Author's Note: I really hate it when people make their stories "Members Only" and mostly "Subscribers Only." Like, I understand it's your story and you can do whatever you want, but that just feels like you're pandering for karma or have bad writing and have no other way to get attention. I wish this was like reddit and the karma was purely based on your words and interaction, not tricks.

"You are the sky. Everything else - it's just the weather."

--Pema Chödrön

It had been nearly a month since Junko had last seen BAP in the hospital. She lay on the loveseat against the wall, comforter laying across her hips. There was not yet enough light filtering through the high rise's top office for her to make out much, but sitting up the beach a handful of miles away was still visible through the full length windows. Waves lapped lazily at the sand, wearing it away decades at a time.

She gazed through the wall of glass, listening to every breathe drawn, thinking back to the last holiday she had been there with her family - her real family.

Way back when Jongup was little they had driven out to the Incheon coast, car loaded to the brim with tents, toys, and enough fireworks to charge admittance. Their mom and dad worked to set up two large tents and a sun canopy while Junko and Jongkeun set up the folding table and chairs near the firepit. Jongwoo and Jongup watched everyone do their part, talking excitedly about the fireworks they would shoot and the food they would make together. It was Jongup’s first time actually using fireworks instead of just watching them, and the boy couldn’t wait for the sun to go down.

“Noona, Hyeong!” Jongwoo called as he skipped up to Jongkeun and Junko sitting panting in the sand after a tussle with the plastic bench.

“Yes?” The twins called back, turning their heads at the same time. They were much more in tune with each other as children, watching the same cartoons, dressing in the same colours when they didn’t mean to, waking up at the same time and wanting the same thing for breakfast. The only thing they didn’t have in common anymore were school subjects ; Jongkeun beat out the school in history whereas Junko had placed in all the math competitions to date.

Jongwoo jumped onto the older twin’s lap when he reached them, Jongup followed suit but just choosing to stand near Jongkeun until his brother pulled him into his empty lap anyway. In Junko’s lap Jongwoo wiggled excitedly.

“Can we do the fireworks yet? Mom and Dad said that Jongup and I can do them if you help because you’re old.”

Jongkeun laughed loudly at the middle sibling’s words, patting his head from where he sat in the sand. “Older, not old. Why don’t we wait until the sun goes down so you can see the fireworks?” Looking up Jongkeun could see their mother smiling fondly at them as their father pat the sand off his knees.

He had cleared the firepit of old wood and burnt beer cans, mixing the ash left behind before getting ready to look for driftwood. The man knew his youngest son would love to see the show of different colours the wood would put off as the metal salts reacted with the fire, but he would have to remind them to be extremely cautious of the smoke.

Looking to his wife he couldn’t help but smile, pulling the giggling woman to him so they could both admire their children playing happily together in the sand. They let Junko wrestle Jongwoo into the sand until Jongkeun finished the countdown before Mr Moon called the boys to help gather firewood and Mrs Moon had Junko help prepare their dinner for roasting.

As the afternoon wore on the children grew tired of making sand castles and hunting for new shells buried in the sand, but not nearly as drowsy as their parents. Their father would sneak away every once and awhile for half a cigarette, and their mother would have been napping if she weren’t checking the kimchi stew over the fire every couple of minutes. Jongwoo swore he had caught them kissing, but at eight he didn’t know much about love, just that it was something parents did.

Before they knew it the sun had disappeared, and with full bellies they watched the stars erupt into view, a new distant galaxy popping up the longer they gazed into the darkness above.

Preoccupied, they didn’t notice their father sneak into the back storage of the family car until he dropped a footlocker full of pyrotechnic surprises at their feet. Jongkeun didn’t have to look to know his brothers were shaking in excitement - even Jongup, the shyest of the siblings. Mr Moon handed Jongkeun the butane stick as Junko gave her younger brothers a crash course on fire safety and corralled them closer to the wet sand and waves.

An hour had passed before the firework supply had a decent dent in it. Jongkeun and Jongwoo chased each other along the shore with Roman Candles. About 10 feet away Junko sat on a towel, her ankles crossed around Jongup who sat in her lap with a sparkler in his hand. His eyelids were drooping after his escapade with the low grade explosives, head bobbing as he tried to stay up with his older siblings. Smiling, she ruffled his dark hair, watching the last bit of ashes fall off the end of the sparkler and into the sand.

“Noona?” His lethargic call was met him a low hum. “Do you think we can do this every year? With you, and Jongkeun-hyeong, and Jongwoo-hyeong?”

Junko rested her head on top of her brother’s and smiled wider when she felt his small body relax further into her’s. “Did you like the fireworks that much, Jonguppie?”

“I do. But I like being with you and the hyeongs more.”

Her hold tightened around Jongup ; the steady rise and fall of his chest slowed against her arms as he slipped further into sleep. From down the beach Jongkeun and Jongwoo raced after each other to where their other two siblings sat. Jongwoo opened his mouth widely, preparing to let loose a mighty roar, but when he saw his younger brother sleeping so soundly he swallowed the mouthful before it could surface.

“Noona!” He whispered loudly, half out of consideration and half because he was out of breath. “I love fireworks! C’mon, let’s do more!”

The eldest shook her head as lightly as humanly possible. “Uppie’s already asleep, and Mom and Dad are getting ready for bed. We can finish them tomorrow, okay?”

Jongwoo sighed lightly before smiling and nodding - beside him Jongkeun laughed. The twins maneuvered their limp sibling until he was resting soundly in Junko’s arms. She carried him gently into the children’s large tent and set him down on the sleeping bag near the centre. Junko had to sleep in the middle of her brothers otherwise a ‘wiggle-fight’ would break out in the middle of the night between the youngest and oldest brother. Jongwoo liked sleeping on the edge of the four because he seemed to give off more body heat than the others and as such got hotter when he slept. Jongkeun slept on the other edge, effectively sandwiching Jongup between him and Junko.

Teeth brushed and water bottles lined up nearby, the twins sat just outside the opening of the tent. Jongkeun braided Junko’s hair while she watched the two younger ones ; Jongwoo had fallen asleep as soon as he had laid down. Junko could tell he was trying to fight off sleep just as hard as the youngest. Even if he was two years older than Jongup he still had a bit of growing up to do before their similarities would completely disappear.

“Keunnie.” A low hum came from behind her. “Did you and Jongwoo burn each other?”

Jongkeun laughed quietly, tugging a strand of her hair and earning a small yelp. “Not too badly. Just like when you and I shot each other with Roman Candles. Remember? When I accidentally lit part of your hair on fire?”

“Why do you think I was so hard with them about fire safety? I had to cut the rest of my hair to even out the length. It was the shortest I had it since we were born.”

As if he knew what she was going to say, Jongkeun tossed the finished braid over her shoulder. “Is that why you always make me braid it?”

Both of them dusted the sand off of their legs. Junko flashed her other half a bright smile, twirling the thick braid clumsily around her finger. “No, that’s just because my arms get tired.”

“Then cut it off, you don’t really need it.”

“Then you cut your off.”

Jongkeun cast her a wild look before looking to their parent’s tent across the fire pit. “Don’t cuss! Mom and Dad might hear you!”

Junko covered to keep from waking the younger two with her laughter. “What? That’s a name in English, you know.”

“Really? Who’s named ?”

Both of them settled down around Jongup who turned towards Junko. From behind her Jongwoo moved back just far enough so that his was pressed against Junko’s, the closest he would ever get while they slept. She could do nothing but smile, wrapping her arms once again around Jongup.

“Batman’s sidekick, Robin. His real name is Grayson.”

Scoffing, Jongkeun stretched his arm over Jongup’s side until his hand rested on Junko’s elbow. “That’s not fair. Robin isn’t real, you just like Batman too much.”

“Fine, then you can be .”

The memory replayed in her mind the whole drive to Seoul. Junko hissed a sigh and composed herself the best she could, pulling into a parking spot in the far end of a flower shop’s lot. The shop, though large, was rather inconspicuous and made the perfect location for what was to again become the base of a 1000 Year House faction.

Since the passing of Mung Jibae, the number of men Junko commanded had become overwhelming. Zero Line was the smallest faction of The House as far as numbers went ; the Vanguard was in charge of assisting the Incense Master, so despite being on the same level of Deputy Mountain Master and Incense Master it could be said that she was not as big of a cog in their wheel of malfeasance.

But a few days ago, word had gotten to her that Y-Den was to be rekindled. Ho Seyoon, Zero Line’s Straw Sandal, came to her with news that a man was to be made the new leader of the former gang, and as such she had to make arrangements for the induction ceremony.

A young woman was pruning roses at the counter when Junko entered. The woman glances up quickly before frantically dropping her shears and shuffling around the counter. She dropped into a deep bow as Junko closed the door.

“Dragon King,” she greeted stiffly.

Junko shuddered both at the title and the artificial chill of the shop. “Just call me eonnie.” The young woman straightened and smiled, returning to the flowers.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you.”

“Since I was been arrested, right?” Junko leaned on the counter, watching the other woman’s precise movements with the clippers. A thorn landed near her arm which she flicked across the counter. “How has business been?”

“Quiet. Not nearly as many repeat customers.”

Junko knew what she meant by this. Because she was acting as the Straw Sandal to make up for the late Flower King, all of their informants and protected businesses had been coming to her office instead of the shop. Few civilians came to this shop because of their high prices for the low standard flowers, and that was exactly as they liked it.

“Business will be picking up again. We’re planning a party pretty soon, and I heard this shop will be getting a new owner. You won’t be bored anymore.”

The florist chuckled sarcastically, moving onto the next rose in the bouquet. “Bored? Nothing is ever boring here, especially with you here.”

Before a retort could be made, the door to the flower shop opened again. Not expecting another customer, Junko turned lackadaisically towards the door - and soon regretted it.

A man the young leader had grown very familiar with stood in the doorway, looking just as shocked as she before their expression changed to a mix of anger and humour. With his hands tucked arrogantly into his pant pockets Detective Mok Cheolki leant against the shop’s glass door.

Middle aged, his hair was swept back, neatly groomed and trimmed. His suit fit nicely, the jacket open to expose a crisp white shirt and his badge hanging in the middle of his chest from a chain. If it weren’t for their rocky relationship, Junko could have considered him decent.

“Well, well, look at what dragged its way back into town. It’s nice to see you again, Junko.”

She returned his gaze with a glare and turned until the small of her back rested against the counter. “You’re greeting is a little late there, Detective. I’ve been back for a while. Did you miss me?” Junko slid her hands into her own pockets mockingly. Cheolki moved to cross his arms.

“That’s a nice suit you have there. Lawbreakers like you live better lives than us. Right?”

“Of course. It’s only natural. We do this with our lives at stake. We’ve got to be good at living.”

He leaned away from the door and took a few steps forward hoping to use his height as an intimidation tactic. “You’re right. If you want to stay alive.”

Junko could practically smell the minty musk of his breath as he stood not five feet away. “We’re not guaranteed a tomorrow. Why not have fun today?”

In a flash Cheolki gripped Junko’s bottom jaw in his right hand, putting enough pressure on it to cause her discomfort. On the other side of the counter the young woman slapped her shears onto the counter, hand jutting towards the area below the counter, but before she could grab anything Junko motioned for her to stop. Head angled upward her lips curled just enough to form a grin.

“Your grip has gotten weak, Mok. Didn’t have me to throw around for exercise? Or is Momma being too soft on you?” Her voice was wavering with torqued into an awkward position.

Cheolki gave her a quick once over, turned her head side to side pulling a growl from the bound woman. He knew how easily he could turn the situation and decided to end it before he did anything to get written up for. Instead, he opted for an easier option ; tightening his grip on her maw, the officer pulled the woman away from the counter and gave her a hand shove backwards. The top heavy throw sent Junko tipping off her feet and into a plastic stand holding vases of bright blossoms.

Glass smashed on the tile floor as flowers and water flew. Junko sat in the middle of the mess, head down as she felt the water creep through her layers and hair.

At the counter the woman flung her hand towards the door, glaring deathly at the man. “Get out of here. Now.”

Without a glance the detective reached into his suit and produced a wad of multi coloured bills, tossing them onto the counter and turning to leave without a glance at the two women. “Hope today isn’t your last, Moon.” The door eased shut behind the retreating figure.

The florist sighed and grabbed the money, counting it quickly. It was more than enough for the damage done.

“Not a boring day. Especially with you here, Junko.” From the floor she heard a snort.

Junko wished for nothing more than a boring day.

Hongdae is one of those places that has more people at night than they do in the day. Neon lights paint the streets in a psychedelic glow and the number of people stumbling or being carried far outnumbers the amount of people walking straight. The problem was, this was one of the only areas where one can find a bar with private, rentable back rooms for drinks. Which is exactly why Bang Yongguk is staring out of a heavily tinted window, watching the people pass and hoping he didn’t anyone looking back - he knows there’s no chance that anyone could, but the mind is not too easy a thing to fool, especially his.

The far door swung open and his brother walked in, all smiles and handfuls of beer. Yongnam set a trio of Sam Adams in front of his seat and a matching set of Asahi Super Dry in front of his twin. Behind him was a man carrying a tray of drinking snacks, and after he unloaded the grub he bowed and left, shutting the door softly behind him. The older of the twins popped open a bottle of each with the opener supplies before settling down on the floor across from the other.

“Since when does my little brother drink Japanese beer?”

“We’re 12 minutes apart,” Yongguk retorted with a small smile and lifted the bottle to his lips, reveling in the smooth, dry flavour.

“Well, I need something to brag about.” Yongnam took a swig of his own drink before handing the other male a pair of metal chopsticks who gladly accepted. Yongguk, though, didn’t follow Yongnam’s lead in digging into the arrange of food, and this set something off in the older. He glanced at his brother staring whistfully at the grey label of the bottle in his hand. “Are you still thinking about your contract?”

Yongguk shook his head without a reply. It was true, his contract with TS had gone south once BAP had been formed. None of the six boys were allowed cell phones, and if he hadn’t lied about serious family trouble, Yongguk would not have been allowed out to see his brother. Discussions had been had amongst all the members in private, but until Junhong turned 19 in Korean age, there was nothing they could really do. The young rapper had been nearly brought to tears with guilt, cursing his age for their predicament, and the others reassured him again and again that it was not his fault, and that it would never be his fault. No one blamed him, so he should never blame himself.

Yongnam brought him back out of his trance. “So, is it a girl?” He secretly hoped it was.

Yongguk shot him what was supposed to be a pointed look. “No,” he hesitated, “I mean . . . yes?” He raised his hands defensively. “Yes, but not romantically.”

There was a look of shallow disappointment on Yongnam’s face. Yongguk could only sigh.

“Look, if I tell you anything about this, you can’t say a word. To anyone. Promise?”

“Of course,” Yongnam reassured completely serious. Yongguk sighed again before launching himself into a lot rant about what he had been keeping in for the past month.

“I mean, I should have seen. Jongup was so helpful and creative. I thought he had just gotten a lot of ideas from a manga. Even before we debuted he came up with using “the king is back” as a catchphrase. Was I just being a bad leader? Not listening to them enough because I’ve been focussing too hard on our music?”

Yongnam watched his twin inhale half of his third beer while he still turned the bottle of his second one, still cold, in his hand. “Yongguk, you’re not a bad leader. You even said Jongup didn’t say anything about even having a sister until she showed up. You read the newspaper every day, but there is no way in hell you could know they were related, especially when they didn’t mention her family in the article you showed me. I mean, how many people in Korea have the name Moon?

“Besides, how can you tell if someone is a gangster, especially a woman? Unless they have something like a huge scar over one of their eyes, it’s damn near impossible.” Yongnam finished off his second beer. “I feel like you’re fretting over something you have no control over like you always do. I know, you have a hard on for the law, but what can you do realistically? You’re doing nothing but keeping yourself up at night.”

This sent Yongguk into another long bout of silent thinking. Yongnam let him have his moment of internal struggle before offering an ideo he had been mulling over since all this information was dropped on him. “Introduce me.”

The rapper sent the rocker a bewildered look. “What?”

“Let me meet her. You know I’m a better people-person than you. You’re a great guy, but you’re shy. Besides, it’s the least you can do for missing my birthday.”

“Our birthday,” Yongguk corrected.

“Our birthday,” Yongnam repeated. He watched his twin shake his head and bring the beer bottle back up before realizing it was empty ; he set it harder than he meant to onto the table.

Yongguk shook his head, eyes closed. “I don’t know if I’d be able to see her again.”

“Is she ugly?”

For the first time in the last 20 minutes Yongguk laughed, albeit dryly. “That’s the thing, she’s gorgeous. She has manners and is well spoken too. I just don’t understand why she turned into a gangster, especially while studying the law for Christ’s sake.” Yongguk fished the mp3 player from his pocket, his only means of messaging his family and friends even if it was dependent on wifi. With a swipe he unlocked it and hunted for the picture he couldn’t bring himself to delete. Junko and Himchan had forced everyone to take a group photo to commemorate the dinner they had made together the day before she left.

He slid the device across the table to his brother who scooped it up quickly. The female in question was front and centre with the visual, both smiling brightly. Yongguk was at the far end of the table looking like he was truly enjoying himself at the faux family dinner. Yongnam whistled lowly and zoomed in for a moment before passing it back.

“You’re right, she is pretty. All the more reason for me to meet her.”

Defeated, Yongguk shook his head and looked his sibling dead in the eyes. “I can’t tell you no, but I’m not introducing you. She lives in Incheon, that’s all I know. With how gangsters are today I have no doubt they have a business office with their name on it somewhere. Just look for that, but look for it alone. I’m not even supposed to be here, let alone in Incheon.”

Yongnam nodded in complete understanding. He could read the worry on the other’s face from a mile away. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll Skype you whenever I leave so you can know I made it out alive.” The relief that spread through him when Yongguk smiled was palpable throughout the whole bar. “Now, why don’t we actually talk about something fun. But before that,” Yongnam hopped up to his feet and moved to the door. “More beer!”