Chapter 21: Bad Boys
The blistering water in the tub burned Yi Jung's skin, yet it was the right temperature to soothe his mind. Staying fresh and clean had always been his quirk, and since he wasn't sure when his next bath will be, he scoured himself with the flowery scented soap and scrubbed every body part until he felt pristine again.
There was a light knock on the bathroom door and although he heard it, he didn't let it bother him. "Who is it?" he called as he continued to wash himself.
"It's me," Ga Eul's soft voice said through the door.
Yi Jung smiled, happy it was Ga Eul and not Dr. Lawlor. "Just a few more minutes. I'm almost done," he holler back.
He dipped his whole head underneath the water for one last good wash and when he reemerged, he was startled to see Ga Eul standing in front of him. "Miss Ga Eul," he gasp, wiping the dripping water off his face with both hands.
Ga Eul nervously gazed at the bath towel and clothes she was hugging on her chest. Since their argument in the bedroom, she had been contemplating on the actions and words she had used towards him. "I just wanted to come tell you that," she said, brushing away a strand of hair by her eye. "I shouldn't had been harsh on you earlier. You were right, you didn't have time to tell me about the phone. We were in that crazy car chase and you got shot at and-"
"It's okay," Yi Jung interrupted. "I would had done the same thing like you if I found out someone had a phone too." He smiled and studied her somber face. A guilt trip from her was something he didn't want to happen, yet it gave him more reason to adore her thoughtful gesture. "So, I take it you're not mad at me?"
A crooked smile cracked on Ga Eul's face, satisfied he was understanding of the situation. "No, I'm not mad at you," she said as her eyes gaze upon him. "But it doesn't mean I trust you."
Yi Jung frown and began to play with the flowery soap. "Well, I guess I'm the opposite because not only do I trust you, but I'm also mad at you."
Ga Eul's head cock back in shock. "Eh, why are you mad at me?"
Yi Jung lower himself deep into the water, as if he needed to hide some kind of secret. "I'm mad that you're not in this tub with me."
Ga Eul almost laugh but put on a huge grin instead. "I only bathe when it's a bubble bath," she insisted. She went to counter sink, causing Yi Jung to sit up again, then pulled out a white bottle from a cabinet and carried it back to the tub.
Yi Jung's spirit was giving himself high fives when Ga Eul poured some liquid from the bottle into the tub. An aroma of lavender vanilla scent wisp in the air as the liquid sizzled and dissolved when it landed in the hot water. A swamp of bubble gradually formed and floated so high that it reached above Yi Jung's bare chest.
Yi Jung smiled from ear to ear while watching Ga Eul undressed herself, but frowned again when she kept her lace panty on. Ga Eul covered her naked breast with both arms as she climbed into the bubbly tub and with the urging of Yi Jung, she sat on his lap. She stretched her legs above his and rested her back on his chest. The touch of her soft skin had Yi Jung's blood boiling. He cuddled her in one arm and insisted to help wash her. Ga Eul grinned and obliged, and enjoyed how he lathered every body part of hers.
The foaming bubble made it difficult for Yi Jung to see below her chest, yet their overnight lovemaking gave him enough experience to know where she enjoy being touched at. He ran the flowery soap along her inner thighs and was surprised when she shoved his hand away for lingering there a bit too long. "What's the matter?" he asked, confused.
"You're such a bad boy," Ga Eul whimpered.
"But I thought you liked bad boys."
Ga Eul did like bad boys. Of course, she won't argue with him on that subject. Still, it didn't mean he can touch her whenever he wanted to. She guided his hand to her shoulder, so she can see where his naughty hand will go next, but he dropped the soap into the water and took her chin instead. He tilted her face towards his, then leaned in to give her a kiss on her lips.
The kiss had Ga Eul falling for his spell. All the doubts of trust and honesty flew out her mind. She was lost in the moment, only yearning for his lips again. She shift her body to face him and threw her arms around his shoulders. Yi Jung hugged her closer, aroused by the perkiness of her beast was on him, and when their lips were inches for that irresistible kiss, a sudden loud pounding on the bathroom door had her pulling herself away from his lips.
"Hey, Yi Jung, where's Rose?" Dr. Lawlor called from behind the door.
Aish, stupid Dr. Lawlor. Bothering me at the worst possible time. If he was in front of me right now, I'll kill him, Yi Jung thought. He made a fist under the water so Ga Eul couldn't see how angry he was. "What the hell do you want?" he barked, glaring at the door.
"Where's Rose?" Dr. Lawlor repeated.
Yi Jung sighed in annoyance. "She's in here with me!"
There was long moment of silence until Dr. Lawlor spoke again. "Pedro and I are ready. So whenever you guys are."
Ga Eul listened to Dr. Lawlor's footsteps and when they disappeared out the front door, she quickly splash some water on her face and climbed out of the tub.
"Where do you think you're going?" Yi Jung asked in frustration.
Ga Eul grabbed a bath towel which were tangled with her clothes. She wrapped the towel around her body and took her clothes with one hand. "Didn't you hear Dr. Lawlor? They're waiting for us outside."
Yi Jung slammed his fist on the water that some of water came spilling out. "They can wait for us. Come on, Miss Ga Eul. Please, just come back in the tub. Let's finish washing up first."
Ga Eul cracked the bathroom door open and after poking her head through it, she glanced back at Yi Jung. "I wish we can, Yi Jung, but I'm sorry. We can't waste anymore time. We need to get to Honduras as soon as possible."
"But Miss Ga Eul," Yi Jung cried as Ga Eul walked out of the bathroom. He shook his head while mumbling some Korean curse words. It was pointless being in the tub if Ga Eul wasn't there, so he forced himself out, then wiped his body dry with a bath towel and wore the clothes Rosita had given him.
His new clothing was a gray suit with a matching gray tie, and despite the pants being a bit on the loose side, it snugged him well enough that he couldn't complain. He went to the bedroom where Ga Eul was at and found her in the tomboy outfit she previously wore. "Miss Ga Eul?" he called to her by the door.
Ga Eul had her hands on her cheeks and upon hearing Yi Jung, she quickly yanked her hands to the pockets of her hoodie sweater.
"Is everything okay?" Yi Jung asked, worried.
Ga Eul pulled one hand out of the pocket and cupped her cheek. "My face feels so dry. I wish I had my facial mask and makeup."
Yi Jung smiled in bewilderment. Sometimes he couldn't understand why women felt the need to cover their faces in tons of beauty products, especially a woman as beautiful as Ga Eul. He went up to her and took her hand off her cheek. "You look more beautiful with your natural look," he said, holding her hand.
Ga Eul's cheeks instantly turned red. Hearing a compliment from her favorite man had her giggling inside. "Stop talking nonsense," she pretended to disagree with him. She reached for his wallet, pocket knife, and flip phone from the bed and handed it to him.
Yi Jung took the phone and wallet, but left the pocket knife with her. "I think you should keep that. It might come in handy," he suggested. He pulled Ga Eul with him and they headed to the front of the door.
When they stepped outside, the hot sun above had them squinting their eyes. It had been days since they've seen the sun, so they welcomed the new ray of sunshine that burned their skins. The village was already blustering with the locals as the people had gotten up early to tear down the wooden planks from the windows of their homes, and the aftermath of the storm had left the place in an disarray, yet it didn't destroy the spirit of the village.
Yi Jung and Ga Eul heard Pedro's jeep roaring in the distance. It emerged from behind Rosita's home and as it approached them, they can still see a huge dent on its side and the many leftover bullet holes from the night they escaped San Marcos church. The jeep stopped and parked in front of them, and the window on the driver side door rolled down.
"Buenos días, Mr. So and his miss!" Pedro cheered from the driver seat. He greeted them by raising the cowboy hat on top of his head. "Ah, you two are cuffed together again?"
Yi Jung and Ga Eul glanced at their intertwined hands, then back at Pedro. "No, we're not cuffed together," they replied at the same time.
The passenger door swung opened and Dr. Lawlor climbed out from it. Similar to Yi Jung, he also had on a new suit, except his suit was as white as the snow. It was so unwrinkled and clean that it had Yi Jung wondering how any man can wear such an outfit and expect it to stay spotless. "You guys ready?" Dr. Lawlor hollered.
Yi Jung and Ga Eul sat in the back of the jeep and the jeep roared again and soon left the small village. They were on a new dirt road, heading to a different direction but still due south towards Honduras. Pedro had rolled down the tops on the jeep, making it an open air vehicle for them to relish in the fresh air and cool mist. The road was muddy yet the big tires on the jeep had no problem gushing right through it. The further they drove, the more thick the wet forest became. They saw a variety of wild species, from colorful birds flying in the sky, a pack of monkeys hanging on some trees, and even a glimpse of a jaguar gazing at them in a distance. It was almost like they driving through a zoo; a short perfect date for Yi Jung and Ga Eul.
After an hour, the forest opened up and cars slowly trickled on the same road. Every car seem to also be heading in the same direction, but soon scattered off when they arrived at lively populated town.
"The bridge to cross to Honduras is just pass this town," Pedro said, pointing ahead. "Only a few more kilometers to go."
It was relieving news for them to be so close to Honduras, particularly after what they've experienced in Las Vegas and Guatemala. Yi Jung cuddled Ga Eul closer and kissed her forehead in celebration, and Dr. Lawlor grinned widely, wishing he can step on the gas pedal so they can go faster. But their excitement was short lived when one of the back tires suddenly deflated.
"Oh! Hell no!" Dr. Lawlor cried, glaring at the back of the jeep. He tossed his hands in the air, confused and upset that Honduras can be so close, yet so far. "The right tire's flat. That's just perfect!"
Pedro decreased the speed of the jeep and it slowly hobble into the town. He stopped the jeep at the first available parking which was in front of a little shabby grocery shop. Pedro climbed out of the jeep with Dr. Lawlor and they inspected the flat tire.
"It's pretty flat," Pedro said, kicking the tire. "We have to change it to the spare tire. It shouldn't take long. At least ten minutes top."
"I'll help you," Yi Jung insisted.
"No. No. Dr. Lawlor and I got this," Pedro replied, waving his hands. "You and your miss should take it easy." He pulled a few cash from his pants pocket and handed them to Yi Jung. "Here, go buy some snack in the store, and I promise, ten minutes and we'll be back on the road again."
Yi Jung shrugged, unsure why Pedro didn't want his help. Still, it meant some good quality time he can spend with Ga Eul, so he was glad in a way that Pedro rejected his offer. He helped Ga Eul out of the jeep and they walked into the grocery shop, hand in hand.
There were many people in the shop and to their surprise, the interior was rather big with lots of shelves filled with food. They went to the fruit and vegetable section because they craved for some healthy food. Ga Eul bagged some red apples and bananas while Yi Jung picked some carrots.
"Oh, you're a fan of carrots too?" Ga Eul asked, watching Yi Jung wisely choose the perfect carrot out of a box.
Yi Jung nodded and held up a clean carrot next to his mouth. "What's up, doc?" he imitated Bugs Bunny's voice.
Ga Eul chuckled so hard, she felt the sudden need to use the toilet. She pursed her lips together so she can contain her laughter and held up the bags of apples and bananas towards Yi Jung. "Here, hold these bags for me so I can go use the restroom. You're too adorable that it's making me need to pee," she grinned.
Yi Jung took the bags from her and sighed. "Okay, I'll try to not joke as much. I wouldn't want you to wet yourself during this very dangerous mission."
Ga Eul chuckled and playfully slapped his arm. "Yi Jung! Stop with the jokes!"
"Aish, just go to the restroom already or you're going to wet yourself right here," Yi Jung teased. He smirked and headed to the cash register before Ga Eul can slap him again. "I'll go pay for our food first. I'll wait for you by the door afterward."
The women's restroom wasn't difficult to find. It was at the corner of the shop through a narrow hallway. The place was empty when Ga Eul enter, but the smell was horrible that she wanted to vomit. There were four stalls and she choose the cleanest one, yet when she tried to flush the toilet, the toilet was broken. At least sink works, she thought while washing her hands.
She left the restroom and made her way to the cash register, but as she past one of the aisle, someone caught her attention. She instantly froze, gasping and covering her mouth. A few feet away from her was the back of a tall white man. He had on a clean gray suit, his blonde hair was messy, and he was carrying a basket of food.
Can it be Igor? Ga Eul wondered. She remembered his dull suit and his tall stature. It was exactly like this man, although this man's military haircut have gotten long. But it couldn't be Igor. He's dead like Yi Jung said, she reminded herself.
The man seem to notice someone was behind him. He slowly turned around to gaze at Ga Eul, but Ga Eul was too afraid to eye contact him, so she shrieked and bolted away as fast as she could. She needed to get to Yi Jung or the nightmare she had of Igor may eventually become a reality. Assuming Igor may be chasing close behind her, she ran and bumped into a few people without apologizing, and her eyes were only focused at the front of the shop.
When the exit door was in clear view, she can see Pedro outside by the jeep, talking with a stranger. She inhale for some fresh air from all the running and wanted to cry out for help. But someone's big hand grabbed her by her arm and yanked her into its chest. She yelped and was about to throw a quick punch at whoever it may be, but the person held her fist before she can attack.
"Rose!" Dr. Lawlor said, holding her close. "We have to go right now."
Ga Eul gazed up at Dr. Lawlor's face. "Igor. Igor's chasing me," she panted.
But Dr. Lawlor ignored what she was saying and dragged her frantic body to the door.
"Hey, Lawlor! Get your freaking hands off her!" Yi Jung was heard shouting from behind them.
Dr. Lawlor stopped and glared back. Before he knew it, his face was met by Yi Jung's furious fist. He got hit so hard that he groaned and almost fell to his side. He touched his nose and released Ga Eul's arm. A small speck of blood appear on his fingers. "No one makes me bleed my own blood," he scowled. He ran towards Yi Jung and swung his fist at Yi Jung, but Yi Jung dodged it in time and hover down to grab his lower body.
The two men smashed against a shelf with candies and the candies scattered everywhere onto the floor. An onlooker boy nearby saw one of the candies by his feet. He quickly took it and raced out of the shop. The people that were surrounding Yi Jung and Dr. Lawlor moved out of the way. They didn't want to get hurt and in truth, seeing this kind of entertainment from foreigners was a rare treat.
Yi Jung and Dr. Lawlor groaned and continued to fight. Punches and kicks were thrown at every angle on their bodies. A knee into Yi Jung's stomach and another smack on Dr. Lawlor's face. They scuffled and broke a different shelf, then fell on the floor and fought there too.
"Stop fighting! Stop fighting!" Ga Eul whimpered and panic. She had forgotten about Igor and wasn't sure why they were fighting. She even tried breaking them apart, but Yi Jung shoved her to the side and told her to stay away.
Pedro entered the shop wide eyed, shock to see the brawl of his two companion. He ran to them and untangled them, pushing and carrying Yi Jung off Dr. Lawlor. "Enough, men. Enough with the fight," Pedro holler.
It was only then did the two men stop. Yi Jung stood up straight and fixed his wrinkled suit while Dr. Lawlor got on his feet with the help of Pedro. "The next time I see you touch her like that again, I'm going to break your nose," Yi Jung promised, his fierce eyes burning right at Dr. Lawlor.
Dr. Lawlor was busy cleaning the dirt off his white suit, but flinched forward in an angry stance at Yi Jung's threat. "You mother-!" he yelled.
But Pedro quickly held him back, not wanting another fight to start. "Men, let's just make peace and get to Honduras. Please," Pedro pleaded.
Dr. Lawlor grunted and went to a freezer next to the door. He pulled out a small ice pack and stormed out of the shop.
Pedro wiped some sweat off his forehead. He went to the manager of the shop and apologized in Spanish for the mess his friends had caused, then he handed the manager some cash. "Mr. So," he said, walking towards Yi Jung. "We have to leave right now. It's urgent. I'll tell you in the jeep."
Yi Jung touched a growing bruise on his chin and gave a short nod at Pedro. Pedro sighed and headed to the jeep where Dr. Lawlor was waiting for them. Yi Jung picked up the bags of fruits and vegetables he bought from the floor and went to Ga Eul. "Are you okay?" he asked her.
For a minute, he thought Ga Eul was going to leave him, not wanting to be with a man who is physically violent. But Ga Eul glanced into his eyes and gave a reassuring smile. "I'm okay," she answered.
It was only then did she remember about Igor. "Igor. I saw Igor," her voice was anxious again. She gazed at everyone who were still around them and spotted the tall white man beside a group of families.
"Right there…," she said and was about to point at the man, but she suddenly realized she had been mistaken. The white man was less muscular and didn't have a scar on his face like Igor. He was just a random Caucasian man, perhaps visiting the town. Ga Eul bit her fingers and glared at the floor. "Ah, nothing. Forget what I said."
She took the bags from Yi Jung and noticed his bruised chin. "It looks like you're going to need an ice pack," she said. She went to the same freezer Dr. Lawlor stole an ice pack from and took one out as well. "Here, put this on your chin so it won't get worse."
They held hands again and walked out of the shop, as if the incident inside never happened. They entered the jeep and sat in their usual seats in the back. No one spoke as they drove out of the town, and it took them only a few minutes to reached the bridge to Honduras.
Pedro stopped the jeep in front of the bridge and glanced back to Yi Jung and Ga Eul. "A friend told me in the town that there was a group of people looking for us."
Yi Jung curiously scooted closer to Pedro in his seat and Ga Eul covered The Pink Sparkle with her other hand. "A group? Do you mean Sasha and her men are alive?" Yi Jung asked.
Pedro shook his head. "No. This group is the Maya people."