Your fault?" Soo surprises herself by finding her voice. Inside her ribcage, her heart twitches painfully.
"I am responsible for your accident," he stares at her palm intently, head hanging low. "It was my first car and I -"
"No!" Her tone startles them both. So's eyes snap back to her gaze and she can't find any misgiving in them. This time it is her who steps back, her hands trembling. "You are lying! Why are you lying?"
"It is the truth Hae Soo!" The timber of his tone burns, yet remains firm. "Why would I lie to you?"
"They wanted to keep my name off the records - that's why nobody talks about it. Don't hate Wook for something he has no control over."
"Lies!"
His fingers grip her arms not so gently, turning her around to face him. There she sees it for the first time - a darker shadow that sifts in his eyes. His jaw is set and his eyes are burning.
"Admit it Hae Soo - I'm exactly the kind of man they say I am."
He holds her for another moment, until she is struggling to free herself and then lets go as abruptly as he held her. "There - now you understand. You are better far away from me."

**
Tears blur her vision and Soo wipes at them angrily. There is no point in crying over things beyond her control. She leans her head against the headrest and lets her eyes drain away all the bitterness brewing inside her. She is certain she would need that before facing Attorney Yoo.

The car she has sent to pick her up - without giving reasons for their meeting, finds her when she stumbles outside still going over Hwang So's confession. Soo can't still believe she could make such a grave error of judgement. She had trusted him and her own trust was biting into her soul like a broken shred of a glass.

Attorney Yoo sits in her office, like a queen of yore, sipping from a delicate tea cup. The smell of herbal tea makes her dizzy, still Soo reminds herself to stand straighter and bow deep. She waves it away with a lazy hand.

"I missed you Hae Soo, we haven't talked in a while," she gestures her to take the seat opposite.

The decor is red as blood, so is the chair she sinks into. It makes Soo nervous to be surrounded by so much red. She sits anyway and stares at her hands in her lap. Attorney Yoo reaches over and pours her a tea cup. Its strong smell tickles her nostrils and bile rise up her throat.

"Orange blossoms -" Attorney Yoo tells her. "Specially hand picked and dried. Nothing better to clear your head before a consultation."

Her hands shake as she accepts the tea and under the older woman's hawk like gaze, Soo takes a cautious sip and regrets immediately. If possible the strong taste combined with the undiluted smell makes her more nauseous.

"Wook was worried about you..." the opening sounds threateningly gentle. "You were off the grid for the entire day."

"I went to lend a helping hand to a friend," Soo chooses her words carefully knowing they will be relayed to her aunt at some point. "I was bored."

"If you are interested I can offer you better occupations for your time Hae Soo..." Narrowed eyes considers her over the rim of a tea cup.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you - but it won't be necessary." She winces and takes another sip of that horrible tea.

"Let me be frank with you Hae Soo," Says Attorney Yoo. "My Wook has suffered too much for his young life. I do not wish for him to worry anymore. He is the only son who puts my happiness above his - for some strange reason he thinks he owes me his life." She shakes her head at a thought only she was privy to with a ghost of a smile and sets down her tea cup. When her eyes snap back to hold Soo's, there is no warmth in them. "And you've been worrying him."

She shivers involuntarily and the tea cup rattles in its saucer.

"He has proposed has he not? What takes you so long to say yes?" The mild irritation with which she speaks strokes the dying fire inside her.

"I'd rather not marry a man I know nothing of, Attorney Yoo."

"Have six years taught you nothing? What more do you need to know about him?"

"I knew him as my doctor - I need to see him as a potential partner."

"And you have not yet?"

Soo blinks. Orange blossoms had indeed cleared her head.

"No." She says a little too confidently. "I will not marry unless I've fully recovered the past I've lost Attorney Yoo. I'm sorry but it is unfair on both of us if I promise myself to him without fully knowing who I am to begin with."

"Hae Soo!"

The tea cup slips, soaking her blouse with the strong smelling heated liquid. Attorney Yoo sighs aloud.

"Go - clean yourself." She gestures at the adjacent bathroom with her head.
**
In his mind Jung remains as a boy of twelve. The lanky boy with sun burned nose who gave him his favorite stuffed alligator so that he wouldn't have trouble sleeping in US. But the young man sitting three chairs away looking straight ahead with a plastered smile is a complete stranger.

So feels like a pawn walking to doom, a fate he has run away from for a long has him chased and trapped finally. His eyes spin around the room, the flashing cameras, the gentle hum of voices, scribbling on notebooks, and typing keys greet him in a wave. Faces of interested strangers stare up at them - the athletes seated along the raised stage. He catches the face he was looking for and knows at once what is in store for him.

Slaughter.

Yoo Won is another orphan with his mother's name. It takes him a long time to realize what her goodwill actually means. Attorney Yoo calls it charity, to contribute to the education and general well being of orphaned children - as many as she could. Some called her assemblyman Hwang's promotional mascot and some the Godmother of nation. But So knows exactly who they are - the children who bear his mother's maiden name - pawns strategically placed. In highs and lows - a network from which she reaps the harvest of her funds. And now - he finds himself surrounded with the tips of their swords pointing at his heart.

Yet, he must go on.

He exhales with effort and takes his seat beside coach Park, who has his eyebrows knotted already. Beak Ah is missing. So does not blame him - this is beyond what a manager no matter how extra ordinary could either predict or prevent.
His mother always loved the element of surprise.

"So -" Coach Park starts as So staring at his fist intently cuts in.

"I know - it's okay." He inhales a shaky breath and succeeds in producing a ghost of a smile. "I know."
Before they exchange anymore than that - the conference begins.

It glides smoothly - too smoothly until the basic ground of the approaching FINA world championship is covered. Since they would be the host team, the attention given to them is suddenly overwhelming. Home means hope. Hope is pinned to each of them. Like the silence that is followed by a storm it shifts in a second.

Yoo Won opens his mouth.

"Hwang So Ssi, how does it feel to be competing against a brother again?" Polite, sharp and well phrased, the question sounds almost innocent.

Coach Park almost snaps to answer, had So not given him a sideways glance.
"Motivating," he answers calmly. "Arena feels like home."

There is a gentle wave of laughter at that in which Won joins in - he is however far from done.

"Being a potential Olympic candidate I'm sure you are at better odds than the last time. If my memory serves me right you brought gold after a neck to neck battle with your brother before?"

"Silver -" he corrects him automatically and knows the very next second from the glint in Won's eyes that he had given the perfect opening.

"Oh yes," Won pretends to go through his notes. "It was raised to gold after your brother was stripped of his medals right? I mixed up there. Forgive me!"

There is a murmur that is no longer pleasant. Won doesn't let them dwell on that, instead he turns to Jung. So's eyes follow his and he takes in the dark fury that has his youngest brother stiffened.

"And how strong is your resolve Hwang Jung Ssi, enough to beat your brother?"
"In the pool everyone is an opponent," the answer is bitter with venom that it makes So wince. He has heard those words before.

"Oh my my - you've grown up into a replica of your brother! Is it his loss that inspired you to follow on his footsteps?"

There is a pounding against his ears that So doesn't hear Jung's answer. Won snaps back to him like a vicious whip.

"Hwang So Ssi, it was more intense in your case wasn't it? You were there when the tragic incident happened?"

"No comments." So snaps finally. "Please restrain yourself from asking irrelevant questions."

Won's smile stretches the limits of politeness and boards on malice. He bows deep nevertheless.

"Don't you think it's a bit insensitive to call your brother irrelevant?" He asks innocently, looking around for judgment from the crowd.

"And you find it sensitive asking me to relive the moment I lost my brother?"

**
"Jung!" So calls after him. The hall is deserted apart from them. The younger man stops only as an automatic reaction to his name being called. Before he takes off, So reaches out to grab his arm. "We need to talk."

When he turns to look at him, his younger brother's face is a mask of pure undiluted hatred.

"Scared much, Hwang So?"

"It's Hyung - Jung."

The reply to his correction is a snort of humourless laughter.

"Who you? Are you sure? To call that to the murderer of my brother - what do you think I am?"

"Omoni's puppet of cause," he lets the words spill, wincing at their truth as he spoke. "Don't let her change who you are Jungie."

"Oh you are afraid." Jung clicks his tongue. "Has Karma finally caught up with you?"

"Jung -"

"You just wait Hwang So - just you wait. It was this same tournament right? That you were so desperate to win? Just wait until I rip that gold off you. It has never been yours to begin with - you thief! You traitor!"

"Then I would wish you luck brother," So says coldly. His shoulders slump with weariness as Jung's words settle on his conscience. "It's the heaviest medal I've ever worn I'd gladly let you take it off. But," He pauses for emphesis and lays a hand on Jung's shoulder which he shrugs off disgustedly. "But not at the cost of my brother."