Tae Hyun cleared his throat, pulling her from her reverie. He reached his left hand into his pocket and fished out something that lifted Yoori's solemn mood.
Her eyes sparkled.
Freedom, she thought thankfully, extending her left wrist out.
A small silver key dangled from his fingers. The key gleamed in the sunlight, making it appear magical, mythical even. For a paranoid second, she expected him to torture her by putting the key back in his pocket. She was delighted to find that he actually moved to un-cuff her.
She watched as he struggled to wake up while attempting to unlock the cuffs. Her impatience getting the best of her, she reached for the keys to unlock the cuffs herself. She was deterred when Tae Hyun gently smacked her hand away.
She pouted. She just wanted to help.
"I'll get it done," he muttered firmly, his eyes now awake. He pulled the cuffs closer and finally rammed the key into them.
Yoori’s world brightened when the cuffs fell from her wrist. She had never felt so free in her life. She wanted to spring up and twirl around the room. Punishment was over!
FREE! FREE! FRE—
"You have 20 minutes," Tae Hyun declared loudly, raining on her parade.
Yoori felt herself stumble off cloud 9. "What?"
"You have 20 minutes to change, brush your teeth and shower. Do whatever you have to do before you get the cuffs again."
"What? We're not done?"
Tae Hyun simply smirked at her before he climbed out of bed to undress.
She fumed. Of course her punishment wasn't over. Tae Hyun, the Devil here, would never let her off that easily.
She lowered her eyes when he stripped off his shirt. She didn’t need to see his naked upper body right now.
Tae Hyun chuckled when she lowered her eyes. "You can look if you want, assistant."
"I don't want to," she said sharply. Even though she did, slightly, want to. But no! She had more self-control than that. She was not a pervert.
He laughed, grabbing a clean towel from the drawer. "I'll leave the bathroom door unlocked if you want to come in and brush your teeth." He presented her with a heart-stopping smile that was enticing enough to weaken the knees of nuns. "You can come join me in the shower too, if you want."
She hurled him a death glare.
He laughed again. "Kidding!" he shouted as he strolled into the bathroom. "Oh man, your expressions are classic."
She frowned as he disappeared into the bathroom, wondering how he would fare if she were to suddenly attack him.
Her ears perked up when she heard the sound of water spraying. Her eyes journeyed to the door in the living room. Running away would definitely be a good idea right now. Almost instantly, Yoori shook her head, vetoing the idea as soon as it came into consideration. She wanted to run, but she knew better now. If she ran, Tae Hyun would find her again. She didn’t have many places to go other than her apartment. Moreover, she could only imagine what his next punishment for her might be if she hauled ass again. He would probably lock her up in a dungeon for months on end if she was lucky.
Acknowledging that she would have to do her time, she retrieved her suitcase and withdrew her clothes. She stripped off her bathrobe and threw on a pair of black jeans and a nice satin red top. She grabbed a toothbrush and toothpaste from her suitcase. Instead of heading into the bathroom, she went straight for the sink in the kitchen. She did not want to be around Tae Hyun while he was naked.
After brushing her teeth, she found herself eyeing his apartment cautiously. She stared at the dirty dishes in the sink, the mountain of dirty clothes on the laundry machine, and the dirty floor in the kitchen. She wondered if she should start the morning off right by cleaning. She nodded. Regardless of whether or not she wanted to be here, she was officially his assistant and she was bound and determined to be a good one – especially since it was commission-based and all.
When she was about to wash the dirty dishes, the doorbell rang.
Her gaze shifted to the bathroom. She could hear that Tae Hyun was still in the shower. He must be expecting someone. Without giving it a second thought, Yoori opened the door. Her eyes enlarged at the sight of five men standing before her. She expected one or two but definitely not five.
Her surprised gaze roamed over them.
All covered in the decadence of designer suits, expensive looking haircuts and standing with perfect posture, they all looked like they were worth a million bucks. All looked the same with the exception of one who stood up front. He was dressed much like the rest; the difference was that he sported a pair of sunglasses that made him stand out from the pack.
The reason why he caught her eye was because as soon as his eyes fell on her, his sunglasses immediately came off. His brown eyes inspected her, his curious gaze morphing into one of disbelief. He gazed at her like she was merely a figment of his imagination.
Her eyes fastened on the four men behind him. Much like the one up front, the four men in the back had their eyes firmly solidified on her. The difference was that their gaze was much more hostile. If looks could kill, then Yoori would already be in an early grave.
Anxiety struck her like a lightning bolt.
Why did she have a feeling something bad was about to go down?
Tae Hyun. Get out of the fucking shower, she thought worriedly. She had the distinct feeling that she was going to need his help.
Her fears were realized when the four men, with their eyes tightly set on her, reached behind their backs. Her throat grew drier than the Sahara desert.
They couldn't be pulling out what she thought they were getting ready to pull out...
Her suspicions were confirmed when one by one, the four men pulled out their guns and promptly aimed them at her head. Their guns cocked and fingers firmly placed on the triggers, they were ready to shoot.
“You can never let them forget who you are.”
10: Apologies
Yoori's entire body trembled in feverish fear. Her eyes locked on the four barrels of guns pointed at her.
So it's true, Yoori thought dejectedly. Your life does flash before your eyes when you're staring death in the face. Granted, she only had 3 years’ worth of memories, but it was still her short life flashing before her eyes nonetheless.
"What are you doing here?" one of them demanded, leveling the gun onto her forehead.
Light layers of cold sweat coated her forehead. The rock in her throat grew so huge that she was sure she was going to choke on it.
I'm Tae Hyun's assistant, she wanted to scream out to them. Instead of screaming, the words lodged in her throat. She was too scared to even speak. Were they in Tae Hyun's gang or were they rival gang members? Her mind spun relentlessly. It didn't matter whose side they were on. The only thing that mattered was that they were getting ready to shoot her and Tae Hyun was nowhere close to finishing his damn shower.
She shuddered. This was just her luck. Her luck was this horrible. What did she do in a past life to deserve this?
"What the hell are you guys doing?" the guy with the sunglasses screamed, pushing one of the men back to his senses. "She is boss’s girl! He brought her here last night!"
Yoori nodded fervently, counting her blessings that this angel, disguised as a gang member, appeared to save her. Her hope for survival resurrected.
Yes. Yes, lower your guns, she pleaded in her mind.
Unsatisfied with the explanation, the rest of the men kept their guns pointed at her. They weren’t convinced that she wasn't a threat.
Intensity blared in his eyes. "Listen to me," he began gravely. "If you value your lives, then you will lower your guns right now. Boss will kill each and every one of you if you so much as touch her."
That was what did it.
The four men exchanged apprehensive glances. Then, they gazed at her with caution. Hostility still embedded in their eyes, they lowered their guns, each keeping their eyes on her like hawks.
Yoori stood frozen, the aftershocks of f
ear pulsating in her veins. Could you really start functioning right after having four guns pointed at you? She was only able to make the slight progress of moving her head toward the direction of the guy with the sunglasses.
He spoke to her, his voice warm and gentle. "Sorry about that," he said, smiling at her. He scratched the back of his head in uneasiness. "You can't be too careful when you see a stranger in your boss's home, right?" he added, trying to make it seem like they point guns at people all the time. She thought about it again. They probably do.
He elbowed the man standing beside him to the right. That guy eyed her suspiciously. "Right?" he prompted with the leading question.
The glaring man nodded, now avoiding eye contact with her. "Yeah, reflexes," he answered quickly, not meaning it at all.
The other three men said the same thing, reluctantly easing up on the hostility they once harbored for her.
In the midst of this, Yoori was baffled. She was one girl. What were they threatened about? She was still a little shaken up from what occurred and couldn’t even think straight. What would happen now? Should she hug it out with them and let it go? Who on earth points a gun at someone and tells them that it was just "reflexes”?
"Uh, is boss here?" the one with the sunglasses asked, purposely veering the discussion elsewhere.
Yoori nodded, grateful for the change of subject. She stepped aside to allow room for them to come in.
The four men piled in, each avoiding her gaze. They took their places on the sofa and couches in the living room. In other situations, Yoori would have been angered that they didn't personally apologize for what happened. But, in this case, when the sight of their stern faces gave her chills, she was satisfied with not having any further interaction with them.
"Hi," Sunglasses-guy greeted her again. He wore a kind look on his face.
She spared him a reluctant smile. Yoori didn't want to talk to the rest of the men, but speaking to him was fine, since he saved her life and all.
"Hi,” she replied, looking at him guardedly.
He gave her a nervous smile. Judging by the look on his face, her instincts told her that he was about to ask her for a favor. And, judging by what took place, she knew what this favor was.
"It would be greatly appreciated if you didn't talk about what happened with boss," he requested softly. He had an apologetic expression on his face as he went on. "It was bad reflexes on their part, but he'd really flip out if he knew."
Though Yoori was confused as to why he would make a request like this when it was the other four idiots who scared the hell out of her, she didn't want to venture too far into contemplation about it. She wasn't in the right mindset to deal with anything right now.
Instead of verbally replying to him, Yoori simply nodded at his request, not really thinking it over. The shock had yet to leave her. She would’ve agreed to anything to get some peace of mind.
"Thank you, Yoori," he said delicately, giving her a small bow.
As she watched him take a seat in the living room, she also caught a glimpse of herself in one of the mirrors on the wall. She shuddered at the ghostly sight. Her face was sickeningly pale.
"I look like a ghost," she uttered, pinching her cheeks in a desperate attempt to reclaim some color to her face. She felt like she had woken up from a nightmare.
"Oh. Hey guys."
Everyone, including herself, turned their heads in the direction of the voice. Reprieve overcame her when Tae Hyun came into frame. He made his way out of the bathroom. He wore a white bathrobe and his hair was wet. Residual mist covered some parts of his face – making it appear as if he was glowing. In light of what took place, Tae Hyun couldn't have looked more like her knight in shining armor. She already felt safer with his presence. Her relief soon faded into one of resentment. Four gang members held her at gunpoint and all he had to say was, "Oh. Hey guys”?
Tae Hyun looked around, surprised to see his men in the living room. "I forgot that you guys were coming.”
She clenched her fists at his casual statement. How irresponsible could he be? A little heads up for either party would’ve been nice. A little, “Hey Yoori, don't open the door, you might get shot” or “Hey boys, I have a new assistant. Don’t shoot her when she opens the door.” If he had given anyone notice, then it would have worked out in her favor. But no. No, he forgot. Anger revved through her. It was an understatement to say that Yoori was livid.
"Hey boss," she heard a couple of them greet, bowing their heads as they straightened up in their seats.
"Hey, you alright?" Tae Hyun asked, drawing close to her when he took inventory of her troubled expression.
She flinched in surprise when he touched her forehead to feel her temperature, misinterpreting her paleness for illness. The warmth from his touch caused a horde of butterflies to float about in her tummy.
"What's wrong?” he asked again, concern reveling on his face. “Why are you so pale?"
Yoori stared at him silently. She could see from the corner of her eyes that his men were watching them. They held their breaths, praying she wouldn't say anything. They were afraid. The King of Serpents was here and they were afraid of his wrath should he find out what they did to her.
She was tempted to tell Tae Hyun that those bastards sitting on the couch pointed their guns at her. She wanted to tell him that she hated him and all the bad luck that came from being around him. She wanted to tell him how pissed she was and that she was quitting, again.
Her mind was reeling. She had so much she wanted to say. Instead, she resentfully said, "I'm fine."
She could hear the four men exhale in relief after hearing her answer.
Unconvinced, Tae Hyun divided his attention between Yoori and his men. "Did something happen?”
"I'm fine," she repeated impatiently, folding her arms and turning away from him. She no longer wanted to talk about this.
Tae Hyun's look of concern dissolved into one of annoyance. It was apparent he didn’t enjoy being brushed off when he was actually showing some semblance of concern. He shook his head like he shouldn't have acted so concerned and drew away from her. He diverted his attention to the living room.
"Hey," he said distractedly, forgetting that he already greeted them. He took a seat on the chair that stood a little higher than the rest in the room. In this scene, he looked like a modern day King.
"Hey boss," they said again in unison, their voices resonating across the room.
Getting back to business, Tae Hyun looked between his men and Yoori. "I take it you all have met?"
Everyone gave a reluctant nod.
"Well, I'll make it official." He turned to Yoori. "Choi Yoori, these are the boys." He turned to his gang members. "Boys, this is Choi Yoori. She's my new assistant."
Yoori and the “boys” awkwardly acknowledged one another again.
"She will be assisting me in my daily operations. You will be seeing a lot of her. Please inform the others."
Yes. Please inform the others, she thought desperately. She really didn't want to find herself in a similar predicament. Having death stare you in the face takes a lot of energy out of you.
"Choi Yoori," Tae Hyun continued, "aside from myself, these five hold the highest positions in our gang. They are in charge of the various territories that the Serpents have taken over. They basically keep me updated on the happenings of our various businesses and help make sure that our operations are running smoothly."
The tone of his voice and how he explained their positions gave her the impression that he was still a little bit annoyed with her dismissive attitude toward him. She felt a twinge of guilt, but not enough to make her feel bad. If she had her way, she'd smack him upside the head. Whether directly or indirectly, it was all his fault that she was traumatized.
He turned to his men. "Am I missing anything else?"
They shook their heads, keeping their eyes solely focused on him and avoiding Yoori.
Satisfied, Tae Hyun shifted his atten
tion back to her. "Now that introductions are done, please grab a notebook, pull up a seat and start taking down some notes."
On his command, Yoori immediately grabbed a notebook and pen from the counter. She was surprised that she was willing to do anything to distract herself. As long as it didn't require her to stand there and think about what took place, she was a happy camper.
She pulled up a chair from the dining table and placed it beside Tae Hyun’s seat. She capped off the red pen and held it above her notebook. She was ready to start her secretarial duty.
Tae Hyun addressed the guy with the sunglasses. "Kang Min, please start."
Kang Min nodded, casting a quick glance at Yoori before beginning.
As their meeting progressed, Yoori found herself scribbling frivolously. She took notes about particular dates and times of different gang wars, prices of the illegal merchandises they were selling, and names of people on their hit lists. It bothered her that they were so indifferent about all of this. They made it appear standard. Killing people and breaking the law was really no big deal to these people.
After about an hour of sitting through their meeting, she also found herself staring at Tae Hyun. She recalled the conversation they had the night before. He's really fitting the role of the heartless gang leader right now, she thought despondently. Gradually but surely, Yoori started to doubt her own belief that he wasn’t the cold-hearted gang leader he made himself to be. It was hard to vouch for someone and say they might have a heart when they could be this unattached to people's lives.
"Boss."
Yoori peered up when she heard Kang Min's voice. She looked at him anxiously, wondering what he had to say to her.
She grew curious when no words came out of his mouth. He looked uneasy as he flickered his eyes from Tae Hyun to her. She curiously turned to Tae Hyun. He had his eyes on her for a transitory moment before turning his attention back to Kang Min.
Oh crap.
Finally realizing that Kang Min was referring to Tae Hyun when he said “boss,” she slumped in her seat. She mentally chastised herself for being so dense. She didn't understand why she thought Kang Min was talking to her. Tae Hyun was obviously the boss around here.
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