Array
(
[text] =>
_____________________
“That’s how he got his nickname as the Achilles killer. “Du-yeong finished with a smug smile while Nari looked at her boss, wide eyed and slightly disturbed.
They were telling her about their lives as bloodhounds. Working under Mr Choi was anything but the contemporary white picket fence life they tried to disillusion themselves in.
One wouldn’t think the family man Du-yeong was an executioner or how many heels the sashimi chef had sliced open, would rival the many fish he slaughtered. Mr Kwan was just as surprising. She had never thought he too could hurt so much as a fly, rather choosing the art of sashimi instead of illegal escapades. But for some reason, as much as she found some of their stories unsettling, she couldn’t find herself to change her opinion about them. To her. they would always be Uncle Lee, Mr Kwan and Boss man Hwang. Three people who looked out for her as if she was their own.
Yang-jung was in the middle of telling her a humorous story about Mr Kwan’s first job. Said man slumped in his seat, flushed in embarrassment and looking as if he wanted to stab the chopstick through Yang-jung’s eye but wouldn’t as he was vastly intimidated by his senior. Instead, he merely took the blow with a sigh and grumbles of protest while Nari tried and failed to conceal her laughter. Her phone vibrated before her alarm rang, promptly silencing the three as they all turned their heads to glance at her in confusion.
Nari winced, raising her phone and silencing it with the swipe of her finger. “I forgot about that” she said before looking at them apologetically. ” I need to go. I forgot I had to fetch Nam-gi from his friend’s tonight. It slipped my mind” she grimaced, pocketing her phone and sliding out of the booth.
Du-yeong nodded, glancing at his watch before shooting his long time friend a glance. “I should also head back, Mi-kyung is probably expecting me. Do you need a lift?” his question was directed at Nari who waved him off. “No need, they’re around the corner.”
“It’s pretty late” Mr Kwan frowned, concern seeping into his tone but Nari just grinned.
”Don’t worry Mr K, no one wants a piece of this” she jested awkwardly, flexing her arm.
Yang-jung sighed, his hands rubbing below his chin. “Humble as always kid.” He muttered as she smiled.
“Learnt from the best.” She said before reaching over and ruffling his hair. Had it been anyone else they would’ve lost their hand faster than they could’ve blinked.
“Don’t-” Yang-jung huffed and Mr Kwan hid his smile behind his palm.
“You owe me, remember” she said before swiping a piece of sushi in her mouth and making her way to the door.
“Send Mi-kyung my regards” she said to Du-yeong, her voice muffled before waving at the three and stumbling out the door.
The cool, fresh Seoul breeze slammed into her as soon as she stepped foot out of the restaurant, the bell’s chime fading from her ears as she made her way to the traffic light.
People cruised past her, carelessly, unbothered, heads down and fast. She was practically invisible and she liked it. Nari had never been a social person, preferring her intimate bubble and shadows to the spotlight. It never bothered her that her loneliness was one of the main reasons she found it difficult to be with people but it was different now. She found her people.
The Park residence was in view when she felt the vibration of her phone. Reaching into her pocket, her fingers freezing, she eyed the contact before answering with a smile.
“I take it went well” she said. ” Hyeon-ju didn’t kill you yet”
His chuckle filtered over the line and something stirred in her chest at the sound. His laugh was airy, freeing and so damn addicting. She shook her head, ridding those thoughts as his voice chimed. “More like threats, but we’re getting somewhere. I think she might’ve actually done a lot worse had you not been her friend” he said.
”Maybe you’re just that charming” she said as the light flashed green. She made her way across the road, people brushing past her without another glance.
“More like pity” he told her. She fought the urge to grin.
“How did it go with your boss?” he asked, and she could hear slight shuffling before the sound of a door closing barely reached her ears. Her nose started turning red from the cold.
“Good. Mr Hwang is back to his usual glower and Uncle Lee’s smile is back. It was honestly weird seeing them so serious and sad. And I missed them but everything’s okay now” she assured.
“I’m glad.” He resolved.
”And you? Where’s Hyeon-ju and Woo-jin, I doubt they’ve left you to your own devises so soon.”
“I managed to sneak away. Those two are trying to wring each other’s necks. I think she might actually kill him” he said lightly.
“I’d honestly pay to see that. Woo-jin’s like a cockroach, he is difficult to rid off” she said, smirking when she heard his snort and amused reply.
“I’m going to tell him you compared him to a cockroach” Geon-woo mused and Nari groaned dramatically.
“Please don’t, he might actually cry and hate me forever” Geon-woo’s laugh caused her to pause in her step. Her already bright smile grew.
“Fine, I won’t. It might actually break the poor man” he said.
“Most definitely” she agreed.
“Where are you currently?” he asked after a beat while Nari turned down another street. “Picking up my brother” she answered.
”Alone?” he asked, a hint of worry in his tone.
”Uh, yes. Don’t worry I’ve got it covered.” She said before pausing, a wicked smirk tugging at her features. “Are you worried for me, Kim Geon-woo?”
She didn’t hear his reply at first, but she could almost see his flustered expression and bright red ears. ” No, maybe, yes. Um, it’s not really safe, Uh I- “
“It’s quite alright Geon-woo, I’m almost there anyway, it’s right in front of me actually. All safe and sound. You don’t need to worry” she assured, chuckling lightly.
“Right‘” he coughed. ” There’s something I actually want to tell you. Hyeon-ju was informing us about her mission, with the ID thieves and how Kim Jun-min is connected to this. You remember him right, the one with glasses. ”ย Of course she did, she couldn’t forget any of them even if she tried.ย “She has Woo-jin and I joining her stakeout tonight, to prove our worth apparently. I think this is our chance Nari”
She could hear the hope in his tone, the slight excitement yet nervousness in his voice. ” You guys got this, just listen to her and it will all go smoothly. Hyeon-ju is a big softie under all that black, she just gets really passionate sometimes and kind of gets blindsided by these things. This is the closest she’s ever gotten to something like this. Don’t screw it up”
“Reassuring” he teased. “Can’t be as bad as last time”
“Last time?” she asked confuse. Pacing outside the Park’s residence, she shot Mrs Park a message and waited outside for them.
“I realised I’d met Hyeon-ju before, she tased me for getting in her way of one of her ‘missions’, air quote” he said.
“Did you just say air quote” she laughed before furrowing. “Also tased as in tased tased. You got tased?”
“Yes, and I would definitely not recommend it.” He said in jest.
“Wow, I didn’t know that” she remarked.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me Nari” he mused and Nari shuffled her feet, suddenly weary. Her reply was unintelligible.
“What was that?” Geon-woo asked, perking up slightly and it was Nari’s turn to flush deeply. What was she doing?
“I said I’d like to though”
The silence that followed was gut wrenching. Nari wished the words never had never left her lips and that the ground would swallow her whole. The words tumbled from her lips quicker than she could stomp it onto the tar road, bury it six feet deep and hope it never resurfaced again. Was she flirting? With Kim Geon-woo no less. Mrs Yoon’s son. May the lord take her then and there. She winced, going to apologise and end the call and probably throw herself into the Han River but his reply caused the thudding in her brain to suddenly come to a standstill.
“You would?” his voice was soft and Nari couldn’t find it in herself anymore to withdraw her words, so she just went with it. She had already made her bed, may as well lie in it.
”Yeah, I would” she breathed out in confirmation.
“I‘d like to get to know you too” he said just as breathlessly and Nari felt herself stumble into a bush. Grabbing the ledge her legs felt like caving in. Did he really just say that. Is Kim Geon-woo flirting? Back at her none the less. Nari felt a flurry of butterflies in her chest, suddenly feeling a new hope in her. She beamed.
“You would” she grinned.
“Yeah, I would” came his reply and Nari had to slam her hand to her mouth to hide her giggles. This felt like a silly high school crush, something she hadn’t felt…well since high school. What had gotten into her. Sure, Geon-woo was more than attractive and not just in his looks, it was in his smile, his eyes, the moles on his face, his gentle nature, kind demeanour. He was beautiful. She couldn’t lie and say she was not attracted to him, but she would rather die than admit that allowed much less to him. But something had definitely shifted between them and Nari hoped, deep down, it was for the better.
“I may know a place, a cafรฉ. It’s very lovely and I may know the owner and her son” she teased and his chuckle was blithe.
“Really now.” He mused back.
“Yeah, it may be under renovation right now but they’ll still have us. I know how to pull a few strings plus the owner, and I are basically besties. I love her. “
“You have to show me sometime. ” he said back just as teasingly.
“Oh, I will. You’ll love it, her lattes are to die for” she hummed.
“I’ll look forward to it” he said, his tone just as amused. Their grins were equal in size.
She faintly heard his name being called and Nari found herself disappointed to know he had to go. She was quite enjoying their back and forth of flirting? If anything. It was so unbecoming of her but she enjoyed it, and she was certain he did too considering how hesitant he was in his ask.
“We’re leaving now for the mall. Wish us luck and message me when you’re home. It would put me at ease” he said and Nari didn’t bother to hide her smile, not even when the door opened and Nam-gi came barrelling towards her, Jihoon at his heels and Mrs Park trailing behind them with scolds of caution.
“I will, and good luck. Hyeon-ju can be a tough critique” she said before ending the call, pocketing her phone and scooping her bother into her arms.
“I hope you had a good time” she said, tugging his hair before reaching over to do the same to Jihoon. They both squealed in protest. Keeping her brother close, tucked under her wing, she gave Mrs Park an appreciative smile.
“I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.” She said as Mrs Park waved her hand dismissively, tugging at Jihoon’s collar. The two of them together were a chaotic mess and Nari felt sympatric having to always leave her brother with her while their father remained absent in their life and Nari had work. But Mrs Park was an angel and never expected anything from Nari. She loved the woman dearly.
”It was no problem as usual Nari dear. Bless him, he’s been so helpful lately especially with Sera.” Sera was Jihoon’s little sister at age two who was a bubbly ray of sunshine but a handful judging by Mrs Park’s heavy eyebags.
“She’s growing by the day ” Nari said, smiling when she saw the baby by the door, catching Mrs Park’s attention she turned in panic. “Sera baby, you can’t come out here” she said, scooping the child in her arms.
”I best be heading home, thank you for looking after him Mrs Park” Nari said gratefully, the womanย merely smiled affectionately.
”He’s always welcome here Nari and so are you. Do come visit yeah. For tea, it’s been a while since we’ve had a nice chat.”
“Will do Mrs Park”
The boys waved goodbye and they were enroute back home.
The walk wasn’t long, and soon they were back in the apartment, the atmosphere as cold and unappealing as outside. Her father was not in the living room when they entered, assuming he had retired to bed early, Nam-gi rushed through the door and threw himself onto the sofa.
“I see someone had fun today” she said, shrugging off her jacket and draping it across the table.
”Jihoon showed me this new game he got. It’s so wicked. Two people can play it at the same time. We should get it. Everyone in school has it” he exclaimed excitedly, bouncing on the couch.
Nari felt a sharp pain at his words. It was no doubt they weren’t the best off, Nari being the only bread winner and most of her earnings being split between rent, fees and paying back Mr Choi. She couldn’t afford the luxuries, much less the state of the art, new games kids Nam-gi’sย age raved about. It broke her heart,truly. That she could not provide for him the way she would’ve liked to. She may be keeping them afloat but Nam-gi was being robbed of everything a kid his age deserved.
“Maybe for your birthday” she choked down, a hundred ways of saving filling her mind but his grin was worth it. She made a bowl of popcorn before joining him on the couch. “So why don’t you tell me more about this game?” she said and Nam-gi was quick to dive into a long-winded origin story of the game.
Nari listened, before her eyes lifted, trailing to the closed bedroom door that remained firmly latched. A heavy feeling of sorrow burdened her chest.ย ย
I feel like an updating spree๐ซ
[text_hash] => fbcf4baf
)