Welcome to the Underworld (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 1)

by Con Template

  Jae Won, instead of paying attention to the briefcase, kept his gaze on her. His expression spoke of shock, confusion, and fear.

  Yoori felt a strange feeling wash over her as she returned his gaze.

  Given the chance to get a closer look at him, he somehow appeared really familiar to her. Mystification flooded over her as her mind pondered the unthinkable…why did he seem so familiar? Yoori wanted so much to ask him if they had met before. But as her mouth became glued in apprehension, she couldn't bring herself to even part her lips. Of course it wasn't possible that they had met before. How could they have met before?

  Tae Hyun spared a glance at Yoori.

  She was still staring uncomfortably at Jae Won.

  "This is just the tip of the iceberg. Take a long and hard look at everything. Realize who is on our side and why we are the best."

  Jae Won averted his attention to Tae Hyun when he said, "realize who is on our side.”

  "I expect to hear from you soon, Jae Won," Tae Hyun concluded, grabbing hold of Yoori's hand. To his men, he said, "Let's go.”

  Before Yoori even had a chance to soak in Tae Hyun's speech, or think about Jae Won and the strange way he was acting toward her, she already felt Tae Hyun's tug as he pulled her toward the exit.

  On cue, Tae Hyun's men slowly rose up. Their soft groans reverberated in the dense air. Holding onto one another, it became clear that every cell in their body hurt as they limped after Tae Hyun and Yoori.

  "Thanks boss," one of the men said while he helped the other one stand a little taller.

  "Yeah, thanks boss," the other said, coughing as they followed Tae Hyun.

  "Anytime," Tae Hyun said coolly, his hand encircled around Yoori's wrist.

  Yoori rolled her eyes at his lax response. After all that, Tae Hyun still acted like it was nothing. How annoying.

  As they made their way out, Yoori heard something that made her stop dead in her tracks. It was strange because it was such a soft whisper she heard. It was so soft that she was sure no one else heard but her. It sounded more like the murmur of the wind than anything.

  She whirled around. She saw that all the Dragons gang members were still groaning on the pavement from the aftermath of fighting with Tae Hyun. However, much like the rest of the scenes before them, there was also one person that stood out from the crowd.

  Her inquisitive eyes fixated upon Jae Won. He had his gaze on them, or her to be precise. A look of fear and confusion washed all over his now pale face. He continued to stare at her with a mixture of doubt and certainty.

  Yoori wasn’t sure whether or not she heard right.

  She wasn’t sure if the voice came from the two men speaking with Tae Hyun or if it actually came from Jae Won. Against her better judgment, she could have sworn she heard Jae Won say something directed to her, but it didn't make sense at all.

  Though it was impossibly absurd, Yoori could’ve sworn she heard him say, "Boss.”

  “That’s why I have this much power.”

  06: I Quit

  Instead of being given the chance to absorb the supposed words that came from Jae Won's mouth, Yoori was sidetracked when she felt a pair of hands grab her shoulders and spin her around.

  "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, glowering at Tae Hyun.

  In lieu of answering, Tae Hyun merely pushed her ahead of him with impatience. "Do you think we have all day here or something?"

  "Don't!" she protested, nearly tripping over when he pushed his weight against her back. "I can walk by myself!" she shouted, quickening her pace to avoid being mowed to the ground by Tae Hyun. Why was he in such a hurry?

  After reaching the end of the alley, Yoori took one look at his men and shuddered. The faces of both men were barely recognizable as humans. Their noses and mouths were bashed in and their eyes were so swollen that they could hardly open them.

  When she saw that they had trouble balancing, she thought it was best if she helped them maintain their equilibrium. After making a move to help them balance themselves, she was mystified to find that both men had backed away in fear. She gaped at them. Both huddled closer to one another while cowering away from her.

  She was bewildered with their behavior. Was she really in the presence of gang members? Why were they acting like she was the Devil?

  Tae Hyun brushed past her, disrupting her string of thoughts. He moved close to the two men. When he reached them, he whispered something into their ears. They regarded her briefly and then hastily averted their eyes. Both nodded at him, confirming their understanding of what Tae Hyun explained to them. Once Tae Hyun took care of business, he took a few more steps into the street to hail a cab. A silver cab stopped at his call. He opened the back door for his men.

  Yoori watched as he carefully helped his men into the cab. She shook her head in amazement. She had already categorized him as a complete ass but he certainly had his moments where you could clearly see that he was human. At least he had some compassion for other people in physical pain.

  "Get them to the hospital in less than three minutes,” Tae Hyun said firmly, throwing a wad of cash at the driver.

  The cab driver's eyes twinkled in delight. After counting through the wad of money, he nodded in glee. He put the cab into gear, slammed on the accelerator and peeled away, leaving a cloud of dust in his greedy wake.

  "What was wrong with them?" Yoori found herself asking. She was unable to hold back her confusion. Nothing made sense. How Jae Won looked at her, what he called her and how those two men looked at her. They all acted like she was going to kill them.

  Tae Hyun sighed, approaching her. He grabbed his blazer from her. "They're not feeling well," he said simply, putting on his jacket. His tone of voice made it appear as if that should put an end to the conversation.

  Unsatisfied with his answer and certain that there had to be more to it, she continued to probe. "Why were they so afraid of me?"

  Much to her mounting disappointment, his blank expression remained. "Choi Yoori, put yourself in their position," he went on nonchalantly. "They were beaten to a pulp for God knows how long. You were getting ready to touch them. Did you not expect them to flinch the way they did?"

  Yoori pondered the question. What he said made sense. If she had gotten beaten up like that, she wouldn't be too keen on any strange person touching her either. Then, something more pressing occurred to her. She abruptly shot her head up. She glared at him, unforgiving fire brimming in her eyes. She just realized something much more important.

  "YOU STUPID IDIOT!" she suddenly screamed out. Catching sight of the red cap she was still holding since her meeting with him, she looked at it in disbelief. "Why the hell am I still holding this?" She threw the red cap at him.

  Tae Hyun gaped at her when the cap smacked him on the chest. He caught it before it fell to the ground. His expression said it all: he was appalled by the drastic change in her personality. "What the hell has gotten into you, woman?"

  "Put yourself in their shoes, huh?" she fumed. She lifted a leg up and ripped off her black flip-flop. She threw it at him with full force. Bitterness and anger multiplied within her. "Well, I was almost in their shoes!"

  The flip-flop missed him by a mere inch when he dodged it. She shook, backing away from him. Her heart pounded nonstop. Her life was really and truly in danger and it was all because of him.

  "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" she shouted, feeling the overwhelming urge to claw his eyes out. He was staring at her like she was some unreasonable lunatic. "IT WAS A MIRACLE WE MADE IT OUT ALIVE! YOU COULD HAVE LOST AND THEY COULD’VE KILLED YOU! AND THEN WHAT WOULD THEY HAVE DONE TO ME? Oh my God..." She placed both hands on her chest and began to hyperventilate. "I could’ve wound up like those two guys! OR WORSE!" She rolled up her sleeves in horror. This really wasn't her day.

  "Okay, now you're overreacting," Tae Hyun said calmly, attempting to get closer to her.

  She retreated away from him.

  "It wasn't a miracle we ma
de it out," he continued tactfully. "Don't you realize that? They couldn't beat me. They all lost the moment I stepped foot into that alley."

  Yoori snorted. This guy was unbelievable. "What about the fight with Jae Won?” She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Don't lie! You were about to lose!"

  He laughed as though she had told him an outlandish joke. "I admit. I underestimated Jae Won and his fighting skills. I was more exhausted from fighting his gang than I thought I would be. He caught me off guard but he wouldn't have beaten me. He hasn’t had the training I’ve had. Few individuals in this world could ever beat me."

  "I helped you!" she interjected. "You wouldn't have won if I didn't tell you about his legs."

  Tae Hyun waved his hand like it was no big deal. "Anyone could see he has weak legs. You merely distracted him for me."

  She rolled her eyes. Guys and their stupid egos. She shook her head, reminding herself why the conversation started in the first place. "No, I can't do this anymore. You can sue me, you can sue the diner, you can even sue the homeless shelter down the street for all I care. I'm done. Nothing is worth all of this."

  Yoori watched Tae Hyun's expression turn grim. "Do you realize what you're doing?"

  "YES! I'M QUITTING!" she declared, feeling a strange burst of bravery propel through her.

  "You've only been on the clock for 2 hours!" he screamed, not believing someone could have such a horrible work ethic.

  Yoori's mind raced. It had only been 2 hours? Holy crap! It felt like 2 years were taken from her.

  She jabbed a furious finger at him. She would not allow him to make it appear as if she was overreacting. "Don't make this sound like an office job where I'm sitting on my ass all day!"

  Clearly having lost his composure as well, Tae Hyun combated Yoori's fighting words with comebacks of his own. "You might as well be! What the hell were you doing back there? You held a goddamn briefcase while I did all the dirty work."

  "I WAS FEARING FOR MY LIFE!"

  "Exactly! You weren't doing anything!"

  Shock stamped her face. Yoori placed her hands on her hips as a response. His last comment did not even merit a reply.

  As soon as the words escaped his lips, Tae Hyun's stern expression morphed into one of regret. It seemed as if he was chastising himself for blurting out that insensitive comment. The softening expression on his face did little to reassure Yoori of the severity of her situation. If anything, it vindicated her fears. Life would only get harder if she stuck around as his assistant.

  Her resolve solidified, she continued to retreat from Tae Hyun. "I'm done," she said with finality.

  Instead of nodding in understanding as Yoori hoped, Tae Hyun's somber gaze hardened into a death glare. He didn't want to let her go.

  "You made a deal with me," he cautioned solemnly. "I will see to it that you keep your end of the bargain."

  "Are you kidding me?" She was at her wit's end. It was as if this guy's ultimate mission in life was to drive her over the brink of sanity. "Look at me!"

  She stopped retreating and extended her unsteady hand toward him.

  He gaped at her shaking hand and then looked at her strangely.

  "What the hell are you doing?" he asked, not amused with her bizarre behavior.

  "Look at me!" she commanded again, her quivering hand still outstretched. "I'm shaking! I’m 23-years-old and I’m shaking in fear! I think I’m about to have a heart attack!”

  Tae Hyun snorted, waving a hand of dismissal. "Oh come on, assistant. Something small like that and you're already affected? Nothing even happened."

  Her jaw sagged. Was this guy serious? Steam started to burst out of her ears. That was definitely the last straw.

  "Hey listen up, psycho!” she finally screamed. “When I signed up for this, I didn't know I was making a deal with a KILLER!"

  His eyes flared. It surprised her, the anger, disbelief, and offense that burned in his gaze. It was apparent that he had lost any shred of patience with her.

  "Choi Yoori, do you realize the repercussions of backing out on a deal with me?"

  Yoori gulped at the grave question. How did he expect her to answer that?

  At her silence, Tae Hyun's face smoothed into a calm expression. He bent down and picked up Yoori's flip-flop. He held it out to her. A small smile appeared across his bruised face. "I wouldn't have brought you here if I thought for a second something bad was going to happen to you. You have to believe that."

  Yoori narrowed her eyes in suspicious slits. If she didn't know better, she would’ve thought that he was actually sincere with his last statement. He was a good actor. She knew she had to be careful with this one. Kwon Tae Hyun had the uncanny ability to be the world’s biggest jerk and then change into the world's most charming man within a matter of seconds. If she were any other girl, then the very vision of him smiling would have completely thrown her over the edge. He looked damn seductive, standing there like he was her knight in shining armor.

  She stole another glance at him before eyeing her flip-flop. Luckily for her, she wasn't just any other girl. She was his assistant, and after only 2 hours on the job, she already knew him better. Weighing her options, Yoori nodded to herself, her mind set on her decision. She sighed loudly, resting her lethargic gaze on him. Slowly, she approached him, dramatically hanging her head down low as if admitting defeat.

  Tae Hyun smirked in triumph at her defeated posture. He held out the flip-flop a little further for her, thinking he won. "See? I knew you could handle this. A couple more rounds and you'll be a seasoned pro. You won’t even worry about any of this anymo – what the fuck?"

  Yoori, with all her strength and courage, snatched the flip-flop right out of his grasp and ran. She literally ran for her life.

  His roaring voice thundered behind her. "CHOI YOORI! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH? COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

  Disregarding Tae Hyun's last words, Yoori continued sprinting. Adrenaline pumped through her body like foreign electricity. She was huffing and puffing so incessantly that she was sure she was going to cough out hairballs in the near future.

  She had never been much of a runner, but when your life hangs in the balance, your limitations in life take a backseat. She was determined to put an end to her misery; she was determined to live to see another day.

  Frantically turning at a corner and picking up speed, she ran far away from the threats of danger, far away from her new job, and far away from the King of Serpents.

  “That’s why I can do whatever I want.”

  07: The Other Part of the Punishment

  It had been precisely eight days since Choi Yoori was introduced to Kwon Tae Hyun. It had also been precisely eight days since she made her abrupt escape from the murderous gang leader. Everything that took place that fateful day replayed ominously in her head.

  It started out like any other day. She was working and then somehow, she spilled coffee on a stranger and he threatened to sue her friend's diner if she didn’t become his assistant. To be a good friend, Yoori reluctantly agreed to the terms under the pretenses that it couldn't be that bad.

  How could she have been so wrong? The guy just happened to be Kwon Tae Hyun –the leader of one of the most well known gangs in South Korea. This revelation was where the damnation of her life became apparent. After being thrown into a situation where she was surrounded by senseless violence, Yoori turned in her two seconds notice and made a run for it.

  And now, here in her apartment, she miserably waited for judgment day.

  Yoori lay on the sofa with the baseball bat next to her. Boredom was written all over her face. She had waited eight days for the King of Serpents to return to finish her off, thinking he was going to appear at any moment.

  She thought back to her journey to this moment.

  On the first day, after making the mad dash away from him, she was certain she had signed her death warrant. What was she thinking running away from him? Did she really think she could get away?


  Locking the door in absolute fear, Yoori whispered a silent prayer. She didn’t think she'd survive the night. How could she? She angered a powerful crime lord and revealed her face to another one who lost in combat. If Tae Hyun didn't come to take care of her, then Jae Won surely would.

  Having spent the entire day sitting in front of her door with a baseball bat in hand, Yoori was positive that one of the gang leaders would send his goons after her with machine guns. In response to the threat of imminent death, her grip on the bat grew stronger. Whoever it may be, she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

  Then came the second day of awaiting judgment...

  The goons had yet to arrive. Yoori reasoned that Jae Won probably wouldn't waste his time with her. It wasn't like she was the one who defeated him in combat. Regardless of the eliminations of threats, there was still a threat big enough to keep Yoori awake at night. The goons hadn’t shown their faces, but she knew that Tae Hyun was bidding his time, enjoying his power over her life.

  Throughout the night, Yoori jumped at every sound she heard in her apartment, thinking every squeak meant Tae Hyun was coming to get her. Before falling into a deep sleep that night, she heard a soft knock that left her panting in fear. Instinctively, she jumped off the sofa with her baseball bat in hand. She proceeded toward the banging door with surprise bravery. She was ready to fight.

  She curled her fingers over the door handle. She turned it ever so slightly, preparing herself for the assault ahead. She pulled the door open while simultaneously raising the baseball bat high in the air.

  "YOU WILL DIE – oh my gawd!” she gasped.

  "AHHHH! MOMMMY! MOMMMMY!"

  Yoori gaped in dismay as two young girls ran down the hall, screaming and crying for their mothers. She just threatened two little girls selling cookies for their school!

  "WAIT!" Yoori shouted, utterly horrified at what she had done. She held up several boxes of the cookies splattered across the hall. "YOU FORGOT YOUR COOKIES!"

  They never came back and needless to say, Tae Hyun never came that night either.