[ ✦ ]

Bae Joohyun lavished on the good looks of Velvet City, the bustling tourist land that to her looked like a new world entirely after coming out of her hometown. The seagulls flying through the sky, flying to the palm trees and jumping off to disappear somewhere far ahead, the seas clutching the soft sand and dragging it into its liquid claws, floating amongst the loosened bikini top, the occasional plastic bag and whatever else. What a beauty it all was, so exotic and new to the eyes--like the vibrant colors of the world came together to paint the perfect picture for the land of Vacations. Oh, how vastly different from New York it was! From one glance alone, Joohyun noticed the vast difference. The people were lively or at least a lot more energetic than what she is accustomed to, enjoying the tropical weather by wearing lighter attire and some even wearing unflattering colors for their armpits. Some young people dash past others with rollerblades, tourists walking the streets accompanied by old friends, a good chunk of these people retired investors and businessmen and women enjoying their twilight years in the land of adventure and adrenaline the exotic dream of many. 

It’s been the first time in twenty-six years that Joohyun travelled anywhere far, so seeing something so different from home was a mind blowing experience in itself as well as a total culture shock. Was it a bad thing? Not necessarily. 

The city zoomed past her as the taxi drove through the streets and further away from the airport, the driver quietly enjoying his latin music but keeping both eyes on the wheel and the busy street. The view was so gorgeous, so sunny, so pastel colored and creamy, tantalizing to the eyes and somehow very enticing. The sudden crave for an ice-cream was totally because of the weather, but Joohyun’s sudden desire for other exotic cuisine, for a good beer, good music, and a good party all came from the very aura of the city itself. This was more than weird, but somehow nice. It kept Joohyun entertained away from the bad memories and the sour taste left in from her hometown life. 

The pale woman, one Bae Joohyun striking the world with her stoic face and earth shattering beauty, had recently had a few run-ins with dangerous individuals back in New York, you see? To make a story short (because THIS fanfic is certainly not short): Old friends have gotten into nefarious paths in life and with Joohyun’s strong character, she was the target for many petty fights that were--unfortunately, but with expectation--escalating in aggressiveness. She would not succumb to their threats, and she certainly would not succumb to the pressure of tasting even an ounce of . None of that would enter her system so long as she remained conscious and sane.

She has been a clean woman all her life, working cleanly, living and abiding by law, and most importantly she gave it all for her friends and family. A taciturn woman who stood by her family’s side no matter the cause, a woman of her word and a mother to many. Her friends were the most important thing for her, because once when she was young she had very little friends. The friends she had then were greatly appreciated and they had shown their loyalty before. Friendship, for Bae Joohyun, was everything. But her friends seemed not to think of it the same way as she did, at least not anymore.

It merely broke her heart that those friends who she saved from near homelessness, fatal mental breakdowns and terrible decisions were now repaying her kindness so disgustingly. The case that hurt her the most was one Johnny Walker. He was younger than Joohyun and had a rough life before him. The two met by a common friend, Jennifer Santino, and the two seemed to form a lovely bond of brother and sister. Johnny had gotten into debt by gambling and was about to lose the house his grandparents have given him after his parents passed away. The Walkers were no saints (both Walkers had mysterious backgrounds and many rumors behind them), so Johnny was guilty by association and the debt collectors were ruthless. So, Joohyun stepped in and paid what he owed in cold hard cash, no tricks involved but a very honest action towards a friend. They had no choice but to leave Johnny alone, and Johnny was forever in her debt. 

But not all went as planned, at least not like in Joohyun’s mind, which was perhaps a foolish move to start with. For one, Johnny never really quit gambling despite promising to do so and secondly he had become addicted to something else. Drugs that were, of course, encouraged at the Casino he frequented. And of course, his house soon was sold to pay another debt, this time from drug money, and he began living in a ramshackled tenements further down into the poorer parts of New York next to es, guys with fragile egos and anger issues, shady people, unfortunate people with terrible families and past doomed to repeat history and dirty bums that snuck into the building to have a roof to sleep in. Joohyun cut all contacts with the young man when he started gambling again and asking Joohyun for money. She refused, she stood her ground. Months later, the man comes with a bag full of white and a desperate look on his thin face and disturbing eyes. He needed to hide the he stole from the corrupt cops, but instead Joohyun closed the door and called them to where he was.

It was sad to see a man destroy himself like that, a man with such a bright future like him no less. But naturally, guess what happened later? Johnny’s friends seeked revenge and Johnny’s own boss was after her. Turns out that good ol’ Johnny was not only a great and meth salesman once upon a time, he started to get addicted to the merchandise he was supposed to sell and thus now that he was imprisoned they wanted their money back. Or his head. Joohyun was the one that would pay them, guilty by association.

So, amount that to the tons of other problems she had on her back (basically, an aunt of hers wanted to kick Joohyun out of her house because she--and I quote--’is not the legitimate daughter of Jongdae’ and ‘he left the house on her control’ which was utter bull), Joohyun just knew then she had to leave and live somewhere else.

Bae Joohyun pushed away the bad life and the lifeless looks of New York and decided to join an old friend of hers that moved to Velvet City before her. Joohyun’s parents were gone, her family members hate each other and are constantly fighting, her own cousins were turning into criminals, and now her friends were after her because they could and wanted to. Drugs were a hell of a thing, it seemed. Drugs and money, admittedly. Joohyun did not deserve the amount of tomfoolery coming from people whom she trusted before. With the time, she stopped loving New York and stopped feeling a family bond or a duty to staying there for them. They were people whom she knew, but not that she loved or appreciated anymore. They were empty vessels of greed and misfortune that she wished not to be associated with, thanks to how things ended up happening. To boot, she could go outside and feel the fervid and incessant boiling fear of getting caught in the wrong time and the wrong place, the grim, disastrous looks of the vandals doing their work around the streets was saddening.

Staring outside to the city with her cup of coffee in hand no longer felt inviting. Was it the times that were changing? Maybe it was the need for something new, something exciting. Joohyun had made her decision. With no love left for New York, Joohyun got into a plane and travelled down south to Florida, specifically the heart of tourism which was Velvet City. A bustling city with the wet dream of any bored rich american man--old or young--and the aesthetics of a dreamland. Parties, beach babes, the vibrant colors, famous and rich people and the never ending adrenaline rush of having a criminal live next to you. 

Somehow, to the citizens, this was cool and attractive; somehow to Joohyun this seemed a little alluring in the back of her head, and she could understand this excitement.

How ironic. To move out of the gritty parts of New York, slowly getting ridden with crime, the dangerous subways filled with gangsters walking in and out, to move into a more fantastical and glorified part of the country with just about the same kind of crime rates or perhaps worse. The difference was, people got wet with excitement and loved this dangerous city.

She knew crime in Velvet City was also bubbling, but at least in VC she had no connections to anyone or anything and it was her next best bet. Truth be told, she would have not gone anywhere else and as much as she likes to say she moved out of New York for a safer and quieter life, we both know that is not the case. Still, she would be in the clear for the most part. Or at least she hoped, one could never be too sure. Either way, she would rely on her wits, her newfound peace, and her luck to mingle with the right people and form the right connections. She would keep on top of her game, on top of everything, and never miss a beat. She never really did, but it was good to remind herself that she should.

“How long until we reach San Junipero?” Joohyun asked loudly, so that the driver would turn the music down a bit.

And so the driver did, reluctantly but he did. Joohyun hadn’t noticed the driver, having been so distracted with the new world painting itself out before her eyes. The driver was a slightly old tanned man wearing aviator sunglasses. Almost too old looking to be a taxi driver, but she cannot--as they say in New York--knock off (or was it out?) someone’s hustle. Yeah, I know. Even after all these years, she can’t quite get the slang down and she will have a worse time here. 

The man finally turned the volume down to a good level and let out a very endearing: “Ah?”

“How long until we reach San Junipero?”

“Ah! A few more minutes,” he nodded frantically. “You’re new here, right?”

Joohyun squinted. His accent was jamaican, or at least it sounded like it. It could take some time to get used to it, but she understood him. When they said Velvet City was a mixture of races, ethnicities and classes they weren’t joking. So far, she’s seen a lot of african americans, europeans, latinos and even asians or people from asian descent like herself! It was like the whole world came together in this strange place, to explore and engulf themselves in its exotic intricacies and its beauty. Well, dangerous beauty. She definitely didn’t expect to see that many, but this was great. 

Finally, Joohyun nodded. “Yes, I am.”

“What are you going to do in San Junipero, then?”

“Visiting a friend,” she paused for a moment, gauging whether or not she should say more than that. Like HELL she’s going to tell him that’s where she’s going to be staying at. However, his hiss and reaction made her raise her eyebrow up a little in question. Keeping the conversation going was not something she felt too comfortable with, but she will bite this one time. Clearing , she continued. “Is that a bad place?”

The driver looked back and smiled fondly before he put his eyes back on the road. “Careful there.”

Joohyun raised her eyebrow and leaned forth, leaning against the back of passenger’s seat and making herself comfortable, getting a better side view of the old man’s sagging features and impressive nose. “Any reasons why I shouldn’t be there? Plenty of gang activity there?”

“Everyone is a drug dealer nowadays, baby,” Joohyun inwardly winces, but lets it pass. After a brief pause, the man chuckles and continues. “Velvet City is the land of adrenaline.”

So I heard, said Joohyun in her head.

“You might end up living with a dealer or a user right next to you. Even worse if it’s mafioso.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Joohyun said almost mumbling. Somehow, she didn’t think she would be that unlucky, considering what Yerim has told her. “Anything else I should beware of?”

“Carry some pepper spray, learn some karate and stuff. Plenty of teachers here in America nowadays, it’s worth the cash if you grab the right teacher.”

She already knows some, she already has some pepper spray, and knows exactly what to do in case of emergency, but she nods anyways as if she doesn’t know it. “Ah, I see.”

“You should also keep your eyes peeled, too. For they say extraterrestrial beings lurk the streets at night looking to experiment on us. The government says ‘No,’ but I don’t believe them...”

Okay, she was seriously not believing him now. She just nodded her head and kept her eyes out the window again, tuning out on his babbling and tuning into the distant latin beat that begged to be blared off the speakers. If she wanted an existential crisis about life somewhere outside of earth she’d just talk to Yeri. 

Speaking of which, they reached San Junipero’s apartment complex! 

Finally, Joohyun thought. She eagerly stepped out of the taxi, grabbed her bags, paid and bid farewell to the eccentric jamaican senior. With a sigh of relief, she saw the car drive away without much drama. A victory to making it safe! However, the victory is short lived. With an exasperated sigh, she realized she left a bag in the back of his taxi and it was far too late and useless to yell at the old man to get back, as he zoomed right out without a care in the world.

“,” said Joohyun under her breath but carried on. There was nothing of importance in that bag, except maybe clothes and her favorite shirt, but she much preferred to let that go. 

So much for being careful and keeping on top of everything, Joohyun.

Out of curiosity, she looked around the street, the complex. The pastel colors were the ‘in’ thing it seemed, so vibrant and extravagant compared to the slightly grim look of the New York City’s street, or at least where she worked and lived was like that. Here was a new world. The people passing by her were all busy and sporting the height of fashion, the most hip style as they say. Passing by her a group of skateboarders and rollerbladers--lots of youngins there--almost made her throw everything up in the air out of pure fright and surprise. They hollered with that young spirit and vigor that she once shared with them.

Old days gone, or at least somewhat.

With another sigh, she grabbed her stuff and out of the corner of her eye she noticed something that was making her feel slightly uneasy. A group of men, formidable looking, keeping an eye on her, looking a bit tense and ready for… something. It was a daring look that crept under her skin for sure, a look that was best to ignore.

She made sure not to look at them in the eyes, or to look at them period, and that if she did that she did it subtly and without them noticing at all. She went right into the spacious lobby and pushed the strange men out of her mind, though in the back of her head she was alert and a bit tense herself. Maybe it was all the reflexes she developed while visiting the poorer parts of her hometown. She found herself greeted by baby talk and baby giggles as other people chatted around, some coming in and out of the lobby, others going up stairs and down stairs, in and out of the elevator. Joohyun politely smiled and waved past the people who greeted her and she got closer to her friend, who was with her baby in her lap, seated on the couch.

“Who’s a beautiful girl like her mommy, huh?” Kim Yerim said as she entertained her two year old. 

Joohyun looked from afar with a big smile and noticed that the two of them were well fed, well dressed and very happy looking which was a striking contrast to what she has seen before. 

“Yah, Kim Yerim,” Joohyun said to get her attention.

The sentence and its power made Kim Yerim’s head whip up with enthusiasm, an already present smile became a grin. Finally, Joohyun was here! She got up right away with the baby in her arms. Without any more words, they both embraced in a tight hug, like old friends who had not seen each other in ten years. It had been a short time relatively speaking, but so long that Joohyun felt that this once helpless girl was now grown beautifully. Not yet independent or fully capable, but well on her way to be a big woman.

Kim Yerim once came to Bae Joohyun after Johnny Walker got saved from homelessness. Yerim was Johnny’s ‘deranged’ girlfriend Joohyun was told about, in that moment she was an ex-girlfriend, but apparently still deranged. Ironically enough, Yeri didn’t look deranged, and that baby in her arms looked like Johnny with the big pointy nose, Yeri’s gorgeous eyes and the big ears from Walker. 

Yeri was so polite to ask to talk, entering the house only when told to, asking to sit down on the couch and apologizing for the presence of the baby and possible nuisance. Joohyun waved her hand as a gesture that it was fine and that she should sit down and get comfortable. 

Joohyun had only asked the young girl how old she was. When she said she was seventeen, Joohyun’s heart dropped to her . Seventeen? The baby had to be around… a year old! Meaning, the young girl was sixteen when she had the baby, and what’s more Johnny was twenty-three. Joohyun only listened to Johnny’s rant about her, and while she could intuit that some of the problem was on his part, there was something that wasn’t being specified. Her age was just one thing, but other things that Yeri told her were kind of… rough.

After pouring her heart out, Yeri warned Joohyun of Johnny and begged her to never help him with his drug addiction nor his gambling issue. She begged not to help him or his friends (whom Joohyun knew. Travis, Luis, Donnie and some more) and she begged with so much emotion and passion that Joohyun took the advice of this stranger to heart. She was losing trust in people, but Kim Yerim was the one person in the world that needed to be believed. She just felt that she needed to listen.

Deep down inside, she was waiting for Yeri to ask for money as well, but the girl merely asked for some water for herself and the baby. However, she did ask for her address under the pretense that she had gotten so attached to the baby that she wanted to visit.

In reality--and Joohyun would not admit it never--, she got attached to Yeri as well.

After that, Yeri and Joohyun visited each other fondly with lesser heavy topics at hand. Joohyun confirmed Johnny’s story that Yeri was a bit of a worrywart, but she had reasons to be. In return, Joohyun confirmed Yeri’s theory and stories when Johnny came about to ask for money. It broke her heart, it was betrayal, but she turned a cold shoulder to it. 

Eventually, she saw Yeri’s condition and while they were not too abysmal, the girl could live better. So, Joohyun started to plan ahead of time. She knew New York wasn’t the place for them, especially with Yeri suddenly seeing Johnny’s friends walk around her neighbor with no aim or purpose. Joohyun feared for Yeri’s safety.

And so, they both want to start anew in Velvet City. 

“Welcome to Velvet City, Joohyun!” Yeri said softly as she pulled away. “Soojung, say ‘Hi!’”

The baby girl, Soojung, waved with a happy smile before reaching over for Joohyun.

This melted Joohyun’s heart for certain! “Oh, of course, come here,” she said softly as she lifted the baby in her arms and then cradled her close. The tiny little felt strangely nice to carry, and Joohyun wanted to protect her. The baby girl was giggling with so much enthusiasm and playing with Joohyun’s cheeks. “Ah, I missed you.”

“We missed you, too. We were a bit worried,” Yeri smiled with a bit of sadness. “I wish you would’ve come around sooner.”

“I wished it, too,” she leaned over and gave Yeri a cheek kiss. Then, she looked down and noticed she was dressed up. “Did you dress up for me?”

Yeri giggled and shook her head. “No. Well, yes, but I was thinking of taking you around.”

“Oh? Show me around?”

“Yes,” Yeri caressed Soojung’s cheek as the baby tried to play with Joohyun’s earlobe. “But I figured you would go to your house first?”

Joohyun laughed a bit and gave Soojung a kiss on her forehead before handing the baby girl over. “Yes, but I didn’t want the taxi driver knowing where I was going. And I wanted to see you.”

Yeri made a grimace and shook her head, rocking the baby side to side. “You need to let a little loose, Joohyun. People here aren’t so bad.”

Joohyun couldn’t help but her eyebrow up. “Well, I’m not really willing to risk it.”

“Ah, so stubborn,” Yeri smiles fondly at that trait anyways, despite everything.

Nevermind the fact that both the taxi driver AND Joohyun forgot the bag in the trunk.

God save Bae Joohyun.

Joohyun was trying her best to not be paranoid, she really was. But by the time they both stepped out of the apartment complex and went into the parking lot, the group of men were suddenly bigger in number and somehow even more tense than before. Lots of them were smoking cigarettes, many of them looking around frantically. 

Joohyun had unintentionally analyzed them more than normal. Many of them had light shirts buttoned and tucked into their trousers, some of them had light pink colored shirts that showed how much they were sweating. Some of them had sunglasses for this early morning, others just plainly squinted at the sun--making their faces look angry and menacing. One of them had a moustache while the others were cleanly shaven. One of them stood out, an orange buttoned shirt, beige trousers, moustache and glasses. He was the most calm out of all of them.

Joohyun and Yeri just walked past them naturally and without worry, but Yeri could feel the tenseness of her body and so could Joohyun. If they could feel it, then so will the group of guys. They discreetly hurried their pace to Yeri’s car. 

“Joohyun--.”

“I know, I saw them when I came in. They look really suspicious.”

“They are supposed to, they’ve been in shady business with a resident of the apartment,” Yeri tried to keep her hand as steady as possible as she reached out for the key and tried to open her car. 

For this, Joohyun steadied her hand and helped her. “I need you to relax, Yeri.”

“They’ve been around a lot, Joohyun. I don’t know,” Yeri shook her head as she started to arrange everything to put the baby safely in her seat while Joohyun put her bags in the trunk. “I’ve been meaning to move out of the apartment somewhere else.”

Joohyun frowned and looked back, noticing they were slowly migrating. Unfortunately, closer to them. She closed the trunk and grabbed Yeri’s keys. “You know you could stay at my house.”

“I know,” she finally was done. She closed the door, got into the passenger seat--understanding immediately that her hands were far too shaky to drive and her nerves rattled--and closed the door. “I just don’t want to be a bother.”

Joohyun got in, closed the door, locked all of them and started the car. “You’re far from a bother, Yeri. But I don’t like the look of those guys.”

“You shouldn’t,” Yeri mumbled a bit and looked back along with Joohyun as she was reversed the car. Only then she noticed they were starting to get suspiciously close to the parking lot, feeling the danger crawling closer to them and infinitely fearing for the baby. Her nerves were getting the best of her in that instance. “Oh man,” she cried out very shakily.

“Shh, calm down,” Joohyun cooed softly as she pulled out of the parking lot and began to drive safely and carefully--as if there wasn’t any danger--and took off nicely. “There, there, we’re out.”

“Holy , Joohyun,” Yeri sighed out in relief, hearing the baby behind them do her baby noises. Soojung wasn’t scared at least and Yeri had only now come to her senses.

“What do you think they want?” Joohyun asked, keeping her eyes on the road at all times. 

“I don’t know, but it’s probably related to dirty business,” Yeri sighed again and looked back, checking on Soojung. A bit paranoid. “But I know I don’t want to stay there for long.”

“You are certainly not going to,” Joohyun said firmly while shaking her head. “We’re going to my house, we settle then we come back and get your stuff. I am not letting you stay there.”

“But why would they be coming to us?”

“To ask if we’ve seen the person they’re looking for. Probably someone who stole drugs, who hasn’t sold them and paid the quota, hell maybe just to kill the guy,” Joohyun reasoned quickly and sharply, noticing Yeri’s wince. “Sorry… You know the guy they might be looking for?”

Yeri shifted in her seat. “Yeah, he lives on the same floor as I do, I think.”

“That’s your answer. They know you and thus know you might have answers,” Joohyun sighs and stops at a red light, hearing the honking galore behind her. She is patient and will wait, they have a goddamn baby in the car so she can’t risk it. “And I thought New York was bizarre.”

“Hey, at least these guys don’t try to murder you under the pretense that you looked at them weirdly.”

That’s another story for another time, Joohyun thought with a bitter chuckle. “That’s true, but still…”

Then, the rest of the ride was quiet. Mostly because none of them felt like saying anything to change the mood, yet. Yeri was still shaking with fright while Joohyun was a lot more composed and in control of herself. Joohyun could understand that the young girl, of only eighteen years of age no less, was scared--and rightfully so. it’ll take some time to get back to normal.

Naturally, Yeri finally became chatty again when Joohyun was driving in the wrong direction and thus gave her instructions on how to get to her new home in the Savanna district, further away from Yeri’s own apartment. Joohyun was a little closer to the beach and the Palm Beach hotel where many tourists and residents circulated and stayed for their vacation.

Yeri eagerly spoke about her adventures with tourists, and of course one particular young man she found attractive, one european guy, that she never got the guts to speak to. She was running errands in the near mall (the North Star mall) and Soojung was a sleepy baby and the baby always came first.

That made Joohyun really happy.

They reached Joohyun’s neighbor, a lovely cul de sac with lively neighbors. Habited by both young and old people, Joohyun felt this was going to be quite the place to live in. She’d have to remember which of the two cul de sacs it was on, seeing as there was one back to back. Another worry for later. 

Joohyun’s house is right at the end of the cul de sac and next to her house was a bunch of  playful kids playing in the garage. On her left was deserted but with a garden so lively it almost made Joohyun instantly terrified of bees that she had not even seen yet.

Get used to it, that’s how Joohyun is.

Finally, they arrive and they park the car in the garage.

“Here we are,” Yeri said excitedly as she got out of her car and went to the back to grab Soojung out. “How’d you like it?”

“A lot more colored than New York that’s for sure,” Joohyun got out the car and sighed. She meant that in more ways than one. “Here I thought the kids would be stuck playing with their Nintendo or their… what’s that name again? The Comrade 69?”

“Commodore 64, you silly goose,” Yeri playfully teased, grabbing Soojung and giving her a loving smooch to her cheeks.

“Whatever it is,” Joohyun still smiled and locked the car. “C’mon, let’s go inside.”

They both entered the squeaky clean house, all furnished and freshly painted for the new owner. It was an exorbitant price, but it was because it had plenty of space, bedrooms, an office (we know Joohyun wasn’t going to just stay here for vacations and retire), bathrooms, a pool in the back and a good neighbor. By good neighbor, Joohyun knew they meant ‘no drug dealers’ on sight. After all, they had a former Marine living at the beginning of the cul de sac. A man very adamant in justice, said the realtor very honestly. They wouldn’t dare to step in.

Joohyun looked around at the house her and her friend would share, and so her new adventure would begin.

[ ✦ ]

It had been decided quickly. Yeri would be the one driving back and staying with Soojung at the car while Joohyun grabbed Yeri’s most important belongings and jetted out of there. Yeri insisted with her life to get it herself, but Joohyun was a stubborn and firm woman who preferred to put herself in danger rather than putting a freshly eighteen year old girl in the eyes of dangerous individuals. 

However, they were counting on the fact that maybe the dangerous looking men were already gone. They were surprised that by the time they parked in the parking lot, there was no one. Very few cars, no one was walking about.

“This is lonely,” Joohyun expressed with a soft tone of disdain. 

“They must’ve been scared, too.”

“Or partying,” Joohyun glances over at her watch. It was a little after three. But from what she gathered, every hour was a time to party in Velvet city. “I’m going in there,” Joohyun said as she got out of the car.

“Joohyun, are you sure?”

“I’m sure, I promise,” she leaned against the car. “The first moment you see someone suspicious I want you to hit the goddamn gas and run, okay?”

“Without you?”

“Yes, without me.”

“But--.”

“Do it for Soojung, Yeri,” and with that she closed the door. 

Yeri could not argue with that logic, and even if she wanted to Joohyun would not hear it. Stubborn. Yeri sighs and lets Joohyun take off to the apartment with the key in hand and a lot of bravery. She was charged and ready for anything. She was moving with a fluid quickness to her movement as if she was born a rabbit, born ready to slither fast and away.

She walked into the lobby and saw not many people. One man in the couches waiting and another one just getting up to leave. She paid no mind, it was none of her business.

Making her way further into the lobby, she reached the elevator and called it down. Patiently she waited, though her body somehow more impatient than her brain; her foot tapping madly and her fingers fidgeting but her breathing and reasoning was normal. The door slides open and she’s about to enter when she notices two men standing in the elevator. Completely still, eyes fixated somewhere else.

Holy . 

Orange shirt, moustache guy, calm and almost frightening, the other one with long shaggy hair and a blue hawaiian shirt. 

Joohyun only connected gazes with them for a second before they walked past her without a word or sound. Her blood was a bit frozen for a brief second before she ever so naturally stepped into the elevator, called to her floor and watches the door close.

The door slowly slid to a close, but Joohyun could see the moment one of them turned around to see her face again. A brief second too long. Her eyes widened just for a second, thinking she was about to get blasted, but the door closed shut and the elevator was moving on up smoothly without a care in the world. Almost too slow for her taste.

Or maybe it was slow enough for her to compose herself? She let out the biggest sigh in relief. Good god almighty! She needed to move fast, she doesn’t want to get caught in the crossfire if something is about to go down. But… it would have gone down already.

Would it?

There’s not many people in the lobby, outside or in the parking lot. If it went down, it would’ve gone down already. People would have gone away screaming and also the cops would be there. 

Joohyun clings to the bars in the elevator and breathes in deeply.

It doesn’t erase the fact that maybe it was about to go down.

Thump, thump, thump--.

Ding!

The elevator opens and she gets out right away, walking down the hall to the familiar number on the door. This is Yeri’s room, the key fits right in and the lock clicks satisfactory--but the click also sounds in Joohyun’s head as she throws a quick glance to the door a little further to the right. She sees no signs of blood or rough housing, just the door slightly open. Suspiciously open. She’s no fool, she won’t take another glance, let alone go inside. She opens the door smoothly, trying to not make a sound.

Now, it was time to get to work. She got Yeri’s duffel bag and stuffed thing after thing in there. In her mental map, things were ticked out and erased. Meanwhile she moved hastily and slightly panicky inside, she thought deeply and careful of all the worst case scenarios. What if there’s goons outside by the time she’s done? What if they found nothing in the apartment and are still looking out? Will Yeri be okay or will she be stubborn enough to stay behind? 

No use on thinking of those endless questions, wasting time and energy on them. The moment the duffel bag was full with stuff for Soojung and Yeri, she zipped it close and started to listen to the forming ruckus outside. 

“Oh no,” Joohyun softly said, thinking it may be too late for her. She grabs the bag, looks over at Yeri’s beeper and grabs it just in case and she starts to listen, her ear pressed against the door. She hears very faintly, but she can make something out.

‘Oh my god, call the cops,’ a masculine voice said.

‘How did that happen?’ a more feminine voice joined in. Soon, there were a lot more voices. 

Upon opening the door slowly and peaking outside, she could see that the maid was a little shaken up, the other neighbors hanging just outside their doors and gossiping. Joohyun sighed and grabbed the bag and slid out of the apartment slowly and acting in shock. The lady in the apartment in front of Yeri’s was scandalized with her hand on her chest.

She had to act like she didn’t know anything, so it was a good idea to ask. “What happened?”

The lady shook her head and rubbed her forehead. “Jerico committed suicide, he hung himself!”

Joohyun’s eyes widened, gulping softly as she glanced over the forming crowd outside of Jerico’s apartment. Now, she really was surprised, but what could she really expect?

“The cops are on their way… Poor Jerico, I don’t understand.”

Joohyun had to say something humane, right? Something… heartfelt. But she didn’t trust this lady at all, maybe she was affiliated with the goons she met before. Was letting the lady see her face more detrimental to her? 

She just looked away and started to walk back to the elevator, clinging to the bag’s strap and now tapping her foot louder as it came up. She got into the elevator, pushed the button and impatiently waited for it to reach down. With that satisfactory Ding* she stepped out faster than ever before, walking down the lobby fast. In a split second, she looked over to the couches and saw no one. 

“,” Joohyun mumbled.

It connected right away.

The moment she reached outside she breathed into the exquisite fresh afternoon air (that Jerico will never breathe again) and noticed the familiar car parked right outside of the apartment complex.

“Yeri?”

“Joohyun, get in!” 

She waited no time and rushed in to the car, putting the duffel bag down on the floor at the back of the car and hopping into the passenger’s seat with haste. “Step on it, Yeri,” Joohyun said shakily.

With that, Yeri stepped on the gas and dashed out of the apartment. 

Joohyun looked back at the apartment as they distanced themselves from it, breathing heavily.

“What the happened?”

“Jerico committed suicide,” Joohyun said quietly and quickly.

“What? How--.”

“I saw the guys from the parking lot, two of them, on the elevator as I was going to take it.”

“Joohyun calm down, you’re speaking too quickly,” Yeri said, both hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. “You saw who?”

“Two guys from the group of… thugs from the parking lot.”

“Wait--.”

“They killed Jerico, for ing sure.”

“Oh man,” Yeri groaned. “.”

“You’re not coming back there, Yeri,” Joohyun warned right away, exhaling loudly. “Jesus, that was nuts.”

“That it was, but it doesn’t happen often.”

Joohyun shifts in her seat. “I guess you’ve gotten lucky until now, right when I arrived.”

“You bring bad luck!” Yeri pouted.

“Hush and drive. I need to lie down after that,” Joohyun groaned, sinking on her seat and breathing a little more steadily now. But for sure, her mind was still racing. It’s not that she still felt in danger, she didn’t, but she knew that the fact that they’ve seen her face is going to bring trouble. She was a possible witness that they knew nothing about, someone who can rat out to the cops.

Someone who can bring their operation to a halt.

Joohyun’s eyes scrunched up and she shook her head a little. The less she thought about it, the better. 

They arrived to their new home, hopped out of the car faster than anyone ever in existance and got inside where it was safe--or as safe as possible.

They plopped down on the brand new couches and sighed in relief. Of course, after five minutes or so, they started to laugh at the matter and how frightened the two of them were. It was perhaps a bit childish, that it was indeed, but sometimes laughing always made the situation better. They may have been slightly out of their minds at the moment, but good lord were they having a lovely laugh.

What’s more, even the baby Soojung was laughing!

Eventually the laughter died down, the girls settled into their new home and looked around, taking into the decoration and the lively colors. Just outside of them was the noise of children playing, skating on by, playing with their bikes and what not. A race, they assumed, while some enthusiastically watched. While Yeri settled her room, Joohyun was deep in thought in the kitchen. First and foremost, they’d have to buy a bed for the baby; such matter would not take too much time or money, it was of utmost necessity, but they needed to go grocery shopping. Secondly, Joohyun wanted to learn all the necessary phone numbers in case of emergencies. Thirdly, she needed to know where the nearest police stations was…

A list of endless things, for certain. Bae Joohyun was a cautious woman who needed to have everything in control and in place. Perhaps all the years in her hometown had subjected her to serious situations where extra caution would be required. 

She could not act foolishly ever, it was not part of her system or her functionality at all. While everyone in high school was slacking it and going to the mall, she was working her off to get good grades. While everyone was partying it up, she was at home relaxing with a bit of tea, some movies or maybe even watching TV--or even just enjoying some books or cleaning the house. She was not quite the party girl and in a place like Velvet City she stood out like a sore thumb. But, she figured that she needed to network and a bit of a party every now and then wasn’t a bad idea probably.

Yes, that was another thing on the list.

She needed friends, people who she could trust. From what she had gathered, people in VC were quite chipper and chatty, totally the opposite of what she was, but they were friendly enough. She would learn how to curve herself around them and not get stuck in the bush of . The bush. Bull. You get it.

“Hey, Joohyunnie,” Yeri suddenly came down the stairs with her pager at hand. “Do you mind if we go to a party tonight?”

Speaking of which. 

Joohyun squinted and leaned against the counter. “A what?”

“A party!” Yeri grinned widely and skipped over to the large marble counter. “Suzy Costello, remember her?”

“No--.”

“She was the girl who--Oh right, I never told you--, she was the girl who has an obsession with pineapples?”

What a defining trait, but Joohyun couldn’t even imagine who this Suzy was. “Go on?” She asked with her eyebrow raised.

“Well, she invited us to a party. At the Neon Club, over at the Malibu--.”

“You’re telling me this as if I know where it is,” Joohyun chuckled.

“Oh , you’re right,” Yeri giggled, shaking her head. “No matter. There are some cool people there, I figured I should introduce you to some people. Networking and all of that.”

Joohyun hummed and her voice lowered with interest. “I was just thinking of that, as well.”

“When are you not thinking?” Yeri teased, earning a look from Joohyun and an eyebrow twitch. “What I mean is that you need to relax.”

Rather than taking offense, Joohyun gave her the smallest hint of a smile. “I know. I wouldn’t mind mingling around for a little bit.”

How out of character from her!

“Sweet, the party is at seven.”

Joohyun glanced over at her watch. “You mean, forty minutes from now?”

“Yes. So you better get to a shower and dress nicely, you stinky.”

“Hold on a second, what about Soojun--.”

“I already called the babysitter,” Yeri grinned and bumped hips with Joohyun as she skipped away. “Forty minutes!”

The motherer really was banking on convincing Joohyun, huh? How amusing. Maybe a party was what was needed. Perhaps not appropriate after the scare they went through a few hours ago, but still necessary to get their minds off of it.

Forty minutes was plenty enough time to get herself pretty.