Angel With a Shotgun- Pentagon Yang Hongseok

12

Maya

"Mrs. Han, I need to run to the pharmacy real quick. I need to grab some feminine products," I grab some money from my purse.
"Alright, be quick. We open in 20 minutes," she nods, motioning for me to be quick.
"I would give you one, Maya, but I don't have any today. Sorry," Eunki gives an apologetic look.
"No worries, but I'll be right back," I run out the door and down the street. "Excuse me!" I weave around people, trying to make my way to the corner and earning a few looks from others. I reach the corner, opening the door to the pharmacy and looking for the aisle with condoms and pads among other things. I grab a Plan B One-Step and made my way to the counter, setting it down.
"Are you okay?" The male cashier, who looked about as old as Hongseok, asked.
"Just trying to make sure I'm safe," I try to catch my breath.
"One-night stand?"
"Unintentionally. I was drunk."
"Understandable, but may I ask how old you are?" He looks at me, eyebrow raised in curiosity.
"23, turning 24 in July." He nods, ringing up the birth control and bagging it up.
"That'll be ₩24,000," he looks at me.
"I'm a little short, ₩20,000 is all I have right now," I sigh.
"You seem a little desperate, so I can cover the small bit of debt you've created," he chuckles, smiling at me.
I fake a scoff, "Ouch," then let out a chuckle.
"No, but in all seriousness, you're in a bad situation and I'm going to help you out," he moves his black-dyed bangs out of his eyes, giving me a better look at his face.
"Thank you so much. I'm Maya Ahktar, by the way," I hold out my hand.
"Kim Youngbin, nice to meet you," he shook my hand with a hearty smile.
"I got to get going, I have to get back to work."
"Where at?"
"Haneul Bakery."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Next please!"
Rush hour at the bakery had begun and more than 25 people were waiting in a line. Mrs. Han was working the register, while Eunki and I had been serving two customers at a time.
"Did you get everything taken care of earlier?" Eunri asked me.
"Yeah, I did, don't worry," I smile. I still need to take the pill.
"Good!" She gave a genuine smile, before turning and shouting for the next customer. I turn to the next person in line, giving a smile and nodding for them to give their order.
"One dasik and one yakgwa, please," the male smiles.
"You got it," I nod, grabbing them gently and placing them in a small bag.
"You know, you're really beautiful," he compliments.
"Thank you. I'm just trying to complete my job, though," I give a polite smile.
"The name is Seonghwa, but you can call me Oppa," he smirks.
"Oh, what year were you born?"
"1998?" He looks at me confused.
"Because I was born in 1996," I smile, dropping his dasik into the small brown bag for his treats. His face pales.
"I, um," he tries to compose himself.
"Dude, she obviously isn't comfortable with you, so stop. Pay for your desserts and leave. She doesn't need to be hassled," a voice booms through the small cafe. I pass the small brown bag with his pastries in them to Mrs. Han at the register.
"Go pay," I respond with a wide smirk. He silently walks away.
"Are you okay?" A familiar voice asks as I look up to find Youngbin again.
I shrug, "It's alright, I defended myself pretty well, I would say."
"Right before I stepped in and got him to go away," he lets out a hearty laugh.
"Okay, okay, I digress," I roll my eyes, turning up the corners of my lips. "What can I get you?"
"A slice of cheesecake, please."
"What kind?"
"Cookie monster," he beams, a small dimple resting in the corner of his cheek.
"Good choice, it's one of my favorites," I cut a slice, gently placing it in the container. "Here, pay with Mrs. Han at the register."
"Thanks, Maya," he nods with a smile.
"Damn, Maya. He's cute," Eunki mutters into my ear, eyeing Youngbin with a glint of something in her eye. I grin, looking down to conceal a blush on my cheeks.
"Maya, set me up, please!" Eunki whispers in my ear, eyeing Youngbin.

We had several people come in following our rush hour, but not enough to be swarmed in such a small space. Time and time again, I had given much of the same several items from the display to people.
"You know you ladies can take some of the leftover goods home, right? Share them with your friends, tell them about us," Mrs. Han chuckles towards us. "You girls can go home, there's only an hour left and I don't think that many people will be coming in much longer."
"Are you sure, ma'am? I can stay for a while," I look at her confused.
"Go home," she chuckles further, giving a slightly unsettled look.
"Okay then, I'll see you on Tuesday. Bye ladies!" I untie my apron and placing it onto the hook where I hang my purse.

"I'm back," I knock on the door to Hongseok's apartment.
"Come in," A monotone voice called out toward me, so I went in. "So what are we going to do?"
"I have a morning-after pill. I just need to take it," I sigh, grabbing the small box from my purse. Hongseok stands up, walking toward the kitchen, and grabs a water bottle from the fridge.
"Here, drink this," his voice scares me a little.
"Thanks," I mumble a little, removing the aluminum foil from the back of the pill. The minuscule, white pill sat in my hand. I stare at it, knowing that this pill could alter the way that I plan to live my life, be it successful or unsuccessful. "Screw it," I mutter to myself, downing the pill and some water.

"This evening, a bakery was shot upon. The older woman that owned it was caught in the crossfire between two rival groups and was, ultimately, killed. The woman, who is known as A currently, works and owns the Haneul Bakery." A news article blares onto the screen.
"Oh my god, Mrs. Han..." My breath becomes shaky with the beginning of a breakdown.

"The shots fired appear to be from the Neo Mafia, a well-known group in the Seoul area, and another group. Please be on the lookout in the coming days and weeks to find the members and formally charge them with the crimes committed today."