Haerin's POV

After an hour's drive, I finally reached home. I drove into the garage and immediately spotted Hoseok getting out of his car. I switched off the engine and got out of my car, ready to start a war.

His face lit up when he spotted me. His usual sunshine smile crept up his face. He spread his arms, thinking I was coming in for a hug.

Oh, how wrong he was.

I reached out to his collar and shook him violently. So violently that his head bobbed like a rag doll.

"W-what the hell, Haerin!" he shouted.

I shook harder. "Why did you reveal to Jungkook that I have a crush on him?!" I screamed at him.

His eyes widened in realization. I could see his survival instincts kicking in as he managed to escape from my grip and started running.

"Oh, you better run, Jung Hoseok!" I yelled while chasing after him. "I am not gonna leave without killing you!"

And just like that without our knowledge the garage turned into chaos. Paint cans were spilled on the floor and tools scattered on the floor. The garage turned into something which could only be called a disaster zone. It would require at least 10 days of labour to fix it.

"It was to help you!" Hoseok shouted mid-sprint.

"You call that help?!"

In an attempt to save himself, he climbed on top of my car's hood. I halted suddenly, my eyes widening by the harassment my car was going through.

"Hey, you idiot! Get off my car right now!"

He smirked. "What if I don't?"

My eyes searched around the garage, hoping to find something which can make him regret that smirk. Oh...found it!

A hammer.

I grabbed it and made my way towards his car.

"Haerin! No no—okay okay. I will get down! I will even clean your car. Don't—please don't! Hoseok made his best attempts to negotiate with me.

Our havoc came to a stop when we heard the door, which connects the garage to the house, creaked open.

Dad stood there, taking in the destruction caused. Hoseok was still on my car. The hammer in my hand was frozen in the air before it could crash into his car's window. Not that I would have done it for real.

He exhaled sharply, probably regretting inviting us. "You mannerless Jungs."

"Get down now!" Dad ordered Hoseok. "And Haerin, put the hammer down."

Hoseok obediently got down the car and I too did as I was told. I lightly tossed the hammer to the side only to hear a loud crack.

Our heads snapped to the source of the sound. The hammer had landed directly on Dad's car's side mirror.

What? How? I tossed it lightly right?

Silence.

Dad looked at his car in disbelief, his mouth wide open. He walked over to the car, examining it carefully, probably calculating the expenses of the damage. Meanwhile I did what I could—standing with my hands behind my back with the most awkward smile ever.

"I'll... pay for it?" I offered weakly, hoping it would not cost as much as it looked.

Dad looked back at me and studied me for a moment before shaking his head. He let out a sigh. "It's not about the money, Haerin..."

He was thinking hard, probably deciding our punishments or more particularly my punishment.

"As a punishment," he finally declared, "both of you will help me with dinner. Hoseok, you'll give me a leg massage. Haerin, you'll give me a shoulder massage."

Without waiting for our responses, he turned around and walked into the house.

I was throwing daggers at Hoseok with my stares while he was completely unbothered.

"I'll deal with you later," I muttered.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You'll thank me someday."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes back at him, stepping inside the house.

A wave of nostalgia hit me when I entered the house. My eyes travelled to the dining table which had many memories tied to it. I used to sit there during breakfast with my textbook laid open before me, trying to cram up for an exam.

No matter how many times I visit the house, this effect was always there.

On the wall, my mother's portrait caught my eye. It was a family photo but I wasn't there. I was still in my mothers womb, protected from this harsh world. Dad stood behind her, his hand protectively wrapped around her belly and Hoseok was standing beside mom, holding her hand.

Dad was a detective and mom worked in the same agency as an undercover. But when I was just 2 months old, she passed away during a mission.

I never had the chance to spend time with her, hence I never even grieved her absence like others would . And honestly, I have never felt like I was missing something—dad made sure of that. He raised me and Hoseok in a way where we never felt the absence of a mother figure. I still remember the day when he taught me what periods were, treating it as normal as possible.

I came out of my thoughts when I heard dad calling me from the kitchen.

I walked into the kitchen and found Hoseok chopping carrots while dad was stirring something in the pot. Whatever they were cooking surely smelt good and I was sure it would be the same with the taste.

Dad pointed to a pile of onions and handed a knife to me. "Help out," he said casually.

I picked one up and started chopping, the rhythmic sound of the knife against the cutting board filling the silence. It was peaceful, comfortable. But, of course, Dad couldn't let it last.

"So," he spoke without looking up from the pot, "What were you two fighting about earlier?"

Hoseok and I exchanged glances. I shook my head, indicating not to open his mouth but would he listen? Of course not.

"Haerin has a crush on someone, and I just did her a favor by telling her crush about it."

I was a step away from digging the knife into his stomach. "Hoseok!" I hissed.

Dad burst into laughter, finding it funny for some reason, which Hoseok joined in. Well, at least he wasn't mad anymore.

But the amount of embarrassment I had gone through today was really unhealthy. Yet, I found myself laughing with them.

Movements like these remind me how lucky I am to have a family like this. Nothing toxic, nothing forced—just a perfectly imperfect little family.

The night continued with dad, Hoseok and me having our little conversations, feeling comfort in each other's presence. Dad looked very happy today. Retirement must have been making him feel lonely at times. I made a mental note to visit him often to see that happy smile on his face.

We sat down on the dining table after we were done with cooking. The dinner was almost going smoothly. I said almost.

"Haerin," dad said, placing his chopsticks down, "Can I fix a blind date for you?"

I choked on my water and unfortunately Hoseok was sitting right across from me, making the water from my mouth splash on his face. Maybe it wasn't really unfortunate.

"Ewww, Haerin!" he shouted. "What the hell?!" He cursed under his breath while dashing to the bathroom to clean his face.

I was still coughing, trying to compose myself before turning towards dad. He looked completely calm, munching on his food, waiting for us to stop our dramatic reactions.

"Dad," I tried to find words to speak

"Haerin," he started, "I know you have the  right in choosing your partner whenever you want to but at the rate you're going, I'm afraid you won't find someone until you're ninety and lying on your deathbed."

Before I can even think of a response, Hoseok emerged from his cleaning session only to humiliate me again. "Exactly my point! I can already see a few wrinkles on your face, Haerin. You better find someone before you lose all your teeth."

And there they go again, laughing while clutching their stomachs. Honestly, I didn't find anything humorous in that.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Oh, please Hoseok, if I were you, I would be worrying about my damn hair. I think you're going to be bald in a few months. You better find someone before you lose all of your hair."

Silence.

This time it was me and dad laughing at Hoseok. Now this was something I found humorous.

The night went on like that filled with teasing, laughter, and warmth. Though they never stop teasing me, I would never trade this feeling for anything in this world.

For post dinner, we decided to sit in the veranda, enjoying the cool, gentle breeze. It was peaceful. The house wasn't too near to the city, making it free from sound and air pollution. There were occasional sounds of the crickets.

Dad was sitting on the chair while Hoseok sat on the floor, massaging dad's legs. I was behind dad, giving his shoulder a gentle massage. He tried to deny our service, saying that he joked about our punishment earlier but we ignored him. After all, he deserved to relax once in a while. Also we had to show our gratitude—we would never admit it though.

Suddenly, dad surprised me by holding my wrist and pulling me in front of him. He made me sit beside Hoseok and stared at us both. Before I could ask him if anything was wrong, he cupped both of our cheeks, his expression softening. He looked at us with something in between pride and sadness.

"Why are you two growing up so fast?" he whispered.

The way he said it made my heart clench. It wasn't a normal remark. It was a statement that came from sadness of watching time fly so fast before you can even cherish it.

He continued, " You two couldn't even tie your shoelaces. You'd always come running to me, asking for help. And now, you have your own houses, your own money... You don't even need me anymore."

Hoseok and I spoke at the same time. "Dad!"

Hoseok was the first to speak. "We still need you just as much as we did back then."

I nodded firmly. "Exactly! If not more. You'll always be our guide, Dad."

Dad looked at me with an unreadable expression. Then slowly a smile crept up his face. A cunning one, "Then... will you allow me to fix a blind date for you? I am your guide, right?"

I froze. Hoseok started laughing beside, finding this too funny which wasn't even worth a chuckle.

"Dad, you seriously tricked me?!" I said, feeling betrayed.

He ignored my question and gave me a pleading look. "Haerin, please. Pretty please? For your loving dad?"

I let out a long sigh and surrendered. "Fine."

The moment I said that, he heaved a sigh of relief as if I agreed on donating a kidney for him.

"But" I continued. "I wouldn't go on a blind date before this case has been solved"

Dad nodded in understanding while Hoseok was still laughing uncontrollably. He should check his humour center of the brain.

I turned to glare at him. "You horse-faced man, shut up before I break your car for real."

Instead of being intimated, Hoseok pinched my cheek, completely unaffected by my threats.

And eventually we found ourselves again having smooth conversations but that too didn't last long.

"Haerin, Hoseok," dad said. His voice had become suddenly serious.

I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Now, is this about Hoseok's date?"

Hoseok rolled his eyes but dad just chuckled before returning to that serious demeanour.

"No... It's something serious."

I straightened up, sensing that this was something important.

"It's about your mother."

Mom? I asked, unsure of what Dad had to say. I felt Hoseok getting tense beside me.

Dad took a deep breath. "You both know your mother died on a mission, right?"

We nodded. That was something which we were told all our lives but his next question made me doubt that.

"Do you know who killed her?"

Hoseok and I exchanged glances, then shook our heads.

Dad exhaled, preparing himself for revealing something, which I already guessed wouldn't be too pleasing.

His voice was calm but cautious. "It was actually Mr. Kim, the CEO of the agency your mother and I worked for."

The room fell into silence.

Hoseok's eyes widened and he let out a chuckle, not the one that came from humour but from sarcasm.

"It wasn't an enemy... but someone on our side?" Hoseok stated, sarcasm evident in his voice.

Dad gave a nod.

I let the words sink in. I was shocked but I didn't feel any pain—only unsettling acceptance. I had always known that mom died due to something dangerous but this was not just a murder but...betrayal.

I could see the grief in dad's eyes which he had been carrying for years.

I broke the silence. "Does anyone else know about this? Apart from you?"

Dad shook his head. "No, Haerin. And it would be foolish to tell anyone. No police, no lawyer, no judge would listen to us. There's no point in fighting for it."

He paused for a second before continuing. "I know... I might sound like a man who didn't love his wife enough to fight for her. But I realized that seeking justice for her would have meant neglecting my responsibility of raising you two. And in the end, I wasn't even sure if I could win the fight."

We nodded in understanding. Hoseok placed a hand on dad's knee, reassuring him. "You did the right thing, dad. I am sure mom would have been proud of your decision."

Dad nodded but I didn't fail noticing something in his eyes—regret. "Still... sometimes, I wonder if I should have tried."

There was silence again, each of us trying to cope up with the overwhelming emotions.

"Dad... why would he kill Mom?" I asked.

Dad looked at me with a serious expression, the kind that sent chills down my spine.

"People who learn too much don't disappear, Haerin. They're erased as if they have never existed."

A shiver crawled down my skin.

He continued. "Your mother discovered things—illegal things. She was loyal to the law, not the agency. And that made her a danger to the agency."

I was listening to him but my mind was pulling back to that one person.

Jimin.

Was that the case in his story?

My breath quickened. Was Jimin in someone's way?

And then it struck me like a lightning bolt.

Yeonjun.

Last night. His office. That file. He was hiding something.

And then suddenly everything made sense. The file, the plane tickets, Jimin's fear before his death. The dots were aligning perfectly and the picture they were forming was way too terrifying.

I felt my heart beating faster, almost as if it was a step away from coming out of my ribs.

Jimin knew something. Something dark. Something dangerous. And that led to his death.

Just like my mother.

I stood up abruptly which made both dad and Hoseok look at me with concern.

"Haerin? What's wrong?" Hoseok asked.

I ignored his question and started getting inside the house, trying to find all my belongings. Dad and Hoseok followed me, worry and confusion evident in their eyes.

"Hoseok, send me Jungkook's address. Right now."

His brows furrowed, but he pulled out his phone. "Why—?"

"Just send it." I said firmly leaving no room for questions.

He nodded his head and started typing on his phone, looking confused. Within seconds I received a notification which I assumed was Jungkook's location. I collected all my belongings and prepared to leave.

I turned to Dad and Hoseok and kissed them both on their cheeks before hurriedly explaining myself. "I'm really sorry, but I need to go."

They both nodded their heads though they were confused. I didn't wait any longer as I would only be asked to answer more questions.

The moment I sat in my car and started the engine, I received another notification.

"Stay safe."  It was from dad.

I gripped the steering wheel, my jaw tightening. I was sure of one thing.

Jimin was silenced for a reason.

And I was going to find out that reason.

To be continued...

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Author's note: I guess now the story is starting. Do you think Haerin's assumptions are real?