[center][color=ED205E][color=06E8DE][img]https://i.imgur.com/Z2Ckvvm.png?5[/img][color=white][img]https://i.imgur.com/BHZ4G9Z.png?1[/img][/color][/color][/color][img]https://i.imgur.com/1QjE0D1.png?3[/img][/center][center][h3]Ft. Chae-Won[/h3][/center]
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[center][u]. . . The Night Before. . .[/u][/center]
[color=bfbfbf]First floor. Fifth floor. Tenth floor. Eighteenth floor. Some days he wished for an elevator. Most days he was happy the temptation wasn't there. Any elevator installed in a building like the one he lived in was an elevator you shouldn't trust. Besides, eighteen flights of stairs were a solid source of cardio.

His home would've given him a great view were it not for the others buildings crammed in all around it. In theory, he should've been able to see over the walls, but those now had buildings on them too. Oh well, it was nothing but desert out there anyway.

Even so, he did have [i]one[/i] view. It was the reason he'd grabbed the apartment when he'd found it. In his bedroom, right over his bed, was a window that looked out. Everyone else with a room on that side of the building would just see the next building over, but he'd gotten lucky. The next building over had a big, square hole in it. Even better, that building sat on a street corner giving him a decent view down that street. He couldn't say why it was there, but when each high rise was the work of ten different construction jobs done by seven different contractors, weird things happened.

OK so it wasn't [i]that[/i] exciting, but it was better than nothing. At least he got actual sunlight coming through in the morning.

He opened the door, beginning to slide his jacket off, when he got a jolt.

[color=white]"Surprise!"[/color] A voice called out to greet him. [color=white]"I beat you today!"[/color]

When his heart slowed down and he could unclench his teeth, he turned his head and aimed a deep pout at the person who'd startled him so badly.

[color=white]"Sorry, sorry,"[/color] Chae-Won apologized, but then held up a bag laden with groceries. [color=white]"Tomorrow's gonna be a bitch, so I figured I'd give myself an early night."[/color] Weiyuan just crossed his arms and scowled down at the woman who was sitting at his dining table and expectantly dangling a bag of food before him. [color=white]"What? I said sorry! OK, fine, I get it, I'll just cook dinner tonight mys-"[/color]

With a huff, Weiyuan stormed past her, snatching the bag from her as she just sat there with a catty, knowing grin, empty hand still outstretched. 

[color=white]"You only have yourself to blame, kiddo!"[/color] She slid around in the chair to follow him with her gaze. [color=white]"You got so good at cooking that I got lazy! Now I can barely boil water without help!"[/color]

After his second "incident," Chae-Won had become a much more common sight in his life. She'd effectively become his caretaker. Eating dinner together had become a tradition, and once he'd been able to move he'd insisted on helping. Then he'd insisted on doing [i]all[/i] the cooking. At first they'd used his food, and she'd try to pay him back for it. When he'd proven too stubborn for that, she'd just started bringing her own food for him to cook.

After a while, he'd just accepted that status quo and decided that everyone was happier that way.

He was already over her little prank, but seeing the food she'd brought would have made him forgive her anyway. For some reason she was spoiling him with his favorites. Well, he still had to make it himself, but it was food he couldn't afford to buy on the regular.

About an hour later the food had been both cooked and consumed. Chae-Won drooped herself over the table letting out a contented sigh.

[color=white]"Ahh, it's better than sex,"[/color] she murmured weakly. Weiyuan just raised a mildly disturbed eyebrow. He didn't think his steamed buns were that good, but then he didn't have the same, erm, context to work with that she did. [color=white]"Yes, that's right kid, your marvelous cooking is helping protect what remains of my-"[/color]

[color=ED205E][i]Stop.[/i][/color] he mouthed, pleading with an increasingly disturbed twitching taking over his eye.

Chae-Won just chuckled and then pushed herself to her feet with a tired groan, [color=white]"Alright, alright, fair enough. I'll stop defiling your home with my filthy mind, then."[/color] She made her way toward the door, but then turned to look at him again. [color=white]"Oh, and did you remember to take tomorrow off?"[/color] He nodded. [color=white]"Good. Like I told you, it's gonna be a circus out there. Well, more so than usual. You don't go anywhere without me, got it?"[/color] Another nod. [color=white]"I'll be back tomorrow assuming I don't get crushed to death in a crowd surge."[/color] She moved to head back toward the door only to suddenly find her wrist with Weiyuan's hands tightly clamped around them with a distressed look on his face.

[color=white]"Hey, hey, I was joking!"[/color] She smiled and patted him on the head with her free hand. [color=white]"You know damn well a noisy crowd isn't going to stop me. I know all the good shortcuts."[/color] Placated, he slowly let go of her arm. As she turned to collect her boot, she heard him walk deeper into the apartment toward the kitchen. Once her feet were dressed, she looked up to see him returned, standing there with the same bag she'd brought over.

[color=ED205E][i]Leftovers.[/i][/color]

She smirked, reaching out to take it. [color=white]"You're going to make an excellent wife someday, you know that?"[/color] His response was an unimpressed frown.

[i]You think you're funny.[/i] He signed to her.

[color=white]"I do think so, yes."[/color] She bobbed her eyebrows. [color=white]"All right, get some sleep, huh? I'm heading out."[/color]

She made it all the way to the doorknob, her hand starting to twist it before she stopped. She grit her teeth, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

[color=white]"Hey, uhh..."[/color] She looked over her shoulder to see Weiyuan still standing there with a puzzled look on his face. He'd seen the conflicted emotions running through her, even standing behind her. [color=white]"If... if I found one of the guys that hurt you... what would you want to do?"[/color]

His eyes widened, pupils shrinking to pinpoints. His mouth opened, but nothing came out, nor did his lips form the shapes of any words. His hands balled up into fists and he began to back away, trembling. 

[color=white]"Whoa, whoa, look at me! Kid? It's just us. We're just talking, OK?"[/color] She moved toward him, but she could tell his mind was elsewhere. This was his biggest problem. He didn't know how to deal with things like this.

He bit his lip, clenching his eyes tightly shut, taking deep, rapid breaths.

[color=white]"Kid? You listening?"[/color]

Finally, he cracked an eye open.

[color=06E8DE][i]Nothing. Do nothing. I... don't care,[/i][/color] he mouthed hesitantly.

Chae-Won let out a long sigh, [color=white]"Kid... I know [i]he[/i] doesn't want to. I also know you too well, so what do [i]you[/i] want? Good morning, by the way."[/color]

Weiyuan's arms relaxed and his other eye opened, though he avoiding meeting hers, his lips scrunching into a tiny frown. He then began signing to her, though a bit more sloppily than before,

[color=06E8DE][i]They can't hurt me. Haven't tried either. No point.[/i][/color]

[color=white]"Yeah, they can't hurt [i]you[/i], but you can't just pop out preemptively to protect him."[/color] She crossed her arms. [color=white]"And don't you think they should be punished."[/color]

He didn't respond immediately, lips twitching as he tried and failed to fight off an angry snarl. Every now and then they'd part just enough to show tightly clenched teeth. [color=06E8DE]'Yes...'[/color] a faint, hoarse whisper finally escaped.

[color=white]"Well all right then,"[/color] she said and breathed out. [color=white]"Look, for now, just go to bed. Leave a note if you want, it doesn't matter. Tomorrow I'll take him out and... we'll see what happens."[/color]

[color=06E8DE][i]What happens if we find him?[/i][/color]

[color=white]"We scare him half to death and then drag him to someone who's OK with making an arrest on a coerced confession."[/color] She shrugged. [color=white]"Or we can just break his legs. Whatever you prefer."[/color] She could see his whole body tense up at the idea, as if he was imagining doing it in that moment, but a few seconds later it flowed back out of him.

[color=06E8DE][i]Too much. Just scare him.[/i][/color]

[color=white]"Hey, you got it. Who knows, we might not even find him."[/color] She held her hands up in capitulation to his choice. [color=white]"You, uhh, gonna be [i]able[/i] to sleep at this point?"[/color]

He just shrugged weakly, [color=06E8DE][i]He might be a little tired tomorrow.[/i][/color]

[color=white][center][u]. . . Day of the Anniversary. . .[/u][/center][/color]
While it had started slowly, for what did the lower class care for such things, in the end, hedonism won out. Maybe those in the lower ring didn't really care about the source of the festivities, but they also had more problems to forget, so soon enough the streets were packed with those seeking food, fun, and alcohol... among other, more illicit pleasures.

By nighttime it would be a truly raucous affair. The streets would be a mess for weeks.

Weiyuan kept a tight grip on Chae-Won's wrist so as to avoid being separated. He knew his way around, sure, but on a day like this he wouldn't feel safe alone. It wasn't like he could call out to her.

[color=white]"OK! Here we are, kiddo!"[/color] Chae-Won gestured with her hand to a building with people filing in and out in a... mostly orderly fashion. More so than most other places at the moment.

[color=ED205E][i]Soup kitchen?[/i][/color] he mouthed, giving her a curious look. [color=ED205E][i]We have food.[/i][/color]

[color=white]"Yeah, but it's a place with people, but no partying! Calmest way I could think of to enjoy the day while still being out and about!"[/color] Chae-Won threw on an exaggerated grin and nodded. [color=white]"Come on! If you're feeling out of place I bet they'd let you volunteer or something. I'll bet I know at least a few people who are in there. I know everybody! Ohh, maybe they'll have a TV playing the big game!"[/color]

Weiyuan just frowned anxiously and followed her in. Something was off and he didn't like it, but he didn't want to insult her by doubting her. Even so, he couldn't quiet his nerves. She was the only person he could trust, but right now she was making that hard.

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