"We should get jobs." Sun Woo rolled his eyes at Jung Hwan's words as they walked through an alley.

"Yeah, like anyone's gonna hire two street kids who can only take a shower whenever they find a fresh enough water source out here on the streets." Sun Woo threw his arm around Jung Hwan's shoulders, throwing the other off balance. "Even if we were hired we'd get fired immediately for scaring off the customers with our stench."

"But it's been seven years, were both seventeen now...shouldn't we do more then what we've been doing. Maybe if we can get a job we can get more resources so we can find what we lost."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with the way we live now." They emerged from the alley to a street lined with high class boutiques and food shops. "We eat and drink enough to survive and we don't have to follow any rules, the life we live is nothing but sweet freedom." A couple of people passed by and threw disgusted glances their way. Out of the corner of his eye, Sun Woo saw Jung Hwan fold his arms over his chest. He knew the other boy was trying to hide the holes in his tattered clothing from prying eyes. "You shouldn't be ashamed." He raised his voice as they were passing a high class high school, "The people who are rudely staring and passing their own judgement should be ashamed of themselves. It's not our fault we live like this and even if it's unfortunate we should live with our heads held high."

"Why? Is it so you keep the smell of away a little longer?" Sun Woo stopped in his tracks and turned his head to see a familiar, nameless, face behind a chain linked fence. He smiled his best nonchalant smile before completely turning his body to face the other boy. Since Jung Hwan still had the other boy's arm around his neck, he was pulled along.

"Look Sandeulie." They never used each others real names in the presence of others. Only when they were alone. "It's the resident ."

"Who're you calling an ?"

"Do I have the wrong person?!" Sun Woo made a face of mock surprise before looking around. He examined all the faces of the people before turning back to the other boy with a smile. "I don't think I have the wrong person, seeing how your the only out here."

"Why you!" The boy raised his fist but paused as he remembered a chain linked fence sat between them.

"You can try it," Sun Woo said with a smirk, "We can see how well your cushioned life has toughened you up." The boy's face turned red in anger and he moved so he could start climbing the fence, but before he could a hand grabbed his wrist. The boy froze and Sun Woo's smile turned into a frown. He looked behind the boy to see another boy that he had never seen before.

"Don't you think that you've caused enough trouble for today?" Sun Woo watched as the boy's face paled at the words and then he looked towards the other with a cocked eyebrow.

"I-I apologize Chan Sik." Sun Woo watched as the boy, Chan Sik, nodded at the apology before turning his attention to Sun Woo. He looked like he was going to say something but the feeling of his arm being moved made him turn his attention from Chan Sik.

"I'm hungry." Jung Hwan was pouting and Sun Woo couldn't hold back his laughter. Even in this bad atmosphere this boy's stomach isn't affected.

"I got it." They started walking away, completely forgetting about the high school kids, "But you're not allowed to complain if we don't find anything, okay?"

"That's not gonna happen," Jung Hwan said happily, "Rich people always throw out their leftovers."

"Come on," Sun Woo said as he ran ahead, "Let's go to our favorite spot!"

-

"Hey, Sun Woo." They were behind their favorite restaurant called Scarlet. It was a French restaurant that wasted a lot of food so they usually ate enough to fill Jung Hwan's black hole of a stomach for at least three hours.

"Hm?" Sun Woo was digging through the dumpster while Jung Hwan dug through the smaller bags scattered around the dumpster.

"Why don't you ever just ignore him?"

"Because he pisses me off. He looks down on us because we don't have money and thinks he's above everyone else just cause he has money, but the money isn't even his it's his parents money." Sun Woo dug out something that was safe enough to eat. "I hate how he looks down on us because we have to work hard to stay alive while he just lives without effort. I hate people like that, all they know is how to flaunt their riches...here." He jumped down from the dumpster and handed Jung Hwan the food he found, "Eat up!" Once the food was handed over he located a fairly clean trash bag and plopped his body down into it, like it was his own personal beanbag chair.

"You're not gonna eat," Jung Hwan asked between glutinous mouth fulls.

"Gross, your not supposed to talk with your mouth full." He contorted his face into an over exaggerated expression of disgust before Jung Hwan's question registered in his mind. "I'm not hungry, we came out here cause you complained about your stomach growling."

"Shouldn't you eat now, since you have the chance to?"

"Again with the full mouth." Sun Woo moved to make himself comfortable, "If I'm not hungry I see no point in eating."

"Ah...that reminds me of when we first met," Jung Hwan said as he stopped eating for a second, "You told me that we should only eat what we need to survive...or something like that, but we don't really do that anymore."

"I also said that I'd send you away after you got better." Sun Woo stood after a few minutes, when he realized he wouldn't be able to find a comfortable position on the trash bag, "But it's been seven years and look where you still are...a lot of things have changed from our first meeting." He let out a large yawn, "I'm gonna head back, when you're done make sure to head back."

Jung Hwan's mouth was full once more so the other boy just nodded before Sun Woo gave a wave of his hand and walked away.

When he passed the school yard on his way back it was deserted. He paused and looked towards the sky. The sun is still out... He turned his eyes back towards the empty school yard. How strange...there are usually people still here until the sky turns dark. He shrugged it off as he continued to walked towards the alleyway that he and Jung Hwan made their permanent living area. He was just one alley away from his destination when he felt someone grab him and pull him into the secluded alleyway.

He didn't make a sound as his hands were held against his back and his mouth was covered by someone's hand. He didn't struggle as the same boy from the other side of the fence appeared in front of him. "Boys look at the little squirrel," the boy sneered, "Looking at me with such defiant eyes, do you not know fear?" Sun Woo stuck his tongue out so he could he palm covering his mouth. The boy's hand disappeared with a yelp sounding from behind him.

"I know fear," Sun Woo told him, "But you guys aren't something I should be afraid of."

"Why you insolent shrimp!"

"Don't judge me by my size." The other boy raised his fist to hit Sun Woo in the stomach but before he got the chance he jumped off the ground and landed a drop kick right on he nameless boy's chest. Then he took the boys who were restraining him down with the momentum of his fall after landing the kick. He was free with in a matter of minutes and after standing he looked down at his handy work. The boy that he had checked in the chest was having trouble breathing, he was curled up in a ball gasping for air. I wonder if I should tell him that he'll never be able to catch his breath that way. The other two boys were already standing and they looked towards Sun Woo with twin frowns on their faces.

"I'm sorry princesses, I think I messed up your faces." They came after Sun Woo with their fists raised.

His opponents were more skilled then he expected, the fight didn't end as quickly as he thought it would. After twenty minutes of nonstop fighting Sun Woo came out victorious, but he also earned a bloody lip and his breaths came out in shallow pants.

Once he caught his breath he straightened himself out and used the back of his hand to wipe the blood from his bottom lip. "I guess we both underestimated our opponent's abilities..." A sound from the mouth of the alley startled him, he was quick to turn to face the newcomer. Fists raised.

"Are you here as their backup?" Sun Woo noticed the boy at the mouth of the alley was the same boy from the schoolyard, the boy called Chan Sik.

"Behind you!" Sun Woo was quick to turn but he couldn't react fast enough as a broken piece of wood came in contact with his skull. He was hit so hard that he went flying into the dumpster on his left. His shoulder hitting the dumpster so hard that it shook before he slid down to the floor. He heard the sound of the wood hitting the ground along with the sound of police sirens. He lifted his head enough to see the cowards run from the alley.

"Don't worry about him Chan Sik," he heard one of the boys say, "He's just a street kid, no one will miss him if he dies."

He had to wait for the sound of the police siren to completely fade off into the distance before he could move. I'm not going to die. He used the dumpster to pull himself up off the ground and once he was standing he wiped away the blood that he felt running down his face. I just need to find Jung Hwan...

He kept his hand on the wall as he slowly made his way out of the alley. He didn't realize the sun had already set until he was back on the main street, he wiped more blood from his face as he decided which way to go. The sun is gone...so he's probably already back home. He let his bloody hand fall to the side and trailed his clean hand on the wall as he started making his way towards the other alley.

"Baro!" The voice made Sun Woo stop completely and he turned just slightly to see two blurred figures running towards him. He knew by the voice that called his name that one of the figures was Jung Hwan, but he had no clue who the other was. "What happened to you?!" He didn't answer the other boy immediately, instead he waited for the other to get closer before letting go of the wall and falling onto the other's chest.

"Sorry Sandeulie, I know you won't be able to get the blood out of your clothes," Sun Woo said weakly, "When I'm better I'll find you some new ones, okay?"

"My clothes don't matter," Jung Hwan said with a frown, "Come on we gotta treat your wound..." Jung Hwan picked up Sun Woo's arm and placed it around his neck before he started leading the other boy towards their alley.

"I was going to go find you and you found me...how?" Sun Woo noticed the hesitation and felt Jung Hwan look around.

"I-I was just coming back from eating and saw you coming from the alley with blood running down your face."

He's never been good at lying, but I'll play along. A sudden wave of lightheadedness hit him and he stumbled, almost taking Jung Hwan down with him. "I might not last much longer," Sun Woo said with a weak laugh.

"You're not allowed to die..."

"I won't die." Sun Woo rolled his eyes. "I might black out though..."

"You need to get you to a hospital, you're bleeding a lot."

"I'll be fine, we can't afford to go to a hospital anyways." Another wave of lightheadness hit him and he shook his head to try to shake away the feeling, as he did that he heard another set of footsteps tangled with theirs. Who's following us? He stopped shaking his head and felt dizzy, his eyes didn't want to stay open anymore. ... The last thing he heard before losing conscious was Jung Hwan calling his name.