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Nari was running incredibly late.
She had firstly been rudely awoken by her brother, whose fingers jabbed repeatedly against her cheek to rouse her to consciousness. With half lidden eyes, she swatted him away but through hazy vision noticed the uniform dotting his body, backpack slung over his shoulders before drifting past to the blurry clock on the wall. She was dunked in ice cold water at the realisation.
She was so very late.
Nam-gi watched, slightly bemused to quell his anxiousness on being late to school as Nari stumbled, hurtling across the room to gather her belongings in frantic, miscalculated, ungraceful chaos. Her shirt was skew, one shoe on and hair messy. She hobbled towards the counter, trying to force her foot into her boot.
“Do not look so amused” she gritted out, sighing when it finally slipped through. ” You should’ve woken me up earlier”
Her scolds merely fluttered past him as she grabbed her jacket and keys and ushered her brother out the door.
“This is rather funny” her brother said as she grabbed her bike while her brother hopped on behind her.
“We might make it” Nari said in determination as she glanced at her watch.
“Maybe” Nam-gi drawled. “And maybe you put your shoes on the right feet”
They in fact did not make it.
After dropping her brother at school, signing him in personally for being late and making up an excuse as to why (Oh, Mrs Yang, I fear there was a dog on the road, poor thing was on the brink of death. I simply could not leave him there. I’m sure you understand. Nam-gi will not be late ever again I assure you). Mrs Yang believed her, who wouldn’t. Nari was an angel.
She had entered a store, convently close to school and made use of their bathroom. Tidying up her hair, fixing her shirt and returning her shoes to their rightful positions she barely had time to register the influx of messages from her friends asking her to meet at the bookstore at 8.
It was 9:30.
She cursed loudly, shooting them a text that she was on her way. Nari all but sprinted to the bookstore, picking a few snacks from the convenience shop as an apology gift. She promised she’d be there in no time.
Nari was late.
And Geon-woo had become jittery.
The three had clarified the events of the previous night, estimating how much money Jae- myeong and his goons were actually laundering and developed a plan to capture them. However, the last voice of reason was nowhere to be seen.
Hyeon-ju did not like the fact her friend had left her with the two men she clearly had no use for. While her and Woo-jin shared similar profitible interests, Geon-woo’s pure and innocent heart shot guilt through them both and previous discussions of profit became a discussion no more. Right now, Geon-woo only cared that Nari had not texted him back.
“She’s probably busy?” Woo-jin sighed, his head banging against the chair as he shot his friend an exasperated look. The boy looked like a kicked puppy and neither him nor Hyeon-ju knew what to do. It was bothersome.
” She usually texts back though. What if something happened?” Geon-woo frowned as he glanced at his phone. “It’s really late.”
“She’s fine dude” Hyeon-ju grumbled. “Now please stop looking like someone killed your dog and get a grip. We need to find a way to stop Jae-myeong and we can’t do that if you’re moping about”
”I’m not moping” Geon-woo huffed in offense.
Both Hyeon-ju and Woo-jin shot him a look.
”I’m not” he persisted before his screen lit up. His pout quickly morphed into a smile, eyes sparkling, and he lifted the device in hand for them to see. “She texted. She said she’s on her way” he said grinning slightly before retreating back to his phone.
”He’s whipped” Woo-jin whispered in Hyeon-ju’s ear, the pair glancing at the grinning boy.
“It’s sickening” Hyeon-ju grimaced, her face set in disgust.
“Now imagine dealing with it every day” Woo-jin muttered before he noticed movement on the monitors. He stood up abruptly, his chair rolling back harshly and hitting the wall, captivating both of their attentions but Woo-jin’s panicked stare didn’t tear itself from the monitor.
“Oh shit” he swore.
When Hyeon-ju turned her worst fears sprung to life. Yang Jae-myeong and Kim Jun-min marched into the building, masks over their noses and a bat in the formers hands.
”How did they find us?” Hyeon-ju shrieked before turning to the two men with a snarl. ” How!”
“I don’t know” Woo-jin said as Hyeon-ju lunged for the control panel. Slamming her hand down on the button, she flicked the light switches as the rattling of the lowered shutters rang through the store.
“Get the outside light” Hyeon-ju ordered. Woo-jin didn’t hesitate as he departed from their side and ran to the entrance.
“Hyeon-ju” Geon-woo called shakily as Jae-myeong and Jun -min kicked at the shutters. Hyeon-juย winced with each blow.
“What” she hissed as she turned to face him, his breaths were shallow.
“Nari is on her way”
Realisation dawned on her like a ton of bricks being dropped onto her head. Her blood flushed with cold dread. Hyeon-ju’s eyes widened in panic when Woo-jin barrelled into the room, seeing their horrified and distressed expressions.
“What, what is it?” he asked, eyes bouncing between them but neither paid him any attention.
”Call her now. She cannot come here” Hyeon-ju ordered.
“I’ve tried” Geon-woo exclaimed, panicked. “She’s not answering. I-“
”If they catch her” Hyeon-ju trailed, and for the first time they noticed something other than anger, disgust and indifference on the woman. They saw fear. Hyeon-ju was terrified for Nari.
‘They will not get to her” Woo-jin promised as he placed a hand on Geon-woo’s shoulder.
”Her messages aren’t going through” Geon-woo cursed.
The banging stopped and the three turned to see Jun-min giving the camera a long stare before they started to retreat.
‘They’re leaving” Woo-jin muttered in relief before he caught sight of a familiar figure in the corner of the screen. ‘Oh fck”
Geon-woo’s eyes followed Woo-jin’s stare to the figure in the upper right angle. The display mirrored the camera outside the mall. A figure showcasing Nari, who had just chained her bicycle and was untying a packet from the handle. Their eyes bounced to where the two men were heading straight for her.
“I need to get to her” Geon-woo said, eyes wide and fearful. He made to lunge for the door before both Hyeon-ju and Woo-jin held him back by his arms.
“What are you doing. Let me go and raise the shutters!”ย Geon-woo yelled.
“Geon-woo wait” Hyeon-ju said firmly.
”Are you serious right now. They’ll hurt her. Let me go. I won’t let them touch her” Geon-woo told them, shrugging his grip out of Hyeon-ju’s before Woo-jin tackled him harder.
“Geon-woo listen you cannot go out there. You’ll comprise our position. You’ll make it harder for us and for her. It’s better they know we aren’t here at all” Woo-jin said, grunting as Geon-woo’s elbow dug into his side.
‘They already now we’re here, they are not idiots. Just let me get to her” his tone was firm but desperate, he was pleading. Woo-jin’s grip faltered seeing his friend like that and his hesitance allowed for Geon-woo to break free from his hold and rush to the switch.
Nari was an idiot, and she was even more late than she had planned.
On the ride to the store, she had accidently dropped her phone. She watched as it careened out of her pocket and onto the cement. A thick crack ran across the screen, covering and glitching her image. She was positive she had just experienced the worst day ever.
It was going for ten the time she arrived at the store, grabbing her packet she made a beeline for the bookstore, a hundred and one apologies forming in her brain before she was rudely knocked into, her snacks flying everywhere.
”Shit I’m sor-” Nari’s voice cut in her throat when she looked up.
Her blood ran cold when she met the cruel and devilish snarl of Kim Jun-min, his companion, a shorter man with frizzy hair stood behind him with a bat in hand. What were they doing here? How did they find the store? How did they find them? Her? Where were the others and were they okay?
Her thoughts went spiralling, lungs constricting and she found herself taking a step back and away from them.
Jun- min glanced at the woman before him, recognition dawning in his eyes and he lowered his mask, a cruel smile lighting up his face.
“Boss” Jae- meong called but Jun- min didn’t tear his eyes away from Nari’s stunned frame.
“My, isn’t this a surprise” Jun-min chuckled. Jae -myeong glanced between the two in confusion. ” Miss Byun was it. He is right, you look exactly like her”
Nari felt bile rise in her throat. “‘Do not mention my mother” she choked out, swallowing her fears before repeating more forcefully. “ever”
“Ah I apologise” he said none to sympathetically. He shot a glance behind them ” Should I be surprised to see you here”
“I could ask you the same thing” she said, raising her brow between him and Jae- myeong who straightened under her narrowed glare, slowly and sheepishly placing the bat behind his back.
“Was just looking for material. You wouldn’t happen to know why is it closed so suddenly” he asked and Nari shrugged, tension lined her shoulders and her hands unconsciously tightened around the plastic bag between her fingers. They had lowered the shutters; her friends were safe for now.
“I don’t have a clue” she said.
“Then your presence here was coincidental” he questioned and Nari found herself scoffing in agitation.
“This is a shopping complex if you didn’t notice. I came to shop” she said. Jun-min’s arrogant smirk didn’t falter.
“So, you wouldn’t happen to know about the escapade your little friends had, or the fact that all the paths lead down one road.” He said. Nari took a step backwards when he inched forward, intimidating her.
“Listen here and listen carefully Byun Nari. You and your little friends need to stop meddling in business you know nothing of. ” he warned. ” You out of all else know what happens when you do not listen to us. I doubt you wish the same fate on your new…acquaintances.”
“Is that a threat” she choked out, hiding her intimidation. Jun-min grinned.
”Just a friendly suggestion” he told her. “I hope our paths don’t cross again Miss Byun, for your sake at least.” And then he was gone, Jae-myeong trailing after him like a dog on a leash.
Air rushed back into Nari’s lungs, her body slumped and it was if she could finally breathe again. She never expected them to blatantly threaten her in broad daylight, not in the open. She had to be more careful going forwards.
Nari straightened before she heard the quick and almost desperate cry of her name. She barley turned before a force barrelled into her.
”Woah” Nari grunted, catching his body as they stumbled a few steps back. “What is that about?”
“Are you okay?” Geon-woo said in rushed panic. Holding her at arms length his eyes scanned her from head to toe, taking in any sign of distress, discomfort or hurt.
”I’m fine” she said, and she watched him visibly relax. She furrowed her brows in concern. ” Are you okay? What happened?”
“Me? It’s you we’re worried about. What did he say to you? He didn’t hurt you right”
Nari nodded pathetically. “I am okay, how did you-“
Geon-woo pointed to the camera overhead. ” We saw them enter and then when they were leaving, you pulled up and gosh, God Nari, you don’t understand how scared we were. How I-. we were worried they’d hurt you. What did he say?” Geon-woo rushed
Nari fought the swell in her chest at their care and at his. Her heart soared and for a fleeting second Jun-min’s intimidating encounter was pushed aside. ” It was nothing, really. He didn’t do anything just told us to stop meddling” she said
“That’s it” Geon-woo frowned and Nari nodded.
Yeah, she lied. It’s all.
She didn’t need him worrying about the threatening undertone in Jun-min’s voice. The silent promise that they were eager to repeat the event of her mother’s undoing unto her and her friends. They had enough to deal with. This would only add fuel to fire and seeing how worked upย they got over her safety over a simple interaction, she didn’t dare think what their reaction would be if they found out she was being threatened.ย
Currently writing episode 6 and ๐๐๐
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