“! Dara run faster! They’re gaining on us!” A male shouted at the skinny girl running behind him as they turned into an alley.

They both heard grunts and shouts of savage men running towards them with sticks and bats.

“What!?! DON’T YOU DARE cuss at me Choi Seunghyun!” Dara screamed back in short breaths, forgetting that they were being chased at the moment.

“You mother ing kids get back here!!” A man shouted at them, which only caused the two high school seniors to speed up even more.

“Don’t lecture me now and get on the bus over there!” Seunghyun pointed as he ran faster.

Dara nodded to herself and ran with all of her strength when suddenly, she felt a filthy hand touch her behind.

She stopped abruptly, causing the man behind her to almost crash into her, but she pushed him off before he toppled on top of her.

It was one of the men who were chasing the two teenagers, “Time to go back pretty lady! HEHEHE!” 

Dara’s face scrunched up in pure disgust as she inhaled the man’s disgusting scent of weed and alcohol.

She made retching sounds and was about to retaliate but Seunghyun had screamed at her, “DARA HURRY THE HELL UP!!!!” 

Realizing that she was in danger, she looked behind the man and saw that the rest of the white gangsters were coming closer and closer.

“Pretty lady~ Come back home to me and my frie---OOOF!” The dirty white man clutched his balls in pain the moment Dara had kneed him in anger.

“ GET THE OUT OF HERE!” Dara had screamed at him before running off, leaving the crouching man feel swelling in his lower body area.

Seunghyun grabbed Dara’s hand and pulled her into the bus before the doors had closed on the upcoming white men, even though there were still common people waiting for the bus they were on.

The people waiting groaned and yelled at the bus, annoyed the hell out of them.

Seunghyun turned around and saw the bus driver tip his hat, “Thought it’d help!” He grinned with two missing front teeth and Seunghyun bowed. “Thank you so much.”

Dara smiled at the bus driver and pulled Seunghyun to a seat.

As the bus began to move, the two saw the dozen of white men shake their fists furiously at them, and luckily their swearing was muted since they were inside the bus.

“That was fun!” Dara smiled cheekily, squirting Purell sanitizer onto her hand.

“Dara..you gotta stop taking this for granted! We moved more than ten times, all of them being broken into by those ing loan

sharks!” Seunghyun nagged, making the latter roll her eyes.

“GEE Tabi! You didn’t think I would know if my homes were all raided into? You don’t need to remind me of the past!” Dara snapped, “And stop swearing or else I’ll give myself up to the Johnsons!”

Seunghyun glared at Dara warningly, “Then stop calling me Tabi! That name weakens my masculinity! And who was the one who sweared?! ‘’ and ‘’? I’m sorry, but I didn’t know those words counted as formal words!” he groaned sarcastically, hitting himself in the head for effect.

“What masculinity? Seunghyun, I think you misused the word ‘masculine’ in that sentence! Instead, you should’ve used the word ‘feminine’! And everything ‘bout me is formal baby~” Dara nudged him playfully, before linking her arm through his and leaning against his built body.

“Hmph!” Seunghyun turned his head away from her, and Dara giggled, then sighed deeply, taking in his wonderful, familiar scent.

“When will we ever stop running? I have no friends besides you! It’s unhealthy to have only a guy as my best friend!” Dara complained, as she used her free hand to trace the linen on Seunghyun’s Calvin Klein jeans.

There was a long silence between the two; they were both buried in their own deep thoughts.

Choi Seunghyun and Park Sandara have known each other since birth, since their parents were best friends. They had grown up thinking they were brother and sister, and they still do think like that.

The two families, Choi and Park, were very close, always doing everything together, which meant Seunghyun and Dara also had to do everything together.

Both children didn’t mind, since they felt comfortable with each other’s presence.

But when their parents became involved with loan sharks as the economy dropped abruptly, the four happy parents were murdered for not paying back the full amount they borrowed.

So that’s how Seunghyun and Dara were left alone in freshmen year, with the loan sharks called the Johnsons following them, trying to Dara, and use Seunghyun as a slave.

Seunghyun’s protective side took Dara under his wing, even though they were the same age, and started moving every time the Johnsons would rob and mess up their houses.

Oddly, Dara and Seunghyun had found their family bank accounts overflowing with money and gold. It confused them both, since they thought their families were poor, but took it and ran, not knowing what to do with it at the moment.

Usually, kids who were parentless and were being chased by loan sharks are poor and stupid, but these two on the other hand, were geniuses and RICH. 

They always get straight A+’s every school year, which means that they both have the standards to go to Princeton and Harvard. But because of the situation they were in, they went against going to an American school.

Both were the usual crazy club-goers. They love going to clubs to dance, well besides Seunghyun because he can’t dance, to drink, and to seduce people, but never to the point to get in bed with them.

It was entertainment for the two of them; they thought that the alcohol and pounding music got rid of their thoughts about their crazy, hectic life.

They’ve never fallen in love either; just some flings. There was no time, neither were they in the proper situation to do so.

Dara watched the bright city of Los Angeles pass by her; she saw a family of three, mom, dad, and daughter. Memories flooded into her mind as she pictured herself with her parents.

She glanced at the date, which was digitally being shown on the headboard of the bus and widened her eyes slightly.

“Do you know what day today is?” Dara murmured as she gently kneaded Seunghyun’s hand.

Seunghyun looked down at Dara with knowing eyes, “Yes..” 

“Let’s go visit them, we’re on the way anyways!” Dara happily said, squeezing his hand in delight.

He looked out the window and sighed, “Sure..”

-

After nearly an hour, the bus stopped suddenly, waking Dara and Seunghyun.

“Last stop!” The bus driver yelled, causing the only two on the bus to retreat from the bus. 

“Thanks Mister!” Dara smiled as she jumped off.

A ‘your welcome’ and a chuckle was heard as the doors of the bus closed.

Seunghyun walked towards the big black gate, where the cemetery lied.

It was eerily silent, but Dara ran towards the hill she loved so much.

“Mommy! Daddy! Seunghyun and I came to visit you today!” Dara hugged the land beneath her as Seunghyun walked up the hill slowly, dreading the feeling he overcame as he saw the two stones marked with the overfamiliar names.

“Didya miss me, Daddy? Guess what? I got straight A’s this year! I’m gonna be in college in a few weeks! Aren’t you proud of your little girl?” Dara squealed, tears threatening to come out.

Seunghyun kneeled before his two parents and quietly stared at the two stones.

He clamped his hands together and bowed his head, closing his eyes to pray.

“Dear Mom and Dad.. Thank you for keeping Dara and I safe.. Did you know today was the day you and Dara’s parents left us? I still won’t forgive you for leaving us..but.. I wanted to let you know that I love you..” Seunghyun’s eyes began to water as he clenched the grass between his fingers.

“Why.. did you leave us? Why did you leave us when you could have payed those damn loan sharks with the gold in our bank accounts? Why did you leave us with so many unanswered questions?” He complained, causing Dara to crawl over to him slowly, knowing what was to come.

“Because of what you did.. my life is no longer the way it used to be...All because of you!! IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!” He screamed, punching the innocent, grassy ground.

The air was tense, and Dara could hear the frustration and rage in her best friend’s heart. And she was the only one who knew how to calm him down when he was like this.

“Seunghyun...shhh...our parents won’t like it if you’re screaming at them..” Seunghyun heard as two arms embraced him from behind and began singing a familiar lullaby into his ear.

Though the tears flow out of our eyes,

We must learn to stay strong,

No matter what the problem may be

Dara caressed his back as tears flowed out of her eyes as well.

Through our eyes we shall see

The whole world turning against us

The two stayed still, thinking of all of the memories they had with their parents. Losing your parents at such a young age isn’t very healthy, nor is it safe, especially if bad people are involved. Seunghyun and Dara moved in together, seeing that they would always be there for each other.

But we must remember

That in our hearts

The truth lies safe and sound

But it had been too long of a time. Too much chasing, running, and moving was happening, and it was obvious that the two innocent teenagers did not like it one bit. 

And to keep our heads held up high

Higher than the heavens

And to strive in what we desire

Because good will come, someday

Seunghyun felt himself calm down at Dara’s sweet voice as he looked up at his father’s headstone and thought to himself, ‘Father..What would you do in a situation like this?’

He stared at the headstone, then glanced at his mother’s while Dara was still hugging him from behind.

As if his father had actually answered his question, his eyes widened, becoming aware of an obvious plan that they should have done a LONG time ago..

He slapped himself mentally for not realizing what they could have done the past four years.

They had to move to South Korea, their birth place.

And he planned to move out of California tomorrow, and never come back.