Hyunjin
I planned the route so, that we would be out of the reach of prying eyes. I didn't want to attract any unwanted attention.
To keep the conversation going, I asked Taesung about his life, wanting him to tell me all about it. I already know everything about his departure from Seoul as a child and his life in America. I know, which school he attended and where he had his first part-time job. I know, where he grew up and who he grew up with, but I need him to trust me, if I am to trust him.
At least, I thought I knew everything. But I had no idea, what was going on within the confines of his stepfather's apartment.
„I was just eighteen, when he first laid a hand on me. Until then, it had been more psychological abuse. That's, why I wanted to learn to defend myself and started training in taekwondo."
„Did he hit you often?'"
„He only touched me a few times, sometimes with his bare hands, but mostly he used a belt. He attacked my psyche more, as I said. He blamed me for everything, that happened to his sons, and he eventually accused me of my mother's death. He made it very clear to me, that I wasn't his, that I was just the bastard child of another man, who didn't want me and left. I had to kneel in the corner for hours without food for the mistakes of others." He raises his hand to his right eyebrow. „This scar will always remind me of what a jerk he is." I stop and look at the thin, pale scar stretching across his right eyebrow.
Before I can think it through, my hand shoots up and my thumb touches the spot above his eye. He looks up at me through his long, dark lashes and stares into my eyes, but says nothing. What does he see in them right now?
„It suits you," I whisper into the oppressive silence, which is occasionally broken by birdsong. I run my thumb across his eyebrow, my fingers sliding over the smooth, warm skin on his face. It feels too intimate, and the silence around us feels suffocatingly heavy. I lower my hand along his body. Taesung takes a breath, perhaps he wants to say something, but he is interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from behind us.
We look back and see Janil, a knife in his hand, rushing towards me. He's wearing a cap and a mask so, that he won't be recognised, and Taesung doesn't recognise him at first. However, he reacts brilliantly and surprisingly quickly.
He jumps in his way and grabs his knife-wielding hand. The shiny blade of the knife flies past my face, and I feel its icy tip on my cheek. Taesung twists Janil's hand, he prompting a low, animalistic growl and a sharp movement as Taesung swings it against his knee. The knife falls from Janil's hand to the ground and he punches Taesung in the face. Taesung dodges him with an almost cat-like grace and punches Janil in the ribs. He knocks Janil to the ground with a kick to the knee and lands a right hook.
Taesung pulls a gun from its holster, sending an electrifying shock through my body. Before he can aim it, however, Janil lunges at him, kicking his wrist sharply and knocking the gun out of his hand. He trips Taesung and runs away. Relieved that I haven't lost another member of my security detail, I exhale the air I've been holding in my lungs. I hadn't considered this small yet dangerous detail, thankfully, Janil is agile despite his muscular, robust build.
„What the fuck was that?!" Taesung curses and slowly gets to his feet. He wants to run after the attacker, but I grab his arm and stop him. He looks back at me, his angry expression replaced by shock and confusion.
„Are you okay?" He takes a step towards me, cups my face in his hands and asks. I'm surprised and shocked at the same time. His palms are warm against my cheeks, but I have no idea what he's so worried about. When he runs his thumb across my cheek, I feel a faint burning sensation. He pulls his hand away, and I look down to see it covered in blood. I am reminded of the feeling of the icy tip of Janil's knife on my cheek.
I clear my throat and take a step back to get out of reach of his other hand, which had been resting on my other cheek. „It's nothing," I say.
Taesung looks at the dogs and frowns.
„Why didn't they react, when you were in danger?" That's a good question. Because they recognised Janil by his scent.
„I didn't give them the order. You did well." I change the subject, turn around and continue on my way. A few minutes later, Taesung breaks the silence. He asks me the same question about my childhood, that I had asked him earlier. I need to dispel the thoughts of our overly intimate moment, so I decide to tell him something about my life. I tell him how I got to where I am today.
We enter a small, dark forest where we meet two joggers, who have come to warm up at this early hour. At the end of the path, Taeju is waiting for us, hidden and ready to attack.
„So you always wanted to take over your father's business?" Taesung asks me suddenly, taking me back in time to before my father got me involved in everything.
„Not really, but once I got a taste of it, there was no turning back. One day, my father started taking me everywhere with him. At first, I didn't realise it, but he was subtly introducing me to it. Then I wanted to know more myself." It took time for me to realise what my father was really up to, but by then I was ready to take over. And honestly, I wouldn't change a thing. NABI is as if it's my calling.
The dry crack of a branch in the air means that Taeju is about to attack. I step discreetly to the side, knowing where the attack will come from.
At the same moment that Taeju jumps down from the pine branch, Taesung looks up. Taeju knocks Taesung to the ground and pins him down, putting his knee on Taesung's neck. Taesung immediately starts to defend himself, knowing he has to act quickly before Taeju cuts off his air supply completely. He clenches his jaw and his face reddens, but he doesn't give up. Taeju looks at me with an amused, cold expression on his face. Taesung takes advantage of this distraction. He waits for his opponent to make a mistake.
Taeju isn't guarding himself, so Taesung reaches out, pulls him closer and hits him in the jaw with his other hand, sending his head flying back. Taesung jumps to his feet, takes a few deep breaths and lunges at Taeju. He hits him in the face again, knocking his cap to the ground and his mask off his ear.
„And I thought the first attacker looked familiar." Taesung takes a stance against Taeju and deflects his blows.
„You fight like a girl, Taei." Taeju tries to provoke him. I notice Taesung clench his jaw and his eyes darken. Perhaps he didn't mean to, but the remark still doesn't please him. In any case, he keeps his cool, knocks Taeju to the ground and points his gun at him, ending the fight.
„Bang, and you'd be dead." He puts the gun back in its holster and helps Taeju to his feet. „What was that about? Some kind of test of courage?" Taesung turns to me and waits for my answer.
„We had to see how you would react in the field. We have an important meeting coming up and I want you to be prepared. What happened the first time must not happen again." I had to mention it to make him realise how important it was. I don't intend to discuss my own share of the blame right now.
„I understand. What kind of meeting is it?" He takes the dig in his stride.
„The most important one of all."
„You won't tell me any more? Are you really such an enigma?" On the way back, I tell him everything about Mishimoto Yoshiaki and our dark and slippery relationship.
... ༺༻ ...
BLOOD DEBT (피의 빚)