"Take the quiz!"

"Wooyoung, I'm not about to take a quiz for me to find out which bread I am."

"Oh come on, try it! I'm a whole wheat bread, San's a banana bread and Yunho's a Hawaiian Roll. We can be bread buddies together."

"Wooyoung, stop annoying me. It's almost 1 in the afternoon and we haven't gotten a customer for today. I would like to keep this tranquility alive. I told you to stay 10 metres clear of me when we're in this cafe."

"Yeosang!" Wooyoung whines before pulling back the phone, pouting as he taps furiously on the screen. "Well then I might have to answer it for you, and we'll see what you get." The sniper takes a seat and occasionally glances at the hacker as the next question comes up, giving it a thought as he scans his lifelong friend's personality and decides which answer he would pick. After he's done, Wooyoung snorts as he shoves the screen towards an annoyed Yeosang.

"A soft pretzel? I'm not soft-"

"This is the most perfect description for you!" He reads the results as his head sways from side to side, clearly enjoying the look on Yeosang's face. "You're a bit twisted and super salty. Ha, that's exactly what a Kang Yeosang is." He sticks out his tongue.

"I can't believe I have so many other people to be friends with, but I'm stuck with you right here. In the same team. Running a cafe that feels ancient. Taking a quiz to find out which bread we are."

"Aww, but aren't you glad it's me and not someone else?" He fists his hands and rubs them against Yeosang's cheeks, as the latter grumbles and shoves him away.

"Why are you so obsessed with me?" The hacker smooths his apron and pulls down his sleeves so that he has sweater paws. "Don't disturb me again or I'll smack you without restraint."

Wooyoung fake-cries in horror before leaning back against the chair, sipping on his iced soda. The drink fizzes as he puts it down, and he traces the rim of the glass with his finger as he looks at his phone, jolting up every time a notification comes in but gets disappointed when it's not from the person he's waiting for.

"Why are you jolting like a worm getting electrocuted whenever there's a notification? Are you waiting for someone to text you? Who in their right minds would, though, but that's a different question."

"Shut up, Kang Yeosang." He tries to change the topic as he pulls Yeosang to sit with him, downing the soda in one sitting and burping.

"Gross, but why am I surprised anymore when you have been loud since birth? The other babies cry but you probably screeched until the nurses had to isolate you."

"That's my charm anyway," he cups his face as he bats his eyelashes.

"Sure," Yeosang pushes his face away while snarling.

Wooyoung almost tumbles onto the floor but he steadies himself, then clears his throat as if nothing happened. He checks his phone again but groans as he drops his head onto the table and stretches out his arms. "Life is so boring when we have no missions to do."

Yeosang's eyes travel to the camera before mumbling, "Well yeah, remember what happened the last time we got a new mission after a ve...ry... long time?"

"Do you think we would have been here if we resisted it harder?" Wooyoung lies on the side of his face so he can look at Yeosang. "That maybe we could grow up to become someone successful instead of becoming shady couriers?"

"There's no point of questioning it now," the hacker concludes, but his voice drops low as he tries to find something to do. He goes over to the sink, looking for any plates or cups to be wiped dry, but finds none. He sighs before turning back again to face Wooyoung. "Why are you suddenly remembering about the past?"

"I don't know." He plays with the cover of his phone, taking it out then putting it back on. "Maybe I wished that I was the only son to some kind of rich CEO. Maybe only then I'll feel that it's the money that I can actually spare. Now it just feels like the money isn't rightfully ours, because I know it isn't."

His friend stares at him before deciding, "Do you like someone, Wooyoung?"

"What do you mean? Of course I don't." But his eyes betray him as he avoids looking directly at him.

"You can't lie to me." He rolls his eyes. "Who is it?"

"No one."

Yeosang twists Wooyoung's ear until he cries out in pain and admits defeat.

"Fine, fine! It's Hwayoung's kindergarten teacher. I kind of liked her since the first day I saw her at the kindergarten. She's cute and she seems nice."

"There you go. Hmph," he goes deep into his thought, "no wonder you were so excited to send and pick up Hwayoung from the kindergarten sometimes. Huh, it's always the teacher, not even Hwayoung herself. Hwayoung will be sad to hear this; she'll put you on the not-favourite uncle list, again."

"Kang Yeosang," he utters and sticks out his lower lip. He plays around with his fingers. "I'm being serious, that's not even helping."

He sighs longer before pulling a seat next to the sniper who looks to be in defeat, with drooped shoulders and a fallen face. "What's the problem? Did she find out about what we actually do and rejected you on the spot?"

"No," he says, resigning. "She only thinks that we run this dingy cafe with Yunho, and nothing more. We did exchange our numbers but I'm kind of... hesitating to start the conversation first. We haven't interacted with each other since I got her number. I'm scared of bringing her into danger if I start anything, but I admitted it anyway. She doesn't even know what we do." He falls back down onto the table again, hitting his forehead against the surface, "What if she finds out and decides that I'm not a good man? I mean I know I'm not, but she's too pure to be involved with me. These hands..." He splays out his fingers, "have killed too many."

The hacker gives him a good 10 seconds of his judgy face before nodding slowly. "So you're in love with Hwayoung's kindergarten teacher who's too pure for our world, and you're scared of tainting that with your background. Understood. But you chose this life, though. When you could've stayed at the orphanage, but you had to throw a tantrum."

"That was because you were taken away and I didn't want to lose a friend..." he mutters as he crosses his arms. "Of course I would want to follow you."

"Don't you regret it? Following me because you said you wouldn't want to lose a friend, practically begging them to take you in too when they kidnapped me from the orphanage. Who on earth would ask for themselves to be kidnapped?"

"I don't regret it. You're my best friend since I knew how to speak and it's not fair that they're only taking you. They should know that my skills are better than yours, and that they're missing out a lot if they don't scout me."

"I expected a sweet and touching answer, but you gave me that. Fine." But Yeosang smiles as his eyes turn downcast. "I'm glad, of course. To have you here with the rest of the boys. If our lives at the orphanage were any better... maybe we could have become decent office workers and earn some average salaries. But we're here, whether by fate or not. If Hwayoung's teacher decides that you're not the one she wants..." He shrugs. "Some things are just not meant to be."

"Can you imagine us as office workers? That shit would be the most boring job," he chuckles. "Clocking in and out, being slaves in the office as we get yelled again by our bosses. At least Hongjoong doesn't have much to yell about. I don't know what's better... us being together doing jobs like these, or only the two of us back at the orphanage, graduating and getting a decent job. There wasn't much to miss at the orphanage besides our caretaker anyway. She left the orphanage when we were kidnapped... and now there's nothing good to remember left there."

"Seems like you got your answer."

"Of what?"

"Of where you'd rather be."

He pauses to think. "Really? I don't think I did."

"And you say you're more skilled than me. Obviously I got the only brain cell left."

"I thought only Hwayoung has that?"

They both burst into laughter before Wooyoung tries to pull Yeosang into a hug, intending to plant a kiss on the latter's forehead. Yeosang tries to wriggle free of his grasp and his lips are only inches away from his skin as the door to the cafe opens and there's a slight gasp.

In that awkward position, both of them turn to see Hwayoung and her kindergarten teacher, Ms. Lee, at the door, looking at them slack-jawed.

"Oh my god!" Wooyoung releases his grip around Yeosang's head, practically throwing him away as he exclaims, "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not interested in you!"

Yeosang straightens himself up as he utters, "Literally zero times but okay." He jumps off the chair and opens up his arms. "Hwayoung you're back!" He turns to the teacher to acknowledge her as Hwayoung runs to him.

Hwayoung runs into his arms and he lifts her up, talking about Yunho probably attempting to cook lunch for them upstairs, before he gives a knowing look to Wooyoung as they leave the sniper with the teacher alone at the cafe.

The teacher looks like she's about to say something but Wooyoung eyes the surveillance camera before he quickly says, "Can we talk somewhere else? Not at this cafe. I'll meet you outside at the park a few blocks away."

She gives a look full of questions but she says no further before she turns to leave, the bell clinking as she steps outside. She throws a look to him once again before she starts to walk away, her high heels clicking on the tar.

Wooyoung takes out his phone and dials Jongho, claiming that he has somewhere urgent to go. Jongho doesn't leave as much as a question as he can hear the door to their dorm opening followed by a slam, and Jongho's footsteps echoing throughout the whole cafe. The youngest is only wearing a worn-out shirt, sporting bed hair as he obediently takes place behind the counter.

"Where are you-" Jongho starts to ask, but Wooyoung reverses onto the stairs, and after seeing that he's already in the camera's blind spot, he dashes up. "-going," he finishes, but Wooyoung is already out of earshot.

Wooyoung punches in the code to their dorm before bursting in, startling the rest who are starting to gather around the table for lunch.

"Wooyoung, lunch-" Mingi invites him.

"Not now, I have somewhere urgent to go," he replies, waving to them and patting Hwayoung's head on the way as he zooms into the laundry room, practically jumping behind the washing machine. His footsteps bounce off the walls of the narrow staircase.

"Where is he going... who is he meeting?" San mulls over as he bites on his fork.

"My teacher!" Hwayoung shouts gleefully as the rest of them turn to look at her with quizzical and amused looks.

"Which one? Mrs. Rai? The divorcee with four kids?" Seonghwa asks, helping to set up the table together with Yunho and Byul. "Didn't know that's his type."

"No, you idiot. It's the newest teacher, Ms. Lee."

"My favourite teacher!" Hwayoung chips in. "She's so nice and pretty."

"Wooyoung likes her?" Yunho asks, taking a seat as he puts down the final plate. "So he's letting his guard down after going through every one of us saying that he won't break the rule. He was the most adamant in not wanting to break it."

Wooyoung is out of breath as he runs the span of their headquarters, stopping at the warehouse as he jumps onto the motorbike, the tyres screeching as he revs up the engine and kicks off the stand. As soon as the roller shutter gives him enough space to squeeze through he leaves the warehouse behind, emerging out of the dense forest and into the alley, arriving in less than a minute at the park.

He arrives there to find the park empty with no one even as he circles the small area, finally thinking that his uncertain relationship with the teacher has finished before it even started. Of course, he did not even try to initiate anything with her, pretending as if getting her number was the final thing he would attempt.

Disappointed in himself, he's about to put back the helmet on but spots a phone on the ground and finding it weird, he picks up the phone and activates it to see the lock screen. His heart drops as he sees the picture of Lee Mikyung and her brother on the lock screen.

With the phone in his hand he inspects the swings, his other hand tightened around the chain as he rocks it back and forth slowly, trying to trace for any discrepancies. The rusty metal creaks before he stops moving it and he looks around to find any surveillance cameras. Of course, none spotted near the park.

His heart feels uneasy as he quickly turns back to his motorbike, slipping the phone into his pocket.

It would be much better for him to say that she just dropped it when she went here, but decided to leave when he's taking too long.

Still, he's not even trying to flatter himself anymore by saying that she would wait no matter how long.

Being in this business for almost a year has trained him to think of the worst case scenario first, even though the evidence left behind are at most presumptive.

She didn't leave by choice. There's a huge possibility she was kidnapped, and as he speeds back to the warehouse to alert the rest, he could only hope that he wasn't the reason so.

---

10 minutes earlier

Mikyung sits on the swing while her legs are firmly planted on the ground, hands gripping the handle of the swing too tightly. She unclasps her hands then lays them down on her lap, thinking about what she could say to Wooyoung. Did she do something wrong for him to not initiate anything?

Hwayoung had been chatty with her all the way to the cafe - bless the child - and she can't help but think about what would they think of her when she basically called Hwayoung's father to ask whether she could walk her back home. Part of the reason was because she wanted to see Wooyoung again, but at the same time she didn't know what she actually wanted to tell him.

Maybe something like hey, why are you ignoring me? Or hey, was it a bet with any of Hwayoung's uncles to see if you can get the number of the oblivious teacher? Maybe hey, is there anything that I can do to know if you're actually interested in me, or you're just playing around?

"Oh dear, what if he decided that I'm annoying once I opened my mouth?" She puts a hand over her mouth as she leans forward. "Was it because I cursed in front of him? He probably thought I'm not a good influence to Hwayoung after that, and only asked for my number just to make things less obvious that he hates my guts."

She thinks thoroughly about what she wants to say to him at once, and she includes coming to the conclusion that maybe the message sent during their short encounter in front of the kindergarten wasn't clear. Maybe she needed to shout with her whole chest to say that 'I like you' to Jung Wooyoung, because the exchange was never made.

What made her attracted to the one of many Hwayoung's uncles anyway?

She doesn't know what the rest of Hwayoung's uncles do for a job, because she's sure that having 8 workers for a small coffee shop is unnecessary. Maybe they do side jobs to maintain their lives, because whenever Hwayoung talks about her 'family', she's always gushing about how her uncles are really smart and skilled, although she never elaborated further on her choice of vocabulary.

Mikyung never thought of asking, because when you like someone, you tend to ignore the other parts, vague or not. Surely if they take care of a child really well... they can't be bad guys, can they?

The park is deserted and she lifts up her head as she hears someone approaching, readying herself to make sure that she'll say anything later using her brain and not her heart. Her face falls when she sees it's not the person she's been waiting for, and she could have ignored the person and thought that maybe he was planning to sit on the swing beside her.

She looks at the ground again, swinging back and forth gently as she keeps on waiting, but shivers run down her spine as the shadow grows larger and stops right in front of her. The stranger has a spine-chilling smile on his face, and it doesn't take a moment for her to scream as she feels a hard slap on the back of her head, crashing her down onto the ground.

She's disoriented but her hair is roughly pulled back as her neck is exposed for a needle of a syringe to be plunged in, and the gears of her brain slowing down. The voices of her perpetrators swim around in thick fluid as they reach her ears and she can't even think of a reason she's being targeted before her limp body is carried to an inconspicuous car. She is thrown into the back carelessly, leaving behind her phone on the ground, which is possibly the only visible clue of her being forcefully taken away.

---

The tears pool in his eyes as he bursts out from behind the washing machine, almost tumbling to the floor as he rushes to the dining area, where only Yeosang, Mingi and Hongjoong are left. He messes up his words as his shaky hands bring out the phone and they look at him with panic. He wipes off the sweat on his forehead.

"Is Hwayoung in her bedroom?"

Mingi nods. "Byul is listening to her talking about what she learnt just now. What's... wrong? You came back immediately."

"It's- it's Hwayoung's teacher. I told her that I would meet her at the park because I didn't want the people behind the cameras at the cafe to suspect anything. I tried to go there as fast as I could, but there was no one. I thought that maybe, okay, she decided to leave or not come at all but I found her phone on the ground." He puts the phone on the table before he slides it to them. "What if she was kidnapped?"

"Woah, woah calm down. How did you come up with the conclusion that she was kidnapped? She could have dropped the phone by accident and maybe she even went back to the park to look for it now."

"I- I don't know. Something just feels wrong," Wooyoung shakes his head as a tear drops onto his cheek. "I'm worried and knowing that what if I'm the reason for her missing and something happened to her? I won't forgive myself if that ever happens. What if it was any of my old enemies that I messed with some time back?"

Hongjoong turns to Mingi and stands up. "Go and scour through any cameras you can in the vicinity. Rake through every single camera to see if we can find any clue." He turns to Yeosang, "And if we do find the slightest evidence that she was kidnapped, go and unlock the phone to find whether she has been receiving any suspicious messages or calls."

"Yes boss," Yeosang and Mingi simultaneously reply before they go clean the dishes, then disappear behind the washing machine.

Hongjoong and Wooyoung follow behind. Wooyoung's heart beats too loud as he thinks of all the possibilities of what could have happened to her. He wipes his tears dry as he steels himself, preparing to go through anything to save her, if it was indeed true that she was taken away.

He won't let anything happen to her, even if that means getting blood on his hands yet again.

---

[A/N: Another chapter for today because AnShEe06 made my day and I had a lot of motivation to write. Tbvh this story has a lot of twists and turns that I'm starting to get confused myself until I had to actually backtrack all the information 😂😂😂 I love all your theories and I do read them ^^ hope you have/had/are having a good day <3]