𝒮𝑜 𝐹𝒶𝓇 𝒜𝓌𝒶𝓎: 𝒯𝒶𝑒𝒽𝓎𝓊𝓃𝑔 𝐹𝐹

Chapter 23:

The sun started going down leaving an orange tint on the sky. One front in front of the other as we walked in silence. The air was chilly but not too cold. Bboy was looking around the dimmed streets, making sure we weren't being lurked on.  

"You hungry?" I asked. His head turned looking down at me. 

"Are you?"  

"Yeah. " 

"Ok. Let's go eat." Okay, what? He didn't even answer the question! This is going to be a long couple of days. We again walked silently to a nearby grill restaurant. We were eating in silence while Youngjin and Dohee were at the table next to us, playing with their toys and eating the food we gave to them. 

"So what's your story?" Marcus looked up with his hazel eyes widened and a piece of meat stuffed in his mouth. I laughed at seeing him in such a confused state. Should he respond? Should he finish eating? He didn't know, and that was hilarious. 

"What do you mean?" he asked as he finished chewing the last bit of meat that was in his mouth.

"I mean, how did you end up here?" He put his fork down and looked at me carefully. 

"I'm taking that Marcus told you about his story?"

"Kind of, mostly just his family stuff." 

"ok." He sighed.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I was just asking." I didn't want to push him into telling me anything too personal. 

"No, it's ok. It's not something I'm hiding. I just don't go around advertising it. But I guess we should start off with how I and Marcus know each other." 

"Ok." I just always assumed that they knew each other because of Boss but I guess there is more to the story than what meets the eye. I adjusted myself to the booth waiting for his story. 

 "Marcus moved in next to my house when he was 7 I believe, and ever since then, we were inseparable. As you know Marcus didn't grow up with the best family and neither did I."

"But why did you guys join Boss?" He chuckled at my curiosity. 

"Boss isn't like everyone else he is loyal to his word, and it isn't like he wants to be doing this, it's just how his life went. He is known for giving favors in exchange for service. So that's how we are here." I kept quiet contemplating whether or not to ask my next question.  "Just ask." He responded knowing I was in a battle with myself.

"What favor did you want?" I was cautious with the way I said it as to not upset him. 

"I needed money, a lot of it, but I couldn't repay it. So I went to Boss. He said he would give me the money and in exchange, I would work for him for three years, the same with Marcus." I nodded my head understanding what he was saying. I wanted to know more but I didn't think it was appropriate for me to ask for him to give me more information. 

"I get it now." 

"It's not like I used the money for anything bags like drugs or something like that." he defended. 

"Oh no I didn't think you did," I said as I waved my hands. 

"I needed it for my little sister," he continued. 

"Really, I didn't think you used it for some-"I tried to reassure him again. 

"She had Cancer and I had to help her, I couldn't just let her die..." He trailed off. It seemed as if he was not talking to me anymore but more about trying to understand himself. 

"yeah..." 

" She was my little sister, I needed to help her in any way possible. I don't care what trouble it got me in..." 

"Was?" I asked in a soft voice. 

"She died about a year and a half ago. I was halfway into my service with Boss when her condition got worse. Not even the doctors could do anything, so we did everything she wanted to do and then she...left." 

"How old was she?" 

"6 years old...Just a year older than Dohee and Youngjin." He looked at the two kids happily playing to his right. 

"I'm sorry Bboy. It must have been hard to go through all that." He shook his head as he looked at me once more smiling. 

"It's ok. At least she is in a better place and doesn't have to go through the cruelty of the world." I smiled back as I watched him try to hold the tears back. "If you don't mind, please don't tell Boss what I used the money for. He doesn't know."

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed." I smiled reassuring him. 

"I would tell you what Marcus asked for, but I think he should tell you himself." I nodded my head understanding it wasn't his business telling me. 

"I'm going to the restroom, excuse me." I nodded my head as I watched him get up from the Booth and see his slim figure disappear into a door. I never in a million years would've thought that Bboy was like this. I was so set on him being a pervert that I automatically set my mind to hate him. Even Boss sees him the same way. Bboy hides behind his perplexing name that everyone automatically considered to be inappropriate. When in reality he is just trying to make it in this cruel world just like the rest of us. I'm sorry Bboy, I didn't know.