RIN

Sixth house.

Sixth house, dammit.

"If you're looking for V, he's—"

"I'm not."

He glances in my direction. And I put on a cool expression, eyes meeting his.

"I wanted to talk to you, actually."

He pauses. But then he steps to the side, beckoning me in as he holds open the gate with a hand.

"Then come in."

I try to hide the embarrassment flushing up my neck as I breeze past him, through the open gate. My voice is as cheeky as I can make it go, to try and hide all this.

"Thanks lots."

His hair is dripping wet. It's dripping water onto the line of his shoulders, soaking the material of the white shirt he's wearing. He runs his fingers through it when I shoot a glance at it.

"I'm sorry. I was showering when I saw you."

Then his eyes flicker, to land at the fading bruise on my cheek. He looks at it long enough, for me to know that it had worried him.

But he doesn't elaborate, and just leaves me wondering.

I press a smile.

Maybe this might be easier than I thought.

"Here." I say, passing him the first bribe I'd brought with me. It's a bag of chocolate, because who didn't like chocolate? It was expensive as hell and tasted almost as good.

He looks at me in confusion.

"Just take it." I say, getting more embarrassed. So I just shove it into his open palm, crossing my arms together and pretending to be occupied with looking around the house.

The inside of this place is huge, just like the outside. It's clean, almost spotless. Considering that it was just two guys who lived here.

Or who knows. Maybe he had a girlfriend and I was wasting my time after all.

Then I hear whistling.

And I turn, to see another man I'd never seen before. He's humming to himself, and he's dusting the windows. In the corner of my eye, I see Jungkook sigh quietly.

"Hyung. We have a visitor."

...hyung?

The guy turns. He has a slender build— hazel hair. His eyes gleam the faint color of amber, matching the shade of his slightly wavy locks.

His mouth drops open.

"It's a girl!"

"This is Miss Rin." And I hear him scowl, for the first time. It's a low, annoyed hiss between his teeth. "Can you leave us alone? I think she wants to talk?"

"...Rin? Oh! You must be her friend!" The man exclaims, clapping his hands together and easily ignoring Jungkook. He drops the duster, and saunters over with a smile.

"Nice to meet you. But are you sure you want to talk to him? He's such a boring guy that doesn't know what fun means. You'll be better off with me, a hundred percent."

Who is he?

"My name is Jimin." He grins. "I'm the one who found you guys, basically. Brought you here, and..."

"Hyung. You can introduce yourself to her later."

"Fine. I will." He says, pouting. Then he picks up the duster with a huff, disappearing down the hall. I hear the distant, loud sound of a door shutting close.

Jungkook leads me to the center of the living room, where there are couches and a table in the middle. He breathes quietly.

"Do you want something to drink?"

What a gentleman he seemed to be.

But only at first glance.

I had seen him beat down two strong men without a single bat of his eye, within seconds.

"It's fine." I say. Then I get straight to the point, even before he's sat down on the couch across mine.

"I want you to teach me how to fight."

"And how to read and write," I add, in a quieter voice after that. "If you have time. I already know you know that I'm illiterate."

A quiet laugh bursts from his lips.

"Is this why you brought me the chocolate?"

Obviously.

But I don't expect what he says next. I really don't expect it.

"I...can't."

My chest slowly tightens.

"Can't what?"

"I cannot teach you how to fight." He says, wincing softly. It makes my chest sting a little, at how firm his voice already is. It leaves no room for persuasion.

"I could help you how to read and write, Miss Rin. But I'm not a teacher, and you'll find me too impatient for your liking. I think it's better that..."

"Why not?"

My voice turns a little bitter.

"Is it because I'm a girl?"

His jaw flexes. "No."

"It's because it's something that takes years to teach." He says, words hardening. "I was trained to do this since I was six, Miss Rin. It's not something you can simply learn within an year or two."

Then he notices my dismayed look, and his voice softens.

"But why this, all of a sudden?" He asks. "Is it because of what happened last time?"

Yes.

Can't you tell?

I'm tired of not being able to fight for myself. Always having to run, when I could've done what he did. But I'd needed him to come save me like some baby.

My pride, which I'd never bent before for anyone else, finds itself bending.

"Please. I'll do anything."

But he really is good at shooting down people with a soft voice and that infuriating expression.

"There is nothing you can do for me, Miss Rin," He says, and I'm already thinking of other excuses in my head when he gently touches the curve of my shoulder.

"If that's all, I think you should go."

I'm so desperate at this point that my thoughts rush unfiltered from my head to mouth.

"I can learn, Jungkook. You know, I've always been a quick learner, it's just that no one's ever taught me. And I'll work hard—"

He shakes his head one last time.

"I'm sorry."

_________________________________

AERI

I look up to the sound of a muffled screaming into a pillow. Then there's the hushed thump as the same pillow gets thrown brutally against the wall.

Ah.

Jungkook had said no, hadn't he?

The door to her room slams open. And I press down my smile as Rin stomps out, her hands on her hips with her expression stormy with anger. I watch her as she briskly walks to the kitchen, takes out a yogurt, and slams the fridge door shut.

I call over my shoulder.

"I was about to get delivery."

She looks at me. "Delivery for what?"

"Chicken." I say, and see her face light up a little. "The spicy sweet ones. I can get the lobster shrimp and the fries too. If you want."

"Of course I want." She says, throwing the yogurt back into the fridge. Then she slowly makes her way into the living room, settling into the corner of the couch as I make the call.

"He's so stupid."

There we go.

I end the call with a thank-you. Then I look at her, eager to hear what had happened.

"Who's stupid?"

"Him." She growls. "Why won't he just—"

"Why did he say no?"

"Because he thinks it'll take too long." She snaps, in a mocking voice. "He probably thinks I'm stupid, that's why. He probably thinks I can't even tell left from right."

I blink amusedly. "Can you?"

"Obviously."

Then she makes the alphabet with her hands, her eyes glancing at the correct direction of the L before jerking her head left and right.

"It's easy, Aeri."

How cute.

Then the bell rings, and I look up in surprise. How had it come so fast? That must've been barely five minutes since I'd ended the call.

Rin bursts into a wide smile.

"Chicken!"

"One second, I'll go get it." I say. Then I make my way off the couch, to the door.

I push open the door. And I find myself looking up at a young man— standing at least a foot over the top of my head, amber eyes glimmering with a matured youth.

"Delivery." He smiles, his smile as awkward as him running his fingers through his light-shaded hair. "Uh, one spicy fried chicken with lobster shrimp?"

"And a side of fries." I say, which he nods quickly to. "Thank you for coming so quick."

His eyes flicker from my face, then back down to the ground. He's shifting awkwardly on his feet, and the laughs mixed in between his warm voice is all so obvious to me that I wonder if he's actually younger than I think he is.

He thinks I'm pretty.

"No problem." He murmurs, still doing the awkward shifting. "That'll be fifteen, miss."

I hand him fifteen dollars, which he pockets into the side of his jacket. And I'm about to close the door when he breathes.

"Could I get your name?"

Then he quickly adds that he needs it for accounting purposes,  and I nod along for his sake.

"It's Aeri."

"Miss Aeri." He says, and I nod again, about to send him off. He was cute, and reminded me of the warm afternoon sunlight, but I wasn't interested in him.

I was more interested in...

An image of V flashes across my mind. His crooked, adoring smile, shrouded in darkness and the tempting scent of poison. His slender but strong figure, covered with blood in the floor of that alley.

And this lust I just couldn't get rid of.

He was just so damn my type. But he was also the one person I'd vowed to never love, and I look back up at the delivery man with a charming smile.

Maybe the reason I was thinking of him so much was because I'd never had anyone else.

And the solution may just be standing right in front of me, looking a little lost at this point.

"Sorry," I say, my voice coaxing. "I zoned out a little, forgive me."

"Can I have your name as well?"