BENEATH THE SURFACE

act iii: Cracks in the Facade

Both Jiyong and Seunghyun pulled the trigger without second thoughts.

"SET UP! f*****g SET UP!" Daesung's voice echoed in the dark, warning their men and Seunghyun of the sudden turn of events.

"What the f**k is this?" Seunghyun hissed under his breath. He was completely blindsided.

Jiyong shot a few more rounds, aiming at anyone trying to attack Seunghyun. "Hyung, they don’t look like the po-po to me." He spat the gum he’d been chewing and discreetly checked if the people they were firing at were fellow uniformed men.

"They are my father's men," Seunghyun answered while reloading his gun.

"Damn! Daddy issues." Jiyong muttered, advancing forward, then leaning his back against Seunghyun’s. Both covered for each other as the armed men moved in closer.

Seunghyun laughed maniacally. "Shut your pie hole, kid!" he said, still chuckling, though his eyes remained focused on the enemies closing in.

From behind the cover, Daesung was observing. He wanted to rush in and help his boss, but something made him pause. He watched the exchange of jokes between Jiyong and Seunghyun. His loyalty to Seunghyun was unwavering, but when it came to G Dragon, he was still unsure. Jiyong had a way of making people trust him—his charm, his skill in negotiation, his ability to fight—but deep down, Daesung couldn’t shake his suspicions about him.

"Daesung!!! Ammo!" Seunghyun’s voice cut through his thoughts.

Daesung snapped back into reality and immediately sprinted toward them, shooting down anyone who crossed his path. "Motherfucker, catch this s**t!" he shouted before tossing a bag of ammo and extra firearms in Jiyong’s direction.

Jiyong discarded his empty gun and advanced, pulling a knife from his back pocket. He slashed at the nearest opponent, the blade sliding effortlessly between ribs. Seunghyun saw it all—the precise movements, the lack of hesitation. He made a mental note: this kid wasn’t just some street hustler. He was something else entirely.

Jiyong calmly picked up the ammo bag from the ground, slinging it over his shoulder. He grabbed a fresh firearm from inside and resumed firing. He was careful—aiming to immobilize rather than kill. He shouldn’t be doing this. Technically, he was still a cop. But in the moment, the mission, the lines, the rules—it all blurred.

"HYUNG!" he yelled, tossing a pistol toward Seunghyun while moving back toward him.

"Go to Daesung and evacuate. I’ll handle this." Seunghyun barked the order, but Jiyong didn’t budge.

Jiyong hesitated. He should do what Seunghyun said. Leaving now would keep his cover intact, let him regroup with Dara, and set up their real ambush against T.O.P. But something deep inside him screamed to stay. He felt like there was something more—something he needed to witness.

He grabbed another pistol from the bag and handed it to Seunghyun, then picked up his own and fired in both hands. He wasn’t going anywhere. f**k the undercover mission. He had to stay.

"Motherfucker, didn’t you hear what I said? GO!" Seunghyun shouted.

"WHAT IS IT, BOSS? CAN’T HEAR YOU. YOU’RE GETTING CHOPPY!" Jiyong yelled back with a smirk.

"Stupid motherfucker," Seunghyun muttered, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Daesung, get the car ready."

"Yes, Hyungnim!" Daesung called back before signaling to their men near the vehicles. With one nod, Seunghyun’s soldiers surged forward, covering their leader and Jiyong. They were willing to die for their boss, for their brother—Choi Seunghyun.

As the fight raged on, the chaos inside the warehouse escalated. The sharp scent of gunpowder filled the air, mixing with the metallic tang of blood. Jiyong moved swiftly, dodging bullets, taking down men with precision. The rush of combat felt intoxicating, like an adrenaline-fueled dance of survival.

Then, a booming explosion rocked the warehouse, sending debris flying in every direction. Jiyong shielded his face with his arm as the impact knocked him backward. Through the dust and smoke, he saw Seunghyun still standing, still fighting.

Seunghyun caught Jiyong’s gaze and grinned. "Now THIS is a f*****g party."

Jiyong couldn’t help but laugh. He was deep in it now. And he wasn’t sure if he ever wanted out.

The warehouse loomed in the distance, its silhouette sharp against the faint glow of the moon. The tension in the air was palpable as Sandara and Jiyong approached the rendezvous point. Their earlier meeting with Choi Seung Hyun had gone smoothly—or as smoothly as it could when sitting across from one of the most dangerous men in South Korea. But tonight was different. Tonight, they would prove themselves—or fail spectacularly.

They were here to oversee a weapons deal, a high-stakes exchange; their weapons for 3 truckloads of trafficked children from North Korea, another paradox in Choi Seunghyun's facade of menace and illegal activities. This could elevate their status within the syndicate. Or expose them as the infiltrators they were.

"Stick close," Jiyong murmured, his voice barely audible. He adjusted his jacket, the glint of his concealed weapon catching the moonlight.

Dara nodded, her pulse quickening. The weight of her own firearm felt heavier than usual.

Inside the warehouse, the smell of oil and rust was overpowering. Crates lined the walls, and a group of men stood near the center, their faces obscured by shadows. Kang Woo Jin was at the forefront, his booming laughter cutting through the silence.

"Ah, our new friends!" Woo Jin called out, motioning for them to join.

Jiyong plastered on his usual smirk. "Wouldn't miss the party."

Dara scanned the room, noting every detail: the exits, the guards, the weapons casually slung over shoulders. Her instincts screamed that something was off. Where are the children?

"Let's get this over with," Woo Jin said, motioning to a pair of men who began unloading crates. Rifles, handguns, and ammunition from T.O.P's vehicles, all gleamed under the dim light.

As the exchange began, the tension in the room thickened. Jiyong kept the conversation flowing, his charm disarming even the most skeptical thugs. Dara stayed quiet, her eyes darting between the players.

Then it happened.

The sound of tires screeching outside snapped everyone to attention. A second later, the warehouse doors burst open, and a hail of gunfire erupted.

"Ambush!" someone shouted.

Dara hit the ground as bullets ricocheted off metal crates. Jiyong grabbed her arm, dragging her behind a stack of barrels.

"This wasn't part of the plan! They haven't even shown where the children are!" she hissed.

"Plans constantly change, Sergeant." Jiyong shot back, pulling his pistol.

The attackers poured in, dressed in black tactical gear. They weren't rival gang members—this was something else entirely. Police? Military? Whoever they were, they were heavily armed and indiscriminate in their assault.

Dara peeked around the corner, firing off two shots to cover Woo Jin as he returned fire. Woo Jin barked orders, rallying his men to defend the contrabands.

Jiyong moved like a shadow, darting between covers, his aim precise. Dara followed, the adrenaline dulling her fear. Together, they provided cover fire, their synchronized movements a testament to their training.

"Dara, left side!" Jiyong shouted.

She turned, taking down an attacker who had flanked them. The force of her shot sent him sprawling, but there was no time to linger.

Amid the chaos, Woo Jin yelled, "Get the crates out of here! Now!"

The syndicate members scrambled to load the weapons into waiting vans. Dara and Jiyong protested, their side of the bargain hadn't been handed to them. Their cover identities demand their involvement but also they have a duty to uphold: save the innocent children from getting victimized even more.

"Don't you dare f*****g move an inch from this warehouse or I will f*****g blow your heads off!" Jiyong shouted, shoving his gun towards Woo Jin's temple.

The attackers pressed harder, their gunfire relentless. Dara ducked behind a van, reloading her weapon with shaking hands. A figure loomed behind her, and she spun just in time to drive her elbow into his face, following with a knee to his stomach. "Don't let them get away G! I'll castrate you if you do!" she yelled as he covered Jiyong from the men in tactical uniform.

Jiyong appeared beside her, finishing the man with a single shot. "You good?"

She nodded, breathless. "Where are the bastards?"

"I blew their heads off. Can't risk getting my d**k cut off you know." Jiyong joked as he fired back to the men who are ambushing them.

"God damn it!!!! That's a lot of paper work KWON!!!!" Dara hissed but still continued to cover for Jiyong.

The warehouse was a battlefield now, smoke and sparks filling the air. The vans roared to life, making Jiyong and Dara's eyes widen.

Then they saw that it was Seunghyun's men who took over the vans and sped outside the warehouse smashing any abled bodies that attempt to stop them.

Jiyong released a sigh of relief, but the attackers weren't retreating. If anything, they seemed more determined.

"We have to get out of here!" Dara shouted.

Jiyong scanned the chaos, his jaw tight. "Not yet. Seung Hyun's still inside."

Her heart sank. Of course, he was.

They fought their way back, bullets tearing through crates and walls. Seung Hyun emerged from the shadows, a rifle in his hands and a calm expression on his face.

"Time to go," Jiyong called out.

Seung Hyun nodded, covering their retreat with unnerving precision. Despite the chaos, he moved with the confidence of a man who had faced death before—and won.

The trio slipped through a side exit, the din of the battle fading behind them. Dara's chest heaved as they sprinted toward an unmarked car.

"Where are the children?" Dara asked almost out of breath.

"You didn't have to ask, got them all handled by Daesung." Seung Hyun said, his voice steady.

Jiyong grinned. "You should've told us earlier, I almost got castrated back there!"

Seung Hyun's lips twitched, but his eyes remained sharp. "Saw you blowing Woo Jin's head mothafucka." the laughed "Why he told you he'll give you heads?"

Jiyong made a disgusted face "Don't tell me you let him suck you c**k, boss."

"He offered, I declined." Seung Hyun said as he tossed the car key towards Dara. "Take care of the kids once we get back to our safehouse. You two just earned your keep."

Dara exchanged a glance with Jiyong. They had passed the test—but at what cost?

As the car sped into the night, the weight of their actions settled over them. The lines they had sworn to uphold were gone, blurred into oblivion.