A/N: I've just finished this after nine months of writing. I posted it on Archive of Our Own originally but decided to post it here in case anyone here wanted to read it. 

Kim YongSun made her way home from school, slowly picking her way along the side of the road. It had been a long day for her, they were nearing the end of the first semester and she wasn’t doing the greatest in some of her classes. She had even stayed late today to get some extra work done but all she managed to do was fall asleep for two hours, now causing her to walk home at a late hour.
She was slightly startled when her cell phone started ringing. Her mother was calling her. “Um, Umma what’s up?”
There was rustling on the other end of the line. “YongSun Ah, your sister is coming home today, she just called. Can you stop buy the store and get her favourite kimchi flavor?”
YongSun had already stopped walking toward her house and changed her direction. “Of course, tell Unnie I say hi, and I’ll be home soon.” They said their goodbyes and ended the call.
YongSun couldn’t get the kimchi her sister liked from the store right near her house, it was one of those small family owned ones that carried the necessities and a few other things. She had to turn around and go to one of those big company owned stores, there was one close enough to her house, she went there often to get ramen after class if her parents were not going to be home. Lucky for her it wasn’t too far out of her way.

When the bell chimed over head as YongSun walked into the store, the male cashier looked up at her expectantly, when he saw who it was his face dropped and he looked almost disappointed, maybe even a bit angry. Confused, YongSun rushed to the fridge in the back and grabbed the kimchi she was looking for.
When she made her way back up to the counter. The cashier was looking out the windows, obviously searching for someone. He looked to be about her age, they were close enough to the campus that she even wondered if he attended her school but she didn’t dare ask him. He had silver hair and a babyish face, she thought he could almost pass for an idol.
He stopped looking for whatever he was hoping to find out the window and rang her up. He faced her with a very bright smile as she paid, but the second she took her purchase he went back to looking out the window, looking more annoyed now than excited. YongSun rushed out of the store and started back in the direction of her house.

YongSun decided to take the back alley on her way back home. Fatigue had come on to her fast and she just wanted to get home to see her sister and eat dinner. She didn’t like how dark the alleys were, weird people tend to hang out here just waiting for girls like her to pass, which is why her parents always told her not to go this way, but she was way too tired to care today, she would just have to walk faster today.
YongSun’s heart sank when she rounded the next corner. A hooded figure was running toward her very fast. Panicked, she dropped her bag and pressed her body flat against the nearest wall. The person however didn’t acknowledge her at all, they just zipped right past her, leaving her alone again in the dark. She waited for a few seconds, trying to steady her breaths and clam her heart. That was a mistake.
The next people to round the corner were stumblin about. It was a group of three men perhaps a few years older than her, they had not seemed to notice her yet. She quickly snached up her bag from the ground and threw her hood up, hoping that she could just sneak by them unnoticed. 

As she got closer she in her breath, averted her eyes, and kept a fast pace but not enough as to draw attention to herself. The men were laughing loudly to themselves, play fighting with each other as the walked past. YongSun let out her breath as she passed them, glad that they passed with no problem. A bit too soon to be relieved. A hand grasped her upper arm and ice slide through her heart.
“Hello hunny.” The man said, still behind her. YongSun was still too stund to move her feet. He turned her around, and she met hungry eyes. “Don’t you want to keep us company?” He asked as his two friends gave a laugh behind him.
YongSun was caught like a deer in headlights. Her body would not move, and her words of protest were stuck in the back of . He pulled her in another step, soju wafted off him and stung her nose. Her body finally kicked into defense mode and she attempted to step back. The man however was not going to have it, his grip tightened on her arm as she tired to move.
“You know?” Said a deep voice from behind the man. “I don’t think she said she wanted to join you.” YongSun assumed it was one of the man’s friends but when the man turned back, obviously confused, she realised the hooded person was back.
The man turned to face the person but didn’t let go of YongSun. “And I don’t think I was asking you, little boy.” YongSun’s eyes focused on the figure, the man was right, the person was not very tall and looked very thin, too thin to take on three grown men, this boy was crazy.
The person shrugged. “I just thought I’d answer for the woman.”
The man dropped YongSun’s arm and turned his attention fully to the person on the other side of the alley. “You think you can take us?” He laughed along with his friends.
“I can try.” The person said with a hint of humour in their voice. 

The man stepped out in front of his friends, rolling up each sleeve as he did. She watched as the other two did the same, faces full of amusement. YongSun couldn’t do anything but stare blankly at them, concerned for what was about to go down.
The man who was holding her made the first move, circling the hooded figure. The danced around each other a few times before the man threw a punch.
The boy dodged him easily and the man’s fist hit the wall, he cried out in pain, now holding his wrist in his other hand. The two friends did not wait for a cue to attack now that their leader was hurt. The both went for the boy, throwing fist in an almost choreographed way. The boy managed to side step them all as well as landing a few punches of his own. YongSun couldn’t believe what she was watching, and yet she still had not moved from her spot. The boy seemed to have noticed this as well, he dodged another few blows from the men, causing them to hit one another. He ducked out of the way and ran forward toward YongSun, he bent down to swipe something off the ground then grasped YongSun by the wrist.
When she didn’t budge they pulled harder. “Move.” He growled at her, her feet finally gave in and she allowed the stranger to pull her away. 

They ran the rest of the alley. YongSun could hear the feet of the men pursuing them. The boy quickly changed direction and pulled her into another alley beside a store. They quickly stripped off the hoodie they were wearing and tossed it on the ground. YongSun was taken aback. The person’s hair fell out, it was long and blonde. Her t-shirt was loose enough to hide most of her body but without the hoodie YongSun could see the outline of her . The girl pushed YongSun against the wall and stepped in to hide her face from the mouth of the alley, using her long hair to hide them from the men.
They were so close that YongSun could feel the girl in front of her breathing heavily, just like she was. YongSun wasn’t completely convinced that her racing heart had everything to do with the running. They stayed like that until they heard the men run past, and even then the girl kept them concealed for another few minutes. After what felt like an hour the girl in front of YongSun stepped away, the cold immediately rushed YongSun where the girl just was. 

She stayed were she was watching as the girl picked up her hoodie and put it back on. She threw something at YongSun, it was her kimchi, she must have dropped it when everything started. YongSun opened to thank the girl but a phone went off. It was not YongSun’s but the other girls.
She pulled it from her pocket and placed it over her ear. “Hello?” YongSun couldn’t hear what the other person was saying but they sounded angry. “Yeah I know I’m late, I got…” She glanced over at YongSun. “Held up. I will be there in a minute.” The girl hung up with phone and stepped out into the street, flagging down a cab. YongSun stumbled out behind her. The girl opened the door of the cab but instead of getting in she grabbed YongSun by the arm and pushed her in the cab, closing the door behind her. She stepped up to the front window and dropped a few bills in the car. “Don’t let her out until her is home.” She told the driver. “Some guys were harassing her.” The driver looked like he understood and she dropped another bill on the seat. The cab pulled away and YongSun watched as the girl pulled her hood back up and jogged back in the direction they came. She made it all the way home before she realized she never said one word to this girl. 

After dinner YongSun sat at her desk trying to study. He eyes kept glazing over the words on the page, her mind drifting back to the blonde girl in the alley. Who was she? Where was she from? Why did she just leave? Will YongSun ever see her again? These questions kept looping in her mind, not letting her focus. She finally gave up and went to bed, fully knowing she wasn’t going to get any sleep that night.