Roadkill - catnipz

Chapter 4 - Small Mannerisms

"So Minji has to go to these meetings, in the third ring. None of us would go there that often, but whenever one of these meetings is called, Minji has to go. Sometimes Yunjin will go with her," Danielle tilts her head in Yunjin's direction as she explains, Haerin nodding along.

From where she's sitting at the table, talking to Kazuha, Yunjin perks up to look at them at the mention of her name. "What?"

"I'm telling her about Minji's meetings. You go with her, sometimes,"

"Oh, yeah," Yunjin's face shifts into something displeased. She's holding a deck of cards in her hands, which she shuffles absentmindedly. "They're a pain. They have them in the morning, because everyone's busy at night obviously, but the traffic in that ring is crazy, holy shit. You've to get up so early, you probably know," she gestures at Haerin, speaking to her now. "Minji's probably long gone before you're even awake,"

Haerin nods her head accordingly, humming in affirmation. "Yeah, usually,"

Yunjin's lip curls, leaning back in her seat, taking off her cap to push any stray hairs away from her forehead, before securing it again. "They spring them on us at the most random times too, with practically no notice. And it's not like she can just say no," she scoffs, clearly disapproving. "I hate people from the third ring. Think they're hot shit,"

Danielle laughs. "I mean, you're not wrong,"

Yunjin nods her head once with finality, closing the conversation and turning back to Kazuha, who'd watched the interaction with an amused glint in her eye.

"So does she just... go to these things then?" Haerin asks, Danielle returning her attention to her. "Like does she have to do anything?"

Danielle purses her lips at that, thinking. "I suppose Heugoni Pa don't operate at all in The Outskirts really, so Minji's their only link. It's also to do with The Cookie, we're heavily tied with them, obviously," she shrugs. "Again, they're not all that often. I doubt she has to do like, loads, but it would probably be seen as disrespectful if she didn't go," she looks at the watch on her wrist, glinting in the low light. "What's taking Hyein so long?" she mumbles with a sigh.

Yunjin doesn't even look up from her cards. "She stole my skateboard again this morning, so she stopped off at mine and Kazuha's first, probably delayed her a bit,"

Next to her, Kazuha laughs. "You knew? You were so surprised before,"

Yunjin throws her an incredulous look. "Of course I knew," she huffs out. "She never puts it back in the right spot," she looks up, then, at each of them. "Don't tell her I know, though. She thinks she's slick,"

Kazuha rolls her eyes, insincere, crossing her arms. "What did I say. Wrapped around her little finger,"

"It's called building up a child's confidence. Important for growth,"

"You'd let her away with murder,"

"I would, actually,"

"I- oh come off it, you know what I mean,"

From upstairs, the trap door leading into the basement opens up with a loud creak, snatching everyone's attention. Light footsteps begin to make their descent.

Danielle stands up, dusting herself down. "That's probably her," she cranes her neck. "Hyein-ah?"

Very faintly, Haerin picks up on the soft sound of music, so quiet she can barely figure out what kind of music it is, causing her to frown.

Instead of Hyein coming down the stairs like Haerin had expected, is a bright flash of pink, and inside her chest, Haerin's heart takes a nosedive. Hanni rounds the corner, hair bright against the dark of her clothes, and once again trapped by a pair of headphones that cover her ears. They're plugged into, what, a gaming device of sorts? It has her attention completely undivided, whatever's on the screen, and her fingers fly over what Haerin's assuming is a ray of different buttons, eyebrows pinched together in concentration. She hardly even looks up, reaching the bottom step and stepping off of it without even having to think.

From where she's stood, Haerin can see Danielle's expression soften at the sight of her, not something she herself can relate to, but it's only natural she supposes. When Hanni doesn't look up or acknowledge any of them, Danielle steps in front of her, and gently reaches out to take her earphones off her head.

Hanni flinches in surprise, eyes snapping away from her screen and lips parting, letting out a small noise of shock. Her eyes blaze with something threatening, for a fraction of a second, but once she sees that it's Danielle in front of her, they lessen to something softer. She takes her headphones off of her, resting them around her neck. "You're so lucky I wasn't in the middle of something important," she mumbles, pausing the game and holding the device by her side. "I thought I was the only one here, sorry. Hyein's not back yet?"

Danielle shakes her head, letting her fingertips fall back down by her sides. "No, not yet,"

Something seems to click inside Hanni's head at that, the crease in her brow deepening, and she turns to the side to face Haerin, like she's only now just realizing that she's actually there. Like yesterday, her stare intensifies, like she's trying to peer inside Haerin's head, unblinking and unmoving.

Thankfully, it doesn't last for too long, and when Haerin raises her eyebrows at her, Hanni turns away, clicking her tongue in a displeased manner. She lets out a sigh, and walks over to the table, taking off her headphones and putting them on the table. She pulls out a chair for herself, sitting down. "I didn't know Minji had a meeting today," she continues on as if Haerin was never even there.

The conversation pads out, but Haerin just keeps looking at her, not really caring if Hanni can sense it or not. Resting her cheek in her palm, she narrows her eyes. Clearly Hanni is strongly disliking of her, that much is certain, and if what Hyein had said is true, she's just not the kind of person to put up a front and act like she wants to have her here. Groups like these are based on trust, hell, that's Haerin's only hope of breaking them down, so she doesn't really blame her.

Doesn't mean that Haerin has to like her back.

It's been a couple of days, she's gotten around to talking with people, drinking in drips and drabs of information, but Hanni still sends her looks like she's imagining the ground opening up beneath her feet and swallowing her whole.

She's the one that Haerin's going to have to be the most cautious of, right up there with Minji herself.

If Hanni notices her staring, she doesn't pay her any mind, nodding her head along with what Danielle's saying about Minji's meeting, cutting back with a sharp remark whenever Yunjin interrupts with a statement of her own.

Then, cutting across all of them, comes a loud sound from upstairs, causing everyone to startle and stop talking abruptly. It had sounded like the toppling of tin cans, like someone had knocked over the stock that sits on the shelves upstairs.

Haerin watches as they exchange weary glances with one another, and frowns. "Hyein...?" she suggests hesitantly.

"No," Yunjin shakes her head, waving a hand and heaving a sigh, and Haerin sees the others shoot her questioning glances. Yunjin stands up. "Probably the rats again," she explains, and Kazuha nods her head slowly, letting out a soft ah.

"That would make sense," she nods, standing up too. "They've been everywhere recently," she inclines her head in the direction of the stairs, speaking to Yunjin. "Will we see?"

Yunjin makes a face, but bobs her head in compliance. "Yeah,"

They head up the stairs, leaving Haerin alone with Danielle and Hanni. Not exactly too keen on engaging in small talk, Haerin leans into the back of her chair, pulling out her phone. A message from Hyein is on the front of the screen, a rushed apology for always being so off schedule, how she promises she isn't usually like this, followed by a multitude of emojis that pull a small smile to Haerin's lips. She types out a response quickly, telling her not to worry about it, and hits send. It's followed not too long after by Hyein reassuring her that she's practically only a minute away now, and Haerin breathes out a small sigh of relief.

The quicker she can get out of this room, the better.

Looking up from her phone, she sees Hanni's eyes honed in on her, though they're torn away just as fast, so fast Haerin questions if she'd just imagined it or not.

She's just one person. Haerin can't let her freak her out. It's probably Hanni's mentality; if something like a few hard stares are enough to get under her skin, then she doesn't belong in a place like this.

So even though it's working, even though she finds herself thinking about it just a bit too much, she has to force herself to push it to the back of her head.

"Danielle-ah!" Yunjin's yelling from upstairs sounds a little muffled. "Do you know where the mousetraps are?"

Danielle lets out a quiet groan, palming at her face, and Haerin sees Hanni smile at her reaction. "That's just her way of telling me to get them," she mutters to herself, before heaving herself out of her chair and responding with an equally loud sound of agreement.

Haerin only really understands what's going on once she sees Danielle make her way towards the stairs, and she registers very quickly that she's going to be on her own with Hanni.

That's not something she's ever had to deal with before. In fact, she's avoided it as much as possible, never walking into a room if Hanni is the only one there.

But now, she can't really walk out without making it blatantly obvious, so all she can do is stare at the back of Danielle's head as she walks away, will her to turn around, to tell Yunjin or Kazuha to just get it themselves, vainly to no avail.

The sound of the trap door shutting behind her sends a dull thrum down Haerin's spine, and she swallows, not wanting to look away from it. Not quite brave enough yet, she pulls out her phone again, shifting her gaze to look down at it. She's got no messages, nothing to do on it, nothing she can do on it, but it's better than having to acknowledge the painfully awkward atmosphere that's beginning to wind herself around her neck.

She can sense Hanni's eyes on her. She can feel them.

She scrolls through her phone mindlessly, not paying attention to anything that's being presented to her, keeps telling herself not to pay her any mind, not to focus on it, to just push it to the back of her head and forget about it. It's not exactly the easiest thing in the world, and unknowingly, she finds herself growing a little warmer.

From the other side of the room, Hanni lets out a soft breath of laughter, dry and humorless, and Haerin's toes curl.

Unable to stop herself now, she looks up, putting on an indifferent front. "Hm?" she says it loud enough for Hanni to hear her.

"Oh? No, nothing," Hanni waves a hand at her, looking away.

Haerin sets her jaw. "No really, go on," she's pushing it now, but she's sort of curious to see what sort of reaction she'll get. Being inquisitive is part of the job, after all.

Hanni's eyes flash. "If I say it's nothing, that's a subtle hint for you to drop it,"

Oh, Haerin really doesn't like her. She doesn't really see much point in being anything other than upfront with her, so she does just that. She lets out a laugh of her own. "Look, I know you don't trust me yet,"

At the blunt phrasing, Hanni raises an eyebrow at her.

"And by the looks of it you don't like me, I get that, I don't really care. But are you really that keen on instigating conflict?"

Hanni regards her for a moment or two before leaning back, propping her elbow up on the table. "You're right," she replies simply, but there's that usual underlying bite to her words. "I don't like you. Or trust you. I don't like you at all, actually," She speaks a little quieter, so that they're not heard. "You've gotten too close with Minji too quickly. I don't know what her reasons are, but she's one of the most rational out of all of us. She has no reason to even speak with you," she tilts her head, again in that chillingly cat-like fashion, lips thinned. "I don't know why she has you here, and that pisses me off,"

Something hot is simmering in the pit of Haerin's stomach.

"And Minji is insatiable. She'll stop at nothing to get it, whatever it is. That's the way the world works for her, and you're no exception," she seems to notice the way Haerin's stiffened up and looks victorious. "So for that reason, I think you should care very much,"

Haerin inhales quietly, slowly, telling herself to calm down.

Maybe Hanni's won. Maybe whatever her goal was, she's achieved it.

"I know what you're doing," Haerin's voice doesn't come out as confident as it was before. "You're trying to get under my skin. And I already told you, I don't care. You don't have to like me, and I don't have to like you,"

Yeah, Hanni has her beat. Haerin knows it when she begins to turn away from her, that same expression on her face all the while. "Glad it's mutual, then,"

Thankfully, Haerin is saved by the bell. The sound of the trap door opening comes from upstairs, and the familiar sound of the steps being taken three at a time fills Haerin with relief.

Hyein rounds the corner, in a flurry of long black hair and brightly flushed cheeks, totally unaware of the tension she'd just shattered. "I'm so sorry!" she apologizes immediately, dipping her head in Haerin's direction, who stands up to assure her that it's really alright. "I totally lost track of time, I didn't mean to," she stops talking to catch her breath, and she really... she really looks like she'd rushed.

"No, really, it's fine," Haerin reassures her. "Did you... did you run? It's really not that big of a deal, I didn't mind waiting,"

"No-" Hyein cuts herself off, waving a hand and just about having caught her breath. "No, it's okay. I'm okay," she looks around the room, as if only just registering now that it's just the three of them there. "Where's everyone else?"

"Minji has a meeting in the third ring," Hanni replies nonchalantly before Haerin can. "And the others are upstairs, some rats knocking over the stock again,"

At the mention of rats, Hyein shudders. "Not again," she whimpers, looking around, like a hoard of them are going to swarm the room any second now. "I thought we got rid of them ages ago,"

Hanni shrugs. "I don't know. Must be back,"

Hyein gives her head a jolt, like she's trying to bring herself back to reality. "Anyways, sorry," she redirects her attention back to Haerin and gives her a usual, easy smile. Her cheeks are still flushed, but the rise and fall of her shoulders have begun to level out. "Will we get going then?"

---

"And then just like that," Hyein snaps her fingers, the sound cutting through the thick silence like a knife through a block of cheese. "She picks up the finger, and drops it in the envelope, Haerin. Ships it off the next morning like it was a birthday card," she flicks one of her fingers and lets out a low whistle, like she's miming the package being sent off. "I wasn't there, but it's scary, isn't it? The wife got an awful fright I'd say, can't have been the most pleasant of experiences. But imagine just being able to post someone's finger in the mail like that, no care at all," Hyein lets out a wistful sort of a sigh, like she'd just recounted a fond memory of her childhood. Then, she's jabbing a thumb in Haerin's direction. "This is Haerin, by the way,"

Haerin raises a hand as a silent greeting. "Hi,"

Stood behind the desk, the man's lips have parted into a silent o. His gaze drifts over to Haerin, before darting away again, retracting his hands from where he'd had them clasped on the desk and holding them behind his back. "The um..." he stumbles over his words, Hyein raising an amused eyebrow. "Now that I think about it, I think we uh, think we might be able to scrape something together,"

Hyein beams at him, red lips curved, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Wonderful," she claps her hands once. "We'll wait here in that case, take all the time you need,"

The man nods, standing up briskly, the shiny surface of his brow holding a thin sheen of sweat in the low light. He fumbles a bit with his chair, pushing it back in with difficulty, before whipping around on his heel and leaving them through the door behind him.

As soon as he's gone, the smile on Hyein's lips drops, twisting into a sneer. "Loan sharks," she mutters, crossing her arms. "They're always the most stubborn, it hurts their pride too much to let go of what they have. Too greedy,"

She turns to face Haerin, expression shifting into something a bit more neutral. "I might've exaggerated your story a little," her eyes twinkle. "Sorry about that,"

Haerin had underestimated Hyein severely.

This is her first time collecting tax with her, and while she hadn't known exactly what to expect, she'd had a general image in her mind. She'd expected it to be a quiet affair, something done quickly and promptly, though she wasn't quite sure what to expect if someone wasn't too keen on complying.

While she'd been correct that Hyein gets everything done swiftly, she's almost... theatrical. She's all large smiles and warm greetings, almost putting up the front of a customer. There are a few occasions that there are other people around, customers of the various establishments they visit, and Haerin has to admit that if she were one of them she wouldn't expect a thing. It's like Minji had said before, Hyein just isn't a suspicious person, she never looks out of place and treats everything they're doing like it were some normal, everyday task. Those she was dealing with seemed to play along with her, which tells Haerin that they're used to her at this stage.

Then they came to these moneylenders, who weren't as compliant as all the others had been, told them that they'd pay the next time Hyein came around. So Haerin had watched, tongue becoming increasingly heavier in her mouth as she watched Hyein scare them into it.

Words rolled off her tongue like water in a stream over pebbles, not once stuttering or stumbling, the man's face becoming increasingly more and more pale as she'd recounted the story of how Haerin had shipped off Junghwa's finger. Like she'd said, she'd exaggerated here and there, but it's the way that she'd told it that made even Haerin's blood run cold through her veins.

She's street smart, Hyein. She knows how people work, how to get them to do what she wants.

They leave the loan sharks in success, words of thanks fluttering off Hyein's tongue, and now, they're stood in front of the door of the final stop of the night. It's dark inside, so Haerin can't tell what it is, a sign stuck to the glass of the door indicating that they're closed. "You're gonna give it a go now," Hyein tells her, fingers closing around the door handle, but not opening the door just yet. She gives Haerin a smile. "You good with that?"

Haerin can't help the way her eyebrows climb, eyelids peeling back a little further. She points to herself. "You want me to- to just ask them for it?"

"Mmhmm," Hyein bobs her head as a reply, before tilting it in the direction of the building's interior. "The people here are easy, they've never once put up a fight or protested. They'll give it to you as soon as you ask,"

Haerin shifts uneasily, casting a weary glance inside. It's not something particularly pleasant, and she's felt guilty as it is this evening, watching as people have had to hand in a percentage of their profits, but it's nothing near the worst. If she just... does it quickly and gets it done and over with, she'll be fine.

"Yeah," she says on the exhale, giving herself a quick shake. "Yeah, I'll give it a go,"

Hyein gives her a grin. "Cool," she responds simply, before giving the doorknob a twist and entering.

The first thing that hits Haerin is the smell. A strong scent of freshly baked bread instantly overcomes her, the startlingly and unusually comforting aroma swarming her senses. Her eyes widen, inhaling again, just to make sure her brain isn't messing with her and making it up. It's warm inside, despite the darkness, and as her eyes begin to get used to the dimness, she can just about make out rows and rows of shelves lining the walls. There's muffled sounds of clattering coming from a back room, along with low murmurs. It must be a bakery of sorts, there's not many in The Outskirts; Haerin can't even remember the last time she was in one.

Upon their entrance, an off-tune sounding bell sounds from above their heads, making Haerin cringe with how loud it is.

With the ringing of the bell, comes the stopping of the muffled noises coming from a different room. "Can't you read? We're closed!" someone yells, making Haerin flinch.

That voice... she's heard that voice before. Shit, she knows that voice.

When Hyein gives her a prompting nudge, Haerin tells herself to snap out of it. Because there's just no way - it's been a long night, she's tired. "We're here to collect!" she says it loudly, clearly, not bothering to put up a front like Hyein had. There's no one else around to hear them.

Silence, for a couple more moments, followed by more, indecipherable murmuring. Two voices meld together, both feminine, seeming to have a back and forth argument based on the tones of their voices. One is insistent, the other firm, both speaking over one another and making it impossible for Haerin to guess which is which. One cuts the other off, and then, footsteps. Footsteps that grow increasingly louder, and then, a door is opening.

It takes every ounce of Haerin's willpower to prevent her jaw dropping to the floor.

Closing the door behind her, and not even sparing Haerin the slightest of glances, is Eunchae.

Haerin stares at her, half of her mind screaming at herself internally to not react, to reel herself back, while the other half is trying to comprehend exactly what in the hell she's looking at right now.

What had it been that Minji said before?

People outside of the ones that pay us don't know about it.

Haerin never even knew that Eunchae worked two jobs. And if things like this are kept quiet, then she doesn't doubt that no one else knows either.

Eunchae must've pieced together that Haerin was coming, or recognised her voice, because she doesn't react to her in the slightest. She places her palms on the counter in front of her that divides them, leaning on it. She's wearing an apron, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and there's a smudge of flour on her cheek. "It's on weekdays you're supposed to come here. It's a Sunday," her eyes are narrowed.

"We've got a newbie," Hyein grins, seeming totally unbothered, as she points to Haerin. "I'm showing her the ropes,"

Eunchae's eyes drift over to Haerin, and again, the look she gives her is totally blank, regarding her like she would a stranger. It's an unsettling feeling, something that sends chills down Haerin's spine. She's so used to seeing Eunchae as this bright, energetic thing, the youngest of their team who gives everything her absolute all. Seeing her now, in a different light... even though Haerin knows that Eunchae knows she's only doing this because it's her job, she can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of guilt.

Eunchae must've had to take up the job as a detective to help pay the tax. The pay is better than that of a normal cop, no wonder she worked so hard to get in so soon.

Eunchae blinks at her. "Hi," she sounds tired.

Somehow, from somewhere in the base of her throat, Haerin finds the words to respond. "Hello," it comes out level, indifferent, to her relief.

Eunchae gestures vaguely at the door behind her. "We're just gathering everything, give it a sec," she isn't looking at either of them now, wiping at her brow with the back of her hand.

The three of them fall into an awkward silence, the painful kind, and Haerin cringes internally. At the other stops, Hyein had buzzed about, always knowing the right thing to say, but Haerin just can't bring herself to bring anything up. She's struggling to put up a normal front as it is. And by the looks of things, Hyein has no issue with leaving her to her own devices.

The sound of a phone ringing cuts through the silence, and Hyein lets out a soft ah. "That's me, sorry," she apologises with another smile, reaching into her bag and fishing it out. She looks at the screen, squinting at the brightness of it in the low light, before she's flicking her gaze up to Haerin. "Kazuha-unnie," she says, showing her the screen, and then holding up a single finger. "Give me a sec?"

Haerin nods, not really knowing why she's asking her of all people for permission. "Sure,"

Giving her one last nod, Hyein promptly answers the call, Haerin just about hearing her say Kazuha's name before the sound of the bell is drowning her out, and she steps outside.

That leaves her and Eunchae alone.

They stand in awkward silence for a few moments, something that's never happened between them before. They're both the newest additions to the investigations unit, and Haerin had instantly empathised with her once Eunchae had joined, had known exactly how she'd felt because she really hadn't gone through it herself all that long ago. That, and Eunchae's the sort of person that's hard not to like, really. She's got that kind of infectious laughter, and the room always becomes that bit brighter when she walks in. She's young, but she works hard, and Haerin's always admired her for that.

She can't help but ask, the curiosity burning a hole in her stomach. "Sakura-unnie," she wets her lips. She doesn't look directly at Eunchae, doesn't make it clear to anyone that she's instigating a conversation. Speaks quietly, too. "Does she know?"

Eunchae's gaze flicks over to an area over Haerin's shoulder, like she's checking that they're not being watched before replying. "Of course not," it comes out a little bitter.

Haerin had suspected as much, clenching a fist by her side. "And... her," she gives her head a jolt, gesturing outside. "Does she know that you're..." she trails off, sure that Eunchae knows what she's talking about

Again, Eunchae denies it. "No,"

Haerin breathes out a soft exhale. "Eunchae-ah, I'm so-"

"You don't need to be," Eunchae cuts across her. "You're not doing this because you want to do it, you're doing your job," Haerin sees her swallow. "You're doing this so that someday, I won't have to do this anymore,"

Haerin's head suddenly feels very heavy on her shoulders.

She doesn't reply, she doesn't need to. From what sounds to be not all that far off, comes a weak call of Eunchae's name. Womanly, older than they both are. Haerin thinks it could be her mother.

Eunchae's eyes flick back to Hyein for a fraction of a second, before she's using her palms to push herself away from the counter. "Tell her I've just gone to get it," she mumbles, before turning around and walking through the door.

By the time Hyein comes back, Eunchae has too, and she's handing over a bag which Haerin gives over to Hyein to put into her rucksack. It had felt relatively heavy, the bag, which just brings a bitter taste to Haerin's tastebuds, so she'd rid herself of it as quickly as she could.

"Lovely," Hyein says with a sigh of finality as she threads her arm through her bag again. "Thank you for your cooperation," it's something she's said to everyone they've come across before, and Euncahe responds with a dry quirk of her lips, crossing her arms.

Haerin puts her hands into her pockets, thinking that they're going to leave, but just as she begins to make a move, she sees Eunchae put a hand on her counter.

"Actually..."

Eunchae's eyes snap up to meet hers.

Hyein throws her a simper, eyes suddenly a scary thing in the dark. A terrifying thing. "What you're making smells lovely,"

Haerin stares at her.

"I'd love to try it," Hyein gestures to Haerin with a manicured fingernail. "Whatever they are - we'll take two of them,"

The tension becomes thick between the two of them - between her and Eunchae, and Haerin watches with her eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them. Unlike everyone else, Haerin realises, Eunchae matches Hyein's height, so Hyein can't look down on her like she would everyone else. There's something fiery in Hyein's eyes; she knows she's pushing the line, getting too comfortable with the power she's got in this situation. There's something irritated in Eunchae's, like she's just about stopping her lips from curling into a snarl.

She takes in a slow breath, looking as though she's stopping herself from saying something she'll regret, which Hyein seems to find all too amusing. "Of course," she responds, not bothering to hide the acidity in her tone, and when she pushes herself away from the counter, Hyein does the same. "Just give me a moment,"

Hyein and Haerin leave the bakery not too long later, and not even the sweetness of the piping hot bun wrapped in baking paper in Haerin's hold can mask the foul taste that lingers on her tongue.

---

"How did it go?"

Haerin looks up to see Minji sitting at the island, a sleek looking laptop open in front of her, the blue light of the screen highlighting the high points of her face in the darkness. A champagne flute, too, is rested on the island, her fingertips loosely brushing against the stem, which Haerin regards with mild amusement.

"Fine, yeah," she slips off her shoes, her jacket. "How come the lights are off?"

Minji blinks, looking around the room, as if she's only just realizing now just how dark it is. "It was bright outside when I started," she mumbles, taking another sip of her drink, Haerin turning the lights on out of the sheer need to be able to see.

Minji must've been working a long time if she hadn't noticed that nightfall had come.

Haerin goes over to where Minji is sat, sitting on a stool opposite her, lacing her fingers together. "Yunjin and Danielle told me about your meetings."

Over the edge of the screen, Haerin sees Minji's eyebrows raise, and she looks up to make eye contact with her. "Really?"

"Mmh. I didn't know that they were in the third ring."

Minji nods her head slowly. "They are, yeah. A pain, to be honest."

"Yunjin said the same."

"She would, she hates them. But at the same time, she gets pissy when I don't tell her about them; she doesn't like me going on my own. No matter how much she hates it."

Haerin's brow furrows. "Why not?"

At that, Minji shrugs, leaning back and moving a couple strands of hair behind her ear. "I hate them just as much. She wouldn't voice it, but she wouldn't want me to bear it on my own."

Haerin can't help but let out a soft laugh at that. "You know, I really can't figure her out."

At the sound of her laughter, Minji's own lips lift just slightly at the corners. "Who, Yunjin?"

"Yeah," she pauses, and then- "Sometimes I think she's insane."

Minji laughs properly at that, tipping her head back and covering her mouth with her hand. "Well, I mean... I guess you're not wrong."

"But then... like not wanting you to go on your own. That time she didn't want Hyein to know she knows she takes her board," she gives her head a tilt to the side. "It's strange."

Minji nods her head slowly. "Yunjin has..." she trails off, looking like she's trying to think about how she'll phrase it. "Yunjin has an extreme lack of empathy for people she doesn't like. Or doesn't know. Anyone that gets under her skin," her eyes glint. "You've seen that first hand."

Haerin swallows, but nods along.

"Yet on the other hand... people that she does like, lay a finger on them and she'll flip. One time this girl got tetchy with Kazuha because she didn't have the password. She was drunk as shit, so when she took a swing at her, it didn't even come close," she takes another gulp of champagne, jutting out one of her fingers that had been holding onto the stem and giving it a shake. "Didn't matter to Yunjin. Next thing you know the girl's on the floor and Yunjin's knuckles are skinned."

Haerin stares at her. "...holy shit."

Minji nods, almost looking a little smug. "It's something Hyein has picked up from her. You probably saw this evening."

Haerin slouches in her seat, thinking back to the Hyein she'd gone around The Outskirts with this evening, in comparison with the Hyein who'd asked her to have mint chocolate ice cream with her for breakfast. "I'd thought she was really sweet," she mutters, palming at her forehead and closing her eyes. "She's so terrifying, I think I got whiplash."

Minji laughs at her. "You sound like you need a drink."

Haerin takes her hand away from her face. "You drink too much."

"You don't drink enough."

Haerin looks at her incredulously. "Drink enough?"

Minji crosses her arms. "So you don't want one."

"...I didn't say that."

Over the past couple of weeks or so, talking to Minji has become easier.

Sure, Haerin's still terrified of her, and her heart still stammers inside her ribcage if she ever pins her with a look for a moment too long, but she's no longer so nervous that she struggles to form coherent sentences around her. She's slowly beginning to adapt, learning how to speak to her, along with all the others. She hasn't had to do anything as intense as the first night in The Cookie, nor has she had to witness anything of the sort, but she hasn't become complacent. Especially after seeing how even Hyein handled different people tonight. She doesn't underestimate anything that any of them can do.

Minji's taken the bottle, half empty, from the fridge and is now pouring Haerin a generous glass. "I'd choose not to go to the meetings if I could," she returns to Haerin's original topic of choice, handing the glass over once it's full. "Danielle probably told you. People in the third ring think they're god's gift to the Earth. Flamboyant shits. They're a pain to deal with, they don't see regular reason," she sighs. "But they're linked to The Cookie, and they help us out just as much as we help them."

"So you've got no choice, really," Haerin summarizes, and Minji hums monotonously.

"If I didn't show up, they'd take offense. I hardly do anything there because we're only affiliates. But it's the act of showing up," her lip curls. "That and they more than likely know how much I hate it. They're the kind of people that would get a kick out of something like that," she rolls her eyes. "We've all heard about it before. People in the other rings look down on us. They think we're the scum of the Earth."

Haerin purses her lips, interested. "Yeah, I have. But that time I went to The Cookie was the first time I'd left The Outskirts."

Again, Minji hums, all of a sudden looking like she's not enjoying the taste of her drink as much as she was before. "It's all... just something we've got to put up with for the time being."

Haerin frowns at her. "For the time being?"

Minji often gets this look in her eye. And no matter how long she's been with her at this stage, Haerin still has yet to get used to it. "We've already got a foot in the second ring," her voice becomes something quieter. "Danielle and I are often called into the third. We're beginning to spread."

Haerin holds her breath, watching as Minji hooks one leg over the other, leaning back and swirling the remains of her drink with a minute movement of her wrist.

"And I plan to go in as far as The Centre."

Haerin looks at her, drinks in her appearance. Flawless skin, dark hair, lips shiny with drink and eyes a greedy thing. Something strong, something powerful. Something that's constantly in the back of Haerin's mind. And it's... confusing. Because Minji at a first glance really doesn't look like much out of the ordinary, perhaps having an edge on the visual appeal, but really other than that Haerin wouldn't think much of her. But the more she looks, and the more she begins to understand her, the more she begins to pick up on these small mannerisms.

That intensity that's drawn into her pupils, dilating them. The way her words come out as something quieter when the tension thickens, and you have no choice other than to strain to hear her, to put all your attention into listening to her.

Maybe Haerin's become better at handling herself around Minji.

But that doesn't make her any less terrifying.

---

Ever since her very first night, Haerin hasn't attended any races.

They're held irregularly, with intermittent intervals to avoid any outsiders picking up on when they're being held, stray wanderers like Kazuha had assumed Haerin was. She's sort of... excited at the idea, of being able to go again, this time in a more comfortable position, the hunter rather than the one being hunted. She can relax knowing that she doesn't have as much riding on her back, just has to go along and do whatever it is Minji asks of her. And, by the sounds of things, she's just going to be patrolling alongside Kazuha.

She rests her cheek in her palm as Hanni explains to all of them the procedures that need to be carried out, gesturing to the screen of her laptop as she talks. It's usually not like this, Minji had told her. But according to her, they haven't held a race in the south-westerly sector in a while, and holding another one after so long requires a bit of tweaking compared to their usual routine that would normally just play out by itself.

It's mostly numerical information, information that shouldn't be of any importance to Haerin, but going by what Sakura had told her months before, all information is good information. Betting rates, participation numbers, expected turnover and expenditure, Haerin drinks it all in with a disinterested front. The sheer scale of the numbers on Hanni's screen aren't as surprising as they were once before, don't faze her as much. Haerin takes it as a good thing.

There's a lot of information on Hanni's computer.

She doesn't doubt that Hanni is smart enough to work without leaving a single trace - she's too intelligent, too sharp, to leave any sort of cyber footprint, and Haerin reckons it'd be impossible to connect her to any sort of crime that would take place through the web. Even if Haerin doesn't want to admit it, she's good, and she knows what she's doing.

It's also unlikely that all of this group's history is all backed up on this one single computer - it'd just be too easy to access. This group needs to keep records, just like any normal, functioning business would. And Haerin doesn't know how, or by what means, but somehow, Hanni's got all of their information hidden away under lock and key. Like a treasurer of sorts.

But, even if Haerin doesn't manage to figure that out - she wouldn't even know where to start - if she could somehow manage to transfer any sort of information from Hanni's computer to the station... that could be huge.

Haerin lets out a soft sigh to herself, giving her head a soft jolt.

It's an idea. A proposal. Something she has no idea how she'd carry out, but the main obstacle in all this is Hanni herself.

Of course it had to be her. Haerin thinks she'd rather Yunjin or Danielle over her.

Haerin watches, eyes narrowed, as Hanni clicks to something else on the screen, pointing and explaining while everyone else nods along in earnest. If she's to even come close to gaining that kind of information, or even close to Hanni's computer itself...

Haerin groans internally. Whether she likes it or not, she's gonna have to suck it up and play nice with her.

Against her own will, but in favor of her better judgment, Haerin lingers around the basement area once they've finished up, people slowly beginning to climb the stairs in order to leave. Hyein and Kazuha both grab rucksacks - it's a Saturday night, so they're busy with deliveries, both of them wrapped up warm since the cool weather doesn't seem to be showing any signs of holding off any time soon. Yunjin busies herself with both of them, grumbling under her breath about how they're not wearing any hats, any scarves, how they're both going to catch colds and that she's not going to help either of them (Haerin highly doubts this). They always go together, whenever they've got deliveries, always a less formal affair, and easier to get out of hand. It's the tax they collect separately, Haerin had realized, both of them taking different sectors.

Minji stops from where she's about halfway up the stairs, holding onto the banister. "Haerin-ie,"

Another thing Haerin hasn't quite gotten used to, the idea of Minji using nicknames with her. She doesn't use them with the others, and the first time she'd spoken like that outside of just the two of them it had garnered them a few odd stares.

Haerin looks up at her, and Minji tilts her head in the direction of the exit. "You coming?"

Haerin nods at her silently, before holding up a finger, wordlessly telling her that she'll just be one second. Minji gives her a strange look, before her eyes drift over to Hanni, still sat at the table with her computer, and seems to piece together that Haerin has something she wants to say to her. The strange look doesn't shift from her face, however, it does become something a bit more enlivened. She purses her lips, nodding slowly. "I'll start the engine, then," she tells her, and no sooner than that, Haerin and Hanni are left alone.

It comes to Haerin's attention pretty quickly that Hanni's not even aware of it. She's still engrossed in whatever it is she's looking at on the screen, eyebrows pinched in concentration. Haerin considers cleaning her throat to garner her attention, but figures that that'd come across too strong, so she settles with a casual "Hey,"

Hanni's eyes flick up to look at her, and Haerin physically sees her expression go a little slack once she realizes that it's her. She doesn't look at her, obviously deeming whatever it is on the computer as more important. She only responds with a questioning noise, not really seeming all that interested.

Haerin takes in a breath. Hanni probably has no interest in what she has to say, but getting it off her chest and out in the open, even just making her aware of it, that's Haerin's goal. "I know... I know you and I don't exactly see eye to eye," she starts off with a fact, and while Hanni scoffs at the statement, still refusing to look at her, Haerin continues on. "And the whole I don't like you, you don't like me thing. I get that, it's whatever," she pauses, allowing Hanni to make some sort of comment, or remark, but nothing comes out. "But I just wanted to let you know that I don't intend to let that get in the way of anything,"

That grabs Hanni's attention.

She lowers the screen of her laptop to get a better look at her, folding her arms on the tabletop and leaning forward slightly. That feline stare returns, suspicious and calculative. "How do you mean?"

Haerin shrugs. "Everyone's been telling me that half the reason you guys have such good outcomes is because of how well you work together. There's cohesion,"

Hanni raises a brow, but doesn't interrupt her.

"And by me coming in here and arguing with you, that cohesion is ruined. And that's not what I wanna do," she makes sure she's looking back at Hanni with a stare just as unfeigned. "You can be disliking of me all you like. But I'm going to be working with you just the way I would anyone else. Or else there'll be a..." she gestures with her hands, trying to find the right words. "Loss of balance,"

Hanni looks at her for a few moments longer, in that manner of hers that she has, piercing and eyes darting across her face like she's trying to see past it and peer inside her head. Haerin just stands still, letting her, clenching her fists behind her back to hide the way her fingertips have begun to quiver.

Finally, Hanni's looking back at her screen, and Haerin lets out a silent exhale. Hanni cups her chin in her palm, fingertips brushing against her lower lip thoughtfully. She's finally letting out a soft breath of laughter, shaking her head. "Right answer," she replies.

Haerin's eyes go wide, frozen to the spot. She doesn't know how to respond, doesn't say anything.

After her standing there for a couple more seconds, Hanni's looking at her again. "Well?" she says expectantly. "I wouldn't keep Minji waiting if I were you,"

Her expression is still distasteful, lip still curled, though- though Haerin thinks something about her gaze has become the smallest fraction softer.

Haerin blinks, and then, she's unable to stop herself from breaking out into a smile. "Yeah, of course," she dips her head as a silent thanks. "See you tomorrow,"

Hanni doesn't respond, only gives her a dismissive wave, now fully engrossed in what's on screen.

---

"What did you say to her?" Minji asks her once Haerin's clambered into her car, putting the car into reverse as she begins to pull out.

"Things have been unnecessarily tense between us," Haerin sighs, wiping at her forehead with the back of her hand, not even having been aware of just how tense that one small conversation had made her. "I didn't come here to mess up any dynamics, I just want to..." she motions with her hands. "Slip in. If the room becomes tense when Hanni and I are both in it, then I thought it'd be something I have to fix. I basically just told her that. From now on, I'll work with her just like I would any of you. Regardless of what we think of each other - it's not something I'm gonna let impact the way we do things,"

Minji nods her head slowly, and in her peripherals, Haerin sees facial expression shift, cheeks becoming a bit fuller. "And what did she say to that?"

Chaewon bites back a smile of her own. "Right answer," she quotes. "So I think... think I'm at least on the right track,"

Minji keeps her eyes on the road, barren and almost totally void of any other vehicles due to the late hour. She runs a hand through her hair idly.

"I think you might just be,"

---

Time, Haerin comes to learn as the days drag on, does its fair share in terms of healing.

Sleeping at night becomes easier, she finds herself not waking up on the floor as much as she used to, without bruises littering her knees and stabbing pains in the back of her head. She used to stay awake for hours, paranoia and just plain, utter fear keeping her eyes open. Whenever she could muster the courage to close them, she'd see the panic laced into Junghwa's face, spluttering and coated in sweat, eyes bulging out of their sockets. She'd see spatters of blood, red mist hanging in the air, dripping from the handrest of that chair and falling onto the carpet with irregular plops that sound as deafening as car horns inside her ears. She'd feel the weight of his finger on her lap, and the more the hours crawled by, the worse it would get.

But, the more she sees, the easier things become to bear.

She'd come into the autoshop one evening to find a man tied to a chair in one of the corners, eyes unnaturally wide, bloodshot, and limbs bound with his mouth stuffed with a gag. Hanni, Yunjin, Danielle, and Kazuha were sat in the room talking like he wasn't even there, and they'd invited Haerin as if nothing was out of place. It had been unsettling, sitting in the same room as a hostage, hearing the chair legs bang against the hard floor as he struggled. He looked young, maybe only a little older than she herself, and she couldn't help but be curious.

She tilted her head in his direction. "What's he here for?"

Yunjin had looked particularly pleased by her question, like she'd been waiting for it. "Our friend here," she raised her voice, intending for him to hear her. "Stole from us,"

Muffled sounds of protest, and more of the chair legs banging against the floor.

Haerin tilted her head. "Stole what?"

Hanni had laughed at that. "Take a wild guess,"

Haerin flitted her eyes over to him. The erratic behavior, the wild look in his eyes. She looks back at Yunjin, the pieces inside her head slowly but surely coming together. "Is he high?"

"As a kite," Yunjin confirmed gleefully, clapping her hands once. "He's one of our delivery boys, thought it'd be okay to skip a couple stops and keep a portion of the profits,"

The boy protested again, and Danielle had rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut it,"

"Minji takes deception as something personal," Kazuha had leaned over from where she was sat next to her. "And if it's something personal, then Minji deals with it personally,"

That night, Minji hadn't come home till the early hours, the door being closed a bit more forcefully than what could be considered normal.

Things like that, Haerin will walk in on them when she least expects it. Or she'll be told about them in advance like she was being informed of a weather prediction. She has no choice but to become used to them, to just accept that these are the kinds of things she's going to have to deal with. They don't ask her to carry out anything herself, Haerin doesn't think she could do anything herself, but bearing witness is just almost something that's expected.

It's not easy, by any means. Many sleepless nights, moments where the sweat breaking out on her skin becomes noticeable even to others, but she always grits her teeth and digs her heels in. Because there are people who think she can't do this, who think that she'll opt out once she reaches her breaking point, whether they're in the station or in the autoshop, it doesn't matter. Haerin has to prove to them, still has to prove to herself, that they're wrong.

So no matter how unbearable it seems, no matter how much it plagues her thoughts and makes her sick to the stomach, she sticks it out.

And then, well. As she'd said before, time starts to heal. And while it's by no means normal to her, seeing such sights slowly but surely become easier for her to bear.

Even though she tells herself not to, she can't help but be curious whenever she thinks about who the other detective is. They could all be it, but the more Haerin thinks about it, the more she confuses herself, before she pushes it to the back of her mind only for it to resurface just a couple days later. She just doesn't have enough evidence to make any sort of estimate for who it could be, and Haerin can't imagine any of them being a part of her team at all.

It's hard for her to know whether or not the detective is even still on their side. Either she's been here for so long that they know exactly how to act, or they've fallen victim to this kind of lifestyle and have no intention of returning.

And... after being here for a short while now... Haerin could sort of see how that could be every possibility. Yes, it's dangerous. It's frightening, and even that's an understatement. But there's a comfort in having power, power that you can constantly depend on.

She often wonders if Sakura thinks the same thing.

She updates her from time to time, never too often. She takes detours on the way home from errands, always quick and knowing exactly what she's going to say in order to save time. Sakura always listens intently, doesn't interrupt and just lets her talk, saving her questions until the end. It's a good system she has going, something about its efficiency almost... exciting. She's actually doing pretty alright despite the circumstances she's in, and so far, she's got everyone fooled. The work she does for Minji doesn't go unnoticed by her, whether it be helping out Hyein or Kazuha, visiting the Cookie, becoming acquainted with more and more people, often rewarded with words of praise (and a glass of champagne). All those things, it's a similar sensation she gets from being a detective, that strong sense of purpose that she practically thrives in.

She especially seals the deal once she manages to get Hanni to come around with her. She doesn't treat her with hostility, just like she'd said she would, and complies with her whenever they have to work together. Although like most other things, it takes time, but sooner than later she begins to respond to Haerin's efforts. She doesn't all of a sudden act like they're best friends, but she'll acknowledge her when she comes into the room, offer her a good night when they're done for the day.

On one particular cold day, Haerin was sitting in the basement, teeth chattering and rubbing at her forearms. Hanni had come in, and wordlessly, she'd placed a takeaway cup on the table in front of her, steam curling from the hole in the plastic lid.

Haerin had blinked up at her in surprise, not saying anything as Hanni walked by her like she hadn't even done anything. When Haerin had made a questioning noise, she'd looked at her out of the corner of her eye, and muttered a quiet "Don't get used to it,"

Haerin had grinned at her with a word of thanks, hugging the cup to her chest. Hanni had scoffed to herself, walking into her room and closing the door behind her.

Haerin has settled in just about as good as she can manage, she thinks. It's taken her time and it's by no means been handed to her on a silver platter, but it's something. She thinks that even if it's just by a minute fraction, she's begun to gain their trust.

Even Minji's.

Along with getting used to Minji, and in turn, Minji becoming used to her, Haerin's slowly begun to delve into one of the advantages she has over her - Minji's physical attraction to her. It's not something either of them had touched upon ever since the day it was first brought up, but the more comfortable Haerin became, the more she itched to test the waters.

So, she strokes at Minji's ego, nods along with what she says and laughs at the right times - never too much out of fear she'll overdo it. Sometimes she'll catch Minji looking at her with that intensity that draws into her eyes, whether it be intentional or not, and instead of looking away or flinching like she would before, she'll respond in kind. Minji will raise a brow at her, mostly, and her lips will curve, before she'll return to whatever it had been that she was doing previously.

It's a little exciting, a little nerve-wracking, to start off. But the more she does it, and the more she thinks about it...

It's not difficult at all.

Messing around with something like this, yeah, it shakes Haerin to her very bones. But she has no difficulty with it - does it without even thinking. Everything else she's done, it's demanded every ounce of her energy, all of her willpower. This is something that doesn't need any of that, doesn't even require her to think about it.

Minji is not a good person. Minji kills in cold blood, and has ulterior motives that Haerin doesn't think she can even begin to comprehend. And yet interactions like these roll off her tongue without a stutter, and out of everything that she's been forcing herself to do, out of all the things she's had no choice but to witness, she thinks that this one might just be the one that she hates the most.

---

Haerin grips onto the barricade behind her, head tipped back as she laughs, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "No, I'm sorry-" she cuts herself because she needs to physically breathe, cheeks sore with how much she's smiling. "That's actually brilliant,"

"But I'm dead serious!" Kazuha exclaims with a huff, crossing her arms across her chest to try and retain some warmth. She brushes her hair away from her face, the light wind that's picked up causing the dark grey locks to obstruct her vision. "Like I was on the verge of strangling her. Two fucking a.m, it was," she scoffs, giving her head a toss. "Kazuha-ah, we need another pack of cards," she says, putting on a pretty impressive impersonation of Yunjin's voice. "Yeah, and I need fucking sleep. What did she expect me to do really?" she scrunches up her nose in visible distaste. "The first and the last time I let them play poker at our place. They didn't sleep a fucking wink that night, too fucking competitive. Neither of them know how to lose,"

"Have they lost at The Cookie before? Like ever?"

Kazuha looks up at the sky, thinking. "I know they have to purposefully lose sometimes. People wouldn't play against them if they won a hundred percent of the time, there'd be no point if you knew you were never going to win. There probably have been times when they've unintentionally lost, on the rare occasion, but it's not like either of them would ever admit it," she gives Haerin a knowing look. "Again, you've seen it with your own eyes. Ridiculously competitive. Even though they're both at practically the same level, they're constantly trying to one-up each other,"

Haerin thinks back to the first night in The Cookie. On that particular night, they hadn't been going against each other like they usually had, but rather with a common goal. They'd worked together practically seamlessly, and it crosses Haerin's mind that going up against two people like them, with a constant drive, constant hunger to win... it's not a position she ever wants to find herself in, no matter how difficult it may be to avoid.

And Kazuha... Haerin still has yet to see this other side of her that Minji had mentioned to her, and in all honesty, she'd rather keep it that way. Even thinking back to the way she'd reacted to Hyein before still leaves her with this funny sort of sensation she can't quite describe, and she'd rather not experience the same thing again. It's kind of inevitable, she supposes, but she's going to push that to the back of her mind and worry about it when it comes.

From not too far off, the loud sound of boisterous laughter and shouting garnering both of their attention. Down the street, a small group has arrived, seemingly unequipped for anything that being in a place like this would require. Or, to put it differently, exactly like how Kazuha had described what Haerin had looked like on that first night: sticking out like a sore thumb.

Kazuha lets out a yawn, and stretches out her arms. "That's the universe telling us to stop slacking and to get back to it," she slouches once she stops stretching, like a rubber band that's been snapped. "I'll take a look at them, they're probably just a bunch of strays. It's usually just a coincidence that they come here at this time. You good with just wandering?"

Haerin nods her head, pushing herself away from the barricade. It's been quite easy, actually, just going up to people and striking up a random conversation, and slipping in the request for the password whenever it seems fitting. No one yet hasn't responded with how they're expected to, which honestly just makes Haerin's life a whole lot simpler.

"Cool," Kazuha begins to walk away. "See you in a bit then,"

She leaves Haerin on her own, and Haerin is just about to go away and do as she'd been advised when the loud sound of someone clearing their throat prevents her from doing so.

She stills, looking at the people around her, none of them doing anything out of the ordinary. She frowns to herself, confused. It had been the kind of noise you make when you blatantly want someone's attention, but...

Haerin shakes her head, brushing it off. She takes another few steps forward.

Again, another clearing of a throat. Louder, this time, and coming from somewhere on her left. Haerin halts in her tracks, and turns around to face the direction that the noise had come from. She scans the area, the people that are walking by, and again, nothing seems out of the ordinary. But then, she catches sight of a figure hunched over one of the barricades, with a cap and a mask hiding her face, but Haerin would recognize her anywhere.

She curses under her breath, looking over her shoulder to see that Kazuha's long gone before making her way over. Once they're close enough, Haerin hisses at her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Eunchae moves the peak of her cap so that it's higher up her face, making it easier for Haerin to see her. "It's shocking, I know, and I'm sorry, but I'm the only one other than you that they don't recognize," she speaks urgently, and even though no one can hear them, she speaks quietly too.

Haerin looks at her like she's started speaking in a different language. "Did Sakura send you here?"

Eunchae nods her head. "She'd wanted to tell you beforehand, but we have no means of contacting you directly," she swallows. "She's coming tonight. Her and Chaewon-unnie,"

Haerin can physically feel her eyes bulging out of her sockets, having to reel herself in to prevent herself from yelling. "What?" she seethes.

Eunchae holds up a hand to calm her. "Don't worry, don't worry, they're not going to do anything. They'll stage it like it was a coincidence, it'll just be the two of them. It's just like... how did she put it? Something to make their presence known,"

With that, Haerin relaxes the smallest bit. "They're just... showing up?"

Eunchae nods her head. "That's it. They wanted me to let you know so that you won't be surprised when it happens,"

"Okay..." Haerin presses her lips together. "Okay. Did she say when they're coming?"

"Afterwards," Eunchae replies. "When they do, just... you know yourself, don't make it too obvious," she looks past Haerin's shoulder, looking like she's growing a little restless. "I don't wanna talk to you for too long, the less anyone sees of me, the better,"

"No no, wait," Haerin reaches out to hold her arm but retracts just as fast. "About what happened that time before..." she trails off, not even too sure what to call it.

It takes a minute, but Eunchae eventually seems to get what Haerin's alluding to, letting out a soft "Ah," and nodding her head. "Unnie, that's-" she cuts herself off with a sigh, looking down at her shoes. "That's not something anyone can help. That's just the way things are here. I know it was selfish of me not to tell Sakura-"

"No! No, it's not," Haerin insists. "They'll do-" she swallows. "They'll do terrible things if you don't pay. Sakura-unnie would understand, it's not selfish of you at all," she wants to comfort her with ways other than words, a hug or holding onto her arm, but that's definitely not something she can risk. "You must be so exhausted,"

Eunchae gives her a wry smile. "You're saying that, of all people?" she shakes her head. "Be honest with me, unnie. How is it?"

Haerin presses her lips together, now her turn to look away. She heaves a sigh. "It's... scary," she admits. "The people are terrifying. And sometimes they act totally normal, and I think that's just what makes it so..." she shudders, not quite able to find the right word, but sure that Eunchae will understand her regardless. "Sleeping was hard," she tries to laugh, but it only sounds forced. "If I managed it, I always woke up on the floor, but... I've gotten better. I'm getting used to it,"

Eunchae doesn't reply, but she makes a face of acknowledgement. "Look, I don't want to keep you too long," a childish quirk of her lips, and Haerin's given a startling reminder of just how young she is. She works hard, Eunchae, so it's easy to forget that she's really living out her youth as an adult would; working two jobs, giving each of them more than what she gets in return. She's smart too, clever with abstract ways of thinking. A part of Haerin wants to go with her, just head back to the station and just forget that any of this ever happened, but really, she could never. Not when she's in this far already, just when she's gotten used to the ropes.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I don't want anyone seeing you. You're lucky Hyein doesn't come to these things; she would've recognized you,"

"Hm? Oh yeah," she scratches at the back of her head. "Well, you know, couldn't really have told Sakura that. That she might recognize me,"

"Oh. Yeah, of course, sorry," Haerin gives her forehead a gentle tap with her palm. "Well, I'd better go," she doesn't want to, but at the same time, she does. It's a strange sensation.

Eunchae nods. "Yeah," she gives her a smile. "Good luck, unnie,"

Haerin's stomach twists, but she smiles back. "You too. Oh, wait!"

"Mmh?"

"Tell everyone that I said hi?"

Just before she turns her back on her, Eunchae gives Haerin a thumbs up. "Will do,"

---

Kazuha let out a loud cheer, followed by breathless laughter as Yunjin took off her helmet, clapping her hands delightedly. Haerin couldn't help but follow suit, a gleeful smile spreading across Yunjin's face, wild excitement raving in her eyes as she patted down her hair, pointing at Minji's car as it came to a slow stop next to her.

Yunjin had beaten her, by only a couple of seconds, but a well-earned victory nonetheless. She peered down at Minji from where she was sitting on her bike, one foot on the ground and the other on the footrest. "You," she husked through heavy breaths, talking loudly over the sound of roaring engines as more participants crossed the finish line. "Are so darn impressive."

Minji climbed out of her car, seemingly unfazed. If Haerin were to take an educated guess, it was a well-acted nonchalance. "The fact that you still act like that when you win just tells me everything I need to know."

Yunjin clicked her tongue but didn't look irritated. Rather, she seemed to enjoy the banter. "That's only because you wish you could."

Minji unstrapped her gloves, the sound of velcro ripping through the air like a protest, before tossing them into the car and shutting the door. "I let you win, and you know full well I did."

"Oh, poor excuse," Yunjin made a face at her. "What does that make us now?"

Minji brushed her hair back from her forehead, not even looking at her. "I don't know, I don't keep track."

Yunjin sneered. "Because you know that the truth of the matter is-"

"Oh, whatever," Kazuha interrupted her, hopping the barricade and bypassing Minji's car to make her way over to Yunjin. "How about less focus on that?" She stopped just short of Yunjin, having to look up at her thanks to the added height that the bike gave Yunjin. She stood up on her toes, curling one hand around the leather collar of Yunjin's jacket, and tugged her down so that she could hear her when she spoke. Whatever it was Kazuha said, Haerin didn't pick up on it, but something in Yunjin's gaze became a little more hazy.

Minji, however, seemed as though she heard it just fine and rolled her eyes.

When Haerin flicked her gaze back over, she saw that Kazuha had pulled Yunjin into a kiss, her free hand having moved up to cradle her jaw. Yunjin smiled against her lips despite the slight awkwardness of the angle, holding tightly onto Kazuha's wrist.

Haerin averted her gaze, feeling a little invasive, at pretty much the same time Minji returned her gaze to her. They both looked at each other, and a simple acknowledgment seemed to pass through them both. Haerin looked away, shaking her head. "I know exactly what you're thinking," she stated, purposefully coy.

Minji played dumb with her. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied airily, making her way over the barrier to join Haerin on the other side. Her eyes flicked down and back up again, a movement that Haerin was more than used to at this stage, wordlessly letting her know that what she says doesn't exactly correlate with what she means. "I wasn't thinking anything," she drew her lips together, beginning to walk off and gesturing for Haerin to follow her. "Why, what were you thinking?"

Haerin jogged a little to catch up, falling into step with her. "I was just thinking that Yunjin's probably right. I'd say you have lost more."

Minji gave her a feigned unimpressed look, and Haerin couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. Minji pointed a finger at her. "Remember your place," Haerin thought it was meant to sound threatening, but it didn't, not really.

It was much too easy for her to fall into conversation like this with Minji. Much, much too easy.

Everyone seemed to have finished the race by now, the last few stragglers coming in with heads hung low. Haerin watched them, drinks in their try-hard attire, and was reminded of the man with the spiked gloves that Minji had told her had tried to sabotage her. "None of them try to kill you this time?"

Minji pursed her lips in faux consideration. "Not that I'm aware of," she scanned the crowd of racers, lips curled into what was almost a sneer. "And I'm still alive, so if anyone did, it wasn't the best of attempts.

"Was it the first time that had happened?" Haerin inquired.

"At a race specifically, or just in general?"

Haerin smiled, shaking her head. "I can't believe I even have to specify. Let's say at a race specifically, then."

Minji tilted her head, eyes narrowed like she was thinking. "Well then, I'd say maybe a small handful of times. It's not as common; people here usually just want money, and killing me isn't going to get them that. Maybe sometimes people are just ridiculously bad at losing and can't handle it," she shrugged. "But most people here just have one intention."

"A small handful," she quoted disbelieving. "Do you not become... I don't know, paranoid?"

Minji's eyes glinted. "No, not really," she said. "Because I know that I-"

She cut herself off, frowning. A look of realization dawned on her face, lips parting and eyes widening. "Do you hear that?" she stopped walking.

Haerin blinked at her, stopping too just a few paces ahead of her. She tilted her head. "Hear what?"

Minji held up a palm. "Listen."

Haerin did. And as she listened, the reminder of what Eunchae had said to her earlier on hit her before the actual sound itself.

She's coming tonight. Her and Chaewon-unnie.

Sirens. Minji's hearing sirens.

As the sound of them became more evident, that meant more and more people began to take notice. People started to stir, yelling started to erupt, as the sounds grew louder, nearer.

Not really all too sure why, Haerin felt herself growing unreasonably nervous. She'd known this was going to happen, so why her hands became clammy with sweat she didn't understand. "The police?" she asked, saying it more to herself than to Minji.

An undercover squad car rounded the corner a fair distance away from them, lights flashing, making its presence immediately known. The sirens blaring around them pierced into Haerin's eardrums, high-pitched wails that ran a needle through the spongy tissue of her brain, and she gritted her teeth together. Her and Minji could only watch as people around them began to flee, the red and blue lights staining their skin and running across them like cold blood, people bumping into her and their angered yells making her chest grow tight.

She gripped onto the elbow of Minji's sleeve, steadying herself, trying to find some sort of stability. She didn't know why she was so shocked, why she was behaving so unprepared. This was bound to happen at some stage; shit, this is just another step in the plan.

She didn't know why her throat had begun to close up.

"They-" Haerin felt like she'd swallowed a thick mouthful of wet sand. "How are they here?"

She shifted her gaze over to Minji, who was looking at the single squad car with such intensity Haerin flinched at the mere sight. Her eyes were darting sharply to and fro before she shifted her weight backward, tonguing at the inside of her cheek.

"There's only one," she said. "Could just be a coincidence; it happens," she gave her head a tilt. "That or they got a tip-off. That can happen too; some people think they're some sort of apostle."

Haerin could hear it, as she spat out the latter half of her sentence. Minji was pissed.

Haerin gave her sleeve the gentlest of tugs. "Minji," she tried to break her out of her haze of anger, speaking delicately yet firmly. "Minji, we need to go. Like now." She looked around for Kazuha and Yunjin to see that they were gone, along with Yunjin's bike. They must've made a run for it amidst the crowds, and right now, Haerin really thinks that they should follow suit.

But, to her surprise, Minji holds her ground, almost like she's waiting for something. She holds up a hand, silently telling her not yet.

Haerin herself really doesn't want to stick around. She doesn't think she can cope with seeing anyone from the station, not with Minji by her side; it's like having two words that should never come close to one another colliding. Haerin needs to keep them both separate if she's to keep herself sane.

But Minji... Minji looks like she almost wants to see who it is.

The squad car comes to a jolting stop, and the doors are flung open before it's even come to a standstill, two figures clambering out.

Haerin hears Minji let out a rasped breath of laughter, dry, and sounding completely and utterly infuriated.

Only just about able to see over the tops of people's heads, Haerin stands on her toes so that she can get a better look.

Sakura and Chaewon both get out of the car, just like Eunchae had promised that they would. Even with the distance between them, Haerin can see the severity of their expressions, the sight of them only growing the lump in her throat.

"Well," Minji's voice has done that thing again, that small mannerism of hers when she goes quiet. "Long time no see."

Haerin blinks rapidly, shaking her head and forcing herself to focus. "You know them?" she exclaims, incredulous sounding, thanking her lucky stars that in Minji's eyes, the shaking of her voice is justified.

"Mildly acquainted," she gives her chin a subtle jolt in Sakura's direction. "See the one on the left? Long hair?"

Haerin presses her lips together tight. Amidst the crowd, neither Sakura nor Chaewon have seen them yet; she wonders how long it'll take them. They're not going to conduct any arrests, like Eunchae had said; they're just here to make their presence known; they're outnumbered by too much to do anything beyond that. "Yeah,"

"That's Miyawaki Sakura, head detective," she says Sakura's name like its taste on her tongue is foul. "Aren't we lucky?"

Haerin shoots her an urgent look. "Head detective?" she parrots uneasily. She remembers before how Sakura had mentioned long before how Minji had come across all of the others before; Haerin had just assumed they were once-off occasions when they caught glimpses of each other, and it just wasn't worth taking the risk with the consequences that could come with being recognized. But Minji knows Sakura's full name, can recognize her even amidst all this chaos.

Minji hums as a response, shaking her head so that her hair moves away from her face. "She's been on my case since the start of the year," she scoffs. "She's an itch under your skin that doesn't know when to quit."

Haerin doesn't know how to feel about hearing Minji talk about Sakura like that. Sakura, someone who she admires and has placed on the highest pedestal, but it's not something she can dwell on. Out of risk of giving away any sort of emotion that could give her away, she pushes it to the back of her head. She gives Minji a look. "You don't like her."

Minji's eyebrows quirk, but not in an amused sort of way, up and down in the blink of an eye, almost like she's saying that's an understatement. She takes in a slow breath. "You're right. I don't."

They're still not moving. Kazuha and Yunjin are probably long gone at this stage, and despite there still being a lot of people around, the crowds have thinned slightly. So, Haerin isn't surprised when Sakura's eyes eventually hone in on Minji.

Her eyes had been drifting about, scanning the large groups of people, before they'd come to a brisk stop. Minji is staring right back at her, neither one of them looking away or backing down. Haerin's never seen Sakura in a situation like this, has only seen her in the station, where she's been firm yet kind. It's startling, to see her in this manner, the manner that had probably earned her her position, something about it... almost daunting. Unnerving. She looks unwaveringly focused, like a predator with its gaze locked.

In Minji's case, this is nothing new for Haerin. The dilation of her pupils, the intensity, the hunger drawn into them, something that still makes sheets of goosebumps bloom on Haerin's skin.

And then, Sakura's gaze is shifting over to look at her. Her brow pinches slightly, but she doesn't lose that same look. It's not a look from Sakura that Haerin has ever wanted to be directed at her, so now, all she can do is stand frozen to the spot. She knows Sakura knows who she is and that she's doing this for all the right reasons, but like when she'd gone to Eunchae's bakery with Hyein... she can't help the large wave of guilt that overcomes her.

Minji lets out another dry, gravelly breath of laughter. "She doesn't know who you are."

Unable to keep looking at Sakura, Haerin tears her gaze away in favor of turning to Minji, who's peering at her with a similar expression to before. Except, this time, her lips are something more lax. She tilts her head to the side. "Want me to introduce you?"

Haerin's muscles tense up beneath her skin, and she doesn't doubt for a single second that Minji can see it. "What?"

Minji's eyes shift back over to Sakura, who's still looking at them, and now they've garnered the attention of Chaewon too. Just as fast, she's honing her attention in on Haerin again, gaze something dark.

She takes a step forward.

Haerin's eyebrows climb despite herself. It's just one, single step forward, but now they're closer than before. Close in a sense that it's personal. Mind too overwhelmed, too overcome with different emotions, Haerin doesn't know what to think, not even able to comprehend, much less what she's seeing in front of her. Minji is maybe the closest she's ever been, and in the midst of all the chaos, of all the yelling and the fighting, the rush, all with the fact that Chaewon and Sakura are watching them...

Haerin swallows, as Minji's eyes make that all-too familiar journey down to her lips, returning just as fast.

Lithe fingertips are holding Haerin's chin, between thumb and forefinger, a bitingly cold touch. Minji leans in closer once again, hair falling over her shoulder like a dark curtain.

Haerin isn't all too sure if she's breathing. How to breathe. Suddenly all the chaos surrounding them, the guilt brewing in her gut, the fear eating away at her mind, all becomes akin to background noise. Insignificant, easy to ignore. And just as fast, it becomes much too easy to devote all her attention to the girl in front of her, who's so close her breath is breaking on Haerin's face.

She can see the muscles in Minji's neck shift as she swallows. Her voice becomes quiet. "Do you?"

Haerin learns very quickly that Minji is giving her a choice.

She's not thinking rationally right now. She's not thinking about what decision could have the best outcome for the station, for the operation, none of that. All logic has been thrown out the window, in favour of her own greed.

All she's thinking about right now is herself. She's doing this for herself.

She does it for herself when, subtly, but enough for Minji to see, she nods her head.

That seems to be all that Minji needs. Tantalisingly slow, yet heart-stoppingly quickly, she brings their lips together.

It's nothing dramatic, Minji's lips on hers. It's to the point; Minji kisses her firmly, yet her touch on Haerin's chin is feather light, just a gentle meeting of skin that makes Haerin shudder despite herself. Unknowingly, she finds her hands reaching out, to touch, to hold, to have something to latch onto, one finding its way to Minji's shoulder and maybe gripping that bit too tight. The other is still gripping onto her sleeve, twisting the fabric in her grasp like she's trying to anchor herself.

Minji's lips move against hers slowly, again nothing rushed, nothing dramatic, but enough that Haerin can very much read her intentions. She's still startlingly cold, even considering the temperature outside, but that doesn't faze Haerin in the slightest, not even registering when she became pressed up close against her. Wanting to have her closer still.

It's a terrifying thing - Minji is terrifying. And having someone so terrifying so close, being able to touch your epitome of fear and have it curdle your own blood right before your eyes - something about it makes Haerin's heart convulse inside her ribcage. That instinct that kicks in, the adrenaline that pumps through your veins and screams at you to run, to get away as fast as humanly possible, Haerin's gotten a taste of it. And once you've gotten a taste, it'll get you hooked.

It ends just as soon as it starts, Minji pulling away a fraction and her shoulders slowly rising and falling in time with her quickened breaths. Haerin loosens her grip on her, but still holds on, not all too sure if she can bring herself to let go.

As she slowly comes back to reality - the screaming and yelling in her ears returning from their state of a dull hum - something sickening begins to churn in her stomach.

She can't let go.

She shouldn't have done that. She should have said no, she should've-

"They know who you are now,"

Haerin blinks multiple times, trying to clear her head. No, she can- she can do this, she can focus. She just has to think straight.

Minji twists her arm, so that the hand Haerin has clinging onto Minji's sleeve slips into Minji's palm, locking their fingers together tightly taking a step back. She begins to lead Haerin away from where Sakura and Chaewon are. She reaches into her pocket, and takes out the keys to her car, tossing them to Haerin who only just about manages to catch them.

Haerin stares at the keys like they've come alive. "Minji- what?"

Minji's eyes glint in the dark, and something about it is different than before. In The Cookie, that time, she'd been serious, controlled. Maybe even a bit bored. Now...

God, it's so crazy.

Haerin thinks she might be enjoying herself.

"You're driving," Minji states simply, and then her eyes shift over to an area over Haerin's shoulder, presumably at Sakura and Chaewon. Haerin can't bring herself to look at them, too many emotions unfurling inside of her that she doesn't recognise, that she can't pick apart, for her to be able to even think about looking either of them in the eye.

Minji's lips are spreading wider, and she's tonguing at the inside of her cheek again.

Terrifying.

"And we might want to start running,"

---

Sullyoon looks down at her thumb in alarm, moving it away from her lips like it had burned her, and true to Winter's word, a thick ooze of red has begun to pool by her cuticle. She curses softly. "I didn't even notice,"

Winter hums, handing her a tissue, which Sullyoon takes with a mumbled word of thanks. "Clearly not," she leans over from where she's sitting on the chair next to her and lets out a hiss. "God, are you trying to eat yourself alive, Sullyoon?'' she scolds her lightly, her words contrasting with the softness of her tone. She's not really mad, Sullyoon knows she's not.

"Sorry," she offers up, weak sounding. "I didn't- it's just a habit," she wraps the tissue around her thumb, only now just aware of the faint tang of iron on her tongue from when she'd been biting at her hangnail. She applies pressure, squeezing softly and trying to ignore the sting that she's become aware of.

She doesn't look at Winter, doesn't want to see the pitiful expression on her face. "You don't need to be sorry,"

Sullyoon smiles wryly to herself. It doesn't matter; she can still hear it in her voice.

"But... are you really that nervous?"

Sullyoon heaves out a soft breath, shoulders sagging and folding her hands on her lap. The blood begins to seep minutely through the thin layer of tissue, blooming a pale poppy on a white background. "I'm terrified," she admits. "I don't know whether it's worse hearing about her, or her not being at that race and hearing nothing about her at all," she leans back and then shoots Winter a hard look. "But it doesn't matter. I'm not messing up like last time, no matter what Sakura-unnie tells us. That was-" she cuts herself off, shuddering at the memory of how she'd flipped when she'd figured out that Haerin was going to be staying with Minji. "-I can't do that again. It was unprofessional,"

"You couldn't have helped it; we were all shocked," Winter points out to her. "But you've learned from it now. Even Chaewon-unnie slipped,"

Sullyoon tips her head back, looking up at the ceiling. The tiles of the office are cracked, a couple broken with missing pieces. In the darkness of the late night, this place she's so well acquainted with almost comes across as eerie. "She's so good at it, usually," she says. "Keeping her emotions and work separate. It's kinda scary,"

Winter crosses her arms, mimicking her position and leaning back in her seat. "She's been working here for a long time; she's probably used to it," she shrugs her shoulders. "But, I suppose she's only human,"

"You're good at it too," Sullyoon remarks. "I know you miss her just as much as anyone,"

Winter doesn't look at her, keeps her eyes on the ceiling. "We all miss her," she sighs. "It's just been so long that... we've got no choice other than to get used to it,"

Sullyoon presses her lips together. "I don't know if I am. Used to it fully, I mean. Maybe the smallest bit" her words linger in the air, Winter not responding. Sullyoon shakes her head to herself. "But for Haerin, I know I won't,"

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Winter smile. "You miss her a lot, don't you?"

There's no point in denying it. Sullyoon's missed her ever since she left - not a day has gone by where she hasn't thought about her, wondered if she's feeling okay, if she's doing alright. "All the time," she speaks on the exhale, not saying anything else more than that. Winter probably already knows.

She's thankful that Winter decided to stay with her; she doesn't know if she'd be able to handle the paranoia while waiting on her own. Eunchae had said she'd had to go, and Sullyoon's not going to pry - it's late into the night, and she can't expect her to stay so long after working hours. She hadn't asked Winter to stay, initially planning to stay back on her own no matter how much she thought she wouldn't be able to bear it, but Winter just simply hadn't left. It had been a short while, but Hitomi had eventually acknowledged it. "Thank you. For staying,"

Winter had shrugged. "No problem,"

Now they're plunged into silence again, every minute sound amplified in the quiet. Sounds of rumbling engines and yelling come from far off, barely even audible with their distance, and Sullyoon closes her eyes. She'd wanted to become a detective to put an end to things like that. She'd worked hard, made her way up, remained disciplined the entire time. But the more they work, the more the load seems to grow, like a hydra whose head you slice off only for two more to grow in its place. Sullyoon feels like it follows her wherever she goes, always on her mind, always hyper-aware. Sure, maybe she's good at her job. They all are, that's why they're here, but Sullyoon's been wondering if she has the ability to cope with everything in the long run.

"Sullyoon," Winter's voice cuts through her thoughts, her voice quiet.

"Mmh?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Sullyoon frowns but nods along regardless. "Sure,"

Winter takes a moment or two, only heightening Hitomi's curiosity. "Do you..." she speaks up finally, sounding like she's struggling to phrase whatever it is she wants to say. She lets out a sigh. "Do you like Haerin, Sullyoon?"

She doesn't say it in an accusing manner, or like she's mad at her. But even so, Sullyoon can't help but feel like she's been pinned to the spot, the breath being snatched right out of her lungs.

She sits bolt upright, and Winter doesn't react to her in the slightest, like she'd been expecting such a reaction. Sullyoon doesn't know what to say, can't say anything, just stares at her, open mouthed. Neither of them do anything for a few moments, both still, both quiet, but Winter's eventually shifting to look at her.

God, Sullyoon loathes that look.

Eyes full of pity.

She takes in a slow breath, trying to regain some of her composure. It draws in a little shaky, the air rattling when it comes into contact with her lips. "I do," the volume of her voice matches Winter's. "I... did,"

"Did?"

Sullyoon purses her lips. "I still do. But she's gone, now. For god only knows how long,"

More thick, impermeable silence, and if Hitomi had her way, she'd scream over the sound of it.

"I'm sorry, Sullyoon,"

I'm sorry that she's gone.

I'm sorry that you miss her.

I'm sorry that you barely even cross her mind.

---

Chaewon and Sakura return not too long afterwards, both Winter and Sullyoon sitting up straighter upon their arrival. Sakura looks at them both with surprise, like she hadn't expected to see them here. "You both waited?" she asks, not stopping as she makes her way over to her computer, Chaewon hot on her heels.

Winter hums as a reply, standing up to follow them with Sullyoon following suit. "How did it go? Was she there?"

"She was," Sakura replies, not missing a beat as she sits herself down, clicking the mouse a few times to get the computer to wake up. "She was, and Haerin's a genius,"

Sullyoon laughs softly at the additional remark. "What did she do this time?"

Chaewon waves a hand, face completely unbothered, lips set in a slightly downturned line. "Unnie's exaggerating," she drones, placing a hand on the back of Sakura's chair and leaning on it.

Sakura tuts underneath her breath at that statement, eyes flying across the screen, clicking quickly, the faint blue glow of the monitor casting a similar color to her face. She eventually beckons for Sullyoon and Winter to come behind the desk to take a look. Sullyoon quickly recognizes the map of Seoul as displayed, divided up into its four rings. Sakura zooms out so that they can see the entirety of The Outskirts. "So we were confused when Haerin told us that the race was gonna be in the southwest, right?" she asks them rhetorically, pointing to the bottom left corner of the ring. "Because they haven't gone there in a while," she zooms in to a certain point, which Sullyoon remembers as being the area of the southwest that the races used to be held from having looked at it so many times in the past. "You remember this spot, yeah?"

Winter frowns, leaning in closer. "That's just where the race was held, right?"

Sakura holds up a finger. "That's what we thought. But then, a short while before we go, we get a call from Euncahe. And she's like, unnie, they weren't there,"

Now, Sullyoon frowns too, but she doesn't say anything, allowing Sakura to speak.

"So she said she followed a group of people, group of bikers, tacky paint jobs, she picked it up pretty quick," she moves her finger along the map, just minutely, in a little further. "And followed them to what I'm guessing is somewhere around here," she gives the screen a jab. "That's where Chaewon and I went tonight,"

Sakura's finger is practically on the brink of the second ring, whereas previously, it had been close to pushing into the next city. All of these races are held on the furthermost part of the city as possible, that's just the brand - dirty, no playing by the rules, no one there to help you. Moving in closer to the second ring...

"Are they..." Winter visibly recoils, like even the idea of it is bizarre. "Are they trying to spread? Into the next ring?"

"That," Sakura tilts her head in consideration. "Or they're trying to bring people from the next ring into us. But either way, it's spreading in the sense that they're getting bigger," she jabs her thumb in Chaewon;s direction. "I wouldn't have even noticed it; it was Chaewon who pointed it out. The way it was set up... it couldn't be done without crossing over into the second ring. We follow the track, and boom. It's only a small portion, but a fair amount of the track crosses the border,"

Sullyoon gapes. Crossing the border... it's just something that isn't done unless absolutely necessary; there's too much difference in the social hierarchy for anyone to even want to. Purposefully laying out a track so that the border is crossed... Kim Minji really doesn't care.

Her brow knits again, voicing her thoughts aloud. "Do you think that if they're only just now beginning to expand in their races, maybe expanding into that casino is something more recent too?"

Sakura purses her lips, fingers brushing against her chin, looking like she's thinking. "I didn't think about that, actually," she mutters. "It could explain a lot," her eyes then dart over to Winter, then to Chaewon, and then she's continuing on. "But anyways, we'll have to park any theories for now. Haerin shouldn't know that the race being held in that particular spot is anything unusual unless they've explained it to her, so we have to make sure she's aware of that,"

At the mention of Haerin;s name, there's a sharp pang in Sullyoon's chest, and she resists the strong urge to wince. She can't do what she did last time; she can't pry where it's not her place, yet it's taking every ounce of her will to keep her mouth shut.

In her peripherals, she sees Winter giving her a quick side glance, which she pretends not to have seen. "You said you saw Haerin," she speaks up, and Sullyoon could honestly hug her. "Did she look okay?"

"We did, yeah," Sakura smiles a little. "It was only her we saw. And Eunchae, no one else. It was... weird. But yeah, she looked like she was doing okay, thankfully,"

Sullyoon doesn't see much harm in pitching in now that the topic's been brought up, feeling like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders that Haerin's doing alright. "So nothing happened? She's alright?"

Sakura reaches out and takes ahold of Sullyoon's wrist, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "Nothing at all," she gives Sullyoon a sincere nod. "Haerin's doing just fine,

===

notes: as usual if there are any mistakes lmk and i was wondering if anyone knew any websites fro converting stories / changing names, coz im using chatgpt rn but half the time it gets the names mixed up and i have to re-read and redo it and its gets so confusing TT. Chatgpt also only lets me copy and paste a small amount so i have to do it slowly part by part