Disclaimer: I don't own Noblesse.

Author's note: I'm too tired for grand talk. Just enjoy the chapter!


Chapter 8: Catch 22

Catch 22 in its medical context is an abbreviation for cardiac anomalies, abnormal facies, thymic hypoplasia, cleft palate and hypocalcemia; a combination of symptoms that occur in children with a defect on chromosome 22. However, for this title I chose it because of its common use as a synonym for 'dilemma'.

They were interested. A mere three days after her answering letter, Hyun Ae was summoned to a meeting.

Figuring that they would keep her if she agreed, she said her goodbyes to everyone.

There were a lot of tears with Yuuna and Suyi and awkwardness with Shinwoo and Ikhan.

Seira wordlessly handed her a box of hand-made bento.

"Take care", said Regis.

"We wish you luck, Doctor Choi", smiled Frankenstein.

They all were unable to convey the amount of reassurance she got from Rai's barely visible nod and the look of his red eyes that was momentarily fixed on her.

Tao and Takeo shook her hand firmly.

Then there was only one left.

"Would you come out onto the balcony with me for a moment?", asked Hyun Ae.

The gray-haired man nodded and under the surprised gaze of the others, they stepped outside into the chilly autumn air and closed the door behind them.

"There was something I wanted to ask you", began Hyun Ae. "Since this might be the last opportunity..." Her voice trailed away. M-21 looked at her silently. Their hair was whipped around their faces by the harsh wind.

Hyun Ae took a deep breath and forced herself to look him straight in the eye.

"Back then at the roof...that hateful look...was it for me?"

M-21's eyes widened. He had not been prepared for that question. He cast his gaze down.

"No", he replied. "That was for me and the horrible things I have done. Things you could never forgive."

"Yes, I cannot forgive them", agreed Hyun Ae. M-21's head whipped up in surprise. She...she knew?

"Frankenstein told me what you did", she said coldly. "And I will never forget that. Yet...", she hesitated. Then she continued.

"I do not believe you are a bad person. Such a person would not have stood up against a much stronger enemy. You could have stayed back and watch us die. You did not. That I won't forget, either. Please keep on doing the right thing."

She stepped forth and kissed him lightly. The touch was so faint that it could have been his imagination, yet his lips were burning as if they were on fire.

He did not notice her going back in, still standing frozen in place, the wind playing in his hair, one hand raised to disbelievingly touch the place her lips had been.

When Hyun Ae set off for the assigned meeting point, it was a bright and clear morning. Leaves rustled beneath her feet on her way to the bus stop.

Houses, people and trees flitted by. The talk of the other passengers was a dim buzzing in the background. The sky was of a blinding blue dotted with shreds of clouds, sailing swiftly by.

When will I see the sky again?, she asked herself. Surely, they won't let me out of the facility alone?

The bus passed a wide open gate and suddenly Hyun Ae realized that this bus was taking a route that would take her past the school. For a fleeting moment she caught sight of a tall, gray-haired figure standing just behind the gate.

A sharp pain seared through her. His face was obscured by a few errand strands of hair, she could not read his expression. And then she was no longer able to see him.

Hyun Ae's heart thumped madly. She could not tell why this chance encounter shook her up so much. She also did not know what possessed her to kiss him the other day. It had made things harder on her. Just now she had felt immeasurable longing for him to just raise his head and catch her eyes once more. She shook her head.

Stop being foolish, Hyun Ae, she thought. You're on your way to the lion's cave, so you better steel yourself. This is no time for womanly weakness. Focus on nothing but the task at hand.

The place she had been told to come to was a modern building housing several smaller companies.

Hyun Ae stepped through the glass door and made her way to an elevator. Normally she would have preferred the stairs, a doctor's habit of always choosing the healthiest option. But today, her knees felt so weak that she did not trust them.

The steel doors slid open and revealed a man in a dark suit. He nodded at her politely and left the elevator. Hyun Ae stepped into the confined space and pressed the button for the 6th floor.

She breathed deeply in and out to calm herself. With a soft 'ping' the door slid open and opened the view to a long carpeted corridor.

"Room 103", mumbled Hyun Ae while she wandered down the hallway.

Finally, she stood in front of the right door. Her hand trembled slightly as she knocked before entering.

Inside waited a middle-aged man with impeccably brushed black hair and heavy-rimmed glasses.

"You must be Doctor Choi", he said with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Please have a seat."

Hyun Ae smiled and sat down. A shiver ran down her spine when the cold gray eyes flitted over her body.

The man brought his fingertips together and sat back in his chair.

"So you are interested in working for our organization, Doctor Choi?", he asked.

"Yes", nodded Hyun Ae hastily. "It would be an honor for me. To be honest, I did not expect you to be interested after I answered with so much delay." She coyly looked down and made an apologetic face. "I am very sorry for any inconvenience I might have caused."

"No need to worry", said the man and made a dismissive gesture. "We are happy that a fitting candidate such as you is applying for the job. I believe you already read our conditions?"

"I did", replied Hyun Ae. "And I accept them."

"Excellent", said the man and opened a drawer to take out a set of documents. He passed them over the table and handed her a pen. "You only need to sign here, then you have the job."

Hyun Ae made a joyous face and eagerly grabbed the writing device.

"Why, thank you so much!", she exclaimed. She skipped a bit through the pages and scanned the contents. Then she signed the contract.

For the blink of an eye, it seemed to her as if the pen did not write with ink but with her own blood. The moment passed quickly and she turned her gaze on the black-haired man again.

"Where do I go from here?", she asked.

The man smiled and picked up the contract, tucking it safely away inside his jacket.

"Follow me", he said.


Note: Review? Anyone? That would make me so happy...