the blonde man’s attention away - The sound of a lighter click.

“We made a mistake.” His otherwise harsh voice had a tinge of fear yet again. “It was dark and they look so alike I- “

“They look nothing alike.” An unfamiliar low voice echoed across the warehouse. Na bi tried to look through the darkness, searching for its owner but all she saw was a small dancing flame.

“We can still find her.” The blonde man stashed his gun back in its holster, his hands searching his pockets for a minute before he pulled out a photo. “They work in the same hospital, maybe they know each other.”

Turning to her, he held it up in front of her face, shining light on it. “Who is this?”

Na bi didn’t know what good resistance was going to do for her but at this moment she did not feel like being of any use to him at all. She continued stubbornly staring at him, making him grab her face once more, forcing it to turn towards the photo in his other hand. Na Bi squinted at what seemed like a picture captured from a security cam of a woman maybe in her mid-twenties, face half hidden under her cap but still revealing the brown eyes that matched her brown hair…... Ana.

“Don’t know.” She pulled herself away from his grip. “I don’t know who she-.”

“She knows.”

The voice from the shadows sent a chill down her spine. Na Bi thought she did an excellent job of concealing her shock on seeing Ana. She was only betrayed by the very slight widening of her eyes, a momentary slip he caught from all the way across the space. Denial was going to be futile.

“Why are you looking for her?”

The blonde man narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re in no position to ask questions.”

“If not for your incapability, I would not be in this position.”

Na bi could practically hear his jaw tighten, letting her know she was mere seconds from being hurt real bad but before he could do anything, the low voice boomed across the warehouse.

“Wonho.”

So that was blondie’s name. And a warning too.

Wonho immediately took a step back and Na bi realised belatedly - the man in the shadows was the leader. She felt herself stiffen at the sound of him walking ahead. More accurately, at the sound of his shoes, which she noticed were not combat boots like the rest but a pair of dress shoes that appeared in the light when he neared.

“I’m looking for some answers Ms. Baek. I just want a conversation.”

“What could she possibly know that’s of interest to you?”

“To begin with, on who’s orders has she been going around looking for me.”

Na bi raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “She’s looking for you?”

“It appears so. But no one simply looks for me Ms. Baek.” The click of the lighter resounded in the silence, this time the tiny flame briefly illuminated what looked like a grey shirt. “I’m the one who hunts.”

Na bi scoffed incredulously. “Not so good at it, are you? Clearly you can’t even pick the right prey.”

He hummed; a tinge of amusement laced in it. Wonho though, stared at her like he had just mentally put a dozen bullets through her. Na bi didn’t care; aggravating him felt alleviating for some reason. Besides, she didn’t think he would actually do anything without instruction from the man in the shadows and strangely, it didn’t feel like he wanted to hurt her.

She knew how stupid that thought was. She knew what it meant to be kidnapped in this city – it was a one-way road; no one ever came back. Even though she was not the right target, she was a liability, a risk factor roaming on the streets. As much as she hoped and prayed, there was no way they were going to let her go tonight; her fate was sealed.

“Let her go.”

Na bi felt herself choke on nothing, launching into a coughing fit, thrown off by his words. If she didn’t see the sheer shock in Wonho’s face, she would have thought she misheard him but the blonde man took both a hesitating and obedient step towards her and with a small pocket knife, cut the ropes binding her hands. She rubbed her wrists ignoring the sharp pain in her shoulders.

“You’re… you’re letting me go?”

Though she had accurately predicted the lighter click to follow, she did not expect to hear a smile in his voice. “You’ll come back to me.”

To this hell hole? “And why would I do that?”

He didn’t answer.

Giving her barely a minute to gather her discarded things, Wonho pulled her up to her feet impatiently. As she was led out, she heard footsteps receding into the darkness behind her and as much as she was surprised, sceptical and relieved all at once to be walking out of here alive, when the bag made its way back over her head, a part of her was disappointed to not being able to put a face to the voice that was ringing in her ears.

You’ll come back to me.

“I won’t.” She muttered as she was shoved back into the van.

Na Bi looked at herself in the mirror as she stepped out of the shower. She was a mess.

As if her job as an ER resident did not contribute enough to her ever so permanent dark circles, last night’s events further threw her into a sleepless night. Pushing her bangs up, she ran her fingers over the bruise on her forehead. She did put up quite a struggle when she was being forced into the van but in vain. She was no match for those clearly trained hands that were tying her up - The scars on her wrists were still burning. Letting her fringes carefully cover the bruise on her head, she pulled her hair into a ponytail, eyes glancing at her phone for the hundredth time this morning. There was still no response from Ana.

Last night, when Wonho had kicked her out of the van onto the street by her house, he had given her a warning loud and clear. “If you know what’s best for you, you’ll forget tonight ever happened.” Heart racing in her chest as she entered the home she never thought she would see again, Na bi neatly ignored his words and called Ana immediately. Sure, the two of them weren’t really close and barely knew each other but how was she supposed to just stay quiet when someone was in danger? She had to warn her at least, tell her that some very sketchy people were out there looking for her, but every call she made went straight to voicemail. Not knowing what else to do, she left her a bunch of messages, explaining the situation and it had been hours but there was still no response.

Na bi looked up at the face in the mirror, her brown eyes reminding her of Ana. She was often told that the two of them looked similar but she could never see how. Yes, they had the same brown eyes and wavy brown hair but other than that, they were nothing alike. Ana looked angelic. She had such kind, warm eyes, a beautiful smile; she was the kind that stood out in a crowd, making heads turn as she walked by. Na Bi on the other hand was as ordinary as could be. Not so pale skin, tired eyes, tired posture, average height, average looks. Nothing about her was really noticeable…..except maybe her lips. She was told more than often that she had very irresistible lips but it was usually in very drunk and desperate settings so she never really took it seriously.

Throwing on an old t shirt and a pair of ripped jeans, Na bi dressed herself to work, eyes and mind still on her phone. From what she understood, it seemed like those men knew they could find Ana at the hospital. If Ana was lucky and Na bi was not too late, then maybe she could find Ana at work and warn her before they got to her. The man in the shadows did say all he wanted was a conversation but honesty was not exactly the defining factor of men who hid in the dark behind their guns. There was no reason to believe that Ana was not in danger from him.

Then again, he did let her go.

Na bi might not have seen his face or know who he was but she knew of their intentions, she had seen their hide out, she had seen enough. She was exactly the kind of loose ends that people like them made sure to clean up. They should have done away with her and ended this instead her she was, safe and alive. Either they were not smart enough to realise just how risky it was for them to let her go or they were somehow capable of some form of humane reasoning and had spared her considering picking her was their mistake. Na bi didn’t think either were possible, which meant there was something else she was missing here.

And those words of his kept ringing in her ears.

“You’ll come back to me.”

“I won’t.” She stubbornly muttered again to no one in particular and stepped out of her house into the darkness before dawn.

Two hours later, Na bi found herself standing in front of apartment number 186.

The moment she reached the hospital, she hastened to the oncology ward, looking for Ana. To her surprise, it had been days since Ana came to work and no one had heard from her in quite a while. Something was not right. Na bi immediately got a nurse to look up Ana’s hospital records for any alternative forms of contact but suspiciously, there were none - no emergency contact, no family members mentioned, no workplace hotline, but there was an address. Quickly scribbling it on a post-it note, she dropped a message to her attending about an upset stomach and left the hospital. After a 20-minute bus ride, a short walk and a ride up the elevator, Na bi was finally standing in front of the door number on her paper, praying Ana was in there.

She wasn’t picking calls and hadn’t been seen for days – the idea of finding her in her home was hopeful but given this was Seoul, it was not realistic. And Na bi’s gut feeling was right. No matter how many times she rang the doorbell, there was no response; no one was home. She had a feeling the trip here would be pointless but maybe it wasn’t that futile after all because just as she turned to leave, a chilly wind brushed her arm and Na bi traced its source to a small crack between the door and the frame. It was open.

Without much thought, she pushed the door and stepped in. Na bi didn’t know what exactly she was expecting to find in here, but everything seemed….. fine? At least at first sight, till she noticed the details.

The dishes in the sink were giving off a repulsive smell, the trash clearly hadn’t been cleared in very long. There was a bowl of cereal and milk which seemed like it was sitting on the counter for days now. The fruits in the bowl had rotten and the bread loaf on the table was way past its expiry date. To simply put it, it seemed like no one had been here in quite some time. There were no signs of struggle or injury though, no smell of blood. But there were two fading, faint lines made perhaps by suitcase wheels, leading from the door to the cupboard in the room.

Na Bi walked in and opened the wardrobe, immediately noticing it was almost empty. Her eyes skimmed over the remaining contents, mentally noting that there were no pants, not many t shirts and no inner wear at all. She did notice a white shirt that clearly belonged to someone much bigger than Ana - a man's, perhaps a partner? Na bi didn't know Ana had a partner but then again, she didn't even know Ana that well.

One thing was evident though. Given how things were left in the house and that clothes and even cash was missing, Na bi could tell Ana was on the run, perhaps for days now. Maybe she already knew the man in the shadows would come looking for her. Maybe she made sure to disappear before she was caught.

As much as Na bi was curious, there was no time to speculate – the front door creaked; someone else was here.

Following her instinct, she quickly climbed into the cupboard, closing the doors as softly as she could, covering her mouth tight to not let even the soft sound of her breathing be heard. She watched through the tiny air vents of the cupboard as two men she had never seen before walked in, armed with guns, looking around.

“See, there’s no one here.”

“But I swear I saw her. A brown-haired woman walked into the building-"

“Hundreds of people live in this apartment; it was clearly someone else. Where’s your head at, are you drinking on the job?”

“Of course, I wasn’t…It really looked like Ana….” The shorter of the two looked around, first confused then disgusted. “Every time I come in here, I forget how terrible the smell is. Why can’t we get someone to clear the trash? Those bananas especially- ”

“Boss said nothing here was to be touched remember? Just do your job. Watch the place as you were instructed.”

“But it’s terribly boring…”

And the voices faded away, perhaps as they left, allowing Na Bi to loosen her tense muscles just before they began to cramp. She gave it a good ten-minute grace period to make sure they were truly gone and climbed out of the closet. Thinking fast, she quickly stripped out of the shirt she was wearing, stuffed it into her own bag and pulled one of Ana’s pink sweaters over her head. She then grabbed a cap that was lying in there and put it on, tucking her hair into it. Without wasting much time, she left the house, leaving the door the way she found it and got into the elevator. Looking at her fuzzy reflection in the silver of the walls, she adjusted her clothes and put on a mask to hide her face just before it opened at the ground floor, revealing the two men from earlier standing right there.

They looked at her but Na bi didn't panic - she made sure they wouldn’t recognise her, there was no reason to be worried buts she held her breath nevertheless as she walked past the oblivious men, still arguing about their ‘job’. Head down, she made her way out of the gates and onto the street, processing all the information and most importantly, her biggest observation – those two men, they were not wearing combat boots.

That meant someone else was looking for Ana as well. Someone who already knew who she was and where she lived and by the look of their guns, someone who was equally dangerous. Clearly this whole deal was a lot bigger than Na bi had ever imagined and like an idiot, she had just walked herself straight into the mess.

And also, into the rock-hard chest of a very familiar man.

She looked up, rubbing her hurting forehead to see the man standing with his arms behind his back, a disapproving look all over his face. Wonho. And over his shoulder, Na Bi saw a black van. Fuck, don’t tell me-

And sure enough, she was grabbed by her wrist and shoved into the van before it sped off.

10 days later.

“Are you sure you want another drink? You’ve had quite a few tonight.”

Na Bi raised her head and looked at the bartender through her hooded, heavy eyes.

“Just pour what I’m paying you for.” She slurred.

The man shook his head disapprovingly before placing a shot glass with pretty, pink coloured drink on the counter. “You don’t have to pay; the gentleman there already did.”

Na Bi rolled her head back lazily and looked in the direction he was pointing at. Like any other drunk woman, she was used to being approached by all kinds of men in the bar but she usually didn't care much. Though it didn’t take much to bring her inhibitions down, she was always in control of herself and a woman who knew what she wanted. The older men she refused, the younger ones she laughed at, the sleazy ones she steered clear of. But very rarely, a captivating one like him would appear and Na bi did not think she minded this one.

She got up with her drink, a bit too tipsy to fix her shorts that were far too up her thighs and made her way to this so-called gentleman sitting on the bar stool, further down from her. She found herself a place between his manspread, her eyes running from his long, bared neck to his only partially concealed chest. His eyes though, were fixed on her mouth. She knew he wanted it but what was the rush?

“Why this drink?”

“Try it.” He half shouted over the music, so she raised her glass to down it, the warm liquid pleasantly burning her throat.

“I like it.” She licked her lips, knowing his eyes were fixed there. When they flickered up to meet hers, she felt hot under his gaze.

“I like you.” Uh oh, too cheesy.

Na Bi was decently good at reading people which meant she saw right through him. He was incredibly handsome, with the kind of built that probably had women fawning over him all the time, but looking at his soft doe eyes, how his hands didn’t even try to touch her yet and his terrible way with words, she could tell approaching women was not something he did often. Normally Na bi wouldn't have done the following, but today, something pushed her to.

Setting her glass down on the counter, she slowly took his hands and wrapped them around her waist before letting her own go round his neck, fingers making their way into his hair. With just millimetres between them, hot breaths mingling, she expected to feel her pulse quicken, like his did, in the veins of his neck. What she wasn’t expecting was how fast his mouth found hers, latching almost hungrily, like it waited too long. He felt like a strange ecstasy, lips, tongue, teeth, all of it, her stomach knotting like she was plummeting from a height as he pressed her up against himself harder.

Noticing his hands starting to get more daring on her body, much to his surprise she pulled herself from him and walked away, past the dancing crowd to the edge of the club. He watched as she stopped right by the washrooms and turned to him, beckoning him with her finger. His lips breaking into a small smirk, he followed, somehow getting more urgent with each step until he reached her, pushing her back, trapping her between the wall and his mouth.

“You’re so fucking hot, I could take you right here.”

Na bi chuckled at his unexpected desperation, a snide response dancing at the tip of her tongue but it was lost when his mouth moved down her neck and his hands found her ass. Biting back a moan, she revelled in the feeling of his mouth on her, not caring about the many judging eyes she met over his shoulder. Until she saw them.

Two pairs of combat boots. In the middle of the dance floor. Watching her unblinking.

Na bi immediately stiffened and it did not go unnoticed by the man before her who pulled back, looking tensed.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I uh…” Her head slightly spinning, she shook it. “I think I need water. Could you get me some?”

Making sure she was okay once again, he left for the bar, allowing Na bi to look around, observing her surroundings that were starting to turn hazy. They seemed to be the only pair of combat boots around and maybe the alcohol was seriously affecting her judgement but she had enough. Turning on her heel, she quickly walked past the washrooms to the back door of the club, swung it open and stepped out. As expected, the two men instantly followed her but when they stepped out after her, she wasn’t there. As the door shut, Na bi who had hidden herself behind it, grabbed a discarded metal rod and took a swing at the man closer to her, knocking him out in an instant. His partner immediately turned, his gun pointing right at her but even drunk, she was faster than him, striking him with the same rod, his gun dropping to the ground. Within a second, the tables had turned.

Na bi had possession of the gun, as the man across her stood with his hands in the air, the slightest tinge of fear in his eyes.

“Keys.” Na bi held out her hand. “Car keys.”

Reaching for his back pocket, he took out a bunch of keys and handed it to her slowly.

“Where’s the car?” She raised an eyebrow, repeating when all her gave her was silence. “Where is it?”

“Near the entrance.”

“Do you have a phone?” He shook his head. Sighing Na bi tossed him her phone which he caught frowning in confusion. “9963. Unlock it.”

He complied, holding up the phone to show her.

“Good. Does this gun have a silencer?” This time he nodded. “Then I suggest you act fast. Ambulances take time on Friday nights and this guy has 20 minutes before he bleeds out.”

And without a warning, she aimed the gun at the leg of his partner lying unconscious on the road and took a shot, blood instantly gushing out. Stashing the gun behind her, Na bi ran towards the entrance, without even so much as looking back at what she had done. Reaching the parking lot, she let the sound of the car unlocking to lead her to a black Mercedes and got in, immediately turning on the engine, driving away from the dark of the night to where it was darkest.

It had been a little over a week since Na bi’s little visit to Ana’s house.

That day when she was shoved into the van again, everything made sense - this was why they had let her go. They had expected her to contact Ana to warn her and so evidently, they had their eyes on her the whole time, waiting for her to make a move. Lucky for them, within 24 hours, they went from not knowing a thing about Ana’s identity right to discovering where she lived.

Na bi had underestimated them; she knew something bigger was at play yet she allowed her emotions to cloud her judgement and now she was truly done for. She had given them what they wanted; she was of no use anymore. She accepted that finally her time had come to an end but turned out, she was wrong again. Instead of the warehouse, Na bi found herself being tossed onto the street near her house once more and the black van sped off once before Wonho gave her yet another warning.

“Third time’s a charm Ms. Baek. I might not be so merciful if I see you again. Stay away from where you don’t belong.”

Anyone in her place would have thanked their stars for getting not one, but two chances to live but Na bi felt an unwarranted anger. The first time they let her go, they had an agenda. They used her to their advantage which meant this time too, they were up to something. Na bi hated the how they kept playing her but the truth was, no matter how many ways she tried to analyse the situation, she had no idea what they wanted from her now. The only one who could put her mind to ease by giving an explanation was the man in the shadows and with a bitter taste in her mouth, Na bi remembered that he predicted she would go back to him.

“You’ll come back to me.”

Recalling the sheer confidence in his voice, Na bi promised herself to do anything but that. He was clearly playing some mind game with her and she was not going to fall for it again.

As far as Ana was concerned, after a lot of contemplation, Na bi decided to go to the cops. After all, that was what any logical, reasonable person in her place would and should do. There were more than one groups of dangerous people looking for her, it was only a matter of time before they managed to find her; only the law could help Ana now. But the next afternoon, the moment Na bi stepped into the police station closest to the hospital, she realised that yet again, she was wrong.

Sitting right there on the bench was a widely built man dressed in a black shirt and olive-green pants, tapping away his foot on the concrete floor. His combat boot clad foot. Before he looked up and caught her eye, Na bi looked away as though she didn’t notice him there at all. When a cop approached asking why she was here, thinking fast, she took out the largest bill she could find in her wallet and handed it to him, claiming she found it on the street and left immediately.

Of course the man in the shadows had his men in the police station. Criminals always made sure to stay close to law enforcement, prevention was after all better than cure. Na bi sighed in relief, glad that she was quick enough to notice the man. Had she given her statement, she would have turned from a mere risk factor to an actual threat and the man in the shadows definitely could not be benevolent or dumb enough to let her walk away with that. As much as she hated to admit, there was nothing Na bi could do to help Ana anymore – the time had come to forget any of this ever happened.

Except they wouldn’t let her.

The first time she noticed was that night when she went to close the curtains of her window – standing right across her building on the street was a man leaning against the lamp post smoking his cigarette, the combat boots evident on his feet. Though she felt like her heart was in mouth, Na bi simply drew the curtains and told herself to calm down. She was tired and lived four floors above the ground floor, maybe she was just not seeing right. But the next morning when she left her building, Na bi knew she didn’t make a mistake – he was still there and he was definitely wearing combat boots. Turning up her senses to high alert, Na bi made her way to work and realised much to her horror, the men in combat boots were everywhere – on the roads she walked, in the trains she took, the bakery where she grabbed her breakfast, the library where she worked on her papers and even in her workplace, one sitting aimlessly in the visitor lounge and another with an IV line hooked up for ‘dehydration’.

Na bi was wrong once more. It wasn’t the police station they had their eye on, it was her they were watching. More than just watching actually. She could tell her mail had been opened and checked before she got to it. The newfound buzzing sound in the background of all her calls meant her phone was being tapped. She was being monitored round the clock.

Na bi tried her best to behave like she didn’t notice anything. She still had no idea what these men wanted from her so she knew had to make her every move carefully – she was not going to be their little scapegoat yet again. Though as days passed, it got more and more hard to pretend. Not only was the feeling of constantly being watched invasive, intrusive and extremely uncomfortable, the fact that Na bi still couldn’t fathom why the hell they were doing it was driving her up the wall. But she held it in and let her despisal for ignorance take a backseat while they continued to treat her privacy like it was nothing.

And now, after whole week and a half, she had finally reached her limit. It had been a very draining few days at both work and in her personal life and after weeks, she had come out with some colleagues to wind down so to see those men watching her when she was having a preferably private moment was just –

Na Bi slammed the brakes as she reached her destination. The man at the bar. She had forgotten all about him and left without an explanation. A slight guilt rose in her chest but it quickly died down. She didn't owe him anything - he was company for just a bit, a momentary escape, an illusion before she threw herself back into her regular life. After the days she had, she badly needed a break from everything but here she was instead, in front of the large doors of the warehouse where it all began.

You’ll come back to me.

She stumbled out of the car, her footing trying its best after all the drinks she had tonight and walked up to the metal doors, pushing them open. Standing right in the middle of a familiar scenery was Wonho, who’s eyes narrowed at her first in suspicion, then annoyance.

“How the hell did you find this place?”

“Wasn’t so hard.” Na bi pointed around vaguely. “Looks like a warehouse, reeks of gasoline, mud on my shoes from that night was coal black. Considering It took 30 minutes at average speed when you brought me back home and there were barely any stops on the way means no traffic signals, means highway, means outskirts. Combine all that and there was only one abandoned car engine factory that fit the profile.”

When the weight of her words sunk in, Wonho chuckled. “You’re smart.”

“I know.”

“But not smart enough.” He walked up her. “You found a way in but do you have a way out?”

Na bi reached for the gun stashed behind her back and pulled it out, pointing it right at Wonho’s chest, history repeating itself, just a little differently. Immediately she heard the click of at least 40 guns, men and women finally stepping out from the shadows around, their weapons aimed right at her.

“Now now, let’s not be hasty.” She threw the gun down in the mud, holding her hands up. “I just want to talk.”

“Conversations don’t interest me.”

“I don’t need long. Actually, I can’t take long. You see, I just left a party about 20 minutes ago without informing anyone. Now the amazing people that my friends are, the longer I’m missing, the more likely they are to try to locate me by tracking my phone, which, I should let you know, is with two of your men who are in a very unexplainable, compromising situation right now. So, before it becomes a scene and the cops get involved and this whole thing spirals out of your control and mine, I suggest you let me get my answers and let me go.”

Wonho laughed but when his subordinate walked up and whispered something in his ear, the smile was wiped off his face, landing on Na bi’s instead. Her claim had been verified.

“What do you want to know?”

Na bi shook her head, instantly regretting it when her head started spinning. “Not you. I want to talk to your boss.” Wonho stiffened, making her click her tongue. She knew she didn’t have long before all those drinks in her body betrayed her. “Tick tock.”

Sighing he moved out of the way, his voice disgruntled. “Straight down, door on the left.”

Taking a deep breath, Na bi followed his instructions and a big white door loomed into sight. Every part of what she was doing was stupid and reckless and insane but it was too late. She had come too far for answers, she just had to go a little further. Ignoring the way everything around her was spinning, she opened the door and stepped in.

Na Bi didn’t know what she expecting to see in here. Her best guess was something straight out of the Godfather movie. Some sort of luxuriously decorated room with a middle-aged man sitting on a velvet couch drinking whiskey on the rocks. But the sight before her was nothing like that. It was a small, simple, dimly lit room with empty white walls, just a wooden table and chair in the middle and in front of it was a young man with his back to her. He was tall and lean, putting on a black vest over his white shirt, looking at her over his shoulder, the long fringes of his hair covering most of his face.

“You came back Ms. Baek.”

He turned, walking up to her, finally appearing in the light and Na bi felt her lips part wordlessly.

He was beautiful. Beautiful in a way dangerous things were. Skin pale like it had never seen the light of day starkly contrasting his jet-black hair pushed back in a way that framed his face so appropriately. His eyes were empty but also saying a hundred unknown things at once. Her gaze wandered down his sharp nose and thin, blood red lips and Na Bi felt like she finally understood what people meant when they told her lips were captivating. There was nothing more she wanted to do than feel them just once, her hand unknown to her, reaching for it.

He took a step back, moving away but she held him by collar and pulled him back towards her, their faces inches away from each other. If Na Bi thought she felt electricity with any other man in her life, what she felt with him was feral. The attraction was inexplicable and illogical and inappropriate.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I just really wanted to….” She let him go, stumbling back, feeling her knees starting to give away. “Who… who are you?”

A whole minute passed before he decided to answer. “I.M”

“Hmm, you are?”

The edges of his lips curved into a small smile. “I am Changkyun.”

Next Chapter

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