I couldn’t hear much of anything around me since the knapsack blocked out the majority of my hearing and breath, but soon I heard a couple of audible voices and footsteps walking toward me.

“What did you do?”

“You told me to grab a townsperson.”

“I didn’t mean like that! Shindong, didn’t you ever learn about hospitality?”

“Um, I didn’t think she was going to come along easily if told her your plan. With all due respect.”

The knapsack was loosened and pulled over my eyes. I was super relieved to be able to breathe again, but the two figures in front of me kept me on edge. The man standing a little to my left had a musky look to him with short, dark hair, sunken-in eyes, and light sideburns. He had a leather based tool belt around his waist with a medium, silver hammer tucked into it. The other man leaned down in front of me and smiled. He was the spitting image of the picture on the Wanted poster Donghae showed me: light beard, also sunken-in eyes, and wearing a cowboy hat with holes in it.

“I’m so sorry about my partner. He tends to be a little rough around handling other people with care. Are you hurt anywhere?” He studied my face and frowned a little. “Shindong, who is this? I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before.”

Shindong shrugged. “I don’t know either, but she was not talking to anyone and didn’t see me come up to her.”

“Interesting. She must be a new resident.” The man’s expression brightened. “How wonderful! I didn’t know this town was a popular tourist spot!”

“Leeteuk, there are foreigner girls who are constantly hanging out near the saloon. Did you forget already?” Shindong asked.

“I guess I never noticed them. Anyway, you’re probably wondering why you’re in this situation.” Leeteuk said to me. “Well I’ll make it very simple for you. I promise we’re not going to kill you. That is none of my intention. My true intention is the bartender. You met him, right?”

I nodded very slowly.

“That scumbag completely stabbed me in the back and sent me and Shindong to jail while he got out innocent and able to keep his job. You know that dazzling gold crown displayed in the city bank?”

I nodded again.

“The bartender paid me to steal that crown for himself, but we were all arrested and sent to jail. I would go after the sheriff as well, but Heechul is my main target now. If he thinks he’s gonna get away with his slimy actions, he’s in for a surprise. And you’re gonna help get us to that situation.”

“Why me?” I asked quietly.

“You don’t want to help us?”

“Um…n-not really…I didn’t want to get involved in something like this…”

“I’m afraid you’re gonna have to help us. If you don’t, you might get severe brain or body injuries from Shindong’s silver hammer.”

Shindong stared at me while his fingers grazed the hammer attached to his tool belt.

I sighed a little. “Oh come on.”

“Don’t worry! Like I said, I promise we won’t kill you. If you go along with my plans. And all I’m telling you to do is to get Heechul alone with you in a remote, quiet part of the town, I don’t care where as long as you let me know, and then me and Shindong will do the rest. Okay?”

“What are you going to do to him?” I asked.

“A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to my question will suffice for now.” Leeteuk’s smile remained plastered to his face but his tone shifted to a warning one.

I glanced once more at Shindong then back to Leeteuk. “…fine.”

“Good.” Leeteuk patted the top of my head. “See, that wasn’t so hard, right? And because you’re a new resident, I’ll give you some time to get this done. So in one week, let me know where you’ll meet Heechul and by the evening of the seventh day, me and Shindong will get our revenge. Sound good?” He looked to Shindong, who nodded. “Okay! Glad we could figure this out together! Have a great evening!” Leeteuk waved at me and stood up. The two of them walked away from me without looking back.

I stared at them long after their shadows disappeared into the desert. Then I slowly looked around to figure out where I was. I stood up and brushed off my dress. I could see the lights from the saloon some distance away. In the dark of the night, I realized I was a little away from the main town in a group of brushes and a large rock. I quickly sprinted back to the main town area and stopped in front of the saloon doors. Most of the people on the inside had left by this point and I could see Heechul locking up the alcohol closet. The light that was still on illuminated from the bar.

I watched him clean up with a very conflicted look in my eyes. How was I supposed to get him to meet me somewhere alone? And better yet: how could a guy like him pay a thief so much money just to steal a golden crown?

I stood where I was for a moment longer, then quietly moved away and made my way toward my apartment. Whatever I was going to do about my current situation will wait until the next day when I wasn’t mentally exhausted. Honestly I was hoping that the talk I just had with Leeteuk and Shindong was just a bad dream. I was certainly not ready for this situation when I moved into a Korean town named Hill Valley…