“Noona, this one looks good! Try it!” Sehun said as he handed another dress towards Seirin, sporting a boyish grin.
 

The latter made a face, looking at the flowery sundress before chucking it back to the pile in which Sehun had dug it up from. Sehun pouted but Seirin ignored him, causing for the younger one to follow her around with a near-to-tantrum face, whining a bit.
 

Kris sighed. If he had only known that he’d end up following the two around, he shouldn’t have decided to bring her the bag and waited at home instead. His classes ended rather early, and because he figured that Seirin might need the money to buy things, he offered to bring it over to Myeongdong where Sehun had brought Seirin to shop.
 

And now here he was, following the two around different stalls, rolling his eyes now and again when Seirin tries to bargain with the shop owners to lower the prices of their items. He must admit though, Seirin is quite good at bargaining despite the language barrier. It was actually one reason why he decided to come over. Sehun and Seirin barely understands each other, how else are they going to communicate with the shop owners and attendants?
 

Although Sehun is blatantly using his aegyo to sweet-talk the prices of some things, especially when the attendants were older women. The brat just use his charms to the extent to get what he wants. Though it has some little effect to Seirin. That or the girl just has some strong will to resist.
 

Soon enough, Seirin was hovering over some dingy-looking shop. Kris frowned. The shop seemed like it’s some gangster’s hangout instead of a store.
 

“I don’t think that there’s something that would interest you here. Let’s go see some other place.” Kris walked over to Seirin who was looking at some display.
 

Seirin just shook her head and went inside the little shop, “I saw some cool shirts inside. I won’t take long.” she said as she disappeared behind a rack.
 

Kris waited for a few minutes, keeping an eye at Sehun who was hypnotizing yet another woman for a pair of jeans. When Seirin had not come back after five minutes, he decided to follow her as it felt like something was not right. Who looks around for five minutes inside a relatively small shop? Unless she got caught in a rack or something.
 

“Oh! I didn’t expect for such a good-looking guy like you to come over my humble shop. What can I do for you?” a man, around late thirties, and certainly doesn’t look like he’s making a living out of selling emo clothes, greeted Kris.
 

Kris narrowed his eyes but kept his poker face. The man certainly didn’t look like your average shop owner. Sure, there could be weird people who lurks in Myeongdong, he had met a fair share of them because he hang around the officers quite a lot and he had learn that the best  informers and assets could very well be that fat ahjumma selling some fake branded clothes over the corner. It’s just the feels he has for this man is different.
 

“I was following some girl who went inside. She hadn’t come out and I wanted to check if she was still here.” Kris replied.
 

The man just cocked his head with a seedy grin, yellow teeth showing, “Some handsome stalker you are. But no. I haven’t seen a girl come in. She might have gotten into some other shop.”
 

Kris felt a twitch on his left eye. This man is lying, and he’s lying with a straight face, clearly used to being a deceitful scumbag. Kris isn’t sure what had happened to Seirin though, and he doesn’t want to risk something happening to her if calls out the man for his sham.
 

What to do?
 

Just as Kris was to force his way into the shop anyways, Seirin came out of the shop. She walked over to Kris and gave the other man a fleeting look.
 

“Come on. I haven’t seen anything that interesting.” Seirin said, sending another curious look at the shop owner before walking back to where Sehun was.
 

Kris raised a brow at the man. “So, no one has entered the shop?”
 

The man didn’t seem to be fazed, keeping the toothy grin on his face. “Sorry, kid. I think I forgot. My bad.”
 

Kris just huffed before turning his back. He felt the man watching him as he walked away. And the feeling of being watched didn’t quite left him as he followed the other two as they finished shopping.
 

Around lunchtime, Sehun’s stomach decided that it needed to filled so Sehun whined and whined to coerce the older ones for some galbi. Or anything that is meat, really. The scheming kid is using aegyo again to trick Seirin into buying him meat. And the girl is clueless.
 

Because Sehun was so ready to devour meat and couldn’t wait any longer, he dragged Seirin towards the first food place he saw after they dumped the shopping bags at Kris’ car. Once they got in though, Kris noticed that the same man who owned the shop earlier was sitting on a table. He wasn’t alone this time, a couple of burly men with him, both looking like they were someone from some strange gang or something.
 

“Oh, fancy meeting you here again, pretty boy.” the man from earlier grinned.
 

“You know him, hyung?” Sehun asked, somewhat confused.
 

“I don’t. Come on, let’s leave.” Kris replied, backing up, a hand around Seirin’s wrist and tugging the girl out of the small eatery. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
 

Seirin let herself be dragged. Sehun kept asking though and Kris had half the mind of clapping his free hand on his brother’s mouth before they were stopped by a couple of burly men who were standing just outside the door.
 

“Hyung… what’s happening?” Sehun inquired warily.
 

“Come on, pretty boy. We don’t mean harm I just wanted to talk with your pretty little friend her since she’s quite interesting.” the man from the shop, who’s clearly the boss of the goons surrounding them, walked closer, his grin even wider.
 

Kris tightened his hand on Seirin’s wrist, tight enough to warn the girl that they were in a bad situation. “What’s so interesting about her? She’s just a foreigner whom were showing around.” he asserted in a straight voice. “Now if you would just let us leave.”
 

The man chuckled, shaking his head. “Aw, but I still want to know your little foreign friend a little better. I can show her around myself if you want. Now if you would just run along with that other pretty boy and leave her, then everything would be alright.”
 

Kris could easily see the dangerous glint on the man’s eyes.
 

“That would be a no. I’m taking her with me.” Kris said, jaws squared. He gave Sehun a look and his brother nodded furtively.
 

They are going to make a run for it. That’s the only way they could avoid trouble. It may sound cowardly but this wasn’t the time for his ego to insist itself. This wasn’t their turf and the man may have other eyes watching Kris, Sehun and Seirin. They are as good as dead if they fight back.
 

“Then I just have to take her away then.” the grin on the man’s face faded away. With a gesture, he sent his goons towards Kris and Seirin.
 

Kris was expecting it, and it look like Seirin was too, even though she hadn’t understand a thing that had been said. When the two goons closest to them had advanced, they both kicked them with a foot before running for their lives, Sehun in tow.
 

Kris dragged Seirin along the winding alleys and narrow paths behind the stores and shops. Sehun was at their heels, protesting for not having the energy to run around since they hadn’t eaten lunch, though the kid was running at full speed.
 

The three of them stopped ten minutes after they started running, looking behind them for any sign of heir pursuers. It looked like they had lost them for the moment and they take their time catching their breath.
 

“Why are they running after us?” Sehun asked., panting. “Why do they want noona?”
 

“I don’t know. And I don’t want to find out while we’re in their turf either. We need to leave as soon as we can.” Kris replied as he also tried to catch his breath.
 

He looked at Seirin who was clutching her side a bit , sweat flowing down the sides of her face. His father had not explained why Seirin had to live with them, just the fact that the girl needed some place to stay for the meantime. Kris wanted to ask why Joonmyun was so accommodating towards a stranger who seemed to only knew him  through a picture and his old codename, but he decided to not to, in the meantime anyways. Joonmyun had always been honest and open with them, if Joonmyun decided that it’s time to let them know what really was happening, then Kris is pretty sure his father would tell them.
 

A movement from the alley behind them alerted Kris. It was the same goons who were after them. He gripped at Seirin’s wrist once again.
 

“Let’s go!” Kris yelled before they were running once again.
 

 As they rounded a corner though, they ended up meeting some other hoodlums, more like gangsters really, who had went another way and trapped them. Kris cursed his luck, which was something he had been doing in the past couple of days. He tried to run another way but some thugs had blocked them.
 

“We’re trapped, hyung.” Sehun panted.
 

Kris could hear a slight tremble on Sehun’s voice. Sehun, as far as Kris knows, had never been into a fist fight. At least not a serious one. He’s pretty sure that Sehun would not stand a full five minute facing this thugs. And not to mention that Seirin was with them. How is he going to handle this then?
 

“You should have given her when we I was being lenient enough. I was actually willing to let you walk away in one piece if you hadn’t run away with her. But now… I don’t really think so.” the man from earlier reappeared in front of them.
 

“Why do you want her that bad?!” Kris growled, he’s pretty sure he’s going to be beaten up bad, he might as well know what he’s going to be beaten up for.
 

The man smirked. “Let’s just say that she’s a pretty valuable piece of collateral so I can keep my business free from being torn by the bigger sharks.”
 

“What? What do you mean-”
 

“Uh, uh, uh.” the man cut Kris, wiggling a finger. “Too many questions. You won’t have time to ponder the answers anyway since I’m practically going to get you beaten into pulp.”
 

“Kris, what is happening?” Seirin asked, voicing out her concern for the first time since they had started running away. “Why is that shop owner after us?”
 

“Correction, he’s just after you. What’s so special about you anyways that he’s gathered up this hooligans just to have you? Are you some sort of royalty or something?” Kris asked back.
 

Seirin seemed to have stiffened at Kris words but he had no time to ask why since the thugs started on advancing at them, weapons in hand, some only had bare fists. Kris let go of Seirin and dragged Sehun to protect her as he started blocking the thugs.
 

Kris had never been good at fist fights, or using any weapon except guns. He’s aim is ‘phenomenal’ as Minseok and the others had told him. But his fists are not his best asset when it comes to fighting, he did his best though. He picked up an abandoned pipe and started warding off the thugs, which was easier said than done since they seemed to be getting up as soon as they fell.
 

Sehun had also hold of a baseball bat and started defending himself and Seirin with it. But there was just too many and soon Kris and Sehun were being outnumbered, receiving more punches and kicks more than they can hit the thugs attacking them at the same time.
 

Kris kept on swinging the pipe in every direction, hoping to inflict as much damage towards the gangsters who were trying to subdue him. Half of his mind was somewhere else though. Seirin. He scanned the place where Sehun had left her. What he saw stunned him, sort of.
 

Seirin had a thug in an elbow lock, using him as a shield while kicking those who attacks her from her other side. She kept on using her feet at warding thugs away before flipping the guy she was holding, sending him sprawled on the dirty ground with a sickening thud. And then she picked up an abandoned pipe, hurling it here and there and smacking who dares to come near.
 

It keeps on for a few minutes, the three of them fighting their way out, if there was one of course. But three against what seemed to be a hundred is just taxing. Kris could feel the punches and kicks taking their toll on his body, the fatigue slowing him down until one certain pouch had sent him sprawling on the ground, his breath knocked out of him.
 

“Kris!” someone yelled.
 

Soon, Sehun was also subdued and was kicked to Kris’ side. Seirin ran over towards them, glaring at the man from the shop, said yellow-toothed gangster still unscathed.
 

Kris heard Seirin warned something in Japanese, her growl deadly, he could swear that the menacing look in her eyes could kill. The man standing above them was smirking.
 

“Look at you, pretty boy. It’s such a waste that your faces should be trashed like this when all of it could have been avoided.”
 

Kris ignored the man, tugging at Seirin’s hand. “Run.” he rasped out.
 

“No. I am not leaving you here.” Seirin frowned.
 

“Don’t be an idiot.” Kris could taste blood in his mouth. “Run.”
 

Seirin shook her head determinedly. The man above them grunted something and forcefully dragged Seirin away. Even if Kris wanted to stop him, he couldn’t even lift a finger at the moment. He thought about not being able to protect Seirin again, the scene from the day before playing inside his pain-numbed mind. He couldn’t help but think about how many times he would see Seirin being dragged away from him in the future. Will that always be the case whenever they are together?
 

Suddenly, Seirin let out a loud growl and kicked the man dragging her away. She twisted her body, ducked under the mans arm and twisted his arm on his back, tugging it upwards until the first of bone popping noises sounded, the man howling in pain.
 

Seirin yelled something in Japanese, repeating it in English when the man kept on yelling profanities because of the pain. “Let them go!”
 

The man’s subordinates started advancing towards Seirin who kept her hold on the man’s arm. They were clearly torn between attacking and not having their boss lose a limb.
 

“I said let them go! Or I swear I’ll break your filthy arm!” Seirin threatened, tugging at the arm more before releasing it a bit, only to take hold of the other arm and sending the man on his knees, making him bow before putting one of her feet on the man’s back and pulling his arms backwards.
 

“Seirin, don’t!” Kris managed to yell. He had never thought that Seirin could look as ruthless as she does now. She’s nowhere near that innocent-looking girl whom Sehun had been teaching Korean the night before, or that girl who had been arguing with the driver on the airport just a little more than 24 hours ago.
 

Seirin seemed to snap out of it but she kept her hold on the man, repeating her words slowly. “Let them go.”
 

Kris grunted and managed to stand up, thought he was slouching very bad. He can feel his body aching everywhere and when looked down at a badly beaten Sehun, he grunted more in pain. Nice. He’s in for more beating from his parents.
 

“She said to let them go.” a foreign voice echoed on the alley.
 

Kris’ head snapped towards the voice. What greeted him was a guy, probably around his age, though Kris couldn’t really be sure because one; he’s badly beaten and his senses were overloaded from pain that everything he sees is a bit blurry, and two; the guy, with a grin showing a dimple on his right cheek, looked like he’s some kid with a man’s body.
 

“Who are you?’ Seirin asked apprehensively.
 

The man spoke something in Japanese and Seirin tensed up, narrowing her eyes at the man. The man showed his hands up and walked nearer, just a few feet away from Seirin. He said something in Japanese again and Seirin seemed to loose some tension.
 

“Now, now, why don’t you tell your minions to leave and let us go in peace before that pretty girl right there break your limbs and render you invalid? Hmm?” the dimpled guy turned to the man, a sickeningly sweet smile on his face.
 

Kris felt himself shiver a bit, and he’s pretty sure that the man under Seirin did too. Staring at the smile Dimple Guy has was like staring at The Joker in the face.
 

“Fine! Do what she says!” the man who Seirin had on his knees, grunted, “Leave!” he shouted.
 

The other thugs hesitated for a moment but backed away, they went on taking apprehensive steps back until Seirin deemed it safe enough to let the man go. The man sprinted away as soon as Seirin had taken a step back and they all watched as he scampered away pathetically.
 

“Are you okay?” Seirin asked, walking over to Kris and checking him up.
 

“Ow!” Kris hissed when Seirin managed to put a finger on a really sore spot.
 

“Sorry.” Seirin mumbled, stepping back cautiously. “You are okay, right?”
 

Kris nodded, wincing a bit as he straightened up, or at least try to. He looked at the dimpled guy who was giving them an amused look. Honestly, the three of them had just been beaten up, well, Kris and Sehun that is, then this guy showed up, and now he looked like the situation he had witnessed earlier was some funny skit.
 

“Uh, thanks…” Kris said, still giving the guy a wary look.
 

The guy smiled even wider, showing his dimple once again. “Sure. The name’s Lay, by the way.”
 

“Kris.” Kris replied. “And we do appreciate your help, thank you.” he turned to Seirin who trying to hold Sehun up, walking over to help. “Come on, lets’ go home.”
 

“Ugh, hyung, carry me. I don’t think I can walk.” Sehun whined, wiping blood under his nose. “Why is everything blurry?”
 

Kris sighed. This would be a lot of explaining to his parents. But his parents needs to explain certain things too. First of them is who exactly Seirin is. The three of them had been in this mess because those thugs wanted Seirin. For some reason Kris can’t actually decipher for the life of him.
 

“Uh, actually my shop is just around the corner. I have some first aid kit. Why don’t you stop by and get yourselves fixed first?” Lay offered. “And I’m sure the pretty miss over there needs to rest too.” he smiled at Seirin.
 

Seirin said something in Japanese in which Lay answered in the same language. They continued to talk a bit before Seirin nodded at Kris.
 

“I don’t think he’d do something. Come on, we need to patch you two up.” Seirin said.
 

Kris contemplated for a second before agreeing. “But you have some explaining to do. Once we get home, I’m getting answers.”
 

Seirin let out a deep breath and nodded. Lay lead them to a fairly large place near the main street, making them sit beside an empty bar before disappearing to fetch the first aid kit.
 

Kris looked around the place, noting the neatly arranged tables and chairs scattered in random, an elevated platform on one side facing the entrance, and the long counter that they were sitting beside. Looking further behind the counter, there seemed to be hallway leading to some place which Kris assumed as a backroom or something. The place is clean and well kept, and  despite the busy summer crowd in Myeongdong, it is empty and closed.
 

“Are you wondering why the place is empty?” Lay’s cheerful voice sounded as he sauntered back to them and handed the first aid kit, a basin of lukewarm water and some clean rags on his other hand.
 

“Well, you can say that.” Kris replied. Seirin got one of the rags and started cleaning his face up but he told her to take care of Sehun first.
 

Lay smiled a bit and went behind the small bar counter, fixing himself some refreshment. “This humble place is my little sanctuary. We‘re one of those night clubs, minus the dancers that is.” he grinned cheekily. “We are open to anyone and everyone, though we do have rules for minors. More interesting people stroll around at night, in my opinion. And I have always liked… unique people. Something about the ordinary patrons is quite… boring. Life is too short to be boring.” he chuckled.
 

Interesting? Unique people? Did Lay somehow manage to find interest in the situation Kris and his companion had been in earlier, to follow them and watch as if they were some amusement pieces or something?
 

“And, oh, those thugs earlier is some small syndicate here actually. You’re lucky you got out of their clutches. Although they usually just prey on new business owners, all that power hierarchy , you know.” Lay mused as he made four bubbly drinks with ice, handing one to Kris. “Why did they went after you anyway?”
 

Kris looked at tall glass in front of him, taking a sip once Lay had touched his. “I don’t really know. But I intend to find out.” Kris replied, giving Seirin a pointed look.
 

Seirin caught the look, making a glum face as he finished cleaning Sehun’s wounds and applying creams and bandages. She went to Kris and started cleaning his bruised face too even if the tall man refused at first.
 

“I can do this myself.” Kris grunted, yelping when Seirin poked a bruise on his cheek. “Stop doing that! It hurts!”
 

“Stop whining! Let me do this or I’ll tie you to the chair and have my way with you.” Seirin threatened.
 

“Oh, .” Lay chuckled. Clearly teasing.
 

Kris mentally thanked the heavens that Seirin barely knows Korean. Lay’s comment managed to make Kris blush a little though, and if not for the blue and purple colors blossoming on his face, he’s pretty sure the pink on his cheeks would be prominent.
 

And damn it! He’s not some blush-prone teenage girl! He’s a man!
 

“Ow!” Kris hissed when Seirin applied some cream on the corner of his lips.
 

“Sorry.” Seirin muttered. “Stop squirming.”
 

“How can I not? It hurts.” Kris retorted. “How can you be in so much trouble anyways? You’ve been here in this country for only a couple of days. Yet you’ve managed to get shot. And now, you’ve barely gotten away from thugs who wanted you as some collateral or something I don’t understand. Are you cursed or something?”
 

Of course Kris didn’t mean to sound harsh. He was only kidding, though he know he’s asking for some answers as well. The change in Seirin’s face made Kris’ stomach churn though. He’s pretty sure he had just said something that had upset Seirin.
 

“I was teasing.” he amended quietly.
 

Seirin let out a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “You know… you’re kind of right. I am cursed.”
 

“What? What do you mean?”
 

“If I tell you who I am, then I might have to kill you.” Seirin said with an indiscernible look in her eyes as she looked straight at Kris.
 

Something in her dark brown eyes reminded him of how cold and ruthless Seirin was earlier. How she had no problem in nearly ripping the arms off someone with her bare hands as if she was just about to snap a twig in two. The image sent chills up Kris’ spine.
 

“Yeah right.” Kris scoffed, covering the fear he felt with an eye roll.
 

Seirin narrowed her eyes. “I am the only living heir to Raijin, a yakuza clan that holds a large part of Japan’s crime organizations.”
 

Kris stared back at Seirin, expecting for her to start cracking up, and tell him that she was just bluffing. Kris had worked in his father’s team for more than two years now, and in the first year, he was assigned to organizing data and paperwork. Raijin, he had came across that name a couple of times before. And everything connected to the name only smell of three things; power, money, and blood.
 

“And now…” Seirin leaned in closer, “I might need to kill you.”
 

a/n: and here come's Lay! yay!!! with his pink hair and awesome handsomeness as usual! geurae wolf! naega wolf! awooo!!!!

anyways, comments are loved! so make feel loved???? hehe