Chapter Text
Seokju Ko is relieved to be returning to a highschool in his own country. Having grown up trained solely to be the aide and bodyguard to his bestfriend Yeona, daughter of the high powered SW corporation, he has never felt at home among his peers to begin with. Add cultural differences to the mix and his last two years in America had made him feel even more separated from those his age. Sure, it hadn’t been all bad, he had made a few almost friends by the time they left. America was a lot more liberal than Korea and he had allowed himself a few brief encounters with boys, something he would never have dared here. Enough to confirm he was definitely gay. Not that his position had room for him to pursue anything like romance, he always needed to be ready to protect Yeona. There had been an attempt to kidnap her in America that had been avoided due to his diligence. Proof that although he might feel more comfortable to be back in his own country he always had to be on his guard.
As soon as they enter the room he feels the air momentarily still before the class is abuzz with excited whispers. Following Yeona’s lead he stands beside her as their new teacher makes introductions. He calmly observes the room before him, gazing out at the familiar faces of his new classmates, faces from the report he had committed to memory. As they head to their seats at the back of the class almost every pair of eyes is firmly fixed on Yeona. The adoring looks her beauty attracts are not unfamiliar to him, nor are the slightly fearful looks he receives. That’s when he notices one pair of eyes at the back corner of the room that are fixed firmly on him. A pair of intense grey eyes that are entirely unfamiliar to him. He starts and his own eyes narrow, returning the intensity of the others gaze. Who the hell is this? Yeona has noticed the stranger as well.
“Who’s that? A celebrity?” she asks as they take their seats.
His brow furrows, the unfamiliar boy certainly was striking enough to be. His thick grey hair is tousled stylishly, coming down just far enough over his eyes without looking overgrown. His face is chiselled and smooth all at once. But most noteworthy were his eyes. Immeasurably deep, dark pools that look as if they’ve already uncovered all your secrets. Their weight makes him feel heavy and it takes all of his training to keep his heartbeat steady.
He furrows his eyebrows, considering her question, “I'm not sure. He wasn’t in the evaluation report I received a week ago. I’ll check again.”
Seokju watches as she catches the boy's eye to give him a secret smile, growing peeved as the other boy quickly looks away. So that’s what this is about, he thinks, she’s always been a sucker for a pretty face. The other’s reaction strikes him as odd. Most men would be thrilled to receive that sort of attention and he doesn’t think he would have looked away out of embarrassment, considering his intense stare earlier. Then again even the fact that his entire focus was fixed firmly on him and not Yeona was suspicious.
-
Seokju looks into the mysterious newcomer as soon as he has a free moment. Ijin Yu had transferred only a few days before they had. He is the older brother of Dayeon Yu, believed to have died ten years ago in a plane crash along with his parents. He remembers Dayeon, she was kind and had been quite close with Yeona before they had transferred to America. Arriving just before they did seems way too suspicious, and how could Dayeon’s older brother find his way back after ten long years, having disappeared at the age of eight, how could he have survived a plane crash no less? It just doesn’t add up and he isn’t going to risk another incident like the one in America.
He has also gathered from listening in on his other classmates that Ijin had run in with Gisu and Huijin Kim who had recently and abruptly left the school. Before Ijin had arrived they were known for ruling over the school harshly, emboldened by their fathers position as a congressman. Seokju had even been anticipating how he would deal with them until he had heard of them leaving a few days earlier in the wake of their families scandal. He had listened to exaggerated accounts of Ijin’s fights with Gisu and his followers, almost laughing at the creative flair he had heard them described with. Still, it was impressive given the short amount of time he had been at the school.
When he sees Ijin headed his way in a quiet hallway he decides there's no need to drag out the inevitable. With all the rumours going around the school since their arrival this guy has certainly heard of him already as well. Hell, if Yeona really is his target then he has no doubt Ijin knows exactly who he is; his connection to her is no secret. He needs to know where this guy stands and how much of a threat he is and fast.
They pause a few strides away from each other.
“What are you?” he asks simply, not bothering to hide the distrust in his eyes.
He is met with an almost blank expression, only a sliver of the intensity of when they first locked eyes could be seen.
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to ask me.” His voice is strong and he speaks with a slight accent, one which Seokju cannot place for the life of him. It makes sense given how long he has been gone but Seokju is certain it doesn’t match the region he supposedly spent the last ten years. Seokju can only seem to unravel what he isn’t and is still no closer to finding out what he is.
“You don’t?” He highly doubts that, “I’m asking why you’re lying about your identity to be here.”
Ijin doesn’t respond, he appears completely unfazed. Seokju decides to change tack.
“I heard you had a hand in Gisu and Huijin Kim moving away.”
“We did have a disagreement, but I had nothing to do with them moving.” Ijin replies plainly, almost bored. Seokju clenches his fists and he can feel anger flaring white hot in his gut.
“Is that so? Then what about this, I contacted the school you supposedly attended overseas and they have never heard of a student like you.”
That gets a reaction out of him, now he’s staring down Seokju with that same intensity he had the first time.
“What are you trying to say?”
“What’s so important at this school that you’d forge your records just to be here?”
“So, you’re saying that my records are fake?” He seems calmer than he had been a moment before, had Seokju miscalculated?
“They must be. According to my research you never lived in that city and the school you say you attended hasn’t even heard of you.”
Ijin stares him down and suddenly Seokju no longer feels in control.
“Where’s your proof?”
“What?” That was the last thing he expected Ijin to say.
“You claim that the records that I submitted are fake, so I’m asking if you have proof to back your claim.”
What the hell? I found out about his lie by digging around people connected to that school. I don’t have any tangible proof, but I’m positive that he was never there. How can he just flat out ask me for proof? He’s not startled. He hasn’t even flinched at all and it’s almost as if I’m falsely accusing him.
Seokju is reeling, thrown off balance as Ijin presses on. He hasn’t moved any closer but Seokju suddenly feels trapped.
“And why were you running a background check on me?” Wait, isn’t Seokju supposed to be the one asking questions here?
“I can’t just sit around watching a suspicious kid who might be a threat.” he grits back.
Ijin sighs, seeming tired of the situation.
“I was coming back home.” He responds simply.
“What?” Seokju doesn’t manage to hide the surprise in his voice.
“You asked me what I came here for. That’s my answer.” Ijin continues walking now, glancing gently at him as he continues past and walks on down the hall.
Seokju turns to watch him leave, completely bewildered and even more furious than before.
That’s my answer??? Now that I know your records were all forged, it won’t take too long.
-
When he meets up with Yeona later he finds she has caught up with Dayeon and found out some things about her newly returned brother. They pool together everything they have learned out so far.
“I don’t have evidence yet, but Ijin Yu definitely forged the records he gave the school. We can’t rule out the chance that the DNA test was tampered with as well.” He had been surprised when Yeona told him she had learned of the DNA test from Dayeon, but it wasn’t as though such measures were foolproof.
Yeona looks concerned, deep in thought but she doesn’t respond.
“There’s one more thing I found out about Dayeon Yu in my research.” He offers up, somewhat warily but Yeona was going to find out on her own eventually.
“What is it?” She looks up.
“She’s been severely bullied by Gisu Kim and his sister for the past two years.”
“What? Just how bad was it?” Yeona looks genuinely concerned for her friend.
“Enough to make me wonder how she stayed in school. Her video wasn’t released in all that news coverage, but it’s just as bad.”
“Seriously?” he sees fury spark in her eyes, he can understand why given the kind and selfless nature of her friend, “Gosh, what’s wrong with those kids?”
“I think that’s why Ijin made his move. Gisu Kim and his posse were ambushed by Ijin Yu. Twice.” He had no way of confirming just how the fights went down but there was no doubt that they had happened.
Yeona looks wistful hearing that “So her estranged brother comes back from the dead and wipes out her bullies? May as well be her guardian angel. While all my brother and sister ever do is try to get rid of me.”
He can practically see the romantic image of this guy that Yeona is cooking up in her head. He doesn’t blame her, it does sound romantic on paper and given her family history it’s hard not to make the comparison.
“But Seokju, something just doesn’t add up. If I was Ijin Yu’s target, wouldn’t he have tried to keep a low profile?”
“You’re right. Anyone smart enough would’ve stayed hidden.” And from their interaction in the hallway earlier, Ijin certainly seemed to know what he was doing, even if Seokju hadn’t been able to figure it out yet himself.
“Is there something he’d want from Dayeon’s family? What about the insurance money from the plane crash?”
Seokju had thought that too, “its grown since the grandpa never touched any of it. But he returned the payment for Ijin’s share to the insurance company upon his return. It’s still a sizable sum of money, so we can’t entirely rule that out.” Even as he says it he doubts it, it just doesn't fit.
“Then that means she could be in danger, she’s living with the guy.” Yeona is thinking hard, concern clearly etched into her face.
-
Seokju forgoes training after school, instead pouring himself into his research, verifying information from his previous whereabouts. He is going to get to the bottom of this. He even spends an hour listening to recordings of different accents, trying to place Ijin’s to no avail. As soon as he hears back from Ijin’s previous school and address he brings the information to Yeona.
“An employee from his supposed school just agreed to testify that Ijin Yu never attended. They even looked at his picture and confirmed that he was never there. The longtime and current resident of his false address also provided me with ample proof. I’m looking into other routes on the side.”
It was something but it wasn’t anywhere near what he was hoping for. Instead of any real answers all he had been able to do was confirm what he already knew to be true.
“Let’s go.” She gets up to leave
“Where?” That shocks him, did she want to confront him right now?
“To let Dayeon know.” She’s already walking towards the door. He needs to make sure she stays focussed.
“This proves that Ijin Yu’s records were forged but not that he isn’t her real brother. And all this is to ensure your safety, not hers.” he can’t let her emotions get the best of them.
“His records for the decade he was missing are basically fake, and she’s living in a house with him right now! Do you seriously expect me to just stay quiet about it since I’m fine?”
He doesn’t bother responding. There’s nothing he can do to stop her when she sets her mind like this, all he can do is make sure she stays safe.
“I have to at least tell her what we know for sure. Dayeon has the right to know.” He can’t entirely fault her for that but he is not happy that she may be compromising their position.
-
He keeps watch from a distance while Yeona and Dayeon sit and talk over snacks outside the convenience store near Dayeons’ house. When he sees Ijin approaching he is hardly surprised. He is hoping to gauge the others' response to them talking with his supposed sister, even though he would have preferred not to be in this situation at all. As Ijin approaches he steps out to intercept him, Ijin’s eyes fixed firmly on the girls in the distance. Ijin briefly looks at him before moving to step around him.
“Why don’t you just wait here?” he says with authority.
Ijin doesn’t seem like he is going to stop. He must be here because he’s afraid of what they’ll tell Dayeon. This is exactly why he didn’t want Yeona to do this, even if he does grudgingly agree with her principles.
“It won't take long.” He adds, hoping to stall the other. “They need time to catch up. Give them a minute.”
He doesn’t have time to see if it's working when he hears the sound of tires screeching in the distance. Before either of them can react a car makes contact, tumbling them both across the asphalt. When he gathers his bearings he sees the car in the distance and figures pulling both girls into the vehicle. Ijin is already sprinting towards them as Seokju stumbles to follow. How is he so damn fast? As soon as the car is out of sight he immediately whirls on Ijin, gripping him by the shirt.
“You bastard!” He can’t keep the rage out of his voice, how could this happen again? How could he let himself be distracted? He is shocked to find that Ijin is similarly gripping his shirt, furious glare a mirror of his own.
“Where’s your best guess?” Ijin asks him.
“What?! That’s what I wanna ask you!” how could it be that this guy wasn’t the one behind this?
That seems answer enough for Ijin, he releases him and starts away. First things first, he needs to help Yeona. This punk is second priority. He pulls out his cell and calls the security team.
“It’s me. Yeona’s been kidnapped. Alert the authorities and track their route through surveillance footage. It’s a black minivan and the license plate was covered.”
As soon as he hangs up he calls out to the back of Ijin.
“Wait! Tell me the truth, you had nothing to do with this?” he has to know.
Ijin doesn’t even turn to face him “I don’t have time to do this with you.”
“SW Corps security detail is on it and they’ll find the girls soon but you’re gonna have to stay with me until we can confirm your identity.” he can’t just let this guy walk away.
Ijin turns to the side and glances at him coldly “You go look for Yeona Sin with your team. I’ll find my sister. Follow me if you want. Whatever.”
He really doesn’t seem like he has anything to do with the kidnapping, and besides the security team is tracking the kidnappers and there’s not much he can do until he hears from them. He’s about to make his mind up to follow the guy until he surprises him for what seems like the hundredth time since they met just yesterday.
“Hey, did you bring a car?”
-
They barely talk, save for Ijin giving him directions. He grips the steering wheel, unsure what to make of the whole situation as he ends up in one of the seedier parts of town. He parks and Ijin leads them towards a shady looking bar, where an even shadier looking guy rushes to let them in. Inside reeks of cigarettes and alcohol. The most surprising part is the lone figure seated at the booth, who Ijin walks right up to and Seokju is very certain is Dushik Cha. Flagged in the SW database for organised crime, a cigarette hangs loosely from his lips and he doesn’t seem surprised to see Ijin. How is Ijin connected to this guy?
“What do you want?” he asks while leaning forward and stubbing out his cigarette.
“I need some intel.” What sort of guy is Ijin that he expects someone like this to give him information?
“Jesus, you’ve got to be kidding me kid” Dushik Cha lights another cigarette.
“The granddaughter of SW Corporation has been kidnapped.” Seokju stiffens, does Ijin think Dushik Cha is behind this?
Dushik Cha seems surprised for a second before taking a drag from his cigarette.
“It’s not us. I don’t deal in shit like that. I’d have to be pretty shit out of luck to mess with the likes of SW.”
“You don’t have any leads either?” Seokju still can’t believe Ijin is expecting to just be given answers, from Dushik Cha no less.
“Why should I even tell you? Especially when I’m stuck in this shitstorm thanks to you..” What exactly was Ijin’s past with this crime lord?
“My younger sister was taken with her.”
That seems to get through to him, but frustratingly as always, Seokju has no idea why.
“Goddamn it.” Dushik Cha concedes “Some idiots speaking broken Korean were asking around for an untraceable warehouse. They also asked for burner cars and a few extra helping hands. Their offer was hard to resist, but I turned them down. Shit like that doesn’t wash off easy. The word is that some other crew took the bait, and all I know is that they’re working out of Incheon. That’s it.”
That’s it? Seokju can hardly believe that this guy is giving Ijin any information at all, let alone all that.
“Thank you.” Ijin turns to leave.
“Hey kid” Dushik throws a phone his way, Ijin catches it looking confused.
“Save your number in there for me.”
Ijin stares at him blankly.
“I need your number if I’m gonna look into the warehouse and get to you with the intel!” he barks, “geez, why else would I need your number?!”
This is the first time Seokju has ever seen Ijin be the one who has only just caught up and he would be lying if he said he didn’t relish seeing that expression on the other boy. It’s quickly replaced as Ijin types in his number.
“That bike outside the door, is it yours?” He asks and now its Dushiks turn to look surprised.
-
They exit the club and Seokju watches in absolute disbelief as Ijin mounts Dushik Cha’s motorbike. What kind of guy is this, that he can just walk all over a well known crime boss?
“You can find some way to get there, but I’m taking this.”
“You’re just gonna chase down a weak lead like that?”
“Yeona Sin will most likely be safe until they get what they want. There’s no knowing what they’ll do with Dayeon.” He hadn’t thought of that, the only reason he had the luxury of following this guy around instead of being in an absolute panic over Yeona’s kidnapping was the certainty that she would not be harmed in the meantime and an entire security team was on the case.
He’s quick. Perceptive. Even the way he came straight here to get a lead.
“I relayed the information to our security team. I’ll follow behind you in my car.” There’s no way he is letting this guy out of his sight.
“Suit yourself.” Ijin places the helmet over his head and screeches off down the street. Crap, Seokju is going to have to get to his car quickly if he actually hopes on following this guy.
-
Through some of the most reckless driving of his life he manages to stay on Ijin’s tail. They arrive in a shipping yard.
“Is that the one?” he asks and he approaches Ijin.
“That’s the address he sent to me.”
“I guess your lead wasn’t half bad” he gives credit where it is due “SW Security tracked down the minivan footage to this area too.”
Ijin is already walking directly towards the address, directly into a decidedly hostile situation.
“Hold on. Let’s wait here for backup. I sent them our coordinates, so SW security should be here soon.” Does this guy have a deathwish?
“Like I said, Dayeon doesn’t have much time.”
Seokju grits his teeth, like hell he is letting this guy go in alone.
He watches in disbelief as they work together to take down the first group they encounter. It’s no trouble for him of course, this is something he has been training for since he was a child. But he would hazard that Ijin is even more skilled than himself, neutralising his opponents in utter silence.
“Ijin. Seriously, what are you?” He cannot help but ask, not bothering to hide his staring.
“I’m a guy in your class.” he responds completely straight faced, is he making a joke?
They briefly split up and Seokju catches the end of him absolutely demolishing a couple of guards, taking them down brutally and efficiently. When Ijin sees him he asks “how many did you get?”
“The one I just left back there makes it five.”
“Then we beat fourteen in total, which means they’re not short of men or resources.”
Wait fourteen? Did that mean Ijin took out nine while Seokju was dealing with just five? This guy was seriously on another level.
“Seokju Ko. It’s about time you told me who’s behind all this.”
That surprises him, but it's not like there’s anything to hide, or even to tell.
“We don’t know, really. It just happens every once in a while. We had a similar incident when we were in America too. I just never thought it would happen again so soon after our return. It’s my fault.” He can’t help but place all the blame on himself again, after all it was his explicit duty to protect Yeona. How could he have let himself be so caught up in uncovering Ijin’s identity that he let something like this happen?
“The real wirepuller must be with Yeona then.” Ijin doesn’t even seem to notice Seokju’s small spiral into self pity, completely focussed on the task at hand.
“Wirepuller?” That was an odd way to phrase it.
“This was a scheme to kidnap the daughter of the SW Corporation, and these thugs aren’t nearly capable enough to pull something like this.”
Ijin’s already read that far into the situation while they’re in the middle of combat? Not for the first time with this guy Seokju feels completely out of his depth.
“Will you be alright?” Ijin asks him, pulling him out of his reverie.
“About what?” he blurts.
“You hurt yourself pretty bad when that van ran us over.” He had hardly noticed with everything going on, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
“Don’t worry about me. You’re the one with an injured leg.” If Ijin was fine then of course he was fine too.
They’re interrupted by some guards shouting in the distance.
“What the… Where did all the bastards on lookout run off to?”
“Maybe they had to take a dump.”
“What, as a group? That’s nonsense.”
Ijin has already sprung into action and Seokju watches on as Ijin sprints towards them, he’s barely on them and he’s already taken them down with lethal efficiency.
“We should move separately. They’ll have heard the noise just now.” Even moments after fighting he is already thinking ahead, as if what he just did was nothing.
“...sure.”
And then Seokju makes a decision right on the spot.
“Ijin” the other boy looks at him questioningly, “Once we’re done with this, I’ll give you my official apology.”
There’s no longer any doubt in his mind that this guy means Yeona no harm, not after seeing what lengths he is going to to save her and his sister. He still has no idea what exactly this guy’s deal is but this much he can be sure of.
-
After that they split up, Seokju quietly making his way around the building, shimmying inside a window. He hides himself behind some crates, carefully peeking around to see both Yeona and Dayeon bound and gagged along a nearby wall. Considering how empty this place is he figures most of them men went out to take on Ijin. He no longer has any doubts the other boy can take care of himself. He carefully approaches the two girls and removes Yeona’s gag.
“Is the security team already here?” she immediately asks.
“No, they’re on the way.”
“Then how did you know where to find us?” Seokju has finished removing Dayeons gag also when he hears a voice behind him.
“So, your security team won’t be here for a while?” He whips around to see two men headed their way. The man who just spoke wears a black long sleeved shirt, hands casually tucked into the pockets of his grey slacks. He has a mask covering the lower part of his face but what can be seen is fierce, with scars covering the right side of his face. A lackey in all black and a baseball cap follows closely behind.
“You must be the famous Seokju Ko from SW Corporation. I’ve heard a great deal about you. You’ve been quite the nuisance, always lurking around Yeona Sin and getting in our way.”
Not nuisance enough, apparently, he glares at his opponent.
“I don’t know how you managed to find us this quick but it wasn’t smart to come here alone, without your trusty security team.”
His accomplice who had been hanging back until now springs forward, coming directly towards him. It’s a tough fight but it doesn’t take him long to subdue his attacker, Ijin was right, these guys are nothing like the thugs they fought outside.
The boss watches on with his arms crossed, appraising him “I knew you were trained from an early age, yet it’s still quite impressive to watch.”
“However,” he adds “we’re not in some sparring match right now.”
“What?” and then it hits him, how did he not notice his attacker had been using a knife that whole time? Was he that pumped up that he didn’t realise the cuts they had been making? He looks down with surprise to see cuts on his leg, stomach and arm. Clothing torn and blood already seeping through and dripping on the floor. His vision starts to blur and he can dully feel the pain start to seep into the edges of his consciousness.
“Why do you look so surprised? You didn’t think we would fight empty-handed, did you?” His eyes crinkle and this bastard is smiling at him “this is why dealing with boys like you is easier than you’d think.”
His gaze shifts to address his subordinate “Make it quick, since we’ll have to move camp before the security team arrives.”
Seokju vaguely comes to his senses and turns to once again face his attacker from earlier, now all too aware of the knife he wields. He manages to defend himself weakly but he is too wounded from earlier, unable to make any headway.
“Ah” the boss tosses a knife lazilly “we should just take care of that girl here and now.”
Realizing that he must mean Dayeon, he jumps to block the knife as it flies towards her. Yeona tried the same but he is much closer than she.
“Seokju!” she yells
The knife sinks deeply into his side and he is brought down to all fours, no energy left to push himself back up.
“Just another pitiful bastard with a fancy rep.” their assailant almost sounds disappointed “leave Yeona Sin and just kill the other two.”
“Yes sir”
Seokju can hear the steps coming closer but he just can’t make his body do anything. Move, damn it. There’s a creak in the distance and the attack doesn’t come. He manages to look to the side just slightly in the direction of the noise. Backlight by the light outside he makes out the blurry form of Ijin at the entrance to the warehouse, holding the door open, dark shapes litter the ground behind him. He grits his teeth, he wasn’t able to save them, but Ijin? He lets himself sink into a sitting position. There’s nothing he can do anymore anyway, except watch how this unfolds. The boss seems curious to see another kid coming to the rescue, one that he would have heard nothing about.
“Who’s this?”
Dayeon looks out with absolute fear in her eyes, why is she more scared now that he has come to save them?
“My brother!”
“Brother?” to their shock the mercenary breaks out into peels of laughter, shaking and holding a hand to his face.
“Tell me if I got this straight, the brother’s come looking for his kidnapped sister? This is priceless.”
Ijin doesn’t even spare him a glance, instead looking to his sister “Dayeon, are you hurt?”
Dayeon has absolutely lost it, if he thought she looked fearful before it's nothing on the absolute dread she shows now, tears streaming down her face.
“Ijin! Just get out now! It’s too dangerous here!”
Ijin doesn’t seem to be concerned, only satisfied that his sister appears unharmed.
He hears Yeona burst out behind him.
“Hey, you!” she addresses the mercenary “I’m the only one you need. I’ll come without a fight, so just let everyone else go. I give you my word that I’ll cooperate.”
“And why the hell would I want to do you that favour?”
Seokju assesses the situation around him. If it were anyone else he would assume they were done for, but after seeing what Ijin accomplished outside, and even now, in a situation like this he hasn’t flinched once. Maybe?
“We’ve wasted too much time now.” the leader instructs “Kill him first.”
“Yes sir” the goon with the knife rounds on Ijin.
In what seems like a flash Ijin has already taken the knife from his assailant and has plunged it deep into his chest. Seokju looks on, wide eyed, seeing how swiftly Ijin deals with the same man he was struggling with earlier. He doesn’t seem phased at all as he grips the knife that's tearing into the other man's flesh.
“Dayeon,” he instructs gently “close your eyes.”
And then in another flash Ijin makes a series of slashes and cuts along his attacker, severing his ligaments and muscles, completely neutralising him.
“Huh” even the boss seems grudgingly impressed “you say you’re her brother, but I’d say you’re more like some bodyguard.”
The boss continues his assessment as Ijin slowly walks towards him, knife in hand.
“No, it's not even that either. A normal kid your age couldn’t possibly use a knife like that, and not many guards have such a cold look in their eyes.”
Ijin doesn’t respond as the boss pulls his own knife.
“It doesn’t matter either way, since I’m gonna kill you anyway!”
With that he lunges towards Ijin making a series of lethal strikes that Ijin deftly dodges. He takes a step back and now they re engage in earnest, trading strike after strike as Ijin manages a few cuts on his arm. The boss is starting to look seriously bothered, Ijin as calm as ever. Ijin gets him with a hard knee to the face. The boss staggers back, at the end of his tether as he clutches a hand to his face.
“You little fucker!” Seokju watches on in horror as he pulls a gun from his thigh holster, aiming directly at Ijin.
“You’re dead!”
Before he can react Ijin throws a knife into the shoulder of the arm holding the gun and runs directly at him, pushing his firing arm out of the way with one hand and knocking him to the ground with a devastating uppercut with the other. Seokju has no idea who he expected this guy to be but this is beyond anything he could imagine. With the enemy down for the count, Ijin turns his attention back to them. He involuntarily flinches under the gaze, but Ijin just slowly walks towards his sister.
“You can open your eyes now.” He instructs her. Is that a gentle smile he can see on his face? That’s a new one.
Dayeon slowly opens her eyes to look at her brother leaning down tenderly before her.
“...Ijin?” she stammers.
“I came to take you home.” His gentleness is completely at odds with what Seokju had witnessed just moments before.
“You’re bleeding” she reaches towards him “are you okay?”
“Huh? Oh.” he touches the small amount of blood on the side of his head, hell Seokju isn’t even sure it’s his own blood.
“Yeah. I’m okay.” He smiles at her softly once more and Seokju is struck by just how tender it is. He feels as if he’s intruding on a private moment but he can’t help but stare at the scene before him. Dayeon breaks down into tears and starts openly weeping into her hands. This is the first time he has ever seen this mix of confusion and concern on Ijin’s face and his heart aches just watching.
“...Dayeon? Why are you crying? Are you hurt?” Ijin is fussing over his sister, seemingly at a loss what to do.
He feels his vision blur as the exhaustion and his wounds finally get to him. He is vaguely aware of his body hitting the floor as he falls to the side from his seated position.
“Seokju!” Yeona scream. He can hazily make out her form above him.
“Let me help” he hears a slightly accented voice offer.
Seokju thinks hazily that it would be nice to just drift off for a while, and listen to that voice speak gently to him like he had for his sister moments earlier.
“Yeona, I’m going to need you to apply pressure around the knife in his side. We can’t take it out or he will bleed more. Use your necktie to soak up the blood” he instructs.
Yeona moves behind him to press down on the wound in his side. He winces at the pressure. Ijin sits in front of him and examines his wounds, he feels his cheeks heat up from embarrassment at the state he is in while Ijin appears completely unharmed. Ijin seems to think for a second before moving to remove his own shirt. He deftly tears it into strips and Seokju can feel strong, steady hands tending to his many cuts. He is left to stare at the flesh before him while Ijin works, gritty with sweat and dirt from the ordeal. Underneath it all he can make out a myriad of scars. He’s curious where they all came from, at least that’s what he tells himself to excuse the staring. Then he remembers that Dayeon was wearing a jacket. This guy would take the shirt off his own back before asking his sister for her jacket? The thought is so absurd he actually starts to chuckle before it turns into a cough that racks his whole body.
“Hey! Keep it together dummy, you’re wounded! What have you got to laugh about anyway?” He hears Yeona admonish him. He has no doubt she is also thoroughly enjoying the view despite the grim situation.
Ijin pays them no mind as he continues to dress his many, many wounds. He must look like a chump, he thinks one again. Here he is half bleeding out on the floor, while Ijin is unaffected and taking care of him. Some bodyguard he is. Once Ijin has finished dressing what he can he hands the rest of the shirt to Yeona.
“Here,” he says, “bundle this around the knife. It’ll help you with the pressure.”
Seokju has no doubt her hands are slick with his blood at this point. He’s supposed to be the one protecting her. Thankfully he hears sirens in the distance and it's not long before the area is surrounded by SW security and EMTs are being rushed their way. He is the first to be taken away in a stretcher, while the other three are still being looked over. Finally he allows himself to fade out of consciousness.