Page 13 of Damian & Jun, Episodes 1-4 (The Residency Boys #6)

Rage pushed up behind his eyes. Bak could have taken a different route. Even if the company were in bankruptcy, there were other options, choices that could have been made that would have left some reputation behind for 5N and Shockwave to sign with new agencies. But now…

Now he was sitting on a subway, staring at the tops of a pair of fashionable women’s boots on his feet, unable to show his own face.

I want to be free. I want to be safe.

But if he couldn’t sing, if he couldn’t dance, then he wasn’t free. It was who he was.

Madelen Duke’s lyrics screaming about the origins of villains floated back into his mind.

He thought of BoBo purring at his side, a small luxury he’d never been allowed to have, and of the food Mi Hi had so casually handed him for breakfast. Freedom.

I will burn you down, Bak. I’m done playing your game.

But what if he burned the innocent along the way?

What if Yohei, Geun, Jaewoong, and Su-jin fell with him?

They were all tangled together, like cats in the devil’s string.

If one of them struggled hard enough to free themselves, they might strangle the others.

How long had they all been playing this game of holding still so as not to destroy the others, knowing Bak had an endless stream of hostages?

Did the others even know they were playing this game?

BBB3 is one big family, we support each other! Bak’s cheerful words reverberated through Jun’s memory. I work hard to make all of you successful.

Fuck. You. Jun balled his hands up in a fist as the marching band beat of BlackPink’s “Kill This Love” rolled through the tiny speaker in his ear.

Is this the price of my existence, that every home burns down?

Was he cursed? Was he a killer?

Or was he merely the match that started the fire?

“Song Mi Hi! How dare you show your face!”

Jun’s head snapped up. Standing right in front of him and Mi Hi was an enraged, well-dressed woman in her fifties, two pink spots on her cheeks.

Mi Hi lifted her chin, defiance in every line of her body.

Jun stood up slowly, one hand on the brace for the seat. On his feet, he was taller than the woman who had just snarled at Mi Hi.

Mi Hi put up her hand, stopping him from speaking. “This is public transportation, Mrs. Choi.”

Mrs. Choi’s eyes flared, and her hand came up as if she would slap Mi Hi across the face. Jun stepped in front of her.

Mrs. Choi’s eyes flashed to Jun. “Do you know what kind of scum you’re hanging out with?”

“Ms. Song works for me,” Jun said softly. He let his eyes linger darkly on Mrs. Choi’s face. “I’m quite content with her references.”

Mrs. Choi’s eyes narrowed. “Humph, maybe as a woman, you would be, but keep this harlot away from your menfolk. She’ll seduce them, then sue them.”

Jun raised one eyebrow. “Embarrassing. Was it your son or your husband?”

Mrs. Choi blinked furiously. “Excuse me?”

Jun shrugged. “It must be so difficult to have men in your family that don’t practice discretion.”

The two pink spots in Mrs. Choi’s face were now red. “You, you…who are you?”

Jun let himself smile just a little. “Was it you who couldn’t keep your husband’s attention, or did you fail to find your son a good wife?”

Mrs. Choi shuddered, angry tears burning her eyes. “You have no idea what it was like! What this hussy put us through!”

Jun tilted his head to the side. “Either she was not found guilty of a crime, in which case, you are committing a crime, or Ms. Song is escaped from prison, in which case you would be calling the police, or Ms. Song has finished serving her time, in which case, you are still committing a crime by harassing her after the matter is closed by law. Which is it?”

The train started to slow toward the next stop. Mi Hi stood and touched Jun on the arm. “I ran out of money to keep suing. Her son molested me.”

Mrs. Choi slapped Mi Hi across the face.

Jun started forward. Mi Hi pressed a hand to her face and shook her head, grabbing Jun’s hand and moving to the door.

Jun looked back. Most of the subway car passengers were carefully looking away. Only Mrs. Choi stared after them, self-righteous anger burning in every tight line of her body.

“Leave it, Jun.” Mi Hi whispered. The train was pulling up to a station.

Jun let her drag him onto the platform. A moment later, the train door closed. This station was not inside a mall. Outside the windows, the sun was starting to set. December in the northern hemisphere always had the shortest days and longest nights. It felt like he’d just woken up.

“This isn’t our stop.”

“I know. We can take the next train. It’s only ten minutes or less. I don’t come to this side often anymore.”

She looked around for the train table. There was a bright red spot on her face, and her right eye was watering.

“We should get you ice.”

Mi Hi half laughed. “I don’t think there’s any here.”

“A cold drink, then.”

Mi Hi shook her head but let him lead her over to a vending machine. He swiped her phone and retrieved a bottle of Chilsung cider. Mi Hi snorted a half laugh and let him press the cold can to her cheek.

“Uh, that actually feels good.”

“Do you normally avoid this area? Because of…”

Mi Hi shrugged. “I don’t avoid-avoid. I just…haven’t had much reason to come up here. She threatened to hurt me if she ever saw me again. Guess she keeps her promises.”

“I’m sorry.”

Mi Hi shook her head, then winced. Jun led her over to a bench and sat her down.

She pulled him down to rest beside her and patted his thigh, just below the hem of the skirt he was wearing.

“I’ll be okay. I just pretend I’m in a K-drama and I’m waiting for the good part to start.

It always has to get worse first, right? ”

Jun growled in his throat.

“Who knew the sweet JunJun was so protective?” Mi Hi hummed.

Jun glared at her.

She smirked back with half her face, the other half still pressed against the can of Chilsung cider.

They sat in silence. In time, Mi Hi lowered the can and prodded her cheek gently. “You’re probably wondering what you got yourself into?”

“Mostly, I’m mad.”

Mi Hi chuckled and smiled at him. “Two years ago, I was an up-and-coming communications officer in a chaebol company. My office was somewhat near here. A bit higher than me was Mrs. Choi’s son.

He got…handsy. Several times. He tried for more.

I know some of the other girls gave in and gave it to him because they were afraid.

I didn’t. I’m not saying I’m better. I just…

got mad.” She grimaced at him, the edge of her lips tinged with something sad.

Jun mirrored her expression.

She huffed and shook her head. “I filed a complaint, first with the company, then with the police when the company tried to ignore me. I got a lawyer, and I sued. It made the news. Not in a huge way but enough. But the Choi family was in with the bigger chaebol family. I lost my job, my apartment, then my cousin lost his job, and my family refused to help me after that. They told me to live quietly and stop causing trouble, that I’d never get married this way.

I wasn’t able to keep paying the lawyers and everything else I needed, and my mom hid paperwork from me that was delivered to her house when I lost my apartment, so I didn’t file something in time, and the case died. That was nine months ago.”

Jun put his hand on hers and squeezed gently.

She squeezed back.

There really wasn’t anything to say. Mi Hi lifted her chin again and sniffed. She wiped away tears. Jun offered her the end of his scarf. Technically, it was hers anyway.

She laughed and accepted it, dabbing at her eyes. “My makeup is going to be a mess. I’ve gone so long without wearing it I forgot not to smudge it.”

“You look fine.”

She laughed again, shaking her head. It sounded watery and sad. “Out of all the people in the world I ever thought I’d tell this to, you were never on the list.”

Jun blinked, then remembered what he was. For a while, he’d just been himself, Mi Hi’s friend, nothing else.

“Well, I never thought I’d be dressed like this.” He tugged on the skirt. It was a very nice skirt. Mi Hi had good taste.

“What a pair we are.” She smiled at him, and this time, the smile was a little less sad. “I hope…you know I’d never…”

Jun put up his hand. “Mrs. Choi wouldn’t be so angry if her son hadn’t been in the wrong.”

“The angriest people are the ones who have something to hide, something that makes them look bad.” Mi Hi dropped her head and fisted the fabric of her suit.

Bak is always angry. Jun rolled the thought around in his head. He offered his hand to Mi Hi, and she took it. He squeezed gently. They weren’t so different.

“I should probably tell you that your makeup is smudged, then?”

She mock glared at him and pulled a compact out of her purse.

“Wait until you finish icing your face.”

“Oh, yeah.” She put the can back on her cheek. “Is it bruising?”

He grimaced. “A bit.”

Mi Hi sighed and slumped against the back of the bench. “I always mark so easily. Do you mark easily?”

Jun flushed. “I don’t know? I guess the normal amount?”

There was another train. She pulled on his hand. “Come on, let’s find your Black Panther boyfriend.”

“He’s not…”

She laughed.