७४

Hyun impatiently tapped his foot against the floor. It was taking too long for him to return. Shouldn't he be back by now? Hyun sighed glancing towards the glass doors. "Aish, should I go in too?" He asked himself ready to do so when his ringing phone stopped him. Hyun pulled out the phone from his pocket. Agent Rumi it read. He sighed glancing towards the door and then at the caller id. Hesitantly he received. "Yeoboseyo." He answered.

"Eo, where are you?" Came in her voice.

Hyun squeezed his eyes and answered with a sigh. "Out running an errand."

"Errand? You've doing that a lot these days." Hyun pressed his lips together. "I feel like I haven't seen you for weeks."

"Really? You miss me?" Hyun teased with a smile on his face.

"Eo. Nobody's here to drive me around." The smile disappeared as it came.

"Mean. And why do you need someone to drive you around? Your hand is out of plaster, isn't it?" Rumi hummed from other side. Hyun could hear the sound of car door opening and slamming. "Where you going? Home?" He questioned checking his wrist watch for time. It was three in afternoon. "Leaving early?"

"Eo. I am heading to headquarters."

"Wae!?" That came out louder than he wanted. "I mean why are you suddenly com-going there?" Hyun asked biting his nails.

"Umm, why can't I?" Came in her question. Hyun silently screamed at her haughtiness. "I need to see that tech guy and also to talk to Gu Hwa."

"Gu Hwa!" Hyun exclaimed just then Gu Hwa walked out. Hearing his name being called, poor guy froze in his position staring at Hyun in surprise. Hyun shook his head and mouthed Rumi pointing towards the phone. Gu Hwa sighed in relief and walked towards him.

"Why the fuck you screaming for? I can hear you well." Rumi annoyedly replied.

"Sorry-sorry. Is there a problem? Why are you looking for him?" Hyun questioned glancing towards Gu Hwa who had quite the opposite reaction than him. That idiot looked delighted upon hearing that Rumi wanted to see him. "And is he at headquarters? I heard he went on a business trip." Hyun lied through his teeth. Gu Hwa was shocked, this young agent had finally learned to be witty. Wonders of working with Rumi, he thought nodding to himself.

"Mwo? But they said he had a meeting at headquarters today." Hyun glanced at Gu Hwa in question who shrugged his shoulders, well he had to give a reason before leaving. "Arasso, I'll call him and see, either way I need to see that tech guy." Rumi continued. Hyun mentally cursed, they need to get out of here before she arrives.

"Oh okay then bye." Hyun quickly said ready to hung up. "Yah, yah, yah. About that choreographer, did you look into it?" Hyun furrowed his eyebrows. "I did. I told you, don't worry about it. Just stay quiet for a while. And also don't get into any conversation regarding the current situation." Hyun warned, the recent buzz of police raid on Moon club hadn't died down in fact it was growing bigger with new names being named every week. "Huh, you don't need to remind me that." Rumi replied. Hyun nodded and then realized she couldn't see that. "Also, be careful around them and especially him." Gu Hwa stared at him in question. Hyun stepped little away from him. "Again don't need to remind me that." Hyun hummed. "Then I'm hanging up." With that he ended the call.

Gu Hwa opened his mouth to question him but Hyun beat him to it. "Did you get it?" He asked and glanced at his empty hands. "Where is it?" Gu Hwa sighed and shook his head. "They won't let anyone access to it. Especially the ones involved in the case." He explained.

"Mwo? What for?" Gu Hwa stared at him, the reasons were quite obvious. They were trying anything to keep the truth of the case buried. "Are the records still there? What if they have destroyed it?" Hyun questioned. Gu Hwa shook his head. "They won't do that." Those records had kept lot of things at risk, it was carrying the reputation of agency, cost of life of an agent and other one was still hanging by it. "Though keeping it around puts them around risk, still they won't get rid of it." Gu Hwa said looking at Hyun. "They can't afford to lose anyone of them. Neither her or him. Both are too precious for them and it is the only thing that controls them." Hyun stared at him. It was true, those records not only were controlling Lee Donghyun but kept Rumi around all this time.

Hyun always had respect and pride towards the company but now he knew how wicked one had to be to keep it from not crumbling. Hyun understood why they did, some part of him found it reasonable and he hated that. No matter how reasonable and practical it was, still it was cruel and had ruined careers of two of the best agents. Rumi didn't deserve this nor did sunbaenim after what had happened to them. "What are we gonna do now? If we don't get the records then we can't move forward." Hyun grumbled biting his nails.

"Why don't you talk to Chief Gwok?" Gu Hwa suggested.

"Mwo? Captain that's the next step. If we had gotten those records then it would've been easier to convince them." Hyun reminded, his frustration was getting best of him. He wanted to help Rumi as soon as possible. But the way things were unfolding, it seemed far away to achieve that.

"Exactly, it was going to be easier. Now we just have to take a difficult path and convince them of our side then we'll get access to those records hence proving our argument." Gu Hwa explained. Hyun shook his head, this is next to impossible, convincing the higher ups. His father, Chief Gwok had warned him to stay out of Rumi's matter and now if he- "I'll make an appointment with Chief Gwok." Hyun snapped his head at him.

"Mwo? But-"

"I'll talk to him as an agent who part of this case. I'm sure he'll lend me the ear."

Hyun sighed, sure he will. But there are many causalities. "It's been two years captain. Are you sure you want to do this? Not only them but you'll be investigated too. This is going to affect your position, your calibre as an agent." Hyun said. Gu Hwa pressed his lips together and looked away.

"I am ready for it. I should've done the right from the start. Whatever it may end to, I am going to accept it." He said looking back right into Hyun's eyes. Gu Hwa smiled, "Now you need to get out of here." Hyun furrowed his eyebrows. "De?" Gu Hwa pointed towards his phone, "Isn't she coming here?" He said referring to Rumi's call earlier. "Ah right! We have to go. But wait a second, you are planning on meeting her here?" He questioned. Gu Hwa shrugged his shoulders, "Seems likes she wants to talk with me." Hyun silently stared at that happy grin on his face. Ah, this poor man. How many others are you going to string along Rumi? Hyun thought putting his own fist over his heart. My condolences to you captain. "Then, I'll get going." Hyun bowed and quietly left the fool to himself.

Rumi entered the tech room bowing towards her fellow agents passing by. "Good evening." The agents present in the room greeted noticing her. Rumi nodded greeting them back. She scanned the room looking for the person she came here for and made a beeline straight towards him. "How's everything?" She questioned dragging a chair beside him and settling down. Poor guy jumped up in surprise. "Sunbaenim! Annyeo-" "Eo, eo." Rumi nodded pulling him down to his seat. "Now tell me how's everything? Was there any movement?"

Seojin shook his head. "Negative. I am keeping an sharp eye." He replied settling down in his seat. Rumi hummed staring at his computer screen. Seojin glanced at her from corner of his eye not knowing what to do. While Rumi had lot of things running in her mind. From work to Wonwoo to things at her home, she needed to take care of everything. One by one. She thought to herself. "Sunbaenim?" Rumi snapped her eyes towards Seojin, "Huh?"

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Rumi pressed her lips together, honestly she didn't know answer to that. She was supposed to be part of this case somehow she had come to walk on sidelines. Gu Hwa had ordered her to stepped out for a while considering the situation but still she couldn't just sit and do nothing. So only thing she could do now was enquire about it. While on the other hand impatience was growing inside her day by day, the longer she takes to confess to Wonwoo the harder and painful it's going be. She just wanted to finish off with this job and talk to him. "Can't you trace the creator of this thing?" Rumi asked nodding towards his screen. Seojin sighed and shook his head dejected. They had tried to do that before. "It was hardly possible that we got in, their security is far more advanced than ours to be honest." Seojin said. "Which is really something for they are using their skills for something this ridiculous." He continued under his breathe.

"It's not ridiculous if they are earning millions from it in minutes." Rumi said making him look at her. He was surprised she heard that. "I would rather say they are smart and wicked, using people's greed and desire." Rumi added turning to look at him. Seojin nodded, it was true if we look at in different way.

Today people have a tool to express their thoughts globally in fraction of seconds, be it what they eating, where they are going, what they are planning to do. It's easy to use for any group of age. With easy access the obsession over what their favourites is growing day by day, the fans want to know everything about them, where are they, what are they doing, eating, wearing, everything. These people are you using this growing obsession to their own benefit and earning money.

"They are just earning money-" Rumi said pointing on screen which displayed the schedules of various artist which are suppose to be confidential posted on page. "-but they are not aware of the limit of this infatuation the fans have towards their idols." "Or maybe they just don't care." Seojin added, Rumi nodded and sighed. "I too thought, it was little girls dying to know about their idols. What harm is in that? Until I realised, they just don't want to know about it but want to be part of it. They are breaking into hotel rooms, houses and private spaces just to make their delusions true." Rumi confessed leaning back in her chair. "And it's just not fans who are using this information." She added nodding towards the screen. "But others too." Others? Seojin wondered. "Rivals?" He questioned. Rumi smiled. "But that's just ridiculous! How can they when they are in same boat?!" Rumi chuckled and stood up. "That's human tendency for you." She patted his shoulder. "Greed makes you do evil things that you once thought were impossible to think of. And human have mastery in that." Rumi smiled, "Anyways coffee?" She asked.

Seojin blinked, that was sudden. She went from philosophical to apathetic really quick. "Umm sure." He replied nevertheless. She stared at him as if waiting for more. "Umm iced latte?" She nodded and left. Seojin stared little stunned, he turned to look at his co-worker as if asking him, 'are you seeing this? Or am I the only one'. His co-worker shrugged his shoulders and went back to his back. Seojin shook his head, she really seemed different from what he had heard and what he had seen from last time.

"Thank you." Rumi nodded picking up her cups and walking out of the café. Crossing the road she entered the agency building. "Hmm." She hummed checking the numerous text Hoshi had left. That guy didn't even let her breathe. How the hell is he getting time amongst all that promotions? They were as busy as they could get with their new album release and other promotional events. "What's this?" She snorted looking at the selfie of him and Jihoon he had sent. "What angle did he click from? Still Jihoon-ssi looks cute." She laughed to herself.

"Rumi!" Her eyebrow shot up at that familiar sound as she turned around to look at it. Gu Hwa smiled walking towards her. "I thought you were on business trip?" She questioned to which he just shrugged his shoulders. "It got postponed." Rumi stared in response making him nervous, he cleared his throat. "So what are you doing here?" He questioned glancing around avoiding her eyes. "Well, since I am refrained from doing my duty I have to look for other things, I can't be just sitting still now, can I?" She sarcastically replied. Gu Hwa gave her a tight-lipped smile. She scoffed rolling her eyes, "What about that electrician?" Gu Hwa shook his head making her sigh. "Any footage?" Again, he shook his head. She clicked her tongue, "What is your plan?"

"It could've been a mistake." Gu Hwa said making her snap her eyes at him. "Are seriously saying that? After we literally have a site distributing confidential information like some buy one get one free pizza pamphlets?"

Gu Hwa sighed, "I'm not concluding it as a mistake, just suggesting a probability, Rumi. We've browsed through all footage we could get. There was no one suspicious, the repair guy was questioned too." He explained. "I know since we have discovered that software it makes its really suspicious but still we can't go head in every time. There is too much at risk." Rumi looked away. "I understand what are you feeling right now I totally do but Rumi you also know that I can't let you get involve there, you have to keep up with this disguise until we are able to identify last of the moles." Rumi snorted at that. "Do you really we will be able do so? You can't completely stop it until we get rid of the site Gu Hwa. Each day we'll have another one selling information for the money. It can be anyone. How long do you think its gonna to take; tiptoeing behind, waiting for them to take action so we could strike? This is completely ridiculous!" She exclaimed.

"Then what do you plan to do huh?!" Gu Hwa roared back. It's not like he didn't know that. Of course he knew that, there wasn't any other choice this was the best they could do now. He was sure Rumi also knew that, but don't know why she was acting like this, being this impatient. "Rumi-" He placed his hand on her shoulder, "-what is happening with you huh? Is everything alright? Is there some issue at ho-" He stopped himself from completing that question.

Rumi looked away, there was lot happening with her. "Nothing wrong, I have lot of time on my hands maybe that's why I'm losing my mind." She taunted brushing off his hand. Gu Hwa sighed, "Rumi you know-" He phone rang interrupting him. She checked the caller id and quickly received it.

"Yeoboseyo." Gu Hwa's eyebrow shot up at her tone. Since when she started receiving calls this sweetly. "Ye. Are you done? I'll be there. Hmm araseyo." She smiled nodding. What the hell? Gu Hwa stared at her wondering who was this person making her talk like that? Don't tell... Two cups of coffee were shoved in his hands. "Eo?"

"You have this one. Other one is latte hand it to the tech guy." She informed before leaving. "Tech guy?!" Gu Hwa questioned but she was long gone. "Aish, now who is this tech guy?"

"Noona!" Rumi looked to see Wonwoo jogging down the alley. She pocketed her phone pushing off the bike. "Did you wait for long?" He asked coming to stop in-front of her. "Not really." Rumi shook her head. "But why did you asked me to wait here? You had to walk all the way." She added passing him the helmet.

"Hmm, it's just hyung is acting weird these days." He replied removing his glasses and putting on the helmet. "He's like a nosy-nagging mother. Even now, I had to come up with various excuses to get out of there."

"Who leader-nim? Wasn't he always like that?" Rumi asked putting on her own helmet and climbing on her bike. "True. But these days he's being too much." Wonwoo replied climbing behind her. Rumi laughed, "So where to?" She asked looking at him through side mirror.

Wonwoo smiled locking his arms around her waist and said, "our home."

A/N :

Thoughts?

Love,

Alba💜