Listen to BTD (Before The Dawn) by Infinite : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_oAi9LqSvA

“So did you enjoy your day?”

I pulled down the shutters and dusted off my hands, tucking them into my sweater pocket. I nodded and replied to Yoona’s question.

“Of course I did! The people here are so…” I removed my hands from my pockets and curled them up, unable to find a word.

“Nice?” Yoona asked. I looked at her and smiled. She responded with a gleeful grin and locked her arms with me as we walked down the pavement. The sun was slowly setting and I couldn’t help but deafen out Yoona’s words as I gazed at the purple line of the horizon, spreading out across the sky and tempting me to touch it.

Minutes later, as the view of the lake came infront of us, I noticed the absence of talk. I turned to Yoona and lightly bowed.

“I’m sorry! I just..”

“It’s okay,” Yoona smiled, patting my hand. “I know, Verdelann seems a bit too… perfect. Get used to it, but next time, tell me when to shut up!”

I blushed. When was this girl not smiling? The day’s memory flitted across my mind and I stopped walking.

“Who were those guys?”

Yoona pulled me along, dragging her footsteps across the bridge. She looked down at the woodwork and shrugged, “Which guys?”

I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know you know. Now tell me, who were those guys? Zico’s friends?”

Yoona gave another shrug, but this time I knew she would explain. “Those are…” Yoona then gave a cheeky grin. “Verdelann’s Arthurs.”

I froze, widening my eyes. “Verdelann’s WHAT?”

Yoona laughed at my expression and pulled me, jogging a bit. We had already crossed the bridge, the sun had now given way to dusk. “It’s a loooong story. I’ll tell it to you some other time.”

I blinked rapidly, still dazed. “Don’t tell me… the town actually calls a bunch of guys ARTHURS?”

Yoona laughed again and nodded. “I’m not kidding! Come on, hurry up! Don’t you want to get home for dinner?”

I pursed my lips. “But promise me you’ll tell.” We stood at a crossing, Yunho’s truck five metres ahead of us. He waved at us, signalling for me to come to him.

“Wait!” I motioned. I turned to Yoona who was now looking a bit pale.

“What happened?” I asked and followed her gaze. Behind me, out in the beach, there were three figures seated on a log laughing. I recognized the body shapes and narrowed my eyes.

“Hey! It’s that guy from the store!” I pointed out, only for my hand to be thrown away by Yoona. The latter fumbled and muttered, “Don’t point!”

I giggled. “Calm down will you? Now promise me you’ll tell me about the Arthurs?”

At that moment, one of them turned around. Upon seeing Yoona he got up and nudged his friends. I recognized Hoya and Zico.

“Hoya’s their friend?” I enquired. Yoona pouted at me. “You ask too many questions, you know?”

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“You ask too many questions, you know?”

Zico nonchalantly sighed as he ratted out the girls’ conversations to us. I glanced at Yoona who gave a hug to the new girl, Saya was her name, waving Mechanic Yunho as she skipped across the bridge. My chest burned as I saw her smile. Why couldn’t she ever do that to me?

“Stop ogling,” Hoya snickered. Zico broke out of his laidback mood and cackled, both of them clapping each other’s backs at the lame joke. I rolled my eyes and sat back down on the log.

“I’m not ogling,” I said, but gave one last look to the bridge. It’s getting dark already, I thought. Hope she reaches home safely.

“Go,” Zico pushed me. “If you’re so worried, just follow her. There’s anyway a new song that’s hitting the charts right now, it’s all about stalker love.”

Hoya tried to muffle his snort and the two began laughing again. I shook my head in disbelief. No one could understand their jokes but the two of them. Zico suddenly stopped laughing. Hoya too sat up alert.

“Um Aiden…” Hoya murmured, giving me a wary look. I paid attention to the auras present and tried to catch what the two were trying to tell. Suddenly, from a distance not too far, I sensed something that didn’t feel so good. An aura that did not call for a girl to be alone at night.

“I’m gone.”

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“That’s all they do,” I muttered to myself. “Wile away their time sitting on beaches, roam around time like loafers and still manage to live a high-class life.”

I wrapped my arms around myself, tightening my scarf. Verdelann’s afternoons were great but the air at night could get a little nippy. I reminded myself to take Saya out for shopping.

My heart softened. The girl had been through a lot—a broken home, a broken heart—and still managed to bring herself to come to our shop, make herself busy. In all honesty, I was expecting for her not to make it at all. But she did.

“Ah strong girl,” I muttered to myself and felt happy for making one good friend. Verdelann was full of nice people, but humans were humans and no one wanted to get too close to the daughter of the town’s passionate prosecutor, famous for putting all the dirty men behind bars.

“Pssht,” I muttered. “Without him Verdelann wouldn’t be the safe haven it is today.”

“Hey girl!”

My footsteps quickened and I cursed my words. Not again.

“Hey!” I refused to turn back and with light steps, almost jogged across the roundabout that led to my neighbourhood. I prayed to get away like last time. Suddenly a hand caught hold of me.

I screamed and pushed the man away. From behind me another pair of arms caught my waist and I screamed for help as the three burly bodies surrounded me, trying to touch me and carry me away through my struggle. Last time it was just one. This time, he had got friends.

“HELP!” I shouted, punching one man across his face. The man made a sound and raised his fist. I yelped and covered my head with my hand. I shook myself off, only to land on the ground. The struggle had ended.

I slowly opened my eyes, peering at the darkness through my fingers. The men had left, leaving nothing but echoes of my shouts and my gasps for breath.

I gulped and fought back tears. Don’t cry Yoona, I told myself and quickly got up, running past the fountain that stood between me and the gate to my colony.

                                                *********************************

“Didn’t I warn you last time?”

Aiden punched the man across his face, proud of Yoona for fighting back as much as she could. The man spat out the blood and sneered.

“You’re not even her brother, not even her boyfriend… why the hell do you keep popping up?”

He struggled, the same way that Yoona had a few minutes back, only to be pushed back by Hoya. Zico had already taken care of the other two, Aiden thought and smirked.

“You’re right,” Aiden muttered. “I shouldn’t pop up anymore.”

The man stopped struggling and cocked his head to the right. “I knew it, you’re not called the Aiden Lee for nothing.”

Before the man could even smile, Aiden threw the edge of his hand on the guy’s neck, watching as his victim’s eyes stared at him with shock. Hoya whistled and nodded.

“Better than the last one,” he said. “But still not neat.” Hoya then hit the man on the same spot, finishing him for good.

Aiden couldn’t care less about how hard his punches had gotten, or how uncreative his attacks were. He remembered the aura that had emanated from Yoona in the middle of the street right now, the fear and anger she had felt.

“Tell me Hoya,” Aiden murmured. “If what Yoona felt tonight was fear… what is the strong feeling that she feels when I’m around her?”

He then faced his two friends and bit his lip. “Am I more scary than these animals?”

Zico and Hoya exchanged glances.

He’s more dumb than I thought. I mean, seriously? Zico thought.

As if Yoona is better, Hoya responded.

The two watched as Aiden proceeded to get rid of the bodies, one of the many times he had used his senses to protect the girl he loved.

A/N  : To all the Pyrotechnics (Yoonhae fans) out there! :D I know you’ve been waiting for long for one good slice of Yoonhae in this fic. How was this? I’ll keep shuttling between Saya and Jaejoong and Yoona and Donghae. Many of you must be wondering why I’m using the alternative names like Hero instead of Jaejoong and Aiden instead of Donghae. That’s coming up in the next chapter so please look forward to it! Again, as readers, please take care of me! :D