They walked hand in hand along the streets towards her house, she noticed that the neighborhood was rather empty at this time, which was unusual. She was used to seeing people lingering in the alleys and the girls roaming the streets already. 

It was too quiet, she knew it was a bad thing, it meant something was going to go wrong. "I know." JongUp said, voicing her thoughts aloud. 

"It's weird." She replied back to him. 

JongUp brought his finger to his lips and tightened his grip on her hand. He noticed for a while now that it was too quiet on his streets, it was too eerie.  

He knew that meant something bad was going to happen, he hated that it was going to happen with Haeri around. He pulled a knife out of his back pocket, flicking it open and handing it to her. "For your protection." He said.  

Haeri's right hand tightened around the hilt and she gulped, this wasn't the first time she held a weapon in her hand. But it would be the first time she might need to use it. She nodded her head and kept slightly behind him.  

He walked carefully, every step he took was deliberate, he checked his surroundings before moving closer to anyone. He took three steps and then he felt them, he could feel the hairs prickling the back of his neck. Someone was near, he had a feeling who it would be and he hated them even more now. 

They were approaching an alley on their right, and JongUp switched sides so that he would take the brute of an attack if anyone was hiding there. Haeri stayed behind him and ducked along with him when an arm came swinging from the alley. 

"And here we thought we could trick you this time." The man murmured from the alley. 

JongUp gritted his teeth and pushed Haeri behind him, "You know me much better than that. After all, you're the only one who deals with me." He said, "Where's your boss?” He asked him. 

“He doesn’t want to deal with you personally yet. He wants that to be an even playing field, so he needs to gather more information on you first.” The man answered, looking over JongUp’s shoulder.  

The henchmen stayed behind him as JongUp stood defensively in front of Haeri, “Who’s your lady friend?” He asked him. 

“None of your damn business.” JongUp spat out quickly. He took a step forward and the henchmen immediately shrunk back at his advance. 

But the man wouldn’t take no for an answer, “Hey, little lady, my name is Chang Guk, what’s yours?” He asked her, his voice carrying towards her in the quiet alley. 

JongUp stood tall, trying to keep her protected from Chang Guk and his men, “You aren’t allowed to talk to her.” He said sternly. “She’s mine.”  

Haeri moved behind him, but she kept herself in JongUp’s shadow as much as she could. This men were clearly bad news and she had a feeling who they were based on his name. The rumors were definitely true then, at least she had JongUp with her. 

“Moon, now, now, sharing is caring. Besides, she’s pretty cute.” Chang Guk said tauntingly. He gave the most wicked smile to him as his eyes grazed over what he could see of Haeri’s body. 

“No. She’s mine. That’s that. Tell your boss, she’s mine. If you try to use her for leverage, just know my girl can protect herself.” JongUp told him, moving slightly so they could see the knife poised in Haeri’s hand. 

He noticed that she already knew how to hold it, which was yet another thing that surprised him about her. But at the same time, she grew up on his streets, she had to have known something.  

Chang Guk held his hands up in defeat, “Very well. This was just for fun today after all. It was something for fun.” He said happily. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Moon.”  

The three of them backed away from alley, going back to wherever they came from and JongUp finally relaxed, turning to Haeri. She was already loosening her grip on the knife, closing it and handing it back to him. 

“That’s the gangster who’s trying to take over. Or well, his men, isn’t it?” Haeri asked him, she fell back into step with him as they entered the street again.  

JongUp frowned but looked at her and she seemed really sincere, “Yeah, he’s been trying to bargain with me.” He told her. 

“Do they always outnumber you like that?” She asked him. Her house was in sight and she wished they could talk longer, she had so many questions and she expected him to be the same.  

JongUp shrugged nonchalantly, “Yeah, for the most part. But his henchmen are pretty weak.” He told her. “I still get bruises, but I’m never as bad as what I do to them.”  

He opened her gate for her and she sighed to herself, she didn’t want him to hear but he had heard it anyway. “What’s wrong?” He asked her.  

Haeri looked down but didn’t want to say anything, she looked inside the house and noticed all the lights were off. It wasn’t unusual, since her parents would sometimes go out and try to find another high to chase. But it was rather lonely at times. 

“You want me to stay longer?” JongUp asked, when she didn’t reply, hitting the nail right on the head. 

“I know you can’t.” Haeri told him, taking a step towards her house. JongUp looked around and saw that it wasn’t nearly as late as he thought. Besides, it’s not like anyone was out on the streets anyway. 

“I can for a little while. I think Bang stole all the troublemakers off the street anyway.” JongUp said, closing the gate behind him. He took her hand again, but let her lead the way to her house. “Is anyone home?” He asked her. 

She shook her head, “No, my parents are probably out trying to find another drug to try.” She answered him truthfully.  

“Oh, I see. Well that’s good then. Don’t wanna have any awkward conversations that aren’t necessary.” He told her. “But anyway, you know about Bang?”  

They walked into the house and he ignored how much of a pigsty it looked. They walked up the stairs to her room and immediately, the floors cleared up and everything looked as clean as it could in a house that was a mess. 

“Yeah,” Haeri answered him, “There’s been rumors about someone trying to take over, but Moon not letting it happen.” She sat down on her bed and invited him to do the same.  

He took the corner and she moved further into her bed, putting her feet behind her. “I see. I didn’t realize word had gotten out.” He told her. 

Haeri gave him a look, “You know how quickly things travel in our town. Besides, aren’t you the least bit curious as to why I can wield a knife?” She asked him. 

“I was saving that for later. But sure, you can answer now.” He said, moving further onto her bed as well. It was rather soft and he couldn’t believe that he was in her room.  

“I learned how when I was younger. It was just something that helped with the problems. Besides, I was curious and I was watching this TV show with a badass female character.” Haeri answered him. “What about you though? Why does Bang not want to meet you?” She asked him. 

JongUp frowned, his forehead wrinkling, “I’m not 100% sure, but I know that he’s trying to get the edge on me. That’s why now we have to be more careful.” He said sternly. “Chang Guk is going to tell him that I have a girlfriend.”  

“And that’s me.” Haeri said, following the story as they agreed to. 

“Yeah. So you have to be alert. I will walk you home every time now. And then we have to figure out what’s going on.” JongUp said.  

“What do you mean?” Haeri asked him. 

He moved closer to her and she didn’t move away, “Well, don’t you think we need to agree on a story? You never know what Bang will do, he will use you as leverage, I know he will.” JongUp said quickly. 

“Oh, okay. Well at school, we are still nobodies though. Which is weird, because I like knowing you’re there and stuff.” Haeri mumbled quietly to herself. 

“It can’t be helped, you have too many suitors and I realized that girls do like me. Some girl came up to me this afternoon asking to be my girlfriend and she doesn’t even know anything about me.” JongUp said, clear confusion on his face. 

“But that’s because she wants to get to know you.” She explained to him. “That’s why she asked for a chance.”  

“But she doesn’t even know me. Only you know me now.” JongUp told her. “And I like it that way. If everyone knows about me, then there’s no point in keeping it a secret.”  

“True. Plus it gives you that air of mystery.” Haeri said, she laid down and he fell back on her bed next to her. It was weird that she didn’t feel too awkward about him being here, he was a guy, a guy had never been in her room before. 

“There’s more to you than meets the eye too, Go Haeri.” JongUp said to her. He looked up at her ceiling and saw the schools waiting for her. “Those are your goals?”  

“Yeah, it’s my last chance out of here. Maybe there are some people who want to stay but I’m not one of them. I need to get out and be free.” She told him, “I can’t be chained to this druggie lifestyle of my parents forever.”  

JongUp sighed to himself, he could see why she wanted that. He could see himself wanting it for himself as well. It was tiring looking after people who didn’t even care if he did his job or not. All these people just wanted the drugs or or money that they could get on these streets. If they wanted to be free of this life, they would have left already.  

He could free himself from this, if he put his mind to it. After all, he had heard the nagging before. But he couldn’t leave unless Haeri did. If Haeri wasn’t free, then he still had a job to do. He would still protect her, always, that was what they agreed on.  

But that didn’t stop him from being more and more curious about her. He wanted to know all of her secrets, everything she had ever learned in her life. How she was, her little habits, what she was scared of. 

It bothered him that he wanted to know so much, but at the same time. He wanted to be the only one who knew. He knew that this was just for her protection, but he wanted to protect her forever. 

“You can be free too, you know.” Haeri told JongUp encouragingly. “I know you could.”  

JongUp smiled at her, “I know. But I still have a job to do, before I can worry about that.” He said.  

“For now, you’re my tutor. And that’s that.”  

Author's Note;;
hey hey~ With BAP's impending comeback, I decided to write an update for JongUp
Hopefully y'all enjoy this :3 and now the snowball is about to start rolling ;) <3
and I still have to figure out how to get this stubborn pair to admit feelings lol. 
but either way~ WOOT BAP <3