[-]

 "I think that lady's worth more than three dollars, don't you think?" 

  Jiyong stood a small distance away from the robber and Dara who's pinned against the wall. The robber grunted at the man who has suddenly vaporised behind him. How did he manage to get so close to them without them hearing him?

  "How much do you have to offer?" The robber asked carefully, his breath reeking of booze and cigeratte. Something tells him that this man standing in front of him in a black shirt and a loose jeans isn't someone to mess with.

  Jiyong pulled out his billfold and pulled out three hundred dollar notes, wedging them between his index and middle finger. All the while his eyes were locked to Dara's round, brown ones that are huge with silent fear. 

  He offered the notes to the robber. Warily, the mugger places his free hand on Dara throat before reaching out for the cash.

  In a flash, Jiyong flicked the money onto the mugger's face before he could take it. His hand on Dara's neck tightened upon the impact as he flinched away, hissing. Dara choked, futily attempting to pull the pressure on her windpipe away. For a moment, she felt as if she was going to pass out but just before she did, the pressure was lifted along with the robber's hand.

  Jiyong striked a swift punch on the robber's chest, throwing him away from Dara. Before the robber could even recover, Jiyong followed up with a roundhouse kick his ribs. The robber fell over with the painful growl.

  Dara watched the entire scene unfold by the shadows of the two men on the concrete floor. She looked up shakily with her body pressed protectively against the wall behind her. She knew Jiyong could fight; Seunghyun mentioned about Jiyong's past in the underground fight scene to earn for their living. But Jiyong's attacks were fast, even sub-human. 

  The robber was too easy an opponent for Jiyong. He stood and waited for the robber to try again. The hooded man rolled onto his knees, staggering as he got back up, his eyes clouded with blind anger and confusion. He charged forward again towards Jiyong, cursing incoherently. Dara inhaled sharply and squeezed her eyes shut, her heart pounding against her chest so hard it feel like it's going to burst. 

  But Jiyong is agile. He side stepped away from the racing man who pounced onto nothing but thin air before slamming down onto the cold ground. 

  The robber spluttered, bleeding from his nose. Murmuring slurs that neither Jiyong nor Dara could hear, he drew out a swiss knife from his side pocket. The Caporeigme lifted his eyebrow in amusement at the weapon on his opponent's hand, further dousing fuel on the latter's anger. Jiyong shook his head internally. Did he really thought he could rob someone with something as pathetic as that toy?

  The mugger lunged towards the young mobster again, this time with the knife that shimmered under the yellowish overhead lights. Jiyong didn't duck, but instead, he held his position firmly. The perfect timing and distance to immobolise the loser is already calculated in his head. He just need to wait for him to get close enough and he'll make sure that the lowlife wouldn't get back onto his feet again. 

  Dara shrieked at the sight of the knife. Instinctively, she flunged herself infront of Jiyong with her eyes tightly shut. 

  "!" Jiyong cursed. With an arm, he swung Dara behind him by her waist and grabbed the blade of the knife with another. 

  With rage triggered, Jiyong attacked mercilessly. He pulled the blade away from the robber and elbowed him in the guts. The mugger doubled over in pain before the Capo sent a deadly punch onto his jaw, knocking flat to the ground. Jiyong glanced back towards Dara, his eyes now dark and unreadable instead of the looking taunting but relaxed like earlier on. Dara stared at the scene in front of her with her lips slightly parted, frozen on the spot.

  Jiyong turned his hardened expression back onto the groaning man on the ground. He stepped a leg over him so that the robber is now lying in between his legs. Jiyong bent down and flicked the sharpest blade of the swiss knife open before tracing it menacingly on the robber's jawline. Unable to counter attack, the mugger begin to beg for mercy.

  The Caporeigme curled his lips upwards, making him look more dangerous than he already is. His lifted his left palm, the one which he used to catch the blade earlier on,and smeared the blood on it onto the man's face before lifting the knife up threateningly.

  "Don't, Jiyong!" Dara screamed, stepping forward urgently to grab onto Jiyong's arm. The Capo turned his dark gaze to her. Is he planning to stab the guy?!?!

  "We're fine now, let's go." Dara pleaded, her voice breaking. Jiyong's eyes lingered on her tearstained face and an unexplainable hatred for the mugger filled him. With a grim face, he turned back to the mugger and connected his balled fist to his face again, ignoring Dara's shriek. The mugger lost consciousness.

  Jiyong was storming away in front of Dara, who followed behind him with small steps. Her heartbeat is still erratical from the earlier ordeal and she isn't really in the mood to find out how did Jiyong find out that she's in danger. Jiyong's obviously furious for some unknown reason.

  "Jiyong?" She squeaked. Immediately, he spun around.

  "WHAT?" He yelled, making the already traumatised Dara jump. Frustrated, he ran his hand through his hair, messing up his usual neat comb up. 

  "What the hell is wrong with you, Park? How could you have thrown yourself infront of a knife like a rag doll?" Jiyong hissed. He vividly remember the sudden, fleeting, but undeniable presence of fear in him at that moment which is confusing him so much that his head felt like blowing up. 

  Mobsters don't fear.

  He glared angrily at the girl, who's dressed in her hoodie sweater and a pair of pyjamas pants. Dara twisted her fingers together with her head hung low. She could feel the tears behind her eyes.

  "I thought he was going to kill you." She answered in a soft voice.

  "And?" Jiyong demanded.

  Dara looked up, stunned. "That's- that's all." She stammered. "I just didn't want you to get hurt."

  Jiyong stared at the girl, that weird, ed up feeling of warmth coursing through him again. What the hell is wrong with him?

  "Come. I'll take you home." Jiyong said flatly, walking speedily towards Dara and grabbed her wrist. He stopped when he realised Dara isn't moving.

  "I need my best friend now." Dara said meekly. Only Bommie can make her feel better now. She can't go homein this state either.

  Jiyong watched Dara called Bom and tried to tell her what happened without breaking into sobs. He could hear the muffled yelling on the other line of the phone spilling out from the phone. He stared at how she's holding back to not cry. It's that ing feeling again.

  "She's coming to pick me up." Dara informed Jiyong after she had hung up. Bom is rushing over now. 

  "If you don't want to get attacked again, wait for her in the convinience shop." Jiyong ordered. 

  Dara complied obediently. A few steps later she turned around to Jiyong who remained on the same spot.

  "Would you.. wait with me?" She asked, her eyes filled with hope. She didn't want to be alone.

  That feeling appeared again and the Capo shut it off quickly. 

  "No." He answered coldly. Dara slumped her shoulders in disappointment as Jiyong swiftly turned around to leave. He must be really pissed off because of the trouble she gets him into. 

  Jiyong got into his car and promptly slammed his door shut. He sighed loudly, leaning back against his seat with his arm across his eyes. He actually wanted to kill someone as insignificant as that drunk mugger. What on earth has hacked into his system that made him that furious?

  This stupid girl.

  Tiredly, he started the engine and drove off. Dara traced the backlight of the car and it is only when it had disappeared out of her sight that she allowed herself to snuggle her face into her arms on the table in the store and cry. The way she was suddenly grabbed into the alley, the darkness of the area and the asphyxiation were all too much. The outcome would be unimaginable if Jiyong hasn't came. She should have never gone out for the toothpaste.

  On the road outside the small shop, the car that left made a U Turn back and stopped by a distance. The Capo racked his hair in frustration. He wanted to just get away from her and that creepy thing he's feeling but he couldn't. He glanced out of his window towards the crying girl in the shop. The useless mugger was nothing to him but he didn't knew how scared she was.

  "Then why the heck is she worried for me..." The Caporegime muttered to himself, his brows knitted tightly together. As far as he remembers, he's hell to her.

  He sighed. At first he only got himself associated with her because she was clumsy and hillarious. He was curious. She has never lived in Itaewon and he wondered how an oddball like her would survive in a place with a culture like that. That's all. She was entertainment to him. Like a Live-Sketch Comedy.

  He enjoys discussing about her with his team. She's a breather out of the usual conversation topic that they have, one that revolves around which bastard to take out next and who could have possibly betrayed the family. It was so much less complicated to talk and laugh about her. She had become some sort of a stress relief for him unconsciously. He didn't have to worry anything sucg as guns and ammunitions when he's with her. 

  In the distance, he sees a taller girl in sweatpants dashing towards the convinience stall, her long, slightly red hair bouncing on her back as she ran. He recognises her as the other salesgirl in the boutique that Park worked at, the shop where he buys his shoes. So that's Park's best friend; the salesgirl who's been in Itaewon much longer than Park did.

  Dara shot up as the bells on the shop door trinkled. Bom rushed to her and she jumps into her best friend arms sobbing with her head buried in Bommie's shoulder.

  "WHERE IS THAT DOUCHEBAG?" Bom snapped, furiously, sweating from the run. "I'M SENDING HIM STRAIGHT TO THE GRAVE."

  Jiyong smirked weakly at the sight in 7-11. Park's best friend is throwing a fit while a half-crying, half-arguing Dara is clinging onto her friend's t-shirt, trying to stop her from hunting down the man who mugged Dara. Assured, Jiyong shifted his gear and to the road. 

[DARA]

  The warm sunlights shine through the salmon colored curtains. Slowly and reluctantly, I blinked, closed my eyes, and blinked again. The sheets were pink, confirming that this is indeed Bom's house. This means that yesterday was not all just a nightmare. I sat up and dragged my feet off the bed.

  I dropped Mino a text to tell Grams that I'm with Bommie. He'll be there for breakfast as he always does anyway. I had to lie that Bom is upset and I had to be with her so that Grams doesn't get suspicious. Speaking of Bommie, she's nowhere to be seen.

  I stood up and walked out of the room to find a glass of milk, a frosted donut and a note on the table. 

 
  I called Judy that you're sick today! Don't even think about coming because I am locking the boutique doors. REST WELL AND EAT YOUR LUNCH. See you when I knock off!

  A smile spreaded across my face at the wriggly handwriting. Getting Bommie to calm down yesterday was such a big deal that I almost forgot that I was the one who's attacked. I didn't need the leave, I feel okay now with all that sleep. 

  I brushed my teeth and settled down by the table. Thinking of last night still sends shiver down my spine.

  Never have I seen Jiyong lose his temper like that. 

  The way he fought and beat the drunkard less... I couldn't wipe the way his eyes looked like as he stared straight into the drunkard's eyes when he grabbed the blade with his bare hand. He looked ready to kill then. He was so angry with me for the thing with the knife. 

  Could he be worried for me?

  Just the thought makes me feel a little giddy. Oh my god, Dara. I must be losing my mind.

  I shook the thought out of my head. I wonder why he ended up at that alley as well. How did he know that I'm there? I clearly remember calling Donghae before the robber snatched me away. Unless...

  I places the donut back and grabbed my phone. Quickly, I got into my call records and see that my last call before Bom was 'ALERT ALERT' instead of 'LOOKER'.

  In the confusion last night, my fingers must've jammed on Jiyong's speed dial which is right under Donghae's...

  He actually picked up my call and came to help me. 

  "Wow, Jiyong." I whispered, blinking at the name 'ALERT ALERT'. He brought a drunk me to a safe place when I out in the club, he ensures that my seatbelts are always buckled, he cares and visits the children in the place where he grew up in and now, he actually saved me from danger. Jiyong acts like an android all the time but he's actually this nice of a guy inside. 

  Not all mobsters are baddies afterall. But he sure is a badass.

  I edited his caller ID so that his contact reads his name instead of ALERT ALERT. 

  The rest of the morning passed restlessly. I wasn't in the mood to study anymore and the TV shows in this time slots are all cancerous sappy romances for housewives. All I did was check my email to see if the medical school that I had applied to teach at has replied. Nah. Other than that I mainly just walked around prodding Bom's exotic array of beauty products and soft toys.

  My phone began buzzing and its from Donghae.

  "Hello-"

  "BOM TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT, DARA, WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME? I TOLD YOU TO CALL ME IF YOU'RE IN DANGER!" Donghae said loudly. 

  Sighs. Bom, Jiyong and Donghae. They're all great people.

  "I'm fine Donghae." I said. "I just need sleep."

  Upon hearing his name, Donghae fell silent.

  "Hello?" I asked, almost thinking that he had hung up.

  "Did you see that son of a b1tch's face?" Donghae asked quietly. 

  I shook my head. "No, it was dark."

  "Are you really okay? Does granny know about this? Look, I'll just come over-"

  "I'm okay, Donghae, don't tell Grams. Don't come either, I just need some sleep. Bye." I said, hanging up before he could protest.

  I dragged my feet to bed and tucked myself back in. Might as well get more sleep before the demon of boredom eventually kills me right? Just as I was about to close my eyes, my phone vibrated once again. A text. Aish, Donghae and Bom are overeacting. I'm much better than yesterday. Besides, I'm not hurt at all.

  I grabbed my phone off Bom's dresser again and unlocked it, expecting to see Donghae texting me about wanting to come over. But instead, it was a text from Jiyong. I sat up straight. There was only two words on the screen. 

  I'm downstairs. 

"A mad Jiyong is a hot Jiyong." --- Shakespears, 1594