Chapter 26
�I shouldn�t have to wait for you to decide,� I said to the customer who sat on the stool, staring dumbly at the bottles stacked behind me. �You have to know what you want before you coming strolling here. This isn�t McDonalds buddy.�

�Uh��

He�s been �uh-ing� for the past ten minutes and frankly, I was getting tired of it. The bar was closing soon. Everyone had gone, except for this one and the four guys who lingered at the back corner.

When they say patience is the key to life, they should have thought about it twice. Patience is indeed the key to life, but then you meet people like this guy who causes you to lose every single ounce of patience in your body.

The guy had on a business suit. His hair was gelled back, his tie was crooked and he was sweating profusely. He had the kind of face people that made him appear vulnerable. He looked like the type of guy that you would take once glance at and never bother to look again.

One thing is for certain though, I bet this guy never touched alcohol in his entire life. �Uh�I want---� he paused, trying to come up with something, �I want---�

�What? A hamburger and fries?�

He leaned in close to speak low. �You really sell that stuff here? Because if you---�

I interrupted him. �Ever seen a person with a crooked nose before?�

�No. Why? Do I have a crooked nose?�

�Do you want one?�

�No. Not really. I think my nose is perfectly fine as it is.�

For now it is.

�Let�s not play games. Those losers sitting in that back corner told you to come here.� I leaned in closer, causing him to move his head back. �Are they threatening you to do this?�

He quickly shook his head. �No, what makes you think so?�

Maybe because you�re beginning to look like an idiot? Or maybe you are one? I wanted to say. Flickering a gaze over his shoulder, I saw them. They were Cobra�s people. One of them put a finger to his throat, and slid it across, conveying a definite message.

I ignored him and said to the nervous stranger. �They�re watching us.�

He swallowed, refusing to turn back. �Well I uh---�

�Well uh--you can barely talk.�

That�s when he leaned close to whisper. �They want my head if I don�t come here and deliver a message for you.�

�Why can�t they do it themselves?�

�I really don�t know.�

�What is it then?�

�Cobra wants to see you.�

�That�s it?�

�Meet him outside.�

�When?�

�Now.�

�Can�t. I�m working.�

�But---�

I glared at him. �Want one now?�

�Want what?�

�A crooked nose.�

�No.�

�Then get out of my face. While you�re at it, bring those morons out with you.�

The stranger was literally shaken with fear by now. �I�m gonna die, aren�t I?�

I hated that I had to pity him. And having to pity him, I had to save him. �Washrooms at the back. Keep walking straight and you�ll see the back door.�

He nodded and quickly fled to the washroom. The other guys noticed, and stood up to hurry towards the same direction as the stranger.

I quickly went around to stop them. �Where do you think you guys are going?�

One of them wearing his cap to the side, shouted in my face. �Get out of our face b*tch!�

Gross. Did the moron have to spit while he shouted? �And if I don�t, what�s gonna happen?�

The other three guys knew to keep quiet. They were the same guys that I confronted a while back. But this one. This one was someone knew. Kind of cute. Young looking, around Soo Hyun�s age and all gangster-like. A scar ran across his cheek. Poor thing.

�B*tch! What you starin� at?�

�A barking dog who�s about to choke on his own bone.�

Just as he was about to swing at me, Cobra entered, causing him to stop in a mid-swing. That�s when I swung my own fist, slamming it against the side of his face. He stumbled and fell back on his behind, staring at me in complete shock.

The others already reached inside their jackets.

�Stop it!� came the order.

�He was about to hit me so I had to hit him first,� I said to Cobra, who stood there looking unperturbed.

He took a step closer to me. �Tell me something, Landy. Do you like provoking us?�

�No.�

�Then why do you do it?�

�I don�t do intentionally. Can�t help it.�

He raised his hand and the guys inclined their heads, leaving the bar.

Once it was only me and Cobra, I couldn�t help but start to feel nervous. I had to admit, there was something unsettling about this guy. I couldn�t trust him. I didn�t feel this way whenever I was with Jong Min. This guy was something else.

�I liked to be greeted more appropriately.�

I looked at him, dumbfounded. �What do you mean?�

�A kiss would be nice.�

Please, someone shoot me. What the hell was wrong with this guy? A kiss? For what?

�Unless you would have it the other way around,� he spoke, using a more flirtatious tone as he advanced slowly towards me.

I slowly matched his step as I retreated. �You can�t be serious.�

�You�re not like the other women.�

Other women? I really didn�t need to know how many he has been with. Rumors circulated that Corbra was a man-whore. Is it possible for a man to become a man-whore?

The next thing you know, he had me cornered against the wall, with both his hands on either side of of me. His face was just inches away. His blond hair had fallen in front of his face. Damn. He really did look good up close. How could I have overlooked him? The only thing that I found myself staring into was his eye-patch.

His warm breath grazed my cheeks when he spoke. �You need to relax.�

I was tensed as a stubborn horse. I couldn�t let this happen. Not with Cobra. Trouble. Too much trouble�

He leaned in and I backed my head against the wall. Ouch!

A smile spread across his lips. �You don�t want me to kiss you?�

�No. I just don�t want to kiss you period.�

Ducking my head under his arm, I managed to slip away. �You need to leave. I need to clean this place up.�

Out of nowhere, he had a grip on my arm, pulling me against him. His one eye searched for something on my face. �Why are you fighting it?�

�Fighting what?�

�You want this as much as I do.�

�Bullsh*t.�

His one arm was slowly traveling down my back. I shoved his arm away, irritably. �Please leave.�

Once again, he persisted to pull me against him. This time his grip tightened around me. I tried fighting against his grip but he had me good.

Suddenly as if on cue, someone chuckled. It was a deep chuckle. I looked over Cobra�s shoulder to find Jong Min leaning against one wall, with his arms folded the way he always had them. He had on the same hooded sweatshirt that I had seen him wore when I first met Mie Suk. The only difference was, his eyes told a different story. They were too angry for that matter.

Cobra pulled me to his side and kept me there. �Jong Min, good to see that you�ve recovered.�

Was it Cobra who had stabbed Jong Min? If it was, then this was going to get real ugly.

Jong Min ignored him and stared straight at me. �Landy, come here.� It was an order.

�Landy, you know better,� Cobra said to me.

That�s right. I knew better. I knew not to try and fight against Cobra because when he pulled me against him, he made sure I felt the gun hidden beneath his jacket. Wahhhhh! Why me?!!

Jong Min�s gaze never left me. �Landy?�

I tried not looking at Jong Min in the eyes but I failed. �Hmm?�

�I told you to come here.�

Well f*ck, Jong Min, if I could I would! Kinda stuck here!! I wanted to scream aloud.

�You go and you�ll regret it, Landy,� Cobra warned.

Finally Jong Min removed his gaze off me to look at Cobra. �You stay at his side, you�ll regret it even more.�

Damn. What was wrong with these guys? They were supposed to be threatening each other, not me.

�Landy!� Jong Min shouted.

That shout was enough to make me elbow Cobra on the side of his ribs and hurry towards him like a scared little child.

I slapped his hands away when he tried reaching out to me. �Don�t touch me,� I snapped.

This time it was Cobra�s turn to chuckle. �You know Jong Min. You were always better with the women. They seem to grow some kind of attachment to you. I wonder why?�

I bit hard on my lower lip to prevent myself from saying something stupid. What is with men and their ego?!

A smile slowly spread across Jong Min�s face. �Or perhaps you�re just not man enough for them?�

Just when Cobra intended to reach inside his jacket, a voice came from the doorway.

�Why isn�t this place cleaned up yet?�

My uncle came striding in, with his two bodyguards. Like always, he was looking GQ-ish. His gaze switch back from Cobra to Jong Min to finally rest on me. Damn. It only meant more trouble for me. He waited patiently for me to say something.

I blurted, �These guys were just about to leave.�

Cobra greeted my uncle like he knew him. �I�ll be on my way.�

�You should,� came the retort from my uncle�s mouth.

Cobra forced a smile to his face as he walked out.

Exhale slowly, Landy. I had to remind myself as I watched him go. Then I quickly turned to Jong Min. �You too.�

�I�m not leaving.�

I looked to my uncle who shrugged his shoulders. �If you need me, I�ll be in my office. Once you�re done, just leave. I�ll do the locking up tonight.�

Then he left me and Jong Min alone.

Alone.

Together.

Chapter 27
I wanted to run and hide. Do anything, as long as I didn�t have to deal with Jong Min.

He didn�t even look at me when he said, �I�ll wait for you outside.�

I had expected something along the lines of�

�What are you doing with Cobra in the first place?� or �Why didn�t you come? I waited for you all night� or �Landy, we need to talk.�

Not --- �I�ll wait for you outside.�

I wanted to take off my shoe and toss it at the back of his head. But I couldn�t bear to lose another shoe.


* * *

The summer night air greeted me with a cool breeze when I stepped out. I took my time to breathe in and out before strolling over to where Jong Min was. He was standing by his Yahama bike, blowing out a stream of smoke.

He was smoking! That idiot!!

Once I reached him, I snatched the cigarette from his mouth and stomped hard on it. �Damn you Jong Min. If you�re not killing yourself with a bottle of Vodka, you�re smoking.�

He still didn�t face me when he said, �We�re all gonna die someday. Smoking or drinking isn�t gonna make much difference.�

�Yeah, it does. It shortens your life span.�

�Whatever smartass.� He moved to positioned himself on the bike. �Come, let�s go,� he said, tossing me a helmet.

I caught it and pulled it over my head. Why was it all black?

�You�re wearing it backwards.�

I bet he was just saying that to make me look even more stupid. It was stupid enough that I didn�t know how to put a stupid helmet on.

Removing it from my head, he helped me put it on. �There.�

Then he took my arm, guiding me on the bike. �Hold on to me.�

�Whatever.�

�You�ll regret it, if you don�t.�

�Whatever.�

He started the bike and the next thing I knew, I was thrown against him, the front of my helmet struck against his. �Oof!�

�Told you to hold on.�

I was holding on alright. This time I had my arms wrapped around his waist. �Jong Min?�

�Hmm?�

�Where are you taking me?�

�Somewhere.�

�Could you tell---�

�No.�

�Fine.�

�Landy?�

�Hmm?�

�When we get there, can we try not talking about the current issues. Just for tonight, I�d like it to be different.�

I was tired too. Too tired to argue. I wanted to understand Jong Min as much as I could so that I could look past all the obstacles that stood in his way and finally see him for the real him.

�Okay,� I agreed.


* * *


We both sat at the end of a wooden pier with our pants rolled up to our knees, and our feet kicking in the water.

There were candles along the pier, that Jong Min and myself had lit up along the way. He had it planned before we even gotten there. And I was really starting to like him for it. I had asked him what the occasion was and he told me that he felt like doing it. How can you just feel like doing something on the spur of the moment?

Whenever the lights danced across his face, I had to look. It made him look surreal, like some fictional character straight from a book. In fact, I don�t think I took my eyes off of him since we arrived.

�Really, what�s the occasion?� I prodded, lifting my legs out of the water.

He had his gazed fixated on the water, staring into it as if he could see through its darkness. �We�re celebrating someone�s birthday today. Someone, I used to know.�

�Where is this someone, if I may ask?�

�Gone,� he answered, closing his eyes and saying nothing more.

I sat watching without further questioning. I couldn�t figure out what drove me to reach out and place my hand over his. �I�m sorry.�

He craned his head to look at me. Then he placed his other hand overtop of mine and smiled in appreciation. �I know this may sound crazy, but whenever I look at you, I see her.�

Her? It was a girl? His ex? Quit it, Landy!

�How do I remind you of her?�

He leaned in closer, speaking softly as he touched my hair. �Your hair.�

Damn. He had to be so close. Real close. I could smell the scent of his cologne mixed with a faint smell of his aftershave.

He turned enough to look at me. Those intense eyes of his had to look at me. I wanted to melt away and turn into water. �You�re staring, Jong Min.�

�Why can�t I stare?� he asked, his brow arching.

�Because I don�t like it.�

He chuckled. �Do I make you nervous?�

�No. I just don�t like it.�

�Would you have me not stare at all?�

�Yes.�

�Fine,� he said, leaning into for a kiss and I jerked my head away quickly.

�What are you doing?�

�If I can�t stare, than I rather kiss you.�

�Be serious, Jong Min.�

�I am.�

�You�re not.�

He pulled away. And I suddenly wish I hadn�t said that. �You�re not a mind-reader, Landy. You don�t know what I�m thinking.�

�I�m not. But it just---�

�You promised that we wouldn�t bring up any issues.�

He was right. I had to put all the issues aside. Tonight wasn�t the night for it. �Okay. Fine, I won�t. I�m sorry.�

He stood up abruptly. �We�re leaving.�

�Why?�

�Because I said so,� he replied, turning to walk off.

I stood up feeling angry at myself and at Jong Min. �Don�t you walk away from me, Jong Min! Get back here!!�

He continued to ignore me.

�JONG MIN!!�

Still no answer.

So that�s when I ran up to him and jumped on his back. If he hadn�t caught me, I think I would have fallen back. �You�re not going! You hear me?!!�

He laughed as he turned his head back a bit to try and look at me. �I was wondering when you were planning to run after me.�

I was glad that it dark. At least it helped conceal my blushing. Although I couldn�t help but smile at him. �Jong Min?�

�Hmm?�

�Start running. I haven�t had a piggyback for quite awhile.�

�It�s dark, Landy.�

�Who cares. Do it now.�

And he did. He ran like there was no tomorrow. When he slowed down I urged him onward, laughing to myself. He ran until he could run no more.

When we returned to the pier, he dropped me. �Damn you, Jong Min!� I scoffed, rubbing my behind.

�It�s your fault,� he said, trying to catch his breath as he bend over.

�That was fun, don�t you think?�

�Good exercise yeah,� he replied, plopping down beside me as he pulled his hooded sweatshirt over his head.

No t-shirt or tank top underneath. Just his bare upper body made of muscles. The stab wound was still there. Gosh, I was angry now. Who dared to put a scar on Jong Min�s perfect body?

�Feel like swimming?�

�No.�

�Fine,� he said, pretending to get up and then quickly reached for me, lifting me over his shoulder.

�Jong Min, put me down now!�

�Okay.�

He did put me down but not onto the pier like I expected, instead I was in the water. Before I could scream out, I was swallowing a mouthful of water.

Jong Min had jumped in, and popped his head up right next to me. �Sorry,� he apologized.

�Whatever,� I said, swimming over to the edge of the pier when he caught my leg and pulled me back.

�Jong Min! What are you doing?!� (More water swallowing)

�Relax, will you?� he asked when I finally faced him, trying to stay afloat.

I said nothing.

�You mad?�

I still said nothing.

�Landy, you mad?� he asked, running his eyes over my face. �Answer me.�

That�s when I placed both my hands on his shoulders and forced him into the water. I went down with him too. We started play fighting underwater, even if it was difficult to see. Legs and fists were exchanged.

We swam back to the pier and sat in silence for quite awhile. I think at that point, we were both thinking the same thing. That we would have to face reality again, and go back to dealing with our problems. The truth was, I didn�t want the next day to come. If I had a choice, I would have chosen to stop time.

�It�s late. I should get going. My mom wouldn�t be too happy.�

�We have to watch the sunrise first.�

I shivered, resting my chin on my knees. �Do we have to?�

Jong Min had probably noticed that I was getting cold. He moved in closer, putting his arm around me and forcing me to rest my head against his shoulder.

�If I say so. Yes, we do have to wait until the sun rises.�

�Jong Min?�

�Yeah?�

�Wake me up when the sun rises,� I said, followed by a yawn. And then I was fast asleep.

The next time I opened my eyes, I was staring up into the ceiling of my room. Then I wondered if it had all been a dream. Couldn�t be, could it?

The incessant pounding on the door drew me fully alert. Groggily, I slid off the bed and went to answer the door.

My grandmother was standing there, smiling at me. Pushing me back inside, she closed the door behind her.

�Landy, you�re awake?�

�Yes, nana.�

�That guy that brought you home earlier. Who was he? Is that the boyfriend you�ve been hiding from us?�

It wasn�t a dream. It really did happened. �Nana?�

�What?�

�Can I go back to sleep now?�

�You didn�t answer my question yet.�

�Can I sleep first?�

�Okay,� she replied, leaving the room.

I climbed onto bed again and the phone in my room rang. Reaching over to answer it, I said, �Yes?�

�Landy?�

�Hmm?�

Hana�s aunt came around to find her niece still sprawled on the ground. �Hana, what are you doing still lying there?�

�This freak is stepping on my skirt!� she replied. �I can�t get up.�

I looked down to realized that she was right. �Oops.�

�What�s going on here?� came another voice.

Great. Just what I need. My uncle confronting Hana�s aunt. And damn, I keep calling Hana�s aunt---Hana�s aunt. She had a name. But what was it?

When my uncle saw that Hana�s aunt had turned fully around, he asked, �Lily, what are you doing in here?�

Lily, that was it!

�None of your business,� she replied, sounding angry and looking pissed.

My uncle crossed his arms, standing his ground. I take it, he didn�t want her to leave just yet. He had to have his say first. �Well, let�s make it my business because you�re stepping into my bar.�

�Screw off, Dong Sung!� she berated him.

�I would, but I�m not like you Lily.�

Oohhh damn. My uncle was good. That was a good one!

Hana and I exchanged curious glances. When we realized what we were doing, she stuck her tongue at me. I lifted my fist at her and went over to stand at my uncle�s side.

�I take it, you didn�t like the gift I given you?� he asked, looking over at the scattering photos.

�You had no right!�

�And that gives you the right to go off cheating on me?�

She wanted to say something but stopped, attempting to calm down. �Dong Sung, this is a private matter. Let�s talk about this somewhere else.�

�How private is it, when every single person you know, has already seen the pictures?�

She pointed a finger at his face accusingly. �You---�

�I guess now, we�re done,� he conceded, walking away from her and I followed after him into his office.

Shutting the door behind me, I said, �You told her.�

He went to plop down on his seat and opened the drawer of his desk, searching for something. �I need a smoke.�

�You still like her huh? That�s why you refuse to move on?�

�It�s none of your business.�

�C�mon now. You always make my business your business, so why can�t I?�

Because I�m an adult. I have to take care of you.�

�I�m not your daughter.�

�You�re my niece.�

�Yeah, a messed up one.�

I could tell he sensed something in me, that was why he said, �Landy. Tell me about those bastards. Are they giving you a headache, because if they are, I could get it taken care of.�

�Meaning?�

�I don�t have to tell you that.�

�Fine.�

�This Jong Min, what�s he been doing to you and Anna? As for that Cobra guy. Now he�s the one you should be worrying about.�

How did he come to hear all these things? Time to leave, Landy. He reached into his file drawer and pulled out two separate files. �Here�s the background on Kim Jong Min aka David. And the other is Cobra. Read it, it might give you some insight.�

�What gave you the idea that I would want to read that?�

�Maybe it�ll change your mind about wanting to be around them?�

�Who says I wanted to be around them?�

�So, I should put it away?�

�Yes.�

�Don�t regret it.�

�I won�t.�

He did just that and I fought off the urge of telling him to give it back to me. It wasn�t right to read someone�s background. It was wrong. But it didn't hurt to take a peek. Maybe another time.

�Isn�t there anything I could do to help?�

�What can you do?�

�Tell me which one you hate more.�

�Both.�

�Fine, that settles it then.�

�Settles what?�

�I�ll make them leave you alone.�

�How?"

"I have my ways."

I didn't want to know. "Can�t you just make it that they�ll leave me alone without them having to lose a limb or any other body parts?�

He arched his brow.

I continued. �Or that they wouldn�t have to vanish forever? If you could do that, I�ll make you my favorite uncle in the world.�

�I am your only uncle.�

�While you�re at it, could you make Seung Hoon leave me alone too? Even Anna. I don�t want to see any of them. Better yet, could you make me disappear forever?�

�You in deep sh*t, huh?� he asked, attempting to hold back his laughter.

�More or less,� I answered glumly.

�Why don�t you try visiting your aunt in the country side? I heard she�s been calling you. Maybe it�ll help you take your mind off of things.�

Hmm�I never really thought about it until now. Why don�t I? I knew she missed me. She said I reminded her of her daughter, my cousin who died of cancer when she was ten. I could bring the twins with me, that way, they would keep my aunt entertained.

�What about work?�

He smiled when he said, �I�ll take care of it.�


* * *

(Jong Min�s POV)

One week later�

The lights were blazing, the room was loud and music reverberated against the wall. We sat in the corner of The Zone, watching Hana perform. The other guys cheered, whistling and clapping along the way, making our table the rowdiest.

It�s been a whole damn week and there was no way I could reach Landy. Damn, she could have at least left me a message! I haven�t been sleeping, barely eating, only drinking and growing angrier by the minute. Whenever I closed my eyes, she was all I could see. This was not suppose to be happening. Who was to blame? Landy couldn�t be there on my every whim. I knew in truth that I had no control over her. I shouldn�t have any control, especially when we were not in any kind of relationship. The only thing I hated most was the fact that I couldn't stop thinking about her.

�Sh*t, Jong Min, f*cking cheer up!� Woojin said, slapping me on the back. �Your girl�s up there. Aren�t you supposed to go up there and give her a rose or something?�

I rolled my eyes at him. �She�s not my girl.�

�I was kidding man. Don�t take it so seriously.�

�Whatever.�

�Oh sh*t, she�s coming our way.�

I might have shy away and hid myself under the table but it was too late, Hana was approaching us.

She was still singing and everyone kept their eyes on her as she danced her way towards our table. The other guys made their way for her, leaving me alone on my seat. She sat on my lap and ran her hands along my face and made me turned to face her.

The crowd cheered and I had to force a smile to my face. She leaned down close, looking like she was about to kiss me but then she turned her head away and started back towards the stage. The crowd cheered again.

Next thing I knew, Shorty-O came rushing towards us. �Jong Min, Mie Suk�s in trouble. Cobra and his gang are outside, confronting her.�

I was up and running but Woojin was much quicker than I was, he was out of there in a flash, kicking the back doors opened with one swift movement of his leg.

Mie Suk was surrounded by Cobra�s men while Cobra stood at the far side with his arms folded, barking at them to get a good hold of her.

Woojin and the other were already on the guys and I didn�t hesitate to charge directly at Cobra, grabbing him by his throat and slamming him against the wall. He laughed in spite of my tight grip around his neck. �I wouldn�t do that if I were you.�

Something hard poked my at my ribs and I knew what it was. He had his gun with him. �Let me go,� he commanded.

I released him and he aimed his gun higher at my face. �Thought you had me, huh?�

I didn�t bother waiting for to ramble on, my arm shot out to twist the gun from his grasp and reversed the scene. �You know what�s wrong with you, Cobra?�

He tightened his jaw as stared intently at me.

�You hide behind your weapons,� I said. �That makes you a coward. I should kill you right now.�

Again he laughed. �Shoot me. I dare you.�

That was when Woojin snatched the gun from my grasped and aimed the gun directly at Cobra�s head. �I�ll f*cking shoot you!�

Mie Suk tried to tug at Woojin�s arm. �Don�t, Woojin!� she pleaded.

The next thing I knew Woojin and Cobra were in a tussle over the gun. Mie Suk had intervene and I made a grab for her, trying to draw her away. That�s when the shot went off.

It was the slowest moment in my life. Mie Suk had let out a piercing scream and I looked to her direction to find that Woojin was lying on the ground, blood seeping from his bullet wound.

My anger had overtook me by then. I was too angry to check on Woojin. My gaze was fixated on Cobra who smiled as he retreated. He had Woojin�s blood stain on the hand that still held onto the gun.

I took a step toward him. �Try it and I�ll blast your head off,� he warned.

�Do it! Shoot me you bastard!� I challenged, taking another defiant step. �If it makes you happy seeing me bleed, then do it!�

And that was the last thing I remember saying before I heard another shot going off and feeling the bullet piercing into my skin...

Chapter 29
(Landy�s POV)

I love my aunt as much as I love my parents. She always does things to make me happy. I don�t know why she favored me out of the three of us. Soo Hyun kept saying that it was because of my shocking resemblance to my cousin, Boo Bae. Boo Bae had only been ten when she died from second hand smoking. Her father, and my uncle was a smoker. Lung cancer had caught up to him and he died a few years after his daughter. He couldn�t go a day without having to smoke a three packs of cigarettes. My aunt had loved him once, when she had married him. When she had two miscarriages, she thought she would never have any other children again. They grew apart, and even divorced each other. And then Boo Bae came unexpectedly. She cherished her like a gem. My uncle had loved her too but during the time Boo Bae was growing up, they pretended to be a family for the sake of Boo Bae. And for the sake of Boo Bae, my uncle had promised my aunt that he would give up on smoking. All of that was too late. Boo Bae became sick.

Boo Bae was admired by everyone, for her pretty hair and adorable personality. Being a few years older than I was at the time, she knew so much. I remember going over to her house this one time and she would asked me if I knew what love between a man and a woman was. When I shook my head, she had told me, �There�s this boy I know, Landy. I think I love him.�

How was this possible? I thought. She was way too young to fall in love. I really wanted to know who this boy was. She never told me. Before she died, she did ask me to deliver a message to this boy, telling him that she loved him. She had even given me his address. Who would have thought that when I went to that house, no one lived there. So this boy or whomever he was, will always remain a mystery to me.

Ever since the three of us arrived, me and Soo Hyun had done nothing but keep ourselves occupied by helping our aunt around the household, taking strolls through the woods and even went swimming. Soo Min enjoyed the nature but she wasn�t used to it, the way me and Soo Hyun were because she seldom visited.

Me and Soo Hyun were scrambling into the mud, attempting to chase after the ever- so-adorable pig that Soo Hyun had named Babe the moment he laid eyes on him. We spent the last ten minutes trying to catch that little pig and failed at every attempt.

We had dirt and mud splattered all over our clothes. Soo Min on the other hand, decided to go off wandering alone by the stream at the back of my aunt�s house. The mud was too much for her to handle, not to mention the stench.

�Damn, I will have him. One way or another, I�ll catch that bastard!� Soo Hyun exclaimed, only to receive a mouthful of dirt that I had thrown at his face.

He choked, gagged and spat out. �Damn sis!�

I laughed, getting to my feet and took off running before he could catch up to me.

I kept looking over my shoulder, thinking he was going to catch up and neglected to see the person standing in my way. Arms automatically went around my waist once I ran into him.

�Landy,� came the deep voice.

I looked up to find myself staring into Seung Hoon�s face. Pushing him back, I yelled, �Get the f*ck out of my face, Seung Hoon. I�m not gonna bothering asking how you found out I was here. I know it was my grandmother!�

�Landy. I want to know why you�re angry with me. I need to know.�

I heard the desperate plea in his tone. I spun around so quick that a chunk of mud from my clothes flew to land on Seung Hoon�s white t-shirt. No time to apologize. Besides, too angry. �How can I say this, Seung Hoon?�

�Say what?�

�That you�re not gay. That you�ve been lying to me all along. That you had something with Anna. That you two have been keeping this from me for---I don�t know how long.�

I didn�t intend to wipe my eyes but I did because of the tears. And I regretted it. Now I had dirt in my eyes. Damn!

He took a step toward me. At least I think that�s what he did. Damn, the dirt. �Landy, I�m sorry---�

I put my hand up to prevent him from coming near me. �Don�t you touch me, Seung Hoon. You want to know know the real reason why I�m crying? It�s pretty funny when you think about it. I thought I was broken hearted that time you told me that you were gay even if I didn�t know what that word meant. Now I find out that you�re not. And you didn�t even have to tell me. Gosh, I know I don�t make any sense. F*ck this. Just don�t come near me!�

I spun around to run, when he called out again. �Landy do---�

�Don�t stop me, Seung Hoon!� I yelled back, only to run into a tree. Crap. Hard. Very. Hard. Stupid tree.

Blinded by white light and specs of dirt in my eyes, I began to sob, finally breaking down. Seung Hoon came over to me and cradled me in his arms, the way he had done so many times before.

�I never meant to hurt you. I wanted to tell you the truth, that�s why I came back. I wanted to tell you in person. I held back thinking I could---could use you for making Anna jealous. It was stupid of me, I know. I�m sorry for not telling you about Anna. And I couldn�t tell you now, because Anna seems to be happy with Jong Min. I kept thinking that I�d make myself look like an idiot if I told you that I was in love with her, knowing that she�s with Jong Min or this David. I don�t know what I�m thinking anymore, Landy. If there�s anyway I could take back what I did back then, I would. The one person who was always there for me was the person I hurt most. I�m sorry, Landy. You don�t know how much I want to hurt myself right now.�

Wetness had spilled onto my arm. I looked at Seung Hoon, finding that he too was crying. He�s only a human being. He had feelings too. And he�s actually admitting that he was wrong. Should I forgive him? He lied because of Anna. He lied for Anna. Shouldn�t that tell me something here? Love is about making sacrifices.

�Remember the year I didn�t return your letters? I couldn�t deal with it, learning that Anna�s parents were setting up with these men. So I kept the letters and never written back. I felt guilty for lying to you. I know, I was being selfish at the time. But now, it�s time that I�d face up to the truth.�

I tried my best to wipe my eyes when I looked at him. �I still hate you for what you did to me, Seung Hoon. I realized that now that I shouldn�t be angry at you. It was only a stupid crush. You didn�t break my heart. I�m just angry because you lied. And that Anna was in on it. You don�t know how happy I would have been for the two of you, if you had told me this earlier?�

That made him smile. �You�re a gem, you know that?�

I heard Soo Hyun�s voice from a short distance. �Sis, I caught him. I caught him!�

Me and Seung Hoon, stood up immediately, breaking apart.

When Soo Hyun had realized who it was, he dropped the pig. He literally dropped the pig.

Have you ever seen a pig bounce? Yeah, well this pig kind of did. It fell, bounced up and squealed and then took off again. If I didn�t know any better, I would think it had super powers.

�Seung Hoon, you f*ckhead!� he cursed, charging directly at Seung Hoon.

I blocked his way to stop him. �Soo Hyun, it�s okay. We�re okay now. Me and Seung Hoon are still friends.�

�But---�

�Landy move. I deserve it. Let me have it,� Seung Hoon said from behind me.

�Are you sure?�

�Yes.�

I moved and Soo Hyun didn�t hesitate to throw a hard punch at Seung Hoon�s face. He stopped when his fist came up short. To hide his embarrassment, he quickly pointed at Seung Hoon's face. �You�ve been crying?�

Seung Hoon didn�t reply.

I couldn�t either. What was I to say?

Soo Hyun looked over to me, thinking I was going to give him an answer. �Does that mean, Seung Hoon�s really gay?� he asked, looking clueless.

�You cry all the time, does that make you gay too?�

�Oh,� he said dumbly.

I shoved him away. �Go find your pig, Soo Hyun.�

He made a face at Seung Hoon, before taking off again.

Seung Hoon came to me, taking my hand in his. �There�s something else I need to tell you.�

My stomach tightened in nervous. �What is it?�

�It�s not good.�

�I don't want to hear it then.�

"You have to."

"Fine. Tell me."

�Jong Min was shot. He�s under a coma. The doctor said that when the bullet struck him, he fell back and hit his head pretty hard against the ground.�

I could feel the blood draining from my face and my heart stopped beating completely. Then I found myself asking. �What should I do, Seung Hoon? Should I go and see him?�

�It depends.�

�Depends on what?�

�Depends on how much you care for him.�


* * *


When we returned to my aunt�s house, she didn�t look too happy seeing me in my current state. In fact she didn�t look like she cared too much about it. Something else was bothering her.

When we inside my room, I wanted to ask her what was wrong but she had broke the silence first.

�Landy, I have to go to the city. Something�s urgent has come up,� she said, as she prepared my clothes for me.

Damn. I wanted to go with her. But what was I to say?

�What�s wrong aunty?�

�I can�t tell you now. It�s complicating. I will later. You take care of your brother and sister while I�m gone. I�ll be back by tomorrow morning.�

�You don�t need me to come along?�

�No. You came all this way to be here. You�re not going back yet, young lady.�

Damn.

With nothing more to say, she left through the door.

I went for my shower and by the time I was done, Soo Min and Soo Hyun were waiting for me outside the door. �What do you want?� I asked them.

�We�re going with you.�

I swear these two were like mind-readers. �How?�

I heard the jingling of keys and Seung Hoon appeared. �I drove here. Wouldn�t hurt to drive back.�

Chapter 30
++ At The Hospital ++

When Mie Suk saw us fast approaching , she broke out of Killer Mouth�s arms and ran to directly towards me. �Landy, it�s all my fault,� she cried.

�It�s okay,� I said, trying to comfort her.

�Woojin and Jong Min are in still unconscious because of me. Because of my stubbornness. When he told me not to follow them to the club, I didn�t listen to him. It�s all my fault that they were both shot.�

Oh gosh. Woojin had been shot too? My heart sunk once again. How was it possible that both of them were shot. Unless of course they were involved in some kind of gang shooting. �Who shot them, Mie Suk?�

Mie Suk refused to answer me by shaking her head.

I shot Killer Mouth a look and he quickly answered, �Cobra did.�

I was quite shock to hear that Cobra was behind the shooting. Why couldn�t I see it before? Did I really think he couldn�t commit such an act? Perhaps I did then, but all of that changed now. I was angry and more pissed off than ever. No words could describe how I was feeling that moment.

�How are they?� I inquired.

�Woojin�s recovering slowly. As for Jong Min�,� Mie Suk trailed off, unable to finish her sentence because her tears had fallen.

If this day could get anymore worse, Anna suddenly appeared, holding onto a fruit basket. �Landy? Seung Hoon? What are you guys doing here?�

Soo Min would have jumped Anna if Seung Hoon hadn�t caught her around the waist on time.

�Why are you all looking at me that way?�

Mie Suk took a step closer. �What the hell are you doing here?�

Anna pretended to look surprised. �Why would you ask that? You already know why I�m here.�

That�s when Mie Suk slapped her hard across the face. She would have done more if I hadn�t held her back. I looked over to Killer Mouth and ordered him to take Mie Suk away. �I�ll take care of this. Go clean up.�

She still glared back at Anna as she walked away.

Turning back to face Anna, I said, �We need to talk.�

Suspecting Seung Hoon had something to do with is, she glanced up at him before turning back to face me. �There�s nothing to talk about,� she said, turning to head toward the door.

I reached out to stop her, spinning her around. �Unless you want to cause a scene, I suggest we go somewhere to talk privately.�

So then we did. We strolled through the hospital corridors and finally found ourselves a quiet little corner. I didn�t bother wasting time. The first thing I said to her was, �What�s wrong with you, Anna? Why have you been ignoring me?�

�Because there�s nothing more between us.�

�Why would you say that?�

�You lied to me, Landy.�

�How did I lie to you?�

�You knew that Jong Min was David and you�ve said nothing!�

�I didn�t say anything because it wasn�t necessary at the time. Remember that night at the party? I had planned on telling you that night but I never had the chance. You wanna know why? Stupid Hana had her security guards showed me out of the club and then I had to fight off these losers who wanted to hurt me because I had intervene in their situation, when I was only trying to help someone. The next thing I knew, Seung Hoon confronts me, inquiring about Jong Min. Then I find out that my best friend has left the city. You know, Anna. I would have never kept something like this from you. Not the way you�ve done to me.�

�What do you mean?�

�I know about you and Seung Hoon.�

She bit hard on her lower lip, trying retain her tears. �What did he tell you?�

�What do you think he told me?�

�Landy, I�m---�

�You�re gonna say you�re sorry, huh?� I folded my arms. �You know what Anna? I had already forgiven you on behalf of Seung Hoon. I only ask one thing from you. Don�t break his heart. Don�t play with his heart because you can�t make up your mind in who you rather be with.�

She suddenly got on the defensive side and slapped me hard across the face. �What are you trying to say, that I�m trying to steal Jong Min away from you?!�

Unhurt from her slap, I could only think of one thing to do. I retaliated by slapping her back. Her face twisted to the side and she slowly touched her cheek in shock, while her eyes shot daggers at me. Yep, that makes it two slaps for Anna in one day. Definitely not a good sign.

Was this the Anna that I knew all along. Why was she being so mindless, irrational and selfish? Everything seem to be about Jong Min. What about Seung Hoon? Wasn�t there a Seung Hoon in all of this?

�Jong Min was never mine to begin with. Deal with it, Anna,� I stated.

I stared at her for a moment, hoping for her to say something that made sense. When she didn�t, I turned to walk away.

�I�m pregnant with Jong Min�s baby,� she blurted out.

Damn. That made me stop short.

�That night of the party, we left the city together�� she trailed off.

Gosh, why did it have to hurt so much to hear her say that? Why did I have to care so much for this Jong Min bastard? Why did I choose to come all this way for him, only to hear Anna telling me that she was pregnant? Ah�why did my life have to be so damn complicating? And how many times have I asked that same question already?

Again, I couldn�t tell whether Anna said that to keep me away from Jong Min. And to be sure, I would have to be patient and rational-minded.

Turning around to face her one more time, I said, �Tell me that nine months from now with proof of a blood test to go along with it. I might just believe you.�

Seung Hoon suddenly appeared out of nowhere, placing a hand on my shoulder, staring directly at Anna. �Stop kidding yourself, Anna. Jong Min can�t be the father of your baby.�

If Jong Min wasn�t�

�then Seung Hoon?

I kept looking back from Anna to Seung Hoon trying to decipher the message�

�huh? It couldn�t be, could it?

�I�ll explain to you later, Landy. Go to Jong Min, the doc says he�s finally opened his eyes.�


* * *

(Jong Min�s POV)

I found myself reliving through a series of the past events of my life. From the first time I met Boo Bae, to the time my parents decided to move out of the house because they couldn�t deal with me having a friend like Boo Bae. Three years later, I winded up messing with the wrong guys at school and they made me pay for it. One of them had an older brother who was in a street gang and fate had been unkind to me the day when this particular gang member decided to drive by in his car and shot at my older brother while we were playing just outside our house. My brother died immediately from the gun shot to his head. My parents couldn�t deal with the fact that I had survived and my brother didn�t, so they gave me up.

I met with Mie Suk, Woojin and Cobra at the orphanage. We quickly became friends and it was Cobra who had been distant from us. He was the strangest out of the four of us. Every one of the kids feared him like they feared a real snake. That�s why they called him Cobra. He was sneaky and his heart was made out of venom. Ever since then, he had lived up to his name.

I found it odd that Mie Suk acted strangely around him. Whenever she spoke to him, she would never look him in the eye. I sensed that she feared him more than the other people, because she had seen something in her brother that nobody else did.

Whereas me, Woojin and Mie Suk remained close, Cobra went off and did his own thing. Sometimes he would sneak out during the night and never returned until the next day. Rumors had it that Cobra was working for someone. Some kind of dealer. No one really knew for certain until the day he forced Mie Suk to escape with him. I woke up that night and stormed out into the rain along with Woojin by my side. We confronted him and had him down when he brought out his pocket knife and sliced Woojin in the arm. He persisted to attack Woojin when I grabbed him from behind and struggled to remove the knife from his grasp. Mie Suk had intervened, putting herself between us and Cobra neglected to realized that his own sister was standing before him. He was too blinded by his own anger. That�s when I pulled Mie Suk away and ended up taking the knife to my back. When he pulled it out, I spun right around and gave him a blow to his face and then jumped on him, knocking him to the ground. Regardless of the pain that throbbed at my back, I continued to beat him senseless. All of my anger that I had kept back all of that time, poured out on Cobra. In the end, Cobra winded up with one eye. From then on, we became enemies.

Boo Bae�s death. My parents abandoning me. My brother�s death and Cobra�s craziness had all led up to where I was now.

�Open your eyes, Jong Min,� came the familiar voice to my left.

I did. And found myself staring into the white ceiling. A warm hand slipped over mine. �I�m glad you�re awake.�

I slowly turned my head enough to look at her. Her glossy eyes lit up with her smile. She was one of the few woman I cared enough about to call her mother. �How are you feeling?�

�A little strange. How long?� I asked as I forced myself to sit up when she suddenly scolded me to lay back down.

�A week from what I heard.�

I thought about Woojin and Mie Suk. The images slowly came floating back to my mind. I remembered Woojin bleeding from the gunshot wound. I remembered hearing Mie Suk�s piercing scream. They were all so vivid. �The others, how are they?�

�Mie Suk is taking care of Woojin right now. She�s doing everything for him.�

�She doesn�t know�that I�m awake?�

�Not yet. I asked the doctor not to say anything because I know it would only make you upset.�

�You didn�t have to come all that way to see me.�

She chided me. �Jong Min, you know better not to say that. If Boo Bae was still alive, she would hate you for saying that.�

�I�m sorry.�

�Both your parents are distraught and shock. I tried my best to explain to them.�

I didn�t want to know how my foster parents were taking it. I was even more glad that they weren�t there. �Please, I don�t want to discuss it.�

�What do you want, Jong Min? Tell me why you�re still out in the streets getting yourself involve in these kind of situations?�

�You wouldn�t understand.�

�Then tell me. I don�t understand you anymore. Just three weeks ago, you�ve brought some girl over to visit me, telling me you planning to quit this gang and then now I find you lying in the hospital bed.�

I reached to squeeze her hand. �I don�t know anymore, Umma. Things just gotten more complicating.�

She pulled her hand away. �No, you don�t. Don�t you know how much it hurts for me to watch you lay there unconscious with tears slipping from your eyes. One moment you�re calling out Boo Bae�s name and in the next, you�re calling out for Landy.�

Landy?

How come she acted like she knew who Landy was? �You know her?�

�Of course. She�s my niece that I�ve been trying to tell you about.�

It couldn�t be! It was all too much of a coincidence.

Suddenly out of nowhere, I heard the door slamming shut. We both turned to look in the direction of the sound and I had a feeling that someone had listened in on us. I looked at my second mother and she was thinking the same thing.

Quickly removing the IVs attached to me, I slipped off the bed and nearly staggered as I made my out of the room, determined to stop Landy from leaving me again.