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At the funeral, all is bleak. Yoon Ji Woo's father — her only living relative that she wasn't even close to — has left her. Permanently, this time. Eyes still on the potraiat of the smiling man, she slumps against the wall. The kindly old lady who lived above them was seated next to her but was beginning to nod off. Careful not to wake up, Ji Woo picks up her skirt and shuffles closer to the altar.
What now, Appa?
She almost hopes this was a cruel prank. Maybe next year, another cake would find its way to their doorstep. She would cry because it was too heavy to lift. Then, as if her appa sensed it, he would call.
He would not leave her. He was neglectful, but he wasn't a bad father. Just...an absent one.
She feels the prick of tears and look away.
She could not cry anymore. There was no sympathy for adults. She'd heard the old lady mention it before. Talking to herself in the bathroom, she had mentioned Ji Woo was an orphan and had to grow up quickly. An adult Ji Woo thinks. She didn't want to be an adult. The tears start to fall, and they don't stop.
Ji Woo assumes that he is the boss. Decked out in an ironed suit with a beard and an entourage behind him, he must be from appa's gang. She takes a step back, nearly tripping over the hem of her hanbok, as the group surges forward to pay their respects. She wishes that the old lady had not left to fetch her grandson from school.
When they rise from a bow, the men leave with the exception of the boss. He takes a step toward her, then another until he is a tree that looms over the worm on the ground.
She says nothing as he sits himself on the ground, now reaching her eye level.
"Ji Woo." He says, testing the syllables on his tongue.
She can't seem to speak, but can't remember exactly why. Was she not allowed to talk to appa's friends, or the police? Was he even appa's friend?
"I will make this offer only once - join me. I'll take you in."
"Are you my appa's friend?"
"If I say yes, will you refuse?"
"I saw a man." She starts to cry again. "He was at the door then appa fell down."
His lips pull into a thin line. "Ji Woo, forget about that."
"Why?"
"I'll settle it, so come with me." Is all he says.
Ji Woo looks at the entrance of the funeral hall. It was already five in the afternoon, the old lady should be back. Why wasn't she here yet? Nervous, she faces the domineering man once more. He is stoic, eyes dark and an expression of something like anger etched onto his features. She shrinks away.
Appa, what should I do?
Mu Jin was unsurprised that the girl sat in the passenger seat, driven to the gym. What he wanted, he got. And what he desperately needed after his murder, was absolution. Oh and more revenge. As broken as he might have been, the betrayal left him filled with a simmering rage that threatened to claw through his heart. So of course, he would feed it.
With the promise of helping her avenge her father, he had gotten Ji Woo to agree. No, not Ji Woo anymore — Hye Jin. Choi Hye Jin was her name now. He would take her in, make her a core member of dongcheon. Let her roam among the wolves her father fought to shield her from.
Choi Hye Jin he mused. Yes, This was the perfect act of revenge, the most poetic end to an ill-fated friendship.
Ji Woo does not stop thinking of her father. She cannot, when the Chairman (as he introduced himself) brought her to the gym besides the water. Once upon a time, her father had promised they would live by the sea. She expressed her dreams of a treehouse and a four poster bed, to which he had laughed and said trees in Jeju were too small.
"Come, you will rest here tonight." The chairman tells her, already walking ahead.
Know the men from the bottom, then I will bring you to a place they may never touch you.He had promised.
She doesn't know exactly what it means but "never touch you" sounded like he was protecting her. He also said that he would help her appa find the bad man who hurt him. Choi Mu Jin was a friend, then.
Clamouring out from the car, she quickens her pace so she is not more than an arm's length behind him. The night was planned to go as follows: introduction, accomodation, abandonment.
Simple as that.
When they enter the gym, it was a gym then, Ji Woo experiences a rush of panic. It surges through her body in the form of ice cold needles that twist her nerves into a painful knot. He saunters forward and calls for attention, sending men pouring out from the cracks and corners of the building. There were men of all builds, tall and skinny, with hair bleached, others tattooed heavily, some with piercings, others the size of a mountain, others ruggedly handsome. She pictures her father's face among them.
Was he a good fit? But he was so much nicer than the leering men.
"This girl," Mu Jin declares, one hand on her shoulder, "is under my protection. Tae Ju will bring her to Liber soon. For now, she will stay here."
It seems as though the one called Tae Ju has his reservations but knows better than to voice opposition. Silently, he nods and extends a hand away from them.
"Please follow me, aghassi."
Aghassi?
She decides to stand her ground. Planting her feet firmly, she turns to Mu Jin. Unfortunately, he speaks first.
"Are you going to fight me?"
She blinks. "Do I have to? Why?"
He looks like he's going to cry, but she suspects it's not because of her. Mr Tae Ju? Or her appa?
"Tae Ju." He says. "See to her."
Then he leaves. Leaves her with a million questions, million men, and feeling worser than ever. She squares her shoulders and uproot her feet, hurrying after Tae Ju who has already snatched the duffel bag from her hands.
Then make their way to a dim corner of the building, towards a room within which a man is packing some clothes. Her appa told her not to speak to strangers. Having already broken the rule, she decides against breaking it a second time. Instead of greeting him when he says 'hello', she shys away and looks at her feet.
The man looks upset, rolling his eyes and pushing past her with his things. For a moment, her feelings are hurt. She hadn't meant to be mean.
"You will be resting here for the next few days aghassi." He tells her, expressionless.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a sleek mobile phone. Handing it to her, he taps the screen and makes a 'call me' gesture with his other hand.
"If there's any trouble, the chairman's number is already saved."
Without another word, he sets her duffel on the concrete and takes his leave, shutting the door behind him.
For a moment (many moments), she doesn't know what to do. Too confused to even cry, she climbs onto the sweat stained bed and pulls her knees up to her chest.
"Appa," she whispers, as she always does. "I'm hungry."
He doesn't answer.
A big girl now, she doesn't even feel the urge to cry anymore. Instead, she flops onto the mattress and stretches out her limbs.
"Appa, goodnight."
At the age of ten, Ji Woo (she still thinks of herself as such) deems it unacceptable to wake up in cold sweat because of a nightmare. She thinks it all the more unacceptable that she's rising from the king sized bed and tiptoeing to the bathroom with the phone flashlight on, instead of turning on the lights.
But she was too afraid to turn over and confront the urn that stood on her right.
So she tiptoes instead. Like a coward.
As it turns out, there were better ways to walk. On edge, her pale reflection in the mirror sends her shrieking and slipping on the rug. She slams onto the cold marble where she lies, aching and embarrassed. Accepting her fate, she remains where she is and gazes up at the ceiling, picturing the stars of her lamp. The precious lamp had been confiscated after she had tried to run away -- the chairman knew how to keep people by his side.
Contemplating between going back to her nightmares or confronting the fearsome man who slept in the room adjoint to hers, she decides to take her chances with the latter. Picking herself off the ground, she leaves her flashlight where it is and marches into the corridor.
As she walks over to his suite, she wonders how upset he would be if woken up at three in the morning. Then, she thinks of the lamp, and realises that she doesn't care about his sleep. She knocks on the door three times exactly, and without waiting for his reply, throws open his double doors and stroll into the room.
As she rounds the corner, he pushes himself off the bed to sit upright. She bites back a laugh at his disheleved, casual appearance. The bed head, bleary eyes (that were getting angrier), and the v-neck. He doesn't look like himself.
"What is it?" He snaps, running a palm over his face.
"I want my lamp back." She demands.
He scoffs and throws back the sheets. "The lamp," he says, walking over to grab a bottle of water, "is not with me."
She has to resist the urge not to burst into tears right then and there. "You said you wouldn't throw it away."
"I didn't."
Hope renewed, she trots forward and tugs insistently on his shirt. "Give it back then."
He leans down to meet her eye-to-eye. "One more word, and you never get it back." Then he yanks the fabric out of her fingers.
Unwilling to let him go that easily, she lunges forward to grab it again. "I'll give you something else for it."
Truly amused now, he lets out a gruff chuckle and crosses his arm. "What can you give?"
"Take my appa's urn, just for now." She says. "You said he was your friend, don't you want to see him? Let's make a temporary switch."
There, that look again on his face. The one he makes where he looks like he's about to implode or explode, or cry. She takes it as a good sign.
"Forget it."
"You can keep it for—"
"Choi Hye Jin." He says sharply. "Don't you have school tomorrow?"
"But I had a..." She trails off, unwilling to let him learn of her weaknesses.
He takes a deep breath and exhales. "Are you on your period?"
She frowns. "My what?"
"I suppose not." He mumbles, reddening at the ears.
Her frown deepens.Was a period an embarrassing thing? She decided that if he had such secrets, there was no problem sharing a small one of her own.
Gleefully, she clambers onto his bed (which he tries to stop) and stands at the edge of the mattress. Gesturing him closer, she cups her hands around her mouth.
"I dreamt of appa." She whispers. "So I got scared."
If he is surprised at the confession, he doesn't show it. Instead, he picks up her and sets her on the ground. Guiding her by the shoulders, he nudges her towards the direction of his closet.
"There's a couch inside, sleep there instead. I won't give the lamp back or take the urn, but you can sleep here tonight." He tells her. "Only, tonight."
Proud of herself for striking her first deal with the chairman, she extends a hand and tells him to shake it. He bats it away and climbs back into his own bed, then makes her leave within five counts.
"Fine." She grumbles, stomping away at number 'three'.
"Turn off the lights." He reminds.
"You do it yourself."
Throwing herself on the plush velvet, she reflects on the deal she made. Was it a good deal? Perhaps not. But it was a start. Satisfied with herself nonetheless, and the nightmare put behind her, she snuggles against the cushion.
Tomorrow will be better she promises herself. Tomorrow, she tries to take back her lamp again. This time, she would start by digging through his closet.
Private school did not sit right with Hye Jin it would seem, and this was costing Mu Jin.
He had spent the blood of men to forge a birth certificate, passport, school credentials, and bought private school essentials (a designer backpack and polished mary-jane heels). Yet here the seventeen year old stood once more in his office failing science again.
A-fucking-gain.
"Hye Jin," he starts, a scream threatening to erupt from his throat. "I can't keep bribing your teachers."
She shifts her weight so that she's leaning on one foot. He almost yearns to cut it off.
"Everyone else failed." She simply says.
"Because you're in the worst class."
"I'm not doing science in the future."
"You're not becoming a gangster."
"I'll be a police officer."
He wants to slap her. Maybe he should. He did it once before when she nearly castrated Do Gangjae. Granted, Gangjae was in the wrong, but punishment was his to give out. She could not touch his men. Neither should they touch her he reminds himself. Except he's too pissed to dwell on that.
"Chairman, I can do it." She swears, taking a step towards him. "You haven't found the killer yet, and the police are on you. If I'm inside, I can help with both."
He holds up a hand and gestures for Tae Ju to leave.
Tae Ju... the ever silent, ever loyal right hand man that loathed Hye Jin, loathed him for taking her in. Yet he drove her to Shin Hwa Academy, spoke to her bullies, handpicked bodyguards for her. He was also present always, standing in a corner as Mu Jin and the girl spoke (argued). Like it or not, Tae Ju was as involved with Hye Jin as Mu Jin was.
Not now though. What he was about to say would irk the man he hoped not to hurt. Thankfully, Tae Ju obliges.
Maybe he says it out of rage, but he offers to bring her to the gym.
"Tomorrow," he decides, "fight one of my men tomorrow and win."
"The police academy." She insists. "You'll let me go there."
"I'll close an eye to you failing chemistry."
"The academy."
Her eyes remained locked on his — something she did so easily. To stare into the eyes of men and never backing down...this would serve her well in Dongcheon.
He doesn't back down either. Propping himself up on his elbows, he leans forward.
"If you do well, I'll personally train you."
"Deal."
As a girl and dressed head-to-toe in a maroon skirt, cashmere vest, and with a satin bow holding her waist long hair back, Hye Jin has never been more out of place. Her guards were flanked at her side, having driven her from school.
Mu Jin dismisses them and grabs her elbow and leads her to a leather couch placed strategically before the ring.
The men eye her warily, most of them having never seen or heard of her before. No doubt they were questioning if she was his daughter or slut. To her guards, they offered terse greetings.
He would kill them if they weren't his men.
The big fights were done periodically, but this one was especially significant for everyone. Besides the winner being promoted up the ranks, this time, Hye Jin's dreams would finally be crushed. Truth be told, he was sick of her persistence. Fights were bloody and if she wanted to be an officer so badly, he'd let her have a taste of it.
"I'm sure you all know my daughter by now." Mu Jin says. "She'll be joining us today, so focus up."
There is a chorus of 'yes sirs' and from the corner of his eye, he notices Hye Jin watch him curiously. He rarely made her presence known after all.
He can almost taste victory. It makes him crave the spread of alcohol of the table.
"Can I have one?"
He turns to look at Hye Jin whose eyes are on the glass bottles. For a moment, he thinks of chastising her. Then, he realises how the liquor would weaken her. Desperate for her to lose in front of everyone, he chooses the whisky and pours her half a glass.
"Drink up." He says, leaning back into the leather couch.
She downs it in one go, winces, and runs a tongue over her mouth.
"Good?"
"Your soju was better."
"Choi Hye Jin." He grits out. "Did you take my alcohol?"
"You were the one who didn't notice it was gone."
He looks away, hoping to quash the irritation prickling at every inch of his skin. He feels Tae Ju's gaze on his back, then sees the man move in front of him.
"Should we begin?" He asks quietly.
Mu Jin nods, unable to speak. An atheist, he thanks god anyway for Tae Ju who always knew his needs. Always so aware of when to speak, what to say, when not to argue. The opposite of Hye Jin.
A clink snaps him out of his stupor to notice the brat pour herself another glass. She stills when she notices his gaze on her but pours herself a glass of bourbon anyway.
"Change of plans." He announces. "Hye Jin will fight first."
When the command to begin is shouted, she barely has time to duck from a punch that is thrown at her face. She gasps and veers to the left before taking this opportunity to knee him in the balls. Somehow, it was an unexpected move because the man keels over. Tae Ju has never been more disappointed by his men. It seems that underestimated her. A stupid thing to do.
She glances over at Mu Jin and smirks? With great worry, he looks at his boss who, already, is regretting staging a one on one fight. Tae Ju groans inwardly. His men should have expected that Choi Mu Jin's daughter had more tricks up her sleeve.
Or more accurately, in her pocket.
Before the man can lunge at her, she whips out a black object and slams it into his temple. Grunting, he staggers, grabbing the now bleeding patch of skin. Without wasting any more time, she aims it at him. It takes everyone awhile to realise that the 'it' is in fact, a gun.
"Don't move." She warns. "I'm willing to shoot you."
"Choi Hye Jin!" Tae Ju shouts. "Put it down."
"I said don't move." She repeats, pressing the barrel to his head.
Tae Jun rushes forward to break them up when Mu Jin remains unmoving, except for the lighting up of his cigarette. Why is Mu Jin so calm he wonders, as he wrangles the glock from her white knuckled hands.
"This is the chairman's man. You cannot kill him." He hisses.
Glaring, she shrugs him off. "I don't plan to go against him, I just want to win."
"This isn't a fair fight."
"No fights are fair."
"Hye Jin ah, Tae Ju ah, enough." Mu Jin orders, coming to stand from the couch.
One hand in his pocket, the other extended, he asks for the gun.
Slowly, Hye Jin lowers the weapon and steps away from the man. The exchange between father and daughter is painfully tense, more so when Mu Jin gets a hold of the gun.
He weighs it in his palm, checking the bullets, safety, pointing it in an open space, then lowering it.
"Did you bribe your guards?" He asks lightly.
Too lightly.
"Yes." She answers.
Too arrogantly.
Tae Ju can see the chaos unravelling already, probably ending with one of them dead.
"Three hours, everday. You start here tomorrow, right after school."
"Really?" She exclaims. "You'll train me?"
"That was the deal." He agrees. "But your methods were wrong. Instead," he faces Tae Ju, "he will train you."
He was right. Chaos was unravelling, and if it didn't end with Hye Jin lying on the ground with every bone broken in her body, Tae Ju might just throw himself into the sea.
Instead, he answers, "yes, chairman."
Choi Hye Jin was nervous.
Lying on her back and the Chairman standing over her with a tattoo gun, she felt as if she was about to be tortured. As she had learnt to however, she trusted that he wasn't going to hurt her.
When he promised her fourteen years ago that he would bring her to a place where no one could touch her, he had kept his word. He maimed and banished Gangjae from Dongcheon. He let her be trained. Now, he was ready to let her into the business.
To her surprise, the Chairman had caught her father's killer a year ago, just as she was about to enter the police academy. A disgruntled member of a rival gang that had lost an eye in a fight decided to take his revenge. An eye for a life, for a life, it would seem. He was strung up and tortured, forced to beg her for mercy (as per the chairman's orders) until he was finally killed.
In one swift move. In the dark. Just as her father was.
She smiles at the memory.
"Excited?" The Chairman quips.
She shakes her head. "Grateful."
"Good that you know."
Then, the needle touches her skin, and stroke by stroke, he etches himself into her. Stroke by stroke, she becomes a part of Dongcheon, slipping deeper into the life that her father had tried keep her from.