The Bartender and The Beast
Written by: Amaranth

Prologue
Guy: Why do you hate me?
Girl: Because you have ugly hair
Guy: That�s not reasonable enough
Girl: To me it is�
Guy: Find another reason�
Girl: I can�t seem to get past your hair
Guy: Admit it, you don�t hate me�
Girl: Yes, I do!
Guy: No, you don�t
Girl: Yes, I do dammit!
Guy: Why are you getting angry again?
Girl: I�m not angry, I just like to raise my voice every so often
Guy: You sound angry
Girl: No, I don�t
Guy: Yes, you do
Girl: URGH!
Guy: You know this could go on forever�
Girl: I know
Guy: Then tell me you don�t hate me
Girl: *Silent*
Guy: Say it. Tell me you don�t hate me
Girl: Fine! I don�t hate you! Happy yet?
Guy: Not just yet. There�s something else�
Girl: *rolls eyes*
Guy: Tell me you like me�
Girl: Oh no, here we go again
Guy: Admit it
Girl: You know you�re very demanding and annoying
Guy: This could go on forever�
Girl: Yeah, well I have plenty of time to tell you how much I hate you
Guy: You�re making this complicating, you know that?
Girl: Then why are you here talking to me?
Guy: You know why
Girl: Why?
Guy: I don�t have to tell you that
Girl: Urgh!!
Guy: You know, this could go on forever�

Chapter 1
"Hey darlin,� can I get a Piece of Ass ?"

You see, if I wasn�t working in a bar, I might�ve reach out to hurt his not-so-pretty face. Unfortunately, being a bartender, I had rules to abide by. There are two simple rules that I had to keep in mind...

Rule #1 : Never touch a customer
Rule #2: Never hurt a customer(unless of course, he/she is being a complete ass)

Oh yeah, forgot to introduce myself the proper way. My name is Landy Yoon. Both my parents named me after my great grandmother who was half-Chinese and Korean. I know what you�re thinking---that it�s not exactly a Chinese or a Korean name. And I don�t blame you for thinking that. My mother loves my name. Whenever she pronounces it, she usually likes to roll her tongue to convince everyone that it�s a beautiful name. I�ll tell you one thing though; it�s not beautiful when she says it.

Moving right along�

Most of you might wonder why I�m working as a bartender. The answer is simple. I need the money. Secondly, I had no other choice. Now comes the complicating part. I�m 18 years old, how did an underage girl end up with job like this? Well, you could blame it on my uncle. You see, he�s not an ordinary guy. The previous owner was gunned down a year ago because he had dealings with the wrong kind of people. This place, even the people, was just plain wrong. Everything about it was wrong, and yet my uncle had somehow landed himself in the middle of all the surrounding wrongness. After his boss died, everything was shoved towards him, only because the other men were too afraid to get their head blown off the same way as their boss if they had any means to take control of the bar. So that left my uncle to carry the burden. He accepts it willingly, even if he was threatened with a gun to his head. Not to mention, that he was wailing like a baby at the time. No one could blame him for doing what he did. The other men admired him for his bravery. Ironically those men turned up dead too. Being a man who was way into his debt, my uncle decided to use the place to his own advantage. He made himself look good in front of the eyes of his family. Well---that�s what he thinks anyway, considering he had always been the black sheep. Honestly, he did look good, but that didn�t mean they accepted and forgiven him for his past doings.

But enough about my uncle�s past, let�s get on with my story...

When the bar was going through some renovations, my uncle was in desperate need for newly hired employees because the others had quit after the previous boss died. And that�s where I came in. He had begged me to work for him. Seriously, I had no other choice then. With all the rumors flying around about people being gunned down, who would dare to apply? So eventually I agreed. Although it did take lots of convincing. We both agreed on some terms, deciding that we were keeping my identity hidden for safety reasons. Frankly, I don�t want my head blown off either, nor do I want my head chopped off by my parents if they ever found out that I was working in a bar. That means my job will remain a secret. So far, so good. Everything seems to running smoothly in spite of all the stuff that goes on in the backroom. Heck, no one knew that me and my uncle were even related. You�re probably wondering what I told my parents? I had to lie of course, telling them that I worked in late night caf�. It wasn�t very convincing at first but they knew they couldn�t prevent me from wanting a job. Nope, not me and my stubborn self. And that my friends, was how I ended up being a bartender.

So there I was that day. Playing dress up, and trying to look older than my age. When in fact, I looked like a freak being placed in some kind of freak show. Dress entirely all in black, from t-shirt rolled up at the to my shoulders, to the tight black leather pants to the leather boots and with my long hair pulled back into a ponytail. I had to admit, I did look older and very unappealing. Not that I was beautiful to begin with, but you get my drift.

My eyes were lined with dark non-waterproof mascara that was beginning to smudge. I had big eyes already and the eye-liner only made them worst. My lips had the darkest of darkest color. Even my nails were painted black. Not a pretty sight to look at. Every time I faced my own reflection, I had to cringe and constantly remind myself that I was only playing a role.

Now let�s get back to that piece of ass that was mention earlier. For one thing, it�s not a pick up line. A Piece of Ass is a Soju . A western drink, containing 1 shot of Amaretto, 1 shot of Southern Comfort over ice-cubes and filled with sour mix. Not a very good one but it is a drink nonetheless. But---that�s not my point. My point is that I don�t have to put up with all the a$$holes who come parading their money at me, assuming that I was going to give them more than just a drink. Take this guy for example. Like I mentioned earlier, his face was not so pretty. Skin too pale. Eyes too small. Mouth too big. Hair gelled, slicked back and probably as stiff as a rock. He was dressed in a three piece suit, completing his ensemble with a gleaming Rolex around his wrist which he made sure everyone saw because I had caught him repeatedly pulling down his sleeve. The bastard thought he was the sh*t.

I turned to my colleague and only friend, Anna, who had been keeping herself occupied by wiping the already-wiped glasses for the past ten minutes. She lifted her eyes to look at me, sensing my glare. And then she smiled, understanding my intent. �We�ll flip for it,� she said to me.

Still ignoring the bastard, I reached for a coin off the countertop and started to flip it in the air, knowing Anna already made her choice. Once it was in my hand again, I uncoiled my fingers and stared at the coin. Anna had leaned in close to take a look at it too. A wide smile slowly etched across her face once she realized that she had lost to me.

�Why you lucky b*tch!� she remarked, setting the glass down and turn to serve the loser, who by now was looking slightly confused.

What the loser didn�t know was that, us bartenders only flip coins for those customers who think they�re better than anyone else. Take it as a way to insult the customers in front of them without them knowing.

As I was turning to busy myself, something caught my eye. There was someone else there. A guy with a mop of bleached orangey colored hair seated on a stool with his upper body slumped over the countertop. In his right hand, he held onto a bottle of pure vodka which had been consumed halfway.

I pondered for a moment, trying to remember if I had given him that bottle. No, I�m not allowed. Perhaps, Anna had? No, she wasn�t allowed either. Besides, Anna is afraid of breaking any rules; she wasn�t going to risk her neck for anybody. Ah, so that left me to one conclusion�.he had probably snuck it in. Wait---why would anybody be stupid enough to sneak in a bottle of vodka into a bar when there was already vodka in the bar? Okay so in the end, I was left with no conclusion at all.

As much as I hated it, I couldn�t just stand there and watch him sleep away, holding onto that half empty bottle. I had to do something. So then I did. I moved towards him; determine to snatch the bottle from his hand before he could realize anybody was there.

In a flash, my arm shot out to grab the bottle but in that very second, the idiot moved. So I was left---well let�s just say that I was left with a few strands of his hair in my hand. Maybe not a few strands---I did drop some to the floor�

Oops.

Bad, very bad.

He howled. Yes he did. I couldn�t blame him. He was a guy. It hurts like a b***h when a guy gets his hair yanked out. I know this because I�ve done this to my younger brother plenty of times before.

Like---an angry wolf, his howl suddenly ceased into a low growl. Beneath all the bleached long hair that obscured his face, the beast growled. If I didn�t know any better, I�d think saw fangs sprouting from his mouth.

But who would�ve thought that it would all change, the moment he shook his hair free from his face. I froze, unaware that he had snatched for my one arm that still held onto the few strands.

Beneath the shaggy hair, lurked a handsome man with high sculpted cheekbones, a sharp nose with a slight curve to it and that could only be described as perfection. A prominent mouth that was pressed tightly in a grim line, proving nonetheless that he was very angry. His eyes, looking slightly lazy, had the darkest orbs. You�d feel yourself drowning in them, if you were to stare any deeper. And his eyebrows had a slight arch to it, defining those lovely eyes. Gosh, never had I expected to meet such a beautiful beast!

Suddenly I found myself gasping aloud, either from his handsomeness or the tightening grip around my wrist. That was when I realized that I had allowed my mind to wander too far. Reality check, Landy! My conscious spoke.

Trying to wrench my arm free from his grasp, I was back to myself again pushing away all of my foolish thoughts for him. �You know, you could let go.�

He didn�t speak, only sitting there with my wrist in his grasp, remaining completely immobile. As of this moment, every single damn bartending rule had been broken.

Still refusing to look at his face, I continued to wrestle my arm away, this time stomping my foot like a child who was about to be punished for all her wrong doings. I would not cry out. It wasn�t my thing. I don�t like being helpless. I especially don�t like looking like the fool in front of everyone. Not that everyone was looking. But at this point, I wanted to scream out loud. Really, I did. And why is that I felt like the thief here? It was only two strands of hair for heavenly sakes!

�Give it back!� he demanded with a voice so cold and deep that it could send a chill down my back in a good and bad way.

�Give what back?!� I yelled, trying to match his tone. Only then had I realized that I was staring directly at his face. This time the hair had concealed apart of it, so that helped somewhat.

He pulled me closer until my stomach was pressed tightly against the countertop. Our faces were so close that I stopped breathing completely. �You�ll give it back!� he growled.

I guess he really wants his hair back. Crazy lunatic. So sure about yourself, aren�t you?

�Err---okay,� I suddenly agreed.

Slowly unclenching my hand, I surrendered. We both watched as the hairs fall to the countertop. Yes, it might�ve seemed stupid, but I think for that moment, there was some kind of understanding, or whatever the heck you may call it.

His grip around my wrist loosen, and yet still refusing to let go. With his other arm, he slowly picked up the few strands. �My hair,� he said, his eyebrows forming a frown.

I took my chance to withdraw from him, grabbing the bottle of vodka, and finishing it all off with a big sheepish grin on my face. Ha! Take that!

He angled his face slightly just so he could look at me. And gosh, I wanted to be a kid again. He was so checking me out! It wasn�t one of those lingering look over that draws you in. It was quicker, but much, much more effective, leaving you to wonder if he liked what he saw. Why that crazy bastard! (Truthfully, I�ve never really had any man give me that look over before. Reason is, I�ve always been unappealing). Gosh, why did the heavens decide to bless this being with such good looks?

�You�re going to pay,� he said. This time, sounding more normal and all the more threatening.

�No. You�ll pay! You mindless pumpkin head!�

I think he rolled his eyes.

�You see this bottle of vodka that you�ve kindly helped yourself to?� I lifted the bottle up to show him. �You�re going to pay for it.�

He shook his head slightly and I think he rolled his eyes again. But I wasn�t certain because of all that hair. Come to think of it, he was really beginning to resemble those Japanese Anime characters. Not only that, but there was something else to him. There was youthfulness in his features. He had to be no older than me by two years.

Leaning in close with a less threatening expression, he responded. �You�re going to give me that bottle back and I�m going to forget,� he gestured a finger to his hair, �that you pulled out my hair. How about that?�

What the? Why the hell was his ugly hair so important to him? This guy was really crazy. �And if I don�t, what will you do?�

�You wanna see what happens?� he paused, clicking his tongue and then added, �You�re going to have to wait.�

Ah, so he was taunting me now. No one taunts or threatens me. And I mean no one! Not even this beautiful creature with weird hair. Did I neglect to mention that I take Tae Kwon Do lessons? It would help a lot if I could beat him senseless. Needless to say, the thought of destroying his handsome face was incredibly disturbing and yet unsettling all at the same time.

I faked a smile at him. �Yes�� I tipped the bottle and began to slowly pour the liquor out, taunting him in return. �Yes, we�ll have to see about that.�

Good going, now you really tempted the beast. I could see his clench fingers tightening. Even his jaw was tightening. Even the veins popped out along his arm. Not a beautiful sight, I�ll tell you. Very unnerving, not to mention just plain scary.

I quickly ran my eyes around the room, trying to see if anyone had notice our little situation. Okay I admit. I was scared now. And I was only looking to see if anyone could help. Most of them were busy dancing; others sat and watched the dancers. Luckily there were barely any drinkers tonight, not that I cared. There was another customer at the counter and then I realized that it was the same loser from earlier. Strangely, he and Anna were flirting openly. What the hell was going on? I turn my back for a few minutes and yet she was already coiling her hair around her finger. Damn that girl!

Security please! Anyone?!

I was losing patience. Either I was going to take care of it or let him leap from behind the counter and bite my head off.

I snapped my attention back to the crazy lunatic in front of me. And guess what he was doing? He was waving his index finger at me, indicating for me to go close to him.

Hell no! I�m not stupid, you a$$hole! I wanted to curse out loud.

He frowned again. That�s when I realized I did cuss out loud.

As if playing dumb, I said, �Excuse me?�

�Come here. I won�t bite, I promise,� he ordered.

Thinking that I was beginning to feel like a coward. I tightened my grip around the empty bottle and took a reluctant forward. �Yes?�

�Come closer.�

As if on command, I did. Stupid idiot, you�re gonna get yourself killed. My conscious spoke to me. No, dummy. You have the upper hand. Remember bottle in hand. My other conscious replied.

So then, there I was. Close enough to him, within reaching distance. �What huh?�

�Why aren�t you coming closer?�

�Because your breath smells!� I retorted.

Right then he caught me completely off guard by reaching out to pluck a few strands of my hair, messing up my ponytail in the process. This time it was me, who howled. Quickly covering my mouth in embarrassment, I made my howl turn into a muffle instead.

�Thank you,� he said.

That bastard. He didn�t bite, but he plucked!

He then grabbed my hand and placed the two strands of his hair into my palm. �Keep it. So you can remember me.�

There was the sound of shattered glass echoing in my ear. Oops. I dropped the bottle.

With those last words, he was off. I watched him go in complete silence and found myself awestruck by his presence. He was tall for one thing, towering above the other men. And then I noticed his ruffled clothes. The guy had on one of them special occasion suits. Except the tie had been loosen, the shirt, opened at the collar and un-tucked at the waist. He made his way through the crowd of dancers as if the alcohol had done no damage control to him and eventually, he disappeared.

It finally occurred to me, for a drunk guy, he was pretty sober. But still, what the hell did he want with my hair? And what the hell was I going to do with his?

Chapter 2
Two Months Later�

Yes, I had kept his hair. Two months later and I still had it, tucked in the center pages of Eric Segal�s novel, Love Story.

It was strange how I only met this man once and he still has this profound affect on me whether I was in school, or in Tae Kwon Do classes or at the arcade. In spite of all of that, I saw his face everywhere. Okay, maybe it was all in my mind. But still, this loser should not, and cannot, invade my mind like that. No man has ever come close. With the exception of Lee MinWoo from Shinhwa of course.

It was summer break. School was over. And I was on my way to pick up Anna who wanted to tag along for a session of Tae Kwon Do. I had on track pants and t-shirt that read, I hate the world

My hair had been tied back like usual, with an addition of a cap over my head to protect me from the glare of the morning sun. I had on my favorite pair of sneakers because I had plan on going for a jog before dropping by the class. I changed my mind once the I stepped outside and realized that I brought along my gym bag.

About Anna, I don�t know why she even bothers to come along when she hates everything I like. That�s why she�s my friend, I guess. She puts up with all of my crap. From my b***hin�, to my b***hin�, to more of my b***hin�. Yep, that�s Anna for you. She�s a rich girl. One might wonder why she would want to hang around a girl from a middle class family. Our families have never met one another. We both try to keep that from happening. Because it'll be like heaven and hell summoned together. We both don�t want that to happen either. Besides our friendship was way too precious to have our parents to ruin it for us. Whereas Anna�s parents enjoy boasting about their only child, my parents prefer to speak the worst of me. Not that I mind. I don�t think I�ve ever done anything they wanted of me either. I guess I can understand why they find me so unlovable. Hehe, don�t get me wrong, I�m just playing with you. I love my parents. They love me. And that�s definitely enough for now.

�Landy!� shouted a high pitch voice coming from behind me.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention one other thing. I have the most annoying siblings ever. They�re fraternal twins. Yin and Yang is the title my parents like to use with them. One is name Soo Min and the other is Soo Hyun. Soo Min is the girl of course, having a female name. And yes, she�s the one who just called out for me.

And then there�s Soo Hyun, her male half. They are both inseparable and intolerable. They follow me everywhere I go, like two wild dogs who are willing to bite anyone just for food. Did they really think it was cool to hang around their older uncool sister? The strange thing about it is that they�re more cooler than I was, I don�t know why they go off thinking that I was the leader of their made up crew that included only the three of us. (Wahhh! This is what happens when you don�t have no friends!)

Gosh, if only they knew how incredibly aggravating it gets. It sucks even more when there�s nothing I can do about it. This tag-along habit started since elementary school. I had once confronted them about it. It didn�t turn out as I had planned. I first intended to ask them nicely but they chose to evade my question. So that led me to torture them�

.:Flashback:.

Six years ago�

(Picture Me with Soo-Min and Soo-Hyun�s heads under each arm as I wrestle them to the bed)

Me (in and angry tone of voice): Tell me quickly or I will use the death strike on both of you!
Soo-Min: You can�t do this to us. I�m telling Uma!
Soo-Hyun: You can�t do this to us. I�m telling Uma!(Note: Soo-Hyun likes to repeat whatever Soo-Min says *not very bright back then*)

( Picture Me -- forcing their heads closer together while they squirmed in discomfort. Puahahhaa!)

Soo-Min: Gah! Your pit smells!(Note: Soo-Min has always been keen on her senses. Especially her sense of smell. I knew she wasn�t wrong about it)

Before Soo-Hyun could echo Soo-Min , I already pressed their heads together until their foreheads touched.

Soo-Min: Gah! Soo-Hyun-ah, your breath smells!
Soo-Hyun: What are you talkin� about. I brushed my teeth last night!

I sighed in hopelessness and released them, knowing they weren�t going to answer me. From then on, there�s nothing I could do, but learn to cope with them.

.:End of Flashback:.

Soo Min caught up to me first, fixing her silky hair. As if she had to look good in front of me. Damn her! Why did she have to look so perfect? She was gifted with the most angelic face I�ve ever seen on a person. Big eyes like me, her skin was beyond fair, like those non-realistic characters that looked good under every light. Another thing, she had longer lashes than me, should I be jealous? Her lips always appeared as if they were applied with deep shade of pink, looking like they were made from rose petals. Beneath her white beret, her long silky black hair cascaded past her shoulders almost to her waist. To match her white hat, she wore a white tank top that bared her perfectly flat midriff. Along with that, she wore a pair of low rise jeans that looked as if they could fit her and nobody else.

She was one of those people who looked good in everything she wore. Throw a hotdog suit on her and she�d make the hotdog suit look shameful. Being only sixteen years old, she was almost as tall as I was. The only flaw she had about her, was her perfectionism. I don�t really know if it�s a flaw but I�d like to think so, considering that I can�t seem to find anything else wrong with her. Every time she left the house, she had to have her clothes iron at least three times until they were super-wrinkled free.

She�s a bold one, I�ll tell you that. Bold and likes speaking her mind. She once told her teacher that his breath stank when no one else could. That got her teacher angry and he wanted her punish by ordering her to clean the school�s washrooms. Knowing my sister was keen with her sense of smell, before she even steps through the doorway; she fainted on the spot from the overwhelming stench. It was sometime later when the doc told us that she was sensitive with her sense of smell and that she needed to keep away from anything that stinks. That means no farting, belching, cheap perfumes or unapplied armpits when being around her.

My mom had blamed my father for Soo Min�s unusual problem. She said that if he didn�t smell so much like dog urine, during the time of her pregnancy, Soo Min would have came out normal like everyone else. My dad, of course had the usual reply. He blamed my mom for wearing the pants when she bore me in her stomach, that�s why I came out a female acting no different from a man. Then my grandmother would join in adding that if they had both made up their mind in the first place agreeing on either a girl or a boy, they would�ve never had the messed up twins, as she calls it. The blaming game could go on forever, nobody would win and nobody would lose. That was how it was like with my strange family.

But let�s back to Soo Min. Not only that she had too looked good and keeps away from bad stenches, she made sure her other half looked and smelled as good as her. And that was Soo Hyun, my younger brother.

He was tagging close behind, holding up his baggy pants as he ran, bumping right into Soo Min who had come to sudden halt in front of me.

Damn that kid! I told him to wear a belt so his pants didn�t get anywhere lower than his ass. If he had been younger, I might�ve reached out and pull out his hair. You know, I think I would�ve done so then but Soo Min was standing in the way.

Unlike Soo Min who has never had a bad hair day in her entire life, Soo Hyun was a little on the rough side. His hair stood out at the ends so he never left it long, instead he prefer to keep it short and touched up with gel. His clothes were always oversized and loose on his medium size frame. Being a few inches taller than Soo Min, that made him my height. Somewhere around 5�5�. I was considered pretty tall for a Korean girl, so that made my brother short.

Just like Soo Min, he had on a white beret on, along with muscle shirt and a pair of blue baggy jeans. He was cute, I had to admit. With his puppy dog eyes and the-cute-boy-next-door kind of face and with both his ears pierced. What girl could resist his charms?

Doh! The hell was wrong with me? Was I really finding my brother cute?

Moving right along...

Soo Min made sure that Soo Hyun always coordinated with her and looked almost as good as she did. When they were younger, Soo Min used to play dress up with her twin and forced him to wear girl clothes. Whenever he refuses, she would threaten to pull out all of his hair. Soo Hyun gave in reluctantly and even allowed Soo Min to take snapshots of him. Poor Sooh Hyun grew use to Soo Min�s relentless abuse.

Although it wasn�t long until Soo Min had transformed him into one of the coolest guys on the block. Which was one of the reasons why he had girls calling him up every night. Nevertheless that only increased his cockiness to the level of �I�m God�s gift to women�. When I reminded him that he wasn�t all that great, he would tell me that he was the first male to make short men look good, and that others followed after him. Then I had to also remind him that he stolen his style from Lee Min Woo. And he was still in denial about it, despite all of those times I had caught him mimicking Min Woo�s dance moves when he thought no one was there to witness him.

Soo Hyun walked around thinking he was the main attraction to girls. One time when he was younger, he played the kissing tag in the park. That smart-ass made up his own rules and made sure that he was the only boy allowed in the game. Later that evening the enraged mothers of all the girls he had kissed, stormed into our house like a heard of angry tigresses demanding that Soo Hyun apologize to each and everyone of them. That little flirt had simply told their mothers that it wasn�t his fault if they had joined in on the game. It wasn�t like he was forcing them to do anything they didn�t want to. And my father, favoring Soo Hyun, apologized on his behalf, lying that Soo Hyun had a kissing problem. From then on, all of girls� mothers decided to keep their daughter away from Soo Hyun. But they couldn�t refrain their daughters for long because little kissing Soo Hyun was no longer a child no more. What would their mothers have done if they found out that Soo Hyun has kissed each and everyone of them more than once? Even worst, that the girls gave in more willingly this time? Let�s face it. Soo Hyun is a player and that�s that.

Ah yes---where were we? Both my younger siblings had caught up to me�

Soo Min rolled her eyes at Soo Hyun when he ran into her and then looked at me and finally said, "Me and Soo Hyun are coming along too."

I raised my brow in question and annoyance. "Why the hell for?!" I nearly shouted.

"Well Soo Hyun tells me he wants to go watch the older girls practice."

Soo Hyun grinned slyly, showing off his dimples.

I poked a finger at his forehead. "Whatever, pervert."

He crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow. "You�re not letting us tag along with you?"

"Why is it so important to you? You�ve never been interested in my Tae Kwon Do classes. Even if you are there for the girls," I paused trying to make up any excuse, "you won�t get to touch them before getting the crap beaten out of and being hospitalized for a week. These girls aren�t normal."

"No, they�re normal alright. You�re the one that�s abnormal. Only tomboys like you have minds like you. Beating guys up for being guys that�s just wrong, sis," he retorted indignantly.

"Excuse me?"

Soo Min let out a deep breath, easing the growing tension that came from me only. �Gosh, didn�t you just heard what he said? He called you a tomboy!�

I might�ve been offended by that remark, unfortunately I had grown used to it.

Soo Hyun stepped in front of Soo Min this time. �How are you so sure they won�t fall for my charms?�

The only answer I could come up with was, �Because---you�re an idiot. And you used to wear girl clothes!�

He smiled again. This time, proving that he wasn�t going to lose. I hated that smile because I knew already loss the argument. �What if I tell you that I�m going there to meet one of these older girls?�

Ugh! Why wasn�t I surprised? Shifting my gaze over to Soo Min, I asked, �And why are you tagging along? Don�t you know that place reeks of B.O.?�

�If it was anyone�s B.O. that�s reeking., it�d be yours sis,� she replied, looking at her nails.

�Excuse me?�

Soo Hyun wanted to repeat what Soo Min just said, but I cut him off rudely. �I know what she just said you half-brain.� Shoving him aside, I faced my blunt sister. �For one thing Soo Min, I don�t smell. Get that through that head of yours.�

She still didn�t look at me when she said, �Keep telling yourself that.�

Why that little b*tch. She was asking for it. �Oh gosh, Soo Min, is that toothpaste I see in your hair or bird droppings?�

She half jumped in a panic and cried out in a fit without bothering to check first. �Ahhhhhhhhhhh!! Soo Hyun-ah! Get it out of my hair right now!!�

Soo Hyun complied immediately and began looking for it while I took my chance to escape, turning the corner, scraping my elbow against the brick wall and running through an alleyway and then climbing over the fence and then down another alleyway until I met with Anna who was waiting impatiently along a street just outside her limo, wearing a cute lavender dress with her hair done up nicely.

She had tears welling in her eyes, which was obviously a clear sign that none of what she was about to tell me was good.

By the time I reached her, I was breathing heavily, trying to catch my breath as she threw her arms around me, squeezing the airs out of my lungs. �Wahhhhhhhh Landy! You have to help me!� she cried out.

No, you have to help me first! I wanted to scream. Thinking I was going blue, I held her shoulders back and let out a deep breath before saying, �Huh---why---what--who?�

You see, the thing about me, even though I try to be a concern friend, I always have the wrong words flowing from my mouth.

She gripped my hands tightly when she said, �My mom wants me to go to meet my potential husband, like right now!�

The thing about Anna, she was always being set up with worst men out there. They weren�t bad men. Just hideous looking ones who were all over 10 or 20 years her senior.

�Potential husband? How old and ugly is he this time?� I questioned, trying to erase the haunting images out of my head.

She wiped her eyes and almost snorted. Wait---I think she did. �He�s not ugly. Nor is he old.�

I laughed finding it unusually funny. �Then what�s wrong with him?�

�He�s too much of a gentleman for me. Too perfect. Too handsome. Too rich. Too well-educated. From what I�ve heard and seen.�

�Wow that�s my dream man right there!� I blurted unknowingly and Anna gave me a curious expression.

�I was joking.�

�I don�t want to get to know him. I�m afraid that my parents might be right about him. I�m afraid I might fall for him and that would make my parents look good. And I don�t want them to look good. They�re both fakes.�

�Aw Anna, if fate forces you fall for this fellow then that�s means you�re meant to be with him. Who knows? It might end up turning into a disaster like you wish. Sometimes you just don�t know what to expect. Stop crying and go meet him.�

Ha ha! This is coming from the number#1 skeptic of fate. Hey, I had to say something to sound reasonable.

She wailed even louder this time and I knew I didn�t help. "Stop it, Anna!" I tried to hush her as passersby�s angled us strange looks.

When Anna noticed the stares, she wailed even louder, and then shouted out, �Wahhhhhhh! They think we�re lesbians!!�

I glared at the two boys who had their arms entangled in each other as they walked away, still staring at our direction. �Can�t blame them, Anna---they�re gay.�

She snorted again. This time I reached into my gym bag and pulled out a small towel and gave it for her to use. Once she was done with it, she handed it back to me. �Thank you.�

�Keep it,� I insisted look uncertainly at the towel that has transformed into a snot-rag.

She didn�t look in my eyes when she asked, �You think I should give him a chance?�

�Yes,� I answered truthfully, glad that this stranger was younger than the others. And that perhaps this one. Just this one, might be the perfect guy for Anna.

She forced a smile to her face. �I guess I should go huh? I�m sorry about not being able to go with you today. Maybe another time when I feel like releasing all of my anger.�

I smiled back. �Yeah, another time.�

She was about to turn to leave when she stopped and crane her head. �You want a ride there?�

I looked past her to the limo behind her. �Naw, it�s okay. I can walk. It�s only down the street.�

�Okay. Well, have fun Landy.�

�Yeah, I will,� I said.

I watched the limo turn right at the lights and before heading down the street reminding myself that everything was going to be alright, despite the unsettling feeling weighing heavy on my stomach since I woke up that morning.

Chapter 3
I arrived early, staring blankly at a young couple who was blocking the path of the entrance, speaking in low hush murmurs. There was almost a line-up outside, as the other girls waited for the couple to finish their talk. Strange. Why didn�t they enter? Were they afraid?

I strode to them to ask and one of them told me that the girl blocking the path didn�t let them through. That made me turn to focus my attention on couple again. The girl was rather pretty. She had braided hair that hung almost to her waist. There was something odd about her, though I couldn�t quite place my finger on it. The way she was dressed reminded me of myself. Oh gosh---she had on the same t-shirt as me. Wannabe!

I stared at her then, almost dumbfounded. She was tugging onto her boyfriends� arm, urging or pleading for something. Her boyfriend---damn her boyfriend was pretty tall. He had his back to me so I couldn�t see his face. Not only that but he wore one of those hooded sweatshirts and he had pulled the hood up to cover his head. There was something about his posture that reminded me of someone. His voice sounded deep and soothing, reminding me of someone again. Who was it�?

Oh wells, too lazy to think. I wasn�t going to allow myself to watch any further because I might end up gagging, or to be more precise, I just might end up saying something real stupid and offensive. Instead I approached them, intentionally breaking them apart, and stopping just in front of the door without bothering to look at them. �Excuse me, you�re both standing in my way. The closest motel is down the street.�

Then I entered, crossing the threshold and preceded to climb the steps leading to the training hall, as the other awaiting girls rushed past me in a hurry. I didn�t have the chance to step on the stairs when suddenly someone grabbed my arm and yanked me back harshly.

Next thing I knew, I was fighting for balance and then finding myself staring directly into wannabe�s eyes. She didn�t look too happy. Her face color changed from a pale ivory into a deeper shade of pink. Gosh, she was angry. She looked very mean. I just discovered something else about her. She had a small rose tattooed just below her ear which made her appear very unlady-like and dangerous.

What did I do wrong? I questioned myself. Dammit, I was only trying to be polite.

�Did you just do that?!� she asked, sounding like she was preparing for a b*tchfest.

She questioned me like I was some child who stole candy from her. How rude was that? �Uh yeah. I did. What kind of question is that?�

She pointed to her face. �Do you know who I am?�

�No, why? Am I suppose to?�

The wannabe only chuckled aloud as she craned her neck to look at her boyfriend who now stood against the wall with his arms folding in front of his chest. The hood concealed his face except for the lower part, showing off his nice chin, not to mention the kissable lips---Gah! What was I thinking? The image he gave off, made me think about coolness. Mysterious and yet cool at the same time. Really, who was this guy?

�You�re a funny one, you know that? No one has ever interrupted my conversation or even have the nerve to shove me out of the way like that before. You think you�re going to be the first to do so and get away so easily?�

�Like what? Perhaps you can refresh my memory for me because I don�t remember interrupting anyone,� I looked past her to her boyfriend when I said, �I only remember two annoying dumb-asses standing in my way when I was trying to enter.�

With that, I turned around and felt her grip locking on my shoulder. A strong grip it was. And with my fast reflex, I grabbed her arm and then threw her over my shoulder. She landed flat on her back against the floor, staring up to my face.

I only shrugged without an apology and strode past her when suddenly someone else wrapped their arms around my body, putting all their strength against me and I was failing to think of anything to disentangle myself from the person, to prevent myself from feeling helpless. Everything I did was useless at the moment

Who the hell was it? It couldn�t be the girl, she was still sitting on her butt and rubbing at her back. So it had to be her boyfriend! This was unfair!

Feeling childish, I could only think of one thing to do, I stomped on his toes. Well---at least I thought I did but I didn�t. Damn bastard made a smart move by moving on time. I was jumping up and down now, forcing him back. Next thing I knew, we both tumbled and fell. Although fate had been slightly kind to us because the stupid steps had supported our fall and then I found myself seated on his lap, with his arms still holding tightly to me.

The first thing I did was turn to look at him. And I suddenly wish I never did�

The hood had fallen from his head. And Ta Da! I was staring into the face that I longed to forget. The one man that haunted me everywhere. The same man who stole my hair and made me keep his. It was the beast who had growled when we first met. The beast had return into my life once again. This time the beast looked more hotter and sober than the last I seen him. He had his hair tied back, revealing more of his well-defined face.

Arching an eyebrow in uncertainty, he asked, �Do I know you from somewhere?�

Gosh, even when he was arching his eyebrow, he made me feel all weird and tingly. Did he always have this kind of affect on women in general? I didn�t have to answer that. I already knew the answer.

�No,� I answered, looking the other way as I tried to pull free from him but he didn�t let go.

�Jong Min! What are you doing?� came wannabe�s voice.

He let go as I was pushing away and that cause me fall onto my bum. �Urgh!�

�Sorry, about that,� he apologized as he stood up to offer me his arm.

�Don�t waste your energy,� I said, getting up and wiping my clothes.

Wannabe ran to Jong Min�s side and glared angrily at me. �I should teach her a lesson, shouldn�t I?�

�Maybe you should? I could show you a few lessons myself,� I replied, picking up my gym bag.

Wannabe lunged at me but her boyfriend Jong Min, held her back. �Enough Mie Suk. Aren�t you late in meeting with your new instructor? Go on ahead upstairs. I can�t guarantee that I�ll make it back before the session is over.�

Oh gosh! Noooooo! This Mie-Suk was not joining my class!

�But---� Mie Suk wanted to protest but Jong Min had cut her off.

�Go ahead.�

Mie Suk dropped his arm and shouldered me out of her way before stalking up the stairs. I shook my head and rolled my eyes at her childish behavior. �Damn, some people these days are so retarded,� I remarked.

I felt his eyes on me and turn to look at him just as he said, �If I were you, I�d prepare myself for Mie Suk. She�s definitely going to kick your ass once you get up there.�

�Whatever,� I said, climbing the stairs when I heard him call out from behind me.

�By the way, what you did outside, you�re going to pay for that. If Mie Suk doesn�t make sure of that, than I will.�

I stopped at the top of the stairs and crane my head to him. He was still standing there, smiling up at me. I couldn�t tell whether he was joking or not, but once I looked at his eyes, it was clear that he had meant it. Who were these people and why did they seem so sure of themselves? Oh gosh, what have I gotten myself into?

Blowing me a kiss, he pulled up his hood again before striding out.

I exhaled slowly, trying to comprehend what the heck just happened. So this was it. The nervous feeling that had been bothering me when I woke up...

I was going to get my ass kicked today.

* * *

During the session, my instructor had introduced Mie Suk to everyone. She was already a black belt and she wasn�t bad considering she took down each and everyone of the girls, hence leaving marks and bruises on them. All except for me. I wasn�t allowed to join in on the session because I was late. I had to watch from the side-line in frustration. I could have left. I wanted to. But then that would make me look like a coward. If Mie Suk had the impression that she was going to kick my butt in the session than she was wrong. In a weird way, I was disappointed because I wanted my to feel my fist against her face. That little snot thought she a professional, offering advice and lending a hand to those who were at a lower rank than her. I hated her and I hate her stupid boyfriend too.

When the session was finally over, I had a little talk with my instructor who advised me not to be late again or else he would have to let me go. After the little tiring lecture, I went into the change room to change out of my uniform. Everyone had left and I was alone. Or at least I thought I was alone until someone had kicked my gym bag off the bench when I was about to pick it up.

I lifted my head to find Mie Suk with her arms folded in front of her in a challenging stance. �What you looking at b*tch?�

�Some skinny little prick who�s about to get her head crush,� I replied, kicking her feet off the bench and watched as she stumbled.

�That's it!� she nearly screamed as she lunged at me, wanting to throw a fast and quick punch but I dodged it, leaving her to punching nothing but air.

I hopped onto the other side of the bench. �You know, I was watching you from the side-line. And I have a question to ask. How in the hell did you get your black belt?

She kicked at me then and I jumped back, reaching for my bag and slinging it over my shoulder.

�If you�re so good, why are you dodging my attacks?� she asked, looking more pissed off.

�Because it makes you look stupid,� I answered.

Right then the door burst opened. Soo Min and Soo Hyun entered in a hurry and spotted me. Soo Min looked concerned while Soo Hyun looked disappointed.

�Landy, you�re not going to believe who�s waiting outside for---� Soo Min stopped once she saw Mie Suk.

Soo Hyun also froze.

Everyone was quiet and I knew that they recognized Mie Suk. �What is going on?� I asked Soo Min.

�Oh sh*t. Landy, you�re in sh*t!� shouted Soo Hyun.

Mie Suk only smiled.

Soo Min looking scared, nudging at Soo Hyun�s arm. �Soo Hyun, you think we could catch a ride with the instructor? I bet he wouldn�t mind dropping us at home.�

My stupid siblings were always evading my questions. �I�m not going to ask again, dammit, tell me!�

�That�s Killer Rose Mie Suk!� Soo Hyun shouted out.

Looking Mie Suk over, I finally understood the significance of her tattoo. �And?�

Mie Suk appeared offended.

�She�s a member of one of the biggest street gangs in Seoul! Known as The-the-the Black Dragons,� stuttered my brother.

Gang? I messed with a gang member? Okay now I was a little intimidated. Trying to cover my fear, I said, �And?�

This time it was Soo Min who answered, �You dummy! We came in here to warn you because twelve of them are waiting outside for you!�

My heart suddenly leaped in fear. One was enough. Now I had to deal with a dozen. Where was the justice in this? �How do you know they�re waiting for me, and not Mie Suk?�

�Because sis, they asked for you. The leader name Jong Min, questioned us about you.�

A leader. Oh man. He was a leader of a gang? �And what did you tell him?�

�That we have nothing to do with you. Only that we wanted to speak to the instructor.�

Family. When you need them, they�re never there for you.

�If they�re here. Why don�t we go settle this outside?� asked Mie Suk.

Soo Min shifted her attention to Mie Suk, noticing the t-shirt. �Hey you have on the same t-shirt as---�

I faced Mie Suk. �Settle what? What is there to settle?�

�To prove to you that we�re not to mess with.�

Soo Hyun tugged on my shirt, leaning close to ask. �Why did you have to wear the same t-shirt as her? Now you�re really in for it.�

Could it really be over the same t-shirt? Nah, it couldn�t be. Let�s see. I sort of shoved her aside. I toss her over my shoulder and I kicked her feet. I sat on her boyfriend�s lap. And lastly, I wore the same t-shirt as her. Pretty reasonable reasons to get the crap beaten out of.

I laughed to hide my fear. �You know this is the stupidest situation I�ve ever been in.�

�No, it�s not. Remember the time when you were younger and you peed in your---�

I slapped Soo Hyun at the back of his head to get him to shut up.

Mie Suk strode towards me and said, �It is stupid when you think about it. But remember it was your own stupidity that got us into this situation.�

Reaching for my arm, she dragged me out of the change room, down the hallway and then down the stairs and then outside, to where all of the other members awaited us.

I nearly choked on my own saliva once I saw that all of them were male. They all had one thing in common. The bleached colored hair. I had to admit, most of them were pretty good-looking. Though it was Jong-Min who stood out boldly, with an unlit cigarette dangling from between his lips, he sat on his motor bike, appearing like he had practiced the posture many times before.

He removed the cigarette from his mouth to say, �Guys, there�s our leading lady of the moment.�

Mie Suk dropped my arm and ran over to Jong Min�s side. �Thanks for coming.�

�Foolish Mie Suk, he wasn�t talking about you. He was speaking of the Tae Kwon Do girl, who�s about to get her ass kicked,� came the retort from the cute guy with short spiked up white hair, standing next to Jong Min.

�Shut up, Woojin!�

Woojin reached out to mess up Mie-Suk�s hair and she slapped his hand away.

I was baffled and somewhat fascinated by these gang members. �So, am I getting my butt kicked here?�

�No,� answered Jong-Min.

�Then where?�

He didn�t look at me when he said, �You�ll have to come with us.�

�And if I don�t?�

He grinned. �Then you�ll get your butt kicked here.�

Wah! So I had no choice. It was either get my butt kicked elsewhere or get it over and done with here. And where were my stupid siblings? Least they could do was call on the cops for me---and oh yeah, the ambulance too!

Chapter 4
I watched him get off his bike, striding towards me and for that moment, it seem like the longest time. It felt like I was in a trance. I wanted someone to sneeze or say something to snap me out of it. No one did. Only the sound of beeping drew me back.

Everyone looked around in sudden alert. Some of they guys were already reaching for something inside their jackets. Weapons, I suppose? These guys were very dangerous, dangerous men.

Okay maybe I was wrong about the weapons, because they all had pulled out their mobile phones instead.

�It�s coming from your bag,� Jong Min pointed out when he came to a stop a few feet away from me.

Doh! I forgot that I carried my beeper with me. I made a face at him and then unzipped my bag to bring out my beeper. I wasn�t surprised when I saw Soo Hyun�s message that read, Reinforcements are on the way�

Reinforcements only meant that my family were getting involve. I hope it wouldn�t come to that. Damn that brother of mine! I wish Soo Min would think of something better. And soon. Time was running out.

�Check that out! How old school is she? She�s still carrying around them beepers!� came the remark from white hair boy, Woojin.

The other guys laughed including Mie Suk. Now I understood why she acted so differently. She thought she fit in with the guys. If only she knew that she looked so out-of-place. Poor girl. Perhaps I should tell her.

Glaring directly at her, I had to prove to her that I wasn�t going to give in so easily. Even if I did end up getting my butt kicked, I�d make sure I hurt her first. And then I�d make sure I tear out Jong Min�s hair too.

You see, if these people thought they take me on easily, they�re wrong. Like Soo Hyun had said earlier, I was abnormal. But that didn�t mean I was crazy. I could get emotionally unstable at certain times, depending on the situation. When my blood boils that�s when it gets messy. One of the reasons why I lack friends or try not to make any was because of this certain problem.

Jong Min tucked the cigarette in his right ear. �You need to make a call?�

The hell was wrong wit this guy? I was about to get my butt kicked and he was suddenly concerned about the message on my beeper?

I gave him a stupefied expression. �Now why would I need to make a call for?�

�Well, isn�t that what they�re for?� he questioned, pointing at the beeper.

Before I could answer him, he reached into his jacket and brought out a cell phone. �Call back, tell that person not to worry.�

Tears almost leaked from my eyes as I laughed in reaction. �Hahahaha! Not---to worry? My corpse might be floating down the river or I might end up being cut up in then thousands pieces and you tell me that I should tell them not to worry?�

The beeping started again, and I could�ve sworn that everyone jumped. I looked at the message that read, Reinforcements none. Sorry sis.

What? No reinforcements? Those twins made me feel hopeful for nothing. Not that I counted on them. I manage to suppress a weak grin. �You know, screw this beeper.� With that, I tossed it behind me.

�Ow!� came the howl from behind.

I spun around and met with my instructor. Lowering my head in apology, I said, �I�m sorry instructor Lee. It was never my intent---�

�Who are these people Landy, and why are they all crowding here?�

Instructor Lee was a middle-age man who spent most of his time training his students. On his spare time, he enjoyed painting. Being an instructor, he had to be the nicest and most calmest person I ever met. Unless of course, you did something to get him angry and I did just that earlier when I was late. �They�re---�

�Her friends,� came the reply from Jong Min who bowed in respect. �It�s nice to finally meet you. Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Jong Min, I�m a friend of both Mie Suk and Landy. I was here earlier, dropping Mie Suk off.�

Instructor Lee appeared slightly confused by the introduction. �Ah yes. So, I take it, Mie Suk and Landy already know each other? Why didn�t you say anything to me Landy?�

�That� cause---�

Stupid Jong Min interrupted me. �Mie Suk is closer to me. As for Landy, we kinda go way back.�

I looked at Mie Suk who was clenching her fists and biting her tongue back in prevention from bursting. Although it would be nice to see her burst into tiny particles.

I interjected as soon as I had the chance. �Well you see, Instructor----I kinda have a problem---�

Jong Min cut me off, curling his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him. �Come Landy, it�s time to go.�

Instructor Lee smiled. �Well kids, have fun. Try not to get into trouble Landy.�

Too late for that�

Stupid Jong Min was holding me so tightly against him, that I felt my circulation was being cut off. And why did he have to smell so good? I wanted to do something to hurt him real bad. Other than that, I couldn�t help but peer over at Mie Suk who was being held back by Woojin.

"Let me go, you doofus. Let go!" she yelled.

Woojin ended up covering her mouth and she ended up biting his hand.

Instructor Lee frowned and then turned to look at me. �Oh and by the way Landy, your mother just called, she wants you to be home before supper time.�

�Thank you, Instructor Lee,� I replied, feeling my blood beginning to boil.

Once he was inside again, I couldn�t contain my anger any longer. Grabbing Jong Min�s arm, I twisted it behind him, adding a low kick behind the knee to knock him down and then I let him go. �Don�t you ever touch me like that again or I�ll tear your limbs apart.�

At this point, Mie Suk had tore herself from Woojin�s grip, heading my way like a raging bull. Right when she wanted to lay her hands on me, I slung the bag over my shoulder, hitting my target square in the face.

Mie Suk fell back, looking like she ran into door. Blood had begun to seep from her nose.

I cried out, �Oh gosh, I�m so sorry, I didn�t see you coming�not!�

The others stared at me like as if killed someone. The blood had drained from their faces. It was Woojin who stuttered, �I-I-I c-can�t believe she just did that. Guys let�s take her down!�

All twelve of them approached me slowly and when they gotten close enough, I said, �Unfair bastards. Not to mention cowards. If you think that you�ll get a kick out of beating the crap out of me, I feel sorry for you. You wanna know why? You�re all weak. If it takes twelve of you to take me down at once, that makes you weaklings.� I turned to look at Jong Min who looked as if he was enjoying the entire spectacle. Damn, he probably enjoyed seeing girls at their vulnerable helpless state. That made him no different from the rest of the guys. �Is that what you guys do---go around picking on helpless people like me because I did something stupid to offend you? Well hell, I�m sorry if I did offend you. Let me give all of you a piece of advice. Next time, wear a damn sign that says, Don�t f*ck with me� , so people like me, can stay away from people like you. And dammit, weren�t we suppose to leave this place like a half hour ago?!�

Breathe Landy! Breathe...

They all stared blankly at me, remaining quiet. At this point I was no longer scared, only pissed off with their tiring antics. These losers weren�t as tough as I thought they would be.

�Alright guys, go home. It appears that our leading lady has finally had enough. Woojin, take care of Mie Suk. Take the bike with you,� said Jong Min as he went to help Mie Suk stand.

Woojin offered to wipe Mie Suk�s nose but she brushed his hand away carelessly, still glaring up at me.

�Hey Mie Suk, try not looking like a b***h all the time,� I commented.

�Try telling yourself that,� she countered.

�I don�t have to. I am one.� And damn proud of it.

�If it wasn�t for Jong Min, I would�ve kicked your ass right here in front of everyone.�

�Oh yeah? Why don�t you tell them what happen inside the change room?�

�What happen?� Woojin asked, suddenly interested.

Mie Suk bit her lip in anger. �If you tell them---�

�You�ll do what?� I shifted my gaze over to Jong Min, �tell your boyfriend to take care of me?� Then I looked at Woojin. �Unless of course, he�s your boyfriend too?�

I pointed to another guy. �Or maybe it�s him. Or that one�or maybe it�s the dumbo right here,� I pointed to the guy standing closest to me.

Dumbo touched his ears. �Hey just because I have big ears doesn�t mean---�

After I looked at him, he shut up.

�Enough!� Jong Min interjected, raising his voice. Now this was the guy I remembered in the bar.

The sad thing was. I wanted him to remember me. I was kind of disappointed that he didn�t. But then I couldn�t blame him because when I was bartending, I was known as the freak. Beneath my mask of make-up, no one was able to recognize me. And when I�m not bartending, I�m known as the b*tch. It was like two different identities.

Woojin tried to keep his voice low when he said, �Jong Min---about that thing tonight---it�s still going down right?�

I wonder what was going down even though it was none of my business.

�Give me a call,� answered Jong Min. �Go now. All of you.�

Mie Suk wanted to protest but she knew better when she saw his expression.

It amazes me how much control he had over his people. Who was this guy and how did he become what he was now? A leader. It had something to do with his growl, I knew that for sure. And perhaps his hair too.

They all took off on their bikes down the street and I stood watching them, thinking that I had overcome them without knowing it. I didn�t know whether I should give myself a proud pat on my back. I decided against it because I knew this wasn�t the last time that I�d see them. All because of Mie Suk.

Jong Min grabbed my arm and began to drag me down the street. �Hey man, what do you think you�re doing?� I shouted.

He already had the cigarette in his mouth again. With his one arm, he was rummaging for a lighter.

I pulled back from him immediately. I hate smokers! �I�m not going anywhere with you. This thing is over and done with. I�m going home.�

He stop to give me a look over. �What are you going to do, twist my arm again?�

�If it has to come to that, I�m guessing it will.�

�That was a freebie back there. I could�ve snap your head off easily if I wanted to.�

Urgh! Men and their ego. Maybe he could, but still. �I had you!�

�You should be thanking me for making you look tough in front of the others.�

�What about yourself? You just made yourself look like a wimp back there. Nice leader you are.�

That remark made his eyes go colder. �You know if you weren�t a girl, I�d probably hit you right now.�

�I�m not a g---� I stopped, realizing what I was about to say.

He looked at me again. This time he was more observant. �Hmm�now that you say that, I�m beginning to understand why that tomboy Mie Suk hates you so much. You�re just like her.�

I hate it when he looked at me. I hate that I can feel my cheeks burning. Where was water when I needed it?

�No, I�m not. I�m not a whiney b*tch like she is and I�m not as pretty as she is,� I admitted.

�That�s true,� he said, still looking for his lighter when finally he gave up, breaking the cigarette in half. �What am I doing anyway, I don�t smoke.�

�Then why were you looking for your lighter?�

�I used to smoke. So I made a habit of it.�

He was growing stranger and stranger by the moment. �Of looking for your lighter? Then why did you have the cigarette in the first place?�

�Who cares. You wouldn�t understand. Come let�s go.� He was about to reach for my arm again but this time he was smart enough to look in my eyes first and understood the message.

He was right. I don�t think I would ever come to understand a man like him. �Lemme guess. You make a habit of grabbing girls� arms too?�

He shrugged. �Maybe. Why you ask?�

I stopped my pace. Yeah, why did I ask? Trying to evade the question, I said, �I�m not going until you tell me where we�re headed.�

�If I tell you., you wouldn�t want to go anyway, so what�s the point?�

�The point is that I need to know where my destination lies. So that I�d have to make a choice on whether or not I should go.�

�Let�s get one thing straight here. If I tell you that we�re going, then we�re going.�

�Why should I listen to you?�

�Because I�m someone you shouldn�t piss off.�

�And if I do piss you off, what happens from there?�

�You don�t want to know.�

�Why did you think I ask, if I didn�t want to know?�

�If you want to know, keep on being this irritating and then you�ll find out.�

�So how long?�

He gave me a puzzle look. �How long for what?�

�How long will it take for me to piss you off?�

�Why are you asking stupid questions?�

�Maybe because I wanna piss you off?�

He didn�t look at me when he said, �You know this could go on forever��

�Ah, so that means I can go home. Bye now!�

I was so ready to run down the street when stupid Jong Min had to shout out, �It�s not over yet.�

I had to turn around to face him. �What�s not over?�

He chuckled. �Remember how I said that if Mie Suk doesn�t take care of you, than I would?�

Nooooo! This was unfair! What the heck did he mean by that?

�I don�t remember!� I lied.

�Don�t play dumb with me.�

He took a step closer and I shouted out, �I hate you!�

�Who says you have to like me?�

Another step closer.

�URGH!!�

�Are you gonna walk with me or do I have to drag you?�

�Why can�t you be nice and let me go home?� I was practically begging him. No, I�m not Mie Suk!

�This could go on forever��

�Fine! I�ll go.�

I strode by him and he was about to touch my arm, but I shook him off. �Don�t touch me!�

Chapter 5
We walked at least two blocks in silence. He made sure that I was up ahead because he didn�t trust me walking behind. Given the circumstances, I wasn�t plan on running off. I never run from a problem no matter how bad it was, unless of course, if I was being chased by a psycho with a knife in his hand.

I stopped walking when he had yanked on my bag, pulling me back. �Turn in here.�

I looked to my right and I saw the darkest alleyway that I have ever seen. It was broad daylight and the two tall buildings had blocked out the sun completely, leaving only dark shadows.

I swallowed my saliva back in nervousness. �In there?�

�Yeah.�

I was nervous, angry, exhausted and starving all at the same time. And now I was getting scared. How did I manage to get entangled in a situation which seem like it was never going to end?

Still I had to be certain. If I was going to walk through it, I had to make sure I was getting out of there alive. �Is this some kind of shortcut?�

He didn�t answer me, instead he gave me a little push forward. I swung my head around to glare at him. I wasn�t surprise to see the stoic expression on his face. Mumbling curses under my breath, I walked on.

The alleyway seemed oddly quiet. I could only hear the sound of my footsteps and my own heart pounding inside my chest. �So, tell me one thing. Will I die today?�

�I can�t answer that.�

�Why not?�

�Because it�s a stupid question.�

�No, it�s not.�

�It is. Do you always ask the stupidest questions?�

Truthfully, I was scared and my legs were beginning to feel like water and the only way to ease my fear was to stir up an argument. Somehow knowing he was there felt somewhat comforting to say the least.

As we walked further down the long narrow alleyway. I heard footsteps that didn�t belong to us, coming from a different direction. Looking up ahead, two big shadows appeared, heading our way. I turned around, wanting to let Jong Min know and whack! My forehead met against his nose. Ouch!

Ouch for him, not me. Serves him right for standing so close to me.

He touched his nose and blood stained his fingertips when he looked at them. �Sh*t.�

�You see, I would apologize but apparently there are two guys---�

Quickly wiping his nose, he corrected me. �Four, not two.�

When I peered over his shoulder, two more guys showed up . �So, I�m guessing, you don�t know these guys?�

�I do and I don�t.�

I stared into his face in confusion. It was the second time that I�ve been this close to him. Without all the messy hair obscuring his face, he was ten times better looking. Did I mention that he looked very good with his tied back?

Snapping back to reality, I asked, �What do you mean by that?�

�Rivals,� he simply answered.

The two men in front of us, came closer so I got a better look at them . Both of them were bald, with intricate designs tattooed on their bald heads. The two looked identical with all the piercing and tattoos. The only thing that distinguish them was their height. The taller one had a nose ring and the other one had the type of face that never looked happy no matter what.

The taller one that spoke first, wearing a slight grin on his face. �Jong Min, why am I not surprise that you�ve chosen to enter my turf without permission?�

Jong Min return the grin. �Maybe because you were expecting me?�

�Maybe,� spoken tall one as he switched his attention onto me. With a flicker of glance, he had me all summed up. I didn�t want to know what he was thinking. �So, who�s this? Your new girl? Whatever happened to that big mouth with the tight ass?�

Hmm�I wonder if he was referring to Mie Suk�

The other two had already reached us from behind, blocking any chance of escape. I sense trouble. Big trouble. Trouble, that cannot be easily taken care of.

�She�s not important. It�s not worth checking her out,� came the reply from Jong Min�s mouth.

Should I be offended? I didn�t look that bad, did I? Choosing to remain quiet, I decided that if was safer if I kept my mouth shut.

�I could take her bro. Let me handle it,� the shorter one next to him interjected.

My brows rose in question as I rolled my eyes sideways to Jong Min whose gaze was fixated on the two in front of us. �Let her go. She has nothing to do with this,� he said.

I was still quiet. This wasn�t like the movies when both the girl and guy were in trouble and the girl does says something stupid to jeopardize their lives, and then one of them end up being hospitalized. No, not at all. I wasn�t that stupid. If Jong-Min ordered me to run, I would. It�s not like I cared. Maybe just a little bit concerned but still, I would run.

�Run!� he yelled out, shoving me against the wall.

My face struck hard against the brick wall. For a moment, I was blinded by white light. Urgh! Stupid Jong Min. All he had to do was yell out for me to run, the pushing wasn�t necessary. Though I did run out of there as fast as I could, managing to push the short one aside and continued down the alleyway until I came to a sudden halt in front of fence, breathing heavily.

�Get her!� I heard a voice not far behind.

The voice only motivated me to climb the fence. Once I was on the other side, the short one arrived, facing me through the fence. �You little b*tch. I�ll make sure I break every one of your limbs.�

For some reason that stupid threat only fueled my anger. See, I wouldn�t mind if a girl calls me a b*tch. But when a guy does it, I found it very offensive. �Before you do that, I wanna see you use those short limbs of yours to hop over this fence!� I challenged.

He was quick as a monkey. It only took him two leaps before he hopped over, and before he could hit the ground, I sent a high kick to his the side of his head. Hey, I know it wasn�t fair but I had to do something. I watched his body hit the wall first before falling onto the ground. I was almost shocked. I never knew I had that kind of ability. All of my lessons had paid up. Instructor Lee would be proud.

�You know, your head is no different from a soccer ball. Full of air and easy to kick. Though it�s not as bouncy,� I remarked, stomping a foot on his back, to hold him down.

He only groaned in response.

Oh man, I was enjoying it way too much. �Go now and don�t bother bringing back reinforcements because you won�t see my face again.�

He stumbled as he stood and then he pointed a finger at me before collapsing completely onto the ground, falling unconscious.

�Sorry,� was all I said before walking away. I didn�t get far because I was too concerned about Jong Min. What if he didn�t get away as easily as I did? Should I go home? Gosh, at times like these, I wished I didn�t have a heart.

By the time I reached Jong Min, I could barely see him. The three guys had him cornered as they kicked and punched. One of the guys had a pocket knife in his hand. My fists clenched in anger. This wasn�t fair. Three on one. I was definitely going to do something about it.

�Hey retards!� I yelled out, drawing their attention.

They quickly spun around and I finally saw Jong Min lying on the ground, with blood seeping from his swollen lip and there was a cut just under his cheekbone. No, not his handsome face!

I was more than angry now. Why did it bother me so much that they had bruised his face? All I could say was, �Why don�t you go check on your buddy? Go see if you can revive him.�

And that�s when Jong Min got up.

All three charged at me. The tallest had the knife in his hand. The other two were suddenly pulled back by Jong Min. I couldn�t see what he was doing to them, I didn�t want to know because I heard howls of pain. My attention was focused on the guy with the knife.

Okay remember how I said that I would run if I saw a psycho with a knife in his hand? Well, I couldn�t run then. It was too late for that. My anger had reached its highest point. To the point where I became completely irrational but still in control of my movements.

When he was within reaching distance, I remove my bag and struck him in the face and then grabbed the arm with knife and twisted his wrist, making him drop the knife in the process. My right knee met with his face as I pulled his head down. I heard a crack, which was probably his nose and then I slammed my elbow against his back and made sure he hit the ground before repeatedly kicking him senseless until Jong Min had to drag me away.

�Enough!� he shook me until my senses returned.

I pulled out of his grasp. �Screw you. It�s all your damn fault!�

There was something about his expression and his posture that seem wrong for a person who was suppose to be injured. It was like, like�.

�Wahhh! Jong Min you bastard. I will�kill you for this. That little b*tch of yours is one crazy ass wacko. You owe me for this one,� mumbled the guy that I had kicked.

I was beginning to understand�

I saw him wince in pain as he try to position himself into a sitting position. Then I turn to look at the other two who were lying unconscious, pushing themselves to sit up. They both burst into an abrupt laughter. �Jong Min where did you find this girl?� one of them asked in between his laugh.

My gaze slowly returned to Jong Min who was smiling proudly. He had looked into my eyes this time as if he was trying to detect something. It felt like he was tearing through the layers of walls that I had built up. I hated that he had that affect on me. I hated him period. That conniving son-of-a-b*tch forced me to believe that we were in danger!

Alright, at this point steam was probably shooting out of my ears.

�Before you start going out of control again, lemme have my say.�

I didn�t wait. Instead I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder and began to walk away, refraining myself from hurting anyone, especially Jong Min.

Once I thought I was far away from everyone and alone, I screamed out as loud as I could. �Jong Min, I hate you, you bastard. I hate you for leading me here. I hate you for tricking me!�

�I can�t blame you for hating me,� came the voice.

I spun around to face him, slightly embarrassed that he had heard me. �What the f*ck are you doing here?!�

�If you hadn�t decided to walk away, I probably wouldn�t be standing here now.�

I rested a hand on my hip. �Look, I�m tired and hungry. What do I have to do get you to leave me alone?�

�Say two simple words.�

�What is that?�

He came closer to me. �I accept.�

�Accept what?�

He reached out slowly towards my face. �Say it.�

I took a step back. �What do you think you�re doing?�

�Just say the words and I�ll leave you alone.�

He took another step toward me. �Unless you want me following you around all day---�

I held out my hands thinking I was going to stop him from coming any closer. That didn�t help because his chest met with my hands. Oh gosh, Landy. Say hello to rippling muscles!!

Dropping my hands immediately, I blurted, �Fine. Fine, I accept!�

He smiled and gosh, I wanted to die. He had the nicest teeth. They were white and perfectly straight. He leaned in close and I remain completely immobile, probably cast under his spell.

He stroke a hand over my hair and then slowly removed the elastic band the held my hair together. My long hair poured out around me and I was still unable to move. �You have lovely long hair,� he commented. �You should wear it down more often. You look more feminine that way.�

I snatched the elastic band from his hand but he caught my wrist. �Don�t tie your hair when you�re around me. Leave it down. From now on, you�ll do as I say.�

�Why�s that?�

�Because, you accepted.�

�No, I didn�t---� Crap! I did. Dammit, how could I have agreed so willingly?

�Too late. You�ve accepted. There�s no turning back now.�

�Out where and what did I agree to?�

He smirked, when he said, �You�re officially a member of the The Black Dragons.�

My heart stopped beating for that second. �I did no such thing---I didn�t agree to this and I sure as hell----�

�You participated in the whole ordeal back there and yet you tell me you didn�t agree to it?�

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Noooooooooo! This couldn�t be. I didn�t do all of this to have join the gang!!! I did it because I thought I was trying to get away?!

I tried to argue with him. �But---but you tricked me!�

�Did I? You accepted the challenge ever since we were standing in front of Tae Kwon Do place. Those who are aware of The Black Dragon, know never to challenge us, unless they want in and you did. You could�ve easily walked away and we would have no choice but to let you go. You�ve proved of your bravery when you stepped up to us. That only means you agreed to join us. Not only that, but you�ve proved of your loyalty when you came back for me. If you had taken off, that would mean, you weren�t worth it.�

Now I really regret in not running away. I could�ve made it easy and never look back. But no, I had to be concern about a man who wasn�t worth my concern. �I hate you Jong Min!�

�I know you do.�

�Urgh. No, you don�t know how much I hate you!�

�Then tell me how much you hate me.�

�I�m going home!�

�I�m not stopping you but before you do, take this with you.�

He pulled out his mobile phone to hand it to me.

I didn�t take it until he forced it in my hands. �This phone is all yours. Keep it and I�ll call you.�

�What if I throw it away?�

�Then I�ll find it and track it down. And then I�ll track you down.�

�What if I throw it away into the ocean or break it into pieces?�

He frowned. �There you go again, asking stupid questions. Here�s a few things you need to keep in mind. I�m your leader, never question my authority or disobey me. If I tell you I need you, then you will come to me. If I tell you do a task for me, you will do it for me. Understand?�

I nodded even though I knew I would probably end up going against all of that.

�Say it.�

�I understand.�

�Good.�

�Any questions?�

�Yes---�

He shook his head, changing his mind. �Wait, don�t bother asking.�

�Just one question.�

�What is it then?�

�Can I do something?�

He looked puzzled. �Huh? Do what?�

�This!� I said, kicking him in the shin before taking off as fast as I could, hearing him calling after me.

�I�ll get you for that!�