[ ✦ ]

Kang Seulgi likes to hurt people, for peace.

And for once I’m not joking.

Seulgi looked so tender and so soft with those cherubic features of hers; looked like she was the sun shining on the peasants, walking earth to grace everyone with her ethereal presence of positivity and good vibes. Her slim, ballerina body made her look so adorable and graceful, so elegant and poised. However, the petite girl had power inside of her, a personality and charm so vibrant that made her popular amongst all kinds of folks.

She was the hyper young girl at school, the one in many activities, eagerly raising her hand up to answer a question she didn’t necessarily knew. Seulgi was that girl, cheerfully greeting with energy that seemed to be endless. Out of all the people playing in the park, Seulgi was the one up in the tree, exploring the wild life in it and ‘surviving’ as she liked to put it. When the girls were styling their hairs and nails, she was the top stylist, flowing with creativity; when the boys were playing football, she was the daring playmaker. When it was nap time, she was wide awake drawing. A real machine of energy.

However, with all that energy and liveliness, she got in trouble when she moved to Velvet City and entered Lakeview High. Well, trouble for noble causes, but still trouble. Her first incident was when she saw a few older students bullying the freshmen, people who Seulgi didn’t even know. At the cafeteria she tossed a bowl of spaghetti to the main perpetrator and food fight broke out, but of course she went one on one with the guy. She won but she also won detention. Either way, the young men never tried that again out of respect. Also out of fright, but mostly out of respect.

Second time she got in trouble was when she was caught sneaking a dead rat on a female bully’s locker. Said girl was older than her, again. The dumb girl spoke high and mighty about herself but trash talked even her own friends behind her back. A dear friend of Seulgi was caught in the crossfire one day, she was just changing in the gym’s locker room and the girls just started to mock her for her rolls. Seulgi was so mad that she grabbed a dead rat right after being told, broke into the locker and put it in there. The girl screamed like a maniac and all the hallway almost shook from the intensity. Detention and a huge scolding from the Kangs. Though, her father was mildly amused at her ingenuity but he also received a scolding from the lady of the house for his slightly childish amusement.

She laid low after, because if she got in trouble again she might have gotten expelled or suspended. Her parents weren’t proud of her behavior but they were proud that she was so anguished by the injustice that she took matters into her own hands, perhaps a bit of a golden heart too pure to understand how things are meant to function. But they insisted that it should be left to authority. To which, Seulgi said:

‘They never do anything, ma.’

And it kind of surprised them, shaking them to the core. Little Seulgi, in her short life, had seen teachers bad mouthing students right before her young and pure eyes and was even the target for a lot of insults herself during detention, something that perhaps the Kangs did not know about. Seulgi had seen adults mock children for their fears or their genuine questions, she’s seen authority turn the other cheek on people who need it. She didn’t trust them, she could NOT trust them. And the Kangs couldn’t say she had no reasons to, but wished she would exercise her better judgement. Injustice was a matter that made her teeth clench but she needed to start controlling her emotions a lot more. She was brash and instantly jumped to the action when her blood got to a boiling point. 

To keep her head out of those matters, she volunteered in any community event or helped anyone she could. Kang Seulgi, the helper. At the age of eighteen, in 1983, the news of drug dealers and narcotics business booming in Velvet City became more than evident, especially to the young adults seduced by that trade. For once, Seulgi didn’t feel like she could do something to stop it, it was such an intricate business that a lone girl like her--even with all the fury in the world--would not be able to take down by herself. Velvet City expanded for way too big and had way too many tourists and citizens. Everyone, implicitly, was somehow involved and sometimes, even innocents were caught in the crossfire.

Seulgi was one of those innocent citizens that got caught in between.

In March 21st, she was strolling around the North Star Mall with her friends. They were shopping of course, and Seulgi had shyly tagged along since they so eagerly asked her to come with them. Seulgi remembers exactly what she was wearing: a vibrant yellow T-shirt tucked in; it had a cartoon tiger from the Velvet City Tigers, the famous football team, on it. Seulgi wasn’t necessarily fond of football, but hell she loved the look of that tiger. Big cartoony head, buffy small body and a tender smile showing off his fangs. Cute! The rest was the usual: High waist jeans, the height of fashion, and clean white shoes. She remembers precisely what she was wearing because she remembers seeing it soaked in blood.

Her friends were all kinds of girls. Tall, short, slightly snobbish, some pure hearted, some blondes, some brunettes, etc. Out of all of them, Seulgi was the shy one. They found Seulgi endearing, interesting, so they grabbed her and they all went to the mall. Their manners were open, broad; their voices high pitched with excitement to have a girls afternoon out in the mall, glancing over the possible preys. All the while Seulgi had her hands behind her back and spoke very little, she didn’t feel like hunting for anyone or anything, she was just looking to have some fun. The young dynamite of a girl was, somehow, still shy when surrounded by women. Go figure.

While they were chatting it up, Seulgi looked around the mall, seeing whole families having a lovely time off from their daily grind, the occasional young couple just going out from the ice cream shop, the group of young teenage girls walking out of the clothing stores with the bags full and their smiles huge. And of course, there was always someone with rollerblades or skateboards, possibly with their walkman not giving a damn about the world, rolling by and scaring the citizens that abided by the rules and were on foot.

It was all peace until in the blink of an eye, it wasn’t. Men that looked like danger on foot started to shoot everywhere, like with no aim, creating a chaos in the mall, getting people to disperse and run for their lives wherever they could. Guns ablazing, fear peaking and children crying at the loud blast hurting their young ears. In between all the chaos, in the blur of the moment, Seulgi and her group manage to run past the attackers and escape without a scratch. Well, not entirely without a scratch. Seulgi, quite heroically, pushed the girls forward and away from the danger, just as they were all about to leave without casualties, Seulgi received the bullet that was--accidentally perhaps--directed towards one of the girls. It hit her shoulder and staggered for a few seconds, her adrenaline keeping her entire body on fire and moving towards the car. They wasted no time to start the car, they all hopped in and zoomed off faster than lightning. 

Seulgi herself hasn’t taken it all in, wondering for a second why the girls were all panicking and shoving cloth against the wound. It then clicked in her head. She looked down and saw blood on her clothes, on the cloth, on the girls hands and saw their fear in their eyes as they drove dangerously fast. Their hands were shaky, their voices too loud and trembling. One of them had even started to cry. One Suzanne Costello. Suzy. She barely knew Seulgi at all but she was so scared, so frightened for her life, for her own life, for everyone. Seulgi felt so angry at that, especially because once she was admitted to the hospital, she had to stay and was told that the cops couldn’t catch the culprits of the shooting. They were ‘investigating’ but it somehow felt like they were doing nothing at all. Just like always, authority failed to serve justice. It was perhaps a few hundred passed under the table and the case was unsolved for however long it needed to be.

Seulgi was so upset, the nurse had to tell them not to tell her the news because she would harm herself if she kept getting riled up. The girls refrained from saying more, so instead they just visited with good intentions, wishes and what not. One day Suzanne came to visit with a bouquet of flowers and a big muscular man beside her.

They were dressed casually, in a non-flashy way, Suzanne sporting her raven black hair up and wearing no accessories (uncommon in Velvet City), coming in with soft and careful demeanor as to not to disturb Seulgi’s recovery in any way. She was a bit confused as to why Suzanne was there, and who the guy was. Suzanne made her intentions clear right away. She was thanking Seulgi for saving her, for pushing Suzanne out of the way and taking the bullet for her (quite literally) and that she was really grateful.

Seulgi smiled for the first time since the shooting, more or less a week and a few days after the incident. She was always with a frown and trying not to get riled up, loathing the hospital food. A smile was good. She was a sunshine smiling, she deserved to smile more. Also, she didn’t really think that she technically did save Suzy, she just did what she thought was optimal, to push them towards the exit.

Suzy introduced herself again, properly, and introduced the man next to her. The man happens to be Julien Kang. Funny, real funny. Aside from the similar last name, there was NOTHING that they shared. He was huge, bulky, bearded and with long silky hair, like many people wore it. He definitely worked out or was some sort of body builder and looked more masculine than adorable like Seulgi. Also, she was certain that he towered over her. Seulgi looked like a full-blooded korean and he looked like a mix, and turns out that he really is. French-Korean. What a small world Velvet City is!

He was very glad of having Seulgi around because Suzanne is his best friend, he would’ve been crushed to see her hurt. Not only did he want to meet the local hero (even Seulgi considers that a bit of a stretch and a mouthful), but he had a very interesting offer to give her. 

He explained that due to the recent events happening around Velvet City, he wanted to start a private group of hand-picked people and, eventually, volunteers. A group for the citizens by the citizens. He doesn’t make it clear, but he says that if Seulgi wanted to be a part of the solution she was welcomed to and would be really appreciated. A girl with her guts and her kind of self-sacrificing behavior could do just fine in the group. He gave her the time and place, very much later after her recovery and they both left the ward.

Seulgi stood up all night thinking and somehow, her biggest motivation after the incident was helping, saving people, keeping them protected. Because while Suzanne cried for Seulgi, she could only imagine how many mothers have cried for their deceased sons or daughters that died and got caught in the crossfire as well. This or other incidents similar to this. Seulgi had been lucky to have been hit in the shoulder and not somewhere vital, and even in her occasion she was in hot water to make it out just fine. 

It was then that she started to count the days until her full recovery and the meeting. She didn’t need to hear the full proposition, but she had an idea of what it was.

And she was ready to say ‘Yes.’

[ ✦ ]

The following weeks were long, excruciating but somehow exciting. Seulgi was released from the hospital two days later after Julien stopped by to meet her and Seulgi had taken it easy since. She stayed at her parent’s home and behaved, took her medicine, didn’t do too much effort and counted the days on her calendar every day. Papa Kang wasn’t intruding as to why, but Mama Kang wondered a lot and asked. Seulgi said it was a secret, and she couldn’t say what it was about. Mama Kang just warned Seulgi about over-doing herself, but Seulgi probably didn’t hear her over how much she was eating and how she was chowing down her meal.

Seulgi hated hospital food with all her body and soul, and nothing could truly beat the love poured into every motherly meal.

The days passed by, she was able to do more every day and she was soon was told that her wound was healed completely and that she could go back to living normally. A week later, she geared up and got herself ready for the meeting. 

After getting in contact with Julien, they agreed that he would pick her up at three in the afternoon. He was also going to pick up other two friends of his nearby, outside the men’s clothing shop a block or two away from her house. Cisco’s, Seulgi knows it, her father loves that store. With that in mind, Seulgi got ready. She put that frizzy brown hair up in a ponytail--luckily, it behaved--, she slapped on another yellow crop top (internally weeping for the death of her favorite yellow Velvet City Tigers shirt), high waist jeans, tied a denim jacket to her waist and took off to the streets. The breeze that day was picking up but the sun was still hitting, the citizens nearby as lively as always, laughing and chatting. 

The noise didn’t necessarily yank her away from her own thoughts, however. She was certainly thinking about Julien’s proposal, about what he was about to do; she had a very minimal idea of what it could be. She was excited and praying that it was what she was thinking, naturally. Most importantly, she wanted it to work.

She walked and walked and soon enough she found Cisco’s at the distance, seeing two men outside talking and seemingly waiting as well, glancing at their watches in the midst of ther chatting. Seulgi glanced at hers by pure inertia but she was ten minutes early. These must be Julien’s friends. She analyzed them from afar.

One of them was an african-american it seemed, wearing sunglasses and rocking a flat top with the confidence of a model and the face of one as well. Quite yummy, even for Seulgi! Who wasn’t necessarily attracted to men. He was lean and built formidably, looking like he could frighten the son of god himself. His gestures were broad, strange but confident, not afraid of mockery at all. He was wearing a simple t-shirt with rolled up sleeves and jeans. The distinctive feature of his wardrobe was the gloves he was using. Pure black leather, fingerless, made his huge hands stand out more.

The man that was with him was white and his head almost sparkled with the absence of hair. He was wearing a buttoned white shirt with blue seagulls--ed just enough to show his chest--and a denim jacket with the sleeves cut off. And of course, jeans that fit him just right. His head was shaved and his features looked--as her friend Jessica would say--handsomely sharp and cleanly shaven. This guy was also not skipping any meals because he looked buff and ready to kick . 

These were certainly interesting looking people and the closer she got the more excited and anxious she felt, but this was just natural. If they were Julien’s friends, then she was going to make them her friends as well. She crossed the street and came closer and closer.

Was Seulgi mildly afraid of these people? Maybe. Was she gonna let that show?

“Hi, guys!”

Nope.

She approached with high spirits and her charming smile and an adorable wave of her hand as she finally was in earshot, they couldn’t help but to smile as well as the energy, waving as well and softly greeting back with a polite ‘good morning.’

She didn’t hesitate for a second there. “You guys are Julien’s friends?”

“Yeah, we are,” the african-american guy spoke first. His voice was deep, orotund and so lovely to hear. His friendly smile and polite distancing made Seulgi quite comfortable to start. “You must be Suzanne’s friend, right?”

“Yes,” Seulgi smiled widely and instantly extended her hand out for him to shake. “I’m Seulgi.”

The guy stood silent for a second as he grabbed her hand and shook it really gently. “E-excuse me, could you repeat that?”

This always happened, and Seulgi didn’t mind. If anything, it’s nice that they make the effort to pronounce it how it should be.

“I’m Kang Seulgi. Sool-gee,” she then giggled and the white man couldn’t help but laugh and rub his bald head as well. For some reason, to Seulgi, that dude looked like his name was Frank. Yes, Seulgi had that kind of random thoughts.

“Seulgi, okay,” he said and got it better this time around.  “I got that. I’m Joshua Clay,” the man smiled. He then patted his friend in the shoulder. “This is Vincent.”

Vincent smiled and offered his hand, which Seulgi shook firmly. “Vincent Howard, co-owner of the Howard’s tool shop. You can just call me Vinnie.”

Seulgi was a bit surprised. “Really now? You look quite young and that store is pretty big.”

Vincent chuckled. “Yes, but my brother’s a lot older than me, ten years older. He’s the owner. I just help him if I can.”

“I’m surprised your brother isn’t going to the meeting, Vinnie,” Joshua casually chimed in.

“He’s got a lot on his hand, he’s got a wife and kid. It may be dangerous.”

“And you don’t?” Seulgi inquired with curiosity b from her tone. Meeting new people is always exciting to her. 

Joshua shook his head. “Nah, I personally can’t have kids.”

Strange information to be let out at the beginning, but alright.

“I’m not eager of having a kid for now, this drug threat is giving me the jeebies,” Vincent replied with a grimace, and Joshua chuckled privately and softly. “What about you?”

Seulgi laughed. “I’m eighteen! I am too young to have a child and a husband if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Vincent and Joshua both were taken aback a little, their eyes a little wide with surprise. “No kidding?” Vinnie began with a soft chuckle. “Eighteen? Damn.”

“You do look young, but when Julien told us you saved Suzanne from a bullet, we didn’t think you were that young.”

“Ah, Julien told you?” Seulgi rubbed the back of her head, unable to look at them in the eye for too long now.

“Of course,” Joshua said. “All the members that are going to the meeting are personally picked by the three of us.”

Before Seulgi could ask any more questions, a dark blue car--nice model, shining with newness--parked right before them. None other than the very cool looking Julien Kang, sporting his long hair down as it swayed gently to the passing breeze. With a smile and a gesture, he beckoned everyone in. Right away, the three of them got into the car. Joshua sat in front, Vinnie and Seulgi right at the back.

Julien introduced them both properly to Seulgi, and he introduced Seulgi to them as well, even if it wasn’t necessary. They were going to go pick up another candidate, so the ride would be a perfect moment for them to know each other. On the ride there, Seulgi found out many interesting things about the three guys.

As mentioned before, the bald Vincent was the co-owner of the Howard’s Shop, a store where you can get your power tools at a fair price and extraordinary quality. However, the young Howard was a bit of a straight edge and ironically that’s how Julien and Vincent met. Vincent loathed (and I mean, loathe in all capital letters) drugs and needles so badly that one time Julien was just arriving to the hospital to see a family friend and he completely got knocked over by a frightened Vincent running towards the exit. He was PANICKING because he needed to be injected with something when he just thought they would give him a prescription medicine and a pat in the back for his flu.

It was funny, Vincent wailed on him with panic and Julien realized how strong the motherer was, despite being a bit shorter than him and a bit thinner. Well, he seemed to have the power of an animal when frightened. Julien helped the doctors to tranquilize him and the rest was history. Julien drove him back to his apartment and have been pals ever since. Aside from that, Vincent’s strong loyalty and power makes for a very interesting friend to have, despite his temper and his tendency to being violent upon being poked a few too many times. Or just poked with a needle once. 

Joshua Clay was a lot more tranquil by comparison--no extreme phobias to be wary of but that didn’t mean you could mess with him. He was a quiet man and has always been, though he seemed quite chatty and friendly when Seulgi first spoke to him. He explains that by quiet he means that he is not one to seek trouble, he’s not a troublemaker. Julien and Joshua went to highschool together, at the very same Lakeview High that Seulgi attended, paired together for a mini-project in his freshman year. Since then they were both buddies, especially when Joshua got picked on and did nothing about it. Joshua ignored the insults, he bore them and tried not to pay mind, but Julien wasn’t going to sit by without doing anything. It took one swing, one clean swing, and it was done for. 

Of course, Joshua wasn’t outright content, but he admitted that deep down inside he was glad Julien did that, even if Julien knew he’d get himself in trouble for defending his friends.

Not much was said about Julien but Seulgi could already intuit something. While Vinnie was short-tempered and prone to jump into the action, Joshua was way too chill. Julien was more or less in the middle. Julien would defend his friends no matter the cause, but he would also stop people like Vinnie from exploding and getting in serious trouble. He was a mediator, with the perfect balance between fight or flight. More or less, or at least that’s how Seulgi looked at it.

Their last stop was in front of an electronic shop, ATLAS, a young man with dirty blonde hair and a physique really familiar to Seulgi (seriously, she did ballet with a thousand guys who looked exactly like him) stood outside of the store. He was wearing a shirt with the sleeves cut off, tucked into the dark high waisted jeans that him quite well. The moment he saw the car he showed off his charming smile and walked forward. He walked with good posture, Seulgi thought to herself, and with an obvious swagger to himself.

He hopped in and introduced himself. Phillip Steel, a badass name for an equally badass guy.

Those were his words not mine. 

Right off the bat he looked like a cocky son of a . He spoke pretty highly of himself right away, introducing himself as the self-proclaimed dancer of Velvet City. Once a ballet dancer, now an ‘expert’ on many other genres and disciplines. Seulgi was absolutely right about him being into ballet. However, he’s a frustrated dancer, considering he’s not getting as much work as he wants. He should be on big hollywood movies, big shows and big music videos with big artists! However, despite his extensive and impressive resume, he was a bit arrogant for the already arrogant artists and divas. So, of course, two superior beings (or so they wanted to apparent) butting heads during business always resulted in Phillip getting laid off despite his impressive dancing skills.

Still, he looked on forward with a charming full teeth smile and his blonde hair neatly fixed and parted to the side. He was sure that a two-bit artist would step down on the ladder to let Phillip Steel shine, if not he might just become an artist himself. Like none have ever seen. How did him and Julien meet? You’d be surprised, but it was one time where Julien acted as a personal bodyguard for a star in Velvet City. A star that had recently suffered an attempt by some mafiosos at the now defunct Solaris Club (soon to be remade into the Neon Club). She was making a music video by the beach and back up dancers were hired to give the summer hit of a song a catchy choreography. Phillip, however, insisted that they changed the choreography to something at least mildly alluring which would appeal the male masses and perhaps some of the female fans of the artist. The artist scowled at the backup dancer merely speaking up. This star was one Candy Cane, though her real name was embarrassingly different. Her real name, ladies and gentlemen--aliens and animals, and naturally other things in between--was... 

Goldie Showers. 

We’ll call her Candy, for her sake and to not get sued.

Candy instantly disliked Phillips suggestions and berated him and the other dancers for absolutely no reason. No reason at all! Well, there were reasons but none that actually mattered. They were there under the sun for hours waiting for her to get the choreography right and she blamed THEM! Phillip didn’t stand for the slander and called her out on her lack of dancing skills and her lack of charisma altogether. Candy was ready to fire Phillip but her manager told her that if they wasted more money and time on the music video, they might not even get a second chance to put anything out because of the label restraining budget. Between gritted teeth, the two worked with fake smiles for the camera and danced their hearts out. 

Later on, when the sun had set down far too much to record outside the summer hit, Phillip was having a smoke outside of the hotel where they were staying and soon came out Julien Kang who asked for a light. And so, they began to smoke together outside, just forgetting about the chaos for a while. Julien commended him for his ability to stand up for himself against odds, especially against Candy. Candy got on Julien’s nerves way too much that day as well, also berating him for being a dumb muscle and trying to treat him like some sort of gigolo. Phillip and Julien laughed together about it, they both exchanged numbers, shook hands and both quit the very next day.

The two of them still remember that time really fondly and subsequently met in parties, gigs and just out on the streets.

Quite an amusing character, which kind of confused Seulgi as to why he was in the mixture. Said questions were to be answered soon enough, since they got closer to the beach and stopped right before an empty and desolate garage. They were the first to arrive, the first car parked there. They got out and got inside, seeing the bare bones of what would become their hangout spot in the future. A property Julien Kang himself was given by his late father. It smelled of fresh paint, freshly repaired and the amount of space only gave the small crew an idea of what they could do with this place. Which was a lot, if they decorated it well

The fivesome got to talk right away and Julien explained precisely what he wanted, which made everything in Seulgi’s head clear up.

The cops in Velvet City were getting increasingly useless. Just a month prior to this incident, a police captain had been found shot dead, square in the head, down an alley. Turns out he had connections to the drug ring in Velvet City, through both the Cubans, Colombians, the Italians (the mafia, actually, who had been recently making a move on the drug trade despite the traditions not to) and god knows who else was involved in the payroll. He was making a lot of dough by turning his back away from crime--earning far more than any normal captain, or even more than any chum from the military forces. Everyone agreed that the police forces were somehow becoming obsolete at the amount of crime. Seulgi kept quiet and listened, as the youngest that was just learning of these incidents.

Julien wanted to create a group of vigilantes. A small group for starters, people he knew and trusted, that would look over the coming volunteers over the course of time if successful. They would take matters into their own hands and protect the citizens that are left in the crossfire due to messy business and the nature of betrayal left lingering with those said business. But most importantly, they should protect the children, the elderly, the handicaped, the stranger, the bums--everyone. Their mission was to safeguard those innocent. Though, Julien made it clear that they might have to risk their lives for the cause again and again. Laws would be violated, cops would be on their tail for messing up operations, the own thugs would target them and maybe they would become targets for the higher ups. For this, he sought help with a local biker group of outlaws.

Rough looking gentlemen, big misfits and badasses that were more inclined to doing what they wanted unless given the proper respect. Julien and Joshua were both part of this brotherhood. They called themselves the WarLords. This was due to many of them being veterans left out in the dust. They, too, had a personal vendetta with the law failing to help them--even if they themselves sacrificed their lives for the community they lived in. They were willing to assist and help, even provide bikes and hangout to those who needed it, extra numbers if hell broke loose.

With the connection to a feared biker group, they had a solid place to stand but Julien was well aware that perhaps the public would not take them too kindly at first. But that could change, if everyone wanted to take the risk. Another car parked by and few more other people arrived, Julien explained the situation well, really made everything clear. And Seulgi was understanding the implications again and again.

They wouldn’t work with the law at all, because law wasn’t there to begin with. They would not be buddies with the cops, if anything the cops might try to bring them down for two reasons. For one, they would be doing the cops’ job. That’s a no no! And two, they would be messing with operations--as explained already--with the mobsters and thus screwing with the cops earnings and even being put in the minefield because of it. That was the problem, it was not that they were just being paid to look the other way, but they could be killed for not making sure the operation was safe for the drug lords, especially if they were mafia royalty.

For this, Julien asked them to think it over. The group names, the colors, and their way of operating would come with time and it was a slow process, but one that needed to be truly thought over. He really wanted them all to think and meet a week later at the same spot and time. They were encouraged not to show up if they found it too dangerous and did not wish to associate, or to attend and decline. There were no hard feelings.

Seulgi was, understandably, a bit frightened at the prospect, but she looked at all the guys and they weren’t afraid at all. Vinnie was excited and determined to be part of the group no matter the cost. Joshua will always stand behind his boys and Julien. Phillip, however, was as excited but Seulgi didn’t know why. She couldn’t possibly figure out why, he never struck as that kind of guy to her but maybe there was a good reason.

The rest of the members came in, they were all debriefed, they all agreed on meeting again when everyone was free to do so, they arranged rides, exchanged phone numbers and Seulgi met a lot of new people. She only got to know their first and last names and their phone numbers, given the time restraint. Soon enough, everyone was driving home with a lot to think about. Seulgi was thinking about it more than anyone. She wanted to help, but at what cost? Eventually, she figured that she would break the law in order to do justice for people, she might end up being hated by the very people she’s trying to protect.

The possibilities for disaster roamed her mind with speed and grace, her mind weighing the chances and the pros and cons. It seemed like she was starting to chicken out, until she got home.

Seulgi didn’t take much time to decide, after that.

When Seulgi was left off onto her own house, she found it alone as she figured it would be. The phone, however, was ringing like mad and not stopping. Seulgi wasted no time to close the door and go pick it up. Her mom’s voice came onto the other side with a bit of shakiness. Not only that, she spoke as softly as possible, with people talking around her. She made the situation brief and made it short as necessary. Mother Kang was at Howard’s (the way the world works, huh?) and she had gone all by herself and without the car. However, as she walked down the streets, she noticed two suspicious looking men following close behind and when she entered the store they stood outside, having a smoke and waiting. She’s been there for a while, the old man behind the counter letting her stay inside and ring the phone as much as she wanted.

Seulgi sighed deeply and felt that boiling anger coursing through her veins with wild speed. She told her to wait there, to not move at all. Seulgi hung up the phone, grabbed one of the pieces of paper folded in her pocket and started to dial that number. The moment she heard Julien’s voice she got straight to the nitty gritty.

“Julien, count me in the group.”

With that, she hung up, put on a jacket, her heaviest boots and grabbed her trustworthy bat. No one ed with her parents if Seulgi could forbid it. And she would go through hell and back to make sure every innocent citizen gets that kind of protection.

When Seulgi arrived to Howard’s and saw the men leaning against a concrete wall across the street from the store, she put the bat on her shoulder and walked with a purpose. She was moved by a demonic force fueled by anger, the healed wound of her shoulder ached with the anger, with the impotence that was slowly turning into addictive adrenaline to do what she always wanted. To beat the hell out of these people, without a care in the goddamn world. 

Justice needed to be served to the citizens of Velvet City. Maybe Julien and the others will make things change once and for all. But one thing was for sure.

Seulgi would serve justice, no matter the consequences.