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"You like her."

"Eh?" Seungcheol snapped his head at Jeonghan. "Rumi. You like her, don't you?" Jeonghan asked stopping in middle of the hallway. Seungcheol furrowed his eyebrows and nodded his head. "I do." Jeonghan almost collapsed if not for Seungcheol steadying him. "Yah-yah-yah, are you okay?" He worriedly asked grabbing him by his arms. Jeonghan just stared at him, his eyebrows pulled together, images of Wonwoo and Seungcheol fighting flashed in his mind. Hothead, prideful and stubborn as these two, one could imagine how this is going to end. "Jeonghan-ah?" Seungcheol snapped his fingers pulling him out of the daze.

Jeonghan blinked his eyes and stood up straight. "Seungcheol-ah." He suddenly took Seungcheol's hands in his. "Mwo-mwo? Why are you suddenly?" "Seungcheol-ah..." Jeonghan looked into his eyes. "Rumi and Wonwoo." Jeonghan pressed his lips together. "They both like each other Seungcheol-ah."

"Ara." Jeonghan stared him wide eyed. So, does that mean he still going to- "I'm just wondering when did they start dating. I mean I had my doubts with Wonwoo being interested in her from the start. But when did they like got together? Are they sneaking around? Ahhh is that why he disappears every evening?" Seungcheol asked with a smile of victory as if he had finally solved the mystery. "Did you know from the start?" He asked turning towards Jeonghan who had mortified look on his face. "Yah Jeonghan-ah gwaenchani? Why do you look so pale?" He asked cupping Jeonghan's face in his palms. "Seungcheol-ah."

"Eo?"

"You like Rumi." Seungcheol knitted his eyebrows and nodded his head. "And you don't have problem with Rumi dating Wonwoo." Seungcheol nodded his head again. He was confused why was Jeonghan asking him same question again and again. Him liking Rumi and if he had problem with them dating? Did he not like that? "Waeyo? I thought you liked her too? And it's seems like you already knew about them which you didn't tell. Since when you started hiding things from me eo?" He asked narrowing his eyes. Jeonghan who had been holding himself finally collapsed to ground. "Yahhh..." Seungcheol worriedly kneeled down to him.

"Agh my chest hurts." Jeonghan muttered holding his fist to chest. "Idiot! You almost gave me a heart attack you bastard!" He cried punching Seungcheol's shoulder. Poor Seungcheol who was still confused took the hits. "What did I do though?" Jeonghan sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. Help me up." Seungcheol nodded helping him up. Both resumed their journey to their room with Seungcheol carefully guiding him.

As soon as they reached Jeonghan's room, he melted into his bed. Seungcheol poured him a glass of water. "Here." He said handing it to him. Jeonghan thanked him and gulped it down in one go. "But I still didn't get it though? What did I do for you to react like that?" Jeonghan sighed handing back the glass. "Because I thought you also like-" Jeonghan paused glancing at Seungkwan on the other side of the room sleeping on his bed. "Come here." He pulled down Seungcheol beside him. "I thought you liked Rumi too." He whispered carefully glancing at dozing Seungkwan. "Well, I do but what did that-ah! Yah!" Seungcheol suddenly exclaimed finally realizing what Jeonghan meant. "Shush! Shush." Jeonghan smacked him glancing at Seungkwan who tossed in bed. "Mian." Seungcheol whispered covering his mouth, "I didn't mean it like that when I said I like her. I don't have romantic feeling towards her. It's like what I feel for members, like gajok-gajok feeling. I feel at ease whenever she's around, I like having her around."

Jeonghan smiled taking Seungcheol's hand in his again. "Hmm, I get it. I misunderstood and started overthinking. Sorry." Jeonghan apologized. Seungcheol scoffed, "How can you even imagine that? Haven't I told you that you are the only one for me." Jeonghan stared at him, that teasing smile on face was quite irritating. "Stop it rascal or I'm seriously gonna hit you." Seungcheol laughed covering his mouth not wanting to wake up Seungkwan. "By the way when did you know?" Jeonghan raised his eyebrow in question. "About Rumi and Wonwoo." He whispered. "Ah? During TTT, do you remember Wonwoo returning in morning wearing inside out t-shirt?" Jeonghan asked with grin on his face. Those reds blotches around his waist were enough to know what went down the previous night. "Eo, I do remember. Rumi was also wearing-" Seungcheol's eyes glint in realization. "-they were together that day?!" Jeonghan smacked him again covering his mouth. Both of them slowly glanced towards Seungkwan who was staring at them annoyed.

"Hyung, why don't you take it somewhere else? At least have a decency while getting it on that your are sharing the room with other person." Seungkwan groggily warned before turning and facing the other side. "Mianhae." Jeonghan guilty apologized and turned towards Seungcheol who wiggled his eyebrows. "Should we take it somewhere else then?" He asked in suggestive tone. Jeonghan smiled and soon Seungcheol found himself kicked out of the room.

"-they are resuming the practice." As soon as Misoo repeated those words after being asked, Rumi was up and out storming off the room ignoring Misoo calls who ran after her. "Rumi! Where are you going?! Yah!" She screamed but Rumi paid no heed as she headed straight to where she would find that bastard. She slammed open the door and glanced around, "Sunbae-nim?" One of the agents noticed her. Rumi snapped her eyes at him, "Where is he?" She questioned. "Uh-um who are you looking-" Rumi ignored him and stepped inside the office room. "Gu Hwa!" She roared calling out his name. "Gu Hwa! Gu Hw-" She finally found him standing in front of the table looking at laptop screen. "Rumi what are you-" Rumi stormed towards him and slammed her hand on the table.

"What do you mean by it was just a technical mistake and they can continue the show?" Rumi asked her voice stern demanding answers and answers only. Hyun who was standing beside Gu Hwa stepped in, "Rumi we have-" "I am not talking to you." She stonily said her eyes not moving off Gu Hwa's. Gu Hwa sighed and patted Hyun's back asking him to step aside. "I'll talk to her. You guys go ahead." He said nodding at the other agents who had followed in with Rumi. They quietly left while Hyun didn't budge. He knew this was not going to end well, the way Rumi was fuming in anger. He couldn't let that happen; he should stop her before she did something she'll regret.

"We cleared off the technician." Rumi silently stared at him. "As his statement stated he never went up there. We have evidence here." Gu Hwa turned the laptop screen towards her. "This is the footage of practice. You can clearly see the time of his arrival at the site, he was near the control system until the time of incident." Gu Hwa explained showing the footage. Rumi checked the footage and turned towards him again. This was not the answer she was looking for. Clearing the technician off suspicion didn't mean the incident didn't happen. "We have secured the stage so they can continued with the event."

"Were you hired by company to make sure the event runs smoothly Gu Hwa?" Both Gu Hwa and Hyun silently stared at her. They knew what she wanted to hear but both of them had no answers for her. Yes, it is was proved that the technician didn't do it but someone had deliberately had done that. "Rumi they have to shoot the show tomorrow, we had no opt-" "I asked why were you hired?!" Rumi roared. Gu Hwa sighed and replied, "To protect the artist."

"Exactly." Rumi said stepping closer to him. "And what are you doing now? You are not able to find the cause behind the incident yet you're letting them walk in knowing there is risk."

"That's why we are making sure that everything is secure and s-"

"How are you gonna do that when you don't have a single clue about the culprit? He can be somewhere out there waiting to repeat the same incident." Rumi asserted. "What happened earlier wasn't 'just a technical mistake' as you stated Gu Hwa. It was an attempt murder." Rumi glared at him. "Rumi I understand your concern but in cases like this we cannot just move with one tract mind there are too many liabilities. Yes, it is our priority to make sure all artist are secure but that shouldn't affect other things."

"Then what are you gonna do?" Rumi asked. "Are you going stand there and watch as innocent life is threatened? Huh Gu Hwa!" Rumi screamed grabbed him by collar. "Rumi!" Hyun exclaimed trying to stop her. "Tell me Gu Hwa, tell me. How are you going to stop it from repeating? Or are you going stand there and watch as another one loses it's life?" Rumi gritted through her teeth.

"Rumi please...I couldn't do anything that time I was too surprise-"

"You chose to do nothing Gu Hwa!" Rumi screamed tightening her grip on his collar. "You let it happen and Sunbae-nim he-"

"It wasn't your fault." Gu Hwa whispered his eyes softening. "Rumi it wasn't your fault." He repeated carefully taking her hands in his. Rumi flicked them off, "Of course it wasn't my fault!" Rumi retorted stepping back. Gu Hwa solemnly stared at her, he knew she thought otherwise, he knew she blamed herself for everything. Her standing here was a proof of it. "You, make them call off the event. Nothing can move until the culprit is caught."

"We cannot do that." Rumi snapped her head at him. Gu Hwa was staring right back at her, his voice stern. "Didn't you just heard what I said? It is too dangerous for anyone to perform on that stage with the culprit at large." Gu Hwa clenched his jaw. "Still, we cannot stop this event." Rumi staked towards him angrily. "That's my decision as captain." He added. Rumi glared at him. "For now, you agent Rumi should return back to Seoul and rest." He ordered glancing at her plastered hand. "Agent Hyun please escort her out." He instructed returning to his work. Rumi glared at him, Hyun hesitantly shifted towards her, "Ru-" She turned around and left fuming in anger. Hyun quickly bowed towards Gu Hwa and ran behind her. She was angry, too angry to not know what she might do.

"Ru-" Hyun stopped himself and chose to quietly followed her. He wanted to talk, to ask her if she was alright but he rather be quiet by her side then be kicked away by her. Rumi pulled out a cigarette and placed it between her lips, she tried to lit it but wind was blowing and her hand wasn't helping. A hand appeared taking the lighter from her hands and helping her lit it. Rumi stared at Hyun who silently fell back to his place after lighting her cigarette.

Hyun pressed his lips together from speaking his mind out. There were thousands of question running on his mind. What had exactly happened between her and their captain? He had heard the rumours but what exactly made Rumi lose her mind to do what she did? And what did she meant by another loses it's life? From what he had heard, nobody lost their life, they why? "You should go back." Huh? Hyun snapped his head towards Rumi.

"You don't need to follow me. I'll see myself out." She said letting out a white puff. Hyun opened his mouth to deny that he wasn't here to escort her out but she cut him off. "And listen to others when they advise you to not get involved with me." What? What is she talking about suddenly? "You're gonna end up in trouble if you do. Just like everyone else." She added and walked off leaving very baffled Hyun staring at her.

Dazedly Hyun returned back wondering why was Rumi suddenly acting like this? She was ignoring him earlier and now was telling him to not get involved with her? What is going on with her? "Hyun? Why are you back?" Gu Hwa looked at him in question. "I told you to look after Rumi." He exclaimed. No, you didn't. You asked me to escort her out. Hyun thought staring at his captain. Why was he surround by people who had habit of not speaking their minds? Stop talking in circles if you want things to get better. "She asked me to not follow her. That she'll see herself out." Hyun reported. "What? I-" Gu Hwa sighed running his fingers through his hair. "I don't know what should I do anymore." He muttered burying his face in his palms.

Rumi bit her lip, her hand raising towards the door bell and falling back to her side few times. She finally mustered up her courage and rang the bell. "Eo jamsimanyo!" A voice said before the door was opened. "Who is it?" Rumi smiled, "Annyeonghaseyo Haewon-ssi."

The smiled on her greeting face disappeared. "What are you doing here?" Haewon glared at her. "Haewon-ssi I w-" "Haven't I warned you? Stop doing this. Stop coming here! Stop sending your useless money." Haewon gritted through her teeth. "If you don't I am seriously gonna report y-" "Jagiya who is it!" Haewon stopped and turned glanced inside. "No one! It's no one!" Haewon replied before turning back to face Rumi. "This is my last warning." She said stepping inside the house. "Haewon-ssi wait." Rumi grabbed Haewon's arm. "I promise I won't show up again but please the money, I want you to use i-"

"What's taking so lo-Rumi?" Both of them snapped their head towards the voice. "Rumi? What are you? Yah!" Jaemin exclaimed rolling towards them. "Yah you punk! Where have you been?!" He cried happily. "Sunbaenim..." Rumi mumbled a smile forming on her face. It's been too long since she had heard this voice, seen that smile. Rumi smiled her eyes taking in face, his figure and then his legs. "How can you show up now?! You ungrateful brat!" He complained teasingly. Rumi looked away; her vision blurred voice choked. "S-so what? Do you think I have lot of time on my hands?" Rumi replied her voice breaking. "Considering that only one of its is useful right now." Jaemin laughed glancing at her broken hand. "Come on in. Jagiya don't you remember Rumi? The one I always talked about. Ah you guys didn't meet before right?" Jaemin smiled glancing between the two ladies who awkwardly avoided each other's eyes. "Rumi, this is my wife Haewon." Jaemin said introducing his wife. Haewon looked away, Rumi smiled politely bowing her head towards Haewon. "Hello."

"The soup is on stove." Haewon excused and walked away. "Eo? Haewon-ah. Hae-" Jaemin sighed and glanced towards Rumi apologetically. "Mian, she is little-" Rumi shook her head, "It's fine. I was just dropping by. I need to go back." It was Jaemin's turn to shake his head. "Ani. Not so soon." He grabbed her hand. "Sunbaenim..." Rumi tried to stop him but he insisted on dragging her inside. Rumi's eyes met Haewon's who was watching them from open kitchen. "Sit here." Jaemin push her down on couch. "Let me bring you some water." Jaemin smiled rolling around to do so when a glass of water was placed on the teapoy with a thud.

"Take this and get out of here!" Haewon said. Jaemin snapped his head up in surprise. "Haewon-ah what is wrong with you?" Haewon moved the glare on her husband. "What is wrong with me? What is wrong with you oppa?! How can you let her-you?" Haewon turned towards Rumi. "Don't you have any shame? After all that you've done, how can you stand in front of him and look him in the eye?" "Haewo-" Jaemin tried to stop her but Haewon brushed him away. "Or are you here to mock him? To see what has become of him? To see what you have done to him?! You shameless people! How dare you show up at our door-" "STOP IT HAEWON!" Jaemin finally snapped. Haewon looked at her husband in surprise. "I said stop it." His eyes stern with carrying a warning. Haewon looked away scowling her jaw clenched in anger. "Do you even understand what you are saying? Have you lost it? I know you don't like my co-workers coming over but what you are doing is unacceptable." Jaemin said shaking his head. "And who are you accusing? Rumi? What has Rumi done-"

"What she has done?! She is the very reason why you are sitting in that wheelchair!" Haewon screamed pointing at Rumi. "This shameless woman!" Haewon grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "For your own greed you pulled the trigger on you senior! The same senior who looked after you, who dearly took care of you! How can you do this huh!" Haewon screamed shaking Rumi aggressively. "Look at him, he still talks fondly of you Rumi. How can you do this to him?" Haewon asked tears streaming down her cheeks. "J-joesonghamnida." Rumi apologized her head bowed in guilt, shame, and remorse. "I am sorry." She kept repeating those words as Haewon sobbed at her husband's fate.

"W-what? What do you mean by that?" Jaemin looked at his wife and Rumi confused. "What greed? What trigger? Haewon what nonsense are you sprouting!" He exclaimed his eyes wide in disbelief. "Who told such nonsense? Who told you it was Rumi's fault? It was not her fault!"

"It was not her fault." Hyun snapped his head at Gu Hwa. What's with him suddenly? He's been out of it since Rumi left. "Who are you talking about captain?" Hyun asked his eyes busy checking the barricades. "Rumi." Hyun furrowed his eyebrows, is this about earlier? "Hmm, I know. She overreacts sometimes." Hyun nodded. Gu Hwa sighed and shook his head. "I'm not talking about earlier. I'm saying the rumours about her are all false. It was not her fault at all." Hyun looked confused at this point. "You mean she didn't hit Lee Donghyun sunbaenim in front of commander?" Hyun asked turning towards him. Gu Hwa blinked rattled at that question. "Ani, those are true." Hyun nodded and faced ahead muttering something to himself. "I mean the other rumours. Haven't you heard?" Gu Hwa asked.

"What? About Rumi pulling trigger at her senior for promotion?" Gu Hwa tensed up. "I have heard those." Hyun nodded his head. "But it's hard to believe. Why would someone who tried to take down her senior for promotion would throw a fit in commander's office like that?" Hyun asked. "I have been working with her for almost a year now. Even if I did had doubts, working with her had cleared them off. Rumi can be reckless, impulsive, stubborn, aggressive but she will never stab someone in back that for a mere promotion. She has skills for that, she doesn't need to bring someone down to climb up." Gu Hwa had a solemn smile on his face. "Besides none of us were present there to know what exactly went down during that case to firmly believe these rumours." Hyun added.

"True. Nobody knows what went happened in that warehouse." Gu Hwa nodded. "It was not her who pulled that trigger." Hyun glanced at him as if asking who did. "Me, Rumi, Donghyun and Jaemin hyung were together on that case. I'm sure you've heard the tales as it took our agency to the heights we're in. A big human trafficking racket pulled down in over nights. Some profited and some lost. The agency, Donghyun and I were the profiters while Rumi and Jaemin hyung were receivers of the long end." Gu Hwa continued, "We were undercover and somehow they got a whiff of the mole. Donghyun feared that we'll lose the case so he did what he thought was best. A sacrifice to not lose it all. Losing one could save many so he was ready to take innocent's life to prove that we weren't the moles." Gu said with a smile which Hyun couldn't comprehend. A smile of disgust? A smile of shame? Guilt? "I stood there hearing, watching him pull out pistol as he planned to execute his play. When Rumi heard of his plan she stood right in front of his gun point holding the girl in her arms protecting her. Losing was never a part of her dictionary." Gu Hwa said with a chuckle. "That day she had stared at Donghyun and his pistol in the eye proclaiming she is going to get every single victim out of there." Gu Hwa said with reminiscing the memories.

"Then how did that turned into this?" Hyun questioned.

"When Rumi tried to save the girl, she ended up almost sabotaging the mission. It was hard game after that, they started keeping tabs on Rumi until it burned down to losing one could save many." Hyun looked at Gu Hwa in disbelief. "You mean you all were going to sacrifice Rumi?" Gu Hwa stared ahead in silence. "Not all, just Lee Donghyun and-" He turned his head to look at Hyun, "-me." What?

"It wasn't planned or so I thought. We were going to end the mission and surely it wasn't going to end in peace. We managed to get everyone out except for the girl Rumi had saved. When hearing the news Rumi sought to bring her back no matter what it takes. They were part of mafia and you know interesting thing about mafia is that they seek vengeance even if their leader dies, even if it's head is missing, even if it meant death they will take you down with them. So, it was not her who pulled trigger at one of it's subordinate. It was us, Donghyun who had pushed her in the trap and me who once again cowardly stood still as I watched the scene unfold in front of me."

Hyun pressed his lips together. "It wasn't her who got hurt but Jaemin sunbaenim." Gu Hwa nodded. "I don't know how and when he heard about it but hyung had rushed over there, the bullet intended to take down Rumi hit hyung. It hit his spine, deadening his lower half forever complying him to wheelchair. An agent lost its life that day Hyun and everyone believes it is Rumi's fault including herself." Hyun shook his head, how is any of that lead to this situation today? How did even such bullshit of rumours spread? Why isn't agency do anything about this? "It is because of upper heads." Gu Hwa answered as if hearing his thoughts. "Rumi had completely lost it after hyung got hit. She had stormed to the headquarters demanding answers. Answers for why they have forgotten the wounded when they were awarding the culprit. Rumi couldn't take it she confronted the commander how he was okay to let someone as such Donghyun to be agent when he put innocent at gun point. He had no answers for that." Gu Hwa spat with bitter chuckle. "Turns out the girl that Rumi had saved belong to chaebol family and the head of the family believed that Donghyun had saved his granddaughter. So, in simple words commander couldn't afford to reveal the truth that an agent of his company had put the chaebol's granddaughter at gun point."

"So, they buried the truth under these rumours?" Hyun asked utterly in disbelief. Gu Hwa sighed "Or more so. The rumours started over the burst of Rumi in commander's office. Everyone in agency  were already in differences with a female agent being their senior, Rumi's attitude wasn't that friendly either and the news of hyung losing his legs on mission leaded up to this. Nobody cleared of those rumours, nobody did. They blamed her because it was easier, because they wanted to. Agency didn't try to interfere fearing that they will lose the image they've built." Gu Hwa said staring at his feet.

"Why?" Gu Hwa looked up at Hyun. "Why is she enduring this? Why is she still-"

"For hyung." Those two words were enough for Hyun to understand. The anger, the aggression, and the pain which he couldn't understand earlier. Why she carried herself like that? Why she always preferred to do things alone? Why she believed the agency is always against her? Because it was the truth. Her words rang in his mind.

"You're gonna end up in trouble if you do. Just like everyone else."

A/N :

Cat is outta bag. What do y'all think?  Let me know in comment section below. Don't forget to vote and share this story with your pals. Also do add this book to your library and reading list so you won't miss an update.

Love,

Alba💜