.2. How Rational

How rational, huh?

Auggie had to admit it now. She wasn't the smartest cookie in town. Or maybe the world.

Imagine running away from home without any money or even a smartphone. Pretty much essential for surviving in this day and age. She hated to admit it but she sure as hell wouldn't survive without the help of her friends and family.

Propping up herself against the nearest lamp post, she clenched her hands. If her sense of time could be reliable, it had to be about an hour or so since she lost consciousness. Waking up right in front of her own vomit wasn't the most pleasant thing.

Auggie couldn't exactly say she was surprised at what she did. There were many a time when such situations arose and all those times, she had imagined doing something violent to her father. Something to bring him down to his knees like today. But to put those imaginations to effect, to lose control, was something she couldn't fathom.

Usually, she would have sucked it up, bore it the whole night, cussed her father out in her mind and then gone about her life the next day as if nothing happened. If she had, she wouldn't be facing the consequences of her actions.

Or be homeless to be specific.

When had she become such a drama queen anyway?

The trees rustled around her with the cold wind. The lamp overhead flickered dangerously.

Of all the places to choose from.

Before her, the carousel stood silent. The colours of the plastic horses had faded, most of them tattered at the loss of their paint. She couldn't have imagined how disappointed the children were when they closed up this place.

Auggie picked at her nails nervously. In the pitch darkness of the night, the reason she could see the carousel, or anything at all was because of the lamp that was on. Just this one lamp.

In what was supposed to be an abandoned park.

What if this place was a meet-up point for drug dealers or kidnappers? Worse yet, she shivered, she could die from a snake bite or face random paedophiles on the street.

Auggie scoffed, she had compromised her own safety and had run away like a coward instead of facing her problems.

The ground beneath Auggie was making her uncomfortable. The grimy pole she had been resting against was digging into her back. The urge to just get up and scope the park was strong. However, she had been sitting for so long, she doubted her legs would support her. Not to mention how weak and tired she felt with no food in her system. Was it even rational to check out a place that seemed to literally have crawled out of a horror movie?

That would totally be the move of a main character.

But then again, so was running away from home.

Heaving a sigh, Auggie dragged her palms across her face. The more she contemplated what to do, the more helpless she felt. She didn't know how long she had till the police found her.

Leaves crunched somewhere in front of her.

Auggie's heart leapt to her throat. Right now, seriously?!

Quickly slouching down, she relaxed her body and lolled her head to the side. She didn't know when she made the plan but for now, the only way she could avoid another confrontation was to pretend to be asleep.

Only, she had to sit under the lamp.

Counting to three, she willed her eyes to close. Which didn't turn out to be difficult considering how tired and puffy her eyes were.

For once, her overthinking mind was quiet as she waited. Her mind couldn't help but draw the comical comparison of her situation to that one children's story where a boy did the same so the big bad bear would pass.

With the newfound knowledge that her ears could, in fact, concentrate if they wanted to at the right place and at the right time, she counted the seconds. The closer they came, the harder she found it to keep her cool. Dread piled into her heart. Her fingertips had gone cold. Her ears strained less the closer the footsteps came. She could discern voices now. Two of them in fact. Auggie's brow twitched. Two men.

Two big bad bears.

Approaching closer and closer.

I am an insignificant rock. Please pass along. Please leave me alone.

The footsteps abruptly stopped a few steps away from her. Her breath paused and so did their conversation.

Well, fuck.

As the sound of clothes rustling filled the still air, Auggie felt one of the figures crouch down before her. She could feel his stare burning a hole through her head. "Why are you pretending to be asleep?"

She flinched, cracking open one eye and immediately meeting them with the other man who stood in the shadows, away from exposure. Her breath became laboured, quickly tilting her head straight, Auggie averted her gaze to the front only to be met with a black turtle-neck top hugging the man's masculine figure, black overcoat and well-fitted black dress pants. His long raven hair arced at his neck while his long bangs curved around his cheeks in delicate waves. His dark eyes shone with mischief.

But what caught her attention the most was the dark ink that twisted in intricate patterns along the length of his right hand, most hidden from her eyesight by the coat sleeve.

"Finished checking me out, kid?" He raises a brow, lips trying hard not to smile.

At that, she raised her eyes to meet his. Her gaze flitted to the piercing wedged between his raised brow.

Tattoos, black clothes, piercings.

Definitely a street thug.

And definitely, a tad bit too cocky.

"Just because you're good-looking doesn't mean everyone has to check you out." She scowled. "I was merely accessing you."

"Oho?" He giggles, amused. "Look at this Jin hyung, she's assessed us!"

Feeling slightly irked, Auggie glanced at the other man who still chose to remain mysterious. What kind of bullshit was he trying to pull?

"Since you probably know who we are by now," the tattooed hunk extends his hand towards her and beckons his fingers, "come on."

It's not like he would ask a random kid in the street to join them, then–

Was he asking for money?

"I don't have any money," Auggie mumbled, looking helplessly at them.

"What? I couldn't hear you." The man leans in closer, making her push her back against the pole.

She had a bad feeling about what was going to come. Suddenly feeling melancholic, Auggie gazed at the pitch-black sky. "I'm broke, dear Sir. I have no money."

dropped as of june 2023