“Are you sure about this?” Lin asked for the tenth time since Kon told him of his plans.
“Yes, I am. There is no choice for me apart from that, Lin. He has been silent for two weeks, Lin. And I think he has Something planned.”
“But what if he has let you off the hook for real, Kon? It's possible.”
“With the devil? It's not. I don't think he's one to let a person off the hook just like that.” Kon rose from the chair he was sitting on, “I've made up my mind, Lin. I don't think I can keep running from him.
He owns this place, Lin. I can't escape, even if that's what I want.”
“So, you have decided? Can't I change your mind?”
“I'm sorry, but you can't.” Kon took his bag from the bench, “this is the only way to protect you and those at the bar.” He turned to go.
“Kon, wait!” Lin held his arm. “Please don't go, Kon. I can't—”
“It's the only way, Lin.” Kon removed Lin's hand from his, “don't worry, I will be safe. I've always been.”
“I know you have, Kon.” Lin touched his face, “you have always been safe. But—” A tear slid from his eyes. “I sense that you are doing this for my sake, Kon. You—”
“It's not for your sake, Lin. I'm doing this for my family. If only they never accumulated debts, I wouldn't be here.”
“But—”
“Don't cry, it's not worth your tears.” Kon slowly wiped Lin's tears, “don't cry, Lin. It will make me feel so bad.”
“Will it be too much to ask you to change your mind?” He hopefully asked, with his hands joined, and his eyes furiously blinking.
“Yes, it will.” Kon forced a smile, “don't worry about me, Lin. I will be fine. I've always been fine.”
******
The devil threw his phone to the wall, and it broke into innumerable pieces.
“Fuck!” He hit his palms on the table.
“Calm down, it might not be what it seems.” The scorpion tried to calm him down.
“What?” The devil angrily strode towards Scorpion, “what did you just say?”
“Nothing, I—”
“What did you just say?” The devil growled at Scorpion. “What did you say now? Don't you dare tell me it's nothing?”
“I said it might not be what it looks like. Maybe—”
The sound of a resounding was the next sound that filled the room as the devil's palm connected with the scorpion's cheeks.
“How can you say it's not what it looks when he was kissing the so-called friend?”
“I'm sorry,” the scorpion bowed.
He tried not to voice his answer to the devil's question since that will only enrage the devil.
It doesn't seem like Kon was kissing the boy he was caught in a picture with.
But there was no way he could get the devil to understand that.
“You shouldn't be! How can you—"?
A knock on the door interrupted him.
“Who is that fool?” The devil growled.
“Come in,” Scorpion said in a more understandable voice.
A guard entered.
“Forgive me, sir, for—”
“Why are you here?” The devil asked as he walked back to where he was sitting.
The guard swallowed, already knowing what might be his fate should his message not please the devil.
His gun isn't far from him at times like this.
“There is a boy out there looking for you. He said—”
“Which boy?” The devil hastily rose from his cushion before he realized what he just did.
He coughed and sat back on his cushion. “Who is the boy?” He asked in a less excited voice.
“The same one you asked us to follow. He's—”
“Why didn't you let them in?” The devil narrowed his eyes to slits.
“Sir, I—”
“Let him in!”
“Yes, sir!” The man hurriedly left the room, glad the devil did nothing to him.
“Should I leave?” The scorpion slowly asked, afraid to spook the devil.
“Why not? Do you have anything you want to talk about?” The devil snapped at him.
For a moment there, his mind was occupied with thoughts of Kon that he forgot he was with someone else in the room.
“No, sir, I will take my leave.” Scorpion bowed to the devil before he left the room, limping from the wound the devil gave him the day before, for not properly doing a task.
He gently closed the door behind him, before he heaved in relief.
Any time in the devil's presence can be quite intense.
You don't know when he might flip and kill someone.
The scorpion straightened his clothes before he walked towards the store, to check on the recent toys they got.
The devil sat down on the cushion.
With his back to the door, he tried to act normal.
If you don't know better, you would have thought the devil has been that way since he came in.
The guard knocked on the door while Kon patiently waited by the side.
“Come in,” the devil called out a minute after the knock came.
The guard entered, and Kon followed.
“He's here, sir,” he bowed to the devil.
“You may leave.”
“Okay sir,” he bowed once more before he left Kon in the Lion's den, to face off the devil, alone.
The devil didn't say a word. He crossed his right leg over his left, and placed his left hand on his thighs, taking a normal pose.
The entire place was so quiet, you can hear an ant moving about, had there been an ant around.
“Hi,” Kon breathed out.
The devil didn't reply.
He kept his back to Kon and acted as if he doesn't know there was someone behind him.
Though the devil was happy to know Kon came to him on his own, he can't help the thoughts running through his mind, concerning the picture he saw, not too long ago.
Kon took a deep, steady breath before he tried once more, to get the devil's attention.
“Good day," he tried to sound civil.