CHAPTER 6

WOO BIN'S POV:

After knowing Ji-Hoo for most of my life, I like to think that out of all of the F4 I can read him the best. As the notorious "Poker Face" or "Snow Prince" of the 4 of us, Ji Hoo has always come across as cold and unfeeling. Which he can be…but Jan Di had managed to push & prod him out of his shell and back into the world of the living. I have been worried about him lately though. After Jan Di's wedding, he has thrown himself into work without any breaks. I have to give him credit. He has found the drive to continue his family's dream…But is it living? It's as if he is crawling into a different shell without living his life.

I was surprised when he called me about Saia Caelum. None of us had heard from him in a while and I am curious to know why he has taken an interest in her. When my men and I had arrived at her apartment to look for her father, the amount of blood had turned my stomach. I've seen much worse but it's the circumstances that disgust me. I admire Saia for putting up a fight to protect her siblings. If anyone ever tried to hurt my sisters, they would end up 6 feet under without hesitation. It is unthinkable that such a brutal attack came from their father.

The tiny apartment had been very sparse, with no indication of where the father had gone. In fact, finding ANY information on Eon Su-Jeong has been extremely difficult and frustrating. His gambling debts haven't been hard to track but any other information has been difficult to come by. Young Saeng told us about their Aunt and finding her had been easy but even she doesn't have much to say about her brother. He left home when he was 15 and she rarely speaks to him.

What baffles me the most is that he seems to have disappeared for a long period of time before marrying Saia's mother. He has a military record but I have been denied access to it. His records have been sealed for some reason and no amount of persuasion has given me a chance to look at it yet. He is definitely going to be difficult to find.

Ji-Hoo calls or texts me every chance he gets to ask how the search is going. He seems to be genuinely concerned about the situation and it piques my curiosity. I see him enter the trashy bar and hold back a grin at his obvious distaste for the location. I am surprised though by the look of anxious worry in his eyes before he regains his cool exterior. The only other time I've seen that look was when Jan Di had disappeared. I know that finding this guy is important to him but this is a lot more serious than I had originally thought.

Waving Ji-Hoo over to my table, I make a mental note to get what info I can out of my usually quiet friend."Yo! Ji-Hoo! Sorry for calling you to this place, buddy, but the guy we are going to meet insisted that it be here."

He raises an eyebrow at me and sits down. "Have you found anything new?"

I sigh and shake my head. "Not since we last spoke. Whatever is going on with Eon Su-Jeong, nobody is talking. Even my "influence" isn't working, hence the reason for you coming today. If this bookie sees that another F4 is involved in finding this guy, maybe he will crack."

Nodding, he shoves his hands in his pockets as he leans back in his chair. It's a clear sign of Ji-Hoo Frustration.

"Did Saia ever explain why she wasn't given her father's family name?" I ask.

"Apparently, he didn't want her to have it. Su-Jeong wasn't happy that she was a girl and told Saia's mom to name her. It probably wasn't a big deal to her mom because she is American. I don't think she realized the insult he was giving their daughter."

"You have taken quite an interest in her. I thought doctors are supposed to keep a distance from their patients."

"She isn't my patient." He narrows his eyes at me.

Bingo! Just as I thought! He definitely has more than a passing interest in her. Ji-Hoo doesn't go out of his way to help people outside of work unless they mean something to him.

"How is her recovery coming along?"

"Good. Her injuries are healing fast." He is watching me closely. "Why don't you just get right to the point, Woo Bin?"

I can't hide my smile any longer. "You like her."

"Yes…."

"A lot."

Ji-Hoo nods.

"Well then, we better find this son of a bitch Eon Su-Jeong before he tries anything else stupid." I say with a sigh but I can't wipe the grin off my face.

Glancing at my watch, I realize that the bookie is late. It's bad manners and really gets on my nerves….but something is off and I can feel the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Looking at Ji-Hoo, I can tell he notices it too and we both duck under the table as the first shots are fired. Fuck! I hate guns! Trying to find cover, we weave our way slowly through the bar. A bullet grazes my cheek and I dive under the nearest table. Jae Kyung will never forgive me if I get hurt before the wedding! I hear Ji-Hoo's gasp of pain as a bullet grazes his shoulder. The darkness of the bar is making it hard for the gunman to be accurate. I count at least 3 of them but neither I nor my men are carrying guns. Whoever they are, they are really good to almost get the drop on me. The darkness isn't going to help us for much longer though. We need a way out. If my men weren't distracting them, we would have already been dead.

How had a meeting with a small time bookie turned into being shot at? He knows who I am and what the consequences will be for crossing me or my family. This whole situation doesn't make any sense. Someone is trying very hard to keep questions about Eon Su-Jeong quiet.

"Shit!" I hear Ji-Hoo hiss in frustration. I can't agree more. What the fuck is going on?