“Damn it Junho. I have to do this today. No, you don’t understand, it’s now or never,” she hung up the phone. She was fuming with anger ever since her good for nothing brother cancelled at the last minute. She needed an ally and she couldn’t think of anyone other than Jb. She dialed his number praying he would pick up.

“No. I can’t,” Jb said as soon as he picked up the call.

“You didn’t even know what I was gonna say,” she snapped back.

“Doesn’t matter. It’s always trouble with you,” he said sluggishly. 

“Please? I’ll set you up with a nice girl. There is this new French girl who signed up with the school recently,” she pleaded with him.

“Get Hyunjin,” Jb said flatly though the offer for a date with a French girl did sound fantastic. 

“He is bringing the van. I need someone to move some stuff.”

She had to find someone as backup and she was not ready to give up. 

“Fine. I’ll send a friend. Be nice to him,” Jb said after a while, “and I’m free tomorrow, for that date.”

She kicked a stone while waiting by the street for Jb’s friend to turn up. She hoped it wouldn’t be the hyper and overly excited one she met with Jb at a party. He was fun and a sweetheart but he was scared of the dark. For what she had planned for tonight she needed someone who can walk through dark like a cat. Her petite figure looked extra small while standing alone in the partially illuminated alley. The dim yellow light of the street lamp made the atmosphere appear eerier than it already was. She adjusted her hoodie pushing her golden blonde curls back while covering her forehead. It was already eleven o'clock and she wished he would hurry. She had to return to the dorm before three in the morning. 

“Maya?” 

She turned her head to see a man clad in a leather jacket, gray t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, walking towards her. His sleek black hair was gelled up neatly. He was wearing dress shoes.

“That’s me,” she waved “Can you even lift things dressed in those jeans?” 

He halted and title his head as he didn’t understand what she was talking about. But she didn’t have time to explain. 

“Follow me,” she said without pleasantries while walking hastily. He was little lost but he followed her. She was fast while leading the way but his long legs had no trouble catching up to her. The alley was full of dumpsters and broken furniture that was abandoned. He was certain they were at a back alley of shops but had no idea as to why they would end up here. She halted in front of a gate which had a padlock guarding a wooden door.

She took out the small flash light from her pocket, “hold this”. She wore a pair of latex glows like she was getting ready for a surgery. Then she kneeled in front of the gate and took the padlock in her hand. 

“Dude, turn the light to lock,” she hissed like a cat. He was still lost but he did as he was told and then he realized. She pulled out two paper clips or that what those would have been before she changed those into lock pickers. She inserted one to the padlock when he grabbed her hand.

“What the hell are you doing?” he looked back at her with wide eyes. 

“can’t you see? It’s call picking a lock,” she snapped under her breath as she tried to release her wrist from his grip.

“I can see that. That’s breaking and entering,” he said as he released her hand. 

“Pft, entering yes but I never break,” she said as she inserted the remaining pin into the lock. It took less than three seconds for the lock to unhinge with a click. 

“See that, nothing is broken.” She winked at him while opening the gate and pushing the wooden door behind it. The place had a faint light inside but it wasn’t enough to see anything. She quickly went inside and he followed her carefully. But his eyes weren’t adjusted to the darkness as he bumped into a table. He hissed through gritted teeth clutching his thigh where he hit the table.

“Shh-" she hushed him “- don’t make so much noise dude. You will wake them up”

He bit his bottom lip to bear the pain and he was furious. Not only did they enter into a shop without permission, someone might even catch them inside. He wanted to leave letting her deal with her little adventure. But he knew it would never happen. He promised Jb he would take care of her no matter what she was planning to do. Well, he was expecting more of a woman who wanted to go on a shopping spree or do something girly. He definitely didn’t expect to have a run with the law. He prayed that whoever was inside would not wake up.

“I’m Jinyoung,” he whispered as he wanted her to stop calling him dude. 

Her eyes were so judgmental, even with the dim light he could see she rolled her eyes unamused. She pulled a thin glass door to a side and carefully stepped inside. He followed her quickly not wanting to bump into more furniture. She halted on her feet making Jinyoung bump on to her back. She groaned a little as she pushed him away. He shrugged to say it wasn’t his fault that she stopped in the middle but instead she chose to ignore him and took her phone out. 

The light on her phone showed her features clearly than he saw earlier. She had a small nose slightly turned upwards giving her a fundamental arrogant face. Her thin lips were pressed tightly while her light brown eyes wandered restlessly. He noticed her delicate fingers with nails trimmed nicely. There was no nail polish or fancy rings on her fingers. He couldn’t say anything about her figure as it was hidden under the oversized hoodie. 

Suddenly she ducked down pulling him down with her. He didn’t realize why they were crouched until he saw a light shone through the window illuminating the glass in front of the shop. He didn’t have enough time to read the name but part of the name had the word ‘safe' in it. He saw a man walking down the street while flashing a light into shops. 

“Street patrolling" she whispered while getting back on her feet. She got her phone and punched a message. Her phone blinked as she received a reply.

“Ok all set. Now listen pretty boy. There is a white van parked outside. We are gonna carry one by one carefully to the white van,” she took out a small bottle from her pocket “Rub this on. This will calm them down a little.” 

It gave a strong lavender scent and he took few drops. He had questions. Where are they? Why are they rubbing lavender scented oil into their hands and neck? Who are they going to kidnap? Most of all what the hell are they doing here? But against every bone in his body telling him to leave, he rubbed lavender oil and waited for her to shine the light on ‘them' that they were supposed to kidnap.

His mouth fell when he saw “them" she referred to sleeping peacefully. He looked around trying to understand why she would rob a place like this. She was careful not to make any sound to wake them up but one lifted his head quietly. He held his breath waiting for a loud scream, but a soft tiny ‘meow’ came from the white feline creature. Maya was quick to take him out from his cage and pet him to calm him down. Once she was certain he was ok she kept him inside the cage and picked it up. 

“put this in the van. Tell the guy inside to keep the engine running,” she told him. 

“Wait. Why are we robbing a pet shop?” he whispered quietly. But he wanted to get some answers.

“a pet shop? Is that what this looks like” her eyes widen with shock. “look around Jinyoung, this is not a pet shop. I’ll explain later. But for the love god please be quick" she whispered back angrily pushing him towards the door.

He shook his head while walking out to find the van. It was parked right in front with its trunk doors swung opened. He carefully placed the cage inside the van and went towards the front to check on the driver.

This night would go under the most bizarre nights ever in Jinyoung’s diary. His mouth fell for the second time within a span of five minutes when he saw the driver. 

“Hyunjin, what the hell?” Jinyoung opened the door and grabbed his brother’s nape. 

“Omg hyung, oh … how did you find us? I didn’t hear a sound,” Hyunjin squirmed like a worm trying to escape Jinyoung’s clutch.

Jinyoung couldn’t believe his eighteen-year-old brother who was supposed to be sleeping in his dorm, was out and driving a vehicle. And to top it off, aiding and abetting a crime.

“That’s not what I asked. What are you doing here?” he was angered but he didn’t want to raise his voice to make a scene. 

“Am I going to jail? But it’s all her. She promised that she would help me with my school project if I help her with this” Hyunjin pleaded with Jinyoung. 

He was ready to talk some sense into the boy when he saw Maya walking out with another two cages in her hands. One black and one orange, peacefully snoozed inside. He let go of Hyunji's neck and went to the back. Maya placed both cages neatly and headed back inside.

“How do you know my brother?” Jinyoung asked sternly. She ignored him as she pushed another cage with a gray and black cat who was now wide awake into his hand while looking curiously at them.

“Hyunjin is your brother?” she whispered while taking another cage. It was the last two and she cautiously pulled the glass door. She carefully locked the gate as Hyunjin got into the drivers seat. 

“HEY!” all three of then turned their head to see a stout man running from a far. 

“Thieves… stop" he yelled again but due to his size he legs couldn’t carry him any faster.  

“Get out,” Jinyoung wasn’t going to let his brother drive around Seoul. Hyunjin jumped to the back while Maya got into the passenger seat. The man almost caught up to them when the vehicle jolted forward and picked up with a loud bang. Jinyoung accelerated the vehicle without caring to even fasten his sea