Long Journey || ATEEZ

Dancing Like Butterfly Wings

The ballroom was bustling with Reds.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa were in the corner of the vast room, standing beside a large marble pillar. Both were in their new clothes, and Hongjoong had been right to buy new clothes for his friend – every other Red in the room was wearing a similar style of attire; Seonghwa would have stood out painfully if he had worn his usual suit like he had tried to insist.

Despite this, even if everyone was a Red – the highest in the Cherries hierarchy and on the same level as Seonghwa – they gave him a wide berth. He was well-known in the gang, and had a fearsome reputation for his manufactured ruthlessness. Even if they had never met him, one could tell it was him from the rifle slung across his back, the cold-as-a-corpse dead stare he fixed everyone with, and the general, fear-inducing atmosphere exuding from him. Why Seonghwa had decided to bring his rifle with him, Hongjoong wasn't quite sure. It wasn't particularly practical at a social event where everyone was afraid to look you in the eyes from fear, and just the fact that it was a rifle. People tended to avoid ones with the upper hand – in Seonghwa's case, a weapon.

Seonghwa surveyed the scene around them with sharp but relaxed eyes. Hongjoong had come to notice the subtle differences in the way his friend observed his surroundings, or the way in which his expression was carefully arranged. Right now, he could tell that for the most part, Seonghwa was at ease. But there was a slight edge to his posture, the way he held himself. After all, being in the middle of a room full to the brim with Reds seemed only to solidify the notion that Hongjoong was now a Red, now and forever.

"So, what do you think?" Seonghwa asked, leaning against the pillar and turning to his friend.

Hongjoong shrugged.

"It's like any other stereotypical party, if I'm being honest. Apart from the fact that everyone has the same tattoos on them," he said. "Speaking of which, why have I gotten my tattoo on my shoulder, and every other Cherries gang member has them on their neck region?" he asked.

"You're an assassin now," Seonghwa explained, "and assassins are required to have their tattoos on their shoulders – so they can work undercover and keep their affiliation with Cherries a secret."

Seonghwa pointed at a pair of bickering Reds passing by.

"Look, you can't see a tattoo on their necks, can you? Those two are Eli and Robert – you'll get to meet them personally at the training sessions."

"Training sessions?"

"Oh. Right," Seonghwa said. "All the assassins and combat members are required to attend training sessions four times a week – which are held every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday – in the evenings on weekdays, of course."

"Sundays? Does that mean there was one today?"

Seonghwa nodded.

"You probably would have had to attend, but since you're not meant to exercise for 48 hours after getting your tattoo, you didn't need to go today."

"Oh, cool."

Hongjoong and Seonghwa turned back to the crowd. A Green waiter passed by them, offering some champagne. Hongjoong politely refused, saying he didn't drink, and Seonghwa didn't need to say anything, as the Green hurried off as soon as they spotted the rifle on Seonghwa's back.

"Should I get us some non-alcoholic drinks?" Seonghwa asked.

"Oh, that would be great – if that's okay with you," Hongjoong replied.

"Of course it is," Seonghwa smiled, and headed off into the crowd.

Hongjoong stared at the crowd bustling around him as he waited. There were more Reds here than there had been when he was first taken to headquarters, months ago. Either Big Grey had recruited more, or not all of them were present at that assembly of sorts. Hongjoong was going to place his bets on the latter.