Desire ◆ | Yungi

Episode 2: Freedom Is Not Free ◆ Part 1

"Dude, Yunho, come check this out!"

The ravenette rolled his eyes from behind the store counter. "I'm kind of busy, Keeho."

Twenty-one-year-old Yunho glanced at the shopkeeper. He had his sword pressed against their neck nonchalantly while they cowered in fear. Ten minutes ago, a gang of bandits bombarded the small shop and threatened the shopkeeper's life while ransacking the place for valuables.

One of those bandits was Jeong Yunho. Not too interested in looking around, he volunteered to keep the shopkeeper at bay and kill them if necessary. That didn't seem to be the case today, for this victim was more docile than some others the bandits have dealt with. There have been occasions when he would have to take their lives.

Nothing he wasn't used to or particularly cared about.

Keeho and a female bandit named Kang Seulgi stuffed their pockets with trinkets they could sell while their leader, Yoo Pilsoo, emptied the cash register. Pilsoo's tongue poked out joyfully as he filled his bag with gold and silver coins.

"Put the sword down, Yunho. That pussy won't do anything. You always miss out on the fun because you forgo looking around. Maybe you'll find something cool," Pilsoo cackled.

Lazily scoping the store from where he stood, Yunho clicked his tongue. "Not likely."

The eldest smacked the empty cash register and met the ravenette's brown eyes. "We're about to head out. Are you sure?"

Yunho nodded. He never found plundering all that enticing. When he participated in the past, he could never find anything he liked. Giving up on it, he settled for doing damage control and security. Every once in a while, he might come across something interesting.

He and Pilsoo hijacked a cargo cart rolling down the street three weeks ago. The other junk didn't catch his eye, but there were donuts being shipped from a bakery. The two men lied to the others and ate them all before rejoining the group. They must've been pretty damn good since Yunho practically inhaled half of them. Despite the elder's lighthearted insistence, Yunho refused to share his feelings on the matter.

Besides that, Yunho had nothing he kept for himself. The few things he might've kept ended up getting pawned or eaten. All he's ever held onto was a Rubik's cube. At this point, he's solved it fifty times. He'll most likely hit the fifty-first once they head back to their hideout.

Pilsoo's bandits lived in an abandoned building in the middle of Seoul. The gang had operated smoothly for a long time, keeping quiet most of the night and scoping out potential goldmines during the day. Their money came from robberies and pawnshops. Food made its way to their table through pilfering and threats to restaurant owners.

The four of them sauntered into the dank building after expertly dodging the eyes of soldiers along the streets. Several other members were scattered around taking care of tasks or lazing about. A woman with dark hair lit up the moment she saw the subunit.

"You're back," Baek Eunji cheered.

Pilsoo caressed her hair with a warm smile. "Of course. That was nothing compared to other operations."

Eunji said, "Seungwan and Jiung haven't returned yet."

"They'll be here shortly, I'm sure," Keeho whistled.

He took Yunho's arm and dragged him away to a back corner. Yunho didn't miss the look Pilsoo's girlfriend sent him as he passed by. Sighing, he chose to ignore it. Setting up dusty chairs, he watched Keeho go through his haul from today.

Knitting his brows together, Yunho pointed out a small toy. "Why did you pick that one?"

"Are you judging me? You cuddle that color block of yours to sleep," the younger said.