He limped.
He ran.
He hid behind dumpsters, terrified that every shadow was the hit squad coming to finish the job.
Twenty minutes.
Seo Jin was cornered, not by the hit squad, but by his own body giving out.
He collapsed in a dark, narrow alley behind a high end nightclub.
The bass from the music could be heard through the brick walls, vibrating in his aching bones.
He was freezing, soaked, and bleeding. He had no money, no phone, and most importantly had no idea if his mom had been saved or if she was alive or dead.
Footsteps.
His ears perked up.
Someone was walking into the alley.
Seo Jin panicked as he pressed himself against the wall.
Is it the killers?
A figure emerged from the back of the club.
It was a man. Tall.
He wore a black trench coat over a suit, unbothered by the rain. He took a drag from his cigarette, the ember glowing orange in the darkness.
He looked rich from his outfit and accessories.
For someone of his caliber, he must have a car, money, and a phone.
Everything Seo Jin needed.
A way out.
Seo Jin did not think twice as instinct took over. He stepped out of the shadows, holding the gun in his hand.
"Stop!" he shouted, forcing sharpness into his voice. "Don't move."
The man stopped.
He did not jump or gasp. He simply turned his head, his eyes landing on Seo Jin.
Those eyes.
They were darker than the night.
"Drop your wallet," Seo Jin demanded, walking closer. The gun felt heavier in his hand. "And your keys. Give me your car keys."
The man took another drag of his cigarette, exhaled the smoke, and looked at the gun barrel pointing at his chest.
Then he looked at Seo Jin's bruised face, the blood soaking his shirt, and the desperate tears in his eyes.
"You're holding a .45 caliber semi automatic," the man said. His voice was deep and smooth. "But the safety is on."
Seo Jin froze, glancing down at the gun in panic.
"You have never held a gun before?"
"Shut up!" Seo Jin barked as he walked backward until his leg hit a dumpster.
"Just give me the money."
The man sighed. It was a sigh of resignation, not fear. He reached slowly into his pocket.
Seo Jin flinched, instantly alert for a weapon.
Instead, the man pulled out a thick wallet. He did not hand it over but tossed it.
Thud.
It landed on the floor beside Seo Jin's feet.
Seo Jin's eyes froze on the wallet before he looked back at the man.
"Pick it up," the man said, his voice devoid of mockery. "If you want to run, take it. There is enough cash in that wallet to get you out of the city."
Seo Jin gritted his teeth. His pride screamed at him not to.
But what could he do?
He needed to survive. That was all that mattered now.
He slowly lowered himself into a crouch, the gun still pointing at the man, and reached for the leather wallet.
"But then what?" the man asked. "You run, hide, and sleep in cheap motels until the money runs out and the people who did this to you find you."
Seo Jin froze, his finger brushing the leather.
"How do you know?"
"Your reaction just confirmed my assumption. Imagine if the person who did this catches word that you are alive."
He took a step forward.
"You don't need a wallet. You need a protector."
Seo Jin looked up.
"What do you need from me?"
"I'm short on staff," the man said casually.
"Staff?" Seo Jin asked, confused.
"I need a bodyguard," the man corrected.
He extended his palm.
"Give me the gun. Work for me. I will provide you with money, a bed, and walls strong enough to keep your enemies out."
A wall.
If he took the money, he would just be a thief on the run. This man might track him down later and kill him.
He was alone.
Slowly, Seo Jin stood up without picking up the wallet.
He placed the gun in the man's palm.
"I don't know how to protect anyone," Seo Jin said, his leg shaking from exhaustion. "I couldn't even protect…"
His mom.
The word caught in his throat.
"Don't worry. You will learn," the man said, pocketing the gun as he turned around and snapped his fingers.
From the shadows of the main street, men in black stepped forward at the sound.
Two minutes later, a black limousine drove toward them.
"Get in," the man said, opening the door himself.
Seo Jin nodded and climbed into the car, followed by the man.
The door shut behind them.
"My name is So Jeo," the man said suddenly.
Seo Jin nodded awkwardly.
The drive to the villa was quiet and slightly awkward.
So Jeo sat with his legs crossed, twirling a wine glass in his hand as he looked at the boy who had passed out in the seat across from him.
Clearly from exhaustion.
His face was slumped against the window. The expensive seat was stained with mud and blood, but So Jeo did not seem to care.
He took a sip of the wine, narrowing his eyes.
"You fool," he cursed himself internally as he stared at the boy he had tried so hard to stay away from. "I tried to stay away."
He remembered the first time he saw Seo Jin.
It was three years ago.
In a warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
Men with loaded guns were stationed around the building, their faces hard, each marked by scars or tattoos.
So Jeo stood in the middle of negotiating a deal.
It was boring to him.
Everything was predictable.
Then the sound of a wooden crate shifting echoed through the warehouse.
The guards immediately became alert.
Guns were raised.
So Jeo did not turn.
He simply waited.
Then a boy stepped out from behind the crates.
So young.
So thin.
He clearly did not belong there.
The fear in his eyes was obvious.
But there was no submission.
Before anybody could restrain him, the boy moved.
Faster than anyone expected.
An arm hooked around So Jeo's neck.
Cold metal pressed against So Jeo's throat.
A blade.
A cheap one.
The guards instantly erupted into chaos.
"Let go of him this instant!"
"Drop the blade!"
"Stop," So Jeo said, his voice cutting through the threats being shouted around him.
Silence fell.
The blade pressed deeper into So Jeo's neck.
He felt his skin break.