The White Lily // The Black Iris and the Withered Rose (Bang Chan // Lee Know)

Chapter 3 - Borrowed time

"We need to know your speciality, Emilia, so we know who to team you up with."

"I'm more of an in-the-field kind of person." I replied confidently.

"Yea, we've seen." The girl called Hyo rolled her eyes.

For some strange reason, I hated her guts. Leaving her snarky remarks aside, it just seemed to me that she couldn't be trusted...

"After all, you did sooo good at your latest in-the-field mission." She insisted.

"Oh, shut up, the plan would've definitely worked if I wouldn't have been betrayed." I returned her attitude.

"Sure, like Chris would ever sleep with you." She replied, spiteful.

So they don't know, I thought and threw Chan a look and a slight smirk, which made him clear his throat and avert my gaze.

"So what's the mission, Boss?" Hyunjin asked, curious.

"We've gotten a tip from one of our informants about a trafficking ring going on. Young girls..."

"Those fucking bastards." Momo spat out, hitting the table with her fist and interrupting Chan's speech.

"Truly disgusting. Who is behind this shit?" Changbin asked, clearly annoyed. "Let's beat them up."

At least we got the same morals here.

"It's the Knife Devils."

"What a dumb name." I laughed, earning a small chuckle from everyone.

"So what are we doing?" Hyo asked, annoyed by my 10-seconds of fame.

"We must first get an address from our informant. The plan is to infiltrate the house and rescue those girls. They are currently being held in God knows what conditions... Emilia, we still have to see what you're capable of, so you'll pair up with Changbin, who is the best there is when it comes to these kind of missions."

The dark boy smirked proudly, hearing his Boss' praises.

"Hyo, you will help Seungmin install microphones and small cameras after we get our address tonight. Lix and Jeongin, you will keep watch while Emilia and Changbin go in tomorrow night. We'll work out the strategy today, I already have an idea but need to make some calls first to find out exactly where the girls are and an approximate number. We're guessing there's about 10, might be more."

My stomach turned. Kidnapping and selling young girls was... sick. Not unusual, though, unfortunately. It's a men's world after all.

"We will get those girls, ok?" Bang Chan said assuringly, noticing my face changing color.

~

"So, a doctor, huh? You did look pretty smart 5 years ago. And knowledge is sexy." I winked, teasing the young fox-like boy, who blushed at my remark.

"It's all thanks to you. After you saved me that day... you just gave me a purpose. I realised I wanted to help others just like you did that night..." Jeongin replied, his lips turning into a kind curve.

He took my hands in his, like earlier in the garden, and held on to them for a bit.

"I kept thinking... if you wouldn't have been there to stop the bleeding..."

"Don't think about that." I smiled gently.

"I can't not think about it. I feel like I'm on borrowed time. I was supposed to bleed out to death. I was supposed to die in that dark room." He said grimly, his eyes turning distant.

"Jeongin, all of us are on borrowed time. You could've gotten hit by a car when you were 5, but the driver randomly took a left instead of a right turn that day. You could've choked while eating an orange and suffocated to death when you were 10... or you could've bled out that night. But you didn't. Circumstances don't matter. I'm also on borrowed time, thanks to Chris. If it was anyone else... I would've probably been 6 feet under right now instead of talking to you."