"I understand," Shane intoned and walked outside General Lewis' office. She sighed the moment she stepped out.
"What did he say?" Marlan, who was waiting on the lobby, immediately approached her.
"I'm relieved of duty," Shane hissed, rolling her eyes skywards.
"Which means?"
"I can't help with Sunho oppa's case until they're done investigating mine," Shane took out a stick of cigarette and was about to lit it when Marlan flicked it away.
"Hey!" She whined but her sister only looked at her seriously.
"I thought you already quit smoking?!" Marlan whimpered. "Besides, this place is a non-smoking area."
"Aish! I don't care. I'm so fuckin' stressed out already. No one knows about what happened last night except the boys, you, my men, and the cops. I only killed one of the shits which was a threat to my boys!"
"Still! You killed someone and that someone is a living person and have a family of her own. They lost a daughter, how can anyone let that slide?!"
Shane was left nothing but a glint of guilt but her anger overpowered the slightest light in her soul, so she didn't mind it all and continued walking outside. Sebastian was waiting for them on the elevator and escorted the two towards their car in the parking lot.
"How are the boys, Sebastian?" Shane asked the moment they entered the car.
"Safe at the mansion with the managers, my lady," Sebastian answered and turned the engine on.
Shane rested her head on the windshield and traced random shapes on the misting glass.
"Blood on rain…" she muttered. "Is me same as the listed blood on road." Furrows formed on her forehead. "I don't understand this anymore. If I kept figuring that stupid riddle, we'd all really die."
* * *
Eun's POV
"Hyung! C'mon, play with me," Ten whined, tugging me in front of the flat screen TV.
"Yah, Ten!" I hissed and tried pulling my arm away but he's just too strong so he was able to staple me down and tossed me the controller. "I told you I don't play video games."
He grinned. "I know which is why I chose you as my opponent so I could win at least. Yohanne hyung is already a pro. No one can drag that hyung down."
"Yah! Don't take my skills so lightly," I groaned and looked at the video game. I really don't play this kind of games but at least I know how the controller works just enough to beat this badass guy right here.
"Let me show you how it's done," I pressed the enter button and the game started. "Tekken, ah?" I grinned. I've been playing this sweet apple pie when I was little so I guess I can beat him.
I chose my character and Ten chose his. I don't remember their names exactly. I'm only familiar with Ken so I chose him.
I was about show Ten my hidden talent in video games when Seiji suddenly sat down beside me, so I almost tossed the controller away.
"I know I'm in terribly bad timing, hyung, but I really have to talk to you right now or else I'm gonna loss my mind," he whimpered out of nowhere which took all of us aback.
This is the first time I've seen Seiji this frustrated. Maybe he's really into something confusing right now which I am already sure about.
I sighed and put the controller down. "I'm sorry, Ten. Maybe next time," I beamed at him.
He must have understood how serious this talk is and nodded. Yohanne hyung took my place instead so Seiji and I was able to leave smoothly.
He was walking ahead of me which is quite unpleasant since I find it really disrespectful! He's way taller than I do so I'm having a hard time watching my steps so I won't step on his feet when I walk.
I twitched my lips and stopped for a moment to distance myself from him and then followed him afterwards. Seiji went directly towards the veranda and sat down the wooden bench near the brink.
I sat on the other side and waited for him to talk.
"How did you know about manager-nim's real name, hyung?" He started which had me chuckling since I anticipated that one.
"I conducted research," I joked tho I really meant it. I almost died down that secret passage for Hades' sake!
"How long have you kept that as a secret?" He followed another question.
"For two days," I sighed. "Do you know anything about it?"
"No," he answered briefly. "I've known her for years yet I don't even have any idea that the name I used to call her isn't her real name at all."
"Look! Shane is Shane. No matter what her real name is, she's still the manager we used to know."
Seiji sought, rubbing his temples in visible distress. "Does anyone know about this besides me and you?"
I nodded, looking straight into the well-trimmed grasses in front of us. "Just Min. He was the one who saw sunbae-nim's tattoo in the first place."
"That's good then. We have to keep this as a secret from everyone else, for a while, at least," Seiji's voice went lower and lower for some reason no one knows but himself, or at least I do.
"I'm so exhausted. I don't even know what to believe or who to believe. Geez!" He ran his fingers through his hair. "After the scene I saw last night, I realized that after these years, I was never by her side to at least know even the lightest pinch of her life!"
Seiji, looking so miserable is something everyone should take note about. He's never been like this before. I guess he really does care for her that much.
Actually, we've already talked last night about the things I've discovered: from the secret passage to those hidden guns and everything that was down in there but Seiji just can't find a way to calm himself.
Of course, we didn't tell anyone to avoid problems and further questions. Shane grew lowly from last night and we can't even talk to her smoothly. She got so depressed and locked herself inside her room. We haven't even seen her today either. She must have left before we woke up.
Seiji went silent. All I can hear is his deep breaths.
"You like her, do you?" I asked out of the blue which made me almost slam my face against the floor. Curse you, you talkative mouth!
He was taken aback by my sudden question and with that reaction, I already know the answer. His eyelids drooped as a short sigh escaped his lips.
"Hmm..." he hummed. "I do. I really do," he looked at the same direction I was looking.
"Then why won't you tell her?"
"I could have but I can't. We've been friends since we were kids and I can't let my feelings ruin that friendship because the one se loves," he stopped and I saw him looking at me through my peripheral vision. "Is you."
I pressed my lips together and looked at him.
"And you know who I love, Se. I can't catch her while we're both falling into different holes, so it's up to you to save her."
I don't know why. I thought he would be happy because of what I said but I saw the opposite reaction plastered on his face.
"I never thought you were this dense, hyung," he muttered and sarcastically smiled.
"What do you mean?" I cocked a brow.
"You're hella scared of almost everything and there you were last night, stepping like that towards a girl who just killed someone on front of you, stained with fresh blood and yet you pulled your guts and hug her," Seiji glanced at me.
"Do you honestly think you don't have any feelings for her? Such a craven denial!"
"Ironic! Why are you telling me such ridiculous stuffs when you were the one who loved her right from the start?" I looked at him sharply.
"Don't argue with me with that matter again, Se. We have bigger problems to solve, we should at least let our feelings set themselves aside to avoid further damage."
I drew a sigh and stood up. "If you want to ask me again for a talk, please, let us not include this matter again."
After that, I left. I really don't know what got into me these days.
I just don't like being questioned about my feelings towards sunbae-nim because honestly, I'm all confused myself as well and I hate that!
Chandria and I promised each other that after the end of their contract with the management, she and I will be together again and I'm keeping that promise. I HAVE TO! And besides, I can see how much Seiji loves manager-nim. I can't just take his happiness away from him. He's my brother.
I kept those thoughts to myself and decided to just head to our room when I came face to face with Shane in the crossing. I gasped and the both of us stepped back by instict.
"H-hey!" I greeted in an obviously awkward tone. I saw her batting her eyes and then again, those red-tiny spots spread through her face.
Geez! Why do I find her so cute when she looks like a rotten tomato?
"Y-yo!" She greeted back which almost made me chortle.
What the hell did she just say? As far as my memory serves me, I remembered her biffing Yohanne hyung's head when he greeted her with his iconic yo yo line.
"Uhm... can I talk to you?" She started which made my brows raise.
"Sure," I answered. She stood straight and gestured me to follow her outside. She stopped at the terrace on the west wing and left a space between us.
I only looked at her looking out of nothingness. She seems so blank so I uttered the first words.
"What is it?" I asked.
I heard her sigh and glanced at me.
"Can you do me a favor?" She asked back and I nodded.
"Sure, anything."
I don't know, I just don't like the way she talks. She sounds new in many ways.
"I'll be leaving to the Philippines next week," she started which made my breaths even shorter.
"You're leaving us?!" I asked in a high tone. She must have anticipated my reaction and looked at me with her usual aura.
"Just for a while," she smiled. "I'll be leaving Sebastian with you and I'll leave your brothers in your care for a moment. Can you do that for me?"
"No!" I immediately shook my head. "Everyons will die if you leave us, Shane!"
Her lips thinned and looked down. I scoffed and bit my lip. "Are you giving up on us already?"
"No," she muttered. "I was just scared."
"You're scared that's why you're leaving us?" I asked, bewildered, and she shook her head.
"I'm getting anxious about all of these shits," she nudged her temples and looked away. "I have constructed some things and it seems like," she paused which made me mad. I tugged her arm so she could face me.
"Seems like what?!" I groaned. "Tell me, sunbae-nim!"
"This culprit is after me all this time," her eyes wobbled and immediately averted her gaze. I heaved a sigh, looking the other way.
"You know my past, Eun. Everyone knows how much I love you and your brothers and now that they've known my weakness, you, guys, will never be at peace around me. So maybe if I'll draw myself away from all of you, you'll be saved."
"How sure are you?" I questioned. "And what if your hunches are wrong? What will happen to them?" I held her arms tighter. "And what will happen to you if we weren't there to look out for you as well? Do you actually think we're fine with that, thinking you're in trouble? Do you honestly think we only care about ourselves?!" I snorted.
"Look! I care about you," I bit my lip. "I really do and I…" I paused for a moment and just stared at her.
She looks confused so am I. What the hell am I gonna say?! I heaved a deep breath and let go of her arm.
"I-I just don't want you to be put into danger. No one of us wants that! We're stronger when we're together so please, don't go."
"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I was just too stressed lately. I can't even put my head straight with all of these situation," she looked away, grasping the nearby railing.
"And I killed someone. I mean that's not new to me. I've killed numbers of people already and you know that. It's just that…" she looked down. "I wanted to change. I've always wanted to, for everybody—for you."
My lips thinned. "Mianhe."
"For what?" She asked.
"I'm sorry if I can't lo—"
"You don't have to," she cut me with a smile. "Seeing you happy is already enough."
Those were the last words she said when Yohanne hyung appeared before us and asked us out for a snack. Everyone gathered at the family hall afterwards for a meeting. Yi hyung was the one who talked first since manager-nim went out for a while together with the other managers.
Hours passed and it's time for bed again. We haven't done anything the whole day which made me feel bored to death. I'm not used with this kind of aura since before Sunho hyung got missing, we were still all out there, sticking our noses with all the delicious street foods.
"Obviously, my cause of death will be boredom," I whined.
"And ours is your noisiness," Yi hyung snapped. "Manager-nim will be here any minute from now but you can already go to sleep if you want to."
"Any minute from now? You've already said that for I don't know, ten times already?" Chan said.
"It's almost midnight, hyung. I'm already sleepy," Ten whimpered, covering his face with a pillow and rolled over the king-sized bed.
"Wait, I'll call her," Seiji said and took his phone out. He called manager-nim for couple of times but she's not answering at all.
"Where on earth is she?!" Seiji groaned and tapped his watch to check her location. "That's odd…" he mumbled. "Her location has been turned off."
***
SHANE's POV
"Sebastian!" I groaned as I reached for him who's lying unconscious on the stirring wheel. "Fuck this!"
I don't know what just happened. Something just exploded out of nowhere and then the next thing I knew is we're already inside a wrecked car. The impact must have been so strong that the frontal windshield broke and what's bad is that the car we're in is already sinking down the river we fell into.
"CLARK! IAN!" I called at the two unconscious good-for-nothing guards behind me who's already starting to get wet by the water sprinkles from the cracked glasses.
"WAKE UP YOU, MOTHERFUCKERS!" I cursed as I ripped my jammed seatbelt to free myself.
"SEBASTIAN! WAKE UP!" I screamed good thing he's starting to gain his composure as well as the two behind.
"W-what happened?" He asked.
"I think we've been ambushed again!" I groaned and tried opening the door but it won't do. "Shit! It's stuck!"
"Holy shit!" Ian cursed. He must have realized what kind of movie-like-situation we are into.
"It would have been more holy if you, guys, start helping to break ourselves out this thing!" I hissed but the more we try, the faster the water comes in.
"Fuck! How deep are we?!" Clark shrieked.
"Base on the water pressure and if my calculations are doing fine, we're 60 feet down from the surface," I answered and looked at my broken watch. "Ugh! Just great."
"So, what are we gonna do?!" Ian asked in panic. "Excuse me but the water in almost on the knee level!"
"We'll wait until it reaches our waist level," I simply answered.
"OH! WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Clark shrieked.
"Shut up, bubbleheads!" I groaned. "We cannot open the door if the interior isn't flooded yet. The pressure must be equalized so we can get out!" I glanced at the three of them. "Can you contact anyone?"
They all looked at their phones and shook their heads, "the server is out, milady," Sebastian replied and I rolled my eyes.
"Fine! Start to conserve oxygen and hold your breaths when I raise the signal."
The three of them nodded. I looked at the door with creased forehead. Once I get outside this hell and found those piece of shits up there then heaven help us all!