by Con Template
Yoori sulked in her seat. Defeated, she said, “Fine. But if you said it was worthless, then why would Soo Jin try to kill herself? Why would you leave Korea?”
He scoffed. “You think I left the country because of what I found?”
Yoori nodded expectantly.
Young Jae leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. He kept his eyes glued on Yoori’s. “I left because my sister was so traumatized by this world that she kneeled before me and asked me to kill her so she could cut ties with it. I left because I was in love with Anna. I left because I wanted to marry her and give her a safe and healthy life. I left because I knew that I could never have the life I wanted if I were stuck in the Underworld.” He leaned back, took a sip of water, and continued. “The only reason why I’m back is because I want to take you back home with me—to Japan. I brought back all the Scorpions to escort you home, lil sis. I brought my wife, and we came back to a society that despises us for leaving it. Do you really want us to come all the way here for nothing so you could play house with Tae Hyun?”
It was Yoori’s turn to scoff rudely. The last thing she needed to listen to was her brother mocking her relationship with Tae Hyun.
“Don’t insult me by minimizing my feelings for Tae Hyun,” said Yoori, articulating every angry thought in her mind.
She was offended that everyone and their mother were seemingly convinced that she was only infatuated with Tae Hyun as opposed to actually caring about him. She wasn’t playing house with him; she wanted to build a life with him.
“I told you the other night and I’ll tell you this again: I’m not some brainless twit who can’t make decisions for herself. I'm sick and tired of everyone telling me what to do. I’m not playing house with Tae Hyun; I genuinely care about him and I really believe I have something special with him. With that said, you have to stop with these understated insults. I’m not leaving him—I won’t. Nothing you say or do will make me leave him.”
She saw that her stern words had worked when her brother's face softened.
“Okay, okay,” Young Jae pacified, not wanting to piss her off. “We won’t talk about you leaving Tae Hyun anymore. ”
Yoori nodded shakily. She appeared inflexible while speaking to him, but truthfully, she felt horrible that she spoke so sternly to her older brother. It was just that she had to make her point about Tae Hyun. She refused to allow anyone to dictate her decisions in life. She gathered her breath to compose herself and nervously glanced at the silver watch on her wrist. It read: 8:57 P.M. When the number flashed in front of her eyes, something occurred to Yoori.
She returned her gaze to her brother, realizing something important. “Oppa . . .”
“Hmm?”
She concealed the eagerness in her voice. “Do you by any chance know what ‘57’ means?”
“I don’t know.” He tilted his head at her, intrigued by her query. “Why do you ask?”
Yoori shook her head and stood upright. She manufactured a playful smile.
“‘57’ means it’s 8:57, oppa,” Yoori replied lightheartedly, “which means that it’s getting late and I should get going now. I don’t want Tae Hyun to worry.”
“But we haven’t eaten dessert,” said Anna, gently grabbing Yoori’s hand as she stood up with her.
Yoori unknowingly flinched when Anna touched her. After a breath, Yoori struggled to maintain her smile. She felt awful that she had to leave so abruptly. She gave Anna and her brother, who was clearly unhappy at the mention of Tae Hyun, an apologetic pout and a wordless apology.
“Thank you for having me over for dinner.”
She embraced Anna tightly before returning to her brother. He did not give her just any old hug—he actually picked her up off the floor and spun her around as he embraced her. They laughed together, and if Yoori weren’t in such a hurry, she would’ve hung out with her brother longer. Despite wanting to bond with her family, the epiphany she had was an enormous one. She had to get home as quickly as possible to share it with someone else.
Yoori reached for Kang Min’s hand when she stepped out of her brother’s hotel suite.
“Let’s go! Let’s go!” she whispered impatiently.
“What?” Kang Min cried, nearly tripping and falling on his face as she hauled him with her.
The other four Serpents were running down the hall as well. They were all giving each other “what-the-hell-has-she-been-smoking?” looks.
“Boss!” cried Kang Min. “What’s going on?”
“Take me home,” Yoori ordered, running into an already opened elevator. “As quickly as possible. I need to talk to Tae Hyun now!”
■ ■ ■
“Kwon Tae Hyun!” Yoori cried long moments later, barging into the apartment. The door flew open and nearly slammed back into her when she skidded into the living room.
She was immediately blessed with the sight of a bare-chested Tae Hyun. He stood in the hall, wearing nothing but white lounge pants. He was drying his wet hair with a white towel, his muscles rippling teasingly in front of her. It was clear that he had just gotten out of the shower. He would’ve looked like a glorious fallen angel to Yoori if he weren’t wearing a scowl on his face when he spotted her. It scared Yoori because even with the scowl, she still found him utterly sexy.
However, determined to not allow momentary awe (on her part) to overshadow her pride, Yoori frowned at the scowl. She would typically be more inclined to keep her part of the “cold shoulder” going, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She had discovered something important and needed to share it with her partner-in-crime.
Still livid with her, Tae Hyun was in the process of turning around when a bitter Yoori caught his arm and twisted him around to face her. Okay, she didn’t exactly have enough strength to twist him around, but she was strong enough to stop him in his tracks.
He was the one who wheeled around in impatience.
Yoori growled as soon as their eyes locked. “What are you doing, Snob?” she confronted indignantly. “I just called out to you, and you still ignore me?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Princess,” he started sarcastically. Contrary to his words, he was unapologetic. “I didn’t realize you’d stoop so low as to talk to someone who’s paranoid and jealous.”
There was such venom in his voice that Yoori was surprised she didn’t keel over from the toxin. Yoori growled internally. Man, she was tempted to choke him with his own words.
Nevertheless, she kept cool, folded her arms, and looked at him critically. “We’re still on this?”
“Yes, we are, because I’m still pissed,” Tae Hyun answered blithely. Though, judging by how his eyes were softening on her, and how he was unknowingly approving the outfit she wore with his gaze, Yoori knew she was already melting his attempt at giving her the cold shoulder.
“Just because I trust Ji Hoon too and because I think you’re overdoing it when you tell me that you think he’s not the person I know he is?”
Her mistake was allowing that question out of her lips. As quickly as his eyes softened on her, they were quick to harden once again.
“You know what? I don’t have time for this,” Tae Hyun snapped back, beside himself that she still couldn’t see past reason. He turned and made his way back into the bedroom.
He only stopped when Yoori shouted her next words to him.
“He doesn’t know what ‘57’ means!”
He turned to face her and looked at her quizzically. “What are you talking about?”
“My brother,” said Yoori, feeding on the light of interest in his eyes. “From the story I told you . . . those kids were screaming ‘57.’” She swallowed slowly. “My brother doesn’t know what it means.”
“And?” he probed, his interest piqued.
“This doesn’t change anything, by the way,” Yoori warned before she went on. Despite being distracted with a big discovery, Yoori couldn’t misplace her pride. “Just because I’m initiating the conversation doesn’t mea
n that I forgive you. I’m still pissed at you.”
“Touché,” Tae Hyun replied just as stubbornly. He rolled his eyes at Yoori’s need to save her pride. He made an impatient gesture with his hand for her to keep talking. “Now go on before I choke to death on your stubbornness.”
Yoori’s eyes momentarily morphed into poisonous slits. She quickly absolved Tae Hyun of his offense, for she had other pressing matters to tend to. She was more content that both Tae Hyun and herself understood the prideful boundaries that went with this conversation. Eager to share the golden nuggets of her epiphany, Yoori got back to the business at hand.
“When my brother told me those kids were screaming out ‘57,’ at first I thought they were going crazy with fear. However, it just occurred to me that when Soo Jin was asking the mother for the answer, I think those kids were trying to help their mother by giving Soo Jin the answer. But Soo Jin didn’t know it was the answer. She only thought they were going crazy, so she went crazy as well and shot them. I think that the number 57 is crucial and Soo Jin must’ve realized this. She must’ve been trying to figure it out when she ran into your Cobras at the club.” Yoori shifted uneasily, her next thoughts disconcerting her. “The only thing I don’t understand is why she chose to scar the Cobras with that number. It could easily be that she lost her mind or something like that . . .”
“But whatever the reason,” Tae Hyun finished for her, already knowing where she was headed with her train of thought, “if Young Jae doesn’t know what the number 57 means, then that probably means they never found what they were looking for that night . . .” He gazed at her. “Have you told your brother this?”
“No,” Yoori answered without delay. “He’s living a blissful life right now. I don’t want to get him involved. Plus, he would never let me try to find it if he knew. It’s better that you know so you can help me find it. If it’s still there, that is.”
“Right,” Tae Hyun said caustically. “Give your brother another reason to despise me, right?”
Yoori purposely ignored his acidic remark. “What do you think? Do you think that woman gave Soo Jin the right answer, but an incomplete one on purpose?”
Tae Hyun pondered her question. “An Soo Jin was known as the enforcer and the interrogator of the Scorpions gang. It wouldn’t be easy to lie to her and have her believe you, but—”
“—if you give her an incomplete answer, then you’re still telling the truth and it’ll show in your eyes.” Yoori stared at Tae Hyun wide-eyed. “Do you think whatever it is they were looking for is still somewhere at the estate?”
“The only way to find out is if we go,” Tae Hyun told her. Resolution saturated his eyes. “Tonight. We’ll go tonight. There’s no one at the Serpents’ estate right now, and we’ll have it all to ourselves. Whatever we need to find, we’ll have the place to ourselves to find it there.”
“There’s a storm coming tonight though,” Yoori noted. Her heart was thumping, both ecstatically and fearfully, at the little treasure hunt they were about to embark on.
“Storm or not, you know we both won’t be able to sleep a wink tonight if we don’t figure this out soon. I don’t know about you, but all this secrecy is getting to me. I want to know what the fuss is all about.”
Yoori felt the exact same way.
She was swimming in a dangerous territory as far as her memories were concerned. However, at that very moment, she didn’t care. The only thing pumping through her was adrenaline and excitement. Finding out more about her past had always been a drug. It wasn’t a healthy drug, but it was a drug—an addiction—nonetheless.
Yoori gazed at Tae Hyun with resolve in her own eyes. “What are we waiting for then?”
“We have no room for humans in our society.”
16: Master of Deception
Tae Hyun’s second Serpents’ estate was the thing that dreams were made of.
The secluded road led up to gold gates that allowed entry into the well-protected estate. A few hours outside of the city, the palatial mansion rested on acres upon acres of land that stood beside its very own lake. Five-story windows stretched across the massive infrastructure, showing off the brightly lit chandeliers from within. Shimmering rays from the chandelier cascaded over the double staircase that rose from the foundation and led to the next quarter. The terrain of Tae Hyun’s second estate was colossal. Yoori could only imagine how many Serpents occupied this estate during occasions that called for mandatory meetings. It eclipsed the first Serpents’ estate and it no doubt made Ju Won’s mansion at the masquerade ball look tiny and, quite frankly, insignificant.
Although she was overcome with awe, the one overpowering awareness that consumed Yoori while she treaded across the estate with Tae Hyun was that there was a familiarity to this place. It felt like she had been here before.
You came here with your brother when you were Soo Jin, she assured herself when they stepped onto the manicured lawn and jumpstarted their exploration.
“On the left side of the Siberian Tigers’ estate, buried deep in the ground under the red roses. What you’re looking for, you’ll find it there . . .” Yoori repeated long moments later as she and Tae Hyun continued to stalk across the enormous lawn.
There were still sparks of tension surrounding them—as they were still “pissed off” at each other—but there was also camaraderie for the situation they found themselves in. Yoori was upset with Tae Hyun, but in the end, she knew she couldn't count on anyone else (or trust anyone else) to know how to protect her should the threat of a triggered memory occur. Out of everyone, the only one who could keep her from being consumed by Soo Jin was Tae Hyun.
The dim light from Tae Hyun’s mansion embraced the space they were in. A second later, a blast of thunder clapped overhead. Yoori had since changed from her ivory halter dress into a white zip-up hoodie. Her black jeans were tucked into her long black leather boots. Tae Hyun, on the other hand, wore black jeans, white sneakers, and a dark gray zip-up hoodie. They wore their hoods up to protect themselves from the rain.
“Crap, I don’t even know where to begin,” Tae Hyun miserably declared. A grimace of disappointment darkened his face. He crouched down and touched the damp grass. It was as though he was hoping for a blast of inspiration from the mere touch.
Yoori nodded in the same dejected manner. Sprinkles of rain continued to pour over them. Her eyes roamed the massive lawn they were on. All that surrounded them were well-cut grass, beautifully manicured bushes, and trees. There were no roses, no flowers, nor any sign of disturbance in the soil—ultimately no hints as to where they should even begin to look. Frankly speaking, Yoori (and she was sure Tae Hyun) realized that they may have been a bit too ambitious and optimistic when they drove over to the estate. They expected answers right away. Clearly, this mystery would not be an easy one to solve.
Tae Hyun’s eyes wandered all across his spacious lawn. Yoori could see that the prideful one was pissed that he didn’t know if there was anything hidden on his estate. He glanced to her direction, and she felt self-conscious. She could tell, by how he looked at her, that he was hoping for one of those miracles where she would suddenly sprout antennas and tell him that she not only remembered what her and her brother did here, but she would also tell him where to look.
Yoori shot him the “you-wish-it-was-that-easy” look. It was a look that Tae Hyun sighed at. With only roadblocks in front of him, he went back to using his brain.
His eyes charted the dark estate. “Repeat it to me again.”
Yoori didn’t miss a beat. Her voice carried over the steadily falling rain. “On the left side of the Siberian Tigers’ estate, buried deep in the ground under the red roses. What you’re looking for, you’ll find it there.”
Lingering silence suspended between them. The quote, which soon became the mantra of the night, ricocheted in their minds. With her heart hammering and her body freezing, Yoori was ready to give up on their little quest. She was on the verge of voicing her surrender when
she saw a flash of realization stir in Tae Hyun’s eyes.
He gazed up at her, his expression awash with knowledge. “When you spoke to Ju Won, was there ever a point during the conversation where he looked into the ballroom?”
She knitted her brows. “What?”
“Humor me,” he told her, yet there was no hilarity in his voice.
Yoori eyed him suspiciously and rummaged through her memory to recall her meeting with Ju Won. She slowly nodded. “Yes, when one of his men came in and asked if he was ready for his speech. Ju Won looked at me for a bit and then he gazed into the ballroom. After that, he told the man to go ahead and that he was ready.” Yoori fastened her eyes onto Tae Hyun. He was still crouched down and staring up at her. “What does this have to do with anything?”
A lopsided grin tugged at Tae Hyun’s lips. Her answer was exactly what he wanted to hear. “The thing you should know about Ju Won is that he is a vigilant old bastard. When you spoke to him, there was a point in the conversation where you told me you pressed him for answers of what he wanted Soo Jin to do. We have to presume that he didn’t give you the obvious answer because he was afraid that someone might be eavesdropping from inside the ballroom. Now tell me about your conversation with Ju Won again, the part where you demanded that he give you answers.”
Though Yoori wasn’t sure where he was headed with it, she obliged because out of everyone, she trusted that Tae Hyun would be the one to help her figure all of this out.
“He said to me, ‘You’re not asking for answers. To truly want answers, you’ll ask for the equations in which the answers derive from.’”
A full smile lit Tae Hyun’s face. He propelled to his feet. He towered above her, arrogance beaming from his strong stature. He heard the words he wanted to hear from her. He was finally ready to enlighten her.
“He was hinting the answer to you the entire time.” Tae Hyun laughed in awe. “Damn, the old bastard is smart.”
“What . . . What are you talking about?” Yoori asked, wondering if Tae Hyun was in the right state of mind with all the rain that was deluging upon them.