Haru reveals the tidbit a little too brightly but, she was really just trying to find some humor in it. Sometimes laughing at her life makes the reality less depressing. 

But, again, the humor skips out on Yongguk. 

For a few seconds, Haru and Yongguk just stare at each other before she finds it too hard to keep looking him in the eye. 

“So, because I am the daughter of Nabi’s top dog, we will be okay.” Jongup should be heading here now. There’s nowhere they can hide her that he shouldn’t be able to find. As he likes to brag. 

Haru has some doubts but in this situation, she was not going to be pessimistic. A special day is just within hours. No way is she sticking around here. 

“And, these men?”

“Geomi, most likely.” Not like they gave into her request to flash her their tattoos. “I admit I pissed them off. Sorry, Yongguk.” 

Unlike Haru, Yongguk couldn’t look away from her. Youngjae had already told him but it was something quite different to hear it from Haru personally. Predictably, it was still hard to believe.  And, in that moment, everything he ever witnessed about her came to mind. How she didn’t flinch in the presence of criminals, her response when he asked her about her parents, and the emptiness of her home. 

And, it brings this sadness washing over him. 

She tried to leave. To escape it. 

The silence in the room is broken at the sound of the clanking metal door once more. 

Haru couldn’t help but groan. They’re back to play. “Yongguk, can you do me a small favor?”

“What?”

“Just keep quiet.”

Haru eyes the wooden sticks in their hands as they walk towards them. As long as she keeps their focus on her, Yongguk won’t even cross their minds. If she can stop one more hit in his direction, that is considered a victory.

“Back to throw another tantrum?” She forces her voice out. 

With each step closer, her body stiffens to guard whatever was coming her way. 

“She won’t be able to take more.” Yongguk utters from beside her. 

Before they were in earshot, she whispers in his direction. “If you say one more word, Yongguk, I’m going to have to ask them to knock you out.”

The first hit wasn’t too bad. 

The next, yeah, it was kinda bad. But, with her attention on Yongguk, it wasn’t hard to overlook the pain shooting up her body. Still, they didn’t spare him.  

In her case, they wanted to beat her but not to death.

In Yongguk’s case, they didn’t care. 

So, Haru tried to fight back. She kicked and kicked until they were all needed to somehow hold her back. Let that sink in, they needed six men to hold a 17-year-old girl back. Predictably, her energy begins to deplete. Biting down on her lip hard enough to draw blood, Haru promised herself that she was going to make their lives pure hell. 

And, it may have been due to her slowly losing her sanity but she swore she felt the place rock. 

Her movements still and maybe she hadn’t gone crazy yet because the six men in black suits also halt in their struggle. 

They turned their heads toward the shut doorway.

“What was that?” One muttered. 

A brief silence follows before the sound of the clanking door shatters the silence. It swings open but not a soul was there. 

Is she seeing things now? “You guys have ghosts here or something?” Under hooded eyes, she whispered. 

She couldn’t pass out now. Not when she could possibly see ghosts – 

Oh, wait, no ghost. It’s just Jongup.

She fights to keep him in the line of sight but her head drops, her view