24 Burning Red

After the whole running into another assassin, Akane was exhausted. She was so tired that as soon as she got home she took a quick shower, clean her wounds a bit and passed out the minute she got into her comfy bed.

She woke up to the doorbells ringing echoing into the house from the front door. Sighing, she got up, warps herself up in her silk robe before making her way down the stairs to answer the call.

She press the button and ask as she eyes the man on the screen who was staring down and not looking up for the security camera to catch his face.

"Who?"

"Hello?"

"I ask, who are you?" Akane ask, now irritated that she was awaken up from her much needed peaceful slumber.

"I'm Park Min Ho." comes the reply which had the women taking second glance at the solitude standing under her security defence right outside her property.

"Is miss Kim here?" the question came after.

"Look up." Akane says and watch as the man look up with a confusedly gazing up around the door. True to his words he was really Park Min Ho.

"Come in."

Akane open the gates then the house door for the man to come inside. He was armless and harmless anyway, and even if he got muscular build Akane was half a head taller and more experience in fighting. She can kill the man half asleep.

Akane was cautious non the less as she led the man to sit by the dining room while she went to fetch a medical box for herself since her wounds has started bleeding with all the movements. Minho was sitting on one of the chairs obediently, waiting for her to come back. Akane took the seat opposite to the man, sitting sideways as she put the box on top of the table in front of her.

"What brings you here Mr.Park?" Akane ask politely, opening the box and picking up the little bottle of alcohol and a cotton ball to clean the bloody mess on her tight below.

"I'm here to confirm if you are the one I think you are?" Minho says, eyes staring at the women who was cleaning.. maybe a cut or something on her leg on the other side of the table. He wasn't sure.

"And?" Akane glances at the man as she grabs a roll of bandages and start warping her wound. The wound is deep enough to get it stitches but she was tired for needles right now and a tight warp of bandage will have to make do for now.

"I think I'm right and that you are the person I think you are." Minho says, a sad smile on his face as he watch the women being polite yet cold to him.

"You've changed noona." Minho comments, "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to prevent it."

Akane pause, glances at the man for a few seconds before finishing tying the bandage.

"Well," Akane sighs and sit straight and she finally face the man, "Our mother is a garbage and I'm just glad you didn't grew up to be as same as them. We have no hand in her dirty mind turning into a sewer." She commented and it made the other chuckles cutely.

Ddaeng, Minho chuckles like a five year old kid and still looks cute despite his age.

"I guess some things don't change, you are still as mouthy as you were back then." Minho smiles, relaxing into his seat as he sighs.

"I guess," Akane shrugs her shoulders and smiled back.

"I cried you know, when they brought in a body saying its you in the middle of the night." Minho recalled, shuddering a bit.

Akane just giggles at the statement. Its kinda funny to her.

"Don't laugh, I think even vomited right in front of the corpse and one of the maid had to pull me up from the floor and carry me back to my room. The dead body was so gruesome it made me sick. The funeral was quick and I was on my bed for a week. I didn't wanted to believe that you were gone. I never forget about you noona, even after mum got pregnant and I got a sibling. Not after all these years, I had a hunch that maybe you're still here.." he hesitated but still continues, "After mum and Seulmi came back from their trip to Dubai, she started acting strange and then I got notified about a person living in the downtown estate. I had to confirm things so I confronted mum about it. I was devastated by the length they went to get what we have. What we stole... from you."

Minho really did looked heartbroken and sad as he says he is. What his parents did wasn't fair but he didn't need to feel guilty for what they did. Akane can see how this half brother of hers is still pure hearted as he was back then.

"I'm hoping you will not betray me if I put my trust in you." Akane speaks out loud, startling the man before him who looked at her in shock.

"I would never." Minho said it so seriously that Akane almost laughed at his face but she settled on smiling instead.

"Can you cut ties with them?" Akane ask, expecting the man to say yes, "It's unhealthy and dangerous for you to stay near them." she reasons a bit.

"I want to," Minho nodded his head but also sighs tiredly, "My wife agrees with me, I already talked the situation out with her and she's ready to move in with me, but my oldest daughter is quite attached to mum and I don't know how to separate them." he sighs again and starts frowning. It hurts his head to even think about it.

"I'm curious about why you named your first daughter with my birth name." Akane wonders out loud, to ease the others' mind a little by giving him a less negative topic to talk about.

"Oh that?" Minho sits up straighter, letting out a nervous chuckle as he pushes his hair back from his eyes.

He looked hot in that moment. Akane can't help but find it pretty funny. Her brother has a strong sex appeal. It's hilarious.

"I thought she looked a little like you that's the reason why I named her after you. I was wrong though, she look nothing like you and I realised that a little to late." Minho chuckled as he shrinks into his chair in embarrassment.

"How thoughtful of you." Akane giggles at the others shyness, "but seriously yes, we look nothing alike." she teased a little, just to see the others' face turning red in embarrassment.

"By the way, do you have a place to stay or do you want to stay here?" Akane suddenly ask, "You can even bring your wife and kids here for the time being, unless you already prepared a safe place for them." she suggested, 'cause she knows where the heck Minho is staying right now and she don't like that place one bit.

"My security system is no joke and your family will be safe here more then they will anywhere else in Seoul. It's dangerous for a 'Park' to be outside in vulnerable position. I have enough space for everyone." Akane reasons, hoping for the man to understand.

"You're welcoming a son of the man who casted you away, you know that right?" Minho asks hesitantly but the women just smiles at him.

"Their crime is deeper than me getting casted away but it got nothing to do with you." Akane simply says, letting the man know that she don't seem him guilty for what his parents did, "Actually, you don't even know the length of their dirty deeds. You are innocent, nothing but a pawn in their games. So, I'm going to have you resign officially from the companies position to ensure your safety and innocence."

"A pawn?" Minho chuckles bitterly, "Is that what I am to father? wow... .just wow. I'm an idiot to not have realised that sooner."

"You won't be, not anymore." Akane says, reaching out her hand across the table for the other to hold, Minho did with tears brimming up in his eyes. It was also funny because Minho's hands were still like a chubby baby's and slightly smaller while Akane's hand was slender with elegantly long fingers.

"I'm so glad you're still cute." Akane comments, which managed to make the younger burst out laughing.

The talk was exhausting and it was just five in the evening and so Akane guessed she better just go back to sleep off her tiredness. She let the man choose a room and stay over before going back to her room and falling right back to her dream.