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It had been a long night for the four friends.
After Hyeon-ju and Woo-jin returned home, bags of food hanging from each of their arms, they had spent countless hours strategizing their next courses of action. From allies to foe, they slid back and forth names and places, criticising and agreeing until Nari’s head fell onto the table, Hyeon-ju rocked back in her chair and Woo-jin was drooling unceremoniously onto the table as the hours ticked into the early morning.
However, their dedication had been paying off and a solid plan began forming in steps. Their first stop come morning would be to visit Mr Moon and gather some allies.
“Holy shit!” Nari squealed when she saw the sleek black convertible mustang parked in the lot. Geon-woo’s fingers twirled around the keys as Hyeon-ju sighed wistfully, her expression aching for her own mustang that she had lost those many months ago. Woo-jin lit up like a kid on Christmas but Nari had already rushed past, Geon-woo letting his fingers slacken around the keys allowing for Nari to slip it from his grasp and beelined to the driver’s seat.
”No way!” Woo-jin exclaimed, his hand hovering over the door as his eyes, wide, panicked and PTSD’d bounced between Nari and Geon-woo. “Not again.”
Her cough startled him from his reverie. She had seen war veterans with less trauma in their eyes. ” Excuse me, I saved your life” she said and Woo-jin let out a very adamant no.
” We nearly died. Nope, not again. Geon-woo you drive” Woo-jin insisted, shaking his heads rather furiously.
“Nearly died. But not dead. There’s a difference” Nari defended as Geon-woo brushed past Woo-jin whose eyes trailed after him like a hurt puppy before he slid into the passenger seat, Hyeon-ju following behind.
” You can’t be serious. We’ll die” Woo-jin exalted, his arms flapping at his sides.
“You’re being dramatic” Hyeon-ju muttered, her tone less than amused as Nari shot him a sly smile of which Woo-jin spluttered at. Her smirk slipped into an innocent smile when Goen-wo turned to her.
” Just get in” Nari said, twisting the key and starting the engine. The car roared to life and into her bones. Hyeon-ju’s excitement was radiating.
“This is going to be so fun” Nari chuckled, her excitement floundering as Hyeon-ju sinked into her seat, her eyes sparkling as the car purred in her veins. Woo-jin looked as if he was about to be sick.
“I’m doomed” he muttered and Nari laughed before he was lurched into this seat, his fingers clenching around the handle, eyes screwed shut and skin pallor.ย
If Smile Capital didn’t take him out, Byun Nari surely would.
Something uncomfortable stirred in her chest as she hiked up the stairs to Mr Moon’s office.
Now, Nari had never met the older marine personally. She had heard his name whispered through the grapevine from Hwang Yang-jung, she knew of Woo-jin’s brief encounters with him and both Geon-woo and woo-jin had met him many moons ago to set up their life changing interview.
Nair had many perceptions and concerns swirling in her gut at meeting his acquaintance, but nothing could’ve prepared her for when they reached the floor to his office.
Nari let out a startled gasp at the destruction. The doors were broken, bent in half and hanging off the hinges, making view to the upturned and destroyed office- Mr Moon was nowhere in sight.
Woo-jin and Geon-woo startled, taken aback, they rushed into the room, careful and in fear to not step on the broken glass and shattered furniture.
“Sir?” they chorused; their voices were laced in panic as papers crinkled beneath their feet. Their eyes drifted to the broken shelves, skewed portraits and array of cluttered items that scattered the dainty office.
“Holy crap” Hyeon-ju breathed out, her eyes jumping over everything. Nari beckoned her as the two of them gently lifted one of the upturned tables, setting it right just as crunching of boots filled their ears.
In unison, the four of them turned as a voice, scratched and pained reached their ears.
“You guys aren’t allowed in here”
Nari stifled her surprise at the man before them. He was limping, back hunched with bruises decorating his face. His one hand trembled ever so slightly, an iced coffee cooling his fingers while the other was wrapped in a cast that hung lamely over his shoulder. He was fairly young, older than them but not as old as she had expected considering he’d been in his business for years.
His standoffish expression softened and something like joy flickered in his eyes when he recognised the two men. His smile came quick and easy as if he genuinely was happy to see them. ” My junior marines what are you guys doing here? And who are these lovely ladies?”
His smile simpered at their concerned frowns.
“Sir, what happened to you?” Woo-jin asked. Mr Moon’s resolve returned at his concern, brushing it off with a one-sided shrug, he brushed between them to lean against the table.
“Oh, a few days ago a bunch of gangsters came in and took everything I’ve got” he told them, placing his drink down, his tone was nonchalant but Nari could tell he had been deeply terrified from how his shoulders curved inwards and his face pulled at the straining in his arm.
“Why?” Geo-woo asked and Nari noticed how he tensed at the word gangsters and the worry that was swirling in his eyes. He seemed to have grown fond of Mr Moon but then again, Geon-woo grew fond of practically everyone he met. His heart was big like that.
Mr Moon’s gaze flickered; his smile was strained as if he couldn’t believe the situation himself. Nari watched sadly as he began telling him them his story. It started with a woman and a deal he simply could not refuse. A situation a bit all too familiar.
“I found out later that in the middle of the contract , written in fine print, it said that if I didn’t get these bonds within the month, I had to pay for half the entire amount ” his laugh came out disbelieving and defeated. Nair’s heart wrenched, that another person close to her, another person had been scammed of their entirety by Smile Capital.
” Definitely sounds like Smile Capital” Hyeon-ju confirmed with a sigh, voicing their thoughts out loud. Mr Moon’s eyes drifted to her, his eyes narrowing as his mask slipped down his face, revealing his bruised jaw and bloodied lips.
“Are you Mr Choi’s granddaughter?” he asked. The question was innocent but it was the way it landed, the way Hyeon-ju’s face twisted into undealt with grief that made him feel like retracting the question and wishing he never asked it in the first place.
Hyeon-ju could barely coax a nod and Mr Moon’s face lifted at the acknowledgement. “My, you’ve grown. Your grandfather used to talk about you all the time. How is he by the way, Mr Choi?”
Nari’s head lifted to Hyeon-ju. The woman’s head was bowed, her heart shredding with his every word, his innocent eyes and genuine care. Nari noticed the hitch in her breath, the way her fingers curled into crescents in her palm and her shoulders trembled so slightly as if fighting for composure. Her eyes were beginning to tear and Nari couldn’t lift her hand fast enough to stop her when she turned on her heels and rushed out the room.
Mr Moon watched her leave, rushed and in a daze before he noticed their sullen glances and bleary eyes. His smile faltered into an awkward lilt. ” I didn’t mean to scare her off. I’m usually better looking” he tried.
”It’s not your fault” Nari said softly. ” Have you, have you by chance heard about Mr Choi?” Nari asked apprehensively, her heart twisting at the doubt that he did not know about what Kim Myeong-gil did to Mr Choi.
” What are you talking about? ” he frowned, glancing between the three. Nari’s eyes jumped to her shuffling sneakers. Geon-woo’s eyes filled with unshed tears and Woo-jin looked heartbroken and guilt ridden.
” Mr Choi was killed by Smile Capital’s CEO- Kim Myeong-gil. He also killed Mr Lee and Mr Hwang. He killed them all. We’ve been lying low until recently” Woo-jin informed, his voice heavy with pain. Nari watched as his words sunk in, the weight catching up to him. From the realisation of the familiarity of Kim Myeong-gil’s name, to what had happened to Mr Choi and the others and by whom. Nari wanted to reach out as she watched Mr Moon fall into the five stages of grief before her eyes.
Denial
Mr Moon’s eyes flickered between them, hoping to see some sort of hidden amusement, some sort of joke beneath their sombre gazes but at their tears and downturned lips, he found none. He wavered in his step, head shaking and eyes almost pleading.
“Fck, what are you guys talking about?” he swore, his eyes glossing over. He couldn’t believe it, he couldn’t believe them. There was no way they could die that easily. He hadd looked up to them for so long, they were unbeatable. It couldn’t be true.
Anger
“Why would Mr Choi die” his lips wobbled, and the tears were becoming more apparent by the way his breathing picked up. ” Answer me you bastards! ” he yelled at their silence and bowed heads. Nari felt her heart break all over as Mr Moon trembled in anger, in sadness in heartache. Geon-woo slipped his hand into hers, grounding her and himself as Mr Moon stumbled back into the table, his unhurt hand holding onto it to prevent himself from collapsing.
Bargaining
“What do you mean he’s dead?” Mr Moon continued, his head bowed and he seemed to curl into himself. He was shaking so badly.ย
Depression
Nari watched as he sinkered into a feeling of hopelessness. He let his guard crumble before them, and his broken sobs tore at their hearts. His cries went on and all they could offer was some measly comfort. They too were still grieving. He pleaded, he begged for it to be untrue but none of them could pacify him. They had all wished it to be untrue.
Acceptance
Hyeon-ju had rejoined them a little while after Mr Moon settled, his eyes rimmed red and tear marks streaked his cheeks but his cries had subsided and the gravity of their deaths hung precariously over the five of them. It seemed that despite how much time had passed, coming to terms with the loss would never get easier.
Nari always knew there was five stages of grief but between the five of them (now with Mr Moon’s acceptance and vow) they added one more to the list- revenge.ย
I’ve been watching Sweet Home season 3 and it’s genuinely so good. ๐ฉ
I need Sargeant Kim so bad. Like it’s unhealthy. He’s so fine.
SERGEANT KIM PLS JUST ONE CHANCE I BEG.๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ
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