"Daesung-ah," Seung Hyun quickly yanked the brown haired young man back, pulling him tightly against his form as a black car went speeding by the two young men, right in the very spot Daesung had been standing. Only when Seung Hyun was sure of Daesung's safety did he release the seemingly delicate man, "You have to be more careful, Dae. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."

Daesung poked out his cheeks and pouted as cutely as he could muster. Let the man of his dreams think him defenseless and unable to get along without him, just as long as Seung Hyun's warm embrace would engulf him in this very fashion more often.

"Don't pout at me like that," Seung Hyun attempted to reprimand seriously, "you know I'm right."

Daesung's pout was immdiately replaced with smile, "You always want me to say that you're right." He shoved his lover gently, "Do you want me to agree with your every word, even when you're dead wrong?"

For a moment, the man was silent, a thoughtful smile on his features before glancing at his other half with a nod, "Yes, even if I'm dead wrong. Agreed?" He held his pinky out for the young man to take, a way of locking the promises they made with one another.

"Ok, ok," Daesung caved without much pressure, quickly taking Seung Hyun's pinky finger with his own. "Agreed." To seal the deal, they each kissed their interlocked fingers before exchanging a quick peck on the lips. Daesung was the first to pull back, as always, a habit the young man had that always caught Seung Hyung's curiosity, though he never inquired, "Now go do whatever it is police officers do."

Seung Hyun grinned before turning about to make his way to the station and Daesung couldn't help but admire his beloved's even and graceful stride. The pride that Seung Hyun put out, the pride that he was, seemed absolutely contagious, making Daesung believe that he too would want to be a civil servant along with the man he loved.

Someday.

"Such a life wasn't meant for me," he sighed as he turned in the opposite direction, "even in my dreams, such a thing could never be mine."

* * *

Ji Yong glared at his reflection in the mirror, trying to stop the onslaught of memories, of all things Seung Ri. The pain that came with the glimpses of his smile was overwhelming, almost numbing to a point really. It had been a solid month since he had gotten any sort of real sleep and it was starting to show. Though he was still quite handsome, his good looks were more haunting and unearthly than anything else.

His skin was paler than it had been in months past and the dark circles around his eyes seemed to sink into his constantly thinning face. He barely recognized himself, and he wondered if his lover would recognize him if he ever woke up.

Shaking his head and splashing his face with water, Ji Yong dragged himself out of the bathroom of his tiny apartment and into the bedroom he and Seung Ri had shared. Since the night his lover had been hospitalized, Ji Yong had barely set foot in the room. Only venturing in to collect clothes, pillows and blankets.

For several long moments, he could only stand in the doorway, staring blankly at the room before him. More memories hit, one after another. Some erotic, others romantic, but each and every memory contained Seung Ri's angelic face, and it killed him to think that it was his fault that either of them were in their current situation. All because of Ji Yong's neglegence.

He hadn't done enough to protect his lover from the dark life he led.

The young man quickly shook his head before turning around to walk out of the room, though he had never even properly set foot in it. He froze in his steps suddenly when he found himself staring down the barrel of a rifle. Though it did shock him, his expression remained completely blank, void of any thought or emotion. On the inside, he wanted to scream for the trigger to be pulled.

But he had a job to do. A life to protect.

"You're getting rusty, Dragon," the rifleman sighed, lowering the weapon and shaking his head. He offered the man a small smile and wiggled his eyebrows playfully, "You're just way too easy to kill and to be perfectly honest, you look like shit."

Ji Yong eyed the lowered rifle before moving his gaze back to the man who had been pointing it at him. "Nice to see you too Daesung."

Daesung frowned slightly at the man's emotionless voice, his blank stare and haggard state. There was no doubt about it, the infamous Dragon was getting steadily worse as the long days wore on. Any longer of this depression of his and they certainly wouldn't be able to get their job done. "Hyung," he began silently.

"We have a week," Ji Yong growled, pushing passed the younger man, "and I told you to never fucking come where I live. You're breaking and entering."

"You were supposed to meet up with me three hours ago," Daesung sighed, wiping his free hand over his face in exasperation. He shook his head, "Listen, hyung, If we only have a week, we don't have time to argue. Boss-nim won't wait much longer and it's not just your personal life that's on the line. I'm next on the chopping block." Or rather, Seung Hyun, he thought with a shiver running down his spine at the thought of his beloved officer falling victim to his employer's foul temperment.

Ji Yong paused on his way to the front door. He had been fully prepared to toss Daesung out of his apartment, out of his life. He wanted nothing to do with 'Boss-nim' anymore, wanted no part in the game he had become such an important part of. But at the same time, to atone for his neglegence, to save Seung Ri's life, he couldn't.

Both he and Daesung were in the same boat and they would have to work together if even one of them were to sruvive their employer. He rubbed the back of his neck as he turned around, a sigh breaking through chapped lips, "That bastard wants more from us, doesn't he?"

Daesung nodded firmly, his gaze strong and determined to see this through, but more than anything, determined to succeed for the sake of another. "Not only the Parks, but the Kims as well. I started on something things on my own, but it's harder than I thought." He shook his head and finally tore his gaze away from the infamous Dragon. "I don't know why he wants us to do this, hyung. We're killers, not hackers or thieves."

"Because he wants us to fail," Ji Yong concluded in a barely audible whisper. His fists clenched as he pictured the face of their boss, of the man who gave them such constant hell. The man who was the very reason Seung Ri was even still breathing. The very reason he was even in the hospital. "He wants to see us suffer."

* * *

"Choi Seung Hyun," Chief Kang began, looking over Seung Hyun carefully, "you have a pretty impressive record as of late, young man. Your co-workers and superiors praise you non-stop and you learn fast." The chief paused, glancing at the youth's file, making sure he missed nothing. Seeing nothing further to bring to the table, nothing of consequence anyway, he took in the officer before him once again, a small smile touching the corners of his eyes. "I'm going to put you on a special assignment, effective immediately. This is definitely something a little bit bigger than you're used to, but I think you can certainly offer some insight to this particular assignment. It'll be your ticket to bigger and better things."

Seung Hyun nodded silently, awaiting more details of just what his assignment would be. He didn't like being called out by the chief whether it be for positive or negative reasons. He had become the sort in the past few months that simply appreciated a day's hard work, then getting back home where his life really was.

Chief Kang leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, rocking slightly in his seat as he studied the serious faced officer. "You're well aware of the Kim Park Financial Corporation, are you not?"

The urge to groan in frustration was overwhelming right at that particular moment. Seung Hyun did slouch slightly at the topic, immediately disinterested in the assignment he was being issued, but what choice did he have? "Let me guess sir," he began with a resigned sigh, "this is a babysitting gig for the most part." He lifted a curious brow, waiting the chief's response.

"You're quick, Choi," Chief Kang laughed heartily while nodding. Eventually his laughter simmered down and he was able to refocus on the matter at hand. "I know this is considered a drag job, but it is very important. If not to us, then to them." He rested his hands on his desk, eyes locked on the young officer, "More importantly, I want you to keep a close eye on everyone and everything around the two heirs. Someone is either after them or their power, I can only trust this job to a select few, you being among them."

Of all the officers, Chief Kang knew how dedicated Seung Hyun was to his profession. He was the sort to give himself to his task one hundred and ten percent with no questions asked. Choi Seung Hyun was loyal in every sense of the word and would follow orders to the fullest. This was why Chief Kang was absolutely positive that he could trust the young officer with every fiber of his being.

"Report back to me with any news you may find," the chief instructed firmly, eliciting a quick nod from the stone faced youth. "If you run into any problems of any kind, do not hesitate to call me. Remember Choi, I'm counting on you."

Seung Hyun offered his chief a quick bow before excusing himself from the office.

* * *

Dong Young Bae closed his mobile phone and quickly slid it into his pocket, glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone were lurking about or keeping an eye on him. He didn't like the fact that everywhere he went he was carefully monitored, as if his life were some sort of messed up reality show, but he supposed he had brought his current state upon himself.

He had betrayed the big boss, stealing what he could, lying, cheating, every sense of rebellion he could possibly think of, a way of displaying just how much he appreciated the life he had never chosen for himself, but somehow, he had been discovered, sought out, tortured and brought right back to hell.

His hand dived into his pocket to pull out the cell phone he had placed there only seconds ago, restlessness detectable in his every move. Several times he opened and closed his phone, mulling over the single question, though there really was nothing to even consider. He would have to comply, would have to continue to play Boss-nim's fucked up game.

If he didn't..

Of course that bastard won. He always won. He had the upper hand of every situation, was a mile ahead of all of those he employed, two miles ahead of the rest of the world. The only reason Young Bae himself was tolerated was because he was the best at what he did. There was no replacing him, yet there was no taking crap from him either.

Boss-nim had the upper hand over him, over his life, much like the way he had the upper hand over everyone and everything that surrounded him.

"That bastard," he growled in frustration, glaring daggers at his phone and waiting further instructions on what it was he was expected to do.

* * *

Jung Yunho missed the gentle vibrations of his phone as he allowed his briefcase to gently click closed, leaving the forgotten mobile device in the pocket of his suit jacket. He then spared a glance at his watch to make sure he was still right on schedule.

Fourty-five minutes ahead of time.

A casual smirk played across his face as he swiftly collected the briefcase and strode easily out of his office. Since he was already ahead of schedule, he would have the opportunity to make a quick stop before the meeting he was expected to attend, even if he hadn't been running early, he certainly would have made time for this particular errand.

He had to see him at least once.

"Yunho-sshi," a receptionist called, her free hand covering the reciever of the plain black phone in her light grip. She quickly jerked her head toward the phone once she was sure she had captured Yunho's attention and quickly mouthed the name, 'Mr. Park', and making a small face, an indicator that the reasons for the man being on the phone were far from good.

Swearing silently to himself, Yunho chanced a glance at his watch once more stepping back to the receptionist's desk. He smiled a quick thank you before immediately turning his attention to Mr. Park. "Mr. Park, this is Jung Yunho speaking, is there anything I can assist you with?"

"Yes dammit!" Came the hurried and angry voice of Yunho's most important client by far. "Tell me why there are so many inconsistancies in the family account, Jung? I'm not paying you to lose track of my money, boy. You get your ass in gear and make sure you're doing your job right, you hear me?"

Yunho sighed, not caring that he had performed the action into the phone and rolled his eyes. "If you want, sir, I'll be sure to run over the numbers again, but when I checked everything this morning, you were all set--"

"Don't give me that all set crap you gave me earlier today," Mr. Park howled loudly into the phone. "You informed me that I had said amount of funds in each account that I have with you all. If I have said amount of money in each account, I expect that money to be there when I look over it myself. Is there anything wrong with this logic, Jung?"

"No, sir, not all, I do apologize." Yunho sighed, his eyes narrowing in slight dislike. Though Mr. Park was such an important client, he was by far the most intolerable. He made life difficult for everyone he did business with. "If it pleases you, I'll be more than happy to return to my office right now and make sure each of your accounts are balanced."

"You bet your grandmother it pleases me," Mr. Park raged on. Yunho could imagine his face turning red as he held his breath in anger. "And the police are headed over there right now to make sure you aren't up to any funny business with my funds. The Kims are doing the same thing, so I advise you watch yourself, Jung. No more slip ups."

And before Yunho could even think of uttering another word, his ridiculously rich client quickly hung up the phone, leaving the young private banker with a bitter taste in his mouth. He handed the phone off to the receptionist as he ran over the tail end of their conversation, his head cocking to one side ever so slightly as he thought. "Why would they be sending police to watch us handle funds now? I mean, you think after thirty-five years of them doing their banking through us--"

The receptionist quickly leaned forward in her seat, beckonning the banker to lean in as well. Once the young man was close enough, she quickly whispered, "I heard that they're keeping extra watch on the private funds and business funds because there were some unauthorized transfer attempts detected." She shrugged, "Especially within the Park and Kim accounts."

Yunho frowned thoughtfully before nodding and standing upright once again. "Thanks for the heads up, Younha." He sighed and readjusted his grip on the handle of his briefcase before heading back in the direction he had come from. As he retreated back to his office he called back to the receptionist, "Looks like I'll be staying late tonight, could you let my supervisor know? And order something good to eat please."

The receptionist offered his back a sympathetic smile as she nodded and quickly picked up the phone and was already dialing before Yunho had even reached the office door.

Upon stepping inside, Yunho quickly retrieved his neglected cell phone from his jacket pocket and opened it to see that he had missed a call. Of course. A sad smile made its way across his face as he quickly called back, hoping that the caller wouldn't pick up the phone. It would be easier for him to leave a message.

But some things just weren't meant to be easy, now were they?

"Yunho?"

The voice was in a low whisper and then came the sound of muffled voices in the background. Yunho allowed his smile to grow slightly trying to force a happy note to it, "I can't talk long, but I just wanted to let you know that I won't be able to make it today. Looks like I'll be putting in some overtime."

There was a brief pause, a frown no doubt playing across the lips of the speaker on the other end of the line. This would be the second time in a week Yunho would have had to cancel a set arrangement, but then again, the banker worked for very demanding people. Understanding was the only available option. "It's ok, Yunho."

No it wasn't. It was understandable, but never ok.

"I'm sorry Jae," he mumbled into the phone, his smile finally fading as he allowed his imagination to invision the man he spoke with disappointed in him, yet again, for breaking a previously arranged engagement for work. He knew those plush lips would be turned downward, though he would try to lift them slightly, hoping a smile would carry through the phone and to Yunho's ears. "I know how much you hate those socials."

"It's ok, Yunho," this Jae repeated once more. "I have to go anyway. This would have been really boring for you more than likely. Hey listen, I'll try to stop by later tonight, ok?"

There were several sharp knocks on the office door, causing Yunho to mutter a quick goodbye before quickly hanging up the phone and shoving it into the pocket of his suit jacket. Straightening himself up and slipping on his workaholic mask, the young banker quickly opened the door to face the small team of the police that would be keeping an eye on him while he balanced the many Park accounts.

"Let's get started then," Yunho began with a less than gracious note to his voice.

* * *

Kim Jaejoong quickly closed his phone and sighed before gently tapping it against his chin and carefully scanning the outcome to his father's party, if it could even be called that. Nothing but a bunch old geezers gabbing about how much money they had and would continue to get so long as they invested properly.

He then allowed his eyes to wander over the younger crowd, most of which were gabbing about spending and squandering the very money their parents planned on investing. He shook his head and sighed at the pathetic display.

"You look so happy, Jaejoong-hyung," came a teasing voice from just behind the man, causing him to jump slightly at being addressed so suddenly. From behind a standing plant came Park Yoochun, eldest son of a long time family friend and Jaejoong's future business partner. A sleeze if Jaejoong ever did meet one. "Was that Yunho you were just on the phone with?"

Jaejoong let out a slight huff of indignation and quickly glanced away from the younger man, having no particular interest in talking with him, especially about Yunho. "It's none of your business, Park. What do you want anyway?"

Yoochun let out a sly grin as he made his way to Jaejoong's side, taking in the beautiful man's presence with a well practiced eye. "I can't simply stop by and see how a dear friend is doing?" He placed a hand to his chest in mock hurt, that smile not once wiping clean from his features, "I'm so hurt, hyung."

If there was anything Jaejoong knew about Park Yoochun, it was that the man always had a hidden agenda. He wasn't the sort to do something for nothing, whether it be for business or personal reasons. That hidden agenda was quickly revealed when that slimey snake allowed an arm to slither around Jaejoong's waist and forcefully pull the man closer, holding him tight in a pincer like grip.

"Let me go Yoochun," Jaejoong warned in a low growl, more than prepared to cause as much physical harm as he could to the offending man.

Yoochun smirked and held the man tighter still. "He's not coming is he, Jaejoong-ah? Yunho, that is." He placed a gentle kiss on the beauty's neck before finally releasing him and making a silent departure without a word more.

Whenever he was left around Yoochun for too long, Jaejoong felt horribly indecent. He felt as if every bit of him were exposed whenever the Park man laid eyes on him. It was uncomfortable being stared at like a piece of meat, but at the same time, Jaejoong had to admit, if only to himself, that it did have an effect on him to some degree.

He could only pray that their future encounters lasted only seconds at a time. Jaejoong shuttered to think what would happen to him if Park discovered what little effect he did have over the older male.

"Ah!" A voice called out. "Yoochun-ah! Glad you made it. You have to meet--"

As soon as he was away from Jaejoong's side, Yoochun plastered on the face of the respectable older son of the highly reputable Park family. He smiled as he was introduced to investor after investor, induldging in light conversation while remembering to nod his head here and laugh at a joke there.

Every now and then he would allow his eyes to travel back to the corner Jaejoong had remained hiding in, avoiding everyone and everything for as long as he possibly could. That precious Jung Yunho of his hadn't shown up, nor was he going to and Yoochun couldn't have been anymore overjoyed than he already was.

From his stand point, Kim Jaejoong would not be able carry on with the Kim Park partnership. It was painfully obvious that he wasn't meant to live in the business world and would drop it all for the sake of true love or something equally ridiculous. In order to insure his own future, Yoochun had to keep the pretty male close to him and away from Jung Yunho.

The most powerful financial corporation in Korea depended on it.