Park Hyunchul was closing the flower shop where he works at later that night. A woman who was getting married ordered thirty orchid and ivy jars to place on her guest’s tables, considering that she’d be making a western marriage ceremony, and, besides those, she asked for the white candles on the bride and groom table to be decorated with a silver candelabrum all tangled in ivies and orchids. Resuming, it was a tough work, decorate a whole restaurant room with their own flowers, making the bouquet and decorating everything else.

He couldn’t sense his hands anymore, he just wanted to take some rest and sleep. Karam’s eyes were heavy and he didn’t notice someone staring at the store from a not very distant point. That was a guy following him from a respectful distance. He kept on going until his small neighborhood, and stood in front to his building. Bangbaesadong it was, and it was night, and quite late already. Dinner time, around that hour.

Hyunchul looked at his watch and observed: exactly 20:31. The stranger that was previously following approached him and he was quite scared but as soon as he saw a pair of blue eyes and a soft and milk skin with freckles, he looked at the taller guy.

Jesus, seemed like the blue eyed had swallowed a ladder, he was probably around 190cm tall. He got to be taller than Hyunchul, who was already a quite tall guy.

 

Hyunchul mumbled as he looked up. “A-are you lost?” The other seemed to shake his head, not understanding, from what he concluded. “I said…” He paused. “Are you lost?”

“Oh… I am… hmm… looking for someone.” The taller boy said while nodding. “I don’t speak Korean very well. I am British but I met someone… hmm…” He looked up in his wallet and picked up a photo of him and a bunch of guys and girls, some of those not even close to Asian and others visibly Korean. “Do you know him?” He pointed at the ebony haired boy they both new. “His name is Jay. Met him in America.”

“Mwo? What are you even saying? He is my cousin!” Hyunchul stared into the picture and blinked several times. “No doubt, it is Jihwan.”

“Deh. Deh, deh, deh!” That seemed like all the hazelnut dirty blonde boy could say was ‘yes’. “It is Jihwan, it’s him! Thank you so much!” The freckles guy grinned and bowed his head, proffering the last words in English exceptionally. Hyunchul blinked at him, confused with his messy Korean.

“You won’t be going anywhere with that messy English…” The black haired boy chuckled. “I am Jihwan’s… c-cou… cousin.” Hyunchul said with some difficulties in English. He was bad when it came to English but the other’s horrible Korean was the worst choice.

“Oh, really? Does he live nearby? I’d like to ask him to help me get some tourist guide and all that. My Korean friends that were coming along couldn’t make it so, I am alone.”

“He… lives far.” Hyunchul took a while to explained. “He bought a house, near the river.”

“Seems like it’ll take a little to go there from what you say, is it?” He puffed his cheeks. “Arrived from Gimpo airport a few hours ago, but my luggage is retained on the airport, so, I don’t think I can go anywhere. I was hoping my friends came along, they have a flat where nobody is in Yeonsu-gu somewhere and that is part of their family for several years, so I was counting to go there. Now I don’t have translators, don’t have anyone who can speak fluently with me so I thought of Jihwan because he speaks quite well.”

“I don’t understand you well but… we can go to Jihwan tomorrow. He will… make a party. Because of his new house. Now, it’s cold. I will make food for you too. Come in.”

 

Hyunchul took a few minutes to say those couple of phrases, but apparently they were quite close friends. Jihwan and the boy’s Asian friends probably knew each other, because he remembered Jihwan speak of his older sister living in the United States and having a whole family there and going to visit her. She was almost six years older than Jihwan so Hyunchul didn’t remember her so well. Jeon Jihye it was.

After a while, the hazelnut boy was taking off his shoes and aligning them and following the other inside of his small flat. He lived on his own there, in that rented flat, but it was pretty cozy to the western boy.

 

“Your house is really cute. Reminds me of my British-Korean aunt’s. She made really delicious japchae and honey cookies.” Hyunchul was complimented by the other, who smiled.

“I hope I cook well too… like y-you aunt.” Hyunchul chuckled at the other. “My name is Park Hyunchul, but call me Karam. My friends call me Karam.” He got himself a pillow and crossed his legs, sitting on the floor automatically. “You?” He said as he gave the other a pillow.

The boy received the pillow with a bow and sat over it. “My name is Aiden Philippe. But nobody really calls me Philippe so just stick with Aiden. Nice to meet you, Karam.”

“Me too, Aiden.” Karam spontaneously replied to the other.

 

 

Jihwan was finally home after a long practice with Hyunmin and Yuhee on that Gomuraeyeoldolbgil building, after such weird events with Yeonhee, Yuhee’s older sister, after he was done with all his advertisement spread-around errand. At least he thought, he still had a bunch of them to give away to potential customers.

But it wasn’t time to think of those things. His house was almost fully paid and only a small percentage was left. Because the seller was someone of Jihwan parents’ trust, he wouldn’t be pushed out of his house, no matter what would happen. After all he was a great kid, the elders always said. Jihwan has always been a smart and nice boy, easygoing and helpful. Not a genius but reasonable. He was some good son and some good person too, and that was enough.

He took a good shower and sighed heavily, sitting out of his balcony and observing on how the moon was bathing on the amazingly big river, with all the buildings staring at its brightness like some sort of voyeurism from them, surrounding the gorgeous landscape. Jihwan really got a good building and specially, a good house. Last floor, the closest he could find to the river, it was absolutely fascinating, that view. Full moon, it was, and Jihwan loved full moons.

While drying his hair, he stared to the moon like some bee attracted to the pollen acquired from a beautiful flower, a rose, for example. He could say he was some romantic guy and maybe it was a great spot to live on, and he would never give up on it.

Maybe for when he had a girlfriend. Since he’d not do the same as Hyunmin, buying the house with only that purpose and selling it as they break up, it would be a waste.

It was a beautiful house. The building had been built around the 70’s, like many others in that zone, but it has been renovated and it was purely safe and modernized just like the latest skyscrapers. Jihwan didn’t personally like sky scrapers because it’d be horrible if elevators did stop working on such buildings, with over 20 floors, sometimes even around 30 or 40 floors.

Plus, having a skyscraper in front to you sort of ‘kills’ the landscape, because you have that in front to you and you have no sunrise nor sunset nor anything. He was glad it wasn’t his case. His building was pretty tall, and he lived on the 6^th and last floor.

While analyzing all those good and bad things, he started to yawn and in such warm summer night, he didn’t dare to go inside and fell asleep right there.

 

 

“Why won’t he answer his phone?” Hyunmin sighed. “I took my day off to go meet Karam and Jihwan and he won’t answer his damn phone… come on… pick up before I go kick your – oh, he picked up.” He last mumbled. “Hyunchul, remember that it’s time for us to meet.”

“Yeoboseyeo?” Some other voice, unfamiliar to Hyunmin picked up, it was certainly Aiden. “Karam hyung fell asleep, I will wake him up.”

“Mwo?” Hyunmin was mind-ed with what he has just heard. “Who’s talking?” He kept waiting for a reply but the other side hanged up so he had to restrict himself to sighing and wandering why there was other male saying that Karam was still asleep.

 

While Hyunmin was wandering about why Hyunchul’s phone was picked up by a dongsaeng of his – and he seemed not to be Korean especially – his phone started to ring. This time it was neither Hyunchul nor Jihwan, but it was Yuhee.

It was Saturday and it was summer and Hyunmin completely forgot that he had appointments for the next day with Yuhee. He knew that she’d come a little more dressed that day because of how embarrassed she was. Maybe she wasn’t counting for him to pass by since it was dinner time, which would explain a few things.

 

“Yeoboseyeo? Want me to go pick you up?” Hyunmin smiled on this side as he heard the brightening voice of hers. “I came by the convenience store to buy some snacks, I didn’t forget that we should meet. I bought some peperos for us to share since I know you like them.”

“Which convenience store are you at?” She said on the other side. She seemed like she wanted to encounter him there instead of him going all the way to encounter her.

“I’m in my neighborhood’s closest convenience store, it’s far from there… hmm, can we meet in… half an hour? I still need to buy some snacks because Jihwan, my dongsaeng, is holding a party at his place.”

“I can wait, don’t worry. See you in a while~” Yuhee responded cheerfully, hanging up after.

 

Hyunmin was cheered up by her voice but now he had to go get snacks and drinks and it was really complicated for him. He had his car parked nearby and he truly was in front to the convenience store but now he was in a hurry before he had the girl running after him.

He got in and quickly went buy almond covered peperos, the girl’s favorite peperos as she has once said. He also liked those better than regular peperos, so it was alright. Next, he went buy some bungeonppang since he really liked them, those cute fish-shaped cakes that are often sold in the streets, and also drinks and other snacks such as Pringles and all that. Twenty minutes passed by and he ran out of the convenience store with also a cheesecake, brownies, Doritos and two bubble teas packed so they’d drink – or eat, since it was ice cream bubble tea – so as Coca Cola bottles and other juice and alcoholic beverages.

Hyunmin ran to the car and placed his shopping on his back seat, taking the peperos and the ice cream bobas to the front, putting them in his Mini Cooper’s drink holders and turning on the car’s refrigeration.

As soon as he started the car, he took several shortcuts and in a little more than twenty minutes he arrived to Gomurae-ro, where, nearby Gomuraeroyeoldolbgil – the eighth neighborhood in Gomurae-ro, Yuhee was sitting, on the bus stop. He pulled over so she could get in and smiled.

 

“So, ready to go walk for a while?” Hyunmin’s smile always seemed brighter whenever he was with Yuhee, and he nodded, observing that there was no traffic around so he could make an excuse. “There was some inconvenient when I was getting out of Bangbae-dong. There was some accident so I had to wait a little to pass by. Nothing much.”

“I am. You could have told me you were at 7-Eleven, I’d get in a bus to go meet you.” Yuhee whined, looking over at the older boy and putting on her safety belt, telling that from his plastic bags. “You really bought those almond peperos, I love those!” She cheerfully observed.

Hyunmin started the car again and observed. “Yes, I like those better too. So I bought them.”

“Hmm… oppa, where are we going today?” She asked as she held onto a pepero she took out of its package. “Which park are we going to?”

“We are going to run nearby Jamwon-dong because as soon as we arrive I need to go leave my shopping in Jihwan’s house first because I have a few things there that shouldn’t stay in the car for too long. You can come along, of course. Then we’ll go to the river’s margins.” He nodded. “We can go to any park around that area, he lives near the river, so…”

“Seems like a good plan.” She nodded. “What about this ice cream bubble teas? Are those for us?” She noticed. “They might melt with the heat. It has been scalding hot lately.”

Hyunmin grabbed one of the bobas and drove the straw to his mouth, showing her the package. “They are different flavors, since I wasn’t sure which flavor you’d like. This one is strawberry, the other one is mango.” He chuckled. “Want to give it a try?”

Yuhee’s cheeks instantly flushed as she saw his gaze suddenly meet with hers, giving her the ice cream bubble tea. “S-sure, I love strawberry. Hope you don’t mind having the mango one to yourself.” She stared at the bubble tea for a while, silently smiling at the strap and getting a sip out of it. She could almost sense the flavor of his lips and that idea made her cheeks become even rosier than before. She was awkwardly fantasizing with the indirect kiss – she considered – provided by the strap. “Which flavor does oppa like better?”

“I like them both, these are my favorites.” He chuckled. “Drink it all before it melts.”

 

His huskily voice was shut with the sound of his strap slowly the mango bubble tea to his own mouth, putting the ice cream boba aside as he kept paying attention to the road.

Yuhee didn’t dare to ask to take a sip from his mango boba or it’d be too awkward, she’d look at herself like she was some flirtatious desperate girl, flirting with her personal trainer, who was older by three years. More than that, she didn’t even know if he had a girlfriend or not, maybe he didn’t, since he’d spent so much time with her. But, she didn’t want to like him even if she did because she was afraid he’d hurt her feelings if he knew how much she liked him.

 

 

It was almost 11:00 accordingly to Jihwan’s phone. The sun was hitting his face from the very top of the sky, and the blue and sunny day has risen up diligently. He had several calls, Hyunmin and Hyunchul both had called him, but his phone was silent so he didn’t notice a thing. No matter how much they’d call him, he’d never notice the slightest thing. He then checked his texts: he had Hyunmin saying he’d pass by to bring the snack he bought for the gaming party, or whatever it was.

He quickly got up startled and went unpack his games, manga and cartoon books and CD’s, putting them on the empty shelf next to his brand new LCD television and his old PS3, well organized. His house had Wi-Fi as well so he didn’t have to worry a lot about it. He was used to all the gaming nights he used to have with his friends, they used to play war games and football games all together and sometimes when they were drunken, they even sang or played with their guitars and battery, in band-like multiplayer games. The difference is that Jamwon-do is not a residential zone with traditional family houses like Bangbaesadong but a zone with buildings so they couldn’t do that much noise or Jihwan’s neighbors would set fire to his house even before he could officially say the house was his.

With that in mind, Jihwan quickly set everything like it was supposed and plugged the PS3 and television, leaving a few games they enjoyed quite a lot over his coffee table, in front to his large and comfortable couch and the other seats. Most of his furniture was paid with his parents’ help and with his savings, but that couch used to be his bed, so his parents gave it to him, instead of keeping it on the attic like it used to. In fact, half of his furniture was either from his bedroom or furniture that his parents replaced for better quality one little by little, or even his sister’s old furniture that she didn’t want to keep.

Truth to be told, half of his house was still , with no furniture. But he was ready to live there, he had the basics, and little by little, he’d be buying furniture accordingly to his needs. Then he’d restrain himself to his job and sustain himself with only one salary.

All his errands had the purpose to help him pay his house, honestly talking, then, he’d buy more furniture little by little and repay all the money his parents did lend to him.

 

His phone rang and he wiped his sweat. “Yeoboseyeo? Karam hyung, what is it? Are you on your way too?” Jihwan sat down while expecting the other to say something.

“Yes, it’s me. I’m on my way, yes. Is Hyunmin there already? I saw him leaving from 7-Eleven like about one hour ago.” Karam seemed to be on the subway, Jihwan could hear people talk around him. “You’re not going to believe who I found last night.”

“Hmm? Who was it?” Jihwan was confused, and still waiting for some sound to come out of the phone. He could only hear chatter. “Yeoboseyeo? Karam, are you there?”

A chuckle was heard from the other side. “You little runaway, Jay.” The voice said in British English. “I went all the way to Banbae-dong to meet you and now you’re so far that I have to get on a subway for about twenty minutes.” The guy sighed. “Luckily I found your cousin and he told me where to find you.”

“Aiden?” Jihwan blinked at the phone, surprised. “Why are you in Seoul? What happened?”

“Yes, it’s me. And I’m on vacation, silly.” He explained through the phone. “I’ll be studying in a Korean college next year since I graduated already and I’m turning 18 soon, and my parents got me some information about some music colleges in here, since I don’t have grades to get into quality British ones. And I was coming along with those kids from last time, when we met on the US. But they couldn’t come and now I don’t have a place to stay and my luggage is retained in the airport and I received a call saying that they lost it. It’s just clothes and minor goods, I had my laptop, phone and wallet with me on the airplane, thank god.”

“Jesus, that’s seriously a lot of bad luck… Well, at least you found Hyunchul. He is a great guy so I’m sure he’ll explain things quite well to you. He just doesn’t speak English very well. But you guys did good so far, right?” Jihwan smiled and chuckled.

“We did. We are leaving this underground train now and we’ll be going until there in a while. Karam will call when we arrive there.” Aiden said and hanged up the call.

 

On the moment when Aiden hang up, the doorbell rang and Jihwan fixed up his t-shirt and loosened trousers and walked towards the door to find Hyunmin and a short girl, about twenty centimeters shorter than him, it was Yuhee. She was clearly more dressed that day, wearing a messy but lovely pumpkin ponytail with her asymmetrical bangs set free, and a colorful shirt combined with some cozy stylish black leggings, decorated with turquoise shoelaces until her knees. Jihwan opened the door for them and smiled widely like he’d always do.

 

“Good morning guys. I was speaking to Karam on the phone just now.” Jihwan stated to the other guy and the other girl. “Get in please, I’ll help with the plastic bags.”

“Funny. I tried to call him today and someone answered in his place. I wandered if it was some friend of his or if he got a boyfriend.” He chuckled, but stopped it as he heard Jihwan’s loud and manly laughter stop his huskily voice. “What is it, do you know what it is?”

“Karam found a friend of mine yesterday, apparently he went after me, I told him if he ever came to Korea he could stay in my house, he probably asked my address to my noona and she gave him my last address since I still haven’t provided her my current address. He is a guy I met on USA when I went visit her and my nephews. He came all the way from United Kingdom to here because he was supposed to meet with his immigrant Korean friends and stay with them on their house somewhere, but he lost his luggage so he slept at Karam’s.” Jihwan explained.

“You sure Karam didn’t take him as a pillow?” Hyunmin said jokingly. “You know how he works. Karam inviting guys to his house is quite suspicious, he never does that…”

“Aiden had nowhere else to go, he was just nice by knowing that Aiden was my friend, and, as my cousin, he allowed him to stay. I probably talked about Hyunchul to Aiden when we were in America and maybe he recognized him from the description. You know it’s not every day you find a cute and feminine guy like Karam that looks more like a doll than a guy.” Jihwan laughed. “But come on, they’re coming by, I will ask if Aiden wants to stay here until he gets his luggage back, and all. He said the guys from Gimpo airport lost it.”

“One more reason I think Karam is suspicious this time by inviting him in.” Hyunmin laughed.

“We never know.” Jihwan shrugged and opened the fridge. His house was big enough to occupy almost the whole floor. The rest was a stair to lead to the floor over him, the attic. “You really brought soju...” A loud sigh echoed on the kitchen. “Karam will definitely harass Aiden now, I’m serious. He would be stupid if he didn’t jump over that blondish-ladder-guy.”

“If he haven’t yet.” Hyunmin kept insisting. “Is your friend that much a result of exotism?”

“Aiden has light brown and blonde hair strands, blue eyes and freckles, but he has Korean traits because his father his half Caucasian, half Korean. What do you think? Poor guy, he even isn’t legal…” Jihwan sighed.

 

 

Meanwhile, Yeonhee was leaving her house, with no crutches, her ankle was twisted but she could walk, since she had her ankle wrapped in between layers and layers of bandages. As soon as she walked out of her house, her temporary phone’s screen blinked – she had already bought other phone exactly like her old broken one while the other was sent to repair – and she realized she got a text from someone she didn’t know who it was.

 

 

, she thought. She was scared from the gangster group from Naegok-dong, that lived far from progress and spent their days marginalizing themselves and consuming drugs, and, because of Yeonhee’s ex-boyfriend cheating on her and her dumping him, they started to chase her all over Seocho, just to obtain money from her. That group provided drugs to her ‘friends’, no wander they were so dangerous, and, no wander they’d find her.

She never did consume drugs, she tried them, that’s a fact, but she never bought drugs because she knew how to stop and stopped before she’d get addicted and, her drugged up ex kept consuming and cheating and now they were searching after her for her to pay, especially because they were aware of her wealthy family, and on how she was rich, considering her family businesses and her mother being a doctor.

For that reason, she kept roaming around, running away from them, but she was constantly threatened, even if she was found or not, and this time they were threatening her sister, so, she wouldn’t risk Yuhee. She couldn’t risk her sister’s life. She knew they were dangerous.

She discretely yet quickly walked to her building and got in the faster she could so she would not be seen by those who were part of that drug dealers gang. After that, she locked herself up and texted her sister so she’d come home safely with Hyunmin and wouldn’t put herself apart from him in any occasion, even if she had to go on her own.

 

 

 

Yuhee stayed petrified looking over at her phone as she realized what said the text, and as she was checking it, she heard a doorbell, jumping scared and looking terrified at the door. With that her iPhone fell from her hands, her body being paralyzed fully as she kept gazing at the door, not even moving an inch, not even blinking. The phone was intact and , still being the text from her sister visible.

 

“Yuhee, what is it? What’s wrong?” Hyunmin noticed the phone and looked over it, picking it up. He read it and quite calmly, a little bit shocked, turned to her. “It’s alright, nothing will happen. Your sister will handle it.”

“She is dealing with drug dealers, not elementary school little kids. How can you assure me that, oppa? How can you assure me she’ll be alright? I know she’ll pay them but, what if they hurt her? They might want her alive to get more money out of her pocket, but they may find other golden pot somewhere. Even if I am not victimized, how can you assure me she’ll be alright?” Yuhee was right, he couldn’t predict what drugged gangsters would do.

“She is used to these people and you know it. She will handle them. And, with her ex-boyfriend consuming, she might have to pay for it until he either stops it and goes to rehab or gets an overdose. So, it’ll end. I’m not wishing for him to die but I’m hoping it all ends soon.”

“She’s not directly interacting with them from what she said these things are like. She leaves the money in a certain spot and then they pick it up and leave.” Yuhee tried to calm herself.

Hyunmin hugged her and kissed her forehead. “It’ll be alright, see? If it’s their method then she won’t be harmed, and she’ll get back to her house safely. Just, if they try to harm you, I’ll ask Jihwan to let you stay today. Tomorrow it’ll be just fine.”

Yuhee smiled and looked up, her cheeks a little tinted. “Thank you, oppa.”

“No need to thank me.” Hyunmin said with a soft smile, looking down into her eyes and her hair. When Jihwan got back from putting everything on the kitchen and organizing everything they awkwardly pushed each other apart, Yuhee giggling silently and awkwardly and Hyunmin caught up in surprise. Definitely it wasn’t good to almost kiss a girl in a freshly bought house from a friend, Hyunmin could conclude. “Hmm, Jihwan-ah, I wanted to ask you if Yuhee could stay with us during the night. It’s a long story.”

“Well, she’ll be the only girl in here but Karam will surely love painting her nails and playing the hairdresser game with her. After all our friend has a vein of a fashionista.” He laughed, knowing that Karam was outside with Aiden. He’d be acting all cupid, it seemed like it.

“Yah, hurry up opening the door!” Karam was whining on the outside. “This corridor is as cold as ice! Brr!” Park Hyunchul and his new puppy – Aiden – got in and he looked over at Yuhee and Hyunmin. “YAH! Woo Hyunmin, how long have you been hiding her from me?”

“Mwo?” Yuhee looked startled at the black haired doll-like boy, waving to the other so she’d nicely welcome the other one. With that she looked at Hyunchul, blinking.

“Hiding your girlfriend from us, what a shameless jerk you are, Hyunmin-ah.” Karam puffed out his cheeks in disapproval.

“We’re not dating–“

“We’re not dating!” Hyunmin said at the same time as her and then proceeded. “I am her therapist and personal trainer for a few months now, she’s the girl I go work out with, not my girlfriend… not that I wouldn’t but– Karam, don’t create stories.”

“Ooh! So you’re the girl Hyunmin helps out for a few months now…” Hyunmin said cheerfully. “…and to whom he goes buy peperos. This smart prick attacking from the stomach…” He then concluded while mumbling. “You may call me Karam, but I’m Park Hyunchul, Jihwan’s cousin and Hyunmin’s former neighbor. Nice meeting you, Kim Yuhee hoobae-nim. Heard a lot about you.” He then winked, making Hyunmin want to hide inside of a big, big hole.

“A-and you?” She awkwardly changed her subject and pointed towards the tallest male.

“Oh. I don’t speak Korean very well. I’m Jihwan’s friend. My name is Aiden.” The boy said. “Yuhee, right? Nice meeting you, Yuhee-ssi. Please look forward for me.”

“No need to be formal.” She chuckled. “What year were you born, Aiden-yah?”

Aiden thought for a while, trying not to mess up with his poor and messy Korean. “I was born in late 1995. I’m looking up to turn out being legal soon, still this year. I’ll be moving to Korea as soon as I am legal. I’ll be taking classes so I can speak well so I can major in Music.”

Hyunmin suddenly began to become a little more interested into the conversation. “So, do we have a musician here?”

“A future idol.” Karam corrected. “He told me he likes singing and dancing.”

 

Conversation extended for long and Jihwan left for a while, to get himself some things to cook dinner for them all. After all it’d be five people, not just the supposed three like it was agreed. It’d be five people eating, spending energy, fooling around, playing games and sleeping. It’d be even funnier, because Jihwan and Aiden were good friends and didn’t see each other for long and also because Jihwan, as a replacement of Hyunmin on his work, would have to know well the girl he’d be training with.

Considering the girl’s attachment with Hyunmin it felt like he was trying to get rid of her for a while. Maybe he was right, maybe he was wrong. Or maybe he had reasons to avoid liking her too much. Or maybe he was just stupid in not seeing that he seemed to like her.

Jihwan got back alongside with Aiden – because Karam had to go to his flower shop during the afternoon to cover his shift – when it was almost 17:45, got to wait a lot until they’d bring those fried things him and his friends loved. Seems like the heat wave made some of the products expire, also due to the refrigeration systems failing repeatedly as well. But he got himself all he needed: rice and sweet bean paste, vegetables, chicken, eggs, meat, among others, so he’d prepare well the recipes he had in mind: bibimbap and yangnyeom tongdak.

 

“Back. Who’s going to help me cook?” Jihwan opened the door and both him and Aiden got in with the plastic bags. “I know what you’re going to say, Hyunmin but you better help me out. Fairy-hands Karam is at work and will be out when it’s around 19:30 only. We have almost two hours to make dinner. If you’re not cooking you’ll be setting the table for us. It has only four sits so you will have to sit on someone’s lap if you don’t move.” Jihwan said with a chuckle.

“What can I do for you, Jihwan-ssi?” Yuhee stood up and went towards Jihwan to help him. “I can cook with you if you wish. I like cooking, I’m not really good but I can give it a try.”

“Seems fair. Can you please set the table, Aiden? The plates are over that cupboard and so are the glasses, the chopsticks and spoons are on a drawer over here.” Jihwan pointed.

 

And with that they started cooking both recipes, getting some help to make the taste even better as soon as Karam was back with some ice creams he bought on his way to Jihwan’s flat. But while he wasn’t back, they all worked hard under Yuhee’s commands on the kitchen – because girls definitely are better than boys when it comes to being in charge on the cooks.

After a while, Aiden helped making an apple pie he was used to help his mother and sister do whenever guests came around, and it actually came out quite well, with help of his phone, where he searched about the traditional recipe from its specific zone.

It didn’t take long until Hyunchul came back and they all prepared themselves to taste the results from that bunch of newbie cookers over there. Strangely, it was eatable. More than that, it was actually pretty tasty. And, when it was time to taste Aiden’s pie, they all fell down, delighted with the taste of the apple, soft, disappearing in between their tongues.

 

“Seems like we have an expert in cooking besides me here.” Hyunchul leaned over on the table, taking other slice from the magnificent pie as he filled his glass with soju, sniffing it to make sure it was soju. “Hyunmin brought soju, hmm? I love soju.” He grinned. “It actually goes very well with Aiden’s pie, it’s an exotically unexpected yet delicious match. Go ahead, try it!”

“Here we go… first glass. I’ll count to three until he gets drunk.” Hyunmin stated silently.

Jihwan sighed while whispering to Hyunmin, dictating the foreign boy’s faith. “He really is exaggerated. That’s a regular glass, soon he’ll be rolling around and laughing. If he doesn’t do worse. Karam hyung is a weak drinker, he should beware…”

“Cheesecake time?” Aiden heard the two guys whisper but he didn’t really understand what they were talking about. Seemed like they were talking about Karam but he wasn’t sure since the whispers were so low.

“Sure. I’ll help you out. We need napkins.” Jihwan got up. “Wait a little, hyung, we have a cheesecake here too.” The ebony haired boy said to Hyunchul, who was already about to fill his second glass of soju, regular size glass.

“Oh… do you need to bring forks?” He said, still half conscious.

 

With that, the three guys left Yuhee and Hyunmin front to front, both eating their slice of pie, Yuhee not daring to look up from her plate. She was a little bit awkward there but it was better than being kidnapped and being used by drug dealers as a catch to make her sister pay for the money her ex owed. She texted the other, saying she was alright and she’d go home the next day so she would remain safe nearby Hyunmin like the other asked.

The others got back and Karam held to the bottle, getting himself a second glass, finally, and pouring some soju inside of Aiden’s glass. None seemed to complain, and the worse was when Karam took out liquor chocolates. He was already out of his own sanity, and so were the others, they all drank soju, not much, just enough to make them a little bit warm, and the worst of all was when Hyunchul decided to feed Aiden and he fell down to his knees, completely drunk. The other, a little bit warm as well, picked him up and took him to the couch, and, as predicted by Hyunmin and Jihwan, the two got involved.

So, nobody pretty much ended playing games, and the gaming night got ruined, sort of.

None of them slept on the beds, Jihwan fell asleep while watching TV, Yuhee fell asleep while placing her jacket over Hyunmin’s undressed arms who unconsciously held her, and so did Hyunchul and Aiden end up like. In the next morning nothing much changed, except for Yuhee who woke up suddenly and went out, promising that she should be at home soon. She had a text from her sister, saying she delivered the money on the spot and nobody really seemed to be bothered anymore. Yuhee got her stuff and went out of Jihwan’s building while dialing Hyunmin, this, to leave a voice mail.

 

“Hyunmin oppa, sorry for leaving earlier, I promised Yeonhee I’d be soon at home and she messaged me saying that she delivered the agreed amount of money so I’m safe now. Let’s meet later, alright? Please don’t drink too much and take a shower so you won’t have an hangover. I know you didn’t drink enough to get that much drunk like Hyunchul sunbae-nim did but it’s still good if you take a shower. Call me as soon as you hear this message–“ She felt her body get dragged and covered, but she bit it and let her cellphone fall as she screamed for help. “OPPA!” She started to whimper. “O-oppa…a…a…” The phone wasn’t broken but she kept on sneezing. “Save… m-me… o-oppa…a…a…a…”

 

With that, the call was ended and the phone was notified.

 

 

 

Yeonhee ran out of home as soon as she looked at that text, and started running, her eyes getting a little blurred with the thought of that they could do to her little sister, Yuhee.

She kept on running towards the closest bank to convert her virtual amount into cash, and, as soon as she was able to get out of the bank, she called a cab and got all the money she had inside of a bag, putting the two million won grouped by 10.000 won notes and, resuming, it made a group of about 20 of them. It was equivalent to a good salary, a teacher’s salary or around that. Approximately $1884, it was.

She quickly got out of the car, standing right near the bridge. She had still around fifteen minutes left to make the trade and she started to yell at the guys from the river’s shore.

 

“I have the money with me.” She yelled. “I’ll place the money on the ground and I’ll back off. Now, give me my sister.”

“Are you alone? No witnesses?” The guy, holding up a gun that was pointed at the other, appeared from the shadows of the bridge’s structure, having a black mask covering his mouth so he would not be recognized. He was tall and had a sculptural yet skinny body. Right behind him there was a guy that kept Yuhee tied up.

“I dismissed the taxi driver away from here. Came the rest of the way alone.” She nodded.

“Fresh 2.000.000 won, all in cash. Throw the bag at me and I’ll give him orders to release your sister. You know, it’s a pity for her to die, she’s pretty, and she’s better than the average Korean woman, she’s the height and weight average girl, but in other things, she seems way better. I would be a little pitiful if I had to shoot her.” The guy’s chin shape and cheeks deformed a little. It was obvious that he smirked behind his mask, no need for his face to be unveiled for Yeonhee to notice his ert chatter.

“You filthy pig. Leave her be and get your ing money, you have plenty to satisfy you. Don’t you dare crave for my sister. Take your money and get back to your neighborhood already. She has nothing to give you. If you want anything, take your money and go away.”

 

Yeonhee was stepping in the borderline already, but she had no fear. She accomplished her mission and she was trading her money with her sister, what she would do with people like that without thinking twice. With that, the girl stepped forward, challenging, and the drug dealer with a gun pointed at her released her sister, making a gesture with his head for them to get lost already and leave them to escape.

While they were going away, a man appeared, beating up the guy that was keeping Yuhee captured. It was Hyunmin and as soon as the one who received the money aimed his target, Yuhee started running towards him to avoid the worse, and, as she moved towards him, he shoot her arm, but, since the target was moving, the bullet didn’t harm her as much as the shooter wanted to. With the shoot, Hyunmin held the other guy’s gun and shoot the other too until he fell unconscious, not dead, but paralyzed with the pain on his arm.

With that, Jihwan appeared with his hyung and Hyunmin carried Yuhee carefully while trying not to make her do efforts with her wounded and soaked in blood arm. Meanwhile, Yeonhee held herself to Jihwan so she’d walk – since her ankle was still injured – and as she called an ambulance to rescue her sister. She was washed in tears, and she held herself to the boy who previously saved her.

It was definitely a bloody Sunday, as some song once said, this as the sun kept dawning gloriously, bathing the two fainted bodies with the glorious dawn’s first sunrays.

 

“I never liked dawns.” She whimpered, cleaning her tears. “I don’t think dawns are pretty. Sunsets are way more magical.”

“I don’t like them either.” Jihwan nodded and stopped, cleaning her blurred eyes with his thumbs. “Yuhee will be alright, Hyunmin hyung knows what to do. He won’t let anything happen to her, Yeonhee noonim.” With that, Jihwan pecked her forehead.

She looked up at him and gripped his seamless checkered colorful shirt. “I know he won’t.” With that, her eyes met his gaze and she leaned in to peck his lips. “Thanks for saving me, Errands Boy.”