Chapter 6
�Your face. What happened to your face?� questioned my mother who never took her gaze off me the moment I stepped into the house.

�I told you, I was thrown against the wall by that new girl,� I lied, trying my best not to face her.

�You�re lying.�

Damn, she had me. Meet my mother. The most concerned mother in the entire world. I couldn�t go out without having her constantly at my back. Honestly, I don�t know why she always seems to worry about me more than the twins. Did she think I couldn�t protect myself?

I had to face her this time. �How do you know that I�m lying?�

�Because Instructor Lee told me you were late and that you had to sit out for today�s session.�

�Who said it had anything to do with today�s session?�

She frowned at me. �You mean, it happened outside of class?�

I nodded. �Yes.�

She went to grab the phone before I could stop her. �Who is this new girl? I�m going to get her number from Instructor Lee---�

I managed to wrestle the phone from her hand. �No! No, please don�t. It�s only a bruise.�

�Have you looked at your face?�

No, and I didn�t want to. �It�ll be fine.�

�I�m calling,� my mother conceded, slapping my hand and then snatching the phone away.

I snatched it back. �No, you�re not.�

So then it began me and my mom playing a game of �give me the phone,� when my grandmother had walked in on us.

�Shut it for once. I�m trying to listen to my music in the room,� she complained.

�What does our grabbing the phone from each other have anything to do with your listening to music?� I asked, snatching the phone from my mother and slamming it down.

She turned to squint at me from behind her coke bottle glasses, noticing my presence for the first time. �Ah, Landy you�re back. What that�s ugly thing on the side of your face?�

I cringed from my grandmother�s words. She always knew what the say to make you feel like crap. Now you know where Soo Min acquired her bluntness from.

�Your favorite granddaughter got into a fight this morning with some new girl in her Tae Kwon Do class,� interjected my mother. �I told her not to join the class. Now look what happens. All because that stupid uncle of yours---

If I didn�t stop her now, my mother would go on forever. �It wasn�t a fight---�

And my grandmother whose known for interrupting people, had cut in. �Really, Landy? Did you show her? Did you show her who�s the boss?�

I rolled my eyes.

�Landy, how many times have I told you not to roll your eyes in front of me or your grandmother?�

�More than once,� I answered.

My mother�s eyes widened. �Oh really, then why do you do it?�

�Because I�m a disobedient daughter who can�t seem to control it when it does happens. Just like how you can�t control your snoring when you�re asleep Umma. Why do you think father doesn�t sleep in the same room anymore?�

My mother flushed in embarrassment. �I do not snore!�

�Landy is right you know. You have a snoring problem,� my grandmother added.

My mother swung around to meet my grandmother who smiled innocently at her. �It�s the truth.�

Now that I had stir up an argument with my mother and grandmother, I took my chance to escape. But I didn�t get very far when my grandmother called out, �Hey Landy, you have to take me over to Hwa Soon�s house. I want her to give me another reading. That no-good-lying friend of mine has cheated me with the winning number from last night�s lottery.�

My mother argued, �Landy is not going anywhere today. She�s grounded.�

�Grounded? You�re grounding an eighteen year old girl? What�s wrong with you?�

�Nothing is wrong with me!�

"You have a problem!" my grandmother shouted back.

"I do not!"

I covered my ears, trying to ignore their outbursts and headed up to my room, locking my door. After dropping my bag to the floor, I decided to take a peek into the mirror. And then I wished I hadn�t. I looked like hell. My face appeared slightly uneven because the one side had swollen up. And that was when I realized how painful it was.

That stupid, Jong Min!

A sound went off, making me jump. My gaze slowly drifted over to my bag and I wanted to cry. No, not Jong Min! Why does he have to be so damn annoying?

When the phone was in my hand, I put it against my ear and waited.

There was some rustling noises before a female�s voice came on the line. �Jong Min, guess what I�m doing now?�

The way she called out Jong Min�s name got me thinking she wasn�t okay. Frankly, I didn�t want to know what the hell she was doing. I didn�t care. And I was not at all surprised that Jong Min had girls calling him. I was more curious in who this female was because I recognized that voice from somewhere.

She giggled to herself. How pathetic was that? Where did Jong Min find his girls?

�I�m changing into that sexy outfit you bought for me. At first I thought it was a little tight at the chest but I�ll manage.�

I pulled the phone from my ear to look at the caller ID and made a face. The name was Sexy babe. I decided I was going to keep quiet and listened further as she continued to ramble on.

�I had fun last night, Jong Min. Anyway, I was thinking about that kiss. And I can�t stop thinking about it. Maybe tonight we can get together again? What do you think?�

I tried my best not laugh when I said, �I think I�ll pass this message onto Jong Min for you. Don�t worry, I won�t forget to mention about your tight sexy outfit.�

She burst over the phone. �WHAT?! WHO THE HELL IS THIS?!�

I cringed from her shouting. Right then I knew who it had to be. My arch nemesis Hana. Hana was my rival, a stuck-up snob who also happens to be the niece of the woman who used to date my uncle. Her aunt owned a club right across from our bar called The Zone. It was considered to be one of the hottest night clubs in Seoul. Even some of the hottest stars hung out there.

Hana was one of those girls who thought she had everything. People say she idolized Lee Hyo Ree and that she resembled her. Although, I don�t see how. Let�s get back to the point here. The point is that I hate her. Now knowing that she had some kind of connection with Jong Min only gave me another reason to hate Jong Min even more.

�Maybe you should go ask Jong Min yourself.�

�Look, you listen you b*tch, Jong Min�s mine. If I find out who this is, you�re going to get it.�

�If you knew who I was, I think you�ll think twice about making that cheap threat.�

�WHAT?!�

�Whoa, be careful there, or your sexy outfit might tear in half. Besides, I�m not deaf, no need to raise your voice at me.�

�F*ck you b*tch! Who do you think you are?!�

Ah ha! This was the Hana I knew. The one I pissed off intentionally. �Look, I don�t think it�s really necessary to swear over the phone or even raise your voice at me.�

�I will kill you!�

�Cheap threat,� I retorted.

�I�ll tear your throat out!�

�Cheap threat,� I said again before hanging up on her.

A pounding at the door followed after. �Landy, Landy are you okay?!� shouted Soo Min and Soo Hyun from the other side of the door.

�Grandmother says your face resembles a blown up blueberry,� said Soo Hyun. �I can do something about it!�

I strode over to unlock the door for the brats and they stared at me with their jaws dropped.

�Comin� in?� I asked.

They both nodded in unison and entered.

�Wow sis, you got it bad. Did they do anything else to you?� asked Soo Hyun.

I sat down on my bed and gestured them to do the same and then I began retelling my whole experience. By the time I was done, they bombarded me with questions.

�You�re really a member?�

�Jong Min touched you?!�

�Did that guy�s head really felt like a soccer ball? I never knew heads could feel like soccer balls.�

That last question came from Soo Hyun. If Jong Min thought I was bad with my questions, then he should meet my brother. You could always count on Soo Hyun for asking the stupidest questions.

Soo Min placed a hand on my shoulder. �We did go back, you know. But no one was there.�

�Yeah sis. I did everything to convince Soo Min to go back for you.�

Soo Min stuck her tongue out. �Whatever dumbass, you�re the one who was crying your eyes out.�

Soo Hyun defended himself. �Me? Cry? Pshhh! You were the one who decided to apply extra make-up to your face because you wanted to impress Jong Min!�

I craned my head to look at Soo Min. She was slightly blushing. Oh no, don�t tell me my younger sis had a thing for him too? That would be bad. Not that I was jealous but it would get ugly considering both Mie Suk and Hana was involved with him. Come to think of it, what girl wasn't involved with this guy?

I put my arms around their shoulders and pulled them close, knowing they were only trying to help. �It�s alright. I don�t want you guys involved anyway.�

Soo Min fumbled with her words. �Err, there�s another thing.�

Damn, I knew something was wrong. Nothing ever goes right with my siblings whenever they were trying to be helpful.

�What is that?� I asked, trying not to bite my tongue.

�Remember the reinforcements? Well, we did bring back reinforcements. They were uncle Dong Sung�s men.�

My arms dropped from their shoulders and I fell back onto the bed. �You told uncle about The Black Dragons?�

�We kinda had to, sis. You were gonna to get the crap beaten out of,� Soo Hyun replied.

Oh great! Now I had my uncle to deal with. �Get out! Both of you!�

Chapter 7
He sat languidly against his Italian leather chair, finishing off his smoke. He gave off the cool laid back vibe. Ever since the bar had money rolling in, he felt he needed to keep up-to-date with fashion, spoiling himself with fine custom made suits. Being a thirty year old man, he looked no older than twenty-six. My uncle Dong Sung always had the appearance and charisma that could land him on the cover of GQ. Rumors had it that he was with a different woman every night. What can I say about this man? Only that he�s very secretive.

�How�s your face?� he asked, blowing the last stream of smoke.

I choked on the amount of smoke before saying, �How does it look?�

�Better I presume,� my uncle said as he crushed the butt of his cigarette into the ashtray. Then he gestured his bodyguard to remove it from his desk.

�These guys who call themselves The Black Dragons, how are they like?�

�I don�t know. I�m still in one piece, so what does that tell you?� I replied.

�That they�re not as bad as people make them out to be.� He pushed his seat back and stood up, with his hands in his pockets. �If they ever bother you again, let me know. I�ll take care of them.�

What my uncle meant by that, you don�t want to know. Rumors has it that he had the power of making anyone disappear. Notice how there�s always rumors circulating around my uncle? He made sure these rumors got out to make himself appear powerful and intimidating.

�You don�t need to get involve. It�s not your problem. You have problems of your own to deal with.�

�Landy, I�m your uncle.�

�Thanks for reminding me.�

�I�m being serious, Landy. If they touch you again, I will make sure they pay.�

�Trust me, they won�t,� I said, with a grin on my face.

�I�ll take your word for it. Now get to work.�

I got up and left the office and went to set up the bar.

Half an hour later, Anna showed up looking all too happy.

She leaped toward me, pulling me into her embrace. �Landy, I have the greatest news!�

The bar wasn�t opened yet and I was glad for that because Anna shouldn�t have yelled out my name like that. When I was working inside the bar they called me Black Orchid. It was stage name Anna had chosen for me, since I was always in black. �What is it?�

She slapped the side of my arm. �It went well!� she beamed.

It�s no wonder why she haven�t called me for two days. She had been keeping herself occupied. Even if she was my friend, I didn�t want to tell her about my little incident. That�s why I haven�t called her either. �What---that thingy with your potential husband?�

�He was extremely good-looking in person. Damn Landy, he has the nicest hair. It was combed back from his face, and gelled. And he has on these cute glasses that he wears, making him look like he�s one of them smart-asses. Well, he is a smart ass but, he has the nicest smile. Everything about was nice. He was even a gentleman about everything. And he smelled sooooooooo good!�

Anna pushed herself to sit on the countertop and laid back dreamily. �He even offered to wipe ketchup off my cheek.�

I laughed at her. �Where did you guys go?�

�We went to McDonalds because he let me choose the place.�

Anna loves McDonalds. She had to have McDonalds at least once a week or she wouldn�t be Anna. �And then?�

�And then we took a stroll through the park and fed the fishes. I could go on forever about this guy.�

�So your parents didn�t disappoint you this time, huh?�

She rolled off the countertop. �You know, you�re right. They�re not wrong about it this time.�

�Excuse me,� came a deep soothing voice interrupting our discussion.

We both turned to the direction of the voice. My jaws nearly dropped. Maybe it did for a brief moment but I quickly recovered.

Standing there five feet away was Jong Min, all GQ with his hair gelled back, wearing cute little glasses. This man was everything Anna had just described. Except he was Jong Min!

Anna smiled. �David? What are you doing here?�

David? Did Jong Min have a twin I didn�t know of? Perhaps he does. I prayed that he did.

He was looking at me then, as if I had something for him to think about. Maybe he thought he could see past my freak make-up? Or perhaps he remembered that he had plucked out my hair two months ago? Or maybe he just thought I looked scary?

Looking at Anna, he said, �You forgot your purse in the car. I came back to give it to you.�

He strode closer, handing the purse to Anna, flickering gaze over my way. �Thanks David,� Anna said, taking the purse from him.

�You�re welcome,� he responded.

Anna shifted her gaze to me. �David, I like you to meet my friend---L---Orchid.�

I faked a smile and bowed my head. �Nice to meet you.�

He did the same. �Nice to meet you too.�

Then awkward silence filled the room, as we stared into each other�s eyes. If he was really Jong Min, then that bastard was a damn good actor.

It was Anna who broke the awkwardness. �So David, would you like anything to drink?�

�Just ice water,� he replied.

Anna went behind the bar and then said, �Damn, we don�t have ice yet. I�ll be back with some ice. Why don�t the both of you get acquainted with each other?�

Once Anna was out of the room. I turned from him to go behind the counter and grabbed a rag to wipe the countertop, praying that he wasn�t Jong Min. I swallowed in nervousness and then said, �Sit down if you like.�

He did just that. �This place hasn�t changed.�

That�s when I stopped my wiping and looked at him as he said, �You haven�t changed at all. Still as strange looking as before. Is your name really Orchid?�

I was glad that he didn�t recognized me as Landy because then, that would only make matters worst. At this point, I didn�t know what I was feeling. �Oh yeah, I recognize you. You�re that guy who stole a few strands of my hair.�

�Really? You still remember that?�

I shrugged. �Tell me one thing, is your name really David?�

�Nope.�

I had to make sure. �What is it then?�

�Gimme yours and I�ll give you mine.�

�Orchid.�

�David.�

Okay, so that didn�t go well. Let�s try another approach. �That night you came in here, you didn�t know Anna then, did you?�

�No.�

�What is Anna to you?�

He smiled. �She�s someone I can love.�

I didn�t like how he used the word can. Judging from his answer, I knew right away that this David was a fake. A total fake. My jaws tightened in anger. Damn you, Jong Min. �What do you think of her?�

�She�s a nice girl. She�s everything a man would go for.�

�But?�

�You think there�s a but in all of this?�

�It�s written all over your face.�

�I could make her a happy woman.�

Given who you really are, I don�t think so buddy. �That�s all that matters? Making her happy?� I prodded.

Before he could answer my question, Anna re-entered carrying a nice glass of ice water.

I took a moment to observe the expression on her face. She was more than happy. I�ve never seen her this happy with any man before. Somehow I wanted to wipe that expression off her face and give her a reality check but it wasn�t my place. I hated Jong Min for that. I was really beginning to acquire a habit of blaming Jong Min for everything. And why was that every time we met, things were always heading in the wrong direction?

Chapter 8
Later that night, Anna had asked to leave early. When she left, I couldn�t stop thinking about her and Jong Min. I didn�t know which bothered me more. The fact that she was seeing the fake Jong Min or the fact that Jong Min had so much to hide or the fact or that they looked so perfect together. When I had watched them tease each other, there was this odd sensation I never felt before. Could be jealous of them? No way. Just because I thought Jong Min was hot, doesn�t mean I had to like him too. Besides, there was nothing to like about him. Except for maybe his smile, or the glint in his eyes, or the scent of him, or the way his hair fell freely in front of his face�

Okay Landy, get back on track here!

Just when I thought the night couldn�t get any better, Hana came striding in with her tight jumpsuit. It was no doubt, the same outfit that she bragged about over the phone two days ago. The particular jumpsuit was zipped just high enough so that you could catch a glimpse of her cleavage. Yes, she had cleavage, and they were real too. So you can imagined how the men looked at her and the women refraining themselves from hurting her.

Not far behind her, followed her two over-the-top friends who called themselves Cherry and Strawberry. The reason why they had strange names was because of their hair color. Cherry had cherry colored hair and Strawberry had strawberry colored hair�yada�yada�yada�

I could go on but you get my point.

Hana was selective at choosing her friends. They had to be less attractive and dumber than her, otherwise they weren�t good enough for her. Everything that revolved around Hana had to be associated with Hana. She loved the attention. That selfish spoil little b*tch cared only for herself.

Before sitting herself on the stool, she made sure her two servants wiped it clean with a handkerchief.

After two wasteless minutes, I went to greet her with the usual joyful greeting. �Hana, nice to see you again.�

She acknowledged me. �Hey freak. Don�t act like we�re old acquaintances,�

I countered back, �Hey Hyo Ree wannabe. I just thought I�d be nice for once.�

She glared at me from under her funky hat. Looking at her from this close, the only thing that caught my attention was her glimmering earrings. �Don�t start with me.�

�Start what?�

�That,� she pointed out.

�That what?�

�I will slap that grin off your face if you don�t shut that mouth of yours.�

�C�mon, you should know by now. It�s hard not to say anything when I�m around you.�

She clenched her fists. �Being ugly is one thing, having a big mouth to add on to that, makes it another. I feel sorry for you, freak.�

I grit my teeth, picturing myself clawing her eyes out. Putting hand on my chest, I said, �I am touched by your concern, Hana. Really, I never knew you had a heart.�

She bit her lower lip and continued to glare at me in silence.

�That ridiculous suit of yours must be a tad too tight huh?� I asked, wanting to provoke her just for the heck of it.

Both Cherry and Strawberry gasped in unison. Did I forget to mention that Cherry and Strawberry never say much? Hana didn�t allow them to speak unless they were told to. Yeah, they were like mindless puppy dogs who barked only on command.

�You could always ask one of the men in here to help you loosen it for you,� I suggested, looking around to realized all of the men had crowded behind her.

Hmm, I wonder how long would it take for the cat to pop out of her shell?

To answer that. Not long, because she had hurled an empty martini glass in my direction. I moved my head and she missed me by an inch. Yep, that�s Hana for you. She was more crazier than I was when she was angry.

Surprisingly enough, Cherry and Strawberry had to restrain her back her shoulders.

�Let go! I�m going destroy that mouth of hers!� she shouted, knocking both Cherry and Strawberry down.

As of this moment, the music had stopped playing and everyone�s attention were focused on us. If this commotion continued any further, my uncle wouldn�t like it at all. That�s if he found out.

�Look, Hana. Let�s not get into this,� I forced myself to say, despite the urge in wanting to hurt her real bad.

�I�ll take you on right now. In front of everyone!� she declared, swinging her arms wildly.

Someone shouted out, �Yo, Orchid! If I were you, I wouldn�t mess with her. She�s Jong Min�s girl!�

All the guys went, �Oooohhhh��

Pshhh! Like I cared for any of Jong Min�s girl. Except for Anna. Was Anna really Jong Min�s girl?

�Thanks for the warning, buddy!� I shouted back.

The crowd laughed.

Hana was prepared, she already had her hair tied back. Now all she needed was a pair of boxing gloves.

Little did she know, the first thing I would aim for was her hair. No, that would be too girlish of me. No hair pulling allowed unless my hair was being pulled first. Wait---no fighting period! I had enough of that for the past two days.

I pushed up and swung myself over the counter, like a trained acrobat, landing perfectly on my two feet. Okay, I admit, I did stumble---but just a little. �I won�t hit you, Hana.�

�I will!� she said, sending a hard slap against my cheek, catching me completely off guard.

Whoa�white light floated around me�there was a strange stinging sensation on the side of my cheek. Wahh! Why did she have to slap me on the same side where I just recovered from?

When I had let my guard down and Hana already had me pinned against the floor, clawing at my face and urging the other two to kick at me. Cherry and Strawberry were smarter than that. They didn�t dare touch me, considering the last time they tried to, I had left them crying over their torn clothes.

Before Hana could tear my eyes out, I swiped her hands aside and punched her full in the face. Only enough to knock her off of me and make her nose bleed. Wow, I�ve seen way too many nose bleeders for the past days. One more wouldn�t hurt.

As I pushed to stand, I said, �Sorry, I prefer to use my fist.�

Hana whimpered in shock and pain. �You�ve broken my nose!� she accused.

�Oops, I meant to aim for your mouth.�

She wailed.

That was when I heard someone yell out, �Sh*t, that was a bad move Orchid! Jong Min�s and his crew are really comin� after you this time!�

Who was this loser who kept shouting out gibberish? �Who said that?!� I yelled out.

After saying that, the crowd had broken up to reveal Soo Min who was in the process of slapping Soo Hyun on the side of his head. Once they realized everyone was looking at them, they lifted their hands in acknowledgement.

I glared at them both and they quickly looked away. I turned back around, thinking that I was going to give it to them once I was done my shift.

Cherry and Strawberry went to help Hana stand. Blood continued to gush out of her nose as she continued to cry in embarrassment. It wasn�t a pretty sight. That only caused all the men to turn away in disgust.

�I came here in peace!� she shouted.

Ha! Funny. There was never peace wherever Hana went. She made it sound like we were participating in world war III or something. �If you came here in peace, the least you could do was hold back that short temper of yours. Maybe, just maybe we might�ve gotten along?�

When I looked at her jumpsuit and noticed the zipper had traveled down further than it should have, I added, �Nor would you be giving some of these men a free peep show.�

That�s when all the men turned right around, trying to set their sight on Hana. And I wasn�t surprised to see that Soo Hyun had shoved his way through first.

Strawberry removed her jacket to quickly place it around Hana.

�My aunt insisted that I come over and deliver a message for the owner of this bar. That�s why I came. She�s throwing a party Saturday night and your boss is invited!�

Cherry wiped Hana�s nose as Strawberry tried to calm her. Snapping her fingers, she gestured for Cherry to do something. Cherry nodded in understanding, withdrawing something from inside her jacket. Then she went to place it on the countertop.

�Give that to your boss.�

I rolled my eyes at her. �If you had only told me this earlier...�

�Do not think for a moment that this war is over between us, Orchid. For you punching me, I will make sure you get it twice as bad.�

�Oh, I�ve no doubt that it would get even uglier. But let�s not forget whose nose is bleeding at the moment.�

�Now, now. Let�s all try to get along here,� interrupted Soo Hyun, trying to impress Hana as he went to stand in front of her in a model like pose. Then he turned to face her. �What can I do to help make the situation better?�

�You could start by getting out of my face,� came the retort from Hana�s mouth.

�Aw honey, are you really going to deny a face such as this one?� he questioned, pointing to himself.

Cherry and Strawberry were already swooning over him. Damn, that Soo Hyun!

�How old are you anyway?� she asked, looking irritated.

�Old enough for you, love,� he replied, adding a smooch with it.

She nodded but her face was expressionless. �I think I remember you. You were that back up dancer for Shinwha awhile back when they performed at club. You were the one who grabbed the microphone off of Min Woo when he asked you to sing along with him.�

Soo Hyun was a backup dancer for Shinhwa?!! Why didn�t he tell me?! That little brat!

He had to force a smile to his face as he said, �Ah, yes. That was me. So�what did you think?�

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. �I think you were trying too hard.�

Soo Hyun chuckled again. This time he was trying hard to conceal his bruised ego. No woman had ever bruised Soo Hyun�s ego before. I guess Hana was the first.

�I think you�re the one who�s trying too hard, you slut!� came a voice from my right.

When there was a Soo Hyun, there�s always going to be a Soo Min. Men made room for her as she passed them. Crap, I didn�t like how they were looking at her at all. Those bastards!

Unlike Soo Hyun, Soo Min always had a way of making an entrance. Compared to Hana, she made her the snot look like a gimmick. I was proud of my younger sister. At least someone in the family had style aside from my uncle. �Go back to your dog house and chew on your bone before someone comes along and steals it away,� she remarked, going to stand beside Soo Hyun.

Hana took a step closer, assessing Soo Min over. �Excuse me?! Who the heck are you?�

�What? Don�t tell me you want me to speak in dog language so you can understand better.�

Hana opened her mouth to speak when a small woman with dark purple hair ran into the bar, shouting her name. �Hana! Hana! Guess who�s arrived at the club?!�

�Who?�

�Jong Min and his crew�s here! Let�s go!�

Anger suddenly swelled up inside me. That stupid Jong Min. During the day he played the role as the smart-ass and by night he was the gang leader and a player.

Hana�s jaw�s dropped. �I can�t meet him now! My nose!�

�Slap a band-aid on it. It could work,� I suggested, only to have her tell me to shut up.

One moment she was standing there, and in the next, she was gone in a flash.

Everyone was still standing there, looking lost and confused. I shouted out, �Drinks on the house everyone!�

They all cheered, including my annoying siblings. �Both of you, go home. Mom and dad are probably worried sick.�

�But uncle said we were suppose to walk home with you,� said Soo Min.

�Don�t worry. I�ll be fine.�

�You sure?�

�Yes!�

Soo Min put her arm around Soo Hyun�s shoulders. �Okay. C�mon, Soo Hyun we still have time to stop by The Zone before we head home.�

They took off before I could stop them. �Damn, I hate my life,� I muttered silently to myself as I got back to work.

Chapter 9
When the night was over, I laying on the countertop mumbling nonsense to myself. I didn�t know what I was thinking when I decided to steal a bottle of my uncle�s favorite whiskey and drank half of it. Mind you, I�m not a drunk. I�m a strong drinker. And I only drank when I thought to much about something. I have reasons you see�

Reason #1: I hate Jong Min
Reason #2: Anna might marry this David person, who also happens to be Jong Min
Reason #3: I�m in a gang
Reason #4: I hate Mie Suk
Reason #5: I hate Hana
Reason #6: I hate Jong Min
Reason #7: I might die because I�m in a gang
Reason #8: I hate David for being Jong Min
Reason #9: I hate Jong Min for being David

I sat up and shouted as loud as I could. �I hate you. I hate you, I hate you!!�

Whoa, I think the room was spinning. �Whoa�this is�strange.�

And then I drank some more until someone grabbed the bottle from me. I turned my head to see the beast with his messy hair, finishing off my whiskey bottle. Was I dreaming? I had to be dreaming. He can�t just show up after I thought about him. Oh, the nerve of that guy!!

I shoved him. �Hey!�

And then I wish I hadn�t because I fell off the counter, sprawling right on top of him, with my face buried in his chest. Ooh, he smelled good. I should really ask him what cologne he wears. When I realized that were both lying in an awkward position, I quickly rolled off, staring blankly up at the ceiling, and it wasn�t helping at all. �You drank all of my whiskey, dammit!�

�Is this what you do when everyone�s gone? Steal all the whiskey to yourself?� And then he tsssk at me. �Just two months ago, you were accusing me of stealing your vodka.�

�Hey, I don�t steal. I paid for this whiskey,� I lied, as I slowly sat up.

When I turned to look at him, he was still lying comfortably on the ground, with his arms supporting the back of his head. It was as if he was enjoying the view of the ceiling. His eyes. There was definitely something about those eyes as they gazed upward.

I had to push aside my thoughts. �What are you doing here, the place is closed. Wait, how did you get in here?�

He was still staring upward when he said, �Does it matter?�

�Yes. You�re not allowed in.�

He glanced at me. �Do you always follow the rules?�

�Yes, I�m a law abiding citizen.�

�That�s why you stole that whiskey bottle.�

�No, I told you, I did not steal it!�

He sat up fully. �Why are you getting angry?�

�Who said I�m angry?!�

�Your tone tells me so.�

�Urgh---forget it! Leave. You�re not welcome here.�

He shrugged. �Says who, you?�

I stood up and wavered on my feet. �Damn,� I muttered.

�For a girl, you shouldn�t be drinking so much.�

�Why would you care?�

He stood up to face me. �You know, you remind me of someone.�

I swallowed, hoping he wouldn�t recognized me. �Who?�

He didn�t answer me, instead he said, �You shouldn�t wear so much make-up.�

I turned away from him. �Who says I wear any make-up? I�m just pale, that�s all.�

He held my arm and made me turn to face him. Then he said, �You�ve been crying, haven�t you?�

Crying? Did I cry? Even if I did, I wouldn�t know. At this point, I take it, I had consumed more than enough alcohol for the night. �Crying. The hell would I cry for?�

�You have mascara running down your face.�

Great, I must look like hell.

�Go wash your face,� he said, making it sound like an order.

�Why?�

�Because I wanna see you without your make-up.�

I broke away from his grasp. �You�re drunk, go home.�

�Not until you wash that mask off your face.�

I tried my best to look serious and threatening. �I�ll call the cops on you.�

�What will you tell them?�

�What do you think?�

He chuckled. �If it suits you, here, be my guest.� He offered his phone to me. �Because then I�ll just tell them that you�re my girlfriend and that were only have girlfriend and boyfriend issues and then they�ll get angry at you for disturbing them at this time of night.�

�Ha! Girlfriend, they would never fall for it!�

�Why not?�

My turn to laugh. �Are you blind? Look at me. Do I look like girlfriend material?�

�Not quite, but we could work on that.�

I don�t think I heard him clear enough. �S�cuse me?�

�You heard me.�

�I�m gonna pretend I didn�t hear that.�

�We can learn to get along, you know.�

Ha, buddy, I don�t think so. �And your point?�

He took a step closer and there was an odd expression that I�ve never seen on his face before. Pain. It had to be pain. �I need someone to talk to,� he said so softly, it was barely audible.

Now he made me feel guilty. �There are plenty of strangers out there who are willing to listen to you talk. Why me?� I nearly croaked. Damn, my voice was growing hoarse.

�Because of your eyes.�

I shook my head, kind of lost. �I don�t understand.�

He repeated again. �Because of your eyes, I can trust you.�

My heart fluttered. I felt for him then. He looked desperate and vulnerable all at the same time. I hated him for making me feel like I needed to comfort him. URGH!! Why are you doing this to me Jong Min!?

�So�that thing earlier, it�s a joke right?�

�About you being a possible girlfriend?� He shook his head slightly. �No, it�s not a joke.�

It was impossible. Was he really suggesting that he wanted me to be his girlfriend? �I can listen to you. If that�s what you want, I can listen but please don�t ask for anything more.�

�Why not?�

�Because it isn�t necessary. And more importantly Ann---�

He cut me off. �Anna, right?�

�Yes of course! Are you blind? She likes you!�

He chuckled at that and I had the sudden urge to hurt him. �She likes a man who has never really existed!�

Oh gosh, this was way too much for me to handle. �Then why? Why did you agree to it? You see her as some kind of joke, is that it?!�

He didn�t say anything, instead he looked downward, unwilling to face me as if he was ashamed of something.

Or perhaps, I was seeing this all wrong?

�It�s me, isn�t it? I�m the joke in all of this. If you used me, that would give Anna a reason to stop liking you. Hey, why not? Freaks like me aren�t considered to be human beings anyways. It�s not hard to stab someone in the back when they�re not looking.�

�Look, you�re taking this all wrong.�

�Am I?�

And then I found myself laughing until I felt the burning sensation in my eyes. No, I couldn�t cry. Not in front of him. I swallowed back the lump that had traveled up my throat.

He looked slightly angry and disturbed now. �Quit acting like you�re two different people!�

I froze in motion. I think that line was enough to make me sober again. �What?�

�Did you think you could hide yourself from me?�

No, he couldn�t have known. Dammit, now he just made me look real stupid. I was baffled and dumfounded. All that came out of my mouth was, �How?�

�Your hair and your eyes.�

Okay now, it was beginning to become a little silly. Did this guy have an obsession with hair? �But---�

�I knew it was you when I saw you that day. And then when I saw you again, earlier today, there was no denying it anymore.�

Should I jump for joy now knowing that he still remembered me? Nope, I still hated him. �You knew, and you were playing along too?!�

�It�s fun seeing you angry.�

No it�s not, you retard! �So what happens now?�

�Will you accept?� Before I could ask, he interrupted me. �Don�t tell me you don�t know what this is about. This has nothing to do with Anna either. This is between us, don�t bring her into this.�

I lifted my hand up. �Whoa, there�s an us?�

�You know, this could go on forever��

�What about Mie-Suk or Woojin? Or Hana? Why can�t you talk to them? I mean it�s bad enough that you tricked me in joining your stupid gang.�

�Hana?� he asked, raising a brow. �I heard you were rolling around the floor with her.�

�Did you see her nose?�

�Your work, huh?�

�What you think?�

�Let�s not get into that.�

�Why am I always left with no choices?�

He shrugged.

�Just because I�m agreeing to this, doesn�t necessarily mean that I�m gonna keep agreeing to everything.�

�We�ll see.�

So then we both stood there, staring at each other without any exchange of words. I don�t think it mattered then. Deep inside, I knew I needed him as much as he needed me. And for the first time in my life, I felt the connection. A connection that only he and I could share.

It was the loud crackling noise outside that tore our gazes apart. And then I panicked because I knew what that sound was. Thunder. I hated thunder and lightning. Let�s just say I�ve been struck by lightning once. I was in the hospital for almost a week because of my own foolishness.

�You�re jumping.�

�No, I�m not.�

�You�re afraid, aren�t you?�

�Of what?�

�Thunder.�

He took a step closer. �Let�s go. I�ll take you home.�

I held my feet against the floor and my fists at my sides. There was no way in hell I was going out there. He would have to kill me first. �I�m not goin� anywhere until the rain ceases.�

�Admit it, you�re afraid.�

�Okay, I am.�

�Then I�ll keep you company until the rain ceases.�

�Why?�

�Do you always ask why?�

�Because I find it absurd that you�d want to keep me company.�

He brushed a strand of hair from his face. �I can leave you, if you want.�

He turned to go when I blurted, �It sounds like it�s raining hard��

And that made him whip around with a sly grin on his face. �Tell me you don�t want to me to leave.�

�You�re just being cocky now.�

�I�ll go.�

�Fine, stay if you like.�

�That�s not what I wanted to hear.�

�Does it matter?�

�It does to me.�

My stomach knotted even tighter at the thought of Jong Min leaving me alone. �I don�t want you to leave,� I muttered.

He tugged on his ear and made a face. �Sorry, what was that?�

I sighed in exasperation before saying loudly, �I DON�T WANT YOU TO LEAVE JONG MIN. IF YOU STEP THROUGH THAT DOOR, I WILL BREAK YOUR LEGS!!�

�Fine. I won�t leave,� he conceded. And then he strode over behind the counter, helping himself to the drinks. �You don�t mind if I uh---�

�You�re drunk enough.�

�Not enough.�

I rolled my eyes. �Whatever.�

�Let�s play a game then.�

�Drinking game?� I asked.

�Spin the bottle.�

So then me and Jong Min had a game of spin the bottle. I don�t remember clearly what happened afterward but I knew I was literally knocked out by the third round of truth or dare. Only fragments came back to me the morning after. I recalled puking my throat out, laughing my head off and drinking more than I could handle. But it was Jong Min�s last words that remained embedded in my head�

�I�ll take care of you.�

Chapter 10
Morning after�

It wasn�t pleasant experience to have your family interrogating you. My mother was angry. My grandmother was annoyed. And my father was lost. As for the twins, they were trying to hide behind me, thinking I could shield them from the endless curses that came directly from my mother�s mouth.

�Where were you all night, Landy?� asked my mother.

�At uncle Dong-Sung�s place. Since he lives close to the caf� I thought I stay over there. And if you were so worried, why didn�t you call to check?�

�Excuse me? What about you? If you had given us a call, we wouldn�t be having this discussion. Don�t tell me what I should and shouldn�t you, young woman.�

�I didn�t want to disturb you.�

My grandmother tried to intervene. �Don�t be so hard on the girl. It�s no wonder why she goes off drinking---� she stopped, realizing she blurted out more than she should have. �Sorry, Landy.�

And then she quickly fled the room.

I don�t remember how I gotten home but I did remember seeing my grandmother�s face, the moment I stumbled through the door. I woke up extra early to see that she wouldn�t say anything to my parents. She promised wouldn�t. And I was wrong to believe her. Damn, I knew I couldn�t depend on my grandmother to keep her mouth closed.

Judging from the expression my mother�s face, she was nearing boiling point. Oh no, here it goes. Brace yourself for more.

�You were drinking?!� she asked in disbelief. Turning to look at my father, she pulled on his arm. �Did you hear that?! Your daughter was drinking!�

�I heard you woman! No need to shout in my ear!� my father shouted back, irritably.

She smacked him on the arm. �What kind of father are you?!�

A quiet one. My father barely speaks. He feels he didn�t need to. He�s always been that way. The only time he says a word or two was when he couldn�t stand my mother�s complaints. Unlike my mother, my father babied us all more than she did. Not once has he ever been upset with us.

So then the bickering began between my mother and father. �If you heard me, why aren�t you doing anything?�

�What do you want me to do? Beat them with a stick?!�

�You�re useless as always!�

�And you�re always loud!�

My mother smacked him again.

�Landy, let�s make a run for it,� Soo Hyun suggested, tugging on my arm.

�I second that,� added Soo Min.

Damn, I almost forgot the twins were still with me. Reason why my mother was upset over them was because they came home late last night. Soo Hyun had lipstick all over his face and Soo Min, well Soo Min was just being Soo Min.

I whispered to them. �On the count of three.�

They both nodded.

�One�two�three!�

And we all took off, going our own separate ways. The same routine usually happens with Soo Min running out the back door and myself out the front. It was Soo Hyun who ran upstairs, having my mother chasing him with some kind of odd object in her hand. I used to be the one caught in Soo Hyun�s position until Soo Hyun finally decided to step up in my place, since he considered himself to be the man of the family. Soo Hyun would most likely get hit compared to me and Soo Min because he was the guy. He would run around the entire house until my mother gave up on him. And then he�d come to meet us outside. We would sit there for hours, chatting ourselves away, until my mother felt guilty enough and send my grandmother to come looking for us and tell us that she was sorry.

My mother could never be angry at us for long. Sooner or later, she would accept it and move on. That�s what I like about her best. She was always forgiving...

On second thought, she was not nearly as forgiving as I had hoped. The three of us end up doing numerous of chores throughout the day. And trust me, my mother took advantage of that.


++ Friday Night ++

�You can�t make me go to that stupid party!!� I shouted at my uncle who stared at me with a Cuban cigar dangling from his lips.

He was unmoved by my melodramatic act. Removing the cigar from his mouth, he said calmly. �You will go in my place.�

I tried to argue with him. �They think I�m your employee. Why should I go in your place?�

�Because I�m your boss and I said so.�

I knocked the ashtray off his table, determined to win over him. �I�m not going!�

�Then you�re fired.�

�You can�t fire me. I�m practically your only employee here.�

This time he burst off his chair, slamming his fists against the desk in frustration. �What the hell do I have to do, to get you to go?!�

I�ve never seen my uncle this angry. Uh oh, I think I trampled on his wrong side. But then I couldn�t blame him, he was always acting this way when it came to Hana�s aunt. If he couldn�t resolve his own issues, then that was his problem. Why involve me?

�Still, I hate parties. I hate Hana and her aunt. And I hate parties. Those are my reasons.�

He sat back down. �You�re going and that�s final. I�ll have your sister bring you shopping and clean you up a bit.�

Clean me up? Did he really think I look like some kind of slob? �You�think I need cleaning up?�

�Tell me something Landy. When was the last time you really looked into the mirror?�

�You act like I never looked into a mirror before.�

�You know what they say about people like you?�

�Oh, trust me I know.�

�Don�t you ever wanna feel attractive?�

�Why?�

He shook his head and chuckled. �I feel sorry for my sister. To have such an unwomanly daughter.�

I stared down at myself trying to understand what my uncle meant. I had black tee over top a white long sleeved shirt and my favorite pair of blue jeans. To complete that off, I even left my hair down, with a black bandana tied around my head. I could find nothing wrong with it. �What�s so unwomanly about me?�

�You ask yourself that and then you can come and tell me.�

�I really don�t see---� I was cut off by the ringing coming from my back pocket.

I paused to get his approval and he nodded.

I turned away from him and answered, �Landy here.�

Jong Min�s voice flowed into the line. �I�m outside waiting for you. You�re done your shift right?�

I don�t work on Fridays because Fridays were arcade night for me. Not that Jong Min needed to know. I was here because my uncle wanted to talk to me. Jong Min had no right to ruin my arcade night. �Uh yeah but I---�

�Just come then. I�m waiting and I hate waiting.�

I tried keeping my voice low. �You�re an idiot. If you don�t want to wait then don�t.�

And then I hung on him.

My uncle was busy reading over some documents. He didn�t look up when he said, �Your boyfriend?�

�No.�

�Friend?�

�No.�

�Boyfriend then.�

�He�s not my---�

This time he looked up. �He?�

The phone rang again. I gritted my teeth before I answered it, �What?�

�Don�t hang up on me,� he warned.

�I just did.�

�Well, don�t do it again,� he said, sounding more serious.

I looked at the phone and hung up. Let�s say that I accidentally pressed the wrong button. I pictured Jong Min�s face�s growing angry. Not a pretty sight. �I gotta go.�

My uncle folded his fingers together. �We�re going to have a long talk one day, you and I.�

�I�ll look forward to it,� I said, and left his office. Just as I was halfway down the stairs, the phone began to ring again. I ignored it as I strode towards the back exit doors.

Just when I was about to push open the back exit doors, someone placed a firm grip on my shoulder. �Landy---�

Too late, I already tossed the person over my shoulder, though I never expected him to reach for my ankles and yanked them from beneath me. I wiped out, falling flat on my back. �Oof!�

He was on me before I could move, squeezing my windpipes together. I took a moment to stare into his face, before spitting at him. He released me and fell back in disgust, wiping his face. �Sh*t Landy, you�re always cheating,� he said.

I laughed in reaction, surprised that he showed up unexpectedly. Park Seung Hoon, the first friend I ever made, sat across from me, wearing a baseball cap, a simple white tee along with a pair of comfortable fitted jeans. He was more handsome than the last I had seen him. He looked really good in that t-shirt. So good, it got me looking twice. Can you say biceps?!

Park Seung Hoon will always be my first crush. He was the only opposite sex that I grew to trust. I fell in love with Park Seung Hoon the day he caught the praying mantis for me. He was everything I ever dreamed of. Perfect in every way. Up until he broke my heart. That bastard. I hated him for that�

.: Flashback :.

Four years ago�

Me: Are you asking me out on a date, Seung-Hoon?
Seung-Hoon: No. I have something to tell you.
Me(disappointed and embarrassed): What�s that?
Seung-Hoon: I�ve something to tell you. I�ve kept this hidden long enough.
Me(nervous): Is it a girl?
Seung-Hoon: No. It�s about me.
Me(confused): What about you?
Seung-Hoon: I�m�
Me: �.
Seung-Hoon: I�m gay
Me(lost and ignorant): Huh? What�s that?

.: End of Flashback :.