PANDORA'S BOX
10:34 PM, MONDAY
TWO YEARS AFTER。

"Yah, what are we doing at a place like this? Are you sure there are even bars here?" A girl questioned her friend as they walked down a street barely filled with any people. They weren't in the busy streets of Yongsan-gu where you would mostly find famous bars, instead, they were in a street that seemed like there weren't any residences at all.

"Trust me on this one Rina! A friend of mine told me they serve good drinks at this bar."

Rina scoffed, "Doesn't even look like there's a bar anywhere."

"Here!" Rina's friend, Gyuri, exclaimed as she pointed at a place.

"It's a bit underground, see?" Gyuri pointed out as she walked down the slope to the entrance.

"Pandora's Box?" Rina slowly read the signage on the front door.

"Kinda good name for a kinda hidden bar." Rina hummed as she pushed the door open, they were met with a little porch that extends to the actual sliding glass door of the bar.

They looked at each other before grinning and sliding the door open, welcoming theirselves to a whole new world hidden in the quiet streets of Yongsan-gu, Mad City.

"Oh shit, this bar is so old school, it's so retro! I'm digging it." Rina marveled at the interior design as a tall man approached them with a  proud smile.

"Welcome to Pandora's Box!" He guides them as they chose to sit by the bar area.

"Are you the head bartender here?" Gyuri questions.

The man chuckles, "Nope."

"Oh? Is that so? Then who is?" Rina raised a brow at the man as he smirked.

He looked towards the employee's room as a woman walks out in a red bartenders uniform. Her nameplate shined as she smiled at her costumers. Next thing they knew, she was standing behind the counter, in front of them.

Their mouths hanged open as they stared at her. "Wah, never thought a girl like her would run a bar."

"I heard that's the famous head bartender."

"I heard her family's really wealthy, but why would she work in a bar?"

"She has a lot of tattoos though."

"Wah, the famous lady in red!"

"Yah, Reginald Young, stop listening to their comments." The head bartender utters as she elbowed her co-worker.

The poor guy yelped as he clutched onto his side, "Y-Yah! I told you, R-E-I-J-I! Reiji! Call me Reiji!"

She chuckled, "Fine then, Reiji." She mocked making Reiji send a glare at her.

"Famous lady in red, what do you think?" Reiji smirked as he passed a glass towards her.

"What's this?" She raises a brow.

"A new drink I made." Reiji informs.

"Background to this?"

"For costumers who are in love." Reiji stated simply, "With the bittersweet taste to it, doesn't it symbolize love itself? Sweet love yet could even be bitter."

She scoffs, "Who are you to talk about love?"

Reiji got flustered, "I have a girlfriend!" He argues.

She lifts up the glass, studying the vibrant colored drink, "Got a name for it?"

"La La Love."

"Oooh, you're getting better at naming." She grins.

The feeling of excitement rushes through him as his eyes brightened up, she rarely compliments anyone unless it's really necessary, "Really?"

"No." His face instantly dropped and all he could do was to deadpan at her as she laughed at him.

"You're gonna get better, that's why I chose you as a bartender for a reason."

"I'm gonna learn from the best, aren't I?" He hummed, "Learning from the lady in red kinda sounds nice."

She scowled, "I'm not the lady in red."

He nods, "Right, that's too boring."

"Ah! I know!"

"What?"

"You're not just a basic lady in red." Reiji shakes his head in disapproval before smirking, about to speak up,

"You're the cherry on top."

His sentence sent shivers down her spine, that's when she realized, that wasn't Reiji's voice.

She looked to her right, eyes widening upon the sight of a very familiar someone.

"T-Taeyong?" She coughed out, quite surprised.

It had been two years. Two years since she had last seen them.

What exactly happened. . . ?

As darkness covered Keiko's sight, Yangyang let out a relieved sigh. Pressing his forefinger to his intercom, "Keiko's drugged- where am I going to take her again?"

"Back to the Yun Residences. We'll send you to the location."

"Are you sure she's not going to wake up at the private jet?" Yangyang murmured, not knowing how long would the drug affect her.

"Taeil said so. She won't wake up until...well...I don't know. Just take her there."

"And after?" Yangyang hoped to hear that there was an after, but what Sicheng said left his heart broken into pieces.

"Yangyang we're done, remember? It's the end...there is no after."

And that brings us today. Reiji gaped at Taeyong in horror, cupping his mouth as he looked around before whispering towards the male, "I thought you were dead..."

Taeyong chuckled, shaking his head, "Nope. I'm good."

"How- how...where- I don't even know. You guys practically disappeared for what? Two years?" Keiko stumbled upon her words, blabbering out her thoughts nonstop.

"We were in hiding...and we knew- well, Jisung knew that you need to be away from us."

She sure needed that, however, during the past two years was quite lonely. Albeit, Daniel and Reiji kept her company for most of the time, she and Hansuke have been starting to get along so well, from time to time she would even call her grandparents. But the atmosphere was just...different.

As if there was a void inside of her heart that was left empty.

Those years, she could tell how much she had grown comfortable with them. Though there were a few moments that she hated- times when they weren't acting like their usual selves, but nonetheless, they made her feel at home.

They made her apart of the family.

"What are you doing now?" Reiji questioned Taeyong, glancing at Keiko from time to time, seeing how silent she had become the moment Taeyong had appeared right in front of their faces.

Taeyong shrugged, cheekily answering, "Well, I'm the boss to the world."

Keiko snorted, rolling her eyes, "Yeah right."

Taeyong smiled, glad that he had earned a slight reaction from the girl. "Anyways! I came here with—"

"Oh please don't tell me it's that guy Johnny." Reiji deadpanned, crossing his arms as he groaned.

"What? Why?" The male across them raised a brow.

"He kept quoting like all the time!" Reiji shook his head, recalling the time Johnny and Kun dragged him and Daniel out of the place, taking them to a van.

Johnny kept rambling on and on such as how their mafia time has ended. "Don't you two think it's funny?"

"What's funny?" Daniel squinted his eyes at the tall male.

"Funny, that I have all the money to make me happy, but then again, money can't buy happiness."

Daniel scrunched his nose, "Nah, money can buy happiness. But only temporarily. It can't buy happy moments though as those only come from spending time with the people you love."

Reiji shook his head, pushing away the thoughts that had resurfaced in his mind. "So- anyway," he cleared his throat, "who are you with?"

Taeyong glanced at Keiko for a quick second before fishing out his phone to call someone. "I have something to do, I'll be back!"

Keiko sighed, watching the male walk out of the bar. When he was gone, she shot a look towards Reiji, "Do you think...do you think he's alive?"

"Who? Your boyfriend?"

Keiko punched his arm, "He's not my boyfriend."

"Not yet." Reiji teased.

"We don't even know if he's alive. He got fucking shot! What if- what if...what if—"

"Jeez, so many what if's, how about you just whip me up a Cherry Bomb?"

The head bartender stiffened upon hearing the voice. Afraid of turning around, she looked at Reiji who only smiled at her. Jabbing his thumb towards the employee's room, "I think I have some stuff to do as well."

Keiko deadpanned, still frozen in her spot, not daring to look behind her.

Don't look back.

"Yah, are you gonna serve me a drink or Nah?"

"Depends." Keiko murmured, "Why do you want a Cherry Bomb."

"Because it's your specialty."

"And so?"

"Brat, are you seriously gonna ask me that?"

Keiko spun around, seeing the one and only mask of the mafi—no scratch that—seeing no other than Xiao Dejun, patiently waiting for her to mix him up a drink. With a smile ghosting his lips, he rests his chin on the palm of his hand, "Well?"

Keiko rolled her eyes, flicking his forehead making him recoil and scowl. "Ow!"

"I thought you were dead..."

"You thought all of us were, didn't you?"

Keiko scoffed, "Don't you know how scared I was? You literally got shot right in front of me!"

"Does it matter?" Xiaojun arched an eyebrow, watching her as she skillfully made him a drink.

Gnawing on her bottom lip, it took her a few seconds before replying. "Of course it matters."

Xiaojun felt his heart flutter, she cares. Keeping a calm sangfroid, he smirked, "Wow, never thought the Keiko would care for a mafioso."

Keiko sniggered, gently placing down the cocktail glass before sliding it across the bar counter. Giving him a smile, "Well, for starters, you're not in the mafia anymore."

"Oh- you're right." Xiaojun chuckled, "I forgot."

"Then maybe we could start over?" He peered up at her hopefully, his eyes shining as he waited for her reply.

"Start over?" She tilts her head, acting oblivious for a split second.

Xiaojun playfully rolled his eyes, "Don't play with me and my feelings, Cherrie."

"Mister, it's Cerise to you. I don't even know you." She retorted, pointing at her name pin.

"Oh, we're starting now huh? Well, I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Xiaojun, I swear I'm not in a mafia so please don't kick me out." He said sarcastically making Keiko burst out a laugh. A smile crept up his face, just her laughing felt like everything was okay now.

"And what do you do if you're not an undercover for a mafia clan, hmm?" Keiko raised a brow, leaning towards the male.

Xiaojun shrugged plainly as he stated nonchalantly,
"I could be your boyfriend."

Keiko's eyes widened a bit before grinning, "Well, that's fast."

"I could be, but I want to do it properly." Xiaojun shook his head, stretching out his arm and instinctively Keiko placed hers on his. "I'll show you how much I really like you and how much I want you. Not through games- not through a gamble. Because you are not an object...you are someone special- you are the girl that I like."

"Will you go on a date with me?"

"Is this not an undercover?"

"Keiko!" A whine left his lips.

"I'm sorry!" She chuckles, "Okay, okay, of course, I will."

Eyes brightening, his heart thumping fast as emotions just exploded inside of him making him feel ecstatic. "Can I hug you?"

"Ew, why hug her?" A voice interrupted, they shot their head to one of the tables, seeing Yangyang and Ten who flinched when they were noticed.

"Crap! They saw us! Hide!" Yangyang whisper yelled to Ten, grabbing the vase that settled at the center of the table to cover his face.

Xiaojun shot them a glare while Keiko only facepalmed at them

Cheeks dusting a shade of red, "I- I don't know. It's too fast for a kiss- but...I uhh- can I?" He gazed at Keiko who hummed slowly.

When she took more than seconds to reply, he nearly panicked, "I mean we don't have to! It's just- I—"

The male was cut off as Keiko pressed her lips against Xiaojun's. A wave of shock hit him until he soon relaxed, melting sweetly into the kiss before pulling away.

Scrunching his nose, he instantly looked away from her, "Yeah...I'll take that as a yes."

"Do you want another?"

Xiaojun coughed, "Another!? Another what-"

Keiko pointed at his glass that was now empty. Embarrassed, he laughed awkwardly, "Yeah...I'd like another Cherry Bomb."

—

the end!

wow- feel free to ask me questions!

I just want to thank y'all for supporting me and this book, it has been another long ass ride 😔 it was fun while it lasted!

do check out my others books if you're interested :)) it's been awhile since i wrote a mafia au and like seriously- i felt all over the place to the point i was doubting the book for how messy it was hddkdjsj

did y'all know that haechan was supposed to sacrifice himself for keiko? yep- that was supposed to happen. i also thought of keiko dying... i really took a long time thinking on how it would end but i chose this kind of ending instead

an ending where keiko is finally free from the mafia, and the boys have freed themselves from the darkness that took over them

now that this is over, ig you'll finally see more of my drafts soon :))
just a heads up, my drafts are mainly mystery/adventures, royalty and school aus? idk they are fun to write for me

so i guess i'll see you guys in another story :))

- love, jibin ♡