Choi Protection

The world was passing you by and you were moving too fast to figure out what it was that you wanted to hold onto. So, throwing caution to the wind, you told your family one day that you were going to go and find your dream. It was expected that you stay in your little town, get married, and spend your life trying to do what your parents had.

It wasn’t the dream that you had for yourself if you were honest about it.

You wanted to travel and see the sights as far as the starlight could glimmer and show you the rest of the world. Even though they weren’t happy about it, they let you leave home as long as you promised them you would write every few months when you got the chance. There was never a second thought that came to mind after that.

You spent your savings on a ticket that would take you deeper into the wiles of the west. That was the land of opportunity. You couldn’t afford to pay your way to the other side of the territory but you were downright determined to get as far west as you could before you’d take up odd jobs to get you the rest of the way.

It was simply what everyone was doing at the time, hunting for a better life and chasing the stars and winding landscapes to see something different. You had no goal in sight for what you wanted to do as you had always envisioned traveling and seeing the places written down in your books or parchment as the country grew around you.

Granted, it was ridiculous for some people to believe that you went more or less empty-handed on your own to start a new life, but hey, if you weren’t willing to take risks, how would you ever follow your old heart and dreams? Well, you would find your dream along the way. It wasn’t like you were chasing the whispers of gold and fortune.

You wanted to see the world, not get caught up in the greed of mankind of all things. Ironically, of course, that was where you found yourself once the train arrived at the final station that your ticket would take you to. The heat of the morning sun was much brighter against the hard dirt than you had expected but the landscape was different than you’d imagined.

As a child, you’d seen sprawling green forests and waterways not far from your house, but here in the middle of the mountains? There was nothing but red and orange as far as the eye could see. The tiny glimmer of water was a surprise to you but there always had to a river or two to sustain the lives of the people that had come to make their profit spin around and around. It was no surprise to you to see the crowds of miners and workers that littered the streets.

They were planning on hitting it big and nothing was going to stop them. If your parents had known that you were going to head straight for a den of hungry lions, they wouldn’t have let you leave. But, hey, you were an adult now and they couldn’t stop you from traveling as you pleased anymore since they had no control over you.

A little white lie never hurt anyone, right?

Your naivety and faith in others were palpable but you weren’t going to let yourself let fears stop you from trying to exist. Now that you were here, you decidedly needed to locate the place that your friend was currently employed. Hyun was from the same town as you and he had left you behind just as he’d escaped from his parents.

You understood why he ran away when they attempted to force him to go into more studies to make him become a lawyer.

It wasn’t what he wanted to do. He was an actor, he wanted to play on the stage and become someone of popular culture. He had big dreams and you admired him for it. He’d often spent many years showcasing that talent in the church choir. Though, he’d always told you that he thought that you sounded far superior to even his talent.

You assumed that he was doing that to make you feel better, that was for sure. He offered to get you a job at the same place that he’d taken residence for the last couple of years. As far as you knew, he was working deep in a bar for a kind man.

Someone that had seen him when he was down on his luck and offered room and board for him to take up while he worked hard to achieve his dreams. He’d often told you that there were a lot of interesting patrons to the bar that either got on his nerves or convinced him that he would never let money go to his head. Something about someone with old money that tested his nerves had always gotten a chuckle out of you.

It seemed exciting to not know what was going to be around the corner. A life of normalcy wasn’t exactly what you had in mind for yourself, and daring to explore the unknown just seemed to be a good idea. You let yourself breathe in the burnt air from life and existence before you nodded, stepping off of the train and following along with the memory of the letter that Hyun had given you in his last letter.

These shantytowns just seemed to be appearing overnight in most places but this place was a hub for many of the surrounding areas. Everyone in this area turned looked to the man that had been here for the longest time thus far, and that was a title gifted to the mayor of this town. You couldn’t quite pull his name to your memory at the moment, but you had heard that he was a family man and that he had spent a long time trying to maintain the area as a haven for anyone that desired to chase the dream of gold.

There were whispers when you were younger of these towns, where outlaws and crooks made their money by stealing from anyone that came to follow their dream. As for an average man that was willing to toil away in the mountains and riverbeds to find the smallest slivers of gold, they were lucky if they had enough money to eat.

It sounded less like aspiration and more like a fever dream that everyone had collectively had.

At least, that’s the way that your town had told you the story. As far as you could tell, it was a town like any other town that you’d seen in your travels. People living their lives without a care in the world to be had. There were plenty of houses and stores located within the center of town and the signs of families, not just men hounding for dreams.

Perhaps, those were just the warnings that they told children the same way that you’d always been warned never to trust strangers. Hah ! Preposterous. The world was never as dangerous as everyone tried to paint it and you knew that that had to be the case. This calmness hadn’t been what you had expected to find but you were happy to know that your friend was somewhere nice.

You’d been worried for him ever since he left.

But, if this was all that there was to discover, he’d been luckier than you thought. Paying no mind to the world around you, it didn’t take long to find that bar that he spoke of. Well, okay, it did take an hour and a half to discern that Zen was horrible at drawing maps and you would have been halfway to another territory if he made you anymore maps like this.

Someone kindly pointed you in the right direction after you bit your tongue and decidedly to ask a local. The worn wood of this building held the charm of something that had been there for years as opposed to being there for less than a couple of years at most.

No eyes immediately shifted in your direction as you sauntered inside, and you took a seat at the bar where a blond boy was working behind the counter. He didn’t appear to be much older than you were, though, maybe a year younger than you if you were going to wager a guess. He did have somewhat of a baby-face that reminded you of a little brother type.

“Hey,” you beamed.

He offered you a smile which you returned. Perhaps he noticed that glimmer of a good mood in your eyes and decided to return it.

“I haven’t seen you around before,” he offered, friendly as anyone could be. You assumed that they often got travelers coming in and out, but you got used to seeing regulars when you stayed in one place like this for a while. “Did you just arrive in town today?”

“Yeah,” you propped your head against your palm as you caught sight of white hair behind the curtain not far away. “Believe it or not, I’m here to meet with Hyun. He said that this would be the best place to find him once I got into town.”

Confusion flickered in his eyes before his answer dawned on him, he put two-and-two together as he nodded. “Oh! You mean Zen,” he said, automatically. “You must be [Y/N[. He’s been talking about you for a while now. We weren’t sure if you existed or not with how he talks about how kind you are.”

You chuckled, “Has he been acting like a raging narcissist again? I told him that while I thought it was charming, it may not attract the attention that he wants. Glad to see he hasn’t lost his charm after he left home.”

“Is that what you call it?”

“Well, it’s a nice way to describe it, haha.”

The two of you shared a laugh. It was nice to see friendly faces and you weren’t upset about that. It was nice to know that you were starting from rock bottom in trying to establish yourself here for the time being. Knowing that you could fall back on old friends and new, settled some of your nerves as they’d dared to fizzle to the surface.

He offered you a drink and shared his name, “Well, it’s nice to meet you, then. I’m Yoosung. V isn’t here right now but it’s nice to know that I’ll have some help back here on the counter because Zen is kind of… well, his talents are used elsewhere to bring in the money and crowd. Oh, right, Zen probably mention it but V is the owner of this place. He’s usually away on business but we keep things running.”

You cocked your head. What did he mean by that? You assumed that Zen was working behind the counter and serving drinks to the customers just the same as anyone else had. The confusion that was written on your face was easily wiped away when you paused to take a drink from your glass and you nearly spat it out right after.

Oh, Zen was the talent .

And by talent, that meant that he was scantly clad in clothes that you hadn’t expected him to be wearing when you met him again. Yet, there he was, shirt unbuttoned and frills trailing down his side from the flowing fabric. It looked like a seamless blend of masculine and feminine styles but it did work for him by all accounts. You weren’t into him like that, but you could see why people would want to come and fawn over him.

It was that dashing smile of his.

“This one’s for you, darling,” he pointed at you with a coy grin.

He was like your brother, so, you couldn’t contain the fit of giggles that threatened to escape your mouth when he winked in your direction. Oh, so by bringing the crowds, he meant that he was there to be the eye candy and bring him anyone willing to get a drink or spend their money on being able to chat with him.

Well, he knew how to use his looks against others.

If they wanted to fawn over him then he’d make sure that they came for what they paid for, at least, that’s what you figured as you noted how easy it was for him to ensnare guests. He had the women giggling and the men hanging on his every word.

What a charmer, though, you could never forget that guy that avoided cats like his life depended on it—

Even going as far as hiding behind you to stay away from the strays.

By the time his little show was over, you couldn’t stop yourself from clapping him on the shoulder and scolding him for not giving you a warning. “Zen, huh ? You got yourself a pretty little stage name and I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were playing the role of a floozy. The last time I saw you, you were trying to climb a tree to avoid that stray.”

“Did you try to climb a tree to avoid a cat, Zen?” Yoosung eyed from the side. “I know you try to avoid when Jumin brings Elizabeth to the lounge but—”

“Don’t even mention that furball,” he scolded both of you. It was obvious that he was holding back his allergy at the mention of cats. “And, if it meant that I was going to avoid dealing with a breakout then I would climb any tree, babe.”

“I had to help him out of the tree, don’t let him convince you otherwise,” you said to Yoosung, offering him a chuckle. Turning your attention back to Zen, you shook away the shock of this new reality as it’d washed over you. “Either way, I’m really happy to see you again. It’s been too long since I’ve been able to talk to you properly.”

“I am sorry about that, babe,” he said with an apologetic smile. “Work is busy and when I’m not here, I’m working with the theater troupe. So, time tends to get away from me when I’m caught up. I figure offerin’ you the spare room at my place more than makes up for some of that. After all, I couldn’t leave you to fend for yourself out here.”

“My hero,” you feigned the role of a damsel. “I hope you can keep your promises better then you can draw a map. I got turned around on the way over here. It took me a good hour to figure out what you had drawn because you confused cacti for a blatant mirage in the desert. I spent ten minutes trying to find something that didn’t exist.”

“Hey, hey, hey, I’ve got my talents. My face is just meant for the stage, not for paper.”

“I’ll say.”

He snorted at your comeback. That was how it had always been with him. It felt like no time had passed with your friend. It was going to be interesting from now on. “Either way, why don’t I go ahead and help you guys out? I’d rather get to work than laze around Zen’s place for the rest of the day like a log.”

“Just try not to get too distracted by me, babe,” Zen warned with a laugh. You nudged him away and sent him back to wait for his next little show. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave you with our Yoosung. Take good care of them for me while I’m on the floor.”

Honestly, you were going to scold him later for being so great at putting up a face of glamour. It was too easy for him to sway others. He’d found a line of work for him that would help him as he chased the stage and after the dreams, he’d had when he was a young boy. You wondered if you would be able to find yours somewhere in this new town.

“I’d appreciate it,” Yoosung said. “Ever since Jaehee started working with Jumin, oh, she was our other performer before you came here, and Jumin’s V’s best friend, they’ll probably be around tomorrow if they finished their work trip. They’re a part of our regular visitors, so you’ll get to know them well too.”

“I’d hope so,” you smiled. “I’d be happy to make some new friends. After all, all I have right now is Zen and I’m severely lacking in that department. Honestly, we should trade a story about how embarrassing he must be to watch. Sound like a deal, Yoosung?”

“Haha, sure thing. I’d like to have the upper hand for once when he teases me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of stories, then.”

You stashed your bags behind the counter and helped the boys with the afternoon crowd without too much trouble. You had worked at your family’s bakery so it wasn’t much of a stretch for you to settle into the buzz of human travel and needs.

It was easy for Yoosung to show you the ropes.

You just needed a few tips on the workaround but apart from that, it was easy to deal with anyone and their desires. Zen claimed that your good looks helped, but he said that was what worked the most around here. Morale was pretty low and people came to the saloons to get a reprieve from their heavy days with the charm of the staff.

You were starting to understand why he wanted you for the job. His claim that your shining faith in others and willingness to avoid thinking the worst in others was a good fit for someone that was to bring in the money by delighting patrons. Well, you felt a little used, but it wasn’t so bad. It was better than being back home where you would know your future.

A path that you didn’t want.

You’d gladly accept doing this for the time being.

By the end of your shift, Zen had to part ways with you as he had to meet up with his group, but he gave you explicit directions to his house so you wouldn’t get turned around this time. The sun had already set by that point so he warned you to be careful and not talk to anyone on your way back to his place. You waved away those concerns.

What were you supposed to be scared of?

A couple of cacti?

You’d seen no sign of any outlaws or criminals. Frankly, you were starting to believe it was a tall tale. Everyone that you’d spoken to in the saloon had been nothing but kind to you as you shared their drinks with them and chatted about your travels. It seemed like any other town.

That mayor must have taken the law seriously because these streets were clean.

Zen was just paranoid over nothing. He’d always done that. So, you followed the dusty path that led you deeper down those streets into an area that was a bit more desolate but not too far from the town entirely. Though, you paused just for a moment as you felt a strange sensation wash over you. You glanced over your shoulder but nobody was there.

No one was in that area at all.

Which wasn’t right, you had just seen a few stragglers walking around when you just walked by but now there was no one. Weird, but you weren’t going to be put off by something like that. You were used to being in an area with a lot of people and this town was just a bit smaller than what you were used to, so, of course, the streets cleared quicker!

“Heh,” you chuckled. “I told him he was worried about nothing.”

How silly of you.

You turned back to continue on your way but as soon as you stepped away from the city limit, you were stopped by a shadow appearing from the darkness. You didn’t move from your spot, but you were quick to size up this stranger. It took all of five seconds for them to draw their weapon and for you to stare at them like a deer afraid of being prey.

“Let’s make this quick and easy,” the stranger said, simply. “Hand over whatever goods you have and I won’t have to hurt you. Don’t try screaming, either, honey. It won’t do you any good to make a ruckus for us.”

You were still too stunned to respond clearly. You knew that you had to do something but you hadn’t ever been put in a position where your life was clearly on the line. What were you supposed to do in that situation? It wasn’t like you could say anything, and you were too caught up in the idea that your life could be over before it began—

“...!”

A drag at the lips of the villain, as his fingers hovered over the trigger. “I hate the tourists. It’s like y’all’d have a better sense than to travel alone. I don’t want to deal with the mess so make it easy on me, just hand it over. Whatever money ya’ got. C’mon, I don’t have all night. I’ve got better shit to do than watch ya’ stand there with your mouth open.”

It wasn’t like you had a choice.

So, you went for your pockets and pulled out the change that you did have. It wasn’t like you came here with anything more than pocket change. That didn’t seem to please him. He cursed at the little that you did have.

This time, he lifted his gun toward you without hesitation and he cocked the trigger this time.

Your stomach flopped.

“That’s all ya’ got?! Change?! I should kill ya’ for putting me through the trouble! I can’t believe it, if yer’ hangin’ around that floozy, you should have way more cash on ya’,” the malice in his voice let you know how serious this was. “Or, since ya’ can’t pay me this way, why don’t we figure out another way I can get somethin’ outta’ ya’.”

Suddenly, you found the use of your voice, “Wait, please.”

“That’s not how it works around here, darlin’. If ya’ can’t pay with your cash, then ya’ can pay with your—”

Suddenly, a shot rang out and you sank to the ground, shutting your eyes and waiting for the pain to hit you but… it never did. Breathing heavily, you opened your eyes and realized that the gun that the crook had been holding had been shot from his hands and sent colliding with the dirt. The man let out a cry as the blood poured from his wound.

Someone shot him.

Somebody shot him which mean that there were more people around—

The smart thing to do would be to get up and run but your legs felt like jello. You were frozen in place from either the shock or the fear of everything that was happening far too fast for you to comprehend everything. The crook gripped his injured hand, “The hell’s out there? Show yerself’! Ya’ can’t shoot me and get away with it. We’re all tryin’ to survive out here. Less you’re the sheriff, get off my ass about this. This pretty little thing was going’ pay me what I’m due.”

“You ain’t due nothing,” a voice spoke up from your left as it taunted the crook. You looked up at who would be your savior, noting the dark color of his slacks and the deep brown of his boots that had seen better days. 

A black shirt and a faded mint vest that nearly appeared to be white. His scarf covered too much of his features to reveal his face to you. The black duster he was wearing was long. Protection from dust and dirt.

Yet,  you saw red hair peaking underneath that hat, and that’s what caught your eye the most. If you had recalled correctly, at the train station, there’d been a wall of wanted criminals that you’d paid no mind to except for a passing glance.

But you remembered seeing someone with red hair on the paper and that told you that you may not be safe. He might have picked off this lower thug to take your money himself.

You saw the crook’s eyes widened as he realized who he was staring at, and even if you didn’t know him, he knew the guy.

“Now, are we going to have trouble here or am I going to have to get rid of you for real? I already had to waste a bullet on your hand, but I sure as hell ain’t opposed to wasting one more in your head if that’s what I need to do,” the redhead said, plainly. “You fucking know that this isn’t your territory and I can remember giving you a clear warning the last time that if I saw ya’ again, I’d make you regret it. So, I’ll give you five seconds to get the fuck out of here before I decide to make good on that promise.”

“But—”

“Five… four… three…”

“Shit. I’m outta here! I’m goin’, I’m going!”

“Two…”

The thug was already long out of your sightline by the second that this stranger uttered the word: “One,” but that didn’t stop him by watching the skyline closely and keeping his gun cocked without a word. You remembered that you needed to breathe again, and now you could feel that dread filling in your guts once more.

You weren’t one to think that everyone you met was a bad guy, no, you wanted to give people the benefit of a doubt but how could you trust anyone if they were willing to go in without hesitation with their guns like that? Whatever happened to talking things through? You could haggle with someone all day but not if they wanted blood.

Looking up at this man, you realized that he was now staring at you. You weren’t trying to get on the bad-side of anyone tonight. Not after that. The flimsy knife that you kept stashed on you wasn’t going to do much against a gun. So, you decided to play it straight instead. “Um, thank you,” you managed to say.

He held out his hand and you reluctantly took it.

“You shouldn’t be walkin’ around alone,” he said.

“A little late for that kind of advice, sir,” you replied once you were back on two legs. You winced at your tone and tried to forgive yourself for being panicked. “But, thank you. I thought I was a goner. If you hadn’t come along when you did…”

“Make no mistake, I wasn’t doing it for praise. I told that idiot that if he set foot on this territory and got in my way, I’d have his head,” he stashed the gun back in his holster and for that, you were grateful enough. “Make this your first lesson, don’t walk alone at night unless you’ve got a weapon on you or unless you’re willing to beg for your life with your money or body. Crooks like that won’t hesitate to rob you blind and leave you for the vultures, pretty little cereus.”

Cereus?

You weren’t about to go walking around without Zen around if you had the choice if there were crooks like that around here. But, if there were guys like… well, he seemed willing to help others. Even if it was a selfish order on top. The adrenaline was still running hot in your veins. You could feel yourself talking without thinking.

“So… this is your territory?”

“It will be,” he said, flatly.

“Then, can I ask why you aren’t trying to take my money, too?”

He snorted at your response. It seemed funny to him that you jumped to that. “Y’know, not every criminal wants to rob someone that has dirt to their name. You have a few measly pennies. The fuck am I gonna do with that? It’s a waste of my fuckin’ time to bother with you when you ain’t got shit to pay me with. If I’m gonna waste bullets, I’m gonna hit someone worth my trouble.”

So, he wasn’t entirely bad… it was just a good thing that he didn’t see you as a target. That was bad for anyone rich. You nodded, knowing that you weren’t going to complain to him or make a big fuss about not being robbed. You lifted your bag back from the ground and decided to risk a chance on the guy with the gun.

“I don’t suppose you’d want to walk me home, then?”

“Oh, you already owe me, do you want to add to your life debt?”

You paused, looking back at him, “Life debt?”

“You ain’t from around here, then. If someone saves your skin then you owe them a life debt. That means you either risk your life for their life, you pay them back with money, or with secrets. It’s up to you,” he tipped his back to get a better look at you. “And, considerin’ you’re heading towards the house that belongs to one Hyun Ryu, you’d do nicely for secrets.”

Oh, he planned that.

He did walk you back in the direction of the house as if he already knew where he was going. You had no way of knowing if he knew Hyun or not. But, a criminal like this? He surely knew whatever he wanted.

What could he want from you that he already didn’t know?

That didn’t make sense.

Then again, would anyone think much of a naive stranger who knew nothing about this life? It might be a smart plan if you were avoiding eyes. Great, you thought. You didn’t think things through again and now the only reason you were breathing was that someone wanted to use you. It could be worse, you knew that.

You paused at the door and turned to face the wanted criminal, “So, what kind of secrets are we talking about?”

There was mischief in his eyes. Which, you noted were an odd shade of green that seemed a little too bright, almost blue. It contrasted against the intensity of his red hair and seemed to draw you in like the moon on a starless night.

His scarf had slipped enough that you could now see his smirk as it grew wide, “You owe me, which means I won’t let you get very far from here. So, don’t go and skip town and we won’t have trouble. You seem like a good little listener, a real people pleaser, so let’s see how good that is. I’ll let you know when I need you, little cereus.”

A chill ran down your spine when he said that. Yet, something pulled you and compelled you to listen to him.

“That’s not my name.”

“Names don’t matter ‘round here.”

The stranger started to walk away back in the direction that he came from and you couldn’t stop yourself from asking one more question: “Do I at least get to know your name, sir? If you even have one, then.”

"...Well, the last one I planned on attending didn't have me on the invite list," He said, dryly.

You chuckled. While it wasn't a joke, you knew the fact that he could bring it up without making himself feel sick to his stomach was a step in the right direction. The RFA party wasn't something he wanted to go to; even now, he kept a long leash on his relationship to the others. The kindness they gave was immeasurable, but... his boundaries were there to protect his peace.

It wasn't easy being close to the very people he had harassed for months on end. Even if they made a point of making things easier for him most days. He didn't hate them, they just... felt more like his twin brother's friends than his own. You, on the other hand, were everything to him. He liked hanging out with you.

You liked hanging out with him in turn.

"That just means your expectations weren't as high," you said.

He nodded. "Yeah. I didn't know what to expect, but I will say I liked knowing it was coming rather than being expected to have a gigantic reaction. It was better to have that thrown onto Saeyoung... I don't do surprises... at least, not anymore."

"I'll let the others know for your next birthday," you patted his shoulder. He didn't let anyone else touch him like that. "They felt bad that you'd figured it out ahead of time, but I doubt they would feel the same way if they knew how uncomfortable it makes you to be expected to react a certain way."

Saeran caught your hand and brought it to his heart. It was abrupt, fast, and out of the blue, even for him, but you didn't shy away. "I already have plans for my birthday next year. They'll need to take a rain check on that one... or focus their efforts on trying to surprise Saeyoung first and foremost."

"You... you do?"

"I want to spend the day with you," he said, looking away, cheeks warmer than usual. "I don't care what we do... but I don't want every birthday to turn into the same thing over and over again. I like being able to predict what's coming, but... I can spare myself one day a year to do something different... and I'd rather that happen with you... and just you."

You stared at him, wide-eyed.

In truth, it must've taken him a while to work up the nerve to say something like that. Emotions didn't come easy to him; they weren't a cakewalk. Mint Eye had beaten most of the hope out of him, so if there ever was a moment when he expressed genuine want, you knew that it was important to him.

He only said things when he wanted them to land.

"Then my birthday gift to you is a promise to make that happen, Saeran."

"...That's the best gift I've received all day."

"You didn't like Zen's eight-minute solo?"

He grimaced. "I didn't hate it, I could tell he put a lot of thought into it, more than I expected, actually. I don't think I'd like to hear it a second time, though. The spotlight isn't for me."