Wendy couldn't get to sleep. No matter how long her eyes were closed, her mind just couldn't seem to find a way to shut down. Even the luxurious pillows and blankets that wrapped around her couldn't relax her. Scented candles did nothing either.

She opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling, nothing but darkness all around her.

Wendy her phone. The time read that it was nearly 4 am.

"I'm so tired..." Her eyes flickered on and off like a faulty light. She grew more frustrated by the second.

"A cup of tea could help calm me down," she thought. She lifted her blankets, which were unkempt from all the tossing and turning she had been doing and approached the counter by the front door. After following the proper procedures, she sat and watched the bubbles form and pop within the kettle, hoping that it would bore her enough to sleep.

It was working for a little bit, as her eyes started to close little by little. That little path to dreamland was rudely interrupted however, by the sound of her phone ringing.

"Who the ?!" Wendy yelled, ruffling her hair. She stomped over to the bed and picked up her phone. The name that appeared on her screen softened her facial expressions immediately.

“Unnie!!” Came screaming from the other side of the phone. Wendy felt tears well up in her eyes just from hearing that voice. It had only been a few hours, but to Wendy it had felt like an eternity.

“Yerim-ah… I’m so glad to hear from you…”

“Me too! I’m sorry, I know you’re busy with the whole moving thing, but I really can’t sleep without you around… can you sing me a lullaby?”

Wendy’s smile only grew wider and wider. She closed her eyes.

“Seems like we’ve been here before…”

She sang, and sang, and sang. She sang so much she felt feel hoarse. The tea had finished boiling an hour ago, but she didn’t care. She kept singing. She sang till she heard gentle snores coming from the speaker on her phone.

“Good night, Yerim-ah.”

“Aren’t you just sleeping well?”

What the. Wendy leapt out of her bed to see Rose staring right at her, seated by her window donned in a white suit and a cup of coffee in hand. She shot a gentle smile at Wendy, who was barely dressed, had her hair all over the place and eyes barely open.

It was a perfect image of heaven and hell.

“Rose!! Ho- wha- why are you in my room?!”

“I knocked and waited outside for about 15 minutes. I feared that you were either dead or kidnapped, can never be too sure in this world. So, I helped myself in. The way you were sleeping, you may as well have actually been dead.” Rose said, a little smirk crawling up the side her lip.

Wendy’s face flushed red. She instinctively covered up her face with her blanket.

“Your things are ready. I sent some people to gather all your clothes and whatnot from your place. Your sister was apparently pretty adamant about not having your things removed.”

“Heh, that sounds like Yerim alright…”

“Your things are all at my place now, so you’ll be living with me for now, until you eventually get enough money on your own to live in your own place.”

“Th-thanks…”

“No worries. Get dressed, we’ll be leaving soon.”

“To your place?”

“Nope, for work. Your job starts today, Wendy.”

The weight on Wendy’s shoulders felt much, much heavier. She wanted to just go back to sleep and wake back up in her bed, with Yerim looking over her head, shaking her to wake up.

“… Give me fifteen…” Wendy said, slowly crawling out of her bed and heading to the bathroom. Rose watched her, sipping her coffee. She looked at her phone, seeing a text from Jennie about her assignment.

“This guy again? At this point, we should just cut him off,” Rose said, shaking her head and putting her phone away.

Fifteen minutes passed in a jiffy. Wendy emerged from the shower, wearing the same suit that Joy had passed to her the night before. Rose shook her head, pointing at the door behind Wendy.

“I got a freshly pressed one for you back there. You can throw that one away.”

A black suit with a red shirt. It looked incredibly classy.

“I… kind of want to keep this one…” Wendy mumbled, remembering when Sooyoung passed it to her. As much as she found that erted woman irritating, she had to admit that she did kind of feel attached to this suit.

“Becoming sentimental already, Wendy? That won’t do you any good in this life, trust me.”

“That much was obvious”, Wendy thought.

“Change into the fresh suit for now, pack up that suit and put it in my bag. We’ll wash it at my place.”

“Thanks, Rose.”

“No problem. Get going yeah? I’ve got a schedule.”

Wendy quickly changed into the new suit.

“You hungry?”

Wendy’s stomach growled.

“Guess that answers that. We’ll grab some breakfast after I’m finished with my little job. I’ll be quick.”

Rose and Wendy left the hotel room and headed for the elevator. Wendy was still feeling pretty lethargic from everything that had happened from the day before. She was dragging her feet across the ground, leaning against the wall as Rose pressed the button that called for the elevator.

“No sleep last night?”

“No, I did manage to sleep pretty well in the end… I’m more drained mentally.”

“Figures. What you’ve been through the last 24 hours must’ve been pretty crazy.”

“Tell me about it. It feels like I fell into a movie script.”

The elevator bell dinged. The doors opened.

Wendy nearly screamed.

There was Seulgi, standing there in a pair of shades, looking through her phone and blowing a bubble from the gum she was chewing. She was dressed in a long fur coat, leather boots and leather pants. She looked like some high-end celebrity.

“What’s wrong Wendy?”

“No-nothing…” Wendy said, lying straight through her teeth. She could feel her heart pounding like a pair of drumsticks against a drum.

She gingerly walked into the elevator and stood next to Seulgi, who was still scrolling through her phone and acting extremely casual. Her whole body language had changed. Her normally upright and perfectly straight body posture was now replaced with a sloppy, arrogant and lazy aura, like a spoilt brat from Hollywood. Wendy really has to commend Seulgi’s ability to act.

“God, it’s been real cold these few days huh?” Seulgi suddenly spoke, her accent changing to a broken Korean accent that a foreigner would have. Wendy almost didn’t recognise her voice.

“Huh?! Oh, uhh, yeah I guess,” Wendy said, an awkward chuckle escaping . Rose wasn’t paying any attention to them, seemingly texting someone on her phone.

“I feel like just sitting down at a nice Café and having a good coffee, ya know? Maybe at like Starbucks or something. There’s a real nice coffee joint nearby, called dal.komm coffee or something? It’s real good, I kinda wanna hang just hang with someone there tomorrow morning or something, ya know?”

Wendy caught her drift. She could barely hold the grin that was threatening to spill out any moment.

“Isn’t it usually really crowded there?”

“Not in the morning, ya know? At about 9am peeps are usually at work so it ain’t so crowded, ya know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Wendy said, letting a little smile creep out from .

The elevator reached the first floor. Seulgi gave a lazy wave to Wendy and left first.

“She was noisy,” Rose said, a frown on her face.

“Foreigner, I suppose. They’re usually pretty friendly.”

“Apparently,” Rose said, shaking her head. They left the elevator. Wendy looked around, trying to get another glimpse of Seulgi, but she was long gone.

They left the lobby of the hotel. The cool Korean air breezed by Wendy’s face, her hair gently flowing against the wind as a result. There was a pitch black car waiting outside, with a stern looking woman standing by the door. It was a fair guess by Wendy that it was their ride.

Her guess was proven right when the woman opened the doors for them. Rose and Wendy climbed into the backseat.

“Wine?”

“Isn’t it a little early…?”

“It’s 9pm somewhere in the world,” Rose said, popping a pinot noir for herself. Rose offered one last sip to Wendy, which she declined.

“Alright, step on it, ladies. You know where to go.”

The car began to move out. Wendy looked out the window at busy streets of Seoul. The sidewalks were all filled to the brim with people, you couldn’t even find an inch of space on the ground. The tall buildings, the giant billboards.

“The city is pretty cool huh…”

“You a country girl?”

“Suburbs. Never really been in the city before, usually in a pretty quiet part of town.”

“I see.”

“What about you?” Wendy asked.

“Back home, country. Over here, I only know the city. The good and the bad parts. The highest points, all the way at the top of Seoul Tower, and the very bottom, down to the sewers.”

Wendy nodded. She didn’t quite know how to respond, but she felt the weight of the words Rose said.

“… Do you ever regret?”

“Hmm?”

“Never mind. Where are we headed?”

“I got a job to do. Perfect timing, we’re right here.”

The car stopped right outside a row of high-end jewellery shops, with prices that could make Wendy’s eyes roll out her head. Rose entered one that appeared to still be closed, with the lights still off inside. The bell above the door rung when she entered.

Wendy followed closely behind, looking around the place. It looked perfectly normal. A little more luxurious than shops she was normally in, but standard fare otherwise.

“Mr Kim! Where are you?!”

Wendy jumped hearing Rose shout all of a sudden. She heard a clutter of footsteps come from the backroom of store, and a flustered old man came running out.

“Ro-Rose! I wasn’t expecting you so soon! You want a cup of coffee?”

“I had one earlier already, thanks. Anyway, where’s the payment?”

The old man, Mr Kim apparently, had a face that was as white as a sheet.

“Just, just one more week Rose, and I’ll pay, I promise. Business has been down recently and I-“

“Cut the bull, seriously. It’s the third month in a row that you’ve been late. I want the ing money.”

“I-I don’t have the-“

Rose swung her fist straight into Mr Kim’s gut, the old man wheezing as he collapsed onto the wall behind him. Wendy closed her eyes and gripped the hem of her blazer, feeling a wave of guilt and pity wash over her.

“Then sell your house, sell your car, sell your children. I don’t give a how you do it, I want the money at 9am tomorrow, waiting for me in an envelope at Joey’s tomorrow, you understand, you old ?”

“I- I can’t…”

“I don’t give a . Find a way. Or else I may have to pay a visit to those beautiful children of yours.”

“No! Please! Please don’t! I’ll pay! I’ll pay!”

Snot and tears were running down all over Mr Kim’s face. Wendy had to turn away from what was happening, her body trembling.

“Good. See you at Joey’s tomorrow, Mr Kim. Pleasure doing business.”

Rose tapped Wendy’s shoulder, walking out the store. Wendy bit her lip, turning to look back at Mr Kim, who was a mess on the floor.

“How much do you owe her?”

Mr Kim looked at Wendy.

“Too much… too much…”

“Can I help?”

Mr Kim looked up.

“ you, you’re with her right? Don’t try and play the hero… you’re all scumbags. Get the out of my shop.”

Wendy winced. She her heels and left the store, feeling tears begin to fall from her own eyes. She walked outside to see Rose smoking a cigarette that she immediately put out when Wendy appeared.

“Told you, being sentimental isn’t going to help you out at all. If you want to survive, best forget about your conscience. Give your heart to dogs before the dogs rip it out of you.”

Rose passed a packet of tissues to Wendy.

“Gather yourself. We’re headed to HQ next, we’re giving you’re your first job.”

Rose headed to the car first. Wendy clenched her fists, feeling her knees begin to quiver and lose all strength. What was this? What did she really get herself into?

“This is just the tip of the iceberg isn’t it…” Wendy said, pressing her hand against her forehead, slumping against the wall behind her.

“What the is this…”

Wendy looked down at the ground, letting one tear drop onto the pavement below. People were starting to stare.

“Wendy! Let’s go!”

“I don’t want to…”

Wendy stood up and headed into the car.

Rose glanced at Wendy, who’s head was leaning against the window. She was staring into nothingness.

“Listen here, Wendy. I must admit, I’m sorry you had to see that. But you had to see that, you understand? This is real.”

“I know…”

Wendy picked up a bottle of vodka from the minifridge in the car and took a swig. Rose raised a brow.

“Isn’t it a little early?”

“It’s 9pm somewhere in the world.”

Rose smirked.

“God, that tastes like ,” Wendy said, shoving the adult drink back into the fridge. It tasted awful, horrendous, like a fire burning her insides. But it did help to take the edge off a little. She could see why people drank them so much now.

“First time?”

“Yeah.”

“Conservative household?”

“Was never curious. Water suited me just fine.”

“Goodness, you really are a snowflake.”

Wendy smiled.

“Not anymore.”

The car came to a stop outside the Kim Headquarters. Wendy’s second time in less than 24 hours. She exited the car and breathed in the fresh air that came with being at the top of the mountains. There were several more cars parked outside now, as opposed to when there were none the first time around.

“Follow me,” Rose said. Two guards bowed to Rose as she entered the door, with Wendy following her at the hip. The doors to the HQ opened.

It was much livelier this time around. There were several women sat by the lobby, chatting with cigarettes in hand. People carrying suitcases were entering and exiting the place seemingly every second and there was now a bar set up at the stage, where several women were sat.

“Yo Rose! Who’s the new blood?!”

“Her name is Wendy!”

“Daaamn she’s a young one! Where the did you find her, high school?”

“Make sure you don’t get caught, or it’ll be a ing felony I tell you!”

Wendy instinctively wrapped her arms around Rose’s arm, feeling intimidated by the stares that everyone was giving her. Rose gently patted her.

“Let’s be quick, I’ll take you to see the coach.”

“Coach?”

“The one who will give you your job.”

“Why’s she called coach?”

“You know how a coach gives players roles on a sports team? Yeah same thing.”

“I see.”

Rose took Wendy to a door that was at the end of a hallway. There was a ‘Do Not Enter’ sign plastered at the door along with a skull that looked like it was spray painted onto it. It was a far cry from the prim and proper rooms everywhere else.

“Coach is a little more… unique from all of us.”

“In what way?”

“You’ll see. Oi Jess! We’re coming in!”

Rose opened the door, Wendy stepped into a room that looked like it belonged to an 18-year-old boy. There were mini basketball hoops all over the walls, a baseball bat leaning against the side of the wall, and a mini golf course where a girl wearing a baseball cap and a bomber jacket was stood.

“Oh yeah, she’s also called coach because she kind of likes sports. Makes sense, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Jess!”

“Whaddya want, Rose?” ‘Jess’ said, tipping her golf ball into the hole. She turned around and took a look at Rose, giving her a quick nod, then very quickly diverted her attention to Wendy.

“New you found of the street? A bit young for you, don’t you think?”

“No, she’s new blood. She’s a made woman.”

‘Jess’ adjusted her cap.

“The is boss thinking?”

“It’s a… long story. She needs a job, I’m sure we have something for her to do.”

“You got that right. We’re in some tough right now.”

‘Jess’ walked towards Wendy, almost going nose-to-nose with her. Wendy took a step back.

“Name is Jessica, don’t you dare call me Jess. You are?”

“We-Wendy.”

“We-Wendy?”

“Wendy!”

“Jesus…” Jessica shook her head.

“She’s practically a fetus.”

“There’s something a fetus can help us with, surely.”

Jessica scratched her head, eyeing Wendy up and down.

“Maybe a transporter? But she’s too green for that . If she s up we’ll be in the .”

Jessica picked up her baseball bat.

“Maybe…”

Wendy gasped as the bat came swinging towards her skull. She ducked under and punched Jessica’s wrist, disarming her and picking the bat out from the air.

“Nice!” Jessica said, holding her wrist, a cheeky grin on her face.

“What the was that?!” Wendy said, her chest heaving.

“A little test, girlie. Looks like you got some fight in ya.”

Jessica held her hand out, asking for her bat back. Wendy returned it.

“Okay, for the moment, there’s been a bunch of stinking teenagers spray painting all over one our shops by Gangnam. The s think that vandalizing one of the shops there gives their lil gang street cred. Go em up, they usually come at around 11pm every night when the shops are closed. Do that, and I’ll figure something out for you.”

Jessica threw the bat back at Wendy.

“Use that. Don’t you dare get caught, I’m telling you.”

Jessica now looked back at Rose.

“Rose, Club Stardust needs the security boosted. ‘They’ have been getting more active recently.”

Rose nodded.

“Gotcha.”

“You, We-Wendy. I expect you back here at midnight, with those little kids’ blood on your bat.”

“You want me to kill them?!”

“ no! What the do you think we are? Just knock some sense into em! Make sure they never come back.”

Wendy looked at Rose, who squinted her eyes.

“Need me to follow her?”

“Nah, let her handle this herself. If she s up and gets arrested, then we’ll send someone in there to kill her. If she makes it, then congrats, she’ll probably get a job.”

Wendy’s blood froze.

Author Notes:

Guess who’s back, back again…

I hope you all remember me?

6 months later and finally an update. It’s been a hectic school term, but it’s all over now, and this story is starting once again :D

As you guys can tell, I redid this chapter. The last one was pretty poorly written, so I deleted it. I find this to be a bit better :P

See you all in the next chapter, which WILL be coming shortly.