As soon as you were old enough to walk, you learned never to look at the other city. When you learned to talk, you learned where your city ended and the other one began.

By the time you were in school you knew exactly which rooms and roads were yours to walk on.

That is, unless you were Kim Yewon. 

It was easy to forgive at first. No one could hold anything against a curious child, after all. But when she grew older and still breached, when her smile pushed itself through the window and at a daydreaming cashier, it became harder to tune out.

It hurt, if she were honest. Seeing things and hearing noises and having people pretend you were mad. 

She learned to keep her glances fleeting, her smiles on a leash. 

**

There were some things you just couldn’t ignore.

Alley girl, Yewon called her, for the path behind the cafe that she first saw her. Whether she was with a group or with a single person, her voice rang through the air and pulled Yewon in. It was pure accident that made her look the first time, but every day after was a voluntary breach.

There were days Alley girl would laugh, and those were Yewon’s favorite days. The kind of days you wouldn’t mind hiding behind a dumpster for.

But other days — most days —  Yewon would peer over to the other side and see a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. And a shame it was, for she had such beautiful eyes.

Alley girl would never look at her, as any normal person of either city would, but that didn’t stop Yewon from imagining it.

The day she walked alone, Yewon couldn’t hold it in.

"You’re very pretty when you smile," she said, stepping out from her hiding spot.

Alley girl kept on her way, not once looking in her direction.

But for just a moment, her step faltered. 

Yewon took this as hope.

**

Child and teen breachers were spared from severe punishment, but that didn’t mean they were off the hook completely.

Yewon found herself at the station often, enough to know every officer by name. After the first few breaches, they realized she was no serious threat, and delegated her to one of their rookie teams. She would greet every one she passed by whenever she got called in, and the good ones would pretend not to be fond of her as they did their jobs.

The one closest to her age, Kyungwon, was nice to her. She never used force and she never asked questions, even when she caught her every day for a week.

"You must like it here," she commented one day, while pouring Yewon a drink as she waited to be lectured.

"I like what brings me here," she said simply.

"I'm flattered, but not interested."

The officer looked Yewon in the eye, and she held the gaze, challenging it. Kyungwon was the one to break it, when the interrogation room opened. 

She herded the younger girl into the room where the detective sat waiting for her. When Yewon turned around, Kyungwon was smiling, but her eyes were a little like Alley girl’s.

"Move on while you can," was the last thing Kyungwon said before closing the door. Yewon never asked her about it afterwards.

** 

Over the course of her youth, Yewon met other kids at the station.

Siyeon, the self proclaimed bad girl. She stood in the other city for a few seconds on a dare.

Kyla, Siyeon’s friend, who toppled them both over when she tried to pull the older girl back.

And Sungyeon, the girl who accidentally hummed along to someone singing on the other side.

Those three weren’t there nearly as often as Yewon was, but their first meeting was impressionable enough to make them want to keep in touch.

"Okay." Siyeon huddled them together after her third offense. "I say we just make a run for it. If we run far enough they won’t catch us, and just in case we do, we can just pretend to be tourists!"

Kyla sent her friend a hard but concerned look. "I'm pretty sure that's what every breacher tries. Why not just wait until we can apply for passports and go there formally? It’s much less, y’know, illegal."

Sungyeon nodded eagerly. "I’m with Illa. I don't wanna get abducted."

Siyeon scoffed. "Where's the fun in that?"

One by one, they turned to Yewon, and she realized she was the oldest of the group.

She shrugged. "We'll see."

**

They didn’t plan it. She didn’t plan it.

Kyla accidentally breached on her own for the first time, and the group walked her home to console her. Kyungwon even tagged along to chaperone. When they passed the alley and the officer’s arm was around the youngest girl, Yewon’s instinct took over; she ran as fast as her legs would take her. 

She could hear Sungyeon’s scream and Siyeon’s cheering and Kyungwon calling her name, but she didn’t dare look back.

Kyungwon yelled again, and it didn’t sound like her name, but she didn’t have time to register it. As soon as she crossed into the other city, something covered her eyes and mouth and she was whisked away under the cover of darkness.

When her senses were returned to her, she was sitting on a sofa in a poorly lit room. Across from her was a taller woman with warm eyes and a loose smile.

"Do you know what kind of trouble—" What Yewon sensed to be her first lecture in the other city was cut off by a mousy little girl walking in with tea for the three of them. 

"Hello! Welcome to our city!"

"Kang Yebin!"

Yewon watched Yebin and Minkyung — they didn’t really cover her ears when they took her — go back and forth briefly before the taller of the two cleared . 

"Anyway, young lady, you’re lucky we were nearby."

"Are you friends with officer Kyungwon?" Yewon interjected before the lecture could continue. Both women lost the playful gleam in their eyes. Yewon’s eyes focused on Yebin reaching for Minkyung’s hands.

"You can say that, yeah." Yebin smiled wistfully. "Before we knew better. No… before rules kept us apart. We were on our way to meet her, or well not meet her, when you barged in."

Minkyung rested her head on Yebin’s shoulder and opted not to add on; Yebin pressed a kiss to the side of her head. Yewon averted her eyes, not wanting to intrude on a private moment.

"I-I came here for someone," she choked out eventually, losing confidence once she put it out in words. "I don’t know her name, but I wanted to talk to her."

Minkyung looked up and whistled. "Gutsy, I like it. What does she look like?"

Yewon pursed her lips and put together Alley girl’s image in her mind. "Beautiful eyes, even when they’re sad. Bright smile."

"Are you sure you’re not talking about this girl here?" Minkyung grinned and Yebin hit her shoulder playfully. Yewon turned away for the second time that night.

**

Yewon wasn't allowed to leave wherever they were, out of the danger of being caught. She didn’t know why Minkyung had a following that worked for her and defended the area, but she wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

While Minkyung ran through her sources to find Alley girl, Yebin stayed with Yewon for company.

"…and since Miss Kahi never found the courage to meet Miss Jungah that night, our cities were split from that moment on." Yebin finished with a smile, pleased with her storytelling. "Or so they say."

Yewon nodded, completely absorbed. "I've never heard that before… poor Miss Kahi…"

"No no, poor Miss Jungah! Listen here, little one. When you find the thing that lights a fire inside of you, don't let it go." Yebin whispered to Yewon, holding her hands tightly. "You never know when you'll lose it."

"You only live once," Minkyung piped in from the other room, earning her a pillow well aimed.

**

"You have to leave before the sun rises or there will be actual people watching the border spots. We can’t help you if they spot you."

Yewon nodded, expecting this. Kyungwon was a blessing to her, and there was no way she’d be as lucky in the city that wasn’t hers. Being a kid wouldn't save her here, not now that she breached this extensively.

She bit her lip, knowing the officer would be disappointed once she returned.

Yebin prepared her a quick meal while Minkyung summoned someone to walk her back. Yewon didn’t think they were too far from where she was taken, but better safe than sorry.

She had just finished eating when her arrived, and the moment their eyes met, her meal threatened to come back out.

There to take her home was none other than the girl with the beautiful sad eyes, her Alley girl. 

**

Yewon swallowed thickly. The moment she's waited for had finally arrived, and she couldn't find any of the right words to say. Alley girl was equally silent, though probably not for the same reasons.

Their walk consisted of the sounds of their footsteps and the occasional nocturnal creature, up until Alley girl spoke out of the blue.

"Jieqiong."

Yewon looked up, blinking. Was that her name? She had dragged her away before Minkyung could even introduce them. "Nice to meet you, Jieqiong—"

"I love Jieqiong. I love her." She stopped in her tracks and collapsed to the ground, leaving Yewon bewildered. "I love her so much, and she loves me too, but not the way I want her to."

Ignoring the sky's gentle gradient, Yewon crouched beside Alley girl. She placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered soft but firm words of comfort.

They remained in that spot until Alley girl collected herself.

When Yewon crossed back into her city, they didn’t exchange any more words.

But she felt it.

The fire was lit.

A/N: This one's a little short, and the next one will be too. I'm hoping this'll be two intro chapters and three plot, but we'll see how things go. This is unbeta'd, so please do let me know if things aren't clear, or if you spot mistakes!