Ryujin had been waiting for almost half an hour. She only hoped no one had noticed her weird behavior. Sitting on a bench for that long was weird... right? 

She couldn’t stop shaking and looking around every five seconds. Going over the plan in her mind time and time again, she kept convincing herself she knew exactly what was to be done. And she had to calm down. But how could she, when she was about to follow someone inside their house? And it had to be--- 

There she was. Ryujin gulped, following the girl with her eyes. She stood up and swung her hoodie over her head. Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she crossed the street with her head low, peeking to make sure she hadn’t stepped inside yet. Ryujin looked around, to make sure no one was around, and quickened her pace behind the girl. She went past the gate and Ryujin hid behind the wall, quickly hiding her face in her mask, and just as she was about to step inside her house, Ryujin took a run for it.  

It was all too fast, but when Ryujin came to herself, she was already inside, gripping on Jisu’s collar and shoving her against the door with a hand over . 

Ryujin couldn’t come to say a word, when the look of terror in Jisu’s eyes was enough for her to lose some of the strength on her grip. But then Yuna popped up on her mind, and Ryujin remembered why she was doing it, and that she absolutely had to do this- 

Ryujin growled in pain when Jisu sunk her teeth onto her hand, and even though she was wearing gloves, she could feel the sharp pain on her skin. She tried to retreat her hand, but now something hit the side of her head, making her stumble back. Jisu jumped on her, throwing her dizzy body to the ground. Her back hit the floor with a loud and painful thud, and Jisu’s knees pressed down on her arms, sending another wave of pain on her body and making Ryujin yell in pain. 

The mask on her face flew over her head, and their eyes met. 

“R-Ryujin?” 

“You’re hurting me,” Ryujin groaned. 

“What are you even doing?” 

“I don’t wanna hurt you, just get off of me!” 

Jisu hesitated, but stood up. Ryujin breathed in relief, massaging her own arms.  

“Just... what in the world are you doing?” Jisu asked, staring down at Ryujin, who massage the side of her head now. 

“This wasn’t supposed to turn out like this...” Ryujin stood up, and Jisu took a step back. “Listen up, you brother is on the run and they want to find him. I was just sent here as a warning.” 

Jisu widened her eyes. “What do you know about my brother?” 

“What I just told you.” 

“Don’t lie to me!” Jisu raised her fist, but Ryujin was fast to hold on her wrist. 

“I’m telling the truth.” 

“Who’s them and what do they want with my brother? What did he do?!” Jisu thrashed, trying to set herself free. 

“I don’t know!” Ryujin pushed Jisu against the door again. “I don’t know a thing! You’re lucky I was the one sent here, or else you would be on the ground full of bruises by now.” 

Jisu stopped fighting back. “Why are you doing this?” 

“I told you already, I was sent as a warning to your brother.” 

“I got that, but why would you be sent?” 

“Because... Because it’s part of my job.” 

“Your job is to beat innocent people up?” 

Ryujin let go of Jisu’s wrist and clenched her jaw. “Not innocent, for most of the part.” 

“Why?” 

“You wouldn’t understand.” 

“Just tell me then, explain it to me.” 

“Why do you even care?” 

“Because this is not like you.” 

Ryujin scoffed. “You don’t even know me.” 

“You saved me from an abuser the other night.” Jisu stared at Ryujin’s lips, and a finger traced over the cut by the corner of her lips. “You got hurt because of me, to protect someone you didn’t even know, and now you were sent here to beat me up, yet the first thing you said was that you wouldn’t hurt me, and you didn’t. I think that already says a lot about you, and for whatever reason you’re doing this, it’s because you really don’t have any other choice.” 

In fact, she should even be mad at Jisu. 

But all Ryujin could do was hide her face in her hands and cry.  

Pathetic, Ryujin thought. To be crying in front of someone she barely knew, someone she was supposed to be beating up that same moment, but that someone touched her every wound in a way no one had. 

“Can you explain it to me?” Jisu’s voice was sweet, too sweet for Ryujin to deserve it. “Let’s sit.” 

Jisu held on her arms, her touch also too soft for Ryujin to deserve, and guided her inside, towards the couch. 

“There’s no one home. We’re alone, and you can trust me.” 

“Why?” 

“Why would I want to hurt you?” 

“Because I was going to.” 

“But did you want to?” 

“No.” 

“I know you don’t, and I don’t either.” 

Ryujin sniffed. “Look, just pretend I came here and actually beat you up, and try to reach your brother about this, and you’ll stay out of trouble, okay? I-I need to go.” 

She tried to stand up, but Jisu held on her wrist and yanked her down. “No, you will not leave until you tell me what you know.” 

“I swear, I don’t know a thing about what happened to your brother. I don’t even know his name.” 

“I’m talking about what you got yourself into and why you’re doing this. This involves my brother now as well, so it involves me. I’m worried sick about him. He appeared home a few days ago all beaten up, telling me he had to leave. I can’t reach him, and I need to do something before my parents find out.” 

“Your parents aren’t around?” 

“They’re in Canada. I was living here with my brother so we could finish our studies.” 

She was just trying to help her brother. 

“I’m doing this for my little sister,” Ryujin says, clenching her fists. “My father got himself in debts from gambling and ran away, like the mothering rat he is. Left me and Yuna alone with his debts to pay.” 

Jisu gasped.  

“I dropped out of school and found the job at the bar, but... that night, when I protected you...” 

****** 

Ryujin wiped the blood on her lip with the back of her trembling hand, still struggling to come down from the adrenaline high she’d gotten on from beating up the disgusting prick that got far too close to that young girl. Remembering the terror in the girl’s face and the look of relief as she thanked her time and time again made it all worth it. She would do everything all over again if she had to. 

Splashing water on her face, she took a deep breath as she looked in the mirror one last time and prepared to exit the restroom. 

“Ryujin.” A deep, male voice called just as she left, startling her. 

“Boss Park,” she answered, suddenly remembering that she was likely to get in trouble. “I’m sorry for causing a scene.” 

“No, don’t apologize. He deserved it.” He leaned against the wall with a smile and put a hand on her shoulder. “You did what you had to do. I was actually very impressed.” 

“Oh.” Ryujin sighed in relief. “Yeah, I guess I had to do it. To set an example.” 

“Listen, I would like to give you a word. Care to follow me?” 

Ryujin frowned, but nodded and did as she was told. When they reached his office in the back of the club, he opened the door, motioned her to enter, then closed the door behind him.  

The boss sat on his chair, then waved his hand at Ryujin, signaling her to have a seat herself on the opposite side of the desk. 

“I have to say,” he started, “I never imagined a girl your size would have the strength to leave a guy that huge crying and begging for his mommy.” 

Ryujin said nothing, her legs restless as she had absolutely no clue where this was going. Being called to your boss’ office was a nerve-wracking ordeal by itself, but the way he started with praising her brawling skills left her too puzzled. 

“What I saw you do today really caught my attention.” He rested his elbows on the desk and smiled. “So, I would like to offer you a promotion.” 

“What? For real?” Ryujin widened her eyes, half of her excited about the extra money and recognition, the other half wondering why her boss had thought to promote her for beating a guy up at his club. 

“For real. But this is not your typical promotion. Let’s say you’re to have a special position in my... side business.” 

The hint of a hopeful smile in Ryujin’s face turned into a frown instantly. 

“What do you mean? Side business?” 

“Say, when you came here begging for me to give you a job even when you’re underaged, you told me the story of your father. How he drowned in debt, then disappeared and left you and your sister alone to handle it, so you really needed the money to survive.”  

Ryujin reluctantly nodded, growing more nervous by the second but refusing to show it. 

“I empathized a lot with you, so I gave you the job. Because my side business is about... Teaching a lesson to people like that. Cowards who think they can get away with not paying what they owe to the people who lend them the money, for example. We provide such a service for the people who want to collect said debt, and we encourage the bastards to find a way to make amends.” 

She felt as if ice ran through her veins instead of blood as she put the pieces together. 

“What I mean is, in addition to your bartending duties, I will occasionally contact you to perform these tasks. Your identity will be well protected, and you will be very well compensated for them, of course.” He grinned mischievously. “It’s a pretty nice complement to your salary, no? I’m sure it would be of great use to you and your sister.” 

“Y-you...” Ryujin tried to relearn how to move her lips, as her chin had been dropped for longer than she’d noticed and froze in that position. “You want me to go beat up indebted idiots for you?” 

“You could put it that way,” he said, scarily relaxed. 

Her mind immediately conjured the image of Yuna. As much as Ryujin had a thirst to seek revenge for what her father and others like him did to their families, what would Yuna think of her if she knew she’d become involved in even more illegal stuff? How disappointed she would be. And suddenly, the answer was more than clear. 

“I can’t do it, boss. Thank you for your offer, but the salary you pay me to be here is more than enough to support us. If you’ll excuse me, I will resume my shift.” She hastily rose from her chair, bowed ninety degrees, and spun on her heel to leave. 

“Ryujin.” He called, his voice losing that unsettling cheerful tone, turning grave and serious. “Not so fast.” 

As she once more turned to face him, she saw his expression had darkened along with his voice. 

“I trusted you with this secret of mine. About my side activities. Is that really how you intend to repay the trust I’ve put in you? The help I’ve offered you?” 

Ryujin had become so used to facing men bigger, tougher, scarier than her, that fear had become an emotion of her distant past. But the way her knees threatened to fail her and the way all of the hairs on her body seemed to rise let her know she’d felt it once again. 

“I’m giving you a choice. Let’s see. You take this job, earn way more than your regular salary gives you, have yourself and your sister live much more comfortably than you do now, get payback on useless rats just like your father...” His eyes narrowed, his features creasing even more and making the look on his face look that much more menacing.  

“Or you’re fired, get no salary at all, and the authorities will hear about two underage girls living together without any parents, thus placing you and your sister in the foster system, and who knows, you might even get separated in the process.” 

Ryujin clenched her jaw as every muscle in her body tensed with her trying not to get into the second fight of the night. She couldn’t. Not with what he’d just threatened to do. 

“You’re a smart girl, Shin Ryujin. I know you’ll make the right choice.” He leaned back in his chair and his face softened, his voice returning to that disturbingly jolly tone of before. “So, what’s it going to be?” 

****** 

 Jisu took a hand to . “So, it’s my fault? I’m so sorry, I-” 

“It’s not your fault. I did what I had to do.” 

“But look where it got you!” 

“I would happen sooner or later. I’m even surprised how it never happened before, in a bar like that.” 

“You’re not even an adult yet... what about school?” 

“I dropped out. Surviving and providing food for Yuna is more important.” 

Jisu dropped her head. “I’m really sorry.” 

“Don’t feel like that. And I can’t deny the job is easy, I mean, beating up disgusting old men like my father? Easy, and it pays ing well. I need to feed myself and my sister, she’s still in school, and I don’t want to give the loan sharks a reason to be pissed with us.” 

The terror was back at Jisu’s eyes. 

“But beating up an innocent person? A girl around my age? That’s...” Ryujin felt her eyes warming up again. “That has been my biggest fear, that Yuna gets hurt because of the my father did. I don’t want to become the kind of monster my sister is afraid of!” 

“And you won’t.” Jisu held her hand. “You can leave that life. You can change what’s happening, you can put your boss and everyone in jail-” 

“Are you crazy?! No, I can’t, and I won’t.” 

“I will help you.” 

“I have too much to lose.” 

“Your sister? If anything happens, I’ll look out for her.” 

“No, Jisu.” 

“Ryujin, I’m serious. I told you, my brother is involved, I am involved. Just like you and your sister. If Yuna is your problem, and if anything happens to you, which it won’t, she will be provided for until she’s an adult. I promise.”  

“How can you promise that?” 

“Because I know and I will have you get out of this unharmed, and because I can.” Jisu’s eyes became serious. “Look, me and my family are well off. Our parents provide for our stay here in Korea, and there’s really nothing we lack. That’s why whatever trouble my brother’s in can’t be related to money. I need to find out what happened to him and get him out of this before my parents even find out he’s gone, and you need to get out of this mess and put those crooks in jail.” 

“What do you suggest then?” 

“Is that a yes?”  

“I don’t know what to say to that. Why should I trust you?” 

“Why should I trust you?” 

Ryujin shrugged. 

“What if I come up with a plan? Come on, we have nothing to lose. If we don’t do anything about it, things are only going to get worse.” 

Ryujin sighed. “If you come up with something, I’ll think about it.” 

Jisu smiled. “What about right now? What should I do?” 

“Try to reach your brother, tell him someone was sent after you as a warning, and that he should tell you what happened. If we’re serious about this, he needs to tell you everything he knows.” 

Jisu nodded, eyebrows drawn together. “I will do what I can.” 

Silence settled in, and Ryujin fidgeted in her seat. “Alright, I should get going then. I need to be at the bar soon to work and tell my boss everything went as it should.” 

“Wait, let’s exchange numbers, so I can tell you anything as soon as possible.” 

“I don’t think it’s smart to have your number in my phone.” 

“Save it as Lia.” Jisu extended her own phone. 

“Lia?” 

“Short for Julia, my English name. I lived in Canada for a few years.” 

Ryujin accepted the phone and removed her gloves to type her number, but then noticed how there was blood in her right hand. 

“Oh god, that was me, I’m so sorry!” Jisu widened her eyes. 

“It’s okay, I don’t blame you, you were just trying to defend yourself. I am really sorry, I didn’t want to hurt or scare you.” 

“It’s not your fault, Ryujin. I don’t resent you. And you need to clean that.” Jisu stood up. 

“No, it’s okay, it doesn’t even hurt.” 

But Jisu still stormed off. Ryujin looked at her hand again, at how Jisu’s teeth still marked her skin. It had been a strong bite indeed.  

And how didn’t Jisu resent her?  

“Can I?” Jisu’s voice brought Ryujin back.  

She sat beside her with her hand extended. Ryujin placed her hand on top of hers and let her clean the blood with a warm cloth.  

After what Ryujin tried, no, did, Jisu was still offering her kindness. Was she doing that because Ryujin helped her before? 

“It’s cleaned and disinfected. If it doesn’t heal, you should go see a doctor.” 

“It’s just a bite, I’ve experienced worse.” 

“Does your head hurt? Or your arms?” 

“No, I’m fine, really. Can you lend me your phone again?” 

Ryujin typed her number on her phone. Jisu called her, and she saved her number as Lia, just like she told her. 

“Tell me if you come up with a plan or if you can reach your brother.” Ryujin stood up, and Jisu followed. 

“Thank you for trusting me.” 

Ryujin opened , but didn’t have anything else to add. She nodded at Jisu, grabbed her mask that still laid on the ground, swung the hoodie over her head and left. 

She really had no idea if what she had just done was the correct choice, but she also knew she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she laid a finger on Jisu. That was not the person Ryujin was. 

And she would not become the person she and her sister feared the most. 

---

A/N: thank you so much for the subs and comments! I'm glad you're enjoying this story already, even though it's just in the beginning. 

Here's some explanations about what lead Ryujin to do that, and the next chapter is gonna have some fluff ^^