“You’re late,” Sora says the moment I step into our dorm.
 

“Calm down,” I respond. “It’s only 7:15. We’ll leave at around 11:30.”
 

“11:30?” She watches as I walk to our closet, tug out a small cardboard box with what looks like wrapping paper coming out from the inside. “Where exactly are we going again?”

“An old hangout of mine.” I toss a blonde wig styled in a pixie cut at her, along with a black turtleneck. “Put on a pair of pants you feel comfortable in. It’s going to take us a while to get ready.”

“Huh?” Sora eyes the wig in her hands like it is a foreign object that fell from outer space. “Disguises? Why?”
 

“Really? You want everyone in the gang world to see your real face? You want to be shopping in Gangnam and have Himchan come up to you and go wow, Sora, nice top! I saw you wearing it while Hyo was hacking someone’s arms off and have been dying to know where you got it!”
 

Sora snorts with laughter and I can’t resist giggling with her. “I’ll tell him I got it at Gangsters R Us,” she says. “That place is great. They sell Wet Wipes right next to the machetes.”
 

I like this a hundred times more than I like dressing in tense silence, nervously anticipating what we will be doing tonight. I exchange witty quips with Sora as I pull on a pair of black spandex pants, a tight black cami, and a leather jacket.
 

“You should wear this one,” Sora suggests, holding up a wig cut in a spiky green mohawk. “Oh, wait, no, this one! Pink hair would look so cute!”
 

“Yeesh. Can you not pick something so flashy?”
 

“Why do you have so many wigs and costumes anyway? It’s like we have a Halloween store in our room.”

“I brought them along in the event that I would ever need them. Unfortunately, we’ll be needing them a lot.”

“Wow. Cool.”

“Here.” I pull a short black bob cut wig with blunt bangs out of the box. “This should work.”

“Ooh. You look like Angelina Jolie in Salt.”
 

“Great. Now it’s time to contour the hell out of your face.”
 

“Is there even any point in me doing this?” Sora asks, rapidly sweeping a makeup brush over her cheeks. “Himchan already knows what I look like.”

“Himchan’s the only one who knows your name, true appearance, and your association with me. He probably hasn’t told anyone yet- he’s waiting until we see him in person. But from this point on, you need to disguise yourself so no one else figures out who you really are.”
 

“I get a new name, right? Can I call myself, like, Mina?”
 

“Mina? Where the hell did you get that from?”
 

“I don’t know. It’s cute.”
 

“Okay, fine, Mina.”
 

I spend the rest of the time instructing Sora on how to act and speak. Walk in confident; the slightest betrayal of fear and they’ll pounce. Say as little as possible and let me lead, but if they ask you a question, lower your voice and sound assertive. Don’t let Himchan push you around. And above all, do not show that you are surprised or affected in any way, no matter what happens.
 

I can sense Sora’s trepidation. She obviously has no idea what to expect. Honestly, neither do I. I haven’t seen these people in years. Am I just supposed to stroll in and go I'm back! I missed all of you! Oh, Nana, you still owe me 4 million won from your last drug deal.
 

And on top of this, I need to make sure the Crime Relocation Program doesn’t find out that I’m interacting with gangs again. .
 

And then finally, the digital clock on the wall reads 11:30 PM and after ensuring that it is completely dark outside and no one is watching us, Sora and I leave.

 

The first thing that hits me when I walk into Galmegi is how empty it is. Gloomy violin music plays over the speakers as a woman wipes down tables around the pub. A lone figure sits at the bar, sipping a beer, while a handful of neon-haired men talk at a table. Everyone looks weary. Tired.
 

Five years ago, you couldn’t even move a foot without bumping into someone you knew. This place was teeming with activity.

The stench of alcohol permeates the air along with a cacophony of noises that blend together to create an atmosphere of permanent chaos. Hooded assassins with pistols at their sides argue in low hisses with powerful looking men in suits. A huddle of gangsters, all sporting the identical winged emblem tattoo on the back of their necks, stands in a circle, stacks and stacks of 50,000-won notes in front of them. There are weapons everywhere: gun, knives, the occasional Taser, even what looks like a wood bat.
 

Galmegi.
 

The most notorious pub in Seoul.
 

I gulp.
 

“Okay, Lia,” I whisper to myself, making my way through the crowd. “Just act natural- excuse me! Oh, sorry!”
 

A muscular, well-built woman angrily whips her head around to face me. “What do you think you’re doing?”
 

My eyes widen to the size of quarters. “S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to- someone pushed me-,”
 

“Yeah? Really?” The woman threateningly looms over me. “You really want to with me, you little ? I’ll knock you so hard in the mouth that you’ll be hacking out teeth for days.”
 

. ! This was such a bad idea! I frantically attempt to scurry away but the woman grabs my arm and twists it around my back. “I don’t think so,” she growls. “Let’s play a little-,”
 

“Younghee!” A gangly, blond-haired boy suddenly tackles the woman in a huge hug. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”
 

“What do you want?” she snaps, but I sense her expression soften.
 

“Go to Junsu and ask for whatever you want. Drinks are on me tonight!”
 

Younghee’s face brightens. “Someone got paid tonight, didn’t he?”
 

“Yup! Go, go quickly!” He hurriedly shooes her and her friends to the bar, leaving me standing alone in front of him, a fearful look on my face.
 

“Thank you,” I murmur.
 

“You don’t look like you belong here,” he responds quietly. A closer inspection of his face causes me to realize that he is around my age, maybe a year or two older than me.
 

“I- I do,” I stammer, my voice a faint whisper. “There’s something that I have to do.”
 

The boy examines my face with concerned eyes. “I see. Well.” He sticks out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is-,”
 

“So you finally showed up,” a familiar voice drawls. I turn. Himchan is leaning against a barstool, smirking at me and Sora.
 

“Call me Mina,” Sora blurts out, and I cringe.
 

Himchan snorts. “Is that supposed to be your new gang name? Don’t worry. I haven’t told anyone about your involvement.”
 

“Just humor her,” I mutter. “What the hell happened to this place? Where is everyone?”
 

“Things have changed,” Himchan replies, shrugging. “Almost all the old gangs are gone. A lot of gangsters took that deal the police gave them and joined that program- what was it called-,”
 

“The Crime Relocation Program,” I say tersely. “Yeah. That’s what I did.”
 

“Ah. So that’s what happened to you. Anyway, they’re in different places now. Different schools. Different jobs.”
 

“You can’t be serious, though. Everyone can’t have wanted to join the CRP.”
 

“You’re right. Only a few joined. The rest were wiped out by the new gangs.”
 

“New gangs? Are you serious? They were strong enough to wipe out the old gangs? We’re talking about the same groups, right? Like, TVXQ and SNSD and all?”
 

“Yup.”
 

“Holy ,” I utter, letting out a low whistle. “That’s... wow.”
 

Himchan nods grimly. “There are only a handful of us left. Nowadays we just lie low, take up menial jobs for the other gangs. That drug deal I was running with Mina here was for GOT7, one of the new gangs in the area.”
 

“Incredible.” I cross my arms. “I never thought the day would come when Kim Himchan was taking orders from someone else.”
 

“Yeah, yeah. I have to put food on the table.”
 

“Maybe you could do that legally. Why don’t you join the CRP?”
 

“It’s too late now. They wouldn’t take me. Besides, who said I wanted to live a boring, normal life like you do?”
 

I take a seat on the stool next to his. “So who is left? Anyone in particular? That I might know?”
 

Himchan gives me a knowing smirk, and I resist the urge to squirm.
 

“He’s going to be pissed when he sees you,” Himchan tells me.
 

“I know.”
 

And then, as if on cue, a tall boy emerges from a backroom, frustratedly running this hands through his hair. “Himchan, if you called me here just to show me the relics of your last mission, I’m leaving.”
 

I freeze.
 

I can feel Sora stiffen behind me as well. She clutches at the back of my shirt.
 

“Who is that?” she whispers in my ear.
 

    Himchan shoots me a smug look. “Hey, Zelo. I want you to meet someone.”
 

              Zelo eyes me suspiciously. “Who the hell are you?”
 

    I stand up. My eyes never leave his.
 

    “It’s been a while,” I say.
 

    He an eyebrow, appraises me for a moment.
 

                The color drains from Zelo’s face. His features morph from a look of slight disdain to an expression of sheer fury. Within an instant he has whipped a sliding knife out of his pocket; I block my forearm against his seconds before his blade touches my neck.
 

The boy examines my face with concerned eyes. “I see. Well.” He sticks out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Zelo!”
 

“Lia,” Zelo hisses.
 

“Long time no see,” I utter.