Angel & Devil | Heesun

Part I - Eighteen

ESTELLE EQUESTRIAN CLUB, PYEONGCHANG. Early February.

After his informant was caught by Sunoo that day, strangely, he never heard anything about them again. It's as if they had gone into 'airplane mode' and could not be tracked. The only thing he got for the past few weeks was their daily routine update, which he deemed a little bit mundane to take interest in.

He tried sending more of his men for the job, but none of it worked. Even Sunghoon himself couldn't retrieve anything from his search. Not even Jay was on his radar.

Well, they should have been relieved, isn't it?

Heeseung tried not to overthinkㅡhe really tried. But he knew Kim Sunoo and Jay must have planned something, and that thought alone made him on tenterhooks.

They shouldn't be this quiet. He thought.

Also, if someone was this 'careful' to not get caught by him, that surely meant something, and that something was worth getting his attention. Plus, wouldn't it be funny and dumb that while he's busy preparing for his own plan, Sunoo and his alliance were also doing the same thing that might result in his failure?

"Heeseung."

As he was lost in thought, a familiar voice suddenly interrupted his trance. 

Heeseung turned to his left and was met with the sight of Sunghoon's face, which was etched with concern. 

Sunghoon was sitting elegantly on his horse, matching his pace with his own horse's collected speed. The two horses were moving in unison, their hooves beating a rhythmic pattern on the ground. 

That made Heeseung aware of his surroundings; he was in the middle of his morning ride with his horse, and he forgot Sunghoon was tagging along with him today since the rest of his friends weren't available. He also recalled wanting to discuss something with the latter earlier but seemed like his thoughts had made him carried away.

"Are you alright? You've been spacing out a lot." Sunghoon said, glancing at his friend alternately while keeping his focus in front. "What happened to the important talk you mentioned earlier?" he added, raising one of his brows in full questioning.

Sunghoon honestly didn't plan for any morning horse ride today, for he despised the cold weather. If it's not for Heeseung who made him come to this equestrian club they usually frequent, he wouldn't bother waking up early from his bed. 

The moment Heeseung called for his attention regarding the recent issue, he already expected what the topic was going to be, which instantly put his findings into the spotlight.

Heeseung, however, didn't reply to him right away. Instead, he decided to lead his horse down the path at a calm pace, taking in the peacefulness of his surroundings. 

Memories of other seasons came flooding back to him, and he realized how each season had its unique differences. Despite being early February, the temperature had not increased much from the previous month. It was still freezing, and a gentle breeze added to the coldness of the air. The chill in the air was palpable, and Heeseung could feel it seeping through his jacket and into his skin.

But, he thought a quick horse ride wouldn't be a nuisance to do, since he also needed to exercise his horse too.

"I think a lot these days, Hoon," he replied, after a few minutes of silence.

Sunghoon turned to Heeseung on his right, staring at the latter's face anticipatingly. "Is there something bothering your mind?"

"I don't know." Heeseung shrugged with an uncertain chuckle. "Maybe I am bothered by something, and you knew that."