What did he expect to be waiting behind the door, he didn’t know, but definitely not wandering alone in a dark alley. He looked up at the night sky—starless, as dark as a canvas drenched in ink.

He took a few seconds to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. Wait, he wasn't alone, there were approaching footsteps.

“Chaerin?” he whispered, taking small steps towards the source, a hand brushing along the concrete door wall. “Is that you?”

“Where are you going, sweetie?”

No, the huge dark figure appeared at the end of the alley was obviously not Chaerin.

“You can't run from us. No one is here to save you, princess.” Jiyong couldn't recognize this guy, but he wasn't stupid not to know that the wicked grin on his face didn’t mean well.

He stumbled backwards when the stranger entered the alley with slow menacing pace. The guy was about his height but almost twice Jiyong's size. So he instinctively ran, it's not like he can fight off the bear.

But then his feet were forced to a halt as the other way out was blocked as well where three of those ill-grinning boys just turned around the corner.

“Now who do we have here?” Jiyong’s eyes darted between the two ends of the alley as they made their way to the frozen Jiyong, closing him in a circle. From the same baseball jacket they had on, they must be some college students. “Kwon Jiyong, the pretty freshman that makes girls swarm around him.”

“Like bees around a rose,” another added. The others must have found it funny for they dramatically doubled over and laughed so hard with hands holding their stomachs.

The one with the most vicious grin and condescending voice, whom Jiyong assumed to be the leader, spoke again, “Too bad, our Jiyong is gay. Unlike you, Manseok,” he briefly turned to the scrawny guy with spiky hair who looked like he es five times a day, “Jiyong here likes .” He tucked both hands in his pants pockets and spit onto the filthy ground. “A ing .”

Jiyong tried to look past their shoulders with a tiny hope that someone—anyone—might walk past this goddamn alley and stop whatever it was from turning into something worse.

His shoulders slumped, defeated. It's all darkness. And the reaper was nowhere to be seen.

A gesture from the leader and two of the boys stepped forward, each grabbed Jiyong's arms and pinned them against the wall. The force made him want to yelp in pain but he bit his lower lip, his stubbornness refused to give in.

The leader leaned closer, a finger crooked under Jiyong’s chin. “Look at this pretty mouth, is that how you get them all drooling over you? them off with this pretty mouth of yours?”

“Or more than that?” the one that was grabbing his left wrist said, tightening his grip.

“He even made the straightest man from the Photography Major become a ing puppy around him.”

“And that gym freak. Everyone comes to rescue every time we go near their baby boy,” the bear spoke from behind the leader.

“I’m sure he can do incredible tricks with that mouth,” the one with spiky hair said, detestable grin on his face.

“Oh?" With an eyebrow raised, the leader started unbuckling his belt. “Guess we’ll have to see that with our own eyes. Don’t you think so, Jiyongie? Hmm?” A punch was landed straight in Jiyong’s stomach and the two frats holding his wrists pushed him down onto his knees. The sound of his knees hitting the ground resonated through the alley as Jiyong tried not to pass out from the searing pain.

Vicelike fingers grabbed hold of his jaw and forced his mouth open while with another hand, the leader took his soft out of the ped pants.

He tried to fight back but their holds were too strong, too tight. Instead of his body, his tears were on the verge of breaking free. He didn’t even know these guys, didn’t know what had he done to deserve this—being cornered in a dark alley, being called a —and now this, a was shoved right in his face which he was sure he’d be forced to take into his mouth anytime soon.

He couldn’t speak, his mind a messed-up muddle of bewilderment. The only resort he could think of was to pray. If there are reapers, there has to be God too, right? He prayed intently, pleaded the big boss up there to send someone for him, even if his current predicament was too embarrassing to witness.

But nothing happened. He could only stare with widened eyes as the leader of those frat boys took his in his hand and started it.

“C’mon pretty boy, show daddy what you’ve got.” Few more later and the leader tightened his grip around Jiyong’s mouth forcing it to open in a perfect O shape. The other was ready, his specifically.

Jiyong fought to tilt his head aside, a drop of tear escaped the corner of his eye. It could be from the agonizing pain from his injured knees or the impending torment before his eyes. Or both.

“Take your goddamn hands off of him, you ing s!” A figure appeared from the darkness, threw a punch at the frat holding Jiyong’s left hand and flung him to the ground.

The unannounced presence of the blonde took all of them off guard as they stood there, unable to even move a finger. The poor guy holding Jiyong’s right hand was grabbed by his shoulders and a knee kick was dropped right in his abdomen, a left hook in his face followed right after, sending him flying backwards and landing on his back, shrieking in pain.

“Jiyong, you all right?” The blonde crouched next to him, a hand held Jiyong’s face in so much tenderness to guide him to meet his dark concerned eyes. The frightened guy could only blink up at him, not a word coming out of his mouth.

“Speaking of the devil,” the leader was the first to recover from his frozen state. He turned to look at the blonde. “Our great hero is here to save the damsel in distress. Tell me, should I be expecting the prince charming too?”

The blonde sized him up with a disgusted expression on his face. “Park Sungwoo,” his eyes narrowed on the ped pants. “You’d better keep that away if you want to use it again.”

Alarmed, he stuffed his half hard back into his pants and made sure it’s zipped. Then he realized he’d lost the composure as a leader in front of s. He faked a cough and tried his hardest to act tough as he walked up to the blonde.

“Do you know who you’re talking to? I gotta say, that’s some ing nerves you got there, Dong Youngbae. Aren’t you full of yourself?” He tilted his head and stretched his neck, eyeing the other four who had just pulled themselves back from the trance Youngbae’s presence dragged them into.

“You’re a powerful pitcher, you could’ve joined our team, to become one of us. But you threw the chance away just because of this here?” He shook his head in disapproval. “Not a smart choice.” A devilish grin spread across his lips. “But who am I to say no to a self-invited sandbag? What do you say, boys? How about we give the man what he wants?”

The bear stepped closer, clenching and unclenching his fists. “I could use some practice.”

The men gathered around