the lie you adore

he had his eyes on the boy for a while now, after seeing him appearing into the street with wide eyes, as if he was searching, thinking of something. it looked familiar, and zian nods as he remembers why it felt like so. he had been in this similar situation once, searching for help and mind reeling as to the next step, the sense of adrenaline tingling in your bones while you’re trying to run away from someone. he doesn’t do anything but continued to walk, wondering if the boy could survive through the night.

it wasn’t until he felt a pair of arms slinging over his shoulder that he sighs, thinking that there was really no way for his to take a break out of other people’s mess. he turns his head anyways, offering the kid a light smile — though it seemed off and forced — before his body relaxes, clearly willing to go through with this. “ sure, what’s up ?” he looks away briefly, noticing the sudden surge of people coming from where the kid had been. this kid was no ordinary person, that’s for sure.

he felt some semblance of relief as he wasn’t immediately shoved off by the other. honestly, snaking your arm around a stranger in hopes they’d play along with whatever the hell you’re up to wasn’t the best plan, but it was also all he could come up with in so little time. honesty, he decided, was probably his best bet in this situation. honesty to a certain degree, anyway. there was no reason to divulge too much about himself when his best bet with a stranger would probably be to play on any sympathy they might have for an innocent boy.

“see, i’ve got these boneheads after me. jumped me in an alleyway not too far from here,” he started, a faked, subtle note of fear in his voice as he looked over his shoulder to make sure they were still as far behind as he’d left them. “not that you’ve got anything to worry about, though. i’m guessing they were hoping to get me alone.”

Dohee was maneuvering her way through the crowd like a pro when she heard a masculine voice, and before she knew it an arm was slung over her shoulder. She was just about ready shove whoever put their arm around her when she realized it was just Gunhee. She noted his busted lip, and let out a sigh. “What kind of trouble are you in this time?” Dohee asked, knowing he was on the run from somebody (or a whole lot of bodies). Gunhee could be quite the annoyance, but he was still someone she considered a friend. If she wasn’t going to save his ass, who would? Plus, she knew he would owe her one later. It was important to have favours stocked up in case she ever needed them.

“hey, don’t sound so exasperated, noona. i’ve got a bunch of bullies on my tail, would you believe that?” he replied to the question with one of his own, as if he were completely innocent of anything. not true, but to be fair he hadn’t exactly done anything tonight to warrant such an attack. he couldn’t even be too sure which patron it was who’d sent the guys. “i was minding my business, about to start walking home, when they popped out of nowhere and started wailin’ on me. my only guess is someone’s a sore loser and really wants their money back,” he snorted, shaking his head. “joke’s on them though. even if their thugs had managed to kill me, it’s not like i just carry the money around in my pockets.”

with cold hands, maeying embraced the sweet hot potato, blowing away the steam every other second before carefully taking a bite. she hadn’t exactly planned on treating herself after what felt like the longest meeting in her life, but when you have to endure the whining of old men about useless sales because of their own dumb actions, you just can’t help it. her eyes scanned the crowd, not particularly looking for someone or something —there was just something so fascinating about the fact she, someone who has tortured numerous amount of people, just blends right in. if only they knew.

maeying’s instant reaction to a stranger’s arm was to grab their wrist, but as soon as she saw it was gunhee, she didn’t exactly relax, awkwardly holding his hand as she had no other choice. all she could do was sigh, a cloud escaping her lips because of the snack she was still holding. “you owe me another one of these,” she eventually replied. “where are we going and why?”

“that’s fine with me,” he smirked, his arm stilling where it had settled. “i’ll buy you all the sweet potatoes you want. that could even be your new nickname, goguma.” part of him was grateful it had been maeying, and not someone who would have shoved him off right away, giving his pursuers the green light they’d so obviously been hoping for. he knew maeying wasn’t one to assist unless there was some reasonable purpose to it, so he decided the truth was most likely the best route to go at this point. 

“i’ve got some assholes on my trail. doesn’t really matter where we go until they stop following,” he muttered, looking over his shoulder to check on the guys who’d been following him. much like he thought they would, they’d slowed down significantly now that he had company. whether it was because that company was maeying or not, he didn’t know. either way, it was in his benefit. “how bout we pay the ivory hotel a visit, hm?”

that was, until he turned a corner onto a somewhat populated street. so, it looks like whoever hired them doesn’t want any collateral damage, gunhee thought to himself, formulating a quick plan in his head to keep himself in the clear. once the small crowd dispersed he’d be in deep shit once again. “oh, hey.” he stepped up behind someone he’d chosen at random, slinging an arm around their shoulder. “mind keeping me company for bit?”

Dohee: 😒

Dohee: what is it?

Gunhee: grumpy ;P

gunhee could only grin at the woman, who was unfortunately (for her) one of his favorite targets for pestering. something about her reactions just made it all the more fun, despite her actually being someone he’d call a friend. “me? whine? i don’t whine, noona.” he spoke, the honorific exaggerated as he tended to do with the few close people he chose to use them with. “not all that much, anyway. you’re just so much fun to bother and i’m bored. look at your face. so scary.” 

“i could say the same for you, but you don’t look all that fearful for someone so small,” he spoke to the mousy girl, stepping closer to her. he knew the alleyways like the back of his hand---had run into his fair share of trouble in them as well, so what could he have walked into that was so bad as to warrant such a grim warning? “well,” a small chuckle fell from his lips as he looked down at her. “not that i don’t believe you, but... now i’m just too damn curious.”

a short snicker fell from his lips---it’s place gradually taken by a lopsided grin as he looked down at the cards. at his losing hand in particular. “i don’t make mistakes, mae. you know me better than that.” his smugness held strong, though honestly, he didn’t know how she could have won. he was certain of his victory three turns before her hand was played. “no big deal,” he shrugged, playing it off like he wasn’t tracing back each turn of the game in his mind trying to figure out where he went wrong. “i’m sure you cheated. so, what? does this mean i’m paying for drinks until i win next week?”

“you don’t owe me? i’m not so sure about that, hyung. i wouldn’t give some of those gambling secrets to my own mother,” he stated, tone somewhat dramatic before a grin cracked his facade. it’s not like he was serious at all to begin with. gunhee rarely was. “c’mon, don’t go all soft on me. i had to teach you something. the mistakes you made the first time you walked in here? pft. you’d have been flat broke in minutes.” a snort escaped him before he looked at the elder for a moment, and huffed a breath. “look, just---take what you learned and do good for the gang, alright? and don’t even think about trying to use my own tricks against me.”

“god. is coming to me for help really that bad,” he snorted, opening the door to let the assassin into his room. part of gunhee always wondered why anyone came to him for help to begin with. it wasn’t like he didn’t have a reputation for doing people dirty. yet here stood kanghyuk, in the middle of the night, looking somewhat disheveled and in need of… something. maybe their childhood instilled some sense of familiarity in him. gun could see no other reason he’d turn to him. getting a good look at the other, his brow scrunched in both curiosity and concern, “alright. talk.” he tapped a finger under the elder’s chin to get him to look up at him. “is everything okay?”

Dohee: it's 4 am

Dohee: what do you want??

Gunhee: don't be mean noona~

kanghyuk felt annoyed by the sudden amount of noise surrounding him. his eyes opened reluctantly, looking at the other boy with an unamused expression. “i’m a zombie, yes, you figured it out. i’ll eat your brain—oh wait i doubt you have one,” he hissed. the boy didn’t normally snap at random people on the street, but he didn’t know what about the other made him feel so irritated. he couldn’t recall the other boy from anywhere else, not recently, yet there was something about him that put hyuk off. “isn’t it like…three? or four by now? it’s dangerous at night, kid, you should go home.” the other boy couldn’t be more than a few years younger than him, he decided. 

the assassin was standing up straight now. he was a little bit more alert now that he realized he was in the presence of another person. “i can pay for your phone if you’d like.” money was a simple thing for hyuk. it was something he was saving up, but he didn’t know what for. he earned a lot, but he didn’t have time to actually spend it. sometimes he’d go out and buy unnecessary things that had no value to him, he just liked to spend his money. the only things that hyuk really wanted to get around buying were new weapons and clothes, but he didn’t know how to make the time to go out and get them. the times he was out and free were the times he was most tired. other than that, he was either on a mission or a quick food run.

even though he was tired, the boy didn’t want to get back to headquarters immediately. he doubted they’d let him rest. hyuk yawned, “i’m sorry.” he decided to own up to bumping into the other male first. besides, he was the older one here, most likely. “i’m just really tired, okay? i’m always tired, but never this much…sorry, though. i probably interrupted you in whatever you were doing,” he sighed. the boy didn’t know whether he should go get some coffee and stay up longer or just find a good place to rest.

gunhee had to hold himself back from cackling. as if there were anyone who knew these streets better than him. who did this guy think he was protecting? some lost little boy? would that be his facade for tonight? “ah, you’re right,” he spoke, albeit a bit softer than before. “god knows what kind of criminals lurk these streets at night, right?” he paused, flashing a small, almost genuine smile in the other’s direction as he slipped his cracked phone back into his pocket. the cracked phone he wanted to stab him over just a moment ago. the guy looked so tired, and here he was offering to pay for a stranger’s broken phone. most would have kept walking. that must have meant he had money, which meant gunhee had to think smart. “don’t worry about the phone, i’m sure my parents’ll get it fixed.”

he observed him for a moment as he spoke, trying to get what he could out of a first glance. but as he did so, something about the other struck him as vaguely familiar. this would prove to be a source of frustration to the boy, who was usually excellent at remembering faces. he had to be. yet he couldn’t put his finger on this one. “you could walk with me as payment. an arduous task, i know, but like you said---it’s pretty late and, y’know, dangerous. i was just heading to the convenience store,” he pointed a finger in it’s direction. “it’s down that way. you look like you could use a coffee anyway.”

    Without a word he came and sat down in front of the person before him. Crossing his arms over his chest he leaned back in his seat, making himself comfortable. “Okay, I really don’t need any questions asked right now. But I need to borrow 60103500₩. I’ll pay it back tomorrow, I really will. But I need it now.”

he looked over the other male as he sat down, knowing it had to be for money. there was rarely any other reason people came to gunhee outside of the gambling halls. money or information, neither of which he supplied without good reason. or rather, a reason he deemed as mutually beneficial to both parties. “that’s not exactly pocket change,” the boy muttered, cocking a brow. “numbers like that don’t go unquestioned from anyone. how do i know you’re good for your word?”

They were playing a game, she knew that much. But she wasn’t really that good at making power plays, all she could do was say some witty words & act like she was in control. The medic wasn’t used to this, but part of her felt excited about not only practicing her french, but being badass. His words finally dawn upon her after a long pause, he really was part of a gang. Her naive observations had been strangely correct & there’s a flash of fear as she holds her ground, voice shaking slightly. Ah, les morts sont assez ternes, n'est-ce pas? C'est dommage. She smiles gently, looking out at the empty park & wondering who his next target was, if he was even an assassin or just part of a gang. Either way, she tells herself to stay calm. “Wh-what no, no…I can work out what you’re saying, just let me use google translate.” She pulls out her phone and begins typing frantically, curious to know his last answer, but it only just confirms her previous facts. After a moment of hesitation, she replies. “On dirait que nous sommes sur deux côtés différents des pistes, monsieur. Vous versez du sang pendant que j'essaie de le conserver.”

a smirk picked up at one corner of his lips as he watched her observantly, gauging her reactions. it seemed there was a misunderstanding, but not one he wasn’t entirely amused with. “ne vous inquiétez pas votre jolie tête. je ne répands pas autant de sang que vous le pensez,” he spoke, a small chuckle escaping him on the last word. sure, he’d cut a person or two---severed a couple fingers here and there---but only out of necessity. only when he or his money was being threatened. other than that, he tended to avoid any bloodshed. however, they were still quite different in the respect that she prioritized saving lives. he’d known too many people who didn’t give loss of life a second thought, so, her perspective would be refreshing to say the least. “ma spécialité réside dans les cartes, et jetons de poker,” he clarified. while having her on edge was somewhat fun, he didn’t want to scare her off. “i’m gunhee. park gunhee, outlaw bloods. and i’m waiting on some money, not drugs.”

Sejin: the deep web? that's child's play

Sejin: not hard to get into at all, but i dont trust u bc im sure u'll fuck up somehow

Sejin: when do u wanna meet up?

Gunhee: ha, i respect your expertise

Gunhee: i'm free most of the time during the day