***

March 2013

I wake up, sometime in the middle of the night, sweat running down my face and a pair of playful, brown eyes fixed on me.

I blink and the dream is gone.

“Nightmare?” Jongin shifts next to me without opening his eyes.

“Just sleep, you cripple.”

“Don’t give me that crap. Chanyeol hyung told me what happened.”

I grimace at his tone. It’s too early for this .

“Shouldn’t you worry more about yourself, Jongin? You’re still limping.” My eyes travel out of the window, to the lamp post in the street.

“I heard you almost killed an old man for calling you ‘brat’.” Jongin doesn’t give up easily.

He knows too much.

Actually, we used to be friends; Jongin and I.

But being too close, made him hate me, in the end.

No surprises there.

“He was a ert who scared kids. That’s why.” I lie.

Suho was probably right. I do lie a lot.

It’s reached a point, where I don’t even think before I do it.

The lie just comes out of my lips, while the truth is still down at the bottom of my lungs.

For a long time, silence falls between us. I’m almost sure he’s gone back to sleep, when Jongin sits up on the mattress.

“Kyungsoo hyung said you think I hate you.” He sounds more awake now, than before.

“Don’t you?” I raise an eyebrow and he can’t even see it.

“I don’t know. I just wish you’d disappear one day, so I’ll never get to see you again.”

I nod in understanding.

“We’ve been through a lot, together, Hun-ah.” He continues. “But all I see, when I look at you, is that day.” A small sigh interrupting his words.

Yes, that day…

“You shouldn’t have invited me to join ‘K’.” I whisper.

“I know I shouldn’t have. It’s my fault that you’re beating people up now.” It’s not, though.

Jongin only wanted to find us a place to stay. He was always trying to help me out. Even though I make him remember bad things.

“After we’re done fighting with this gang, I’ll disappear, just like you want me to, Jongin-ah.”

“I’ll probably worry about you.” He falls back, hands behind his head, like a pillow.

“You’ll forget me, if you can’t see my face.” I assure.

“Then, have you forgotten about him? Since you can’t see his face.”

I freeze at the question.

“That was different.” I feel the words scratching my throat as they force their way out.

“I guess it was.”

And we don’t talk any more.

The next morning, voices from the living room wake me up.

“What are you doing?” I flatten my hair and blink at Suho and Baekhyun.

“They’re planning negotiations with ‘M’ .” Chanyeol pipes up, earning himself a glare from the leader.

“I thought we were fighting.”

“We are, Hun-ah. It’s just that I want to properly declare war.” Suho is so formal.

“How exactly?”

“I’m going to their hideout to talk to their Head.”

 “To the lion’s den, huh? Are you looking for a beating?” I send a frustrated look at the leader.

“We didn’t attack his spy. So he ought to respect-”

“Like hell, he’s going to respect.” I retort.

“I can’t start a fight with another gang without meeting their Head first.” Suho seems dead serious about it.

“Fine, then I’m coming too.” Can’t be helped.

“No, no you’re not.”

“Why not?!” I growl.

“You sent a man to the hospital the other day. Do you think I’ll trust you to behave around ‘M’?”  It’s not like he doesn’t have a point.

But I know what I’m saying, too. “And what if they go ballistic and attack you? We don’t need a second cripple.”

I motion at Jongin who’s sitting on the couch watching dramas.

“Yah! Jongin is not a cripple!” Kyungsoo complains.

“I’ll take Baekhyun with me.” The leader counters.

“If these guys managed to beat Jongin, Baekhyun stands no chance.”

“There are other members…”

“Look, Leader, I’ll just stand in a corner making sure everything goes smoothly. I won’t interfere unless you give the word.”

This does it.

Because Suho does need me.

More than the others, I’ve got sharp eyes and I’m fast. I’m good at disguising myself and improvising. Even, he can’t ignore that.

Later that day, the three of us put on our trademark blue uniforms and head out.

Daejo-dong is louder, than our neighborhood.

Some bars have been trashed by ‘M’, just like Baekhyun said. Still, it’s full of people; dangerous dealers and sly crooks, mostly.

There are two beggars arguing about who’s going to take the biggest share of their earnings. Next to them a man wearing a flashy red suit is inviting people inside a basement and a girl in a very short dress is winking at someone.

Our Seowon is a scary neighborhood- I should know, since I’m the scary part of it- but this place is scary in its own way.

People do bad things with their fists. And they also do bad things with their smiles.

“It’s here.” Baekhyun’s voice cuts my thoughts.

The building is colorful and there’s a neon sign reading ‘Allure’ over the front door.

“A host club?” Suho questions.

“Ah, no…” A somewhat familiar shadow jumps inches away from the leader. “We’ve already shut down all the clubs around here. We’re just using this as a hideout.”

It’s that spy. Again.

“Are you M’s doorman too?” Baekhyun drawls, cautiously pulling back the leader who’s not cooperating at all.

“Ah, no…” Chen shakes his head innocently. “I saw you from up there and jumped down to say ‘hi’.”

I look up at an open window from the first floor.

. How did he jump from up there?

The guy’s a beast.

“We came to see your Head.” Suho remains unfazed, though.

“Why?”

“To declare war.”

“Too formal, hyung…” The cat-like guy smiles and his eyes become half-moons.

“I want to be clear about this before we-”

“Yes, yes, we got it. Let them in, Chen gē.” A tall figure comes out of the club.

He has fierce eyes with dark circles and a strikingly foreign accent.

Chen looks at the new guy, hesitantly.

“Duizhang said so.” The fierce guy adds and the spy steps back, letting us pass.

We walk past a dark hall and into a place that probably used to be a karaoke room. It has a big screen, covering the whole left wall and showing videos of different parts of the street outside.

“This is a completely different level from us.” Baekhyun breathes out impressed. We didn’t even notice the surveillance cameras.

I turn my head to the right, at the long table and the sofas. Two people are sitting there.

The first one looks harmless. He has soft brown hair and an absent expression. However, the person next to him has that wicked air about him.

He’s tall, with broad shoulders and piercing eyes. His hair is pitch black and shaved on the sides.

I’m guessing he’s the Head of ‘M’.  And unlike our Head, he looks the part.

“It’s the first time another Head visits me like this.” The guy who’s probably the Head of ‘M’ speaks in a low tone, yet he sounds somewhat amused as well.

“It’s the first time another group’s Head provokes me like this.”

At least our leader is good with words.

“You must be Suho.” The guy with the scowl and the piercing eyes offers a drink, which Suho doesn’t take. “Chen told me a lot about you.”

I glance at the spy and despite the dim light, I’m pretty sure he’s blushing. What’s going on with the two of them, anyway?

“Nice to meet you.” M’s Head nods a little. “I’m Kris.”

“I can’t say it’s very nice to meet you, though. Not after you hurt Kai so badly.” Junmyun sounds clearly angry.

I quickly glance around the dark lit room. Everyone is standing on their toes. Mad and thrilled.

Finally.

“Oh that.” Kris’ scowl deepens. “Tao,” He motions at the guy with the dark circles under his eyes, “went a bit overboard, I’ll admit it.”

Good thing we didn’t bring Kyungsoo along. He’d have throttled the guy.

“Why are you after other territories?” Leader asks.

“I don’t care about the territories. I’m only interested in defeating everyone else and being the Top.”

What!?

Is this guy out of his mind?

“All the other groups?” Suho laughs dryly. “Then are you going after Super Junior and TVXQ, as well? You might be good, but you don’t stand a chance against them.”

“Maybe not yet. But one day…”

“Just because you have money and members who know martial arts and secret cameras, it doesn’t mean you’re better than us.” I nod at the leader’s words.  

Damn right.  

 “We defeated all the other amateurs...” Kris shrugs nonchalantly.

“Well, you’re not defeating us.” Like Junmyun promised, this is a declaration of war.

Everyone stiffens up even more.

Chen seems ready to walk in and stop our leader from saying more. The Tao guy is clenching a stick I didn’t realize he was holding before. And the absent-looking guy raises a single eyebrow at their leader.

“Isn’t it a little dangerous to say that to my face, Suho-sshi?”

It probably is.

“I wanted to know your intentions. But since you’re no more than a conceited bastard, I won’t hold back either.” In the three years that I’ve known him, it’s the first time I hear Suho cursing.

“Conceited bastard?!”

Before I can even blink, the stick in Tao’s hands flies in front of me and gives Suho a strong blow in the stomach.

“What the , Tao!” Chen is shouting, but Baekhyun reacts quickly, grabbing the other spy by the collar and pinning him on the nearest wall.

I run at the leader and thankfully he’s already standing up.

With a quick move I trap the martial arts maniac in a headlock and drag him away from Suho.

The leader opens his mouth and I prepare myself to be scolded.

“What’s up with your guys?” He practically spits at Kris.

The Head of the other gang is rubbing his eyes, annoyed.

“You’re a total psycho.” I hiss at Tao who’s fighting to escape my hold.

“You can’t call our Duizhang a ‘bastard’.” He bites back at me.

Meanwhile, Kris looks less apologetic than I’d have liked.

“That’s why you shouldn’t have come here.” The Head of ‘M’ stands up and –wow- he’s even taller than I expected.

“We came to talk.”

“Then, maybe you should have talked better.”

Suho is about to blow his top at this, when the door, right next to Baekhyun and Chen, opens.

Two new people come in. A short, round-faced guy and a taller one wearing a hood. The second guy pushes back the hood and looks around.

He has blonde hair and brown eyes- the kind of gaze that I know too well.

My heart is so heavy that it sinks.

My body feels loose all of a sudden. Like it’s no longer mine.

Like everything is turning to ash.

Inside and out of me.

“Watch out, Hun-ah!” I see Suho pointing at my direction and I feel Tao moving violently in front of me.

A ‘thud’ echoes in my ears and suddenly the karaoke room is spinning.

Because some bad things just come crushing onto you.

A/N: So... Luhan appears. I'm REALLY curious about what you think of this chapter. So don't hesitate to comment. 

Also, I know this is extra confusing, so IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PLOT, JUST ASK. 

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