mintasa - Tumblr blog

[mintasa]

FALLEN ANGEL ~ CHAPTER 4

Pairing: Yang Jeongin x OC

Genre: Supernatural AU, slow burn, more will be added later

Warnings: Blood, cursing

Word count: 3,1k

Synopsis: The world is a harsh place. Especially for young girls trying to make a living. A young waitress was never afraid of the dark until mysterious vile creatures started crawling out of it. How can she stop them, and who is willing to help her figure out the secrets that had been kept from her for years?

Note: So I did decide to make a second story; this one is not nearly as planned out as the first one, and new chapters will probably take time to come out. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

Wattpad link Chapter list

Another strange dream occurred, and Daniella struggled to focus throughout her entire shift. The boy in her dream seemed familiar, yet she couldn't quite figure out why. Overall the entire dream was strange; it didn't feel like a dream; it felt real like she had lived through that before.

All up in her mind, Daniella walks right into some guy, almost showering him with some cheap liquor some people ordered. She apologizes multiple times, and luckily the guy cuts her some slack.

Daniella delivers the rest of the drinks successfully; however, she's desperate for a bathroom break to clear her mind off the constant buzz. The buzz from the club and her thoughts is creating an entire beehive. She needs silence.

Daniella hurries into the woman's bathrooms, letting herself slump into the nearest sink. She feels and looks pathetic. She's tired. Not only does she stay up at night, but now she cannot sleep during the day as well. It's rough.

Another woman enters the bathroom. The woman is on the taller side, quite lanky but nevertheless beautiful. Daniella barely pays her attention instead focusing on her own reflection, letting her eyes blur as she tries to rearrange her mind.

It gets weirdly silent, like something is missing. The woman never entered one of the stalls, nor did she leave. She is standing behind Daniella and simply staring at the girl. Just the stare is enough to send shivers down Daniella's spine; the woman is acting odd. A foreigner perhaps? "Is everything alright?"

No answer.

The woman keeps staring, and then she smiles, revealing her spiky teeth. A bunch of them, each as sharp as a knife. Another demon in the form of a lovely lady.

Daniella is screwed. They're all alone; even if the girl would scream, she doubts anyone would rush to help. Daniella slowly backs away from the woman in hopes to not provoke her, but there's not much where to run. Her back hits the sink, and the girl is trapped.

A single blink, and the woman launches herself at Daniella at a rapid speed. The girl jumps away, and the demon smashes into the mirror. Shards scatter to the ground, and some dig into the demon's flawless skin. It doesn't mind it though and shakes its head.

Then once again the demon mindlessly runs at Daniella. This time Daniella doesn't manage to avoid the creature and gets tackled to the floor. The woman braces herself against the floor, giving Daniella enough space to move around.

The creature doesn't like the girl squirming and bares its teeth at the girl before attacking. It goes straight for the girl's neck, but Daniella spots a plunger and forces its handle into the creature's mouth. The spiky teeth sink into the wood instead of the girl's skin.

Suddenly, the woman's weight no longer holds Daniella. The fallen angel Daniella was waiting for didn't fail to show up.

He grips the creature by the shoulder and shoves it into the stalls. It cries out in both pain and fear. The angel, however, isn't merciful; he snaps his fingers and makes the demon disappear into the thin air.

The mirror shards lift up, slowly melting into thin glass once again, and the stall doors straighten themselves. As if, nothing had happened.

The angel himself slumps against the bathroom wall. He is breathing shakily. He is disturbed. More disturbed than the girl, making the entire situation odd. Did he run there or something? "How do you know something is wrong?" Daniella questions, letting her curiosity win.

The angel surprisingly doesn't dismiss her completely and sighs. "I can't quite explain it. It's a gut feeling. Part of being a guardian."

The girl nods. A gut feeling has never failed Daniella. She stares at the exhausted angel, and yet another shaky breath escapes his lips, making Daniella grow worried. "Are you okay?"

"You are asking me that?" There's pure disbelief written all over his face.

Daniella sees right through the guy. He is once again avoiding a conversation. "You look stressed," the girl shrugs.

The fallen angel runs a hand through his blonde hair, making it messier than it was a while ago. "I am stressed. Are you okay though?" He questions. A genuine concern coming from him is odd but not unwelcome.

"As I can be."

Jeongin lets out another sight. "Good," he says, closing his eyes and letting his body relax. "Stay that way."

Now Daniella is once again wondering. She does understand how punishment works, but his punishment does not make sense. How is it punishment if he is doing it willingly? "What do you gain from this?"

"What?" The fallen angel locks his eyes with the girl on the opposite side of the empty women's bathroom.

"From being a guardian. I do understand the punishment part of it, but why do you do it?" The girl wonders.

"I need to keep you safe until your time comes," a vague answer. Too vague for the girl. He's being secretive, keeping stuff to himself. The feeling is far too familiar to the girl.

"My time comes?"

She receives a glare from the fallen angel, but he sits up straighter. "Yes. I'm sure you've heard about the string of fate." Daniella nods; she remembers a thing or two from the school, then the guy continues. "I need to keep you safe until yours breaks. Until you find peace and live off the life you were fated to."

Once a tale, the string of fate turned out to be reality. "Do you know how long that is?" Daniella asks, although she is not keen on figuring out when she will die. It's not like she can or wants to prevent that.

"Nobody knows," the guy sighs.

"So you might be stuck with me for a really long time?" Jeongin nods. "What happens to you if I die before my destined time?"

"I get stuck on earth forever," the guy mumbles. Daniella doesn't understand what is so bad about her world, but if she were an angel, she would want to see the heavens as well. They must be wonderful.

"Aren't you already, though?"

"No, the minute your string of fate breaks, my punishment ends. I'm free and forgiven," the guy explains. So he can become an angel again, although he fell? He mustn't have done anything too horrible to be forgiven so easily.

"Oh."

"Yes, oh."

The mockery once again. She cannot stand it. She redirects the conversation. "You're not going to tell me what you did, I'm guessing?"

"You are totally right."

***

Daniella woke up from Lucky barking like usual; the dog doesn't seem to have better sleeping habits than the girl. Still in her pajamas, she walks into the living room, where she sees an unsuspected sight. A fallen angel is desperately trying to shush a dog.

The dog, with each Jeongins movement, lunges forward, almost biting the guy's ankles. The fallen angel's eyes fall on the girl, and suddenly she feels naked while wearing clothes. She has her shorts on as well as a t-shirt so worn out that it is basically see-through.

He stares at the girl for longer than he should. Only the dog gets his attention from her. "Get your hellhound away," he basically screeches.

Daniella calls the dog over, and he approaches the girl cheerfully, leaving the angel in her living room alone. She tucks the dog into the bedroom as well as snatches a robe to throw over her shoulders. Less naked.

"What do you want?" Daniella doesn't waste any time to ask. She doesn't like the presence of the fallen angel. He's bringing the worst out of Daniella, as well as a bunch of demonic creatures.

"Nothing; I was checking in," he grumbles.

"So you barged inside my apartment and terrorized my dog?"

"I forgot about the dog, and he terrorized me, not the other way around," the guy argues. Lucky did terrorize him a bit. He doesn't bare his teeth at everyone but does at the supernatural. Can anyone blame him though? The guy has wings.

"I'm fine," Daniella eyes the guy who is desperately trying to go back to the heavens. "Is it really that bad of a fate to stay in this world?" Daniella sighs, sitting down on her couch and forcing the guy along.

"It is not that bad, but I do want to go back. The heavens cut off all ties with me. They won't let me see my friends or family, and I miss them," Jeongin sighs, sitting down on the couch.

"How long are you here?"

"A while. I was a kid when I got dropped off in the mortal world," he admits. So he did something bad when he was a child. What a child could have done so horrible to be ripped away from his parents? The heavens do not seem to be the paradise everyone is calling it.

It is simply irresponsible to leave a child in unfamiliar lands, whether he's an angel or not. "That sounds horrible," Daniella chimes.

"It was. I had no clue what to do. Where to stay. Luckily, demons were way more forgiving than angels," the guy sighs. "You'd be surprised how many upper-class demons live in the mortal world."

"Why do they?"

Jeongins eyes scan over the girl. Over the robe and her exposed legs. He looks away before the girl can point it out; he's staring. "By choice, to avoid their duties there or to keep track of the lower-class demon activities here," he shrugs.

The conversation with Minho comes into the girl's mind. He came to Daniella's apartment to talk about the attacks, so the guy must be one of the demons involved in controlling the lower-class demons. "Is that how you know Minho?"

The guy looks genuinely disturbed at the mention of the name. Jeongin must have forgotten the girl had met him. Not once but twice; he, however, doesn't know that. "His family has been staying in the mortal world for ages. They have connections, and yes, I basically grew up with him."

Daniella frowns. She would have never thought angels and demons actually have families. "I thought you all were created by God," she mumbles.

Jeongins eyes meet the girls, and he smirks. "No, angel, we reproduce."

The nickname sounds humiliating coming from a real angel, fallen or not. "So how does that work? Aren't y'all immortals?"

"We are definitely difficult to kill, but we live and we die just like you humans," he replies.

Daniella nods. She just sort of just assumed the angels stop aging at some point and live forever. She was wrong. The guy is indeed around her age; he's young and trying to get back home. Now she sort of feels bad for being difficult, although not really. He's been difficult as well.

Once again, her thoughts drift to the demon. He was around their age as well. They grew up together, but aren't the underworld and heavens supposed to be mortal enemies? That's what the Bible says and the literature says. A whole new world is being unraveled in front of the girl's eyes. "Aren't angels supposed to loathe demons?"

Jeongin shakes his head at the girl, but the girl keeps staring at him, pleading for a better answer. "We don't usually get into each other's business. We have our own worlds to manage as well as our input into the mortal one. We live in harmony," he explains briefly.

"Really?"

"Well, sometimes arguments happen," he pauses. "The worlds have really different values and morals."

"What are they like?"

Jeongin stays silent, contemplating in his head. "You are asking too many questions," the guy shakes his head and seals his mouth shut.

"Wouldn't you be curious in my place?"

"Curiosity killed the cat," he comments, sending a pointed look towards the girl.

"Well, nobody will kill me because your future depends on it," Daniella smiles as she watches the guy grow more irritated with each second.

"Whatever."

***

"Do you really have to be here?" Daniella questions, walking past a way too familiar blonde lurking in the corner of the club. He is such an awkward presence that even the customers are staring.

"How is that a question? Do I need to remind you what happened in the bathroom?" Jeongin snaps at the girl. Neither of them are happy about the situation, but the angel is pretending way too hard to have everything in control.

"We are in public right now," Daniella argues. She is sure even the demons wouldn't risk exposure to someone like her. Why do they even want her in the first place?

"Some of them may not care," the guy answers.

Daniella doesn't entertain him much further, instead approaching Chan. The guy leans over the bar, grinning at the girl. "Who's the guy?"

"I don't know him," Daniella shrugs, glancing at Jeongin one last time and meeting his eyes. She looks away.

"He's cute," he motions for Changbin, yet another waiter, to come closer. Chan grips him around his shoulders, pointing at the fallen angel. "See that guy over there? Cute, isn't he?"

Changbin laughs. "I can't say he's bad-looking, but I didn't think you were into younger guys," he pushes Chan's hand away playfully.

Chan looks genuinely offended for a second. "I may not be, but our Dani definitely is; she cannot take her eyes off of him," Chan hits her shoulder playfully.

Only then does she realize her eyes automatically went right back to the angel. She's not checking him out by any means; Daniella is simply not fond of having her every movement being watched, and that's exactly what the guy does.

Changbin glances at the guy and points a finger at Daniella. "Want me to get you his number?"

The girl's eyes go wide at the suggestion. A number? She wants to get rid of the guy and have all the demons follow him out of her life. She shakes her head. "No, thanks."

"Are you sure?"

"Perfectly," Daniella smiles at the muscular guy. Jisung gets tips for rolling his sleeves, but if Changbin did the same, he would take away all the club's income. Good thing he doesn't. For everyone's mental health.

Daniella's eyes search for Jeongins, but instead, she finds a group of girls. Group of girls she was hoping to never see again after finishing school. But there they are. Daniella turns away immediately, but they start calling her by name.

They noticed her, so now she is forced to approach them. "Hey," she fakes a smile, "anything you'd like to order?"

"Dani, darling, it is you," one of them laughs and turns to the others. "See, I told you once a street rat is always a street rat."

Daniella cannot believe how some people never mature. A lot of time has passed since high school. She didn't keep up with her classmates, but she expected them to be changed people. Little did she know some people can never change.

Those same four girls had made Daniella's life miserable. They picked on her relentlessly, and Daniella, well, she was too scared to talk back, so she endured. Even now she has to stay quiet because risking losing her job is not an option.

The other one stares at Daniella through her lashes. "A waitress," she laughs, "does that pay your bills or do you take some side quests?"

"Side quests?"

"She is really clueless," the third one laughs. "Imagine being that out of touch."

Daniella lets her hands go limp by her sides; she has to endure because that's what she does. The girl had promised to not let anyone treat her badly anymore, but it seems the promises she makes to herself are never prominent. She's just lying to herself. Daniella is letting herself become the source for their entertainment.

"If you're not ready to order, I'll be back in a bit," Daniella mutters, and with that, she walks away still with her notebook in her hands. She is not going to that table again. Changbin is, but that doesn't change what happened already. She let them get to her as always.

She sits down in front of the bar silently watching Chan hand out people drinks. The more drinks people have, the more they want. He is busy.

Then Daniella feels a figure take a seat next to her. She doesn't bother to look completely dismissing the idea of entertaining any drunken guy asking for attention. "What was that?"

A familiar voice forces Daniella to reconsider her words. She had completely forgotten about the angel watching her every single step.

He saw everything, and now Daniella wants to hit her head again against the redwood tabletop, hoping to forget. "Nothing," she shrugs, looking away from the guy's intense stare.

"Didn't look like nothing," the guy argues.

Daniella sighs. "You saw everything; what else do you want from me?"

"I need you to confirm what I heard was true," the angel mutters. His eyes dart towards the group; there's a certain coldness in his stare. After seeing what he can do, she doesn't like that. He may not hurt her, but others? She does not see a reason he cannot.

"Why does that matter?"

"It matters. What happened to you not letting others bring you down?" Jeongin questions. Great, now he is judging her. It doesn't make Daniella feel any much better. She had lost whatever respect the fallen angel had for her.

"Go away. There are no demons to be slayed," the girl grumbles at the blonde beside her. The angel means no harm to her, but he is not making the situation better. Jeongin is filling her jar of disappointment up to the brim.

Jeongin doesn't move and stays glued to the seat. He stares at the girl in what seems to be disbelief. "They are demons. Not in a literal sense, but they're vile."

"Well, welcome to the mortal world," Daniella comments half-jokingly. For someone stuck in the world for years, he has no clue how the stuff works.

He doesn't answer and instead stares at the group once again, pointing fingers and laughing at something. His eyebrows scrunch, and he snaps his fingers.

Daniella's eyes go wide as a lightbulb right above them explodes. It doesn't do any real damage, but the girls start shrieking like crazy. Then Daniella's eyes snap back to the fallen angel. He's satisfied with himself.

She can't help but smile at the sight. "You didn't have to do that," Daniella mutters.

The angel shrugs. "It was funny, so totally worth the effort."

[mintasa]

FALLEN ANGEL ~ CHAPTER 3

Pairing: Yang Jeongin x OC

Genre: Supernatural AU, slow burn, more will be added later

Warnings: Blood, cursing

Word count: 3,3k

Synopsis: The world is a harsh place. Especially for young girls trying to make a living. A young waitress was never afraid of the dark until mysterious vile creatures started crawling out of it. How can she stop them, and who is willing to help her figure out the secrets that had been kept from her for years?

Note: So I did decide to make a second story; this one is not nearly as planned out as the first one, and new chapters will probably take time to come out. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

Wattpad link Chapter list

Daniella was in deep slumber when she got woken up by Lucky barking at God knows what. She turns on her other side not suspecting much. The dog is a troublemaker but she's already too attached to drop him at the shelter. Daniella groggily rubs her eyes and then hears an unexpected doorbell ring.

It's strange. Nobody visits her, at least not without her prior knowledge. She approaches the door quietly to peek through the hole. There's a guy.

He smiles as if noticing the girl's presence even through the closed door. He waves at Daniella, proving the girl's theory. "I came with peace. Open the door," the guy calls out.

Daniella, however, doesn't believe the guy for a second, and runs off to grab a knife from the kitchen. It takes her courage to approach the door, not knowing when the guy might attack. "Who are you?"

The guy smirks. "I'm a demon," he tilts his head in a sassy manner. "A nice one, usually, but you're really trying my patience."

Daniella's entire body shakes at the reveal. She expected those words but was hopeful. The guy looked nothing like the monsters that had attacked her earlier. He doesn't barge in as well. What is he waiting for?

There's a warm breath against the girl's neck. "It's not nice to keep the guests waiting," the demon clicks his tongue, right in the girl's ear. Daniella turns towards him instantly, pointing her kitchen knife at the demon, who, with a flick of a hand, sends the weapon to stick into the nearest wall. "That's not nice either."

Lucky hears the unfamiliar voice and comes out of the bedroom barking, with a flick of a hand, he is pushed back, and the bedroom door shuts, locking the dog away. Now it's just her and the demon having a staring contest.

Daniella backs away slowly, but the guy stands still. He doesn't look like he is going to attempt a chase, he doesn't look like he is after her at all but she shouldn't let her guard off. "Why are you here?"

The demon only laughs at how startled the girl is and instead looks around. "Relax. I don't bite. Unless you want me to," he comments. The demon is acting shamelessly and the flabbergasted expression on the girl's face makes him laugh. "I'm just kidding, really."

The demon sits down on the couch, letting the girl scan the sharp-featured man in the living room. He didn't attempt to kill her, so she must be safe, at least for a while. "You didn't answer me."

The demon pouts. "As lovely as you are, I actually need to talk to your guardian, though he should keep a better eye on you," the guy sighs. "Sit down. Let's chat."

Daniella warily sits next to the demon, keeping a sensible amount of space between them. "Why do you need him?"

"He is hard to reach, and a little birdie told me he has been doing a terrible job at being a guardian," the demon explains.

Daniella doesn't rush to agree with the demon. Sure, the fallen angel seems to be not too keen on the girl, but he had saved her. He does his job, although not without causing some harm beforehand. "He helped me during the attacks of those creatures," Daniella mutters, her words even surprising her. Is she really defending the angel?

"Those creatures are low-class demons, and you're sitting on your cheap couch with a demon who could rip your guts out. He is doing a terrible job," the demon comments. So he is one of those creatures lurking in the dark, the creatures are demons just like him.

"But you won't rip out my guts right?"

The demon scoffs. "Believe me or not, I have better stuff to do. We don't necessarily terrorize humans, the upper class at least."

"So the lower class does terrorize people," Daniella rather states than asks. She knows the answer just needs confirmation and possibly more information. Anything she can get is useful at this point, the angel is providing her nothing to catch onto.

"Yes, those scums don't care as long as they feel any kind of satisfaction," the demon nods. He's spiteful; clearly, the classes do not get along. Demons don't get along with other demons, noted.

"How do the classes work?"

"Well, some of us demons are more human than others. Although we have similarities as well. We all feed on desire, but the lower class has primal urges. They pop child after child and bring chaos to the mortal word. They Are like parasites," the guy explains.

The ones she met being considered animalistic makes sense. One bit her after all and another snarled. They have a purpose, but then what does the upper class do? "What do you do then?"

"I'm a demon; I live up to my name. I punish the ones that deserve it and also keep track of the demonic activity in the mortal world," he pauses. "You've encountered quite a few lower-class demons."

"I did."

The demon stares at the girl critically, as if trying to see something in her but struggling. "That left the entire underworld curious."

"How so?"

The guy hesitates. Secrets once again. What could they possibly say so bad that her mortal brain wouldn't comprehend? "You shouldn't be able to communicate with them. Mortals can only see demons when overtaken by huge desire, any strong emotion can lead to that, but you see them all the time," the guy explains.

The demon had been more helpful than her guardian angel at this point. Is that guy an angel, though? Can he call himself that?

"Then why can I?"

"We are trying to figure it out," the demon sighs.

Suddenly the door of Daniella's apartment swings open, revealing a familiar fallen angel. He enters with a gush of wind, eyeing the demon who is carelessly spread on the couch. He does look angry but annoyed? most definitely.

"Jeongin! Long time no see," the demon smirks.

Jeongin, as Daniella had just learnt, doesn't look entertained. "Why are you here, Minho?"

Minho scowls. "Is that how you're going to treat an old friend?"

"Are we really friends?"

The demon completely ignores the question. He turns to the girl, causing the fallen angel to look at her as well. "I actually need to talk to you about your little mortal over here," he points at daniella. "You should keep a better eye on her."

"I am doing that?"

"Barely,do better, she's an angel, and the underworld seems to dig that," Minho smugly chimes at the vague answer of the angel.

Jeongin lets out a huff of air. He is pissed, but not pissed enough to cause a scene. The pair of guys seem to be on decent terms. "You're in no place to tell me what to do," Jeongin scoffs. "Keep your kind in check."

Minho lets his face drop. "Keep my kind in check? Really? The underworld is the kingdom of chaos. There are no rules," he argues. He stands up to look the fallen angel in the eye, and Daniella is caught up in the entire mess as a spectator.

Jeongin doesn't let himself be intimidated; he stands firm facing the demon. "There are rules in the mortal world."

Minho once again flops on the couch. "I know but the demon population is huge; we cannot keep track of every single one." The guy complains.

"Sounds like your problem," the fallen angel shoots right back.

Minho laughs once again. "My problem? When your mortal is involved?” He laughs dryly. "There's something special about her."

Daniella would have never imagined a demon calling her special, but it is surely a welcome surprise from the pits of hell. She could get used to compliments.

The fallen angel however does not resist ruining the moment. "She's not special."

"She sees more than she should," the demon points out. Apparently Daniella shouldn't see demons, but there is one sitting on her couch and arguing with her guardian angel. Interesting turn of events.

"Is it really that surprising? Maybe it has something to do with me being her guardian."

the angel could be the one causing Daniella problems just because he did something bad. The girl is liking him less and less with each word. If he is the cause of her problem she is about to fire him. She will make it possible somehow.

Minho nods. "Maybe, but you need to keep her safe-"

"I know my responsibilities," the angel cuts Minho in the middle of a sentence. Rude.

"Then you also know what's on the line," the demon mumbles. Now Daniella is confused, it is as if they're speaking a different language. What's on the line?

"You do not need to remind me."

***

The guys leave one after another, leaving Daniella with her extremely irritated dog. The demon had treated him like a rag doll. Dragged him across the room and locked him in the bedroom.

She gets why the dog is still uneasy. The atmosphere the supernatural left behind is thick. She has no clue how to move on with her life, and neither of the boys provided her any tips. Does she need garlick to scare the demons away?

There's a knock, but this time when Daniella checks, it is just the owner of the apartment complex. Daniella opens the door wide, but the woman doesn't let herself in. "Come to tell you I'm raising the rent," the woman announces.

Raising? Daniella can barely pay the current one, and losing money would mean no bike any time soon. "What? Why?"

"There's one less person to pay the bills, yet the house requires the same amount of care. You'll need to cover the missing part of the budget," the woman explains. She is banking on the fact that the elderly woman died to rob the other people in the complex. Daniella in particular because she's scared of the thugs living in the complex.

"I do not have that amount of money," the girl mumbles.

"Too bad. Bills won't pay themselves or you can always move out," the woman suggests.

Moving out is not an option. The apartment was the best she could get with her limited budget. It's not in good shape, but other apartments were too expensive. "I'll get the money," the girl sighs, letting her head hang.

"You better."

***

In order to keep her apartment, Daniella will have to somehow lower her cost of living. So no more coffee. She will have to lower the water and electricity bills as well. She will do anything that will provide her with some extra money. Maybe she should get a second job as well? But no one is probably gonna hire her, she's lucky to have the current one.

A car stops by the girl, and a window rolls down. "Are you seriously still walking alone in the dark?" The angel comments as he follows the girl with his car. Him again as if the things cannot get worse.

"I need to get to work," the girl answers, only quickening her pace. She does not have time for small talk. She needs to get to work. To earn money. Life isn't easy but she is forced to live it.

Jeongin still follows. "I can drive you. Get in," the guy prompts.

Daniella, however, is not interested in charity. Hand me down clothes was all she saw for her entire life, and even now she thrifts stuff. She does not need anybody's help. "I have legs, thanks," she smiles fakely at the fallen angel.

"You're incredibly frustrating, you know that?”

"Rich coming from you," the girl answers smugly.

The fallen angel groans, still following her closely. "Get in the car," he almost pleads. The desperation sounds good coming from him. The power is in her hands for once.

"No."

The guy shakes his head in disapproval. "Don't act like a child."

"Don't tell me what to do," Daniella snaps right back. She's tired of people controlling her. Telling her what to do. What not to do. Being watched. She just wants to live a normal life, without worrying about people robbing her of the fun.

The guy grits his teeth. "You have three seconds to get in the car," he mumbles. It's somewhat of a threat or at least Daniella considers his words a threat.

Frankly, she doesn't care a bit. "Not happening," she scoffs.

Jeongin suddenly snaps his fingers, and it starts pouring out of nowhere. The cold shower of rain gets the girl drenched almost immediately. Her body tenses from both the cold water and the anger. "Seriously?"

"What?" The guy shrugs as Daniella continues to stare at him, and he looks around. "The weather does not seem that nice, huh?"

"I cant fucking stand you," Daniella groans, reaching for the handle of the car door. She was defeated.

***

"Not the scene I expected to find you at," Daniella hears a snarky voice. The demon. Minho.

His presence isn't unwelcome but she's not glad to see him either. He's the messenger of bad news. Daniella quietly approaches the guy sitting by the bar. "What are you doing here?"

A girl brushes a hand over Minho's back suggestively. She can see him. Daniella isn't talking to an empty chair. The demon notices Daniella calculating. "What is it?"

"Didn't you say demons should be invisible to humans?"

Minho takes a swing at whatever drink he had previously ordered. Jisung must have served him, Daniella doesn't remember serving him. "Oh, that. The upper-class demons can make themselves visible," he explains briefly. Another piece of information to her blank page of paper.

"You didn't answer me," the girl mumbles, not satisfied by the answer. He ignored her first question by answering the second.

"I feel like Jeongin is a bit distant and you need a mentor," the guy mutters. He pats the chair next to him. "Sit down for a second and ask me whatever you want to know."

Daniella has many questions, but she is wary of believing the demon. He's a demon; after all, he could be trying to manipulate her. "Why do I need a guardian?" The first question is the same the angel refused to answer.

Minho sighs. "Darling, it's not you that needs surveillance; it's him that needs to take responsibility," the demon answers.

"How is that fair? If he wasn't my guardian, I wouldn't have an army of demons after me," the girl sulks. She doesn't get why she has to suffer when it's her guardian who did something wrong.

"The world isn't a fair place if you hadn't noticed," the guy murmurs.

"I know, but it doesn't make sense. What did he do?" The girl wonders for what feels like the hundredth time. She wants to know who Jeongin is and who she is dealing with.

Minho sighs. "That I cannot answer. What happened was between him and the creator. Unless Jeongin tells you there's no way of finding out," he explains, leaving the girl unsatisfied. She has to know what the angel did because, without the truth, not even the guy can be trusted.

"Then how do you know everything else?"

"Observation," Minho shrugs. The guy stands up abruptly. "My duties are waiting; hopefully I didn't scare you too much. I tend to be a bit eccentric at times." He smiles warmly this time. Without an annoying smirk taunting his sharp features.

***

She comes back home only to drift into a deep slumber, hoping she can sleep through any storm. Or rather wake up from the nightmare she had been stuck in. Angels and demons are fun as long as they're mythological.

"Hello," the same boy that talked to her a while ago mutters. The girl ignores him completely. His mom was rude, and she was told to not interact with those like him. He sits down next to the girl.

"What do you want?" The girl is forced to talk after the boy doesn’t get the hint that she wants to be left alone.

"Nothing," he smiles brightly.

"Then you can go," the girl scrunches her eyebrows in confusion. Why would the boy approach her if he doesn't need anything?

"You seem like you need a friend," the boy protests. He lets his legs swing as he looks away from the girl.

Daniella would love to spend her days with more than the woman's company, but she's worried. Worried about what happened the last time. "What about your mom?"

"We are good as long as she doesn't find out," the boy whispers. He jumps off the bench and extends the girl a chubby little hand. "Let's go."

"Go where?" The girl hesitantly takes his hand.

"To play. Isn't it boring to come here and sit on a bench?"

"What if your mom sees?" The girl worries once again, but lets the boy drag her along. The woman was not nice to her, and her caretaker told her not to associate with people like him because they would never let her into their circle, but the boy is more than willing.

"She won't," the boy's eyes glisten at the girl.

"Fine," she mumbles, accepting her destiny and giving the boy a chance.

They get to the tree house and climb up the ladder. It's just the two of them sealed away from the other kids. Or rather the world. "Why are you here?"

The question confuses the girl completely. "What do you mean?"

"My mom said you are from the mortal world," the boy explains, leaving the girl to register the new information. She doesn't understand anything he's telling her. She's not from here?

"Mortal world? What is that?"

"It's a place where people like you live," the boy explains briefly. He doesn't look like he knows much about the topic either. They're just two clueless kids.

People like her? There are others like her? The woman never mentioned that she just told Daniella she was special. "Where is that place?" The little girl wonders.

The boy shrugs. "I don't know exactly; I've never been there." He admits.

The girl sulks. "Why are you telling me this then?"

"I felt like you would like to know.”

Silence.

"Do you think my parents are there?" The girl questions. Now that her eyes are opened, she needs to explore the possibilities.

The boy shrugs once again. "They must be."

So the woman had lied to her about who she was. What else did she lie about? Or rather kept from the girl? "How can you get to the mortal world?"

"I don't know," the boy mumbles, "I am not allowed to go until I'm older."

The girl nods. The boy's parents are strict with him as much as her caretaker is with her. With the boy's help or without, she needs to see people like her. She wants to be welcome somewhere, and clearly, in this world, there's no place for her. People look at her weirdly and they whisper when they see her.

"Are you really planning to go there?" The boy questions, and the girl nods. "I've heard bad things about that place."

"I am," Daniella answers; she doesn't care. She isn't planning to stay; she just needs to see if that place is real. If other people like her exist. She wants to explore without her caregiver holding her back.

The woman lied. The woman Daniella trusts lied to her. She isn't sure the boy isn’t lying to her as well, but the woman always keeps stuff to herself. She doesn't answer the girls' questions. She lies.

"Meet me here the next time you come," the boy proposes. "I'll try to figure out how to get there."

The little girl nods briefly. There's no way for Daniella to assess any information, but the boy seems to have freedom. He may be useful, and he is nice to her. He doesn't keep his distance from the girl like other kids do. She likes him.

[mintasa]

FALLEN ANGEL ~ CHAPTER 2

Pairing: Yang Jeongin x OC

Genre: Supernatural AU, slow burn, more will be added later

Warnings: Blood, cursing

Word count: 3,1k

Synopsis: The world is a harsh place. Especially for young girls trying to make a living. A young waitress was never afraid of the dark until mysterious vile creatures started crawling out of it. How can she stop them, and who is willing to help her figure out the secrets that had been kept from her for years?

Note: So I did decide to make a second story; this one is not nearly as planned out as the first one, and new chapters will probably take time to come out. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

Wattpad link Chapter list

Alarm for the work awakens Daniella to start her day. Her neck is stiff, and the dream she had was nothing else but confusing. People with wings? What a joke! Yet she saw one just a bit ago. No one else saw him, so how does she know the guy was real?

Daniella gently brushes the dog away before getting up to get ready. While the girl may not have to run, walking is still quite difficult. The club is quite far from her house.

It's getting dark already. The sun is setting, illuminating the sky in deep, dark colors. The nighttime is nice, but the light pollution does take away a lot. Daniella can only imagine what it feels to look up at the stars from some random, non-light-up field. Must be breathtaking.

The girl spent her entire life in the city. Alone most of the time. She doesn't know who her parents are, and the workers of the foster care had told her multiple times that they found her in the middle of the street without any memories.

They called her a miracle child for a while because there were no records of her birth or existance. There was nothing they could pin to her and the lack of memories they brushed off as a trauma response. Luckily from the day she was taken, she remembers everything.

Her first foster parents kept her for a few years just to renovate their house with the money the government provided for the girl. Daniella never experienced closure with those people, but she was clothed and fed. It was more than enough.

Them dropping her off at the foster care center did hurt the girl a bit though. She had gotten used to those people. They had a chihuahua she was really fond of. He did look like a rat with big eyes and angrily screeched continuously, but still every evening he cuddled against the girl as she slept.

Now she has Lucky. Lucky is the opposite of that Chihuahua. He's big and intimidating but also completely harmless and a huge cuddler. She only had two dogs in her life, and they are polar opposites. Maybe people are like that as well. Looks are unassuming.

As it continues to grow darker, a car stops right by Daniella's side. The window rolls down to reveal a familiar blonde. Daniella stops in her tracks for a second, as if seeing a ghost. What if the events of the last shift were just a dream as well? She was too tired to differentiate the real from the imaginary.

"Get in," the guy mumbles almost spitefully.

Not the first time she had been offered a ride, but the first time somebody offered while looking completely uninterested and dismissive. She must be seeing stuff; there's nothing special about the guy. There's no magic fairy dust surrounding him. "I'm good," she replies before walking away. She knows better than to get into the car with a stranger.

The car slowly follows her. "It's dangerous to be outside this late," the guy argues, and the lack of humane empathy on his face is honestly disturbing.

"It's dangerous to get in cars with strangers," Daniella points out the obvious.

He looks genuinely insulted and squints at the girl. "Do I look like a creep to you?"

Daniella glances at him once again. He looks well put together, but how does one acquire a car like his without doing anything sketchy? "With that fancy can of yours," she concludes, "Yes."

The guy rolls his eyes subtly. Or not so subtly. "What about my car?"

"How does somebody as young as you acquire a car like that?" Daniella sends him a skeptical look. He might as well have rich parents, but Daniella does not entertain that idea too much either. All the rich people are total snobs.

"What are you implying?"

What is she implying? Black market? "That the organs of young girls walking alone in the street cost a bunch," the girl shrugs half jokingly. She doesn't think he necessarily sells girls, but drugs are a possibility.

The guy scoffs. "Fine, suit yourself." Then the car window closes, and the car speeds by, leaving the girl once again to wander alone through dark streets.

***

Daniella did manage to get to the work without any further events. Now she is going to have to deal with drunk people again. Not the ideal way to spend her days, but it's something she has to do in order to survive.

She puts on her uniform and approaches the other waiter. Jisung. A fun guy to work with. Charmingly weird. She had gone out as coworkers with him once because his friend had to cancel, and well, she had a lot of fun. He had the tickets to the amusement park parked paid ahead, so she at least made use of them.

Jisung scans the girl, who is obviously uncomfortable by the lingering gaze. "What? I got something on me." The girl questions, pulling at her shirt.

The waiter approaches her in a few strides. "Pull that neckline down; you'll get more tips," he comments, smiling at the girl charmingly.

"I'm not going around with my boobs out," Daniella protests. As much as she's grown to like the guy, he can be a bit too much at times.

"It was a friendly tip," the guy defends himself and backs away, holding his hands up in a comedic manner.

"No boobs, no opinion."

"I may not have boobs, but when I roll up the sleeves of my shirt, the tips start flooding in," Jisung smiles as he rests his elbow against the counter. "Just saying."

Daniella eyes the guy. He works out; she can see that. Although he's a total klutz and an idiot, he has a point. She pulls at her shirt just enough to reveal some cleavage. "Good?"

"Will do the job." The guy gives thumbs up and walks away. An idiot but sadly one of her few friends.

At that moment, the first customers walked in. An older guy raises his hand in the air, asking for a waiter. "Dani, go test the theory," Chan grins at the girl, who simply rolls her eyes at the bartender.

***

Daniella did get more tips, but not nearly enough for a new bike. She still has to walk home. By herself, with a shoulder bag hanging loosely on her shoulder. She's hoping the thieves aren't around; sure, she would try to fight them, but would she win? Probably not.

For some weird reason, in her entire existence, she had never been as paranoid as she is right now. She's cautious of monsters jumping out of the dark alleys. Her eyes are glued to the surroundings, or rather the lack of them. There's just the poorly lit streets.

There's still a feeling lingering somewhere deep in the girl's chest saying she's being watched. The girl turns around to be met with nothing but an empty street. A bush rattles, giving the girl a scare, but just a rat runs out. She's used to the little guys at this point. The basement of the apartment complex is full of them, and sometimes they manage to get into apartments.

Maybe she should have adopted a cat instead of a dog. A more fit animal for her busy routine. A dog like Lucky is active, and Daniella has no time to keep up with him.

Daniella sighs, realizing she's thinking too much into everything. The girl double-checked multiple times. No one is following her. She’s paranoid.

She glances at the time only to notice a shadow on the building moving. A claw stretches out lazily, reaching for the girl. She stirs, and her head snaps around. There's nothing at all. Not even a rat.

She quickens her pace only to run into an obstacle. A black liquid is dropping out of the lanky creature's mouth. Deep black skin melts into the night sky as it bares its teeth at the girl. It snarls.

The girl stumbles back, and the creature doesn't attempt to catch her; it lets her run blindly until suddenly it is in front of her once again. She looks back only to see the same one still standing far away. There's two.

Another claw appears out of an alley bracing itself against the building. This one is limping. It's smaller and older-looking as well.

Daniella feels a claw run through her hair. The first one got closer and twisted a strand of her hair with his clawed hand. It is observing the girl. The second one snarls at the first one. Then the third one slowly approaches and tilts its head at the girl.

The waitress does not know who those creatures are, but she is terrified. She is terrified to move, thinking that she might provoke the creatures. The third one runs its clawed finger over one of her calves before it bites.

The bite is crushing—much worse than a dog bite. She can tell because the chihuahua of her foster parents had bitten her a few times. This creature is way worse than a small, angry dog. Daniella somehow manages to kick the injured creature away. It snarls and runs to hide behind one of the other ones.

Then she sees him again. The man with the huge wings on his back. The creatures screech in unison before starting to run in the opposite direction. Another snap of the fingers, and they turn into a pile of sparkly dust.

The blonde is in front of her. He is real and is approaching her. She moves back only to step on her bad leg and flop on her buttocks. Daniella scrambles off the ground, now more embarrassed than scared.

"Look, if I wanted to kill you, I'd just snap my fingers and get it done with," the guy comments, clearly bored with the girl's cautious actions. She however isn't done with the guy.

Him being able to kill her with a snap of his fingers doesn’t ease the girls nerves a bit. She has seen him do magic with just a snap, so she is sure he could easily kill her. she cannot trust a guy with black wings on his back to tell her the truth. "Why haven't you?"

"Why would I want to kill you?" he shrugs. A distraction instead of an answer.

"Then why are you following me?" The girl comments, walking backwards as the guy slowly follows. He is not necessarily chasing her, but he is not letting her walk away either.

"Because you're trying to get away?"

"Not an answer," the girl shakes her head.

"My car is over the corner. I'll get you home, and then we'll talk." It's a peace offering. Peace offering from a random guy in the middle of the street. No thanks, sounds like a death wish.

It is not an ideal situation at all; Daniella would rather not invite the guy into her home, although she has plenty of questions. "I can walk," the girl protests.

The blonde raises an eyebrow. "Barely."

The leg the creature bit is bleeding. She made a red trail the entire way she was backing up from the guy. Maybe she shouldn't be walking. "Fine," she groans.

Daniella limps to the car parked just around the corner. She's drowsy. Probably from the blood loss or the work. Maybe both of the above.

"I'll get your car bloody," the girl mutters, eyeing the expensive seats; she would probably give up a lung and a liver for them.

"Right," the guy walks around the car. He crouches, and the girl moves away. He rolls his eyes at her not so subtly. "I am trying to help you."

"Help me how?"

"Let me show you." He mumbles, and the girl stands still as he places a palm over her leg. A bright light starts emerging from it. So bright that she has to close her eyes.

First the pain is gone, and then the blood stops trickling down her calf. It's dark again, and the guy straightens himself. Daniella cannot believe her eyes. She pulls the pants up to see the bite mark nowhere to be found. There's just some dried-up blood.

"How?"

"Divine magic," he mumbles, getting into the driver seat. "Get in the car."

The girl obliges, and the guy takes his time to move away. He leans back and eyes the girl smugly. "What happened to not getting into cars with strangers?"

Daniella does not take teasing lightly. At the foster care, she was teased mercilessly and not always kindly. She cannot stand people looking down at her, not anymore. "You want me to get out?" She is already reaching for the door handle, but the guy locks all the doors.

She slumps back into the seat, and suddenly all of the intimidation is gone. Maybe because without the wings the guy just looks like an average asshole. When did they even disappear?

"I'm not a car expert, but we aren't moving," Daniella comments snarkily.

Then they move off silently. The ride with a car isn't long at all. She is quiet as the guy stops in front of her apartment building. She enters the pin, letting the guy come after her. He stops and hesitates.

The winged man had promised her answers; she is not letting him dip like the last time. "Do you need a written invitation?"

The guy shakes his head before entering and following the girl upstairs. Lucky greets the girl, licking at her arms and wagging his tail furiously. Then he sees the guy. The dog's tail stops wagging, and he starts barking. Not good; she wasn't expecting that. The dog had never barked at anyone. Anyone besides the heavenly creature from before...

She tugs the dog away, locking it away in the bathroom. He stops barking but still scratches at the door.

The guy however made himself comfortable on her couch while she was fighting the large dog. The dog is getting her complaint after complaint.

Daniella sits at the opposite corner of the couch. Neither of them talks, although the guy said he would talk. She doesn't ask him anything either, she is scared to do so. "So tell me," the girl urges.

Now the winged man's full attention is on her. "Tell you what?"

"I don't know. Everything!"

"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific," he mumbles, purposely avoiding the conversation. She can see that just from his eyes, they're the windows to the soul. The guy may have made himself welcome, but he isn't comfortable.

Daniella scans him once again. The guy has blonde hair, sharp features, and is overall built like some god. She went to school. She's seen quite a few attractive guys. They do not compare to him. There's something otherworldly about him. No, he is something otherworldly. "What are you exactly?"

"An angel," he shrugs as if it's a casual thing to say.

Daniella knew the guy was not a human, but she didn't expect him to be an angel either. He doesn't quite look like it. She can't quite get a finger on it. He does look like the god himself sculpted him, but something is not right. The wings. The wings are supposed to be white. "But your wings are black."

The guy looks caught off guard. She recognises the emotion. Shame. Pure shame. He lifts his eyes to the girls again. He smiles somehow wickedly, not in an angelic way by any means. "Oh, I am a special kind of angel."

"What do you mean?"

"You humans would call me a fallen angel," he announces in an annoyingly taunting voice. He wants to intimidate her, but she won't be. He made it clear he has no intention to hurt her; now she needs to figure out why.

"Fallen? How does an angel fall?"

His shoulders drop as he sighs. He hesitates once again. "They do something bad."

Those words are worse than whatever intimidation techniques he was using on her. What's the worst possible thing an angel can do to be punished like that? "What did you do?"

He looks away. "Something I regret deeply and am paying for."

A vague answer. He's secretive with his answers. She may be a mere human, but he owes her an explanation why she has a bunch of clawed monsters after her and why he is playing the hero. "Paying how?"

"Im exiled to what you call earth to mingle with mortals," he explains, obviously annoyed at the questioning. Daniella is poking into a dangerous area, and she knows that.

Earth cannot be that bad, right? He has a fancy car and can voodoo people to do shit for him. He cannot complain unless there is a catch. "And do what exactly?"

The guy's eyes meet Daniellas for the first time in a while. "You are my punishment. I am supposed to keep you alive."

Daniella struggles to comprehend. She gets the minimum wage and can barely afford rent, and yet the supernatural chose her to have a bodyguard. "Why me?"

Such simple words bring the guy over the edge. He explodes. He pulls up to his feet, leaning over the girl and trapping her on the couch. "Because youre a fucking disaster, who needs supervision?"

She cannot stand disrespect. Angel or not, he is not her boss. "I was doing just fine without you," the girl scoffs, knowing he cannot hurt her even if he wants to. At least according to his words, he cannot be sure. she's torn on what to believe.

"You would be dead without me," the guy says, shaking his head at the girl. With that, he just walks out of the apartment. Purely for the dramatic effect. She's seen him disappear in front of her eyes. He is putting on an act. Great, the two of them can make an award-winning play.

Nothing about the situation makes sense. It doesn't make sense why those creatures are attacking her all of a sudden. It doesn't make sense why she can see the unseen. The angel is not much of a help either. He's dismissive and keeps stuff to himself. Probably because he knows something she doesn't?

Can Daniella even trust a fallen angel? He was thrown out of heaven for a reason. Although she isn't sure how that place works, she's sure there are certain rules and he broke them. Besides, Lucky didn't like the guy; he went feral, although he lets anybody pet him. He must have a bad gut feeling and dogs are never wrong.

[mintasa]

FALLEN ANGEL ~ CHAPTER 1

Pairing: Yang Jeongin x OC

Genre: Supernatural AU, slow burn, more will be added later

Warnings: Blood, cursing

Word count: 3,2k

Synopsis: The world is a harsh place. Especially for young girls trying to make a living. A young waitress was never afraid of the dark until mysterious vile creatures started crawling out of it. How can she stop them, and who is willing to help her figure out the secrets that had been kept from her for years?

Note: So I did decide to make a second story; this one is not nearly as planned out as the first one, and new chapters will probably take time to come out. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

I have published a few chapters of this story before but didn't have time for updates or writing at all, so I deleted it. Now the story is nearly done, so I’m starting to post again.

Wattpad link Chapter list

Daniella's work requires her to become a vampire of sorts. In the daytime she sleeps, and at night the fun begins. She never had it easy, so the schedule doesn’t scare her a tiny bit. Night or day, doesn’t matter because the darkness is not one of her fears.

Truth be told, no one is scared of the dark, but instead of what lurks inside it. A drunk guy or two doesn't scare the girl at all. How would they chase her when they barely wobble? And kidnappers? She's hoping to never encounter them because she probably wouldn't outrun them. Anything else she is sure she can manage, well maybe not a car hitting her. She's sure she couldn't walk away from that.

The girl believes herself to be fearless until one dark night a familiar Australian shepherd jumps in front of her bike, making her quickly turn and fall into a bush. It doesn't hurt as much physically as it hurts her pride. She was proven to not be fearless afterall.

Daniella scrambles out of the bush to find the dog sitting beside her bike, wagging its tail at her. Stupid dog, with his stupid youthful happiness. The puppy tilts its head at the girl and slightly raises its ears when it hears voices coming out of a nearby building.

The furry creature is still young. He was curious, he didn't mean to cause the girl any harm. Until this day, the puppy seems to still recognise the girl after that one time she took on babysitting duty while her neighbor was away.

Daniella's next-door neighbor was the only person in the entire building she had any connection to. Most likely because the girl rents the cheapest apartment she could possibly find. It's no surprise most of her neighbors are alcoholics, drug dealers, and just terrible people in general. They do not want to associate with the girl and neither does she.

However, the granny on the other side of the door is kind. She had lost her husband recently, so she brought the puppy to keep her company. They are always together, spending the lonely days woman has to pass missing her beloved. Wait, so why is the dog outside?

The owner must have let him out to pee and fallen asleep. there's no way she would let the puppy wander alone in the middle of the night. Daniella should probably get the dog home and be helpful for once. her neighbor must find it difficult to climb those slippery stairs of the apartment complex. Besides, the dog is young, and the world is a scary place for someone with no experience.

Daniella secures her bike to a pole before entering the pin code for the apartment. The door opens, and the puppy swooshes right by the girl's shins, almost sweeping the girl off her feet. In alert the girl lets go of the huge metal door, and it snaps shut with a loud thud.

Something her neighbors are definitely going to snitch on, when talking to the owner of the building. They tend to do that and give the girl a hard time.

Daniella ushers for the dog to go upstairs quicker but it simply jumps around her misunderstanding what the girl wants from it. The stairs are the girls biggest enemy. The elevator hadn't been working for a long time, and the owner only provided empty promises to fix it. That's why, after a tiring day of work, Daniella still has to climb those stupidly tall stairs.

The girl reaches and knocks at her neighbor's door, but no one answers. Then she tries again, a bit louder this time but still nothing. An uneasy shiver runs down Daniella's spine, probably from the cold. The corridors are always cold, their heating system is not working and seems to be like that for a while.

Daniella's hand hesitantly reaches for the handle, and the door creaks open. The puppy rushes inside through the small gap, sending the door wide open and smashing it against the wall earning the girl another complaint.

And then the dog starts barking, yet another complaint. Why towards her? Because she comes back late and everything that happens at night is somewhat her fault.

Daniella steps inside the house in an attempt to calm down the dog and the sound of the barking leads the girl to the kitchen. She's taking cautious steps because she feels like she's invading the woman's privacy, which she is of course, but she does not mean any harm.

The puppy goes silent once Daniella's eyes are on his owner. Its owner is slumped over her desk, her head facing the wooden tabletop. A magazine is lying under the woman's feet.

One minute the woman is sitting and another her silhouette stars glowing bright gold color. The silhouette sits up while the woman's body is still slouched. The woman looks around curiously and almost fearfully.

Then another unwelcome surprise happens. A bright light lights up the entire room. Another glowing silhouette descends from the sky. This one in the form of a man. Gorgeous man, with long blonde hair. It taps the woman's shoulder to get her attention and takes her hand.

Out of nowhere the heavenly creature's eyes snap to Daniellas. The dog seems to notice the silhouette as well and starts barking once again. The glowing figure looks shocked for a brief second but then smiles and waves at the girl. The entire interaction takes seconds and suddenly, the light is gone, and Daniella is left in the dark to deal with the shock.

***

An officer stands in the corridor while few others are searching around the house. Daniella had already been informed that the woman seems to have died a peaceful natural death. They just have to ask her questions, which Daniella is more than glad to answer.

"So how did you stumble upon the body?" The officer asks. A young woman. Daniella once dreamed of becoming an officer. To stand firm unbothered by the world, just like the woman in front of her.

"The owner's dog was outside when I came from work. I wanted to bring it back, and when I knocked, no one answered, so I let myself in," The girl explains, and the officer nods.

The questioning is brief. The woman grabs a piece of a sticky note and hands it to the girl. "Please write down your number in case we have any other questions." Daniella obliges, and the woman smiles. "That's it for now. Have a good morning, miss."

Morning. The sun is already rising as the cops leave. Daniella doesn't stay till they're all gone yet, and in an attempt to get to the mailbox, she runs into one small detail everybody forgot about. The dog.

It wags its tail at the girl happily. How can she leave him by himself in the corridor? She lets the dog in, forgetting all about the mail. Great, now she's got herself another mouth to feed, although she can barely feed herself.

The dog jumps on the couch with his dirty little paws, which makes the girl regret her decisions once again. She sighs and approaches the dog. Her fingers fiddle with the puppies fur until she finds a pedant attached to the dog's collar. "Lucky," she reads out and scoffs. The irony in those words is insane. "You're not lucky at all, buddy."

***

The dog is a struggle. Daniella barely manages to get out of her apartment without letting the dog out. If Lucky starts barking or howling while she's away and gets the girl in trouble, she's putting him for adoption. Her kindness has strict limits.

Daniella rushes down the stairs since she has already wasted some of her precious time. She has no time to rest. Like a gush of fresh wind, she flies to her bike only not to find it where she left it. There's just a single tire attached to the pole. Somebody stole her bike, at least most of it. The dog seems to be sucking all the luck out of the girl.

Either way Daniella needs the job desperately, so she rushes. She runs and manages to arrive just on time. From now on, she will have to wake up earlier to walk. She does not have the money for a new bike. She will have to save up and it will probably take a while.

The club she works at is often crowded. She doesn't enjoy the loud music or the sweaty people, yet she stays for the money. Night shifts pay well at least well enough to feed her and pay her bills.

The bartender grins at the girl's flushed face. "God, who chased you?" Laughs Chan, cleaning up some glasses.

"Responsibilities," Daniella murmurs, disappearing in the staff room. She changes quickly, approaching the bartender once again. The club is about to open, but for now they're both jobless.

"No, really, what happened?" The bartender asks again. Chan, as she learnt, is a genuine guy. He's kind and talkative. The girls go to the club just to talk to him. He, however, is oblivious, or at least pretends to be. He's also her friend so she never fails to point it out.

"First of all, my neighbor died," Daniella complains. "Second, my bike got stolen, so I ran here."

"Luck is not on your side," the guy sighs. "Anyway, can I help?"

"No, I'll manage," Daniella sighs. She could use the help, but she refuses because it doesn't feel right to use the kindness of others. "Speaking about luck, I also inherited the neighbor's dog. Guess what its name is."

"What is it?" The guy asks glumly.

"Lucky!"

***

The shift is relatively calm. Not many days Daniella can quietly clean up and leave before the sunrise. Today is one of the days, and she has to walk home. Somehow the night seems much scarier when the girl isn't flying on a bike. She's vulnerable and slow. Perfect scenario for kidnapping but she refuses to be scared.

Daniella walks back home only to find Lucky clawing at the door. He wants to go for a walk and in protest claws at the door, so she has to take him.

The new pair of best buddies walks together down a path in a small, darkly lit park. Somehow it's safer than the streets because the worst thing besides a person they can encounter is a squirrel. Those can carry diseases but that's about it.

The park comes to an end. Lucky sees a squirrel and, in a rushed tug, manages to rip the leash out of the girl's hands. He hurries back into the forest.

Daniella hesitates to go back for the dog but then she hears voices. "Just give a few more days," a man pleads. His voice is desperate, as if he is held at gunpoint. Maybe he is, she should call the police.

Daniella lets her curiosity win over and approaches the situation. There's a middle-aged man and a creature cornering the man. "We had a deal, and you didn't complete your part," the creature snarls. A shiver goes down the girl's spine at the inhumane voice.

"I just need more time."

"Too late human," the creature cackles. Then the creature snaps its clawed fingers, and the man lifts up in the air. Same familiar glowing silhouette emerges and gets sucked into a bottle hung under the creature's neck.

Daniella gasps as the man's body slumps to the ground. The creature makes a sharp turn. They make eye contact; the girl's feet attempt to run, yet an invisible force knocks her off her feet and drags her back.

The creature releases her, and she stumbles into a wall as it corners her. The skin of the monster in front of her is a deep crimson shade; there are cysts on its body with liquid leaking out of them. The creature has claws and horns. It smiles and it turns out it has fangs too.

"What is a little human like you doing here? Spying?" The creature cackles.

"I swear I didn't mean to. I won't tell anyone," Daniella panics while the creature just smugly stands there.

"Now, where is the fun in that? Let's play a little bit longer," the creature smiles once again, showing off the fangs. "Not everyday you meet a mortal provided with the power to see those above and below."

"What?"

"You're really clueless, aren't you? Well, humans don't seem to exceed in smarts," the creature laughs, holding onto its own belly. "I'm sure I'll have other uses for you." The clawed fingers stroke the girl's arm. Then the creature grips her, digging the claws into the girl's flesh.

"It hurts," the girl mumbles as she pathetically tries to escape. The creature is strong, its grip crushing the girl at a touch.

"Oh, it is going to hurt much more when I get you home," the creature mumbles.

At that moment, a bright light lit up the alley. Daniella manages to blink before everything goes dark again. The creature releases the girl and turns its head. Daniella sees what he's looking at as well. There's a shadow of a guy with huge wings coming out of his back.

He nears the pair in a few long strides. A young guy with black feathered wings. He's stoic, and the creature immediately seems intimidated. It leaves the girl alone, crashing into a corner himself. The blonde does not pay the girl attention, instead snapping his fingers.

The creature shrieks as it slowly turns into dust the wind carries away. Only then, the guy's eyes snap to the girl. Daniella is quick to her defense. "I swear I won't tell anyone," she mumbles.

The guy groans. "Shut up. Where do you live?"

The girl takes in her surroundings, realizing she was near her apartment. "Just over the corner," the girl answers truthfully.

"Okay," the guy mumbles before making his wings disappear and grabbing the girl's forearm. Then he starts dragging her along as she barely makes an attempt to follow. She is afraid to lead a stranger to her apartment. Especially one with wings.

Daniella stops abruptly by her apartment. The guy takes the hint and releases Daniella, who rushes to the front door. She cannot put in the code. Her hands are shaking uncontrollably.

The guy groans, approaches the girl and slaps her hand away. "What is the code?" He questions.

"0325," the girl mutters.

The guy walks in, and the door swings open. Then the door shuts behind the girl, but soon she realizes the guy followed. He looks around, keeping his face cold. "What do you want from me?" Daniella finds the courage to ask.

The guy backs her into a corner. "Nothing much," he grabs her chin, forcing them to make deep eye contact. "I need you to forget everything that happened in the alley."

Is he manifesting? Daniella blinks, breaking eye contact. "I don't think I ever will."

The guy backs away from her in disbelief. "It didn't work."

"What didn't work?"

"My magic doesn't work on you," the guy groans, running a hand through his blonde hair.

“you tried to brainwash me!”

“Not a word about this or I’ll hunt you down.” With that, the guy vanishes in front of the girl's eyes, leaving the girl utterly confused on what happened.

***

When Daniella went to her apartment, she was greeted by Lucky. She thought she was imagining stuff this entire time, but Lucky had seen the heavenly creature as well. He barked at it, and it is believed that the animal world can see more than an average human. They can see past the things humans cannot comprehend.

Now Daniella knows what she saw was real, but she cannot even confide in anyone without being called crazy. It does sound crazy, and it's not like Lucky can back up her theories. It's embarrassing how unlucky she is.

Daniella slumps on her couch, and Lucky jumps to her side, placing his head in the girl's lap. The girl slowly scratches its fur until she gets drowsy, hoping the next day would take a break and not come so soon.

It is hot, scorching hot, and she is barely a child. A woman walks in carrying a certain demanding nature with her but smiles softly at the girl. She squats to the girl, wrapping her in a hug. It is somehow relieving, although Daniella can sense something off about the woman.

The woman doesn't look special, but Daniella knows she isn't her mother. She doesn't really care a lot because the girl is provided with the comfort she craves for. Daniella trusts the woman, and that is enough for the both of them.

She's not there to care for the girl all the time. She is alone; the woman does not allow her to go outside. The world is too dangerous for Daniella, at least until she is a child.

One day it changed. The woman took Daniella outside. There was a park. A lot of people gathered in one place. They're different. Daniella does not look like them.

"Why do they look like that?" Daniella asks, eyeing the other kids curiously. Some of them have white feathered wings and others have scally black ones.

"Each person is unique, and so are you," the woman smiles. "Now less questions, more playing."

Only then does Daniella acknowledge a playground. The kids are in a playground. She's letting her go there with them.

Daniella approaches the kids hesitantly. She doesn't quite know what to do. What to say? She had never seen other kids her age.

"Are you not bored alone?" A little boy approaches the girl. He has a cheeky smile and unevenly cut bangs, which he probably did himself. Also a bright white pair of wings.

The woman warned her to not interact with the kids that look like him. She said they were different. Standoffish. Daniella wouldn't like them anyway. "Go away," the girl grumbles.

"Sorry, you just looked lonely," the little boy chimes.

He turns to walk away, but Daniella doesn’t let him walk away easily. He was the first to approach her. "I was told to not talk to you," the girl says, catching the little boy's attention.

He comes back. "Why?"

"She said I'm not like you," Daniella mutters, although the only difference she could see was the wings. They were both made of soft, vulnerable-looking flesh. They were both just kids.

"Who said?"

Daniella opens her mouth to answer, but another woman appears next to them and drags the boy away. "What did I tell you about associating with their kind?" The new woman lectures the boy. She's kind-looking, but her words tell Daniella another story.

"She does not look like them." The boy argues. Daniella Doesn't look like who? She looks like him. Like any other kid.

"Yes, but she’s not one of us either, I feel the filth radiating off of her." The woman drags the boy away, leaving Daniella once again all alone in a place full of people.

The woman taking care of her places hands over the girl's shoulders. "See. That's why we don't go outside."

"But I didn't do anything," Daniella mumbles.

"You didn't have to. Some people believe they are above others."

[mintasa]

FALLEN ANGEL

Pairing: Yang Jeongin x OC

Genre: Supernatural AU, slow burn, angels and demons, honestly idk

Warnings: Blood, cursing, violence

Word count: tbd

Synopsis: The world is a harsh place. Especially for young girls trying to make a living. A young waitress was never afraid of the dark until mysterious vile creatures started crawling out of it. How can she stop them, and who is willing to help her figure out the secrets that had been kept from her for years?

Note: So I did decide to make a second story; this one is not nearly as planned out as the first one, and new chapters will probably take time to come out. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

List of chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Wattpad link Navigation

[mintasa]

NAVIGATION

WATTPAD LINK

CIRCUS

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Word count: 65k

FALLEN ANGEL

Pairing: Yang Jeongin x OC

Genre: Supernatural AU, slow burn, angels and demons, honestly idk

Word count: tbd

[mintasa]

CIRCUS ~ CHAPTER 18 (THE LAST CHAPTER)

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Warnings: Blood, injuries, mental problems

Word count: 3,7k

Synopsis: A series of murders in a successful circus disturbs the life of a young stylist. With no place to go, she is keen on saving the circus, even if that means risking her own life to do so. As if things cannot go worse, a group of newbies join the hawock, seemingly not knowing what they're getting themselves into. Can she figure out the motives of the murderer and keep her crew together? Can the circus survive under the growing pressure and distrust?

Note: This is the first story I am publicly sharing. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

The story is vaguely inspired by Circus MV

Wattpad link

Nadya is thrown against the nearest wagon, then her mouth gets covered with a clotch. The girl tries her best to escape from the attacker, but in vain. She breathes in the liquid the cloth was dipped in, and she's gone. A great way to start the day.

Nadya wakes up upon the car making a sudden jump over a hole in the pavement. Hold up; she's in a car. She girls eyes go wide as she sits up. She can barely move. Shes tied up. Her hands and feet, as well as her mouth. Nadya licks at the table in an attempt to get it away.

"How did you sleep?" A voice rings through her ears, and Nadya looks at the front mirror to meet eyes with Amir. He glances at her briefly but soon realizes the girl cannot talk. "Get that tape off, will you?"

A guy sitting in a passenger seat turns towards Nadya, and she cannot hide her surprise. He rips the tape away and sends a wink in Nadya's direction. "I didn't mean to be that harsh this morning, but you left me no choice, sweetheart." Orions annoying voice rings through her ears.

She stays silent, unable to talk. Nadya had confided in Orion, thinking he may help, but she was so wrong. The trusted cop in charge of the case was an enemy all along. Amir was testing her, and she failed the test.

"Cat got your tongue, sweetheart," Orion smiles at her.

She would pay to punch him square in the face. In fact, she would if she wasn't tied up. "How long has this been going on?" She asks in disbelief.

Orion turns back to the road. Amir sighs. "Since you and your boyfriend caught the first guy I hired," he answers.

So Orion wasn't in Amir's plans always. A while ago, he was a cop. He actually tried to help, or maybe he was pretending. "Is he even a real cop?"

"As real as one can be," Orion answers, not even looking at the girl.

Nadya cannot believe her ears. She cannot believe how vile a person can be. "How could you do that? Didn't you give vows? Do you know the laws?"

"Sweetheart, anything can be compromised with the right amount of money," Orion turns towards her briefly. It is a statement. Statement she cannot agree with.

Nadya frowns. She still has multiple questions that are yet to be answered. "Where are we going?" Nadya questions seeing unfamiliar fields through the car windows.

"To the country side, where nobody will bother us and we will be a happy family," Amir answers.

Nadyas eyes dart to the guy in the front seat. Sure, he did the killing for her father, but she does not get what his purpose on this fieldtrip is. "Why is he coming with us?"

"Orion is a bright young man; I've grown to love him like my own son," Amir answers. Nadya feels sick; they really managed to become friends through murdering innocent people.

She cannot believe Amir's words, so she scoffs in pure disbelief. "You claim to care about me yet bring the man that has hurt me multiple times along?" Nadya confronts the man. One psychopath would be much easier to deal with than two.

"Nadya, people change; besides, he had shown genuine interest in you. You two could be a great match," Amir answers from the front seat.

"We will finally be together again without anyone getting in the way." Orion turns his head towards Nadya.

The girl's eyes are empty as she looks at the man she isn't proud to call her father. "You cannot force me into that," she protests.

Amir sighs. "I am not. When we get home, youll have plenty of time to get to know each other better and to work stuff out.”

Nadya cannot believe her ears. Her relationship with Orion is not something fixable. He's a maniac; they both are. "So what? You are just going to lock me up inside the house like some trophy?"

"Exactly, sweetheart, and trophies don't talk," Orion smiles wickedly before reaching out to glue the tape back on Nadya's mouth.

He twists his entire body closer to her, and she does the only thing she can manage in her position. She spits in his face. "Screw you both," Nadya utters. "Screw you!"

Orion barely reacts before taping her mouth and using his sleeve to wipe the spit away. "Well, that was not nice."

It's been hours since they arrived at some vacation house in the middle of nowhere. Nadya didn't even attempt to run just because she was cuffed to her bed. She had considered the idea of chewing off her hand, but it seemed too extreme. Maybe she could negotiate something out.

Orions drops by to check on her for what feels like the hundredth time. This time he walks in and sits down in front of the girl, who raises a skeptical eyebrow at him. "Look, I came to talk," he starts.

"About what exactly?"

"About us," he pauses, "I want us to be happy."

"Are you high right now? There's no us. Will never be!" Nadya practically spits the words in his face.

Orion reaches out to touch Nadya's face, but she moves away. She won't ever let his bloody hands touch her, even if he becomes the last man on earth. "Look, sooner or later you'll have to give into me," he abrubtly tugs at Nadya's tied-up hands, bringing her closer. He grips her neck, forcing his lips against hers.

Its discusting, its wile. Yet Nadya does not give up easily. She decides to give into it, and Orion releases his grip on her neck. Then Nadya abruptly moves away and smashes her head into his. It hurts like a bitch, but Orion jumps off of the bed, rubbing at his forehead. "Youre fucking crazy!"

Nadya lifts her arms up to wipe at her lips. "Want to try that again?" She smiles at him.

Orion runs out of the room and brushes shoulders with Amir. Great psycho number two came for her entertainment as well.

The man sits down on her bed and sighs. "A family cannot be built on lies, and I feel like I owe you some answers, so go on and ask anything."

Nadya is surprised, but momentarily. She's still a bit drowsy after headbutting the prince charming. "We will never be a family," Nadya claims pridefully.

"Never say never," Amir haunts the girl.

She cannot believe that the man she trusted to keep everyone in line could be so messed up himself. He took everything from Nadya, claiming he did the right thing. "The circus was my family. It was everything for me, and you destroyed it. You killed my friends," Nadya sneers at the older man.

"I did what the plan required me to do."

Excuses. "What plan exactly?"

"I only wanted the best for the circus," Amir claims and pauses, "You don't get it, Orlo, and we created the circus together. We were partners, friends. Then he got greedy; all he cared about was money, and I wanted fame. International recognision. With him, the change would have never happened."

Nadya struggles to put the story straight. He was wronged by Orlo, who didn't live up to expectations. "So you decided to take his place," Nadya concludes.

"No Allen was meant to," the man reveals. Now Nadya is confused by his motives. "Don't look too surprised. We were best friends, and of course I knew about the boy. He was a great guy but had no clue how to run a business."

"So you wanted to hand Allen the circus and take charge?"

Amir smiles wickedly. "Exactly. See, we are more similar than you think."

"I connected the dots; it isn't that big of a deal," Nadya huffs.

"Where was I?" Amir mumbles and pauses to think, "Right, the plan was all coming along, but then Melissa popped out of nowhere, Allen somehow got arrested, and I had to change the course. I had to scare away Melissa."

Now it all makes sense. The first crimes were barely crimes. They were immature and seemed like simple slip-ups. He changed direction:By on purpose hurting people and sacrificing the dreams they had worked endlessly for."

"You're reading my mind." The man rusfles Nadya's hair. "See, I told you we are similar—more similar than you admit. Although I can see your mother in you as well," he claims.

"I am nothing like my tyrant mother."

Amir shakes his head at the girls words."Your mother was a little girl forced into an arranged marriage. She was never the devil you make her out to be," Amir claims, and although Nadya hates to admit it, he is right. Her mother didn't know better; she was once a victim herself. "You never thought about it that way. That's why you need me. I can teach you a lot."

His words shake Nadya to talk back. Amir is the last man on earth she would take advice from. She may have been a bit ignorant about her mother, but it's not like she was the one to take revenge and kill her. She left the house to start a new life, not to leave her mother struggling. "My mother didn't have it easy, but that doesn't mean I deserved better. She may not have been a devil, but she was not a saint either."

"That's one way to put it," Amir shrugs.

Silence.

"Did you ever hesitate?" Nadya asks. That's the one thing that has been on her mind. How can a person bring themselves to do such horrible stuff?

Amir looks away in the night. His voice grows silent. "I did hesitate after what happened to Adele. The plan was to break a few bones, but it didn't work as I intended."

"You killed her."

"She was a sacrifice that was meant to be made."

A pure disbelief is written all over the girl's face. "A sacrifice? She was a person," she sneers.

"I know that, so after what happened, I was horrified. I was planning to stop, but people started to look into the incidents more; they started to suspect me." The man pauses, noticing all the attention he is getting from his daughter. Nadya is surprised to find out she was not the only one to suspect the incidents were faked right from the start. Amir smirks. "Yes, Nadya, you and Azara were the first ones to figure everything out."

"Then who did?" The girl asks before the answer can be provided to her.

Amir's eyes dart to the floor, and he sighs. "It was Dahlia. She noticed how I was always the first to act; I never hesitating."

"Almost as if you knew what would happen before it did," Nadya chimes bitterly.

"Exactly, so she confronted me one day, and I panicked. I killed her, and then I had to hide her remains, so I burned her entire wagon." Amir finishes his sentence.

Nadyas jaw is agape. Not because she didn't believe in Dahlia figuring it out before anyone else, but because Amir killed one of his oldest friends. Dahlia was one of the longest workers, yet he didn't spare her. "You killed her with your own hands?"

His smile crouched as he replied. "Yes, I choked her with my bare hands until the last breath left her lungs and enjoyed very much of it."

Nadya cannot bear the thought of the torture her friend went through. She did not just die. She died while looking at the persons whom she trusted with her life's eyes. "Get out," Nadya mutters. "Get out!"

Amir holds his hands in the air after the girls outburst. "If that's what you wish."

Another knock on her door. Orion had been persistent in getting the girl to like him. He had been dropping by every now and then to check wherever Nadya wanted food or water. Does she look like she wants anything besides getting out?

"Orion, I swear to good Ill fucking smack you if you poke your head inside once again." The girl groans, pulling covers over her.

The knocking stops, and for a second the girl is relieved, but then it gets suspicious. Orion is not the kind of guy she can scare off with meaningless threats.

The door slowly creaks open, making the girl sit up in the bed. She wants to cry upon seeing a familiar face. "Hyunjin!" Nadya immediately runs up to the guy; she is happy to see him, but the happiness fades in seconds. "What are you doing here? If they find you—"

He presses a finger against the girl's lips. "I snuck in, and they had just left. I saw the car driving away," he utters, still keeping his voice low.

"How did you find me?"

"It's going to sound creepy, but I have installed a tracker on the bottom of your shoe," Hyunjin admits.

Nadya huffs in disbelief. "For how long?"

"How do you think I noticed each time you left your wagon?" He answers and watches Nadya's scrunched favorite. "Look at first, I did that to keep others safe, but I kept it to keep you safe," he says, running a hand down his face.

Nadya isn't even mad. She was a threat at some point, but heads up after becoming allies would have been nice. "I get it. I can't believe Im glad to see you," Nadya mumbles.

"Are you getting soft on me?" Hyunjin grips, wrapping a hand around the girl and bringing her for a hug. Nadya cannot return it due to her tied hands, but Hyunjin doesn't mind that.

A sweet moment suddenly turns into a horror movie. She sees a shadow flicker. "Hyunjin, look out!" She manages to get out, but it is too late. Orion slams a gun into the guy's head, and he slumps into Nadya's arms.

Orion grips Hyunjin's shoulder, pulling him away from Nadya. "No, you can't." The girl rushes out only to reveive a hard push into a nearby cabinet. The girl's vision goes black.

She hears footsteps. "I didn't mean to, Nadya; it was an accident," Orion mumbles as he pulls the girls head into his lap.

Her mind goes blank.

"Welcome to the land of living; you took your time," Nadya hears Hyunjin's voice the first thing after attempting to open her eyes.

"Shut up," she mumhles, but then her eyes snap open. Hyunjin. With her sight still foggy, she sees Hyunjin on the other side of what looks like a basement. He's tied to the wall just like she is.

"Really? Thats what you say to me after I waited for you to wake up just so I can see you properly before being brutally murdered," Hyunjin comments. He's joking, but Nadya doesn't make an effort to react to his jokes. He shouldn't be joking at a time like this.

Orion walks down the stairs. "Oh, youre awake, great." He mumbles munching on something casually.

"I hope you choke," Nadya mumbles.

"That's not nice. Anyway, Amir was waiting for you to wake up so you could see the consequences of your actions," Orion announces, slowly walking towards Hyunjin.

Nadya knows exactly what to expect from them. They're going to hurt Hyunjin because of her. "I swear I will behave; just don't touvh him," the girl pleads.

Orion laughs. "Oh, I won't, but the barrel of my gun will," he comments before pulling a pistol out of his back pocket. "It's a shame it has to end this way."

Orion lifts the gun to Hyunjin's head, who closes his eyes and sighs. "No, please," Another desperate beg escapes the girl. Tears are pooling at the corners of her eyes.

Hyunjin locks his eyes with the girl. "Don't cry; I made you cry enough as it is," Hyunjin smiles.

They keep eye contact. Nadya shakes her head at his words. She couldn't care less; she would let him walk out on her, crying, if it meant he would be safe. "Orion, please, I will do whatever you ask me. Ill be the throphy. Just don't touch him."

Orion turns towards the girl. "I can't keep him alive; you know why?" He pauses. "Until he is alive, you will never truly be mine; he has to go."

"Please," Another desperate cry.

"You know what? I am feeling nice today. Say goodbye. I will wait," Orion mumbles, still holding a gun to Hyunjin's head.

Nadya is silent, refusing to say goodbye. For her, it is not the end. Hyunjin, however, looks defeated. He sighs. "Im sorry, I know this is horrible timing, but I have to get that off my chest," he mumbles. "I didn't plan on it, but at some point you started to draw me in like a magnet. I fell in love with everything about you.

"Now this is great," Orion mumbles. "Amir would love to hear it."

His words make Nadya wonder where the meandering man is, but she doesn't let her thoughts dwell on him too long. She's focused on Hyunjin. She wants to tell him how stupidly in love she is with him but cannot get a single word out.

Suddenly they hear footsteps. Mutiple ones. Then it sounds like struggle. Orion curses under his breath. "It looks like we will have to postpone this for another time," the guy mumbles before running upstairs.

For some time it's silent, and neither of them says a word. Theyre both focused on whatever is happening upstairs; there are gunshots. Suddenly the last shot ehoes and the chaos stops.

Strairs creak as a person is getting frightened. Breath catches in Nadya's lungs, but the person turns out to be nobody else but Han Jisung. The rest of the guys follow, and the squirell-looking one pulls out his phone, pushing it into Hyunjin's face.

"Just untie us," Hyunjin grumbles.

"Not before I take a picture," Han laughs.

The guys had followed after Hyunjin and stormed in. Amir was weaponless, and they overpowered him easily. Orion, however, as a trained cop, was a much harder task that they managed to do.

Nadya is sitting in the trunk of the police car with a blanket dropped around her shoulders. Taraji is talking something while Jun has a single arm around the girl's shoulders and is stroking her hair.

Nadya is shocked. It's like the time has stopped. She is resquired, the murderers are stopped, yet something is missing.

The guys are talking to the officers. Explain the situation. Hyunjin is there as well. He is talking; Nadya knew she couldn't lose hope. Hyunjin is fine; they didn't have to say goodbye.

The officer walks away, leaving Hyunjin with the guys who seem to be pestering him. "Go talk to him," Jun's voice brings the girl out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"Hyunjin," Jun motions towards the guy, "talk to him."

Nadya is scared to face the guy. She will cry. She doesn't know how to approach him after what he said in the basement; it all feels like a fever dream. "Fine," the girl mumbles, lifting herself to her feet.

She approaches the group and tugs on Hyunjin's shirt. He looks startled for a second before following the girl a bit further from the guys.

Suddenly she's too shy to talk under his stare. "Look. Im really glad youre fine, and I just wanted to say that I like you. Like a lot. I don't know when it happened, but I thought-"

Hyunjin cuts the girl off by hugging her; she for once doesn't hesitate before hugging him. "It's okay. I get it. It's difficult to comprehend. I had never felt this way either," he comments.

Nadya pulls away briefly. "Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

"I dont know."

Hyunjin stares at him for a bit too long. It's like the entire world has disappeared, and it's just them. "Can I? Can I kiss you?" Hyunjin mumbles.

Nadya sees the guys observing in the distance. "What about the guys?" Chan had previously made them stay away from each other. He will be mad, and it will be her fault.

"Let them watch."

Oh.

"What are you waiting for then?"

Hyunjin doesn't hesitate before pulling the girl for a kiss. He holds the girl as if she were fragile, letting her set the pace. The kiss is gentle, full of longing, yet they don't let it last for too long.

It is enough for the guys to start making kissy faces at them. Theyre litteral children.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us to Korea?" I will miss you." Hyunjin stands in the middle of a busy airport, but his eyes are on Nadya.

"I will miss you too, but you know it's not for me. Besides, who will watch after Jun?" Nadya jokes at the guy standing nearby and pouting.

She is planning to go to her sister with Jun. At least until they can get back on their feet. She had already parted ways and said goodbyes to others. Now its just the guys left. They're going back to Korea.

"Who will look after me?"

"You have seven bodyguards that are sulking because you are about to miss your plane," Nadya smiles.

"I need to say goodbye properly."

"Propertly?"

"Yes," he mumbles before pulling the girl for a kiss. "Propertly."

They pull apart, and Nadya hugs the guy as close to her body as possible. She needs to imbed him in her memory. Of course she's sad to let Hyunjin go, but she has ambitions, and he has responsibilities to attend to. It's not meant for them to be together, at least not yet.

"You know where to find me if you decide to visit," Nadya pushes Hyunjin towards the guys. "Now go; don't keep them waiting."

Nadya backs away slowly; she makes brief eye contact with the guys and waves them goodbye. Then she makes the last eye contact with Hyunjin before walking away. She approaches Jun, who hugs the girl tightly. Nadya doesn't cry; she had promised Hyunjin not to.

It's not the end of the world, but her last few months have been unforgettable. Partly, alright, maybe mostly because of Hyunjin. He brought out the parts of Nadya that she didn't know were there. She's thankful for getting to know him and the guys, but life goes on.

Losing people is hard, but what is even harder is having them just out of reach.

THE END

[mintasa]

CIRCUS ~ CHAPTER 17

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Warnings: Blood, injuries, mental problems

Word count: 3k

Synopsis: A series of murders in a successful circus disturbs the life of a young stylist. With no place to go, she is keen on saving the circus, even if that means risking her own life to do so. As if things cannot go worse, a group of newbies join the hawock, seemingly not knowing what they're getting themselves into. Can she figure out the motives of the murderer and keep her crew together? Can the circus survive under the growing pressure and distrust?

Note: This is the first story I am publicly sharing. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

The story is vaguely inspired by Circus MV

Wattpad link

"Morning," Nadya mumbles as she walks into the kitchen. Another irregularly regular morning.

"Morning," mumbles Hyunjin before washing his cup and leaving. He has been distant. Isn't that odd? Why is he in such a rush? Is it her?

Soon Jun barges inside the kitchen. He wraps his hands around the girl and nuzzles into her neck. "What got you so clingy?" Nadya laughs as she pushes the guy away.

"Haven't you heard? Amir is planning to sell what's left of the circus," Jun explains. Nadya knew it was coming, but it still hits hard. It's like a piece of her is being thrown away.

"Oh," Nadya mumbles, "does everybody know already?"

"Probably. Amir said it this morning while you were staring at the door after Hyunjin left," Jun explains. Now Hyunjin is occupying his thoughts. Great.

"He is just acting odd," the girl shrugged. How does she explain to Jun how messed up their situation is? First it was Nadya who kept her distance, and now when Hyunjin is doing the same, she wants his attention.

"Is everything good between you two?"

"I mean, I think so? We haven't fought, but he is sort of keeping his distance," Nadya utters. There's nothing she hides from Jun from on. Well, besides the information about the murders, The guy cannot keep a secret for long.

"What distance are we talking about?" Jun points at the single faded bruise on the girl's neck. "How distant was he to do that?"

"Why do you assume it was him?" Nadya complains.

"Girl, no need to lie. You haven't been out, and you're living with an attractive guy. Just make a move," he winks. Jun has a point; maybe if Hyunjin wasn't so damn attractive, Nadya wouldn't be so confused right now. Come on, the guy has been nothing but an ashole towards her.

"What move?"

"You're so dense sometimes. Tell him you like him," Jun rolls his eyes dramatically.

"I don't want to like him; besides, what if he doesn't like me?" Nadya panics. Does she even like him? Maybe all of it is temporary, and she just needs someone to confide in.

"He is stuck to you like a leech. I'm sure he likes you," Jun pushes the girl playfully before leaving her to ponder. Nadya, I can't deal with all of that on top of the killer.

Nadya walks past a lanky guy, and it takes her a second to register what she saw. She stops in her tracks and takes a few steps back. "I meant to talk to you," the girl mumbles as she stops in front of Hyunjin. He glances at her a bit confused.

There's plenty to ask. If he is mad at her? What did Chan say? And what is this happening between them? Is there something happening? She needs to hear him say it.

"Me too, actually."

"You go on then."

Hyunjind eyes dart to the side; he hesitates. Then he takes a deep breath. "I think you should stay with Jun. Just so we interact less."

Oh. What was she even expecting? "Why? Did I do something?" The girl wonders.

"No, it's just that," he sighs. "All of this has to be stopped," he motions between them. Maybe Hyunjin is right. Jun is silly. She should not take his advice. Jun has been proven wrong multiple times. He's an idiot with a big mouth. What did she expect? Jun is equally as dense as Nadya is.

"Okay then," Nadya mumbles, yet feels a weight resting on her chest. He doesn't care enough. He doesn't like her like that. It's her who's projecying stuff into him.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Nothing important, really," the girl shrugs and walks away as fast as she can. It may not be the right decision to do so, but Nadya runs from problems. He is one of hers.

Her eyes desperately search for her best friends. She needs Jun. She needs to talk to someone. She needs to talk to Jun. To lecture him on how wrong he was. To warn him not to put stupid ideas into her head. To not give the girl hope when there is none. Or maybe she just needs him to listen to her ramble because Hyunjin would never.

"If you're a murderer, please make my death painless," Nadya mutters, hearing footsteps behind her. She's been sitting at the pond; it is her escape space, and Hyunjin never lets her go there since it's quite far to shout for help or anything. Yet she is there, relaxing because there's not much she can do.

"As if that would do anything," she hears a comment. It's barely a whisper, but in the middle of the night, way too loud. Hyunjin sounds tired. Well, fuck him, he should.

"Worth a try," Nadya shrugs. Her life is the least of the worries she has.

"I thought I told you to don't come here alone," the guy points out. Here they go again. He is going to pretend he cares and then prove her wrong all over again.

"You say a lot of stuff," Nadya chimes bitterly. He should just make up his mind, or he can not. Nadya doesn't care what he says anyway. She knows she won't get killed, so she can go anywhere she wants. He is not going to stop her, not without force. Although screw that, he might force her.

"Are you mad?" He questions. Is she? "I pretty much kicked you out."

She is not mad. She is just... disappointed? "I'll live. How did you know I was here?"

Hyunjim scratches his neck awkwardly. "I couldn't sleep, so I heard your steps. Had to check out," he mumbles.

Nadya nods. "Makes sense."

"I just," he stops and shakes his head. Then he sits down. "Why are you here?"

The girl shrugged for what feels like the hundredth time. "It's calm here."

Nadya liked the pond even after the events that happened. On a night like this, without any annoying clouds, it reflects the stars that shine up high.

"You almost drowned here," he states skeptically.

"But I didn't."

"You might this time."

"No, I won't."

"You can't be so sure." Hyunjin picks up a rock and throws it into the water. Ducks start trashing around, and the silence is ruined.

"I can."

He looks at Nadya with a serious expression. "What do you mean?"

Shit. He is suspecting something. She has to think of something smart to say. "He hasn't been targeting anyone," Nadya points out. Good enough.

"He is unpredictable though."

The girl then smiles to herself. "Is he?"

"You not telling me something," Hyunjin states as a matter of fact.

"Why would I?"

"Are you mad?"

"No."

"Then tell me," he pleads.

She would love to, but she can't bring herself to. Nadya stands up in an attempt to walk away, running from the problems once again. She has to go before the conversation escalates. "There's nothing to tell."

"Don't walk away," Hyunjim whisper-yells as he follows Nadya. Then he grabs her wrist. The girl pinches him in an attempt to escape, but her other hand gets trapped too. They are just simply holding hands at this point. "Just tell me."

If he keeps looking at her like that, Nadya is going to fold. His stare is demanding yet soft and caring. Nadya shakes her head frantically. "I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I can't."

"I thought we trusted each other," Hyunjin mumbles. It's not him; it's her that's not trustworthy. She's lying shamelessly to him.

"No," the girl shakes her head.

"What did I do?"

"You did nothing." A piece of the truth escapesher mouth: he did nothing. Nadya is the one who cannot be trusted. She deserves to go to jail along with Amir. She is actively cooperating with a murderer. Shes iresponsible. She cannot be trusted.

It takes Hyunjin a second to comprehend what Nadyas silence means. "What did you do?" His grip on the girls wrist tightens.

"I'm sorry. I'll understand if you hate me," Nadya looks down. She should not care what he thinks. But she does. Where does she even start telling the story? So much yet so little had been achieved. Hyunjin trusted her enough to involve her in the investigation, yet she betrayed him.

"Nadya," he urges.

The girl takes a deep breath. "Okay. You know how my mom used to be with a lot of men?" Hyunjin nods slowly. "Amir was one of the men. He is my father, and he knows that I know he is the killer."

Nadya silently watches Hyunjin calculate, and realization paints his features in fear, anger, and god knows what. "He knows?!"

"He does, but he is not a threat to me. He lets me know because he thinks I won't betray my blood," Nadya rambles.

"You should have told me."

It's not even a command or anything. He sounds desperate in a way that only makes Nadya feel even more guilty. "I know I'm sorry. He just... He threatened that he would kill anyone who knew. He has an assassin. I didn't know what to do. I'm so-" Nadya gets cut off by Hyunjin pulling her into him for a hug.

"It's okay," he mumbles. One of his hands slides to caress the girls back. She's on the verge of crying, and his soft touch is not helping.

"It's not okay. I know he is going to hurt people. If he finds out you know, he might hurt you. The rest of the boys too," Nadya mumbles into his shirt, actively hiding her face.

"He won't. We are going to figure this out," he says. Who said anything about them? It's her. Just her. Nadya is safe. She can dig into it without getting hurt.

"You can't get involved. You're the main target!"

"Why?"

Because her father thinks they are fucking? That might be a bit too harsh, especially after he made it clear he wants nothing to do with her. "Amir thinks something is going on between us and he is," Nadya pauses, "protective?"

"Chan was right," Hyunjin mumbles. Suddenly he moves away. So that's what they talked with Chan about. Her. Chan doesn't approve, and she cannot even blame him; she sees why. "I should stay away."

Nadya doesn't want him to stay away, but that's for the best. Now she just has to convince herself. "You should."

"Nadia, come to my office later," Amir commands as he leaves the room. It seems like a harmless comment now that he is the boss. No one bats an eye, well, beside Hyunjin. He is on the side of the room, glaring intensively. He couldn't be more obvious.

"I'm done. We can go now," Nadya mumbles and gets up. She walks right past Hyunjin, stepping on his foot on purpose. He yells and glares at her. That was the only way to keep him from making it obvious he knows. Hes expressive.

"Sorry," Nadya mumbles and sends him a pointed look. He better get the signal or next time he will lose his toes.

Nadya follows Amir, and they get inside the room. The man sits down on a chair that once was stained with the previous owner's blood. A fit throne for him.

"What do we need to talk about?"

"I was thinking where we should go after I sell the circus," he states.

The girl almost scoffs out loud at the thought of going with him anywhere. "We?"

"Yes, we. What? Did you think I'm going to let you run off with that boy?"

Of course, he has to bring in Hyunjin. "No. I was just thinking about going to my sister for a while," she claims.

"Sure, we could go to Russia and visit your sister."

Can't he get a hint? "I wanted to do it alone. You know just us girls," she mumbles.

"You can hang out with her all you want. I won't get in the way, but we are going together, got it?" Amir demands. God, what did she get herself into?

"Yes."

"Good. Now do I need to teach the boy a lesson?"

How did they even get to that so fast? "What? No!"

"Something happened, am I wrong?"

"We just had a little argument; we are fine," Nadya claims as a desperate try to save Hyunjin's ass. Are they fine, though? Well, as fine as the moment allows.

"Sure. If you say so. But I'm watching him," he mumbles. Well, shit.

Nadya grabs Hyunjin and pushes him inside his wagon, following inside. "My dad thinks you're hurting me," the girl declares. The guy stares at me blankly. "He is threatening you. We have to pretend everything is okay between us."

"Is everything okay?" he asks skeptically.

"I don't know. Just let me sleep in your wagon again," Nadya sighs and walks away from him.

"But Chan is going to kill me."

"What is he going to do? Spank you? Amir is going to literally kill you in your sleep," Nadya interrupts him rudely.

"He is going to ask questions."

"So? Say I am scared to sleep without you nearby or something," the girl argues. Can't he listen to her once? She's making sure he is alright. It's not like she wants to be near him. It makes her feel weird.

"No. You can't come back," Hyunjim runs a frustrated hand through his hair. Then he sighs before mumbling under his breath. "I can't stay away from you when you're that close."

Nadya hears that loud and clear. "Then don't."

Hyunjim simply stares at her for a moment before closing the distance. Then finally, his lips are on her. She missed that. Fuck.

"Should we involve Orion?"

"Are you crazy?" exclaims Hyunjin and rolls on his other side to face the girl. He let her come back. After, she practically begged, but he let her.

"He is a cop. He could be helpful," Nadya shrugs. A valid point. He can't deny it.

"No."

"He is in it now. He got targeted," she points out.

"Still no. He will snitch and get us all killed."

"I'll tell him only I know."

He eyes the girl. "Still no."

"I will tell him," Nadya claims and grabs her phone off of a cabinet. She's hoping she still has his number and that Hyunjin didn't delete it.

"Fine. Do that then, team up with the guy that fucked you over multiple times," he fumes and turns his back on her once again.

"I'm calling him now to arrange a meet-up," Nadya tells him anyway.

"Go and do that; why are you telling me?"

"At least I'm doing something," Nadya mumbles before leaving the wagon to make a call. She doesn't get what his deal is.

Orion picks up almost immediately, and they agree to meet up as soon as possible. Hyunjin is still sulking, so Nadya doesn't bring him along. She goes to the forest to meet up with a guy that she can barely call a friend. Doesn't sound good, she must admit.

"Hey," the girl mumbles, seeing a familiar figure in front of her.

"Hi," he glances around. "I see you left your guard dog at home." Was his humor always this dry? How blind she had to be to like him.

"Yeah. I want to tell you something he doesn't have to know," Nadya tells him. How does she even start? Or rather, where?

"Oh? Now I'm intrigued."

"I know who is the killer and have proof," she starts.

"What? Why aren't you at the police then?" Alright, maybe a bad way to start this.

"He has an assassin. I can't just go to the police; they would just barge in and cause havoc," Nadya explains.

"He?" Orion catches onto a single word.

"Amir," Nadya watches the guys faces change through emotions and settle on an overall calm expression. She knew he could handle the truth. "I need your help to catch him without causing anyone harm."

"I don't think that is possible."

"It has to be."

"Well, send me the proof. I'll think about it," he mumbles. "I need to go."

"Yeah. Me too. It will be suspicious if I'm out for too long."

"How did you convince the guard dog to stay back?" he questions.

He was too damn stubborn. "I snuck out. He sleeps like he had been hit with a brick."

That satisfies Orions curiosity, and they part their ways. The road back is long. Nadya is reconsidering whether her idea to tell Orion about the murder was the right one. Hyunjin, although a total fool at times, is reliable. She can't say the same about Orion.

Nadya enters the wagon as quietly as she can. She's tiptoeing so she won't cause too much noise. The room is dark, and she is tired. Perfect.

"So how did it go?"

Nadya jumps visibly at the voice. She didn't expect Hyunjin to be awake. "Good. He said he would look into it."

"How did he react?"

"He looked pretty calm," the girl shrugs. He must be used to stuff like that; Nadya cannot relate.

"He is a cop after all."

"Not cranky anymore?"

Hyunjin narrows his eyes at her. "You're back without a scratch; why should I be?"

"Orion would not hurt me," Nadya states. Sure, he might have manipulated her, but it's not like he ever hit her or something.

"Well, I don't like him hitting on you."

"You sound jealous," Nadya laughs, and Hyunjin simply glares. Then it clicks. "You are jealous."

"Do you still like him?"

"No."

"Good."

"You can't forbid me even if I did," the girl taunts him.

"Well, I can try," Hyunjin mumbles and stands up from the bed. He starts nearing her in a predayorish manner.

"What are you doing?" Nadya starts backing away from him, but her back hits the wall.

"Convincing you to forget him," he mumbles before his hands slither to Nadya's back and he pulls her body into him. He licks his lips before leaning in for a short kiss. His lips are still brushing over Nadyas even when he pulls away. "Convinced?"

"I think I might need some more convincing."

[mintasa]

CIRCUS ~ CHAPTER 16

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Warnings: Blood, injuries, mental problems

Word count: 3,5k

Synopsis: A series of murders in a successful circus disturbs the life of a young stylist. With no place to go, she is keen on saving the circus, even if that means risking her own life to do so. As if things cannot go worse, a group of newbies join the hawock, seemingly not knowing what they're getting themselves into. Can she figure out the motives of the murderer and keep her crew together? Can the circus survive under the growing pressure and distrust?

Note: This is the first story I am publicly sharing. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

The story is vaguely inspired by Circus MV

Wattpad link

Nadya enters the kitchen wagon only to find Amir already sitting there. She cannot look at him and simply hopes that he thinks she's just disturbed by her mother's death. "Great timing. I wanted to talk to you. Sit down," he announces.

Nadya obliges. "About what?"

"You know about what? Don't play stupid. Just had to get your guard dog away from you," Amir mumbles and sips on his coffee.

Maybe he is testing her. "I know what?"

"My little secret," the man smiles. He is not played; Nadya is screwed. She doesn't even have her phone with her. "Does Hyunjin know?" He does, but if he kills both of them, then who will solve the crime? Nadya shakes her head. "Good. You seem fond of him; I won't get rid of him."

Nadya gulps as her eyes dart toward the door. She doubts she could make the run. "Are you gonna kill me?"

"Why would I kill you?"

"You killed Azara."

"She was no one," he interrupts her.

"You tried to kill me multiple times," Nadya points out.

Amir looks away in thought. "I did. Luckily, I found out the truth before I could," he pauses. Can he stop being mysterious?

"Truth?"

He hesitates, or maybe just builds up the tension. Every single motion of his is somehow theatrical. "You're my daughter," he finally reveals.

"I can't be," Nadya protests immediately. She looks like her father. The man who died. People have been telling her that for ages. There is no way. He is fiddling with her.

"You can. Your mother had a type, as you can see," Amir laughs. Nadya scans his features. He does kind of look like Nadya's father, which means he kind of looks like her. No way.

"How is that possible?"

"A while ago we were touring Russia. On one show, I ran into a pretty blonde. One thing led to another, and here we are," he motions between them. Nadyas mother loves male attention, which makes it a possibility.

"You knew my mom?" Nadya asks skeptically. He must be playing with her to keep me silent, but why would he do that instead of killing her?

"Yes. I recognized her the first time she came for you. I don't think she recognized me though," he shrugs. Did he know since back then? That's why he stopped targeting her.

"My mom had been with a lot of men," Nadya points out the obvious. To her mother, Amir was nothing more than a one-night stand.

"That's why I did a test before I could make a big mistake," he tells her. Amir did a test. He could be lying, but if he isn't, he is her biological father.

"You almost killed me."

"But I didn't. I've always wanted children, but while traveling it was pretty much impossible," he reveals. She does get his side of the story. It is pretty impossible to have a relationship outside of the circus. "Then I found out about you, and thinking about it, youre just like me."

"We are nothing alike," the girl protests.

Amir laughs dryly. "Really? You were overshadowed by your sister. I was by my dear friend. We are way more similar than you'd like to admit."

"I am nothing like you!"

"Sure, but you know what they say: the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," he laughs once again. At this point, Nadya is convinced he is a maniac.

"You're crazy."

"Who isn't?" Amir leans towards her. "I did what I had to do and eliminated all the obstacles."

"You killed innocent people!"

"Only those who got in my way," he tries to defend himself. He is sick. Fucked up in the head. Why does he think he is right?

"I should call the police," Nadya hisses through gritted teeth.

"You don't want that, dear. I can give a sign, and my apprentice will get rid of Jun or Hyunjin. Who do you like more?"

"Don't touch them."

"I won't if you keep the secret between us." Amir strikes up a deal. A deal she can't refuse because, unlike him, she cares a bit too much.

"I won't tell anyone."

"Good girl," he interrupts.

"But you can't touch anyone," she argues with him. He seems to think for a second.

"Fine. A deal is a deal."

"Where were you?"

Nadya blinks a few times. She was just striking up a deal with her father so he doesn't kill him, nothing serious at all. "Getting some water," she shrugs.

Hyunjim nods. "How are you feeling today?"

"Still a little shocked, to be honest," she admits, hoping to mask the shock she had this morning with the old one. He seems to be buying everything the girl says. It feels wrong to keep stuff from him, but at least that way everyone is safe.

"I don't blame you," Hyunjin mumbles. "Is there anything I can do to make it better?"

"Can you?" Nadya pauses. Is she going too far? But she really cannot do this by herself. Even if she can't tell him. "Can you hold me?"

He just stares at Nadya with his mouth agape for a while. "If you want to," he mumbles. "Come here."

He opens his arms, and Nadya sits down in his lap as he is resting against the bed frame. He wraps his hands around Nadya's waist and rests his chin on her shoulder, letting her melt into him.

Nadya really shouldn't be using him as a way to cope with everything, but here they are. She is shamelessly sitting in his arms, wishing they could stay like that forever. He smells nice. His soft hair is brushing against Nadya's cheek, begging her to run her fingers through it.

So she does. Nadya leans back and slowly runs her fingers through his hair. He closes his eyes and lets the girl do whatever she wants. If she was overstepping boundaries, he would stop her, right?

She shouldn't. Nadya pulls her hands away, but he grips her wrists. "Don't stop; it feels good," he mumbles as he opens his eyes for a second. Nadya continued as if nothing happened, while Hyunjim is staring at her intensively. "Would you hate me if I kissed you right now?"

Nadya shakes her head before even giving it a thought, and she doesn't wait. He simply presses his lips against hers. He is unusually soft. He had never kissed her so softly. He is careful, so Nadya has to press herself closer to him, urging her to don't hold back.

"Don't do that," he mumbles against her lips. "I don't want to take advantage of you."

"You're not doing anything wrong. I want this." Nadya pulls away from him a bit; she wants him more than anything right now. His touch feels like the only thing that can make her forget everything.

"You're not thinking straight," Hyunjin tucks some of Nadya's hair behind her ears. He is turning her down, but in the nicest way possible. Somehow it's even worse.

"Sure, I'll go away," the girl mumbles and makes a move to get off of him. It does sting a bit to be dismissed like this, but Nadya should've expected it.

Hyunjin grips Nadya's knee, keeping her in place. "You don't have to go. I just don't want to do anything we regret."

"I get it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't force myself on you." Nadya doesn't even dare to look at him. How did everything get so awkward? Why did she have to make it awkward?

"I'm not pushing you away."

"But you are," Nadya interrupts. "You are pushing me away."

Silence.

Suddenly Hyunjin's lips are back on hers, more demanding this time. His hand slides under Nadya's shirt, making her gasp at the contact. He caresses her back softly, sending shockwaves through Nadya's spine. His lips travel down to Nadya's jaw, then to her neck. He is rough—maybe a bit too rough. Amir will probably kill him if he finds out about this.

Nadya pulls at his hair in an attempt to get him away. Hyunjim commits, but not without an annoyed groan. She presses their lips together before pressing her lips to his jaw. How did they even get there? It seems like forbidden fruit is indeed the sweetest.

Nadya's phone rings, waking her up. Hyunjin is practically holding her down, so she has to wake him up. While Hyunjin is still half asleep, Nadya gets out of his grip and grabs her phone. "Orion?" Her voice comes out surprised.

Hyunjin stirs in the bed. "The cop?"

"I thought I blocked him," Nadya eyes her still-ringing phone.

Hyunjin reaches out. "Give me the phone." When Nadya doesn't, he just grabs it out of her hand and answers. "Hello?"

"Nadia. I see you went through puberty," Orion laughs. Hyunjin's voice may not be as deep as Felix's, but it is much deeper than Nadyas. Besides that, he just woke up. "Seriously, dude, put me on speaker."

Hyunjin's eyes meet Nadya's before he does as told. "Just did," he mumbles.

"Good. I need Nadya to meet me. There's something important I have to tell her. You can tag along; I don't care," he announces.

"Meet where?" The girl asks genuinely intrigued. What could Orion tell her that she does not already know?

"Remember the swings? Meet me by them," then he ends the call.

"Don't tell me you are planning to go," Hyunjin watches Nadya get up from the bed.

Yes, she is planning to go. "Maybe he has something important to say about the case."

"Or he wants to kidnap you."

Nadya smiles at his grumpiness. "You're coming with me, so he doesn't."

Hyunjin contemplates. "Fine. I am going."

"Well, glad to see you. I called you because I don't know anyone's else number," Orion scratches his head.

"Can we not waste any more time than we have to?" Hyunjin mumbles. He doesn't like the guy a bit, so he is trying to finish everything as quickly as possible.

"Somebody attempted to take my life," Orion whispers.

Nadyad heart stops. Is it Amir's job? He said he wouldn't hurt anyone. He is a cop; he surely must have a lot of enemies. "When?"

"Just yesterday, but I'm already out of the office until the investigation is done. Thought you should know," he shrugs.

"You think it's the same person?" Hyunjin questions.

"I am sure. Once we restarted the investigation, I became a danger. Whoever it is wants to get rid of me," Orion explains. He is making sense for once, although Nadya hates to admit it.

"Thats bad," she utters.

Then Orion laughs, making the girls eyes snap to his. "Do you know who he is?" Orion points at Hyunjin.

Nadya scrunches her face. "What do you mean?"

"It took me a second to figure out why he is so nosy and glued to your hip," Orion approaches Hyunjin and pulls his necklace out of the shirt. Stray Kids logo. She had noticed the same one on Chan when he was casually walking around naked. "How much does it pay to sell your soul?"

Hyunjin just slaps his hand away wordlessly.

"I figured it out a while ago," Nadya steps in between the guys. Sparks is flying, and she doesn't need anyone getting hurt.

"I told you," Hyunjin claims.

"The same thing."

"This is great," Orion laughs dryly. "Is he doing his job poorly on purpose? So he can stay longer?"

"I'm slow? What has the police achieved?" Hyunjin steps forward, and Nadya steps in front of him, successfully stopping him from approaching the cop.

"If you have nothing useful to say, we will be on our way," Nadya announces and grips Hyunjin's hand; she can't take him anywhere.

When they get back and Hyunjin goes back to sleep, Nadya barges into Amir's wagon. He welcomes her with arms open. Like a real father.

"We agreed you won't hurt anyone."

"I see you found out about the cop. He hurt you, and he is an obstacle. He is a sacrifice that must be made." Amir forces Nadya to sit down. How does he expect her to calm down? He lied, and he tried to kill a person.

"He is out of the office. Not a threat anymore," Nadya argues.

"For now. What about later?"

"Just don't hurt him," she pleads. Orion may have wronged her, but he doesn't deserve to die.

Amir sits down next to the girl. "Fine, I won't for a while, but if he crosses me again, no promises."

That's probably the best Nadya can get for now. Suddenly, Amir grabs her chin and tilts it to inspect her neck. "Now. Now."

Nadya slaps his hand away, realizing just how bad the situation is. Hyunjin left a faint bruise on her neck, and Amir is already mad. "Don't hurt him either."

"I wasn't going to. I was young once, remember? Fool around all you want," he laughs.

"So he is safe?"

"For now, but Im not ready to be a grandparent, and I would really hate to see a child grow up without a father," he says. Was that a threat? It sure sounded like one.

"I'll go before Hyunjin starts asking questions," Nasya mumbles as she gets up. Amir dismisses her without a word.

"Are we good?" Hyunjin nudges Nadya as they are all gathered inside the kitchen. There is not enough space for two of them to sit down, so they are leaning against the counter.

"Why wouldn't we be?"

"I don't know. You've just been a little distant today," he mumbles. He thinks she is mad at him. Is she? Not right now. But she gets why it would seem like that.

"Not because of you," Nadya shakes her head.

"Then what?"

Should she just tell him? The truth, and that she's keeping her distance for his safety? He wouldn't do anything stupid, right? But what if he thinks shes just like her father? "Just everything, you know."

Hyunjin squinted at her before nodding. He suspects she's lying. She's screwed, and if Amir finds out, he knows he is screwed. Shd should've just kept everything she knows to herself. At least until she gets all the information she needs to put Amir behind bars.

She has some, though. She has been recording conversations. Amir had confessed to trying to kill Orion and killing Azara. That is enough to put him behind bars, but how does she make sure he stays there? Even in jail, his assassin is still on the loose and Amir has money. He can escape. She can't get rid of him.

Nadya needs to somehow send everyone away before she can go to the police and give them the evidence. She has to make sure everyone is safe, but how is she supposed to do it? Even if she somehow gets her coworkers to leave, the guys won't. They have their duties, and she doesn't have an explanation for why she is sending them away. Worth a try though.

"Chan said you asked us to leave," Hyunjin enters the room. He slams the door dramatically, making Nadya wince.

"So?"

"What the hell were you thinking?"

She's not about to be scolded by him, not for wanting the best. "I just want everyone to be safe. Y'all are not safe. Especially after Orion was attacked," she explains shortly. Can't he get it that she is looking out for him?

"Well, neither you are," he argues.

"He wanted the circus. Now he has it. I am safe," Nadya doesn't back down. Only if he knew the truth.

"You don't want him to pay for what he did anymore?"

"Not at such a cost," Nadya shakes her head at the thought. Thought of them getting hurt.

"What cost?"

"You could get hurt."

"And?"

"I don't want that."

"I don't want you to get hurt either. So don't brush me away," he mumbles and wraps his hands around Nadya's shoulders.

"If you feel concerned about anything, tell me first, okay?"

That's nice coming from him, but she cannot, so she lies. "Okay."

"Now get yourself together we agreed I'm doing your makeup, remember," he mumbles before pushing the girl away.

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

She hands him her bag without any instructions, and he begins. "What even are you doing?" Hyunjim doesn't answer, but a hand holding a brush darts towards her face carelessly. Nadya slas it away. "You are going to poke my eye out."

"Sit still, and I won't," the guy mumbles. This is one of the rare circumstances in which she seeded him as truly focused. He is frowning. Cute.

"Dust off the excess of the brush first!" Nadya shouts at him, yet he doesn't listen and almost makes her choke on the powder.

"That is not how you treat your makeup artist," he grumbles.

"That is how teachers treat their students," Nadya argues. He just grins.

Its silent until it's not. "What are you going to do when we catch the killer?" Hyunjin redirects the conversation suddenly.

"Probably go to my sister. Stay with her until I find a job," the girl shrugs. The circus cannot be saved, so sooner or later she will have to leave.

"You should come to Korea," Hyunjin mumbles, still attacking her face with a brush.

"No, thank you. I'd be so lost there."

"You'd have us; besides, you'd easily find a job," he shrugs. "The entertainment industry is huge there."

"I don't think I am ready for such change," Nadya admits. The circus has been all her entire life for a while. She can't imagine herself anywhere else.

"Then just come visit. Our bosses kinda wanted to meet you," Hyunjin brushes over her lid once again.

"They sound scary."

"Theyre not when you get to know them, and they are curious where we were for so long," Hyunjin admits. She is sure the guys are taking way more time here than they usually do. It's complicated.

"You can tell them by yourself."

"My mom also really wants to meet you," he mumbles. That was out of the pocket. Sgw cannot believe him.

"You told your mom about me?"

"She called me to ask how I was doing. And I sort of told her that I am sharing a room with you," he pauses. "Then she started asking questions."

"It's fine, really. I'm just surprised."

"I told her you're a stylist, and she is working in the industry. She could find you a good spot."

"So you're dealing shit before even asking me?"

"I didn't mean to; she just offered, and it seemed like a good opportunity," he rambles. He's pleasant when he is a bit flustered.

"It is a good opportunity. Just don't make decisions for me, okay?"

"Sorry," he mumbles.

"I kind of want to meet your mom, though. To tell her what a prick you've been to me since we met," Naddya nudges him since he seems to get lost in thought.

"Am I still?"

"A bit."

"But you like that," he then smiles.

"Huh?"

"You like arguing with me," Hyunjin states proudly, crossing his arms on his chest. He has a nice pair of arms, she must admit.

"I can neither deny nor confirm." Nadya matches his posture.

"You love it," he softly touches her nose with a brush.

It is all it takes for Nadya to tackle him. "Give it to me," she mumbles as she gets on top of him, reaching for the brush, which he holds just barely out of her reach.

"I think you'll have to try harder," he laughs.

That's when their eyes meet. Nadya is sitting on his torso, each leg by his side. She had effectively pinned him down, and he is holding both of her hands, grinning from ear to ear. They are just two idiots fooling around. Nadya can't help but match his enthisiasm. Maybe she does enjoy arguing with him over such meaningless stuff.

"Hey, I was wondering if-" Chan pauses in the doorway. He motions towards us with a questioning look.

"Don't even ask," Nadya mumbles as she stumbles to get off Hyunjin, who is frozen on the spot.

"Are you two preparing for Halloween? You look like a raccoon," Chan laughs when Nadya steps into the light.

What else did she expect from Hyunjin? Nadya grabs a mirror, and she indeed looks like a raccoon. She looks like she's going to sneak into someone's yard and dig through their trash. "Are you sure you're an artist?"

"I'm still learning," Hyunjin raises his hands in the air.

Chan clears his throat. "I need to talk to Hyunjin; come out for a second," he orders and leaves. Although Nadya sees he isn't angry, she doesn't like Chan's tone. What are they going to talk about that Nadya cannot know about? It's odd.

Hyunjin disappears for barely a few minutes. Then he comes back a little moody. Nadya managed to wash her face while he was gone, and yet she can't help but be curious. "What did you two talk about?"

"Nothing important," he mumbles. "The less you know, the better."

"Excuse me?"

"It's a fact. The more you know, the bigger of a target it makes you," he comments.

"I don't care."

"You should."

[mintasa]

CIRCUS ~ CHAPTER 15

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Warnings: Blood, injuries, mental problems

Word count: 3,5k

Synopsis: A series of murders in a successful circus disturbs the life of a young stylist. With no place to go, she is keen on saving the circus, even if that means risking her own life to do so. As if things cannot go worse, a group of newbies join the hawock, seemingly not knowing what they're getting themselves into. Can she figure out the motives of the murderer and keep her crew together? Can the circus survive under the growing pressure and distrust?

Note: This is the first story I am publicly sharing. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

The story is vaguely inspired by Circus MV

"This can't be real," Nadya hears Taraji's voice. She's the morning alarm itself.

She nudges Jun for him to wake up. Then checks on Chan, but his bed is already empty. The guy barely sleeps; he must be outside already.

Nadya gets out of bed and gets to the bathroom. Suddenly she hears a familiar voice. Her mom. What is she doing here? That woman never brings good news.

The girl quickly changes and, still in her slippers, walks out. Her mother is right there, attempting to push past Taraji. "Seriously?"

Nadya's mother's face lit up. "Thank God, I was getting nowhere. This woman refused to point me to you."

"Probably for a reason," the girl mumbled under her breath. "Why are you here?"

"Your father passed away."

Once again, Nadya is dumbfounded. "Oh," she only manages to utter. She did not expect those news. Should she grieve the man? He's her father, after all. "How did that happen?"

"Smoking caught up to him," the woman shrugs.

Her father did have problems with that. Used to cough like a maniac. Not really a surprise. "I'm sorry."

With a motion of a hand, the woman dismisses her words. "I'm not here for that. He passed you all of his belongings," Nadya's mother shoves papers into the girls hands.

Out of all people to her? She doesn't even glance at them. "Why would he do that?"

"Just read it," the older woman points at the papers.

Nadyas eyes skip through the pages until it stops at a certain sentence. "What do you mean I have to marry into royalty to claim it?"

"Your father's wishes," her mother shrugs.

And here Nadya thought easy money was coming her way. She continues reading. "To keep the treasures in firm hands?" The girl scoffs as she reads out loud. Of course, her father would pull a stunt like that. So what if Nadya is a woman? How does that mean she can't deal with money? Why does she need to be dependable on a man? Her dad was always strict against women in power. Ironic considering he's always been under his wife's boot. "I need a wise man to continue our legacy."

"I'm sure we can find you a nice guy quite quickly," her mother mutters in thought. "I wonder if the one from before is still available. You liked him, right?"

"I'm not getting married," Nadya states.

"You can't," her mother raises her voice, eyes wide. "What about the house?"

"What about it?"

"I have nowhere to stay, and the place is yours. You just have to claim it," the woman explains. Now it makes sense why her mother was so eager to visit her long-lost daughter. Her father left his wife with nothing at all.

Nadya scoffs. "Really? That's what you came for."

"What else?"

The girl can't believe her ears. "Good luck finding an empty bench; it looks like our house is going to be given away for charity. I'm not marrying." Nadya slams the papers on the desk. Out of spite. Although the idea of marrying someone seems tempting, She could just divorce them lately.

"You are letting everything we worked so hard to preserve go to waste?"

"That is exactly what I am doing," Nadya smiles at her fakely.

"But-"

The girl interrupts her. "But what? What can you possibly say to change my mind?"

"I am your mother. You can't leave me on the street!"

"There are institutions that take care of the homeless, and you stopped being my mother a while ago," Nadya announces. It feels good to finally let those words out of her chest. She's been meaning to tell her this forever. The look on her mother's face is priceless.

"How can you say such cruel things? What happened to you? You were such an obedient child," the woman's words are laced with venom. Sadly, it doesn't affect Nadya anymore. She can shout as much as she can.

"I grew up," Nadya mumbles before turning on her heel and walking away.

"Is there any warm water left?"

Nadya blinks a few times at Hyunjin. She's been zoning out. Her mother's showing up with the news was unexpected. She's conflicted about what she should do. Should she just marry and divorce later? Would that work? Could she convince someone to marry her and part nicely without them getting obsessed with her money?

"There should be," she utters as she brings her coffee cup to her lips. It's getting cold.

Hyunjin pours himself a cup before sitting down across her. He just plays with the spoon in his cup for a while. He is the least of her problems right now. "Why are you so against the idea of marriage?"

Nadya raises her eyes at Hyunjin, surprised by his unexpected question. Did she make it seem like she is against marriage? "I have nothing against marriage but against wealthy men? A lot," Nadya mumbles.

"Just the wealthy men?"

"Men in general lately," she utters. "Jun is an exception."

"What about Felix?"

"He's nice too," Nadya answers shortly.

Hyunjin nods, and they are silent for a while. She can practically hear the gears in his head turning. "What about me?"

Does Nadya like him? In what way? No, she can't like him. She doesn't like him. Shes an artist, and he is nice to look at. That's about it. "You won't like the answer."

"I still want to know," he shrugs.

Nadya just glares at him for a second. It's like he's trying to get into an argument, and yet she is the problem. She sighs. "You're insufferable most of the time."

"It feels like there is a but."

There was a but. However, she's not feeding his ego by saying it out loud. "There's no but."

Hyunjin stays silent. Then he clears his throat. "Maybe I'm not nice, but you could find a nice guy. There's plenty of time to fall in love."

"Not if you feel obliged to do it."

"Then don't overthink it," he shrugs. It's so casual for him when he's not the one who has to marry.

"I can't marry just anyone," Nadya scoffd at him. She can't believe he is trying to set her up. Out of everyone, he is the one telling her to grab the money and disappear.

"That guy we met looked like a nice guy," he utters.

Nadya rolls her eyes at him. Hyunjin is dense and most likely blind. "That guy was more interested in you than in me," the girl points out.

"I do have that kind of effect on people," Hyunjim jokes. Nadya scoffs at his words while he just grins. "So you won't take the money?"

"Can we stop talking about the money? We have a killer to attend to," Nadya mumbles, irritated by his questioning and entire presence.

"We have no plan."

"What if we make it simple? Make me bait. That way-"

"No," he cuts her off firmly.

Nadya lets out a frustrated sigh. "Let me finish! Let him figure out that I know. If he targets me, we will get the proof," she tells him. Surely that is a basic plan, but they don't have time for a good one.

"Stupid idea," Hyunjin mumbles and sips on his coffee.

"Have any better ones?"

"No?"

"Then we are doing it," Nadya announces and satisfiedly leans back in her chair.

"What is the exact plan then?"

"I'll just let him catch me sneaking around in his waggon or something," she shrugs. He caught her on the spot. She hasn't figured out the exact plan yet. She brought up the whole idea spontaneously. Just to shut him up.

"What if he doesn't hesitate and snaps your neck on the spot?" He states sceptically.

"What if he doesn't?" Nadya fights back. "We can't be stopped by possibilities."

"You will possibly get hurt," he points out.

If she cared about that, she wouldn't have offered. "Does it matter?"

"It does."

"Mom, what the hell?" Nadya walks out of the kitchen waggon only to run right into the woman.

"I found a solution," her mother claims, and Nadya eyes her warily. The woman smiles until she sees Hyunjin peeking from behind the girl. "I want us to talk privately."

Nadya glances back and just nods at him, saying that she'll be fine. "Alright, I'm going to hear you out this last time."

The duo walks over to the bench they have set up to just hang out or eat breakfast. Her mother, however, doesn't waste any time and gets to business. "You want to be in power, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"You don't want to be dependable on a man," she states. Nadya hesitantly nods. "Then I found a solution. This man is willing to even pay for you to marry his son."

Pay her? Who would even do that? She's not convinced. "Where's the catch?"

"I see that school you want to pay off," her mother laughs.

"Get to the point."

"The groom is a little different from us," she tells her daughter.

As if that tells Nadya anything. What does she mean by different? Does he have a tail or something? "Mom, just tell me."

"He is a fully grown adult with the mind of a child. His father wants him to marry, so somebody takes care of him after he dies. A good deal, isn't it?"

Nadya doesn't find the right words to say. "How do you expect it to work?"

"Does it matter? Hire him a babysitter. He is the only son. After his father dies, you inherit his money too," she announces as if it's nothing.

"I won't marry a child," Nadya protested.

"Now. Now, with that attitude of yours, you're lucky anyone is willing to take you at all, the woman laughs as if she didn't stab a dagger into her heart for like the hundredth time.

"You want me to take care of him my entire life?"

"Well, my entire life is a long time. Usually, ones like him don't live too long. Thank God," the woman laughs. And that's just messed up. The guy may not be what everyone considers normal, but he is a person.

"What if I want to have a real family?"

"No one is stopping you. You are only bound to him by papers," she winks at Nadya. "You can bring as many guys into the house as you like."

Of course, her mother assumes that. Because that is something familiar to her. Nadya remembered seeing a different guy in the house every day while her dad was away. She asked her mother who they were multiple times. And she answered that they were special friends.

"Like you did every time Dad was away?" Her brother stops smiling. "Was he even my father? Or some of the guys you fucked behind his back knocked you up."

"How dare you talk to your mother like that?" The woman gasps.

Nadya smiles wickedly. "The truth is hard to accept, isn't it?"

"You are bringing shame to our family's name!"

"I am?"

"Ungrateful little wrench," the woman hisses and takes a deep breath to collect herself. "You could sleep in silks and wear designer clothes, but you choose to stay in this pig shed."

"She's the one sleeping on a bench," Nadya mumbles.

"Mark my words. You're not special. No one is ever going to marry you. Not with that tongue and not with those looks," she points at Nadya. Nothing Nadya hasn't heard before. She's used to her shit at this point.

"How unfortunate," Nadya replies sarcastically, which only visibly irks her mother.

"I should've given you to adoption once you came out of my womb looking like a cheap copy of your father," the woman exclaims. Here they go again. The comparisons. She was always her father's daughter. Lazy, rude, and irresponsible.

"Is that why you never loved me? Because I don't look anything like you?"

"Marrying your father was the biggest mistake of my life," the woman announces proudly. The woman is angry purely because Nadya stays calm.

"You made a mistake, yet I have to pay?"

"Your birth was a mistake!" Her mother shouts. Nadya knew she didn't like her too much. She knew her mother wanted her to be different, but it still hurts. Her own mother wishes she wasn't born.

"Just go; leave your mistakes behind." Nadya stands up abruptly and leans over the table to face her mother. Before she can do anything or say anything, Nadya is being dragged away.

"Nadya," Hyunjin's hands wrap around the girl's waist as he attempts to pull her back. He does manage to do so, but Nadya is sure not without some scratches. She thought he was supposed to leave her and her mother to deal with the matters alone. Can't he respect her wishes once?

"Let me go," Nadya protests, yet Hyunjin doesn't budge.

"Calm down," he mumbles into her hair. It's soothing, and coming from him just makes her more frustrated. She can't stop herself from crying. Its pathetic.

Nadya cannot keep fighting, so she slumps in Hyunjin's arms. He helps her lower herself down on the grass. "I hate her," Nadya mumbles. And once again she's venting to Hyunjin, who doesn't care a bit. "I hate you too," she sneers at Hyunjin and lets her head rest against his shoulder.

"No, you don't."

"What did you do?" She hears Amir approach the two of them sitting on the ground. As if it can't get any worse.

Nadya feels Hyunjin tense up before he moves away from her. He raises his hands in the air. "I swear it's not me this time."

"Better not be, or you're flying back to your country on the first plane." Amir points an accusing finger at him. Nadya has two men trying to protect her, but she can't trust either of them. Funny. Especially considering one of them tried to kill her multiple times.

"I just argued with my mom; we're good," Nadya mumbles. Why is she even defending Hyunjin? He is not any better than her mom. Her mom, to excuse her controlling nature, also claimed to care about Nadya. Look where they are now. Still, she cannot let Hyunjin possibly become the next target. Nadya doubts Amir would attempt to attack any of the guys, but the possibility is there.

"She was here again?" Nadya just nods. "That bitch better not step into our territory again."

"I don't think she will," Nadya mumbled and got up to her feet.

"I'll make sure she doesn't," Amir adds before walking away.

Nadya almost forgets Hyunjin is there until she hears rustling behind her. "For a person who tried to kill you a few times, he looks fond of you," Hyunjin mumbles.

"You have to keep appearances, right?"

"I guess," he mumbles while Nadya just walks away. Hyunjin catches up to her. "Where are you going?"

"To your wagon," Nadya pauses. "If you don't mind. I don't want to bother Jun," she told him. Hyunjind brain short circuits for a second. He is too easy to read.

"For good or?"

"I'm not sure," Nadya shrugs weakly before opening the door.

"Okay."

"Hyunjin?"

He was doodling something in his sketchbook half asleep but stirred awake after hearing the girl's voice. "Huh?"

"When I was out with Felix, I brought a new palette. Could I maybe try it on you?"

"Now?" Nadya knows it's the middle of the night, yet she still nods. "Alright then. How do... What am I supposed to do?"

"Come here and sit down," Nadya pats her bed and gets up to get the pallet.

As Hyunjim is sitting on the edge of the bed, Nadya approaches him. She taps his shin with her foot. "Spead your legs and look up."

Hyunjim smiles at her, and only then does it hit Nadya. She's speaking to him like some cheap whore, and he's having a blast about it. Ridiculous. Hyunjin spreads his legs either way, allowing Nadya to step in between them. She tilted his chin to her liking.

The entire process goes smoothly. They don't talk much more. Nadya is immersed in her work, and Hyunjim, well, he is looking like he is about to drift off to sleep.

Nadya adds some finishing touches before stepping away. "Done," she announces.

Hyunjin blinks a few times before reaching out for a mirror. "It's not bad."

"Not bad?"

He grins and leans back. "Alright, it's good. But," he pauses, which makes Nadya look at him instead of cleaning her brushes. "How about I do makeup on you next time?"

"You want to do my makeup?" Hyunjin nods, and Nadya is speechless. She can't stand the idea of it. She's been doing it herself all these years. It's odd. "I guess you can do that."

"No backing out!"

"Hyunjin! Nadia! Get the fuck up!" Nadya hears Minhos voice behind their door. Why is he in such distress? Nadya looks over at Hyunjin, who is peacefully sleeping. Princess.

"We'll be out in a sec!" She shouts back, and the knocking stops. How are they supposed to be out in a second when the princess is still in a dreamland?

An evil idea enters her mind, and she whacks him across the face with her pillow. He crunches his face and mumbles something under his breath. A second later, there's a pillow flying in Nadya's direction that she barely dodges.

"Can you not?" he complains as he sits up in the bed.

"I had to. Minho needs something." Nadya shrugs casually but can't help but grin.

Hyunjin narrows his eyes at her. "You are enjoying this far too much."

"Get up. Don't keep Minho waiting," she urges.

Then his eyes go wide. "Minho? Fuck, I'm eating tissues for breakfast," he sighs and disappears into the bathroom before Nadya can ask him what kind of drugs he is on. She wants some, too.

A few minutes later, Hyunjin follows Nadya out of the waggon, and they see him. Orion is casually chatting with others by that cursed picnic table.

Nadya approaches the crowd, and Hyunjin, who looks more confused than she is, follows. Orion looks up at her and gulps. "I'm sorry for waking you up so early. Something came up. I think you may find it interesting," he mumbles.

Then he pushes Nadya a handful of photos with a covered-up body beneath. She doesn't get it. At least she thinks she doesn't before she recognises that damn expensive designer bag. Nadya throws the pictures on the table and stumbles into Hyunjin, who was looking over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Orion utters, reaching out for her hand.

"This can't be. The body. It can be anyone, and the bag could be stolen," Nadya shakes her head. There's no way her mom is dead. She's too prideful to go out like that.

"We saw the body, Nadya. It's just less disturbing for you this way," Taraji mumbles.

The girl just stares at the table for a while. She can't bring herself to ask. To ask what happened. When? Was it her fault? It must be. She left the woman in the street. Nadya's mother had hurt her, but that is not a death sentence by any means.

Jun pinches Nadya, making her hiss, and snaps out of it. She gulps. "How did it happen?"

"She was beaten to death," Orion pauses, "probably by some street thugs."

So it was Nadya's fault. It would've never happened if Nadya was more responsible. Maybe she is like her father. Irresponsible and lazy. She should've been the better person.

Amir stands up. "I think that is enough information for one day. Hyunjin, take her to bed. Jun, bring some calming tea," he orders.

Amir is the boss. The owner. Everyone listens to him. He can do anything he wants. Anything he wants. Nadyas eyes search for Hyunjins, but there's just concern in them. He didn't get it. Amir was sending threats to her mother yesterday. He said he'd make sure she didn't come back, so he eliminated her. It makes sense. Maybe it isn't Nadya's fault after all.

Nadya needs to get some alone time with Hyunjin. She can't keep that to herself. Every second is eating her alive. The man who killed her mother is in front of her, yet there's nothing she can do.

The door closes, and Nadya grabs Hyunjin's hand. He glances at it before meeting her eyes. "Amir killed my mom," she tells him. He stares at Nadya as if she's crazy. "He threatened her yesterday, remember?"

At first he is confused, but soom realisation creeps upon Hyunjin's face. His arms wrap around Nadya's shoulders. "I don't get it. Why is he suddenly so protective over you?"

"Appearances?"

"It can't be it," Hyunjin disagrees, and to be honest, Nadya has to agree. Something much weirder is going on.

[mintasa]

CIRCUS ~ CHAPTER 14

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Warnings: Blood, injuries, mental problems

Word count: 3,5k

Synopsis: A series of murders in a successful circus disturbs the life of a young stylist. With no place to go, she is keen on saving the circus, even if that means risking her own life to do so. As if things cannot go worse, a group of newbies join the hawock, seemingly not knowing what they're getting themselves into. Can she figure out the motives of the murderer and keep her crew together? Can the circus survive under the growing pressure and distrust?

Note: This is the first story I am publicly sharing. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

The story is vaguely inspired by Circus MV

"I told you to act naturally," Hyunjin mumbles as they are all standing in the kitchen waiting for Orion to arrive. Nadya doesn't even know why the cop visits so often. He doesn't bring anything remotely useful. It's like he just wants to torture her with his presence.

"I am trying," Nadya utters back to him. It's not like it's easy to be in the same room as a murderer responsible for the deaths of many of her friends.

It is not even easy to be next to Hyunjin. Whatever is happening between them is not good. He is messing with her head, and she doubts if he cares at all. It's all fun and games to him. Has been since day one. Since she hit him with that goddamn pillow.

Nadya feels him sliding his hand over to hers. Right, Orion. They have to keep up the appearances. The girl cannot believe Orion is buying this shit. He thinks that they are dating. It's stupid. If not for the circumstances, a guy like Hyunjin would want nothing to do with Nadya.

"Snap out of it," Hyunjin bumps her shoulder.

Nadya just sent him a glare. Jun is on the opposite side of the room. Nadya meets his eyes, and he grins like an idiot, with his eyes motioning towards their interviened hands. She'll have a lot of explaining to do. At least she knows she's not ranting at a killer.

"Jun is staring," Hyunjin whispers into Nadya's ear.

The girl raises their entangled fingers in the air. "I wonder why."

"What are you going to tell him?"

"The truth?"

Orion leaves after another meaningless speech. As soon as he does, Nadya sees a giddy Jun approaching. "So you two," he slides beside her. "I was wondering how long it would take before..."

"Much longer," Nadya cuts him off. "Don't get any ideas. We are pretending, so Orion leaves me alone," she explains to him briefly.

As the car drives off, Hyunjin finally drops her hand. "He is still bothering you?"

"Yep. I don't know what his deal is," the girl shrugs.

"So nothing is going on?" Jun gestures between her and Hyunjin. Nadya shakes her head. "I should've known you're bitchless."

"You're the one talking," the girl scoffs. Jun shoves her playfully before walking away in another direction. That's a fact. They are both single and probably going to stay for a while.

"What did you even see in the cop?" Hyunjin mumbles after deafening silence.

"Well, he treated me well. He did not force me into anything. At the moment it seemed special to me, but now I realize it's just basic human decency," Nadya mumbles.

Hyunjin simply nods. He's been kind of odd lately too. Weirdy calm. He hasn't been trying to pick up fights or anything. Had he told the rest of the guys the news already?

Nadya went out to a bar with Jun, Misha, and some of the guys. Just because she had to get her mind off things and somehow ended up sitting on a roof along with Jun and giggling while looking down at drunk people outside.

"Sometimes I think you have a death wish," she hears and turns her entire body towards the voice. Jun barely grabs Nadya before she can tumble down. Hyunjin. She's not happy to see him. Why out of all the guys, he would volunteer to come? So he can find some blonde to fuck in the corner?

Hyunjins hand wraps around Nadyas waist as he sits next to her. "Careful," he mumbles as Nadya jumps at the contact of his fingers to her skin. It was a bad idea to wear a cropped shirt.

"Hey. Make sure she doesn't fall. I am going to head down for a bit," Jun shouts, trying to talk over the music blasting on the inside. Traitor.

"How did you two end up on the roof?"

"Jun's idea, not mine," Nadya says, raising her hands in the air. Since she's not holding onto anything anymore, she almost falls backwards and takes Hyunjin with her.

"Damn. You're cooked," he states.

The girl squints her eyes at that. "And you're not," she states after brief observation.

"Someone has to make sure you don't do anything stupid," he shrugs.

"You're stupid," Nadya points at him.

"That's not what I meant by that, but sure, don't do me either," Hyunjin laughs. He has never laughed at something Nadya said before. It's nice. Now she's stupid. She wants to get away from him. He is making her stupid.

"I want to go down," Nadya tells him.

"Alright. I'll get down first and then help you, okay?"

She nods. "Okay."

While holding onto her hands, Hyunjin slides through the roof window. It is high up in the air. She and Jun climbed out by pushing some tables together, but she is not sure they can get in the same way.

Nadya lets her legs hang in the air as she sits on the side of the window. Hyunjin is standing with his hand up, still holding her hands. His fingers barely brushing against the girls. "Slide down, I'll get you," Hyunjin tells her. Nadya normally wouldn't listen to him, but now she does as she's told. He grips Nadya by the thighs and slowly lowers her down. Then he pulls down her shirt that had ridden up during that. "You good?"

Nadya doesn't answer him but holds a thumbs up. He smiles. "You're not usually this nice," she mutters.

"You're not usually this drunk."

"Does that matter?" She pauses and sits down on the floor. Then she looks up at him. "Do you like me more when I am drunk?" He only smiles at her when she's drunk.

He shakes his head at the girl and ignores her. Instead, he pulls her up. "The floor is cold," he mumbles.

"That's why I am going downstairs," Nadya tells him and points at him. "Without you."

"You're going to roll down without me," Hyunjin comments skeptically, but Nadya still refuses his help. She gets down by herself and smiles at the guy before walking away.

She was heading for the bar but didn't reach it. Hyunjin again. "Let me have fun," Nadya protests, and he just rolls his eyes at her.

He drags her away so they are in the back where it's less crowded. There are also people making out. Disgusting. Some guy walks by and winks at Nadya. She waves at him with the free hand that Hyunjin isn't holding.

"See? He was nice," she tells Hyunjin.

"And I'm not nice, although I'm making sure you don't break your neck." He questions smugly. The girl nods. "You sure have your priorities straight."

Nadya pulls her hand out of his grip. "I'm going to find Jun."

"Saw him going upstairs with some guy. I wouldn't bother if I were you," Hyunjin comments.

Oh. "And Felix?"

"Felix took Misha home," he informs. Nadya frowns. "Do you want to go home?"

"Not yet."

"What do you want then?"

"To dance," Nadya announces.

"You want to dance?" He looks at her skeptically. Nadya actually doesn't even want to dance; she's just hoping to lose Hyunjin in the crowd. "Fine."

She does manage to get away from Hyunjin. At some point, a girl started to talk to him, and she managed to slip away. Nadya doubts if he's looking for her, but she likes playing hide and seek. The girl was pretty; he'd be stupid not to be interested.

Suddenly she feels hands around her; they're trapping her. Nadya turns her head only to find Hyunjin. He found her. She lost. "That's it, we are going home," Hyunjin mutters to himself rather than to her.

He drags her through the bar to the outside, and in a second taxi comes. Then he stuffs her inside and gets in after the hirl. They start moving, and the car rocks Nadya to sleep. She leans against Hyunjin's shoulder. He smells nice. "You smell nice."

"Thank you?"

God, she said that out loud. The car stops stirring Nadya wide awake. Hyunjin helps her out of the car. "Oh, hey, Amir," Nadya mumbles as Hyunjin is dragging her to the wagons. She's barefoot on the grass since she can't walk in heels anymore.

From the corner of her eye, she sees Hyunjin frantically shaking his head at her. Trying to stop her.

"How did it even get this bad?" Amir motions towards Nadya. The girl straightens up herself and finally feels how tense Hyunjin is. Right, murderer. It's not like she will just spill everything.

"I let her with Jun out of sight for a second and found her like this," Hyunjin shrugs.

What does he mean by this? Shes perfectly fine. Nadya forces her hand out of Hyunjin's grip and glares at him. Amir laughs. "Oh, to be young. Make sure she doesn't break anything."

Nadya would think he was genuine if she didn't know the truth. He is the killer. He tried to kill her and gave up for some reason. He doesn't care about her well-being. Bet he'd love it if she would break her neck. Nadya can help but wonder if Amir thinks she might become a problem. Like Azara.

"Let's go before you say something unhinged," Hyunjin mumbles as his fingers wrap around her forearm once again.

"The only thing that is unhinged is your hair," Nadya mumbled. He smiles at that. He thinks it's funny. What happened to him sulking all the time? Stupid, Hyunjin with his stupidly silky hair. He knows shes speaking nonsense. He knows he's good-looking, and that's a problem.

Nadya lets him drag her inside the wagon. She sits down on her bed. Hyunjin takes off his shoes and glances at Nadya, who is just staring at one dot. Not even thinking. Mind blank. "Go to sleep," Hyunjin's voice frees the girl from the trance.

"I don't want to," Nadya shrugs casually.

"That was an order."

"Have I ever listened to you?" The girl questions. Hyunjin doesn't answer. "Though so."

"Well, you can listen to me this once," Hyunjin approaches her and softly pushes her down to lie down. She lets him get too tired to protest.

His shirt is rolled up to his elbows, and they are looking good on display. Nadya can't help but let her thoughts wander. She glances up at him; he looks tired. Probably from running after her.

She does hesitate for a moment but not for too long before grabbing the collar of his shirt, pulling him down, and pressing her lips against his. She couldn't help herself. She just wanted to check what it is so tempting about him while he has been nothing but a prick to her.

It's unfair how he just walks away each time yet always kisses her like he wants this as much as she does. She's the only one stuck at the moment. That can't look him in the eye for a while. She always gives in; it doesn't take much; he just has to make a move.

The kiss is short since Hyunjin pushes her away quickly. Here she is again. She can't look him in the eye. He is just fucking with her. There's no way he doesn't know what he is doing. It's not even his fault at this point. Nadya is just throwing herself under the bus. She's imagining stuff while looking through heart-shaped glasses at him.

Hyunjin sits down and sighs. "We can't keep doing this," he utters. Great, now he is scolding her. Maybe she deserves that.

"I'm sorry," Nadya mutters. She made him chase her around the bar and even know she was causing him trouble. She's not letting him sleep.

Hyunjin grips her hands, stopping Nadya from fiddling with her fingers. She hadn't even realized she was doing that. She hadn't realized when she started tearing up too. "Stop that," he mumbles. It's not a command but still feels like it.

"I'm sorry," Nadya utters once again. "It's stupid. I'm sorry. I get it if you don't want to talk to me anymore. I am difficult to deal with. Sorry," she is rambling at this point; she must look pathetic. Maybe Amir should've tried harder to put her out of her misery.

"Don't compare me to your cop," Hyunjin stands up. "We will talk about this in the morning. When you come back to your senses," he mutters before disappearing behind the bathroom door.

Nadya can't cry. All she does is cry lately. The girl pulls her feet into the bed and tucks herself under the covers.

Nadya left the room while Hyunjin was still asleep, avoiding that promised talk at all costs. She's been helping Taraji since she woke up. Even she woke up early. No one has been sleeping well. Who would want a killer on the loose?

"Felix," Nadya stops the blonde once she notices him in the corner. She's been waiting for an opportunity to sneak away. This might be it. "Do you maybe want to go into the city with me?"

"Sure," he smiles widely, like a ray of sunshine in human form. "What about Hyunjin?"

Why does everything have to be about him? He doesn't own her. "What about him?" Nadya raises an eyebrow.

Felix shakes his head. "Nothing."

Then the girl grabs her bag and makes sure the wallet is inside. It's not too long until everyone wakes up, and if she runs into Hyunjin, it might not end well. "So are we going or what?"

"Like right now?"

"Yes now," she announces firmly.

"Where the hell were you?!" Hyunjin's voice echoes just as Nadya stays out of the car with Felix. Can't he give her a rest? She just did a full route of grocery shopping. She volunteered, but still. A job is a job.

"Out?"

"And you didn't think about telling me?" He crosses his arms on his chest as he is looking down at her. He does that a lot. Acts as if shes a child, as if shes beneath him.

It's not like she was alone. Nadya thought she just had to be with one of the guys at all costs. She doesn't want to make a scene. Everyone is looking. "I was with Felix. Does that matter?"

"You're ridiculous," Hyunjin scoffs.

She is ridiculous while he is causing a scene over something unimportant. "I don't have to report back to you," she argues.

He laughs dryly. "You do actually," he claims. Nadya shakes her head in disbelief. He said that with such audacity, he almost convinced her. "That's the least you could do after I've been looking after you, making sure you don't die."

"I didn't ask you to do anything!" The girl gets all up in his face. He stands firm. He is hard to intimidate.

"So you'd rather be dead?"

"Maybe?"

He looks away and pushes Nadya back a bit. Sit just a reach of a hand away. "Don't say stuff like that," his tone drops, and she can't help but notice that.

Now it's her turn to be tough. He is backing down. It's her chance to make a point. "What do I have to lose at this point? There is nothing left. Be for real. The circus is dead. We will all have to move on, and I have nowhere to go!"

Hyunjin is incredibly expressive. That's why she can see him panic on the inside. "What about Jun? Your sister?" he argues. She sees him send a glance to Jun, but she doesn't dare to tear her eyes away.

"I can't be their burden all of the time. I am enough as it is," Nadya mutters the last sentence. And now she's getting soft. She can't let that happen. She fixes her posture.

The next his words are uncalled for but expected. "You're not only their burden," he hisses.

She knows she is. That's one of the reasons why she wants to stay away from him. Is it that hard to understand? It's her chance to get rid of Hyunjin. "Just leave me alone if I am such a burden."

"You know damn well I can't," he lets out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm sure that can be arranged."

Hyunjin shakes his head at her and turns to the crowd, watching them openly argue. "Anyone wants her?" he asks. He is putting on a show. There is a long pause of people just staring, caught off guard. "I dont see anyone volouteering. Do you really want to be alone at a time like this?"

"Maybe I am better off alone!" Nadya throws her hands in the air and turns on her heel. She is so done with the conversation. Why does she bother?

"Where are you going?!"

"I don't know!" Nadya shouts back. Probably into the forest to get eaten by bears or bitten by venomous bugs. Whichever is better.

"Glad to see you came back alive," Hyunjin mumbles as Nadya enters the wagon. She had to. All of her stuff is inside.

"Don't sound too happy. I'm not staying," she announces and sends him a pointed stare.

He sits up quickly. So he was expecting her to come back like nothing happened. "Where are you going?"

"I'll find a place."

Nadya feels his fingers wrap around her wrist. She slowly turns to him, trying her best not to smack him. Not to do anything she would regret. "Don't go," he pauses, "please."

She cannot be with him. "This is now how it works," Nadya shakes her head. "You can't ask me anything after saying all that stuff. After embarrassing me in front of everyone. I'm staying with Jun for a bit."

"You don't have to."

"You told me that I am a burden, and you still want me to stay?" She did not let him finish his sentence.

"I-" He pauses, unable to form a sentence. It disappoints Nadya in a way. She can't even get an apology out of him. There's nothing he can say to convince her.

"Look, I'm leaving for my own sake, not yours. I deserve better than this." Nadya pulls her hand out of his and moves towards her closet. She needs to get something to sleep in with some face wash, preferably.

"I am not worth crying over," Hyunjin mumbles. How come she didn't notice those few stray tears rolling down her cheeks? He approaches her from behind, and she feels his fingertips run over her arm. "Don't cry."

As if that's easy to do. The more he's talking, the more she wants to hide. He forces her to face him anyway. "How can I not? All you do is mess with my head," Nadya mumbles, looking him in the eyes. Hes thinking; she got into his thick skull. "Forget it, you're a fucking asshole."

"I know. You're not any better."

"What did I even do now?"

"That's the point; you did nothing, and you are driving me insane," he admits. Nadya does not dare to look at him, yet she forces herself to.

He backs her against the cupboard until there's nowhere to go back, leaning forward so his hair is touching Nadya's face. The girl scans his face until her gaze falls on his parted lips. He leans in a bit more, and an alarm sets off in Nadya's head. He notices and backs away slightly. "We can't keep doing this."

He scrunches his eyebrows in confusion. "You kissed me yesterday."

She did, but she was drunk. He can't hold it against her forever. Not when he brushed her off and ran away, leaving her to ponder in her thoughts. "And you told me it's wrong."

He lets out a frustrated laugh. "Since when do you listen to anything I say?" He has a point. Nadya never does; she's the problem. A wave of disappointment washes over Nadya. "Look, I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Right now you are the one hurting me," Nadya utters barely audible. He still hears it, though. She can tell. Quite a lot of emotions wash over him all at once.

"I didn't mean to. I-"

"I do not want to hear it," Nadya cuts him off.

"Can you listen to me for a second?"

Then she finally pushes past him. "What can you do that will possibly make this better?"

"I care about you." He says each word with such bitterness that it's hard to process. It's hard to believe.

"You care about me?" Nadya raises a skeptical eyebrow.

"I guess I got used to you being around. I can't imagine it the other way," he admits, yet it doesn't bring any peace to Nadya. He wants her to stay because he doesn't like to be alone, not because he genuinely cares.

"You want me to stay because you are better off that way. You," Nadya pokes at his chest. "What about me?" The girl doesn't let him reply before rushing out of the wagon, and he doesn't dare to follow.

[mintasa]

CIRCUS ~ CHAPTER 13

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Warnings: Blood, injuries, mental problems

Word count: 3,9k

Synopsis: A series of murders in a successful circus disturbs the life of a young stylist. With no place to go, she is keen on saving the circus, even if that means risking her own life to do so. As if things cannot go worse, a group of newbies join the hawock, seemingly not knowing what they're getting themselves into. Can she figure out the motives of the murderer and keep her crew together? Can the circus survive under the growing pressure and distrust?

Note: This is the first story I am publicly sharing. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

The story is vaguely inspired by Circus MV

"Good morning," Hyunjin says, walking into the kitchen while most of the crew is already gathered inside.

"Morning," chimes Taraji while cooking.

Nadya doesn't even glance at him. She's not ignoring him by any means. They just usually don't talk much. They never greet each other. Hyunjin walks over to Taraji while Nadya simply stuffs her mouth with homemade pancakes. Misha is in the corner of the room too. Eating. At least trying to. Even Nadya does still feel sick after seeing Azara's dead body. It's difficult to forget the lifeless eyes of a dear friend.

"What did the pancake do to you?" Hyunjin questions as he sits across the table.

Nadya had been just stabbing the pancakes with a fork. She zoned out. Suddenly her appetite is gone. She raises her eyes to look at Hyunjin and sighs. Before he can react, she's up and putting the pancakes away. She's not hungry.

"What are you doing?" Hyunjin's eyes follow Nadya as she maneuvers around the kitchen. He glances at her almost apologetically. "I didn't... You should finish the plate."

He thinks she stopped eating because of him. "Lost my appetite," Nadya shrugged. She can't bring herself to tell him more. To tell him that she feels sick in the stomach and can barely swallow anything. Not like he wants to know.

The girl bumps into Jun on her way out. There's the trash can. The pancakes won't go to waste. She goes for a walk on the route she has already known by heart.

"I thought we don't go anywhere without telling nobody anymore," Hyunjin mumbles as he approaches Nadya, sitting on the bench in front of the pond. It's daytime. There's a family of ducks swimming. A bike or two passes by her now and then.

"Forgot to tell anyone." The girl mutters. What was he expecting? An apology? To be honest, Nadya didn't tell anyone on purpose. She wanted to be alone. And she kind of wishes someone would just spare her from the difficulties of life. Her life isn't even that important. She brings nothing to the team. Team? There's not even a team anymore.

"You should be more responsible," Hyunjin utters. Nadya hears him drag his feet behind her until he is next to her. He looks into the distance.

"Did you come here to lecture me?"

"No, actually," he says, turning his head to look at the girl. "I came to tell you that your cop will come later."

Nadya winces at his words. Her cop. He was never hers. "Don't call him that, and what for?"

Hyunjin drops his eyes to the ground. "He has to question us since the case is active again." That fucker. Can't they get another cop since the current one cannot do his job?

"Separately?"

"No, as a group," he shakes his head. Thank god. Shes not in the mood to talk to him eye to eye.

"Good," she mumbles.

"You should talk it out with him," Hyunjin suggests.

That immediately makes Nadya's blood boil. "What is there to talk about?" She asks him, maybe a little too angrily.

Then she gets up and walks away.

"Nadya. Can we talk?"

Not him. Nadya thought he was leaving already. "About what?" Nadya turns to him and crosses her arms on her chest.

"About us. I know I have hurt you multiple times, but I miss you," he mumbles and attempts to get a hold of Nadya's hand. She steps back abruptly.

He said he missesher. Nadya laughs at that. "Wake up. Seriously, what game are you playing now? You were the one that said you'd never actually be into me. That I'm too difficult," she points an acusing finger at Orion.

"You are difficult," the guy pauses. Here they go again. What's next? He is going to tell me how unlovable she is. "But I didn't realize how much I liked you until you were gone. It pains me to have you an arm's length away, but you're not mine."

That guy. How many movies did he watch? "If you like me so much, why do you only attempt to talk to me when you come for business? Make it make sense. I'm not stupid. I know not to trust anything coming out of your mouth." Nadya raises her voice. Even Orion seems surprised at her outburst. Her eyes start watering, and she knows she's screwed. Fuck.

Orion laughs suddenly. "Your guard dog is here."

Nadya spinz only to find Hyunjin smugly leaning against one of the wagons. He straightens himself and comes over. "Came to tell you to go back to the office and fuck yourself," Hyunjin glares at the guy. His stare is something else. He is burning a hole through him.

"Nadya, darling. Can you get your boyfriend out of my sight? How much do you pay him to pretend anyway?" Orion asks while looking at Hyunjin. "Come on. I'm a cop, after all. You two can barely look at each other."

Hyunjin slings an arm around Nadya. They make eye contact as if to prove a point. Then Hyunjin looks away. "No, I think we're good."

Orion scoffs. "Fine, then prove it."

"What do you suggest?" Hyunjin questions. He is way too calm. Nadya is shaking at this point, and she doesn't even know why exactly.

"Kiss," Orion shrugs. He knows how much of a big deal her first kiss with him was. Orion is playing with her, with her feelings.

The blood circulation in Nadyas body stops. She glances back and forth between the guys. She'd love nothing more than to shut Orion up, but then again, she cannot kiss Hyunjin. "I don't have to prove anything to you," the girl hisses.

Orion laughs. "It's just a kiss," he says, raising his hands in the air. He knows damn well Nadya wouldn't just kiss anybody.

The girl shakes her head and drops Hyunjin's hand off of her shoulder. She's done with this conversation. Orion is pushing her buttons, but she is not going to let him play with her. She walks away.

Barely a few steps away, Hyunjin catches up to her. His one hand grips her by the waist, and the other tilts up her chin. They make brief eye contact, and Nadya doesn't get a chance to say anything before Hyunjin closes the distance between them. The kiss is rushed and brief. Nadya freezes just like that night but forces herself to play along.

His lips are soft and kissable. Just like she remembers. Why is she surprised? Then it hits her. She's kissing Hyunjin, and Orion is watching. God knows who else could be watching. She pushes at Hyunjin's chest, and he easily backs away. Although his hand on the girl's waist stays.

Nadyas body is on fire. She wants to hang herself so she won't have to talk to Hyunjin about this later. Maybe it's just she who is making a big deal out of it? Hyunjin doesn't look bothered at all. Maybe it's not that deep. People kiss all the time.

"Satisfied?" Hyunjin questions.

Orion frowns and walks away. Nadya, however, practically runs away from Hyunjin the minute Orion leaves. Jun questions why she is so flushed, but he gives up after a while. She's good for now. What if she just stays at Juns today? No, that will just make it more weird.

Nadya walks into their shared wagon only to find Hyunjin inside. He immediately puts away whatever he was doing at the moment and sits up. The guys had brought in her bed. Hyunjin motions towards it, "Sit. We have to talk."

Nadya sits down willingly. "Go on."

"I hope I didn't make you too uncomfortable," he mumbles, taping his fingers against the mattress. Good to know she's not the only one who's worrying.

"I'm good, and I'm sorry it came down to that," the girl mumbles. "You don't get paid to do that. I'm sorry, really."

"It's okay. I'm used to stuff like that," he pauses and shrugs. "Part of the job is to keep you safe." That almost sounds nice coming from him. He is concerned about her safety, although a while ago he didn't care a bit. Hypocrite.

His words echo through the girl's mind. He said he is used to stuff like that. Now Nadya wonders how many people he has kissed. A lot for sure. He is pretty. It's unfair how a guy is prettier than many girls.

"So we are good?" Nadya questions, and the guy nods. "Let's never talk about it again," she proposes. Nadya feels a weight being lifted off of my chest. Why was she even worried so much? It was indeed her making it weird.

"Sounds good to me," he says, looking down again. "I wanted to talk about this morning too."

This morning? What is he onto? "What about it?"

"You need to eat," he states.

Well, that was out of pocket. Nadya blinks at him. "Excuse me?"

"What did you eat today?"

He is interrogating her. "I-" Nadya pauses, unable to finish the sentence. With everything that has been going on, she only got to eat those two pancakes from this morning.

"Though so," he mumbles and pauses. "I don't want it to sound weird or anything, but earlier I touched you, and you've lost weight."

Right, he was holding onto her waist, as his life depends on it. "It's normal to lose some weight," Nadya argues. Weight is something that isn't permanent. She doesn't see how it is such a big deal. She needed to lose some anyway.

"No, I mean an unhealthy amount," he states. "You need to take care of yourself."

Who gave him the right to tell me what to do? "Let me live my life."

Orion has been visiting more often lately. So Nadya has been smitten with Hyunjin. Just to keep appearances, they haven't been talking. Although they talked it out, it's still weird that they kissed. They kissed in broad daylight and were completely sober.

The pair, however, is staying in the same room, so Nadya cannot avoid him. "You still must have your assumptions on who killed Azara," Hyunjin mumbles one late night.

She is trying to sleep with her back turned to him but rolls to look at him. "I have no clue, but it's getting odd. Knowing that anyone can be the killer, I'm sometimes scared to stand in a room without one of the guys," Nadya admits. It's been odd.

"That's good for your safety," he mumbles. What's up with him and her safety?

"What if we got everything wrong? It's not one of us?"

"Pretty much impossible," Hyunjin sighs. He knows she doesn't want to hear it, but it's the truth.

"Even if we found out, we can't lock that person up without proof," Nadya states. That is so unfair. Miguel got locked up with barely any evidence, and now they couldn't lock up a truly guilty person if it came to that.

"True."

"Hyunjin!" Nadya doesn't get what's wrong with him today. He is being a dick on purpose, and now he is dipping right before Orion's arrival. What will she do without him?

At that moment, when they are still arguing, Orion pulls up. The devil himself. "Trouble in paradise?"

"None of your business," Nadya snaps at him. Hyunjin stops in his tracks too to glare at the guy.

"See, he can't handle you," Orion moves closer. "Don't you see a pattern?"

"Shut up," Nadya gets her hand from Hyunjin's grip and shoves Orion in the chest. "I can't handle you both!" With that, she turns on her heel and heads for Jun's wagon. The only place she's always welcome.

"Nadya," she hears Hyunjin's voice. He had followed me. He is her designated guardian, yet he has been too much into the girls business lately.

"Leave me alone!" Nadya slammed the door right in front of his nose. He tries to walk in after her, but she locks the door.

"Don't bring Jun into this," Hyunjim mutters behind the door. "It's between us."

"There's no us. Go away!"

At the end of the day, Hyunjin is right. Jun cannot solve all of her problems, and she doesn't want to be a burden. "I only came back so Jun could sleep in peace," Nadya mumbles once she walks into Hyunjin's wagon.

He sits up, and she feels his eyes following her movement. "I don't want to argue."

"You're the one that was mad at me for no reason," Nadya points out.

"I told you to eat."

Is he serious? He went all out on her just because she skipped breakfast today. Nadya laughs at that dryly. "You left me to deal with Orion because of that?"

"I didn't think ahead," he admits shamefully.

"Sure, you didn't." Nadya turns her back on him and feels the tears coming to the surface. Well, that's embarrassing. She had cried in front of him more than anyone else.

"Please don't cry," she hears him utter. His voice is quiet, as if he's sad and tired. Miserable entitled princess.

"Shut up," Nadya murmurs. She feels the bed dip behind her. Can't he get a hint? "Can you not?" She forces herself to sit up and face him.

"I don't want you to be mad at me," Hyunjim states. Bold statement for someone who makes her blood boil at least once a day.

"Why?"

"You grew on me, alright?"

He must be fiddling with her. "You're ridiculous," Nadya rolls her eyes at him.

"I'm serious. If I could take it all back, I would."

Shes speechless. Nadya is simply staring at him. What else can she do when he's so pretty? If he wasn't so pretty, she might have shown him off her bed already, but here they are. "I don't know what to say." Nadya looked anywhere but into his eyes.

"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to let you know that I don't hate you," he mumbles.

Nadya doesn't want to believe him, but he sounds genuine. Maybe she's just naive. "I don't hate you either," the girl admits. She doesn't think she ever hated him. He just manages to get on her nerves.

"Good."

"Good."

Then he opens his arms. It's an invitation. So she dives in. Right into his arms. How stupid of her! Yet it's comforting. She may have grown to like him more than she dares to admit.

How did it all get so fucked up? Orion turned out to be an ass that can't leave Nadya alone. Her friends are losing their lives over nothing, and she's crying while hugging Hyunjin. Hyunjin, who is only here temporarily and will leave. So will the rest of the guys.

It doesn't make sense. Especially how everything became so quiet ever since Amir became the owner. There was Azara's death, of course, but it's quiet again. Might it be the fact that the cops are around more? That Orion is a frequent guest?

None of her crewmates that are left have been targeted besides her and Amir. But for Amir, it wasn't that serious. He walked out with bruises. Thinking about it, it's odd. How the second time he got attacked, no one was around. Everyone just believed his words mindlessly. And she completely brushed him off as a possible killer. Because they are the victims, right?

Nadya cannot believe Shd considered Jun before him. Amir is in perfect shape to end someone's life. And although she doesn't know the motive, he could've been after the circus. But why would he kill after he got it? Did Azara, by any chance, figure it out? Nadya knows she's been looking into it. Oh god. He knew. He knew she was looking into it. He was there when Azara was ranting to her. He eliminated Azara before she could do anything. It all leads to Amir.

Nadya pushes herself away from Hyunjin. "It's Amir," she announces. He looks skeptical. Right, she's not making any sense. "He is the killer."

"You sure?"

"Never been more. After he became the owner, the killing stopped. And Azara's death was unrelated. He eliminated her because she was curious. I told you she was talking to me the morning before her death. Amir was the first to walk into the room. And it was quiet. He could've easily heard our conversation," Nadya whispers, aware of the fact that Amir could be listening to them too. She is not about to make the same mistake Azara did.

Nadya watches Hyunjin calculate. He grips her face. "You're brilliant," he announces and drops his hands. "Now we just need proof."

"How do we get that?"

"That is going to be hard. We can't just get him to admit to it," Hyunjin pauses. "And you can't tell anyone besides the guys about this. He can't figure out what we know. Act naturally around him or your next."

"That's nice to hear," Nadya hums.

Hyunjin shifts. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. You just have to be careful."

"For fucks sake, the truth was in front of my face all along, and I've only figured it out now," the girl throws her hands in the air, although she wishes she could just throw herself off a cliff.

"That is not your responsibility. If anyone is to blame, it's us. We were meant to solve that," Hyunjin chimes. Sure, they are the agents, but she knew everyone for longer. She should've seen the signs.

"Police was meant to do that. Hold up. Do we tell Orion what we know?"

"He will just cause a ruckus. It's not like he can arrest him," Hyunjin shrugs.

"You have a point," Nadya agrees with him. Orion has done nothing but bothering Nadya for no reason.

"What now?"

"I guess we go to sleep."

"I don't think I can sleep," Hyunjin admits. They are both too giddy. They shouldn't be after figuring out a murder mystery, but they are.

"Me neither." Hyunjin doesn't answer. They sit in silence like the idiots that they are. There's not much they can talk about, and neither of them can fall asleep. "What do you think Orion's deal is?"

"Maybe he just can't take rejection well."

Nadya shakes her head. "That's not it. He said I'm unloveable. There's no reason for him to change up all of a sudden."

"You are not unloveable. No one is," Hyunjin chimes.

Nadya pushes him playfully. "Easy for you to say when you're so pretty," she tells him. Did she just admit that she thinks he's pretty? Yes, she did. God, please don't let that get to his head.

"You think I'm pretty?" He leans forward towards the girl. Here they go. The idiot missed the point.

"Don't make me take it back," Nadya groans and pushes his face away.

"You haven't been wearing makeup much," Hyunjin points out.

Nadya holds up her hands. "Shaky hands, remember. I think my days as a makeup artist are counted," she laughs, but doesn't manage to hide the disappointment.

"It's not like we have anything better to do. I can be your canvas," he mutters.

Nadya smiles at that, but soon realizes that he is dead serious. "I'll poke your eye out," she shakes her head. She hasnt been practicing. She doesn't even think she can still hold a brush.

"I'm sure you won't," he utters. "Get your stuff."

Nadya hesitates. "Fine," she grabs her bag. Most of her makeup is in the storage wagon. She only keeps the essentials with her.

Nadya pushes Hyunjin's shoulder back. "Lean back; it's going to take a while."

He complies and does as he is told. Shs kneels beside him and brushes most of his hair away from his face. She doesn't have anything to pin his hair away at the moment, so she'll have to deal with it.

She opens her bag and gets out an eyeshadow palette. The base she can do even with her hands shaking. Then Nadya turns on the table lamp and turns it towards Hyunjin's face, making sure the light doesn't hit directly into his eyes. Yet he starts blinking, trying to adjust to it.

Nadya smiles at him, and he just frowns like a little kid. He stops after a while and motions that he's good to go.

It's uncomfortable to do everything from the side. Nadya eyes his long, outstretched legs. It's not weird unless she makes it weird, right? Nadya slings her leg over his thighs and makes herself comfortable. Hyunjin doesn't even react, confirming that she's overthinking as always.

Then Nadya starts with her work. She picks up some light eyeshadow and smears it over his eyelids first. Then a darker nude color. That's the amount of makeup he needs—the bare minimum—but she is doing something bold today. She had found a pretty lilac color that could perfectly match the dark purple eyeliner she hadn't gotten to use before.

When it comes to eyeliner, just the thought of it makes Nadya's hands shake violently. Suddenly she feels Hyunjin's hand slide to her thigh. He draws patterns on her flesh, and although she knows he is trying to calm her down, it is not helping. Nadya takes a breath before swiping a shaky line from the corner of his eye.

Only when she finishes the first eye does she remember that his hand is still on her thigh. He's drawing smooth circles on it. He's an artist after all.

Nadyas moves onto the second eye, trying her best not to get distracted by the boy. It goes smoothly. She didn't have to worry about poking his eye out and ruining a model-like face. Hyunjin's face belongs on the covers of magazines. That's a plain fact. His parents should've tried to get him into the industry. He'd fit right in.

Then Nadya moves onto his lips; she likes Hyunjin's lips. There's not much to change about them. They're naturally pink and plump. All she has to do is apply some gloss, and he is good to go.

"Alright done," Nadya mumbles and leans away a bit. Hyunjin's hand flies to her waist, stopping the girl, who had been a little too focused to notice him staring at her the entire time. Or maybe she did notice it and chose to ignore it.

Suddenly Nadya is hyperaware that shes sitting in his lap with little to no distance between them. He is staring at her lips. She lets her eyes drop to his, and Hyunjin doesn't wait before pressing his lips against hers. And she lets him. He's pressing her body against his, and she lets him. She lets him do whatever he wants.

Nadya wraps her hands around his neck and plays with the back of his hair. The kiss is intense; Hyunjin is demanding she follow along. His glossed lips slide easily against hers. He licks her bottom lip before tugging on it, asking for more, and she once again lets him explore as much as he wants.

Once theyre both breathless, Hyunjin finally pulls away to place a peck against Nadya's jaw. That's all it takes for Nadya to snap. Her eyes go wide as she fumbles to get away from her so-called roommate. Hyunjin lets her go, but she can clearly see him panicking internally as well.

He runs a hand through his hair nervously. "I'm so sorry."

Nadya doesn't let him finish the sentence. She doesn't want to hear how everything that happened was a mistake. "It's fine. We are both sleep-deprived," she tells him and wipes the lip gloss off her lips with the back of her hand.

"So we're good?"

"Perfectly."

[mintasa]

CIRCUS ~ CHAPTER 12

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Warnings: Blood, injuries, mental problems

Word count: 3k

Synopsis: A series of murders in a successful circus disturbs the life of a young stylist. With no place to go, she is keen on saving the circus, even if that means risking her own life to do so. As if things cannot go worse, a group of newbies join the hawock, seemingly not knowing what they're getting themselves into. Can she figure out the motives of the murderer and keep her crew together? Can the circus survive under the growing pressure and distrust?

Note: This is the first story I am publicly sharing. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

The story is vaguely inspired by Circus MV

Since the birthday party, Nadya hasn't talked to Hyunjin unless it's necessary. They got into the first plane in the morning and arrived safely while the sun was still high.

The wagons are here, and Jun is arguing with Misha about something. It's a funny sight that greets them. It feels like home.

Hyunjin surpasses Nadya and approaches the guys first. She watches them with curiosity, studying how they interact. Chan is aside, just looking at him fondly. Han is attacking him with questions, and Changbin and the rest are just bothering him. One is ruffling his hair. Another poking him.

Jun's eyes wander until they meet Nadyas. He grins like an idiot, and the girl opens her arms wide. He hugs her fondly, but not for too long. Hes curious. "How did it go?"

"I underestimated my sister. She tricked my mother into believing she's getting married." Nadya attempts to explain long story short. She'll have to inform him in full detail later. He's too giddy to listen right now.

"I'm glad she's alright. You two too. It's been hell," Jun shakes his head. What is that supposed to mean? Nadya raises an eyebrow at her friend. "I forgot you don't know. They found Melissa dead. A knife in the back just like her brother."

Well, that's surprising. She was still high on Nadya's suspect's list. She could have hired the guys as a way to redirect the blame. Unfortunately, another owner died. "Wait, whose property is the circus now?"

"Allen's because he was the only relative they knew of his. It is no one for now until he gets out and signs the contract," Jun explains. Well, that's a surprising turn of events.

"Are we trespassing right now?"

"Seems like it," he shrugs.

"Fun," Nadya mumbles sarcastically. "Anything I should be aware of besides that?"

"No. You just came back. Go rest," Jun mumbles and nods towards a wagon. His wagon.

She left for a couple of days. Can the killer give it a rest?

"What do you mean Allen is dead?" Taraji gasps.

They were all woken up this morning early. With shocking news by Nadya's least favorite cop. "He was found this morning in his cell with a stab wound," explains Orion. How do you even get stabbed in jail? Don't they have security?

"Well, who did it? It's a jail isn't it being watched continuously?" Misha throws her hands in the air. Exactly. Nadya doesn't get this either. How would someone sneak in a knife? Don't they get taken away? This is absurd.

"Sadly, we are still going through expertise; I can't tell you anything right now," Orion sighs.

"So the case is active again?" Nadya questions.

Orion frowns. "It is."

That's a good thing. They are not being put off again. Maybe soon everything will end. There is nothing impossible, right? They can regrow the circus. Buy a few wagons and hire some new people. It shouldn't be too hard.

"Nadya," Hyunjin catches up to her walking out of the kitchen. He is avoiding her eyes. Unusual. "I was meaning to talk to you," he mutters, finally looking up.

He is acting odd. Nadya hesitates. "Sure. About what?"

"Remember at the-" he starts, but gets cut off by Azara.

"Come to the kitchen. Important news," she tells the pair before rushing towards the dining room. Can they get a break? They just came back.

Nadya watched her disappear behind the door, then she turned to Hyunjin once again. "What were you saying?"

"It can wait. Let's go," the guy gestures with his head and moves in front.

There's a man Nadya hasn't seen before. A stoic one. A lawyer, she assumes. He has papers spread out on the table. Nadya walks over to Jun, and he leans into her ear. "Amir has financially supported the circus before. Now he's the only person with the rights towards it."

That's great news. Ever since the first death, Amir has been their leader. He has been keeping everything in control. He is a good boss, but at what cost? "Doesn't that make him the next target?"

"Possibly," Jun shrugs.

"The police has to provide like some extra security to him," Nadya complains. "I mean, there's a clear pattern."

"Have they ever cared about your safety?" Hyunjin comes from nearby. He had been listening. Does he listen to their other conversations too? She had noticed that he's light on his feet. She often doesn't hear him come in.

"Don't play a saint. You only experienced a change of heart recently," Nadya squints her eyes at him. That's a fact he cannot argue with.

He raises his hands in defense.

"Don't you think it's odd?" Azara questions.

Nadya raises her head at her coworker, sparing a second to look away from her magazine. Azara has been yapping endlessly, and she hasn't been paying attention. "Huh?"

"That it's so silent right now?"

It is silent. "I guess. I've been enjoying that," Nadya ponders. How come everything is so silent? First two murders one after another, and now it's been a week without any accidents. It's not like she wants them to happen, but it's odd.

"I don't get that," Azara fumes and leans back in the chair. "Does that mean it's over?"

"I don't think we should let down our guard," Nadya comments. Most of the attacks were unsuspected; she couldn't have dreamed about being shot at.

At that moment, Amir walks inside the room. "Good morning, girls," he mumbles. He looks tired. Probably with working on all those papers.

Azara answers, and Nadya simply nods at him. She's drinking her coffee; she's not going to spit it out. Amir pours himself a cup of tea and walks out. A boring life. Without shows, their lives are boring.

Then the rest goes in. Amir and Azara have always been early birds. Nadya as well lately. She cannot sleep as well as she used to.

Suddenly the cup is snatched out of her hands. Hyunjin. He does look like he needs that coffee more than Nadya does, but still. "Hey!"

Ge glances at the girl lazily, "I just want a sip," he shrugs. After a sip, he places the cup back in front of her. "That's nasty. How do you drink it?"

"The only thing that keeps me awake. I guess the taste is part of the effect too," Nadya utters and takes a sip. The taste is not that bad when you get used to it.

Chan walks inside without his shirt. She's used to that at this point. It's more rare to see him actually wearing one. She doesn't get him. Although she cannot complain.

Nadya is used to the guys. It's strange in a way. They will leave sooner or later. Everything is chill right now. They don't have anything to keep safe and nothing to investigate. They don't even get paid more, although they've been paid plenty in advance.

Nadya opens the fridge to find some fast snacks, but it is empty. They haven't been out for groceries since somebody attacked Amir. There's just Changbin protein powder and some of Minho's leftovers. She closes the fridge.

Changbins protein powder isn't going to feed them. Neitherhis dumbells. She tripped over one some morning and almost broke everything that was still healthy.

Later, the girl runs into Han on her way back to the vagon. He is belting out some songs in Korean. He does that a lot. Once he got used to the crew, he didn't shut up. And Seungmin never fails to make fun of her hair in the morning. They're all annoying.

Felix is a saint, though. A bit out of pocket, but he's a saint. He offers to help clean and cook. He just randomly asks about your day. He's a nice guy.

Jeongin is interested in clothes; that's why Nadya often finds him in her supply wagon. Just flipping through her magazines. Sometimes he asks for her thoughts as a stylist, and sometimes he's a menace just like Seungmin.

And Chan. Chan is just Chan. He is helpful and often the first one to initiate conversation. He's easy to talk to and available at all times. Nadya is not sure if he ever sleeps.

Minho is a tough nut to crack. He is usually really reliable and a bit closed off, but on some days he is a total wreck. She saw him trying to stuff Hyunjin with tissues one day. That was something.

And Hyunjin is still Hyunjin. He spends a lot of time in his wagon. She only recently found out he paints since he has been stealing her brushes. He thought she wouldn't notice, but she did. She just lets him.

Nadya is so used to them that she's sure it will be lonely without them. For supersecret agents, they are laid back. They're just guys. They know how to have fun.

Jun stirs beside Nadya, waking her up. Then she hears it too. The banging on their door. There's Amir. He looks panicked. "We can't find Azara," he announces. Nadya feels her heart drop. Not again.

Nadya fidgets with her phone to call her, but the ringtone rings in the distance of her wagon. She didn't take her phone with her. Maybe she just went for a walk and got lost. Not everything has to be a worst-case scenario.

Nadya sees Jihyun with Minho. He is trying to calm the little girl down. He has been rooming with Azara and her for a while. Because Jihyun was afraid to sleep alone in a bed. Poor girl.

Nadya feels a presence behind her. Hyunjin. She turns to him, and he awkwardly scratches his scalp. "We were planning to pair up and go look for her in the woods," he tells her and pauses. "Do you maybe want to go with me?"

"Sure, if you can keep up," Nadya tells him half-jokingly. He has long legs, though she's sure that's not the reason he walks much faster than her. Nadya looks down at her feet. Damn, shes in slippers. "I'll change first."

"Sure."

It takes Nadya a few seconds to throw on a sweater and sneakers and head out. Soon it's just the two of them. In the woods. Alone. Sounds like a bad horror movie, right? Other voices are distant somewhere everyone went out to look.

"Everyone! Here!" She hears somewhere in the distance. Or was it her imagination? She glances at Hyunjin for confirmation but he just starts dragging the girl along.

Soon they find Misha along with Changbin, and there is Azara. Hanging on a branch with a rope around her neck. Lifeless. Her body is limp.

Nadya's mind goes blank, although she can still feel Hyunjin squeezing her hand.

A few hours pass, the cops leave, and Nadya lets herself wander around the premises. "It's you," Hyunjin mumbles as he walks into the kitchen. She had come back for a second to rest.

"Me, unfortunately," Nadya chimes.

Hyunjin grabs a glass and pours himself some water. Then he sits down in front of her and squints his eyes. "You shouldn't be alone," he points out.

"I'm testing my luck."

"Third time is the charm. The fourth time is the real deal," he mumbles.

"Are you telling me I'm going to die?"

"God no! I'm telling you you shouldn't be alone," he says, looking flabbergasted at the idea. Nadya has always been straight-forward; she has that kind of effect on people.

"I can't sleep and do not want to bother anyone," she explains to him shortly.

He nods and pauses. "We could talk in my wagon. I go to sleep late too," Hyunjin mumbles finally.

"Fine," Nadyasighs and walks out before he can react. "Are you coming?"

"I am," he snaps out of whatever haze he is in and catches up to her.

"Anything specific you want to talk about?"

"Actually yes, but alone," he pushes her forward. Nadya simply rolls her eyes at him before moving. What's the big secret he can't tell her here?

"You're planning to kill me?"

He gives Nadya an annoyed look. She raises her hands in the air and gets into his vagon. Then she sits down on his bed, and he joins. "Someone out of us killed Azara. She was more careful than anyone. Somebody used her trust," Hyunjin states. Yes, Azara was careful. She was one of the first people to assume that we were being attacked. Nadya talked to her about it multiple times.

"Why are you telling me this?"

She can see the inner conflict happening inside of him. "Because I can't trust anyone from the crew besides you," he finally reveals. Now was it that hard?

"What about Jun?"

"He's a great guy for sure, but I don't want you to stay in the same room as him," Hyunjin announces. He's once again acting like her mother. Trying to suck her soul out.

"That's absurd," Nadya scoffs.

"It isn't. What if he decides to suffocate you with a pillow?" he argues. A childish argument.

"Look, I agree that it's someone from here," she pauses, "but not Jun."

"Then who?"

Should she tell him? "A day before Azara's death, we were talking about how it's odd that it's so silent. She was digging into the case. I think somebody found out. Maybe she even figured out who is behind that."

He pauses, "Did anybody hear you two talk?"

"Anyone could have to be honest," Nadya replies.

"Shit. That makes you possibly in danger as well."

"Everyone is a potential victim at this point," Nadya pauses and sighs. "I am not special."

"Text Jun, you staying with me," Hyunjin orders.

Hold up. "I am not planning to." Nadya laughs in his face. He is seriously stepping over the line. Just because he trusts her doesn't mean she's his puppet.

"That's an order. Text him," he points at Nadya's phone in her pocket.

"How about, no?" Nadya smiles at him sweetly.

He grins at her and then suddenly tackles her in an attempt to get her phone. He is sprayed out on top of her while she is holding her phone under her back. Not even his long fingers help.

Just as he is about to snatch it Nadya pulld it out and sticks it under her shirt. He won't try to get it out of there. His eyes fall to her chest. Then they travel back to her eyes. He rushes to get off the girl. He was straddling her and must have only just noticed.

"Bold of you to assume I won't get it out of there," he mumbles. Nadya opens her mouth to argue. To say something about privacy and personal space, yet he simply smacks her hand, making her drop her phone. It tumbles to the floor, and Hyunjin grabs it.

Nadya hits him multiple times, although not harshly. "You could've broken it," she groans.

He opens her phone with ease. Since when does he know her password? Why is she even wondering? They must know everyone. "How long have you known my password?"

"Long enough, you're not good at hiding it," he mumbles as he texts Jun. With her phone. Dumbass.

"Do you know everyone's?"

"No, but other guys know," he shrugs. "When we came here, we divided the people we are investigating. You're one of mine."

"Is that why you're such an ass to me?"

"Part of the reason."

There's hair in Nadya's mouth, and she's trapped between a pair of wrong arms. Shes caged. It's odd. Sure, they used to dance together and sleep in the same bed, but this is different. He is pressing into her. Hyunjins is breathing into her neck while his hands are securely wrapped around her waist.

He is holding on to her like a goddamn koala. Like his life depends on it. She almost feels bad about leaving. She can tell he needs a hug. It's not just something that happened by accident. He was seeking warmth. What is okay is that Nadya is not pulling back. She's letting him touch her. She's letting herself enjoy the touch. It's stupid. Shes once again jumping at the first opportunity at affection. Maybe not affection but human touch. They can barely hold a conversation.

It's stupid. She should get up. Nadya starts with Hyunjins leg which is trapped between hers. Then she attempts to push at his chest, but he doesn't budge. If anything, his grip just gets tighter. What now? She doesn't want to wake him up. It will be awkward.

She pushes him once again more firmly. That stirs him a bit. He rubs his face against her shoulder and turns to lie on another side. Shes free. He grumbles something and turns back to her, keeping some distance this time.

Hyunjin doesn't usually look intimidating. But right now he looks more vulnerable than ever. She barely gets to look at him, not scowling at her presence. His face is relaxed. He looks soft. His hair falls over his face, and Nadya unintentionally reaches out to move it. His hair looks soft. What is she on? She pulls her hand away.

Shes stupid. All of it is stupid. She wants to go back to June. That way she won't have to deal with this. She won't project stuff into her head. Out of all people, she cannot seek closure from Hyunjin. They aren't exactly enemies anymore, but they are barely friends as well.

He is pretty though. It's hard not to look at him. It's stupid. Nadya is stupid to get distracted like this. She really shouldn't be watching him while he is asleep. Its creepy. She should look away, but part of her wants to reach out towards him. Brush his hair off his pretty face. Her eyes drop to his lips.

They have kissed. He had kissed her. Although she's not sure if that counts. She froze. It wasn't even a kiss. He just pressed his lips against hers as a distraction. Now she is distracted. Hyunjin has kissable lips. Plump, soft.

Nope, she's going to hit her head against the pavement. Her caffeine intake is messing with her head. Shes sick. She should get her head checked out. Nadya finally makes a move to get out of bed. She needs to stay away. She'll have to get the guys to get her bed into the room so she doesn't have to sleep with Hyunjin anymore.

[mintasa]

CIRCUS ~ CHAPTER 11

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Warnings: Blood, injuries, mental problems

Word count: 4,9k

Synopsis: A series of murders in a successful circus disturbs the life of a young stylist. With no place to go, she is keen on saving the circus, even if that means risking her own life to do so. As if things cannot go worse, a group of newbies join the hawock, seemingly not knowing what they're getting themselves into. Can she figure out the motives of the murderer and keep her crew together? Can the circus survive under the growing pressure and distrust?

Note: This is the first story I am publicly sharing. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

The story is vaguely inspired by Circus MV

"You are not leaving alone," Jun protests and slams Nadya's suitcase shut.

"Don't tell me what to do."

"I can go with you," he suggests.

"No. I am going," Hyunjin announces as he enters the wagon. That guy has some audacity.

Nadya raises an eyebrow at him. "No thank you."

"How are you planning to storm into that guy's house and grab your sister? You need me," he claims. He does have a point; she did not think ahead. It can't be that hard, right?

"And what're you going to do? Pull his hair?"

"If it comes to it, sure," he laughs. He's joking. At a time like this. Nadya shakes her head at him. "Russia is a dangerous country; you're going to get kidnapped or something by yourself."

"I don't climb into vans offering candy," the girl scoffs.

"You look like you do," Hyunjin utters under his breath.

"I heard that!"

"Good. At least you hear well. Now listen. Grab your stuff, and I'll get you in an hour or so. We are flying to Russia," he orders and walks out. Once again, the audacity.

The hour passes in what seems like seconds. The pair doesn't talk much as they get into a taxi and get to the airport. "I have never been to Russia," Hyunjin claims as they get on the plane. Is he doubtful now? Nadya doesn't know what he is expecting to see there. The good or the bad. The architecture, or the vodka and corruption?

"There is not much to see, really," Nadya shrugs.

"You must have seen a lot of it," he claims.

"Not really. Locked inside the house, remember?"

"Right," he utters, and he gets comfortable in his seat.

They got seats next to each other. Nadya got a window seat, and Hyunjin got the middle one next to him. Beside him, there's a woman with a child. The child is kicking him in the shin. Nadya smiles at that, while Hyunjin simply leans away from him. It looks like he's not fond of children, at least not that one.

Soon, the baby goes to sleep. Both babies. Nady glances at Hyunjin, struggling to keep his head up as he drifts off. He can sleep everywhere. That's a gift from God. At least she thought so until he snuggled into her shoulder.

Thought to shake him off crossed Nadya's mind, but the nurses words echo in the girl's mind. She told him to get some rest. He got hurt because of her. Consider Nadya's way of paying back. She can manage one uncomfortable plane ride.

The mother of the child next to them glances at the girl. "How long?" she questions, and it takes Nadya a second to realize what she means.

"Oh, we are not together. We're just," she hesitates, "friends." After everything, she is sure she can call him a friend. Although he's just stuck with her without a choice, he's not that bad most of the time.

"When you said you are rich, you didn't say this rich." Hyunjin's jaw falls to the ground when he sees the house Nadya grew up in. It has changed a lot since she left. It's somehow fresher-looking. They must have made some renovations.

"I left space for imagination," the girl tells him as she approaches the gate. Now is the tricky part. Does she just knock?

"You think they'll let us in?"

Nadya laughs dryly at that. "That they will, but how we will get out is the real problem," she sighs and rings the doorbell. Here goes nothing. Hyunjin might lose his head, and Nadya might lose her pride. Her mother will bring up the marriage again. For sure.

Nadya waves at the camera, and the gate opens. She grips onto Hyunjin's sleeve and drags him along with her, so he stops gawking at everything. He said he grew up poor, so this must seem like a paradise on earth to him. If only.

Nasya elbows him lightly, "Close your mouth or you'll catch flies."

He presses his full lips into a straight line. Without a comment, surprisingly. Nadya lets go of his sleeve and enters the house with him trailing closely behind. They saw her through the cameras; there's no point in knocking. Her mother comes rushing down the stairs. It seems like they were waiting. Nadya sighs in preparation. "I'm so glad you changed your mind. This-"

"I'm not coming back. I need information." Nadya completely cuts her off. The woman stops and cocks an eyebrow at her. That meaningful, disgusted stare. She is thinking.

Then she comes to a realization. "Information? Let me guess about your sister." Her mother pauses and says, "Let's make a deal. I'll tell you where she is if you stay for dinner."

"Dinner? Where's the catch?"

"The guy who agreed to marry you is coming later. I need you to meet him. Maybe you'll change your mind," she explains.

"I won't."

"You just have to stay for dinner. You get your answers no matter what you choose in the end," the woman assures Nadya. She doesn't want to believe her mother, but one thing that her mom isn't is a liar.

Hyunjin pulls at Nadya's forearm to whisper into her ear. "I hope you're not planning to play by her rules."

"It'll be fun."

Nadya's mother observes the interaction closely. "Ah, and don't bring your boy toy to dinner. I have a reputation to keep after all," she frowns.

The boy toy in question looks slightly disturbed by her words. "Too bad we are a package deal," Nadya tells her, linking arms with Hyunjin. To be honest, she feels safer with Hyunjin even if no one is shooting.

The woman rolls her eyes. "Fine, but no touching," she gestures towards the pair. Only then did Nadya realize she was still clinging to his arm. She drops it.

"Sounds good," Nadya says, raising her hands in defense.

The dinner turns out to be sooner than Nadya had expected. She had to rush to get ready because her mother insisted she had to look right for the event. "I can't believe this," Nadya groans, looking into the mirror. She's dressed in a snug yet elegant dress. It looks weird. She's not used to this. Not anymore. It feels too grand, and she's a simple person.

Nadya walks out to find Hyunjin by her door. He is in a suit. Her mom forced him to dress appropriately as well. He glances at Nadya briefly and looks back at his phone. Then his eyes slowly dragged back to the girl. "She must be set on him liking you," he comments and looks away once again.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You look good."

Compliments from him? Rare occurrence. "You're not too bad yourself," Nadya replies smugly.

Hyunjin smiles and shakes his head at her, but his face suddenly goes serious. "What if you like the guy?"

"Impossible," Nadya scoffs. "They're all so arrogant."

"Better not leave me hanging. It would be disappointing to come back alone," Hyunjim mumbles, joking obviously. Nadya is pretty sure Jun would somehow manage to strangle him. Agent or not.

"Who said you'd be coming back?"

The guy they bring in is totally out of Nadyas league. He's like a prince from fairytales and barely older. A pleasant surprise, she must admit.

"So, Nadia, your mother told me you only flew back today," he starts.

Nadya almost chokes on champagne at that. How much did her mother tell him? She did not expect him to initiate conversation. Nadya cleared her throat in a fakely polite manner. "Yes. I just came back from China."

"You've been working there, I assume? Your mother said you're away on business," he adds. Of course she did.

"Yeah. I'm a stylist and have been traveling with my colleagues for a while," Nadya answered. That's the truth. It was the most real thing she had said in a while.

"I love that," he pauses. He sneaks another glance at her from the table. "You know, when our mothers were arranging this, I was skeptical. I want a woman that can stand with me, not attend to me."

Nadya laughs at that. "Oh, believe me, you won't make a housewife out of me."

Hyunjin snorts beside her, and Nadya kicks his shin. That's what he gets for making fun of her. It's not like he's any better.

"Good. I like to cook. I could do all the cooking," he offers. Damn, he knows how to cook. She's marrying him.

"That's a tempting offer," Hyunjin says, kicking Nadyad's leg under the table this time. She glares at him and clears her throat. "Although it is tempting, I'll have to decline it. There is still a lot to do, and marriage is not high on the list right now."

"That's fine. I'm not keen on the idea either. It's my mom trying to set me up," he laughs. Poor guy.

"No way. Mine dragged me from China for this," Hyunjin kicks her shin again. "Well, I attempted to. I came here for selfish reasons."

"Really? Are you leaving soon?"

"As soon as I'm done with the matters," she tells him. Nadya cannot tell him why he is there unless she wants to get murdered by her mother for ruining her reputation.

"Don't mind me asking. Who is he? I see you two exchanging glances now and then," he motions towards Hyunjin, who looks caught red-handed.

"Work colleague. He wanted to tag along and visit Moskov," a half lie. Hyunjin just nods, approving my answer.

"What do you do?" He looks at Hyunjin. What doesn't he do?

"I'm a performer in a band," Hyunjin explains shortly. Another half lie. This time from him. They are even.

"How do you like Moskov so far?"

"I haven't seen a lot yet, but it seems," he pauses, "fancy?"

And just like that, Hyunjin stole her man. "You look like a tasteful guy. I could show you two around if there's any spare time," he suggests.

Hyunjin is way too giddy right now. He loves the attention. Nadya kicks him under the table. "I wish we had," Nadya answers, sending Hyunjin a threatening glare. She doesn't want to be here any longer than she has to.

"Are you sure she gave you the right address?"

Nadya sighs. "Not really. Worth a try though," she rang the doorbell. It's not a wise way to get a girl out of the house, but oh well.

A maid opens the door. She is confused, to no one's surprise.

"Who is it?" Nadya hears a voice call out. A familiar one. It's annoying, but the girl missed it.

"Alisa?" Nadya glances inside and says, "I'm her sister."

"What's happening?" Alisa pokes her head out and freezes. "Oh, you. Let them in."

The maid steps aside and lets the pair inside. "Hi," Nadya mumbles awkwardly.

"You cut your hair," Alisa points out. Right, her mother kept insisting she never does. It used to reach up to Nadya's butt, and now it doesn't even reach her lower back.

"I did."

"So what were you up to all these years?" Alisa asks.

"I've been traveling. You?"

"Recently escaped my mother," she shrugs casually. It's like a thing you do every day.

"About that. We can get out of here," Nadya grabbed Alisas shoulders as she lowered her voice. Nadya has been wondering where that tyrant husband of hers is.

"You're here for that?" Alisa laughs. Nadya simply nods confusedly and says, "I saved myself already."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing about this marriage is real. Viktor is an older fellow; he just wanted someone to look after his treasures. Everything is fake. We are divorced already," she explains. That does make sense.

"Thank god," Nadya exhales and wraps her hands around her sister's shoulders. "I'm so glad you're okay. I didn't think our mother would go this low and force you into marriage at this age."

"I'm glad to see you too," Alisa mumbles into her shoulder.

Nadya has so many questions. "How did you even plan this?"

Alisa pushes her sister playfully. "I learned from my older sister," she shrugs. "You should've seen your mother's face when she realized you ran away. How did you even get out?"

"Remember that big oak tree? Through it, I got into the neighbor's balcony, and they just let me out willingly," Nadya tells her. It's simple, really.

"So that's why they cut it off," Aliss laughs. Something moving catches her attention: "Viktor! I need you to meet someone!" She shouts.

Soon, an elderly man walks down the stairs. He laughs. "I see you've been bringing youth into this old house. Viktor," he says, extending Nadya's arm.

She shakes it, "Nadya. Alisa's older sister.

"I've heard about you. And you, young gentleman?" He extends an arm for Hyunjin. He looks lost as always lately.

"I'm Hyunjin. Just Hyunjin," he shakes his hand awkwardly.

"How about we continue this conversation with some wine?" Viktor suggests.

"Sure." Nadya nods and follows him into their living room. She does want to catch up a bit.

Hyunjin pulls her back. "We didn't come here for that," he hisses. True, but also she doesn't care.

"You can't complain when you followed me here," she tells him.

He groans, motioning for her to go.

"Now I get why you were against that wine," Nadya mumbles as she leads Hyunjin upstairs towards a room Vladimir kindly lent him. He has one hand over her shoulders yet can't keep himself up at all.

"Where are we going?" He slurs as Nadya adjusts her grip on him. She should just drop him.

"To the fairyland," Nadya answers, and he just looks at her confused, "Do you Koreans even drink alcohol?"

He holds a finger up in the air. "We drink tons of it."

"Then how come you are such a lightweight?" Can she call him that? She honestly didn't see how much he drank with Viktor. One minute they were giggling like two close friends, and the next he couldn't even stand.

They walk into the room, and Hyunjin pushes himself away from Nadya to go to the bathroom. The gagging sounds force her to follow him. He's hugging the toilet. She grips his longish hair and ties it with the spare hair tie on her wrist. Then she pours him a cup of water. "Rinse your mouth, princess," she mutters as she hands it to him. "Don't swallow it."

He does as told, so Nadya pats him lightly. "Good. Now get up and let's go to bed," the girl attempts to pull him up, but he refuses her help. She lets him do it himself. If he's prideful enough to get hurt, that's on his shoulders.

He does seem to be more awake right now, though. He must have flushed some of that alcohol out of his system. He swings the sheets dramatically before flopping inside. Nadya stops him. "Shoes," she points out. He glances at them but doesn't get up. Nadya groans and pulls them off herself. "Happy?"

He grins like the idiot that he is. "Very much."

"Will I have to tuck you in as well?" He doesn't say anything, but she gets the hint. "Big baby," Nadya grumbles under my breath. That's what he is.

"Nadya," his voice startles the girl. She was about to leave.

"Huh?"

"Can you not go?"

What is he on? "Go to sleep, Hyunjin."

"I don't want to be alone," he utters.

"You're not alone. I'll be in the next room," Nadya assures him. No one ever told her that he gets clingy when he is buzzed.

"Please?"

"I want to rest, and you should too," Nadya tells him, yet he doesn't seem pleased at all.

"I got used to sleeping in the same room. It's odd now," he mutters into the pillow. She didn't even notice anything change. Probably because she sleeps with Jun.

She groans. Fine, she'll stay until the baby goes to sleep and then leave. "Move," Nadya orders him, and he does. He listens to the command so well that he almost falls off the bed. So uncoordinated. How can he dance?

Nadya gets in and closes her eyes. The guy is barely awake, and then Nadya will get the best sleep she has had in a while. Here she doesn't have to worry someone might try to kill her in her sleep.

Fuck. She fell asleep. Nadya's eyes shoot open. Hyunjin is pressed against her back, breathing into her neck. One of his hands is carelessly thrown over her. He got comfortable, didn't he? Although she must admit she didn't sleep too badly either.

Nadya entangles from him and heads down to find Alisa already in the kitchen. "Good morning," she mumbles, rubs her eyes.

"Morning!" She answers, sipping on her tea. "How did you sleep?"

"Not keeping one eye open at all times has its perks."

"You live an intense life," she says, taking a sip. "How is Hyunjin?"

"I don't know he's asleep. Probably not a coma, so he will be alright," Nadya shrugs. Why is her sister asking about him? He was wasted, but still.

"You know that Viktor lent you two separate rooms, right?" Alisa smiles knowingly. Of course, she spied on her.

"I am not going to explain myself to you," Nadya scrunches her face. Alisa is imagining stuff. Stuff that didn't happen.

"Oh, I'm not judging you. Just maybe introduce me to your boy properly next time," she laughs. Yep, she's letting her imagination run wild.

Nadya laughs at her words. "I'd never date him. If you got to know him, you'd get why. I just stayed because he didn't want to be alone and fell asleep accidentally," she attempts to explain to her sister. She doesn't need any more misunderstandings. Why, when someone sees a man and a woman together, they automatically assume they are together?

"So I can shoot my shot?"

"He's too old for you," Nadya says, sending her sister a warning look. No, seriously, she is not having Hyunjin as a brother-in-law.

"I like older guys," she shrugs.

"Come on, you can't leave on Viktor's birthday!" Alisa protests. She blinks up at Nadya and Hyunjin.

The older sister glances at the guy next to her. He hesitates. "I guess we could stay for one more day," he finally utters.

Alisa walks away happily, and Nadya elbows Hyunjin. "You were supposed to turn her down." She hisses. He is such a loser sometimes.

"I feel bad for leaving like this. They welcomed us with open arms."

Viktor appears out of nowhere. Suddenly, Hyunjin gets dragged away by him while Nadya approaches Alisa, who's giving commands to people decorating the house. She's good at that.

"Who will be at this party again?" Nadya questions. The question has been eating Nadya alive since she heard about the party.

"Some old dudes he's friends with are colleagues," Alisa shrugs. Well, that surely narrows it down. It will be full of old people. That means she has nothing to worry about.

"Sounds interesting," Nadya says with sarcasm dripping off of her tongue.

"That's why you're here. To keep me company," Alisa pushes her playfully. Somehow they end up wrestling, and she's pulling Nadya's hair. At least she and Hyunjin have never been physically tough. Speaking about him. "Where's Hyunjin?"

"Viktor is probably just showing him his art gallery. He does that quite often with new people," she shrugs. "What? Did you miss him already?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I am just making sure he doesn't get lost. His bandmates are going to strangle me if I don't bring him back," Nadya laughs, imagining the sight of it. Changbin could crush her with his bicep without a problem. What a nice way to go.

"Do I have to wear this?"

"This may not be a ball, but it's a party. You have to dress appropriately." Alisa argues as she adjusts Nadya's neckline.

Nadya tugs at the short dress her sister gave her. "I don't see anything appropriate about this," she complains. "I'm sure the grandmas won't come in with mini skirts."

"I meant to keep this a secret, but I'm planning to sneak out into a club once everyone is a bit buzzed," Alisa explains. Well, that sounds like a lot of fun, just not for a teenager.

"You're sixteen!"

"Seventeen soon," she points out. As if that changed anything. "Besides, you are coming to look after me," she says innocently. She's always been a bit more adventurous. A bit more daring. Nadya should be more like her.

"Who is going to look after me?"

"Bring Hyunjin," Alisa shrugs. Here they go again. Alisa can't seem to get his name out of her mouth. It's getting ridiculous.

"If you like him that much, bring him yourself," Nadya argues.

"I might."

The evening passes, and the girls decide to ditch the boring party. However, they are not as sneaky as they attempt to be. "Where are you two off to?" Hyunjin's voice stops Nadya dead in her tracks. He just has to ruin the fun. It was great before he came along.

"Away from you," the girl mumbles. Hyunjin shakes his head at her. She's not slurring, right?

He simply walks over and opens the door for the girls. The fuck? Nadya doesn't question him and uses her chance to escape the building. Shed rather be anywhere, although the club isn't on top of the places she wants to visit.

"There is a club over there." Alisa points in the opposite direction, and Nadya smiles awkwardly as Shd points her in the right direction. They probably should go, but it is too late to go back.

"We agreed we aren't telling anyone," Nadya hisses at her sister. This trip was meant to be a secret. Now they are not getting rid of Hyunjin.

"He can tag along. I don't mind," Alisa replies and walks off, giving Nadya no time to follow.

In rushed steps and through blurry streets, they end up inside. Alisa drags her to the bar first. Immediately, a guy is by her side. She giggles like a little girl, which she is. Nadya wonders what it's like to be pretty. There's this one thing. Alisa got all the good features from their mom, while Nadya turned out to be a much cheaper copy.

Nadya scand the crowd, and her eyes met Hyunjin's. He is sipping on some kind of drink in a dark corner and watching the girls. Nadya looks away. It's weird to see him there. I was just observing like a bodyguard.

"Ivan," a guy extends Nadya's arm. How come she didn't notice him coming over? Such a basic name for such a basic guy.

"Nadya," she said, shaking his arm. He has a firm grip. She likes that.

"I haven't seen you around before," he smiles charmingly.

"I came to visit relatives; I don't live here," Nadya explains to him shortly. He's cute.

Her gaze wanders back to Hyunjin. He has company. There is a pretty blonde begging for his attention, and he's giving her all of his. Good for him. She looks away. At least someone is having fun.

"You want to go upstairs?"

Of course, he wants to sleep with her. "Not really," Nadya shrugs. She's not sleeping with a random guy who might have some rare disease. She's not that desperate.

"What do you mean, no? Why are you dressed like a cheap slut then?" he fumes. She almost forgot that men do not take rejection well.

"Why can't you afford a cheap slur?" Nadya smiled at him sweetly.

He slams his hands on the table and walks away. Nadya's eyes search for Hyunjin again, but she doesn't see him. He is not in that previous spot of his. She glances around the room to find him with the blonde. Going upstairs. Oh? It's fine. He is a grown man. He does what he wants. It's not her business. His work is intense; she gets that he has to let go sometimes.

"Nadya," Alisa approaches her. "The guy was boring me. You want to dance?"

Nadya glances at the staircase one last time. "Dance?" She pauses to think, "Sure."

She drags Nadya to the middle of the room. People are pushing each other. It reeks of sweat. And they manage to fit in just right. No guys, just two sisters having fun.

One or two drinks later, while still dancing in the middle of the room, a guy manages to shove Nadya into someone. "Sorry," she rushes to get away from the guy.

Alisa walks by her side and says, "Hyunjin! Haven't seen you in a while. Where were you?" Hold up. Hyunjin?! She jumps away even faster. He's haunting her at this point.

"Here and there," he shrugs. Liar, he was fucking a pretty blonde when she saw them. He can't even hide it. His hair is disheveled, and his shirt is crinkled and half-unbuttoned. He is pretty this way too. It's frustrating.

"Tell me," Alisa cries, and Nadya simply stays silent. She cannot look him in the eye without imagining stuff.

"I'll tell you on our way back. How about that?"

Alisa nods eagerly. Nadya wanted to stay, but she let her sister drag her out anyway. They stay silent for some reason. Alisa is too distracted with everything in sight, and Hyunjin is just being Hyunjin. Pretending to be tough.

Speaking about toughness, "You wanna know a secret?" Nadya slurs without realizing it immediately. Alisa nods eagerly. "He is a super secret agent," the girl points at Hyunjin, who's upfront. He sends her an annoyed look, but it ends with that.

"No way!" Alisa exclaims a little too loudly and is too enthusiastic.

Nadya shushes her and almost trips over her feet. She can swear there was a dip in the pavement. She places a finger over her lips. "But I didn't tell you that. Hyunjin will be mad." He glances back. "I can imagine his disappointed face like it's right in front of me."

"I am in front of you."

"Shh, in my imagination, you don't talk. Better off that way," she silences the guy.

Alisa grips her sister's forearm. "I love men in uniforms," she announces proudly. Who doesn't?

"He doesn't wear one," Nadya tells her, although she's not sure. She taps his shoulder. "Do you?"

Hyunjin shakes his head.

"That's a shame," Alisa pouts. "He would look good in one."

"Can you two stop talking like I'm not here?"

"You heard anything?" Nadya asks questions and pretends to listen closely.

"Nothing at all," Alisa shrugs, playing along.

They get back, and Alisa gets straight to entertaining the guest. She and Hyunjin, however, go on a separate trip.

"Do you maybe want to change?" Hyunjin asks after they end up in the room Viktor lends the girl.

"What do you think I look like a slut too?" Nadya points a finger at him. He looks deeply insulted. She should be the one insulted.

"What? No!" He exclaims, "Who even told you that?"

Nadya sits down on her bed. "Some guy."

"You should have told me."

Maybe she would've if he was still there and not upstairs. "You were with the pretty blonde," she tells him.

"So what?" He looks genuinely confused. Is he dense?

"It couldn't ruin your fun."

Once again, that deeply insulted face. "Nothing happened if that's what you're referring to," he comments.

"Well, there's plenty of fish in the sea. Better luck next time," Nadya lets herself drop into the bed.

Silence.

"Are you going to change?"

She shakes her head. "Never. Just to prove a point."

"What point would that be?"

"That not only sluts wear short dresses and women don't need men's approval," she announces. "I don't need your approval."

"You don't, sure," he grins. "Now get up; we need to go downstairs."

Nadya extends an arm towards him, and he pulls her up. "Thanks," she mumbles and walks around him. Not without bumping into him first.

They walk downstairs and find the rooms empty. At midnight, everyone is outside, waiting for the clock to strike midnight. Then it does. A shot ehoes. Then another. The sky lights up in rainbow colors. The firework explodes in the sky, and the sound of it shakes the girl's body. It's too loud. Nadya covers her ears with her palms.

The sounds don't stop, and suddenly she's once again locked in a wagon and shot at. Suddenly, she's running through the woods. Suddenly everything is back.

Long fingers wrap around the girl's wrists, attempting to pull them away from her ears. She closes her eyes. It's too much. Her first instinct is survival. She runs. No one is chasing her, but she needs to hide from the sounds. She leans against the house, shielding herself from the fireworks. Then she bends over, feeling her muscles spasm. She cannot breathe. Tears are flowing like rivers; she can taste them on her lips.

Nadya is forced to straighten up when her hands are harshly pried off of her ears. Hyunjin replaces her hands with his, keeping the girl in place. His mouth is moving; he is saying something. She doesn't understand him.

It all feels like just a second. He furrows his eyebrows, looks around, and finally presses his lips against Nadyas. They're soft. Nadya always thought he had very kissable lips. Now she has proof. It's weird. It's wrong; Hyunjin is playing with her, trying to make a fool of her. Like Orion did.

Nadya pushes him away before the last firework echoes. Hyunjin pulls away willingly. He simply stares at her for a second before letting his hands drop. "The fireworks are over."

[mintasa]

CIRCUS ~ CHAPTER 10

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Warnings: Blood, injuries, mental problems

Word count: 3,6k

Synopsis: A series of murders in a successful circus disturbs the life of a young stylist. With no place to go, she is keen on saving the circus, even if that means risking her own life to do so. As if things cannot go worse, a group of newbies join the hawock, seemingly not knowing what they're getting themselves into. Can she figure out the motives of the murderer and keep her crew together? Can the circus survive under the growing pressure and distrust?

Note: This is the first story I am publicly sharing. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

The story is vaguely inspired by Circus MV

Nadya wakes up to find Hyunjin's ankle thrown over her legs. What's next? He's going to snuggle her like a teddy bear? The hirl scoffs at the thought before dropping his leg. He doesn't wake up. Shouldn't a supersecret agent be sensitive to such stuff? He isn't. If anyone sneaks in at night. Shes dead.

Then she gets a brilliant idea—well, not that brilliant. She pulls his pillow from under his head. Hyunjin furrows his eyebrows but doesn't wake up. Then she grabs one pointy side of it and smacks him with the pillow. Just after the first smack, he's alarmed. He shields himself first and then grabs the pillow from Nadya.

Then he glares a bit. Nadya simply raises her hands in the air and slowly backs away. He tucks the pillow back under his head, turns his back on her, and goes back to sleep. At least Nadya thinks he does.

Suddenly, he sits up, making Nadya stop in her tracks. He places a finger against his lips, telling the girl to be quiet. 

She hears them too. Footsteps. No one is awake yet. That can only mean one thing. Hyunjin climbs out of the bed and slowly walks to the door. Just as he opens it, a bullet grazes past the metal wall, making him jump back and lock the door.

He looks around frantically. "Do you have your phone?" he asks. Nadya checks her table, and it is there. She nods. "Good. Text everyone to stay in their vans; I'll call the police," he orders, and Nadya doesn't argue. Another bullet hits the wall and leaves a bump on it. Nadya jumps back and crashes into Hyunjin. He glares at her but continues talking to the police.

The call ends, and Hyunjin starts looking around. All Nadya can do is wonder how many bullets the vagon can handle. "What now?" Nadya questions, slumping against her dresser. She pulls her knees to her chest for comfort. The bullets don't stop, and Nadya is scared more than she will ever admit. The girls are watering already, and she makes eye contact with her equally disturbed roommate.

He sighs. "I don't know. Just breathe," he squats in front of her. "I'm scared too."

The shots ring through the air, leaving bumps in the walls. Then they stop for a second, making both of them curious. Nasya stands up, and another shot echoes. The lock. The attacker is shooting at the lock. He didn't come to scare them. He came with a mission. Mission to kill her. Third time never lies; she is so dead.

Hyunjin looks up, and Nadyas fearful eyes follow. There's an emergency exit through the top. He looks at the hole and back at the girl. "Can you run?" he asks and runs his fingers through his hair.

Nadya looks up at him. Is he serious? "Not really." Sure, her leg is better; she's using it, but she can't run. She's really dead, isn't she?

"Well, you'll have to suck it up," he groans and squats once again. "Look, when we get to the roof, jump to the opposite side. There's a forest. Run as fast as you can and don't look back," he instructs the girl. Nadya's gaze falls to the door; she's scared to go outside and possibly face the attacker. Hyuniim grips her chin and turns her face back to him. "Got it?"

Nadya gulps and nods. There goes nothing. With some help, she climbs on the wagon, and Hyunjin follows her. The killer doesn't notice that. Then the door creakes. It is open. The killer is inside. Bullets fly through the hole in the roof. Then Hyunjin gives the girl a push, and she jumps off.

The fight for life begins; she runs as fast as her feet can carry. The killer is running after them; his bullets are flying past, hitting the trees. The adrenaline kicks in, and Nadya doesn't even feel her leg anymore. Her lungs are on fire, but she runs. She even parted ways with Hyunjin at some point. Now she's all alone with a killer on her tail. Great odds.

Everything seems calm and clear. Nadya stops to catch a break. It turns out to be a mistake. A bullet flies past her, only making her feet move faster without a command. Shes running until shes not. Somebody grips her forearm, pulling her aside. There's one hand pressed against her mouth while another is pressing her hip against a tree. Hyunjin. He places a finger against his lips before letting the girl go.

Then he grips Nadya's wrist and starts dragging her along. No more shots are heard, just silence. "We need to hide," he utters.

"What about others?"

"Well, that," he pauses and looks back. "Things are clearly after you," he tells her and pulls the girl into what looks like someone's yard. They are out of the forest. By a road. A bullet hits a tree beside Hyunjin's hand, and they start running towards the civilization.

Another tug, and they're in an outdoor toilet. It's narrow and doesn't smell too good. Shed complain if a man with a gun wasn't after them. Now she has to endure. There's a hole in the door, which Hyunjin uses to peek outside.

They can't hide in here forever; that's a fact. Hyunjin pushes the door open, but Nadya doesn't follow him outside. She simply shook her head in protest. "What do you mean, no? Sooner or later he will find us here!"

"I can't keep running."

"Look, I have a plan. You run back into the forest. Don't look back. I'll try to sneak up on that thing. Sounds good?" he asks.    Valid, Nadya nods. "Then move."

So she runs. Shd runs without looking back, just like she was told to, but then the gunshots stop. Nadya stops. Her heart is about to jump out of her chest. She cannot leave Hyunjin, so she runs back towards the yards. She's even more scared than before because she doesn't know what she is about to witness.

It's one-on-one. The gun is nowhere in sight. Nadya grabs a shovel standing by the tree and approaches those two. Then she swings. The person wearing dark clothes slumps to the ground. She couldn't have killed him, right?. It was self-defense. Nadya panics and drops the shovel on Hyunjin's foot. He hisses but doesn't act overly dramatic like he usually does.

Nadya can't help but stare at the slumped body before her feet. Before she can convince herself to believe it, Nadya's hands wrap around Hyunjin's waist. He freezes at the gesture but then wraps a single hand around the girl. Then he nudges Nadya away and hands her the gun. "Hold it," he mutters and rolls the person on their back.

Nadya grabs the gun with two fingers, and Hyunjim rolls his eyes at the girl. Then he takes off the mask of the attacker, and it's just some man. Not anyone she's seen before. A hired assassin. Someone hired an assassin to kill her. Shes honored?!

Then Hyinjin steals some rope from the clothes hanger and ties the man up. Nadya glances at the gun in her hands, and only then she notices her sleeve. It's red, but it's not her blood. Her eyes snap to Hyunjins. He's wearing a black shirt. There's a stain on it. Barely visible.

His eyes follow hers, and he covers the spot with his hand. "I'm good. It barely grazed me," he tells Nadya, yet she doesn't believe him. She approaches him in a few long strides and lifts his shirt. He doesn't protest. 

He's right, the wound doesn't look that bad, but he's bleeding. That's never good. "It's not going to heal if you're going to keep staring. Do you still have your phone?" Nadya reaches into her pocket, and it's not there. She must have lost it while running. She shakes her head. "Then go to the neighborhood and ask someone to call the police," he orders.

"Why me?"

"You'd rather guard him?" he points at the man. He has a point. Nadya doesn't argue further. She listens to him, but then he stops her and extends his palm. Right the gun.

She manages to get one older woman to let her use her phone. The police come, and soon everyone is rushing there. Jun is the first one to jump into Nadya's arms. He grabs the girl's head and inspects her. "Are you okay?"

Only then does Nadya snap out of the daze. "I am good, but Hyunjin," her eyes start searching for her roommate, and she's relieved to see him sitting beside an ambulance car. He is going to be okay. He's smiling at the nurse; he's okay.

"See he's fine," Jun mutters.

Nadya grabs Jun's wrist and drags him along. "Good news you didn't kill the guy," Hyunjin points at the still unconscious attacker lying on the table in the car.

"Hold up. You tried to kill someone?!" Jun gasps. Nasya doesn't think it's that surprising; they were attacked.

"She hit him with a shovel. I thought he was gone for good for a second. She did not hold back." Hyunjin laughs and grips his side immediately. Karma is a bitch.

The nurse is cleaning his wound. There are countless bloody tissues dropped on the ground. She raises her eyes at Nadya. "He's lucky. The bullet barely grazed him. Won't even need stitches. Just maybe some good sleep to compensate for the blood loss," she tells her.He will get some good night's sleep, Nadya is sure. The man is impossible to wake up.

Hyunjin smirks at her as if he had proved something today. The only thing he proved is that he is not invincible. He is a human, just like she is. "I'm glad you're okay," Nadya utters before walking away. He got hurt because of her. If he had died, then what? How would she forgive herself?

Jun laughs and playfully pushes Nadya's shoulder. "What was that?"

 

 

The first morning after that is odd somehow. Maybe because Nadya slept in Jun's shared room with Chan. Maybe because she almost died less than a day ago, but for now she's a bit relieved that no one is going to try to kill her again. She can finally enjoy her alone time, and she needs coffee. "Are you avoiding me on purpose?" Someone breathes into her neck. Nadya panics and almost drops the kettle in her hands. She turns around, ready to throw fists, only to find Hyunjin a little too amused for her liking. 

However, her heart is about to jump out of her chest. Last time somebody had sneaked up on her, she was choked; even now some invisible hand is suffocating the girl. She's struggling to breathe. Her hands clamp around her neck as she wadles away and slumps against the wall. Hyunjin follows her with a concern written all over his features. Shes fine. Hyunjin is many things but not a killer. "You almost gave me a heart attack," Nadya breathes out as air starts flooding her lungs once again.

"I didn't mean to," Hyunjin panics. "I-"

Nadya cuts him off abrubtly. "It's fine; just don't ever do that again.

He nods and sits down beside the girl. "So are you avoiding me?"

Is she avoiding him? "I didn't mean to. Why?"

He shrugs. "I didn't see you yesterday after," he pauses, "you know what."

True, she's been a little distant since then. Can he blame her though?" I just locked myself inside Jun's wagon and slept all day, she tells him truthfully. That's what she has been doing. Nadya didn't even visit her wagon to grab her stuff. Jun did it. She's too scared to enter it in case someone jumps out.

"That makes sense," he slumps. Nasya can swear he looks relieved.

The pair stays in silence. It's not necessarily uncomfortable, yet still odd. There are voices outside. Everyone is getting ready for breakfast outside. It's a sunny day, and eating out on such days is sort of a tradition.

Then Nadya hears a car engine and doors being slammed. If that's Orion, she swears to God she’ll choke him. This is a nice day; he isn't supposed to be here. Why would he be here? She thought they had sorted out everything already. 

Nadya stands up, and Hyunjin follows her outside. Then she finds and approaches Jun standing nearby. "What's going on?" She questions, only to find a taxi parked nearby.

Jun shrugs. She sees a woman climbing out. Blonde bun, long, sophisticated gloves. That can't be. Nadya should've died yesterday. This is torture in a woman's form. That's her mom. There's her dad too.

Nadya covers her face with her hand and hides behind Jun. She never in her life wanted to disappear as much as she does now. What are they doing here? Came to make fun of her? To drag her back home to marry some snob? Where is her sister? Nadya looks around, searching for Alisa. She's nowhere to be seen.

Nadyas mom approaches Arim. "I'm looking for Nadya. You haven't seen her by any chance?" she questions. Please say no. Tell her Nadya went to Malaysia or something.

Arims eyes her mother before he clears his throat. "She must be somewhere around. What business do you have with her?"

"Can't a mother visit her daughter?" she laughs.   "Now mind telling me, where is she?"

No point in hiding anymore. Nadya walks out from behind Jun and approaches her mother. "It's fine, Arim," she utters as the man is about to throw the woman out. He knows why Nadya hates her, and he knows she doesn't want to see her, but it's not fair to involve him in this.

"Look at you," her mother gasps as she eyes Nadya. "What are you wearing?"

Nadya glances down at her band t-shirt. It's not even the most inappropriate word she has. She shrugs. "A shirt?"

Her mother laughs. "You call that a shirt! Wait, are you limping?" She questions but doesn't let the girl answer. "See. All that freedom, and for what? You look homeless."

"Why are you here, Mom?" Nadya grinds her teeth. She really can't deal with her posh attitude right now.

"To take you home, of course," she moves closer and dusts Nadya's shoulders. "Let's go before we catch some disease." Then she grips the girl's forearm and attempts to drag her. 

"How did you know where I am?"

"Darling, you're all over news. A murder? See, you can't survive without me," she pulls at her arm, but Nadya stands firm.

She's here after a few years demanding Nadya goes back home after she publicly announced her daughter is dead to her. Nadya scoffs. "I'm not going anywhere.”

"We are going home. I didn't travel this far, nothing!" She raises her voice. So they are playing like this?

"What will I do if I go home? Lock me in a tower." Nadya argues and pulls her arm out of her mother's grip.

"Watch how you talk with your mother!" Her mother exclaims and smacks Nadya across the face. It didn't even hurt that bad. Someone needs to learn how to hit instead of sipping on her expensive tea.

Nadya licks her cheek from the inside. "Why are you so keen on making me go home? I'm happy here.”

"You are what's left of our bloodline. You're above those commoners," she motions to Madya's crew, who are just curiously watching.

"You have another daughter," Nadya points out.

"I only have one daughter," the woman states.

"Then go back to her," Nadya points at the taxi. "Get in the car and drive."

"She's not my daughter. You are."

Nadya almost stumbles back from the declaration. Since when? Now she's her daughter after years of torture and neglect? "Suddenly I am your daughter? What changed?" Nadya scoffs and crosses her arms on her chest. She cannot believe the woman in front of her. She hopes Alisa is okay.

"Alisa is infertile. She cannot extend the family bloodline," the woman explains. Nadya almost laughs in her face. Two daughters and no grandchildren. Funny.

"She is like sixteen now. She shouldn't be obliged to do that," Nadya pauses in realization. "Wait. How do you know that?"

"Her husband got her tested," her mother answers. 

Hold up a husband? She's kidding. She has to be. "You married her off!?! She's a kid!"

"Well, I couldn't wait around like I did with you. I took matters into my arms," she explains. Right, she waited until Nadya was eighteen, and Nadya decided to just dip.

"That's child abuse!"

"She wanted that marriage. I let her choose her husband. She's well off in her new family," she points an accusing finger at her oldest daughter.

How is Nadya supposed to live knowing she's her mother? "How are you so sure?"

"Does it matter? Now it's your time to pay tribute to our name. Although it's a shame. You're past the age for marriage, but I already found you a guy. He's your age and rich. His parents have been friends with our bloodline for centuries," she explains. A guy? She found her a guy? She came here to get Nadya to marry some guy. She must be even more insane than Nadya remembers.

"Woah, hold your horses. I am not getting married any time soon.”

"I am your mother. You'll obey me," the woman states. 

"I won't do shit!"

"Language! What have these rascals taught you?" Nadya's mother gasps. "You need to get your attitude in check before you can marry."

Nadya laughs at that. "I'm an adult; you can't force me to do shit.” With that, Nadya walks off. She's done with the conversation.

The woman attempts to follow her, but Chan gets in the way. "Madam, you need to leave," he tells her. What is he so polite for? He can simply tell her to fuck off. Nadya knows he's perfectly capable.

Nadyas mother eyes Chan and smiles. "I see how it is. Aren't you ashamed of living with this many men? Are you bedding them too? You're bringing shame to our name!" The woman shouts. Shes bringing shame? Nadya is trying to end her hierarchy.

That's it. Her patience is gone. Nadya's feet are carrying her back to her mother. Hyunjin's fingers wrap around her forearm, and he tugs the hirl back. She, however, sends him the coldest glare she can muster.

"You need to calm down," Hyunjin utters, barely looking at the girl. He is making eye contact with her mother, who is simply amused.

"You need to mind your own business," Nadya shoots back. Hyunjin rolls his eyes at the girl but still releases her. Nadya watches Chan shake his head at his friend.

"You dare to call me a whore? Does Father know you're bringing men home while he's away? Huh?" Nadya pushes Chan out of her way. "How is that any better?"

"Don't lie," her mother grumbles and glances at her husband. She's scared. Nadya outed her, and she's enjoying it. "You hear those lies coming from your daughter's mouth? She gets that from your side," the woman complains. A manipulator since the womb.

"Am I even his daughter?"

Arim steps up front. "That's enough!" he exclaims. "Jun, get Nadia and you," he points at her mother. "You need to crawl back to that pit you crawled out of."

"Excuse me?!"

"You're excused!" Nadya shouts before Jun closes the vagon door in front of her face.

Suddenly she's sitting on the floor in Jun's wagon. There's Jun, of course. Taraji is there too. Chan, Hyunjin, and Changbin as well. They're staring at her as the girl is sulking. Shes mad. She's mad they didn't let her put that woman in her place.

Nadya stands up abruptly. She wants to go outside. There's not enough air in here. Jun pushes her shoulders down, forcing her to flop back to the ground. No fresh air for her, it seems.

"No one died. Come on, don't be so quiet!" Nadya exclaims. It's frustrating that they're treating her like she's going to break. The only thing she's going to break is the skull of that guy who married a minor.

"What are you going to do now?" Jun questions.

Easy question. "First things first, I'm visiting Europe. I need to get Alisa out of that hell hole," Nadya announced.

"Are you sure she wants to be saved?" Chan questions. She is sure.

"Don't question me!" She pauses. "The second thing I'll do is go iron her husband's balls."

"Woah. Let's stop right there," Jun gasps. "You are not going to torture anyone," he tells her. 

"And who is going to stop me?"

"Now I see where she gets her attitude from," Hyunjin mutters. Nadya already forgot he's here. She can't help but wonder where his attitude is from.

"Don't start," the girl glares at him. "Unless you want your balls ironed too?"

He raises his hands in the air defensively. "No thanks, I'm good." Chan and Changbin have matching smiles on their faces. She’ll iron theirs too.

"Where in Europe are you from again?" Changbin 

questions.   That's a question she's not glad to answer.

"Mother Russia itself," she laughs. "Not proud of that, though. Ah, the third thing I'll do is light Moskov on fire."

"The first thing you're going to do is calm down," Arim announces as he enters the wagon. "She's gone. I had to threaten her with the police, but she's gone."

[mintasa]

CIRCUS ~ CHAPTER 9

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Warnings: Blood, injuries, mental problems

Word count: 3,6k

Synopsis: A series of murders in a successful circus disturbs the life of a young stylist. With no place to go, she is keen on saving the circus, even if that means risking her own life to do so. As if things cannot go worse, a group of newbies join the hawock, seemingly not knowing what they're getting themselves into. Can she figure out the motives of the murderer and keep her crew together? Can the circus survive under the growing pressure and distrust?

Note: This is the first story I am publicly sharing. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

The story is vaguely inspired by Circus MV

Nadya's arm is around Jun's waist as they attempt to get her into their shared kitchen van. They have an important meeting there, and she has to be a part of it, although she just got back from the hospital.

Chan stands up. "You're probably wondering why we called you all here. Well, there's something that we've been keeping from you, and for your safety, we have to reveal it. So, we are not who we pretended to be. Actually, we are special agents hired by Melissa to solve her brother's murder," he explains. The silence is deafening. Everyone shares a glance.

Misha is the first one to laugh. "Sure, and I'm the president of the United States."

Nadya reacted like that too; she was in disbelief. "No, I can't believe I'm saying this, but they're serious," Nadya chimes, barely believing what she's saying herself.

"Special agents. How does that work?" Amir wonders. A valid question.

"We are trained professionals that can adapt to any task given," Chan explains. "We were meant to fit in with the circus, but circumstances don't let us be low-key anymore."

"Any task given," laughs Taraji. "That guy can't break an egg," she points at Changbin. That's true; Nadya saw him struggling one day. He's been on dishwashing duty ever since.

"It's not really in our training to do that bit. Anyway, we want to ensure safety, so we suggest some changes. Each one of you could room with one of us for extra protection," Chan offers.

"Well, I certainly don't mind," Taraji smiles. Nadya rolls her eyes. The guys are like half her age, yet she never missed a chance to flirt.

Nadya locks eyes with Jun. "You don't look surprised," Jun points out.

"I knew before." Nadya pauses to seek approval from the boys to talk; they don't say anything, so she continues. "This is not the first time I've been attacked. Not too long ago, I went to the pond late at night. Somebody tried to suffocate me with a bag, and when they weren't successful, they pushed me into the water. I almost drowned."

"You still didn't thank me for that," Hyunjin mumbles in a playful tone. He's in a good mood. Good for him. Nadya isn't; she's the one who almost died, not him.

"Thank you for putting my life on the line multiple times," she scowls. Chan glances at Hyunjin with a warning look, and the guy stays silent. Everyone is silent. Its awkward.

"How about we arrange how we are sleeping and start moving the furniture?" announces Minho, who stands up. She hasn't talked to Minho much, but he holds certain authority within the group. She noticed.

"Why you?" Nadya mumbles, staring at Hyunjin's back as he's making his bed.

"Why what?"

"Out of everyone, why do I have to room with you?" The girl wonders out loud; she's tired of being stuck with him.

He sits down on his bed across from her. "Because Chan said so," he tells Nadya. He doesn't seem satisfied with the room arrangement either.

"Well, Chan should get some fresh air because he's clearly out of his mind," Nadya claims. Seriously, she cannot even depend on this guy if anything happens. He dislikes her with passion and might as well kill her himself.

Hyunjin rolls his eyes at her and says, "Chan always has a reason. He just wants us to get along."

"Can you do that?"

"Can you?"

"This is exactly what's wrong. You can never back out of something," Nadya groans as she slumps into her bed.

"I like to win."

"Sometimes you have to lose to gain something," she tells him.

He ponders for a second. "What are you suggesting?"

"A truce," he says, raising an eyebrow at the girls proposal. "If we want to stop arguing, we have to stop talking to each other."

"Doesn't that make this worse?"

Now she's petty once again. About that one morning, she heard him ranting about her. "Well, I tried to talk to you. Didn't work out," Nadya sneers at him.

He glances at her briefly. "I am just trying to do my job, and you seemed," he pauses, refusing to finish the sentence. Every time they talk, it always ends like this. In an argument.

"I seemed what? Crazy?"

"Suspicious," he answers.

"Do I still look threatening?"

He scans her and stays silent. He has been more careful with his words lately. "Not in this state," he mumbles.

"Rude," Nadya utters, yet she cannot disagree.

"Realistic. Can you even walk?"

"Hyunjin," Nadya said, shaking his shoulder a bit. He winces in his sleep but doesn't attempt to wake up. She repeats his name a few times while shaking him, annoying him in the process.

He sighs without even opening his eyes. "Who's dying?"

"No one is dying. I just can't sleep," Nadya admits, struggling to believe she actually woke him up for this. She's scared; once she closes her eyes, her imagination goes wild.

He groans and sits up in his bed. Then he yawns. "What am I supposed to do about it?"

Nadya shrugs. She didn't think of that. "I just don't want to be alone," she utters. She got used to sleeping with Jun, and a change of roommates didn't help her nerves.

He scans Nadya, and his eyes stop on her face for far too long. His eyebrows furrow in thought. "Were you crying?" He questions Nadya and looks away in embarrassment.

"I just couldn't close my eyes and got frustrated."

He nods and starts to move around in his bed. Then he taps on the new mattress space he provided. "Get in," he utters. Nadya blinks at him. Is he seriously asking her to sleep in the same bed as him? No sleep is better than sleeping with him. Hyunjin sighs clearly disapointed at the reluctance. "I promise I won't kick you off."

Nadya makes a face at him before getting under the covers. There's plenty of space between them. He grips her wrist, and his thumb slides into Nadya's palm. She freezes on the spot. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you don't feel alone," he mumbles before turning off the light. "Now go to sleep."

It's going to be a long night.

To Nadya's surprise, she fell asleep pretty easily. But the thought that she was not alone didn't leave her head. Even in her sleep, she was hyper-aware of sleeping in one bed with Hyunjin. He, however, didn't seem to mind her presence at all. Even when she prys his fingers one by one away from his grip, he sleeps like he has been hit by a brick. Good, she doesn't want to wake him up. He will start following her around, and she wants to enjoy her peace while he is still asleep.

After a big struggle, Nadya is free from his grip. Despite a small win, she still cannot use her left leg properly. The doctor told her to use crutches; however, she chose not to. She can use a wall for some support, and her leg will be fine in less than two weeks.

Nadya gets to the bathroom, but before she can do anything, she slips. Her hand grabs onto the sink to keep her balance, but she knocks everything on it instead. Soap and whatever else is there scatters to the ground. The sound causes Hyunjin to rush inside. He's disheveled, still half asleep.

"There are no damsels here to save. Go back to sleep," she tells him, lowering herself to sit down. This is embarrassing.

He eyes the mess and grips Nadyas. He elbowed her in an attempt to pull her up. "Where are your crutches?"

She refuses his help just because she can. "I don't need them," she protests.

"You do, and you've just proved it," he says, motioning to the stuff rolling on the ground and back at her. Nadya is still sitting on the ground; however, she sees his words as a challenge. She grips onto the sink and pulls herself to her feet. Why would she need crutches when she's perfectly capable of everything?

He looked at her skeptically. "You're not my mother to lecture me," she snaps before he can say something snarky.

He scowls; somehow, just the mention of her mother makes the atmosphere thick. "Don't bring your controlling mother into this. I just want what's best for you," he mumbles, picking up some of the stuff Nadya had dropped.

It was her turn to scowl at him. "That's what she said too."

"You're going to hurt yourself." His tone softens out of nowhere. She doesn't understand the way his brain works, maybe for the better.

"So?"

The look he gives makes Nadya believe he will push her on purpose. Just to prove a point. "I have to make sure you don't."

"I didn't ask you to do such a thing," Nadya argued.

"That's not how it works."

Nadya sighs, realizing she won't win. "I need to shower. Get out."

Nadya does shower and gets ready for the day, but something isn't right; Nadya's hands are shaky. They never were. If she cannot even draw a straight line, then how is she supposed to do makeup? She's useless if she can't do makeup.

"Did you break your neck in there?" She hears Hyunjin's voice from the other side of the door. Not yet, but she's about to.

"I'm good," she answers, slumping to the ground to sit down. She's frustrated; there are already hot tears streaming down her face. She needs to calm down before coming out.

"What are you doing for so long?"

I'm thinking about how pathetic and useless I am. Nothing serious; why? "I'll be out soon," Nadya sighs, standing up. Using the wall, she gets to the door and opens it.

Hyunjin is sitting on his bed. He eyes Nadya as she walks out. She's not even shy in front of him anymore; he's seen the worst versions of her. He saw her wet and shivering, with her makeup running down her face and her clothes sticking to her body. "Have you been crying? Why?"

"It's frustrating."

Hyunjin raises an eyebrow, but Nadya doesn't elaborate. He doesn't ask again; she's thankful for that. Hyunjin leaves, and some time later he comes back with a distraught look on his face, which makes Nadya's heart drop to her heels. "They were talking in the kitchen. Your cop is there too. They are closing the circus," he tells her.

"Closing? They can't. We are just taking a break," Nadya argues.

"Well, tell that to the cop. Not me."

She might as well do that. Nadya rises from the bed and starts her trip. She can lightly use her leg for balance, but that doesn't make her fast. Nadya expects Hyunjin to attempt to stop her, but he just wraps a hand around her for some extra support. At least he had learned to don't boss her around. It never ends well.

She barges inside and pokes a finger at Orion's chest. "You can't do that."

"I have papers proving that I can," Orion answers smugly. What did she even see in him? Cocky bastard.

"We are on a break. Isn't that enough?"

"Not for the killer," he points out. "If the circus closes, This all may stop." He has a point, but that still doesn't make him right. What if it doesn't? All of their hard work at the circus would go to waste.

"So you're trying to compensate for your inability to do your job?" Nadya grabs onto the last string. "Have y'all even been looking into the case, or is it collecting dust somewhere?"

"It's on hold. Been taking too long; we set it aside so we don't waste time," Orion answers.

Now she's angry; she's pissed. "What about Allen, Miguel? They're going to be in jail until you decide to do your job. That's not fair," Nadya protests.

"Life isn't fair, sweetheart." Orion winks at her. That is all it takes to have Nadya all up in his personal space.

Just as she is about to attack him, she feels a hand around her waist, subtly pulling her back. "Do you want to get arrested?!"

"But-"

"No buts."

Nadya glares at Orion, who is, to her surprise, focusing on Hyunjin. Hyunjin just saved his ass from her rage. What is he unpleased about? Nadya watches the officer's eyes drift down to Hyunjin's arm around her waist. Oh. Is he serious right now? He's acting like she's cheating on him. Ridiculous.

Nadya pushes Hyunjin's hand away anyway because now she is hyper-aware of it and she doesn't like it. She doesn't like him touching her. It's weird, and he's been too bold lately.

"But, like, what is the reasoning behind this? Do you have proof it will work?" Nadya still attempts to reason.

"It looks like the killer planned to close the circus by force. If we do it ourselves, he may leave everyone alone," Orion answers. Nadya loathes the fact that he is sort of right.

"What if he doesn't?"

"That only time will tell," he answers. "Worst-case scenario: y'all will have to go home and leave all of this behind."

But she doesn't have anywhere to go. None of the people left do. That's why they stayed. Unlike Elis, unlike the dancers, They have nowhere to go. They are the real strays.

Just looking at his happy face makes Nadya sick. She has to get out. Nadya starts limping out of the wagon when her foot slips, and she almost falls from the stairs. Luckily, Jun was following her out and managed to grab her in time. "Don't hurt yourself because of some lame cop," he mumbles.

It's not like she did that on purpose. "I want to hurt him," she points at the wagon where Orion's voice is still ringing through the metal walls, "but the law is against it."

"Woah. Let's stop right there," Jun cages the girl in a hug. "You still didn't tell me what happened between you two," he utters.

"He's an asshole; that's what happened." Nadya refuses to answer him. It's pathetic, really.

"What did he do?"

"He was only going out with me to get information for the case," she scoffs.

Jun overreacts, just like she expected. That's why she didn't tell him. Jun opens his mouth and closes it, then he's storming back into the wagon. Nadya tries to follow him, but she's slower. By the entry, Nadya runs into Hyunjin, who raises an eyebrow as if asking what's happening.

Nadya wishes she knew; she just points at Jun and shrugs. Jun closes the vagon door behind him, and then the chaos starts. There's a punch, followed by a groan and various shouts, along with Taraji screeching. Hyunjin leaps up the stairs with those long legs of his, only to see the boys holding back Jun from attacking Orion. Onion wipes at his split lip.

And that's her best friend.

"Why did you punch him?"

Jun is sitting in the police office waiting to be called inside, while Nadya came along for emotional support. That's what happens when you punch a cop; you're the villain, even if the cop deserves it.

"Because he hurt you," Jun shrugs, as if it's no big deal.

"You shouldn't have."

"I had to, and I'd do it again. Preferably with more precision next time," he hisses.

"Next," A woman pokes her head out. Jun stands up, and Nadya barely squeezes his hand before he disappears. She's more nervous than he is anyway.

Jun is not normally aggressive towards anyone, so Nadya is still in shock. Out of everyone, he was the least likely person on her list to punch someone. Is she proud of him in some way? Of course, she is.

He walks out about half an hour later. Nadya looks up at him expectantly. "I'll have to pay a fine, and it will go into my records as an assault on a policeman," he shrugs as if it's normal.

"That's not good," The girl grumbles. Any criminal record is a huge disadvantage in life. They will have to move on. Find jobs. This will make him less appealing.

"I have no regrets," he pats Nadya to get up. "Let's go home."

Home...

Nadya had prescribed this ointment to put on her bruises. One problem is that she cannot reach her back. Partly because of the fact that her entire side is bruised. She must have landed on it when she fell. She needs help, yet with her useless leg, it is hard for her to go and fetch anyone. Nadya can't do this alone and doesn't have anyone to do it for her. Just a useless roommate who may or may not be that useless.

"Hyunjin!" She shouts. He may or may not answer. Worth a shot.

Silence. "Yes?"

"Can you get Jun or Taraji?" Nadya questions.

He has a hand over his eyes as he opens the door. Dramatic as always. "Why?"

"I need their help, and you can look," Nadya says subconsciously. He acts like a bigger prude than her sometimes. Living with a different gender isn't ideal, but she's fine with it; he should be as well.

He scans her just to make sure. Come on. Who does she take her for? "Help with what?"

"I can't reach my back, and I also need to change bandages," Nadya tells him.

He just nods and freezes on the spot. Nadya Jad noticed that's what he does when he's thinking. He disconnects. "I can help," he offers. "They might be asleep already."

He is right, but Nadya would much rather wake them up. Exposure therapy, maybe it will be less weird if they start interacting more. It can't be that bad. "Fine," she mumbles, tossing him the container of the ointment.

Then she gathers up her shirt and reveals her back to him. He inhales sharply. What now? "How did you not break anything?" he comments. Oh, that. Nadya had looked at her side in the mirror. It's not scratched, but it's a deep violet color. It doesn't look good.

She simply shrugs. The ointment is cold against her skin. It makes her shy away from it. Maybe it's not just the ointment. Maybe it's his fingers brushing her bare skin. He's gentle, yet she still feels uncomfortable. Nadya dislikes him deeply, yet she lets him touch her. Her mom would be flabbergasted; she would call her damaged goods. She was always a product in preparation for selling, which is why her mother wanted her to be untouched and innocent.

"That should be enough," he announces.

That makes Nadya lift her head and turn to the mirror to look at his work. "There are bandages on the counter. Could you help me with those too?" I asked somewhat shyly; she never liked asking for help.

"Sure," he mumbles. The tone of his voice reveals he doesn't want to be there either. The feeling is mutual.

He hugs Nadya to wrap the bandage around her waist. Then he wraps it up a few more times. His hair brushes over her cheek each time he leans to grab the end of the bandage. Then he secures it. His fingers brush against her back as he does. The contact sends electricity down her exposed spine. Prude. Total prude.

"Done," he says, steps away. Nadya immediately pulls down her sweater to cover up.

"Alright, thank you."

"You're welcome," he answers while walking backwards. Then he knocks over a broom, leans against an open door, almost falls on his face, and stumbles out. Idiot. What else is there to say?

Nadya follows after him shortly to find him sitting in thought. She doesn't pay him much attention; he's always an odd presence in the room. "I didn't notice it was that bad," Hyunjin mumbles. Nadya can't help but raise an eyebrow at him. "Your injuries."

"I'll live."

"You're stronger than you look," he mumbles. Well, that's something. Did he hit his head while stumbling out of the bathroom earlier?

"Thank you?"

"Sorry, I just," he scratches his head, "I was a bit insensitive about all of this."

Is he high? Who cares? She's tired and not up for conversation. "Fine. You're forgiven. Go to sleep."

"Not going to climb into my bed today?" He's smug again.

"No promises."

"Hwang," Nadya pokes her roomated head; "Hyunjin," she pokes again.

He groans and grabs the girl's wrist, stopping her from bugging him again. "Can't I sleep again?"

She nodded, but he wasn't looking. "Yes."

He scoots over and opens up the sheets. Nadya gets in. It's quiet. His bed is warmer than hers. "Satisfied?" He mumbles.

"Yep," she replies. Hyunjin rolls on another side and turns his back on her. She stares at the darkness and still cannot sleep. With nothing else to do, she decides to bug her roommate some more. "Are you asleep?"

"I would be if not you," he mutters, half asleep. "Go to sleep."

When Nadya can't sleep, she usually goes for a walk. Now it's different, but does it have to be? "I am going outside," she announces. Why is she even telling him? She doesn't need his permission.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"You heard me," he mutters into his pillow.

"It wasn't a question," Nadya protests, peeling the covers away in an attempt to escape. Shes not going to let the fear stop her, neither Hyunjin.

He grips Nadya's arm and presses it into the mattress. She tries to pull it away, but he is stronger. "You have a death wish?" he mutters as he sits up and turns on the light.

"No, but I do have a wish. Wish to go outside," Nadya smiles at him fakely. He scoffs and turns off the light once again, still holding her hand.

"Go to sleep."

[mintasa]

CIRCUS ~ CHAPTER 8

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x OC

Genre: Circus AU, murder mystery, slowburn, enemies to lovers?

Warnings: Blood, injuries, mental problems

Word count: 4,2k

Synopsis: A series of murders in a successful circus disturbs the life of a young stylist. With no place to go, she is keen on saving the circus, even if that means risking her own life to do so. As if things cannot go worse, a group of newbies join the hawock, seemingly not knowing what they're getting themselves into. Can she figure out the motives of the murderer and keep her crew together? Can the circus survive under the growing pressure and distrust?

Note: This is the first story I am publicly sharing. It is a work of fiction, although it may not fit the criteria of a traditional fanfic (I physically cannot write in the second-person narrative). Therefore, English is not my first language, and while I'm pretty fluent, I still make grammar errors, so apologies in advance.

The story is vaguely inspired by Circus MV

"You were told to don't go anywhere alone, I believe," mumbles Hyunjin as he takes a seat next to Nadya on that goddamn bench she sat on before almost drowning.

Nadya wipes at her eyes frantically, hating the idea of Hyunjin seeing her like that. Some old wounds had been reopened and new ones accured. She doesn't cry much, but it's healthy to do so from time to time. Nadya jumped at the first opportunity of being loved. What did she expect in this world of ill-mannered people?

"Are you crying?"

He really had to point that out. Nadya crosses her arms on her chest. "I would never," she claims and looks off into the pond.

"Is this about the cop?"

Is it? Not really; she doesn't even miss him anymore; it was a temporary obsession. She didn't need him. "No."

"Then why?"

The girl shrugs annoyed at the questioning. "Because I can?"

"Not a valid answer," he argues once again, playing the hero. He wants information out of her, but frankly, all she has is unsolved problems.

"I haven't been able to sleep lately," Nadya mutters truthfully, hoping it would be enough to answer his questions.

"Because of your family?" Nadya turns to him dumbfounded, and he looks away in what seems like shame. "Jun said you're talking in your sleep about them."

Nadya is about to give Jun piece of her mind about privacy. "He can't keep anything to himself," she groans. No seriously, she's killing Jun when she gets back. "What else did he say?"

"Nothing. He just said that they are pompous assholes."

"Well, that's about it," she smiles at Jun's description. It is spot on.

"Tell me about them."

"Why?"

"Conversation."

"Were not good at that," Nadya mumbles, and he simply nods. The silence between them drives her insane, and she groans. "Fine, what do you want to know?"

"Anything?" He shrugs. "We actually did a background check on everyone here. Theres not much information about you."

Nadya nods in understanding; her parents were secretive. "Well, I'm the first child, so they were always strict and demanding with me. When I didn't live up to expectations, they wanted to marry me off for connections. That's all there is to know, really. I didn't take that well and ran away," she explains briefly. It's not like he wants to know he needs to connect the dots in her files.

"Did they look for you?"

"I'm sure they were happy I was gone. They always said, I'm a burden anyway." Nadya smiles bitterly.

"How did you become, you know, a secret agent?"

"The agency literally grabbed my hand when I was walking home with my mom. They offered me to join a training program; honestly, I didn't even know what I was getting into," he admits. "After you join, it practically fights for survival. You have to improve fast or you're dropped out of the program."

Nadya understands the training, but what she does not get is why a parent would get their child involved in such stuff. Every child deserves a childhood. "Were your parents against it?"

"They were, but they also saw it as an opportunity. I didn't grow up rich or overly smart. They thought it would help us get out of a financial hole," he mutters. Nadya smiles at her own thought; they are complete opposites. At least in the financial situation, maybe that's why they struggle to get along.

"Well, did it?"

"It did."

"Your parents must be proud," Nadya utters, realizing they are really complete opposites. He's a son his family can be proud of, and she's the daughter the parents are ashamed to bring up.

"They are," he answers. Nadya stays silent; there's nothing she can add really; she's just jealous. "Every child deserves a loving family," he mumbles, noticing the girls behavior shift at the topic.

Nadya simply nods at what seems like kind words. She didn't think Hyunjin was capable of being nice. "Well, my family is the circus, so don't ever ask me again to put them in danger."

It's early in the morning, and Nadya is wide awake. Her throat is dry, as if she had been screaming, so she rushes to the kitchen. There she hears voices, each of those hushed and secretive.

"Anyone got something to share with the class?" Questions Chan.

"Not really," Felix answers. So they're clueless about the case. Great Melissa brought incompetent agents.

"Nothing makes sense. At first, I thought they were trying to scare the crew because they weren't actively trying to kill anyone, but now I'm terrified for my own life," Han chimes. They are terrified?! So how is Nadya supposed to feel? They can at least defend themselves.

"There are still people who haven't had any interactions with the murdered," states Seungmin. And that's just a plain fact. Nadya almost scoffs out loud, revealing herself to the boys.

"Yes, Jiah, Jun, Taraji, Azara, Misha," lists Chan.

"Does that make them the main suspects?" Questions Jeongin, genuine quriosity visible in his voice.

"Not necessarily," says Changbin. "See, if I were the killer, I would try to get myself off the suspect's list," he explains. Now that makes Nadya reconsider wherever they are imminent. He has a point.

"Get hurt on purpose?" Questions Hyunjin, another valid point. One Nadya didn't consider it because who in the right mind wants to hurt themselves? Who wants to hurt anyone at all? If they settle on the idea, she's a suspect too. Do they really think she paid someone to drown her in a pond?

"Exactly."

"But we can't know that for sure," Seungmin disagrees. "It looks like the murderer knows what he's doing. He could be trying to throw us off."

"Well, is anyone behaving weirdly?" Chan asks again.

"Everyone?" Suggests Han, "They didn't take the fire well."

"Nadya has been acting off way before that," Hyunjin murmurs.It's suspicious that although she got attacked, she didn't get severely hurt. She's fine." Suddenly all the respect she gained for him the day before vanishes; he thinks what happened to her is light punishment.

"Well, she would be dead if you hadn't followed her. I don't think it counts," states Minho.

"She still goes out alone, although she knows it is dangerous," Hyunjin argues. Why is he so keen on proving to them she's the killer?

"Seems more like suicidal behavior than murderous," Minho disagrees. Nadya can't believe her own ears; the guys had made their assumptions about everyone, including her. They don't know what they're talking about yet having a heated discussion, and she is the star of it.

"Well, I talked to her last night. She said some," he pauses, "disturbing stuff." Nadya frowns at his words; one bad day doesn't make her a murderous psychopath.

"If she is the killer, it's really bad. She knows about us," Chan states. Not him acting like I'll stab him in his sleep; she would have already if she wanted to. Maybe not; she hasn't seen the guy asleep. He must run on batteries.

"Why did you even tell her? You could've lied," questions Changbin, theres clear annoyance in his tone. Nadya liked him; she was nice and positive towards her, but suddenly she was the public enemy of theirs. All because of one night.

"I don't know; I panicked, and at the time she didn't seem dangerous. She was a victim," Hyunjin rambles.

"No one is blaming you, but you should be more careful who you're trusting," Chan lectures. Somehow it feels like a lecture to her as well. They see her as a possible threat, which means she can't trust them either.

They quiet down, and Nadya takes that as a cue to step in. The stairs make creaking noise as the girl climbs in. The boys heads turn towards Nadya in what seems like shock; however, Chan is the first to react. He clears his throat. "How much did you hear?"

"Oh, I heard plenty," she says; she's not even angry at them, just disappointed. At one of them in particular. Her eyes focus on Hyunjin, who stares at her wordlessly. She scoffs at his guilty expression. "You lied to me. I told you everything about my family because I thought you were genuinely curious, and this is what you do? Call me crazy behind my back," she laughs dryly. What did she even expect?

"No, it's not like that." Felix starts, but Nadya doesn't let him finish.

"Then what is it like? I thought we were on the same page; I'm glad to find out we are not," she states sparingly one last glance at Hyunjin before walking out. "You better sleep with one eye open."

As soon as she leaves, she hears footsteps rushing to catch up to her. Hyunjin grabs her wrist and she immediately shakes it off. "Don't be like this," he mumbles once the girl once again attempts to run off. She stops abruptly. Nadya has heard that before. Orion.

"Don't follow me," she mumbles and walks off. He had proven multiple times that they were not friends. Why should she bother?

"You're giving me a good reason to call you crazy," Hyunjin shouts, his voice quiet due to the distance.

"Maybe I am crazy!"

Thats it. She's not going to trust any of the guys with anything. None of them are her friends; they just want to make use of her. Like everyone. Why did she even think it was a good idea to spill her heart to that princess? If she could turn back time, she would not only smack him but suffocate him with that pillow. Maybe then he would be able to understand what it is like to drown? To feel the lungs catching fire and begging for help.

Everyone but Nadya went to visit Allen and Miguel in jail. They left her with the guys, whom they barely know yet trust blindly. They don't know the truth about their arrival; they could be the killers, yet they left her to keep them in check. Frankly, they are fully grown men, and she won't be treating them like babies like Taraji does. Shes not a babysitter.

There's not much Nadya can do in her free time, and she wants to avoid any interaction. She's still sulky, so she chooses to clean up one of the storage wagons. They haven't been cleaned in ages. Maybe if they had been, she wouldn't be kneeling here and scrubbing as if her life depends on it.

It takes a second for Nadya to realize what's happening as a string wraps around her throat and digs into her neck. She throws her head back in an attempt to free herself and gets a chance to look at her attacker. Same person dressed in black. Their face is covered. She tries to pry away his hands without any success.

Purely driven by adrenaline, she uses drastic measures. She falls back into her captor, tripping them both in the process. Then Nadya rushes to her feet and runs. She darts out of the wagon to the train station. There are always people inside, so she screams, hoping to attract someone's attention. No one seems to be around. Suddenly she places a wrong step right in the crack in the grass, and sharp pain travels down her ankle. She falls face flat to the ground yet soon gets pulled to her feet.

Shes dizzy. Both from the choking and the fall. The captain is just a shadow when he pulls her towards the rails. Theyre slightly uphill, and the rails are buried a few meters in the ground. A train horn honks, and Nadya is suddenly hyperaware of what he brought her there for. She attempts to scream, but a hand covers her mouth, and the noise comes out mumbled.

People are shouting in the distance; she hears voices at the back of her head, but all her mind is filled with is pure fear. The person abruptly pushes her down. Nadya falls those couple meters like a rag doll. Her hand hurts and her head as well. She makes an attempt to sit up, but the world in front of her eyes goes black. Her side hurts too, as does her neck. She drags her fingers against it, and they're a deep shade of red. The string had cut through the skin of her neck. She's bleeding, yet another reason to explain the dizziness.

She rests herself on her elbows, letting her head fall backwards. Suddenly there is a shadow shaking her awake. Nadya attempts to crawl backward, but once she opens her eyes, she recognizes Hyunjin's face. He grabs her chin and moves her head around. His mouth moves, but Nadya doesn't hear a thing.

The train honks once again, much closer this time. She turns her head and sees the front of it in the distance. Nadyas panicked, eyes lolling over at the boy in front of her for a solution, but his expression matches hers. They are both dead.

The train is right up ahead. It all happens in a second. Hyunjin bodyslams Nadya to the ground, his body weight successfully pinning her down. They are lying in the middle of the rails. His body is pressed against Nadyas, his face buried in the crook of her neck. He's breathing heavily into her ear while his fingers dig into Nadya's wrists as he holds them down. Theyre chest to chest.

The train approaches them, and Nadyas breath hitches, but it passes right over their heads. Damn, Nadya didn't think Hyunjin had this in himself. The guys share one brain cell between them. Even when the train passes and the sound starts to slowly fade, neither of them dares to move. That's until Changbin's obnoxiously loud voice breaks the silence. "It's not the time for hugging," he shouts.

Hyunjin practically jumps up and scrambles to his feet. Nadya pulls herself up to rest on her elbows once again. It still hurts. Hyunjin grabs her chin and tilts it to look at the girl's neck and winces, "That doesn't look good."

Nadya is sure of that. No need to tell her. "I'm fine," she argues. Her voice comes out weaker than she intended to.

He rolls his eyes at her subtly. "Can you stand?"

Nadya stretches her ankle. It seems fine, but she still lets down her pride and lets Hyunjin help her up. She's standing one minute and another makes a mistake. One step and sharp pain in her ankle almost makes Nadya fall over. Hyunjin grips the girl as if she would try to walk again. She's not that stupid.

He sighs before wrapping a hand around Nadya's thighs. Suddenly she's in his arms being carried like a princess. She would protest in any other circumstances and be embarrassed, but right now she doesn't have the energy to care. Nadya, just let him do whatever he wants.

It is a quite long trip to the station. Only there can you find steps up. To her, it seems like a second before she's at the station and the boys are gathering around like hyenas. Chan takes the girl from Hyunjin and carries her inside her van.

Suddenly Nadyas room turns into a public bus. They're all there staring at her like shes some circus animal. Maybe she is.

Nadya closes her eyes and falls into her bed. However, the guys have different plans and make her sit up. There's Hyunjin in front of her, and Chan is sitting beside her, making sure Nadya doesn't lie down. Light coming from above hurts Nadya's eyes. "I'm definitely in hell because if I went to heaven, your face wouldn't be the first thing I see," she utters, staring at Hyunjin, who is crouching in front of her.

He smiles, or maybe it was her imagination. "You're still on Mother Earth, so you better start taking in coherent sentences. I don't want to call an ambulance," Hyunjin shakes his head.

"I knew going out this easy is too good to be true," Nadya groans and attempts to fall back, but there's Chan.

"You think we should call an ambulance?" Hyunjin looks back at Chan.

Chan glances at Nadya. His eyes roam down her body. Over her bruised side and neck. "We probably should," he answers.

Chan stands up and approaches Nadya. Her focus falls on him instead of Hyunjin, who sits down next to her, making sure she sits straight. "Does your head hurt?"

"I don't know everything hurts," Nadya mumbles.

Then Chan looks back at the other guys. "Could she have hit her head on those rails?"

"Probably," Changbin chimes.

Then Nadya rests her head on the nearest object and closes her eyes. She's tired, and they're not letting her sleep.

Nadya wakes up in a hospital. She doesn't remember much of what happened, but the headache doesn't let her forget that this isn't just a regular visit to the doctor's office.

The doctor comes into the room. He's pretty young for a doctor but definitely older than her, at least by a decade. "Nice to see you awake, Nadya; do you remember what happened?"

"Vaguely," the girl utters. She just woke up from sleep. Of course, she doesn't remember much.

"That's good news. How is your head doing?"

"It feels like it is about to explode," she tells him honestly.

"You suffer from a mild concussion that's pretty common in patients," he replies. Makes sense. Her head hurt a lot.

"When can I leave?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to keep you here at least for a day just in case. Otherwise, you're good to go," he replies. Nadyas eyes dart around the room. It's white and plain. She hates it.

Then she remembers her ankle. It hurt like a bitch, although she cannot feel it right now. "What about?" Nadya nods toward her ankle, making it obvious what she's referring to.

"Your ankle should be fine in a few weeks. For now, keep it resting, and I'll prescribe you ointment for the bruising," the doctor explains. "I'll take my leave now. Some people want to talk to you," he smiles at Nadya as he stands up and leaves.

Jun barges through the door, almost knocking it out of the frame. "I left you alone for one day," he starts and approaches Nadya's bed. She rolls her eyes at him. "And now you're in a hospital."

"I'm fine, really. You could talk a little quieter though," she mumbles. His voice is making her headache worse at the moment. He's loud. He'd fit right in with those eight.

"Well, I'm glad you're alive," he mutters.

"Come on. Don't go soft on me now," Nadya mumbles. Her comment sends him over the edge. He's on the verge of crying. Jun moves away to let Taraji, who was standing by the door, approach the girl.

She sits down on the chair beside Nadya and pulls a bag of cookies out of her bag. "I brought you these. Homemade hopefully will make you get better soon," she places the bag on the counter.

"Thank you, although I'm not hungry," the girl utters. Her throat hurts as well; she wouldn't be able to swallow a single piece.

"Nonsense. How are you feeling?"

How is she feeling? She simply shrugs and regrets that immediately. Her ribs must be bruised as well. "Been better," she answers.

Taraji nods. Chan is peeking over the door, not daring to come in. Nadya glances at him briefly. "Glad you're doing well," he says once their eyes meet.

Then Nadya notices some of the other guys as well. Jeongin is peeking over Chan's shoulder, and Felix's blonde hair can be seen in the back.

They start pushing forward, and Chan has to hold them back by force. He looks at Nadya apologetically. "I swear I can't take them anywhere."

"I can't believe it's evening already," mumbles Taraji. "I'm sad to leave you by yourself," she pats Nadya's head. Then she places a short peck on top of her head.

"Hyunjin is staying," Chan mumbles from the doorway. She didn't even know the guy was here; he hadn't shown his face like the rest of the guys.

"Well, that's great news," Tarji claps and rushes Jun out of the room. She looks back over her shoulder. "Alright, heal and be safe," she shouts.

Chan lets her through, inviting himself in for a second. "It's a shame you got hurt once again. I'm sorry for letting this happen," he tells Nadya. He does seem genuinely sad, unlike a certain princess.

Nadya neaches out to touch his hand. "It's not your fault. I should've been more careful," she tells him, but he doesn't seem relieved. He glances back.

"Hyunjin is staying for your safety. Don't bite each other's throats," he tells her and leaves with one last wave, letting the girl comprehend his words.

And there comes the devil. He enters the room and drags the chair to the side without even acknowledging her presence. She didn't expect much from him, but this was not it. He crosses his arms on his chest, and then their eyes meet for a brief second. There's nothing better Nadya can do, so all she does is observe.

He's pretty. Nadya accepted that fact ever since she saw him for the first time. But now in this dim lighting, with our only light source coming from the corridor, he looks different. He looks dangerous. Shadows illuminate his features; he looks sharp. Dang it, she in fact hit her head.

He clears his throat. "So how are you?"

That is really what he wants to talk to her about. "Besides the fact that I almost died?" Nadya questions but doesn't give him a chance to answer, "Fine."

"Glad to see your humor is still intact," he mumbles, barely audible. What did he expect? She's not going to start loving him just because she hit her head.

Nadya decides to ignore his comment and go straight to the point, "Why are you here?"

"To make sure no one kills you while you're defenseless?"

"No. I mean, why you?" Nadya points in his direction. It doesn't make sense why, out of all of the boys, she's stuck with him. Both curse and a blessing. At least she won't be pampered by him.

"Chan wants us to make up."

The girl scoffs at that. "Do you want that?" She questions after a brief pause.

"Do you?"

"I don't care," she mutters.

"I was thinking," he starts, but Nadya interrupts him.

"You know how to do that?"

"I swear to god I'm not always the problem in this relationship," he mumbles under his nose. It's quiet, so Nadya still hears him. "So as I was saying, I was thinking we should reveal everyone our identities," he states.

Nadya blinks a few times. Who hit whose head again? "Wouldn't that cause problems?"

"Well, the biggest problem right now is people getting hurt," he states. He doesn't look her in the eye, yet his posture reveals everything there is to know. Hes ashamed.

"I think you're the one that hit his head. What made you change your mind?" She laughs and regrets that as well. Goddamn ribs.

He hesitates, full of malice as always. "You." He forces out a single word.

It takes Nadya a minute to register. "Pardon?"

"I thought you'd die on me, and I don't want anyone else to die. Not because of my stupid choices," he utters. Now Nadya doesn't know how to react. She wants to gloat and tell him she was right all along, but then again, he looks missable.

She cannot see him properly in the dark, but she sees him slouching more than before. He's upset about what happened to her. Odd considering just a day or so, he didn't care a bit. He said all our lives are irrelevant compared to the task given to him. He was prepared to sacrifice all of them to catch the killer. She doesn't get him.

"And about that morning. I'm sorry, I just assumed the worst."

"You don't have to tell me all of this because you feel guilty. Did Chan force you? Do you even mean it?"

"I do mean it. I know that you think you are alone against the world, but it's not like that. Everyone from the circus was so concerned. I'm convinced even Chan and the other boys got overly attached to you. Everyone loves you," he tells Nadya, but she still finds it hard to believe. He had lied to her before.

Speaking about Chan. Chan is just a golden guy. He is like a labrador in the human body. He looks intimidating at first glance, but after a short talk, you realize he's a good person. The rest of the boys are like that too. They love the attention. That's why they loiter around her and her crew. She had already accepted them into the family. Nadya expected them to mourn her if she dies, but after that morning she doesn't know what to think.

She's at a loss for words. "Goodnight, you should rest too," she dismisses the idea of further discussions and pulls up her covers. She's sure she won't fall asleep any time soon, but she can't bring herself to talk to him. To be vulnerable in front of him. Been there, done that. Didn't end well.

"Goodnight."