Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

The thundering against her chest felt just like the vibrations of the bass at a concert, except that this was no concert. The forest was pretty silent, save for the whoosh of the winds and the rustling of leaves. But she didn't know that, or rather, she didn't need to.

There was nothing but the beat ringing in her head, heart pumping to keep up with her muscles. The soles of her feet bounced atop earth and foliage. Her head felt cool, no, cold almost? She couldn't decide. Was it the rush of air brushing against her skin? Or was it the adrenaline pushing her forward? 

She ran, never once looking back in the darkness of that night. 

~ ★ ~

Down the stairs and straight into the kitchen was where Chorong and her messy blonde bun were headed. Needless to say, it was time for breakfast, although the sun was barely up. Early mornings almost always began as dull and gloomy.  

"Just wait until you see that first bit of sunlight peek through," is what Chorong would say, to which Eunji would grumble a fat "no", thus determining their respective shifts at the flower shop. 

Chorong was one of six women of similar age, living together in this old three-story apartment.

The second and third floors were dorms. The first floor comprised of a homey kitchen-living room space, that was locked from a humble flower shop at the front, plus a storeroom off to the side. One important rule in the building, for security reasons, was for the shop to be closed from the communal area at all times.

Well, there was that, and all the housemates worked shifts there. 

Hang on. Beautiful women in their 20s, all with good heads on their shoulders, sharing an all-girls dormitory that comes handed with a part-time job, and no sketchiness included?

Honestly, that sounds too good to be true.

"I know right? Best idea ever!" Yookyung cackled.

"Okay," Chorong mused, "but how do you intend to do that?"

A good friend of Chorong, Yookyung started it all when she wanted to move out from her parents' home. The Hong family liked to baby her, so obviously they were very concerned for her safety. 

The family owned a couple buildings like this one and something clicked when Yookyung first set her eyes on it. A grand idea formulated and her parents were actually convinced, but there was to be one important condition: She would live with only female friends she already knew and trusted, though this wasn't really a big deal as they trusted their girl's sense in people. 

The apartment was refurbished and the store left intact for the girls to run. As for the roomie selection process, it was arguably easy. Yookyung already had some people in mind...