Mountain Rose

02. Life of a Street Mouse

"You don't know who I am only by the way I look."

Apink, Eung Eung

I stood in the middle of the crowd, looking as the two boys pounded each other in the dirt with a wry expression on my face as I watched intently.

All around me, villagers milled to see the fight, voices deafening as they shouted and cheered on the two, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see a hunched old man walking around, loudly calling for bets.

I shut my eyes as he approached. My god, the smell.

Years of doing this and I still can never get used to the smell.

"Hello, girlie, fancy a bet?" he asked, "Who do you think will win?"

I rolled my eyes, eyeing the matted hair that made him look half-deranged. "Not interested."

He drew closer, jingling the coins in his basket. "Either way, girlie, you'll be satisfied. I hear you personally know both our contenders."

"Hoseok, you and I both know the sleazy crook act isn't fooling me. Move on and get the coin, you're not getting a single one from me," I deadpanned, pinching my nose with my hand, "Also, please go to the river and get a proper bath later, you smell like someone died."

He grinned, showing yellowed teeth – teeth I had helped to stain with turmeric that we had stolen from a merchant. "I dipped myself in the murky pond this morning," he told me proudly, "The effort I put in to make sure I'm convincing enough."

"Well, good for you," I said, half-choking.

He beamed, shuffling to the next person, a man in a bright red hanbok. We had noticed the man come to watch the fight, and it seemed like he was new to the village.

A perfect setup for the perfect crime.

I turned my attention to the pit, watching the two boys roll on the ground, wincing when Jungkook landed a punch against Namjoon's jaw.

That looks like it hurt.

"Come on, Joon," I whispered, while eyeing my twin brother as he approached a man across me, trying to hide my smile as a disgusted expression fell across the latter's face.

The smell helps to distract people from the fact that my brother is doing a bad job of disguising himself.

I tiptoed and stumbled, falling off the stool and bumping into the man in front of Hoseok.

"Hey!" he cried angrily, as I apologized profusely, "Watch where you're going, boy!"

I bowed so he couldn't see my face. "Sorry, sir," I said in a deeper voice, adjusting his smooth red hanbok, "Was an accident."

He shoved me backwards. "Dirty scum," he muttered, getting up and walking away from Hoseok and me.

"Did you get it?" he whispered amidst the loud chanting.

I met his face with a satisfied smirk of my own, flashing the heavy pouch that I had hidden in my sleeve. "You?"

He looked extremely smug. "I got something better," he said, and I drew closer to him, holding my breath as he held out two gold bars.

Well, well, well. Father would be pleased when he gets back.

I couldn't help letting out a giggle. "Let's get out of here."

"What about them?" he asked, jerking his head to the fight.

We peered through the crowd.

Namjoon looked like he was struggling as Jungkook pummelled him, but at the last minute, he rolled over, pinning the younger boy down as he held him in a choke.