Chapter 9: Treasure

Ga Eul sat in the passenger seat of a red convertible car with its top was on to shield her from the scorching sun above. She glanced at the rear view mirror every other minute, watching the reflection of Yi Jung talking on his cell phone by the trunk of the car. They were in the outskirts of Las Vegas with a backdrop of all the tall and fancy casino buildings to their left.

The time differences and travel from Seoul to Las Vegas was getting Ga Eul disoriented and jet lag. When they left Seoul, it was on a Saturday afternoon, and now it was Saturday morning of the same day again. Ga Eul felt like she was on a time machine, going back in time to relive the same morning. If only she was really on the machine, the one thing she would do differently was to never wear the ring. Then maybe she would be on her way to Japan with Jan Di right now.

The driver door popped open and Yi Jung climbed in. He gazed off staring at the tall buildings while Ga Eul bit her bottom lip and twirl her thumbs. They haven't spoken much since they left the plane with the turbulence incident still fresh in their minds. After the awkward silence, Yi Jung started the engine of the car and a Bruno Mars song called "Treasure" came on the stereo. It was a hippy music that would make someone want to dance to the beat, and soon help eased the tension between them.

Ga Eul glanced at Yi Jung from the corner of her eyes and saw him still staring at the buildings. "How's my appa?" she asked.

Yi Jung faced towards her yet kept his eyes on the dashboard. "He's in a coma after his surgery, but according to Ji Hoo, he's expected to recover well."

Ga Eul smiled in relief. "And how about Jan Di and the rest of the group? Are they safe and okay?"

Yi Jung nodded and drove the car off heading towards the inner city. "They're safe but still in hiding. Once Master Chu gets better, they plan to take him and his family to Mr. Kim's place. Mr. Kim's son is in a small gang who may be able to protect the Chu family." He sighed and focused on the street ahead of him. "They also haven't seen Sasha's men since the ambushed at the estate, so the guys are worried because it's too quiet, and Sasha's men are never this quiet, especially if they're after something that is worth more than their family's lives."

Ga Eul glanced at The Pink Sparkle on her hand. It was a scary feeling to have a group of killers after her, particularly one as dangerous as Sasha's group. She needed the ring off her as soon as possible. "So what's our plan?" she asked, gazing at the side of Yi Jung's face.

"Dr. Lawlor's museum is in the Luxor casino. It's where he keep all the gems he's discovered. We believe he may have the love potion on display there. And if it's there, we're going to have to find a way to steal it."

"Steal? Can't we just ask for it?"

Yi Jung glanced at Ga Eul with a grin. "Do you want to get stuck in America? Or worst, live in their state prison?"

Ga Eul shift her body to face Yi Jung. "Why would we go to prison for asking for the love potion? If Dr. Lawlor knows I have it on, I'm sure he'll be willing to help."

Yi Jung smirked with his eyes back on the street. "That ring on you was stolen. If Dr. Lawlor sees you on with it, he'll likely call the cops then you'll never see home again."

"Well, I'll just tell him that I didn't steal it and accidentally found it somewhere."

Yi Jung laughed. "Accidentally found it somewhere? You think he'll believe you?"

The laughter from him got Ga Eul upset. She sat straight and folded her arms. Yi Jung can sense her angry. Feeling a little guilty, he rubbed his cheeks, hoping it'll keep him from laughing again. "Just let me do the work and everything will be fine," he reassured her.

They arrived on the famous Las Vegas Boulevard strip and with the touch of a button by the steering wheel, Yi Jung opened the top on the convertible. The sun beamed on them and a cool breeze blew on their faces. Ga Eul took in a deep breath and was surprised at how fresh the air was. The traffic on the strip was bumper to bumper and the sidewalk was filled with hundreds of people enjoying the sight and sound that surrounded them. Ga Eul gazed up at the giant buildings that seem to touch the sky. Each casino they drove pass was unique in its own ways. Some were lavish with gold like structures while a few had an ancient or victorian formation. In between the buildings were many shops, kiosks, street shows, and a drive thru wedding chapel.

They drove into a huge, black, Egyptian like pyramid and parked in front of the premise. A valet attendant came to their car and Yi Jung got out, handing the attendant his car key.

Ga Eul grabbed her backpack and climbed out as well. "Is this Luxor?" she asked Yi Jung.

Yi Jung nodded at her and faced the valet attendant. "Do you know where Dr. Lawlor's museum is located?"

"Yes, sir," the attendant replied. "Straight through the main doors, make a left until you get to the end of the lobby. The museum is across from the Titanic Artifact Exhibition."

Titanic Artifact Exhibition? Ga Eul's eyes almost popped out of her socket. What are the odds of having Dr. Lawlor's museum next to the Titanic? she thought.

She followed Yi Jung into the main doors and was startled at what she saw inside. It was a different universal with the sound of the countless slot machines ringing and people laughing or chattering. The architecture and design on the walls and ceiling were detailed with beautiful artwork and luminous colorful lights.

They headed to their left and walked through a huge lobby with shops and restaurants at each corner. As they reach the end of the lobby, the crowd got smaller and they were able to see the entrance to the Titanic Artifact Exhibition.

"There it is," Yi Jung said, pointing to a smaller sign on his left that read, Lawlor's Treasure Museum. He smirked at Ga Eul after reading the sign. "Let's go find our treasure."

The inside of the museum was dark and small, but had numerous shelves of artificial pieces on display. Each piece was brightly lit with a lightbulb and had a short description on how Dr. Lawlor was able to discover the item. Ga Eul was amused at his finding and read every story behind his pieces. Most were of native tools and jewelries. She found herself glued to an old wooden doll that was dressed like an Amish woman. "Paranormal Abby Doll", the sign below the doll said. "Dr. Lawlor found this doll on May 18, 2001 in the same neighborhood of the Woodchester Mansion in England. It has been rumored that this doll often has a life of its own and can manipulate humans to do what it wants."

Ga Eul glanced at the doll's peachy face and in that same moment, the doll winked at her. "Omo," she gasp in horror.

She quickly took a few steps back, bumped into something, then turned around to see it was a skeleton with its jawbone hanging loose. Her lower jaw also dropped and right when she was about to scream, someone took her arm and pulled her into his chest.

"Miss Ga Eul," Yi Jung said.

Ga Eul gazed up at Yi Jung but his eyes were busy scanning the room. It suddenly stopped to his right and without looking at her, he dragged her to where his eyes were fixed at.

Behind a cube glass was the fake Pink Sparkle ring that Mr. Kim made. Yi Jung read the description below, but there was no detail about the love potion. He eyeballed the area, hoping his eyes will land on the love potion, yet everything around him were only Dr. Lawlor's other odd artifacts. Yi Jung massaged his forehead, frustrated that the love potion was nowhere to be found.

"Aish, if it's not here, then must be on him," he assumed. He saw Ga Eul staring at the ring on display, then comparing it with the one she had on. "Lower your hand. There may be cameras recording us and I don't want to make things look suspicious," he almost scowled her.

Ga Eul lower her hand. "What do we do now if we can't find the love potion here?" she asked.

"I don't know, but we're going to have to find Dr. Lawlor." Yi Jung grunted and walked off.

Ga Eul chased him towards the exit, but stopped when Yi Jung froze by the doorway. Her eyes followed his eyes to a poster on the wall. The poster had a grinning Dr. Lawlor surrounded by his most popular artifacts. Even a picture of The Pink Sparkle made an appearance on it. "Dr. Lawlor's All Women Bash! 8PM Tonight Only! Questions about my artifacts, ladies? Then come hang with me to learn all the answers and many more," the poster said.

"Many more?" Yi Jung scoffed. He studied the poster for a little longer, then a smile crept on his lips. He turned to Ga Eul. "Looks like you'll have a party to attend tonight."

"Eh!?" Ga Eul shriek. "But what if Dr. Lawlor notice The Pink Sparkle on me?"

Yi Jung smirked. "I'll figure a way to hide the ring. But for now, let's get you ready."

He dragged her arm and they headed out of the museum. They wandered on the main strip finding a women's clothing store, but each time they found one, Yi Jung never seem satisfied by the clothes on displayed in the window. They were either too casual or old fashioned for his taste. It took almost an hour when he finally grinned and pulled her inside a store that displayed a sexy undergarment and dress on some mannequin stand.

"Yi Jung, these outfits aren't my style," Ga Eul said, fighting off Yi Jung's hold on her.

"If you want answers on how to get The Pink Sparkle off of you, then you're going to have to dress nice to stand out at Dr. Lawlor's party," Yi Jung said.

A young girl with blonde hair appeared out of thin air in front of them. "Hello, my name's Gwen. How may I help you?" she asked, gazing at Yi Jung with a bright smile.

"I need the most sexy dress you can find for this lady," Yi Jung replied, facing Ga Eul.

The smile Gwen had on quickly vanished. "Oh, for your girlfriend?" she asked.

Yi Jung smirked. "Just a friend."

Her smile instantly reappeared. "Awesome!"

She took Ga Eul and showed Ga Eul some of the best dresses they offered. Most of the dresses were clingy and showed a lot of skin, yet Ga Eul still tried them on at Yi Jung's urging. Whenever she was in the dressing room, she would hear Yi Jung and Gwen flirting outside her door. But when she came out to parade her outfit, Yi Jung would go quiet and gazed up and down on her.

By the fifth dress, Ga Eul can hear Gwen giggling. The giggles filled Ga Eul's ears and she imagined Yi Jung holding Gwen on his laps as he continued tell her some dirty jokes. Ga Eul's body became tense and her blood began to boil. She wanted to storm out and punch Gwen in the mouth. Anything to shut the silly girl's laugh.

She swung the dressing room door open so hard that the door slammed against the wall with a thud. Yi Jung and Gwen froze at the sound and gazed at Ga Eul at the same time.

Ga Eul charge towards them until she was almost in their faces, then she bit her bottom lip and looked away. "I'm taking this dress," she said in English.

"Oh, girl! That dress is way too tight and red on you," Gwen said. Gwen took a pink dress off a rack. "This pink dress will cover more skin and-"

"I like how it's bright red and will show my skin," Ga Eul interrupted her. She glared at Yi Jung. "Isn't that the whole point? For me to stand out?"

Yi Jung smirked. "It's the perfect dress on you," he answer.

Ga Eul grinned at his compliment, grabbed her backpack and her previously worn clothes from the dressing room, then strolled towards the cashier counter with a swagger. She fumbled her wallet out of her backpack and almost flinched when Yi Jung tossed his credit card in front of her. "I can pay for myself," she said.

"You don't have any American cash on you," Yi Jung replied.

She opened her wallet and only saw Korean bills. "How much is the dress? I'll give you my wons for it."

"It's thirty thousand wons."

"Eh? The dress can't be that cheap." She took all of her Korean money and handed it to Yi Jung. "Here's sixty-six thousand wons. It's all I have on me right now."

Yi Jung watched Gwen charge his credit card. "Just give me the wons when we go back home. It's not handy for me to be carrying it around right now."

Ga Eul sighed and threw her money back in her wallet. "Okay, but you have to promise me that you won't buy me anything else."

"Gwen, may you get that red purse for me too?" Yi Jung asked. He pointed at a glittery Louis Vuitton purse.

Ga Eul glared at Yi Jung. "Yi Jung! I don't need a purse!"

Yi Jung smiled and held the purse towards her. "Here you go. Something to match your beautiful dress and ring."

Ga Eul frown and storm out of the store without the purse. She thought of calling for a taxi to take her back to the airport, but quickly realized she still had on The Pink Sparkle. She wandered back and forth, glancing inside the store through the glass door. Yi Jung was taking his sweet time talking with Gwen and when she saw them laughing, she was about to barge in the store again to punch Gwen. It irritated her how Gwen got to flirt with Yi Jung while he only treated her no more than friend.

Ga Eul suddenly cupped her rosy cheeks. Oh no, am I...jealous? she thought. She faced at the busy street and shook her head, trying to erase her foolish question.

"Miss Ga Eul?"

She turned around and saw Yi Jung smiling at her with a bag in his hand. His dazzling smile and deep dimple made her heart melt faster than an ice on a hot surface.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Ga Eul dropped her hands from her cheeks and tried to put on her best smile. "I'm fine," she replied.

He checked his watch. "We still got another five hours until eight." He walked up to her and held out his arm. "Come on, I know where to take you next."

Ga Eul's joyful heart seem to answer for her. She took his arm and allowed him to escort her to a nearby beauty parlor. Like at the women's clothing store, another female employee came rushing towards them and asked Yi Jung what she can do for him.

"Full service for my friend, please," Yi Jung told the employee.

"Full service?" Ga Eul asked in confusion.

Yet again, Ga Eul was swift off to the back of the parlor. The first service she received was a full body massage in a private room. It was so relaxing, she fell asleep. The massage therapist had to wake her after she took an extra half hour of nap. She was then taken to another room where she got a facial and manicure. A hairdresser guided her to the front of a mirror and styled her hair into a short layer of curls. Lastly, the beauty guru did some final makeup touches on her face and when she saw herself in the mirror again, she almost didn't recognize herself. She looked gorgeous.

"Your friend is waiting for you at the front," the beauty guru told her.

She met Yi Jung by the front entrance and almost fainted at how handsome he looked. He was in a new, lavish blue suit with a manly cologne scent, and looked fresh and clean like he had been pampered as well.

"Miss Ga Eul," Yi Jung said, gazing up and down on her with his charming smile again.

Ga Eul stood, not moving a muscle. She was hoping to hear a compliment from him so she can replica one back.

"Here's your purse," he said instead, handing her the Louis Vuitton purse again.

Ga Eul pursed her lips, a bit disappointed she didn't get her wish.

"I'm the reason why you're here. So please, just think of it as a gift from me," he said.

Ga Eul sighed and took the Louis Vuitton purse. She gazed at how beautiful it was and smiled. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me." He grinned at her when she looked up at him. "Are you ready to leave?"

Ga Eul cheerfully beamed and took his arm.

With an hour to still spare, Ga Eul thought of using the time to visit the Titanic Exhibition. However, Yi Jung led her inside a fancy restaurant where jazz was the background music and all the plates on the table were as white as pearl. They were greeted by a waiter and seated at a small round table with a lit candle in the middle.

"We haven't ate anything since the plane ride. I thought it'll be nice for us to have an early dinner together," Yi Jung said after receiving the menu book from the waiter. "Maybe we can also finish our conversation."

"What conversation?" Ga Eul asked, opening her menu book.

Yi Jung cleared his throat with his eyes still in the book. "The one before the turbulences."

Being reminded of the turbulence incident almost got Ga Eul upset again. She scanned through a list of drinks, yet her mind was stuck on his comment. "So, why do you work for my appa?"

Yi Jung closed the menu and placed it on the table. "Honestly. It's because I'm bored."

"Bored?" Ga Eul almost slam the menu book the table. "You'd rather risk your life and hurt others because you're...bored?"

"That, and it gives me a good check." Yi Jung glanced his surrounding for a second, then gazed at Ga Eul. "We don't hurt people, Miss Ga Eul. We only hurt the bad ones."

He said it with so much confident, Ga Eul rolled her eyes. "Right, only the bad ones," she repeated.

Yi Jung smirked as if he wasn't aware that she was mocking him. "I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous of you tonight. I'm always the one out there doing all the work. I'm not used to sitting and watching others have the fun."

"Well, I'll make sure to save all the action for you," she continued in her mocking tone. "What kind of work did you usually do for my appa, anyways?" She had a feeling it must be similar work her father once did when she was child, but she wanted to know for sure out from Yi Jung's mouth.

"Fraud, extortion, robbery, identity theft. The usual mobster stuff," he answer without hesitation.

"And you did those things because you were 'bored'? You shouldn't waste your life like that. You're still young and have a long future ahead. Don't you want to have a family someday? What about your wife and your children? Have you ever thought of how they will feel?"

"I have no plans to ever get marry," Yi Jung said, opening his menu book again. "I prefer to live life on the edge and never know what tomorrow may bring."

"What if there's no tomorrow?"

Yi Jung closed his book again and glanced at Ga Eul. "That's why I live each day to the fullest."

Ga Eul lower her eyes. "I'm surprised you, your friends, and appa haven't been caught yet."

"Miss Ga Eul, I know you may not be a fan of your appa, but getting to know him for the last three years, I've learn he's got a good heart. He's just so used to working in the criminal world, I think he got immune to it."

Ga Eul looked up at him. "But you and your friends shouldn't be his puppets."

Yi Jung sat up and raised his voice. "Puppets? My friends and I have been puppets for the rest of our lives until we met Master Chu. From our parents, our lifestyles, and even at Shinhwa school. We were all puppets to them."

Ga Eul wince in surprise. "Shinhwa school in Seoul?"

Yi Jung nodded once.

"Were you and your friends the popular F4 who heckled and bossed all your classmates around?"

Yi Jung sat back in his seat and darted his eyes away from Ga Eul. It was a sure confirmation to Ga Eul that her statement was true. She remember one of the jokes during the evacuation in her dormitory that the pest control men were former flower boys from Shinhwa. Her and Jan Di had laughed at that idea, and to now know the rumor was true? She scoffed. "That's the best educational school in South Korea. Thousands of Korean children wish to attend Shinhwa, and you and your friends now party everywhere and risk being a breath away from going to prison or getting killed? I can't believe you."

Yi Jung narrowed his eyebrows. "Don't patronize me. You didn't grow up with parents like ours." He brushed his hair back and folded his arms on his chest. "What about you? What are you studying at the university?"

"To become a teacher," Ga Eul boosted.

"For what grade level?"

"Kindergarten."

He unfolded his arm and smirked. "Ah, I see. I'm not surprised."

Ga Eul quietly scoffed. "Not surprised? What's that suppose to mean?"

Yi Jung slightly tilted his head to his right. "You just look like someone who can't handle adults."

Ga Eul jerk back in her seat. "Excuse me. I can handle any ages. I just prefer to handle the mature ones. Not the immature ones like you." She held up her menu book to cover her distorted enraged face.

"Aish. Calm down," Yi Jung said with a grin. "Cute girls like you have such short tempers."

If Ga Eul wasn't in a bad mood, she would had enjoyed how he called her 'cute'. But not at this moment. A moment when the only thing on her mind was slapping Yi Jung across his arrogant face.

The waiter came to their table, distracting their tense conversation, and they took their orders. Yi Jung ordered a chicken mango salad and Ga Eul asked for a filet mignon with a side of rice and steamed broccoli. They ate in silence most of the time and when they did speak, it was only about how good their food was. When they were done with their meal, Yi Jung pulled out an earpiece from his pants pocket and handed it to Ga Eul.

"I want you to wear this during the event with Dr. Lawlor. It's what we use to communicate with during a mission." Yi Jung notice how Ga Eul kept staring at the earpiece. "You put it in-"

"I know what it's for," Ga Eul cut in. She had been gazing at the earpiece because for the first time during their trip, she finally felt how real this mission was. After examining the earpiece for awhile, she placed it inside her right ear.

"Do I look like a spy?" she asked, cheerfully shrugging her shoulders up and down like she was dancing.

Yi Jung smiled at her cuteness. "Yes, the perfect spy," he replied after a long gaze at her.

Ga Eul happily beam at his respond and quickly stood from her chair, but at that same moment, her earpiece suddenly slip out. Yi Jung happen to see the earpiece falling out of her ear in a slow motion. Within a flash, he took a step forward, pulled out his hand and saved the earpiece before it can hit the ground. Everything happened so fast, Ga Eul didn't even have time to react.

Yi Jung smiled and held up the earpiece between them. "Missing something?" he asked.

Ga Eul smiled back at him and held out her hand. But her heart fluttered when Yi Jung removed some strand of her hairs to the back of her ear, then leaned in and planted the earpiece in her ear again. He slowly faced her up close that their noses almost touched.

Ga Eul wanted to thank him, but her heart was beating so fast and her mind was fogged with cheerful thoughts. She felt Yi Jung taking her right hand, then holding it up as if his next move was to get down on one knee and propose to her. "Yi Jung," she said, surprise and nervous.

Yi Jung smirked and glanced at her hand. Then from his pants pocket, he pulled out a silk red glove and slipped it on her hand. The glove was long and almost met her elbow. "Perfect. Now just make sure to not take it off," he said.

She finally realized what he was doing and took a step back. "This is your answer of hiding The Pink Sparkle?"

"Of course. What other plans did you have in mind?" He grin when Ga Eul tugged another glove from him and wore it on her left hand. From the same pocket he got the gloves, he pulled out an earpiece and wore it in his right ear. "Miss Ga Eul, I'll wait by a nearby lounge and listen in on your conversation. If you need any help, just say…" He smirked. "Sunbae."

Ga Eul blinked her eyes in confusion. "Sunbae?"

Yi Jung tapped on his earpiece. "Can you hear me through the earpiece?" he asked.

Ga Eul touched her earpiece and nodded.

They left the restaurant after paying for their meals. Yi Jung walked with Ga Eul halfway to Dr. Lawlor's museum. "Don't forget to not take off your gloves, even if Dr. Lawlor say so. Keep your earpiece in place and 'sunbae' me if you need anything."

Ga Eul bite her bottom lips and nervously glanced at the lobby towards the museum.

"You got this, right?" Yi Jung asked.

Ga Eul gave an uncomfortable smile. "I got it."

Yi Jung checked his watch. "Well, it's a little past eight." He smiled at her and gave her a little nudge. "Have fun. You're in Vegas, after all." He took Ga Eul's backpack, placed one of his hands in his pants pocket and walked off.

Ga Eul watch him disappear in a distance. She turned towards the opposite lobby, sighed, then headed to Lawlor's Treasure Museum.