Lies and Roses°nctxbpxrv

°21

SUNDAY; 6:48:12 PM

"Jiseul!"

I woke up to the shrill baritone voice of a man coming from a certain direction. I slowly batted my eyes as I open them, only to see a person hastily running towards me. I raised my head to clearly. My vision a little bit blurry but I was able to recognize Jaehyun.

I rubbed my knuckles on to my eyes, feeling a minor sore from the back of my head.

When he was right in front of me, he crouched down whilst catching his breath.

"Your father is alright," He wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. "But we weren't able to catch the culprits. Apparently, they're allegedly one of the big three mafias in the city. The OG's. Surely, they weren't the wolves. Their identity's still unknown."

Relieved from the momentary anguish, tears escaped the corners of my eyes, rolling down my cheeks as they left wet stains on my skin.

"T-thank you, Jaehyun." I wailed, grabbing his hand and dearly holding it.

The boy before me giggled, showing both of his dimples.

"I made a promise to you and I don't make a promise I can't fulfil," Jaehyun offered his hand. I held onto it and he lightly pulled me up. I quickly brushed off the dirt on my pants and on my knees before facing him again. "Your father is actually on a bad mood. I don't know why."

I scornfully sighed, knowing the exact reason. "It's because you're here."

"I don't really understand why your father hates me so much. Does my face really scream 'asshole' or what? I think he knows I'm a total loser."

I signaled Jaehyun to shush when I saw father's figure coming to our direction. We both froze in our respective positions as father got nearer.

"Dad," I called out, running to him to meet halfway. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Father shook his head while shooting cold daggers at Jaehyun with his eyes. He eyed the boy from head to toe, snickering afterwards.

"Your cop friend seemed to be very active, isn't he?" He asked all of a sudden.

Bemused, I raised both of my brows and gaped my eyes at him, "W-what do you mean?"

"I mean, he's very busy. He really gets involve in so many stuff—serious stuff. I wonder if he's been dealing well with those crimes happening in our city." He paused, diverting his attention to Jaehyun, who was dumbfoundedly standing in front of father and I. "Tell me, boy. What have you found so far? Have you given justice to the innocent yet?"

Hearing father with a rather honeyed tone talking to Jaehyun sent unknowing rage of feelings in my body—anxiousness mostly.

Jaehyun and I exchanged knowing looks for a moment, our eyebrows furled in perplexity. He cleared his throat and eventually answered my father's query.

"I never knew you were interested in police work, Mr. Park. With all due respect, you're not my captain. I won't give any reports to you just like that. The information is confidential and should be dealt with professionalism," Jaehyun's tone was orotund. He showed no fear nor apprehension speaking with father. If it's anything, he was cocky. He was stern. "But if you really want to know, you can just look it up. The internet has everything you need to know."

Now that I think about it, they haven't even formally introduced each other. This has been the longest conversation they had with each other. And it only gets more interesting: it just sounded like they're at each other's throats.

Jaehyun earned a scoff from father, to which he returned with a forced smile.

"Is there something I am missing here?" I piped in to break the tension.

Father rested his hand over my shoulders, held my petite frame with his hand and lead me out of Jaehyun's sight.

"You shall not talk with that boy anymore," Father said, almost in a whisper. "He's no good, cops never are."

I plucked myself out of my father's grip and made him halt from moving forward. "I don't understand why you don't even like him for being a cop. What did he even do so wrong that you despise my best friend like that?"

"You'll understand soon enough, angel. Everything's almost over. By then, you'll know why I am doing all of this."

"What. . do y-you. . . mean by everything?"

Father unceremoniously sighed, running his palms through his wrinkly face in frustration, I presume.

"Just don't see that Jung kid from now on. This is for your own good," he flashed a crooked smile. "Let's go home now. Today has been very hectic for the both of us, right?"

I silently nodded, trailing behind him as we walk to his car.

*

As I lay flat here on my bed, vacuously staring at the ceiling of my room, I can't help but remember the sight of my father with those gangsters, whose life was hanging on a thread. The thought of having my only living parent to be at risk. I kept on trembling having those images flashed in my head. I thought I was going to lose my father.

Other than that, Jaehyun and father's interaction had me intrigued.

I knew there was something behind the words they said. There really were hidden layers needed to be dug within those certain lines. Not to mention the intense eye contact they had throughout the whole conversation. It was as if they were going to melt from their scorching glares. I, myself, remotely felt the strain between them.

I rolled to one side of my body, facing to where the window of my room was located. I placed both of my hands under my head, in a prayer-like position, and drew my knees near my torso.

I ogled over the view outside from a distance as I get more engrossed with my own thoughts.

Father didn't appear to be shaken by the whole hostage situation. He didn't show any signs of trouble. As a matter of fact, he acted and sounded like nothing happened. And that baffled me the most.

I tried to convince myself that he wasn't just the type of person to dread over horrible things, that he was just brave. But I just can't stop thinking about the idea that no one is that too valiant when death is right before you and my father. . . he faced death like he was immortal.

A gun was pointed right at his head. He was surrounded with dangerous people. He was vulnerable. He was alone. He could've died in any moment yet he stood there as if he knew it was coming—as if he knew he could escape it.

When Jaehyun said father seemed to have everything under control, it was then I started to suspect something odd.

The father I knew would've knelt down, begged them to spare his life. He would be weeping in despair. He would be distrustful. His eyes would be filled with trepidation. He would go bunkers. But what I saw earlier, verified otherwise.

At this point, I knew my father is not who I thought he was. The pieces started to fit now. All this time, all these recent happenings and people coming in our lives, were clues. . .

His relationship with Mr. Nakamoto and the wolves.

The death threats I have been receiving.

The gangsters after me and him.

His hatred towards the cops.

These aren't enough evidences for me to prove he is who he is. I need more leads. I need some sort of source. I just can't figure out everything by myself.

I need someone who can help me find links to finish the puzzle.

But who could it be?

A/N:

So. . . thoughts? :)