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

by Template, Con

  Shortly thereafter, she felt a trace of jealousy rummage through her when an image of Ji Hoon and Hae Jin making out before they got intimate popped into her mind.

  "You don't like Ji Hoon, do you?" she asked keenly, perhaps sounding a bit more envious and bitter than she should have.

  Hae Jin gawked at Yoori. "What? No, of course not. Ji Hoon was a mistake. He used me and I used him. That was the beginning and end of our relationship."

  "Okay," Yoori accepted, surprised that she was relieved by Hae Jin's answer. She had hostile reservations for Ji Hoon, but the thought of him being intimate with any other girl didn’t sit well with her. It was a weird feeling. Though being jealous wasn't the word Yoori would like to use, she couldn't deny that she was feeling territorial.

  Catching the discomfort in Yoori's eyes, Hae Jin said, "Lee Ji Hoon is a dog."

  Yoori stilled, thrown off by her words.

  Hae Jin continued. "No matter how charming he may be, plenty of girls that my brother dated fell victim to that charm of Ji Hoon’s, only to be tossed aside after he was done using them."

  "Why are you telling me this?" Yoori asked hesitantly, pretending to be clueless. She knew why Hae Jin was telling her that, but ignorance always sparked a more civil and less difficult conversation.

  “Because Lee Ji Hoon is the type of person that would go for you, if he hasn't made various attempts already." A confident smile curved her lips. "I'm not worried about you though. Just be careful around him if you see him. He's trouble with a capital T."

  Yoori nodded. "My guard will always be up." And she meant every word. Even with her small attachment toward Ji Hoon, she knew she had to be careful with him. She had to be careful with everyone in this world.

  Hae Jin beamed. "I'm sure my brother would be happy to hear that.”

  Yoori smiled appreciatively at Hae Jin. Hae Jin's protectiveness over Tae Hyun reminded Yoori much of the protectiveness Kang Min had for Jae Won. She felt her heart grow warmer as the admiration for these siblings streamed through her. It was probably because she lacked such a strong bond in her own life, but she truly loved that the younger siblings had their older sibling's backs.

  Loyalty within your bloodline – nothing beats that.

  Just as that comforting realization warmed her, it soon became the bane of her emotions. Her stomach churned inwards when the impact of the statement purged through her. The unfortunate fact that Tae Hyun did not have the same protective loyalty over his older brother, like the one he possessed for his younger sister, unnerved her.

  Yoori glanced at Hae Jin, her curiosity for how Hae Jin felt about her second older brother killing her eldest brother reaching its apex. Surely Hae Jin must harbor some negative feelings toward the whole situation, right? Hae Jin must know why Tae Hyun killed their eldest brother.

  "You're very protective of your brother,” Yoori voiced delicately, strategically steering the conversation to where she needed it to be.

  "He's the only family I have," Hae Jin answered proudly. Her eyes warmed up. "I gotta watch out for family."

  This was it.

  This was where Yoori needed the conversation to be.

  With the utmost velocity, Yoori voiced the one question she knew would give her all the answers she needed. "Were you not close to your eldest brother?"

  As soon as the question poured from her lips, she regretted it.

  The light in Hae Jin's eyes darkened. She regarded Yoori with unreadable eyes.

  Shit.

  Yoori regretfully watched as Hae Jin’s vibrancy evaporated as soon as Yoori mentioned her eldest brother. If Yoori could take back what she said, she would. If it was possible, Hae Jin had grown even paler. It was as if all the life had been sucked out of her when Yoori mentioned Ho Young.

  "Is this why you're angry at my brother?" she asked slowly, the sudden seriousness in her voice scaring Yoori. "Because he killed Ho Young?"

  Something was wrong here. Hae Jin's reaction wasn't what Yoori anticipated.

  Yoori opened her mouth. Nothing but a stutter came tumbling out. "I –"

  "Kwon Ho Young was a bastard," Hae Jin said hotly, angry tears welling up in her eyes. Her breathing began to grow shallow. "He deserves to die a million times over."

  "I..." Yoori was at a loss for words. Thunderstruck, she watched as tears started to flow down Hae Jin’s cheeks.

  Yoori couldn't be more confused. What did Kwon Ho Young do to have his younger siblings hate him so much?

  Her dubious eyes lingered on Hae Jin.

  She began to piece everything together.

  No girl would react the way that Hae Jin did unless...

  Tae Hyun’s words from the previous night lingered in her mind.

  “Can’t you trust that I had a good reason?”

  Comprehension finally dawned on Yoori. She covered her mouth when the answer finally hit her. That was when it all made terrible sense.

  She gazed somberly at a quietly weeping Hae Jin. Yoori's own breathing grew heavy as her stomach began to tie itself in excruciating knots. There are certain situations when a girl can empathize with the unbearable pain of another. In this instance, as tears began to well up in her own eyes, Yoori felt Hae Jin's pain. The only difference being that she was only feeling a miniscule of the pain. Hae Jin was the one feeling all of it in its entirety.

  "Hae Jin,” Yoori said meekly, finding it difficult to find her own voice. She extended a hesitant hand toward Hae Jin's shoulder. Her throat became dry and she struggled with her next words. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. She was shaking as she spoke. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know..."

  Shit. That was what Yoori felt like as the pit in her stomach worsened. She felt like shit.

  Why? Why did she always have to be such a damn know-it-all and assume things? If she had just shut up, then Hae Jin wouldn't be crying right now. None of this would be happening right now. She hung her head in shame. She had never been more disgusted with herself.

  Such guilt was relieved with Hae Jin's next set of actions.

  Sensing the overbearing guilt on Yoori’s part, Hae Jin slowly lifted her head. "I know," she said reassuringly, the quiet tears still present in her eyes. "I know that you didn't know."

  She took another moment to close her eyes to regain her composure. Hae Jin's demeanor soon changed as a wave of vibrancy re-entered her body. An artificial smile adorning her lips, she gazed at Yoori with joyful eyes that still glistened with captive tears.

  "I'm sorry about all of this," said Hae Jin, wiping her tears away. She laughed sadly while turning away. Her eyes lingered around the room for a distraction. "This is very awkward. I rarely cry, I swear."

  Yoori shook her head. "Please don't apologize."

  "Let's talk about something else," Hae Jin said abruptly, her eyes finally falling onto Yoori. Though her face shimmered with cheerfulness, her eyes told the truth. Yoori could see right through them. She could see the pain and desperation within them.

  But she knew better now. If it was Hae Jin's wish to no longer venture onto that horrible topic, then Yoori would oblige. It was her duty to oblige. For the rest of their conversation, Yoori indulged in Hae Jin's wish. She never brought up that topic again – at least not with Hae Jin.

  “Kindness is overrated.”

  23: Rumors

  "It was so nice meeting you," Hae Jin said gently, pulling Yoori into an embrace after they proceeded into the living room.

  "It was so nice meeting you too," said Yoori.

  She embraced Hae Jin a little tighter than she should have. She could’ve sworn she heard Hae Jin yelp in pain. She couldn't help it though. Even though she obliged with Hae Jin's wish to not bring up the horrible incident, she still felt the need to apologize. Hugging Hae Jin tightly was her way of apologizing once more for her ignorance.

  And, as if wordlessly saying, “don't worry about it,” Hae Jin tightened her embrace as well.

  "I'm happier knowing that my brother has a nice girlfriend to keep watch
on him," she added happily. "I think he likes you a lot. Don't break his heart, alright?"

  Yoori laughed wearily, unable to respond. After having such a great bonding session with Hae Jin, she felt especially guilty for lying to her about the content of her relationship with Tae Hyun. The topic also made her wary because she was sure that Tae Hyun didn't like her like that.

  "Anyway," Hae Jin said tiredly, pulling out of the embrace. "Where is this brother of mine? I need to say bye to him before I leave."

  Her eyes roamed the living room. Yoori did the same. She stopped when she saw Hae Jin's line of vision fall onto the balcony area.

  "Ah," Hae Jin said happily, pointing at the window. "Oppa!"

  Though there was a glass sliding door that stood between the balcony and the living room area, Hae Jin's voice successfully permeated through the barrier as Tae Hyun, who was leaning against the rail of the balcony with his Blackberry in hand, turned in the direction of the living room. Catching sight of Hae Jin, Tae Hyun, now fully dressed in a white buttoned up shirt and a black jacket with black pants to match, straightened his back. He slid the door open.

  "I thought you left already," he said nonchalantly, striding in with his arms outstretched. He hugged Hae Jin.

  "I couldn't leave without getting to know my brother's new girlfriend," Hae Jin said slyly. Behind her brother, she winked at Yoori.

  "Oppa," Hae Jin whispered loud enough for both her brother and Yoori to hear. "She's a good catch. Don't be stupid and lose her. Okay?"

  Tae Hyun's quiet eyes settled on Yoori. A sudden light flickered in his gaze. It was clear he didn't realize she was there until his sister mentioned her.

  Yoori blushed at the comment as she leaned against the wall. Her arms were crossed uneasily in front of her. Though her eyes were on the siblings, her attention was mainly focused on Tae Hyun. Guilt began to wallow in her and she turned her gaze away from him in shame. She felt awful for how she treated him these past few days.

  "Anyway," Hae Jin said, pulling out of the embrace. "Is Kang Min back yet? I want to see him before I go back to my apartment."

  "Yeah, he's back," Tae Hyun answered distractedly, the bulk of his attention on Yoori.

  She stood in the corner of the living room, still avoiding his gaze.

  Hae Jin smiled. She knew her presence in the room was no longer required. "Okay, I'll see you lovebirds later." She grabbed her blue handbag from the couch and strode to the door.

  "Bye Hae Jin." Yoori gave her another quick hug before she opened the door. Yoori pouted as Hae Jin brushed past her. Would it be unethical to steal Hae Jin from Tae Hyun and turn her into Yoori's baby sister instead?

  "I'll see you soon!" Hae Jin screamed warmly before exiting into the elevator.

  Closing the door, Yoori allowed it to click softly. Her mind was already running. She debated about whether or not she should talk to Tae Hyun now or later. She sighed. The guilt within her growing worse, she knew an apology on her part was needed right now.

  She swiveled around, expecting Tae Hyun to be standing in the living room. Instead, her eyes found him outside on the balcony, leaning against the railing for support. He was still scrolling through his Blackberry.

  Yoori breathed in carefully to prepare herself for the conversation to come. She went over to the sliding door. Her hands reached the lever and she slid it open. Chills ran through her when her bare feet made contact with the cold surface of the balcony.

  Sliding the door closed, she was almost disappointed to see that Tae Hyun didn’t even look up from his Blackberry. She folded her arms in a desperate attempt to warm herself from the gushing wind. Then, she approached him.

  She stopped beside him and shared in the afternoon view of the breathtaking city before them.

  "Came out here to scold me for lying to my sister about us?" he asked, his eyes off his Blackberry and fully vested onto her.

  Yoori looked up at him. "No," she said quickly, her voice shaking from the cold wind. "Don't worry,” she reassured. “I didn’t tell her otherwise.”

  Tae Hyun nodded. "Good to know." He looked like he was about to say something else but paused midway. As though uncertain if he should continue to converse with her, Tae Hyun returned his focus to the city vista.

  Oh no. Awkward silence, Yoori brooded dreadfully. Her mind was churning. Determined to not allow the awkward silence to ensue, Yoori took the liberty of freeing the first thing on her mind.

  "I like her a lot," she declared, her eyes skimming over the plethora of skyscrapers that stretched out before her.

  Her reminder of Hae Jin made her feel more at ease. It was amazing considering how it had only been a few hours since she met Hae Jin. She was already so fond of her. Yoori didn’t have a little sister and Hae Jin would be the perfect one to adopt as her own.

  His attention focused on the view, a smile spread across his face.

  "At first, I was worried that there might be some complications between the two of you. Hae Jin isn't normally too friendly with the girls I..." He trailed off his last words. "Let's just say, if I just use them for certain things, she doesn't think too highly of them either."

  Yoori dubiously wrinkled her nose. Use them for certain things? What constituted as “certain things”?

  Before she had the chance to fully process what he said, Tae Hyun broke her string of thoughts when he said, "I'm happy to hear that you two get along well."

  Yoori smiled, nodding silently.

  It was an understatement to say that she really wasn't absorbing much in regards to their current conversation. Her mind was clouded with uncertainty of how she should approach the conversation she wanted to have with him. Guilt suspended over her like a dark cloud. She had to apologize soon.

  She drew in a deep, preparatory breath.

  It was now or never.

  "Tae Hyun," she started, looking up at him hesitantly.

  She was finally ready.

  He drew his concentration away from the view and locked his eyes with her.

  She stood frozen in front of him. She didn't understand why it was difficult for her to let the words out of her lips.

  An unbearable silence threatened to plague them.

  Do it! Her angry conscience screamed out at her.

  Shaking from anxiety, she finally said, “I’m really sorry.”

  The curiosity within Tae Hyun's eyes faded. He was clearly surprised by her apology. "You have nothing to be sorry about.”

  He didn't seem to understand what she was even apologizing for.

  "Yes, I do," she insisted. She turned to get a better view of him. "I'm sorry for misunderstanding the situation with your older bro – "

  She halted her words, realizing that she shouldn't bring up his brother when it wasn’t her place to do so.

  The damage was done though.

  A light of understanding shined through Tae Hyun's eyes. Though his jaw tightened, the coolness in his voice remained. "Hae Jin told you?"

  Yoori nodded apprehensively, not quite sure of what to say after that.

  The sight of Tae Hyun taking his eyes off of her and returning his gaze to the city didn't inspire much comfort. If anything, it made her more anxious. Truthfully, Yoori had never been too good at offering her condolences to anyone. It had always been an awkward topic for her, but with Tae Hyun, the topic was especially more perturbing because the awkwardness was also coupled with unbearable guilt. She had been a certified ass to him, and she couldn’t have regretted it more.

  She opened her mouth, ready to say anything to break the progressing silence. She clamped her mouth shut when in place of her voice, Tae Hyun's voice began to permeate the balcony instead.

  "Hae Jin was 13 when she first told me that our older brother was acting weird around her."

  His face was emotionless as his concentration on the city appeared to become stronger. He seemed lost in contemplation.

  Yoori sensed by the tone of his voice that this was a secret that Tae Hyun had harb
ored for quite some time. She studied his profile, distress materializing in her sympathetic eyes. He didn’t show any emotions, but she could feel his pain. And unlike her empathizing pain for Hae Jin, it was so much more difficult for Yoori to see Tae Hyun in pain.

  "That happened 5 years ago, right after our father's death," he continued, pain and guilt prominent in his voice. He laughed bitterly. "I was lost in my own pain of mourning for my father's death that I didn't take what she said to heart. I basically told her to get over it and to never bother me with nonsense like that again."

  Yoori's heart clenched as she continued to listen to his words – his grief.

  At this point, the acceleration of the cold afternoon wind picked up. It was as though it was preparing Yoori for the painful story Tae Hyun was about to tell.

  "I went back to the U.S. shortly after that to continue with my studies. I left the memory of our father and Hae Jin to fend for themselves as I ran off to another country to free myself from anymore pain."

  He was quiet for several minutes before he inhaled deeply, preparing himself to relive the worst. Yoori waited with bated breath. She knew the worst was coming.

  "3 years ago, I started to hear rumors – rumors that I found to be ludicrous, but they wrapped themselves around my mind nonetheless. It didn't take me long to pack up everything I had and return to Korea."

  He laughed jadedly, bleakness inhabiting his eyes. "I remember it like it happened yesterday. The estate was eerily quiet when I walked in. I remember calling out each of their names, wondering if anyone was even home. I remember thinking to myself, ‘Someone has to be home. All the lights are on. Someone has to be home.’ I barely put my suitcase down when I heard Hae Jin's scream."

  The gust of wind picked up so violently that Yoori’s hair flew in just one direction. The sudden change in the force of the wind did not distract her from Tae Hyun though. Her eyes stared aimlessly at the city before them yet her full attention was irrevocably on him.