It was almost midnight. The night was cold and warm at the same time. Spring season had come. Junka had her favourite purple tank top and red boxes shirt for the outer. She had her jeans and boots on too. Rome had his favorite hat, his blue-gray boxes shirt and his black jeans. They walked side to side to each other at the alley heading back to her house.

"It was a nice movie wasn't it?" Rome asked, his right hand was inside his jeans pocket.

Junka looked at Rome and gave him a fist on his left arm. "You know I can't watch scary movie right? Why forced me too?"

Rome rubbed his arm and chuckled at her fist, "But you are cute when you get scared"

Junka blushed. She stopped, pointed out her finger to Rome's face and warned him, "Don't you ever force me to watch that kind of movie ever again"

Rome slung his arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer. "Why would I stop when that is the cutest side of you I can always see?" he chuckled.

"Yah!" Junka exclaimed trying to escape from him.

"How could you call me 'yah'. Since I am older, from now on you have to call me oppa" he smiled.

Junka put a mocking smile, "In your dreams dude" she said and pushed him away.

Rome suddenly felt offended by that push. He stopped walking suddenly and headlock Junka's head. Junka kept struggling to get herself off from him. She tried to loosen his grip until there was someone standing in front of them. 

"Siwoo" Junka muttered. She quickly took off Rome's arm from her and stood up straight. She slid her hands inside her jeans pocket and asked Siwoo, "Where are you from?"

"I'm from your house. I went to meet Minwoo" Siwoo answered. His face was expressionless although he was actually kinda surprised looking at how close and happy they were. "Where are you going?"

"Home. Obviously. We went out for a movie" she answered. She looked up at Rome. Rome made a face, asking her who was standing in front of them. She then tap her forehead. "Oh this is Kim Taemin but call him Siwoo" she turned to face Siwoo, "This is Yu Barom but you can call him Rome. He is 2 years older than us"

Rome stuck out his hand to Siwoo. Siwoo grabbed it and they hand shook. Siwoo could feel the strentgh of Rome when he grabbed it. He could feel that Rome was one strong and tough guy. Probably, as strong and tough as the two bullies from his school. He was nothing compared to Rome. Siwoo quickly pulled back his hand as he could feel that Rome had gripped his hand stronger.

"Strong guy huh?" Siwoo chuckled.

Rome chuckled back and answered, "Judo" Siwoo just nodded.

"Oh Rome is going to the same school as us" Junka explained more.

"Starting the day after tomorrow" Rome added.

Siwoo was surprised by the news but he forced a smile on his face. "Oh great" he muttured.

Suddenly, they could hear footsteps behind them. They were circle by some sort of thugs out of nowhere. Rome, Junka and Siwoo drew closer. They were back facing each other. The thugs were unfamiliar faces. Probably new in this era. At that moment, Siwoo thought, why Korea is full with mafias and thugs? What have the police done to decrease this kind of cases? They've done nothing.

"What do you want?" Rome asked, bravely. He was standing still, his hands inside his pocket. One of the men stepped out from the shadow and faced Rome. Rome seemed surprised and he chuckled at last, "You again?"

"What do you mean by 'you again'? Old friend of yours?" Junka asked between her teeth but clear enough for Rome to understand.

"Sort of" Rome replied. Siwoo was remained silence as he didn't know what to do or to say. "What do you want?" he asked back to the man.

"A revenge" the man answered.

Rome looked at the men circling them. He chuckled again and said, "I don't think it's fair for a gang out of 20 to 30 people against 3.In judo championship, you will get disqualified or maybe suspended if they find out you and your gang beat up your opponent up before the competition"

Siwoo widened his eyes. He knew and recognized those words. It was what Junka said to Kangjun and Ray when they were on the school rooftop. The same exact words, just the amount of people were different. He realized, no wonder Rome and Junka were closed. Probably, they were love birds back then, he thought.

"What are you talking about? Are you afraid of getting beat up?" the man provoked.

This time, it wasn't Rome who chuckled, but Junka. "You hired people to beat other people for you. Who is actually being afraid?" she provoked.

After listened to those words, Siwoo knew by anytime, the fight will begun. He gulped, preparing to receive anything that might come to him. 

The man's face turned red. He shouted, "NOW!"

The thugs stepped forward and the fight began. 

Rome and Junka were fighter so it was no problem for them to beat the thugs who came approached them. It was a bit difficult since they were circled by the thugs but still they could handle them.

It wasn't easy for Siwoo. He kept getting a fist and kick on his chest. He could bare the pain because he always received it at school. But this time it was different because the amount of people who kept beating him up were doubled.

One of the thug kicked Siwoo on his chest made him stumbled backwards. He tried to balance himself. He gathered all his strentgh in his fist and slung it over one of the thug face. The thug groaned in pain. A smile curved on his face. He knew he could beat up other people too. The thug was mad because of the fist. He ran to Siwoo and gave Siwoo a twist kick on his head. Blood dripped out from Siwoo's mouth as he fell on the hard road. He was in pain on his head and chest. The thug came towards him and put his foot on Siwoo's chest, preventing Siwoo from getting up. Siwoo held the thug's foot. He tried to push is foot away but he couldn't. It was very painful as the thug pushed his chest with his booted foot. He screamed in pain and more blood spat out from his mouth. 

Junka heard the scream. She recognized the scream. The familiar scream asking for help. She looked around and tried to detect where it came from. She turned around and saw Siwoo was lying on the road with the thug's foot on his chest. Despite the pain in her right arm, she clenched her fist and ran toward Siwoo. She jumped in the mid air and landed with one foot. One of her legs were spining toward the thug's head. The thug stumbled backwards after receiving the kick. He didn't have time to back to his senses as another kick from Junka reached right on his sharp nose. The thug didn't fell. Junka felt uneasy and unsatisfied with the thug, so she gave him a fist under his chin making him stumbled. In the end, Junka grabbed the thug's waist and shoulder and lifted him up over her shoulder. An end with her judo moved. 

The thug laid down on the road unconscious. She clapped her hands as if to remove the dirt away from her hands. She then ran towards Siwoo who was still lying. He was half conscious. She crouched down, lifted Siwoo's head and put it on her lap. Siwoo coughed blood out. She wiped his hair away from his face. "Stay conscious" she whispered into his ear and looked around. She felt bad that Rome had to handle the other thugs alone.

Luck was on their side, the police siren was heard. The thugs got panicked and they quickly ran away to different angles. Rome stopped fighting as well. He caught his own breath and turned around to search Junka. 

"Rome!" she screamed his name.

Rome quickly ran towards the voice and crouch down beside Junka. He examined Siwoo, "He is badly injured. We need to bring him to the hospital" 

Then suddenly the siren sound became closer to them, "And we need to be hurry before the police caught us and thought we are the thugs" Rome added.

Junka just nodded. Rome went to other side of Siwoo and put Siwoo's arm around his shoulder while Junka took the other side. They walked until they saw someone walking towards them in the shadow. They stopped, wondering who else would disturb them in this kind of situation. 

The man appeared and it was Minwoo. He walked towards them with his phone in his hand. The siren sound came from his phone. Both Junka and Rome let out a sigh of relief. A smile curved on Rome's face but not Junka's. She took a glance at Siwoo. She couldn't utter a word looking at Siwoo's situation.

"Let's get Siwoo to our apartment first. I will try to cure him. If there's nothing I could do, only then we go to the hospital" Minwoo explained.

"You are talking like you are a practical doctor" Rome said with a smile.

"One day I will be a real doctor" Minwoo smiled back.

Junka stood at the stairs,leaning one side on the wall and  looking at Minwoo giving treatment to Siwoo. Siwoo was lying on her bed, half consciuous. Minwoo was an expert. At the age of 17, he knew what to do with injured person. She had to admit it that one day Minwoo would be a very succesful doctor. 

"Put this on your forehead. It's an obvious purple up there" Rome said as he passed  a bag of ice to Junka. Junka took the bag and quickly put it on her forehead. She frowned as she forgot that it was a bruise she slammed the ice on it. Rome just giggled. Junka gave her the death glare and Rome stopped giggling. "Are you worried?"

Junka nodded her head. 

"Why?" he asked. 

"I feel guilty. Very guilty to let him involve in this kind of thing. He is not a fighter. He is too fragile. He needs help to make him stronger. I tried to help him but it looks like I can't. I've been selfish lately. I need to protect him. He is someone special to me" she muttured the last sentence.

"What do you mean by someone special?" Rome asked. His back was leaning on the stairs rail and a glass of plain water in his hands. He had the least injury, cuts or bruises. Obviously.

"I don't know. Although he is the boy but there's something inside me told me that I need to protect him no matter what. Maybe he is like a brother to me. I need to protect him like I always protect Minwoo" she explained.

A smile of relief curved on Rome's face. He was glad to hear that Junka felt Siwoo as a brother and not more than that. He chuckled and asked sarcastically, "Although he is taller than you?"

Junka glared Rome. She spotted one bruise on Rome's arm. She slapped on the bruise while the other hand she took the glass from his hands. Rome groaned in pain and shot Junka a glare.

Junka ignored him and drank the water.

---------------------

Siwoo stepped out from one of the booth toilet. He tapped his blazer as if to remove some dust off it. He walked towards the sink and washed his hands and face. His hand were both sides of the sink. He looked into the mirror and took a deep breath. 

He felt guilty, confused and a total loser.

After all the accidents all these feelings doomed him. He felt guilty towards the twins because he had burden them many times. Even though they never say it but he could feel that it would be a total burden for the twins to take care of him just because he had no friends and his parents left him out. 

He felt confused towards his feelings and Junka's feelings. He didn't know why would he be bother about Junka's feelings but it was seemed to be a  concern to him. A hug that he got from Junka, was it a hug as a friend, a noona, or a lover? He confused Lee Junka too. Why would a gangster and tomboyish girl would give him a hug? But there was no way that Junka would hug him as a lover because obviously, she liked Rome. Her face told him all that she liked and happy to be with Rome.

He felt a total loser. He couldn't even give a fist right on someone's nose. He couldn't even stand on his feets. He couldn't protect himself from getting beaten up. How would he protect the the girl he loved when he couldn't even protect himself. 

He shrugged and shook his head. "The biggest loser of the world award goes to me" he muttured and opened the tap again and washed his face once again.

He turned off the tap and wiped his face. He took out a handkerchief out of his blazer pocket and wiped dry his face. He titled his head looked into the mirror. There was a reflection of 2 guys were standing behind them. They were Kangray's guys, Leo and Ravi. The same guys who beat him up under the stairs and he was saved by Junka.

"Well, he is alone now" Leo said. Siwoo turned around to face them. He put back his handkerchief inside his blazer pocket. 

"Of course he is alone. He is the boy's toilet. His protector can't enter here" Ravi responded. 

Siwoo was offended to hear the words 'His protector' which they actually relate it to Lee Junka. He never assumed her as a protector although she saved him several times before from being bullied. 

Siwoo just bowed to them and walked away. Before he could pass them, Leo harshly pushed his shoulder back, making him stumbled. He tried to regain his balance. 

"There's no way you could pass us just like that" Leo smirked.

Siwoo looked down to their hands. Both of them already had their hands curled into fist. Ready to beat him up. He spotted a space between Ravi and Leo that will led to the exit. Without second thought, he ran towards the space but it was a stupid move.

Ravi caught him and gave him a fist on his tummy. He then held both of Siwoo's arms and brought it behind Siwoo's back. 

Siwoo groaned in pain. It was very painful when someone harshly pulled your arms behind your back. Now, he was facing Leo.

Leo stretched his neck and finger before he clenched his fingers into a fist. He then gave a several fists. The last fist he gave was on his face. 

Ravi saw the satisfaction on his hyung's face. He nodded at Leo and slammed Siwoo on the wall. 

Siwoo tried to bare his pain. He closed his eyes and held his tummy. Without he realized it, few drops of tears rolled down his cheeks. He still had the pain from the last fight in the alley, now, he had to bare the pain from this bullies. He slid down on the wall and sat on the floor. 

Ravi crouched down to face Siwoo. He tapped Siwoo's face and muttured, "Poor you" He grabbed Siwoo's collar, clenched his fist in mid air and....

That time he felt someone was groping his fist. He turned back to see someone's standing behind him. He was tall, his body was perfectly built and he was strong. Ravi could feel it just by the strength that guy's his fist.

Siwoo was already tried to protect himself with his bare hands. When he felt nothing hit him, he peeked between his fingers and slowly putting down his hands. He tilted his head up and muttered, "Rome hyung"

Leo heard what Siwoo said. He took a glance at Siwoo then to Rome. He said elegantly, "We don't have any problems with you so I guess it's better for you to back off"

Rome let go off Ravi's fist and slid his hands inside his pockets. Ravi got up to face Rome and stood beside Leo. Rome smirked, "He is my friend of course it is a problem now"

"What are you? His protector too?" Ravi smirked back. 

Rome let out a smirk chuckled, "Well, he is technically my rival but I don't like bully casses"

Siwoo widened his eyes to hear the word rival. He tried to get up but the pain was still hurtful. So he stayed down on the floor.

Leo gave a head signal by giving a glance from Ravi to Rome, asking him to beat Rome up as well. 

Ravi nodded at the signal. Without hesitation or second thought, Ravi walked towards Rome to give a fist on his face but Rome was faster.

When Ravi was about a step away from him, he ducked and grab Ravi's waist. With all his strentgh, he lifted Ravi over his shoulder and Ravi fell behind his back. He then jumped in the air and gave an elbow on Ravi's stomach.

Ravi screamed in pain. Rome frowned listening to the scream. The most hideous scream that Rome ever heard with that rough voice. He screamed like a dolphin. 

Rome faced to Leo. Leo was stunt to look at Ravi's condition. He lifted his head to meet Rome's gaze. He gulped and cleared his throat. "What.." he stuttered.

"Judo" Rome mockingly put a smile on his face.

For that instant, Leo knew that he must be friend with Lee Junka or both of them might have connection because the way they talk and fight are almost the same. Plus, he never seen Rome anywhere before, so he must be new student. Leo quickly got over Ravi. Ravi was still in pain. He took Ravi's arm and slung it over his shoulder. He helped Ravi to get up. Before he walked out of the gents, he turned to Rome and said, "We will have our revenge one day" He dragged Ravi out of the gents.

Rome smirked and muttured, "Coward". He turned towards Siwoo who was still lying on the floor. He crouched down in front of Siwoo and smiled at him.

Siwoo smiled back, "Thanks for saving me. Now I am the biggest loser for the entire universe" he muttured the last sentence.

Rome heard him and he just put a smile. "If that's so, you need to start to learn how to stand on your feet and stop being a coward" 

Siwoo blinked his eyes. The exact same thing Junka told him what to do to defend himself. 

Rome took Siwoo's arm and slung it over his shoulder. He helped him to stand up by holding his waist to support him more.

--------------------

Siwoo let out a sigh while leaning on the wall outside of his class. There was a flier in his hand. Mr Seo called him over to the teachers' lounge to take the flier and paste it on the class's bulletin board. 

"Mr Seo is one crazy person. How can he expect people from this class..."he pointed to his class and continued "....would participate in this nonsense talent contest?" he let out another sigh. "All they have are brains and not talents. Why would he make it is compulsary for every student to participate? Is he stupid or something?" he yelled in annoyance. "If I post it on the board, no one will notice it and when no one participate in this crappy contest, who will get the blame? Me!" he pointed to himself. He turned around and and leaned his forehead on the wall. He let out a sigh. "I had enough with Mr Seo. Why me why me why me?" he muttered in rage while literally punching the wall.

"Yah Kim Taemin. What are you doing here?" Junka asked, approaching Siwoo outside of the class.

Siwoo turned his head while his forehead still leaned on the wall towards where the voice came from. He gave Junka the flier and turned back to stare the wall.

Junka took the flier and read every details that written on it. Junk tilted her head up to look at Siwoo who was still in his trouble world. She frowned at him. "It's just a contest. Just put it on the board and let someone volunteered to join it"

He stood still and faced Junka. "I know but the problem is these people from this class are no way going to join the contest. If they even read it on the board, they will ignore it. I've been in the same class with these people for many years and I know them too well. Plus, the contest is under Mr Seo and it is compulsory for every class to participate. If our class do not send anyone to join it, I will be in another big problem. I don't want to deal with Mr Seo anymore" he explained.

Junka just nodded as a sign that she totally understood what Siwoo meant. She tried to think of an idea. She smiled and said, "If that's so, why don't you make an announcement in front of the class, explain to them about this contest, and make them vote for who should join it. Majority wins. That's it"

Siwoo shrugged. "I guess we have no other options. Let's try this" Junka just nodded.

Junka slid the door opened and entered the classroom followed by Siwoo. Junka walked to her desk and let Siwoo to stand in front of the class and make the announcement. 

Siwoo cleared his throat, wishing that the whole classroom of 45 pupils would hear him. None of them paid attention to him. They were busy chit-chatting, reading books, playing games, sleeping. Siwoo tried once again. Still, no response from them.

Junka looked around the class. Their classmates totally ignored him. For her, it was kind of rude attitude for ignoring someone who is trying to deliver something important. If they hated him that much, at least, they should give him the chance to talk or explain. She couldn't take it anymore, she wanted to shout asking them to stop whatever they are doing to listen to Siwoo. But before she could, Siwoo did first.

"ATTENTION EVERYONE!" Siwoo shouted. 

Everyone including Lee Junka herself was surprised with Siwoo. They stopped from whatever they are doing and faced Siwoo who was still standing in front of the class. A smile curved on Junka's face. She felt proud because finally Siwoo could speak for himself eventhough it was nothing, she still felt happy for him. All he needed is time and support. She smiled while crossing her arms. She looked and waited for Siwoo to speak.

Siwoo gulped and took a deep breath. He raised the flier in his hand up in the air and looked at each and everyone of his classmates. "This is a flier for a talent contest held by the Culture Club for the upcoming event. It is under Mr Seo's management. It is compulsory for every class to send two students for this contest" he explained.

"I don't think anyone of us would interested to join this crappy contest" one of the girls said. The other just nodded to her point.

Thought so, Siwoo thought. "So to be fair, I suggest we make a vote for who should enter the contest" he explained.

Once Siwoo finished said the sentence, all of hands pointed to him. All of them except for Lee Junka. It means they voted Siwoo to enter the contest. Siwoo was surprised to get so many votes just like that. Lee Junka was surprised as well. Her eyes widened when all of them had the same mentality on who to vote to join the contest.

Siwoo rolled his eyes, frustrated. He let out a sigh. "But I can't join this contest. I don't have friends. With who should I join this contest?" he exclaimed.

After he finished his sentence, all those pointing arms turned their way from Siwoo to Junka. Junka slowly turned her head and looked at them. She pointed her finger to herself, "Me?"

"Majority wins. Now please don't disturb us" one of the boys said. After they decided it, they went back do whatever they were doing before.

Siwoo sighed and walked back to his place beside Junka. He sat on his chair and blew the air above him. "Are you mad?" he asked without even looking at Junka.

Junka shrugged, "Well, I am actually okay with it. We need to agree and follow the majority"

He looked at her with a smile, feeling relief that she wasn't mad, "Really?"

Junka knew that slowly Siwoo was tryng to stand on his feets. He was learning to be brave. All he needed was support. She wanted to see Siwoo to be brave and be able to say his thought. He needed someone's help to bring his guts out. She will help him.

Junka just nodded with a smile.

---------------------

To be continued....

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I wonder if I am good at writing fighting scenes? :/

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