"My head hurts."
Chae-Yeong muttered as her eyes fluttered open. The environment was strange, and she couldn't recall how she had gotten there; the last thing she remembered was losing consciousness after sniffing a perfume.
"So you are finally awake then," a male voice said from somewhere in front of her. A hand gently cupped her cheek, lifting her to face the owner of the deep voice. "I thought something might have happened since you have been out cold for a while."
"Don't touch me!" Chae Yeong exclaimed as her eyes widened. She tried to move, but her hands were chained to the bedpost, immobilizing her.
"Miss Chae-Yeong, did you really think I wouldn't find out who you really are? You are not really good at hiding your identity." Kim chuckled.
"You bastard!" Chae Yeong snapped, struggling against her restraints once more. Her arms and legs felt weak. She had no idea what kind of drug was added to that perfume he used, but whatever it was, it definitely had an effect on her. "Let me go!" She shouted again when the man didn't reply.
"Stop pulling at your chains, Miss Chae." Kim said sternly, "It's completely useless to do so. You can only pull your bonds off if they are already loose, and that won't happen anytime soon."
"Are you going to kill me?" She asked; it wasn't as if she was scared of dying. As a spy, you need to be ready to accept that death can come at any given time, especially if you are dealing with high-stakes missions or situations where you need to act quickly.
"I should do that because anything that comes from the SRF organization is something I despise." Kim said, leaning forward slightly. "But that won't be right."
"What do you mean?" Chae Yeong raised an eyebrow.
"Let me guess you were sent here to spy on me because of the missing gem." He said it in a mocking tone.
Chae Yeong frowned as she nodded. "Just hand them over."
Kim let out a sharp laugh as he shook his head. "Can I tell you a secret?" He leaned further forward, so their faces were inches apart.
The sudden proximity made her feel like she was going to throw up.
"I don't want to hear your stupid secret." Chae Yeong spat. Her words came out slurred and uneven. It seemed to have taken every bit of strength out of her body.
Kim laughed louder at her retort, making her feel even more nauseous. "Oh, my dear, but you have to hear it. The gems you are looking for are not with me; you have been sent on a wild goose chase."
"What?" Her voice cracked in shock, and then she scowled. "No way."
"There are actually five gemstones, which were family heirlooms that have been passed from generation to generation." Kim leaned back, crossing his arms. His expression looked smug. "It was something that belongs to the Kim family, and when the government found out about its existence, they tried everything to get their hands on it. Eventually, after brainwashing my greedy grandfather, they got it and turned it into a national treasure.
Chae Yeong blinked, still confused. "What are you trying to say? Why is your information different from what I was told? How can the gemstones belong to your family? If it did, then why didn't your family receive any recognition from the government?"
"Because they didn't want to." Kim said it simply. "That is the truth of the matter."
"How can I believe a word that you are saying? Our investigations revealed many facts that proved you have the gemstones."
Kim let out another chuckle. "And what proof is that?" He questioned, tilting his head, his long black hair falling loosely on his shoulders.
Chae Yeong hesitated. She didn't even know what proof her higher-ups had found out."
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Kim mocked.
"I don't know what the proof is, but as long as my higher-ups have said there's proof against you, then that's the only thing that matters." Chae Yeong replied stubbornly, raising her chin as she met his gaze.
"It's cute to see how gullible you truly are." Kim smirked. "Do you know that you work for an organization that is full of lies?"
Chae Yeong glared at him, angry. "How dare you insult the SRF organization?"
"The truth hurts, Miss Chae. That organization is filled with wolves dressed in sheep skin, pretending to be nice and honest."
"Bullshit." She said it defiantly. "The SRF does its best to protect the country from conspiracies, but people like you just insult our efforts."
Kim stared at her silently for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter. "Pardon me, I forgot that dogs are always loyal to their masters," he snickered. "You are like a dog yourself."
"Shut up!" She yelled, feeling anger bubble inside of her.
"Tell me something you claim: you all are doing your best to prevent conspiracies, theories, and other stuff." What about the most important thing that is supposed to be your top priority, ensuring that the child trafficking rate goes down?"
"We are doing the best we can." She said it through gritted teeth.
"Oh really? If that's so, then why is that group known as The Underground ending up saving more children than you guys?"
"I beg your pardon."
"Think about it, Miss Chae." He continued as if she hadn't interrupted him, then a mischevious smile crept upon his face: "I have another secret to share with you too."
"I don't care." Chae Yeong snapped irritably, rolling her eyes at him.
"So much anger, Miss Chae. I will tell you anyway, for fun." He leaned closer, and Chae Yeong could see that his face was a mere inch away from hers.
"I am the head of The Underground Group." His lips curled into a smirk.
"What? You murderer!" Chae Yeong screeched as she tried to get a grip on her bonds once more, her eyes widening in horror. "You are the one who killed all those people."
Correction: We kill the people who kidnap children, Miss Chae. We save the children from their kidnappers." His voice lowered as his mouth touched her ear. "There is such a difference."
Chae Yeong closed her eyes tightly. "You are not a savior." She whispered hoarsely. "This entire operation is nothing but chaos and destruction! You are not the law, so you don't have the right to kill criminals."
Kim chuckled in her ear. "Ah, you speak of the law like it's a real person. I don't do what I do to feel like a savior; you can call me ruthless and merciless, but you cannot define me as being a bad person."
"You are a killer; whether you kill innocent people or not, it's still a crime."
His lips brushed softly against her ear. "Is that so, Miss Chae?"
"Yes! There is absolutely no doubt." She snapped. If not for the chains keeping her restrained, she would have moved to hit him.
Kim slowly pulled back, his lips curving upward. "You always cause me trouble no matter what kind of disguise you use, don't you?"
"Get off of me!" She growled. "What do you think you are doing anyway?"
"We're getting to know each other," He replied, still smiling. "Whatever you are, the anonymous blogger who goes by Miss Moon or my spy secretary, you always cause me trouble."
'How did he know that I'm Miss Moon...?' She thought, her eyes widening in realization.
Anyway, I have things to do; let me tell you why I kept you alive." He began. "But it's time for a little back story, so listen carefully. Do you remember when an article was posted three months ago about how I might be involved in human trafficking?"
Chae Yeong frowned; she would obviously remember because she was the one who had posted that article.
"I was really pissed off about that article, so I decided to investigate this Miss Moon lady. The result was really shocking; my own secretary was the one behind it all."
He paused and laughed. "I couldn't believe it, but oh well, I still took my revenge."
"Revenge?" Chae Yeong questioned
"Yeah, revenge."
"What revenge did you take?"
Kim smirked as he placed his forefinger underneath her chin.
"Your brother wanted to get admission into a particular university, right? He was even the highest-scoring candidate for the entrance exam, but somehow he didn't get admission into the school."
Chae Yeong gasped. "You deprived my younger brother of his dream! Why, you bastard!
"Oh yeah." He said it with amusement. "I did that."
"You, you bastard!" Chae Yeong shouted furiously. "I hate you! I hate you!"
"The feeling is mutual." He said it with mock cheerfulness. "But there is a way to get it back from me." His expression darkened once again. "You need to join my underground organization."
"What!" Chae Yeong's jaw dropped open. "Never!"
Well, then you won't get your precious brother's acceptance letter." Kim said with satisfaction, "And if you refuse, I will end your life, then send your body back to your dear brother, and while he will be mourning his sister's death, I will kill him."
Chae Yeong paled. "You wouldn't do that."
Kim shook his head slowly, his expression becoming sinister. "Of course I would," he drawled, "but if you join my underground organization, then you will save your brother's life and dreams."
"I..." Chae Yeong's mind was racing as she realized what he meant.
"I'm giving you one week to think of a decision, then I'll make my choice."
He stood up from the bed and walked toward the door. "Now get some rest; the chains will be unlocked later on. I will see you soon."
The room fell silent once he left; the only sound that was heard was the quiet hum of the air conditioner, which seemed to be slowly running down.
Chae Yeong felt numb; her mind was unable to process anything. 'He threatened me. What do I do now?'