That's all that was on the news lately: deaths. Every time it was because of businesses making the wrong deals with the wrong people, and mafias added gasoline to the fire by taking these deals to another level.

"Turn that shit off, Miyoung", I told my best friend laying at the opposite side of the couch than me.

"I'm sick of it, too, Hyuna", Miyoung told me a she lazily reached for the TV remote on the coffee table in front of us

"We're all sick of it", I forced myself to sit up, "But that doesn't mean the chaos is gonna stop any time soon"

Miyoung just sighed and studied my face.

"You're thinking of mom", she and I locked eyes, "Aren't you?"

Her words hit my heart like a bullet.

She was right, though.

I was thinking about my mom.

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

"Stay in there", our house maid ordered Miyoung and I after she told us to hide in a linen closet without telling us why were hiding in the first place.

"Why?", Miyoung asked.

"Just-", our house maid bit her lip, "Just stay in there like I told you to"

She offered us one last friendly smile and slowly shut the door.

A few minutes went by, and Miyoung and I were too curious to sit in the closet any longer.

We crawled on our hands and knees to the stairway where we were able to look through the poles and spot shadows on the large foyer's marble floor. I spotted the shadow of my mother and what looked like two other muscular men.

"Where's the girl?", a man asked harshly, "Where's Hyuna?"

Miyoung and I looked at each other with wide eyes. I remembered being completely confused on why they were mentioning me.

"I don't know!", my mom shouted at them.

"And you expect us to believe that?", the other man laughed. I saw his shadow walk closer to my mother and shove her in the shoulder.

I was so angry. Who do these people think they were pushing my mom around like that? I went to stand up, but Miyoung's tiny hand pulled me back down.

"Fine!", my mother yelled, "Use your eyes! Can't you see Hyuna's father isn't here, you idiots?! They're out somewhere"

"At this hour?", he scoffed, "Sang must be out doing more of those experiments on her"

Miyoung and I glanced at each other.

Experiments? What were they even talking about?

"Shut up", my mom's voice sounded a bit shaky, and I could see her clenching her fists in her shadow, "You know that night was a mistake. Don't make my husband look like some kind of mad scientist"

"Oh, but that's just what he is", a man snickered. The two of them both walked even closer to my mother.

I looked at Miyoung. I had a really bad feeling about everything. I tapped Miyoung on the arm.

"Stay here", I whispered to her.

She was too scared, "No, I'm coming", her pig-tails waved around as she tilted her head to one side, " Where are you going?".

"Dad's room"

"Why?"

"Are you coming or staying?", I stood up and looked at her.

All she did was nod, and she followed me to my dad's bedroom.

"Stay by that door and tell me if they say anything nutty", I said.

I walked over to my father's dresser. My miniature hands rummaged through his clothes, not caring about what kind of a mess I made.

This seemed like a life or death situation, so I could care less if my dad's nicely ironed shirts got destroyed.

"Found it.", I said, lifting up the object out of the drawer.

"What is it?", Miyoung asked.

I showed Miyoung what I was holding. She cupped her hand over her mouth, "A pistol? Hyuna why?"

"That's my mother.", I said seriously, "She's not going to live if we don't try"

"You do realize how young we are, right?", she whispered.

"So?", I walked past Miyoung, "We can make excuses for situations like this"

I found myself at the railing again, keeping my eyes fixed on the strangers' shadows.

"Last chance, Mrs. Bu:", the stranger said with a low tone in his voice, "Where. Is. Hyuna?"

"I said", she glared, "With. Her. Father."

"That's it! You liar!", a man pulled out his gun and my mom screamed.

Boom!

Gunshots.

Not the men's gunshots, but mine.

Everything was quiet all of a sudden. I dared myself to see if the men were still alive.

When I got to the bottom of the staircase, I saw their two bodies laying on the marble floor.

"Well", Miyoung said quietly as she walked up behind me, "They're out cold"

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Oh my gosh!", I cupped my hand over my mouth after I noticed my mom in the corner of the living room.

I ran over to her in a split second, checking to see if she was alright.

~~~~~~~~~

"Mom, don't leave", I cried as I knelt next to my mom.

We were called to her room earlier that morning to say "goodbye".

I still didn't understand why we had to do this. My mom only had a bullet wound in her arm; she was tough, and I would have never thought she'd let that kind of injury get the most of her.

But I guess she wasn't tough enough.

"I love you", my mom forced a smile when she looked at me, "And I'm proud of who you've become"

The room went quiet.

My mom closed her eyes.

May fourth, 2:21 PM.

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

"You good?", Miyoung put her hand on my shoulder and studied my face.

Stupid mafias. Damn them all.

"Look", she continued after seeing that I wasn't in the mood to talk, "The past is past...Even though your mom's gone, there's nothing we can do about it right now"

"Yeah, well", I brushed her hand off my shoulder, "I miss her, anyway"

"I do, too"

After a couple minutes, we heard the door swing open. I stood up, ready to fight.

"Did you two hear?", I saw my dad walk in. I sat back down.

"Hear what?", Miyoung asked.

"The news. Eighteen-"

"-More people dead?, I interrupted, "Yeah, we heard"

"This is getting too dangerous.", my dad bit his lip and stared at the ground, "They're after something."

"Like what?", I crossed my arms.

"I don't know yet.", he snapped out of his thoughts and shifted his eyes towards me, "But I need to keep you two safe"

"We can handle ourselves", I rolled my eyes.

"I know that. I know it well. But I'm hiring someone to keep an eye one you anyway"

"Hiring someone"?

Was he out of his mind?!

"Are you joking?", I irritably ran my hands through my hair, "We were told not to trust anyone, and then all of a sudden you're gonna let some stranger into our house?"

"This person isn't a stranger", my dad replied calmly, "You've known him since we were little"

" 'We'?", I asked, trying not to lose my temper, "I didn't know anyone but Miyoung!"

"Ok, well I knew him", my dad corrected himself, "I watched him grow"

"I don't trust-"

"You're going to listen to me, daughter", my dad gave me the cold stare.

I wasn't scared of a single person in this world, but I did respect my father. After all, he was the one who gave me that kind of bravery. I could have kept protesting, but I didn't want to stress him out.

"Sorry, I just-"

"I know this isn't something you're used to", he cut my sentence off, "Just hear me out"

I put my hand up, "I get it."

He nodded with a grin. "Good."

He left the room. I clutched the necklace my mom had given me on her deathbed.

"Who do you think it is?", Miyoung asked, walking up next to me.

"No idea. But we're not trusting him."

"Oh, of course", she smiled.