Chapter 14- The Aftermath

We were all silent as we anxiously sat in the waiting room. Jaehee and Yoosung sat on either side of me, and Jumin, Zen, V, and Saeran sat across from us. The others didn't seem to have noticed Saeran, as they were worried only about Seven's condition. But V clearly knew who he was. I swallowed, not knowing when I should tell the others that both of them—V and Saeran— were actually part of Mint Eye. Just a few hours ago, V had told us that he would explain everything and I hadn't had the chance to tell them the truth. But all of that was nothing compared to the worry that I felt for Seven. The last time I had seen him he had just...collapsed. What if he...I swallowed nervously. I felt so tired and exhausted. I had been running on the small amounts of adrenaline I had left for the last several hours and felt like collapsing. Seven. I thought worriedly. Suddenly, a nurse came out of a room across from us, holding a clipboard. I instantly stood up, my heart thudding. She glanced at me and smiled knowingly.

"You can come on in." We obliged and filtered into the small hospital room. My heart thudded. Seven lay on the white bed, alive. His eyes instantly latched onto mine and the corners of his lips curled up into a little smile. All of the sudden, the world seemed to calm, the crazy panic in my heart subsided, and everything was okay. Because he was okay. I nearly collapsed in relief, but merely smiled back. "You can take a seat." The nurse said as she exited the room. The seven of us sat in the chairs that surrounded the hospital bed.

"You're okay." I whispered. His golden eyes warmed.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Then he looked away at the others. "Hey guys." Seven said. "What's up."

"Don't be so nonchalant." Jaehee snapped. "You had us all worried to death, we thought you were going to die."

"I almost did." Seven admitted. "I was in awful shape. Honestly, I'm surprised I didn't collapse right away. I guess the adrenaline kept me going." His eyelids lowered. "They're debating on amputating my ankle." I held back a gasp and the others froze. "Ah it's okay." He said quickly. "They said it's only a possibility." There was grim silence before Seven glanced at V. "Anyways...what did you want to talk about?" V had a foreboding expression on his face as he looked around the room.

"Well, I wanted to explain...a lot of things. I'm not sure if this is the right time to do it but-"

"Now is the time." Seven interrupted. "While we're all here, willing to listen." His eyes flicked to Saeran who sat in the corner, who I could tell hated being in the same room as V. Saeran's eyes flicked to mine and I gave him an encouraging smile. He nodded slightly.

"Alright." V said with a soft sigh. "I have a story to tell everyone. You all know varying amounts of it." He continued, looking at each and every one of us individually. I shivered as his pale gaze briefly rested on me. "And some of you don't know anything about it at all. So in order to properly tell it, I feel that I have to start from the very beginning. Before I was even born." He took a deep breath. "I don't want any questions, I want to go through all of it without any interruptions. I understand that most of this information will sound ridiculous and made up to you, and that some of you won't even believe me. But every word that will come out of my mouth will be the truth, I can assure you all that. Do you all understand me?" There were nods around the room. "Good." He said. His fingers laced together and he leaned forward in his chair.

"There was once a man called Goo Tai-Hee, and he was married to a woman, Lee Seo-Yon." I froze, and Jaehee, who was next to me, sucked in a sharp breath. We both recognized those names. Seven's eyes narrowed. "They were higher ups in the Korean government, and geniuses at that. They invented a system that could hack through any firewall, any algorithm in a matter of seconds. To some of you this might not be a monumental achievement, but for organizations that had state of the art defenses, this system was invaluable. Naturally, they kept it a secret so other governments wouldn't know about it, and for a while, life was had a child and loved her dearly. That child was called Kao Tai-Hee. Many of you know her as just Kao now." Astonished heads turned towards me and I swallowed. V continued.

"The years passed. But eventually, like all things, the truth got out. There were whispers of a system that could hack through any algorithm, any firewall. And as every day passed, the Tai-Hee's knew that their chances of being discovered were increasing. Goo wanted to get rid of the system, he argued that it was putting their family in danger. But Lee disagreed, she said that it was their key to a new world, that their government could use it for good. The two were completely torn." He leaned back in his chair and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. "Eventually, suspicion was placed on them for inventing the system and then the death threats came in. They were part of the government, of course, so they were well protected. But the organizations that were after them were no joke either." His pale eyes narrowed. "Eventually they locked it away, too terrified to use it anymore, but not willing to destroy it. They placed the entire system it in a single chip and locked it it in a vault deep underground, sealing it so it would be impossible for anyone to enter." His eyes flicked towards me. "Anyone but their descendants, as it was sealed with an imperfect DNA identification system, otherwise unreachable for anyone else." His face became grave.

"Just in time too. Only a month later someone broke into their house to kill them and take the system for their own." I swallowed. "They started a fire and made it look like it was an accident." His fingers tapped against his arm chair. "The two died there, and the assassin desperately looked for the chip, but it wasn't there. And then, in the midst of the flames he instead found their child, Kao, huddled in a room of fire, terrified. He was going to kill her, but someone stopped him and knocked him unconscious, leaving him to burn in the flames. That someone grabbed the child and escaped the house before it fell to the ground. Their name was Siu Jihyun, and he was also my father."

"Siu was best friends with the parents of the girl, so close he could be considered her godfather. Like them he was also part of the Korean government. The two had begged him to protect her, had told him that she was the key to unlocking the vault and above all else, she was the most important. My father had agreed. He had seen the burning house from afar and had arrived there just in time to pull out the child from the flames. He knew he had to protect her, but he couldn't take her in. She would in danger with him and had to disappear for good, otherwise she would be chased forever. So he placed her in an orphanage, far away, and faked her death."

"And so everyone thought that the entire Tai-Hee family had died in the terrible flames that night. It was a tragedy. But no, the girl lived on in that orphanage, and my father watched her, he watched her every movement, to make sure she was safe. However, he did not know that there was someone else who was aware that she was alive. An organization called Mint Eye, which, back then was merely composed of the assassin who had started the flames, who had miraculously survived. He gained followers quickly, as would anyone, if they spoke of a system such as the one he desired. He said that he knew of the key to retrieve it, the girl, their only daughter, who could open up the vault. They searched for her desperately, and it took years, but eventually, they found her. They nearly got her before my father, once again, interjected. Panicked, he made a deal, a deal that would shape the rest of all of our lives." V swallowed.

"He said that every week they left her alone, he would give them a two thousand dollars." He took a breath. "This might not sound much, but it all adds up after a while. You have to understand, for such a small, poor organization, which Mint Eye was at the time, this was practically irresistible, and naturally, they agreed. My father was a rich man. He held one of the top positions in the government, and this was all he could do to keep her safe without exposing her completely. Because although Mint Eye was weak then, my father knew that at any time they could tell the world that the daughter of the Tai-Hee family was alive, and he knew that if that happened she would be taken for sure." V's eyelids lowered. "And so the years passed. Mint Eye and my father both watched her grow, and every week he would give them two thousand dollars so they wouldn't take her away. I had no idea that any of this was happening when I was growing up, my father managed to keep it all away from me. And then one day, when I was twelve, he told me all of it. He told me that no matter what, I had to keep this girl safe, even if he perished. I remember that day clearly, it was the day that my fate was stripped away from me, when I was told that above all else, this girl had to be kept safe. My mother had died when I was very young so he was all I had, and yet he seemed to care about her than he ever did for me." V's hand clenched into a fist. "I hated her, I did. I hated this girl that had taken over our lives without our being asked."

"It shocked me when my father was diagnosed with cancer. But my father he...he didn't even care about himself, he just told me—begged me—that I had to keep her safe. And so the last couple months I spent with him were comprised of him telling me about her, about what I had to do. His last words to me were, 'Please protect her.' He didn't even tell me he loved me." V took a deep breath. "I had to fulfill his wish. I loved my father dearly, and even if I despised this girl, I had to protect her, for him. And I did. After his death I received all of his money and so I continued the deal, by myself. But eventually, Mint Eye began to get greedy. They were becoming more and more powerful and began to ask for double the money, then triple, then...well you get the idea."

"My life continued alongside Kao's. I fell in love with Rika, and together, we started RFA. I met Luciel and got him to join. And all of you." His eyes scanned the room. "However, as the time passed it became clear to me that money wasn't enough to protect the girl. Nearly every week they were demanding more and more payments, and my supply of money wasn't endless, despite how much my father had originally owned. So I decided that I had to do something, I needed something else to protect her, something more. It was a risk, but I had to take it. So I became Unknown. I texted her, and I hoped dearly that she would listen to me, that she would follow my directions and become part of RFA. And she did, she listened, and she joined. Originally, I had wanted her to join so Seven would unknowingly protect her. He looked over all the members to make sure they were safe and he was an expert at doing it. And also because, admittedly, I was tired of doing it all alone, of being her guardian angel. After Rika's death I was exhausted, tired, and wretched. With Mint Eye closing in I didn't think I could bear it anymore." He looked directly at me.

"When you first joined I hated you. I'm not going to lie about it. I didn't show it of course, but I did, I despised you. However, after a while I realized that it just wasn't fair. You hadn't asked for what had happened to you, any of it. It was just as unfair for you as it was for me. Your parents had been stripped away from you when you were too young to even remember them, and you had been thrown into a life where you would constantly be in danger. And you didn't even know it. I'm sure all of this must sound abnormal to you, like a story, but it's all the truth. So that hate I felt eventually disappeared and I became fond of you, like a brother would. The wanting to protect you no longer stemmed from the love of my father but because I wanted to. Admittedly, you reminded me a little of Rika." He looked away.

"When Mint Eye realized what I had done they were furious. They sent a minion, Saeran, to watch over you closely." His eyes flicked over to Saeran who fidgeted. "Of course, they never wanted him to become so closer to her, which he ended up doing. They didn't like that we were on such close terms, and demanded that I should make her quit. But I refused. Eventually they broke through our algorithm and sent that message as a warning, I'm sure you all remember it."

"Welcome to paradise." Jaehee whispered. V nodded.

"It was Unknown who sent that, but not me, a different Unknown, one from Mint Eye. That's why you originally thought it was Mint Eye who wanted you to join RFA, but there were two of us." He shook his head. "My payments began to dwindle completely and they threatened me. They said that they would take you. I didn't believe them originally, because I had given them money for years, and I thought that, surely, they couldn't go without it. But Mint Eye didn't need my money anymore. Even without my payments they were making enough to sustain themselves. So they broke into your apartment with the intention to finally take you away." I shivered. I remembered that night. "But Luciel, thank god, showed up in time and rescued you. I ordered Jumin to protect all of you with his men, which he did. That's why no one touched you while you stayed at Luciel's. But it wouldn't last long. Mint Eye was powerful now, they had men, weapons, and intel at their disposal."

"Luciel knew too. He knew very well without me even telling him. And so that night when he ran, he ran with the intention of saving you, all of us. He ran because he was afraid, yes, but also because he knew what he had to do. And I...I did what I could too. I made another deal with Mint Eye—I would dramatically increase my payments, and this time they would come from my own bank account, not my father's." V said. My eyes widened. So that was what I had seen when I had went to V's. Not him conspiring with them, but him trying to make a deal to save me.

"They agreed but I knew it wasn't enough. The night of the fundraiser they came for me, to kill me and end the deal once and for all. Luckily, I had predicted it. I had some of Jumin's men to protect me, but I got a beating and nearly died. And then I ran. I ran to the hotel because I knew that they would come for you, Kao, and would simultaneously reveal themselves to the world. But when I arrived you were all there, okay. Then I saw Saeran." Everyone followed his gaze to the boy in the corner.

"Hold on." Zen interjected. "This...this is Saeran?"

"Wait what?!" Yoosung asked incredulously.

"I said no questions until I was done."

"This is the creep that spied on Kao? That scheduled the attack?" Zen demanded. Saeran looked away.

"Saeran didn't schedule anything." V replied calmly. "He was merely a pawn that was manipulated by them, and he's...also Luciel's brother." There was a long pause.

"Brother?!" Yoosung questioned. "I thought his brother had died."

"So did I." Seven replied.

"What the hell…" Zen muttered. "My brain hurts."

Mine did too. This wasn't even the biggest reveal of the day, I was still thinking about V's words earlier—all this time he hadn't been conspiring against us, all this time he had been protecting me...I felt ashamed for being suspicious of him. But even now...could I be completely sure of what he was saying?

"Hold on, please" Jaehee interjected. "So both you and Mint Eye have been watching Kao since she was a child?"

"Correct." V replied with a sigh.

"And she's the daughter of powerful government officials and the key to opening the vault to the system—the system with the chip." Zen said slowly.

"Yes."

"Is this a joke?" Yoosung asked finally.

"No, this is all true. I'm sure most of this is surprising for all of you, but it's the truth." I shook my head numbly. Suddenly it all made sense, as if the puzzle pieces I had collected over the months had finally clicked together: why I had been randomly texted that night and so warmly welcomed into RFA. Why Saeran (otherwise known as Jeong) had begun to spy on me for no reason. The message from Mint Eye and the break in. Seven suddenly running off. The deal I had seen V make with Mint Eye. And finally, the fundraiser.

But I still didn't comprehend the first part of his story. Was I really the daughter of such powerful people? Was I the...key? I stared at the floor as the others continued to ask V incredulous questions, also not believing everything. All my life I had believed that I was unimportant, that I had been abandoned. But in reality, so many people had been watching me, protecting me all this time? How could I handle that? It didn't feel real. I had never sensed any of it. I didn't want it either. Who would ask for this? I jumped as someone placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. It was V. I looked at him.

"I know this is a lot to take in." He whispered to me, his mint colored eyes filled with sympathy and worry. "Take your time." I blinked. There was no treachery or deceit in his expression, none. I looked away miserably, my remaining doubts fading away. How could I possibly doubt this person? This person who had been so kind to me, who had literally been my guardian angel before I even knew him.

"I...I'm so…" I broke off suddenly. The others slowly stopped talking amongst themselves and looked at me. "I'm sorry V…" I whispered. "I thought that you...that you were-"
"I know." V replied. "I saw it in your eyes, you were afraid of me. And it's understandable, I have been consorting with Mint Eye for years now."

"But all this time you had to protect me." I said shakily. "Even though you hated me. You had to protect me...I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." V said gently.

"I didn't deserve it." I whispered. "Any of it."

"Perhaps then," V admitted. "But if I never wanted to protect you, we would have never actually met. You would have never met any of us. Yes, you affected all of our lives, but not just because of the role that you were designated to play. Because you are kind, Kao." He said, taking my hand in his.

"No." I said weakly.

"Yes." He replied. "You are kind, and brave, and willing to accomplish things that others are not."

"No." I said again, shaking my head and looking down. "I'm nothing, I'm worthless."

"You are our friend." V said kindly. My lower lip trembled. "And now, we protect you because we want to. Not because we are obligated to." I shook my head and then threw my arms around him. V stiffened in surprise and then hugged me back.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "That you went through all that."

"I'm sorry too." V replied. We broke away and I smiled a little before Yoosung embraced me. I blinked and then hugged him back. And then Zen and Jaehee joined in. We all laughed a little, still a little dumbstruck by V's story. But I could see it in all of their eyes, that it was true. They all loved me. And I loved all of them.

"You guys…" I whispered.

"I hate to interrupt." Jumin said suddenly. We all looked up in surprise, Jumin had been silent this entire time. "But we don't have much time before Mint Eye comes back with more reinforcements. From what I hear, the deal with V is now off and they'll be coming after Kao relentlessly now. We have to get that file to the government and destroy them once and for all."

"You're right." I replied.

"Kao, you still have the file, right?" Seven asked me. I nodded and slowly pulled it out, laying it on my lap. It was as dirty and crinkled as I remembered it.

"Hold on." Jaehee reached into her own briefcase and pulled out another file, one that I recognized as the one we had put together. "It's not much but maybe it'll help." She gently laid it on the one I had. "Kao and I researched them a little."

"We have no time to waste." Jumin said, standing up. I gave him the two files. "I'll get this to the government building."

"Don't go alone." V said quickly. Jumin nodded.

"Assistant Kang, Zen, and Yoosung, come with me." He glanced at V, Saeran, Seven, and then me. "These four still have things to talk about."

"Eh?" Yoosung looked up and pouted. "But I still have so many questions and I wanna stay with Kao."

"I'll answer all of your questions in the car." Jumin replied. "Come on." Slowly, the others stood up and began to follow Jumin out, who glanced at me.

"I'm glad you're safe Kao." He said with a little smile. I smiled back. I had a feeling that Jumin hadn't been as surprised by the story as much as the others had. He probably knew about more parts of it than them.

"I'll see you soon Kao!" Yoosung called out to me. I chuckled. Zen and I exchanged a nod and Jaehee gave me one last hug before the four of them exited the waiting room. There was silence as the door closed behind them. The only people in the room now were Seven, Saeran, V, and myself.

"Will they be okay?" I asked finally.

"Yes." V answered. "Jumin has his men with him and he's close friends with several government officials. They'll take the folder off his hands and take the proper precautions."

I nodded numbly. "There's still one thing I don't understand. Why can the folder destroy them? I mean...what's so special about it?" V observed me thoughtfully.

"The folder contains all of their information. Mint Eye just doesn't have the one base in South Korea, they're stationed all over the world, that's how much their influence has grown. We only know the location of one of their bases." He held up a finger and spoke slowly, as if I was a child, so I could properly absorb the information. "And that's the one that Seven infiltrated. But just knowing where that one base is isn't enough to destroy all of Mint Eye completely. That folder has the location of all of their bases. It also has information on their allies and where their supplies come from, which allows us to pinpoint those locations as well and get rid of them. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it's a list of all of their crimes and attacks they've executed in the past, which is proof of what they've done. This gives the government incentive to go after them, otherwise they might not be high on their list of priorities. After the fundraiser they revealed themselves, yes, but it wasn't enough to produce a big counterforce." He finished. I nodded slowly, taking in all the information.

"I think I get it."

"To summarize, it's all we need to destroy them jam packed into a small file." Seven added.

"It's almost too good to be true." I whispered. "That this nightmare will be over. Are we sure it'll work?" V nodded.

"It will."

"Seven really saved us." I looked at Seven, who smiled warmly.

"Wait, what about Saeran?" I questioned. "What'll happen to him? He was part of Mint Eye."

"Indeed he was." V replied. Saeran's eyelids lowered and he looked down. "And yet he seems to have a change of heart."

"Kao was responsible for that." Seven added.

"I figured." V tapped his chin and contemplated this. Saeran figited under his gaze.

"He's a good person." I said quickly. "He is."

"Mmhmm...yes, I remember what the old Saeran was like. I remember looking after him when he was just a boy." I blinked.

"You knew him?"

"Yes, I knew him." V and Seven exchanged glances.

"What?" I inquired. "What is it?"

Seven looked at me directly. "Kao...I think it's time I told you about my past."

"...Your past?"

He nodded. "You're aware that Saeran and I are brothers." Saeran's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, of course." I replied.

"Well...we grew up together in a poor house and an abusive environment. It wasn't good for either of us and I tried to get us out of it. I learned how to hack and became proficient with electronics and computers, and that's around when I met V. He said that he could get me a job and together we could escape. So together, Saeran and I ran away."

V nodded. "I saw that Luciel's abilities were something else and I saw potential in him. I knew of an agency that was recruiting people like him and he got the job."

"And he left me." Saeran snarled. We all glanced at him. He was hugging his legs to his chest and was observing all of us with lowered eyelids. "He abandoned me with V." He spat the name.

"I joined that agency to support us both." Seven retorted angrily. "They wouldn't let me interact with anyone else so I had to have V look after you for the first couple of years I worked there."

"I didn't want to be supported." Saeran snapped. "I didn't want money, I didn't want to be protected. I just wanted to be with you, to live freely. But you saw an opportunity for greatness, and you took it, saying that it was for us when, in reality, it was for you." Seven looked at his brother, astonished. Saeran continued. "V didn't understand me at all. He kept reassuring me that you would come back, and eventually I believed him. It didn't take me long to realize that he was working with some kind of organization, an organization that stopped by his door every week to collect something, back then I didn't know what. I thought that maybe he was secretly communicating with you through them, I don't know, I was young back then, desperate to see my brother. So one day I decided to follow them—Mint Eye." His eyes narrowed. "That was perhaps the greatest mistake I ever made. They knew I was following them of course, and I almost died in when they questioned me. But they saw something in me, potential perhaps. They were entertained. They drove me back to their base and showed me all of their computers, their databases. I thought that it was exactly what my brother was doing, and I was elated, I thought that I could do it too. I didn't want to go back home, so I didn't. I failed to realize at the time that even if I did want to go back, I wouldn't be able to. And everyday I would fiddle with the electronics, teaching myself. For a while I was just a child playing with my toys, before I realized that my toys were the ones that were playing with me."

"I remember that day." V said quietly. Seven glared at V.

"You told me that he had killed himself, not that he had ran away."

"I had no idea what he did." V said defensively. "He was incredibly unhappy when we lived together for that brief amount of time. When he disappeared and all of his belongings were still in his room...I...I assumed that-"

"Well you clearly didn't assume right!" Seven yelled. I flinched. "You should have told me the details!"

"I didn't know the details." V replied softly. "And I knew that if I said he was missing, you would search for him until you became mad." Saeran was silent, his eyes were on his brother.

"I was torn after you told me he was gone." Seven whispered. "All that time I had worked, worked for both of us."

"Lies." Saeran murmured.

"No." Seven hissed, looking at his brother. "Listen to me, Saeran. Yes, you're partially right. I was so tired of being treated like I was worthless. I knew what I was capable of. And when V offered me a job I couldn't quite believe that I could have a chance to prove myself. So I did take it. I wasn't just thinking of just us, you're right. But every time I went on a mission it wasn't for the money, or my position. It was for you. It was because I knew how proud you'd be when I came back." Saeran opened his mouth to interject but Seven interrupted him and continued. "I'll be honest. During all of that I never bothered to see you as anything but my little brother." Seven said hurriedly. "I thought...I thought you needed to be supported. I never even began to imagine that you could have the same talents as I did. I thought that I had to be the hero. Yes. Just like with mom. And that was foolish of me, I realize that now."

"And-"

"But I searched for you!" Seven yelled. "And I cried for you. I nearly killed myself...but...I didn't." He said shakily. "Do you wish that I would have?" His question hung in the air. Saeran blinked, surprised.

"What?"

"I'm saying, do you wish I would have killed myself?" I flinched. I hate hearing Seven talk like this, hearing him in so much pain. But I stayed silent, this was between them.

"I…" Saeran grit his teeth. "Yes. Yes I did!"

"Lies." Seven replied. Saeran's eyes widened and he stood up abruptly.

"You think you know what I went through?" He demanded. "I do wish you were gone! I do!"

"No." Seven said calmly. "Kao was able to knock some sense into you, so I know I can too. You're my brother, and I know now that no matter how much you say you hate me, say you won't forgive me, I'll still love you. And I hope that eventually, you'll love me again too." There was silence between them. Saeran's looked at his brother with wide, furious eyes. His lower lip trembled before he hissed under his breath, spun on his heel, and stormed out of the room.

"Saeran!" I started towards him but V held me back.

"I'll go after him, don't worry. I'll make sure nothing bad happens to him." He gave me a quick nod before hurrying after Saeran. I took a few deep breaths and then glanced at Seven who was pale. He blinked slowly, as if fully realizing that his brother had gone.

"Do you think he wants me to die?" Seven asked finally. A soft breeze came in from the open window, stirring his crimson hair and ruffling his bed sheets. My breath hitched and I shook my head. I walked over to him and kneeled on the ground, resting my arms on the bed.

"No, don't say that. Saeran...I don't know him all that well, but I think he says a lot of things he doesn't mean."

"Sounds like you know him well enough." Seven said, staring at the wall in front of him ruefully. His chest rose and fell slightly. Slowly, I slid my hand into his. He blinked and then looked at me as his hair fell into his eyes.

"I was so scared." I whispered, clasping his hand tightly. "I was so terrified that you...that you had died. So don't say something like that so calmly." His gaze softened.

"I'm...sorry Kao. You've been through so much." I shook my head.

"Don't even start. You might have to get your foot amputated."

He observed me silently before he smiled. "Come here."

"Where?"

"Closer."

I flushed. "I'm...pretty close."

"You're not close enough." His golden eyes were locked on me and I flushed further.

"...Scoot over." He obliged and I got onto the bed before laying next to him, on my side. This was the closest we had been since the night he left. He seemed to read my thoughts and his eyes saddened.

"Did you...did you really do all that for us?" I inquired softly. He blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"Went to the Mint Eye base, got the folders."

"Mmhmm." He said softly. I swallowed.

"You could have died, that was s-stupid of you." Seven smiled a little before he pulled me towards him. I stiffened as his arms wrapped around me and he rested his chin on my head. We lay there in silence. My heartbeat thudded violently in my ears. "But...thank you." I said finally, flushing and hiding my face from him.

"I should be thanking you." Seven replied. I could feel the vibrations of his voice as he spoke. "You saved me, you know. You saved all of us." I felt him run his fingers through my hair. "Hmm...Kao?"

"Yeah?"

"I forgot to mention," Seven continued, "You look beautiful in that dress." I realized with a start that I was still wearing the dress from the fundraiser. It was torn and filthy now.

"Lies." I replied. He chuckled. Silence fell between us before he finally continued.

"Kao…" His tone suddenly became serious. "I'm sorry for leaving you." He said finally. "I shouldn't have, at least not like that." I was silent.

"So then why did you?" I demanded finally, pulling away and looking at him. He blinked.

"You know why."

"I know you did it to go after Mint Eye, but...after we kissed it seemed like you hated it so much...like you couldn't bear it. I mean...are you sure I don't disgust you?"

He frowned. "You could never disgust me. I left so quickly because I...I was scared."

"Of what?" I asked softly. His eyes flicked away from mine.

"Of you."

"Me?" Seven sat up slowly and sighed. "Yes."

"...How? I don't understand?"

"You wouldn't."

"Not if you don't explain." I crossed my arms. Seven was silent for a little before I raised an eyebrow at him.

He sighed once more. "I was scared of you because you made me forget about logic." He said, staring at the wall sadly. "When you were around me I wanted to act only on emotion, but I knew that it was that exact same emotion that could kill you. Getting close to you meant I put you in danger, what with Mint Eye around and all the enemies I had made as an agent. Of course, I didn't know at the time that you were already involved with Mint Eye, that you had been involved with them even longer than I had." He looked at me. Our eyes met and my heart skipped a beat as a surge of electricity crawled up my spine.

So all the times he had been distant to me, all the times he had ignored me, it was to protect me? I swallowed. Every time I had freeted that he didn't care for me at all, he actually cared so much that he would go through all that...for me? I flushed.

"So...it wasn't the kiss?" I asked finally. He laughed, it was a warm laugh that made me smile.

"No, it wasn't the kiss."

"...Okay." I muttered.

"On the contrary, I enjoyed the kiss quite a bit." I flushed profusely and pushed him gently.

"You don't have to be that forward!" He grinned. I wanted to melt, I hadn't seen that grin in such a long time and there it was.

"What?"

"Nothing~"

"Tell me."

"Nope."

He pouted. "You're so cruel!" I giggled and he continued. "I risk my life for you and when I come back you bully me." He teased.

"Cause you took so long."

"Yes, yes, my apologies madam."

"You're forgiven." His lips twitched upwards.

"So?"

"So what?"

"What did you think?" I blinked.

"Of?"

"The kiss." He said with a grin, observing me with lowered eyelids.

"It was absolutely terrible." I teased back.

"Yeah?"

"Yes!" I said with a giggle.

"Guess I have to make it up then." His lips curled up in a smile and he gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I froze, surprised and then slowly closed my eyes as he leaned closer.

And then the door opened. We both pulled apart in surprise and looked at the nurse who was standing in the doorway, clipboard in hand. She looked at us, astonished and then around the empty room.

"Everyone's gone?" She asked. Seven scowled.

"What do you need?"

She blinked. "Oh...sorry if I interrupted something, the doctor has good news though."

"What is it?" I could sense the impatience in his voice and smiled a little, slipping my hand into his.

"He can tell you himself." She stepped aside, revealing a middle aged man in white who stepped into the room.

"Good news," He said with a smile, "We think that your ankle should be fine, it's pretty beaten up but I don't think we'll have to amputate it." Seven's eyes lit up. "You'll have to stay hospitalized for a while but after that we can get you a cast and you'll be up and running again." Seven and I looked at one another, elated.

"Thank you." He whispered, glancing back at the doctor who nodded. A few minutes passed as the doctor continued to talk to Seven about his treatment that would occur in the next couple of weeks, until eventually he left the room with the nurse behind him. The door closed softly. There was silence between us as Seven released a long sigh and leaned back in his bed, closing his eyes.

"Thank god." He muttered as he massaged his forehead. I also let out a quiet sigh of relief. Seven would be okay—he wouldn't get his ankle amputated. I wouldn't know what I would do if he could never properly walk again. Didn't this only happen in movies? Where the bad guys were defeated, and everyone survived? I felt a light tug on my sleeve and glanced at Seven who was observing me with a smile on his face.

"You okay?" He asked. I beamed at him.

"Yeah." And for the first time in weeks, I really was okay. No, I was better than okay. I was blissful, elated.

"Seven?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't ever leave me again." It was a selfish statement, and I had said it without realizing it, but it seemed to make him happy.

"I won't, ever. It's over now, all of it. Mint Eye's going to be destroyed."

"What about your agency?" I inquired.

"I'm going to quit." Seven replied. "I don't think I can…" he paused. "Can stop myself from being with you." I smiled and I snuggled next to him, closing my eyes. The sunlight crept through the window, bathing us in warm light. I felt Seven rest his head on mine.

Yes. It really was bliss.

Two Days Later

There was a knock on the door and I opened it, letting Jumin in. He shut the door behind him and we took our seats in the hospital room that we had been in a mere two days ago—where the others were waiting. Zen, Yoosung, Jaehee, and V were there already, sitting in chairs around Seven who was resting on the bed.

"You're late." Zen said, his crimson eyes sliding to Jumin.

"There was traffic." Jumin said, too tired to be annoyed. He walked past me to the large TV that hung above the door and turned it on. "Good, they haven't started yet."

"Did Saeran really not want to come?" Seven asked. I nodded and sat down in a free seat. "...I see." His eyes saddened slightly.

"It's his choice, I can understand why he wouldn't want to." V replied. "Besides, there are people here who are...uncomfortable when he's around." I was silent and Zen stiffened.

"I mean...yeah. We should all be." Zen added. "Are you guys sure he's on our side…? I mean he was with Mint Eye wasn't he?"

"He's with us now. It's just...complicated." I replied adamantly.

"That's not an explanation." Zen responded. "You guys know that he was a terrorist right? That he tried to kill you and Seven? And all of us!"

"It's not that simple, yes, he's done terrible things, but that's only because equally terrible things have been done to him." V added. "Besides, he's the one who called the attack off, without that...well, you know what would have happened." There was silence before Zen crossed his arms and looked away.

"Well I don't trust him. And I don't think it's smart to just forgive him like that." There was a loud sigh as Jumin turned up the volume to the television.

"We didn't come here to discuss what's going to happen to Saeran, we came here to watch the destruction of Mint Eye, so let's do that."

"Has it started?" Jaehee inquired. In response, Jumin switched to a news channel that read 'The Reveal of a Large Terrorist Organization Causes Surprise Around the World.'

"It's breaking news." Jumin murmured. His hand supported his chin as he watched the screen, eyes alert. A man was on the television, holding a clipboard, and next to him was a woman that began to speak.

"The reveal of a terrorist organization called Mint Eye has caused several disputes around the world." She said. I stiffened at the sound of it's name. "It was first caused by the South Korean government receiving a file of extremely confidential information from an unnamed source. This file contained several sensitive documents concerning the whereabouts and crimes of Mint Eye. It's now known that the viral outbreak of 2015 was caused by this organization, as well as the large string of crimes from Entrie Enterprises. They were also responsible for the assassination of several South Korean government officials, including Goo Tai-Hee, and Lee Seo-Yon." I swallowed. "They were responsible for the attack on Llong Tower and the recent attack on the Busan Hotel a mere two days ago, as well as many unlisted crimes that I will not state here."

"Jesus." Zen muttered.

"It is unclear how they managed to avoid authorities up until now, but now several unsolved crimes from up to twenty years ago are getting their answers."

"That's correct Becky." The man next to her added. "With the information in the file, authorities have been able to pinpoint their many bases around the world." Another screen popped up, this one a collection of different buildings in several different locations. There was one embedded in a snowy mountain, and another hidden by a forest of trees. The man continued to speak. "And measures are being taken to ensure the destruction of these many bases."

"Several attacks are being launched on them now." The woman added, as the screen changed.

From the words 'Live' at the top I knew that this was currently happening. It was being recorded by a helicopter from up top that flew over a large building fenced in by barbed wire, decked with antennas and spotlights. There was a loud alarm and red lights that pulsed around it. Several trucks drove up to the fencing and soldiers jumped out from them, decked with guns. I shivered, remembering the men from the hotel. With the same emotionless faces, the same guns and-

I heard someone move and looked to my left, surprised when I saw Seven stand up from his arm chair and sit beside me, silent. I stared at him. His golden eyes flicked to mine. I'm here, they seemed to say. I swallowed as I slipped my hand into his and squeezed it. His eyelids lowered slightly and he squeezed back. I immediately felt calm. It was strange, how he could make me feel so calm just by being near me. He smelled like soap and detergent—like newly washed clothes. I relaxed, my shoulders brushing against his and looked back at the television.

"This is the South Korean Government." I flinched at the loudspeaker. Spotlights were turned towards the large building. "Turn off your defenses and surrender. I repeat, turn off your defenses and surrender." More spotlights were locked onto the base. After a few minutes, a small collection of people dressed in black reluctantly came out of the base with their hands up. A few spotlights were moved onto them, making them flinch and look away. Military personnel circled around those who were surrendering with their guns poised and ready while others handcuffed them. They were escorted off screen.

"This is the South Korean Government." Said the loudspeaker once more. "All remaining personel of Mint Eye come outside and surrender. This is your final warning." Silence. And then they waited. We waited too, tense, holding our breaths, not knowing what was going to happen next. Later, Jumin would tell me that it was only a minute, but it felt more like an hour that we waited. The helicopters hovered in midair, their targets locked on the building. The soldiers knelt on the ground, weapons in their hands. We all sat in agonized silence, wanting it all to be over.

And then the siege started. The soldiers stormed inside and the helicopters closed in, not shooting but preparing, in case there was any resistance. Yoosung pulled his legs up to his chest and pressed his forehead to his knees, refusing to watch. Jumin and Jaehee were silent. Zen's eyes were locked onto the table, away from the screen, narrowed. V observed the television with wide focused eyes. And Seven and I also watched it, hand in hand, silent.

And on that large screen, we saw the destruction of the organization that had (for some of us) plagued our entire lives. Moscow, Texas, Granada, Meissen, Sydney, Tokyo—bases all over the world, some hidden in plain view, and others seemingly impossible to find, all destroyed or emptied by the end of the attack. The camera returned to the base that we had seen earlier. It was covered in smoke and now completely destroyed. Rubble was scattered across the ground, piled near the decrepit walls that looked more like the remains of ruins than a former secret base. The barbed fencing that had previously surrounded the building was gone, crushed, and melded to the ground like netting. The spotlights had fallen to the ground, and broken glass was scattered across the grass. The supply crates that I had seen earlier were gone, along with any signs of life.

It was almost strange, that I had suffered from them so much and now they were destroyed. Was it really real? I couldn't help but think as I observed the abandoned pile of rubble. After a few more seconds of the shot on the remains, the video cut out. The two news reporters returned shortly and began to discuss the repercussions of the attacks and more depth on Mint Eye's past. I zoned out, my mind buzzing. It didn't feel real, if I was being honest.

Part of me just wanted to leave, to lock myself in my room and just think about what had happened in the last couple of weeks, who I really was, how many people I had affected, and had been affected by. To just ponder it all in the quiescent tranquility of my room, where no one else could bother me, something I hadn't been able to do in weeks. Another part of me wanted to stay here with my friends—with Seven. I was scared that it was too good to be true. That if I closed my eyes, Seven would disappear, that they all would disappear, Saeran wouldn't be on our side, and everything would go wrong.

I looked at the others for answers I wouldn't receive, who were still watching the news with grim faces. But it wasn't too good to be true. Sure, everyone was okay, but we had all gone through terrible experiences to get here. Saeran and V's entire lives had been cursed by Mint Eye, Seven's as well (not to mention the injuries he had sustained.) And Jumin, Yoosung, Zen, and Jaehee had experienced a terrorist attack, something no one should ever go through. No one was untouched by it.

After a few more minutes Jumin ended up shutting off the television. We all sat in deafening silence.

"They're gone." He said finally.

"Yeah." Seven replied softy. I nodded, numb. They were right: Mint Eye was truly gone.