Chapter Text
Chapter One
If things had gone to plan, you would never have been standing on that street corner in the first place.
If things had gone to plan, you would have either been taking in the sights of Korea, learning about your family's heritage or sitting in a class for the foreign exchange program you'd worked so hard to get accepted into.
But when had anything in your life ever gone to plan?
Never. So why should it start now?
And so - not long after you arrived and got settled into what was supposed to have been your 'temporary' accommodations - somebody, somewhere in the world sneezed on the wrong person or forgot to wash their hands, and suddenly the whole damn planet shut down, leaving you stuck in a postcard sized flat with no exchange program, no income and no way back home.
Not that you actually had a home to go back to (or anyone waiting for you, for that matter).
So you - like most everyone else - found yourself in limbo for months on end with not much to do except for reading, drawing and watching your already miniscule bank account slowly dwindle away to almost nothing.
So it was with great relief when things finally started opening back up that you noticed the restaurant across the street putting out a sign advertising for delivery people. After checking that the job wouldn't violate the terms of your temporary Visa, you applied and were ecstatic to learn that you'd been hired.
Granted the pay was lousy, the hours weren't great and the free food you were offered at the end of each shift made you wonder how the restaurant even managed to stay in business but it was better than being stuck inside and eventually starving to death.
It was hard at first, learning your way around a place you'd barely had the chance to explore before being locked down but you eventually grew adept at weaving your way through the main thoroughfares, back streets and alleyways of the surrounding area on the ancient motor scooter provided by your employer.
Things were going pretty well - all things considered - until that day.
You were almost done with your shift. You'd pulled over to verify the address of your next delivery when a small black and tan blur darted past you and into the street.
It took a split second for your brain to register that the blur was in fact a dog. A little Pomeranian to be exact, who had caught sight of a miniature poodle walking on the other side of the busy intersection. The canine had apparently broken loose from whomever had been on the other end of the rhinestone encrusted leash which was now dragging uselessly behind the animal.
Acting purely in instinct you dashed forward, just managing to grab hold of the dog before jumping back onto the sidewalk a mere angel's breath from the bumper of a taxi, whose driver expressed his displeasure with a sharp blast of his horn before barreling through the traffic light.
The fuzzy bundle began wriggling around in your arms in an attempt to lick your face, causing you to stumble over a bit of uneven pavement. The next thing you knew you were flat on your back with a tiny dog dancing happily on your chest, still trying to give you puppy kisses. As you fought to catch your breath, you heard the sound of pounding feet approaching as a man's frantic voice called out, "Tannie!"
Seconds later your furry friend was being snatched from your grasp by a man with dark curly hair wearing a baseball cap and face mask.
"Tannie! Are you okay?"
The out of breath man clutched the dog to his heaving chest.
"You bad dog! Don't ever scare me like that again!"
The dog's owner nuzzled his face into the animal's fur before turning to bow profusely in your direction.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! Are you hurt?!"
"No. I'm fine," you said, waving off his attempts to help you to your feet.
"Are you sure? I can call for an ambulance."
"No, really. That's not necessary."
You stood and removed your helmet, giving it the once over to insure it wasn't damaged.
"See?" you said, holding out the item for his inspection. "Not even a scratch."
"Still I think you should get looked at...."
"No, thank you. I'm good. Besides." you said, gesturing towards the scooter. "The boss made it pretty clear when I started this job that if I can breath and move then I can still make deliveries."
You couldn't help but notice the man's eyes narrow ever so slightly when he saw the emblem on your scooter's saddle bag.
"You work for HeeSung?" he asked, his voice noticeably less enthusiastic than before.
"Yes. For the time being at least. Why? Do you know him?"
"We've met a couple of times."
"Really? Congratulations. You've encountered him more than I have then. I met him the day I got hired and haven't seen him since," you laughed. "Is your dog okay?"
"Yes," the man said with a slight bow of his head. "Thank you."
"Good. Glad to hear it. I suppose I can get going then. Hope the rest of your day is less eventful."
Just as you were about to turn to get on the scooter the man asked, "Pardon me but I don't recognize your accent. Are you Korean?"
"No. Yes. I mean...Sorry. It's kind of a long story."
"But you're not a civilian, are you?"
Your brow furrowed slightly at his odd choice of words.
"Of course I'm a civilian. Not really sure how that works for females to begin with but since I'm technically not a Korean citizen I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to serve in your military even if I wanted to. Not that I'd be any good as soldier anyway. Guns freak me out. Can't get near the things."
The crease between the man's eyebrows became even more pronounced, making you wonder if your accent was making it hard for the man to understand you. You were just about to repeat yourself more slowly when he said, "Wait. I'm confused. If you're a civilian then why are you working for HeeSung?"
"I needed a job and he was the only one who was hiring near me?" you shrugged. "It's not the greatest gig but it's better than going hungry and it gives me something to do until I find out if the school program I came here for is ever going to reopen."
"School program? Are you a student or a teacher?"
"Both, actually. Teaching English was supposed to be my side job here while I was completing the academic program I came here for."
"Teaching English? To high school or university?"
"Neither. My focus is on pre-school. Kindergarten to be exact."
The man's eyes flew open wide.
"You're a kindergarten teacher?"
"Yep. I mean, eventually my goal is to do that alongside art therapy for children who've experienced traumatic situations. But until then I'm a delivery person."
At that moment your phone dinged, reminding you that you had a schedule to keep. Pulling the device out of your pocket you tapped on the cracked screen before slipping it back inside your jacket.
"Except I won't even be that for much longer if I don't get a move on," you said, strapping on your helmet as you hopped back on your scooter. "It was nice to meet you, sir. Have a nice day. I'm glad your dog wasn't hurt."
Without waiting for a reply you started your engine and merged into traffic, the noise of the midday commuters drowning out the man as he shouted after you.
"Wait! Stop! What's your name?!"
xx
The next day you were puzzled when you saw that your first delivery was to an address well outside of your normal route.
You almost missed it at first as the residence turned out to be a free standing building surrounded by a privacy fence standing well over three meters, topped with wrought iron metal spikes interspersed with security cameras pointing both towards and away from the home, giving whoever lived inside an almost 360 degree view of the property.
Following the instructions printed on the order ticket, you pressed the brass buzzer next to an almost invisible gate built seamlessly into the fence. There was a half second pause then a disembodied voice crackled through a speaker located above the buzzer.
"Yes?"
"Hi! Uh...I have a delivery?"
Catching sight of a red blinking light on the nearest camera, you gave a tentative wave to whomever you were speaking to.
"Umm...Am I supposed to leave it out here or....?"
Instead of an answer there was a brief clicking noise beside you as the latch on the gate released just enough to allow you and your vehicle inside the heavily fortified compound.
"Well...this isn't creepy at all..." you whispered to yourself as you wheeled your scooter into a small but well manicured courtyard situated in front of good sized but surprisingly homey looking dwelling, complete with a covered porch with a white picket fence style railing.
You had just set the delivery on the top step leading onto the porch when the door opened and you were shocked to find man from yesterday standing in front of you, this time without a hat or a face mask concealing his handsome features.
He, on the other hand, didn't look at all surprised to see you standing on his doorstep.
Before you could say anything, the little Pomeranian rushed out to greet you, yipping happily at your feet, tail wagging furiously.
"Oh! Hello, friend!" you said, kneeling down to pet the dog. "It looks like you're no worse for wear after your little adventure yesterday."
"All thanks to you," said the man, bowing deeply.
"Please forgive my utterly inexcusable lack of manners during our initial meeting. My name is Kim TaeHyung and that little bundle of energy is called Yeontan."
"Not worries, TaeHyung-ssi. I know what it's like to worry about a furry friend. I assure you that any lack of social niceties didn't bother me in the least."
"Still," insisted the man in a deep baritone voice that you were certain could make butter melt. "At the very least I should have had the common courtesy to ask the name of my baby's savior."
"Savior? I don't know that I'd go that far, TaeHyung-ssi but if it makes you happy to learn it, my name is Y/N."
"Y/N...." The man's eyes twinkled as a boxy smile crept over his face. "What a pretty name."
"Thank you. It's not as nice as YeonTan but I suppose it will do."
The man leaned against one of the posts holding up the porch as you scratched YeonTan behind the ears.
"Do you have a dog?" he asked.
"No. I used to but not anymore. I can't have pets where I live now but I've been feeding the stray cats behind my flat."
Glancing towards yet another security camera, you lowered your voice and added, "But please don't tell my landlord that. I - I might get kicked out and I really can't afford anyplace else."
The man nodded as he made a locking motion in front of his mouth before pretending to throw away a non-existent key.
"Trust me. You're secret is safe with me, Y/N-ssi."
Just then the little dog flopped over, rolling around on his back so you could rub his belly.
"Wow...." said the man. "Tannie must really trust you. He's usually a lot more reserved when it comes to strangers."
"Ah! It's probably because we've shared a bonding experience together, that's all. Although, animals and small children do seem to like me," you said, giving the dog's stomach a vigorous scratch.
"What about everyone else?" asked the man.
"Ah! Big people...they're a bit trickier in my experience."
"How so?"
"You pretty much know where you stand with animals and children. Adults - for the most part - not so much."
"That's very true, Y/N-ssi. It would seem that you are wise beyond your years."
"I'd hardly call myself wise, TaeHyung-ssi," you laughed. "I just try to not make the same mistake too many times, you know?"
You gave the dog one final scratch before standing.
"Ah, as much as I would like to stay here with you Tannie, I'm afraid that duty calls. "
Bowing to the man on the porch, you brushed a few stray blades of grass from your trouser legs.
"Thank you for giving me a well needed puppy break, TaeHyung-ssi. It certainly brightened my day. I placed your order on the porch."
"Thank you, Y/N-ssi. Please, before you go, I'd like you to have this."
Reaching into the back pocket of his designer jeans, he pulled out an envelope and handed it to you.
Thinking it was payment for the order you glanced inside and gasped. It had to contain at least half a million won.
"TaeHyung-ssi!" you said, trying to hand the envelope back. "You must have miscounted! This is far too much money for your order!"
"It isn't for the order. I paid for that online. This is for you. Consider it a reward for saving Yeontan.
"But, I would've done that regardless! Please! I wouldn't feel right accepting an amount like this!"
As you stepped forward, the man took a step back.
"Then use it towards the therapy bills you'll incur dealing with the guilt," said the man, scooping the little dog into his arms. "Goodbye, Y/N-ssi. And please....stay safe."
And with that TaeHyung closed the door firmly behind him , leaving you lost as to what to do next. Before you could step onto the porch to try and get the man to come back outside your phone buzzed, signaling that you were almost late for your next stop.
Flustered, you shoved the envelope into your pocket and made your way back onto the street, your mind racing to try and figure out how best to deal with this predicament.
xx
That night you sat on the lumpy futon that served as bed, chair, sofa and dining table in your cramped one room apartment, staring at the envelope laying on the counter as if it were a bomb that might go off at any second.
While it was true that kind of money would solve most - if not all - of your current problems you also knew that gifts like this don't come without strings attached and you'd sworn an oath to never end up in a situation like that again. You'd managed to keep your word so far. You'd hate to break it now.
After going over every possible scenario you could think of, you finally drifted off but slept fitfully and by the time you started out the door for work the next morning you'd made up your mind as to what you were going to do.
xx
Fate seemed to agree with your choice because the very first delivery on your list was once again TaeHyung's address.
You went through the same procedure as before - buzzing in at the gate then wheeling your scooter into the courtyard - except this time the person waiting on the porch wasn't TaeHyung but a tall, broad shouldered, impeccably dressed man with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
Even though he was wearing a simple cream sweater and tan trousers, this new man still managed to give off the aura of a model doing a photo shoot for one of those high end fashion magazines that you were too intimidated to even pick up while in line at the store.
Taken by surprise you blurted out the first thing that came to your mind.
"You're not TaeHyung-ssi."
"Nope," grinned the man. "I'm taller and much better looking."
Seeing the blank look on your face the man's smile dimmed ever so slightly.
"At least I thought I was. Damn....am I that disappointing? I knew I should have worn Gucci instead of Ralph Lauren for this."
"No! I mean, Yes! I mean... "
You paused, taking a deep breath to compose yourself.
"I'm sorry. You look very nice, sir. I was just surprised, that's all. I didn't know anyone else lived here besides TaeHyung-ssi. I brought these for Yeontan."
Reaching into the basket on the front of the scooter you pulled out a large box of dog treats with an envelope taped discretely on the back.
"That whole thing is for Tannie?" chuckled the man. "You have seen the dog, haven't you? Black, tan, fuzzy, about this big?"
He held his hands close together to indicate the dog's diminutive size.
"Yah! It was the only kind they had!"
Placing the box on the railing of the porch, you made sure the envelope was facing away from the man.
"I mean, I'm practically a stranger," you said. "When I had a dog I was always uncomfortable if people I didn't know tried to give him treats so I just wanted it to be clear that the package hadn't been tampered with."
The man's eyes softened at your explanation.
"That...that was very thoughtful of you, Y/N-ssi."
Hearing your name you tipped your head in confusion.
"I'm sorry. Have we met?"
"No, but I've heard all about the valiant young woman who fearlessly risked her life, leaping into oncoming traffic to snatch poor, defenseless YeonTan from the jaws of death itself!"
Clutching his chest with one hand, the man placed the back of the other against his forehead in an overly dramatic imitation of an old time damsel in distress.
"Well, I hate to be the one to burst your bubble but it would appear that tales of that event have been highly exaggerated."
"Maybe. Maybe not," shrugged the man. "Either way, I'll be sure YeonTan receives your most generous gift."
"Thank you, ....."
You paused, realizing you didn't know what to call the man.
"I'm sorry, sir. You still have me at a disadvantage. You know my name but I don't know yours."
"Aish! A thousand pardons! How terribly rude of me! My name is Seokjin," said the man, bowing with an elaborate flourish. "And it is has been my very great pleasure to have made your acquaintance, Y/N-ssi."
"Thank you, Seokjin-ssi," you said, bowing in return. "It was lovely making your acquaintance as well. However, I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me. The boss will kill me if I don't get the rest of my deliveries completed on time."
The man's jaw twitched almost imperceptibly at your choice of words before he quickly forced his face back into a neutral expression.
"Well, we certainly don't want that to happen now do we? Who knows, perhaps we'll meet again soon?"
"Perhaps we will, Seokjin-ssi."
Wheeling your scooter out of the courtyard, you glanced back to find Seokjin still standing there, watching you. He gave a cheery wave as you took off, waiting until the gate latched and he could hear your scooter driving off before picking up the dog treats and slipping back into the house.
xx
The next day you were surprised to find yet another delivery to that address
This time instead of TaeHyung or Seokjin, another man was waiting on the porch, this one shorter than the other two with sharp, catlike eyes and a decidedly less cheery disposition.
"So..." the man grunted, his gaze flicking up and down. You had the distinct impression he was assessing your worth and that you'd somehow come up lacking. "You're the one."
"Pardon?" you asked, your hackles beginning to rise. "The one what?"
"The one who pissed off Tae-ah and Jin-hyung with this."
He flung the envelope filled with money that you had attached to the dog treats onto the ground in front of you.
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" growled the man, almost spitting to words at you.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me! Who the fuck do you think you are trying to return a gift like that?!"
Something in the man's tone flipped a long buried switch inside you, causing you to lash out in return.
"Who the fuck am I? Who the fuck are YOU?"
Snatching the envelope off the ground you hurled it at the man with all your might, hitting the him square in the chest.
"Now you listen to me, jackass! You may be richer and more important and basically just much higher on the food chain than me but I'll be damned if I let the likes of you push me around just because I'm a lowly delivery person! I have just as much right to exist as you do and that includes the right to decide who I will and will not accept money from, got it?!"
You dropped the package you'd been sent to deliver unceremoniously on ground before jamming your helmet back on your head.
"And don't worry! I'll make sure my boss sends any future deliveries to this address with someone else from now on!"
Because I'm obviously not going to have a job after this, your brain helpfully added as you rapidly pushed the scooter out of the courtyard..
Before the man could respond to your outburst you jumped on the scooter and tore off, barely avoiding an oncoming luxury car along the way, cursing fervently under your breath as you tried to determine how much money you'd have to make before the end of your shift in order to tide you over until you found a new place of employment.
xx
The next day - (after recovering from the shock of still having a job) you were glad to see that TaeHyung's address was not on your list.
Instead you were sent to deliver to a non-descript, one story office building a few blocks from the house you were hoping to avoid from now on. Upon ringing the buzzer next to an unmarked glass door, a man immediately stuck his head outside, as if he had been waiting for you to arrive.
"Ah! Y/N-ssi, I presume?" he asked.
"Yes? I'm sorry," you said, studying the man's face. "Do I know you?"
"No. I'm afraid I haven't had the privilege yet. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kim Namjoon."
As he spoke, the tall man stepped outside the building, dragging someone out behind him.
"And I believe you've already met my colleague and house mate, Min Yoongi."
He shoved the other person forward and your heart sank when you realized it was the man from yesterday.
"Oh..." you said in a flat voice. "It's you."
After a brief awkward silence Namjoon elbowed his friend hard in the ribs.
"Ouch!" cried the shorter man, rubbing his side. "Right...Uh....Sorry about yesterday."
"Elaborate," you said.
Yoongi blinked in confusion.
"Excuse me?"
"What exactly are you sorry about? "
Yoongi glanced at his friend who raised his hands as he stepped away.
"Don't look at me, hyung. You're on your own here."
Realizing that he wasn't going to get any assistance from his colleague, Yoongi turned back to you, huffing in frustration.
"I don't understand the question."
Crossing your arms you fixed the man with a hard stare then began speaking very slowly, as if you were explaining something to one of your kindergarten pupils.
"Are you sorry because you acted like a jackass or are you sorry your friend here found out and is forcing you to do this? Please, consider your answer carefully as it will greatly influence whether I accept that half-assed apology you just offered me."
The one called Namjoon covered his mouth as he snorted his amusement causing the other man to shoot him an icy glare before clearing his throat.
"I'm sorry for speaking to you disrespectfully," he said in the same tone of voice you might use if you were presenting a well memorized piece in front of a strict teacher.
"And for giving the impression that I look down upon you because of your profession. I can assure that is most certainly not the case. Please accept my most humble apology."
Ending his recitation with a full ninety degree bow, Yoongi then stood, waiting expectantly for your acceptance of his apology.
When you don't answer right away, Namjoon paused then took pity upon his friend.
"Y/N-ssi? If you can somehow find it in your heart to forgive Yoongi-hyung, could we persuade you to continue making deliveries to the house? Because, if not, someone might be sleeping on the sofa for a very long time."
His gaze cut over to Yoongi, who resolutely refused to look either of you in the eyes.
"Really? Interesting. How long are we talking about?"
"If Tae-ah and Jin-hyung have a say in it? At least a month. Maybe longer."
You studied both men for a long moment then sighed.
"Fine. I accept his apology. But only because I'm pretty sure it would be bad karma to force an elder to sleep in such uncomfortable circumstances for an extended period of time and the last thing I need in my life right now is any more bad luck."
"Elder?!" spluttered Yoongi, pulling himself up to his full height. "How old do you think I am?! For that matter, how old are you?!"
"Why do you want to know? Trying to make sure I'm legal, gramps?"
Before the situation could escalate, Namjoon quickly shoved Yoongi back inside the building, making sure the door closed firmly behind him.
"Damn," he chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned against the outside of the building. "Now I wish I would've asked you to come into the lobby so I could've captured the audio along with the security cam footage. The others would have paid good money to have witnessed that."
"Yah! Who knows?" you shrugged, "If I run into him again you just might get your chance."
You held out the white delivery bag which Namjoon accepted with both hands and a respectful bow.
"Y/N-ssi?" asked Namjoon in a tentative voice. "At the risk of incurring your rather formidable wrath, could I possibly get you to reconsider accepting that money from Tae-ah? It would mean a lot to him."
"No," you said with a firm shake of your head. "I don't mean to be difficult, Namjoon-ssi but that kind of money puts you in debt to people and I...I don't like being in that position."
The man took a deep breath then nodded.
"I understand your reasoning however you did save Yeontan and in TaeHyung's eyes that puts him in debt to you. You can see the predicament there, can't you?"
"I suppose I didn't think of it like that."
You fidgeted with the strap of your helmet as you tried to come up with a solution.
"How about this? Tell TaeHyung-ssi to donate the money to the local animal shelter. That way both our karmic debts are cleared and we save some puppies and kittens in the process."
"That seems like quite a reasonable compromise," smiled Namjoon. "I'll present that as an option when I see him later. But only if you promise to be the one making all the deliveries to our place from now on."
"That depends. Are you housing any more grumpy cats for me to deal with?"
"Nope."
Namjoon's smile widened, revealing an impressive set of dimples.
"Besides the one's you've already met, we've got a ray of sunshine, a shy bunny and a flirty chick but just the one grumpy cat."
"Then we have a deal. For the time being at least."
"Thank you. Thank you very much, Y/N-ssi," said Namjoon, bowing again before reaching for the door. "I look forward to seeing you again soon."
xx
The following day you were sent back to the house and this time you were greeted by two men - one with a bright, heart shaped smile and smaller man with sparkling eyes and pouty lips who you assumed had to be the ray of sunshine and flirty chick Namjoon had mentioned.
"Hello! My name's Jimin and this is Hoseok! Are you really the one who gave Yoongi-hyung the lesson on manners at the studio yesterday?"
"Guilty as charged."
"Wow! Daebak!" giggled the one called Hoseok. "Most people are too scared of hyung to call him out when he gets like that!"
"Aish!"
You waved your hand dismissively.
"I've been left alone for hours on end in a room full of amped up three and four year olds. It would take a lot more than your fractious feline friend to frighten me at this point."
"Good for you!" cheered Jimin. "TaeTae was right. You're really brave!"
"Really? It's nice to hear that your friend said something complimentary about me. I got the distinct impression from Grumpy Cat that both TaeHyung-ssi and Seokjin-ssi were incredibly angry with me."
"Nah!" snorted Hoseok. "Not angry just ... confused I guess? It's been a long time since anyone said 'no' to them, that's all."
"Well, if I'm going to keep delivering here then I guess they'll need to start getting used to it."
Both men stared at you incredulously before bursting into peals of laughter, the smaller one almost falling over in the process.
"Yah! Y/N-ssi! You're the best!" he gasped, struggling to catch his breath. "Can I get you a drink? We've got water, tea, coffee, soju....?"
"Thank you for the generous offer gentlemen, but I still have at least a half dozen more deliveries to make before my shift ends. Maybe some other time?"
"Absolutely," smiled Hoseok, wiping an amused tear from his eye. "We'll hold you to that, okay?"
"You do that, Hosoek-ssi," you said with a polite bow. "I'll look forward to it."
xx
Two days later you found yourself circling the block trying to find a spot to park so you could deliver to the house that was slowly becoming one of your favorite stops.
It was your final stop of the day, however when you arrived there were far more cars on the street than normal, forcing you to park at the corner instead of where you usually would.
Dismounting your scooter you took the last white bag from your basket and headed off towards the gate. As you approached a man wearing dark clothes and a balaclava suddenly jumped out from behind one of the parked cars.
"Give me the package," he demanded.
Unable to process what was happening you simply stared at the man.
"What?"
"I SAID give me the fucking package!"
The man waved his hand and it was only then that you noticed that he was pointing a gun at you.
A real, honest to goodness gun.
The kind that held real bullets.
This realization caused you to freeze a moment too long.
Before you could pull yourself together and hand over the bag, you heard a soft popping noise followed immediately by a sharp, burning sensation in your side.
The man grabbed the bag and took off, leaving you standing stunned and motionless on the sidewalk.
Acting on instinct you stumbled down the street until you reached the buzzer by the gate.
Shocked and disoriented, you managed to press the button. As the gate opened you staggered into the courtyard to find a young man with multiple piercings and a full sleeve of tattoos waiting on the porch.
The man's expression morphed from excitement to confusion to concern in a matter of seconds when you unzipped your jacket to reveal a crimson stain growing larger against your white work shirt.
"Excuse me..." you whispered, the edges of your vision began to turn black.
"I - I'm really sorry to bother you but... I - I think....I think I've been shot?"
And with that, you crumpled to the ground as everything around you went dark.