BEYOND THE LOVE

CHAPTER 29:

later that day
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Ji Woon is always so reserved about his personal life. In all the time we worked together, I only heard him talk about matters outside of work once, and it was about his father too ,watching him smiling with a slightly flushed face and a frantic look to photo was definitely out of character.

"Kyoto," I whispered, nodding towards the walking figure of Ji Woon. "Who is that?"

Kyoto, looking almost guilty, hesitated for a moment before replying, "The girl......he likes...."

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "His what? Since when does Ji Woon like a girl? Why didn't I know about this?"

Kyoto chuckled softly, "He made me promise not to tell you. He was sure you'd give him a hard time about losing focus."

I leaned back, feigning mock indignation. "Me? Give him a hard time? Surely not!"

Kyoto smirked. "Yeah, right. The ever-diligent Nara, who once made Juan run laps because he was late to training? I can totally see you letting it slide."

I laughed, "Okay, okay, maybe I can be a bit tough."

A mischievous grin crept onto my face. "So, I should probably do something about this, shouldn't I?" I winked at Kyoto, who chuckled, shaking his head.

Ji Woon seated a few moments later, looking slightly more relaxed but still distracted. His eyes darted between Kyoto and me, sensing something was amiss.

"Everything okay, Ji Woon?" I asked innocently, a smirk playing at the corner of my lips.

He nodded, avoiding eye contact. "Yes, fine."

I leaned in, feigning seriousness, "Is it affecting your focus on the job?"

Ji Woon looked alarmed. "No, not at all!"

Kyoto coughed, trying to hide a laugh. "Relax, Ji Woon. Your secret's safe with us."

Ji Woon's eyes widened, and he looked between us, realization dawning on his face. He sighed in resignation, "Alright, alright. But promise me you won't tease me too much about it."

I smiled warmly, patting his shoulder. "Only a little. Now, let's get back to work. And by the way, if you ever need any dating advice, you know where to find us."

Ji Woon rolled his eyes but grinned. "Thanks, but no thanks. I think I've got it covered."
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But curiosity piqued, I instantly leaned forward, resting my chin on my hands. "So, when did you meet her?"

Ji Woon hesitated, clearly weighing whether or not to reveal more. Finally, he sighed, "Do you remember when we went to the club the second time to meet Rein?"

My eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, Yes, I remember. Wait... was it the bartender? The one with the bright blue eyes and the raven-black hair?"

Ji Woon blushed slightly but nodded. "Yes, that's her.... Ae cha"

Kyoto chuckled, "Ah, so that's why you kept ordering those intricate cocktails all night, huh? To keep talking to her."

Ji Woon looked sheepish. "Maybe."

I grinned, teasingly nudging him. "So, Mr. Stealthy, what happened after that? Clearly, you got her number."

He shuffled uncomfortably, his gaze avoiding mine. "Well... Juan might have had a small part to play in it."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What did you do?"

Juan cleared his throat from the other side of the room, looking both guilty and amused. "Okay, okay, before you get any ideas, I didn't do anything illegal. I just... helped a brother out."

I crossed my arms, looking back and forth between Ji Woon and Juan. "I'm waiting."

Ji Woon took a deep breath, "Look, I didn't have the courage to ask her for her number directly, especially not in the middle of a mission. So, Juan... facilitated the exchange."

My eyes widened in realization. "You didn't... hack her phone, did you?"

Juan raised his hands defensively, "No, no, nothing like that! I just noticed she had left her phone on the bar while taking a break. I might have... quickly taken down her number."

I burst out laughing, the seriousness of our recent mission and the intensity of Chief's scolding forgotten for a moment. "You two are unbelievable!"

Ji Woon's ears turned a shade redder, but he smiled sheepishly. "In my defense, I did talk to her on the next encounter to introduce myself properly.And she found it surprisingly charming."

Kyoto laughed, "Or she felt bad for you and thought it was a desperate move."

Ji Woon threw a playful glare at Kyoto. "Either way, it worked."

I shook my head in disbelief, a smile plastered on my face. "Well, as long as it was done in good faith and no laws were broken. But Ji Woon, next time, maybe just try the direct approach?"

He grinned, "I'll keep that in mind."

I narrowed my eyes at Ji Woon, "Speaking of direct approaches, did you check her background at all? "

Ji Woon hesitated for a moment before replying, "Well, I did ask Juan to do a little background check..."

My gaze shifted to Juan, who looked slightly uncomfortable. "And?"

Juan scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Okay, so I might have done a tiny bit of... unauthorized snooping. "

I raised an eyebrow. "Illegal work, Juan?"

Juan smirked, "Just a tad. But for the record, miss park is clean. She's just a college student working part-time at the club."

Ji Woon chuckled, "See? I told you I got it covered."

Before I could respond, Suha burst into the room, clutching a file. Her usually composed face was filled with urgency. "Guys, we might have a lead on the eviscerators."