Crescent // ATEEZ ✔

51 [murder-ed/er]

They decide for only two to meet Lee Minhyuk; Hongjoong and Wooyoung, as they figure he might brand them as a threat if the first thing he sees is four people who happen to have his sister's phone by chance. They arrive at the soup restaurant only to immediately think that looks can definitely be deceiving, as it's hard to imagine the man in front of them is a dangerous mob boss who has 'killing' and 'torturing' in the most commonly used words section in his dictionary.

Wooyoung couldn't have guessed it the first time he saw him with the red sports car, with Lee Mikyung laughing as she hugged him. Even now, he finds it hard to believe.

The man seems respectful upon the first meeting, as he's the first to stand up and extend his hand to both men, as Hongjoong accepts it firmly while Wooyoung is more hesitant. He's suddenly reminded of how it would go down if he breaks Mikyung's heart, and he doesn't think that it would end in him walking out of the room alive.

"How did the uncle of her student find her phone at the park? I have a lot of questions but I'd like it if you explain it to me straight. We don't have much time," he gestures towards his gold-encrusted watch. "My sister's life is in danger."

"It looks like you care for her a lot, Mr. Lee," Hongjoong replies as he eyes the server placing the hot bowl of clear soup in front of him. He's full, but Minhyuk insisted anyway on buying them lunch. He picks up the spoon. "Does she know what you do?"

Something shifts in his eyes before his voice drops low, "Who are both of you? You've been lying to me?"

"It's nice to meet you again, Mr. Lee. Ah, you don't know who we are, but we know who you are. How's the tender that you stole going?"

"Who on earth-" he reaches for something under his jacket but Wooyoung reacts fast too, he shakes his head while he shows his own gun hidden under the jacket.

"We come prepared too." Hongjoong takes one spoonful of soup. "Relax, Mr. Lee. We're not on opposing sides, we want to find your sister as much as you do."

"But why?" he looks at them quizzically before his eyes rest longer on Wooyoung. "You- you look familiar. I feel like I've seen you before around Mikyung."

"I was." But he doesn't elaborate on how their relationship is; not that he knows. "She was supposed to meet me at the park, but when I arrived there she was gone. Then I found her phone on the floor, saw the picture of you and her, put 2 and 2 together." He takes out Mikyung's phone and slides it towards him. "We did not tamper with her phone in any way. We wanted to make sure that she was indeed kidnapped, but we couldn't find any evidence. You called, and basically gave away what could have happened."

Minhyuk looks warily at Wooyoung, then to the phone, as if he's debating on whether he'd like to kill the sniper right there and then. He never knew Mikyung had a boyfriend, but then maybe she never wanted to tell him because of how protective he can be towards her. But this, this man is definitely something else.

Not your ordinary boy next door.

"Never knew gangsters send their nieces to kindergarten," Minhyuk muses. "Interesting to know."

"We're not gangsters, Mr. Lee," Hongjoong utters. "We're... couriers. Doing jobs for people like you."

He takes one second to recognize them before he comes to a realization. "ATEEZ," he pronounces. "Finally I get to see your face."

"It's nice to meet you face to face, Mr. Lee. Does your sister know that you're a high profile mob boss who kills and tortures people for fun?"

Minhyuk releases a heavy breath before chuckling. "You really do know how to make me flustered. The answer is no, she doesn't. That poor little girl right now is probably wondering why she was kidnapped."