---

[DARA]

  Open.

  Open your eyes. 

  I woke as suddenly as I have passed out, every thought of my head in high definition. 

  Where am I?

  My throat feels like its on fire, raw and burnt. For a moment, I forgot that it is because of the chlorofoam that I've inhaled. Sounds of somthing shuffling and a digital tune was playing somewhere. I shut my eyes again, squeezing them tightly as I shook away the throbbing pain in my head before reopening them to a more focused view of my surroundings. 

  Neon lights. Neon lights decorated the small hall that I'm in. Slot machines around flashed the word 'CONGRATULATIONS' over and over again, the violent red font piercing my eyes. I'm on a chair infront of a green, velvet colored table that's in a semi circle shape. Why am I in a casino? Wh-where are all the people? The other gamblers?

  The spinning in my head subsided and I tried to stand up, only to be jerked back down onto my seat. Something in my throat plunged when I realised that I'm cuffed onto the gambling table. What exactly is going on??

  "Good evening." 

  I snapped my head to the source of the voice, my heart slamming frantically against my chest. A middle aged man entered the private casino from a small room at the back. He was dark, with a neatly groomed moustache sticking on the top of his lips. I stared as he strided over to me. He looks so familiar, but my head just can't seems to sieve out his identity. Who is he? What does he want from me?

  His lips twisted into a small, crooked smile as two men dressed in black suits pulled him a chair for him to take his place beside me. 

  "I don't know you." I whispered, fighting to keep my tears in. Don't panic, Dara. It'll be worse if they know that you're scared. 

  "Oh, no, my dear Miss Park. We've met before." The man spoke with a light tone, keeping his eyes on me as he grabbed a gambling chip off the table and twirled it between his fingers. 

  I blinked at his face for a second before a gasp escaped me. He's that ahjusshi who I met in the lift back in Jeju!

   We'll meet soon, Dara.

  Those were his words before he alighted from that elevator. 

  "L-Let me go." , why is my voice failing me?

  "Oh ho, how rude am I to not have introduced myself." He laughed, completely ignoring my pleadings as I struggled to free my wrist from the table. "The first name is Cha. I'm the Underboss of the Seoul Mafia Organisation..."

  I froze and turned my fearful face to him. The Underboss? That means.. He's even further up than Jiyong is. 

  Jiyong.. Just thinking about him causes my chest to constrict painfully. This man can't be using me to do anything bad to Ji, can he? If he's really from the Mafia, then why is he doing this? What exactly is going on?

  "Please, just let me go-" I cut across him, my voice breaking into a sob. Angry red marks are starting to stretch on my wrist but the cuffs still wouldn't budge. 

  Cha stopped in the middle of his sentence, his mouth stretched into a small smile as he stared directly at me, before he slowly shook his head.

  The last rope that I held on to my composure snapped with that eerie expression and my tears fell as I started to scream for help before realising that this entire place is probably soundproof. No one would hear me.

  Why? Why me?

  My free hand frantically patted down on every inch of my clothes in hopes of finding my handphone. There was none. They took it. Another desolated cry escaped from me. 

  "Your boyfriend..." Cha begins, shaking his head while chuckling as if the word itself amuses him. "..took something that belongs to me. And I need it back."

  Panic seeps through my skin as I edged myself away from him, whimpering in fear. Under the flashing lights of the casino, he looks so malevolent. The pounding of my heart becomes almost unbearable. With all these adreline rushing through me, the inability for me to run and burn it away builds my terror into a unsummountable peak. I whimpered softly, crying miserably as he tilted his head at me, casting a dark shadow on the lower half of his face.

  "Shh, don't be afraid to cry, child." He cooed, his voice dripping with letal honey. "In fact, I want you to cry as much as you can, especially when your boyfriend arrives. The more tears you spill, the faster he'll relent, the shorter all of our sufferings will be."

  He's a psychopath... He's insane..

  "You got it wrong... He's not my boyfriend." I pleaded. My head hurts. What is he going to do to Jiyong? 

  "Oh, we'll tell by his reactions when he gets here." The Underboss cackled. With his thumb, he flicks the gambling token on his hand to a far end of the table before grinning at me.

  "Right now, I assume that you, Miss Park, is the most valuable chip I've got in my hands."

 

---

 

  There was a loud yell and the rundown concrete building that the rebels were in blew up, sending a ball of fire roaring through the holes that the rebels used as windows. The Caporegime and his team along with their made men were in the outskirts of Seoul, retaliating against the Snake Gang, a local thug organisation that killed a few of the Mafia's official Made members. Guns were fired at rapid succession, albeit most of them were quiet with silencers attached, sending letal cracks through the air as the triggers were pulled. The area is a bloodbath, but nothing is new to the five men.
 

SR: Do we still have to do this, hyung? Why do we have to be the ones cleaning this up?

DS: Yeah, aren't you the Capo, can't you ask other lower ranklings to do it?

YB: Shut up guys, Jiyong pass me a magazine.

  
  The Caporegime grinned at the squabbling in his in ear as he swiftly took down another two thugs that charged towards him with machetes in hand before tossing a spare magazine over to Youngbae. 
 

DS: Seunghyun hyung, save everyone some time and use your gun. I got to get home by seven.

 

  Daesung rolled his eyes at the oldest among them, who has adopted his knifes instead of his gun, a much faster alternative. Seunghyun's cuts were clean and he can bring men down with just a single slash. Just as the oldest turned to another attacking thug, his prey was swiftly sniped down by Daesung instead. Seunghyun spun around on his spot, growling in anger as he glared at their sniper.

SH: ing hell Daesung. I'll kill you.

  Their team leader laughed at the commotion in his ear. Somehow their petty arguments is way noisier than all the violence going on out here. They're almost done with their mission. In his pocket, his handphone vibrated twice.

  Distractedly, Jiyong fished for his phone distractedly while spinning around to pull the trigger on a thug who's trying to sneak up and stab him from behind. 

  An email?

  He clicked on it.

  

  'Dearest Jiyong, my child. 

 

  This useless hyung is deeply moved by the respect you hold for me. 

  The people you care for are the people I'll care for like my own.

  You know what to do."

  

  His eyes widened upon seeing the attached photo of Dara sitting nervously behind one of their casino table. 

  

---

[-]

  "Give her some water."

  Dara opened her eyes slowly and glanced towards the direction of the murmurings. She had lost track of how long she's been here. One of the two burly bodyguards nodded in her direction and the other started towards her with a bottle of mineral water in hand.

  The bodyguard held out the bottle to her, who simply turned her face away from him. The guard growled, slamming the bottle on the table between roughly grabbing onto her cheeks with a hand. Dara gasped, now forced to look at the man who's pinching onto her face. Her breathing was getting ragged and her eyes were stinging. Is there no police in this town at all? Did no one saw her being pulled into the van under broad daylight?

  "Stand down. That's no way we treat a woman." The Underboss, who have been reading a magazine at the back, barked. The guard bowed and released his hand, returning back to his post. Dara didn't dare to turn her head around, but she could hear him getting up from the leather couch at the back, and it didn't take long before she jumped when she felt his hands on her shoulders.

  "You have to forgive his hostility. The Mafia have our own set of rules regarding how we respect ladies." Cha's deep voice reverberated behind her, making Dara cringe in fear.

  The metal doors in front of the private room burst opened, revealing the Caporegime of the crime syndicate along with his grim looking men. The Dragon was oozing with a dark energy as he scanned the room, making every of the Underboss's head bow their heads. Finally, his searching eyes fell upon Dara, who was staring straight at him with her eyes wide. Her lips trembled when they locked eyes, and he clenched his jaw tightly together, shifting his hardened gaze to his superior who has his hands on her skin.

  Seunghyun made a move forward but he was stopped by the arm of one of the guard. 

  The Underboss grinned. The fish has bitten on the bait.

  "Please turn over your weapons." The guard informed, sinking into a bow before stretching out his hand.

  Dara wanted to get up from the chair but she was held firmly in place by the force of Cha's hands. Hand up their weapons? What are these people intending to do to them?

  Jiyong glances up at Dara, who is staring at him with a horrified expression. She shook her head, her fear for him scribbled all in her eyes. His gaze softened, and with his eyes still locked onto hers, he squeezed his lips into an almost unnoticable smile, as if he's reassuring her, before he slowly pulled out his hand held pistol from the back and surrendered it to the waiting hands of the Underboss's man. 

  The rest of the four followed suit. 

  The Underboss allowed the five into the room, keeping the rest of the Caporegime's men locked outside. Cha Seungwon gestured to the seat infront of the gambling table for the young Capo.

  "So, have you-" The Underboss began but was immediately cut across by Jiyong's icy voice.

  "What's the meaning of this?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. The Underboss laughed inwardly. The young kid is obviously livid and in a panic but he's trying so hard to hide it. Interesting. Ofcourse, how can the running of the organisation be handed over to children who cannot control their own emotions and loses their head over a mere girl?

  "Miss Park? Oh, she's well, isn't she?" The Underboss chuckled. His face was so close to Dara that she could feel his breath on her neck. His grip on her shoulder tightened and immediately, Dara nodded nervously.

  Jiyong's fists under the tables balled together so tightly that they started to shake. Seeing his boss's lips just inches away from her pale skin drives him insane. She shouldn't be dragged into their war at all. She should be at home after work now, enjoying dinner with her family. 

  She should've been safe.

  "I want the audio that you've recorded." The Underboss's tone changed.

  Jiyong pulled out a USB from the inside of his suit and slid it across the table.

  "How would I know if you've made any copies?" 

  "This is all that there is." Jiyong answered, looking at him squarely in the eyes. 

  The Underboss released on of his palms from Dara and picked up the USB, inspecting it closely. With a nod, one of his henchmen came forward to take it elsewhere for verification.

  "You and Hyuk. You're both precious, precious talents to the family. You must know that I have good intentions. Both of you are capable enough to take over my position. But, its not time yet." Cha sighed. 

  "You've got what you want. Now give her back to me." Jiyong demanded in a low voice.

  "Why why, we still have some time while my data analyst is checking if what you said about the audio is true." The Underboss grinned. "How about a game of Russian Roulette? Miss Park?"

  Russian Roulette? Dara panicked. That letal game that seems to only exists in movies? This can't be happening.....

  "! No!" Jiyong yelled, shooting up in agitation. 

  The Underboss's smile only widened, showing his sharp teeth. Under the hauntingly neon green lights, his moustache only adds to the aura of evilness he's giving off. Four guards rushed forward instantly to restrain the Capo, who fought hard against their iron grasp. They knew two wouldn't be enough to hold the Dragon, who's known for his supreme fighting stance in both the Underworld and the underground fight scene. Doubling the number should do the trick. 

  Cha Seungwon pulled out a small, olden styled revolver from the inside of his suit jacket. Dara's eyes grew wide and round with fear as she watches him empty out the barrel full of bullets before inserted just a single bullet in. With his eyes on her, he spun the barrel before slamming it back into the gun, and pulled down on the hammer of the gun, pointing the mouth of it straight at her.

---

[DARA]

  This mobster boss wants to kill me.

  "Dara!"

   I am going to die.

  "DARA!" 

  I snapped my head towards the voice calling out on my voice in a daze, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. I've never trembled so hard in my life before, but my ears are ringing and my mind is in a state of hyperawareness. Is this what it feels like to be in a state of shock?

  Jiyong struggled violently against the guards who looks straight out of a wrestling show. His eyes were deranged, shifting between me and the weapon aimed straight at my head.

  That's what this evil man wanted. That's what he kidnapped me for. To use me against Ji.

  My grip on my thighs tightened and I squeezed my eyes shut. One sixth of a chance and I'll be on the ground, cold. 

  The horrible creak of the Underboss slowly pushing down on the trigger makes this torture even more unbearable. Another inch and the barrel would move by a round.This is it. 

  "STOP. TELL ME WHAT THE DO YOU WANT FROM HER!" Jiyong bellowed, his voice cracking at the loud volume.

  The creaking stopped and I opened my eyes slowly to see the Underboss tilting his head in curiosity.

  "I don't want anything from her."

  "WHAT IS IT THEN?"

  "The five of you."

  "Then take us, and let her go." Seunghyun snarled at the back. My eyes darted towards the four at the back as I shook my head furiously. No, they can't trade five lives for one!

  The Underboss turned his face to me, looking impressed. "This sure is a special, special girl. Tie the boys up!"

  "Release her cuff first." Youngbae negotiated quietly.

  The small lock on my cuff was clicked open with a small key. 

  "You may go now, Miss Park. I extend my deepest gratitude for your cooperation." The Underboss stood up and gave me a small, courteous bow. But I couldn't move. In front of us, the guards were already tying the hands of the five of them with nylon strings.

  Jiyong...

  Are they going to kill him? Surely they can't. He's good at this. He's used to situations like this isn't he? He wouldn't die. He wouldn't get hurt.

  "Get out of this place, Dara." Seunghyun's voice called out. In a trance, I got up from the chair that I've been in for who know how long. My legs are wobbly, as if after being unused for so long they weren't sure of how to support my weight anymore. I moved for the door and around from the table, but instead my feet planted themselves straight in front of Jiyong.

  I searched his face. He must've knew this was a trap but he still stepped into it like a fool. Until now I still didn't know what's going on within his organisation, but I heard enough to know that this Underboss is trying to cover up something that Jiyong knows. Is this how the Mafia works? You either kill or be killed?

  His eyes were burning into mine which have long lost focus of his face. My mind is repeating these words as if they're being hammered into my head.
 

  Is he going to be okay?

  No, he's not.

  Are they going to be fine?

  They're going to die. 
 

  "Hey," Jiyong whispered, "don't cry. What did I say yesterday?"
 

  Don't cry for someone like him.
 

  "Look, just get out of here. Theres a road outside, wave till someone picks you up and drive you home. Don't say a word to anyone. Can you do that?" He asked in a soft voice. 
 

  He's going to die. It's my fault.
 

  "I can't..." I sobbed. Suddenly, I'm confronted by the terrifying thought that if I were to leave now, I'll never see his face again...
 

  ...Oh my god, I am in love with him.

  The mobster. The narcissist. The guy who'd drag me around and throw unnecessary labour at me just for amusement. 

  The man who goes insane with rage whenever I am hurt.

  All of the grey areas... the confusions and heartaches made sense suddenly...

  I'm in love with him.

 

[-]

  "BOSS!" Someone burst into the room and Dara's eyes widened. It was a man who's dressed like a waiter. One of the staff in the casino. "THE-THE DON IS HERE!"

  The Underboss's brows knitted together in disbelief. "What?"

  "YE-YES. HE'S WITH THE CONSIGLIERE!"

  "Daniel?"

  The waiter nodded anxiously. "THEY'LL BE HERE SOON!"

  The Underboss hissed, turning his glare to the five. Jiyong stared straight at him, a small smirk beginning to tug at his lips. 

  "Killing us won't work, Hyung." Jiyong spoke. "Out of the five who witnessed your dirty scandal with the Russians, one of us here did not see a single thing."

  "Lies. Then who is the fifth man that the Jeju locals reported?" The Underboss growled.

  Jiyong lowered his face and a hint of a smile formed on his lips. 

  "It's the Consigliere." 

  The Underboss snarled. The Capo is smart enough to get someone who he knows he cannot kill to hear his deal with the Russians. It's too late to dispose of them now. He was going to push the blame of the deal to these boys after killing them and justifying it on basis of self defense but with the Consigliere knowing the truth, killing them will just add to the amount of blame he has. Mafians are not supposed to hurt their own 'family' members.

  "Quick, hide the girl." The Underboss commanded. Immediately, two hands pinned down on Dara's wrists. Ignoring her shrieks and Jiyong's yells of warning and curses, they dragged her towards a room at the back and locked her inside.

  The Consigliere's party entered just when Dara was hidden. The Family's advisor paused, his eyes darting towards the tied Caporegime's team, before he stepped aside along with his men for the Don to enter. 

  All four of the Untouchables and the Caporeigme immediately lowered their heads despite being tied up. The Underboss stared hard at Daniel, who shares the same amount of power that he has, before bowing his head to the Boss of the Seoul Mafia.

  "Playtime's over, Seungwon." The Don spoke in a deep voice. The Don usually does not leave the headquaters or his residence. He is a man in his early fifties with a formidable appearance. His grey hair was pulled back slickly to his scalp and he has a pair of thick eyebrows. Like the Underboss, the Boss has a moustache.

  "It is not what you think it is, boss." Seungwon attempted to open his mouth, but he was immediately cut across. 

  "You're the one that coaxed our Russian partners into switching alliances and you're in cahoots with the White Traids. Not to mention the fact that you've swallowed more than fifty million won of family funds." The Don began, his voice calm but icy.

  The Underboss looked at the account book that the caporegime had stolen from the casino just a month ago. In it were concrete evidences of his embezzlement. 

  The Don sighed at the once loyal leader of the family. 

  "Greed makes people do ugly things to their dignity." The Don said quietly.

  Cha's eyes flickered to his guards, who immediately drew out their guns. In an instant, the Don's team of men surrounded the Mafia Boss, forming a human shield around the topmost commanding member of the Organisation with their weapons raised. 

  "PROTECT THE DON!" The Consigliere shouted as shots fired. The Caporeigme ducked and rolled over behind the gambling table, where a huge piece of glass was shattered by a bullet. Grabbing a piece off the ground with his hands on the back, he swiftly began to slice at the thin but strong strip of nylon that renders him immobile. 

  The nylon snapped and he got up, chucking the piece of glass that he used to free himself at one of the Underboss's guards before moving over to Seunghyun. He swiftly pulled out the small knifes that Seunghyun keeps between his ankle and his shoes and severed the binding on with a single, clean cut. 

  "Help the rest, I'll take care of this." Jiyong muttered, pushing one of the knifes to Seunghyun.

  "You help the. I am going to kill that bastard." Seunghyun growled, snatching his small pile of knifes back from Jiyong and leaving him with just one. 

  They ducked again just as another guard aimed at them. Gunshots were ringing, echoing off the soundproof room. The Underboss's team was putting up a good fight but a few of them are already gunned down by the Consigliere and the Don's men. Seunghyun spun around and threw his knife towards their assailant like a javalin. 

  The Underboss was outnumbered. He was in the fight as well armed with two automated handguns. Daesung had managed to get his hands on one of the spare guns lying beside a corpse and is pinning down the remaining of the team with impressive accuracy. Seeing no chance of wiping out the others, the Underboss attempted to escape before the number of his backup dwindled more.

  Jiyong caught the Underboss within his peripheral vision and raised his gun. But the Underboss was quick. He bent and fired a bullet which struck the Capo in his shoulder, making the latter's shot miss its target and plant itself in the Underboss's leg instead. 

  Both men fell back and panted in pain. Everyone else were busy finishing one another off. Seizing the chance, the Underboss regained himself and sped out of the private room.

  "Hyung!" Seungri yelled from the couch as he noticed the wound on their leader, although he himself was busy struggling with another guard. Seeing that, Jiyong fired quickly at the youngest's opponent, reliving him of the pressure before tossing his gun to him.

  "Wrap it up!" 

  Without their commander, the fight became a slaughter as the traitors were finished off quickly. The Don was long escorted away from the scene, which was strewn with bodies and blood stains. Even the Consigliere's side suffered casualties.

  Immediately after the last of the Underboss's guard was dead, the Caporegime straightened up and ran for Dara. 

  

---

[DARA]

  It's a small storeroom, looking like a big cleaning supplies closet. I tried at the doorknob but it wouldn't budge no matter what , and suddenly I wished that I had ask Mino to teach me how to pick locks. 

 There was a gunshot outside and I froze, my chest filling with dread. No... Did he really shot Jiyong? Who was it that was hurt? Please, not any of the five...

  A succession of ear splitting gunfire exchange ensured, accompanied by the sound of glass shattering and ceramic breaking. Pull yourself together, Dara! I slammed myself against the door but it wouldn't work so I pounded on it instead. The outside is a mixture of terrifying noises... yelling, things getting destroyed, people screaming out when they got shot. There was a low grunt of pain right outside the door, making me jump back in fear, followed by the sound of someone slumping against the ground just outside, probably inches away from me. 

  Probably dead.

  This is too much.

  I backed away and raised my hands to my ears, my vision blurring as my pulse was throbbing at an unimaginable speed.

  Make it stop.

  I didn't know how long passed by as I stood with my back pressed against the wall, my hands covering my ears, muffling the sounds of death outside before the gunfire stopped as quickly as it started. Slowly, I allow my hands to slide down from my ears. 

  I screamed when someone banged once hard against the door. Frantically, I look for a place to hide but there wasn't any. There was another loud bang, and another, before the door was kicked open. My breath hitched in my throat. Are they here to get rid of me now?

  But it wasn't the Underboss, nor any of the scary, unfamiliar, sunglasses.wearing faces. Jiyong limped into the room, breathing heavily, his face streaked with blood. 

  He's alive.

  I shut my eyes and cried out in relief. Hurriedly, he shut the door behind him as if he didn't want me to see the aftermath of the horrors outside. 

  "Hey."

  He was in front of me when I reopened my eyes and thats when I saw the small wound on the top of his right chest. 

  "Y-you're shot!" I gasped in shock. The wound was pouring out blood and in a daze and without other equipment, I pressed my hands against the small opening in attempt to stop the bleeding.

  He glanced down at my hand and then back at my face. "Its nothing." He brushed me away, cupping my face with his hands anxiously, searching me for any signs of injury. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you? , I swear-"

  I didn't let him finish as I flung my arms around his neck. His stiff body relaxed a little and he circled his arms around my waist tightly, as if somone is going to snatch me away. I buried my face in the crook of his neck. That scent. That scent of him is still there despite the heavy smell of blood.

  I love him.

  "Take me home, Jiyong." I said hoarsely.

  He ran a hand down through my hair and I felt him nod. 

  "Its over now, Park. You're safe." He whispered against my neck. 

 

---

Author is too sleepy today to leave an author's note.