I guess I have no choice but to eat my sorrow away.

There’s a small little ice cream shop a few blocks away from campus, stocked with every flavor from mint chocolate chip to banana cream pie. Joonmyeon and I used to go there all the time freshman year, before we discovered the beauty of Italian desserts. That’s where I’m headed now, in an oversized black hoodie (which I later realize is Joonmyeon’s) and a beanie I bought from a garage sale. The frosty December wind nips at my cheeks as I absentmindedly gaze up at the grey, overcast sky, not really thinking about anything at all. Christmas is right around the corner. Sparkling red, white, and green lights twinkle everywhere. A group of little elementary schoolers- maybe eight, nine years old- is singing Christmas carols around a corner. There is a cardboard sign in front of them that reads, Caroling for Charity: All Proceeds Go to the Song-Nam Children’s Hospital. I drop a 10,000 won bill into the bucket next to them.

It really is a beautiful day. One of the few peaceful moments I have had in awhile.

My phone buzzes with a text. Sighing, I glance down at the screen-

Sora: SOS SOS

“Oh, ,” I hiss, pulling up the tracking app on my phone. Sora is in some building located in the opposite direction of where I am walking to. “, , .”

I whirl around and sprint to the building as quickly as I can. Onlookers give me curious stares as I barge past them, my chest heaving and fear rising up in my chest- oh my ing god, what if a gang got to her- what if BTS got to her?! She’s off-campus- they did say anywhere off-campus was fair game- oh, no, no, ! My hands are trembling and I literally have not run this fast in my life- I check my phone screen again and Sora is moving around inside the building- she must be trying to run away-

And then finally I am in front of a place with a large neon sign that reads Fire Club on the front. Getting through the front is no good- I hurry towards the alley behind the building, looking for a back entrance-

Then Sora is sprinting towards me, terror in her eyes. A handful of hooded figures are hot on her tail. I surge forward and launch myself at the first figure. He- I am assuming it is a he by the deep groan he lets out- attempts to grab my arms but I elbow him in the side of the head and jam my fist straight into the bottom of his chin. Two of his friends come at me and I crescent kick one of them in the crotch before landing a punch straight into the other man’s gut. The man staggers back and his hood falls down. I reach over and rip off his face mask.

“Jeon Jungkook,” I snarl, but cannot spare another moment, as the rest of BTS charges at me.

“Get back, Sora!” I bark, reaching into my pockets and pulling out my twin knives. The members of BTS I previously injured have recovered from my blows. They surround us, eyeing me as I glare at them through narrowed eyes.

6-on-1. Someone’s missing.

Five of them are nothing to worry about. They’re good fighters, but they’re not better than I am.

There’s only one person I have to watch out for.

This fight is going to be me against Taehyung.

“I don’t think one gang versus one defenseless girl is a very fair fight,” I say in a light voice. “Why don’t you guys pick on someone your own size?”

One of the figures scoffs. He lowers his face mask- Yoongi. “You really think you can take on all of us?” he says.

“I don’t have a choice, do I? You see, I kind of have to protect Sora from heads who’re trying to hurt her. That’s what friends do.”

Another one of the men chuckles. “She’s getting cocky because Joonmyeon’s safe.”

I bristle. “How do you know about that?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten so quickly, Hyo,” a smooth voice says. Hoseok pulls off his face mask and I grit my teeth. “You’re the one who requested for him to be kept completely safe. None of us are going to touch him. Sora, on the other hand, isn’t completely safe.”

“Does anyone else find this ironic?” someone else says. Taehyung removes his mask. He is snickering at me and Sora. “Kim Lia is swearing to protect Kim Sora? Oh, that’s just rich.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Sora growls from behind me. She has been silent all this while, but now she steps forward, her fists balled angrily.

“Oh, nothing,” Taehyung says, giving her a smug smile. “If you had just come with us and listened like we told you to-,”

“You ing kidnapped me, you creep! I was picking up lunch when everything went black, and then I wake up and you ers are all standing around me! What the was I supposed to do, sit there and listen to you like a good girl?”

My lips curl into a smile. Good, Sora. Buy me some time.

I scan the alleyway that we are standing in. The only path that leads back to the street is past Taehyung, Yoongi, and Jungkook. I already sent out an alert to Zelo and Himchan, but they might not be here for another few minutes.

Which means I’ll have to figure out something fast.

“You’re on the wrong side, Sora,” Taehyung snaps. “Your father really wouldn’t want you to be fighting against us.”

“Oh, really?” Sora crosses her arms. “My father- the guy’s who’s practically married to the Department of Justice- wouldn’t want me to be working against a bunch of gang members?”

“He’s the one who arranged our marriage. We’re all childhood friends-,”

“I don’t give a ! And you were never my friend. You bastards. Sora’s not completely safe, my . I’d like to see you try and touch me, Hoseok.”

“Are you kidding me?” Taehyung protests, cutting off Hoseok (who is trying to speak above him). “Who was there for you when your brother died?”

Sora stiffens. My eyes flit to her in surprise. Her brother’s dead?

But she only hesitates for a second before she shouts, “You know what? You’ve always been a pretentious , and the rest of you idiots haven’t been any better!”

“How have we not been any better?” another member protests. He rips off his face mask- Jin. “Don’t compare me to Taehyung! Look at this face!”

Taehyung whips his head around in indignation. “What are you talking about? You should be honored to be compared to me-,”

“Oh, and don’t ever say anything about our ‘marriage’. Marriage? Ha! What a joke!”

“Speaking of our marriage, I’m going to need my ring back. You yanked it off my neck on the night of the street fights. Thanks for that.”

“I’m not giving you anything-,”

In a flash, I have flung one of my knives at the man standing next to Taehyung. Before he can even let out a scream of pain, I grab Sora’s hand and lunge towards Taehyung. He is so caught off-guard that I manage to plunge my knife into his arm; he hisses in agony and staggers backward, but I am already sprinting down the alleyway as fast as I can, Sora in tow.  

“Knock it down!” I scream, gesturing towards the large green trash bins behind us, and she hastily follows my instructions. BTS runs after us, dodging the trash cans and other pieces of junk we fling their way. My heart is beating out of my chest and I quickly turn a corner, jerking Sora around so sharply that her arm nearly pops out of its socket. The sound of bullets ricocheting off the narrow walls of the alleyway echoes in my ear- I quickly shove Sora’s head down as we burst out onto the street. Oh, no. Why didn’t I notice this before? Almost everyone we’re running past is wearing a face mask. I see bulky trench coats, outlines of knives in jackets- oh, no.

This must be the new gang district.

“We are so ed,” I mutter.

People start to take note of us: first, because we’re dashing through the streets at top speed, and second because BTS is obviously chasing after us. I pull my beanie down lower on my head- , why didn’t I bring a face mask? If someone figures out that I’m Kim Lia, and I look like Park Hyo, I’m ed.

“Cover- your- face,” I pant, pushing Sora’s head down as we rush through. “Almost- safe-,”

I’m still so sore from the street fights. I feel like I am about to die.

No. I can’t give up. I need to get Sora to a safe place-

And then- god bless- I see the Seoul Precinct #8 police station several yards ahead of us.

“Yes,” I breathe. A surge of adrenaline pulses up through me and I increase my pace, holding onto Sora’s wrist for dear life. She sounds like she is on the verge of tears; I know she is going to collapse at any moment- I need to get to the station-

And then finally we burst through the doors of the police station, heaving and almost hyperventilating and close to sobs. The police officers sitting at their desks simply stare at us. For a few moments, it seems like the world has come to an utter standstill.

Sora turns to me, her lips curved up into a weak smile.

“At least I got my workout in for today,” she squeaks.

And then promptly passes out.

The station explodes into chaos.