Colorblind [Jun Mafia ~ Soulmate Au]

Chapter 1

"Here, this came in this morning, directions are in the pack." A young man with a blonde undercut directed, handing the pack of fresh marijuana to a lanky middle-aged man. "The boss wants it done by Friday."

The forty-five year old man nodded, accepting the package. It was heavier than usual. He pushed the thought away as he began to turn out of the alleyway and go back to working the counter at the convenience store.

"Not so fast," the young dealer said in a threatening voice, seizing the other's arm roughly. "You still owe money, Junghee." He brought a combat dagger up to his neck. "I don't wanna have to bring you in," he taunted. "But The Boss likes his money, and you don't wanna make him wait."

"I don't have it with me, Hoshi," Junghee growled, struggling to keep the knife away from his neck.

"Why not? You knew we were meeting today, didn't you?" Hoshi asked, already knowing the answer. "You have twenty-four hours. I wouldn't push it." And with those last words, Hoshi walked away into the shadows of the alleyway.

Junghee let out a breath at the absence of the sharp metal pressed to his neck. Looking behind him, he checked if it was clear before he made his way to the main street. Dirty rain and sewage puddles lined the streets, and it reeked of rotting garbage. He wanted to get out of that alley as fast as he could, and not just because of the smell, but because snipers probably lined the alley and the streets that followed. He could always tell there were more when a drug deal was going on, and Soo Jung-Hee was never a strong man; he always ran from danger. From the beginning of his life, he was a coward, scum, and that was exactly what the Seoul Mafia was looking for. A drug dealer that they wouldn't care about losing, and who would be too cowardly to go to the cops.

They got him right after leaving his workplace and offered him money; the only thing he cared about. There were three rules. One, get your job done. Two, don't get caught. Three, send seventy-five percent of the profit back. He never followed the third however, and his choice to do so was catching up with him.

"Come, finish these tables!" An older woman yelled at the young girl with long hair that stood across the room. "Your shift isn't done yet!"

"Holee, can't you ever give me a break?" The girl asked. "It's only a few chairs."

"I don't pay you to stand around, Ara," she answered. The girl laughed lightly.

"You're right! You don't pay me at all." She laughed harder, when the women glared at her. "You know I'm kidding," and Holee did.

Holee was an older woman that owned a bar a few blocks from Ara's house. She had growing grey hair, and a bad back, although it didn't prevent her from working hard. She was looking for someone to do work that wasn't irresponsible with the bar when she came in for the morning. The bar usually stayed open late into the morning, and Ara, who she had decided to hire in her place, usually packed up and walked home to get a few hours of sleep before coming back for breakfast. Today was Sunday though and they closed at ten.

Ara was a twenty-two year old, that was trying her best to save up in order to go to college. She had gone for a couple years, majoring in coding, but it got too expensive. She never had money, and her father, Junghee, used up most of what she had. He took her money, insisting that he needed it more than her.

Junghee was home only late though; he usually was out trying to find a job or getting fired at his work for not doing anything. She only saw him in the early morning. She would ignore his complaints, as she threw her black hair with thin red streaks up into a ponytail, revealing her pale skin on her neck. Then she would run to work.

It's not that Junghee was abusive, because he wasn't. He was just lazy, and slept on the couch if he was home, never doing anything else. He was a deadbeat. He left clothes and food all over the house, and just didn't give a shit about his daughter that his wife had left with him when she died. The only thing that made her useful to him was money.

"Alright, go get some sleep, dear," Holee called out to the younger girl as she walked towards the door, and though Ara hated to leave her by herself, she needed the sleep. Holee was the closest thing to a mother she had ever since her own had died. Ara waved to the aging women before leaving the bar and walking out to a cloud of darkness, lit up by street lamps and car headlights. It was rather cold and seemed to be the perfect condition for rain. Luckily for Ara, it held off until she got home.

She balled up the sleeves of her jacket, trying her best to stay warm. She walked at a quick pace, narrowly avoiding the puddles. She just wanted to get home so she could sleep. Thinking of her warm bed, she picked her up speed and soon reached her house. The light was on, which meant Junghee was home, and Ara prepared herself for the possible crap she would get.

She walked through the door and saw him sitting on the couch, watching Tv. He looked up as soon as Ara was fully through the door, almost alarmed. It was like he was waiting for someone. She found it strange, but pushed the thought away as she walked towards her room. Junghee glanced back at the tv.

"You better be working harder at the bar, I got fired today," his eyes on the tv as he spoke. She rolled her eyes. She wasn't surprised one bit. She kept walking until she got to her room. "Why can't you be useful like your mother was." That was the last thing she heard before she shut the door behind her, took off her jacket and shoes, and threw them towards her closet. She pulled off her jeans, replacing them with a pair of shorts before collapsing on her bed and falling asleep. The thought of how much she disliked her life drifted away in her head as she fell asleep.