The city was more than magnificent, even from where Luhan stood. He looked up and could see a palace at the top of the hill, and below it, the streets were littered with quaint townhomes and shops. The streets were cobbled and the houses painted in all sorts of colors. And somehow, there seemed to be greenery everywhere, whether it be a rooftop garden or a potted plant outside a doorway.

                Suddenly, Luhan felt his stomach drop as he realized he had no clue where to start. He looked to his side to see that his suitcase had miraculously (in Luhan’s opinion, of course; for Kai, it was a common procedure) landed next to him. He picked up the map Kai had given him and looked at it closely. He remembered where he was, thanks to Kai’s expert advice, and also remembered where Kai had said the jobs were.

                The problem was, before he could get a job, he needed a place to stay. But before he could choose a place to stay, he’d need to know where his job was.

                He really hadn’t planned well.

                Luhan had never been a people person. He didn’t know how to go about getting a job, and he didn’t know how to bargain with shopkeepers, and he didn’t know how to make friends.

                Not to mention that his pesky gift still plagued him.

                He looked at the map again, only to notice that Kai had written out a list of possible jobs and the districts they were found in. They were numbered, but Luhan didn’t see any sort of organization, and figured that Kai must have randomly assigned them to the numbers. He browsed the list, looking for anything even remotely interesting.

                Number one on the list was food, and Luhan found that to be highly unappealing. It sounded like something poor people would do just to earn a few coins to live off of. He disregarded Kai’s first suggestion.

                Fifth on the list was florist, and while that sounded nice, Luhan couldn’t imagine sitting and cutting or arranging flowers all day. He’d rather buy flowers than sell them.

                Last on the list was entertainment, and Kai had noted it as “discouraged.” Luhan couldn’t understand why, considering the entertainment district was closest to the sea, seemed to have a plethora of opportunities, and looked to have plenty of low-cost residences near it. Luhan decided he’d start looking there, even though it seemed like a hike from where he currently was.

                As he walked down the hill, Luhan began to wonder if he’d made the right decision about the city. It seemed that only the uppermost part of the hill had the colorful buildings. As he moved further and further down towards the sea, the buildings became more and more bland. Kai hadn’t marked the district before the entertainment district, and it worried Luhan, because the buildings looked entirely unsafe for habitation of any sort.

                “Buy some leaf?” a haggard old woman in a dark shawl offered. Luhan could smell a sickly sweet smoke on her, and he turned away, wheezing.

                “No, thank you,” he replied and quickened his pace. It seemed that the lower he got, the darker the city became, and he didn’t like the feeling of the shadows following him.

                He passed a large, bulky man holding what looked like a bloody axe, and Luhan looked away quickly, hoping he hadn’t been noticed. Scarier still was a young woman who Luhan thought was beautiful until he noticed her heavily scarred face. She was facing a wall, her whole body pressed up against it, and was whispering to herself frantically.

                Suddenly Luhan found himself surrounded by a group of men, all menacingly holding long metal pipes.

                “What do we have here?” the largest one asked mockingly. “A little deer has lost his way.”

                “E-excuse me,” Luhan said, trying to pass them, but one of the stockier ones pushed him back to the center of their circle.

                “Where do you think you’re going, angel?” the leader asked.

                “Th-the entertainment d-district,” Luhan said, trying desperately to look anywhere but at the faces of the men.

                “Really?” the leader asked, interested. “Boys, do you think he’d make a good entertainer?” The other men all whooped and cheered, and Luhan gulped. “Look at me, precious. LOOK AT ME.”

                Luhan looked at him. He had tattoos on his face, and he was missing half of his left eyebrow. He had a scar cutting across his lips and nose, and skin dirtied by grime and what Luhan desperately hoped was not blood.

                “Damn, gorgeous, how come I’ve never seen you before?” he asked, and Luhan didn’t answer. “I asked you, why haven’t I seen you before?”

                “I just arrived,” Luhan said quietly.

                “Fresh meat, eh?” he laughed. “Boys, you know what we do with fresh meat!”

                “You don’t do anything!” Luhan heard a woman cry. A woman wearing little more than several scarves conveniently draped across her tanned body appeared. “Get out of here before I ban the lot of you from my club. Get out, I said!”

                The leader scowled and took his men elsewhere, and Luhan was on the verge of tears.

                “T-thank you!” he cried. “Thank you!”

                “Oh, don’t mention it, darling,” she said in a sing-song voice. “What’s your name, sugar?”

                “Uh, Luhan,” he said slowly.

                “I’m Mistress Jina. What brings you down to the slums, Luhan-baby?” she asked, and Luhan sighed.

                “I’m trying to get to the entertainment district,” he said, “but I can’t seem to find it.”

                “Oh!” she exclaimed, “I’m headed there right now. Why don’t you tag along?”

                “Really?” he gushed. “Oh, thank you so much!”

                “Don’t mention it,” she replied with a tinkle. “Why the entertainment district?”

                “I need a job, and I figure I’m a fair singer, so maybe—”

                “Oh, sweetie, it’s a tough world down here. Very competitive. Are you sure you’re up for it?” Jina asked.

                “I-I mean, I think so,” Luhan said. “I sing quite well, or so I’ve been told. And I…I mean, I’m not bad looking.”

                “You’re gorgeous!” Jina smiled. “And I bet your voice is like !”

                “Uh, thanks,” Luhan muttered. He’d never heard that one before.

                “You know, we’ve been needing a singer down at my club,” Jina said casually. “Maybe you could come in and sing, and we could see if we want to hire you.”

                “Really?” Luhan asked, and Jina nodded.

                “Alright, blossom ,” Jina said extravagantly, and Luhan didn’t have time to even think about the odd pet name, “welcome to the entertainment district!”

                Suddenly everything was colorful again. Everything was more than colorful: it was like a rainbow had exploded and colored everything in its area. Women walked around dressed like Jina, in colorful scarves, and men wore breeches in bright hues.

                “Wow,” Luhan breathed.

                “Yeah,” Jina nodded, “it’s always like this. Isn’t it beautiful? That’s my club, right there.” She pointed to the grandest, most beautiful building in the district. “Oh, I almost forgot. Where are you staying?”

                “Uh,” Luhan said, “nowhere, yet.”

                “Well, that’s great! We have apartments in my building too. Rent-free, if you sing for us! And we’ll pay for your food, too,” she said.

                It was too good to be true, Luhan thought. Yet the offer was sitting in front of him, and all he had to do was take it. He still had no clue why Kai had marked the district as “discouraged.”

                “Deal,” Luhan replied with a laugh.

                “Aw, your laugh is like an !” Jina chimed, and Luhan blanched for a moment. He was sure it would take quite a while to get used to Jina’s manner of speech. But Jina pulled him along and took him into the building.

                “Hi, Mistress Jina,” a young woman with bleached hair sang as they entered. “Who’s your friend?”

                “This little honey pot is called Luhan,” Jina smiled, “and he’s going to be our new singer.”

                “Really?” the girl squeaked. “Oh my lord, well aren’t you the most gorgeous thing I’ve seen all day?” she cooed, and Luhan couldn’t help but look away.

               “Saemi, you should really introduce yourself before you scare off our new employee,” Jina said. Her voice was light, but Luhan sensed something menacing, and suddenly he began to have doubts.

                But the girl just smiled brightly and hugged Luhan, pressing her ample chest to his body.

                “I’m Saemi,” she trilled, wiggling into a hug, and Luhan felt extremely uncomfortable. “I’m the hostess for the club. Ki over there is the manager of—”

                “Let’s see your room, Luhan!” Jina cut Saemi off and dragged Luhan out of her grasp. “We’ll take the elevator,” she grinned.

                The club was covered in colorful cloth, throw pillows of every hue, and glitter and sequins everywhere.

                “So, what kind of club is this again?” Luhan asked as they took the elevator up a few floors.

                “A…good one. Respectable.”

                “I…didn’t ask if it was respectable,” Luhan said. “Just what k—”

                “Oh, here we are!” Jina cried, steering Luhan out of the elevator. “You’ll room with Hyun and Joowan, okay? Boys, this is Luhan.”

                “Hey,” the taller one, who Jina had pointed out as Hyun, said slowly. “You here to perform?”

                “Ye—”

                “No,” Jina said, “he’s here to sing.”

                “Isn’t that the same thing as performing?” Luhan asked, and Joowan laughed.

                “No way, dude,” he chuckled, handing his cigarette to Hyun, who took a puff and blew out a smoke ring that smelled disgustingly like the sickly sweet smell of the strange woman in the street. “Performing is not the same as singing.”

                “Be nice to him,” Jina warned. “Hot pants, I’ll be back in an hour, and I can hear you sing then. Don’t leave the room until I get back, okay?” she said sweetly.

                “O-okay,” Luhan stuttered. “Bye.” Joowan followed her out of the room, and came back in.

                “She’s gone,” he said. “Put down the cigarette, Hyun. We can stop now.” Hyun sighed a breath of relief. Joowan turned to Luhan. “Kid, I don’t know where you’re from or why you’re here, but you need to leave.”

                “What?”

                “Get out while you can,” Hyun agreed.

                “I don’t understand,” Luhan mumbled.

                “Nah, nobody ever does until it’s too late,” Joowan continued. “She didn’t tell you anything, did she?” Luhan shook his head. “You’re here to ‘sing,’ and the next thing you know you’re stripping your clothes off on a stage and sleeping with middle aged women and men just to get some cash.”

                “What?” Luhan cried. “But…she’s so nice. She helped me ge—”

                “Get away from a gang of thugs? She used that one again? Aw, man, that is so typical,” Hyun sighed, and Joowan nodded.

                “Seriously,” Joowan said, “you have to go. I don’t care where or how, just leave. You’re new here, so she’ll have a harder time tracking you down. If you can get past the slums, past the butchering district by this afternoon, you’re good.”

                “But if you can’t, say goodbye to your ity and your dignity,” Hyun lamented.

                “But…the entertainment district…it’s not—”

                “Kid, this is the red-light district. The ‘entertainment’ district. You have to leave.”

                “But where will I go?” Luhan panicked. “Where?”

                “Can you do anything besides sing?” Joowan asked.

                “I…I can cook,” Luhan said slowly. “I guess.”

                “Food district, man!” Hyun cried. “That’s the best! Why didn’t you go there in the first place?”

                “What?” Luhan stuttered, and Joowan shook his head.

                “I’m starting to think you can’t hear us. You keep asking ‘what.’ We can help you get out of the building, but after that, you’re on your own. Go to the food district, don’t stop running until you get there. It’ll take you a while, but once you’re out of the butchering district they should stop chasing you.”

                “Who?” Luhan cried. “I’m going to be chased?”

                “You’re not going to be let out easy, if that’s what you’re asking,” Hyun replied. “Of course you’ll be chased. Jina’s thugs will be after you. Oh, and when you’re leaving the building, if Ki or Saemi sees you, you’re pretty much screwed, so don’t be seen, okay?”

                “Are you sure this is going to work?” Luhan squeaked, and Joowan shrugged.

                “It’s never worked before, but it’s worth a try.” Luhan made a pitiful noise as Hyun and Joowan started draping him in colorful cloths. “We would try it, but she could track us. You she can’t track, and she won’t try if you can get out of here.”

              “You’ll need these,” Hyun said, covering Luhan with more cloths. “They might prolong the time you go undetected.”

                “But how am I going to do this?” Luhan asked, shaking with anxiety. He wasn’t ready to evade capture, but he certainly wasn’t ready to work in a red-light district either.

                “Act casual until you’re noticed, then run your off,” Hyun said. “Go down the elevator, turn left and then left again right when you exit the elevator. Walk down the long hallway and out the backdoor. The alley might have a few drunks or maybe a few people going at it, but just ignore them. Act casual. Once you’re out of the alley, turn right and walk back the way you came, through the slums, through the butchering district, and then you’ll get to the packing district, then the art district—these should all be familiar to you—and then you’ll get to the craft district and finally the food district. Got that?”

                “I think so,” Luhan replied. “What happens if I’m seen?”

                “Try to act natural, and if they approach you, run,” Joowan advised. “Go now, and remember, don’t let Ki or Saemi see you.”

               “O-okay,” Luhan croaked. “T-thanks.” He picked up his suitcase, which had been wrapped in similarly-colored cloths, and held it close to his chest. He turned and walked slowly out the door, hoping desperately that he looked natural, because he sure didn’t feel it. He entered the elevator and clicked the brass button for the ground floor. The wait was agonizing, even for a few seconds, because it just gave him time for his nerves to ramp up.

                He exited the elevator and turned left and then left again, just as he’d been told.

                And standing in front of him was Saemi, holding a throw pillow.

                “Oh, Luhan! What are you doing here?” she asked brightly, but she wasn’t smiling. “Aren’t you supposed to be getting accommodated?”

                “Uh…yeah, actually, I made a friend,” Luhan lied. “It was a girl; I don’t think she told me her name, but she told me to meet her out here. She told me to wait for her so she could…get dressed.”

                “Or get undressed,” Saemi winked. “Was it Sora? That sounds so like her.”

                “Maybe? Like I said, she didn’t tell me her name,” Luhan replied.

                “It was probably Sora. You’re lucky if she’s taken a liking to you,” Saemi laughed, “because I hear she’s great at what she does. Have fun, Luhan!”

                “Thanks,” Luhan replied as Saemi pushed past him and walked back the way he’d come. Luhan exhaled with relief as he continued down the long hallway.

                He hoped Saemi didn’t notice that he’d lied through his teeth.

                Luhan opened the backdoor and stepped into the alley. It was evening, and sure enough, there were some things in it that he was certain he never wanted to see again. He ignored them as best he could, even with the breathy moans coming from the people in the alley. Finally, he stepped out again into the multicolored world of the red-light district which was slightly dulled by the evening darkness, and he hoped he could blend in.

                He walked towards the slums, which he knew were close. He’d almost reached the alley he was supposed to turn into when he heard a horribly familiar voice.

                “Hey, isn’t that Jina’s new toy?” the thugs’ leader said.

                “Yeah, what’s he doing?” the stocky one wondered, and Luhan gulped, quickening his face as best he could.

                “Is he getting away?” the leader cried. “Get him! Don’t let him get away!”

                Luhan ran. He ran as fast as he possibly could. He wasn’t used to running. He’d never had to run like this before, and suddenly he found himself wishing he’d practiced increasing his stamina.

                The thugs yelled at him, jeering as they shortened their distance behind Luhan. Luhan dared not look back, because he knew it would slow him down. He raced around corners, hoping that he wouldn’t get lost as he tried to lose them, but it didn’t seem to be working as they got closer and closer to him.

                He had a slight glimmer of hope as he raced into the butchering district, the thugs still far enough away from him that he wasn’t in reach of capture, but he still had to run.

               “You’re not going to get away, angel!” the leader cried, and to Luhan’s dismay, he didn’t sound even remotely tired. “The butchering district is huge, you’ll never leave!”

                Luhan believed him, and adrenaline kicked in as Luhan sped up. He heard the leader curse loudly as he continued running as fast as he could.

                And suddenly, Luhan tripped over a too-large cobblestone jutting out of the road.

                He was on the ground, shaking violently in horrific anticipation of his capture. He shut his eyes and pleaded to some higher power with all his might that he’d be saved somehow, by anything.

                Luhan heard a crash, and looked up to see that a massive, multi-ton shipment of salt had overturned right onto the thugs. They weren’t dead, but obviously hurt and definitely incapacitated.

                The gift, Luhan thought to himself, standing up. He glanced quickly at the thugs, now covered in dozens of huge bags of salt, and turned, running to where he needed to go.

A/N: Thanks for all the subs! I love you guys, and I'll add comment replies tomorrow when I'm not jetlagged hehehe.

@JulietteShawol1: Yayyy I'm glad. Emotions are good!

@smiley44: Hope you liked it!

@Callisto: I love Xiuhan ahhh.

@PrincessLuLu: Thanks :)

@kawaiikimbap: Good hehehee.

@chigire: Yup! :D

@tarp_walls: You fool what is Lukai ;P Hehehee <3

@ember_pcy: I adore Hunhan but Xiuhan is my secret love. Except not so secret hehehe. 

@sorrowlicher: Amazing? Lol hehehe but thanks :)

@BabyYoo: Thanks!

@angelsmiles: You flatter me~

@LoLLiMinniE: Tadahhh!

@Mehmehjin: Yes, Mi = Zhou Mi. I can't not include my #1 bias :)

@bambino: Mi is Zhou Mi kekeke. And all your questions will be answered, don't worry!

♥ Exie