Tw: Lots of blood, character death, violence, murder, guns, knives, weapons, foul language, self-inflicted wounds, suicide, overall graphic content
“Miss Hwang,”
Yeji turned around to see a messenger awkwardly standing, he was oddly keeping his distance as if she carried the contagious madness.
“Yes?”
“Your parents ask for your presence in their office. They would like to speak to you right now.”
And they didn’t even bother to check what had happened downstairs in their own house, how thoughtful.
“Regarding what?” Yeji asked, anticipation building up causing her to fiddle with her fingers behind her back. “They did not say. They just asked for your presence. Immediately.”
Yeji let out a sigh as she made her way upstairs, she glanced back at the pool of blood all over the living room, how on earth would they clean this up. She also noticed her relatives talking so casually amidst the scene, as if nothing happened. As if it wasn’t contagious.
As she approached her father’s office, the door immediately opened. Yeji was taken aback by the sudden appearance of her father holding the door for her, it was as if he was waiting for her all along.
“You asked for my presence? Are we to discuss recent matters?” Yeji asked as soon as she sat across from her father and mother. Lord and Lady Hwang only looked at each other as Yeji noticed something in her father’s hands. He held a creamy white envelope sealed off in a rich gold stamp. She eyed it as well before glancing back to her father.
“How are we going to get rid of the bloodstains downstairs?” Yeji asked again, leaving her first questions unanswered.
“We’ll call for someone to clean it up.” Her mother said, dismissing Yeji’s current worries.
“Mama, it’s the madness. It’s in our house now, who knows who else will suffer. It could be a viral contagion, we should ask the other servants if they made contact with the ones who tore their throats out.” Yeji explained, ultimately regretting the decision seeing as her father narrowed his eyes at her in confusion while her mother eyed her quizzically.
“What made you assume it was viral?” Lady Hwang asked simply, no tones of suspiciousness in her voice.
Yeji froze as soon as she realized she blurted out a piece of information she found out from Jeno, but she had to remain calm. Her mother wasn’t the type to stay silent when she finds something suspicious, she was the type to confront someone directly.
“Hearsays,” Yeji replied calmly, “At this point, anything is possible.”
“Moving on,” Lord Hwang said firmly, clearly wanting to dismiss the current topic. “Summoning you here to talk about this madness wasn’t the reason we called you here.” He pushed the thick white envelope he was holding towards Yeji.
“What is this?” She took it, observing the intricately written gold letters curve with elegance. It was heavy as well.
“An invitation,” Lady Hwang explained, “To a masquerade ball from the Chinese.”
Yeji opened the envelope recklessly, wanting to get it over as soon as possible. She read that it was indeed an invitation from the Chinese, specifically signed by a man named ‘Xiao Dejun’
“It’s going to be held next week in the gazebos,” Lord Hwang added as he redirected his attention to the other stacks of paper on his desk. “They want to celebrate the joined forces and powers of Korea and China!” He recited flatly as Yeji read the exact same lines on the invitation.
We are extending our warm welcome to all of Viper-gang members, it reads in royal blue ink.
Yeji heard her mother scoff, causing her to tear her attention away from the invitation and towards her mother. Lady Hwang had a clear expression of distaste on her face, obviously not buying whatever the Chinese had written on the invitation. “If they wanted to celebrate, then they should start remembering that this is our country, not theirs.”
“However,” Lord Hwang added, as if he didn’t hear what his own wife had to say, “If they wish to celebrate, then let us celebrate.” Her father said sternly, he looked up to his daughter staring at him with a mouth opening and closing, finding the right words to say. “Also I believe there is another invitation somewhere in that envelope?”
Yeji rummaged through the invitation to reveal another card, this one bright red in color and had silver lettering,
It was from the Lius.
But it wasn’t for Yeji, it was for her father. Mr. Liu was requesting another meeting despite how many times they have been turned down. A few weeks ago, Yeji turned him down only for her to turn down his son as well. She didn’t know why they were so adamant about selling their product, they weren’t prominent nor known whatsoever. In fact. Nobody knew who they were or where they came from.
“Well,” Yeji said as she slid the envelope back to her father’s hands, “Why should this concern me?”
Something about the silence irked Yeji, the silence contained unleft words from both Lord and Lady Hwang’s mouths. They were waiting for something, an answer, a follow up.
“Well,” Lord Hwang began, “I would greatly appreciate it if you were to go with me,” He finally said as he folded his arms against his chest.
“You’re not certainly making me go to this ball, right?” Yeji asked to confirm, eyes shifting to her father who had a serious expression on his aging face to her mother who looked like she wanted to end this conversation immediately.
“It’s always your choice, Yeji.” Her father said flatly. Something to know about Lord Hwang is that he never took no for an answer, especially when it came from a family member. Better yet, his own daughter. “But I prefer if you would.”
“Appa,” Yeji whined, “I did enough partying in America to last me the rest of eternity. Surely the Chinese could discuss and bargain all they want, but in the end we always know they will never have the final say in this country.”
“Yeji,” Lady Hwang scolded.
“What?” Yeji retorted, righteous.
“No, she has a point.” Her father said as he raised a hand to stop Lady Hwang, “They only wish to mingle and propose their products to me, I would let you go if it weren’t for a certain someone requesting your presence.”
Lord Hwang had his gaze pinpointed on her. Yeji however, remained silent. She blinked once, then twice. She already knew where this conversation was heading towards.
“I see,” Yeji decided to say plainly, she didn’t want to press on whoever requested her presence. Judging by the sent invitation from the Chinese, and a separate invitation from the Lius, it was already a dead giveaway.
Yangyang Liu.
“We need all the power we can get. We need the forces, the allies, the security and comfort knowing that we will continue our reign in this city. I need you to be my little translator when they mutter something in Mandarin, thinking I can not speak their mother tongue.”
Yeji made a disgruntled groan from her throat. “As you wish, appa.” She stood up and took the letter from her father’s hands once again. “I’ll go as you wish!” She exclaimed as she tried to walk outside Lord Hwang’s office. Just as she was about to reach for the doorknob, her mother suddenly spoke up. “Wait,”
So. Damn. Close.
Yeji turned around as she cocked a brow, “This….Yangyang,” Lady Hwang started “Why is he requesting you?”
Lady Hwang said his name as if it held meaning to her. Lady Hwang thought that it had some effect on her, she didn’t know that that effect would be her getting annoyed more than anything.
Yeji pursed her lips into a thin line, “He is Mr. Liu’s son, obviously.” she replied, apathetic. “I believe the main reason why they requested for another meeting is because they are still trying to sell their product to us.”
“Is he handsome?” Lady Hwang asked, curious for herself rather than her own daughter.
“My god, mama.” Yeji replied as she tried to stop herself rolling her eyes. She walked towards the door again, hopefully able to leave this time. “He is just using me, this is just business. If you would excuse me, I have to–what the hell are you doing?”
The latter part was directed to Hyunjin, who was standing right in front of her as she opened the door.
“Relax,” Hyunjin smiled a very much fake smile, “I was on my way to the balcony.”
They both knew it was a lie–Hyunjin not bothering to try and make a more believable expression. Yeji closed her father’s door with a loud thud. She waited for her cousin to say something, but he only stared back, his plastic smile not leaving his face.
“Well do you have anything to say to me, Hyunjin?” Yeji asked, crossing her arms. Hyunjin’s smile only grew wider.
“Only one,” He said as he eyed the door, knowing full well that Lord and Lady Hwang could hear their conversation, “I just can’t wait to go to this party, jiāchǒu bùkě wàiyáng.”
Yeji stiffened, satisfied with the reaction he had caused, he turned around merrily and left. He shoved his hands to his pockets as a whistle from a song left his lips.
The family’s shame shouldn’t be exposed.
“Méiyǒu shé me kě jiēlù de,” Yeji muttered. She stomped as she went down the stairs, glaring at the relatives who were still near the crime scene, happily going on with their latest gossip they just had to share. She made a beeline towards the kitchen to see Karina seated on the counter chomping down on an apple. She had no idea how Karina managed to find an appetite when she was seated right in front of a huge stain of blood.
“So?” Yeji asked as she tapped the counter beside her cousin.
“What? Oh, I gave up trying to remove the stains ten minutes ago.” Karina answered as she took another bite of her apple. After chewing for a while, she tilted her heads towards the side as she looked at the stain.
“It kinda looks like a dog, don’t you think?” She asked as she looked at Yeji who looked at her with a concerned look on her face.
Yeji only stared at her as she swallowed her bite. “Too soon?”
“Way too soon,” Yeji replied, shaking her head. “You busy? I need your Rover ties.”
“For the nth time–” Karina answered, rolling her eyes as she tossed remnants of her apple towards the trash bin, “I do not have Rover ties. What am I finding though?”
Yeji grinned, one thing she loved about her cousin was her eagerness to play spy and to go to unknown grounds. “Jinyoung Park’s address.”
Karina only needed to wrinkle her face, not quite surprised for the sudden request. Yeji could ask her to go get the weirdest most bizarre things, and she would still oblige. Yeji didn’t need to reason out her request as Karina leaped from the counter and feigned a salute to her cousin, her lips turning into a quick smirk. “Yes sir!”
…
“Lice?” Jeno echoed in disbelief
“Lice-like,” Kun corrected, head shaking in the process. He examined a strip of skin he collected from the corpse Jaemin and Haechan brought back to them. They could see the tiny bulges of pockets where the dead insects resided. Jaemin was turning pale while Haechan had his fingers placed on his mouth.
“They jump from one host to another like lice through the hair, I believe they only die when the host dies.” Kun went on as he further pressed onto the membrane, beside him was Doyoung audibly gagging from the sudden autopsy they had to perform. Nevertheless, the Neos had seen far stranger things.
“Oh good heavens,” Jaemin suddenly blurted, feeling dizzy as he gripped onto the table. “We could have been infected.”
Haechan made an exaggerated groan, “They’re dead already,” He said as he motioned towards the insects and the dead body.
“And yet you made me dissect that,” Jaemin retorted, recalling the previous scenes. He shuddered, suddenly remembering how disgusting it was. His body was on full vibrate mode, “How–”
“Gentlemen,” Jeno prompted, his fingers drumming the table he leaned on. He suddenly felt like all the oxygen from the lab was being sucked out, he couldn’t breathe. He had already woken up with a throbbing headache since he wasn’t able to get a good sleep. He tried to redirect Jaemin’s and Haechan’s attention back to Kun, but it didn’t work.
“I told you, my hands were full.”
“You were holding two knives, you could have easily slipped them in your goddamn pockets.”
Jeno gave an apologetic smile to Kun, there was no way he could get Jaemin and Haechan to stop. When the two weren’t busy discussing theories or other normal things, they would argue. Most of the time, it would be about nonsense things that shouldn’t be worth debating over. They would get so engaged in each other until you could see one of their faces going red, or vines starting to pop out from their necks.
“As I was saying,” Kun continued, realizing the two men infront of him had no signs of stopping anytime soon, “since we have much more advanced resources in our facilities than all of Seoul, I could try manufacturing a cure, if that sounds good to you.”
“The only thing that sounds good to me is when you finally shut the fuck up!” Jaemin suddenly exclaimed to Haechan, causing Kun and Jeno to turn their attention once again to them.
“Yes,” Jeno pleaded, making Kun smile a boring smile to him. “That would be great. Thank you, Kun–”
“Don’t thank me yet, Mr. Lee.” Kun tutted, “I can’t manufacture anything without you and your friends’ help.” Kun’s last statement effectively made Jaemin and Haechan to stop fighting. They exchanged glances and slowly turned towards Kun, who was serious as a priest giving a sermon.
“Anything,” Jeno promised, making Jaemin quirk a brow as Haechan nudged him to prevent hearing his whining. “I need to run live experiments,” Kun nodded to himself, “Yes, a live victim. You must find me a live victim.”
“A live–”
This time it was Jeno’s turn to nudge Jaemin’s side.
“Noted,” Jeno said quickly, hoping his two friends would stay silent, “we’re on it. Thank you, Kun. Truly.”
When Kun nodded to them, Jeno pushed himself off the table he was previously leaning on. He quickly dragged both his friend and cousin towards the exit. Jeno was rather quite impressed when Jaemin managed to stay silent the whole time they were making their way towards the doors, not hearing a single whine nor complaint leave his lips. It was only when they were under the dark sky clouding the city did Jaemin finally burst.
“Ya! What the hell?! How the hell are we supposed to find a live victim?! Who the hell would be our live victim?! You know what, don’t answer that. I volunteer in Haechan to be the experimental–Ow!” Jaemin’s rant came to a stop once he felt Haechan’s palm smack him on the head. Jeno sighed as he continued to walk, kicking a few pebbles blocking his way. Jaemin, full of energy as always, was bouncing.
“Careful,” his cousin warned. “Might trip on a pebble.”
“You’re giving me a headache.” Jeno replied as he turned around.
“How are we supposed to know a victim is a victim?” Jaemin went on as he ignored them both, “We only know they were infected once they have succumbed to it! Not to mention they only have a solid five minutes left before they die.”
Jeno shut his eyes momentarily, when he opened them again he felt like he could fall asleep that instant. “I don’t know.”
The walk home was just Jaemin and Haechan bickering once again. Jeno barely contributed to their usual debate for his headache only grew worse. Once they reached the entrance of the main mansion, Jeno could only muster a quiet farewell, leaving Jaemin and Haechan to stare at him. They understood him though, they knew Jeno always got silent when he had too many thoughts clouding his head.
Jeno meekly opened the heavy entrance doors. All he needed was a quick nap and maybe a few pills to ease his throbbing headache so that he could come up with a plan for Kun’s–
“Jeno,”
Jeno’s head jerked up to his father looking down on him from the top step of the staircase. His eyes narrowed at him per usual, his lips forming into a thin line.
“Yes?”
Without saying a word, he extended his hand to give Jeno a piece of paper. He thought that his father would come down to meet him midway, but Lord Lee only remained where he stood. This caused Jeno to hurriedly come up the stairs to keep his father from waiting. The piece of paper turned out to be an invitation with a name and address written in reflective silver ink.
“Find him,” Lord Lee sneered when Jeno looked up for an explanation. “I have heard from my advisors that the Rovers may be the center of all this madness.”
Jeno’s fingers tightened on the invitation he held, “What?” He asked, quite taken aback on the sudden request, “But the Rovers have been trying to be on our side for years–”
“Yet we push them away everytime,” Lord Lee refuted, not interested in what his son had to say, “Obviously they are changing strategies, trying to side with the Vipers seeing as we lost them. Before they could do anything we must counter them immediately. Stop them.”
Was it simply the Rovers’ strategy? Were they trying to kill all those in a gang or mafia so that the violence could finally stop? Were they trying to panic the crowd so that the crowd would listen to them? So they could rule over?
“How am I to stop a whole political party?” Jeno murmured quietly, “How am I to–”
Before Jeno continued, his father had slapped him on the head causing him to grip on the stair’s railing to prevent him from falling down the stairs. He moved away from his father, hoping he could avoid a second hit. He shouldn’t have countered his father vocally when he was an arm’s length away.
“I gave you a name and an address, did I not?” Lord Lee snapped, growing impatient with his own son. “Go. See how true the word on the street is.”
With that, his father returned to his own office, not even bothering to glance back at his son. He gripped the piece of paper tightly, his head throbbing worse than before, Jeno inhaled before muttering bitterly,
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Tw: Lots of blood, character death, violence, murder, guns, knives, weapons, foul language, self-inflicted wounds, suicide, overall graphic content
In just a span of a few days, whispers have already spread. At first, it was only suspicions that it wasn’t something natural or a person but the bible repeating itself. People started to believe that it was something like 10 the plagues of Egypt, this time happening in Seoul.
Then people started to see things.
Couples who had their afternoon strolls reported seeing a slimy creature dive into the Han river. Some Viper workers said they had heard low growling and grumbling noises they thought came from the machines, but when they turned it off, the bizarre noises only grew louder. Fishermen who worked late at night reported to see silver flashing eyes in the water. Perhaps the most terrible “sighting” would have been near the Poculum. A customer was passing by with the intentions of having a drink late at night only to see a panting, struggling creature near the garbage disposal. It was unnatural for sure, the shadow it cast resembled nothing like the creatures and animals that walk the face of the earth today.
“It has eyes of the devil, mama!” Yeji heard the little boy in front of her exclaim. They were currently waiting in line to get hot buns from a fast food restaurant. Yeji watched the boy as he excitedly told his story to his mother, guessing he had heard it from a playmate. “The monster had a spine as sharp as knives” The boy added, causing his mother to look at him disinterestedly. There have been numerous deaths added from the original incident, causing people to speculate. But the more people talked, the more the truth has been twisted.
Yeji would have brushed off the rumors, ruling it as a way to keep children frightened when they were being unruly. But the fear people have been feeling is very real, their lives were in danger. There must be a reason to why people had started talking, speculating.
“Nonsense.” The mother scolded her child, as she fiddled with her bracelet. The mother was obviously scared as well, hearing her son's stories did not help whatsoever.
“They say it is like a modern day dragon!” the boy added, not even bothering to listen to his mother, “It attacks the gangsters at night when it smells their blood. It hides in the shadows, waiting for the perfect time, then boom! It attacks.” The child said, his hand motions accompanying his exaggerated story.
The mother could only look and sigh at her son, “It is not only the gangsters who are dying, nae adeul,” The mother paused, looking at his now terrified son. “No one is safe now.” She continued as she placed a hand on her son’s shoulder.
That’s one comforting mother alright,
The son suddenly stopped in his tracks. He looked at his mother, fear replacing the jolly expression he had before. “Am I going to die, mama?” The boy asked.
“Of course not.” The mother said in a defensive tone. She quickly got the two bags filled with steaming buns in front of her and left, with her son still quite scared.
Who wouldn’t be in a time like this?
As they left, Yeji couldn’t help but stare at their disappearing figures. A child, no older than five, was already worrying about whether or not he would live another day. A child like him should be worrying about what flavor of ice cream he should get, or what he should play with his friends. He shouldn’t fear for his life. How much time did they have left until the city of Seoul became nothing but a mass graveyard?
“On us, miss.”
Yeji snapped out from her train of thought to see a bag already in front of her, filled to the brim with steaming hot buns.
“Everything for the princess of Seoul.” The old baker said with a smile. Yeji took a better look at the place, then at the old man in front of her. The bakery was very old, to the point where you could see loose wires everywhere. The man in front of her was also very old, it looked like the bakery was all he had. The only reason why Yeji was here in the first place was because Lia wouldn’t stop bugging her about trying the famous steam buns in Hongdae.
“You have a family, ahjussi?” Yeji asked as she took the bag, the man’s face lighting up immediately.
“I do! I have a lovely wife I come home to everyday and five children! Two girls and three boys!” The baker answered as he perched his elbows on the window.
“I see,” Yeji paused as she took something out from her pocket, it was a red envelope with gold lettering. The man’s face grew in shock. “No miss Hwang, it is in the house! We have been affiliated with the Vipers for a long time now and I owe everything to them. Please it is okay.” The man said as he pushed the envelope back.
“No, please do take it. You have worked hard enough.” Yeji said as she placed the envelope in the baker’s calloused hands. With a smile, Yeji left.
As she browsed the streets of Hongdae, she couldn’t help but let out a breath of relief. She was relieved she was able to have a few hours to herself. She had just finished visiting the drug den her father had sent her to, and it was more boring than she thought. She expected a top secret lab, like the ones she would always see in movies. Only for her to be greeted with a smelly and sketchy apartment. When she had collected the money, the man passed it to her half-asleep, he too looked high on whatever he was on that moment. She had only been there for a solid 30 seconds and her duty was done for the day. Hongdae was filled with lovers taking their strolls, family spending some quality time together, friends on dates, and native weirdos too.
“The end is near! The world is going to end! Jeremiah 11:11! There is only one cure!”
Yeji grimaced as she tried to quickly pass the man. She tried to cover her face in hopes of not getting seen by the shouting man, but to her misfortune, the man had locked his eyes on her. The man started to head her way as she quickened her pace. She thought he had lost the man following her, only for him to suddenly jump in front of her.
Does this man not know who I am?
“Salvation!” The man screeched, causing Yeji to freeze in her tracks. The man flailed his arms in the air, as if he was waiting for someone to pick him up. “Spread the word of salvation, miss!” He exclaimed as he took another step towards her.
Yeji was quick to back away, she was getting weirded out by the old man, “I’m not that religious, sorry.” She decided unsure on what to say, the man’s eyes suddenly grew wider until it could pop out from his socket anytime.
“The doctor can give us a cure.” He said. “I’m not quite sure a doctor has found a cure yet,” Yeji said carefully.
“The doctor saved me!” The man further added. This time, Yeji wasn’t sure if he was referring to doctors, or a particular doctor.
“Hey you know what, a doctor saved me too.” she said as she placed her hands on her hip. “I was like what, seven years old?” she continued, amusing herself now. “I bumped my head on my mother’s picture frame and let’s just say she was worried more about the picture frame.” She said, remembering it like it was yesterday. “Ever since then, I started eating apples.” Yeji said as she looked at the man, waiting for him to catch her joke.
“Because you know…” She trailed off, the man only looking at her in a blank manner. “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away!”
The old man only stared at her. He looked at her like she was speaking some sort of foreign language no an on earth had ever heard of.
“Corny joke?” Yeji asked, speaking Korean a bit more slowly for the man to understand. “Come on, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? Come on, I deserve a chuckle at least.”
The man groaned and stomped his foot, signaling for her to take him seriously.
“The doctor is only one person.” he hissed, his face contorting into a weird facial expression Yeji couldn’t quite figure out. “A person of great passion. He gave me the cure and I am now immune to this madness. An injection! I am supposed to be dead! When my friend had clawed himself and lay dead next to me, I should have been next! But I am here! Alive and well!”
Yeji took another step back, one she should have taken before the man had started talking.
“Good for you,” Yeji said, thinking of an escape plan. “But I, uh, have places to be.” Before she could turn around, the man had already grabbed her wrist.
“Salvation!” The man screamed, “Only the doctor could bring salvation!” She quickly jerked her hand back away from the man as she hurried off.
She took sharp turns every now and then, making her route in a dark alleyway. She passed by groups of men who seemed like they were all ready to kidnap the next person they see. She passed by men throwing knives at each other, she also passed by a group of women aiming their guns at each other, but she was not scared. She was in her territory, she was above all.
Just as she was in the middle of another alleyway, Yeji immediately stopped to the feeling of a cold metal pressed against her neck. She knew it wasn’t a threat of any Viper, no Viper dared. Her mind ran wild, thinking of all the possible people who would try such thing,
Until a familiar voice had said: “Don’t make a sound. Keep walking, and I won’t shoot.”
The feeling of uncertainty immediately was replaced by the feeling of rage. Did he really wait for Yeji to enter an isolated place? Until she was far from the crowd? Did he really think that would work on her?
“You don’t know me as much as I thought you would.” Yeji said quietly, maybe Jeno didn’t know her at all when they were still friends. Maybe he never really cared to know about her. Maybe he just agreed to be friends to get information from her, and he did.
“Walk,” Jeno demanded.
Yeji stood still. As she planned, Jeno thought she was scared and so he eased the press of his gun against her neck. She slowly brought her hand to trace Jeno’s gun, her sudden caress took him by surprise. From his gun, her hand trailed to his own. Touching his long fingers, to his prominent veins. Her touch was light and held no danger whatsoever,
Or so he thought.
She whirled around, faster than Jeno could even process. In a blink of an eye, she had already slapped the gun from his grip causing it to drop on the floor somewhere. She had bent his arm in a way no arm should be bent. She had him quickly pinned to floor, her legs on both sides of his hips with a knife pressed to his throat.
“Let’s try this again, shall we? Like normal civilized people.” She breathed. Jeno too was trying his hardest not to breathe too much, or else his throat would come in contact with the knife. His dilated eyes narrowed at her, as he took a breath.
“Normal civilized people?” He mocked her tone, his voice a bit raspy. “You have a knife pressed against my throat.”
“You had a gun pressed against my neck.”
“Does it look like I have a choice? I’m in your territory.”
Yeji glared at him as she pressed the knife further into his skin causing a drop of blood to appear.
“Stop! Stop!” Jeno flinched. “I’m sorry.”
With one quick motion, Yeji could have sliced his neck open. She had been dreaming of this for four years, she was almost tempted to give it a try. Although she was fighting all thoughts she had of killing him, one thought had crept up in her mind.
Jeno still smelled like he used too. He smelled like smoke and mint, with a hint of his perfume. Noticing this particular detail made Yeji think how possible it was for everything and nothing to change.
“Well go ahead then,” Yeji prompted, “Explain yourself.”
She could feel Jeno trying to fight, but with one press of her blade, he would stop. She could track his every movement just from the tip of her blade.
“I needed information,” Jeno managed.
“Surprisingly.”
His eyebrow arched, “If you let me go, I could explain.”
“Well let’s see…” Yeji said, pretending to think. “How about no? I prefer if you explained like this.”
“Oh, Yeji”
Click.
The sound of someone pressing the trigger echoed all throughout the alleyway. Yeji looked to her left to see the gun she had disabled a while go still in its position. She looked back on Jeno to see him smile, his smile was almost mocking.
“Did you really think I would only bring one?” He asked in a teasing manner. “You don’t know me as much as I thought you would.” He added, mocking her. Famous eye smile a contrast to his actions.
The feeling of cold hard metal suddenly touched her waist. It was as if the gun had started to burn through her clothes and made its imprint on her skin. With no choice, Yeji had to remove her knife against Jeno’s kneck. They both stood up and in unison, put their weapons away.
“The man who died in the Poculum,” Jeno began as he dusted his polo shirt. “Do you remember his mismatched shoes?”
Yeji rolled her eyes, she couldn’t believe she was actually having this conversation with the Jeno Lee, then nodded.
“I found the other shoe in the Han river the other day, the same spot where the first men had died,” He continued, “I think he was able to escape, only succumbing to the madness the next day, in your club.”
“Impossible!” Yeji denied, “What kind of science is–”
“This is no longer in the fields of science, Yeji.”
Her hands had quickly balled into fists, bunching up her blouse in the process. Jeno was really on a whole other level of stubbornness when he was focused on something. She let out a sigh as she closed her eyes,
“What do you want?” She asked, opening them again to see Jeno’s serious expression.
“I need to know whether or not if he is indeed the same man. I need to see his shoes, see if they match, if they do, this madness might be even contagious.”
Contagious,
Meaning to say that the man who had died in her club, his blood spraying in a room filled with her people, might be infectious. If that was the case, the Viper Gang is in huge trouble.
Yeji’s panic started to kick in.
“Maybe they were in some type of cult,” Yeji suggested without much persuasion. “Maybe he didn’t want to be apart of whatever they were doing, only for him to decide that he actually wanted to a day later.” But she had seen the terror of the man during his last few moments, he couldn’t speak but his eyes told everything Yeji needed to know.
Oh dear God she knelt beside the man, looked him in the eyes, and asked him what caused it. What were the chances of her getting infected?
“You and I both know that something’s not right here.” Jeno said, breaking Yeji’s small panic attack. “By the time this has alerted departments, many more innocent people will have died.”
Jeno accidentally realized what he had said, causing him to fall silent. Yeji stared at him for a while, her gaze blank, void with any emotion.
“As if you care,” She said quietly, almost inaudible. But he still heard her. “About innocent people dying.” She looked away from him in case he could see the slight water in her eyes.
Every muscle in his body tensed.
He inhaled sharply, “Fine,” he paused, “My people.”
Hearing it from him definitely felt worse. She let out her breath she didn’t know she was holding and turned around.
“Move.” She said, walking away. Only this once would she allow herself to help him, she needed the answers too. “The morgue closes in a few hours.”
Tw: Lots of blood, character death, violence, murder, guns, knives, weapons, foul language, self-inflicted wounds, suicide, overall graphic content
“Watch out,” Yeji warned Karina and Lia as they stood outside another opium den, it was 1929 and opium was the only substance capable of distracting people from what was truly happening. The three of them were at the entrance of Viper-owned territory so they shouldn’t have to worry about anything, but Karina couldn’t help the bubbling emotion of anxiety in her stomach.
“Stay close to me,” Yeji continued as she and her cousins stepped inside the establishment. The establishment looked very unkempt, you could hear the uneven floorboards creaking each step they took. Some of the lights were flickering, and they could see the discoloration of the walls. The walls were a shade of smokey gray, possibly from all the dust and smoke accumulated all these years. What once was a shade of pure and innocent white, had now turned into dark gray. Soon enough, it would be black. “Be careful, there may be hostile assassins working here.”
“What? Assassins?” Karina asked, placing her hands on her waist as she felt her weapons pressed underneath the rich fabric of her clothing. “I thought we were here to collect petty rent money?”
“We are,” Yeji parted the old beaded curtains, revealing the main entrance to the den. “Never hurts to be careful.”
The smell of the place can be compared to a burning rose, it was truly sad how a smell so nice can be linked to addiction and other vices. The more they went in, the more faint the smell of roses lingered in their noses. The previous scent of burning roses were now replaced by the smell of gasoline and fire. Just as they reached the last door in the hallway, a group of women came out from one of the doors. Judging by their lack of fabric used for their clothes and their skirt riding up their thighs, they were courtesans.
“How may I help you?”
Yeji turned around to look for the source of the cheery voice, a woman in her thirties stood before them. Yeji eyed her clothes as she saw stains of black and loose threads hanging, causing her to unconsciously scrunch her nose. The lady took notice and stepped forward towards the younger, this time examining her closely.
“Oh my,” the woman said as she brought a hand to her chest, “Yeji Hwang, the last time I saw you, you couldn’t even pick up a gun.”
Yeji raised her brow, “Forgive me, but have we met before?”
The woman let out a warm chuckle as she placed her hands on her waist, “How dare you forget your favorite Aunt Sandara?”
“Who the hell is Aunt Sandara?” Lia asked in a whispered tone as she nudged her sister, Karina only shrugged flippantly. “I didn’t even know we had an ‘Aunt Sandara’”
“Uh-huh, sure.” This caused Sandara to purse her lips into a thin line. “I assume you aren’t here for chitchat then,” Sandara paused as she eyed the twins behind Yeji. “I take your silence as a no, follow me.”
Sandara led them deeper into the building, taking many turns and stairs to finally reach her office. She opened the door to reveal a room decorated with a Moroccan theme, there were no other chairs, just some soft cushions placed on the ground. Sandara beckoned the girls to sit, but they all just opted to stand.
“You look just like your mother,” Sandara blurted as she lit her pipe. “I was friends with your mother long ago actually.”
“You were?” Yeji asked, she couldn’t remember a single time her mother had mentioned an ‘Aunt Sandara’
“Yes…” She paused to inhale a long drag of whatever she was smoking, “Until someone had accused me of being too friendly with the Neos, it was all bullshit of course. I hate the Neos just as much as you do.”
“I don’t hate the Neos,” Yeji dejected quickly, way too quickly. “I hate the people who hurt the ones I love, most of the time those people are Neos. There’s a difference.”
“I see, don’t let them hear it though.” Sandara said as she looked at Yeji, Yeji noticed a different glimmer in her eyes.
“Or else they might think you’re getting friendly with them.” Yeji gulped, her throat suddenly feeling dry.
“You’re not though, aren’t you?”
“Maybe I should be asking you that question, Aunt Sandara.” Yeji said, her name rolling off her lips in a mocking manner. She shifted her attention to look at Lia, suddenly grabbing her wrist. “Oh I know you, you are Lia Yoo right? I knew your father as well, he has such precious children. I was so upset when you were sent to Canada, but thankfully they brought you back here.” Her eyes turned to Karina, a beat passed.
Yeji cleared her throat.
“My appa sent us here to collect–” She cut in to try and lead her attention away from Karina, but to her dismay the older was too focused on the latter.
“But who are you?” Sandara asked, interrupting Yeji to address Karina.
Karina narrowed her eyes at Sandara, through grit teeth she replied, “My name is Karina.”
Sandara had exaggerated her trying to remember Karina.
“Oh! I remember! Yes of course, forgive me. You were the one who– Never mind.”
Yeji thinned her lips as Lia crossed her arms. But Karina only looked at Sandara with the flattest look in her eyes. “I was the one who what?”
Sandara blinked, not sure to answer truthfully or not, she decided on the first. “You were the one who got sent to a different school when you arrived here, weren’t you?”
“I was,” Karina answered as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What about it, Sandara?”
Yeji and Lia exchanged glances, they could feel the tension rising in the room. “Nothing really, I understand how hard it is to adjust when you grew up in foreign lands. You were always so rude when you were young, always sticking your tongue out when you see me. I see nothing has changed.” Sandara replied as she leaned back.
Karina feigned a laugh, “Old habits die hard,”
“Don’t worry Karina, I too had several remedial classes to aid with my slow learning–”
“Enough,” There was no way they would listen to this stranger go on and on with what she had to say. This went on for far too long. “May we talk somewhere else? Privately?”
“Yeji,” Karina said as she tapped Yeji on the shoulder, “We’ll go ahead.”
It was only Yeji and Sandara now, “I have your rent money.” The older said as she pulled out a bag of coins from underneath her desk. She placed the coins on her palm, counting each coin with a sour expression on her face.
“Actually,” Sandara looked up at Yeji, confused as to why Yeji suddenly interrupted her counting. “Keep it. There is something I would gladly prefer.”
Sandara looked at her, and then at the door. She placed the coins back into the bag as she turned towards Yeji once again, “And that would be?”
“Information about the Rovers.”
The once calm expression of Sandara had disappeared entirely, “I beg your pardon?”
“I know you led them into this place as common meeting grounds, so tell me. What role do the Rovers play regarding the madness sweeping across Seoul this very moment?”
Sandara barked a laugh, she couldn’t believe what the girl in front of her was asking. “I’m sorry dear, but I have yet the slightest clue what you are talking about.” Sandara said as she wiped a nonexistent tear from her cheek, “I stay out of their business.”
There must be a reason why Sandara never appeared in one of the many Viper Gang meetings, she was Viper-associated, but has never really contributed to the name. Was it fear or was it loyalty? One of those two could be the reason why she’s not talking.
“Of course. How rude of me to assume.” Yeji fished a glittering diamond necklace from her pocket, Sandara eyeing the jewel like a vulture who hasn't eaten in days. “Allow me a gift to make up for my surmise.”
Yeji walked behind Sandara before she could even protest, who would refuse a diamond necklace?
If only it were a diamond necklace.
Sandara let out a choked yelp as Yeji tightened the wire around her throat. Sandara desperately tried to claw Yeji’s hands away from her neck but to her dismay, she would only tighten her grip.
“Stop! Stop!” Sandara pleaded, “I speak!”
“Then speak,”
“The Rovers take no responsibility in this madness, nor do they associate themselves with whatever is causing it. As a political party, they stay absolutely resolute that this is not their doing. However, they do speculate privately.”
“Who?”
When Sandara seemed to hesitate, Yeji tightened the wire again, causing the older to gag. There were already tiny droplets of blood seeping from her once smooth skin, the microblades in the wire doing its job. Yeji, voice remaining as calm as the morning tide, said “Give me a name.”
“Jinyoung Park, secretary-general of the Rovers.”
Upon hearing the name, Yeji immediately let go of the wire causing Sandara to let out a breath of relief. Yeji took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the wire until it was glittering again, no traces of blood and trauma whatsoever. When she was done wiping the weapon, she tucked it back into her pocket and approached the shaking Sandara. Sandara could not react when Yeji had loosely tied the handkerchief across her neck to seep the line of blood.
“I apologize for your troubles,” Yeji said, giving Sandara, who was now as pale as her dress, a tap on the shoulder. “You’ll keep this between us won’t you, Aunt Sandara?”
Sandara nodded blankly, still unable to move and recover from what had happened. Yeji tossed a bundle of cash on her desk and made her way out of the door. Her heels clicked and echoed all throughout the hallway, she remained as calm and confident like nothing had happened. Once she was outside, she only saw Lia enjoying a cone of ice cream.
“Where’s Karina?” Yeji asked, Lia turned to her and nodded towards Karina’s familiar figure approaching them. “Where were you?”
“Went to get you one,” Karina said as she handed Yeji a serving of ice cream. “Here.”
Yeji looked at Karina and back at the ice cream, “Thanks.”
“So can we go? I have a shift at the Poculum exactly 30 minutes from now.” Lia said as she tossed her unfinished ice cream in a bin. “We’re going.”
...
As soon as they had dropped off Lia at the club, Yeji immediately snapped at Karina. “What?”
Karina blinked. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?”
“Oh, I didn’t know you noticed.” She replied as she slouched on the back seat. “Do you doubt my eyes, Kar?” Yeji then motioned to her face. “Anywhere, do I have ice cream stains anywhere?”
“No, you don’t.” Karina said as she crossed her legs, engines of the car revving once again. “Then what is it?” Yeji asked as she saw Karina hesitate, deciding carefully on the words she chooses to say.
“Nothing, just wondering when we can go shopping again.” Karina said nonchalantly.
“You suck at lying, do you know that?” Yeji asked, not content with the obvious lie for an answer her cousin gave her.
“Okay, okay, fine. The den earlier, that was in Viper grounds right?” Yeji looked at her as she raised her brow. “Viper-associated, but yes. Why did you ask?”
Karina turned her attention back to the window as gazed at the scenery. “Nothing, just thought I saw someone who should not be seen here.”
“Foreigners leave and enter Seoul all the time,” Yeji said, unsure of who Karina saw. “I know, must be another foreigner I hope I could marry someday.”
As soon as they arrived back in their Mansion, a sudden shriek had made its way to their ears. Yeji and Karina immediately sprinted towards the living room to find the maid currently clawing her throat.
“What is wrong with you?!” Yeji shrieked as she tried to get a hold of the maid’s hands. “Karina get help!”
Yeji and the gardener who thankfully came into the scene tried to bound the maid to stop her actions, the maid violently twisting and shaking as she tried to fight for her life.
Just as Yeji was about to shout for Karina’s name, Karina had beat her to it.
“Yeji!” A terrified Karina screamed, “Come here! Now!”
Yeji quickly went to the kitchen to find Karina trying her hardest to muffle her terrified screams. They saw their cook writhing in pain on the floor as he continued to tear at his own throat.
Death had knocked on their doorstep
Just as they were about to act, Yeji and Karina heard another scream from a maid entering the kitchen, she was already collapsing and tearing her own throat.
The maids and the cook stilled, they were gone. Yeji and Karina stayed frozen, shock overcoming their bodies. Karina then immediately bolted as she approached the dead maid.
The madness could be contagious
“Stop!” Yeji shouted towards her cousin causing Karina to back away from the scene.
“Send men to clean this mess,” Yeji said as she turned around to see her horrified family members, “And tell them to wear gloves.”
A/N: Sorry for not updating in a while, please do let me know your thoughts and theories!
Tw: Lots of blood, character death, violence, murder, guns, knives, weapons, foul language, self-inflicted wounds, suicide, overall graphic content
“I don’t see anything.”
Jeno decided to further poke at whatever he was looking at. They were currently on the boardwalk near Han river, where the very first gruesome incident had occurred.
“Shut up and keep looking.”
They had yet to find anything suspicious, or anything “monster” related, the dock just seemed normal to them. No signs of tragedy even. They had been wandering around the docks for hours now, and the two were getting bored. Jeno, however, persisted.
“Ya Jeno. Jeno-ya. Jeno Lee–”
“For fuck’s sake what?! What is it Jaemin? If you don’t stop, I will not hesitate to throw you in this river right now.”
Jeno turned around to see a crouching Jaemin, obviously wanting to go home. If they weren’t at the docks right now going on a search, Jaemin would sure be enjoying painting whatever it was on his mind. Jeno couldn’t go home without anything to present his father, he could already imagine the look on his face, disappointed yet again. Earlier this morning, Lord Lee had met Jeno just before he left. He gripped Jeno’s shoulder while muttering the words: “Don’t let me down, son.”
To a passerby, the scene was normal, just a father and son having a conversation, but Lord Lee had actually gripped Jeno’s shoulder a little bit too hard, causing a red and almost bruised grip mark to form. Thinking about it made him touch his shoulder again. The word son actually felt more like a threat to him, rather than a word of affection.
He was too lost in thought only to be brought back by the sound of Jaemin groaning,
“You know you volunteered to go with us, right? You were even so excited to go on what you call a ‘mystery hunt’” Jeno said, causing Jaemin to look up at him.
“That was because I thought this case would be interesting, we’ve been here for hours looking for nothing! This is starting to feel like a game of hide-and-seek where everyone was already inside while the person was still counting to a 100,” Jaemin huffed as he stood up, now maintaining eye contact with Jeno.
“All too familiar with that situation, are we?” Haechan decided to butt in their conversation after hearing what Jaemin had said causing Jeno to barely hold back his laughter.
Back when they were kids, all the Lee children decided to play hide and seek, with Jaemin being the person to find them. They agreed upon this since he wasn’t a Lee, so he should be it. Jaemin started to count to ten, only to hear Haechan scream that he should repeat it and count to 100, and so he did. What Jaemin didn’t know was that Haechan had silently told everyone to go back inside to their respective rooms, and only show up until it was time for dinner. Let’s just say that Jaemin spent the whole night crying because he was so stupid, he even refused to eat dinner, he was so sure that he would be met with Haechan’s teasing nonstop. That is until a very thoughtful Jeno had brought food up to his room, and apologized on Haechan’s behalf.
“Shut up before I throw you into this river.” Jaemin said, challenging Haechan only for the latter to just shrug and continue his search.
“Christ it reeks in here.” Jaemin further complained, “At least it smells like rotten fish, not like rotten bodies.” Jeno countered. Jaemin stopped in his tracks to look at his best friend, “Is there a difference?”
“Jeno,” Haechan called and waved for him to come closer,
“What? Did you find something?” Jeno immediately went to his cousin’s direction.
“Of course not.” With that, Jeno smacked his cousin right on the head.
“Look, I don’t think there are any more places we could search. I mean we searched this place top to bottom already, I don’t think we missed anything.” Haechan said, looking up at his cousin.
Well technically, even if they did manage to find something, what would they do with it? There was no one to question, no one to blame, no suspects to interrogate, this was a tragedy caused by the victims themselves. The people who had died were the only suspects.
“People say that there was another attack here last night.” Haechan added as he stood up, Jeno tearing his gaze away from the waters of Han river and back to his cousin.
“Well then that’s great!” Jaemin exclaimed quite too enthusiastically. This only caused the Lee cousins to look at him as if he was the craziest man alive. Jaemin on the other hand, had just realized what he had said, he didn’t mean it that way.
“I mean– the new location, not the attack… Sorry ‘bout that. Let’s move along to the new crime scene shall we?” Jaemin finally exclaimed, fully ready to get going. He was already making his way towards the alleged crime scene when he was pulled back by Jeno.
“We can’t, it happened in Viper territory.” This only caused Jaemin and Haechan to look at each other then back at Jeno.
“And how did you know exactly where it had happened?” Jaemin asked, crossing his arms, Haechan just eyed him suspiciously, “My father had sent me to obtain any information they had regarding the very first attack. The second attack happened in the Poculum, a man suddenly collapsed and… well you know what happens next.”
“Well? Was any information obtained?” Haechan asked, his turn to cross his arms. Jeno only shook his head no. “She said they knew nothing.” A moment had passed in confused silence,
“She? She knew nothing?” Haechan echoed, Jaemin tilting his head rather very confused. “Who’s this ‘she’ we’re talking about?” Jaemin decided to also question Jeno. Jeno looked at the two of them, only to turn his gaze towards the murky waters of Han river. “Yeji Hwang,” He answered rather quietly. The two could only blink at Jeno, then suddenly a loud bang could be heard all throughout the dock, Haechan had accidentally knocked over the crates he was leaning on.
“Yeji?!” Haechan exclaimed,
“Yeji is back?!” Jaemin decided to add as well.
Jeno could only keep his gaze on the water. A sudden sharpness towards his chest, made its way to his head. The feeling did not go away no matter how hard he tried, hearing her name out loud definitely did not help. It hurt to even say her name.
Actually, not too far from here is where he had first met her. They were both still just kids, hoping to get away from their respective households. Jeno had decided to take a break from riding his bike to stop and sit by the Han river. Back then, it was much more clean and much more fresh. A very shocking contrast to the polluted and dirty water now. It was funny how the water, just like them, turned darker and darker over time. It was a symbol of how unclean and impure the water was, just like them. As time went on, the more bad things they had done. Causing their souls to get tainted. If people were all born with pure white souls, theirs would have been pitch black by now. Dark as the water in Han river.
Yeji just so happened to lose her balance right in front of him, cliche they know. Thankfully, a very sweet Jeno had helped her get back up. Ever since that day, they would meet everyday to just play and bike around. They were not Lees nor Hwangs, but simply just kids who played.
“Yeah, she is.” Jeno confirmed as his fists were balled against his sides. He let out a shaky breath as he stood up.
He had heard rumors of what Yeji had done, all the lives she took, crimes committed causing the people of Seoul to become terrified of the heiress. He had hoped that maybe those were just rumors, nothing but lies to scare enemies away, but when they confronted each other last night and had looked each other in the eyes, he knew that they were all true.
She was a killer, a criminal, violent, callous, and ruthless– that is what she was now.
He felt sorry for her, he didn’t want to, but he did. He couldn’t help the fact that the Yeji he knew way back was slowly disappearing now. If not, had completely disappeared. It didn’t settle nicely to him knowing that he was the cause of the sudden change of heart in her. In those 4 years she was gone, Jeno had still dreamed about her. In those 4 years, who couldn’t help but miss her. Her laugh, her smile, her eyes, her everything.
But he does not regret what he has done.
“What in the animal planet is this?” Haechan said as he crouched down to pick up the crates he had previously knocked over, only to find mysterious looking objects scattered on the floor.
At first glance, the mysterious objects looked like scattered peppercorns on the ground, maybe a merchant had unfortunately dropped their spices and refused to clean the mess up. But at further inspection, the so-called “peppercorns” had tiny legs and with dysmorphic bodies the size of an infant’s fingernail. It was pitch black and shiny as well. Haechan, realizing what he was holding were in fact, dead insects, had instantly dropped the insects on the floor with a loud yelp. The insects fell on the floor similar to how grains of rice were if they had been dropped.
Hearing Haechan suddenly yelp in disgust immediately alerted Jeno and Jaemin to head toward his way. When they reached the sight, all three were silent. The mysterious insects scattered on the ground were nothing like what they had seen before.
“Are those… dead flies?” Jaemin asked, unsure of himself.
“How are those dead flies when they can’t even fly? They don’t have wings,” Jeno said while he pointed to the closest insect near him. “Jaem check the other crates and Haechan give me your bag.”
“You have got to be fucking kidding me.” Jeno only glared at him as he extended his arm out in order for Haechan to give him his bag. “But I just got this and it’s limited edition and I had to search–”
“Haechan,” Jeno warned, “Give me your bag.”
With a disgusted look on Haechan’s face, he gave Jeno his bag. He watched as his cousin scooped a handful of the insects and put them all in his bag. “Why couldn’t you just put them in your pockets for Christ’s sake.” Haechan complained as he was given his bag full of unidentified insects, “They would get squished obviously. Plus my pants are new.” Jeno said, giving Haechan a playful wink,this only caused Haechan’s eye to twitch.
“There’s nothing here,” Jaemin said as he was carefully putting the crates back in place, the two Lees were already making their way towards Jaemin when they heard voices of merchants coming their way. There was no sight of any Neo-owned fishing boat, that only meant they were in the vicinity of the Vipers.
“Perfect timing, might I add.” Haechan said as he looked at a panicking Jeno and Jaemin, and before the two could react, Haechan already gave them both a rough push. Soon enough, all three of them were quickly submerged in the polluted water of the Han river. They swam underneath the boardwalk in hopes of not getting seen by the incoming merchants. They heard distant voices quickly fading out in the background. As soon as the coast was clear, Jaemin grabbed a fistful of Haechan’s hair and submerged his head in the water.
“Ya! You didn’t have to push me! We could have just opted to hide behind the boats stupid-ass.” Jaemin said, as he released Haechan. “They were walking towards the boats smart-ass.” Haechan retorted as he splashed water towards Jaemin’s direction. While the two were arguing back and forth on what they should and should not have done, Jeno was busy scanning the whole area. Suddenly, a floating shoe had caught his attention. Leaving the two behind, Jeno swiftly swam to the said object. Upon further inspection, the shoe was what he thought it was.
“Oy!” He quickly called out, causing the two to stop and turn their attention to him. “Do you know who this belonged to?” The other two tilted their heads. “A stingy man who decided to take a swim here in Han river who managed to forget his shoe?” Jaemin asked sarcastically.
Haechan could no longer stand any more of their current situation so he started to swim towards the land while the two were quick to follow suit. As soon as they were back on their feet, Jeno called for the attention of the two.
“This belonged to the man who clawed himself to death last night, the man who died in the Poculum.” He grabbed Haechan’s bag as he started to walk away fast. “This means that the man was here too. Let’s go, we need to take this to Doyoung and Kun.”
“Can’t we at least change into some dry clothes?” Haechan said as he squeezed his polo shirt. Jeno only turned back and rolled his eyes, “You’ll be dry by the time you get–”
“Oy,” Jaemin suddenly interrupted, he suddenly narrowed his eyes at the water they were previously submerged in. “Did.. did you see that?”
When the two looked at the water, all they saw were their silly reflections staring back at them. They looked at Jaemin as if he was a mad man, but when they saw the look of confusion and disbelief on his face, something told them that Jaemin wasn’t trying to be funny.
“Are you trying to be funny right now, Jaem?” Haechan asked, quite annoyed causing Jaemin to look back at them. There was something on his dead-serious face that caused an uneasy feeling to settle in their guts. “Never..never mind. I thought I saw eyes in the water, holy shit I need to lay off drinking too much espressos.” He said, scrubbing his eyes.
“Where?” Jeno asked as he scooted towards Jaemin. “In the water, but it could have been just my imagination,” Jaemin said as he looked at Jeno.
“But why would you imagine eyes in the water?” Jeno asked as he grabbed Jaemin, a sign to get going.
“You’ve heard the whispers right?” Haechan asked, only causing the three of them to halt, yet again.
“A monster.”
Only then, when said out loud, did Jeno realize how unbelievable it was. A monster? Running loose in the city? Only for it to jump in the river? In broad daylight? Jasmine was right, it did remind him of all the scary stories he would tell her when they were younger. Jeno then beckoned his friends to start moving.
“You can’t seriously believe that, can you?” Jeno asked Haechan, picking up his pace.
“Hey you never know, you know? For all I care this madness could have been from the river or something like that.” Haechan said as he tried to match Jeno’s awfully fast pace. “Whatever, let’s just keep moving.”
By the time they arrived back near the Neo mansion, they had already been completely dried. Jeno had stopped abruptly in front of their lab, panting trying to catch his breath. This caused Haechan to accidentally topple and collide with Jeno. Jaemin in the meanwhile, lost his balance and was now holding on to Jeno’s arm like a lost child.
“Sorry, tripped on this.” Jaemin said as he regained his balance. It was a flyer from the rovers, aka the people who didn’t side with neither the Vipers nor the Neos. It had this written in big bold red letters: SAVE YOURSELVES FROM THE MADNESS, GET VACCINATED!
“Give me that,” Jeno demanded as he snatched the flyer from Jaemin, he quickly folded the paper and stuck it in his pocket. “Come on, they should be closing up by now.”
As they entered the building, no Neo employee bothered to tell them off. No one should be entering the lab at this hour, especially now since they were all excited to head home. But of course, Jeno Lee was above all laws, he was the Neo heir after all. The only reason these employees were even getting some sort of pay was because of him.
“Doyoung? Kun? Are you still here?” Jeno asked as they reached the second floor of the lab. The second floor was for the more trusted scientists such as Doyoung and Kun. They were the ones responsible for making powerful weapons that could bomb a whole house down.
“Up here!” A voice had exclaimed, Jeno immediately following the said voice in a quick motion. Jaemin and Haechan were already on the verge of collapsing, but they still followed him.
Upon their arrival, Kun could only furrow his brows. It was usually only just Jasmine or Jeno, he didn’t expect for other people to arrive. Nonetheless, guessing they were with Jeno, they were of high ranks as well.
“What brings you here today hmm?” Kun asked as he set down the tablecloth he had just used to wipe his counter. His part of the lab was much more organized and clean than what was presented downstairs. He and Doyoung would always fight on who had a cleaner workspace, only for Jasmine to mess both up. “If you’re here for the cartel, we’re not yet quite finished with that.”
Jeno could only wince. Of course Kun had assumed that Jeno was there to follow up on the drugs, what else could he be there for? Just before Kun could answer, his attention was already on Haechan and Jaemin, but more of the latter.
“Ah, Jaemin Na, at your service.” Jaemin said as he extended a hand, Kun had paused since he wasn’t used to none-Lees visiting, but he still accepted. He then turned his attention to Haechan.
“What?” Haechan asked, did he expect him to introduce himself? But he was a Lee, was he not? Surely he knew me, Haechan thought. Jaemin nudged Haechan by the rib causing him to extend his hand as well. “Lee. Haechan Lee.” Kun only stared at him for a second before bursting into a fit of laughter. The three boys looked at each other, then looked at Kun. “I know.”
Haechan’s brow never twitched higher, causing Jaemin to laugh as well.
“We’re not here to nag you about the cartel, we need your opinion.” Jeno said as he set down his cousin’s bag, causing Haechan to grimace since he remembered what Jeno had placed inside. Jaemin also had a look of disgust on his face since they could hear the dead insects rattle inside.
“My opinion? Opinion on what?” Kun asked, a tad bit perplexed. “On this.”
Jeno dumped out all the contents inside the bag causing the insects to scatter all over Kun’s table. With no hesitation, Kun started poking and touching the insects, no sanitary measures whatsoever. This caused Jaemin to silently gag, and for Haechan to step back. “What is this exactly?” He asked, picking an insect up causing Haechan to further step back.
“We found them at the crime scene, where the first attack had happened.” Kun only looked at the insect closer. “So is this what you think may have caused the madness?”
Jeno, Jaemin, and Haechan could only look at each other.
You never know, you know? The words from his cousin suddenly echoed in Jeno’s head.
“I don’t know, I was hoping you could tell us.” Jeno admitted, “It was the only evidence present anyways,”
“Or maybe a monster from the Han river had resurrected and decided to start this contagion.” Kun looked at Jaemin in a very, very, bored way. “Stop talking.” Haechan whispered to Jaemin, making him immediately shut up.
“That’s...interesting.” Kun suddenly said. The three thought that he was referring to Jaemin’s suggestion, turns out, he was referring to the insects.
“What’s interesting?” Jeno asked coming closer, beckoning Jaemin and Haechan to do so as well. Haechan had to shove Jaemin since he did not want anything to do with those mysterious looking peppercorns.
“I’ll show you.” Kun grabbed a lighter and lit one on fire. When the insect he had lit on fire started moving, so did the others left on the table. For a mere moment there, they thought that the insects were still alive. But when Kun put out the fire, the insect had stopped, and so did the ones on the table. “Whatever this thing is, it’s definitely not acting alone.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jeno had asked, hoping that he had not.
“It follows something. Whatever that something commands.”
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Tw: Lots of blood, character death, violence, guns, knives, weapons, self-inflicted wounds, suicide, overall graphic content
There was actually no point in hiding,
If anything, Jeno should be the one walking away. Yeji was safe walking on the grounds the Vipers ruled over, Jeno was not. All eyes were on him as he stood in the middle of the Poculum, which was Viper territory. Everyone was ready to whip out their guns to shoot the heir of the Neos. No one cared about his status or high rank, he was in Viper territory and he was a Neo, he was at the bottom of the food chain. Anyone, Viper or Neo, could easily recognize him. His tall and muscular figure with his jet black hair and his dark eyes, no doubt it was him.
Jeno had lost sight of Yeji or where she was. Everyone in the bar had stilled as Jeno made his way across the club. Business men stopped their conversations, girls stopped flirting with the merchants, the merchants stopped drinking just as Jeno passed their tables in hopes of finding Yeji.
Meanwhile, Yeji had to stop and lean against the wall in order to maintain her composure. She stole a quick glance to see that Jeno was as clueless as a lost puppy. In that moment, she had wished for one of the gangsters to shoot him right then and there. It wasn’t bizarre for a random gunfight to begin at the club, in fact it would be more bizarre if a night or day had passed without a random person dying in this club, it was just how things went in Viper territory.
Yeji started to walk closer to him, forcing a lump in her throat to stay down. Fighting every instinct in her body to kill him right there and then. Damn these new shoes.
Just as she was close enough, she reached out to touch the sleeve of his leather jacket. “Hey there big guy.”
Jeno turned around to the all too familiar sight in front of him, a young woman dressed in Viper colors. The scene felt way too familiar for him. His lips parted to say something, but nothing came out. Yeji arched her eyebrow higher, a sign for him to continue what he was supposed to say, yet nothing came out from his lips again.
The thought of him, standing in the middle of the club, in Viper territory, surrounded by Viper associates, in front of the Viper heiress, suddenly registered to him, and it was as if a bucket of cold ice had been dunked to his head.
“Yeji,” Jeno said way too easily. A name in which he had not spoken for so long suddenly rolled out of his tongue as if he said it everyday. A name that if called by any other name would smell as sweet. A name only unique to her.
Jeno cleared his throat. Based on Yeji’s look on her face, they were no longer on first name basis. “Ms. Hwang, how long have you been here in Seoul?”
Bold of you to assume I ever left, she thought to herself.
That was partially true. Although 4 years back she had moved to California, her mind still wandered here. Seoul was her city, her life, her kingdom. Seoul was all she grew up knowing and serving. She has been preparing all her life to finally rule this city, she could never leave it for some other town. She was ready to die and sacrifice her life if it meant that the people of Seoul would stay safe. She couldn’t bear any moment away from this city.
And it was all your fault
“Not for long but do forgive me for asking Mr. Lee, what are you doing here?”
Jeno was the reason Yeji had to leave Seoul, for Yeji’s safety and to ensure that nothing would happen to the heiress of the Vipers. Now that he was in her territory, the audacity to show his face to her after what he had done, nothing would have felt better than sticking a knife straight to his heart.
“I need to speak to Lord Hwang,” Jeno said as if asking to speak to a longtime friend, “It is urgent.”
Yeji stepped closer, her dress wrinkling at the side since she was gripping it too hard. She looked at him from head to toe, judging the way he entered her territory as if it were his, as id they were still friends. She took a deep breath and looked at him in the eyes once more.
“I see how urgent it is if you have come all the way here.” Yeji said while arching her brow. “But that urgency has to wait for Lord Hwang is handling international affairs as we speak.”
Jeno looked at her, puzzled. That was not the answer he was hoping to get. “Speak to me instead and I’ll try to pass the message. Speak, Lee.” The way she had said his name was as if it was the nastiest curse in the Korean language. To her, it felt foreign, speaking his name after so long.
“You don’t have to worry about anything spreading, Lee. You can trust me, right?”
Her vexing tone was one thing, but her icy and cold stare was another. They were the last people the other would trust, and it should remain that way. It should always be that way.
But whatever Jeno needed, it was serious. He didn’t argue.
“Can I talk to you?” he said in a much more quiet voice. Yeji let out a puff of air and turned on her heel. She didn;t even bother to wait and see if Jeno was following her. He was. Jeno made sure to keep his distance from her. It’s not everyday you encounter someone who has been waiting 4 years to kill you, it’s better to take caution.
Yeji stopped right near the dressing room of the performers. The place was more secluded and less chaotic, if anyone were to die right now, no one would even notice. Yeji turned around to see Jeno right in front of her. She crossed her arms and started tapping her foot.
“Well, get to it then.” She sounded rather impatient, she didn’t even bother to hide it in her tone.
Jeno scanned the place, looking if anyone was listening to them or if anyone followed him. He lowered his voice to an almost inaudible sound, Yeji struggled to hear him and struggled she did. There was no way she would come any closer to him.
“Last night, at the dock near Han river, 6 Neos had died.” He said carefully.
Yeji looked at him as if he said the most stupid thing she had heard.
“And?” Yeji was getting impatient. She coudln’t believe Jeno really came all this way just to tell her that his men died. And?
I hope you were one of them
“And,” He added rather defensively, “Two policemen and two of yours.”
Strange, Yeji thought to herself. Surely if a Viper death had occured she would have heard from her cousin who claims he knew everything and everyone. She tried to recall a mention of any death yesterday, but her mind was blank. It was a little weird to find a crime scene that involves both sides to end up dead. One side should’ve walked away bragging, not ending up dead. Still a matter like this was very unintersting for Yeji, Jeno could sense her walking away at any moment.
“Do you know anything about it?” Jeno asked, hoping to get some sort of answer.
“Are you serious?” Jeno was taken aback.
“What?” He asked, not sure why Yeji was reacting this way. A few years back even if a dog died that was owned by a Viper would cause Yeji to cry for days, and now she was standing here as if Jeno was telling her the most nonsense story she had heard.
“I said, are you serious?” She repeated, this time sounding rather more annoyed than she was when they first started talking.
“I need an explanation, does your father know anything about this?” He said as he stepped forward towards her, she took a step back.
“I already told you, my parents are abroad right now handling business affairs. Also why do you care so much about what happened last night? It’s not like you don’t see crime scenes on a daily basis.” Yeji said leaning against the wall while rolling her eyes.
“The cause of death was all self-inflicted.”
What? Yeji looked at him to see if he was messing with her. To her dismay, Jeno’s expression was rather solem and mournful.
“No gunfight nor violence was initiated by any side. They all had self-inflicted claw marks at their throats.” He added.
Yeji looked away with a scoff. 10 people, with claw marks on their throats, lay dead on the port near Han river? Yeji swore that was a plot of some old shitty Hollywood movie, and he expects her to believe and find him an explanation? Well I’ll be damned.
“We can not help you.” Yeji said firmly.
“If you know anything Ms. Hwang, I’m sure it would help to know what had happened that caused them to die like that.” Jeno persisted. It was obvious that he was getting irritated with her already, they were getting on the same level.
“Two of your people had died and–”
“We will not help nor cooperate with the Neos.” Yeji cut in, her face rather showing a much more hostile rather than an annoyed expression. “I will say this once and I won’t repeat myself again so you better listen. Even if my father knew something, I would still not tell you even if you begged. I do not care if any information my side knows can help and solve whatever you are stressing about. You and I both know the last time we had told each other information from our sides that it did not end up pretty. So if you have no more matters to discuss, I’m afraid I need to end this conversation. A pleasant day to you sir.”
Obviously, Yeji wanted him to leave and never come back, yet he remained where he stood. Yeji couldn’t stand any other moment with him so she decided to leave. Just as she was making her way towards the exit, she heard Jeno whispered rather sadly, “What happened to you?’
What happened to me?
Yeji could have said anything right now. She could have said the same words she had been preparing herself to say for the past 4 years when they finally meet again, she could have said anything that she felt or anything she could have thought of in the moment. She could have reminded him what he had done to her before she had left for America, putting the blame all on him. She could have said so many things right now, but she said nothing.
Just before she was out of his sight, a deafening scream echoed all through out the club. A scream so loud, it was heard above all noise, making everyone and everything in the club freeze.
“What the hell is happening?!” Yeji started to move to the center of the chaos, but right as she was about to weave her way towards the crowd, a hand had grabbed her arm, making her stop with a burning feeling where his hands were. Things may have changed over the past years, but his touch still set a burning sensation to her.
“Don’t,” He warned Yeji. His tone was on the calmer side, as if implying that he wouldn’t care if Yeji listened or not, but his eyes told a different story. Filled with pleading and caution. If you please just listen to me this once.
Yeji has never jerked her arm from someone so fast, it was as if she indeed got burned. She was on fire, no doubt her eyes didn’t fail to show what she felt when she looked at Jeno. He lost the right to care or even protect her.
She tried her best to weave through the crowd currently going into panic, trying her best to ignore Jeno’s persistent presence trying to stop her. Just as she was close enough, she saw a man currently rolling on the floor, going insane.
He started clawing at his own neck.
“What is he doing?!” Yeji exclaimed as she took a better look, “Well what are you all doing?! Somebody do something!”
But the man was already too far gone. He had clawed enough for some muscle to be exposed, blood already starting to seep to the floor. The man kept scratching and scratching as if there was something there that only he could see and feel, his nails dug deeper and deeper. People watched the man’s ragged breaths slowly decrease, until nothing could be heard at all. It was deafening.
People halt in their tracks, not muttering a single word. Everyone far too scared to even make a single move, they could only stare at the violent sight in front of them.
A sight of a man who had gone insane, causing him to collapse and violently scratch his neck, until the soft muscle was scattered all over the floor.
Then what once was a scene so quiet, quickly turned into a scene of chaos.
People started panicking and screaming, getting as far away from the man. They started to push themselves, causing the others to trip and lay next to the man. Soon enough, mass hysteria had began.
“Mr. Lee you need to leave right now.” Yeji said, facing Jeno who was right behind her when the scene unfolded. Yeji had waved for two Viper men to come and clean up the mess, they didn’t verbally complain, but their face said all. Yeji almost fired them on the spot, how dare they for complaining to do their jobs, until she had caught a glimpse of Jeno frozen like a Greek statue, not leaving.
“You have got to be kidding me.” She rolled her eyes, her attention turned towards the two Viper men mopping the floor, “Please show Mr. Lee the way towards the exit? Please?”
The two men looked at each other, then looked at the Neo heir. Their faces had contorted into a weird, almost psychotic way. It was the moment they have finally been waiting for. They immediately shoved Jeno roughly infront of them, causing Jeno to lose his balance and almost lay next to the dead man.
“I said show, didn’t I?” Yeji said, causing the two men to look completely confused.
“But madam, he is trespassing and he is not welcomed–”
“Why can’t you understand?” Jeno cut in abruptly, nodding towards the dead man and back towards Yeji. He looked at her and only her in the eye. Pretending that no one else was present in the room, not even the two men behind them, not even the dead man on the floor. At that moment, it was only as if Jeno and Yeji were there. “This is what exactly happened to the Neos and the Vipers last night!” He pleaded just for her to try and listen to him.
But with a swift move of her wrist, Jeno was quickly dismissed. The two men shoving him towards the exit. Jeno couldn’t afford to fight back. Considering how lucky he already was for leaving the Poculum with no blood dripping from his body. Yeji knew he couldn’t fight back, he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t dare.
Just as he was gone from her sight, only then did Yeji take in the scene in front of her. Turns out, the man wasn’t dead afterall. He was muttering something. She knelt forward to listen to his words, but a feeling of nostalgia came upon her.
This was exactly what the picture was like 4 years back. Her kneeling to a pool of blood already staining her dress, beside a dead–well in this case, dying person. She glared at the place where Jeno last stood, as if he was still there. She then glared towards the door in where he had been escorted out.
She knelt closer to the man in hopes of finding out what he was saying, “Oh dear heavens above, what in Lucifer’s–” Mr. Liu apparently never left and here he is peering over Yeji’s shoulder, too scared to come closer.
“Shut up.” Yeji said in attempts of figuring out the man’s last words. She had focused so hard that her background was starting to blurr, the hysteria fading slowly, until nothing but the man’s words were heard.
“Goemul, goemul, goemul, goemul”
Goemul? A monster?
“What monster? What monster are you talking about?” Yeji tried to tap the man in order for him to regain his consciousness, but with one last look at her, his eyes fell dull.
Tw: Lots of blood, character death, violence, murder, guns, knives, weapons, foul language, self-inflicted wounds, suicide, overall graphic content
When night fell in Seoul, it remained as bright as it was during the day. Yes it was a bit more quiet, but still the glowing neon signs from the shops and other bars made up for sunlight. The only things that could be heard in the city would be the distant sound of music and the buzzing of wires. In the eyes of a foreigner, one would say Seoul is peaceful. They do not know the danger slowly eating the city alive. They do not know that beneath the mask of calm and peace, remained a city run by violence. This time violence, but madness would soon start its reign.
In the clamor, a dancer who had just finished her night shift exited a club. She hugged her faux fur jacket close to her figure, feeling the cold wind wind of Seoul brush through her. She shook her head to free her hair from her ribbons that have been tied there all day, the sudden release calming her down. Her ribbons were a bright royal purple in color, signifying her alliance with the Viper Gang. She wore the ribbons on her wrist to keep her safe as she walked through the deep alleys where Viper gangsters remained, a sign that she is on their side and would not cause any hassle.
The dancer shivered as she continued to walk, quite certain no one was following her. She looked behind her to see no one there, she was at ease. Nevertheless, she felt someone watching every move she took. With that feeling creating an unsettling emotion bubble in her stomach, she started to quicken her pace.
A few moments passed, and the dancer completely halted in her steps. Leaving the dull buzzing of the electrical wires fill her sense of hearing. She thought she had heard panting near her, but she saw no one. The more she listened, the more she heard the droplets of water hitting the ground. Droplets of water that weren’t there before.
The more she focused, the more her sense of hearing widened. She felt the presence of someone with her.
But the thing is, it wasn’t someone. It was something.
It revealed itself from the shadows, its thorns shining in the dark. It looked like someone had placed ten daggers all along its back. It raised its head to make eye contact with the poor dancer, a pair of opaque silver eyes stared back.
The dancer flees, panic overcoming her entire body. She ran as fast as she could in her heels, ultimately causing her to trip and stumble to a fisherman who wore the wrong colors.
The Neo caught sight of her and her purple ribbon tied to her wrist, he was ready to fight.
“You!” He bellows, “Are you lost?”
He mistook the dancer’s shocked silence as confusion, the dancer thought he would help her. As soon as he approached her, he whipped his gun out.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching out on our boundaries,” the dancer explained as she reached for her gun strapped on her thigh, “Bloody Vipers,” he spat through grit teeth, “You think you can stroll here anytime you want, don’t you?”
He aims the pistol at her, the dancer shaking while holding her own gun. “Y-you don’t understand, something is back there and it’s coming–”
A sudden splash broke their tension. The dancer felt droplets of water hit her exposed leg and when she looked down, the water was tar black.
She sprints to her right, ducking at the alleyway. The fisherman mistook her fast pace as a sign of war and so gunshots were fired. When she had got away to shield herself from the Han river, her whole body was already shaking.
Then something erupted from the Han River
Soon enough, screams resonated all throughout the night.
The dancer had sat in her hiding place, muttering all the prayers she knew. Eyes closed tight as her knees were brought to her chest, whole body shaking. The only thing that had caused her to stop, was when she heard nothing at all. The screams were now dead silent, the only thing that could be heard was the constant buzzing of the electrical wires. The dancer willed herself to get up and go back to the scene, only for something horrible to unravel in front of her.
The fisherman, along with several other people, had dropped dead on the floor. Throats scratched until blood was seeping to the floors.
Along with that, she found several insects skittling and bumping towards each other before jumping to the Han river.
. . .
Yeji smoothed the fabric of her dress down, her chauffeur taking her to the address Karina provided her. She was on her way to Secretary-General Jinyoung Park’s office, hopefully able to find something before she would return home. She always wore a beaded flapper dress, similar to the ones Western girls wore when she was in America. In order to blend-in, she had to look like everyone else. She had to wear her roaring 20s hanbok and finger curl her hair.
Jinyoung Park was a very secretive person. He was the chief editor of a newspaper called The Korea Press, and their address was supposed to be public information. Yeji had expected a somewhat formal corporate office, people in suits and formal attire. She did not expect a bunch of workers running around the tight office with typewriters clutched in their hands as they frantically screamed and demanded about the latest update being pressed.
As she walked in the building, she held her chin high. Yeji couldn’t help wrinkle her nose as she eyed the mess that is this office. She didn’t bother stopping by the front desk, they were Rovers weren’t they? Surely they would let her wander around until she stumbles upon Jinyoung Park’s office right?
Yeji smiled to herself.
As she weaved through the chaotic establishment, she snagged a random notebook and pen in attempts of making herself look busy. She made her way to the basement, the sudden brightness suddenly starting to fade. The whole basement level was darker than the floors above it, they didn’t bother putting in more artificial illumination. The whole level was made out of solid cement, from the floors all the way to the ceiling. It wouldn’t surprise Yeji if she found out that this establishment was used as a prison before turning it into this.
She continued striding forward, her heels clacking loudly in the process. She examined and took a look at all the nooks and crannies of the prison-like office. Everyone and everything was so chaotic that they did not mind her presence at all, it was like she wasn’t there in the first place. All the workers were busy writing, making phone calls, or scribbling down notes. As Yeji scanned the desks she passed by, one desk caught her attention. There seemed to be one desk that was unoccupied, she was even more intrigued when she saw a note pasted on the clipboard: MEMO FOR JINYOUNG PARK
She quickly ducked under the desk, searching for all files she deemed useful. She found nothing but old newspapers and drafts for new ones. Why was this desk empty? Yeji thought. Surely this desk did not belong to Jinyoung Park who had his own space, she found her hands wandering to a certain opened drawer. She found drawings.
When she saw the first one, she broke out in a cold sweat. It was a drawing of wide, snake-like eyes. The other drawing was of claws and claw marks, impossible made by an animal on earth. She felt the tiny hairs on her neck spike up.
“Goemul,” Yeji breathed, a monster.
Before she could think over her actions, she quickly snatched one of the drawings, the one where it showed its enitery, and folded it as she tucked it in her pocket. It joined the masquerade invitation she had forgotten about, causing her to feel annoyed again. She stood up after glancing around the room, making sure no one was watching her. She wiped the sweat from her palms as she marched out the basement floor.
Yeji paused suddenly, hearing and seeing the door behind her shuddering.
Suddenly, all Yeji could think about was the drawing folded in her pocket. She reached for the doorknob hesitantly, fear almost clouding her vision. “Hello?” She said quite hoarsely, “Is someone–”
“Who are you? What are you doing here?”
She leaped away from the door, the door stopped shuddering. She quickly turned around.
“Oh, me?”
The man wore a strange hat, his suit being more Western than the rest of the people here. Judging by the way he carried himself, and his arrogant stare, he was of high ranks. Possibly along the ranks of Jinyoung Park, he was definitely not a mere assistant.
“I came to talk to your chief-editor,” Yeji continued, “I got a bit lost.”
“The exit is that way,” The man said, pointing to his left. It was something about the way he said it, he was treating Yeji like a lost child who got separated from her parents in a theme park. Yeji did not like anything about it.
Her blank face immediately morphed into a cold, wide smile.
“Official Viper business,” She said, chin held high. “My father, Lord Hwang, sent me here.”
There was a moment of silence, the man digesting her words. You could see the man’s expression suddenly turn into discomfort. Still, he smiled and gestured for her to follow him.
The man did not bother hiding his impatience, he ascended the staircase three steps at a time. Yeji, however, took her sweet time as she looked around the establishment. The contrast between the prison-like basement and the prestigious first floor levels was abrupt. The Rovers only cared what the common people saw, which were the first floor levels. They wanted to come across as established, known, accomplished.
Yeji eyed all the designer clothing that the workers on this floor adorned, they were much different than the workers who looked underpaid in the basement. When Yeji brought her attention back to the man, the man was already waving her impatiently towards him. With a huff, she followed suit.
The both took a turn around the corner as the man led her towards a spacious waiting room. The waiting room had two parallel rows of waiting chairs, placed directly on the opposite sides of the walls. Yeji finally understood his impatience, seeing as there was already another person there.
Jeno cocked his head forward.
“What are you doing here?!” They both demanded in unison.
As soon the man felt the tense air of the place, he removed himself from the situation quietly. As soon as the man was nowhere to be seen, Jeno jumped from his seat and grabbed Yeji’s arm. She was so offended that he even dared to touch her that she stood grounded to her place, rage bubbling in her stomach. Jeno had already moved them to the corner of the waiting room, making the cold wall hit Yeji’s back. Only then was Yeji able to react.
“Let. Go. Of. Me.” She hissed, trying to shake her arm away from his grip. Jeno must have heard the same things, causing him to gather information for himself as well.
Yeji bit back a curse. If the Neos found answers first, the whole of the Viper gang was doomed. If the Neos knew more than they did, people would start putting their trust more in them. People would start fleeing to their side, leaving the Neos to prosper while the Vipers to suffer.
“Listen,” Jeno snapped, “you have to leave.”
Yeji couldn’t believe what she was hearing, “I have to leave?”
“Yes,” Jeno muttered as he reached up to examine Yeji’s dangling pearl earring. He made eye contact with her fiery eyes, flicking the dangling pearl in the process. The pearl had hit her jaw, causing her to fight back the breath threatening to her throat, she wanted to scream at his face so hard right now, but she knew better.
“I was here first,” Jeno said as he placed his palm on the side of her head, “Go play dress-up somewhere else.”
Dress-up? Was this all Yeji was to him? When she wasn’t in her usual clothing? Just a dress-up? But she did not care.
“This is Viper territory.”
“These people are Rovers, you hold no bearing nor power over them whatsoever.”
Yeji grit her teeth hard, he was right. The only thing she found comforting was that Jeno didn’t look too confident either. If she had no bearing over them, that meant he didn’t either. The man Yeji met earlier immediately shut up as soon as he discovered Yeji’s identity, the neutrality was a good thing in this situation.
“Our relationship with the Rovers is, and will always be, none of your business.” Yeji refuted, “No if you would excuse me, please get out of my face.”
Jeno only narrowed his eyes at her, taking it as a threat.
“I am not going anywhere.”
God, the audacity of this man. Yeji straightened to her full height, holding her head up high. She was in heels, their height difference wasn't much. “I won’t say this again,” Yeji breathed, toxicity lacing her voice. “Get out of my face. Now.”
Jeno held her stare a second longer. Slowly, he backed away from her. As he stepped back, he scrubbed his hands to his eyes. Yeji glared at him while making the act, but she realized it was an act of exhaustion. The shadow underneath Jeno’s eyes a bit more prominent, eyes a little red.
“Have you not been getting sleep lately?” Yeji finds herself suddenly asking, her question startled both her and the man in front of her. With Jeno striding a few steps away, she found herself wanting to kill him less.
“I’ll have you know,” Jeno turned back to her, his hands finding its way to his pockets. “That I am very much well, thank you.”
“I wasn’t asking about your well-being.”
“Oh just give it a rest, Yeji.”
Yeji folded her arms, not quite believing his words. She had heard of the news last night of the dancer and the fishermen, a number of deaths on the side of the Neos suddenly spiking up. It meant that Jeno wasn’t gonna leave because Yeji had told him off, he needed an answer just as she did. Death was already on its way to his door.
“Is that his office?” Yeji asked as she nodded towards the door in front of them, she didn’t need to explain some more as she saw Jeno nod in the corner of her eyes. “Jinyoung Park is disciplined, he won’t take any line-jumpers. Don’t even try.”
Try what? She wanted to ask nastily, she couldn’t possibly engage in a gunfight with Jeno right now. She needed an answer so they really needed to be civil, at least for this time being.
Yeji hastily stomped down towards a chair and sat down. She lifted her gaze towards the ceiling, looking at the cracks and chipped paint of the poor paint job. She made sure to look at anything else. She dug her hand into her pockets, feeling the folded drawing crease in her hands. The drawing didn’t confirm what the role of the Rovers was, but it was something. From the drawing’s blurry and harsh lines, she knew it was near the docks of the Han river.
Meanwhile, Jeno returned to his seat opposite the row where Yeji sat. He kept her gaze pinpointed on her, focusing on her whole-being. Much to Yeji’s annoyance, she could feel his burning stare directed towards her. She felt like she was being inspected, each sweep of his eyes, she felt like being torn apart piece by piece. The longer he stared at her, the more Yeji could feel the sudden rush creeping up her neck, coloring her neck and ears with discomfort and rage.
She wanted to skin herself alive, anything to make his attention turn elsewhere. He was just looking for heaven’s sake, people look all the time. Yeji decided that she would just have to wait until Jinyoung Park could finally meet her and–
“What?” Yeji snapped, unable to take his stare any longer. He did not say anything, he just looked at her again. Finally, she tore her gaze away from him.
Jeno let out an amused noise, as he turned his attention towards the door. “What’s got you so worked up?”
“For the last time, it is, and alway will be, none of your business.”
“If it has something to do with the madness then–”
“Bold of you to assure that it had something to do with with the–”
Jeno roared, “Will you let me finish my goddamn sen–”
The door then slammed open, revealing a very stressed assistant as she gestured for Jeno to come inside. Before joining Jinyoung Park, he gave Yeji a huff. This isn’t over.
Yeji had to wait an antagonizing wait. She tapped her foot impatiently and aggressively, her fingers playing with each other. She cracked her knuckles every few minutes as she played with the hem of her skirt now and then. As she felt like a thousand years, the door cracked open.
It was clear, Jeno’s blue head of hair hung low as his shoulders slouched, that he wasn’t able to get the intel he needed. He was met with Yeji’s knowing stare. She mocked him, pitied him. Jeno’s ways of persuasion had no limits, he was a liar through and through. Stopping at nothing until he got what he wanted.
“Don’t look so smug,” Jeno hissed, causing Yeji to chuckle.
“That’s just my face.” She replied as she stood up, chin held high as she entered Jinyoung Park’s office.
“Well if it isn’t my lucky day.” Jinyoung Park said once Yeji sat in front of him. He quickly put aside his letter and pen as he eyed Yeji, and then the door. “First it was the prince of the Neos, now we have the proud heiress of the Vipers. What can I do for you, Miss Hwang?”
Yeji briefly took in his plain office. She saw a few framed pictures of him and guessing his wife on the shelves behind the Rover. The office didn’t look old, nor did it look new. It was just as plain as any regular office, nothing special. Yeji turned her gaze back to Jinyoung Park, letting out a relaxed smile.
“You know how rumors travel nowadays, right Mr. Park?” She asked as she squinted, looking at her fingernails. “You won’t ever guess what I heard the other day,”
Jinyoung Park leaned forward, mildly curious and entertained. “Do tell, Miss Hwang.”
“They say–” Yeji leaned forward as well, like a classmate telling another classmate a secret, “that you know what caused this madness.”
Jinyoung Park didn’t say anything, he remained silent after a beat had passed. He looked at Yeji, blinking rapidly this time. “I have no clue what you–they are talking about.”
Yeji raised her brows, an innocently shocked expression graced her features. “You don’t?” She asked lightly. “You didn’t come up with this madness to kill all the gangsters? So that no one would be left to rule the city? So that the people of Seoul would be under your control and command?”
She took in his astonishment, guessing that Jeno didn’t directly confront Jinyoung Park about the madness. He must have tiptoed on thin ice, not really bothering to press nor aggravate the man in question. That was very unlikely of him.
“Miss Hwang,” Jinyoung Park began, “that is–that is preposterous.”
Yeji wasn’t going anywhere at this rate, she straightened up in her seat as she crossed her legs. The typical meek flapper girl long gone, seated in front of him was the heiress of the most brutal gangs in all of Seoul.
“The truth will be revealed sooner or later,” Yeji said sternly, “I would save both of our time if you could just speak right now or else I will skin you using my–”
“Miss Hwang, it is safe to say that I could save both of our time right now,” Mr. Park interrupted, “I have no clue what you are talking about so please leave. I am working and I won’t allow your silly accusations to disturb my line of work.”
Yeji carefully thought about her next actions, it didn’t sound like Mr. Park was saying anything false, but he sounded uneasy. He kept glancing at the door as his foot tapped the floor repeatedly. Was it because of her presence? Or did he know something she did not? If he didn’t cause this madness, then what was his role?
Yeji relaxed as she leaned back in her seat, “What if I have questions regarding your political party?”
“You are welcome to stop by any of our meetings anytime, Miss Hwang.” He answered stiffly, “Otherwise, please leave.”
Yeji took her sweet time stretching and fixing the fabric of her expensive dress. With an exaggerated bow and smile, she fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Thank you for your patience and time.”
She left the office as she rolled her eyes, what now?
“Woah–” Yeji immediately staggered back as she collided with someone. The moment she looked up to see who the hell was in her way, the only thing she could see was red.
Jeno had caught her wrist before Yeji had the chance to slap him, he held her wrist as he bore into her eyes.
“Careful,” He said warningly, his tone too soft and feathery to be a threat. It was a trick, it was his way to lure Yeji’s attention to his lips in attempts of calming her down. It was working, Yeji wanted to strangle him alive for that.
“We wouldn’t want to cause a scene in a Rover establishment, right?” He asked as he gave a mocking smile.
Yeji tried to jerk her arm away from his grip, but he held her wrist in place. If Jeno did not let go in three seconds she was drawing her gun.
Jeno let go.
She quickly tugged her wrist back, smoothing the area of skin where Jeno had gripped. When Jeno still remained in his place, she demanded, “Why are you still standing in front of me?”
Innocently, Jeno pointed to the chairs. “I left my hat,”
“You weren’t even wearing a–” True enough, there indeed was a hat. He simply shrugged as he went to pick it up, tipping it to Yeji as he hid his blue hair. She hurriedly made her way to the exit as she was finally able to breathe the air of the outside. She tugged her coat closer to herself as her hands found warmth in her pockets, she froze.
“He better not have…” Yeji fished the paper from her pockets, she only had one paper left. To her fortune, she was greeted with a pair of monster eyes staring back at her, she let out a breath of relief.
Yeji scoffed, Jeno had gotten the masquerade ball invitation.
Tw: Lots of blood, character death, violence, murder, guns, knives, weapons, foul language, self-inflicted wounds, suicide, overall graphic content
They walked in an uneasy, tense silence.
They weren’t awkward– In fact, they would have preferred that instead. It was because of how Yeji was keeping her pace up with Jeno trailing five steps behind her, keeping his distance. He needed to keep his distance to avoid being seen, even worse, being seen together. Their situation felt way too familiar, and the last thing Yeji wanted to feel towards Jeno was familiarity.
Yeji mustered up the courage to glance at him as they were threading through the busy streets of Hongdae, when she looked back, he was already staring at her. He quickly arched his brow and turned his attention to the shops they passed.
“Careful, don’t trip.” He warned.
Yeji threw him a glare only for Jeno to stay oblivious, his attention still directed to his surroundings. She forced herself to keep her gaze straight ahead, she knew that any form of obliviousness from him was just an act. When they were still friends, nothing would go unnoticed by Jeno Lee. He noticed and pointed out everything. She once knew him more than she knew herself, able to predict his every move. That is until, when it truly mattered.
It was a scene like this, when the sun had just started to set and the moon was just about to rise, was when Jeno and Yeji would meet up to see each other. The busy streets were just about to die down, people rushing home to their families. People were so occupied with their own concerns that they would fail to see a Viper and a Neo, together. Yeji could feel her whole chest tighten as she remembered those moments with him, she exhaled a sharp breath into the night, hopefully shaking her mind from these thoughts.
“Are we there yet?”
“Calm down,” Yeji said, refusing to turn back in case he could see her expression in the dark. “I’m not leaving you.” She suddenly stopped as she realized what she accidentally had said.
Back then, Yeji didn’t know who he was, but Jeno already knew her. When Yeji first tripped in front of him, he already knew. If it wasn’t for the bright violet ribbon on the top of her high ponytail, then it must have been her distinct Hwang features. When he helped her get back on her feet and as she turned to leave, Jeno had reached for her hand.
“I’m here every afternoon, same time.” He said with his eye smile, “We can ride our bikes together, if you’d like.”
Yeji let out a laugh as her fingers slipped from his hands, “We shall race then!” she yelled, as she started riding her bike. “Only if you don’t fall!” He yelled back, causing Yeji to turn his direction and stick her tongue out, causing little Jeno to laugh.
She would later find out that the kid she was riding her bike with was actually Jeno Lee, heir of the Neos and the son of their greatest rival, but she would find herself coming back to him everyday. Yeji remembered asking why he had helped her in the first place, he revealed that because it was his first time making friends outside of the Neos. For months they had flirted, carefully balancing the line between friends and enemies. Both knowing the consequences if they got caught, but neither had the heart to leave the other. When they rode their bikes near the Han river with the sun setting in the background, they were just Jeno and Yeji, not Jeno Lee and Yeji Hwang, heirs of their gangs. It was funny how just a name could prevent them from being something more,
They fell in love.
At least Yeji did
“Yeji!”
Yeji stopped, she gasped as she realized she was just about to step on wet cement. If she had been a moment too late, she would have been a living statue. Jeno pulled her back instinctively, causing her to look at him. His facial expression was sharp and cold, except for his eyes, they never lied. His eyes were filled with concern, caution, and certainty.
“Let go of me,” Yeji glared as she jerked her arm away from his grip. “The hospital is near, hurry up.”
Yeji had quickened her pace more, but of course Jeno was quick to follow. Her arm burned from where he had touched her, the feeling lingered but she refused to take notice of it.
The futuristic building stood tall, “We’re here.” Yeji announced in an agonizing manner, “Keep your head down.”
As if he didn’t hear anything, Jeno looked up at the grandiose building in front of them. Yeji briefly glanced at him and she immediately felt the blood boil in her veins. He stood there so comfortably, like a foreigner admiring a tourist destination. He had no fear whatsoever, he should have since he was in her territory.
She had believed that she and Jeno were on the same side once, both wanting an end into this divide that ruled over Seoul. She had believed that she and Jeno could hopefully create a new world, where no one had to pick a side. Where names did not matter, nor dictate who you should and should not associate with, a world with no blood feud.
But it was stupid of Yeji to believe him.
Lies. Nothing but lies. The bombing of the servants’ wing was the most severe thing that the Neos could get away with. They would have failed in bombing the main mansion, where all the Hwangs and high-ranking Vipers had resided, instead they chose to strike the servants’ wing. It was unwatched, dismissed and was no one’s concern. So many innocent people had died that day,
And it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Jeno Lee.
The Neos had snuck in through many windows, careful not to leave a trace. Jeno could have only instructed these important details because of intel gathered spending many days with Yeji.
Yeji had been betrayed. Yet here she was, four years later, with the person she had sworn to kill. Here she was, forcing the fire in her veins to stay at bay because she had been robbed of an explanation, a reason, a confrontation. Here she was, an arm’s-length away from him, and she still couldn’t find it in herself to sink a knife into his chest.
I am a coward, she thought.
Not even the amount of hate she felt towards him was powerful enough to melt away every instinct she had to keep Jeno away from harm.
Maybe she had to wait. Maybe the strength to kill Jeno Lee would come in time, and she needed nothing but to wait for the time to come.
“I said keep your head down.” She warned him again as she pushed the glass doors.
“Miss Hwang!” A doctor greeted as soon as she stepped foot into the establishment, “Do you have an appointment today? How may I help you?”
Yeji approached the front desk and placed the key of the morgue in front of the doctor as she quickly placed a finger to her lips. The doctor looked at her and nodded, going back to typing away.
Soon enough, they had reached the end of the hospital. Yeji stopped in front of a marble door and turned back to Jeno who had been walking while staring at the floor. Even at his best to try and hide his identity he still failed. He was born with pride and dignity etched in his bones.
“In here?” He asked, unsure of where Yeji had led him. Without muttering anything, Yeji turned around and slid the key in, unlocking the door. As they both stepped in the room, she quickly turned on the lights, revealing a single corpse right in the middle of the room.
Jeno briskly approached the corpse as he rolled the sleeves of his jacket. He lifted the sheet covering the dead man, only for him to hesitate.
“You should better hurry up before anyone else dies,” Yeji said as she let out a huff of air, “Someone could transfer that man into a funeral home any moment now.” She finished as she placed her hands on her hips.
Jeno eyed her impatient stance she had on, causing him to look at her in a displeased way.
“Do you have anywhere better to be?”
“Yes,” she said immediately with no hesitation, “Anywhere else is better than here. Now get along with it.”
At this point, Jeno’s patience was running thin on Yeji. He yanked the sheet that covered the man only to find him bare feet, Jeno’s brows furrowing in the process.
Yeji looked at him as she studied his next move, he only stood there frozen. “For crying out loud,” Yeji said as she pushed herself from the wall. She marched beside Jeno and knelt to get the box underneath the table the dead man lay. After rummaging around a few bloody items, she finally came across a sealed bag with the man’s mismatched shoes. She stood up and waved the bag in front of Jeno’s face.
“Yes?” Yeji asked as she took the nicer pair of the shoe. Jeno’s lips had thinned, shoulders high. “Yes.”
“Then can we finally confirm that this man was indeed present during the first attack?” Yeji asked as she saw Jeno nod.
That was the end of that. No more words were exchanged as Yeji put everything back to its original place. Jeno had his eyes fixed on the wall, as he was unsure of where to look. Yeji figured that Jeno couldn’t wait to get away from her and this place as soon as possible. Just as she had stood up and placed her trembling hands behind her, Jeno spoke.
“After you,” He motioned towards the door
Four years. Four years should have been enough. As time passed and as leaves grew, he should have been nothing but a stranger. Yeji should have been met with a Jeno who had grown to act differently like Lia, or perhaps to walk differently like Karina, or maybe even become more obnoxious like Hyunjin. As they looked at each other now, the only difference was that he had grown older. Jeno looked at her, and Yeji found the same stare with the same expression–unreadable unless he let her in. Unbreakable unless he allowed himself to.
All this time spent alone, time spent in denial, time spent plotting revenge, she had quickly missed that her outrage would not change Jeno Lee even if she had gone insane.
He had remained and stood tall. Jeno did not change. The same Jeno who loved her, and the same Jeno who betrayed her.
Yeji forced herself to take a deep breath in hopes of maintaining her composure. With a brief nod, she walked towards the exit of the morgue. She waved for Jeno to follow her as he stepped outside the door. The feeling of bidding Jeno a firm farewell settling into her heart, but she did not care. She should not care.
Before she could even say the said goodbye, deafening sirens had echoed all throughout the hospital. At the far end of the hallway, where they first came from, they could see doctors and nurses all in chaos. Jeno and Yeji exchanged one glance at each other and immediately ran towards the scene. They reached the lobby with the thought of expecting something bad, only for it to be worse.
The floor was completely coated in a sea of red.
Everywhere they looked, patients, doctors, nurses, Vipers and alike had already clawed themselves, screeching in a tormenting pain. The count must have been more than forty, dying or already dead.
“Oh God,” Jeno whispered. “It’s starting.”
A/N: Again, this is just a work of fiction. All credit goes to Chloe Gong and her amazing retelling of Romeo and Juliet in her debut book "These Violent Delights". Make sure to grab a copy! The next book comes out this November so watch out for that!
