[title track: be - hozier]
[HAPPY BAEKHYUN DAY!!!!!!!]

2.

Sunhee steps into what she can only describe as a nightmare. There is blood everywhere, the metallic smell of it tinging the stuffy room, lingering, lingering, lingering everywhere.

It’s on Seulgi’s hands, coating her hands so thoroughly, it’s as if she’s dipped her hands in a bucket of blood. Sunhee freezes at the threshold of the room, staring and staring. Seulgi is truly a sight to behold, decked out in a clubbing dress and an unfamiliar, too-big jacket that bunches at her elbows, where it’s been folded up a million times to free her bloody hands.

The kid in question, the one the man had been so desperate to save, lies on the floor, chest heaving up and down, up and down. He looks so young, much younger than the other man that had been on their coffee table with a bullet inside him.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that this wasn’t just one knife wound. Sunhee belatedly registers the rest of the room—the quiet, dark presence of a man leaning against the wall, watching the proceedings with hawk eyes, arms folded across his chest, the man who had asked for Seulgi watch both Seulgi and the boy, eyes flickering back and forth, desperation so apparent in his gaze that it nearly makes Sunhee feel something other than dread—maybe pity? There’s a smaller, stockier boy who does not look much older than the boy bleeding out on the floor, on the sheets laid out so hastily under him, staining the floral print a deep, scarlet red.

The stocky boy drags his hands through his hair, taking deep deep breaths, but he does not move from his spot beside the boy, handing Seulgi anything she asks for her in her brisk, professional tone she only seems to use in these situations.

“Jinwoo.” The man with the dark aura, the one who is only leaning against the wall but seems to command all the attention, speaks, his voice quiet. The Man who brought them here looks up, at the stocky man—the only person who doesn’t look at the Scary One. He must be Jinwoo.

The Scary One repeats, “Jinwoo.”

That’s when the stocky one’s—Jinwoo’s—head snaps out, his eyes narrowing in frustration and annoyance. “Yes?”

He speaks formally still, confirming Sunhee’s suspicions that the commanding aura means he is someone important, someone entirely too dangerous.

“Get out. Get some rest.”

Sunhee blinks at that, surprised. Clearly, this Jinwoo is worried about this boy. Sunhee doesn’t think it’s right to tell him to leave.

Jinwoo seems to think the same as Sunhee because he grits his teeth, bites out, “No. I’m not leaving—”

“You have an early morning tomorrow. Get out.”

Sunhee thinks Jinwoo will punch something. Or someone. He certainly looks angry enough, and, despite his boyish looks, he is built like a man who could really pack on hell of a punch. Seulgi glances up at him, gaze flickering to the other man, who seems to smile at her, a reassuring thing that doesn’t do much to reassure Sunhee, but it seems to appease Seulgi entirely too easily. Seulgi fiddles with a needle and thread, brows furrowed together in determination as he gaze flickers from Jinwoo to the injured boy before her.

“Suho, I can’t go on another mi—” The Scary One—Suho—interrupts Jinwoo with just a raise of his brows. Jinwoo’s mouth clamps shut at the movement. Goosebumps prickle up and down Sunhee’s arms at the sight, at the easy submission and clear power radiating off this man—Suho.

“Take your team with you. You all have an early morning.” There’s a pause before he tacks on, “I do not want to repeat myself.”

It takes a moment for Jinwoo to spring to his feet, to practically shove right past Sunhee, his shoulder bumping hard against hers as he steps out—Sunhee scowls after him because she really hates it when people take out their anger on innocent people.

Sunhee looks up, when Jinwoo disappears down the hall, only to freeze in place at the way Suho is peering at her, his dark eyes heavy with scrutiny. The hairs at the back of her neck stand on end, because despite how handsome he is and despite the regality to his features, there is something quite sinister behind the polite civility that is his default expression. His face does not fit his profession nor does it fit the dark power radiating off him. He says, without once averting his gaze, “Kai, who is this?”

The Man—Kai, Sunhee notes—mutters, “She’s our medic’s emotional support.”

“She shouldn’t be our medic if she needs emotional support for something as easy as this.” Suho quips, sharp eyes turning on Seulgi.

Seulgi’s using shears to cut carefully at the boy’s shirt, the cotton sticking to the dried blood and wounds on his chest and stomach in a way that looks incredibly painful. The boy whines, heaving for air, a low whimper spilling from his lips, though his eyes are squeezed shut. Seulgi’s fingers still for just a moment, both at the boy’s discomfort and at Suho’s words, though, surprisingly, her tone is steady and neutral tone, not at all filled with the nonconfrontational kindness Sunhee usually hears from her, “If it’s so easy, then do you want to do this?”

Suho doesn’t answer, just narrows his eyes at the back of Seulgi’s head.

Seulgi mumbles, continuing her work, “Thought so.”

Sunhee feels a surge of pride at Seulgi standing up for herself, but she is wary when Suho turns his attention entirely on her. “I never cleared this one.”

Kai grimaces, glancing at Seulgi, “Look, Jun—Suho. I wasn’t expecting her either. They were together and Seulgi refused to come here without her.”

“Huh.” Suho eyes Sunhee for a long, long moment. “Does your little medic know that she’s set her emotional support up for this life, too?”

For a moment, the only sound in the room is the sound of the injured boy’s ragged breathing, the only movements being Seulgi’s fingers fiddling with a needle and thread. And then, Seulgi says, very quietly, “You promised I wouldn’t be considered involved in any of this. Not completely.”

Seulgi glances over her shoulder, eyes settling on Suho.

Sunhee frowns at the way Suho tilts his head, amusement lighting up his fierce eyes.

Kai interrupts, “Can this conversation wait until she’s done fixing him?” Another pause and his voice comes out low, pleading, almost tender, “Please.”

Suho stiffens, back straightening, the amusement flickering out of his eyes.

(Sunhee blinks back and forth, between Suho, Kai, and Seulgi’s back. It’s obvious, why Kai wants Seulgi to finish operating before Suho says whatever he wanted to say. It’s so obvious that they had not only broken one promise they made with her, but two.

And, now, for whatever reason, Sunhee has been dragged into all this, probably with no way out.)

“Fine.” Suho mumbles, though his gaze lands on Seulgi’s back, lingering, burning holes into it, no doubt. Seulgi rubs the back of her neck with the heel of her hand, a nervous habit of hers Sunhee had picked up long ago. Suho adds, bites out really, “I really do hope you’re not stupid enough to think you’re still not involved anymore, little medic. Use your brain.”

Seulgi doesn’t stop.

Sunhee doesn’t understand the tension between them, the way Kai scowls nor the way Suho seems unwilling to relent on Seulgi. Seulgi, however, continues diligently stitching up this boy that both Kai and Jinwoo (and perhaps even Suho, to an extent) seem to care deeply about—at least enough to not let him die.

Sunhee doesn’t understand when Kai says, in warning, “Suho.”

She doesn’t understand when Suho says, “Stop operating if you really want out.”

She only understands, however, that Seulgi cares too much about people—it’s why she became a nurse in the first place—to just not help someone when she is perfectly able to. Especially not when the person in question is barely an adult. Seulgi shakes her head, snipping at the last bit of thread, her head bent low over the boy, not once turning to speak to Suho, though her voice has a slight tremor to it that Sunhee never liked hearing from her.

(It’s heartbreaking—a sign that Seulgi was upset. Sunhee promised, years ago, after they first met and Seulgi’s ex-boyfriend cheated on her, that Sunhee would murder the next man who made her best friend sound so broken.)

“I will not.” Seulgi says. “I will not leave him to die.”

(Sunhee has heard Seulgi ramble on and on about the Code of Ethics enough times to understand why. Protect human health. When a patient is in urgent need of medical assistance, provide it as soon as possible. Sunhee’s helped her with her flashcards during Seulgi’s exam periods so often, she’s practically memorized it herself. It’s the only thing Sunhee understands as she stands there, at the precipice of a tense interaction she has no understanding of. All she can do is stare at them, waiting for clarity she isn’t sure will ever come.)

Suho laughs, a sharp sound, before he shrugs, nonchalant as he stuffs his hands in his pockets and pushes himself away from the wall.

He doesn’t step towards Seulgi—Kai glares at Suho, stepping between them, and Sunhee is confused by the action, frowning. Instead, he steps towards the door. Towards Sunhee.

Sunhee blinks when he stops in front of her. Suho tilts his head, scrutinizing her in a way that she knows is designed to make her feel small and out of place, and says, “You shouldn’t be in here either.”

“I want her here.” Seulgi’s voice is firm, loud.

Suho just shrugs, murmurs, “Does she even want to be around you? Especially knowing you’ve willingly dragged her into a world she’ll never be able to get out of?”

“Stop being so dramatic.” Kai’s voice is cutting, the epitome of jumping to Seulgi’s defense, which is strange to Sunhee. “If Seulgi wants her here then—”

“Can all of you please stop talking about me like I’m not right ing here?” Sunhee cuts them both off, unable to control the anger in her tone nor the volume of her voice.

Suho lets out a small chuckle, a disarming sound that seems so out of place coming from him. “I was beginning to think you were mute.”

“And I’m beginning to think you don’t know how to shut up.” Sunhee responds, biting back the fear that settles deep in the pit of her stomach due to his dark aura.

She half expects Suho to pull out a gun and shoot her point-blank right then and there. She thinks Kai and Seulgi definitely expect the same because Seulgi actually glances over her shoulder at them, her eyes wide as she shakes her head, a small, subtle movement that Sunhee only catches because she’s so accustomed to Seulgi’s every movement. Kai just looks shocked. Sunhee finds she doesn’t care.

She shoves her fear and anxiety and her knowledge that this man in front of her is dangerous and she’s provoking him as far away as she can, instead focusing on her annoyance at Suho seems to be treating Seulgi and her and even his own acquaintances. Sunhee hates rude people, more than anything, and apparently, she has no idea how to keep shut and her head down.

Suho, however, does not murder her on the spot. In fact, he just snorts, his handsome face contorting into one of utter amusement. He looks down at Sunhee, lips curling into a sinister smile, and he throws his head back, the amusement coming off forced and overly polite, indulging, “With a that mouth of yours, it’ll be interesting to see how long you last.”

Suho then pushes right past Sunhee, shoving his shoulder hard against hers, making her step back at the impact, grunting. Suho looks at Seulgi’s back, eyes flickering from Kai’s scowl to Seulgi, back and forth, before she he says, “Right, Seulgi?”

“I need the alcohol.” Seulgi mumbles, ignoring Suho completely.

Still, Suho seems to take that as an answer, because he just lets out a hearty bellowing sort of laugh before he steps out the room, hands stuffed in his pockets and head thrown back.

Kai blinks after Suho as he hands Seulgi the alcohol—which just so happens to be a bottle of distilled plain vodka—and Sunhee winces when Seulgi takes a large swig of it, her expression twisting at the obvious burn, before she soaks a cotton pad.

Kai frowns, “Was that a good idea?”

“I’m done anyway.” Seulgi coughs, wiping at with the back of her hand, a streak of dried, blood coating her cheek. She sits back on her heel, dazed as she peers down at the boy.

Kai, slowly, so slowly, drops to his knees beside the boy, who’s whimpering finally seems to have ceased, his breathing a little heavy and his bandaged chest rising and falling to an unsteady rhythm. Kai’s voice is low, gentle, as he presses his palm against the boy’s forehead, pushing back his sweaty hair to reveal his eyes.

At Kai’s touch, the boy opens his eyes just a bit. His eyes are dull, unfocused, but Kai still leans forward and mumbles, “Minhyuk. You’re okay.” There’s a pause before the boy—Minhyuk—nods, ever so slightly. Kai breathes out, relief coloring every bit of his tone and his posture, “You’re okay.”

“He’s okay.” Seulgi’s voice is firm, a bit loud, but Sunhee doesn’t miss the way Kai looks at her or the way Seulgi doesn’t look away, despite Kai’s hand still pressed to Minhyuk’s forehead.

There’s a silence that stretches on and on and Sunhee can’t help it when she coughs loudly, only to break the strange tension.

Kai breaks eye contact first, his dark gaze landing on Sunhee’s frown. Seulgi scoots away from Minhyuk and the mess of blood around her. Seulgi opens and then closes it, no sound coming out as she stares at her hands. Sunhee notices how they shake.

Apparently so does Kai.

Kai murmurs, “You know where the bathroom is, right?”

Seulgi nods.

“I’ll take care of all this. Go clean up.”

Seulgi nods, a stilted movement that scares Sunhee, especially when Seulgi doesn’t move. “I…” Seulgi’s hands drop to her lap, curling into tight fists there.

Somehow, Sunhee finds she is moving, much the same way she had that night Kai and those other men showed up at their apartment the first night. Sunhee is at Seulgi’s side and quickly helps her to her feet. Kai blinks at the two of them.

Seulgi is pliable in Sunhee’s arms, leaning fully into Sunhee. Just as they get to the door, Kai calls out, “Thank you.”

Seulgi doesn’t respond. Sunhee just half-carries her into the hall, following Seulgi’s directions to the bathroom—a tiny bare-essentials type of bathroom with a white tub, a small toilet, and a sink. There’s no shampoo or conditioner, no toothbrushes, no shower curtain or mats, just a whole pack of toilet paper rolls next to the toilet, a plain off-brand soap beside the sink, and a roll of paper towels beside the soap. It’s impersonal and ingenuine and something about the bathroom makes Sunhee feel the same way she had when Suho had been analyzing her.

Sunhee shuts the door behind her, locking it, and turns on the sink for Seulgi, watching as she places her shaking, bloody hands under the warm water. Dried blood mixes with water and lavender soap as Seulgi starts to scrub and scrub at her hands, the liquid a rusty brownish color that only seems to get darker and darker.

Sunhee stares at Seulgi’s face for a long moment, the only sound between them the sound of the faucet running, until Sunhee finally says, “You’ve been here before.”

It’s not a question. Sunhee doesn’t know how to ask the right questions.

Seulgi keeps scrubbing at her hands, even as she murmurs, “One other time.”

“What did they—what did you—Seulgi, what the ?”

Seulgi keeps the faucet on, though she drops her hands into the basin, no longer holding them up. Water gathers in the basin, a slow, but sure thing, moments from spilling over.

Seulgi mumbles, “It’s only the kids he asks for help with.”

“Who? Kai?” Sunhee blinks, “That’s not even his real name, you know that, right? And he promised, the first night—”

“I know. I know.” Seulgi groans, dragging a wet hand through her hair. Then she turns to Sunhee, a wild look in her eyes that is unprecedented, jarring almost, “But he promised I would be safe. That you would be safe. And—”

“And you believed him? Even after that whole ing spectacle with that Suho guy? Even after knowing Kai didn’t even tell you his real name?”

“What’s the alternative?” Seulgi’s gaze locks on to Sunhee and she does not let go. She is full of fire and anger and a wildness that makes Sunhee want to shake her by the shoulders and ask her to step back, to stop putting others before herself like she always does. “If I didn’t help, then what? They know where we live. They know our faces. I couldn’t risk it.”

“He was giving you an out.” Sunhee points out, ignoring the pang in her chest at the fact that Seulgi’s taking Sunhee’s safety into account when she shouldn’t be. It’s guilt that Sunhee doesn’t want to deal with. “Suho was giving you an out.”

“If I left, Minhyuk would have bled out right then and there.” Seulgi rips off a paper towel, wetting it before she scrubs at the blood streaks on her face. Her hands aren’t shaking anymore, at least, but she’s not looking at Sunhee anymore either.

Sunhee knows that Seulgi would never have been able to live with herself if she allowed such a thing to happen. Sunhee groans, plopping down onto the closed toiler seat, head in her hands, “You’re so ing selfless. It’s annoying.”

“You’d have done the same exact thing.” Seulgi mumbles.

“I don’t know. I’m not that nice.”

“Right.” Seulgi cracks a small smile. “You work in a legal office. You’re all supposed to be heartless.”

“Exactly.” Sunhee responds, returning Seulgi’s smile.

Seulgi leans back against the closed door, tilting her head back, her neck outstretched. The silence between them stretches on for a moment until Seulgi murmurs, “Kai’s nice to me. I’ll be fine.” Seulgi takes a deep breath before she pushes herself off the door, straightening her dress and the oversized, unfamiliar jacket on her shoulders, pulling it close for just a moment, “He’ll make sure you’re fine, too.”

This time, Sunhee rolls her eyes, “Sure.”

Seulgi’s fingers wrap around the doorknob when Sunhee adds, “When we get home, you’re going to tell me everything, okay?”

Seulgi nods, slowly, “I promise.”

~.~.~.~.~

Seulgi leads the way back to the kitchen, the man that had been sitting on the couch earlier now leaning with his back against the counter, a beer bottle dangling between his long fingers as he speaks quietly with Kai. Their conversation comes to an immediate halt as soon as Seulgi and Sunhee step into the kitchen. Sunhee notices. Seulgi doesn’t, heading straight for an empty glass to fill it with water. Sunhee thinks Seulgi looks much too comfortable navigating this place, but she holds back those questions for later, when she gets Seulgi to actually tell her something of substance.

The man’s eyes narrow as he watches Seulgi help herself to a glass of water before they flicker to Sunhee and narrow even further.

Sunhee doesn’t look away. She holds his gaze, thinks that all these people hold danger in their eyes and Sunhee is too ing exhausted to cower in fright because of them. She’s tired. She wants to go home. She doesn’t want to think about how she may be entirely too entangled in a mess she doesn’t even know the half of.

“Where do you find all these strays, Kai?” The man tilts his head, eyes never once unlocking from Sunhee’s, as if he’s taken her refusal to submit to his presence as a challenge.

“Don’t start.” Kai elbows his side, earning him a small, surprised whine from the man. He finally takes his eyes off Sunhee’s and it brings her relief. “Seriously, hyung. I’m ing exhausted.”

“Fine.” The man rolls his eyes, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes, “None of you guys are any fun anymore, you know that? What’s a guy gotta do to have a good time?”

“Whatever.” Kai mumbles, sidling around him to lean a little too close to Seulgi, murmuring something Sunhee can’t hear from the threshold of the kitchen. Sunhee watches as Kai’s palm rests at the middle of Seulgi’s back, over her oversized jacket, for just a brief moment, before he drops his hand back to his side. Sunhee can see his expression, the furrowed brow and the concern in his twinkling, dark eyes.

Sunhee frowns because they’re too close and it’s strange. Sunhee does not trust Kai, no matter how much Seulgi already seems to. Her gaze flickers sideways, to the other man in the kitchen. He’s looking at her.

She blinks.

His gaze flickers to Kai and Seulgi, his brows furrowed as he brings his beer bottle to his lips. Then he looks back at her. He stares at her, quite blatantly, and she isn’t quite sure why.

She isn’t sure why his eyes seem to light up with curiosity as he looks at her, pretty fingers curling around the neck of his beer bottle.

She isn’t sure why—

“We should go.” Seulgi announces, quite loudly, stepping back from the counter, away from Kai.

Sunhee jumps, turning away from the man, noticing the way Seulgi’s scowling, though the highest points of her cheeks are dusted pink. Seulgi makes a move to shrug off her jacket, but Kai shakes his head, placing a palm on her shoulder. “Keep it. It’s cold.”

Seulgi stares, “I—uh, okay.”

The man snorts unattractively, pulling away from the counter. Seulgi glares after him. Sunhee wants to tell Seulgi to refuse, because keeping Kai’s jacket means she must see him again to return it.

“I have work in the morning.” Sunhee says, instead. Sunhee pulls out her phone, groaning at the time, “Or in a few ing hours.”

Seulgi looks sheepish as she rubs the back of her neck. Kai smiles at Seulgi, a gentle thing that Sunhee blames on the hour and the exhaustion even Sunhee can feel, despite not doing a thing.

“Make sure to change Minhyuk’s bandages every few hours, okay?”

Kai grins. “Of course. I’ll text you if anything goes wrong.”

Sunhee wants to shout, no you won’t. Seulgi, though, responds, “You’d better.”

The man groans, mumbles something inaudible under his breath, before he makes his way towards Sunhee, towards the exit. They lock eyes and Sunhee can see the same annoyance, the same disbelief, in his eyes that she feels in her chest. It’s strange, that moment of camaraderie.

The man says, “I really hope you don’t. We’ve risked enough with her and now you’ve managed to drag an even more useless person into the mix.” He s his beer bottle in Sunhee’s direction, inches from her face.

Sunhee’s expression drops into a scowl. That moment of camaraderie shatters instantly. “ off. I don’t even know you.” Sunhee snaps, knocking his hand away from her face, some beer spilling out and landing on the floor.

The man blinks at the small mess on the floor before looking up at her face, seemingly surprised at her actions, before he manages to pull himself together, jaw tight and eyes narrowed in irritation. “You don’t need to know me. That’s the ing point. Doesn’t change the fact that what I said is true.”

Before Sunhee can respond, Seulgi’s at her side, tugging at her elbow, murmuring, Let’s go.

Sunhee whips her head to the side, lets Seulgi drag her to the door as she snaps, unable to keep quiet any longer, “What the hell is wrong with these people?”

“I’ll explain later.” Seulgi mumbles as she opens the door. Sunhee sees the boy from earlier, who had been curled up in the Rude Man in the Kitchen’s lap earlier, buried under blankets, obviously sleeping. She sees Seulgi look over her shoulder and Sunhee suppresses a groan at the way she wiggles the fingers of her free hand, a tiny wave meant for someone Sunhee really wishes it wasn’t meant for. Her fingernails dig into Sunhee’s flesh as she yanks Sunhee through the door.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Sunhee snaps, just before Seulgi sighs. She shuts the door behind her and they stand there, at the bottom of a stairwell in front of a rundown apartment where Sunhee had just seen Seulgi stop someone from bleeding to death. A kid. That was a kid. The moon shines brightly overhead, though dawn is beginning to seep into the darkness, brightening the sky in a way that usually would bring peace to Sunhee. Right now, however, Sunhee is filled with this acute sense of dread and anxiety. She wonders if this new dawn signals the beginning of something dreadful.

Seulgi stares at Sunhee and, despite her smudged mascara and the bags showing beneath her eyes, despite her concealer slipping, a bit of her acne scars peaking through, Sunhee thinks she looks especially beautiful right then. Sunhee there is a certain sense of tragedy in that beauty. Certainly, there must be, because there is a light in her exhausted eyes and there is careful deliberation and Sunhee had seen the way Seulgi had glanced sideways at Kai, had listened to the way Seulgi spoke of Kai.

“I know I should stop helping them.” Seulgi says, so softly. “I’m sorry you’re involved now. You’ve seen their faces and—”

Seulgi takes a deep breath.

Sunhee stares at Seulgi, watching as she tilts her head back, blinking up at the sky, at the world coming to life around them as the life seems to waver her in eyes, for just a moment.

Sunhee says, “When they come to you, just say no.”

“I’ve tried. Twice, now.”

“Third time’s the charm, isn’t it?”

“And if another kid is dying?”

“Then let them.”

“I can’t.”

“You can.”

“I really can’t, Sunhee. I can’t.”

“Then—then call me. I’ll say no for you.”

Seulgi blinks. “Will you?”

“Yes.” Sunhee sighs, “Yes.”

“I…okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

Sunhee watches as Seulgi climbs the stairs back onto the street, back to civilization. Sunhee hurries up the stairs, after Seulgi, and she says, “No, swear it.”

Seulgi doesn’t answer. She just keeps walking. Sunhee doesn’t push it, not when Seulgi’s feet are dragging and she looks so bone-deep exhausted.

Maybe that was her first mistake.

a/n: oof this is off to a slowwww start but here we are at chapter two! thank you everyone sooo much for your comments you're all so nice i love u guys <3 i will try to update as soon as possible and I hope yall like the characterizations! I wonder who the Rude Man in the Kitchen is? [insert eye emoji here] Also I hope the pacing is good because it feels like it's off but also that may just be because I haven't written in soooo long