CHAPTER 4
SAIA'S POV:
As I walk into Ji-Hoo's office at the Foundation, I am surprised to see Jae Kyung waiting for me.
"Hello! I want to steal you away for the day!" She says to me.
"I don't know Jae Kyung-ah… I have a lot of preparations for the Masquerade Ball I need to go over. We only have two more weeks."
"It can wait! Come on!" she grabs my hand and drags me out the door with DK close behind me. I glare at him because he isn't stopping her but he won't look me in the eye. Once we are at her favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant and eating she orders Soju for us too.
"Isn't it a little early to be drinking?" I ask.
"Ya! Lighten up! You sure have gotten uptight since Ji-Hoo and Woo Bin died. Do you really think they want you moping like this?"
Eh, fuck it…Why not? DK gives me a disapproving look but I ignore him.
"Can't you go anywhere without him?" She asks with a nod towards DK. "Tae Mu is in jail! Why is he still following you?"
"True but the Songs feel like I still need protection until his trial is over. Besides, he's become a good friend too." I give DK a smile and he nods.
"At least I can go have fun once and awhile without my security. You're like a celebrity or something with him always following you around." She says in exasperation. I just smile and shake my head.
After a few drinks, she gives me a satisfied smile. "See! Now you seem more like the Saia we all miss."
"Oh really? So everyone put you up to this?"
"Not at all! I do what I want, you know that already! I know you loved Ji-Hoo but I'm your friend and I don't want to see you spend the rest of your life depressed. He wouldn't want that either."
"Yes, that's true. You seem to be handling Woo Bin's death okay. How do you do it?"
"Yeah well… Woo Bin and I… our relationship was nothing like yours. We actually broke our engagement a couple days before he died."
"…What?" I ask in shock.
"Don't get me wrong, Woo Bin was a great guy but… we were only engaged because we made a deal."
"What kind of a deal?"
"He wanted a wife that would be honest with him and not marry him just for his money. He wanted a relationship like his friends but he didn't think that anyone would ever love him. I am still in love with someone else and he knew that. I can never be with the person I want so Woo Bin and I struck up a deal that we would get married to each other. We had become good friends so why not? Being with a friend is better than being alone or being with someone you hate."
"So why did you break it off then?"
"He was falling for your friend. I wasn't stupid and it didn't bother me. I could see it but he never would admit it. He said I was being silly and asked me not to break off the engagement. Your friend is hard to figure out though. I don't know if she felt anything for him but they made a good team. I still miss Woo Bin. He was still my friend. I wanted to see him happy. It's not fair what happened to him and Ji-Hoo." She looks sadly at her glass and my heart is racing. Boo Ki doesn't know any of this!
After we finish eating, Jae Kyung drags me out of the restaurant to the mall where she takes me shopping. Wandering around the stores with her, I try to show interest but I can only think of one thing. As she goes into the dressing room in one of the name brand stores to try on some clothes, I grab DK's arm and whisper into his ear.
"I need you to get a hold of Ji-Hoo for me right now. Tell him I need to talk to him."
He looks at me in surprise but nods his head and digs out his phone. I watch Jae Kyung come out to show me her first outfit and nod my head in approval. We discuss what kind of shoes she should get with it before she goes back in to try on another outfit. I give DK a questioning look but he just shrugs. Pacing in front of her dressing room I turn to look at her next outfit and shake my head. I don't like it. She pouts a little before giving me a smile and goes back inside as I hear DK's phone go off. After answering it he hands it to me and I move out of ear shot of Jae Kyug.
"Yobosayeo?"
"Saia? Are you okay?" Ji-Hoo asks me.
"I'm fine but listen, did you know about Woo Bin breaking off his engagement before you two left?"
"…What? No I didn't. He hasn't said anything."
"Ji-Hoo… Boo Ki doesn't know either. He needs to tell her!"
"Saia, I can't get involved. That's between the two of them."
"I know that but she will only push him away more if she still thinks he's engaged."
I hear his deep sigh and wish I was hugging him so I could feel it. "…I'll try to talk to him but try not to call me unless it's important okay? It's not safe. I'll call you again soon so that we can talk longer."
"It is important! To me anyways…" I grumble. I hear his soft chuckle in my ear and I smile.
"God, I miss you. I have to go. I love you." He says.
"I love you too."
(^_^)
BOO KI'S POV:
I'm twelve again and my grandfather stands in front of me with my parents. I've been summoned in the middle of the night to see them. I don't know why I'm here. I haven't broken any rules and I am the top student in the dojo. I am even better than my brother and half-brother even though they are both older than me.
My grandfather orders me to remove all of my clothes and lay down face first in front of him. I obey of course. Nobody disobeys Grandfather. As I lay there, I hear the door open as someone comes in. A man kneels behind me and I feel something hard trying to penetrate me. I look up at my parents and grandfather in alarm but Mother simply gives me a blank look and says to not show any fear. Grandfather orders me to lie still and I try not to cry out in pain. Showing pain is a sign of weakness and it's dishonorable but it hurts so bad. When he's finished and withdraws from me, Grandfather orders me to get dressed and return to my room.
For two weeks the same scenario plays out every night. By the last night, I am numb. I no longer feel anything. Grandfather says that sex is a tool that I will have to use to become an assassin and like all other tools, I need to train and sharpen my skills. The other women in the Dojo will train me on these skills from now on. I bow deeply to Grandfather in understanding but bury my shame and humiliation deep down inside just like all my other emotions. Saia knows something is wrong, she's been asking me every day at school but I am too embarrassed to tell her. When I finally do break down and tell her, I sob in her arms. She is so sweet and understanding. She holds me and rocks me the way my mother should have done. But just like all of my family, my mother is cold and unfeeling. There is no such thing as emotions in the lives of the Maeng family… and I finally realize that I don't want to be like them anymore.
Opening my eyes, I reach for my alarm and realize that I'm crying. I hate when my memories haunt my dreams. I wish there was a way to erase them completely. I don't want to remember. They are probably haunting me because I started quietly training again. I have always kept myself fit and prepared for any situation but I have started pushing myself again now that I'm here with Ji-Hoo and Woo Bin. I keep quiet so that I don't disturb them but I consider that part of my training too, to be as quiet as possible.
I think it's funny that Woo Bin feels shame at times for being the Mafia Prince. He has no idea how humiliated I feel that I'm an Assassin Princess to one of the cruelest families ever known. I don't think my skills will be necessary for Senator Park but I may need to use them later for one of the other Associates. I don't have any weapons with me but the martial arts training is enough for now.
After I shower I walk into the kitchen and see Ji-Hoo talking on the phone.
"God, I miss you. I have to go. I love you." I hear him say. He hangs up and I see a smile on his face. He is practically glowing. He loves Saia very much.
"You could have at least let me talk to her before hanging up. I know you like keeping her all to yourself but I am still her best friend." I tease. He chuckles and nods his head. I have been with them for a month already. We haven't been able to discover what the sleazy Senator is doing with the girls. They must be on his estate somewhere but it's been nearly impossible with his security. Karen warned me not to come back and she has done everything in her power to keep me away from him. I appreciate her concern but we need to get into the house and look around.
Hearing my phone go off, I run back to my room to grab it. "Hello?"
"Se Na! It's Senator White. I was wondering if you would be so kind as to join me for dinner at my estate tonight."
"Thank you Senator but I don't think your wife-"
"She approves of course. She will be here too. She is looking forward to seeing you again." He says. After her warning and her attempts to keep me away from him, I doubt she knows about his invitation or isn't as agreeing to it as he claims. But this is the chance we need.
"Okay then. What time should I be there?"
"7 and don't worry about getting home. We will make sure you are taken care of."
I bet you will. I think in disgust. "Thank you Senator."
Hanging up the phone, I go back into the kitchen where Ji-Hoo is.
"The Senator invited me to his house. I need to be there at 7."
"…You're going? Is that wise?"
"I can take care of myself. If he tries anything he will regret it. He is awkward and bulky. He doesn't have any martial arts training or anything like that."
"That doesn't mean he isn't still dangerous."
"Who?" Woo Bin asks as he comes in through the front door.
"Where did you go?" I ask him. I keep my face carefully blank but I feel a twinge of jealousy.
"I've been watching the Senator's estate all night. I was hoping to see some kind of activity but there was nothing." He says with a sigh. I hide my smile of relief behind my coffee cup. I really need to keep better control of my emotions. I've been getting too soft lately.
"Well I'm going in tonight. I'll let you know if I see anything. The Senator invited me to dinner."
"What? I'm going with you. I can pretend to be your boyfriend. You can't go in there with that bastard all alone."
"I have to. He didn't say I could bring anyone with me and if you show up uninvited he won't be at ease. If he thinks he has the upper hand, he is more likely to make a mistake."
"Ani Boo Ki! You can't go in there by yourself. I can't let you. It's too dangerous."
"We have been at this for over a month already. We need to bag this guy and move on. I can take care of myself and if it makes you feel better, wait outside the gate or something."
After arguing with Woo Bin, Ji-Hoo and I finally convince him that we have to do this. I am glad Ji-Hoo agrees with me. I know that his opinion is important to Woo Bin. I suspect that Ji-Hoo's call with Saia may have played a big part in it. I know he is anxious to get back to her. He hides his emotions very well but sometimes his mask cracks and I can see how much he hates being away from her.
(^_^)
Arriving at the Senator's estate tonight, I can see that I was right about Karen. She isn't happy to see me but the Senator doesn't give her a chance to speak to me alone. He keeps me close and every time he touches me, I feel my skin crawl. As we sit down, he offers me a drink. I want to refuse but seeing Karen drinking the same wine, I reluctantly agree.
He talk's a lot throughout dinner about himself, trying to impress me with his position. I keep silent, only responding when he asks me a question. It's only when I see Karen doze off at the table and try to reach for her that I realize where I made my mistake. He drugged both of us with the wine. I stumble out of my chair and glare angrily at him.
"Going somewhere? What's the rush?" He says with a wicked smile. I reach for my phone and dial Woo Bin's number but he snatches it out of my hand. I'm too drugged to stop him and angrily try to take a swing at him but my movements are sluggish and he easily avoids me.
"Easy now. That won't be necessary." He says with a smile as he grabs my wrists. I can't believe I fell for something like this! I've gotten way too soft.
"Fuck you…" I slur at him. He laughs and it sends a shiver of fear down my spine. I'm helpless and I sink into unconsciousness.
A/N: firehorse549- I must confess that I have wanted this kind of story too. Great minds think alike. ^_~ This story should be a lot of fun!
To all my readers: Thank you for reading! ^_^