The music that was blasting from your earphones stopped abruptly. Your phone turning black. Just how long had you been there? You hadn’t realised how much time had passed, your phone being set on a silent setting, allowing only your music or now lack of music to disturb you. You turned to one of the library windows, it was pitch black outside. .  You must have a lot of missed calls by now. Your parents words lingered in your head. 

Be home no later than 8pm. 

You looked up toward the clock on the far library wall. 

9:13pm

. 

You were in trouble. Deep trouble. Not only had you broken the one and only rule your parents had ever been truly strict with, but you were out past the city curfew. Being alone on the streets after 9pm was almost an absolute death sentence. You’d have to be extremely lucky not to run into one gang or another. 

But, you had simply lost track of time. A huge University final had left you swamped in study notes, textbooks, old essays and class notes. You hastily stuffed everything into a bag and dashed out of the library. Maybe it would have been safer to stay there tonight. You pondered the thought for a moment as you ran. No. There was no way. You couldn’t. You were over an hour late, your phone battery had just died, and you just knew your parents would be in a fit of panic by now.  You were surprised they hadn’t called some sort of secret service to come find you by now. With little choice left you kept running. It  probably wasn’t the safest method to be running down the middle of the street in a private college uniform, but it was the fastest. Sometimes fast being safer than anything else. You were out of breath, your lungs burning from over exertion but you had to keep going. 

What other choice did you have? No buses ran after city curfew, the drivers fearing for their own safety. Calling a taxi was also increasingly difficult the later it became in the night for the same reason. So, you’d either have to bite the bullet and run the ten minute route home, or wait for God knows how long and wait for a taxi… If one even came at all. 

It would have to be almost twenty minutes after curfew by the time you left the University gates, and the city had already went into lockdown. Only those with gang connections or enough money to buy their lives would even dare to be out. Despite your parents wealth, you didn’t think a gang member would be bought off with the 50 dollars you had in your wallet.

Even the justice system had little power against them. The police had struggled with gang crimes, both minor and major for a long time before settling on a curfew. It seemed like a silent agreement between both sides. They wouldn’t run rampant during the day, if the police looked the other way for smaller “arrangements”. You shuddered at the thought of all the possible crimes that had occurred simply because the justice system looked the other way. Perhaps they were frightened too.

After all the rumors you couldn’t blame them. You’d heard them in passing. Your university hallways swarming with all sorts of stories. Especially when one of your classmates, Jung Daehyun suddenly disappeared. Some say he ended up on the wrong side of a gang and was found under a city bridge. Others said they’d seen Daehyun with another man. This man was tattooed, a leather jacket strung over his shoulder, dark hair and a smirk that’d send your knees weak in one way or another. You honestly liked Daehyun, he was sweet and had a good sense of humor, he always one that tried to make others laugh. You’d helped him with classwork from time to time and he was always so gracious and friendly. You couldn’t help but feel sad if the former was true… even if he was probably safer with that option. 

The legendary mystery man supposedly belonged to the Best.Absolute.Perfect gang (B.A.P for short). Their name was well fitted. Not only were the men supposedly dangerously attractive, but they were experts at their game. You needed money? They’d get it. You wanted information? They’d have it. You wanted someone dead? They’d make sure it was done. They were very dangerous men and yet you were curious. 

The loud echo of distant gun shots sent you reeling forward, running as fast as you possibly could. You were not going to be another rumor, just a few more minutes of running and you’d be in the safe confines of your gated community. You’d be safe there right?

The shots grew more and more frequent. Closer and closer, holy .  A burst of air shot past your ear, the hair on the side of your face blowing the other direction from the shot. You screamed, forcing your body to sprint even faster. All of your limbs were burning, your heart pounding so fast you thought you’d faint. You just had to keep going. 

You’d ran for what seemed like forever, when you’d crashed into a hard surface. You looked up noticing a man around your age that was incredibly tall, his light hair falling haphazardly across his dark eyes. You’d only gotten a quick look at who you’d run into before you were spun around so quickly that you felt dizzy. One of the man’s hands keeping a bruising grip around your ribcage. It was only then that you’d felt it, heard it and your heart stopped. A cold metal object pressed to your forehead, the clicking of a gun being cocked so close to your ear. 

“P-Please d-don’t k-k-ill me” the hot tears made their way down your cheeks, your heart starting to beat again rapidly. 

“Junhong”, you looked up through soaked lashes and teary eyes at a man with dark slicked back hair. There were three other men beside him, and with the one behind him you had a 5 to 1 chance of escaping alive. The man nodded his head to the side, eyebrow raised and dark eyes glowering in warning. 

Your attacker tsked, releasing you. The gun being moved from your body completely still didn’t relax you. You were surrounded. All of these men most likely had weapons and would most likely kill you. 

“What’s a stray kitten like you doing out this late,hm?” The dark haired man asked. 

You spluttered, no proper words making their way past your lips. Your hands playing with the hem of your shirt nervously. You couldn’t look them in the eye. You couldn’t look at the men that were going to kill you. 

“Cat got your tongue, sweet cheeks?” A man with lighter hair laughed. 

“Youngjae hush,” the black haired man warned again, walking closer to you. 

With every step you flinched. You couldn’t control the heaving of your chest, anxiety bubbling its way to your throat as you let out a scream.

A man with blue/black hair strode toward you, his hand clasping over your mouth. He used the leverage and pushed you back, out of the circle of men and against a graffitied metal door. 

“Now. Now. No need for that… yet” He tsked. 

“If I let you go, no screaming and you tell us what we want to know. Got it?” His voice was husky and dripping with a dangerous venom. You nodded, eyes wide. You were absolutely terrified. 

He released his grip on your mouth, his muscled arms covered in a loose black leather fitting jacket caged you against the door. His smirk growing visibly, one hand dropping to pull a loose strand of hair behind your ear, then settling around the back of your neck. You felt the tears falling rapidly from your eyes again, a sob building up in your throat. You weren’t ready to die. 

 “Everyone knows not to be in our territory at this time. Are you lost baby girl?”

His tone was low, his breath fanning against your face. The smell of alcohol and a faint smell of mint hitting your sense immediately. The strength of it making you turn your head away. The hand around your neck disappeared, fingers grabbing your chin, forcing you to look back at him.

“I don’t ask twice, sweetheart.”

“I-I’m sorry… I was on my way home. I didn’t see any-anything. I’ll get going, Pl-“

He chuckled interrupting your weak attempt at an excuse, obviously finding something hilarious. His eyes narrowed and you gulped, goosebumps shooting up your spine. His strong hands slid down your arms, settling on your waist. His grip tightened, pulling you flush against his chiseled chest. His arms snaking around your waist, in a vice-like grip. His head dipped, lowering his lips to your ear.

“Oh, you’re not going anywhere, baby girl.”

-