Affectionately Yours

by starupabove

Summary:

A chance encounter becomes the spark that ignites the relationship between Cha Mijo and Lim Cheol-ryeong. Crossover AU.

Chapter 1: let's skip the club, let's skip the crowd

Nights at Ground Zero were the stuff of legends. Although it was relatively new compared to the older establishments surrounding it, people talked about their experience in the club as if they had been taken into another reality where time stopped but the drinks didn't. It was the place to go to for a good time.

Strobe lights were in rhythm with the music as the bodies on the dance floor moved with the beat. Laughter and shouts were heard from the tables surrounding the spacious floor. Bartenders were busy accommodating all the requests being thrown at them, and bouncers were station at every corner.

Laughter spilled from Jeong Chan-young's red lips after her boyfriend, Kim Jin-seok, had successfully delivered the punchline of his joke. The birthday girl looked gorgeous in a backless red blouse and black jeans that covered her long legs. Their little bubble was popped by a shout of birthday greetings that made them look up.

"Hey! Happy birthday!" Cha Mijo cheered, carrying a box of cake. Jang Joo-hee followed behind with the same greeting, holding a paper bag containing her gift. Only a short moment after, a waiter came with the drinks and nachos Chan-young had ordered prior to her best friends' arrival. "I was told you were completely smashed this morning. Care for another hangover, dear Chan-young?"

"No!" Cha-young laughed, shaking her head. "I'm never drinking that much again!"

"Says the girl who's in a bar right now," Joo-hee quipped playfully.

The younger woman shrugged. "It's one of the places in town where I don't have to spend a single dime."

As her fame as an actress skyrocketed, her mere presence had become the currency she needed to get into places.

"See here, ladies and gentlemen," Jin-seok started with a grin, placing his arm around his girlfriend. "A smart, practical woman. A woman I'm convinced I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Joo-hee's eyes widened. "Oh, my God! Was that a proposal?"

Jin-seok laughed, changing the topic for Chan-young's sake. "How was the date with the hotel chef last Saturday, Joo-hee?"

As the playful banter continued among the four people, two handsome men walked through the entrance on the other side of the club. The women loitering around threw appreciative glances over their way. While Lim Cheol-ryeong thought that it was because of his Korean-American partner standing beside him, he stayed oblivious to the fact that his gorgeous face had the power to turn heads as well.

"You need to loosen up, my man," Jack told him with a hard pat on his back. Cheol-ryeong subtly stepped away, still uncomfortable with how touchy-feely the other man was. Was this considered normal in America? Before he could ask, Jack ordered two beers from the bartender before turning back to him with a cheeky grin. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Cheol-ryeong could not help but speak up at that point. "Did you just speak in the third person right now?"

"The fact that you didn't understand the reference just proves my point. Cheers," Jack raised his beer and tapped it against his before they both took a swig.

The cheap beer tasted awful, but Cheol-ryeong masked his distaste well. It did not take long before women started flocking around them, a scenario that seemed to happen often whenever the two of them were together, but they tended to gravitate around his partner more, given his friendlier façade. Cheol-ryeong took the opportunity to disassociate, turning to face the dance floor and watch the partygoers have the time of their lives.

That was when he saw her.

She threw her head back in laughter as a response from something her friend had shouted into her ear. She was part of the trio that had their own little bubble on the dance floor. None of them seemed to have any rhythm, an observation that made him crack a small smile. They obviously didn't care about what other people think and just came to have some fun.

He must have been staring for far too long that one of her friends had started to notice. She cupped her mouth over her ear, making the latter turn her head towards the bar where he stood. The moment her eyes met his, he turned away with his heart thumping wildly from getting caught. One of Jack's girls caught his eye and started making her way towards him, and he backed into the bar like a trapped animal.

"Hi, handsome," she purred. Too much lipgloss and too much fake lashes for his taste. "Care for a drink?"

"Uh, I... actually -." Before he could continue on with his lame excuse, there was a light tap on his shoulder that captured his attention. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of her up close. She was even more beautiful than he thought. She gave him a small smile in greeting, and they both ignore the scoff of indignation from the other woman before she stalked off.

"Hi," she said, shy and unassuming, and it made him even more curious about her. "I am so sorry for bothering you. My friend forced me to come and say hello. It's her birthday, so I can't say no to her at the moment. So, hi."

Her blunt introduction successfully pulled a smile out of him. "Hi."

Whatever it was that she saw in his expression made her blush and look away. "Um, are you seriously drinking that?" she asked, gesturing towards his beer. "That tastes like piss. This is better."

She whistled to get the attention of the bartender, making his eyebrows shot up to his hairline, and ordered them both a drink with a name he couldn't remember. What he did remember was how her eyes turned into half-moons whenever she smiled, how she laughed out loud without a care in the world, and how her cheeks flushed when she had a drink too many. He found out that her name was Cha Mijo and that she was a doctor.

When her friends came over to say their goodbyes, her face fell at the realization that she had left them for so long. The brown-haired one insisted that it was fine, telling her that she deserved to have some fun as well. The wink she directed at them made Cheol-ryeong rub his neck and blush. When Mijo tried to leave with them, her friend glared at her and told her to stay. After a few minutes of bickering, she relented, and he felt triumphant.

Her friends left an awkward air in the wake of their departure. She must have felt it, too, with the way she shyly looked up at him before joining him in a little laugh. He turned to check on Jack, who nodded when he gestured that he was leaving, before asking her, "Do you want to get out of here?"

They found a stall a few blocks away that sold tteokbokki. He found out about her love for the gluttonous snack while she found out about his job as a police detective. "My partner told me that I work too hard and invited me out for some drinks," he shared as he sat on a plastic chair across from her. "Good thing you didn't see him. I would've had to fight for your attention if you did."

His statement made her smile and blush, but she managed to shoot back with a reply that made his stomach flip as well. "Well, if he was that Korean-American guy, then I did see him," she said slyly, before gesturing towards her face. "But, lucky for you, your face is more my type."

They walked off their midnight snack and talked about the sabbatical she took the year before. "I didn't realize how much I needed it until I did it," she told him, and he loved the way their feet moved in synchronous steps. "I was getting burnt out at work. I was no longer nice to the people around me. When I came back, I felt refreshed, and my family and friends saw the difference."

"What did you do during your sabbatical?"

"Golf, mostly." He made a face that she did not like. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

She hopped in front of him to stop him in his tracks. "Do you not like golf?"

He hesitated, realizing how much the sport meant to her. "Well..."

She gasped dramatically, holding a hand up to her chest.

"Well, I mean," he tried to reason. "It sounds a bit ridiculous to me. The way you hit the ball and go find it only to hit it again."

Her face turned serious before she held out her hand. "I guess this is the point where we say our goodbyes, Lim Cheol-ryeong."

He couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, come on. You're not being serious, are you?" The hand and expression remained, and he felt his heart fall. His brain raced for a remedy. "You could teach me."

A quirk of her eyebrow sparked hope inside his chest. "Why would I teach someone who finds golf ridiculous?"

"I was a fool back then. Forgive me?" He noticed how hard she was trying not to break into a smile, and so he pushed the envelope a little more. "You know, they say that having a pretty teacher helps students learn faster."

She punched him in the stomach, not bothering to hide her amusement anymore. "You're an idiot."

They passed by a flower shop that he insisted on going into. He pretended to look around, trying to catch which kind she might like, and noticed the way her gaze lingered on the peonies.

She had her nose buried in them as they walked out of the store. "They smell magnificent," she sighed dreamily before thanking him again. He wondered what else he could do to make her look at him that way. "You should have one. So that you won't forget about me."

He couldn't find the courage to tell her that he didn't need a flower to remember her. They have walked for hours that they managed to reach the apartment building where she lived.

"This is me," she said softly, looking up before turning to him with a shy smile. "I had a wonderful time tonight."

"Me, too," he replied, tucking his hands into his pockets. "You are very easy to talk to, Cha Mijo."

She searched his face for a few moments before leaning in to give him a quick peck on his cheek. "We should do this again sometime," she invited, glancing down at his pocket where his phone was tucked into. "You know my number."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll call you."

When he woke up the next day with a bad hangover, he still managed to crack a smile when he saw the flower on his kitchen counter.

Chapter 2: he was sunshine, i was midnight rain

After an emotionally draining day, Mijo unfortunately found herself unable to sleep. The events of the last twenty-four hours kept reliving themselves over and over whenever she closed her eyes. She felt vulnerable, helpless against any threat that might strike at any time. With a frustrated sigh, she sat up on her bed and turned on the beside lamp before reaching for her phone. Noticing the time that read a little after one in the morning, she hesitates.

It has been a long while since she made contact with him. After a wonderful night together, their follow-up date kept on getting postponed because of various reasons. They were both adults, both of them knew that life got in the way sometimes, but knowing that didn't make it easier. And so, their communications ceased after a while. And she began to think that maybe they were only meant to cross paths once.

But ever since meeting that stranger that demanded money that her biological mother owed him, the thought of him kept nagging at her in the back of her mind. Her thumb hovered over the screen for a moment before pressing his number. With her heart in her throat, she held her device up to her ear. Then, it leapt the moment she heard his voice, strong and warm despite the late hour.

“Mijo?”

“Cheol-ryeong, did I wake you?”

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang, and she opened the front door of her apartment for him. When she found out that he was still working at the precinct, she told him to stop and come over to talk. A part of her worried that he might not want anything to do with her after their lack of communication for so long, but he eased her concerns with the way he seemed to have dropped everything at her invitation.

"Are you okay?" he asked by way of greeting, shrugging off his outer coat. He had grown even more handsome since the last time they saw each other. "What's the matter?"

She decided to tease him a little. "Why did you automatically think that there is something wrong?"

He gave her a look. "You don't seem like the type of woman who invites men over just because."

She blushed, suddenly aware of how alone they were. "Right," she said before clearing her throat and leading the conversation to the matter at hand. "There's something I want to show you."

The screen of the laptop sitting on the kitchen counter showed them the CCTV footage of the clinic that day. She pointed at the man who was in the elevator with her, the same who was conversing with the technicians at the front desk, and the same who entered her office later that afternoon. She told him that he came to ask her for money and asked what she could do to make sure that he doesn't come back to bother her again.

There was a hard expression on his face as he listened to her story. She had never seen it before, having only encountered the playful side of him when they met. "If this happens again, we can file a case of stalking," he told her and then listed some other options if he ever tried something even more serious. She only managed to nod, feeling a little shaken at the possibilities. "You haven't answered me yet."

She looked up at him at the sudden change in topic. "With what?"

"I asked if you were okay, and you didn't answer me directly," he explained. He reached over to close the laptop, indicating that they were done talking about the incident. She tore her gaze away from his and felt her cheeks warming at the realization of their proximity. She had forgotten how good he smelled. "You look different from the last time we saw each other."

She tried escaping the line of questioning with a soft chuckle, finding jokes better than the truth. "Telling a woman that she looks haggard is not the way to go, Cheol-ryeong."

“Not haggard,” he murmured while placing a hooked finger under her chin to make her look up at him. “Just... sadder.”

The soft tone he used did not help as she tried to keep her emotions at bay. His hand moved up to gently cup her face as he continued to say, "Tell me what's wrong, Mijo."

"Did I ever tell you that I was adopted?" she asked with her voice faltering at the last syllable. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly, but she felt relieved that she saw no pity in them. "I am luckier than most because I was adopted by a wonderful family. My parents love and support me the same way they do my older sister, who is their biological child, but I didn't think that way when I was younger. I tried to find my biological mother, but I failed. Instead of finding her, I met my best friends. You met them back in the club way back."

She didn't get to tell him back then, but she also found him quite easy to talk to. So, the whole story spilled out of her. "You remember the brown-haired girl? Her name is Chan-young. A month after her birthday, we found out that she has cancer," she paused when his hand fell from her cheek to squeeze hers in comfort. "She is doing really well, actually. She has been getting the proper treatment, and she seems to be responding well. We all hope that it continues."

"I'm glad to hear that," he smiled gently. "You two seem to be very close."

"We are," she affirmed with her voice reduced to a mere whisper. "That's what made the news hit harder."

She thought that she had cried out all the tears that she could that day. The sobs overwhelmed her once again, but she found out how his embrace anchored her from getting swept up in the storm of her emotions.

"During the early days, Chan-young told us about some wishes that she has for us," she continued to tell him after the wave had subsided. "For me, she wanted to find my biological mother. We found out the truth just a few weeks ago. That I was right about finding her in that restaurant years ago. That Joo-hee's mother kept the truth from me because she thought it would be best. And right now... now that I know, she was wise to keep it a secret from us."

She told him about meeting her biological mother who was serving a sentence in the penitentiary and about how she broke down afterwards because of how awful she was. "She never loved me. She couldn't have. I know how it feels to be loved. My parents, my sister show it to me everyday. And that... that wasn't it." She paused for a moment, only realizing how their hands have intertwined and how tightly she was holding onto him. She didn't let go. "The man who demanded money from me - he was a creditor chasing after my mother. She pointed him to me."

He brought her hands up to press a kiss on her knuckles. "I'll take care of it," he said, a gentle promise that contrasted against the fierce determination in his eyes. "I'll make sure that he won't bother you again."

She wondered how he could be real. Someone like him seemed too good to be true. Then the current situation dawned on her. “I’m sorry for calling so late," she said, keeping her voice low. "You are the only person I know who isn’t involved with my friends or my family. I needed someone who can look at this objectively and... you seem like the perfect fit for that.”

He nodded in understanding, “Of course. I told you before that you can call me anytime. I don’t give my number just to anybody.”

“Yeah, I remember,” she replied softly. When he asked her if there was anything else that she wanted to tell him, serious and unassuming, she wondered if this man ever had a woman in his life. He seemed oblivious about a lot of things. “Do you want to stay for a drink?”

---

“If you ever find yourself without a job tomorrow, you can always apply at the clinic,” Mijo told him as they sat adjacent to one another at the coffee table she had in her living room. “I am sure I can find something for you to do there.”

Cheol-ryeong chuckled, clinking their shot glasses together before taking a shot of soju. “Thank you for the offer, but I think my boss will understand if I take a sick day tomorrow. I did stay until after midnight working today.”

“Sounds like you are quite the workaholic,” she commented mildly. “Do you do that often? Overtime?”

“Sometimes, if the case is particularly hard to crack," he poured them both another shot. “My friends tell me that I need to loosen up more. Go out partying or get a girlfriend or something.”

She bit the inside of her cheek to appear nonchalant about the new topic. “Yeah, working too hard isn’t good for anybody,” she added. “Are you the forever alone type?”

He playfully glared at her. “That sounds like an insult.”

“It is.”

A laugh escaped him, eliciting a smile from her. “We can talk about my love life some other time. Sad and sad don’t go well together.”

“I’m not sad anymore,” she quickly remedied, making him glare at her again. That response of his right there and then became a favorite. “Come on. I refuse to believe that someone like you doesn’t have tons of girls falling at your feet.”

He laughed with an expression that showed her how uncomfortable he was with the topic. “I will talk about mine if you tell me yours first.”

She shrugged, finding the challenge easy. “I had a boyfriend back in med school. Drifted apart during residency. Had a few dates here and there, but they never really amounted to anything. Lately, there’s a new doctor at the clinic trying to make a move on me. I find him a bit boring though.”

“Poor guy.”

It was her turn to glare at him for his poor attempt at sympathy. “Try not to sound too happy about it,” she teased, baiting him. He only shrugged, wearing a secret smile she has yet to understand. “Okay, enough about me. Your turn.”

He turned a little serious. “Are you sure you really want to know?”

Upon her affirmation, he continued, “I only have had one woman in my life. She was also a detective.” The past tense that he used made her heart drop. “She got shot in the field some years back. Since then, I have kind of given up on romance. Too much heartbreak.”

Unable to find the right words, she scooted over to wrap her arms around him in an embrace. “I’m so sorry,” she said softly. “I shouldn’t have -.”

He stopped her with a small squeeze. “Don’t be. I wouldn’t have told you if I didn’t want you to know.” She pulls back to look at him. “Promise me that you’ll tell me if that man bothers you again, okay?”

“I promise.”

“Good,” he murmurs.

The air changed between them. They have never been closer than they were at that moment, and she couldn't help the way her eyes dropped down to his lips before going back up to meet his gaze once again.

“I’m glad you called me tonight.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” he said. “I know what it feels like to be sad on your own. I never want you to feel that way. Not if I can help it.”

After hearing those sweet words, there was no other response proper other than leaning forward and pressing her lips against his. His rugged appearance hid how soft his lips are, and she found herself delighted over the fact that she now knew that secret. He deepened the kiss while burying his hand into her hair.

Tongues touch and she’s lost.

When they pulled away for air, he kept her close, leaning his forehead against hers, as he tried to hide his uneven breathing. “Mijo.”

“Hmm?”

“I hope you don’t find me boring.”

Chapter 3: i have been under scrutiny, you handle it beautifully

Lim Cheol-ryeong should always, always wear a suit.

He looked like he was walking towards her in slow motion. Fixing the watch on his wrist, straightening his suit jacket, turning his gaze from the side to look straight at her. There was a smile slowly forming on his lips as he tucked one hand into his pocket.

Was he trying to kill her? With air trapped inside her lungs, she helplessly watched him come closer, hoping she doesn't embarrass herself when she opened her mouth to greet him.

What should she say? Her brain had officially stopped functioning at the sight of him.

This night felt like their first official date. Although they did agree that the night they met was as good a first date as any, this just seemed more official. They were wearing formal attire after all, and neither of them were drunk.

He reached her side, greeting her with a soft kiss on her cheek and squeezing her hand. "Hello," he smiled with his deep dimples appearing. "You look beautiful."

"And you..." she gave him another once-over and had to physically restrain herself from making a noise that would definitely make things awkward. "You shouldn't look like that."

He laughed, delighted and confused at the same time, looking down at his suit. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

Messing with him a little, she leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially, "I thought you said you wanted me to be your girlfriend."

The light in his expression faded. "I do," he answered seriously, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "What - what made you think that I have changed my mind?"

"How can I possibly compete with every single woman in this lobby currently undressing you with their eyes right now?" she asked. "Women are stronger than they look, you know."

He began to laugh again, shaking his head in disbelief. "You are something else, Cha Mijo," he commented with his eyes sparkling. "Don't worry. I'll protect you. Now, shall we go inside?"

The philharmonic orchestra was scheduled to play Rachmaninoff that evening. During one of their late night conversations over the phone, she told him how the composer's music shaped her childhood and how it remained a staple in adulthood. He shared that he listened to Debussy the most when it came to classical music but was open to new suggestions. And that was what sparked her idea for their date.

Once they have settled into their seats, she found the theatre almost packed. She had been to many of these shows before, but she never noticed how many people were in the audience with her.

She felt as if she was being watched.

Her leg only stopped bouncing when he placed a warm hand on it. "Are you okay?" he asked gently. "You seem anxious."

"Just nervous, I guess," she admitted, tucking her hair behind her ear and opting to focus on the reality of them. "I have never really planned a date before. So, I really hope you will like it."

Hearing that, he smiled and brought her hand up to his lips for a kiss, something she found more and more endearing the more he did it. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm fine as long as I am with you," he assured her with sincerity shining in his eyes. "Thank you for sharing this part of your world with me."

Her heart melted from his words. She leaned forward to give him a proper kiss. The lights dimmed the moment they parted, and she moved to rest her head on his shoulder, wondering how she managed to live her life without him for so long.

After the magnificent show, they walked out of the theatre, wearing big smiles and already planning to check the next shows the orchestra would be hosting soon. "Oh, before we leave, I have to go to the restroom real quick," she told him before stopping short at the sight of a familiar figure in the lobby. His own gaze followed her line of sight before she called out his name. "Seon-woo?"

Kim Seon-woo turned around upon hearing her voice. His features lighted up at the sight of her only to falter slightly when he noticed her companion. "Oh, Mijo. I'm surprised to see you here."

"No, I'm surprised to see you here. I didn't know you were a fan of Rachmaninoff," she replied with her voice holding a tinge of awe that didn't escape Cheol-ryeong. "Are you here all by yourself?"

The other man chuckled but nodded. "Yes, my sister bailed on me at the last minute. Must be embarrassing to be seen with her big brother on a weekend instead of partying out with her friends."

"Oh, I doubt that," she consoled him, feeling bad. Then she remembered who she was with. "Oh, Seon-woo. Meet Lim Cheol-ryeong. Cheol-ryeong, this is Seon-woo, the new doctor at the clinic."

The two men greeted each other cordially with a bow and a handshake. She pretended not to notice how the doctor had to flex his fingers afterwards.

"Mijo, didn't you say you needed to visit the restroom?" Cheol-ryeong was looking at her expectantly after raising the question while Seon-woo looked like he would rather be anywhere else.

"Yes, I did say that," she answered slowly, knowing that it was going to be a battle of testosterone between the two with her gone, and gave them both a tight-lipped smile. "I will be right back."

Before she turned to leave, she hissed under her breath as her words were meant for only him. "Be nice."

Cheol-ryeong had the audacity to wink. "Of course."

Despite her wanting to make her restroom trip as quick as possible, there was always the line at the ladies' room that had to be endured first. By the time she was in the middle of washing her hands afterwards, she took her time, knowing that whatever private conversation Cheol-ryeong wanted to have with Seon-woo would have been settled long before she could even come back.

Only when she was pulling the paper towels from the dispenser to dry her hands did she notice how the restroom had become eerily quiet and void of any activity.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as her breathing shallowed. It was the same feeling that she had earlier inside the theatre. The feeling of someone watching her heightened. Without wasting a second, she threw the balled-up paper towel into the trash bin and yanked the door open, startling herself and the woman who was about to enter. After apologizing, she briskly walked away from the scene, feeling her heart permanently lodged in her throat.

Cheol-ryeong was alone when she found him standing where she left him. There was a small smile playing on his lips at the sight of her, as if he were expecting some form of admonishment or teasing, only to be wiped away when she suddenly pushed herself into his arms.

"Hey," he started, placing a hand on her back, and felt her shaking under his touch. "Hey, what's the matter? What happened?"

"Can we go? Please," she implored with her eyes darting nervously towards where she had come from. "I feel like I can't breathe."

"Of course, let's go," he assured her, taking off his jacket to place it over her shoulders to keep her shivers at bay.

The walk towards the parking lot and the drive back to her apartment were wrought with silence and tension. She felt shame and embarrassment and every ugly emotion as she thought of her irrationality ruining a good night. Why couldn't she just tell him the truth? It wasn't something that was new. He knew that there was someone demanding money from her. It might be them.

When the car rolled into a stop in front of her building, he turned to her with a gentle request. "Mijo, talk to me. What happened back there?"

Still, jokes were better than the truth. "Some ladies were side-eyeing me in the bathroom, saying that you could do better."

They both knew that she was lying, but Cheol-ryeong didn't push her. Instead, he gave her a gentle smile while caressing her hand. "There's no way I can do better. I already have the best."

Blinking back tears, she opted to give him a quick kiss and say her goodbyes before she started crying in front of him again. "The next date is on you, okay?"

She went through the motions of stepping out of the car, riding the elevator up to her floor, and walking down the hallway to the door of her apartment with her mind a million miles away.

It only sharpened into focus when she noticed her front door slightly ajar.

She held her hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet and began walking backwards to the elevators, keeping her eye on the door and praying that the intruder wouldn't suddenly jump out. Pressing the down button repeatedly did nothing to prompt the car back to her floor. Thankfully, the other one was on its way up and stopped exactly where she needed it.

Suddenly, dread filled her entire being.

Because no one else lived there but her.

The door opened, and it was Cheol-ryeong on the other side.

"Mijo, you need to tell me -."

She pushed him back inside the elevator and pressed the close button with an urgency that made him shut up. Only when the car began its descent was she finally able to breathe again.

Chapter 4: me to you, you to me

The adrenaline rush afterwards prompted Mijo to alert her friends and family that her apartment was off-limits for the time being, which spiraled into a huge conference call with everyone in it trying to make sure that she was all right and asking her where she was. Meanwhile, Cheol-ryeong was also on the phone with his team, alerting them about the incident and telling them to check the place out as soon as possible.

When the call was finally over, it dawned on her that she was standing on the balcony of his apartment, still in her dress with his jacket draped over her shoulders. After everything that happened, their date felt like a lifetime ago. She turned around at the sound of the sliding door quietly opening and found him standing there with his hair disheveled and his sleeves rolled-up to his elbows.

"Everything okay?" he asked in a gentle tone that held a tinge of worry, drying his hand with a kitchen towel. His expression cleared upon seeing her nod. "Come on in. You must be hungry."

Two bowls of janchi guksu greeted her upon her reentry into his apartment. "Did you make this?" she asked with wide eyes. "You can cook?"

"Well, I had to learn how if I wanted to eat," he answered with colored cheeks. Her stomach rumbled as she held a spoonful of broth up to her lips. "How is it?"

After her first taste, she turned to him with renewed admiration. "You are too perfect."

He ducked his head, chuckling. "It's just noodles."

They ate in companionable silence for some time, with the food not only filling their stomachs but also calming their hearts.

She stole subtle glances over at him from time to time, noticing how at peace she felt in his presence. Before she lost herself to her feelings, she teased him, "Tell me a flaw of yours. Just so I know that I am not dreaming you up."

"Hmm. That's quite difficult," he teased back.

She nudged him with her shoulder. "Come on. Like a weakness or something."

"You."

Normally, she would have outed him as a big flirt with that kind of response, but there was something in his expression that told her that he wasn't joking around. He reached over to take her hand. "I am really glad that you are here with me right now," he continued to say. "I honestly hesitated for a moment there because I thought you wanted to be alone. I'm glad that I went up to check on you instead of leaving."

Suddenly shy and embarrassed, she looked down at their intertwined hands instead of his eyes. "I'm glad you did, too. I'm sorry for ruining our evening. We were having such a great time, and I..."

"No, don't apologize for that," he interrupted, squeezing her hand. "They ruined our evening, whoever they are. We might have their identification soon. I have some colleagues at your apartment at the moment. They'll be reporting back to me soon."

Leaning in to press a kiss on his cheek, she whispered, "Thank you. And thank you for letting me stay over. I promise to get out of your hair once all this blows over."

"Stay as long as you want, Mijo."

Later on, he insisted on cleaning up in the kitchen on his own and pushed her to change in his room. She found herself standing in the tidiest bedroom with a fresh toothbrush and a change of clothes. She took the opportunity to look around, finding it cozy yet devoid of anything personal. There was a library of books. No framed photographs, only a cork board of newspaper clippings. There were no excess in sight, everything was only exactly what he needed. Straightforward and neat. Much like the owner.

She replaced her long dress with his white shirt and pajama bottoms, finding them warm and comfortable. They smelled like him and drowned her small frame, but she didn't mind. She brushed her teeth and washed off her makeup with a little of his facial wash. When she was done, she stepped out of the room and found a fresh cup of chamomile tea waiting for her on the kitchen counter.

He was on the balcony, talking to someone on the phone. It might have something to do with the situation over at her apartment with the way trouble clouded his expression.

Taking her tea in the living room, she tucked her feet underneath her on the couch and turned the tv on in a low volume to distract herself. When he came back inside, he went straight into his room without a glance at her direction. It took him a while before he came out to sit next to her. They almost matched, except for the color of their pajama bottoms, and he told her that they didn't catch the intruder.

"They are in the middle of reviewing the CCTV footage and questioning building security about their lax protocols," he reported. "Whoever it was must have heard us and ran off."

"What do we do now?"

"Is there any place where you can stay for the time being? And is it possible for you to take a leave at work until we have him?" he asked. "You are like a sitting duck in those two places."

Her mind raced with the possibilities. "I can always stay with my parents -."

"No, if your biological mother sent him to you, we have to assume that she might have told him about your family," he reminded her. "How about friends?"

"Chan-young has enough on her plate, and Joo-hee just got her new apartment," she murmured, biting her thumbnail between her teeth. "I would rather not know what goes on inside my sister's apartment. How about Seon-woo?"

Cheol-ryeong recoiled. "Seon-woo?"

"Yeah," Mijo affirmed, oblivious to his incredulity. "That seems safe, right? I mean, we have no connection whatsoever outside of work. That man won't think to look for me there."

He released a chuckle that sounded like an offended scoff. "If you are considering his place, then why not stay here?"

"Oh, I..." she blinked. "I didn't know your apartment was one of my options."

"Of course, it is!"

She jumped at his fierce insistence that was somehow rendered moot by his pout. "All right, okay! I just didn't want to overstay my welcome. That's all. You've already done so much for me."

"Well, I might have not done enough if you still think that you are safer with him than with me."

He began muttering things under his breath afterwards, reaching for the remote control and flipping through the channels without seeing what each was presenting.

She couldn't contain her smile at his display of jealousy. How adorable.

Putting down her cup on the coffee table, she scooted closer and placed a hand on his cheek to make him look at her. "I do feel safe," she said. "I feel warm and protected whenever I am with you."

He remained unconvinced. "Now who is the flirt between us?"

"Still you," she murmured before closing the distance between them in a kiss.

A little coaxing proved helpful before he gave up his act and opened up to her. His hand slid up her back to rest on her nape and hold her where he wanted her. He still felt a little out of reach, too far away for the proper kiss she had been craving all evening. And so, she pushed herself up and sat on his lap with her legs on either side of him. Her sudden proximity made him look up at her in breathless wonder. She touched his face with her hands in gentle caresses, committing to memory how handsome he looked at that moment.

"What are you doing?" he asked, searching her eyes and her face for something she didn't know.

"Something I wanted to do since I saw you in that suit," she whispered before capturing his lips with hers once more.

The kiss was slow, drugging, intoxicating, taking its time. They have kissed before, but never like this. Never like a prelude to something more. The warmth of his mouth introducing her to heightened sensations that she had never experienced before and prompting her to press herself closer to him. Her hands that were resting on his shoulder to steady herself rose up to card her fingers through his hair, her nails lightly scratching his scalp, and his responding moan reverberated within her, bringing every molecule in her body to life. And she couldn't get enough.

He pulled back, barely, to whisper with his lips still moving against hers. "Can I touch you?"

Desire slammed into her like a freight train, and he silenced her whimpers with a deeper kiss. He slid his hands underneath the shirt she wore, and she sank deeper in his embrace. Warm, calloused fingers stroking the bare skin of her back, and the desperate need to know his touch all over her body made her ache for him. Feeling the power shift, he took matters into his hands and flipped them over until he had her lying on her back with him hovering over her.

"Come back here," she ordered, still in the haze of his kiss, and pulled him down. The weight of him on her tethered her to reality, and he cradled her head between his hands like something precious. He took a moment to look at her, glassy eyes and flushed cheeks, before sinking down to meet her reddened lips with his. The urgency had tapered off, replaced by an indescribable warmth that filled her from head to toe. "I thought of inviting you up to my apartment earlier. Before the whole thing happened. Good thing I didn't."

"You underestimate me," he murmured, pressing a line of kisses down the column of her neck. "I will hurt anyone who dares to touch you."

"Is that a promise?"

"Cross my heart."

Chapter 5: treat me soft and tender, love me hard and true

Notes:

This chapter is R18.

"Cheol-ryeong samchon!"

The fourteen-year-old shrieked with her eyes bugged out, realizing what she held in her hands. Mijo couldn't help but chuckle along with the rest of the group when she began jumping up and down and hugging said uncle, who just walked back into the room after leaving something in the kitchen. Cheol-ryeong looked bewildered, tapping her back and scanning the room for answers.

"She couldn't wait to open your present," Kang Jin-tae, Cheol-ryeong's partner-turned-boss, said by way of explanation, which cleared up the expression on the younger man's face and brought out a smile.

When the birthday celebrant released him from the hug to marvel at the concert tickets again, he spoke up, "I was told that you are at the top of your class, Yeon-ah. Keep it up, and you can expect more presents like that from me."

"Damn it, Cheol-ryeong. Stop spoiling her," Jin-tae grumbled good-naturedly.

Park So-yeon, his wife, whispered over to Mijo. "Sometimes, we feel like our daughter loves Cheol-ryeong more than me and her father combined."

Mijo giggled, finding the whole exchange heart-warming and hilarious.

Yeon-ah, clearly hearing none of the words from her parents' mouths, was looking up at him in teary wonder before giving him a mock salute, "I will do my best, samchon!"

Cheol-ryeong messed up her bangs before walking over to sit beside Mijo on the couch. "So, whose present are we opening next?" he asked, placing an arm around her to keep her close.

"You can't raise the bar that high and watch everyone else fail to bring out the same reaction," Jack complained to which the others agree. Cheol-ryeong only shrugged with a self-satisfied expression to which Mijo had to hide a smile. "You should open your dad's gift next, Yeon-ah."

"You bastard," Jin-tae laughed, throwing the balled-up wrapper from Cheol-ryeong's gift at him.

Soon after, there were scattered gift wrappings and ribbons all over the floor. Birthday candles blown, well-wishes and applause all around. And the nerves Mijo suffered earlier dissipated.

When Cheol-ryeong invited her to come to the party with him, she knew that she would also be meeting his closest friends. She was pleasantly surprised when they welcomed her warmly and made her feel as though she had been part of their group for a long, long time.

Their dinner conversations ranged from work complaints to must-try restaurants to Jin-tae's embarrassing stories to Jack's impossible stints before it finally arrived to her awaited subject.

"It did take us a while to get through to him," Jin-tae started, opening another bottle of soju. "He barely talked in the beginning and would do all these crazy things as if he were in an action film."

Min-young piped up. "Oh, yeah. I remember the first time we saw him on the news. There was a car chase, and Cheol-ryeong jumped on top of the moving vehicle to stop the man from getting away."

"I am still trying to figure out how he managed to fight off nine armed men with a roll of tissue paper," Jin-tae brought up. "But I did manage the tenth guy with a mean kick on the chest."

"Honestly, and he knows this, I hated him during the first few months because Jin-tae would always come home black and blue," So-yeon added. "It was only later when I found out that my husband's injuries were really his own fault."

Amidst the others' laughter, Jin-tae complained, "Ya, yeobo. You should be on my side."

Cheol-ryeong placed a hand on her bouncing leg under the table, her anxiety far away from the eyes of others. "Come on, you guys," he admonished lightly. "You exaggerate. I wasn't that bad."

Jack laughed. "Man, even I would admit you are kind of insane sometimes. Remember our last case, when you ran towards that madman with a gun, unarmed? Thought you were a goner."

Cheol-ryeong chanced a glance over at her before saying, "Okay, cut it out. You're scaring Mijo."

Mijo gave them a firm smile despite her feelings, "No, no. Please. Don't stop on my account."

Her expression must have gave her away because they quickly abandoned the topic altogether. Despite their attempts with outrageous stories and hilarious anecdotes, she couldn't erase the thought of Cheol-ryeong in danger from her mind. The memory of him telling her about his wife dying on the field made her realize that there was a high possibility of him facing the same fate.

"Hey," the sound of his voice snapped her out of her reverie. She found herself in the middle of brushing her teeth inside his bathroom. The party was hours ago, but the conversation remained fresh in her mind. "Are you okay? You have been quiet since the drive home."

After rinsing her mouth, she gave him a firm smile and a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" he prodded on, following her to the makeshift vanity table she made. After two weeks of living in his apartment, some of her things have made their home there, including her beloved skincare. "You know you can talk to me about anything that's bothering you, right?"

"Mm-hm," she answered, keeping her hands busy and trying to keep her tears at bay. "I know."

"Okay."

Dropping the topic, he disappeared into the bathroom, and she quickly wiped her tears away with the back of her hands. She blamed fatigue for her emotions. And by the time he came out, she was already under the covers, pretending to be fast asleep, to avoid any more conversation.

After dropping a kiss on her head, he quietly closed the bedroom door behind him. He had been sleeping in the living room since she started staying there despite her telling him that she was not that old-fashioned.

"Well, I am, Mijo," he told her with flushed cheeks and avoidant eyes. "Old-fashioned."

The memory of him flustered afterwards and the warmth she felt inside made her open her eyes and move to rest on her back with a sigh. Truth be told, she was worried about how strongly she felt for him. She wanted a future with him, but the thought of him dying by risking his life out there every day made her feel like someone had reached into her chest and ripped her heart out.

What more if that became her reality? Would she even survive a loss with such gravity?

She needed some air. She pushed back the covers and wrapped a thin robe around her, but her journey to the balcony was stopped when she opened the door to find Cheol-ryeong standing there on the other side with his hand up mid-knock.

Awkward air filled the next few seconds that ticked by before he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry," he said. "I just wanted to make sure that you're okay. I hope you don't regret going to the party."

"No, no. It's not that," she quickly assured him. "I had a wonderful time."

He searched her face for an answer. "Then what is it that's bothering you? Please. Tell me."

The right words eluded her for a few minutes before she settled with, "Are the stories true? Did you really jump onto a moving vehicle? Did you run towards an armed man without protection?"

"Some of them are true," he answered. At her pointed look, he remedied his answer. "Okay. All of them are true."

Trying to let that sink in, she slowly nodded, "I see."

"Mijo," he murmured tenderly, stepping forward to take both her hands in his. "I'm not reckless."

Leaning her head against the door, she sighed, "That may be, but you are human. What if...?"

"No, don't think about the what ifs. The 'what is' is more important," he reminded her. "And, right now, I am standing in front of you, holding your hand, and telling you that you don't have to worry about me. If I promise you that I will be more careful, would that make things better?"

As he leaned his forehead against hers, she asked, "You are not just saying that to shut me up?"

He chuckled. "No. I do promise you that. Besides, I happen to love coming home these days."

That finally brought out a smile.

She tilted her head up for a kiss and released a small, satisfied sound when his lips brushed hers. She had been craving for his touch all evening, especially after witnessing the not-so-subtle glances Min-young kept throwing his way during the party. It took everything in her not to abandon her dignity and mark her territory.

He brought her back to the present by pulling her flushed against him. Kissing Cheol-ryeong, no matter how passionate or how chaste, always ignited a fire in her that couldn't be ignored. The way his body was pressing on all the right places prompted her to speak what was on her mind.

"Stay here with me," she sighed into the kiss to which he responded with a passive hum. "Cheol-ryeong, do you hear me? I need you here with me tonight."

He looked dangerous and sexy the way he studied her with dark eyes and reddened lips. He carefully placed his hands underneath her robe before sliding the material off her shoulders. Without a word, he simply picked her up in his arms and kicked the door closed with his foot.

He placed her in the middle of his bed like something precious before coming down to kiss her again and again. She returned each of them just as fiercely until her head started spinning. His knee slipped between her legs to part them, and the delicious press of his body sent her reeling.

She reached down to the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.

Then, his kisses had become hotter, wilder, his tongue teasing hers. His hands were inching up from her waist to the sides of her breasts. Distracted by his incessant lips and wandering hands, she did not expect the strong shock of arousal that hit her when he rocked his hips against hers.

"Oh, God," she gasped, her breath coming out in shallow pants and soft whimpers, and he began sucking on the sweet spot on her neck. Her slip had bunched up underneath her breasts, and the feeling of his bare skin on hers felt electrifying. It felt too much and too little at the same time.

He pulled her slip over her head and stopped for a moment to look at her, catching his breath. She felt a little self-conscious with the way he was staring at her, but he quickly quashed her worries with a simple statement, softly uttered like a prayer, "You are so beautiful, Mijo."

The warmth of his breath on her chest sent goosebumps all over her skin. When his lips made contact with her nipple, a curse escaped her as she arched her back, pressing herself closer to his wet tongue and rough stubble, marveling at how good it all felt. His hand cupped her other breast, his thumb rubbing against the pebbled tip, and she spiraled into her desire.

"Cheol-ryeong," she begged, not recognizing her own voice. With her legs wrapped around his waist, she deliberately drew her knees closer, grounding him exactly where she wanted him. Hearing his sharp intake of breath made her feel powerful. "Lim Cheol-ryeong, please."

His fingers traced the outline of her underwear, stopping her from breathing. He accompanied the act of sliding the lacy material down her legs with open-mouthed kisses down her flat stomach.

He pulled out a cry she has never made before when his mouth settled in between her legs.

The torture of his slick tongue on her clit and the scruff of his stubble rubbing against her flesh left her undone. It didn't take long before her back arched, the top of her head on the plush pillow, as her orgasm ripped through her body.

When she came back down from her high, she saw him ripping the gold foil with his teeth. Before anything, he gave her a soft kiss and told her, "We can still stop if you don't want to."

She smiled up at him, wondering how she got so lucky. "I want to."

The way he looked at her right there and then assured her that he felt just as strongly for her as she did for him. He leaned forward again to catch her lips with his. Then a mere tilt of his hips sent him deep within her. She broke the kiss with a gasp, caught in the feeling of being filled.

He gave her some time to get used to him before slowly pulling out only to thrust back deeper again and again and again. His movements turned erratic as his pleasure rose. His breathing shallowed as his pinnacle came within reach, and she muttered racy encouragements in his ear, unraveling him like he unraveled her.

Afterwards, when they had both cleaned up with the damp towels he got for them, she watched his eyes drooping, gently brushing her fingers over his forehead and sweeping away any errant baby hairs.

He had a dreamy smile on his lips, fighting off his drowsiness to let the moment last longer. "What are you thinking about?"

She leaned forward, giving him a soft kiss and watching him fall asleep, before whispering an answer, "How much I love coming home to you, too."

Chapter 6: don't get sad, get even

Winter came without warning, signaling two months since Mijo had unofficially moved into Cheol-ryeong's apartment.

The threat felt like a thing of the past, but neither of them brought up the topic of her going back to her place. Instead, they moved inside his home like they have lived together forever. Preparing for work in the morning and kissing each other goodbye on the way out. Deciding on meals and grocery runs and takeout food. Her things slowly taking up space beside his.

Neither of them were complaining and everything was going so well.

Something bad was going to happen soon.

One night in December, she found herself in a three-way call with Chan-young and Joo-hee.

"It has been a while since we all got together," Chan-young whined. "Since then, Joo-hee got herself a boyfriend, and Mijo basically moved in with hers. These things need to be discussed! Preferably with a lot of wine."

"You can't have wine, Chan-young," Mijo lightly chastised. "Besides, it's Christmas. Don't you have plans with Jin-seok?"

Her best friend harrumphed. "I am with him 24/7. I miss you guys," she pointed out before pausing. "Omo, are you saying that you are choosing Cheol-ryeong over us, Cha Mijo?"

"No, it's not like that," she tries to deflect, but the tone of her voice betrayed her happiness.

Joo-hee squealed. "Our Mijo is smitten. Did you hear that, Chan-young? 'No, it's not like that.'"

She could only bury her burning face into her hands as her best friends shrieked excitedly over the phone. It seemed impossible to think that four months ago she didn't even know that he existed. Now, it felt like she couldn't even survive a day without seeing him.

"You know what would be fun? We all go out," Chan-young proposed. "Us three with the guys."

Joo-hee snapped her fingers. "Yes," she agreed almost immediately. "It's killing two birds with one stone. I get to see you guys and meet the people who are taking you two away from me."

"Ya," Chan-young laughed. Mijo smiled at the sound of her voice stronger than before. "Okay, the next question we have to answer is where should we go? Restaurant or someone's house?"

Joo-hee replied without hesitation, "Somewhere we have to dress well."

Mijo spluttered in shock. "What did you just say, Jung Joo-hee? Our precious friend who prefers wearing pajamas and drinking in bed? Who are you and why do you want to dress up?"

"I will have you know that I still prefer pajamas and beer, but can you imagine our guys in suits?"

The conversation ceased as each of them imagined what their respective boyfriend would look like dressed up for a night out.

Mijo had to pull herself out of a trance. "Um. Yup. Yeah. Okay, so where are we going again?"

"I know the perfect place," Chan-young grinned. "I will have Jin-seok make the reservation."

---

Laughter erupted from the table of six as Jin-seok delivered the punchline of his joke. The whole affair made Mijo feel like she was floating on air. The restaurant was exquisite and the company even more so. Everyone looked their best; and most importantly, everyone looked happy.

Joo-hee, dressed in a powder blue blouse and white slacks, was calling out Jin-seok for something she couldn't hear. All the while, her boyfriend, Park Hyun-joon, was laughing along with her, adoration shining in his eyes as he looked at her like she was the only person with him.

Chan-young donned on a puffy white dress that hid the weight loss and magnified the waving of her arms. She immediately came to her boyfriend's rescue, pointing out that Joo-hee did have a hand in them ending up at the police station that one time. Jin-seok looked triumphant.

Everything was going so well.

Something bad was going to happen soon.

Digging her nails into the palms of her hands, Mijo redirected her thoughts back to the present.

"How come I didn't see you that night?" Cheol-ryeong spoke up, capturing the attention of the entire table. He was wearing a navy blue suit with the first button of his shirt undone. Mijo felt like every woman in the restaurant wanted him. "I was visiting that precinct that same night."

"Well, I for one am happy we didn't get to meet then," she said, smoothing the skirt of her pastel pink dress. "I had just gotten out of a cat fight with three violent ahjummas. I did not look good."

"That's impossible," Cheol-ryeong murmured, leaning close so that only she could hear him. His eyes were shining. "You could be caught by a tornado and you would still come out beautiful."

Blushing, she gave him a slight nudge with her elbow. Their little exchange did not go unnoticed by the group, which began to direct their attention towards them. "So, Cheol-ryeong," Chan-young started, clearing her throat. "Tell us. What are your intentions with our best friend?"

"Chan-young," Mijo warned.

Cheol-ryeong smiled, looking thoughtful for a moment. Then he glanced up at her, answering them while keeping his eyes locked with hers. “I just want to make her as happy as she makes me.”

"Aww," Joo-hee and Chan-young sighed simultaneously, looking like they had fallen in love with him, too.

Jin-seok playfully throws his napkin onto the table. "Come on, man. Where do those lines come from?"

"You are making us look bad," Hyun-joon added with a chuckle.

Cheol-ryeong grinned, placing his arm over the backrest of her chair. "Just comes out naturally."

"Ya, how come you are never that romantic with me?" Chan-young turned to Jin-seok.

Joo-hee turned to her own man. "You see that? That's how you make a woman swoon."

Their entrees arriving interrupted the conversation. Instead of digging in with the rest of them, Cheol-ryeong reached for his vibrating phone inside his pocket. He declined the incoming call while Mijo got pulled into conversation about Hyun-joon's plans on opening his own restaurant.

"I have been thinking about it for years," Hyun-joon shared. "Working at the hotel makes me feel stuck. If I open my own place and create my own menu, it might help me get my creativity back."

Mijo got distracted by the sound of Cheol-ryeong's phone buzzing again to respond properly. The latter declined it for the second time but started texting the person on the other line. She then remembered the "For Lease" sign near the corner of the street where Joo-hee's apartment building stood.

Her friend's eyes widened. "Oh, yeah. The old Chinese restaurant that used to be there closed down about a month ago," she added for his benefit. "We can go check that place out together."

While the two began discussing schedules, Mijo turned to Cheol-ryeong, "Everything okay?"

He glanced up at her for a moment, his mind clearly elsewhere. "Yeah, just Jack with updates."

Something about his demeanor made her feel uneasy. But knowing that she wouldn't be able to pry more details out of him, especially if it was something work-related, she turned her attention back to her friends, wearing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Something bad was going to happen soon.

The words tripped over themselves inside her head. Again and again.

It didn't take long before breathing became a problem.

She excused herself, feigning a need to go to the restroom. Cheol-ryeong abandoned his phone to help her with the chair and the tablecloth, making sure that her heels weren't caught on anything. And when she turned, something looming by the entrance arrested her on the spot.

It wasn't hard to recognize him, especially since he had been the subject of her nightmares since his visit to her clinic. There was something different about him this time around, something more sinister. Upon seeing her, he shoved past the indignant host and turned into a man with a mission.

His hands were jammed inside the pockets of his jean jacket like they always were. Ever since their first encounter, she had an inkling that he was hiding a weapon in one of them. And so, when he pulled out the gun with his right hand, the sight of it didn't surprise her anymore.

She felt stuck in between her heart and her mind. In between wanting to run away and wanting this nightmare over with. In between the life she wanted and the life she was handed.

Then he was right there in front of her. His face was pale and twisted into a ghastly scowl, but his eyes were determined.

He pulled the trigger.

And the two shots rang loudly in her ears.

The back of her head hit the edge of the table as she went down. When the pain of the bullet didn't set in, she realized then that Cheol-ryeong had pulled her down to the ground. His eyes were wild, frantically searching hers, as he panted out, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

The clattering of silverware and the screaming of the other patrons served as the background of the horrifying scene. Mijo couldn't move. She couldn't say or do anything other than stare at the blood stain growing on the sleeve of his jacket.

He was hit.

Cheol-ryeong was hit by the bullet meant for her.

He seemed oblivious about it that she wanted to scream. He ordered Chan-young and Joo-hee to stay put and take care of her, his tone sharp and cutting. He was angry. He then turned to the guys to call 112 and give the authorities the location of the restaurant before turning back to her.

After meeting her lips in a hard kiss, he promised her, "I will be right back."

And only when he turned to leave, running towards the danger so fast that her lips had barely moved before he disappeared from her sight, did she begin to cry.

Chapter 7: say it will be all right, and I shall believe

"It was revenge," Jack reported as they were walking down the hall from the interrogation room. "He lost not only his money but also his family because of Mijo's biological mother. Since he couldn't get the money, he decided to go for her daughter instead. But I wouldn't worry if I were you. Considering what happened tonight and his rap sheet, he will be put away for a long time."

The adrenaline running in his system had tempered down into incredible fatigue that he could only nod. "Thank you," Cheol-ryeong told him, turning to face him once they have reached his cubicle and ignoring the way the latter's eyebrows quirked up in response. "For taking care of this and for looking out for us. I won't forget it."

"Well, you were too involved in this to be impartial," Jack pointed out, casting a knowing glance at his bruised knuckles. Cheol-ryeong could only clear his throat and attempt to hide his hand, trying to forget how he lost his cool. "Besides, that's what partners do. Look out for each other. You don't have to thank me."

It was almost funny how much he resented the man when they met each other over a year ago. "Still, thank you," he insisted. "Anyway, I'm sorry for doing this, but can we get back to this tomorrow? I won't dump all of the paperwork on you. I just need to make sure that Mijo's okay -."

Recognition settled on his face as Jack saw something behind him. "I don't think you have to go too far to do that," he told him, gesturing towards the woman who just entered the precinct.

Cheol-ryeong turned to look at what he was talking about. Mijo was still wearing the same dress she had on earlier, but his sharp eyes could see the blood droplets and the dirt that the incident had inflicted on it. She still looked breathtaking, albeit frazzled, before her eyes settled on him.

"I'll leave you two alone," Jack might have said in the background, but he barely heard him.

She began walking towards him before her steps quickened in a haste to get to him. Her lower lip was trembling and her eyes were filling with tears. He moved to meet her halfway, catching her as she threw herself in his arms. "Why weren't you answering your phone?" she whimpered, holding onto him like a lifeline. "Why weren't you...? I was so worried. I kept calling and calling."

"I'm sorry," he said again and again, hugging her just as fiercely. "I... I needed to take care of it."

He pulled back just enough to look at her face. Even when she was crying, she looked gorgeous. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked, brushing away strands of hair clinging onto her wet cheeks. She shook her head. "We got him. He will be put away for a long time. He... he won't bother you anymore. I... I'm so sorry. I promised you that I will take care of it, but I -."

She interrupted him with a kiss. "Don't you dare," she said afterwards. Her trained eyes began searching for wounds before settling on the bullet graze on his arm that was poorly covered with a tied handkerchief and the bruised knuckles of his right hand. "You're hurt because of me."

"Hey," he immediately replied, making her look at him. She looked so sad that it hurt him. "If you won't have me blaming myself, I won't have you blaming yourself either. All right? The only person responsible for all this mess is behind bars right now. Okay? Do you hear me?"

It took a long minute before she nodded. He sighed before pulling her back into an embrace. Only then did he notice that they had an audience that was trying to pretend not to notice them.

Before he could invite her somewhere more private, she beat him to it. "Do you still need to do something here or can you leave now?" she asked, looking bothered by his attempt to patch himself up. She looked relieved when he said the latter. "Okay, let's stop by the clinic first before we go home. We need to clean you up properly before you get yourself an infection."

---

The clinic was bigger than he imagined, having only seen it through the CCTV footage that he was shown months ago. With his hand in hers, she led him through the lobby and towards the hall where her office was located only to be stopped by someone who stayed past office hours.

"Oh, Seon-woo," Mijo started.

The doctor looked startled before recognition settled in. "Oh, hello. This is unexpected," he answered, looking at her and then at him before taking notice of the state of their clothes. His expression immediately clouded over with concern. "Is that blood? What happened to you two?"

Cheol-ryeong did not appreciate the accusatory glance that the other man threw his way, but Mijo quickly responded for the both of them before he got a word in. "It's quite a long story," she told her colleague. "But he has a cut on his arm that needs to be looked at. I thought it be better to have it stitched up here than to just use a first-aid kit at home."

Seon-woo still looked conflicted. "Right. That's a good call," he said before glancing over at him again. There was a pregnant pause before he turned back to her. "Well, um, do you need help?"

"It's quite late. We would hate to keep you," Cheol-ryeong intervened, ignoring how Mijo was squeezing his hand in warning. "Besides, I think Mijo is perfectly capable of patching me up."

However, the other man didn't back down like he expected him to. "I am not questioning her capabilities. I actually think she's one of the best we have here in the city," the doctor replied, looking at him straight in the eye. "I am just worried about leaving her alone. In this state. With you. Because who knows? You might be the reason why there's blood on her dress."

Mijo gasped. He only grinned and shook his head. "Seon-woo!" she admonished.

"Look, man, we had a long night..." Cheol-ryeong started with a tired sigh.

"You would tell me if you needed my help, wouldn't you?" Seon-woo asked Mijo, interrupting him from saying more. "This couldn't be because of you. I mean, you don't get into trouble -."

"We don't owe you an explanation," Mijo told him in a sharp tone. "But I don't appreciate the way you are jumping into conclusions about him. So, here it is. The creditor who came for me months ago ambushed us at dinner. He pointed a gun at me. Cheol-ryeong got hurt because he pushed me out of the way. I am the reason why we look like this, not him. Do you understand?"

Cheol-ryeong would have given anything to have a camera capture a photo of Seon-woo's face after she delivered that. Mijo, however, didn't give him time to savor the moment, pulling him by the hand towards her office. After turning on the lights, she made him sit on the patient's chair before she went to get the things she needed.

Her office looked like an extension of her house. Warm and inviting. There was a photograph of her friends and her family on her desk along with a little board that had notes held up by dainty magnets. There was a white golf bag standing beside a mini golf course at one corner of the room. And there was the scent of her perfume lingering in the air that made him smile.

She threw her hair up with a clip before approaching the place where he sat with her kit. She injected something into his arm that numbed it enough for him to forget the pain. She wore a serious expression as she started stitching his wound up, taking great care in fixing him. A stark contrast to the times inexperienced doctors had to patch him up in the emergency room.

"I'm sorry about that," she suddenly said after a long period of silence. "About Seon-woo."

"No, it's fine," he replied sincerely. "I understand. He cares about you."

She smoothed a bandage over his stitches before looking up at him. "You sound okay with that."

He chuckled, sensing her disappointment. "Is there a reason for me to be jealous?"

A small smile played on her lips. "Well, no, but..."

She seemed to struggle finding the right words to say that he interrupted her with a sweet kiss. Afterwards, he watched as her eyes fluttered open, slowly and prettily. He raised his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear before saying, "Thank you for sticking up for me. You didn't have to."

"Of course, I had to," she clarified, stepping closer and resting her hands on his chest. "I will not have anyone implying that you are the bad sort. Not when you are the loveliest, bravest, kindest person I know."

With warmth spreading inside his chest, he leaned in to kiss her again. "You might be biased."

A little laugh escaped her. "No," she murmured, her eyes shining. "But I am in love with you."

Her statement made him stop and look at her in wonder. He found clichés like the earth stopped spinning or his heart skipping a beat exaggerations, but not at that moment. Not when he felt everything all at once. She was looking at him expectantly, watching and waiting for a reaction, acting as if she didn't just stop his world in its tracks and then restart it all in the same minute.

"You..." he paused to release a chuckle. "You should warn me before saying things like that."

She giggled, finding it silly. "How? Say 'here it comes' before telling you that I love you?"

"I think..." his words were cut short with a hiss as he accidentally brushed his knuckles against something rough, aggravating the open cuts. She immediately sprung into action, treating the shallow injury with the same care she had with the bullet graze. When asked how he got it, he felt a little embarrassed as he confessed. "I might have put a lot of weight behind the punch."

She stopped to look at him. "You punched him? He was armed. When did this happen?"

"When I caught him," he replied, making her balk. "The gun was thrown far away, I assure you."

She sighed, resuming with her task of dabbing antiseptic on the cuts. "You are very reckless."

"And I told you that I would hurt anyone who would lay a hand on you."

She laughed, appreciating his comeback. "That you did. Oh, what did I get myself into?"

Cheol-ryeong watched as she began packing her things up. It still escaped him how much he had fallen for her when he didn't even know of her existence four months ago. It was funny how life worked sometimes. Just when he thought that he would never find anyone again, she came along, dancing and laughing and shining brighter than anything he had ever known before.

Mijo was so busy preparing to leave that she paused when she noticed that he was right where she left him. "What is it?"

He remembered what she said earlier and put it into good use. "Here it comes."

"Here comes what...?" she stopped short, realizing what he meant, and began to smile.

"I love you."