It didn't surprise AhRa to see the back of her brother's head as she entered their apartment, despite it being early and today being one of the few he had to sleep in. She wasn't surprised to see the concern and anger and annoyance on his face, either, or the way he tapped his foot when he was trying hard not to yell at her.

"Where were you, AhRa?! I get the late night walk things—you need time to think, that's fine. But you were out after dinner, for the entire, bloody night. How am I not supposed to worry?!" She barely grimaced at the volume of his voice or his tone; she'd spent a good portion of the dawn preparing for it.

"I'm sorry, oppa, I should have called. I stayed over at ChaeRin's." The anger dissipated almost immediately, replaced by surprise.

"Oh," JiWoo said slowly, brows furrowing. "I didn't know you two still hung out." It was news, certainly, and hopefully good news. AhRa had been so reserved since they moved back to Jjiluldo, keeping to herself at all times and if she wasn't at home, then she was in the park, always alone.

"We do sometimes. She's living alone now, so I guess she's easily bored." With a perfectly even tone, AhRa made no mentions about what else they did when they "hung out" together; none of ChaeRin's hacking or AhRa's training or their strategies and plans.

Again, JiWoo reacted slowly, nodding as if he was uncertain. "Look...just call me next time, okay? There's been another incident in the city…"

At this, AhRa rolled her eyes. "When isn't there an incident in this city?" JiWoo didn't know, of course; he couldn't. She would never be able to tell him why she was telling the complete truth whenever she said she could handle herself; never be able to tell him that she spent four years honing herself into a weapon, hardening her soul to fight and kill.

"I see your point...but…" JiWoo paused, wondering if he should bother continuing at all. He was treading on thin ice, thinner than he's always been with his volatile younger sister. "You remember SuYeon's brother, JunHong?"

There was a moment when everything stopped for her, a moment where her breath caught in and it was as if she had to restart her heart. She didn't know what gave her the reaction; the mention of her dead friend's name or the confirmation of that boy's identity. AhRa had caught only a glimpse, half hidden in the dark and one so quick that she wasn't entirely sure. He was just a child—still a child, she supposed—when she'd last seen him. AhRa didn't want to know why he was in a place like that at a time like that.

"He was shot last night by some ers," JiWoo continued, having lowered his voice without knowing. He scanned AhRa's face, her eyes, for some reaction. She only nodded slowly, as if urging him to elaborate. "I thought...It hit close to home, I guess." JiWoo had known the kid, too, though not terribly well, but he'd been there when his mother called JunHong's and he knew what life was now like for him.

"Is he okay?" She hadn't seen where he had been shot, hadn't seen what kind of damage might have been done.

"He's in the hospital—Jjiluldo Memorial. Maybe...you could check in on him?" Because his parents aren't going to. JiWoo knew how this might affect AhRa, how it might turn all of progress back—and she really did make progress. She might be wandering around at night, up to who-knows-what, but she was talking, and apparently she was opening up just a little more to their cousin ChaeRin.

AhRa hesitated before answering, taking a long moment to try and predict how she might go about doing this. "I...guess. I'll visit around lunch." JiWoo's reaction was slow, but a relieved smile spread over his face despite the monotone of AhRa's response.

"Good, good, I'll make something you could bring to him, then!" And with that, her all-nighter was forgotten.

Though staff seemed to have attempted to make the hospital room more, well, hospitable, it felt so unbearably cold and empty. It mattered not that the nurse had come in as soon as JunHong had woken to draw his curtains, that sunlight flooded the room and that the cheap flowers next to his bed had bloomed.

He was alone, mind still blurry from the effects of a drug-induced sleep, and he realized how he hated silence.

The silence had fallen over his family four years ago, permanent and suffocating. Rather than mourn, JunHong had spent the years following his sister's death outrunning that silence, turning to skateboarding and mechanic work and an unusual group of friends. He was rarely home—not that it mattered. His home was no longer so much of a home as it was just a bed and roof over his head, where the house itself was trapped in a single moment of time so buried beneath the dust that even his own memory had begun to blur.

JunHong had forgotten the silence, and now he'd remembered it.

His left hand lay on the bedside table, fingers twitching towards the phone. No, he shouldn't—he was enough of a burden to his friends, who'd taken on the role of both brothers and parents since they'd met him.

I'm just bored, that's all. No need to bother anyone.

Instead, JunHong chased away the silence with the television, playing games on his smartphone. The silence was gone, but the emptiness of his room remained.

He heaved a sigh, ignoring the ache that came with the movement. For a brief moment, JunHong's mind wandered back to the previous night, to their attackers, and the gunshot, and that masked girl. Though he'd already accepted the risk of hanging out in an area like that, working in a place like that, JunHong could have never imagined that he'd actually see this vigilante in real life.

Anyone who'd seen the news as of late would have at least heard of this girl. A skilled fighter who had incredible aim with her throwing knives, proficient with firearms, and so incredibly fast that some of JunHong's less creative classmates called her "the phantom girl", who often stepped in during criminal activity.

She'd already put a stop to two large-scale drug deals, one weapons deal, and had gotten a corrupt politician to confess his crimes on video. It was also said that she was every bit as ruthless as she was righteous, that she would not hesitate to kill or maim if things didn't go her way. Apparently unassociated with any of the criminal groups in Jjiluldo and thus without their protection, the police had thought it was be easiest to focus their attention on her. She'd thus far remained completely elusive, outsmarting and outrunning the police each and every time.

Even now, the night after seeing her in action, JunHong still thought of her as almost some kind of urban legend. Vigilantes weren't restricted to fiction, but one like her, with her skills and mysterious persona—there was something exciting about that, something removed from reality. He didn't know if it was the after effects of the anaesthesia and painkillers, but it certainly felt like the previous night had been some bizarre dream.

He stared at the wall in front of him, the television and the voices from some historical drama filling in the spaces left by the emptiness. With his thoughts settled, JunHong was left with nothing once more. He tried to focus on what was on the TV, trying to forget that he was in a hospital and that his parents must have been called, but they were not here. It wasn't working.

When he heard the knock at the door, JunHong first thought that finally someone had taken time off from their daily activities to visit him. Then, he realized that his friends wouldn't have knocked—the number of times they have barged into the washroom while he was in the middle of his business was abhorrent, really.

"Ah, yes?" A nurse bringing his lunch, perhaps, or someone to check on him.

The door opened, slowly, and a figure slipped through, her shoulders slumped slightly as if she was uncertain. It took him a long moment to recognize her, and the surprise that came was abrupt and painful.

"AhRa-noona…" His jaw fell slack, and he was sure that his eyes were bulging slightly. She responded with a small, uncertain smile, nodding.

"JiWoo-oppa told me you were hurt...I thought I'd visit." AhRa raised the packed lunch so that he could see it more clearly. "I thought you might not like hospital food, so I brought you some lunch."

JunHong nodded, momentarily too shocked to speak before remembering to thank her. She approached slowly, and JunHong's gaze swept over her, almost as if trying to decide whether it was really AhRa or just an imposter. "I thought noona was travelling…." She'd disappeared for four years, her family having whisked her away to England. The last JunHong had heard of her—from her brother—was that she took time off from university to travel.

There was a certain weight on her features, a burden with which JunHong was familiar. She had been the age he is now, the last time he'd seen her, and he' always remembered her looking so much more...vibrant, fierce. She had been the overprotective noona whom he really didn't mind being around and every bit the firestorm and biting snark that could balance out his sister's tranquility and pensiveness. Now, AhRa was quiet, uncertain and guarded.

"I...thought it would be good to come back. Enough running away, you know?" AhRa settled into the chair beside his bed. He had to admire her for that, for despite the obvious change, the way it had affected her, she would return to this place full of memories and blood.

"It's good to see you, noona," JunHong finally said, after a long moment of contemplation. AhRa did smile back, just as tentative. "And thanks for the lunch!"

"Ah, I guess you'll be having my food for dinner then, Zelo-yah." The male voice must have startled AhRa, who'd visibly tensed before turning toward the door. JunHong, on the other hand, was far less startled and really just a bit surprised.

"Hyung! I thought you were in class?"

The handsome young man had an unfamiliar face, and he eyed AhRa with unveiled curiosity as he entered the room, a plastic bag no doubt containing food dangling from one hand. He was more conventionally, traditionally good-looking, with a heart-shaped face, pouty lips, and a certain confidence in his expression and features that made AhRa suspect he was rather popular with the girls in his classes.

Recovering from her initial surprise, AhRa stood from her seat, bowing slightly just as the young man did.

"Hyung, this is...SuYeon-noona's childhood friend, Kang AhRa." JunHong hoped that no one had caught the slight hitch in his voice at the mention of his sister's name. It felt like centuries since that name had left his lips, the sound of it grating against his throat painfully. "Noona, this is my friend, Jung DaeHyun."

True to his charismatic image, DaeHyun flashed AhRa a charming smile, extending his hand. Hiding her reluctance, AhRa shook it, murmuring, "nice to meet you". She paused for a moment, looking over to JunHong briefly. "…'Zelo'?"

"Just a nickname for him. 'Cause he moves like jello," DaeHyun answered, smirking when JunHong's face turned pink. "I'm pretty sure your lunch trumps mine," he added, glancing at the home made meal on the hospital table, then looking at his own—store bought, no doubt.

AhRa looked unsure for a moment, before trying to appear jovial. "Sorry for upstaging you," she replied, pulling her lips into what appeared to be an amused smile. DaeHyun took a moment to really look at her, gaze flickering from the awkwardness in her posture to the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. He didn't know if this was one of the friends who'd been there during the incident; Zelo never spoke much of it and none of them ever pressed him to.

If DaeHyun had to guess though, then he would have to say that he was almost certain she'd been there. No girl this age would look so haunted without that sort of trauma, he thought. He gave her a good-natured smile, hoping that she would feel just a little bit more comfortable. "Ah, well, I guess I'll have to take up cooking lessons some time, to make up for it."

Zelo snorted in laughter, bringing a hand to stifle the rest of this laugh when DaeHyun shot the younger boy a half-hearted glare.

"Zelo's right, the idea of you cooking is terrifying." DaeHyun bristled at the jab, turning to glare at his hyung, who must have been eavesdropping. YongGuk was leaning against the door frame, eying AhRa curiously before entering the room. "Though, it looks like our Zelo is being well-fed, today," he mused, looking at food.

Approaching the small crowd gathering about Zelo's bed, YongGuk took a moment to look over the unfamiliar girl before bowing politely. She stood for her seat and did the same, looking apprehensive as they shook hands.

Zelo squirmed in his bed, repeating the introduction and in turn introducing YongGuk to AhRa. YongGuk nodded in understanding, knowing better than to breach a sensitive topic.

"It's very kind of you to bring him food," he said. "I'm willing to bet that what DaeHyung brought is anything but healthy."

DaeHyun pouted at his hyung, crossing his arms over his chest. He snuck a glance towards AhRa, gauging her reaction. She had a miniscule smile on her face, almost as if she was just humoring them. He had to wonder if it was because she was shy, or if it had truly been a long time since she's smiled sincerely.

His gaze flickered back to YongGuk, who was appraising the girl furtively, his brows knitted together momentarily in concentration. He was going to have to ask YongGuk about that, later; despite his masculine and tough image, DaeHyun had learned that the oldest of their group was usually rather quiet—shy, especially around women. It certainly wasn't like him to stare, however subtly he was doing it.

"Have we met before?" YongGuk's question partly answer DaeHyun's own, and he wasn't lost on his hyung's cautious tone, either.

AhRa bristled at the question, and DaeHyun was convinced that perhaps there was something else, until she replied, "if this is one of those cheesy pick-up lines where you say that you've met me in your dreams, I might feel obligated to hit you…." YongGuk's face fell, and he looked absolutely apologetic. AhRa gave him a small smile, as if telling him that she wasn’t serious. It was convincing, though obvious to DaeHyun that the smile was mirthless.

"Aish...no, you really look kind of familiar, though." In an attempt to recover, YongGuk nodded towards DaeHyun. "Though, if you're looking for a playboy to hit, there's one right there." He flashed her a wide, gummy grin, the tips of his ears still red in spite of his smooth comeback.

"Neh, noona, I'll have to warn you that DaeHyun is a bit of a heartbreaker," Zelo added, grinning about as wide as YongGuk had.

DaeHyun only pouted more, trying to look resentful towards his friends but failing to actually feel it. The tension in AhRa's shoulders had dissipated, and though she still appeared guarded, her smiles and laughter insincere, it at least appeared that she was a little more at ease. Only a little, though.

Still feigning hurt, DaeHyun heaved a sigh. "Aigoo, I'm gonna just cry in an empty lecture hall then, since my friends can't appreciate me." He leaned back in the plastic chair, throwing a hand over his forehead dramatically. Through his fingers, he watched AhRa again—and yet again, her smile refused to reach her eyes.

Though she was essentially a stranger, DaeHyun couldn't help but sympathize. When he had met Zelo, just barely a year after his sister had passed, the boy had been in a very bad way. It had taken extraneous amounts of cajoling to bring the young teen out of his shell, to forge him a family that would stand in place of his own, who'd fallen so deep into their grief that it was as if Zelo no longer existed. He could only imagine how much more difficult it must have been for AhRa, whom he realized had not only witnessed the horrific deaths of her friends, but must have also experienced some personal trauma, as well.

"Anyway," he said, straightening up, "I've got to get back to campus. I'll come bother you when I'm done, alright?"

"Yes, hyung, go study hard." Zelo smiled at his hyung appreciatively, thankful that his friends made time for him despite their own burdens.

Briefly, DaeHyun turned to AhRa, flashing another charismatic smile. "It was nice meeting you, AhRa-ssi." She nodded in response, and hiding his disappointment in her reaction, DaeHyun continued his way out the hospital room, making a face at YongGuk as he passed.

"I should probably get going, too. I don't trust HimChan with the garage for too long…." YongGuk heaved a sigh, rubbing his temples.

Zelo made an attempt to not look terribly disappointed, before feeling guilty when he saw AhRa shift in her seat. She'd always been perceptive, and Zelo had no doubt that she realized her presence was making it awkward and pushing YongGuk to leave. "You left him alone, there?!" Zelo abruptly exclaimed, "hyung, what were you thinking?"

Out of the corner of his eyes, Zelo watched for AhRa's expression, hoping that she got the idea that YongGuk was leaving out of necessity, not because this room was becoming rather full with awkwardness. She didn't seem particularly convinced—although, to be completely honest, she didn't seem particularly anything.

"I know, I know, I just wanted to check up on you," YongGuk replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll hop by soon as I can. Maybe HimChan can bother you instead of me, once I get back." His lips stretched into a wide smile, gums bared and eyes disappearing.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'll keep myself entertained." Though he was the youngest, Zelo knew that he wasn't a child anymore. His hyungs have already done so much for him, he couldn't expect them to entertain his childhish needs, on top of that.

"It was nice to meet you, AhRa-ssi. Thanks for making sure the baby is eating right." YongGuk grinned again when Zelo turned pink, before promptly turning to leave. When the room was left with just the two of them, Zelo slumped slightly in his bed.

He was grateful to see AhRa, relieved that she seemed alright—even if that was a very relative term. He, however, wasn't sure if he was prepared to face whatever memories she might have brought with her.

"If you're tired, JunHong, I'll let you rest," she said after a moment, her voice softer than he's ever heard it before.

"Ah—no, I'm happy to see noona." Zelo hesitated, before continuing quite decisively. AhRa was able to return to this city, and Zelo wanted to prove that he had coped, that he'd been able to move forward. "If noona's not busy...can you stay? It's been so long…" He chewed on his lower lip, knowing that catching up with her wouldn't be as easy as if he were to catch up with anyone else.

Her smile wavered and she looked indecisive, but in the end, AhRa shifted her chair closer to him, nodding. "Sure, I'll stay."