The events which transpired in the past hour were still fresh in my head.
The professor's voice kept ringing in my ears, making me shiver with a lot of disgust. I never would have thought that he was a perv. Or even gay?
One thing was clear tho. He and Rowoon would be the ideal besties, sharing their sadistic desires and hobbies together along with their lustful philosophies. Urgg why was my life filled with such jerks? Maybe I was cursed. Yup that should be it and I should definitely skip my next traditional poetry classes and ask Sunwoo to take notes for me. Now I had to stay away from Mr. Kim as well. Hahaha! What a life indeed.
"Yo! This hotel is super glam y'all! I'm so glad that we finally got to come here," Jisoo hummed while hugging my arm. I couldn't pay much attention to the hotel or to anything else. My mind was still locked up elsewhere. My new professor was certainly a part of it.
"Bae Bae, is something wrong? Hon you know you can share anything with us," Jisoo said while hugging my arm tightly. Eunbi was holding onto my other arm and she too tried to examine my face with concern.
"Oh No no I was thinking of some other things but they don't matter. What matters is us spending some quality time together like we used to...you know before you two became so crazy about idols."
"Hold on a sec. Is that stalker bothering you again? Is that why you look gloomy today? Let me know this instant and I will show that dude a taste of my mighty fist," Jisoo pretended to act like she was punching someone in the face.
"Nope, he hasn't bothered me. I think he has found a new target or something," I giggled and walked after the waiter, Jisoo, and Eunbi by my side. The waiter showed us our table with a polite smile and helped us get seated on the fancy chairs. "Hope you'll enjoy the dinner, sir," he said to me before returning back to his other tasks.
"Hope you'll enjoy the dinner sir--- Omg! He was obviously checking you out Yunseo! He's so hot too. Wow! what a catch," Jisoo clapped her hands while shaking her head like a proud aunt.
"He was not checking me out okay? I'm not a hot chick like you two. I'm a boy so please acknowledge my manliness."
"Well, why did he tell you to enjoy your dinner instead of us and why did he look at you like you were a dreamy picture? I mean no offense but you are very beautiful. I think you are prettier than both of us," Eunbi said with a smile lighting up her whole face like the Cheshire cat.
"I am not beautiful."
"Oh please, you look just like your mother Bae Bae, and she was so beautiful. And you have your father's kind heart. What a beautiful combination. That's what makes you so lovable you know."
"Um then thank you for the compliment? Oh and I also have my dad's abs" I said with a smile.
We all smiled at each other and started to talk about how our day was, occasionally taking a sip of wine to give some taste to our dry mouths.
"Ooh that reminds me, how was your new professor? Kim Juyeon? I'm warning you Bae Bae, just keep your distance from him. He's bad news," Eunbi narrowed her eyes and poked my shoulder.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot that Mr. Kim was an ex-idol singer and Jisoo and Eunbi probably knew his whole profile.
I had to use this opportunity to learn a bit about his past as safety proportions.
"You know anything about him?" I asked in an innocent tone so that the two girls might not find anything suspicious about me.
"We don't know much about him but everybody thinks he's part of a mafia gang. He's like the successor of this powerful mafia group and he's probably very cruel. Oh and he's gay so be careful. Just one look at you will send the man running to you with a bouquet of roses."
Jisoo's words took me by surprise. I was drinking my glass of wine and I choked on it, spilling wine all over my shirt and face. The professor did actually give me a rose. Thinking back to that situation along with the coincidence of Jisoo's words made me cough nonstop. I was wheezing and trying hard to breathe properly.
"Jeez, what's wrong? Here take this napkin Yunseo. Are you okay?" Jisoo tried to clean my face with her napkin while Eunbi tried to clean the front of my shirt. I almost screamed at her saying 'Of course, I am not okay!' but I ended up saying I was fine. Classic me.
"Yeah I gotta use the bathroom and try to wash this stain off or it's gonna ruin my shirt," I said while standing up. I gave the two girls a quick smile before heading toward the bathroom. I hoped that they didn't see my nerve-stricken face or else it would be obvious that I was hiding something from them. I didn't want them to see even a glimpse of the chaotic lifestyle I was forced to bear. Nor did I want to drag them into any of this madness.
. . .
It took me way too long to find the bathroom but when I did, I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that I was the only one there hence I decided to take my time cleaning the shirt. I turned on the tap and splashed some water onto the front of my shirt. I tried to rub the wet spot with my fingers but it was no use. The wine stain was still there. "Ha...this is one of my fav shirts. Too bad," I hummed to myself. Nothing was working out in the way I wanted. My life was a mess, and bad luck keeps following me like a curse.
I was staring at my reflection in the mirror, letting my mind sink into the depths of despair when I heard the softest whimper from one of the cubicles.
So I wasn't alone after all.
The sound of whimpering grew louder and there was a lot of moaning and movement. I figured that there were two people in the cubicle...probably making out. That was so gross. This wasn't a club and why couldn't they behave properly instead of showing off their carnal pleasures?
"Ah! Master Rowoon! Not now! We can't do this here...please...ah---"
Now, wait a damn minute! Did I hear that right or was I hearing weird stuff in my head? I definitely heard the name Rowoon but it could not be him. Definitely not him...it was probably another Rowoon. I mean how many Rowoons are there in our country... Answer: so so many Me: I'm safe Danger: zero.
"Hehe stupid me. Very very funny Yunseo. You're a funny fellow," I whispered to myself while patting my chest.
"Stop it--" a soft voice announced urgently and the door of the cubicle flew open.
The couple who came out of the cubicle froze when they saw me.
I nearly screamed when I saw who the fuck it was.
Lee Rowoon. Shiiiiit!!!!
Lee Rowoon had some guy who looked very skinny and pale hugging his waist. This other guy was dressed in a sexy style while Rowoon was dressed in a cool red and black tuxedo, his hair slicked back and his wrist covered by a fancy silver watch. I'd planned to ask them calmly for their explicit consent to leave, thinking that they were a couple of strangers. But all thoughts escaped me when I saw just how scary Rowoon's dazed expression was.
I wanted to punch him straight in the face. I wanted to yell at him with every cuss word I could think of, but I restrained myself. Part of the reason why I restrained myself was because I was a little bit relieved. It seemed that Rowoon has found somebody. This skinny guy could be his lover or his victim or I don't know what. But it meant that I was free and Rowoon has grown tired of me. He has found somebody else...maybe he has fallen in love with him!
Oh goody goody! I wanted to yell and jump in joy but I couldn't of course...so instead, I smiled goofily and bowed clumsily. "I'm so sorry for disturbing you. Um, I will leave so please continue what you were doing. I didn't see anything by the way," I gave a clumsy wave while flashing my signature smile.
"You...who asked you to leave?" Rowoon's angry voice echoed through the bathroom walls. His stern face was a mixture of unreadable expressions. There was no evident surprise or anger in it, nor any signs of excitement. He looked so bored and tired and there were dark circles under his eyes which made him look like a man suffering from exhaustion.
"Do you know him?" the skinny dude asked in a very soft voice. But he was throwing daggers at me with his eyes. The way he was glaring at me felt very ridiculous.
"No. I don't know him," Rowoon answered in the calmest tone I have ever heard. His words made me feel very calm as well. I'm telling y'all, this was my ticket to freedom.
"Yes. See I don't know him too. Now, why would I know him? I have never seen him in my whole life," I gave the sneakiest grin.
"Ohhh that's so good. Master Rowoon, shall we continue then? I was feeling a little shy," the skinny guy hugged Rowoon's waist and looked up at him erotically.
Oh dear, my eyes would definitely fall out of their sockets if I stayed here any longer. So I had to get away asap. I was deciding to just sprint out of the bathroom, when a tall man marched right in, blocking my path to walk away.
Talk about bad timing. This was the perfect definition.
"Aren't you joining the meeting? Your clan members think that you have run away and honestly, I don't think you're fit to be their future leader. You're turbulent and so engrossed in yourself," the tall stranger spoke very sarcastically, smiling at Rowoon in a way that said 'I'm about to screw your whole game.'
Well, screw this day! When I thought that this stupid day could not get any worse, it turned up to be the mother of all nightmares!
The tall dude who decided to somehow block the grand entrance to this frickin bathroom was my professor Mr. Kim Juyeon!
Aw, come on bad luck-stop messing with my poor life!
"Huh? Hoodie? Why are you..." Mr. Kim looked very speechless. He too was dressed in a smart tuxedo but it was white. His whole image was the opposite color of Rowoon. While Rowoon was all black, red, and grey, Mr. Kim was white, silver and ember. They were like the kings of two opposite sides of a chess game.
"You shouldn't be here. It's dangerous," was all Mr. Kim said before he grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the door.
"Stop! You know him, Kim?" Rowoon's words were more than just a question. There was a lot of fury hiding in it.
Mr. Kim stopped.
"Yes. He's my student and I figured out that you should be 'HIM'. It would be wise of you to stay away from my student before somebody sends an assassin to kill him."
"Oh, and you're telling me that you're not dangerous at all? The young master of the Arkius Clan. You're famous for your deadly ways."
"And what about you Mr. Lee? The soon-to-be head of the Xanderra Clan. A man who decides to kill his allies before coming to a certain agreement."
Rowoon and Mr. Kim were playing a staring contest with each other, pure anger burning in their eyes. I didn't understand what they were talking about. All this discussion of clans and their weird names was making me feel a bit tipsy with fear. Were they really part of the mafia? If so, was I standing in the middle of two dominant members of two powerful clans? Both of them did look like two opposite sides of a chess game and they both had tattoos swirling on their skin.
How on earth did I get sucked up into the black hole of the mafia underworld?
None of this could be real. I didn't want it to be real...I wanted it to be a hallucination caused by the bitter wine I was drinking.
Seeing that Rowoon and Mr. Kim were too busy with their staring contest, I took this opportunity to break free from Mr. Kim's grip, and ran out of the bathroom.
I dashed through the twisted hallways of the hotel and was finally able to find the kitchen. The chefs and waiters looked at me with very horrified expressions but I didn't wait to answer any of their questioning faces.
I grabbed the arm of a waiter and asked him for directions to the back door. And so he led me towards the back door which was located at the far end of the kitchen. I pushed past all the kitchen staff and leaped out of the door.
The cold night air embraced me in a rush, filling me with frosty nostalgic feelings. I didn't have time to ponder over the icy sensation because I had to get away from this hotel as soon as possible. So I bolted like a maniac. I bolted through the streets, somehow following the route to my new apartment.
I don't understand why I didn't use a taxi or why I ran like I was in a marathon. Adrenaline pumped through my veins in a way that said I was in danger. I couldn't stop my legs from running, I couldn't stop myself from breathing hard and feeling scared, and I couldn't even stop my mind from filling up with anxious thoughts.
I was clueless as to why I didn't tell my friends I was leaving or tell them that I was in a very messed up situation. Was I so weak? Or was I being a dick?
An aching fear hung heavily on my chest, conquering my whole body with every step that I took. I forced myself to stop running because I was getting nearer to my apartment building. But walking slower did no good. It only made me realize that ever since I met Rowoon, my life has been a series of me running away from danger.
Ever since hurricane Rowoon crashed into my life, everything has been a tempestuous hazard.
Did he and Mr. Kim really belong to the mafia world? Could it be that I was just overthinking?...
I started to contemplate the past events while walking along the Sulyeon bridge, lost in my thoughts and unable to find any light to brighten up my dreary mind.
Vroom vroom...
The sound of a motorbike reached my ears, snapping me back into actuality. I was so astounded by the sound that I didn't notice the bike passing me by with so much speed. The bike did a quick boomerang turn and stopped in front of me. The rider of the bike wasn't wearing a helmet. He had sandy hair and there was a claw mark spreading across his right cheek. His eyes were an angry ember shade and the scowl on his face made them look very feral. His overall image resembled an angry cheetah.
I hated dealing with problems right now. I had more than enough problems in my life. Maybe I should just curse at him for disrupting my walk. I know a good word or two.
"You piece of tra..." my words died down in my throat when the feral rider took out a gun from his belt.
I was utterly shocked to the point where I couldn't speak or move. Was this how my life would end? I never knew my fate will be so cursed and so bloody.
"You're acquainted with Mr. Lee. You must die right here, right now," the rider said as he pointed the gun straight at my head.