Convictions Of the Past II

'Time to corner the mouse'

"Who do you think created this distance? You."

Alexis calmed his voice down as he spoke, Seojin still refusing to meet his gaze.

"Who do you think is the reason this situation happened?

You.

You are the only one responsible, agent Kim Seojin . You alone..

You have become too laid back in the past ten years. It seems that you have been enjoying the luxury of having not to struggle for your life for too long. So much that you have begun to consider yourself normal.

Even after all I went through to get you where you are, even taking the risk of putting you in my first ever team, what do you do?

Even after all I had to do, keeping you away from the them, what do I get in return?

Failures upon failures, I don't know what made you think you staying the lowest would be the best for all. I even waited ten years for you to prove it to me that you were right in your decisions, but I can't see any results here."

Seojin still refused to meet his gaze, however Alexis seemed to have no qualms in continuing, he could see the building frustration in the other.

"You are still stuck in the lowest of the lowest. You're still where you were ten years ago, while your team, your so called beloved brothers, have long moved ahead. So far from your reach that you can't even think.

The reason you are unable to be of any use to them.. is you. "

Alexis leaned back on his chair, breathing in, waiting to see the effect of his words, even though he wasn't hoping much.

The more he heard Alexis, the more he knew the CEO wasn't wrong.

And the more he realized that, the worse Seojin felt. He couldn't find it in him to refute a single word his boss had said.

Over the time, Seojin had resigned to the feeling of being a burden over his top ranked members. He had even wanted to leave everything. The dual life, being a secret agent, all of it. He had felt like he had no purpose at all.

And even yet he still went by his morals and values that he had held on to.

He had always been hesitant, to pull the trigger, to get documents, to stealth around.

Trying to stop himself from becoming somebody's blind puppet...again.

After all, that was how the alliance worked, the reason there were ranks.

It would first be just some small things, and once the obedience was established in those, they would move you to the bigger missions. And if you obey the smaller orders, you would soon obey the bigger ones.

And for him, following someone's command blindly, brought back harsh memories. But that no longer seemed to be the obstacle anymore after having seen what happened in his absence.

"Is that the only way? The only way I can be there for my members? "

Seojin asked, despite knowing the answer.

Alexis struggled to keep the corners of his mouth from tugging up. It was going exactly as he had wished.

'The mouse has been cornered.'

.

"Why do you ask when you know the answer? It was the same years ago, it is the same now.

You might be under me, but you know Seojin, we all are bound by the alliance. Power is the only thing that grants you your wishes. So climb up the ranks, become useful, to me, Seojin. Who knows, maybe your wishes might get fulfilled. "

'Now it depends on your decision.'

Alexis thought as he intently waited for his agent to answer.

Seojin was silent.

Had this been the old him, Seojin would have refused. Had he been asked to climb up the ranks even just two months before, he would have refused. His morals, his values ,all the reasons he had, holding him back before, they never would have let him, he cared for them, his values, morals, they were priceless.

But now...

He no longer remembered what or how his old self felt about this, nor did he care.

If the only way for him to be there for his team was to climb the ranks as an agent,, then that's exactly what he was going to do. This currently took more priority to him than his past self and the chains that held it.

"I know Seojin, it's fine for you to decline, we'll just be back at square one trying to continue this discussion.- "

Seojin's long pause was too much for the impatient Alexis. He had at least hoped for a different response this time. However seeing the delayed answer, Alexis had been quick to conclude that the answer was going to be the same. That was when Seojin interrupted the other.

"Okay. "

"Yeah I know- Wait- What?!! "

Seojin's words had rendered the blonde haired man surprised more than he had expected..

"Are you being serious? I mean you know what this means right?"

He asked once again to make sure it was the same Seojin he was talking to.

Seojin looked up, their eyes meeting for the first time in the conversation and spoke,

" You heard me right. If that's the only way, then so be it. I know better than you, what it means. "

He stood up, his fists clenched as he looked at his boss one last time.

"I have removed the tapping on my Pager. They won't know I'm doing anything till next month when general rankings will be announced. I'll start tomorrow itself. I should have realized it a bit late, but this power you say, I'll get it and make you grant my wishes. One . . by . . one. "

With that, he walked out of the office in confident strides, not looking back once.

'How long is that confidence gonna last, I hope you haven't become rusty in the past years Seojin, after all you are one of my many useful pieces...

I wonder how the alliance would react when your name starts coming up...'

Alexis was busy in his thoughts when his phone buzzed with a message, from number that was not saved.

-The pieces have begun moving-

'It's going to be entertaining after a long time now. . .'

Alexis smiled, his eyes glinting as he lightly swiveled in his chair.

* * *

Others had already left for the lobby when Seojin walked out of the CEO's office except for Yeon.

"It took pretty long Hyung. . "

The younger called out to the other man who was walking towards him.

"Yeah, he asked me about my memories and then talked about other stuff, nothing important."

"Hmm. . . You'll be starting the missions next month right? I mean the doctor advised a two week rest right . . "

Yeon's question surprised Seojin, since the other wasn't usually the type to ask about such things.

"Yeah . . . Yeah I guess.." He answered as he began to walk towards the elevator, the other following, Seojin wasn't prepared to lie this early after all. It was silent for a bit as they waited for it to arrive, before Yeon asked,

"Hyung... will you be ranking up this time? "

His words came out more nervous than he had expected for some reason.

Yeon had always known about Seojin's worries of being a burden on the rest of them. Not just him but all of them knew that their eldest was constantly putting himself down. They had all tried their best to make him realize that he meant a lot more to them than he thought. But it had all been to no avail.

The others may not have known, however Yeon and Ryan knew, and so did Cyril, as to why the eldest refused to rank up. Even if the eldest himself didn't remember it, they knew, thanks to accidentally stumbling upon him and the CEO talking , seven years ago.

Though the conversation never revealed exactly what , it was made clear that Seojin had a reason for staying at the lower ranks, that he cherished the reason, considered it important enough to stay D-ranked for so long.

But this time, something was not right. And Yeon could feel it. He didn't know if it was his sixth sense or intuition speaking, telling him, that things were changing, somehow, he felt that the gears for something big were soon to be set in motion.

Seojin's answer would make it clear whether whatever reason his hyung had held onto for so long, whatever he had cherished for so long would soon lose it's value or not .

However instead answering the question that held so many meanings to Yeon, all Seojin did was shake his head, smiling as he walked into the elevator that had arrived.

"Come on Yeon, others are waiting. It isn't something you have to worry about.

And now Yeon was left even more confused than before.

* * *