(⚠Warning: Description of corpse ⚠)
I knew immediately that someone had entered my room.
My once peaceful sleep ended abruptly as a sense of paranoia started to tickle the back of my neck, and my mind instantly became alert as I strained my now hypersensitive hearing. My eyes remained shut, and I quickly reined in my breathing to not tip the intruders off that I was now awake.
By the footsteps creeping toward me, I could deduce that there were at least two of them, though other details were hard to perceive thanks to the plush rug that covered the majority of my bedroom floor.
Thankfully the covers were up to my chin, and the fact that I was laying on my side meant that I could ever so slowly reach for the knife I had hidden under one of the pillows. I made sure my movement was slow enough to not disturb the covers as my hand crawled closer and closer towards the bottom of the pillow, and I thanked god that Chan insisted I get a high quality duvet. The thick fabric hid the rest of the movement as my fingers grazed against the cold edge of the handle, and I clenched it tightly in my hand as I felt one of the intruders hover over me.
"Hyu-"
As soon as they were close enough I sprung up, my muscles moving swiftly thanks to the adrenaline coursing through my veins. The covers that had been launched up from my sudden movement fluttered pitifully back down to the mattress as I aimed the knife at the intruder's throat, eyes frantically scanning my room for the second intruder.
I blinked when I met eyes with a startled Seungmin, and my gaze darted over to check the identity of the person I was now holding at knife point.
"Oh. . . hi, Chan." I lowered the knife as I offered the Australian an innocent smile, and he blanched, hands still raised to either defend or incapacitate.
"Why do you have a knife?"
I shrugged as I tucked the blade back underneath my pillow, and I hopped off the bed before turning to regard him. "For situations like this."
He blinked. "How violent do you think our wake up calls are gonna get?"
"With you guys, there's no way to guess. Now, what are you doing in my room this early in the morning?"
" . . . It's ten."
"Yes. And?"
He huffed, clearly not impressed by my sleeping habits, and I smiled cheekily before attempting to walk around him and towards the bathroom. However, as soon as I started moving past him his eyes widened, and he raised his hand to stop me as his eyes trailed down to my neck.
Well, shit.
I had once again forgotten about the bruises painting my neck, and now both Chan and Seungmin were staring at them with both grim and shocked expressions.
"I know I'm hot, but there's no need to stare." They didn't even budge at my great sense of humor, and Chan's hand raised to lightly graze my throat with the tips of his fingers.
"Why were you hiding these?" His voice came out as a whisper, eyes widened as his fingers danced against the delicate skin. His touch was incredibly light, and I tensed slightly when his index brushed against one of the more tender parts of the bruise.
"Mainly to avoid awkward situations like this." Neither of them seemed to react to my words, but Seungmin at the very least stopped staring so intently.
"Do they hurt?"
I once again regarded the Australian still mesmerized by the discoloration on my throat, and I snorted. "Only when people touch it."
His hand retreated as his gaze flickered up to meet mine, and he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. But seriously, why didn't you tell anyone?"
"Again, to avoid awkward situations like this one. Though I've been doing a pretty shitty job of keeping it hidden."
His brows furrowed in confusion before he finally put two and two together, and he seemed less than pleased as he cursed under his breath.
"Jisung's been helping you cover it with makeup, right?"
I blinked, rather conflicted on how to respond. I hated lying to the older, but he didn't seem very happy, and I didn't want to throw Jisung under the bus. He seemed to notice my hesitance as his gaze softened, and he sighed.
"Well, let's go find him. I certainly don't know enough about makeup to help you myself." He turned on his heel before making his way to my door, and Seungmin shrugged before following. I rushed to catch up with them as they entered the hallway, and I closed the door behind me before hurrying after the duo.
"So why were you in my room?" Once I got close I squeezed my way in between them, and I smiled happily as I locked both of my arms in theirs. They allowed me to, not at all bothered by my sudden clinginess as we made our way towards Jisung's room.
"We're going to the mall to get Chan a computer, and we thought you would want to join us so you could do some clothes shopping." I immediately brightened at Seungmin's words, though the way his expression dropped made mine quickly do the same. "And before you ask, I can't give him any of mine."
Oh. He's probably not used to people understanding his obsession with computers. For most it would make sense for him to simply lend Chan one from his collection, but it was clear to anyone who saw the way he treated his computers that he cherished each and every one.
"Well, of course not. Your entire career centers around computers. You need all forty eight of them."
Despite the way his shoulders relaxed he still raised a brow at me. "How do you know how many I have? You've only been in my room once."
"It doesn't take multiple days to count to forty eight. But I'm curious." They both eyed me from their peripheral, pace slowing slightly as we grew closer to Jisung's door. "Are you sure you want me out of the house?"
"You leave the house all the time, though."
"Yeah, but never with permission. This will be the first time I leave the house without having to sneak back in!" They both seemed unimpressed by my enthusiasm, but whatever response they were going to offer got interrupted when I disconnected my arms from theirs in order to knock on the squirrel's door.
"Door's unlocked."
I took that as an invitation as I opened the door and let myself in, the Chanmin duo following close behind.
Jisung brightened when he saw me, but his expression ever so slowly fell when he noticed the Chanmin duo, as well as the look Chan was giving him. "Why didn't you tell us Hyunjin's neck was bruised?"
The comic book Jisung was reading was forgotten as he shrunk into his mattress, a sheepish smile dancing on his lips as he cowered away from the clearly disappointed leader. "You never asked?" Even for me that excuse was shitty, and I snorted before playfully slapping Chan's arm.
"Don't scare the squirrel. I've heard they're skittish." Jisung's discomfort was forgotten as he gave me an unamused look, and I smiled innocently before plopping onto his makeup chair. "Now are you gonna fix me, or what?"
He begrudgingly left the safe confines of his bed before trudging his way towards me, and he began to pull out different beauty products as the Chanmin duo took a seat on his vacated bed.
"Just to cover the bruises, or will you finally let me have some fun?"
"Finally? This is only the second time you've done this."
He pouted before tossing everything onto the desk. "Yeah, but I'm impatient by nature."
I rolled my eyes playfully before dramatically sighing, and I flipped my hair with a sorrowful expression. "Fine. You can make me pretty."
He frowned before lightly smacking me on the back of my head, and I yelped before turning towards him with an offended expression.
"What the hell was that for?!"
"Don't ever say makeup makes you pretty. You already are." I blinked as I tried my best to decipher just how serious he was being, but his expression didn't show even the smallest hint of playfulness as he stared intently at me.
"Okay?"
His frown morphed into a cheerful smile as he grabbed a small bottle of product, and he gently lifted up my chin to get a better look at my neck. He kneeled between my legs to get a better angle as he poured some of the product onto his finger tips, and he began to dab the product onto the front of my neck.
"What are you doing?"
"Primer."
I hummed, not at all aware of what that word meant. I never really understood makeup all that well, but asking him about it always made him happy. He enjoyed talking about his interests just as much as anyone else, and where Seungmin had computers, Jisung had makeup. Though from what I've heard from the others, Jisung actually has a lot of different talents and hobbies. Makeup just happened to be the one he was most passionate about.
"What does primer do?"
"Depends on the primer, but all are intended to prep the skin for makeup."
"What do you mean 'depends'?"
His eyes remained glued to his task as he continued to work the product into my skin, but he was just as attentive to my questions as he was to my bruise.
"Some help hydrate the skin, some help treat blemishes or cool down redness, and others help even skin tone."
He closed the bottle before pulling out another, and he poured some of the new product onto a weird looking sponge.
"And this stuff?"
"Foundation."
"Cool."
I bit my cheek as the conversation stalled, and my eyes lazily trailed over to see the Chanmin duo playing on their phones. Seungmin seemed to notice my attention on him as he met my gaze, and he stuck his tongue out at me before looking back down at his phone.
I flinched when a dull pain radiated from a tender spot on my neck, and Jisung looked up at me sheepishly, sponge raised away from me as he chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry. But I'm done now, so yay." He unenthusiastically pumped his fists as he continued to give me a sheepish look, and I snorted before lifting myself out of the chair.
"Thanks, man."
"Nonononono." He pushed me back into the chair before lifting himself up to hover over me, sponge now brandished like a weapon. "I meant I was done with your neck. I haven't even started on everything else." I blinked as his lips lifted into a somehow sadistic yet innocent smirk.
"I'm starting to feel like I just sold my soul to a squirrel cult."
"Feel your feelings man."
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like always Jisung somehow made me look amazing, and if I laughed mockingly when Chan ended up being his next victim, no one will ever know. Except for Jisung. And I guess Seungmin. And Chan.
I laughed rather loudly.
Seungmin escaped with me when Jisung had pulled the leader into his makeup chair, and we both didn't hesitate to abandon him as we rushed out of Jisung's room and towards the main room.
Our pace slowed as we grew further and further from Jisung's room, and we eventually ended up walking peacefully into the surprisingly empty main room. I flopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh, and the puppy followed, though in a much more boring manner.
It was very rare for the main room to be so quiet, mainly because this was one of the few rooms in the house with a TV. Sometimes Felix would be in the connected kitchen baking something. Sometimes Minho would be watching cat videos on the TV because his phone screen was "too small". Sometimes Jisung would randomly break out into song for seemingly no reason, and would purposely seek out others to try and drag them into it. And sometimes Chan would have meetings here instead of in their "secret" meeting room.
But on rare occasions, the main room would be empty. Seeing how me and Seungmin were now occupying the space, now wouldn't be one of those times, but it was a second ago.
"What you said earlier." My gaze flickered over to the suddenly conflicted puppy, and I waited for him to continue as he sunk into the cushions beside me. "About how I need all forty eight computers. Was that sarcasm?"
Was Seungmin actually feeling insecure? He was usually such a confident, shameless person, so it was odd to see him look so vulnerable about such an odd thing. I guess we all had our insecurities, but I wasn't expecting this to be one of his.
My head fell back limply before resting on the back of the couch, and I stared up at the blank ceiling as I debated whether or not I should open up for something like this. I certainly wanted to comfort him, but would he believe me if I simply said I was serious?
Fuck it.
"When I was still living with my parents, I wasn't ever allowed to have free time. Every hour I spent awake was an hour I spent training, and it wore on me. One of my tutors seemed to notice this, and she gave me a paint set behind my parent's back. While I was supposed to be asleep, I would sneak out the painting set and paint whatever I could see from my bedroom window. It became my only means of escape, and my biggest comfort. For three years she would give me new paint brushes, easels, and paints, and I cherished every single one. By the fourth year I had hundreds of different painting supplies hidden under my bed, including the paintings I had made. Even when I ran out of room, I refused to dispose of any of them. So, no. I wasn't being sarcastic. I understand having a passion, and I also understand how important the means in which we connect with those passions can be."
Did I over share? I always found stories like that to be comforting. To me, it showed that someone truly understood where I was coming from. But perhaps sharing about my past crossed a boundary. I usually found it unpleasant to talk about what happened during my childhood, but I thought Seungmin would be more inclined to believe me if I shared why I felt the way I did.
I looked towards him hesitantly to see him already staring at me, and I smiled awkwardly.
"Your tutor. Do you miss her?"
I blinked, not at all expecting the conversation to go in that direction, and against my wishes, my sadness became apparent in my expression.
"Yeah. I haven't seen her in years, and the last time I did was when . . ." I trailed off as gruesome images forcefully replayed in my mind, and I squeezed my eyes shut as nausea began to build up in my stomach.
"Hyunjin?" I flinched when he gently grabbed my hand, but he didn't pull away as he urged me to look at him. My eyes fluttered open before I tilted my head towards him, and he regarded me with a concerned expression as he clenched tightly onto my hand. "Are you okay?"
I inhaled deeply before smiling, but his expression remained concerned even as I nodded. "Yeah. I just . . . My father had found out what she had been doing, and it didn't end well."
His expression darkened. "Did he-"
"Yeah. But I would rather not talk about it more, if that's alright." He squeezed my hand in reassurance before letting go, but he remained close as we sat in a peaceful silence.
When my father had found out what she did, he had her killed right in front of me. He then had me burn all of my art supplies, and once the fire was big enough, he threw her corpse onto it. I still woke up to the scent of burning flesh sometimes, the image of her skin bubbling and her eyes melting into her skull burned painfully into my most vivid memories. She was one of the first people to die because of me, and she certainly wasn't the last.
"Why so grim?" Me and Seungmin both jumped at the sound of Chan's voice, and we looked up to see him regarding us with a confused and concerned look. He seemed to be making that face a lot today.
My previously blank expression morphed into a sorrowful pout, and I inhaled shakily. "We just can't survive without you. You left, and we felt so lost." I leaned over to rest my face in my hands, and I dramatically sobbed as Seungmin began to rub my back.
"See? Why would you leave us? Look what state you put Hyunjin in!" Seungmin's fake scolding voice was amusing enough to make me snort, and I sat back up to see Chan eyeing us with exasperated yet fond eyes.
"So sorry guys. From now on I won't leave either of you guys alone." I cringed, and Seungmin not so subtly 'ew'd as Chan pouted childishly. "Well that's no way to treat your Hyung."
"Don't you mean elder?"
I chuckled as Seungmin smiled proudly up at the older, and Chan huffed before turning away with crossed arms. "Fine. I'll just go to the mall by myself."
Seungmin's eyes widened as he practically leapt up, and he grabbed Chan's arm in a tight grip. "No! If you go alone, you'll end up choosing an old man computer! I refuse to associate with someone who has one of those!"
I snorted. "At least he would know how to use it."
Chan stumbled slightly, clutching his heart as he turned to me with a shocked and jokingly hurt expression. "I'm not that old, guys."
"You're half fifty two."
Seungmin's comment seemed to be the last nail in the coffin as Chan dramatically turned on his heel and began to walk towards the front door with an unmatchable amount of sass, and Seungmin turned to me with a blank expression.
"I think you're rubbing off on him."
I shook my head with a grim expression. "I have heard that awesomeness is contagious, yes."
—------------------------------------------------------------------
I once again chose to sit in the back of the fancy gray car, though a part of that decision might have had something to do with the fact that Seungmin called shotgun before we even left the house. That meant Chan was stuck driving, because while I very much knew how to operate a vehicle, my style of driving really only centered around high speed chases.
It's not my fault my tutors only taught me how to escape assassins or to tail someone. Maybe Chan would be willing to teach me a . . . safer way to drive if I asked really nicely?
"Hey, Chan?"
He hummed in acknowledgement, eyes glued to the road as he pulled onto the freeway.
"Hey, Chan?" I placed my chin beside Chan's headrest, and his eyes flickered up to look at me in the rearview mirror.
"Yes?"
"Chan."
"What?"
"Chan."
I smiled innocently as he pursed his lips, and he rolled his eyes with a fond expression as he sighed.
"What is it, Hyunjin? And if you say my name one more time, I'm ignoring you for the rest of the trip."
I huffed. "Fine. Will you teach me how to drive?"
He seemed a little caught off guard by my words, but his surprise morphed into a charming dimple-filled smile. "I would be willing to teach you. But not for this trip. It's not a good idea to start learning in such a busy part of the city."
I hummed before leaning back, and I found myself unable to lose the goofy smile now stuck to my lips.
I felt oddly excited at the prospect of learning how to drive, or at least, to drive properly. It's been a while since I had something to look forward to, but as we got closer and closer to a particular exit, my excitement only grew.
"WAIT! Turn here!"
Chan jumped slightly before quickly switching lanes, and he only seemed to realize how quickly he obeyed when he was already committed to taking the exit.
"Um . . . why am I turning here?"
"Because this exit has a McDonald's."
"Not the reason, Minnie, but now that you mention it, can we get McDonald's?" I turned to the older with hopeful eyes, and he gave me an unimpressed glance through the rearview mirror.
"If time allows it. But seriously, why did I take that exit?"
I grinned as he left the freeway and pulled onto an all too familiar road, and Seungmin's eyes widened as he seemed to recognize the location.
"Wait, this is near where Felix and Changbin kidnapped you."
"Yep! I have a favor I need to return, and seeing as I can't drive myself, this is kind of my only opportunity too. I hope that's alright." My expression turned sheepish when I realized that I inconvenienced them without asking if it was alright with them, but hey. If Chan didn't want to take that exit, he wouldn't have. Or maybe my yelling spooked him so much he did it without thinking.
"That's fine, but mind telling us what exactly the favor is?"
"Nope! Could you stop here? It's the brick building up ahead."
Despite his obvious exasperation he did as told, and I turned to Seungmin as the car came to a stop.
"Is he always this obedient?"
He snorted.
"You have no idea."
"Woah . . . shouldn't have asked. Thanks guys!" I hurried out of the car before they could attempt to follow, and I made my way to the metal door on the side of the slightly rundown building. I knocked once I was sure the Chanmin duo wouldn't attempt to follow, and I waited patiently for the door to open.
My expression turned blank as the sound of mumbled cursing could be heard on the other side, and the rusted door opened with an ear piercing screech. A large, middle aged man had opened the door with zero hesitation, but once his eyes widened when he saw me, I could only assume he regretted not checking the peep hole first.
My fist connected with his nose before he could close the door on me, and he was sent tumbling back as I let myself in with a cold expression. He crawled backwards as he clutched his now bleeding nose, and I followed after kicking the door closed behind me. My nose wrinkled slightly at the scent of gasoline and sweat, and I debated whether or not confronting him in his workshop was the best way to go.
Different tools were scattered all over the place, and if he were a bit braver or a bit dumber, I'm certain he would have already reached for one to use as a weapon.
"Well hello, Dae Seong. We have some things to discuss, don't we?"
He chuckled awkwardly as he offered a fearful smile. "Hi, Hyunjin. You look a lot better than when I last saw you. Your situation improve?" His voice came out nasally, most likely from the blood flooding his nostrils, and my eyes narrowed.
"Where's my payment?"
His gaze trailed to the side, and I stepped closer as he attempted to melt into the wall he had backed himself into.
"Um . . . about that . . ."
"Don't tell me you didn't intend to pay me from the get go, because I know for a fact your business is doing well enough to pay me a measly million won. Now where is it?"
He swallowed harshly before pointing towards a safe tucked under one of his work tables, and I gave him a warning look before making my way over. I made sure to pay attention despite my back being to him, and I sensed no movement as I crouched down to reach the safe.
"Code?"
"One one one one."
I blinked before looking at him from over my shoulder. "Seriously?" He shrugged, ass still planted on the rather filthy floor. "Alright, then." I punched in the code before opening the safe, and I began to rummage through the random objects he had stored in it.
If his sudden movement didn't tip me off that this was a trap, the fact that the safe was filled with trash probably would have, and as he snuck his way closer up behind me, I continued to pretend to search. I was fully prepared to jump him before he got too close, but before I got the chance too, the side door was being swung open.
Both me and Dae Seong turned to see Chan entering with a stressed look, and once he caught sight of Dae Seong behind me with a screwdriver raised threateningly in the air, his expression darkened.
"Drop it."
The clatter of metal echoed off the peeling walls as Dae Seong slowly backed away, and Chan slammed the door behind him before prowling toward us.
"Hyunjin? Finish up your business. I'll make sure this asshole doesn't try anything funny."
I blinked before turning towards him, making sure that nothing but the tips of my shoes touched the dirty ground. "You just trust that I'm not robbing him or something?"
He raised a brow as he stepped between the two of us, and while his eyes remained locked on Dae Seong, he seemed more than willing to prioritize paying attention to my words. "Are you?"
"Um . . . no."
He shrugged. "Good enough for me."
I hummed before turning back to the safe, and I began to pull out random cards, boxes, papers, and . . . oh. Ew. A used tissue.
I flung it to the side before continuing my search, and sure enough, at the back of the safe was a fake back. I grinned before removing the panel, and I pulled out a few wads of cash before closing the disgusting safe.
I stood up and turned to the two, and I snorted when I saw how intensely Chan was glaring at the now cowering man. "Got what I needed. And Dae Seong? I got the million won, but seeing as how you tried to kill me, I'm taking an extra million. Thanks for your generosity!" For some reason he wasn't willing to match my gleeful smile, but still seemed relieved when Chan backed away.
"Ready to go?" The Australian sounded a lot calmer now that he wasn't trying to threaten someone into submission simply with his presence, and I nodded before tucking the money into my pocket.
"Yep." I opened the side door with a relieved sigh as my nose finally got a break from the unappealing smell, and I held the door open for Chan as he followed behind me. The door slammed shut as we made our way towards the car, an extra skip in my step at the unfamiliar but not unwelcome feel of money in my pockets. I'll definitely have to put this somewhere safe as soon as possible, but I was observant enough to catch the majority of pickpockets anyway.
"Wanna tell me what that was about?"
I eyed the leader from my peripheral, and my grin turned into a teasing smile. "I thought you trusted me?"
"I do. Let's just say I'm curious."
"Oof. If you were Minho, that would be fatal."
His brows furrowed. "I don't get it."
"Because Minho is like a cat."
He blinked, clearly not processing my incredibly high quality joke, and I huffed, giving up on explaining my joke as I instead began to explain the prior encounter. "That man found me in an alley two years back. I was in rough condition and though I wanted to die, I was so desperate for food that I was willing to do anything to get more. He said if I did some favors for him, he would repay me with home cooked food, but as time passed, those favors became harder and harder to do."
Chan offered me all of his attention as our paces slowed, brows furrowed deeply as he listened to my words with a sympathetic look.
"I often got hurt trying to complete everything he asked of me, and there were a few times I almost got killed. I didn't mind. In fact, I welcomed the possibility of a way out. But when I told him about how dangerous his tasks were becoming, he said, "But I thought you wanted to die?" For some reason, hearing that from someone hurt. I didn't care about my life, but to hear that others didn't either kind of rubbed me the wrong way. The next time he sent me off to do a task, I agreed, but only if he would pay me a million won in return. The favor was dangerous enough to be considered a suicide mission, so he agreed rather easily."
"And you completed the favor?"
I snorted. "He certainly thinks I did."
He seemed amused, but his smile was still saddened by what I admitted. "The favors he had you do. What were they?"
I winced slightly as I came to a complete stop, and he shortly followed as he regarded me with a sympathetic and cautious expression.
"I might tell you one day, but definitely not now."
A part of me expected him to protest or pry, but he simply nodded, seemingly content with my desire to not open up further.
"That's alright. I can be patient." He offered me a comforting smile before pulling out his phone, and I found myself stupified by his willingness to drop it. He was okay with not knowing? I set a boundary and he was actually going to respect that?
That was . . . that was really nice.
I found myself smiling like an idiot as I watched him type furiously on his phone, and I stepped closer before resting my chin on his shoulder. "I didn't know old men could type so well."
"I'm a special kind of old man."
I chuckled before once again focusing on what he was doing, though I respected his privacy enough to not actually look at what he was typing.
"What are you doing?" I decided to ask instead, a hundred percent willing to respect his boundaries since he respected mine.
"Adding that asshole to my list of targets. I'm certain someone as twisted as that has some things he's hiding, and if Seungmin can find it, then we can take him out without our higher ups sniffing around."
I blinked.
"You want to take Dae Seong out on a date?"
His thumbs froze as he turned his head to look at me, and I smiled innocently as his face twisted into one of disgust. "Even as a joke that's appalling."
"Denial isn't healthy. Love who you love, man. I'm not gonna judge."
He sighed before giving up and going back to typing, and I watched on in silence.
. . .
For a good two seconds.
"Are you doing this for me?" I was hesitant to ask, but no matter how I thought about it, SKZ wouldn't bother taking down someone as insignificant as Dae Seong for any other reason.
He ruffled my hair, still typing with his other as his eyes remained glued to the screen. "Of course. We weren't exactly the best to you at the start, but you've been nothing but amazing to us. The least we can do is take down one of the assholes that hurt you."
Despite my wishes, a small smile spread across my lips, and I wrapped my arm in his as he continued to type.
"Thank you." The edges of his lips twitched up despite his serious expression, and I once again caught sight of his dimples, though only barely.
"Alright, done." I let go of his arm as he pocketed his phone, and he once again began to head towards the car. I was left smiling like an idiot, but after a few seconds of silence, I began to follow.
I found myself humming as I tailed after the Australian, though the warm and fuzzy feeling quickly turned into alarm when a young man bumped into me.
He seemed to be in a rush as he accidentally shoulder checked me, but he still looked over his shoulder to yell an apology, his eyes widened with surprise and anxiety.
I shrugged before making my way up to the car door, and I once again took my seat in the back as Chan started up the car.
"You guys ready?" Me and Seungmin simultaneously nodded as I buckled, and I melted into the comfortable seat with a content sigh.
"What were you guys doing?"
"Hyunjin was getting money a guy owed him."
Seungmin's eyes sparkled at the mention of money, and he turned to look at me with an excited smile. "How much?"
"Two million." He whistled despite the fact that every member made more than that in just a day's work, but I still felt oddly proud of the amount I made with my own two hands. This was the first time I actually had money of my own, and it was a really nice feeling.
"We should put it in my bag so it doesn't get lost." I raised a brow at Seungmin's suggestion, and so did Chan as we both looked at the younger with suspicious eyes.
"You aren't planning on stealing from Hyunjin, are you?"
"I'm insulted you would even suggest such a thing. Now hurry up and hand it over."
I snorted but ultimately gave in, well aware that it would be much safer in Seungmin's possession.
I reached into my jean pockets, only to freeze when my hands came in contact with nothing but fabric. My stomach lurched as my searching became more frantic, but sure enough, my pockets were empty.
I slowly pulled my hands out, mind still trying to process the fact that I lost two million won in the span of three minutes. Because how the fuck do you do that?!
It couldn't have fallen out, so what happened?
Did it get stolen? But the only interaction I had was with-
Oh.
Fuck.
The guy from earlier must have stolen it, and right after I was internally bragging about how I was too observant for most people to pickpocket me. But I wasn't lying. I've caught plenty of pickpockets before, even in my worst states. But this time I was overly aware of the money in my pockets, so it should have been near impossible for someone to get away with it. So the guy that did this?
He's really fucking talented.
I couldn't even get mad.
I was certainly upset, and I still felt like I was going to throw up, but someone who could do this? I needed them as a friend.
"Chan? It got stolen."
"What!?" Thankfully he had yet to pull out, or we probably would have crashed with the way he wrenched his upper body towards me. His eyes were incredibly wide, and he somehow seemed more upset about it then I did.
Probably because he wasn't about to go make a new friend.
"Yep. The guy from earlier pickpocketed me."
His eyes darkened as he threw the car in reverse and rather recklessly backed out of the drive, and he then put the car in drive before speeding towards the direction the stranger had run towards.
I blinked at how aggressive he suddenly got, and even Suengmin seemed a little caught off guard by his rather . . . passionate response. "You good?"
His dead serious expression morphed into a dimple-filled smile as he looked at me through the rearview mirror. "Yep!"
"Really? Because you just ran a stop sign."
"There were no cars."
"And you also just passed by the guy who pickpocketed me."
We lurched forward as he stepped on the break, and the car came to a sudden halt. We all fell back into our seats as we watched the pickpocket enter a shabby looking apartment building, and I blinked before looking back towards Chan.
"I don't think I want you to teach me how to drive anymore."
"Oh, hush."
------- To Be Continued -------