x
HOSEOK
"This has gone too far. We need to tell her parents. They'll worry when she doesn't come home anyway," Uncle Kwangsoo decided with concern. Heejae nodded earnestly. The woman leaned solemnly on the wall on one side of the hotel room while my uncle paced in front of the curtained windows. Yoongi was seated by the desk straddling the matching mahogany chair, his arms perched on the back rest. His teeth nervously chattered away at his finger nails.
I sat on my bed fighting the urge to go and seek those bastards out. "She wouldn't want that! Besides, they'll call the police and if they show up - if anyone else shows up but me, they'll kill her," I said through gritted teeth. "Let me go and you won't even have to involve them! Once Woobin has me, they'll leave her alone. They'll leave everyone alone! She can be back home safe before the day is done!"
"You're not going alone. I'm not going to repeat myself again," my uncle growled. His face had gotten redder with every minute he knew there was no solution. Not this time. I didn't like it either but Yurim was in the worst danger she's been in and time was running out.
"Her parents will likely be at the Spa until the evening." Yoongi jumped in. "If we can figure something out we can get her back before they know something's wrong."
I wished he only told me about Yurim being taken. Maybe then we wouldn't be having this pointless conversation. But Heejae kept my location under wraps and this issue was the only one big enough to let him in on the mystery.
I hated every single second we were still in this room, doing nothing. Knowing she was scared, alone, and possibly hurt made my blood boil so hot, I swear it could melt through my skin at any moment!
When no one could provide any bright ideas, uncle Kwangsoo suggested that everyone take a break. I tried to talk my way into going out to find something for everyone to eat but was quickly denied and Heejae went out instead. It wasn't surprising that no one fell for my attempt at escape but at his point, I'd try anything.
Instead, I went out onto the balcony, earning a warning from my uncle not to stay out for too long. Not only was it painful not to go after Yurim but it was torture being cooped up here day after day. Even before Yoongi's bad news, I was barely allowed outside. My uncle really wasn't taking any chances.
The sunlight's warmth grazed my skin. The fresh air felt like freedom. I leaned over the railing and peered down. The ground seemed to breath - close one instant then a world away the next. We were twelve floors up. I considered climbing down, but I'd probably die trying. Which wouldn't do any good if I deprived the mob the pleasure of ending me themselves.
I looked next to me where two chairs and a table sat. It was there where I wrote my letters to her while looking over the other buildings. The city itself wasn't very majestic looking, but seeing them bathed in the beginning and ending rays of the sun made the day and the day to come feel new and hopeful. That's exactly what I wanted to give her through my letters: hope.
I'll have to ask Yoongi to give them to her - the letters I hadn't sent yet. I hoped to fix them a bit - make them sound less pathetic but it seems my awkward words would be the last ones I'll ever give her.
"Hi, again!" I heard a voice call out to me in English. To my left in another balcony was the foreign girl from next door. She caught me out here a lot and tried to make conversation a few times. Though, our knowledge of each other's languages were limited.
"Hi," I offered a small but empty smile given my current circumstance.
"You writing again?" She asked. I thought about her words and slowly translated it in my head.
"Ah. No...not today," I managed to tell her. She nodded politely. Apparently she was here with her father. Something about his business kept him out for most of the day and she seemed stuck here. Just like me.
Then, slowly, a sliver of hope grew in me.
I hurried to the side of the balcony, measuring the distance between mine and hers. It would be tricky but doable. When I looked back up at her, she'd been staring at me, wondering what my deal was. I thought quickly, recalling the few English words I knew.
"I..." I came to a full stop not knowing the word for jump. I struggled for an alternative. "I...go here," I point next to her. "Okay?" I put my thumb up.
She looked to be connecting the dots. "Oh, um, why?"
"'Why?'" I began to pace. How do I say I needed to get out without my uncle finding out? "I go in," I point toward her hotel room, "and down," I point to the ground. "My family...uh..." I gave up and offered her gestures instead. I put a finger to my lips then a big 'X' with both arms.
"Oh..." the girl thought to herself. "You want...to run away?"
"Run...? Ah, majayo - ani...uh, yes, run! Okay? Please!" I rub my hands to together, pleading. The girl didn't seem totally sure. Whether it was because she struggled to understand me or if she was uncertain about letting me run from my uncle, I didn't know. "Okay," she said hesitantly nodding her head.
"Okay? Okay! Thank you!" I checked behind me to make sure no one was about to walk out. When no one came, I climbed the railing and pumped my legs up for a big jump. With great focus on where I intended to land, I sprung forward as hard as I could. Landed clumsily on the other railing causing me to stumble forward next my neighbor. The foreign girl gasped when I almost ran into her. "Sorry. I go now. Thank you!"
"O-okay..." the girl answered awkwardly. Her cheeks carried a new shade of pink. I darted through the room and out into the hall and rode the elevator down. When I came out, I was nearly caught by Heejae who had been on her way back from grabbing food. When it was clear, I ran out quickly and put the hotel behind me. Though I was desperate to get out, leaving left a hollow feeling in my chest. A fact became clear as my feet took me further from the hotel. I was never going to see my family again.
The train was the quickest way to where I needed to go. And I knew exactly where that was. 'At the beginning' had to have meant the alley I saved Jei all those years ago. It was the event that brought me into the gang. Of course Woobin would set up my end at the beginning.
By the time I got off the train there was almost an hour until sun down. When I did arrive, the alley was a lot worse than I remembered it. There used to be a shop on the street at the end but it was closed down. This place really went down hill since then. It wasn't surprising with the rapid growth in gangs in the area. Trash blew down the way, dirt and mold stained the buildings that surrounded, and it was quiet. Dead quiet.
I did 360 turns every couple of minutes to search for changes or movement. It was after about ten minutes when I turned to find someone standing in the alley with me.
Woobin? I hadn't expected him to be here himself. Was this that big of an occasion?
"You."
"Surprised?" He asked. The man wasn't wearing his red track suit like the last time I saw him. This time he sported a business look. A black suit with the collar of his white shirt loose and unbuttoned. "This is a special day, after all. A good king never misses an execution."
I heard footsteps coming from behind me. Barely turning, I could see two men about fifty feet away and closing in. They think I'd actually run away? "Where is she?"
The man made a signal in the air and a curtain drew back from a window in the building behind him. The window swung outwards revealing Yurim. I shuffled in place when I saw her bruised cheek and a gag over her mouth. Her eyes were wide and misty with fear - not for herself but for me.
"It's an empty apartment. My men will leave her there in one piece when the deed is done."
"Don't make her watch," I whispered, barely standing the thought of her having to witness this.
"You're in no place to make requests."
"Not a even a dying man's request?"
"Maybe a normal dying man. But not a traitor," declared the cold faced leader. "Which leads us to our pre-execution ritual." Woobin wasted no time with monologues like his idiot brother. Speaking of Jei, where was he. There's no way he'd miss this.
Woobin nodded to the men who had came up from behind me. They each grabbed my arms and forced me to my knees. The leader removed his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and circled around us until he was behind me. The click of a knife resonated in the silence. I took a deep breath knowing what was going to happen...again.
The man cut the back of my shirt open. The early evening air hit the stitched patch of skin on my back.
"What a shame. The skin looks like it was just starting to graft back in," he traced the old wound lightly with the sharp tip of a blade. "People say that life is all kinds of things. I like to say that above all, it's poetic. I'm the one who did this tattoo on your back. And now I'll be the one to carve it off. You saved a life in this alley and now you're going to lose your own in it. There really are some things that we can't run from."
I steeled myself against the imminent pain. I couldn't give anyone the satisfaction of wailing. Plus, if I did, it would only make it worse for Yurim. I looked up at her again. Tears streaming down her cheeks. I wished I could tell her I was sorry. Sorry I put her in danger. Sorry that I ruined her life with my past. I'm sorry that I... no, I'm not sorry that I became her friend. She helped me feel like a normal kid. Because of her I know what being happy felt like and became someone who got to experience what it's like to be in love.
Jeez...being close to death really makes you sappy...
Hot pain tore into my skin. I yelped then bit my tongue. Gritting my teeth, I trained my eyes on the ground below me. I couldn't let her see the pain on my face.
It felt like a lifetime by the time the carving had ceased. My body was drenched in sweat and drained of energy. If the men at either side of me weren't holding me up I'd have fallen to the ground. Something leathery plopped onto the ground in front of me. In the middle was a picture of a snake's head which was barely visible under all the blood.
It made my stomach churn but I had no strength to puke. "You handle pain almost as well as me," Woobin casually stood in front of me, wiping the blood off his hands and knife with a handkerchief.
"If you're feeling competitive allow me to return the favor," I retorted weakly. One of the men twisted my arm. I groaned but couldn't do much to escape it.
Woobin crouched down with a small smirk. I looked past him at the window. Yurim was there, the tears still staining her face. Her gag had fallen around her neck. Something in her demeanor seemed different but Woobin quickly blocked my view. "I'm glad your fighting spirit is still in tact, Hoseokie. I really am. It'd be a big embarrassment for me of all people to put down a whiny coward. That's why I had Ki-Hong take Jei out for me," he said casually. Goosebumps prickled up my arms. Jei was a wreck but they were brothers. And he had him killed? "He didn't have what it takes to be a part of my empire, he never did. But you, I saw potential. And it stings me because I still do." Though his eyes were hard there was a flash of regret or perhaps disappointment as he spoke. He sighed and stood up again, "unfortunately, potential means nothing without loyalty. The sword," he stretched out his hand, waiting for someone to oblige his command.
My heart knocked wildly against my chest. This was it! Without intention, my mind was overwhelmed with images and memories. My memories of everyone I had grown to care about. Uncle Kwangsoo, Noona, Yurim and her family. Hell, even Yoongi made it into my last minutes of consciousness. Surprisingly enough he wasn't the last person I had expected to grace my mind. A sad thought appeared in my mind about my dad too, that I'd never be able to make amends with him. I never knew I wanted to.
No! Don't think of sad things. These are your last minutes! Woobin brandished a sword with a black hilt. One of his men hung back with the sheath. Once again I looked toward the window. I needed help keeping my mind calm and Yurim, even though I hated that she would witness this, was the only comfort I had with me.
But she was gone. The window was empty. Did they let her go already? Were they hurting her? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to silence my thoughts.
This is good. She won't see. After this is done she'll be safe. Everyone will be safe! The mob boss rotated the sword stylishly then drew it back, shifting his weight onto his back foot. I awaited the blade to pierce my heart, keeping my best memories close. For a brief second I thought I saw Woobin's lip tremble but my vision had gone blurry. His blurred figure leaped forward and I squeezed my eyes shut.
"BOSS!" A man ran in from the street, "COPS!" The man barely got the word out when police officers began marching down either side of the alleyway.
The man with the sword scoffed to himself before dropping the sword and lifting his hands. They demanded Woobin and his men to get on the ground, which they did reluctantly. Though, the leader didn't look too bothered about being caught, which bothered me. but I had bigger worries. I looked back at the empty window. She still wasn't there. And now that the police were here... Could they have...?
No! No, no, no...
When the officers began to detain the men on the sides of me, I willed myself up and ran toward the building she was in. At least I tried to before I was caught.
"Don't move, kid, you're bleeding pretty bad. An ambulance is on the way," he assured but I refused to be held back.
"There was a girl! A hostage in that apartment!" I struggled against him. "They're gonna kill her!" If they haven't already...
"You need to calm down!"
"Hoseok!" A man's voice called out but there was so much going on, I could barely hear it.
"Hoseok-ah!" I heard a second voice more clearly. I froze at the sweet and clear sound of my best friend's voice. I turned to see her and Uncle Kwangsoo weaving through the crowd towards me. "Hoseok-ah!" Yurim cried and threw her arms around my neck, missing the raw flesh. Not that it helped with the pain, but I didn't care. She was okay!
"Yurim, I'm sorry!" My voice shook with guilt as I sobbed into her shoulder. "I'm so sorry!" Neither of us could say much. We were just glad that the other was out of danger. At least for now. Someone then patted my shoulder. I turned to see my uncle, his face strained to keep his composure. To my surprise he pulled me into his arms.
"Now you're really on lock down," he joked with an uneven tone. I chuckled through the tears. I'll take whatever punishment he dishes out. I didn't even think I'd see him again.
"I thought you weren't gonna call the police," I said.
"Well, technically I called your dad."
My eyebrows dipped downwards. "My dad?"
The man next to us cleared his throat. It was the man who tried to get me to stay still for the ambulance. It took a second for me to see it, but under the facial hair, it was clear. "Long time no see, son," he said awkwardly. I stared at him, unsure of what to say. Yurim supportively slipped her hand into mine, awaking me from my stupor in thought.
"I see you're still in law enforcement..." I said avoiding his eyes.
The man looked similar to uncle Kwangsoo except his eyes weren't as friendly and he was more on the stocky side. He nodded with hesitancy to say his next words. "Promoted to senior inspector last year."
"Huh... That's good. I guess moving me away worked." The air got quiet and dad cleared his throat uncomfortably. I didn't mean it to be a slight. I just knew his ultimate reason in sending me away was to keep him away from controversy. He'd been aiming for superintendent for as long as I could remember.
He recovered his posture and changed the subject. "I hear you've been doing...well?"
No thanks to you.
"I haven't been running a muck in the streets, so yeah, I'd say that." Another bout of silence fell among us but I wasn't going to volunteer to suffer through it. "So, where's Yoongi hiding?"
"I told him to stay at the hotel," said my uncle.
I raised a brow of suspicion. "And he listened?"
"It would appear so. As you see, he's not here."
That didn't seem right. After the way he was worried about Yurim, surely he would've fought tooth and nail to get here.
"I'm glad," Yurim's voice spoke hoarsely. "I couldn't take it if anyone else got hurt." She rested her head on my shoulder as I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. We were all relieved that the immediate danger had been avoided. But I knew it wasn't over. How could it be? With Woobin in jail, and I being the ultimate reason, the mob wouldn't ignore this.
When was this going to end?
"The ambulance is here," my dad announced and ushered me toward it. Him being here was so weird.
I turned to Yurim, "can you come with me? I don't want you disappearing again."
"And here I thought I was gonna have to force you to let me stay with you," she raised a brow and walked with me, her hand still in mine.
"Trust me, if I had my way," I looked into the enveloping warmth of her deep brown eyes, "I'd never leave your side."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWQveoCMi8
