by Con Template
Edgy silence manifested in the room, hanging over the bar like rain clouds. The tension was only broken when the man of the hour spoke.
“Yoori?”
And there he appeared.
Striding out of the private hall, dressed in a navy blue dress shirt and black pants, puzzlement ruffled Ji Hoon’s face when he took in the scene before him. He surveyed the room, almost not believing his eyes. He had not expected Yoori at the bar, much less pointing a gun at him. He looked between her and Kang Min. Both still had their guns raised, ready to shoot everyone in the bar to get to him.
Yoori watched him carefully. She watched him stare at her with concern washed over his face. His eyes ran over her gold gun. There was a slight flicker of annoyance in his eyes as he moved toward her and Kang Min.
“What are you doing, Yoori?” he asked carefully, stopping a few feet away from them.
In a room filled with armed and dangerous people, Ji Hoon was the only one who was unarmed and the only one who displayed no fear. He had good reason. He was arguably the strongest person in the room. Tae Hyun’s words replayed in her mind, reminding Yoori of how dangerous the man in front of her was. Ji Hoon did not become a King by birthright alone. He may not have been armed, but he was the deadliest weapon in this room.
Yoori wanted to shoot him then, to assuage her bloodlust and avenge Chae Young. An apprehensive part of her prevented her from doing so. The wheels of her mind started turning while her eyes roamed over him. Memories of the care she had for him invaded her thoughts. She briefly wondered if she had jumped to conclusions too quickly. The small doubt acted as a change agent in her mind, releasing a flood of other doubts. What if it wasn’t him? What if this was all a mistake? What if he was framed? The bigger part of her told her that none of this was a mistake though. He had been the monster all along—a monster that she needed to kill before it was too late. She struggled with herself, the gun still held firm in her possession.
“It was you all along,” Yoori confronted, aiming her gun at him. She did not know what to believe. She only knew that she had to get her answers now. There was no better way to get an answer than to point a gun at someone. “It was you all along, wasn’t it?”
If it was possible, Ji Hoon’s visage became even more mystified. Yoori would even daresay he was hurt that she was talking to him in such a spiteful manner.
“Yoori,” he started delicately, “what are you talking about?” Before allowing her to answer, he turned to his men. There was severity in his eyes for them. He was livid that they were pointing their guns at her. “Didn’t we have this lesson before? Lower your guns in her presence.”
Sounds of Skulls, very unhappily, lowering their guns resounded in the tense atmosphere of the bar.
Yoori and Kang Min, however, kept theirs up.
Ji Hoon faced Kang Min. The severity in his eyes remained. “Lower that gun, Kang Min. My men don’t take it lightly when a gun is pointed in my direction.”
“Fuck you, asshole,” Kang Min spat out, holding firm on to his gun.
Ji Hoon clenched his jaw. He tolerated the spitefulness from Yoori, but not from a simple soldier in the Underworld.
“There are a dozen guns here and two that belong to you and Yoori,” he went on patiently, his voice becoming sterner. “You were Soo Jin’s right-hand man, Kang Min. She trained you to know better than this. You know your odds. Would you risk yours and Yoori’s life when you know I’d evade your bullets anyway?”
Kang Min considered his words. Though uncertainty strained his face, Kang Min listened to logic and cautiously lowered his gun. He was angry, but his anger took a backseat to Yoori’s safety.
Yoori did not follow suit.
She kept her gun up while Ji Hoon angled his head to his men and said, “Leave.”
“But boss . . .” one began with worry.
“Leave,” he interrupted. His gaze returned its attention to Yoori. He looked past the gun she had aimed on him. His expression became softer when trained on hers. “I want to be alone with them.”
Knowing that it was futile to argue, Ji Hoon’s men gave distrustful growls. They scowled at Kang Min and Yoori for a moment before piling out of the bar. After they were gone, Ji Hoon continued his conversation with Yoori.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he inquired, making an effort to get closer to Yoori. Though it was blatant that Ji Hoon was not pleased with her still aiming a gun at him, he said nothing of the matter.
“Stay . . . Stay back!” Yoori warned, panicking at his growing proximity.
She trembled while holding the gun in her hands. She didn’t know why she was afraid all of a sudden. At first, she was so angry and so sure that he did it. She couldn’t wait to kill him. But after seeing him, she felt uncertain. She did not know what to think—or what to believe.
“Why are you doing this, Yoori? Did Tae Hyun put you up to this?” Ji Hoon asked. He was almost near her when Kang Min pulled her behind him, protecting her with the wall of his body.
She had enough with her own cowardice. Yoori pushed Kang Min out of the way and faced Ji Hoon. One way or another, she had to settle things and set everything straight.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” she accused, allowing everything to flood out of her. All of her bottled up emotions poured out into the bar. “You were the one who sent those eleven gang members to the diner and had them rape my friend. You tried to frame Jin Ae, but you were spotted getting out of the car and going right into the alley where Tae Hyun and I were. You were going to check up on your men, weren’t you?”
Ji Hoon’s expression was a veil of disbelief. He looked like he couldn’t believe the peculiar situation he was in.
“I . . . I have no idea what you’re talking about, Yoori,” he sputtered out seconds later.
“Stop lying, motherfucker!” Kang Min snarled from the side, his body prepared to lunge at Ji Hoon.
Yoori placed her hand on Kang Min’s chest, silently telling him to calm down.
Despite being unhappy with the direction of the conversation, Ji Hoon looked directly in her eyes. “Look,” he placated, logically going through all her accusations. “I was in the area when I heard gunshots. I went to see what was going on and I saw everything. I wanted to go in and help, but I saw that Tae Hyun already had a handle on things. I didn’t feel it was necessary to butt in, even though I wanted to help save you.” He exhaled breathily, shaking his head. “But I have no idea what else you’re talking about. I don’t know who your friend is, and I had no part in what happened to her.”
“How did you know there were eleven gang members that I killed?” Yoori interrogated, not ready to rule him out yet. “When you came, Tae Hyun was already there and he was already killing more than the eleven gang members that I killed. There was no possible way you could’ve known the exact number.”
“I know how you kill,” he answered easily. “I know how both of you kill your enemies. I knew you killed those eleven gang members while Tae Hyun killed the rest of the gang members that came after. You both have your own signature of killing. Of course I’d know who killed who.”
Yoori paused, pondering his words. She was at a loss of what to say next.
Shit.
What he said made sense.
If Young Jae and Anna knew Yoori was alive because of how those gang members were killed, then this also gave Ji Hoon credibility.
“Who told you all of this?” he asked firmly, his expression scrutinizing.
“Ace,” Yoori answered, not knowing where to go from there. Did she jump to the wrong conclusion again?
A hostile smirk overtook Ji Hoon’s lips. “The lead Cobra? Tae Hyun’s right-hand man?”
Yoori could hear it in his tone. Ji Hoon was insinuating that Ace had an ulterior motive. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if that was plausible as well. Ace attempted to kill her only weeks before. Maybe he wasn’t as over it as she thought he was. Perhaps this was just another grandiose plot to get her killed.<
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“Your right-hand soldier is Yen,” Kang Min confronted, knowing where Ji Hoon was planning on veering the conversation. He would not allow the diversion. His suspicions were purely on Ji Hoon. “There was a woman at the diner.”
“And Tae Hyun’s right-hand is also a woman,” Ji Hoon supplied, verbalizing what Yoori was thinking. “Mina, as I recall.”
Disjointed with the holes in her puzzle, Yoori tried to make sense of everything that was occurring. Was it possible? Was Ace playing her the entire time? Was it possible that it was Ace and Mina who did this, and Mina was actually the woman at the diner? Were they trying to pit her against Ji Hoon or was it the truth the entire time? That it was actually Ji Hoon who orchestrated this entire thing?
“You’re so quick to assume it was me, but what if it was Tae Hyun the entire time?” Ji Hoon spoke up, feeding on the confusion eating away at Yoori. “What if he’s up to something, Yoori? Have you thought of that?”
“Boss, don’t let him get inside your head,” Kang Min said before any further damage could be performed. He could see that she was doubting everything she discovered tonight. “Tae Hyun loves you. He’s not that type of person. He would never hurt anyone you love.”
“Tae Hyun is a revered crime lord, Yoori,” Ji Hoon continued to instigate. He drew closer to Yoori in her numb, distracted state. “He’s a manipulative King and a very good actor. Right now, he could be playing you and you would be none the wiser.”
He brought his hand up and held her pale cheek in his palm, staring deep into her confounded eyes. Yoori lowered her gun while he did this, giving him the opportunity to pull her closer to him. She felt so fragmented. She didn’t know what to believe anymore. Her mind couldn’t make sense of anything.
“Don’t doubt me, Yoori,” he whispered, his visage pleading for her to believe him. “I wouldn’t lie to you about this. What happened to Chae Young was horrific, but I’m not involved. You have to believe me. I would never do something like this.”
Yoori didn’t know what to do or who to believe.
She was confused.
She was so confused until Kang Min’s voice swam into her psyche and settled everything once and for all.
“. . . We never mentioned Chae Young’s name.”
And then there was no more doubt in Yoori’s mind.
Ji Hoon’s previous words echoed in her head.
“But I have no idea what else you’re talking about. I don’t know who your friend is, and I had no part in what happened to her.”
He lied.
He knew exactly who Chae Young was and what happened to her . . . because he was the one behind all of this.
After hearing Kang Min’s words and seeing the change of anger in Yoori’s eyes, Ji Hoon’s once warm eyes transformed into dark, icy eyes.
There was no more acting on his part.
He realized he had slipped up and had been caught.
A cold smirk swept over his lips, and Yoori knew that confronting him would be the easy part. Getting out of this bar alive would be the hard part.
“Remember that the next time you become tempted. . .”
23: The Beginning of the End
Ji Hoon did not allot them time to prepare for his attack.
Before Yoori could even think to do anything, Ji Hoon violently knocked her to the side.
Unable to balance herself, she tumbled backward against a barstool. Her head collided against the marble of the bar before falling to the ground with a loud crash. Stars exploded in her darkened vision while pain acted as a jackhammer puncturing into her skull. She could scarcely breathe from the sudden attack.
While Yoori lay on the floor, struggling to see past the blurry vision that left her unable to stand up, Ji Hoon’s knee connected against Kang Min’s gut. Kang Min tried to raise his gun and shoot at him, but it was too late. A pained gasp tore out from Kang Min as Ji Hoon followed his attack with a punch across the face. Blood spurted from Kang Min’s mouth. Unable to maintain his grip on the gun, Kang Min’s hand involuntarily tossed the gun into the air. It flew across the room, rendering it useless to Kang Min, who was too inexperienced when compared to a powerful King like Ji Hoon.
Ji Hoon smirked, following after Kang Min.
Kang Min was staggering to keep himself balanced. Blood drizzled from his swollen mouth. Though hurt, he was still resilient.
“Soo Jin had always been so proud of her two favorite Scorpions,” said Ji Hoon, stalking after Kang Min like a lion. “I should’ve known if anyone were to catch on to the small details, it would be you.”
“You bastard,” Kang Min retorted with revulsion, spitting out blood from his mouth. “I knew it was you as soon as I heard that your name was involved in this.”
Ji Hoon laughed with mocking amusement.
“Why do you give a fuck anyway, Kang Min?” He walked in circles around Kang Min like the predator that he was. “Lee Chae Young belonged to Jae Won, not you. As far as I’m concerned, she shouldn’t have been worth it for you to come here and fight against me of all people.”
“First of all, she’s my brother’s girlfriend. She doesn’t belong to him. Secondly, I love my older brother. You don’t touch anyone my brother loves. That’s why she’s worth it, you piece of shit!” Kang Min yelled, suddenly lunging toward Ji Hoon.
He attempted to deliver a punch across the face, but Ji Hoon was quick to block. Unperturbed, Kang Min jabbed an uppercut and then punched him in the eye before grabbing Ji Hoon’s neck and locking his hand around it. He bashed Ji Hoon’s head against the small round table behind them. The table fractured under the attack, nearly breaking apart.
Rage seared in Ji Hoon’s eyes.
“Then you can die for them, you naïve fuck,” Ji Hoon sneered, enraged that Kang Min had managed to get a few punches in.
Growling, Ji Hoon placed his hands under the table and proceeded to flip it. He allowed his body to plunge to the ground while jabbing the rough edges of the table’s feet against Kang Min’s solar plexus, leaving him to stumble across the room at the sudden force.
Flinging the table aside, Ji Hoon charged at Kang Min, his eyes hungry for blood.
He was near Kang Min until . . .
Boom!
The force of wood crushed against Ji Hoon’s back, causing him to crumple to the floor, only inches from Kang Min and inches from Yoori, who had just broken a barstool over him.
Wrath cloaked her eyes. She was hurting herself, but the adrenaline and determination to hurt Ji Hoon distracted her from the otherwise unbearable pain.
Only keeping the broken wooden leg, she discarded what was left of the barstool. Yoori rocketed toward him at full speed and kneed him across the face before he was able to spring up. She followed suit by propelling the wooden leg into his gut. When he groaned in pain, she flipped the leg in midair, caught it with her opposite hand, and delivered an uppercut against his chin with it. Though she was quick, Ji Hoon was quicker. He lifted his chin up before the wood could pierce through his head.
Pissed off at the presence of another fighter, Ji Hoon seized Yoori’s wrist and slammed her hand against a wall. Yoori screamed, losing her grip on the wooden leg. When her weapon slipped from her grasp, he pushed her away and then skirted around her.
He had someone else to take care of before he dealt with Yoori.
He charged for Kang Min like a bull. Kang Min stood his ground, rallying everything he had to fight. He proved to be no match for Ji Hoon. With a merciless kick, Kang Min was sent whirling across the edge of the room. He flew straight toward an alcohol shelf behind him.
“No!” Yoori screamed.
Kang Min never saw it coming.
Ji Hoon was as quick as a bolt of lighting. He hooked his hand behind the heavy black shelf and pushed it forward, aiming it toward Kang Min. The gargantuan alcohol bottles from the shelf tumbled forward, breaking upon Kang Min’s skull with loud cracks. The shelf came with it, eventually landing on Kang Min with a thundering crash.
Boom!
Silence emanated from Kang Min as he lay buried beneath the shelf.
Only Ji Hoon and Yoori were left standing.
Panting for breath, Ji Hoon’s cold eyes met Yoori’s.
A firestorm of fury engulfed Yoori as she gazed at Kang Min’s motionless body.
“You fucking bastard!” she screamed, spotting her gold gun on the floor. She was going to kill Ji Hoon. She was going to kill the motherfucker!
Her fingers were an inch away from the gun when his leather shoe kicked the gun away. Having one option taken out, Yoori leapt up and attempted to punch him across the face. He easily blocked her attack. He held up her wrists and then pushed her against the wall, leaving her unable to do anything while his cruel eyes bore into her.
“This is all your fault. If you want to blame someone, then you should blame yourself,” he told her, finally showing his true colors. There was no adoration in his voice or gaze. He was sick and tired of her.
“Why? Why did you do this to Chae Young? What the fuck is wrong with you?” she screamed. Unfiltered hatred swept through her and she was sure she would die from it.
She tried to fight him, but he denied her efforts and kept her pinned against the wall.
He stared at her without guilt. “I had those scums go after your friend because I knew she was the only one capable of luring you out alone—without Tae Hyun. I figured if you came in time to see them rape her, then you’d be helpless and I could swoop in to save you. But your friend . . .” He shook his head disbelievingly. “Your fucking friend was so loyal to you. She wouldn’t call you in fear of them hurting you, so she endured the raping and all the abuse, just so she didn’t have to call you. I knew then that I had to resort to Plan B, which was to have them rape her all night long and leave her alive so that you would be able to see the damage . . . so you could break, free that anger, and allow Soo Jin to come out while you tried to find her rapists.”