Thank you all for reading and for the wonderful comments and encouraging words!
¡Gracias a todos por leer y los maravillosos comentarios y palabras de aliento! Realmente significa mucho
Friday.
It was Friday, and the last day of the week that had rolled in was welcomed with the dark clouds and the rain that started before the sun even rose. The gloomy clouds above the city made it unwelcoming to wake up to a dark Friday as most chose to wear dark colors and match the weather. The black umbrellas hiding the tired faces of the workers she noticed on her way back home; Jandi had spent the last two hours doing her weekly run and exercise to know the rain was just starting. The heavy raindrops attacking her body were only getting heavier, and planning to stay the whole day as she changed them for the warm and soft water of her shower. Her body was placed under the hot water, and she enjoyed every second of the water washing over it. It was a refreshing and peaceful space to be in before she was forced to look in the mirror and eliminate her feelings from her face before stepping out.
It took energy to face the world, and today was no different as it had taken more energy to wear that uniform and walk out of the house. Away from her safe space, her neighborhood, and into the part of the world she hated the most. As the bus that transports her between the two worlds crossed the river, she got a text from Bom asking her to be on standby. She was already warned that they might need her tonight, and that was what she was looking forward to as the light of the day. She needed to blow off some steam, which she claimed, but the issue was she needed something to re-align her with the mission of her life she had chosen not to take years ago. She was reminded of why she was even alive when she was out on a mission.
The main person distracting her, she walked into Jihoo's office to find nobody. There was nothing to spy on in the room she had searched from top to bottom. She had copied and given his desktop and all his documents to Ctrl Alt; all she was told to do was wait until Ctrl unlocked the document, which was taking longer than it should have. That was what Bom had used as an excuse to get her to stay at the school, but she didn't protest either. Honestly, she was less worried about that and more worried about the boy and his mother, whose lives she might have turned upside down. She can't stop going to that school before she finds a solution. What happened yesterday she had forced out of her memory; she only focused on the fact that Junpyo didn't say he will or would not sue yet. She still had a chance to save the family. As she stood by the corner of Jihoo's office, her eyes glued to the garden that was what she was lost in. Her guilt blocked her from even calling the boy to make sure everything was okay; she was calculating every possible way she could use to save them from what was coming for them. Lost in her world, her anxious nails being bitten by her sharp teeth, she had missed when Jihoo had walked into the room. Before her always-aware body recognized his presence, Jihoo spoke up.
"Happy Friday," his calm voice; she quickly turned when she heard it.
" Traffic is bad," he explained why he was late, which he knew she wouldn't ask. She never does. He was expected to be there, and everybody always expected him to be there, whether rain or shine. Even when he was late, everyone knew he had to have a good excuse, and nobody questioned him.
" Here," he handed her the tea he got; his coffee was placed by his desk. Her right hand extended his way; only he was made aware of their fingers touching as the cup was exchanged between hands. Jandi, even though her skin was made aware of the contact, she was more focused on his eyes and why they looked different. Something was up.
" Did you finish the paperwork?" she chose to ask about work first. Most of the time, the things he talks about as stressors were his work.
" For the most part"
" You can edit it as always" he gave her a small smile as he headed to his desk.
" It's 6 pages, but I am sure you can finish it in minutes," he added as he took his coat off and threw it to the other chair.
" should just look for grammatical edits?" she chose to stay on work-related questions while her eyes scanned every inch of his face. He looks fine. He doesn't look sick or unwell, but he looks bothered.
" If the numbers don't add up, have an assistant look through it" he started describing all the other people she could evolve as he adjusted his desk before he sat down and started his computer. The second the conversation about work was done, the room went silent. Jandi was now even more curious about why he was quiet when he rarely was. The tea she was sipping; she went through their whole interaction yesterday to see if she had done anything wrong. There was nothing that was out of the ordinary. Maybe somebody ruined his morning, she assumed. She didn't make any mistakes with her work to cause him to be this quiet. What she did, didn't even matter this much. Why she was bothered by even the slightest change in his behavior was the alarming thing, but she wasn't aware of it yet.
" Where did you go yesterday?" he asked, giving her the answer to the question that was eating her. Jihoo couldn't sit and wait until she opened and told him about what had happened. He had promised himself to wait until she opened her lips and told him herself, but he knew that would never happen. She never tells him anything. He could sit in this chair until eternity, waiting for her to explain what he saw yesterday, but that would be a waste of a lifetime.
" I saw you come out of Junpyo's house car," his eyes lifted to her from the computer he was reading, giving Jandi the first shock of her day.
His car hidden behind the parking space, Jihoo didn't need a clear view of the car that pulled up to the driveway to know it was Junpyo's driver's car. His eyes on the back seat were startled when he saw who had left the car. With the small bow, she gave the driver, Jihoo's baffled eyes stayed on Jandi, who started walking to the main entrance door of the senior building. While his shocked eyes returned to the driver, Jihoo noticed the big smiles on the driver before he got in and drove the car away as fast as it was driven in. "What is going on with her and Junpyo?" Yijeong's question he hadn't been able to answer repeated in Jihoo's ear. It repeated again and again as he tried to come up with a clarification that would justify why one earth Jandi was coming out of Junpyo's driver's car. Did she go to see him? Why would she see him? "Wait?" he whispered as his quick brain recalled how she had asked why his friends hadn't been on campus for days. His hands crossed, he sat back in his car, taking as many minutes as needed to figure out what was happening. Unable to find even the brain power to accept what he saw s truth, he chose to get away and give himself time before he decided to ask her.
Right when he saw her standing, he decided to ask. He had thought he could act like he didn't care and wasn't bothered by it but looking at her, his curiosity was so much that he had been re-reading the same three-line email.
" What is going on between you two?" he asked a question he would repeat a hundred more times in the coming months. His eyes were on her; Jandi took a minute to assess why he was curious before she calculated the best outcome and decided to use Jihoo''s curiosity against his best friend.
" He is suing the boy Woobin beaten to death" was her first sentence of the day. She carefully chose how she told the story as she started with the most damning fact. The reason why Junpyo was suing was saved for the middle part of the conversation. She didn't know the ins and outs of their friendship, but considering how much she knew, she was sure Jihoo had some power over his best friend. He had the power to convince him to do or not do things. For her, that was a big advantage of her friendship with Jihoo. She could use him for a lot of things, and right now, she realized he was beyond helpful in fighting against his best friend.
" But, Junpyo" Jihoo, confused about what he was hearing, silenced himself. This was all too confusing.
" Shouldn't you be blaming Woobin for that? Why Junpyo?" Jihoo asked an important question that reminded her that he wasn't aware his friend was lying in a hospital, thanks to her. She had already given Woobin his punishment
" He kept asking why I don't like him"
" That is one of the reasons"
" he wasn't there" Jihoo tried to defend his friend.
" He is the leader" She was fast with her response. Her eyes turned his way, and Jihoo knew she was serious and knew exactly why the blame was placed on Junpyo.
" He asked, and I showed him why" she added, turning her focus to the garden and her lips to the calming tea.
" I see" Jihoo beyond being confused about how this has gotten this far didn't even recognize how the computer he hadn't touched in minutes since she started talking, had turned black.
" So you went to his house to ask him not to sue?" a minute or so later, he asked. He was still unsure about it all and was just looking for another confirmation that she really had gone to Junpyo's house. Her lack of response was the response.
" and did he agree?" while still thinking about how she was allowed to be in Junpyo's house, he asked the most important question.
" I don't know" She took another sip of her coffee. She looked unsure and a bit worried. Jihoo was confused if it was about Junpyo or the family.
" He is not going to s
" He mentioned something about wanting to die," she interpreted him as she shared the most confusing part of her conversation with his best friend. It would have been better if she had heard what Jihoo had to say, but the topic she just brought up was more alarming, and Jihoo's mind quickly shifted to that.
" What?" Jihoo, pushing his chair to shift in her direction, asked. With a startled and worried look on his face, Jandi quickly took note and stored it as a piece of important information.
" He said I looked like I wanted to kill him, and that is something we both want" She clarified where she deduced that he wants to die.
" Oh God," Jihoo sighed as he swung his chair to the other side and started looking for his phone.
" What?" she asked, trying hard not to seem that curious but was very curious about why Jihoo reacted this way.
" Nothing" Jihoo looking for his phone went on, flipping all the files.
" What's his problem?" she asked.
" He has' ' Jihoo finally located his phone, opened it, and went to his call log. He had to scroll through the list of calls to find Junpyo's number. His chair pushed aside, and Jandi carefully watched as he placed his phone to his ear.
" Sometimes he's off" Was all he said as he gave her a small smile. He hadn't remembered how he had told her his friend was on medication which Jandi was connected with what he said. If Junpyo was on any medication, suicidal thoughts were major side effects even she was aware of that.
" I'll be back" he gave her another smile as he started walking to the door.
" Hey, Junpyo" was all she heard before Jihoo left the room, he made sure to close the door behind him.
" What do you want?" was the only thing Junpyo asked as pulled his phone from his nightstand and placed it on his ear. His eyes were still asleep and placed inside the blanket he pulled the phone into and placed it on his ear.
" are you still sleeping? Does that mean you're not coming to school?" Jihoo needed some seconds to figure out how to bring the topic up. The council members coming in late; Jihoo gave them a small bow before he directed his quick steps out of the office and headed to the quiet balcony. He needs some privacy.
" What do you want?" Junpyo's rough and asleep-sounding voice asked again.
" Are you okay?" Jihoo asked. He was able to feel the awkwardness in his words, and it felt beyond weird to feel awkward about asking his best friend. The time he spent with his best friend that has become almost complete none; Jihoo knew when had no one to blame but himself for why it felt odd to ask Junpyo if he was okay after he was gone for almost a week.
"You were gone for a week?" he added, unsure if he should bring it up.
" huh' Junpyo's sigh was all he got. He knows his best friend will not say anything to him Junpyo never did. Jihoo was one of the two people allowed to treat him, however, and get away with it. It was a privilege Jihoo took advantage of. Even Yijoeng had called him out on it quite often. He has a special place in Junpyo's life, and the unconditional love he got, he was used to taking advantage of.
" Jihoo, what do you want?" Junpyo asked with his sleepy voice. Jihoo knew his friend was probably still wrapped in the white blankets he slept in.
" Do I always have to want something to call you?' Jihoo was joking, but Junpyo was serious.
" Jihoo, I want to go back to sleep" Just his tone. Just with the tone, Jihoo knew his best friend was angry with him. His friend he hadn't even visited, of course, Junpyo was mad about him not even checking on him while he was gone for a week. Yijoeng had reminded him to. He texted him on Tuesday to check on Junpyo, who wasn't feeling well. He was in the meeting for the senior trip and had forgotten about it once he got out and his mom called him to prepare a short speech for the initiative she was starting. Then there was something else, then something else, then something else.
" Did you go to the hospital?" knowing late is always better than never, Jihoo asked as he stood with his back against the balcony and his left hand sent to his pocket.
" Yes" Even if they were short, Junpyo was responding. His friends were the only people that checked on him, for him to dismiss them. Up until recently, it had been Jihoo. Yijoeng has become the new one who has been checking on him, even coming home on Wednesday and bringing him his favorite coffee. His mother, who was informed by the driver that had to report things, hadn't even asked if he went to the hospital. All she was reported on was he was home all week. His dad on a business trip in Singapore wasn't even told. It wasn't part of their job as the two assistants and two securities that work for his office weren't even informed on family-related issues.
" I've been busy with senior stuff"
" I know," Junpyo cut Jihoo's apology short.
" Huh," Jihoo sighed, contemplating if he should bring up what Jandi had told him. He wasn't sure about it but decided to know he could always get an honest response from his friend. The doubt was if he should do it in person or through the phone.
" Jandi told me about what happened?" he whispered, followed by complete silence. Junpyo didn't say anything. Even his breathing was hard to hear as Jihoo waited for any reaction to what he said.
" I saw your driver drop her at school, so I asked," He explained. He didn't know her well, but he knew Junpyo enough to knowght there were things these two weren't telling him.
" She said you're going to sue the family for what the mom," he stopped. He doesn't need to bring that up.
" I was trying to tell her you would never do that, but she mentioned,
" You told her I won't?" Junpyo asked, and finally, his voice was clear and sounded more awake.
" I didn't get to it"
" She brought up something about you saying she wants to kill you " Jihoo dismissed why he was alarmed by Junpyo's voice and focused on his main worry. He chose not to mention the rest of her statement. It wasn't necessary.
" Does she report everything back to you?" Junpyo asked, followed by a sigh. His right-hand pulled to his face and brushed his hair away, followed by the blanket he pushed aside. His eyes need some seconds to wake up. He pulled the remote on the nightstand and pressed one of the bottoms that commanded the dark curtains to open up, followed by the window glass that started automatically opening to the side. The silence of the dark room slowly started being disturbed by the beautiful sound of the morning. The garden views his bedroom had; the sounds were birds singing and the movements of the tall trees and branches by his window. The fresh air coming in was cold as the rain was still dripping down.
" She probably was concerned by what you said '' Jihoo wasn't ready to hear Junpyo's small laugh at what he said. Junpyo brushing his hair, tried closing his eyes and returned to the rest mode Jihoo had disturbed. The cold day and rain sound coming from the opened window was the perfect setting to relax him actually.
" are you still taking your meds"
" I am fine"" Junpyo responded.
" are you sure you
" I am going to some new club with Yijeong tonight"
" Are you going to come?" Junpyo asked, trying to change the topic.
" I don't think that's a good idea; you are no
"Are you coming?" Junpyo interrupted and asked. He knew the answer; he just wanted Jihoo to know his questions were meaningless considering how much he doesn't spend time with his friends.
" shame. You would have been able to see if I was fine or not"
" I have family dinner"
"Of course," Junpyo slid deeper into his blanket. The weighted blanket felt better in the middle, and the cold air from the window made the room cold, forcing him to sink into his warm blanket.
" I can stop by Saturday morning," Jihoo offered.
"Morning?"
" I mean afternoon," Jihoo corrected himself. If they go clubbing tonight, both will be dead asleep in the morning. The hangover will not even wear out until evening or for the next few days.
" We have to visit Woobin in the afternoon, so just come there," Junpyo repeated the message Jihoo had received in the group chat but never responded to.
" oh yeah," he tried to play like he planned to do that.
" Anything else," Junpyo asked. He chose not to guilt his friend about not knowing he was supposed to be at the hospital tomorrow.
" You're okay, right?" Jihoo asked again,
" Why wouldn't I be"
"That's not what I asked?" Jihoo knows Junpyo can't lie to him.
"I am fine"
"The meds?" Jihoo brought back the question Junpyo had tried to divert minutes ago.
" Been off them for a while" Junpyo whispered, changing his head to the other direction to avoid the light coming from the window. That was all Jihoo needed to know about why his best friend acted weird. He had thoughts things were the same and blamed the meds as the cause of it all.
" You shouldn't party when you're like this"
"It only makes you sicker," Jihoo said in a concerned voice; it was always adorable to hear him when he was this worried about Junpyo. The boy under the blanket, his right hand brushing his hair to his face, dismissed his body that changed direction again. It was better to dismiss that only Jihoo ever had a worried tone when he talked about him.
"I am fine"
" You're not"
" You took her to your house. You're not fine" Jihoo's soft smile was about how he had driven Jandi to his house. He had taken a girl to his house. Even when he stopped by, Jihoo made sure she wasn't seen and got in and out quickly. But surprisingly, she was taken to the house by a person that was very particular about who he let into his house.
" I am not even going to ask why you did it"
"You do things when you're off meds"
" huh" Junpyo just smirked along. The medication he hadn't taken in months; its weird that it was noticed now when he did something that felt like himself.
" You could have just told me what happened" Jihoo brought it back to why he called.
" You should be thankful it wasn't her that hit you; she would have hurt you," Jihoo added, smiling at his memory of what she did with the work laptop, which surprisingly is still working.
" hum" was all that Junpyo said. He was the one that knew how serious what Jihoo said was. He had seen her beat Woobin; Junpyo knew very well how she could beat him up. He had seen her take even three men down by herself. He will be an easy target for her. Her slap on his face still recalls, he could imagine what else she could do to him if granted access. Broken bones, he probably would end up with broken bones. It will be embarrassing for his teachers. All the world-class masters he attended class with to help him with his anger issue, it would be embarrassing for them to witness how easily she could beat him. Years and years of training and he wouldn't even be able to land one hit against her. no, because he can't, but most likely because he won't. Just thinking about fighting a girl is weird, let alone this one. The thought of even raising his hand against her feels beyond odd and impossible to even think about. Ut if he wanted to; if he ever wanted to, he had all the skills to fight back.
" She has issues with me" Junpyo brushed his hair to his face and tried to fight his mind from bringing any of the mental pictures he has of her staring at him. Her eyes fuming with all the anger boiling inside her.
" You're her friend, what's her deal," he asked, Jihoo
" She just doesn't like You and Woobin"
" She actually hates you" Jihoo's smiled, Junpyo could hear it on the other side.
" Like her face turns red even when your name is mentioned," Jihoo thought he was helping as he continued all the incidents he had caught her reaction or her comments about his best friend. From F4-related stuff to his wealth, his last name, his personality, to even the smallest detail of why he doesn't wear uniforms, Jihoo listed all the things he had to herald her say. Surprisingly he wasn't able to connect the dots and figure out that the girl claiming to hate Junpyo actually knows a bit about his best friend. For someone who claimed she didn't care, she knew quite enough about the boy she hated.
" If you ever get murdered, she is going to be part of the suspect list" Jihoo laughed it off, but the lack of response from the other side made him aware of the little hint of truth in the sentence he just said. Junpyo is not going to get murdered but if he ever dies, this could have a one-in-a-million chance of impacting it. Maybe one in a billion, Jihoo thought based on how much he dismissed the power she had. She had anger issues but she never looked like she would actually kill anybody. That was beyond absurd to even imagine. She was just odd and didn't like Junpyo, rightfully so. That was all Jihoo knew.
" If you do anything to her after this, she might actually try," Jihoo said with what he thought was a light joke. To him, it was funny to think about Jandi trying to kill his friend in a physical fight.
" So just leave her alone" he got back to what he has been saying for weeks. He has been saying since the moment he first saw Junpyo looking at her. Jihoo had been asking for his friends to leave her alone. They didn't listen and now they are all in this mess.
" She is a bit odd but she didn't do anything to any of you"
" Leave the poor girl alone. You should see where she lives"
" How do you know?" Junpyo asked but wasn't ready for the answer he got.
" I went to her family home to check on her after the gym thing" Jihoo was always honest and shared everything.
" They run a restaurant. It was smaller than your bathroom and they li"
" Just leave her alone" Jihoo chose to not get that much into the shocking things he had observed when he went to visit her.
"I didn't do anything" Junpyo's small voice repeated the same thing he had been saying everytime he was asked to leave her alone. The fact that Jihoo had gone to her house, had seen her family, and possibly seen where she lived, he should have spent more time on why his mind found an issue with that. His eyes were opened the minute Jihoo said it, Junpyo had more questions about what the relationship between her and Jihoo was rather than what she hated about him. It wasn't his concern and trying to silence his inquisitive mind, he shook the thoughts out of his head and buried himself back into his blanket. His eyes closed, and under the warm blanket, the questions didn't stop. They were close enough for Jihoo to visit her at her home and meet her family. For Junpyo that was particular about who was allowed into his spaces, that was a big indicator of how close the two were. He had assumed she just worked for Jihoo and maybe had a tiny crush on him but no, he was allowed to be in her home.
Jihoo really is special.
" She might have a crush on you' Junpyo regretted what he said the moment it left his lips. He wasn't supposed to say his internal thoughts out loud.
" Hahaha" Jihoo's laugh was loud and honest.
" That's funny," he went on laughing.
" She doesn't even like people let alone have crushes"
" Even if she did, Yijeong is right there" Jihoo's smiles covered response had shown one of his insecurities, and his best friend was ready to call it out.
" You think she would pick Yijeong over you"
" They all like you; you just don't give them a chance" Junpyo came up with some truth about how things have always been.
" I guess you have to be picky since it's you"
" Do they?" Jihoo's laugh was fading off, he asked. He didn't say much more for both to understand what he was insinuating. Jihoo never cared about girls he had only one girl he had ever shown interest in, and it was always about her.
" She chose you' Junpyo's voice was as straightforward as it could be as he slowly pulled the blanket away from his face and started sitting up.
" huh" Jihoo responded with a weird smile; Junpyo knew there was something Jihoo wanted to say that was just held back. His blanket pushed aside, he sat leaning on his pillow. He knew he had to say something but couldn't find the right words. There weren't many sensitive topics that were difficult for the two to discuss. Everything was so easy to chat about, but one of the few was Seo-hyun.
" She wanted to stop by on Wednesday, and I told her I was out." Junpyo wasn't sure why sharing that would make it better, but he shared it with Jihoo. Seo-hyun being off limits included Junpyo not being allowed to be around her in private. It wasn't Jihoo who enforced it; Junpyo chose to follow it. The last thing he wants is to be seen with her, alone.
" You don't have to do that"
" You don't have to wait for an eternity to start dating her either" Junpyo was serious about this one. It was the only way it would save both some trouble. If Jihoo just asked this girl and they became official then it would save all the trouble of questing and doubting every interaction Junpyo has with her.
" we are friends, and even if we weren't, you make it sound so easy"
" It doesn't have to be complicated"
" Just forget about your family and what you're supposed to do, and do it for you" Junpyo brushing his hair repeated his usual advice.
" I should learn how from you" Jihoo chose to attack back lightly.
" Maybe if I were like y "
" Jihoo, stop it"
" I have a girlfriend and have had several since then" He didn't have to state how many. It was irrelevant. The girls he changed every other month, this one had been the longest he had ever claimed as his for a while now. She had stayed for months thanks to the fact that he really had disconnected from it all and she was okay with everything else he did. Seo-hyun Noona knew all about them and didn't like any of them, which she made clear every chance she got. It was only Jihoo who was suspicious of why she never liked Junpyo's girlfriends; to the rest, it was very clear that she didn't like them for the same reason Jihoo didn't like them.
" Even if she chose me she would have hated me" Junpyo slowly went back into his blanket. He needs a dark space to survive this conversation and chose to bury himself back inside the thick blanket.
" I am too selfish and not built for that kind of stuff" Junpyo was always quick with anything self-depreciation. He could do it unconsciously. It was very natural to list all the things he and others hated about him he had heard about since he could talk.
" She deserves the best, and that's you"
" It doesn't get better than you" Junpyo wasn't saying it to flatter his friend but being honest.
" I mean even the one who wants to kill me and, hates people and likes you" Junpyo used Jandi as a way to bring the smiles back to his best friend and it worked. Everybody liked Jihoo. It was a given.
" We all know you don't mess with girls because of your family thing so just stop" Junpyo concluded with that. The conversation didn't last long after that before the friends said and Jihoo had to return to his work.
By the time he returned to his office the school bell had already rung and Jandi was already in her class, seated on her desk rereading the text she got from Ctrl Alt. Their English teacher walked in, she dismissed as she focused on the address she was texted. Her laptop pulled out of her bag the first thing she started searching for was the address she was texted to be on standby for at 6 pm. The location she had to be at right after school, she wouldn't even have a minute to change and she was asked to just arrive. Being on standby meant most likely the team was doing something, and she spent her whole morning trying to figure out what Bom and the team might be doing there that she doesn't know about.
The files Ctrl Alt hadn't even opened, she knew he was working on something else. Did they find something she wasn't told about? Her fingers playing with her lips, her eyes returned back to the list of invited guests that were at the fundraising. Her hope is one day a name will just pop out and give her a clue. If she stares at these names long enough, she has convinced herself that one day she could find the people she was looking for. That was one of the ways she kept herself from losing her shit. The fact that she could still find them, she had to convince herself in various ways that it was possible. The cursed existence of hers needed justification and using every possible way as a means to finding them was working. With her anger and frustration at it all, her body was really ready for tonight as she prayed she would be called in. She wished for it as much as she could. The mission would be a nice distraction from what has been eating her. Not just that but the mother and son she had dumped by her reckless actions, she needed an outlet for that anger to be released as well. She needed to release some steam, and going out into danger was what reminded her that she hasn't lost her cause.
As soon as the bell rang for the lunch break, she had plugged the music into her ears and walked out of the classroom. Her boots marched across the hallway, her head bobbing to the banger song playing in her ears, nobody was there to observe the quick movements of her fingers as she flipped the pencil from one to another. Her leggings were not on today, and her legs would be used as weapons hours later were headed to the council office where she eats lunch and as always she started it off by herself but knew Jihoo would join minutes later. His lunch he has to get from the cafeteria or the F4 lounge, he wasted more than enough time that she usually was halfway through her lunch by the time he even arrives at the office with his. Why doesn't he eat with his friends? She had stopped asking. The food he walked into the office with, she chose not to say anything after noticing he was on a call. His food was placed on the table, across from her, and Jihoo went on with his call.
Jandi enjoying the cut fruits Mrs ki had packed for her last night, focused her eyes on the food while she tried to make out who he was talking to. She couldn't help it even if she wanted to, spying is why she was here and what she does best.
"that's not what we agreed to do"
" I said I would do the speech if "whoever was on the other side had caught him off as Jihoo's fake smile faded off and he turned the other way.
" That wasn't the plan" his whisper was followed by a minute-long silence from him as the person on the other side went on talking. Jandi couldn't hear what the other person was saying but knew it had to be important for Jihoo's body language to be this off.
"okay,"
" I said okay," he started agreeing with whatever he was asked to do.
" I will see you there" he hung up; returning his face her way. His smile returned to his face, he threw the phone on the table. He needed a second to put on the mask he was known for and for a slight second Jandi was able to catch it. She should have used that to question who he really was but her focus was on the second long sadness and hint of frustration she witnessed on his face that was new. It was startling to see any other emotion on his face than happiness.
" Sorry about that" he gave her a small smile. For a second, she wanted to ask but chose not to. Prying into his life is not going to yield anything good but get her into more trouble. She was already in a mess. She needs to find a way to get out of the weird friendship they have where they eat together and she can tell he was not happy.
" Do you want to go to an art show on Sunday?" Jihoo extended his fake smile as he picked up his mineral water.
" Do I seem like an art person? '' was her response as she tried to read him as much as she could.
" You don't but you like watching people and what better than rich art people" he smiles, she was starting to recognize when they were hiding something.
" You also get to hear me speak"
"On a stage" his eyes were on his drink, she found it hard to figure out if he was joking or asking seriously.
" I see you run council and board meetings" After enjoying her silence of apple she sat back.
"It's very boring so I wouldn't drag you either"
" Why don't you take Seo-hyun?" the apple she placed in her mouth, jandi caught how quickly his eyes turned his way.
" She will be there, I think," the fresh bibimbap he got, he turned his attention to his food.
" You don't seem happy about that?" Jandi really didn't want to dig deeper, but she couldn't help it.
" Oh no, it's not about her"
" She is fun to be around," it seemed like he was talking to himself.
" You saw her"
" She is funny, elegant, and beautiful" Jandi, enjoying her fruit, was sincere with her compliment.
" You two are perfect together," she added, this one meant to be a compliment.
" Are we?" Jihoo took his first bite.
" It's not just a childhood friendship is it?" she asked but didn't get her answer as Jihoo just went on eating his lunch. In the silence between them, Jandi used to analyze everything she had heard and seen to figure out what really was going on between Jihoo and his childhood friend. She was only given a few minutes before the conversation started but was on the senior vacation trip they had started planning. It took their lunch and the team meeting to figure out where they were with the whole project. Jandi, sitting at the back of the meeting was really trying to figure out how he does it. With his soft smiles at his council members, Jihoo was able to move around without anybody questioning where his ball of energy and optimism comes from. He was great at protecting himself from people asking questions, and he usually did it with his beautiful smile. Her earlier concern about what made him upset, she chose to snoop as she opened a new tab and logged into this school email account she had all the info for. She had hoped to find the invitation to the event he was talking about, and she did quickly. It was sent on Monday. The fancy invitation card, she didn't think much about as she went down the line of emails he had received throughout the week. She didn't need to do this, Ctrl had all access to his accounts and regularly used to check to find nothing.
The two major things that were in the back of her mind, she was trying hard not to think about them as she focused on going through his useless emails related to all the work he has to do for senior and the small election they need to have to replace his position once he graduates and elections are held in the new school year. Whether she will be allied to help or not, and the person whose name she doesn't want to say that could ruin her day, she chose to not think about them and focus on the emails she started reading. The emails were changed to all the other tasks she was assigned as they kept her busy for the lunch break that ended earlier than it usually did or at least felt like it. Sitting in the back of the class, she had her flip phone on the corner of her desk, waiting for the red light to flicker whenever she received the message that she should be there. The book she was quietly reading, was in the middle of a history class, at 3:45, when her phone signal flickered, forcing a smile out of her. Her book placed down, she slid the phone to her side.
See you at six. Was the only thing she received as her smile got more prominent and the message was deleted from the old phone that didn't have any numbers saved. No number, message, call log, or picture, there was nothing on this phone she kept hidden. Her watch adjusted to start a countdown to 6 pm, Jandi was the only one excited that the rest of the day was changed to study time, and their class was sent to the study halls of the library. Janid, who they never cared about, had snuck away from there to head to the new gym. The watch she placed in her locker had hit 4:29 when she took her clothes off and headed to the shower rooms. The warm shower she took, her body needed the warm water attacking it to get ready.
Every mission that could be her last, she was trained to be prepared for the worst, and that was what she was doing while she stayed under the warm water. The dresses she often wore barely covered her body she doesn't like showing, and she was never allowed to carry any weapons. Let alone weapons, she was barely allowed to even carry anything into the high-security places she usually has to be in. The shoes she wears, that was why the high heels she wears become weapons but her best tool was her body. Her weapons for survival were her limbs, and whether she liked it or not she had a tight exercise and diet routine to take care of it. The hot water running down her body she did a full assessment, and she was fine. There wasn't even a single muscle that was hurting. Her neck a bit stressed, she knew the right solution as she placed the hot pain relief tape she kept in her locker on her neck. That's what she did as she let her hair dry. The black tape was placed down her neck, and she followed by dressing up in her uniform. The cloth that will be waiting for her, she knew not to worry about that. Her earphones plugged into her ear, she started her playlist as she looked up at the mirror at the back of her locker and her reflection.
The few seconds she needed to let the song beating in her ears set the mood, Jandi forced her eyes to scan her face and what she needed to do with it to make it attractive enough to get her into places and all the secrets she would be sent to get out of the drunk men. Her face she never ever even wasted a second analyzing if it was beautiful or not, she never cared about what she thought but if it was good enough for the men that need to find her attractive enough to get her what she needs. That was all that mattered. What she looked like, both her face and body, they just had to look good enough for her to get what she needed, that was all that she needed them for. That was the only time she cared about what she looked like. Even then, it was interesting to see how people treated her based on how she was dressed.
You have to be seductive and suggestive but still innocent looking with your makeup has been the message she had received from the lady that had shown her how to do her make-up. The ladies that ran the dragon club in the deepest red zone of their neighborhood had been Jandi's main tutor about what to wear, say and do. Well trained by the ladies that have been doing it for decades since she was 16, three years after her first mission Jandi rarely needed anybody to tell her what to do to get things out of the men whose throats she wants to slit open but have to entertain and please. There was an on/off button to her charm that she used to get whatever she wanted. It was part of herself she kept hidden because it was the one she hated the most. The hours-long showers she takes after her mission, and how disgusted she was by herself after even giving the men a single smile, it was a huge part of self-hatred.
Always make sure to highlight your best features - she recalled as she diced to tie her whole hair away. Her neck and shoulders were always liked by the men that never seem to not touch or kiss them. If she exposed that, their hand might stay away from her legs, which if she can, wants to hide a tiny knife. Her hair brushed back into a tight bun, she used some of the gel she kept here to lay it completely down, not even a single strand was left as it was all brushed into the tight bun placed at the back of her head. Her clear face, she moisturized well. She has to do her makeup based on the dress and as usual she could do that while they drive her to the location. She usually needed a couple of minutes only. Hre whole body she moisturized with the loation she kept in her locker, she made sure she used the one with the fragrance. She has to smell good. The men that will be all over her, it was her duty to smell good for them and she had made sure to spray herself with some of the perfume she placed in her backpack. She will need to add more once she is dressed. By the time she was done , the last bell of the day had rang and the excited students that had things to do over the weekend were excited to leave the campus and start their Friday night.
Jandi, mixing in with the student rushing out the building, had covered herself up with the jacket she had on. The hoodie placed over her head, she was in her own element as she rushed past the students.
Here - the text she got, she only glanced at once, as she quickened her steps. Her whole vibe had changed, there was nobody to even observe it as she walked out the building and started heading to the gate. The long walk she usually takes to the doors were cut by half as she walked past them , ignoring the school guards managing the traffic of the cars passing by. Her legs turning left, she was headed to the hidden location they picked her from whenever she needed to be picked. The music blasting in her ears, Jandi was walking to the fast rhythm of the song as she looked up and made out the car parked hidden behind the trees. The old Corolla had left a smile on her face when she realized it was one of Bom's boys. Which means she will get to see him before she is sent out whatever they want her to do.
Opening the back seat Jandi got in. The two men in the front seats didn't even turn to see it was her as the car started and the car started moving. We got her - the one in the passenger seat whispered to whomever he was talking to on the phone while the one driving focused on the road he needed to join. Her backpack was thrown to the floor, and Jandi sent her hands to the bag sitting in the back seat. The nicely folded dress, makeup bag, and shoes were what was in the bag she opened.
" You still at this school" As they drove past the west gate of the school the one driving asked. Jandi taking her shoes off responded while keeping her hand busy.
" yes" was her only answer as the two men scanned the campus they were driving along. With the tall gates and walls of the school, there wasn't much to see.
"Rich people" the driver whispered as they drove past the line of cars heading into the school. With the number of foreign cars and limousines to pick up the kids of the richest people in town, both couldn't believe their best prodigy has wasted years at this school to find nothing important they could use. Their eyes on the foreign cars, the two men gave her the silence she needed as she changed into her outfit. Jandi knowing how to change her clothes in minutes without needing a private space was given some privacy as both have made sure not to even glance in the general direction of the girl in the back.
Jandi focused on her task and didn't even think much about them either as she removed her dress shirt and pulled the dress up over her bra that needed to be taken off. The dress they got her couldn't be worn with a bra and everything was taken off as the silk fabric of the dress covered her body. From her uniform-covered body to the black-dressed one, it only took minutes as Jandi started stuffing the stuff she took off into the bag. Her shoes were placed in her backpack as she pulled out and started putting on the stocking that came with the dress. The sheer black stocking was a nice addition to cover her right leg which will be exposed to the long slit that ends at the middle of her right thigh. The zipper of the dress son on her right side, she made sure it was perfectly done before she switched to her makeup.
" What's the deal," she asked, giving them the green light to look back.
"Tonight it is dangerous. Bom wanted you to use it,' the one in the passenger seat turned around and pointed at the clutch that was bagged for her. Jandi opened it and carefully started examining the stuff. Where were they taking her? How dangerous it was " were the questions that crossed her mind as she saw the things in the clutch bag. The makeup remover that was laced with drugs, the lipstick hiding the recording device she could use, Jandi recalled everything in the bag and what they were there for. This was a dangerous mission if she was given all of these. Her eyes returned to the two men, they both were looking at her, waiting for her question.
" Bom is waiting for you" was their response before she even asked. That was a big deal. It was big enough for them to not even tell her and Bom chose to inform her himself.
" Is there anybody in there?" she asked, her hand holding the eyeliner down and leaning close to the front of the car. The driver focusing on the highway he joined, stood on the gas of the car that started speeding.
" Even the pigs have people in there" he gave her the only clue she needed as the silence of the car returned and she focused on her makeup. Her mind focused on what could be waiting, she was focused on getting herself in her zone. The hidden police officers she first has to discover before anything else, jandi knows she needs to trade every lightly and be on her A game tonight. The blood that started flowing across her body, the mix of fear and excitement, was what kept her alive. That was what she was meant to do with her wretched life.
The hint of purple she chose for her eyes, matched it with the dark wine purple lipstick, perfectly completing her look. The thin silver earring down her neck was the only piece of jewelry she had on top of the two rings she put on. It was the only thing she needed to highlight her neck that was left open after it was moisturized with the lotion and the small shimmer she added to it. With the two strings of the dress on her shoulder, she was for once thankful she had a dress that isn't low enough to expose her cleavage. Those types of dresses were hard to fight in. Well, all dresses were hard to fight in, but this one at least covered her chest and had a slit down her right leg that was her favorite weapon. The perfume picked up, and she asked the men to open the window before she started spraying it across her body. That was the last thing she put on her body before she scanned her body up and down.
Her gum was placed in between her teeth she brushed while taking a shower. She chose the street mint flavor gum. By the time the flavor started wearing off, the car was out of the highway and driving through some traffic. The sun setting in the west had a nice glow as the rays landed sitting in the back seat that looked good enough to get glances from the people they were driving past. The golden light hitting her body, her glowing body was getting all the last bits of vitamin D it needed before the sun went down as the car started pulling into the parking space of what looked like a tax audit palace. At least that's what it said in the font. As they turned and headed to the back, Jandi made out the two cars waiting for them. The second she noticed Bom's, even the man in the front seat had turned her way. He liked her tiny smiles and they were only saved for the person that raised her. Bom standing against his car, had his hands in his jacket pocket while listening to the two men standing in front of him and talking to him. The moment he noticed the car coming from the front, his eyes were on the back seat. His back he lifted from his car, all knew he was getting ready to greet his prodigy that was his little killing machine.
The all-black outfit he had on, the leather jacket was a nice addition to the black jeans and boots he had on. His zipped-up jacket had failed to cover some of his neck tattoos. His scary handsome face didn't need the tattoos or black outfits to scare people off, Bom used it all to his advantage as he had added his messy hair to it, making it impossible for girls to not fan over him. Thankfully the life he lived rarely involved women and girls that had time to flirt. Their life was always in survival mode but even then most didn't fail from saying a thing or two about how attractive his whole scary and deadly person was. Some even say it to Jandi who always found it odd to hear about what women thought of him. None of them deserve him anyway. His golden heart he hides behind his deadly exterior, Jandi knew there was no woman alive that deserves it, and Bom who had chosen to dedicate his life to what they do wasn't wasting even a second looking for that. None of them were. They were all married to their mission and had no time for anything else. The father figure to most, it was even more responsibility on Bom who has deep attachments to all the people around him he would kill for. Most knew their place in his life and there was only one number one. The girl they were waiting for.
Since she was 10, they had seen him train her unlike any other. The tiny figure that was as tall as his knees and used to walk behind, most have seen the care and attention he poured into the girl that had become their most treasured spy and weapon. The girl that had never left his side; she had mastered all his skills and had even done the impossible and become better than him. The rage he had they never expected anybody to outmatch; none had questioned where he found the girl that was a ticking time Bom that, when turned on, could kill with no remorse. Most had questioned if he would ever love his own kids as much as he loved her, but then again, he would not have any kids. Let alone kids, he won't even have a special person to have a kid with, considering what they do and the risk he takes with everything he does. That was why they were all happy that at least he had somebody like her. She was his daughter. In this life, he at least gets to have that. He gets to be a father, and he is a father, at least to her. An overprotective father. And he was proving that as his focus left the conversation the moment she arrived.
The car wasn't even fully returned when Jandi stepped out. The comfortable enough heels she had on, she was only carrying the clutch and her flip phone. Her other phone was turned off and was placed in her backpack the two men that drove her here will take home. The first step she took away from the car and into the light of the parking lot, both men standing next to him chose not to say anything about how good she looked. They have learned their lesson early on. Nobody was even allowed to say anything remotely close to compliments about how beautiful she looked in front of him. Nobody was allowed to look at her in that way. There were some incidents but not as hilarious as the one boy who had dared to hit on her two years ago. The box of chocolate he got for her, Bom had sat in his car waiting for him while eating the chocolates. Nobody saw that boy after that day. Nobody knows what Bom said or did to him; nobody dared to ask either. Mrs Kim brought it up once in a while but there was never an answer from Bom about what happened. He claimed he just enjoyed the chocolates and had a chat.
Although they weren't allowed to say it, they all knew she looked good. The girl they were used to seeing in her uniform and athletic wear always looked gorgeous when dressed up.
"Hey" was the only greeting they got as she walked into the arm Bom was extending, and she hugged him. Her small arm wrapped around his back, she fit perfectly in his grip while his hand wrapped around her shoulder.
" You guys are early," the two men responded to her small bow with a smile. Their quick hug completed, and she stood next to Bom, who was unzipping his jacket. Everybody knew why. The cold weather she had forgotten about her body and wasn't even worried about the cold night and the rain clouds that were still hanging over the city. The jacket was placed over her, Jandi didn't protest it as she needed his warmth to keep her energized.
" So," she asked, waiting to be informed about every detail of the crazy night waiting for her.