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We have been taking care of them for less than twenty-four hours and they have almost died three times already. The most injured one almost bled out while I took a nap, the other almost choked on her own blood; we have to take turns watching over them. Bitna says they are more comfortable with me since I saved them and all.

I'm gonna try to ask them their names when they are a little better, or can at least talk.

No one has said anything about a missing person or about there being a murder in the alleyway by the grocery store; the only good news so far.

Bitna looked up how to make soup from scratch on Naver and has become a chef overnight. He even thinks that we'll have a shokugeki and that he could beat me. He's letting his chicken soup get to his head.

Byeongsu has been skipping school to watch over the girls while I buy them clothes, medicine, and bandages. We've been spending all our free time taking care of them; you could mistake us for good people if you hadn't known us before this happened.

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We've been taking care of them for about three days. They can eat on their own a bit now. They can even speak a couple words without coughing up blood. The first one I saved told me her name is Gwanghui. She wasn't badly injured so she will be able to walk in the next couple days. She said her friend's name is Sora. She tells us about anything except what happened in the alley or why it happened. But we don't push her about it.

Gwanghui talks in her sleep about it. She mumbles; names, places, something about a lion; even wakes up screaming and crying sometimes.

She is okay enough to watch over Sora when we leave the house, so we've been looking for the places she mumbles about, and we ask people on the street about the names. We mustered up a couple addresses that lead to office buildings and warehouses. And the lion part, we haven't found much about, but I heard from a club owner friend that there is a so-called gang with a lion crest as the logo., but we haven't gotten a name for it yet.

The days pass by so fast now that we have a kind of job that keeps us busy. Come to think of it, we haven't been drinking since we have to take care of them most of the time. Maybe saving these girls did us some good.

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The days that I hate the most occur three times a year; my father's, brother's, and my own birthday. Not for the reasons you would think. On those days, mom cries the whole time and yells at me like it's my fault that they are dead, even though I was only thirteen then. They died the same year. Hyung started drinking after father died, because they had a super close relationship, which me as the second son, never had a chance of having with my father. Then he got into gangs and drug dealing, following our father to the grave but two months later. Mom has been mourning for seven years now, and still blames me, the good son, who always was respectful to adults and was always on the honor roll. Since she wants to make me into such a bad person, might as well go along with it right?

Even though I am the last person she ever wants to see, she always asks me to come to the family home to celebrate their lives with her. Which really means her crying the whole time then being annoyed of my presence and kicking me out.

I rode up to the driveway of the house and was greeted by one of the housemaids.

"You know what's gonna happen. Don't worry about work today. Gather the other workers and go-ahead home; you'll still be paid for today." She thanked me then ran into the house, soon leaving with six other women following.

I grabbed the flowers I bought for mother out the passenger seat and head in the house expecting the worse. And the worse is definitely what I got; but not in the way I expected.

I walked into the dining room, greeted by my mother and a police officer. They were drinking fruit teas that I'm guessing the maids made before they left.

"Oh, hello honey. This is Office Lee. He wanted to ask you a couple questions about an incident that happened a couple days ago." Mom said with the fakest honey-sweet voice she uses when she tries to seem like she doesn't throw hissy fits, and is the best mother anyone can ask for.

"Hello, Officer Lee. How can I help you? What is it that happened?" I ignored her and shook his hand, ready to throw together a story, now that my lively hood depends on it.

"Yes, Mr. Jang, I've been informed about you being seen leaving the alleyway leading to Fresco Grocery Store a couple days ago, am I correct?" He looked straight into my eyes as if his whole career he has been dealing with liars to find that truth that he really doesn't want. Too bad, I've been lying as long as I've been able to speak, and I never lose when I'm challenged, especially by authority.

"Oh, yes sir. My friends were a bit... out of it, so I went to get them some headache meds. Did something happen that we should be worried about?" I made sure to raise my tone at the end, to sound like a genuinely worried citizen; really, I should be the one he's worried about. I don't know where Bit and Su buried the bodies, and sometimes they don't use the brains their mothers gave them, so let's pray they are 6 feet down somewhere deep in the woods.

"Nothing too serious, there has been some reported gunshots and blood seen along the walls. Not much is know at the moment, but I'll let you know if we hear anything. Stay aware of your surroundings at night, and don't drink too hard. Wouldn't want to end up like-" He stopped himself before he could mention my Hyung, smiled sympathetically, bowed and quickly left before he could start anything worse than what he just did. Here we go.

Mom waited till the front door closed before knocking the shiny clay teacups off the table, sending them crashing to the floor. I close my eyes and let out a sigh. Don't say anything, just let her get over herself. It'll be over soon.

"Ha. It's too late for that. You're a drunk just like them both. You're gonna die just like your Hyung. I'm not having a funeral for you either. I'll just get someone to bury you so you can rot in hell with the rest of 'em." She pushed past me into the living room and sat on the couch.

"I'll die before you so you can feel the pain I feel of having to see you all the time. I only wanted one kid, but you're father begged for two. Now I'm here watching after the child I didn't want." She turned around to look at me. "Does this seem fair to you, Boram? That you're alive and they aren't? You should've died in their places. Then I'd get to be happy for once." She sighed and went to her room, slamming the door behind her.

It wasn't so bad this time. It could've been worse. Smiling at my luck, I clean up the broken teacup pieces and leave the house, closing and locking the door behind me.

Time passed so fast. It's already 16:28. I'd better go home and check on everyone. Bitna and Byeongsu should be home, so maybe I'll just walk down Hongdae for a bit. It wouldn't hurt to have just one bottle of soju, right?

Wrong.