When she’d finally finished counting the stars, Song Eunji liked to turn her attention to her scars instead.

She’d had many of them, Eunji did. Though over time her scars were kind enough to fade, she still knew exactly where each scar was or had once been; she even remembered each reason as well. As a lonely young thing, she had enough time to kill… And tonight was no different.

It was on her way back home that she’d stopped skimming her fingers over her wrist, taking note of the cool, almost blistering air. Eunji had gone on a walk to the mountains to relax her mind (and her pain as well, actually) after having gotten the beating of her life. It was dark, and at the very top you could see the moon and stars clearly. There she liked to rest for a little while, for the night was a balm to her aches. Her stepfather, Song Yongjoon was irater than usual lately, and had to take his anger out on something.

Eunji just so happened to be the nearest thing.

Thing. An object, rather than a human.

“Tch,” she scoffed as she walked through the streets. If only she could exact revenge on her bastard of a stepfather… Then he’d learn. She should’ve been nervous, but tonight she’d felt like her nerves were set alight in excitement.

Tonight, Eunji would be escaping, you see.

Eunji took a deep breath in before pushing the creaky front door open. As usual, the atmosphere of the place in which she lived with her stepfather was unpleasant and cold. Uninviting. Stale. Walking in, she rubbed her shoes on the mat before slipping them off and looking around warily.

Yongjoon was here, but he wasn’t making himself known just yet.

This wasn’t going to be some quick and easy escape. Though Eunji had half-heartedly packed a suitcase, she knew more work would be required. She had to retrieve the stash of money she’d hidden in the kitchen, grab her phone from the cellar (she had to hide it there or else he’d kill her), and pick up other items scattered throughout the house.

If anything, it was almost like a game.

Only after she’d collected everything could she look at her stepfather in the eye and announce that she was leaving.

Her plan was, so far, to catch one of those night coaches to wherever – and she’d simply have to find her way from there.

It wasn’t the most secure of plans, but it was a starting point. Eunji would be able to fend for herself for at least a month with the money she had, and wherever she ended up, she could rent a small room before finding a few jobs and such.

She would be okay.

Just as she was about to sprint for the cellar stairs, that was when Yongjoon’s dangerously icy voice came from the living room.

“Get in here,” he demanded.

Up until now, Eunji wasn’t nervous or frightened or anything along those lines.

But now…? Now she was starting to feel a little bit panicky. It was strange to feel the rush of adrenaline and the alarm of what-could-go-wrong at the very same time. Eunji bit down on her lip as she padded over to the living room and appeared in the doorway, seeing Yongjoon’s large body slumped down into the only armchair in the room. The smoke of the cigarette between his fingers swirled upwards, obscuring his features slightly. Eunji bowed in greeting.

“Where have you been?”

“Where I always go; the mountains.”

“Don’t I tell you not to go there at night?”

Eunji swallowed. “I went before dusk, Dad. I hadn’t realised it was getting so late until just before.”

Yongjoon stood up. As he closed the distance between them, Eunji frowned at his looming figure. He hissed a threat, and grabbed her wrist. “This is for lying to me,” he uttered maliciously, stabbing the lit end of the cigarette down onto her skin. Eunji gasped at the shock of the pain, eyes watering at the suddenness of the offense. “And this is for not obeying rules,” Yongjoon finished. He put out the cigarette on her arm, but as this was a common punishment, by now Eunji knew that to lessen the pain even by just a fraction, she merely had to tense her arm as much as she could and close her eyes tightly. Somehow, this blocked it out.

It worked.

As he shoved her out of the way, Eunji breathed again, immediately closing her fingers over her burnt skin. She her lips, feeling some sort of victory that this would be the last time he could touch her like that.

She’d mouthed a curse, feeling no shame or guilt at all. Turning around, Eunji ran her fingers through her hair and then wiped any evidence of tears away from her cheeks before looking at her stepfather who was pacing around the room, clearly unsettled.

“Can I make you anything to eat? Or do you want something to drink?”

He muttered something about dinner, and so Eunji smirked to herself as she went into the kitchen. Making nonsensical noise to imply gathering pots and pans for cooking, she quickly slipped behind the set of cabinets and crouched down, sliding her fingers in the gap behind them. The stash of money which she’d banded together with rubber was what she pulled out. Wasting no time, Eunji shoved it under her shirt and between her pants.

Now she was feeling that same sense of excitement from earlier.

Eunji silently made a dash for the cellar stairs. It was down there that she picked up her phone, headphones and charger and too nested them in between her clothes.

Then finally she navigated her way through the space between the kitchen, living room and bathroom which led to her bedroom. Staring ahead, she grinned at her suitcase. She ped it to place what she’d collected inside, and then forced in some snacks that she’d picked up from earlier.

She’d get hungry, wouldn’t she?

Now she was ready. At least tonight would be memorable: that on her last day at this godforsaken house, she’d managed to attain some burns as well. Yongjoon could go rot in the bowels of hell for all she cared.

And that was exactly what Eunji planned to tell him as she wheeled the suitcase to the living room to see him slumped back down in his rotten armchair once more.

Yongjoon raised his head to see his stepdaughter staring at him with fierce, determined eyes. Behind her was a suitcase, and her hand was rested on the handle firmly. She stood there almost challengingly.

He sneered at her. But, just as he was about to say something, three hard but slow knocks sounded on their front door.

Both Eunji and Yongjoon appeared almost startled at the sound.

No one interacted with the Songs. No one interacted with anyone in this small, isolated town.

Yongjoon thought immediately however that this was some sort of ‘rescue’ Eunji might have prepared: this was why she appeared at this moment with a suitcase, wasn’t it? It had to be.

Only… Eunji asked, “Who’s that?”

Yongjoon stood up, feet taking him towards her in rapid strides as he growled: “Don’t play stupid, girl. I know your games. Put. That. Suitcase. Away. See just how I deal with whoever’s come for you.”

Eunji stood up straighter. “I don’t know who it is either.”

If anything, Eunji was kind of pissed off.

Really? Just when she was about to make her grand escape, someone had to interrupt?

“Is that so?” Yongjoon asked, disbelievingly. He gestured towards the door. “Go and get it, then.”

Eunji muttered, “Why not? I’ll never have to do this again, after all.”

And so she opened the door, not yet seeing who it was, and instead looking at her stepfather expectantly. Surely he’d arranged some sort of meeting with someone or some people and had forgotten about it up until this point.

But actually it was that specific point in time that two fates had crossed, and were destined to be joined for a long time. Eunji finally glanced up to see an almost ethereal being stare back into her, as if trying to search her soul. He was young – or at least appeared to be so – and his eyes were urging hers to look at him. She felt heat rush across her cheeks as she accidentally looked him up and down to see him wearing a perfectly fit suit, at this late hour.

One thing was for certain: this man didn’t belong to the small town the Songs lived in.

And Song Yongjoon knew it too.

As Eunji bowed in respect, and quickly stepped away from the door, she saw her stepfather was speechless. Yongjoon raised a shaky finger, pointing at the attractive young man who stood at the doorway with a very calm expression.

“If you won’t say anything just yet, at least be… Hospitable. You’ll invite me in, won’t you?”

Eunji thought that if a voice could sound like caramel, then it was this stranger’s voice that sounded like so. It was so smooth – and actually kind of alarming.

He probably made women drop to their knees with just a few words all the time.

She looked at her stepfather quizzically. Just who the hell was this guy and what did he want?

But still, Yongjoon stood there like a fool, until finally he managed to choke his words out: “You… You’re… 20 years…”

“Yes, Yongjoon.” Eunji’s eyes widened a little. No respect? This guy looked a lot younger than her stepfather. And what was the whole business about “20 years”? “I hope you hadn’t forgotten. That would be a shame, wouldn’t it? Well, here I am. Ready to discuss your debt.”

Debt.

Eunji her lips. Finally, the stranger looked at her again. This time it was he who checked her out; but his gaze was hard and intense; like he was taking every part of her in. Eunji stood, practically frozen to the spot, unable to say or do anything. His eyes then met hers, and his lips turned up in the most eerie, slightest of smiles.

“20 years it’s been,” Yongjoon said slowly. “How have you not… Changed?”

The stranger looked amused. “My hair has.”

“But you…”

“Enough chit-chat. I’m not here for that. I’m here to collect my payment.”

“What do you want from me?”

“Simple. A billion won. That should suffice for the favour I did for you.”

Eunji involuntarily spat, “Holy crap,” and looked at her stepfather who looked like he was about to pass out.

There were more questions being raised than answers.

The stranger smirked. “Yongjoon, I won’t lie. I knew you wouldn’t have that type of money on you. I came here intending to take your life as payment for the lives that you made me take. However, I do think that I might be able to propose an alternate option.”

Yongjoon went utterly still at the confession that he was supposed to die tonight. He said, “What? What is it?”

The stranger nodded over to Eunji without looking at her. “Her. Give me the girl. She yours?”

Eunji interrupted before Yongjoon could answer. “I would have killed myself long ago if we shared blood. I am certainly not his. What do you want me for?”

He appeared surprised at her snappiness. A self-assured smile appeared on his face. “You’re a pretty thing. I want you.”

Pros: escape. Cons: this guy clearly had some idea of what he’d be doing to her.

Eunji cleared .

Did this man really have to appear tonight?

What kind of timing was this?

Wasn’t this sort of thing only fit for movies?

“Funny you say that. I was leaving tonight anyway.” She glanced at Yongjoon. “Strange how things work out.”

Yongjoon took enormous steps over to her, grabbing her wrist.

Before he could do so, though, the stranger suddenly grabbed Eunji and shoved her behind him. “Not yours, and not yours to touch either.”

Eunji couldn’t help but notice how his touch was unbelievably cold. She liked it.

“Ungrateful little…” Yongjoon began, but the stranger tutted.

“Is that yours?” he asked Eunji, gesturing to the forgotten suitcase. She nodded. “Give it,” he demanded of Yongjoon.

As if compelled against his will, Yongjoon retrieved the damned thing and handed it over. His face was red with anger.

The stranger looked delighted.

“Do remember this, Yongjoon: I’m a believer in… Justice. You haven’t been let off so easily.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Please take it as so.”

Yongjoon cursed the stranger and his stepdaughter as she was pulled away. Eunji simply couldn’t believe what the hell was happening.

Only when Yongjoon and her now ex-home was out of sight did he release her.

She stared up at him. “I can go from here. Thanks.”

He grinned. “What was that?”

She repeated herself.

The stranger lifted her chin up, staring into her eyes. “How foolish you are. Tell me your name, sweetheart.”

“Eunji,” she said, frowning. How was she foolish?

“I’m Jiyong. Tell me, Eunji. Tell me where you were planning to go.”

And so she explained to him that she had a half-assed plan that probably wouldn’t go all too well. Jiyong’s laughter was as loud and as rich as the night. “How funny. I can offer you something better. I can offer you many things. All you need to do is say yes.”

Eunji blinked. “Well, instead of speaking like that, you can at least tell me what you want to offer.”

“Seoul – I can take you there. You’ve never been to the city, have you?”

Her pupils blew enormous. “You’re from Seoul?!”

“Mm. So, I take that as a yes?”

Eunji beamed.

Jiyong thought she had a beautiful smile.

“I shouldn’t trust strangers, but… I want to go there. What’s the catch though?”

Jiyong’s smile in return was a gloriously mysterious one.

“I’m taking you as payment, Eunji. You either stay with me,” he leaned closer to whisper in her ear, “Or you die.”

AN: I hope you liked the first chapter! If I get 4+ comments I'll update. <33