Jungkook got back to the brothel, feeling as if he'd ran around the whole world.

He ran back into the wardrobe, slamming the door shut.

Soft laughter sung outside. "Got chased, Jungkook?"

The boy opened the wardrobe door, bemused. "Nearly got my head holed through. Ran away just in time."

"You should realise by now that it's dangerous to go outside."

Jia was smoothing out her bedsheets. "Why did you go out?"

Jungkook took out the bag of gold and tossed it on the bed, creasing the sheets. "Here."

The woman raised her eyebrows. "What's that?"

"Just open it, Jia," he pressed, flapping his hands for her to open the bag.

She obliged, stretching it out. Gold coins flowed out.

A shocked squeal escaped her. "Wh-what is that?"

"Take a wild guess," drawled the boy, putting his hands in his jacket pockets.

Jia kneeled down at the edge of the bed, looking at the money in pure horror. "Jungkook, I really can't-"

"Please, don't say that," he muttered, "I've already sold the gun."

"What?!" Jia looked up at Jungkook. "But you said it was your most prized possession!"

The boy only shrugged. "I...I couldn't stand seeing those men using you like a toy every night."

"Jungkook-"

"Jiiiiiiiaaaaaaa!"

"Quick!" Jia hissed, urging Jungkook to hop into the wardrobe.

The doors shut just in time as boa stomped into the room.

"Jia, I've been calling you for so long now!" Boa exclaimed. She was holding a brown whip, wrapped loosely in a circle.

"S-sorry Boa," Jia murmured, tightening her grip on her shawl.

"Honestly, girl, I'm-"

Boa stopped suddenly when her eyes caught sight of the gold on jia's bed.

They widened slightly, yet narrowed just as quickly when they glared at Jia.

Boa pointed at the gold. "Where did you get this from?"

"A...a client g-gave it t-to me-"

"Bullshit!"

Snap!

Jia's cry boomed across the room as boa's whip met her arm.

She stumbled to the floor. Boa raised her whip and struck again.

And again. And again.

"Hiding profits from me, are we?!" screeched the berserk mistress of the brothel, whipping the poor woman until the edge of the whip was red.

"Please, let me-"

"Silence!"

A fire blazed in Jungkook. A fire of burning wrath, desperate to burst out of him.

He ripped open the wardrobe, storming over to where Jia lay screaming.

Boa raised her whip to strike her, but instead of Jia's back, the whip coiled around Jungkook as he stepped in front of it.

The boy tugged harshly, making boa trip forward. Her face met the lush carpet with a hard thud.

Jungkook took the whip, the point trailing behind him. "How dare you whip Jia," he guttered.

Boa looked back at him, genuine fear stark on her face. She got up quickly, backing away.

"Get out, you bitch," Jungkook growled. "Get out before I whip you into a bloodier mess."

The woman hesitated. He was surprised, really, seeing she found the brothel more worthy than her life.

Jungkook raised the whip. "I said get out!"

This time, she ran out the room, and soon the brothel.

A moan of pain from Jia had Jungkook dropping everything.

He slid down to her. "Jia," he murmured softly.

Her back, to his horror, was a bloody mess. Her skin was nearly ripped right off, blood flowing slowly from the wounds.

"Wait, I'll get something to fix this," Jungkook assured her.

He ran over to the dressing table, pulling out the drawers to find anything of use.

He saw huge white strips of bandages and a healing tonic. He took them all out and filled up a bowl of water from the bathroom.

Jia was kneeled down, head hung low as she gripped what was the last of her shredded dress.

Her back was to him, as jungkook sat right behind her.

"Stay still, okay?" he said, and wet the bandages in the tonic. He then dabbed it on her back.

The first set of Jia's screams took the boy aback.

"I'm so sorry I'm so sorry," he rushed out, gently caressing the strips on her bloody skin.

"Don't," Jia rasped out. "Don't... say sorry."

The tonic was surprisingly helpful. It stopped the blood flow efficiently.

Jungkook set to work on the top of her back, underneath her neck and shoulders.

"Jia..." he whispered, "Was...this... regular?"

The woman did not speak. He was sure she wouldn't answer when she began.

"Yes."

The boy paused his healing.

"Boa was always in a bad temper. I'd get the most strikes though."

He was about to say something else when she continued.

"She wasn't the only one though." a pause. "No, there are many people who have done the same to me. Much worse, in fact."

Jungkook decided it was best that he kept his mouth shut and do his work. He knew that Jia had to let this all out.

"My...my father..." Jia gasped as Jungkook pressed a bit harder on the rougher skin.

"Sorry. Go on..."

"He...He never worked. Just wasted my mother's money she made in late nights. At ports where foreign men came looking for pleasure after a week or two at sea with none.

"She died quick, but my father did not. Expected me to do the same as her." another long pause. "And look at me now. Doing just that."

The blood clotted altogether on Jia's back. Jungkook started to clean up the blood.

"I...I couldn't bear to live with him any longer. So I ran away. Wherever I could go, I'd stay. This is the only place who offered.

"But I am still hated," Jia got out. "Still made fun of, still used like a dirty cloth."

Her voice cracked. "And I hate it, Jungkook. I fucking hate it."

The boy stopped. Slowly, he turned Jia around so she was facing him.

When she looked up at him, her face crumpled.

Seeing her like this made the boy want to cry himself. But he didn't do that.

No, he just held her face in his hands.

A tear slipped out of her eyes.

Jungkook leaned in and kissed it away, tasting the salt.

Another tear trailed down, and he kissed that too.

"Jungkook," Jia sniffled. "I...I'm so lonely. So lonely in this world."

One tear trailed down her lips.

The boy leaned in. "Then let's be lonely together."

With that, he pressed his lips onto hers.

-

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