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Im Baekjeong laid there, in the ring, all battered, and bloody, the aftermath of his own decisions. He had just fought the middleweight boxing champion Kim Geonwoo, and subsequently lost.
The said boxer stood victorious, relief evident in his eyes along with tears. The air was thick with tension, and no one dared utter a word.
As Allen saw this sight before him, he didn't feel anger or sadness or even disappointment, but rather familiarity. Because he had seen this exact sight before, years ago.
The memory was buried deep inside him, and he wanted to keep it that way. But he just couldn't suppress them any longer. The memories were clawing their way out from the back of his mind.
But as Allen began to spiral, police sirens could be heard from afar. And now Allen had a choice, let the weight of his actions catch up to him, or run away from them like the coward he always was. Allen chose the latter.
His legs sprang onto action after not doing so in who knows how long. Out the back door, and off he went. He didn't know where he was going, just letting his legs carry him away from them.
He was so afraid, and yet, a small part of him wanted to be caught, to suffer the consequences of his actions. Of course, this part of him was quickly overpowered by the overwhelming need to get away.
He ran, and ran until his legs gave out. Only stopping after his vision blurred, and his lungs neared collapse.
Allen found himself somewhere familiar, outside an apartment building. And he knew exactly where he was, this was the only sanctuary he ever truly had.
Allen wasn't his name, and Dongha knew it better than anyone else. Baek Dongha didn't know when he had adopted the name Allen, but he knew where it came from.
Baekjin, 𝘩𝘦 told him that the name Allen suited him better than Dongha. And after that, the thought stuck to him like glue. Well, up until he actually started using the name.
The memories came flooding in, the past clear as day in his mind. Dongha remembered his teenage years, the time he spent with the Union, with Seongmok, and with Baekjin.
The Union was bound to fall apart with it's sloppy methods, and it's unreliable members. But what held the Union together even with all it's flaws, well, rather a who, was Na Baekjin.
Baekjin deserved a far better life, but he still stayed with the Union, did he do it out of pity? Dongha will never know.
After they lost to Eunjang, the Union was disbanded by none other than Baekjin himself. Not that it was a surprise, Dongha already knew about his deal with Baku.
After the Union's disbandment, Baekjin became a ghost, never called, never texted, not even a glimpse of him was to be seen. Never deterred him though, Dongha kept searching for Baekjin.
It had been 2 months after Baekjin disappeared, when he got a call. The call was from a hospital, the person on the other end said that Baekjin was in critical condition, and that his number was the emergency contact.
His heart dropped, and as dread filled his entire being, he ran.
Dongha had never ran so fast in his entire life, he didn't even put on proper clothes, still in his pajamas. As it turns out, Baekjin had gotten hit by a car, and was unconscious.
The sight of Baekjin laying there all bandaged up, to the point where you couldn't even see his face, with tubes connected to him, made Dongha's heart ache.
Baekjin stayed in that condition for 9 whole days before flat lining. Dongha stayed by his side for all 9 days, even talked to him though he never responded.
On the 9th day, his heart monitor started to beep, and with it, the lines on the monitor became smaller and smaller. Dongha, terrified and helpless, screamed for a nurse, a doctor, anybody to come save Baekjin, but by the time somebody came, he had already flat lined.
Baekjin's funeral was a shit show, nobody except for him, Seongmok, and Eunjang fuckers showed up. Baku was crying his eyes out, as if he wasn't the one who caused his death.
Everything went to shit after that, after Baekjin's death. He dropped out of school, started hanging around the 'wrong crowd' as people called them.
Seongmok initially stayed, followed him through alleyways and dingy clubs. Taking him home after he was hammered, and all that but eventually he couldn't take it anymore. Said that he wanted to 'protect his future' or whatever the fuck that meant. He said that, and left Dongha just like that, all alone.
With Seongmok gone, Dongha sank deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole. And there, in a club, he met him. This guy who hacked as a hustle. And the surprising thing was that he made more money than the Union ever made just by hacking.
Dongha was amazed, not only by the money it pulled in, but by how easy it was. Codes and computers were so easy to understand for him. Hacking came as natural as walking to him, and soon, he started hacking as a full blown hustle.
He was 20 when he dyed his hair green, and got piercings. He no longer wanted to see Dongha in the mirror, only Allen.
That was when he met Im Baekjeong, this violent and angry man who fought for money. They met at an back alley of a club, this regular club he liked to go to sometimes. When Allen saw how strong he was, he proposed an arrangement. And he was 21 when he officially started working under him.
At 22 they created the IKFC, an illegal boxing league. And along the way the league got bigger, and more members joined.
Baekjeong fought, people bet money, and through this, they made bank. Allen was 23 when he made his first Bitcoin, and it made him think that he was going the right way.
Allen never fought, not anymore, even though the past him would have done so without a moments hesitation. There were just far bigger fishes in the sea than him.
His days were mostly spent in a dark room with monitors being the only light source in the room. He now spent his time in a sitting position for hours on end.
Im Baekjeong was strong and he would dominate every fight he was in. He was also scary, sure, but he was never really respected like Baekjin. Baekjeong relied on fear and submission while Baekjin relied on trust and respect.
Im Baekjeong was similar to Baekjin, from his name to his strengths, they were almost the same in Allen's eyes. But even with all their similarities, their differences in personalities were jarring.
Baekjeong was hot-tempered and egotistic, while Baekjin was calm and collected. Baekjeong was quick to put his hands on Allen unlike Baekjin, who only had to give him a disappointed look.
Maybe he wanted to see some kind of resemblance of Baekjin in Baekjeong because he still stayed. Even after all the abuse, all the times he ruined important deals just because it hurt his fragile ego, Allen still stayed.
It sucked, sure, but the pro's outweighed the con's. Well, that was up until 𝘪𝘵 began.
He didn't know when it started, the stares that lingered on him for a second too long or the unnecessary touches that made his skin feel like it was burning.
And then one day, after a particular tough fight, Baekjeong approached him. Allen didn't resist, not when 'Baekjin' was so close, he fully consented to it, and that was how it began.
Baekjeong liked to take him from the front. To see his face while doing it, liked to see what kind of expression Allen would make. His pace was fast and brutal while he chased his own pleasure. He wouldn't say he didn't like it, but couldn't say he liked it either.
And it made Allen wonder if Baekjin would have done it differently, would have been gentle, would have embraced him afterwards.
He always imagined Baekjin in Baekjeong's place, would even mutter his name sometimes. But since their names sounded so similar, Baekjeong didn't bat an eye.
Baekjeong liked to kiss him a lot, especially after a few rounds, what a romantic gentleman.
On some days, Allen wished Baekjin was alive, wished for him to be by his side. And then, he would remember how far he was gone, and how Baekjin would be so disappointed in him that he'd be, in some sick and twisted way, relieved that he was gone.
On others, he would wonder where Seongmok was, if he regretted leaving him, or if he was living a happy life without him.
He wondered if Baku missed Baekjin too, if he also mourned his loss like he did. And on those days, he would let Baekjeong do whatever he wanted to him just to get his mind off things. And when it was over, he would miss Baekjin just a little more than usual.
This went on and on whilst they traveled all around the globe. Baekjeong performed better when he did it with Allen before a fight. Almost like a good luck charm.
Then Baekjeong set his eyes on Geonwoo, and everything fell apart.
Now it was over, everything he built was gone, all because he wanted to prove to no one in particular that he was capable of beating Geonwoo.
When Baekjeong was lying there in the ring, all bloody, it reminded Allen of Baekjin. The last time Baekjin was seen awake. And it broke something inside Allen, and that was why he ran, not because he didn't want to get caught by the police, but because he didn't want to remember Baekjin's loss, and passing.
Whilst reminiscing, Allen had subconsciously entered the Union's former hideout. All the lights were still on, surprising, considering it had been years since the Union.
He went further into the building, and downstairs where the true hideout remained. Allen wondered if anyone would be down there, if any high schoolers just like them came down here, maybe they ran their own illegal things down there. The thought made Allen smile a little.
He took each step carefully, almost sneakily. As he stepped closer and closer, voices could be heard from down there.
Allen was confused but he still kept going out of morbid curiosity. He didn't know what he expected but it definitely wasn't this.
Down there, were Union members, Seongje, Seongmok, and other members looking exactly as he remembered them.
Allen was frozen, unable to make sense of the sight before him, when Seongmok called out to him.
"Hey Dongha, perfect timing, who do you think will win, you or Gongsam?" Seongmok finished and waited for him to answer.
Dongha didn't know what to say, so he stood there, dumbfounded.
Dongha looked around once more, and his eyes landed on the random mirror set by a Union member, he couldn't recall who.
There, he saw himself, back to his teen appearance, and he couldn't believe it. No piercings, no green hair, just good o'l Dongha staring back at him. Allen was nowhere to be found.
He looked back at the others who were clearly expecting an answer. "Obviously me!" Dongha replied, grinning from ear to ear.
The guy's laughed, clearly not buying it but Dongha didn't care. "Hey, is Baekjin here?" He questioned, anticipation bubbling inside him.
"Oh yeah, he just came in, you literally missed him by a few seconds." Seongmok answered, pointing towards the direction of Baekjins office.
Dongha walked, as to not raise any suspicion. When he finally reached Baekjin's office, his heart was hammering against his chest, threatening to burst out.
Nervous as ever, he knocked. He still hadn't forgotten that Baekjin didn't like it when people barged in.
After knocking Dongha waited for a signal to enter. And as expected, a faint "Come in" could be heard from inside.
Dongha pushed open the door, and he was met with the sight of Baekjin sitting there, looking at documents.
"What do you need" Baekjin asked, still looking down at the documents.
Dongha overcome by emotion, walked over to Baekjin. To that, he finally looked up at him, and that was when he broke. He wrapped his arms around the other, tears streaming down his face.
That was when Dongha knew that he was back. And he promised himself to not run away again, to not meet Baekjeong, and to certainly not let Baekjin die.