Yoori wanted to refuse him. She was getting ready to find an excuse when the words of protest lodged itself against her throat after Jung Min gravely added, “It’ll only be a few moments.”
His eyes dimmed in forewarning.
“Tae Hyun is being given a few moments to decide how he wants to get rid of you. You should have a few moments to decide the same.”
“The time will come. . .”
21: Lord of the Underworld
CenYen Mist.
That was where Shin Jung Min brought her. He brought her to a contemporary teahouse that has been a luxury staple in Seoul for years now. Surrounded by indoor waterfalls as walls in every corner, the teahouse oozed of wealth and power. The atmosphere was serene. There were only a couple of guests in the big central room that stretched over the entire vicinity. It gave a “homey” feeling of sorts.
From what Yoori heard, CenYen Mist had an exclusive clientele. If you weren’t a prominent figure in Seoul’s society, you wouldn’t be able to book a reservation for months. And apparently, Shin Jung Min was one of those prominent figures in society as he commanded one of the bigger tables that sat in a secluded area of the teahouse.
Dressed in a light brown sweater and brown pants, Jung Min looked like he would be a regular uncle that you would have tea with – that was if your uncle was one of the top Advisors in the Underworld.
The serenity of the teahouse should have relaxed Yoori, who was sitting in a wooden chair across from Jung Min.
A waitress placed their expensive tea in front of them.
“How were you after your initiation?” Jung Min asked casually, sipping from his tea.
The waitress gave them a polite bow, loosened the green chiffon drape to give them privacy and left.
Yoori swallowed her green tea and fidgeted in her seat. Caught off guard that Jung Min of all people was at her doorstep, Yoori only cared enough to grab Tae Hyun’s black hoodie as her source of warmth. It was ironic, she thought, to be talking about the initiation when she was wearing the exact same hoodie that she was beaten in.
“I was fine,” she answered meekly, careful to not divulge into so much information.
She wondered why Jung Min was wasting so much time with small talk. After that cryptic message at her doorstep, Yoori hoped he would give her some respect and just stop beating around the bushes. She was still feeling uneasy.
“Tae Hyun must’ve taken good care of you afterward,” said Jung Min, his eyes cold as ever.
“He did.” Never being one for patience, small talk evaded Yoori. She felt compelled to address the pink elephant in the room. “I just wanted you to know that I’m not who you think I am.”
“Don’t patronize me,” Jung Min said severely. Evidently, he was not a fan of useless small talk either.
Yoori had to use all her strength to not flinch from the fear that raced through her. He didn’t raise his voice but there was something about Jung Min that just terrified her.
Now they were getting right down to business.
“You may be able to fool Ji Hoon, you may be able to fool Kang Min and Jae Won, and you may be able to fool Tae Hyun…but you can’t fool me.” His gaze on her grew stronger. “I was there in the hospital with your mother and father when you were born. I was there for each and every one of your birthdays. I was the one who trained you for 10 years, so don’t you dare patronize me and say that you’re not the person I know you are. The three of us know who you are, Soo Jin. We’re just respecting your wishes and the new life you’ve created for yourself.”
“What new life have I created for myself?” Yoori asked, maintaining her composure and continuing to play dumb. She hadn’t anticipated Jung Min to go into details about being there for her in the past. It caught her by surprise. She was certain it wouldn’t be the last thing he says that would catch her by surprise today.
“Right now, you’re either lying to me or you did something to yourself and now you’ve completely lost your memory.” He sighed knowingly and almost mockingly. “And with what happened the other night…the way you ‘allowed’ us to beat you down like you were a dog, I’m betting on the latter. You used one of the test drugs we concocted, didn’t you? You faked your death, injected yourself with the shot that brought forth your blissful amnesia and now here you are, a completely new person who is more than free from the guilt of what she did to that poor family in the club.”
Yoori visibly stilled at the mention of the club incident. She wondered how much Jung Min knew about that incident. She debated asking him about it. The longer she pondered the decision, the more afraid she became. There was a cruel smile on his face, one that hid the knowledge of the things that would literally rip her soul apart if she asked for more details. Still hell-bent on playing dumb, she chose not to address that. She simply stared at him. She had hoped her nonchalance would make him believe that she wasn’t Soo Jin. She heavily doubted her efforts were working with how he was looking at her.
He smirked reprovingly. His fingers wrapped around his teacup so roughly that she had no doubt it would crack to pieces if he didn’t let go of it soon. “You may have left this world a legend, but you died a disappointment in everything that we’ve taught you.”
There was so much venom in his voice that Yoori wondered if she should be drinking anything around him. He despised her and was immensely disappointed in her. She couldn’t imagine what Soo Jin did that would piss Jung Min off so much.
“You chose to ‘kill’ yourself. You chose the easy way out and that’s something that will come back to haunt you. It’s something you’ll have to pay for when everything comes full circle again.”
“Why am I here, sir?” Yoori asked impatiently, not even validating his guess with a proper reply. All she wanted to do was humor him by coming here so he didn’t get aggressive with her. Now that she was here, all that she wanted to do was leave. She didn’t want to listen to the old man complain to her about the disappointment that was Soo Jin. Hell, she hated Soo Jin too. She didn’t need to listen to anything more that dealt with her.
“Stay away from Tae Hyun,” Jung Min warned, getting right to the point of why he came. “He didn’t get to the level of where he’s at for no reason. Tae Hyun is very well-known to be ruthless in our world. His soul deteriorated long after he killed his own brother for the Serpents throne. Right now, any charm that he’s showing you is inauthentic, well rehearsed to make it appear as if he has human emotions left. Don’t be fooled by it. He’s a bastard and he’ll be more than willing to sacrifice you to get what he wants in the end.”
“Why should I listen to anything you have to say about Tae Hyun?” Yoori asked, only developing a backbone when it came to having to defend Tae Hyun. She would be damned if she just sat there and allowed Jung Min to talk about someone she cared about like that. “I saw how you interacted with him, Jung Min. You despise him. I don’t think you’re someone I would go to for advice about what type of person he is.”
Yoori could’ve sworn she saw steam coming out of his ears after hearing her blunt statement. If it was even possible, his eyes grew more deadly.
“The next time you use that patronizing tone with me as you say my name, I’ll cut your tongue out to remind you never to speak to me that way again.”
“Is that why you came, sir?” Yoori asked sweetly, purposely pushing him to see how much further she could go. Jung Min was intimidating, but as Yoori was quickly starting to learn, he also seemed very hesitant on hurting her. “You wanted to pick on Tae Hyun’s girlfriend?”
She wondered if he was afraid of hurting her because she was “Tae Hyun’s girlfriend” or if it was because she was “An Soo Jin.” Yoori had a feeling it dealt with both factors.
“I’m here to help you. I’m not here to threaten you,” Jung Min said sternly, his voice strained with impatience. Veins started to appear on his neck, outlining the angry crow lines that were adjacent to his dark eyes. “Stay away from him. Right now, all that you are to him
is his shiny new toy – his little trophy that he shows off to the world. But it won’t be long when he sees that you’re not the trophy he wants.”
He smirked at her once he caught the concern that betrayed her eyes.
“You’re a fool, Choi Yoori. What kind of world do you think you’re in right now? Do you think Kwon Tae Hyun is just another gang leader off the streets? Do you think he’s a gang leader who would hold your hand and run around in alleys with you all day? This world isn’t the street gang that you’re used to seeing in the fucking media. Our world is bigger than that – better than anything the outside world could dream us to be. We have infiltrated every facet of this country and countries all over the world. The street gangs are merely on the streets to perform our biddings as we see fit, but this world is ran by the most educated and the most cunning people there are. And right now, Tae Hyun is at the apex of all of that. He is being considered as the King who will take over all facets of this organized Underworld and become one of the most powerful men the world will ever know.”
His eyes scrutinized her.
“Do you envision all of that when he whispers sweet nothings in your ear? When he promises you the world? Do you even know who he is, Yoori? You only know that he is powerful. You don’t know just how powerful he is and how much power is at stake for him. What do you think Ju Won and Dong Min are talking to him about right now?”
Yoori’s heart stilled at the question.
“They’re telling him to get rid of you, to cut you loose. They’re telling him to kill you if he has to.” He uncrossed his leg and leaned in closer to her. “You see Yoori, 3 years ago, Soo Jin was the beloved protégé. The one the three Advisors loved like a daughter and the one the Underworld revered as a beloved Queen. But things have changed since then. An Soo Jin is still revered as a beloved young Queen in death, but right now there are two young Kings who are more than overshadowing anything she ever did. In the course of the last 3 years, Lee Ji Hoon and Kwon Tae Hyun have brought this world to heights it has never seen. In the course of the last 3 years, this world has never been more ready to revere one of them as the official Lord of the Underworld. That’s how far they’ve come. That’s what is at stake here.”
“What does this have to do with me?”
“At one point in time, Soo Jin was Ju Won’s favorite. But she’s not anymore. She never succeeded in what he needed her to do and even in death, he has not forgiven her. He’s been deciding between Tae Hyun and Ji Hoon. The sole fact that Ji Hoon reminds Ju Won of the embarrassment that Soo Jin was to him is the reason why Ji Hoon isn’t reigning as the prime candidate for the position. Right now, the one closest to the throne is Tae Hyun.”
Jung Min’s jaw clenched in distaste.
“Though it sickens me that this little punk, who was never trained to fill the role of a King for our society, is gaining such power, I do have to give him credit for one thing: he’s proven time and time again that he’s a force to be reckoned with. He may be young and inexperienced, but no other King in history has ever had such a strong following. The fact that he has the 1st layer in the palm of his hands is the reason why he offers so much appeal to Ju Won. No King in history has ever had the appeal to command such respect from the 1st layer. It has only been Tae Hyun.”
“Why are you telling me all of this?”
“That’s what you’re standing in the way of, Yoori. His greatness. This is what Dong Min is reminding Tae Hyun of right now. My brother is angry…very angry that his protégé is being so irresponsible that he’s allowing a girl to ruin everything that he’s been working toward. He’s angry…just like I am with Ji Hoon for allowing you to cloud his judgment. I heard about what happened at Vertical VII and I couldn’t be more disgusted at the behavior both exhibited. It is one thing to fight, but it is another to fight over a girl.”
He swallowed roughly, his face softening when reminded of Ji Hoon.
“I understand what Ji Hoon is going through after seeing you with Tae Hyun, and I can empathize with his pain. Dong Min, however, isn’t as understanding with Tae Hyun. Right now, he’s reminding Tae Hyun of all the power he has and all the power he will lose if he continues to allow you to distract him. And because it seems that Tae Hyun is Ju Won’s favorite for the time being, Ju Won is right there as well, convincing Tae Hyun to get rid of you before you ruin everything.”
As if sensing how uncomfortable Yoori had gotten, Jung Min showed an uncharacteristic trait. He became more understanding.
“He may love you now, but he won’t love you for long. Tae Hyun is just like any other man who has ever walked the earth. He only seeks things that are untainted. He only seeks things that aren’t damaged. He would never love you. He would never love Soo Jin. Because if there was only one thing Soo Jin was remembered for, it was her hatred for the Serpents family. She had always been very loyal like that. Above all else, her loyalty had always been with her father and her brother. Kwon Ho Young killed her father and nearly killed her older brother in the process. Soo Jin made the promise over her father’s grave that she’ll exterminate the entire Serpents existence if it was the last thing she did.”
He chuckled cruelly. “It is ironic, isn’t it? You pretend to die, you somehow give yourself amnesia, you start a new life and now you find yourself in bed with the same person who represents the one gang that you despise most in this world.”
“I’m not her.” Yoori’s voice was strained as she fought to keep her cool.
Something Jung Min said struck her. It speared a stake through her heart.
He was right.
Tae Hyun could never love Soo Jin – just like Soo Jin could never love Tae Hyun.
“But you are and trust me, Dong Min is telling him all of that this very second,” Jung Min persisted, feeding on the depression consuming her eyes. “Ju Won is right there with him as Dong Min tells him how much you despise him and his family. He’s telling him if he isn’t careful, you’ll be the first to kill him once he lets his guard down.”
“Tae Hyun won’t hurt me,” Yoori said inflexibly, the fire searing through her as she tried to make sense of the emotions that Jung Min evoked from her. She sharpened her eyes onto him and she saw Jung Min stiffen. Even if it was brief, she could see that her anger scared him.
He sighed, seemingly used to her hardheadedness. He gazed at her, like a father would at a daughter who was about to make the biggest mistake of her life.
“You were the daughter I never had. I’m here right now, not because I want to hurt you, but because I want what’s best for you.” The intimidation dissipated from his eyes. There was nothing left there but concern. “I favor Ji Hoon, not only because I know he’ll lead our world well, but because he loved you and sacrificed everything for you. The reason why everyone in this world favors Tae Hyun is because he would never do the same for you. I can’t stress this enough. If forced to choose between you or the throne, he’ll choose his throne. And right now, that’s what he’s doing as he’s sitting there, listening to Dong Min and Ju Won.”
With pity, he dutifully poured more tea into her empty teacup.
Yoori, who was so frazzled with emotions, couldn’t even keep her eyes set on him. All she could think about was…everything.
“You’re living on the brink with him right now, Yoori.” His voice swam over her and continued to drown her. “It’s not too late, but it will be if you don’t wrap your mind around the severity of this situation. Get yourself out of this before Tae Hyun shows his true colors and gets rid of you himself.”
“You don’t know him like I do,” Yoori replied, recalling his personality when he was around her. Always caring, always loving. “You don’t see how he is around me. He cares about me…a lot. He’ll never hurt me.”
“He’ll hurt you if he’s provoked. And you will provoke him.” Heeding the questionable gaze in her eyes, he went on. “You’re merely living on borrowed time. You can’t escape from your past, no matter how desperate you are. One day,
you’ll remember everything. You’ll remember that you’re a trained killer, you’ll remember that you need to kill to survive, and you’ll remember who you despise with all your soul. Soo Jin will overpower you and Tae Hyun won’t see you as his beloved girlfriend anymore. He’ll just see you as he sees Ji Hoon. He’ll see you as his rival, his enemy, and the one he needs to kill to get to the top. Get out of this now. I don’t want to be there when he puts a bullet through your heart.”
If it was anyone else, then Yoori was sure that the girl would be fretting in her pants. But Yoori wasn’t anyone else and she knew that. Despite her hatred for Soo Jin, the one thing she would thank Soo Jin for was the ability to read someone that she had grown up with all her life. Yoori didn’t have any memories of Jung Min. However, she did possess the residual power to read him just as Soo Jin was able to read him. After sitting with him for quite some time now, observing his every move and analyzing the fluctuations in his voice, a once dazed Yoori knew better now. She could tell that Jung Min was being genuine with his concern – just as he was being inauthentic.
“Why did you really come to see me, Jung Min?” she asked stoically, her eyes unyielding as she stood up from her seat, ready to leave and get away from this man.
He was up to something and she knew it. And judging by the smirk that appeared on his once “concerned” face, Yoori knew she was right in thinking that she wasn’t dealing with a caring man who was once a father figure to Soo Jin. She was dealing with an experienced Advisor who was an expert with manipulation.
“Second chances for people like us are rare, my child,” he began, sitting peacefully in his seat. Too peacefully. “It’s been 3 years since you’ve left our world and this world still reveres you like you’re its Queen. Regardless of the fact that you were never an official gang leader, your reverence has only grown stronger throughout your absence. Now you’re back and you have two Kings in the palm of your hands. Ji Hoon would give you this world; Tae Hyun would fight you for it.”
The Fall of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 2) Page 36
