f i v e ;

Tae Eun was getting ready to make a delivery that afternoon, since Da Rae didn’t come in for work. There were a few addresses that she had to go to, so she wanted to set off as soon as she could.

While she was busy preparing the customers’ orders, the jingle sound could suddenly be heard, indicating there were new customers. But when she lifted up her head in response – she saw a group of heavily tattooed men barging in the shop with grim expressions.

Her smile instantly faltered at the sight of them.

From behind her, she could hear Se Mi getting up from her seat and started to approach them cautiously.

“Can I help you?”

The guy standing at the front of the group, with striking blonde streaks in his black hair, totally ignored Se Mi’s question and directed his gaze at Tae Eun’s guarded face.

“You’re Tae Eun, aren’t you?”

Judging from the vibe he was giving off, and the commanding tone he was using – Tae Eun could easily guess that he was the group’s leader.

When she didn’t answer him, he took a step forward and towered over her with his tall height.

“When I ask you a question, you answer me.”

She would be lying if she said she wasn’t afraid, but Tae Eun braved herself and squared up her shoulders to hide her anxiousness.

“What do you want?”

“Where’s Kim Dong Jun?”

Tae Eun blinked her eyes a couple of times. She didn’t think she’s heard of that name before but then…

Did he say, Kim Dong Jun?

As in, the Jun she knows?

She eyed the other guys in the room carefully. They were all watching her closely, waiting for any slip ups. Without realising, she had tightened her grip around the stalk of flowers she was holding, causing her knuckles to turn white.

“I don’t know who that is,” she lied, keeping a straight face at the same time. Even if it was true that Jun and Kim Dong Jun is the same person, Tae Eun would never breathe a word to any of these men, who seemed to be street-gangsters based on their intimidating physical appearances.

It was also possible that these were the same guys who had chased them down the other night.

Before she had any time to react, the leader was already cupping her chin in his hand roughly, and forced her to look up at him.

Se Mi made a move forward to help her, but two of the other guys shot her a warning look which made her froze on her spot.

Tae Eun tried to wriggle herself free, but he had a really firm grip on her.

“Don’t lie,” he said menacingly, glaring down at her. “I saw you with him. Now tell me, where is that little bastard?”

“I-I don’t k-know,” Tae Eun stuttered, not because she was scared but he was making it difficult for her to speak. And it wasn’t a complete lie. She hadn’t seen Dong Jun ever since that little argument they had at the beach, where Tae Eun had walked away from him first.

“You’re not going to tell me? Fine.”

Using his man’s strength, he shoved Tae Eun away with one hard push – causing her to fall backwards and knocking her head against the shelf’s pointed edge.

“Stop!” Se Mi yelled out desperately. “Or I’m going to call the police!”

He, who had just lifted up his hand to strike a blow against Tae Eun’s face, stopped short when he heard the owner’s threat. He sighed a little as he turned around to face Se Mi, who was trembling with fear, despite the strong voice she had used.

“Call the police,” he mimicked her. “You know woman, that is probably the dumbest thing you can ever – “

But he didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence, when a large vase, suddenly hit his back with a deafening crash.

He dropped to his knees instinctively with a loud grunt, and managed to glare over his shoulder at Tae Eun, who was staring back at him angrily, despite the throbbing pain in her head and the blood trickling down the side of her face.

“I’m really…going to…kill you.”

His hand shot out immediately and a loud, tight slap flew across her face at once. Tae Eun bit her lips hard to keep herself from screaming out loud.

He didn’t give her a minute to recover from the shock, and he was already pulling at her hair harshly. From the murderous look in his eyes, Tae Eun had no doubt that he was really going to kill her.

“Tell me where he is!” he snarled directly into her face.

Tae Eun’s lips curled up into a small smirk. “Go to hell.”

His other fist was already balled up by his side, ready to throw a punch at her – but just then, the jingle sound played again and this time, his familiar soothing voice filled the small shop.

“Get away from her, you !”

Knowing that the person he had been searching for, was now in the same room as him; he didn’t waste time shouting orders at his men.

“What are you waiting for? Get him!”

Tae Eun’s vision was starting to get blurry. She could only make out bits and pieces of the scene which was unfolding in front of her – but she could see him. She could see this side to him she has never seen before – how he was furiously fighting off his attackers. Alone.

Somewhere in the far distance, she could somehow hear Se Mi making that phone call she should’ve made since just now. And a minute later, she was already by Tae Eun’s side, peering over at the injured girl worriedly.

“Stay with me, Tae Eun. Help is coming.”

“Help him,” she whispered instead. “He needs help….”

As if on cue, she saw more figures entering the shop, who immediately joined in the fight. But Tae Eun couldn’t tell whose side they were on. She could only see fists flying everywhere, with loud crashing sounds following soon after.

Se Mi’s shop had turned into a wreck.

The last thing she remembered before passing out was telling Se Mi how sorry she was.

And then, total blackness engulfed her.