by Con Template
“Tae Hyun,” Yoori started, her voice trembling. She struggled to understand why he was so worried. “What have you done?”
“I would understand if you couldn’t look at me afterwards . . . if you hated me after you found out everything.”
Yoori had never seen such fear embalm his eyes. It was like he was afraid of losing her.
“Just tell me,” Yoori whispered, wanting to cry for him more than for herself.
“But please know that I’ve fallen for you,” he pleaded, still so apprehensive with telling her everything. It broke Yoori’s heart to see him so afraid. “I wish I didn’t care for you this much . . . that I need you this much, but you have everything of mine. My heart and what’s left of my soul. Everything is yours, all yours, and only yours.”
Before allowing the pain of that night to trickle back inside her, Yoori started the car. The engine roared to life. She had to go home. She couldn’t allow herself to think about Tae Hyun any longer. As soon as her walls went down, they all came flying back up again.
It didn’t matter how much her heart softened after seeing Tae Hyun’s sister. It didn’t matter how much her heart lifted after recalling that life-changing night. None of that mattered to her but getting home safely, showering, and forgetting about Tae Hyun. She didn’t want to think about him anymore; she didn’t want her trembling heart to miss him anymore.
She was done.
Dear God, she just wanted to be done with him.
■ ■ ■
Kwon Tae Hyun was silent, morose while he sat in his Jaguar, his eyes set on the view ahead. The world around him was peaceful. There was no one else on the street. The only thing that kept him company was the beautiful snow dancing serenely around him. Albeit the city nightlife was breathtaking, it offered no consolation to the storms reveling in his coffee brown eyes. He had just finished a “business negotiation” with one of the most powerful drug dealers in the country, and he was exhausted—not from the meeting, but from something else that had been weighing on his mind.
Wearing a black coat over his white dress shirt and black pants, a weary Tae Hyun closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He reclined his head against his seat. His windows were open, allowing the fresh winter snow to trickle in. The cascading snowflakes fluttered to one side of his face, kissing the skin of his cheek before crumbling into the interior of his car.
“Quite a fine speech you made at dinner the other night.”
Tae Hyun opened his eyes.
Surprise entered his gaze once his eyes landed on his Underworld Advisor, Shin Dong Min.
Dong Min, who was almost the exact replica of his older brother, Jung Min—give or take three to four years younger with no mustache—stood beside the passenger side of the car. He wore a long brown jacket and a black hat. Snow dusted him as he opened the passenger door and helped himself into Tae Hyun’s car.
Tae Hyun looked in the rearview mirror. Down the quiet street, he could see a black town car waiting in the distance. It was evident that it was Dong Min’s car.
He settled his eyes on his Advisor. Dong Min had just taken off his hat, revealing his dark black hair.
“What are you doing here, uncle?” asked Tae Hyun.
“Considering how far you’ve strayed, I should make it my mission to arrange surprise visits every day.”
“Then that wouldn’t be a surprise anymore,” Tae Hyun said lightheartedly, though there was no humor in his voice.
Dong Min turned to Tae Hyun with severity. He came with a purpose. He did not have time for games. “You must stop this.”
Tae Hyun permitted himself a bitter smile. “I told you what you and Ju Won wanted to hear last night. What more do you want from me?”
“You may have fooled my brother and Ju Won, but you do not fool me. I know when you’re lying and when you’re not yourself. You haven’t been yourself for a very long time.” Dong Min exhaled and stared ahead. There was frustration in his eyes when he continued to speak. “How did you stray so far from the path you were on? You were supposed to use her to heighten your power in this world. You were not supposed to fall for her and fall from your throne in the process.”
“I am done with her.”
“She is done with you,” Dong Min corrected, and Tae Hyun fell silent. Dong Min forged on, disappointment becoming more noticeable in his voice. “If she so much as calls for you, then you will run to her.” He shook his head reprovingly. “If I didn’t promise your father that I’d watch over you, then I would rip your head off to end your misery. You are not a God right now; you are barely a King. You are pathetic.”
Tae Hyun’s silence persevered. He took several seconds to absorb his Advisor’s words. When a puff of cold wind carried more snowflakes into the car, he quietly said, “Have you ever fallen, uncle?”
Silence claimed Dong Min’s mouth. He continued to stare ahead, his eyes moving over the snowflakes that were still dancing around the car. A few seconds passed before he finally said, “Yes.”
Tae Hyun kept his eyes on the road ahead as well. He was not surprised by his Advisor’s admission; he had already expected this answer.
“How?” he continued to ask.
“A woman,” Dong Min said simply.
“Did Jung Min fall for the same woman?”
Dong Min turned to Tae Hyun in surprise. He did not expect this follow up question.
Tae Hyun’s eyes redirected to his Advisor. He gave Dong Min a smile that did not reach his eyes. “There are few things in this world that would make an Underworld King fall from his throne and fewer things that would tear brothers apart. The only thing powerful enough is a woman.”
Dong Min gave a taut smile. Like Tae Hyun, his smile did not reach his eyes.
“Yes,” he finally confirmed. “We did fall for the same woman.”
“How did you and Jung Min rise from your fall?”
“Ju Won killed her. Solved any misunderstandings between us.”
Tae Hyun looked at Dong Min in disbelief.
Dong Min’s face remained stoic. He averted his eyes from Tae Hyun and returned them to the falling snow. His detached voice betrayed none of his emotions. “He warned us to stay away from her. He told us that she would be no good for us, but we didn’t listen. We fought, we made fools of ourselves, and when we lost any credibility in the Underworld, he got rid of her for us.”
Tae Hyun scoffed in disgust. Revulsion saturated his next words. “He is a sick bastard, isn’t he?”
“He watches over us in a world where the sick and disturbed are put on a pedestal,” Dong Min defended calmly. “What he did was a blessing in disguise because there were other crime lords looking to overthrow us . . . simply because we were too distracted to be the Kings we were raised to be.”
“Why are you so loyal to him?” Tae Hyun suddenly asked. His tone did not hide his animosity toward Ju Won.
“Why are Jae Won and Kang Min so loyal to An Soo Jin?” Dong Min countered. “Because she saved their lives. Because she is the reason why they are living and breathing. They may fall in love, have wives, and have their own families, but An Soo Jin is their God. In the end, their loyalty to her will supersede everything else.” He faced Tae Hyun. “Ju Won is more than my King; he is my savior. I would not be where I am today without him, and for that, he will always have my loyalty.”
“But you will always hate him for taking her away from you,” Tae Hyun finished for him. “He has your unending loyalty, but he does not have your unconditional love. That is why you and Jung Min are still at odds . . . because your brother is the reason why Ju Won killed the woman you loved. If Jung Min had backed off, then you could’ve had her. If he’d backed off, there would’ve been no trouble, and she wouldn’t have been viewed as your distraction.”
Dong Min smiled brokenly. At long last, he allowed the emotions to penetrate his anguished eyes. “You will never know greater pain than watching the person you love die in front of you, to reach out for them and beg them n
ot to leave you. If you think losing her hurts now, then you will never be prepared for the worst.” His poignant eyes urged Tae Hyun to heed his advice. “You will never get to keep her. Just let her go.”
“I did.”
“Her not wanting anything to do with you does not constitute as you letting her go. Like I said, if she so much as calls for you, you will go running to her.” He swallowed tightly before adding, “Ju Won will not let you have her.”
“Ju Won is a problem that can easily be remedied,” Tae Hyun whispered fearlessly.
“The Underworld will not let you have her,” Dong Min amended sternly. “You can fight Ju Won, but do you really think you have a chance against the Underworld itself?”
Tae Hyun stayed quiet and Dong Min went on. His voice was no longer soft and understanding; it was firm and unyielding.
“I fell as a King, not a God. Your fall will not be as merciful as mine. Although you may have fallen, you have not hit rock bottom yet. Get back on your throne, be the King you were raised to be, and become the God you were always meant to become. This world may be unforgiving, but it adores you nonetheless. It wants you as its ruler. All you have to do is play the part and you will have this world in the palm of your hand.” He put his hat back on and opened the door. A string of cool air entered the car, bringing with it residual snow. Before he made his exit, Dong Min added, “Stop screwing up and start making the right decisions. I attended the funerals of your parents and your brother, I do not want to attend yours as well.”
The door clicked shut, and Dong Min was gone, leaving Tae Hyun by himself. As his Advisor’s town car drove past him and disappeared into the night, Tae Hyun continued to sit in silence. Akin to throwing himself into a meditative state, he closed his eyes and sat there, allowing the minutes to pass him by.
Moments later, as if sensing something, his eyes shot open. He narrowed his vigilant eyes onto the top of a ten-story building ahead of him. Even if it was only for a split second, he saw two people crouching there, watching him.
He was out of his car in an instant.
His focus rested on the building in question. It now appeared empty of occupants. He stepped into a narrow alley where snow and trashcans lined the pathway. He stopped when he reached the end of the alley and stood across the empty space where snow was not yet polluted by human footprints.
“Get down right now,” he commanded over the billowing wind.
To anyone else, it would appear like he was talking to himself, but Tae Hyun was unfazed. He waited patiently, his eyes firmly solidified on the space before him. It was as though he was expecting company to appear at any moment. Seconds later, as a flurry of snow and wind blew around him, sounds of rattling could be heard. Within the blink of an eye, two figures jumped into view.
They wore dark hoods over their heads. One wore a brown hooded jacket while the other wore a gray hooded jacket. Both had on dark cargo pants with a multitude of pockets for their knives and guns. Shadows obscured their faces as they stood before Tae Hyun. Despite the intimidating aura they radiated, Tae Hyun appeared like he couldn’t care less.
To unsuspecting people, they would be no more than ordinary pedestrians wearing hoods to protect themselves from the snow. To the well-educated Underworld leaders, they knew them as a group of highly trained assassins: the Cobras.
They were two of Kwon Tae Hyun’s former ten Cobras to be precise.
“Boss,” they spoke quietly, their voices suffused with reverence.
They fell to one knee and lowered their heads, greeting him with the respect he always evoked from them.
“You both have some nerve showing up here when I specifically banned you from this city,” Tae Hyun said icily. His voice was cold with annoyance.
“We heard about the initiation,” started the hooded woman. Her voice was soft with plea. “We wanted to come and be a part of—”
“I got the message from my Underbosses that night, Mina,” Tae Hyun interrupted curtly. “You do not have to remind me. As I distinctly recall, I got on to the phone seconds later and ordered all nine of you to stay out of the initiation. In fact, I clearly remember ordering you to stay away from everything that pertains to Serpents business.”
“Boss,” the man started. His voice was pleading as well. “Please—”
“I kicked you out of my gang,” Tae Hyun interjected mercilessly. The annoyance became more prevalent on his stern features. “You have no place calling me that.” They were about to say something else when Tae Hyun added, “Your disobedience a year and a half ago has not been forgotten. The only reason you’re alive is because of your combined loyalties to me in the past. But right now, I have no patience for you.” His eyes sharpened on them with vigilance. “You’re here for a reason. I doubt you’re here to plead your way back into the gang. The question is, why are the both of you here and where are the other seven?”
Silence emanated from them.
Tae Hyun’s lips edged up knowingly. Although he didn’t appear surprised that they were being secretive, it still pissed him off.
“Lower your hoods,” he ordered tersely.
Without missing a beat, they adhered to his command.
The shadows that once shrouded their faces disappeared.
The male’s hood came down first. The light cast by the streetlights revealed a buzz cut and a gold piercing on the center of his lower lip. The woman’s—Mina’s—hood came down next. The unveiling exposed long brown hair locked tight in a ponytail. The gold piercing on the left side of her nose added to the obstinate mystique she possessed. Both were the type of individuals you’d cross the street to avoid. The one common facial factor between them was an inch long “57” scar that marked their left cheeks.
Tae Hyun exhaled sharply. His eyes scrutinized their scars for a long moment. “When I returned to Seoul three years ago, I found out that one of my assassins died. In addition to that, I also found out that the rest of my highly trained assassins had taken it upon themselves to scar their faces, marking their link to one another. Apparently they chose the number ‘57’ out of respect for their dead sister.” Tae Hyun’s eyes darkened. “Everyone in the gang believed your story. They believed that you personally scarred yourselves. Yet I knew better because I was the one who trained you. I knew the difference between your shame and your pride. And I knew you held no pride in that scar.”
Fury infiltrated his eyes while they kept theirs lowered.
“Do you remember when I gave you that ultimatum?”
They stayed quiet.
“I gave you two options: tell me the truth about how you got your scars or face exile from the gang you grew up in.” He sighed. “I’ve stated this before, but I will state it again. Those scars weren’t done on your own merits, were they? Someone else did it for you. Someone else overpowered all ten of you, all ten of my prideful and vengeful assassins. Someone else marked your faces with a scar that you proudly claim as your own in public, yet cover up in shame when you think no one is looking.”
His assassins stiffened at the verity of his words.
“I know this scar has something to do with your disobedience a year and a half ago, when you took it upon yourselves to go rogue and burn down houses all over the country.” A cold wind came into the alley, and his voice hardened. “Ace . . . Mina. Tell me what happened three years ago. Who gave you that scar?”
Silence was their answer.
That was his last ditch effort, and Tae Hyun had had enough. “Get the fuck out of my face.”
“Boss,” Ace spoke when an enraged Tae Hyun walked past them and headed out of the alley. “Everything done in the past was to avenge Kimmy and salvage whatever pride we had left, but everything being done now is to protect you and our gang. You’re right. There is a reason why we’re here. We just wanted you to know that our loyalty is still with you, and we hope you understand that we’re truly sorry for everything.”
Tae Hyun stopped in his tracks at Ace’s last words. When he
turned around, they were gone. Gone like they had never kneeled before him and voiced their deepest regret. It was as though they were pleading forgiveness for something they were about to take from him for his own good.
Running over everything in his mind, Tae Hyun took a second to simply stand there, lost in the silence of the snow tumbling around him. Awareness suddenly ignited his eyes. All the cards finally fell into place.
“Yoori . . .”
Tae Hyun sprinted out of the alley like a bull in the night. He pulled out his Blackberry and dialed Kang Min’s number. His eyes teemed with panic as he barreled through the snow-infested street.
“Fuck!” he screamed to himself. “Why didn’t I put it all together sooner?”
“Boss?” Kang Min answered at the first ring.
“Find Yoori!” Tae Hyun shouted immediately, unlocking his car doors with his remote.
“W-what?”
There was no time to explain.
“Now!” Tae Hyun growled before hurling himself into the car. He floored the gas pedal after his engine revved to life. “Find Yoori, now!”
“The distracted. . .”
05: The Cobras
“Aw man, are you kidding me?” Yoori muttered after flashes of orange lights greeted her.
She blew a breath at the myriad of cones and caution signs ahead. The street she was on was blocked off. There was heavy traffic and cars were being redirected every which way. She groaned, slamming her hand against the steering wheel. All she wanted to do was get home and unwind from her emotional day. Now even that was delayed.
Yoori glimpsed at her rearview mirror. Behind her, thinning traffic veered off to the other available streets. Yoori, who could only go in one direction to head home, moved her car to a stop when it was her turn to speak to the police officer.