Dark Side of the Morning

Chapter One: Bright as Yellow

It was rather funny.

F4 used to mean fun, family, and friendship forever. Now it was a reminder how they were flung to the far corners of the world. All except Song Woo-Bin, that was.

He patrolled the streets of Seoul with regularity, his heart beating in time with his footsteps. Though his mother was long dead now, he could imagine her sweet, lilting voice piercing through the darkness: "What are you doing here at this hour? Are you trying to walk yourself into a coma?"

He smiled into the darkness.

"Song Woo Bin, are you listening to me?"

"Yes, Eomma..."

"Eomma?"

The choked gasp of surprise dragged him out of his thoughts. At least, he thought that's what they were. He focused his blurry gaze on Chu Ga-Eul and his blood ran cold. Her hair was braided, pinned to the crown of her head—different than he remembered. She looked like a bride in that long white coat, illuminated by the guttering street light overhead.

It wasn't until that moment he realized they were in the worst part of the seediest neighborhood in town. "What are you doing here, Chu Ga-Eul?" His tone was harsher than he'd ever used with her but it was only a taste of what he was truly capable of. She had no idea. In F4 he was the clown but he had always been the most dangerous by far.

She fixed him with a strange look. He'd never seen a woman gaze at him like this before...usually because they were fawning and falling all over him. It felt like she staring into his soul.

Woo Bin's eyes widened in surprise. He considered turning his back and brushing her off. It had always worked with women in the past...but he didn't actually want to turn away. He wanted to wrap her in his coat and usher her to safety. There were terrible people out here, conducting their business in the dead of night; they were men and women who wouldn't blink twice at hurting a beautiful flower like Chu Ga-Eul. They were the kind of people who worked for him.

Protectiveness flared up inside him until his stomach churned with it.

"Woo Bin!" Her breath hitched in her chest as she tugged him to her. Her fingers were freezing against his forehead; it was a welcome relief against the searing heat. "You're burning up." When she whipped her head around, strands of dark hair fell and framed her face. "Do you have a car?"

Woo Bin must've mumbled something because she began to tug him deeper into the alley. He realized after a few minutes that she actually lived here and it tore him up inside. "Ga Eul," he whispered.

She paused just long enough to look into his eyes. "Shh, save your strength. If you fall I won't be able to carry you." Gripping him tighter, she led him to a scrap of metal so rusted he didn't know at first that it was a vehicle. It smelled heavily of burning oil; the smell was strong enough to make him retch. If he'd had anything in his stomach it would've made a terrible mess.

One of her hands remained firmly on the wheel, the other rubbed gentle circles over his back as the car sputtered down empty streets. He had given her the address but he couldn't keep up with the turns. The soothing cadence of her voice eventually lulled him into a heavy sleep.

In his wretched state, Woo Bin didn't recall Chu Ga-Eul yelling into the intercom that she had Song Woo-Bin in her arms. He had no idea when that didn't work she'd jumped the fence, forcing his security to chase her to the gates so they could see for themselves that she was telling the truth. He couldn't fathom the paralyzing anger he'd feel when he woke up the next morning and found her lip split and bloodied.