Dangerous Underground Cohorts & Conspiracies Department of Seoul

File: Bang Yong Guk (방용국)

DOB: March 31, 1990

Group: BAP (Best Absolute Perfect)

 Position: Leader

Status: Alive & Free

Rank of Danger: 10+ 

Known For: Best & most successful fighter, highly respected in

the underground world. Never been caught before and

does not have a record with the police. Manipulative, intuititve, and talented, 

he is undefeatable and a legend in the underground gang industry. 

♚♔♚♔♚♔

P R O L O G U E 

One Year Ago

♚

"It's hard to forget someone

Who gave you so much to remember." 

- x 

“Welcome to Le Petit Prince. Please take a seat!” I said, as I wiped my hands on my apron. Grabbing two menus, I sat the young couple down before running to the kitchen to take the next dish. The café was small and quiet, but it was popular and we were often so busy I almost always had my hands full. As I set the plate on the table and wiped down the countertop, I stared outside at the window, wishing that I could have been enjoying the outdoors instead of working part-time. Although many customers often fawned over Seoul’s city skylines and towering mountaintops, I personally preferred the bustling nightlife of the capital. Tons of people hurried to get home as others dressed up to go out, while street vendors took out their paper lanterns and hung them in their shop windows. The lights strewn across the tress switched on, contrasting with the inky darkness of the night sky, bringing not only Seoul to life but also my favourite time of night alive. 

“Yah, ______, there’s a line growing outside! The soup won’t serve itself, hurry up!” A voice from the kitchen suddenly yelled, snapping me away from my thoughts. Switching my gaze from the outdoors to the front of the restaurant, I saw a familiar face and grinned.

“I told you not to take the night shift, ever,  _______!”

“Oppa!” I said, running over to give him a hug. “Hey, you were the one who told me that you wouldn’t call me as your sister until I got a job!” I said, smiling. He shook his head and sighed.

“It’s dangerous, _______. There’s a lot of people out in the streets at night - ”

“It’s fine, oppa. You know I love the night, and there are so many workers here anyways. I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself. Come on, this is the first time we’ve seen each other for months! Don’t I get something else other than a lecture?” I , bringing him to one of the tables. As I set his chopsticks down, he grabbed my arm and looked at me sternly, his mouth set in a tight frown. My brother was handsome, with a tall, lanky body and pretty-boy face, but he was always so serious and cold. Unfortunately, unlike the Korean dramas I watched at home, his personality didn’t attract people-more often than not, it seemed to repel them.  

“I’m just worried about you, _______-ah,” he said, a hint of pleading in his tone.

I waved my hand at him in ignorance. “I’m 18, Kwang Su. You were younger when you left for Canada. I can handle myself and you know I’ve been doing this job for so long already. Don’t be such a prick about it and just order some food. The kimbap here is the best, you’ve got to try it-I’ve been stealing bites during break when the boss isn’t looking. And it’s cheap, too-”

“_______, I work overseas and I really can’t look after you anymore. I came to see if you’d finished your university degree and tried to find decent work, but instead you’re stuck here in a dead-end job. You know that there’s no room for any promotion and the pay is mediocre at best, but you still stay here?”

“Kwang Su-ah,” I said, shocked.

My brother always looked out for me, even as children, since our parents passed away early on. I could barely remember them, but I knew that Kwang Su had watched our parents die. From that day on, he had taken it as his job to be both my mother and father. He wouldn’t tell me what had happened to them, and yet he always kept me on an overprotective, tight leash, sometimes to the point where it became controlling. Frustrated and angry, I was slightly relieved when my brother decided to leave to for Canada, although during the past couple of years I desperately missed having him around. However, it seemed that even though it had been a while since I’d seen him, things still hadn’t changed.

“You had perfect grades in high school, _______. You were smart, athletic, and talented. So why did you decide to go here? You could have graduated by now, _______, so why did you take this path instead? I just don’t understand!” He said in frustration, running his hands through his hair tiredly. Anger was beginning to bubble in my chest, and I couldn’t hold it back. My brother had just gone too far this time. “You know what you don’t understand, Kwang Su? You don’t understand anything about me. I really hate you sometimes, brother.” I snapped back, taking his plates away. Leaving him alone at the table, I went to take them to another table. Wiping down the counter nearest to me, I ignored my brother’s gaze.

“Ya, waitress, get me another beer will ya?” A man suddenly shouted from his seat,  and I went to the back to rummage for a glass. Willing to do anything to get away from my brother, I brought it to the man’s table and he smiled greasily at me, his hooded eyes making long glances at my face. Although his suit was designer and his hairstyle modern and practical, the sparling gold watch and rings adorning his fingers couldn’t disguise his sleaziness. “Why, the waitresses here are so pretty – it’s no wonder I always stop by. Why don’t you come nearer so that I can see you closer?” He said as I set the cup down, feeling disgusted by the man’s drunkenness. Sighing, I tried my best to put on a polite smile and denied his offer. While preparing to serve the next customer, however, he glared at me suddenly and grabbed my arm in a tight hold.

“I don’t like to take no for an answer, young lady,” he snarled, wrenching my limb tightly.

Although I’d had hours of formal training in muay thai and self-defence, I could barely shift my arm from the lock he’d abruptly put it in. It was as if he had paralyzed it - and at that moment, I knew he was part of some dangerous gang. Only the underground bandits lurking around the slums of Seoul mixed their martial arts skills in order to create their signature moves – each unique to them and their clan. These moves couldn’t be taught or learned, and it was kept that way so that only the leaders of the groups would know it. It was like a seal, a symbol which separated them from the other delinquents, and also marked their friends and foes. However, underground gang members were always in hiding from the police, so there was no way one would be sitting in the café in broad daylight. It was impossible. 

“Who the hell are you?” I whispered, my eyes widening as years of instruction found their way back into my head. I still had my legs to use, but even when I barely twitched, the man had locked both of them with his in a single swift movement.

No way.

The man smiled crookedly, taking his free hand and adjusting his tie slowly. “You think you can outsmart me, you little wench-“

Suddenly, a huge shape leaped over and tackled the man before he could finish his sentence. To my horror, I saw that it was my brother, and through their squabble he’d dropped his glasses. The sleazy man stepped on them with a flourish, his grin turning into an upwards smile at his small victory. My brother may have been tall and fit, but he was no fighter. He always preferred using brains instead of brawn, and there was no way he’d win this without his glasses.

“OPPA!” I yelled, as the man grabbed the nearest bar stool and swung it at him.

To my surprise, my brother leaped into the air deftly, avoiding the attack with ease as he took a knife from the table and threw it at the man. It cut into his shoulder, and I knew at that moment my brother had purposely missed and was hiding the rest of his skills for later. “I see we have a fighter here – let’s see how the rest of the family is,” he snarled, taking a tablecloth and throwing at me to disable my vision. Frowning, I grabbed it in one hand – the tablecloth thing was an amateur trick that worked better in the movies – and flung it back at him. He sidestepped it easily, but I quickly performed a roundhouse kick to his stomach, knocking the wind of out of him. The brute stumbled, but my eyes widened as he laughed and seemed to heal in a matter of seconds, although my move should have at least given him a couple bruises.

“It’s going to take a lot more than that to finish me off,  young lady,” He barked, throwing a punch at my face. 

Although I turned my cheek the other way, his hand brushed my hair, and I shivered. He used that moment to break his beer bottle on the countertop, cracking it in half, and brought it over the crown of my head while I tried in vain to kick him again –

“_________!” My brother suddenly yelled, pushing the man away from me, grabbing him so that they landed in a wrestle on the floor. The man howled, bringing his fist down, and the glass shattered on my brother’s head as he wrung the man’s neck. Blood began to trickle from my brother’s face, his eyes slightly glazed, while the man stumbled into a standing position and laughed. Grabbing his slashed arm, the man spat out his next words. “Next time it’ll be you, little miss,” he said, pointing at the red imprints my brother's hands had made on his neck. As he ran out the door and my shock registered, I heard some background noises from the customers, who had watched the whole thing in fear. The boss had gone to call emergency a while ago, while all the other waitresses were beginning to huddle together in whisper. Ignoring the gazes of everyone, I ran to my brother and pulled him to me. His body was cold, a ghost of a smile left on his face, and I couldn't feel his pulse. 

“Oppa!” I cried. 

There was no answer. I knew there wouldn’t be one.

Because my brother was now dead.