Hyuk's heart bloomed at her assent, and the joy of having his beloved in his arms again caused him to momentarily forget that they had an audience.
They break away to breathe and simply bask in each other's presence. Yeo Ri opened her eyes, tilting her head to look at Kwon Tae Yang, motioning towards the cameras on the ceiling with her eyes.
Kwon Tae Yang caught her meaning immediately.
"The CCTVs," he quietly glanced at the prison guard next to him, "are they working well?"
"Huh?" the guard looked back at him, as though he was confused if the man was addressing him. Flustered by the whole situation, he honestly replied, "The left one is broken, but the other one is fine."
"I see." The secretary-bodyguard-manager flexed his jaw in thought, planning his next move. He pulled out his phone, ready to send the order to the team.
"Secretary Kwon?" Yeo Ri softly called out to him.
"Yes." The man stood at attention at the sound of her voice. He knew that tone—it was the tone she used when she wanted something done, immediately, without questions; it was the tone she used when she 'begged' those 'packages' to leave her alone.
"Go deal with it."
"I'll have my men work on it immediately."
"No," Yeo Ri exhaled slowly. "I need you to deal with it personally. I don't trust other people." Her attention was on him now, even as her Hyuk was holding her. The look in her eyes dared him to defy her wish.
Kwon Tae Yang knew better than to argue with her. He held his tongue, biting back words of concern for her safety. There was a guard with them, and Yeo Ri wouldn't leave her brother's side until the very last moment. He could afford some time to deal with it himself, he supposed.
"...Yes, miss." The ever-loyal Secretary Kwon readily bowed his head, his body surrendering itself to his little lady's will. He moved purposefully towards the door, ignoring how everyone's eyes trailed after him. The sooner he dealt with the issue, the sooner he could get back to Yeo Ri's side.
Satisfied with the man's answer, Yeo Ri returned her attention to the man who deserved it most. She smiled at Hyuk as though she hadn't just ordered someone to do her bidding.
Yeo Ri laid her head on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.
Hyuk gazed at her quietly, a feeling of strangeness bubbling in his heart. The Yeo Ri before him was different. She had changed, that was for sure, but he couldn't quite put a finger on what had changed about her. Regardless, he loved her all the same.
"Oppa, my legs are tired. Let's sit down," Yeo Ri mewled.
"Right, sorry," Hyuk immediately furrowed his brows, mentally chiding himself for not noticing her discomfort.
Yeo Ri pulled his arm towards a chair, ushering Hyuk to sit down first before making herself comfortable on his lap.
Hyuk carefully but firmly wrapped his arm around Yeo Ri. At that moment, he didn't care just how unfamiliar Yeo Ri's attitude was towards other people. He was just happy to be able to hold her, just as how he often imagined during the long, lonely days in the prison. He ran his fingers through her hair as he breathed in her scent. It was different too, but still somewhat familiar.
Yeo Ri closed her eyes as she enjoyed his touch. It had been far too long since they were in such close proximity with each other, and the fact that the last time had ended in such a terrible note caused her to treasure the moment even more.
—It was at this point that a certain prison guard realised that he was the third wheel to the star-crossed lovers' reunion.
Ma Dong Chan, thirty-nine years old, discharged from the military with the rank of second lieutenant, now working as a prison guard, suddenly found himself questioning his worldviews. With a blank face that was just as blank as his mind, he quietly backed out of the room, giving the consanguineous couple their privacy.
While Prison Guard Ma's mind was disturbed by the sibling's display of seemingly unnatural intimacy, Kwon Tae Yang had somehow found his way to the CCTV Control Room.
Looking left and right, he made sure the coast was clear before inviting himself right into the room.
"What the—hey! This is a restricted area! Who are you and what are you doing here?!" The guard in charge of the security room snapped into attention immediately as soon as the door opened and the outsider came in.
"I have special permission," Kwon Tae Yang solemnly replied, raising his special visitors' pass, issued personally by the warden's office, flashing it to the alerted guard.
"You can't be in here. Leave before I—"
Tae Yang did not allow the guard to finish his threat before he made his move. He reached for the thing he had already prepared in advance from within his suit coat, closing in on the guard.
Assuming that it was a weapon, the guard immediately took up a defensive stance, preparing for a fight.
However—
—Thump.
"For your troubles," Tae Yang muttered in a low voice, tapping a thick envelope against the guard's chest.
"A bribe?" the guard sneered. He gingerly pulled the envelope away from his chest. As if he would accept—
"—Oh my."
The guard's heart almost jumped out of his chest upon noticing the thick stack of cash within the envelope. He shakily received it, running the tip of his fingers over the wad of cash to count it roughly. It was... a lot.
The guard cleared his throat in hesitation. "I... Still, I can't just leave you to your devices..."
Tae Yang knew it wouldn't be too easy, but he also knew that he was close to completing his mission. "C'mon, help me out a bit," he lightened his tone in a change of angle. "You know how it is working under a superior. From one grunt to another, yeah? I'm not looking to do anything illegal, just need to clear up some footage. The VIPs, you know? They like their privacy, is all," he coaxed.
The guard's eyes shook. He was swayed. "Okay... but I really can't leave the room. And I need to make sure you're not... doing anything else. Seriously. My job is on the line here," he conceded.
"Fine with me," a smile slowly spread on Tae Yang's face, "I need you to show me how to get things done, anyways."
The guard pursed his lips, "What do you need?"
"The CCTV footage for Room 3-6..."
...
..
.
After a brief intermission, Kwon Tae Yang silently returned to the visitation room hosting his lady and her brother. He rejoined the guard who was standing by the side, his face looking like a reflection of his blank mind.
It was nearing the end of their alloted session.
Even after pulling all the strings that they could pull, Yeo Ri had barely managed to secure an hour of time to see Hyuk in person. Regardless, the period did not matter; Yeo Ri was content to just see him after so long.
"I'll see you again soon, Oppa," Yeo Ri pouted, sad to leave him so soon.
"No, don't, Yeo Ri-ah. Just wait for me to get out. It must've been hard to come see me," Hyuk offered a consoling smile to his little sweetheart. Despite her busy schedule, she still made some time to see him. He wasn't clear on the rules, but he was sure she had to jump through several loops to get to see him, as it was rare for an inmate to be granted a private visit. He wasn't married, so he couldn't even apply for conjugal visits even if he wanted to. A part of him was touched by how much Yeo Ri cared, but another part of him was worried for her.
Ever since he was locked away, it seemed as if Yeo Ri had begun keeping more secrets at a greater scale than before... and these secrets might—probably—harm her somewhere down the line, and he wouldn't be there to protect her. Hyuk covered up his frustrations with a wider smile as he squeezed the girl in his arms tightly, unwilling to let her go so soon.
Yeo Ri reluctantly pried herself out of Hyuk's loving embrace.
"Ah," before she could forget, Yeo Ri turned back to Hyuk, "Oppa, I want to do a DNA test. You're okay with that, right?"
"Huh?" Hyuk's heart skipped a beat. Why did Yeo Ri decide to do a DNA test now?
His mind flashed back to the day Yeo Ri had told him that they might not have been related. He hadn't taken her too seriously back then. Considering the forbidden feelings he had for her, a part of him had hoped it was true, though the rational part of him still condemned him for wanting it to be true.
When Yeo Ri had just been born, it took him years to come to terms with the fact that he had a younger half-sister. Deep inside, Hyuk wondered if the reason he developed feelings for her was because he never truly considered her as his sibling. If the result of the DNA test was as Yeo Ri said, Hyuk knew he would feel disgustingly relieved by it, despite the fact that it would prove the painful truth that he never saw her as his family even before he started seeing her as a woman.
He hesitated for a moment before nodding timidly, "If that's what you want, Yeo Ri-ah."
"Thank you, Oppa," Yeo Ri flashed him a sweet smile. Yeo Ri turned to Tae Yang. "Secretary Kwon, the DNA?"
"Yes," Tae Yang readily put on his gloves. He took out a pair of tweezers and a small palm-sized sample bag. "Sir, if you'd please."
Despite his internal misgivings, Hyuk obediently allowed the other man to pull out a few strands of his short hair under the hopeful gaze of his beloved. He barely flinched from the sudden twangs of sharp pain from having his hair plucked off, though he frowned in discomfort.
Once he finished collecting the DNA sample, Kwon Tae Yang carefully sealed the bag and returned it into the hidden pocket it came out of. He patted his coat down as if to make sure the item was secure. He nodded to Hyuk, assuming the stoic tone of his work persona, "It's done. We will reach out to you once the results come out."
Kwon Tae Yang glanced around the room as he tidied his suit, taking note of the time on the clock on the wall. His eyes landed on his little lady, "Miss, it's time. Let us go." He walked purposefully to her side, gesturing for her to leave. He held one arm out behind her in a protective manner as he led her out.
Seeing the scene, Hyuk's face changed. He threw a glare at Kwon Tae Yang, feeling threatened by how close he seemed to Yeo Ri, and how she did not seem perturbed by his attention.
Yeo Ri turned to look at Hyuk for one last time. "I'll see you later, Oppa. I love you," she bade him farewell, her eyes glassy.
Hyuk's eyes reddened. "Yeo Ri-ah..." The words were caught in his throat. "I love you, too..." he replied softly, the pain clear in his voice. His heart burned with envy—the random b*stard didn't know how good he had it, to be able to walk beside his Yeo Ri, to be able to freely accompany her outside while he rotted away in prison...
.
.
.
In another area within the prison compound.
"—And that's what happened," a familiar prison guard whispered to a young man clad in prisoner garbs. A thick envelope could be seen peeking out of his chest pocket.
"I see," the inmate hummed. A smile played on his lips, looking ever-so-twisted as he toyed with a card with one hand. "Good work," he praised the guard, passing the card over to the man.
"Yes, sir," the guard held back a slimy smile, bowing as he received the card respectfully. "Mr. Ji, what will you do now? Shouldn't we expose it quickly?" The guard grinned as he thought of how much the little incestuous b*stard Lee Hyuk would suffer once the news broke out.
Ji Yeong Gi's smile froze.
It annoyed him that the guard f*cker was acting all high and mighty, telling him what to do, but he kept his cool. The f*cker was noisy, but he still had some usefulness left in him. He couldn't throw out one of his most convenient cards just yet.
"Not yet. There's still more left to do for the grand finale," he deigned to reveal.
He glanced at the money envelope that the girl's guardian had generously bribed the guard with. "You can keep the money. A just reward, for the great information you've brought to me."
The guard couldn't stop his smile upon hearing the young man's words. "Yes! Thank you, sir!"
"What about the footage?" Ji Yeong Gi continued.
"Gone, sir," the guard stifled his good mood. "At least, the most incriminating ones are. That weird guy really knew his way around... he's definitely done this before. A pro, it feels like."
"Huh..." how interesting. It seems like there were more rats skulking around than he expected. He knew that the brat had gotten herself some kind of strong backing, since so many of his attempts to get her had been thwarted. It couldn't have been her agency; that company was far too clean to have hired someone like that.
"Ha!" Ji Yeong Gi laughed as a notion popped in his mind. An up-and-coming actress, with a rapid yet smooth-sailing career, and even shady bodyguards looking after her? It seems like Hyuk's little darling had dipped her toes in the murky waters too. Judging by how professional her security detail was, her sugar daddy was probably a higher up in the government, or owns a security company. Perhaps so filthy rich that he could spare a f*ck ton of resources to protect the girl.
He wondered, what kind of face would that sisterf*cker make once he finds out that his little darling had sold herself to some bigwig?
Well, he'd need proof for that first, wouldn't he?
Ji Yeong Gi smiled devilishly.