"Are you sure with this??? I mean what if they do something to you? Ahra remember there's not only one or two or three of them! There are twelve!!! And they are all boys!!!!!!!" Sora kept on repeating the same question for the third time since they left the house.

 

"Nah~ I'm going to be fine. You know i can actually fight very well. Remember me beating the group of guys who decided to bother us when we were in preschool??" Ahra clenched her fists and hit the empty air.

 

Sora shook her head, "But there were only three of them and that was when they were like eight?? This is twelve boys.. Who know if they look like gangsters or what if they flirts with you ?? And alcohol and  illegal drugs and..."

 

"Just calm down. I can always run for my life anytime if i sense something is wrong."

 

Sora gave up. She just couldn't convince her friend. This girl may seem soft and kind on the outside but she can never beat her strong will. Once she set her mind on something there's nothing that's going to stop her. Besides they made the deal and she'll move in tomorrow.

 

"I'll help you move your stuff tomorrow after school.. Like i said, you can always come to my house anytime you want and need. If the other tenants messes up with you you should tell me okay? We can always share the bed in my bedroom and go to school together.." Sora's sincere words never failed to set a smile on Ahra's face.

 

" I'll ask my brother to bring his pickup van and help us with the move tomorrow~"

Ahra gave a thankful smile to her best friend. They walked together and bid each other farewell at the bus stop. 

 

Ahra watched as her friend climbed into the bus and almost pressing her face against the glass window,waving her hand at her. She started walking home putting her hands in the pockets of her school blazer. Her mind wandered around on her decisison. 

Was she just too careless? 

Was she just too tempted by the offer? 

How can she even think of resisting it?? The reasonable price, the friendly neighbourhood and the whole house itself , where can she find something like that anywhere else. Besides she needed it quick.

 

 Ahra never want to burden other people ,especially her best friend Sora for she feel uncomfortable to rely on other people too much. Eventhough she know she can always sleep over for a week or two at Sora's home without being charged a cent she wouldn't even think of burdening the family that had always been willing to lend her a helping hand during her hard times. Neither did she wanted to stay homeless and so she think it is the best choice. She wouldn't even dream of renting a house like that from other people. It will never cope with the salary she get from her part time jobs. The time showed 8pm and she speed up home. Not only she still need to cook and pack her things up but she also got tons of homework to do.

 

Ahra stopped at the bookshop she worked in and greeted a man who was busy counting money and noting the values down on the rectangular accounting book behind the counter. Kim Jungshin is her workmate who is a university student. He is the son of the bookshop owner and they had known each other since she started working there. He is very fond of her and she really like him a lot. He was very caring and protective of her and treated her like his own younger sister.

 

"I thought you're not on today's night shift???" he put down his pen and looked at her confused.

 

"I'm not. I'm just going to take some old cardboard boxes in the store room. There are plenty of them which are no longer used. Can i take some of them?"

 

"You can, anyway there are so many of them stacked together but what for??"

 

Ahra put down her bag and sat beside him at the counter.

"I've found it. The new house. I need to pack my things tonight and i'll move in tomorrow."

 

"So you got a new place? That's great. Do you want me to help you with the move?"

 

" I can handle that.. Sora is helping me tomorrow. So does her brother. I just need to take the boxes. I still have lots of things to do so i cannot stay very long.."

 

She went to pick up a few cardboard boxes in the storeroom between stacks of book supplies. They were dusty and a bit big so she dusted them off with her hands dirtying them now.

 

"You look like you need my help?" JungShin came towards her and folded the cardboard on the floor. Ahra washes her hand in the sink and took her bag. 

"Thanks alot. I need to get going now. Bye see you soon! Don't go home too late.."

Jungshin gave her an understanding nod as she waved and exit the front door continuing her walk home.

 

The girl passed the crowded area with bright lights and cars zooming along on the road and entered a neighborhood which is hidden far away from the tall skyscrappers of the city. The road has very minimum lighting and it was empty. It's too small for cars to pass through and not even close to be called a nice hanging out area. Ahra hold the folded  boxes with her hands as she hiked up the steep steps to her house. 

 

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. It is another drunk man. Drunk gangsters were very often seen in her home area after night come. They always teetered precariously holding bottles of alcohol shouting at the top of their lungs. She often heard them and always managed to hide from them when she returned late from her night shifts.

 

"You're late aren't you?? How about accompany me somewhere tonight??" 

 

She knew him. He's a gangster in the neighbourhood, the most troublesome and hardest to deal with, especially when he returned after some drink at night. He is dressed in tattered jeans with messy uncombed hair and has bulky tattooed arms. 

 

Ahra hated the smell of the strong alcohol he was holding and she hated being touched by a random man like that. Before she could even took another step he grabed her by the wrist real hard and wouldn't loosen up on her.

 

"Come on where do you think you're going. Don't play hard to get" he leaned himself closer and she backed away but still couldn't free herself. She tried to push him off but dropped her cardboard boxes instead and the grip became even stronger.

What is she gonna do?? Scream and wake the whole neighborhood ? She's not even sure if she does they'll even take the burden of coming out their houses to help her. What is she supposed to do?

She felt so helpless.

Suddenly a voice broke her thoughts..

 

"Let her go." 

 

There were two guys standing infront them. They were tall and had stern looks on their faces.

"Before we lose out patience you better get your filthy hand off her." 

 

He spat and it landed near their feet.

" What if I don't ? What are you guys going to do? Stop butting in or you are going to be regretting it." he gave a laugh.

 

The guy paused for a second, cracking his knuckles. Suddenly he swung his arm and hit the drunk man hard on the face with his fist. He stumbled backward and landed hard on the ground. Ahra broke free and instinctively stepped away.

 

"That's what i'll do." the guy who hit him gave a smirk. 

The drunk man wiped the blood at the corner of his mouth. He wobbly stood up and tried to throw a fit at the guy. He easily dodges downward avoiding him and grabbed his hand and twist it behind his back. The drunk man was clearly in pain as the guy wouldn't loosen up on him. He might be smaller than the gangster but Ahra could see his arm muscles and his power is no joke.

 

"Bastard you've got the guts hah? I'll kill you two." he shout between his pain and tried to break free. But it was just a waste of his energy as the guy wouldn't even think of letting him go. 

 

The guy looked at his friend and without any signal or command he moved closer to them. Three continuous powerful punches on the stomach and the drunkard landed hard on the ground once again in pain.

 

"Can you handle more? We can finish you up tonight if you want to.." the first guy who was wearing a cap chuckled. 

 

The man wasn't able to accept his defeat but he is just powerless in front of the two. They won in number and has got the stamina to fight him. He wasn't ready for that.He wasn't ready to loose.

"I'll get you guys back for this!! Just wait!!" he rose up trying to stand properly on his knees and limped away with his hand on his stomach.

 

"What did he even mean by that? Try and see." the guy with the cap gave another playful smirk.

 

Ahra was finally able to see them clearly as they stepped closer to her. The guy with the cap had darker skin and his body is a bit muscular. He had this playful challenging smile all the time and was wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans. The other guy is abit different from him. He had fair white skin like a girl and dark brown hair which was hidden under his grey hoodie. He had this cold look in his eyes and he was silent most of the time. She stared at them in awe, couldn't speak a word and her eyes were fixed on them. She noticed their greenish blue eyes that seems like they shone and sent chills in her body.

 

The hoodie guy bent downward and collected all the scattered cardboard boxes on the ground. Ahra came back to her senses and she hurried to pick them up. The cap guy joined and it was all safely returned to her within seconds.

 

"Thank you.." she stammered and gave a bow as a form of thanking them politely.

 

"No problem we just happen to be here." the cap guy said as he reposition the dark blue cap on his head.

 

"Hm.. I've never seen you two around. Do you guys live here?" she asked out of curiousity. The two guys kept silent and looked  at each other.

 

"No. We just happen to pass by" this time te hoodie guy answered before he paused "I think we need to get going now, we're not supposed to be here." and he walked away followed by his friend.

 

"What an odd person.." Ahra thought to herfelf. 

Suddenly she hit her forehead, "I need to hurry now!! My packing!! My homework!!" she ran up the steps to her house.

 

               .......................

 

The return of the two was anticipated by the whole group. All eyes turned toward the door as they entered the room. 

 

The leader walked towards them, "Is it going according to plan?"

 

The guy took off his cap, "Yes, i think she's moving in tomorrow. This is easier than i thought."

 

"This is not even the beginning yet." and he responded coldly and returned to his seat. The two guys joined the remaining people of the group on the couch.

 

"How was she?" asked a curious one. The had spent the whole day burning up with curiosity in the house while the other two were away. 

 

"Well, she's pretty. I think far prettier than I thought she would be." the capped guy took off his cap and run his fingers through his black hair.

 

"He always think all girls looks pretty. How can we even take what you said seriously."  said another one as he got a high five from the other guy beside him.

 

"What did you mean by that? I've got good taste. Remember all the girls i dated?" he snapped back.

Everyone remained silent as they couldn't deny what he just said.

 

"I always got the hot chicks" he added with pride, " When she said thank you to us, her voice was just.."

 

"Wait what did you mean by that?" one of them snapped.

"You guys talked to her? That wasn't even part of the plan." another one added as everyone stared at the two in disbelieve. 

 

The leader of the group rose up from his seat, "You two were only supposed to watch her from afar." he looked at them with his razor eyes. There was a mixture of anger and range in his voice. Tension rose in the room as everybody else decided not to say another word.

 

"She was disturbed so we needed to help her." the youngest who had remained quiet all the time spoke.

"We had to step up and protect her. A drunk man was messing up with her. " 

 

Everyone remained silent. 

"Did you two showed her any......"

"No, we didn't.We wouldn't be foolish enough to do such a careless act. Besides we can beat him without them." snorted the cap guy.

 

The leader remain quiet but he felt relieved inside.

"Next time just stick to the plan. We don't want to risk anything." and he left. 

The meeting was over.