Chapter 25: Idiot

[Han Kyung’s POV]

I arrived at the harbor with Ryeo Wook, and we scoured the place, looking for the warehouse where my father had taken Sierra to. On our way there, we met up with my father and his entourage.

“Where is she?” I shouted at him. “What did you do to her?”

“Brat!” my father said, and slapped me in the face.

I fell over in shock. It was the first time he’d ever hit me.

“Hyung,” Ryeo Wook called out as he quickly came to help me up.

“Where’s Sierra?” I asked him.

“With her man,” he said.

“What man?” I said.

“You foolish boy. You didn’t even know she had someone else?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Take him with us,” he instructed his men, and they moved forward to grab me.

I fought as hard as I could to fend them off, but they soon wrestled me to the ground. As I lay pinned under at least 2 men, I saw Sierra walking out of the warehouse I’d been searching for. Beside her was Kim Jae Wook, supporting her body with his arm around her. There was blood on her lips, and her face was starting to bruise.

Our eyes met, and I saw her mouth my name, and tried to rush forward, but Kim Jae Wook held her back. There was something different about him. He didn’t look like the boy I’d beaten up last week. There was a big group of men following behind him. How did he managed to gather so many followers within the past few days?

I watched helplessly as my father’s men dragged me away. I could see the concern in Sierra’s eyes, but she wasn’t exactly fighting to come to my rescue. What had happened?

[Jae Wook’s POV]

Music: SHINee - 화장을 하고

“Han Kyung,” Sierra called his name, and tried to rush forward.

He was pinned down to the ground by 2 men. His follower, the punk who beat me up last week, was also pinned down by some men. I tightened my hold around her. I wasn’t going to let her leave me for him again.

“Don’t make things worse for him,” I said softly to Sierra, and she stopped struggling.

We watched as he was dragged away. All this time, his eyes never left me and Sierra, and Sierra’s never left him.

“Kaja,” I said, and we started moving towards my car.

If you’re wondering where all the men came from, my father had provided me with them. He had provided me with enough money and men to start my own gang in Seoul.

“Kwaench’ana?” I asked Sierra as we drove off.

She nodded wordlessly. I knew she was still thinking of Han Kyung. It sickened me that I could not take him off her mind. I thought I’d meant something to her, but now that I’m back, and a brand new person, it didn’t seem to have impressed her one bit.

“He’ll be fine,” I said, just to ease her worries.

Secretly, I wished that his father would teach him a lesson, but if he were to die now, he’d be on Sierra’s mind forever.

“So this is your new profession?” she asked me.

“Sort of,” I smiled. “But I’m still going to school.”

“Do you have time? You’re relatively new,” she said. “You need to work on claiming territories and establishing some sort of business to bring income for your men.”

“My father had branches here in Seoul. All I had to do was to step in and take charge.”

“Easy for you, huh,” she said.

She sounded cold and emotionless. She’d never spoken to me like this in the past 2 weeks we’d known each other. 2 weeks. That was how long since I’d met this girl, and I’ve changed myself and embraced my hateful past for her. Will she appreciate what I did for her?

“I never wanted this life,” I said.

“Then why did you do it?” she asked.

“Why else? For you!” I said.

“I don’t need this,” she said.

“If I hadn’t come back on time, you’d have been dead,” I said, “or suffered a fate worse than death.”

“You’re not the master of my fate,” she said.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked her. “I thought you’d be happy now that we can be together.”

“I hate that you’d sold your beliefs for me,” she said.

“It’s just temporary,” I assured her. “I made a deal with my father. It will only be a year.”

“Will he let you go so easily? After that 1 year?” she asked.

“I won’t allow him to patronize me,” I said.

“Look at Han Kyung,” she said. “He was fighting against his father all this while, but in the end, he still failed.”

“It won’t happen to me,” I insisted. “My father only wants 1 year from me, and it doesn’t even start now. I told him that I wanted to graduate from high school before I served my bond with him.”

“So you’re leaving Seoul after we graduate?”

“As long as you’ll come with me,” I said.

“No…” she said.

“You have till graduation to think about it,” I said. “Let’s not discuss this now.”

“I want nothing to do with you anymore, Kim Jae Wook, Ihara Rui… whatever you are now… I want nothing to do with you,” she said.

She was crying now. She looked so sad and frustrated. Every word that came from her mouth stung me, but I still wanted to hear her voice.

“Uljima,” I said, and reached out to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

“Don’t touch me,” she said, and pushed my hand away.

She covered her face with her hands, and started sobbing. I reached out and pulled her into my arms to hold her. She struggled at first, trying to pull away, but as I held her and gently rubbed her back, she calmed down, and allowed me to hold her.

“Shiro…” she sobbed.

“Saranghae…” I whispered. “Saranghae…”

“Shiro…” she cried.

“Saranghae…” I whispered again.

I pulled away from her, and held her up so that she faced me. I kissed cheeks, tasting the tears she cried. She closed her eyes, and allowed me to continue. I took it as consent, and kissed her lips.

“Saranghae…” I whispered as our lips met.

I knew somewhere inside, she did love me. No matter how much Han Kyung was able to sway her, it was only because she still had feelings for him out of habit. She loved me now, and I was sure of that. In time, she would forget him, and we will be together forever.

[Sierra’s POV]

I loved Han Kyung. Han Kyung was my first true love; the first guy who shared my sorrows and joys, the first guy who held the key to my soul. As much as I played it out as if I’d hated him after we’d broken up, I was never able to erase him from my heart.

I’d always hoped that Han Kyung would be able to break away from his father. I knew it was impossible, but I’d always hoped for it. It seems even more impossible after today.

But I loved Jae Wook too. The truth was that I was intrigued with the person he’d become. I loved him back when he was sweet and sensitive. I loved him back when he was just a normal guy, trying to win the affections of a princess. But now that he’d changed… he’d become a prince for me, I cannot say I wasn’t impressed. But I hated it all the same.

There was truth in why I’d left Han Kyung. I never liked that he had to fight each day of his life. I never liked how he had to coerce and intimidate people all the time to get his way. If Jae Wook had become such a person for my sake, I’d hate myself for it. I didn’t want him to become such a person.

“Saranghae…” he whispered as he kissed me.

The words broke my resistance and softened my stance. The moment he kissed me, I felt weak and helpless. Before this, I always felt in power when with him. Now that our roles had reversed, and he’d become my protector, I felt the natural urge to succumb to him.

I was kissing him back. It was a betrayal to Han Kyung. I promised that I would stay with him, and now I’ve broken that promise. Would he forgive me? Then again, did it matter if he didn’t? His father will never give us his blessings, and he would go to great lengths to eliminate me if he had to, as proven today. I felt as if I’d betrayed him, but I knew there was little I could do to change the situation now.

I was shocked at Jae Wook’s revelation. His father was also a gangster, and he had become one just so he could get me back. I understood why he did it. He’d barely stand a chance against Han Kyung if he wasn’t equal to him. Now that they were on par, it had become almost a fair fight, with Jae Wook having the advantage since he didn’t need anyone’s permission to be with me.

Whatever price Jae Wook had to pay now, it was for me. It wasn’t a life I wanted, but it seems to be my destiny, be it a life with Han Kyung, or a life with Jae Wook.

[Han Kyung’s POV]

My father’s words resonated in my ear. Her man… Kim Jae Wook was her man? Since when?

I’d been locked up in a room for the past hour. It was pitch dark, and musty from the lack of use. I didn’t even bother to open the drapes or turn on the lights.

“Hyung, kwaench’ana?” Ryeo Wook asked me.

He was also thrown into the room with me.

“Kwaench’ana,” I replied.

Ryeo Wook had been my companion for many years. He was my right hand, and my best friend. He’d seen me through everything; how I came to my own power today, and how Sierra had turned my life upside down. He was the truest friend in the sense that he had never reproached me for how I lived my life, and he’d supported me, no matter what I did.

“Ryeo Wook,” I called to him.

“Ne?”

“Am I an idiot?” I asked him.

“Ne?”

“Don’t you find me pathetic?” I asked him. “I’m at my lowest now, and I’m still thinking of her.”

“That’s love,” he replied simply.

“Have you loved like this before?” I asked him.

“Once,” he replied, after a moment of silence.

“And I didn’t even know about it,” I laughed. “Some brother I am.”

“You’ve taken care of me for so long,” Ryeo Wook said. “My love life should be the least of your worries.”

“You’re the one who has been taking care of me,” I said to him.

“I am where I am today because of you,” he said. “I will always support you.”

“Even when I’m being an idiot?” I asked.

“Ne,” he laughed, and I laughed with him.

“Just call me ‘idiot’ for today,” I said.

“Ne…” he replied. “Idiot…”