Huffing out a sigh, steam rising from , Saerom waited for her train in the chilly weather. Looking down the platform, she was anticipating the train’s arrival, wanting more than anything else to go home where she would be warm. Not only that, she was wary of the street gangs that rule the underground world of the city of Seoul. She was one of the very few people who knew of this dark and dangerous world, who wasn’t involved - and still breathing.

These gangs were mostly active at night, when most people were sleeping in the safety of their own homes. That is the reason why so few civilians knew about them. As for those few that did… It was safe to say that most of them were dead. Killed by the very gangs they were not supposed to know of. Even the police kept their knowledge of the gangs on the down-low, away from the public to hear.

The train finally arrived at the station, much to Saerom’s relief. It was starting to get dark, the sky was tinged with pink and orange hues. The ride to the station in the suburb Saerom lived in only took half an hour, not very far from the city centre. But still, she worried, as she always expected the worst during this time of the day. Looking out the train window, she fiddled with the mood ring on the middle finger of her left hand. It was given to her by her dear late grandmother when she was a little girl. She truly believed that the mood ring could tell what she was actually feeling at any given moment

The ring was currently yellow, indicating that she was nervous, and nervous she was. Nervous about what could happen if she didn’t make it home fast enough, or if she happened to come across a street gang along way.

Finally stopping at her station, Saerom rushed out of the train with her handbag clutched tightly under her arm and walked as quickly as she could to her small house just two blocks away from the station. Once arriving at her door step, she rummaged around in her handbag for her keys and fumbled to unlock the door and switch off the alarm. She hurried inside and locked herself in before resting her back against the door and heaving out a relieved sigh.

“I’m home.” She quietly said to no one in particular.

Taking off her shoes and putting her bag down, she went into her bedroom and changed into comfortable clothes before walking into the kitchen to fix herself something to eat. Opening the pantry, she searched for something quick to eat and found the last packet of instant ramen.

Five minutes later, she was sitting in front of the television, a tray with her bowl of ramen and a can of soda resting on her slim thighs, chopsticks in one hand and the remote in the other. She flicked through the channels as she slurped at her noodles, stopping on a channel showing the evening news.

“Tonight we report the robbery of Seoul City Bank which occurred late last night and cost the lives of three security guards…” began the anchor-woman, “Around one hundred million won ($1,000,000) was stolen and the police have yet to find any evidence that could point to who the suspects were. In other news, a woman-”

Saerom changed the channel before she could hear the next report. She felt a chill run down her spine and she shuddered. This sounds like a gang was involved, she thought, Good thing that nothing happened close to home… Finishing off her ramen, she left the couch to clean the dishes before heading to the bathroom to shower. Relishing in the steaming hot water – without forgetting to take off her mood ring before stepping under the water – she felt her muscles relax and the tension from earlier leave her.

Rule 1: You must never get the mood ring wet! Or else it will ruin.

Stepping out of the shower and drying herself off, Saerom wrapped a towel around her slender body and dried her waist-length black/brown hair. She went into her room and dressed herself in warm pyjamas before putting on her ring once more, grabbing her laptop and sitting on her bed. Browsing the internet, she came across an article on the news report she heard about earlier and an involuntary shudder ran down her spine again. She quickly closed the tab and shut her laptop off, feeling like she had had enough of the internet for the day.

Glancing at the