“Ah, you’re awake” I can hear a faint voice that seems less distant with every syllable. I blink a few times against the light of a clouded sky above me, to get rid of the drowsiness. Groaning, I sit up from his lap, where I must’ve nestled in at some point during my sleep.

               “What time is it…?” I ask, stretching my arms and yawning. I don’t exactly feel well-rested, but not as tired as before.

               “Afternoon I guess… let me look.” The babyface takes a look at his watch, then informs me, “Almost 3.”

               “Ah, I see…” I groan, facing him. “But when did I switch to sleeping in your lap? Or… did you put me there on purpose?”

               “Kinda. I thought it’s more comfortable for you that way” he answers.

               “More comfortable…?” I repeat. “I bet you just wanted my head closer to your …”

               “That’s not…!” he yells, flustered and face red. “I had no such intentions!” I let out a heartfelt laugh.

               “I’m kidding” I assure and turn around, so that my legs are on the city-side. “And… thanks, I guess.” I hop down, and he does the same.

               “We should return home” he states and attempts to take a step forward, but I hold him back. There is someone watching us… “What? You have something to say?” he asks, looking intently into my face. Idiot. I shake my head. In the next moment, a gunshot is heard and I push the babyface onto the ground.

               “Woah… what was that?” he shouts and I take out my gun, aiming it at where the bullet came from. I can’t see anyone though.

               “Stop hiding, you cowards!” I yell, and a group of young people come dashing out of the shadows the next second. I grab the babyface’s arm and pull him along as I start running. He too takes out his gun and fires a shot that hits a wall somewhere far from our attackers.

               “What was that?!” I ask, visibly upset.

               “I can’t aim when we’re running…!” I feel the need to punch him. Instead, I reach over and grab his gun, letting go of his arm in the process. I find a water tank at the edge of a roof and shoot at it, so that water comes splashing down on our foes.

               “Get back to your home and let me handle this!” I command, shooting the babyface a serious look. He hesitates.

               “But… I can’t leave you…” he stutters, however I insist.

               “Just go!” I shout with such force, that he slowly turns around and then makes a run for it, looking back at me every few steps. I pay him no more attention - I have something else I need to focus on now. With both guns aimed at where my enemies are just getting out of the stream of water, I look for something to hide behind. I find a bench, which doesn’t offer much protection, but it’ll have to do for now. I run and slide behind it, firing a few bullets at my attackers’ feet. Two of them fall to the ground, accompanied by screams of pain, two are still standing and approaching me quickly, opening a fire on their side. I reach the bench just in time to avoid their bullets. Seeing how they’re coming closer and not ceasing the shooting, I’ll need a plan.

               “Damn it…” I hiss to myself. “If only my body was back to normal…!” But I have no choice. I need to act now, or I will be dead for sure. So I jump over the backrest and land on the seating surface of the bench, shooting at both of the people still running towards me at the same time - and hitting one on the shoulder, and one right in the chest. The latter goes down with some last spasms, while the other falls on one knee and shakily points his gun at me. I too, aim at his forehead.

               “Put the weapon down, or you’re dead” I say with such coldness in my voice, that it startles even me. Fortunately, the person in front of me seems to still value their life to some degree, because he drops the gun and raises his hands in defeat.

               “P-please don’t shoot me” he begs, closing his eyes, as I walk over to him and pick up the gun, checking it for ammunition. There are no more bullets in there… I throw it away and over the wall, sending it straight for the river to swallow. That’s when I hear another shot and a bullet flies past my ear, missing it by maybe a centimetre. I look over to the people whose legs I shot and point my guns at them.

               “You too. Throw the weapons away!” I order. They see themselves in a desperate situation and follow my orders. I pick up their guns and send them flying into the water as well.

               “Don’t try any more funny business. Next time I won’t let you live.” With that, I put my guns into my pockets, hiding them from view, and walk away.

               When I return, babyface and the missile are awaiting me, the latter with crossed arms and in an obviously calmer state of mind than the fidgeting nervous wreck next to him.

               “So you did come back…” the leader states.

               “Looks like it.” I attempt to walk past him, tossing babyface the gun I had taken from him. “I took out the bullets. I feel like I’ll use them more wisely than you.” As I already reach the hallway leading to our individual rooms, the missile stares at me and stops me.

               “What do you want?” I scoff, glaring back at him.

               “Mind explaining what made you kill the flowers?”

               “Flowers…? Ah, the ones in my cell” I say. “Simple. I ing hate them.”

               “Do you…? Well, as for me, I fairly like them. Which is why I find it very disrespectful of you to just throw them on the ground like that and let them dry out.” I laugh.

               “You know what I find disrespectful? Three guys locking up a weak, defenseless woman.”

               “Defenseless? Then you can’t be talking about yourself, as I see you’re still carrying a gun around.” His cold stare meets mine. His facial expression gives away none of what might be going on inside of him - quite unlike the other guy in the room. “Pyo” the missile calls out his name. “Could you leave us alone for a while?” He nods and silently gets up, limping away and towards the individual rooms.

               “What? Planning to murder me alone?” I wink at the man in front of me, which leaves him completely cold.

               “I thought we should talk about something…” he announces, shifting his weight more onto his left foot, as if he was relaxing a little bit.

               “Which is?”

               “Your objectives. No - our objectives.”

               “What I want from you for letting you kidnap me?” I rephrase, to which he rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

               “No. Why both of us are doing what we’re doing” he clarifies, then gesturing for me to start talking.

               “I’m after the criminals in this city. I want to hunt them down for the bad they’re doing, and punish them accordingly” I explain.

               “...are you… by any chance… that famous person everyone talks about?” he asks, leading to me laughing.

               “How would I know? If people are talking about me, they certainly won’t discuss that with me.”

               “True…” he says, then getting back on topic. “So you’re basically self-righteously fighting against the evil here?” I nod.

               “That’s another way to phrase it.”

               “Good. We’re actually the same.”

               “So this is why you’re keeping me here… because you think I’m one of the bad guys” I conclude, to which he nods.

               “It was like that at first, yes, but now that it becomes clear we actually have the same goals, I’d like to work together with you.”

               “...why?” I ask, feeling suspicions rising up within me. He can’t have made up his mind that fast and without thinking twice.

               “Because I would very much appreciate a person as strong as you on my team” he states, looking me deep in the eyes, conveying some form of trust.

               “Yes, maybe you would” I counter. “However, who knows if you’re speaking the truth? You could be luring me into a trap for all I know.” I won’t let my guard down so quickly, just like he doesn’t send any signs of giving up soon.

               “I see where you’re coming from. After all, we are a group of gangsters as well. But, as I said, we’re not planning any shady business. We just wanna help in the only way we know.”

               “Then you better expand your view a little” I hiss. “I’m not doing this.” He sighs and steps closer.

               “In that case…” With quick movements, the missile reaches out for my hands, and just as I’m about to avoid his approach, my vision gets blurry and I feel unsure whether my feet are still touching the ground or not. Why must this happen now…?! He turns me around and smashes my body into a wall face-first, pressing his own weight against me from behind, holding my hands behind my back. Very close to my ear I can hear his breathing, that seems louder than it should be.

               “You’re not as strong as they say…” he talks to me in a low voice. “Or maybe, you got weak just recently…?” Bullseye. Him stating the facts like this while he has me immobilized doesn’t exactly make me appreciate him in any way. I have no strength to even try freeing myself, so the only thing I’m left with is hissing back.

               “Let me go, or you’ll regret it!” I threaten, to which he can only chuckle.

               “Regret it how? May I remind you that you’re the one at a clear disadvantage here?” It almost sounds as if he was mocking me. He does have a point though.

               “If I tell you I’ll think about it… are you gonna stop this bull?”

               “Maybe… Try it!” At the comment, I get the feeling he’s playing with me. And I absolutely despite that suspicion. Nevertheless, I figure it’s better to swallow my pride in this situation and play along for now.

               “I will consider working with you. But please do give me a night to think about it.” Silence. Then he bursts out laughing as his grip on my wrists loosens and he steps back.

               “You sure are fun to play with! I’m giving you until morning to decide” he says, smiling like an idiot, while I just stand there, dumbfounded, and staring at him as if he was an alien of some sort. Maybe he is… I wonder if that really just happened or if my still foggy mind is playing tricks on me.

               “You’re far too soft…” I comment under my breath.

               “How do you know? You haven’t properly touched me yet.” With that he flexes his arm, feeling his biceps. Ah. And he’s stupid too.

               “If you’ll excuse me… I’ll be off” I say as I turn around, when he stops me once again.

               “Remember to clean up and get new flowers, got it?”

               “Pff, I sure as hell won’t” I snark back.

               “What’s your name, by the way?” Ugh, can’t he just let me go already? I just want to sit down…

               “Y/N” I say, not being able to muster the strength for yet another mind-game.

               “I see… my real name is Lee Minhyuk.”

               “I’ll still call you missile. Sorry.” I shrug, then finally get to disappear. This person is a real pain in the ...