Knock knock. Shiho pounded on the door.

There was no need to see her tightened lips or her foot that impatiently tapped on the floor to know she was angry. Just watching her blue eyes was enough. Fires of fury were smoldering in them enough that they looked scary. The first time she meets Moroboshi Dai without the presence of Akemi and he picks a fight with Gin! That idiot!

Shiho was so angry about his recklessness, so angry that she couldn't go to work without scolding him for it. That's why she took a turn to Akemi's apartment after leaving Gin's house. And without letting three seconds pass, She knocked again. It was a Saturday morning so she hoped to find him at her sister's. Akemi opened the door.

"Shiho!" She exclaimed.

Her blue eyes looked past Akemi's shoulder to where she spotted Dai sitting on one of the kitchen's stools. Just the sight of him made her blood boil! Shiho took a step inside, forcing the eldest to step away.

"Why didn't you call me first? I would've counted you for breakfast."

"It's alright, Akemi. I'm not staying here for long." Her eyes softened for the brief moment they landed on her sister, but they soon narrowed again as she walked towards Dai.

When she finally reached him, the black haired man slowly turned on the stool to face her. He was eating an apple and no signs of nervousness appeared on his face.

"Good Morning." He said, mouth filled with an apple bite.

"To hell with your good morning. Are you out of your mind?"

"What?"

"Do you have any idea who the man from last night was?"

"Alright Shiho, what's going on here?" Akemi asked with a concerned look.

"Ask that to your boyfriend." Shiho raged, staring daggers at Dai who was busy taking another bite of the apple. She turned at her sister. "He picked a fight with Gin."

Akemi's eyes grew wide before setting on her boyfriend.

"Technically, I didn't pick the fight. And I'll appreciate if we don't talk about it." He said.

"How?" The brunette proceeded in demand for more details. She knew Gin was dangerous so why on earth would her boyfriend pick a fight with him, and more importantly, why didn't he tell her?

"Gin asked him to leave but he-"

"I said I'll appreciate if we don't talk about it." Dai cut off with a harsh tone.

The frown deepened on Shiho's face. "You know what? I was wrong to save your ass. I should've let him kill you."

With the scowl on her face, Shiho turned on her heels and rushed outside the door, leaving only the smell of perfume behind. Akemi put a hand on her hip and gave Shuichi a look he knew well, it was interrogation time. But he stood up.

"I'll explain later." He quickly said before rushing to the door.

Sherry was the highest-ranked member he knew in the organization and for his infiltration to be successful he'll need her on his side, not against him. So he had to make things right with her. Shuichi found the elevators busy and winded up running down the stairs. He spotted her walking outside the building and a couple of wide paces were enough for him to reach her.

He started walking next to her, keeping up with her fast steps.

"Hey, I didn't mean to talk to you that way." He said. Shiho sent him a death glare from the corner of her eye so he went on explaining. "I want my work to be separated from my personal life. I don't want Akemi to be concerned or involved in any way with what I do. I hope you understand that."

He really didn't want Akemi to know anything about his work fearing that they'll think she's his accomplice if he ever gets exposed as an FBI agent, so he had to take his precautions. His words seemed to convince Shiho who stopped walking and turned to face him.

"I didn't come here to discuss your work. Having your life at risk is a personal matter of which my sister is concerned."

"My life at risk? Because I was trying to have a cigarette?" Shuichi asked mockingly. Recalling cigarettes made him crave one, which he immediately pulled out of his pocket. Shiho watched him with her eyebrows raised.

"So you really don't know who the man was."

"I know. Gin. Heard about him from other members."

"Then didn't you hear that he won't hesitate to dispose of anyone who stands in his way?"

Shuichi shrugged, inhaling his cigarette.

"Dai san, you're not aware of how dangerous that man could be. That's why everyone is afraid of him it's not cowardice it's just common sense." Shiho spoke with a serious tone highlighting to Dai what danger he was facing, she was countered with a calm gaze from his part.

"I'm not scared of him."

"Then you must lack common sense." She retorted.

"I had enough of it to not hit him back. But if I ever have to, I assure you I will." He replied coolly in an attempt to make up for losing to Gin. He hated that, the fact that he had lost. Taking that punch without being able to fight back was a stab right into his big fat pride.

The certainty in his voice struck Shiho. She wanted to believe he was joking except that he was deadly serious.

"Let's hope you never do because it will end badly." She warned. But the serious look on her face didn't last long since her expressions turned to amusement shortly after she came to a realization. "Oh... now I know what this is about! Did your little feelings get hurt because Gin had punched you so hard you couldn't breathe?"

Shuichi would lie if he said otherwise.

"Oh believe me, if I wanted to take him I would've." He smirked conceitedly.

"Then why didn't you?... Oh, I remember! You were too busy figuring out how to stand up straight."

"Looks like you're very proud of him. Of course, you'd take your boyfriend's side." Shuichi smiled.

Did he just call Gin her boyfriend? Shiho's smile faded slowly. Her weight shifted from one leg to another nervously. She opened her mouth to respond, but Dai beat her to it as though he had read her thoughts.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell Akemi."

"There's nothing to tell. We're just colleagues."

"In his flat? Where he makes you relax like last nigh-"

"Alright..." Shiho interrupted. She stayed silent for a while, then retrieved slowly yet confidently. "We are... dating. But it's none of your business. And don't you dare tell Akemi about it." At this point, her index was aiming at his chest.

"I just said I won't."

Shiho nodded. She better ends this conversation quickly. This guy seems to be sneaky so she better keep away from him before he learns more about her. Shiho had just turned to the side to announce the end of the conversation when she heard Dai speak again.

"Are you afraid of him?"

"What?" She stopped in her tracks and rapidly turned to face him again. And although her face was good at hiding what she felt, one could obviously see the astonishment in her eyes. That one question she did not expect!

Gin might've scared her sometimes, but she was good at hiding it from everyone, even from Gin himself. Nobody has ever suspected it. And the person in front of her of all people had to not know about it because he could tell Akemi. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to worry, or worse, to get involved with Gin.

But there he was, Dai asked her what nobody else dared or even thought about asking. He pressed right where it hurts and whether it was by luck, or he knew what was going on? She didn't know.

Shuichi saw how scared Shiho was last night and noticed her stiffen when Gin had approached her. It was not a natural reaction of a romantic partner. It made him wonder if Gin was forcing her to something. And hearing her say that everyone is afraid of Gin now awoke his suspicions, it was his cue to ask.

"You said everyone is, are you?" He added as his greens pierced her with a sharp gaze.

"No, Dai san, I'm not. That goes for other members but I'm more than just a member to him. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go." Shiho calmly answered before walking away.

And she thought him to be an idiot for standing up for Gin! She was wrong! This guy is sharper than she'd appreciate so she better be careful around him.

Shuichi hummed. Maybe he was overthinking it. Her and Gin were probably trying to maintain their relationship low-profile and she stiffened because he uncovered them. The agent discarded the thought and headed back to the apartment where he'll do some explaining to Akemi.

(~4 months later~)

Akemi hung up the phone. She left the bedroom and headed back to the living room where her boyfriend sat watching TV. She examined him for a moment; Dai looked peaceful with his green eyes focused on the screen, blinking from time to time only to be covered by a shield of long dark eyelashes. She doesn't get why people say his gaze is sharp. For her, his eyes were as soft and honest as a child's.

Dai's left arm was resting on the couch so when Akemi sat next to him, he brought it down and placed it around her neck.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"What?"

"I saw you staring at me from the hallway, you seemed like you have something to say."

"Wait when did you…" She wondered, she was pretty sure his eyes didn't deviate from the TV for a second. "You know what, never mind… Dai kun, you have a mission."

Dai's eyes finally moved from the TV to look at her.

"Reiji didn't tell me about a new mission."

Reiji was Dai's direct superior in the organization. After 8 months of infiltration he was still so low in rank he didn't get to work under a member with an alcoholic codename. He was doing very well and sometimes it frustrated him. But then if there's anything that Shuichi masters, it's patience. He knew how careful the organization was so it was expected that it won't be fast to dive deep.

Even Akemi's sister Sherry who was high-ranked wasn't much of a help to his infiltration. She did help at the beginning by introducing him to them, but ever since that time he rarely got to see her. The only time Shuichi would meet her was when she and Akemi would meet, and those times were quite rare. And even when they do finally meet, the two sisters took a vowel to never discuss work details, so he couldn't dig for anything.

"It's not Reiji, it's Shiho. She's supposed to receive something from our mole in another pharmaceutical company. The thing is, they're our biggest competitor when it comes to pharmaceutical research and they're shady, so they might do something." Akemi explained.

"And where's my place in all of this?"

"Her bodyguard was hurt on a separate mission and Gin and vodka are outside the country, she was looking for someone else to accompany her and I suggested that you go."

"I can't." Shuichi discarded the matter immediately, turning back to the TV.

"Why?" Akemi squeaked.

"Because Reiji might call me anytime."

"But Dai kun..."

"You don't have to worry about her. She's very important to them, they'll surely provide her with the best man to protect her."

"And I want that man to be you." Dai wanted to protest but Akemi continued, "Please, Dai kun! She's my only family and I can't think of anyone else to trust more than you to protect her."

Shuichi let out a long sigh. "…Alright, Akemi, I'll do it."

The brunette smiled, she rested her head on his chest in a hug. "Thank you." She whispered.

Dai's lips pressed against her hair in a soft kiss.


Next Chapter: Shuichi and Shiho go on a mission together, but what could possibly go wrong?

75aichan and Guest, Thank you so much for your lovely reviews ^_^