Snow Hunter Stories

“And it appears as though our very own Bonnie and Clyde have made another reappearance after only a week in between robberies this time. Is there a reason that they seem to be breaking their usual pattern? Are they becoming more reckless? Unfortunately, these are questions we don’t have the answers to. What we do know, however, is that their latest hit has been the Busan Bank, owned by BNK Financial Group. Exactly how much money was stolen is still yet to be determined. There have been no reported casualties, and the investigation is still currently underway.

“The details, as the situation stands now, are as follows: At approximately 9:30 a.m. this morning, police received a phone call from the bank of a frantic woman claiming that there were two masked assailants attempting a robbery. It was later pieced together from various eyewitness accounts and evidence left behind that it was indeed the infamous duo that were responsible for the theft. Apparently, the man had a gun, and he kept the hostages in place while his partner collected the money. They managed to accomplish their work quickly and escaped just ten minutes before the cops arrived on the scene. The survivors of the experience, which included the three clerks on duty, two security guards that had been knocked unconscious, and roughly thirteen civilians, were shaken when they gave their statements.

“They described the two to both be wearing all black, with masks, hats, and thick sunglasses to hide their faces. According to various testimonies, their attitude was not that of your typical robbers. Instead, the pair seemed relaxed and were even laughing with each other as they raided the safe, acting almost as if it were a game. Chilling. They called each other pet names like ‘Sweetheart’ and ‘Speedy’ and seemed to be very affectionate with one another. All of this fits the description of the dangerous duo nicknamed by the authorities as B and C, a case name derived from the infamous American team of lovers turned robbers, Bonnie and Clyde.

“The police suspect a criminal by the name of Kim Jongdae to be our Mr. Clyde. This is a picture of him taken a couple of years ago, as well as a photo of him from a month ago with his partner taken secretly by a waiter at a café. He has a nasty record of large-scale theft leading back all the way back to a little over two years ago, with four instances of petty theft before that, and a charge for illegal street racing two and half years ago. He’s been apprehended several times, but never officially charged for his crimes- it’s a mystery how he’s managed to get away so many times, eluding justice and the authorities. Officer Park Jiho has been heading the manhunt for him since the moment his life of crime began, and he has now taken the lead on our mysterious Bonnie’s case as well.

“Based on the limited photos of the two captured together in public before their hasty getaways, the female half of couple has been identified as Kang Yuri, a girl that was reported missing by her worried roommate three months ago- roughly around the same time that the feminine criminal first appeared. From what data the police have been able to gather on her, it seems as though there’s not much motive for her sudden switch to the dark side. She has no past criminal record and was a senior scheduled to graduate college this next spring. What could have gone wrong in this poor girl’s life? Was it really love that led her astray, as so many people seem to be suggesting?

“According to our witnesses, the pair was last seen headed due north in their signature blue car you see on your television screens here. If you have any information at all regarding the case or their current whereabouts, please contact police immediately. Do not engage, as it is believed that they are armed and dangerous. Back to you at the studio, Lee.”

“That sounds just horrible, Minji. Hopefully, they’ll be caught soon. In other news…”

*****

“Let’s go to Jeju!” Yuri laughs, laying in the backseat of their car- yes, their car; oddly enough, even Jongdae had started referring to it as that despite the fact that it was his precious baby long before she came along. Jongdae was sitting in the trunk, counting all of the money they had procured just the other day, talking to her through the open side doors. They had skipped town, driving for a whole day straight in order to put some distance between them and the coppers that were sure to be not far behind on their trail. Currently, they were holed up in the nearly empty parking lot of a storage facility that they were pretty sure was no longer in use. “I’ve never been to Jeju before,” she mused with the remnants of a minuscule smile on her face.

“As nice as a vacation sounds, what would we do with the car?” Jongdae asks back, voice accompanied by the sound of crinkling paper. “There’s no way I’m just leaving it behind to rust in some garage or get commandeered by the police.”

“Hmm, I forgot about that,” Yuri admits, giving up on the impulsive idea. To be honest, she didn’t need to do something as big as traveling to Jeju Island in order to have fun or feel alive- being on the run with Jongdae was more than enough excitement already. She had never been happier than she had been with him in these past three months. She was content.

At first, she was more terrified than thrilled when they started breaking the law together. Panic attacks during quick getaways were a common occurrence, and the first few times after the deed was done, she sat staring at a wall, not really comprehending what had just taken place. The first time she had seen Jongdae pull a gun on someone, even though she knew it was fake -or at least, not loaded-, she had nearly had a heart attack, and that wasn’t an exaggeration. It was just one of those things that seemed so cool and edgy in movies, but made you completely freeze in real life. Despite the fact that it wasn’t pointed at her and she was aware it couldn’t harm anyone, there was just something about seeing a pistol pressed to someone’s forehead that made her blood run cold and time seem to stop. It was a sight she had never expected to see, because who does expect to be put into that type of situation? Nobody really.

To be honest, she still wasn’t completely used to the idea, nor was she very comfortable with it. It was one thing to think the ever impossibly attractive Lee Jongsuk with a smoking gun in his hand from W was her aesthetic, and another entirely to see Kim Jongdae, who she had to admit was extremely attractive in his own right, laughing as he shook the weapon at cowering store clerks and bank tellers. It was unsettling to say the least. It was true what they said though- that humans are impressively adaptable beings that can get used to practically anything. Eventually, even if it still wasn’t exactly her cup of tea, she got used to the guns and faint undercurrents of violence that buzzed beneath their extracurricular activities, just as she had gotten used to breaking and entering, to robbery and a life on the run, to driving dangerously above the speed limit, to sleeping in the cramped backseat of the car and late-night talks with Jongdae. It was like nothing she had every experienced before. Exciting. Free.

The past three months had passed by like an epic dream that, if she thought about it too deeply, she was frightened she’d one day wake up from. She was scared that they’d get caught, that her condition would worsen; she was scared of a lot of things that she didn’t dare to say out loud. Ironically enough, it was when they were actually pulling jobs that she wasn’t afraid, too caught up in the moment and the high it took hours for her to come down from. This was something that she instinctively knew Jongdae understood too, even though they had never spoken about it to each other. There were a lot of aspects to their relationship that were like that: silent, implied, yet naturally reassuring and warm even if the words or thoughts themselves weren’t given life.

Jongdae was a warm person; that was the only way that Yuri knew how to describe him. It wasn’t that he was particularly kind or angelic or anything like that- he stole for a living, enjoyed trouble and danger so much she sometimes worried he had a death wish, and he loved messing with people until they got so pissed off they exploded. Not to mention the fact that she had quickly learned he was a bit of a pervert too- okay, maybe more than just a “bit”, but sometimes she liked the attention, as awkward as it had made her feel in the beginning. In short, it was arguable whether or not he was a good person, but being good and being warm are two completely different things, despite the fact that people often equate them with one another when it comes to describing someone’s personality.

He was warm in the sense that his smiles felt like sunlight. He was warm in the sense that his laugh chased away the threat of her fears and his touch sparked a certain heat to spread across her skin. He was warm in the sense that his chocolate brown eyes shined so brightly they took away the monotone greys her world had been filled with and replaced them with vibrantly blinding colors. He was warm in the sense that she felt an easy comfort when she was around him that she had only ever felt with Chi-Hye before, but that was after years and years of companionship, not just a couple of months. He was so warm that, even when they were clearly placed in a precarious position, she felt safe when she was with him. He had managed to chase away the chilling cold of the loneliness, the lifelessness she had thought she was destined for before they met. Because of him, she could say she was happy, truly happy, for the first time since she was a young child.

Jongdae was like the sun to her, and she was the moon, desperately trying to steal his light and warmth for herself. Perhaps it was the way she was used to living due to the circumstances of her upbringing, but she realized she was incapable of being independent. Her parents had kept her extremely sheltered, and then after that, she had relied on Chi-Hye as a roommate. Now, she was latched onto Jongdae like a leech, clutching him tightly as though he were a lifeline; in a way, he was her only chance to actual live. It was one of those realizations about yourself that you never wanted to make, the kind that left you feeling hollow and ashamed, that made you want to change but hurt because you knew you couldn’t. Thankfully though, Jongdae didn’t seem to mind.

“Not all relationships are toxic.” Jongdae had shrugged off her concerns when she had broken down and admitted her thoughts in the middle of the night around a month ago. He had sat up in the bed they were sharing -they were low on funds at that moment and could only afford a one bed room, especially with the couple’s discount the motel was offering at the time- and stared down at her with an unreadable expression. The only thing she was able to discern from his face in the dark shadows of the room that smudged his visage was the soft glint in his bright eyes. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing to depend on other people,” he told her, voice so soft and gentle it was a mere whisper almost lost in the rustling of sheets as he moved to look at her. “Besides, I’m using you too,” he confessed, “so let’s settle on labeling this as symbiosis and move on, okay? Stuff like that isn’t important anyway.”

But it was important; it was important to her. Or at least, it had been a month ago when she brought it up. However, Jongdae had way of somehow making all of her worries disappear, of making things like that truly seem to pale in comparison of importance to other things. What became important was a list of trivial items and moments that everyone seemed to take for granted in their daily lives. Stuff like blasting the radio as loud as it can go and singing off key with the windows rolled down as they sped down the highway at night. Stuff like ordered in dinners and badly told jokes and a good adrenaline rush. Stuff like little pet names, affectionate nicknames like ‘Dae’ and ‘Speedy’, like ‘Sweetheart’, and ‘Yu’, and sometimes, rarely, ‘Ri’. It was indulgent escapism at its finest, but neither of them cared.

“So, what now?” she asks curiously, shaking off all the other thoughts clouding her mind. The previous excitement from the job was starting to wear off, but that didn’t mean they still couldn’t have fun or that she was unhappy.

“Hmm,” Jongdae hums before abruptly throwing the bills down on the floor of the trunk and climbing over the headrests of the backseat to join her. She immediately sits up and scoots over to make room for him, awaiting his answer expectantly. He grins the same boyish grin at her he always does, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Well, we have money now. Why don’t we go spend it?”

“On what?” Something in his gaze tells her that she’s going to regret asking, as she always does. He was full of surprises, and she never knew what to expect from him when he smiled at her like that.

His answer leaves her giddy with anticipation and she can’t help but let out another laugh- something she’s been doing a lot more ever since she ran away with him.

“Everything,” he breathes.

And so, they went out to buy, wreck, and do everything. Together.

*****

Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out.

Every time they did a job, she’d have to take a minute to collect herself and calm her rapidly racing heart. Even if she had grown used to the same pattern they always followed when they decided to rob a joint blind, her body always reacted the same way. She would be in anxious jitters, fragile heart beating so strongly it sometimes gave her pain and she’d have to take a few extra painkillers in advance, as well as later, and senses hyperaware with the aid of her adrenaline rush. During the actual robberies, she could only describe the sensations present as a strange sort of out of body experience where she felt everything intensely, but also felt numb to it all. After they had successfully gotten away, she usually was trapped in a state of stunned disbelief. Beforehand though, she always needed to focus on steadying her breathing and not allowing her heart to give out- literally.

“Are you ready?” Jongdae’s soft voice whispered from beside her, anchoring her back in the present, to reality. His words, the exact same every time before they conducted a heist, brought her immense comfort, the routine of them soothing in the way all familiar things are. Like a security blanket.

“Yeah.”

The door to the bank’s side entrance is thrown open with a thunderous bang, the wood slamming against the wall loudly; they always went in through back or side entrances instead of the front, hoping that they’d be less conspicuous that way. Both of them were dressed in their signature black clothes, gloves, glasses, hats, and face masks. In Jongdae’s hand, like usual, was a gun. In Yuri’s, a generously sized duffle bag. Their target for today was a bank far smaller than the one they had stolen from a couple weeks ago, and therefore, they had one bag instead of two or three as they did on their more high-end heists. It didn’t take long for people to notice them, a combination of their loud entrance, strangely out of place appearance, and Jongdae’s gleeful shouting.

“Don’t be alarmed! It’s just your friendly, neighborhood robbers,” he announced with an amused laugh shortly afterward. Yuri couldn’t help but smile a little underneath her mask. Oh, how things had changed. Months ago, she had called him a psychopath (she still did sometimes, though more fondly and as a joke than being serious about it) for taking pleasure in living on the edge, breaking the rules in such a drastic way that was just downright criminal. Now, she found his idiotic and often ill-timed jokes and laidback attitude in the face of danger and cowering strangers just as amusing as he did. In fact, although it didn’t happen often, she’d even make her own carefree comments during a break-in or robbery from time to time, thrilled laughter and playful banter with her partner that probably made her appear crazy to others. Maybe she was. Maybe they both were. Sanity wasn’t a question she wasted her time on anymore, nor were matters of the law, safety, or any of the other things she had hesitated about in the beginning.

By now, people had caught sight of the gun and began either screaming or freezing in terror; it seemed as though these were the two prominent reactions they’d receive during these sorts of things. It was extraordinary how fast, yet simultaneously slow, human beings reacted in moments of crisis. Almost like an instinct burned into their brain, their eyes were always quick to spot the gun or other weapon that threatened their life and precious sense of security. However, what happened immediately after that was usually something akin to short-circuiting a system, all rational thought and normal functions involuntarily shutting down. Their minds would go blank and an involuntary natural reaction would spring forth, most frequently in the form of a scream, tensing of the body, or a handful of unconscious steps or jumps backwards. Then things would start working again just enough for the fear to set in, for anxiety and sometimes irrational anger to grab hold of their little hummingbird hearts. Hardly anyone ever put up a fight- fear was a powerful, immobilizing tool that Jongdae was more than experienced in using to his advantage.

“Hands up and nobody gets hurt,” Jongdae continued his instructions to the bank’s occupants in a startlingly casual tone. A lazy sweep of his gun- that they all probably took as menacing, of course- over the wide-eyed crowd and their forms automatically complied to the command without a single thought, heads hazy with too many panicked reflections and overwhelming emotions. “That includes you too, Mr. Model Employee.” He gestured with the pistol to the only worker present that was trying to subtly reach underneath the desk he stood behind with shaking hands. He instantly froze, sweat beading on his forehead as his outstretched fingers shot away from the desk and up into the air.

“Hello,” Yuri greeted the shocked male behind the counter with as much forced casualness as she could. Sometimes it was hard to stop her own voice from quivering with barely suppressed nerves in moments of clarity, and other times it was difficult to hide the exhilaration and excitement that crept up on her unexpectedly, her attitude eerily similar to Jongdae’s. She drops the empty bag on the counter, cocking her head to the side lightly, as if innocent, before angling it towards the backroom she had a clear view of just over his shoulder. “I’d like to make a withdrawal.”

Jongdae sputtered out a laugh behind her and then motioned with his free hand for the man to pick up the pace. “You heard the lady,” he joked. “Fill up the bag.”

Needless to say, the teller hurried to obey. He didn’t really have much of a choice. It wasn’t a request. He knew who the masked couple was. Who didn’t? Their pictures were on television all the time, the broadcasts of tall tales and terrifying truths on the infamous duo running constantly. They didn’t sound, or seem, like the type of people you should mess with.

Yuri watched carefully as he unlocked the door that held the safe behind it. With little effort, she hopped over the counter, swinging her legs down and then planting them firmly on the other side of the front desk. She took the empty bag with her as she followed the scared shitless employee into the back, intent on making sure they got the money without any unnecessary problems. One could never be too careful, after all, just in case he managed to grab a weapon of his own or alert the authorities somehow, should they leave him alone and to his own devices.

Ignoring the sounds of Jongdae mockingly trying to start up a lighthearted conversation with a few of the civilians that had momentarily become their hostages, Yuri waited patiently for the poor soul in front of her to finally type in the safe’s correct code, hands trembling so badly he pressed a few wrong numbers on accident. Safe open, it wasn’t long before the duffle bag began to sag with added weight. There was always something about the contrast between the immensely colorful bills and the black of the bag that she found intriguing. Burnt orange-yellows, pale blues, mint greens and faded reds. She had never noticed how colorful the Korean currency was until she had so much of it within her reach, bills upon bills inches away from her eager fingertips. Jongdae was right though- eventually the idea of physically owning the money and possessing vast riches became boring. At the end of the day, paper was just paper. Still, perhaps there was just something innately satisfying about knowing that, even if you didn’t want or need something, you still had it. Before she met Jongdae and turned to a life of crime, Kang Yuri had never considered herself to be a greedy person. Since then, however, well, her opinion of herself had greatly changed.

Yuri was selfishly greedy in many ways. Asides from the money, there was also the intense desire to seek out the next high, the next big thrill. She soaked up all of the exciting experiences Jongdae exposed her to without hesitation, whether they were pleasant or unpleasant, legal or illegal didn’t matter to her; she took everything he offered. The fact that she was doing something, having an adventure, meant the world to her. But she still craved more of it, of all of the things she thought she had been deprived of or denied in life previously.

“You got it all, Sweetheart?” Jongdae called curiously. He must have heard her zipping up the bag once she deemed the amount stowed away inside enough. When she picked the duffle bag up again and hoisted it over her shoulder, its weight was temporarily staggering and she needed a minute to adjust the straps so that she could balance and carry it properly.

“Yeah,” she answered, emerging from the back room and sliding back over the counter. In a flash, she was in his arms and giggling as he spun her around in the air before setting her down and relieving her of her burden. Hiking the bag that held their spoils higher up on his shoulder, he wrapped his other arm, the one attached to the hand that was still grasping the unloaded gun, around her shoulder, ushering her back towards the door they had first come through. It was amazing how nobody else moved aside from them, stunned stupid by the quick turn of events, blinking as if they couldn’t believe what was happening. It wasn’t surprising, their lack of comprehension, taking into account that it wasn’t every day you watched an armed robbery take place. Even more rare, was watching the criminals walk away scot-free, strolling to their getaway car leisurely as if on a date at the park.

“You’ve been lovely folks, really.” Jongdae grinned, playfully dipping his head in an overexaggerated bow as he lavishly said his farewell. The door slammed closed briefly after and time seemed to speed back up for the pair.

“Holy shit,” Yuri choked on a laugh of disbelief, clumsily tripping on her way to the flashy car they left parked in the sparsely populated backlot. In comparison, Jongdae was merrily skipping to the driver’s side, gracefully sliding into his seat and starting the engine in one smooth, fluid motion as he threw the heavy bag onto the backseat.

Sirens sounded in the far-off distance, still plenty of miles away from them but attempting to move in quickly. It didn’t faze Jongdae, but the sound sent Yuri’s heart racing once more. Strangely enough, the dull, throbbing ache in her chest that came from overstimulation of her surroundings and overexertion of the organ was almost pleasantly addicting. At the very least, it let her know that she was alive. Plus, the adrenaline pumping through her veins strongly counteracted the pain.

“Here.” As if he had read her mind, Jongdae tossed a bottle of rattling pills at her. She fumbled to catch them, though her reflexes were now much better than they had been months ago. She was also a lot more used to his unpredictable behavior and odd habits. Turning the orange bottle over in her hands, she reads the label that reveals the contents as her specially prescribed pain medicine. Her supply is dangerously low, the amount that would usually last her at least half a year, usually a little more, due to how infrequently she needed it, almost gone in the span of four and a half months as the instances she took them became less rare. She’d definitely require a refill soon, but the fact that she was now a wanted fugitive was a major obstacle.

“I’m fine,” she tries to shake off his unspoken concern as best she can. Since a refill is unlikely, she can’t keep popping pills like she has been, like some kind of desperate addict.

“Just take it,” Jongdae scoffs. How he can manage to shift gears and evade police while scolding her at the same time is beyond her. Once again, she’s impressed with his ability to multitask and keep calm under pressure.

His worry is heartwarming, because it means that he cares, even if he doesn’t always show it as transparently as others did. However, she doesn’t want to be babied. In fact, that’s the exact opposite of what she wants; she’s been sheltered, suffocated, all her life until this point. She thought she had left stuff like that behind in the past.

Thankfully, she’s saved from responding, or taking the pills for that matter. The miniscule half argument is forgotten entirely as Jongdae cusses, narrowly swerving to avoid a truck as he runs a red light in order to put greater distance between them and their stubborn pursuers. Their speed also picks up and, acting completely on instinct, Yuri’s hand shoots up to grip the tiny handle above her head that has long since been worn down from her constant use of it.

“Hold on tight, Sweetheart!”

*****

Laughter was the only sound that hung in the air. Whenever anything else got the chance to linger, it was instantly overwhelmed by their tipsy giggles and the sound of squeaking leather underneath their bodies. The backseat of Jongdae’s precious sport’s car was not the most ideal place for this sort of thing, but it was the only place they had- honestly, it was the only place they wanted or needed. For almost a month now they had been living out of the car ever since their names hit it big and their little crimes slowly increased in frequency and scale as their humble tale became a sensational news story. For Jongdae, ever since his street racing days, the metallic blue car had been his home. For Yuri, the slightly worn leather, the pristine exterior so shiny she could usually spot her reflection in it, and the subtle, soft scent of cinnamon that came from a combination of air freshers and something completely Kim Jongdae were quickly becoming home too. After tonight, both would feel more attached to the vehicle, and each other, than ever.

It must have been true, what they said. The adrenaline rush from breaking the rules and near-death experiences was without a doubt one of the best aphrodisiacs out there.

Warm hands on her burning skin seem to contrast the ice cold of the upholstery sending shivers down her spine. The whole atmosphere seems to personify the conflict between the two temperatures, the cold of the air outside the car battling with the heat they’re creating inside. It’s almost stifling, suffocating, like the oxygen surrounding them has caught fire from the sparks that ignited with every touch shared. Between the building tension and Jongdae’s searing, sloppy kisses, it was difficult to breathe. Not that she was complaining. Far from it, actually.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this,” he pants, mirth still coloring his tone and frame gasping above her. His eyes shined like stars in the dark, filled with a potent mix of pure affection, adoration, and lust that made her head spin and heart beat dangerously fast. At that moment, she couldn’t agree more with the sentiment behind his statement and the all-consuming emotions expressed through his gaze.

Had she been crazy, she might have told him she loved him. However, Jongdae shared none of her qualms.

“I love you,” he confessed, lips pulling wide in a sincere smile he couldn’t hope to hide even if he had wanted to.

“You’re insane,” Yuri whispered back, a matching grin taking over her features against her will. She must have been even more mental than him, because she actually believed the words when he said them.

“I prefer the term ‘creative’,” he reminded her playfully, causing another breathy laugh to escape her. Then a sinful smirk spread across his face and time seemed to stop, the world around them disappearing. “How would you like to find out just how ‘creative’ I can be tonight, huh?” he purred suggestively, leaning in for another passionate kiss.

“I love you,” she blurted out, mind blank. It was if she didn’t say it now, then she was going to burst. Forget her previous statement and just sign her up for her straightjacket now, because she must have finally lost it. Scratch that, she passed the point of no return long ago, practically the second she agreed to step into his car, into his world.

“Let’s rob a jewelry store.”

“Wh-what?” She blinked, stuttering a little at the abrupt change in topic and the jarring return to reality it brought. The pleased, teasing smile he gave her made her confusion worse, his countenance reminding her ominously of the Cheshire Cat.

“Not now, obviously,” he rolled his eyes in a playful manner, as if she was the one being ridiculous. “In a couple months or something. There’s still things we need to do before that.”

“Why?”

“Because,” he smirked, moving closer to her until their lips brushed each other with every syllable spoken and his hot, minty breath fanned over her skin. “I need a ring if I’m going to propose, right?”

It takes a second for it to click, what he’s so blatantly implying. When it finally does, she eliminates the minimal distance left between them, sealing their mouths together and pressing her body firmly against his. She’s quickly forced to break away with another laugh of disbelief. He’s impossible, he really is. Kim Jongdae is certainly something else, that’s for sure.

“You’re insane.” She repeats, staring up at him in awe with sparkling eyes.

“You already said that,” he jokes.

And after that, no more words are spoken, but many things are shared between them that night. If only those curious reporters and nosy news anchors could see them now; from the looks of it, their question about their relationship status was answered in the most obvious way possible. But really, it wasn’t a surprise- who hadn’t seen it coming? This is the exact reason that Jongdae loved clichés, and Yuri was starting to see the appeal too.

*****

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

It’s got to be at least the tenth time that she’s asked the question, but she can’t help it. They’re taking a big risk and she’s worried. As much as she would like to believe that her anxiety and panic attacks and overcomplicated thinking were all in the past, clearly, they weren’t. The adage is true: old habits die hard. In this case though, she felt she was justified. Robbing banks was one thing, but breaking into and stealing from an important medical facility was something else entirely.

Extra security. More cameras. Actual guards that were more than just glorified mall cops. More problems and things that could potentially go wrong than she could ever hope to list.

When Jongdae had first posed the idea to her, she had been adamantly against it. She still was, honestly. Despite the fact that it was far past the level of dangerous they usually dealt with, approaching outright foolish territory where only idiots dare venture, it still made her melt a little. His simple answer to her interrogation of what the hell was he even thinking?! being a tender look and words that weren’t spoken out loud but felt with the voice of a whisper and the intensity of everything they felt for each other.

“Because you need it.”

What was she supposed to say to that? What could she even say, when he was breaking pattern and taking such a big risk, and for her?

She wasn’t sure what she had possibly done in her life (or more precisely her past lives, because her present one consisted of a whole bunch of boring nothing before he came along) to deserve Kim Jongdae. Because he was her sun, and he was worth every second of struggling to survive on the run, every night spent awake on uncomfortable car seats and close calls where they were almost caught.

“Come on, Sweetheart. Trust me. We got this.”

The words brought a warm sense of comfort to her, just as they had before. So, she took a deep breath and nodded, agreeing to his reckless plan. Once again though, she didn’t think she’d regret it. She could never possibly regret anything that involved him.

“Okay, Dae. I trust you.”

The next morning, the police increased the priority rating on the couple that had been terrorizing the country for the past five months with word of their latest criminal act- a guard had died at a famous pharmaceuticals distributor and a mass quantity of prescription drugs had gone missing. Should any officer spot Bonnie and Clyde in the middle of a heist, their orders were to shoot on sight.