The kisses feel cold.

And it does nothing to distract me, at all.

"Noona." I hear him murmur, and his voice is sweet. His touches are soft, like the warm rays of the spring sun. The light locks of his hair smell faintly of fresh linen.

But it isn't what I want.

Even when he kisses me, I can't think of anything else but V. It's pathetic— ridiculous. That I can only think of him even with another man holding me.

That I can only think of him, even after saying those things.

I hush a bitter laugh bubbling up my throat.

He would be an absolute fool if he didn't hate me after that. Maybe this would be my last day in the Skygrounds after all.

His lips touch mine again.

And as I kiss back, I wonder how his would taste, against my skin. How he might handle me in a way no one else could.

I sigh breathlessly.

Shin Aeri. You must have finally lost your mind.

I had called him killer. I had called him that, and my voice had been sharper than a knife. It had ripped through the air like the coldest winds.

And I hadn't seen his expression after, in such a hurry to get away from him as fast as possible.

Then a voice jerks my thoughts back.

"Noona."

Oh.

Baekhan is staring at me. And I force a smile, my fingers grazing his arms around my waist. He blinks slowly, head tilting to the side. His amber eyes glow warmly.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," I whisper. Then I press another kiss onto his soft lips, and the slight expression of hurt he'd had instantly disappears as he returns the kiss.

Men were easy. They had no idea how easily they could be manipulated, with just a subtle wink or a seductive touch.

They were easy like that.

And this was the response that I would normally expect.

But him.

Again and again.

My jaw tightens as I remember him pushing me away, his expression set. His eyes had been narrow, shadowed with a disappointment.

He had been disappointed in me.

Fucker.

The anger burns. The fire makes my kisses rougher, and I take pleasure when I hear Baekhan murmur out a breathless noise. I only press harder, pinning his back to the wall behind him.

How I wish he was here, to watch me do this.

To hear me. See me.

For who was he, to tell me to stop?

________________________________

I'm not giving up.

One thing I'd really learned from the Underground was perseverance. Persevere, and I would get what I want. It might take a little time, and it might piss him off a whole lot than he'd like, but I would get him to agree in the end.

I take a deep breath.

Then I pace back and forth for a little, before taking another huge breath. The closed door in front of me is more intimidating than it really should be.

Come on, Rin. You're not scared of him.

I sniff. Then I lift my hand, about to knock loudly into the front door when a pale hand suddenly wraps around my wrist.

I whip around.

Jungkook.

Jungkook?

He's breathing a little fast. As if he'd run to try and get to me in time.

"Miss Rin, you..."

Then he sighs, his hand unraveling. He's holding a plastic bag between his fingers, arm slack by his side. He shakes his head slightly, before tipping it towards the house next to this one.

"We stay over there. This house is not ours."

I stare. Then I blink— once, twice.

The brightest blush heats my cheeks. And I can feel him watching me as my eyes slowly edge towards the ground, my mouth slightly parted from shock.

Now I realize. I'd gotten the number off by one.

My entire body's trembling from pure humiliation. The scarlet flush on my face is so warm— spreading to my neck and ears.

He must think I have the IQ of a hedgehog at this point. He must think of me as an absolute—

I force a stiff smile.

I had to get out of here.

"No, I wasn't...wasn't here for you." I say, my earlier confidence crumbling to pieces as I see one of his brows slowly raise.

I glance back at the house.

"I'm at the right place, actually."

"You are?"

"Mhm." I say, the words nearly grinding through my teeth. "You can go now. Thanks."

He smiles. And it's a smile that instantly makes my entire body tremble with embarrassment.

He sees through me like glass. It's so obvious that even I can tell.

"Alright. Don't stay out too late, Miss Rin."

Then he leaves. And I stand there in front of the house of a complete stranger, frozen to the ground until I see him disappear inside the house right next to this one.

The moment he can't see me, I drop to the ground with my face buried in my hands.

Stupid.

What the fuck are you doing?

Are you trying to make him think that you're actually just a stupid little brat? A stupid brat trying to bite more than she can chew?

My bottom lip trembles slightly.

But maybe that's right.

My hands close tighter around my heated cheeks.

Maybe I am just a stupid little brat after all.

_________________________________

"You're actually the biggest idiot I've ever seen."

"Shut up, Jimin." I growl as he clicks his tongue, pushing another glass of alcohol in my direction. He shrugs, humming under his breath as he wipes down a champagne glass.

"Well, you literally are. Don't you understand that the biggest reason she hates you is because she thinks you killed her brother?"

"It's too late now," I murmur.

"She'll think I played with her."

He rolls his eyes. "Better than being called killer. That kind of stung, huh?"

It had hurt. But what had hurt me more was seeing her with that young boy— a kid, barely an year below her. She was using him for a reason, and I could not understand why.

The inside of the bar is empty. It's also silent, and too easy to hear Jimin's pitiful sighs.

"She'll find out the truth eventually. Then she's going to kill both you and your father, for lying to her like that."

"So you think I should tell her?"

"Yes. I've been telling you that from the start. Do you realize how stupid this is?"

But it was my whole family that had sinned against her. It might be just my father who had done it all, but I'd always been taught that whatever sins and blessings that one made passed onto the entire family.

Besides, I didn't want her to know.

My father would kill her off in a heartbeat if he ever knew that she existed. He wasn't the type to leave someone alive, if they even had the slightest intent against him.

The front door swings open.

And I look up to see Jungkook, a faint smile on his lips as he walks in. He is so distracted that he doesn't even notice Jimin staring at him.

Jimin scowls.

"And what are you smiling about?"

Jungkook glances up. His smile instantly twists into a tight purse of his mouth, and he scoffs as he places down the plastic bag on the counter.

"Shut up and eat your sweets, hyung."

"I swear if you make me go run errands for you again, I'll trash your entire bar."

"That little—" Jimin's voice is cut off as Jungkook slams the door to his room shut. The air is tenser than usual between them, and I raise a brow.

"Did you two fight again?"

"He started it." Jimin mumbles, which instantly confirms that he himself had probably started the entire thing in the first place. "I just ate some of the chocolate on the counter— how was I supposed to know it was his?"

Some?

I glance at the empty wrapper bag, discarded carelessly on top of the kitchen counter.

"...okay."

Jimin throws up his hands. "And he doesn't even like chocolate! He literally flipped out on me!"

Then his voice lowers.

"He probably has a girlfriend. Why else would he care so much about a bunch of chocolates? And didn't you see that smile when he came in? That's literally the same dumb smile you have whenever you're with that girl from the Underground."

...me?

"She has a name."

"Oh, my bad." Jimin exclaims sarcastically. "I'm just getting a little pissed off here when the both of you have girls and I'm stuck with you two."

He stomps into his room, mumbling something about having to tend to his precious computer.

And with him gone, I'm left with only my thoughts.

It twists and turns, violent and unpredictable. Always going back to Aeri, even when I tell myself that she wanted nothing to do with me.

But the more I think about it.

My jaw flexes.

I just cannot leave her to be kissing another man. What if he was taking advantage of her as much as she was taking advantage of him?

I growl in annoyance.

This girl. What if she was in his bed this very moment, when she didn't even love him in the first place?

A sharp sigh runs through my lips as I reach for a jacket.

I'd just check on her. Only see that she was back in her place, safe and without a man. I'd have to make up an excuse on the way.

I wince. I could already see her hateful gaze in the corner of my mind, the moment she opened the door to see me standing there.

Killer.

Her hatred echoes hollowly through my mind.

My hand falters. Then there's the sound of a door clicking open, and I look up to see Jungkook. His usually lighter eyes are darkened.

"Hyung."

His gaze flickers for Jimin, before landing on the closed door to his room. And I tilt my head slightly as he motions towards the front door.

"Can we go someplace else?"

"We need to talk."