Someone tugged on the edge of my makeshift cloak, making me jump.

“Please, miss, could you spare a coin? Spare a coin for a poor orphan.”

I glanced down to see a rugged urchin clinging to the tattered cloth. He had started to cry. I rolled my eyes.

Man, this child’s acting was bad.

I bent down so that we were at eye level.

“Bae, it’s me.”

The boy’s eyes and mouth opened to form rounded ‘o’s. I clamped my hand over his mouth before he could make a sound.

“Hush, boy, you know how they’re after me.”

Bae nodded and placed a tiny hand over mine. I removed my hands from his face.

“Noona, what are you doing here? Where’s Yo Seob?”

“He thought it would be better if I stayed out of trouble today. You know…” I gestured towards my head.

Bae shuddered and turned a shade green. I gave him a reassuring smile and pinched his cheeks.

“Anyway, I don’t have any coin, but I have this.” I drew out the string of pearls. “I guess I can spare this for a poor orphan.”

The sarcasm in my tone completely eluded Bae as he looked at the string of pearls with gleaming eyes.

“Wow, thanks noona!” He clutched the pearls to his chest. His dirty hands had already left grey smears all over the necklace.

“Sell the pearls one at a time, understand? I was careless when I stole it, and you don’t want any attention called to yourself.”

Bae looked hesitantly from the necklace to me, then at the necklace. Then back at me.

“Noona, you almost got caught…for this?” He dangled the pearls in front of my face.

“Like I said, I was careless. I assumed a woman stupid enough to flaunt her wealth was stupid enough not to notice when it was stolen.”

I tugged down tight on my hood to hide any hint of shame on my face. I was getting more and more careless. Too used to having Yo Seob taking care of me, and landing in trouble the instant he wasn’t.

I need to be extra careful today then.

“I’m going. Take care not to draw attention with those.” I stood up and walked away, glancing around furtively to see if anyone had taken note of my exchange with the small boy.

Men and women in tattered, dull hanboks walked past with their eyes cast on the ground. Nobody spared a glance at me. This area had probably seen more suspicious persons.

I kept a hand on the brooch holding my makeshift cape closed, tugging it down so that the hood wouldn’t slip off. At the grimy run-down block of apartments at the end of the path, I turned right and crossed the road.

Across the bustling road was a slightly richer part of town. Slightly. Not the kind of place I would normally steal from, but I wasn’t going to steal today.The district wasn’t so rich that my tattered clothing would stand out, but not so poor that desperation and death hung heavy to the air. Besides, there were so many of those little clockwork trinkets here.

I slipped into the crowd, intending on following them to the district marketplace. I was less likely to get attention this way. A few dubious glances were cast my way, but I was otherwise unnoticed.

I had always found the marketplace breathtakingly amazing. Stalls with canopy covers of different colours were scattered hapazardly about the square, selling products ranging from food to accessories. The constant buzz of voices were punctuated by the periodic tinker of an automated voice box.

“Clockwork accessories, one and all. Clockwork accessories for any purpose. Get all your clockwork accessories here!”

A smile rose on my lips as I followed the sound to a small cart at the fringe of the marketplace, between a shop selling hair ribbons and a shop selling pastries. The voice box was placed at the top shelf of the cart, proudly proclaiming its message to the rest of the world,over and over.

The owner of the store, a hawk-nosed man, sat at a makeshift workbench at the back of his stall, which was basically an additional plank of wood supported by a strong metal frame attached to the back of the cart to accommodate his habit of constant tinkering. The man was looking through a pair of curious-looking goggles at what seemed like an unintelligible mesh of cogs at the moment. He didn’t even bother to look up when I walked up to his stall.

It would be so easy to steal from him…

Almost instinctively, my hand shot out to clutch the nearest clockwork trinket I could reach and lifted it up lightly, drawing it closer and closer to the shadow of my cape…

”I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

.

I whirled around, the trinket still in my hand.

A handsome young man in a plain brown clothes contemplated me with one eyebrow raised. He was slight, but obviously muscular. The outline of his muscles were defined by the think cloth of his shirt.

“What do you mean, I was just looking at it.” I deepened my voice.

“Yes, of course. What I meant was…those things are really not very enjoyable. Don’t waste your money. There’s a chance you could really get hurt, too. Badly. Trust me, my aunt bought one once, and the cogs came loose. Well, you know what happens after that…” The man walked nearer as he talked. A flush spread over his face, although his features were contorted in a grimace.

“What on earth are you talking about?” At this moment, I glanced down at the trinket that I was holding. It was smooth, bullet shaped, and engraved with swirling vines and roses. A small crank protruded from the bottom of the trinket.

“Oh my god.” I had almost stolen a . In my haste to get away from the offensive object, I opened my hands and flung it away. Thank goodness the man caught it before it hit the ground.

He laughed, his eyes crinkling into crescents as he did so.

“You just got it now? An innocent one, aren’t you?” 

I cocked my head and studied him.

“Who are you? I’ve never seen you around here before.”

He set down the before turning to face me.

“And I you. Although it may be because you have that hood on. If you took it off, maybe I would.”

I drew back and gripped the brooch.

“No.”

“Suit yourself.”  A shrug was evident in his tone. He turned back to the stall and looked pensive with his hands clasped behind his back. “Do you come to this store often?”

The need for self-defense arose.

But then the man had just saved me from a certain embarassment, I decided that a little small talk wouldn’t hurt.

I stood beside him and mirrored his stance.

“Well, yes. I like the trinkets here very much, although I’m not from this part of town.”

“Same here.”

“You like the trinkets, or you’re not from here?”

“Both.”

“Oh.” I turned to study him. Looking clearly, it was evident that he had the countenance of an aristocrat. “Where are you from?”

He turned to meet my eyes.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me.”

“Touche.” I turned my attention back to the trinkets. 

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Hello friends! Sorry for the very late update! 
I was having exams, and they just ended. 

Liberation feels so good. 

Anywayyyyy I hope you enjoyed this chappie! 

PLEASE COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE OKAY MUAH I LOVE YOU 

And in any case, who do you think Byeol's new friend is? :D