Boss
I turn to the kid that was brought before me. He owes me quite the sum of money but I have something else in mind. If Baekhyun and his sister think they can make a fool out of me, they are dead wrong. I look at the kid in front of me – he’s’ only seventeen years old which means he’s the perfect age to manipulate but he is also intelligent and if groomed well, he can be a force to be reckoned with. Who knows - maybe if he proves himself, he'll even manage to climb the ladder. It’s easy to see that he’s uncomfortable here, probably even afraid and with good reason. Running a crime mob means you have to have an iron fist but also know what moves to make and when – like a chess game. Patience is a virtue that many crime bosses do not possess but it is one of my strengths. Sometimes, you need to sacrifice the pawns to win the game. I approach the trembling boy with a smile on my face.
‘Chi Won, I’m willing to forget the money you owe me, if you do everything I say.’ I tell him. I see him look up to me with wide eyes.
‘I will do anything you tell me to Boss.’ He replies and I smile. Well he's obedient - that's good.
‘I know you will. Do you know who this man is?’ I say, pushing forward a photo of Baekhyun. Chi Won shakes his head. ‘His name is Song Baekhyun. He’s only a year older than you. This is his older sister Song Yoona.’ I say pushing another photo. I see his face light up.
‘Oh I know of her. She’s a dancer – used to dance with a crew back when I was still a kid but then left to become a choreographer for some idol group.’ Chi Won says.
‘Yes, she was. Anyways, these two have tried to make a fool out of me and we can’t let that go unpunished, right?’ I ask.
‘Right.’ Chi Won replies as he gulps. ‘What do you want me to do? Do you want me to go and give them a beating?’ He asks, clearly eager to please me.
‘No, no my dear Chi Won. I want you to befriend Baekhyun.’ I say and he looks at me confused.
‘I don’t understand. How does that help?’ Chi Won asks and I chuckle.
‘My boy you have a lot to learn. I want you to befriend Baekhyun and then when the time is right, we’ll strike. I’ll make that * regret slapping me in the face.’ I say.
‘I think I understand. You want to make him feel as if everything is over and that he’s safe. Meanwhile, I’ll become his friend and that way I can inform you of what he is doing and then, you’ll move on with your plan that will make both him and his sister beg for your mercy.’ Chi Won says.
‘You catch on quick. Good job. Baekhyun has a gambling addiction. He won’t be able to stay away for too long and when his will gets weaker, you’ll be there. We’ll make him lose money, so much money he won’t have a choice but come beg to me and then we’ll see how his beloved sister pulls him out of that much debt.’ I say chuckling while I sip on my whiskey. I’ll make them pay
Yoona
We arrive at the restaurant just as the other members of BTS arrive. They smile as they see me with the others as Jimin hurries over next to me. ‘Noona are you okay?’ He asks as he hugs me.
‘Yes, Chim, I’m okay.’ I say as I hug him back and pat him on the back. I hear him sigh, as if he’s letting out all the worry. We break the hug and I look at all of them. ‘Boys, I’m really sorry for worrying you.’ I say.
‘Noona, we’re just glad to see you are okay.’ Taehyung says and I nod.
‘I’m glad it’s over too. Baekhyun has promised me that he won’t do it again and I think this time he’ll keep his promise.’ I say as we all settle down around the table. We order our food and we continue to chat, as they demand to know every little detail of what happened so I comply to their wishes.
‘So, you actually slapped him?’ Jin exclaims in disbelief and I nod while still chewing on the pork. 'Weren't you scared?' Jin asks.
'Oh I was but I couldn't control myself right then.' I admit.
‘Well good for you. He’s a disgusting pig.’ Hoseok says, a little angrily which causes me to chuckle. ‘If anyone would have told that to my noona, I would have punched their teeth in.’ He adds.
‘Baekhyun isn’t a fighter but he did try to protect me. I guess that’s why I went along with it and decided to pay the money. I want to avoid trouble as much as possible.’ I explain.
‘That’s wise. People like this guy usually don’t let go of things easily.’ Yoongi says and I see Namjoon nodding.
‘Still, noona – you’re really cool.’ Taehyung says a little too excitedly, which makes everyone smile.
‘Anyways, enough about me. Tell me a little about your little time off. How did it go?’ I ask. I see the boys stop as they look at each other and then at Jungkook. ‘What? Why are you looking at each other like that?’ I ask, curiosity and concern getting the better part of me. ‘Is everything all right Jungkook?’ I ask.
‘Well, I found out I have a twin sister who was given away at birth because our parents could not afford to raise both of us.’ Jungkook says in one breath. I stare at him for a moment before I sigh, not sure what to say. I reach for the glass of soju and go to take a sip. ‘All I know is her name is Minji and-‘ He says just as I spit out the soju after almost chocking on it. ‘Noona are you okay?’ He asks.
‘Did you just say Minji?’ I ask and he nods. My mind starts to work in overload. No, it can’t be the same one, right? That would be too freaky! Could it really be her? Whoa! ‘I wonder if it’s a coincidence.’ I murmur before I can stop myself.
‘What noona? What are you talking about? What coincidence?’ Jungkook asks, giving me a confused look.
‘I know this girl – her name is Minji, she’s twenty-two as well and I swear she has the same smile as you do. I always just brushed it off as coincidence.’ I admit. I see Jungkook’s eyes go wide as he automatically leans forward.
‘Do you know where I can find her?’ He asks and I nod. ‘Really?’ He asks as he breaks into a big smile.
‘Hold on – let me show you who I am talking about before you get all too excited.’ I say as I pull out my phone. I go on Instagram and search for her name and she pops up and I show it to him.
‘Oh my God! That’s the girl I saw last time. The one I told you almost got run over by a car!’ He exclaims as he turns to Yoongi while I give him a confused look because I have no idea what he is talking about. All the boys peer in to look.
‘Whoa she is beautiful.’ Jimin comments, earning an annoyed look from Jungkook. ‘You know, noona is right – she does have the same smile as you.’ He says nervously.
‘I’ve got to agree. Even the eye shape looks quite similar.’ Jin says as he squeezes his eyes, analyzing the photo.
‘How do you even know her?’ Hoseok asks, a mischievous grin on his face.
‘Sometimes, after work I go to the cafeteria she works in. She’s one of the youngest workers there and one of the nicest along with her friend Yun. She’s actually a student at Seoul National University and if I’m not mistaken, she’s doing her Masters Degree.’ I say.
‘Whoa so she’s like really smart.’ Jungkook says with a goofy smile on his face and I nod. ‘Cool. Can you scroll through her feed?’ He asks as I nod. There’s a photo of her as she hangs upside down from a tree. Another picture shows her laughing really heartily. I stop as I come across a video of her and her friends and I press on it. Someone is recording the video, another girl is driving and then in the back there’s Minji and Yun.
‘That’s Yun – her best friend and roommate.’ I explain as the video shows them singing to Jungkook’s song. I look at the maknae and see his face light up.
‘She has a nice voice, doesn’t she Kook?’ Taehyung asks with a smile and Jungkook nods, unable to tear his gaze from her. The song changes to Fire and we watch as they sing along to it and acting crazy as they laugh. I can’t help but smile as well and I see the boys enjoying the video.
‘They do karaoke Fridays at the cafeteria. They always sing.’ I inform them as I put my phone away. I can’t help but notice Jungkook’s happy and excited face and I sigh, worry starting to build up. ‘Jungkook – calm down. You don’t know if she is the one you’re looking for.’ I say and Yoongi nods.
‘I know noona, Yoongi-hyung said the same thing. I know there’s a chance she might not be her.’ He says with a sigh before he continues. ‘Have you ever felt something in your gut? Like that feeling that you know something is right? That’s what it feels like.’ He says.
‘We just have one problem. How can we confirm if it’s her or not?’ Jin asks as he scratches at his hair and I sigh as I bite my lower lip.
‘Well, I can introduce you to each other but are you just going to tell her – hey I think you might be my twin, care to do a test?’ I say and I see his face fall.
‘We can try to do it secretly. Maybe find something of hers and do the test and then when he has confirmation, he can tell her.’ Namjoon says.
‘And how are we going to get something of hers in the first place?’ Jungkook asks with a frown.
‘We’ll think of something, I’m sure.’ Yoongi says, putting a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder. Jungkook looks at him, gratitude written all over his face and Yoongi nods at him. That’s just the way Yoongi is – he might not show it but he cares a lot about each of the boys.
‘We can go tomorrow after we all finish work. She’s usually always there in the evening since she has lectures in the morning.’ I inform him. ‘Wow I still can’t believe it. I mean if she is your twin, talk about fate huh?’ I ask.
‘Yeah I know right? I mean what are the chances – I find out, then just two days later I run into her and then I talk to you and you happen to know her too.’ He says chuckling to himself.
‘I’m not one to think of fate or destiny much but it really feels like you’re destined to meet.’ Namjoon says.
‘I want to do a toast.’ Jin says and everyone turns to look at him. ‘First to Yoona who’s managed to solve her problems, secondly to Jungkook for finding out the truth, thirdly for our family who goes through things together and finally here’s to finding your sister as soon as possible.’ Jin says. We all nod, raise our glasses and drink.
We finish eating but we stay to have a couple of drinks before eventually we all decide to head home. Hoseok insists on coming with me and no matter how much I argue against it, he still insists. It actually makes my heart flutter. We arrive by my home and we get out of my car and I look at him. Damn he’s handsome! I shake my head, trying to shake the thoughts away. ‘So now how are you going to get home?’ I ask.
‘It’s not like I live far. I’ll just walk it.’ He says and I smile. I grab my keys and put them in my hands.
‘How about you take my car and then come pick me up in the morning?’ I suggest.
‘Really?’ He asks and I nod. He smiles, that huge, sunlit smile of his. Aish – Yoona stop thinking that way – he’s your friend and student – it can never be more. ‘Thanks Yoona. I’ll come pick you up at eight.’ He says and I nod again. He gives me a wave and starts to leave when I take a step forward.
‘Hobi wait.’ I say and he turns around and walks back to me. I bite my lower lip, trying to choose the correct words. ‘I just um, I wanted to thank you.’ I say.
‘For what?’ He asks looking at me confused. He places his hand on my shoulder as he does so. ‘Yoona, you’re important to me.’ He says and I feel my smile wider.
‘Hobi, you’re important to me too. I wanted to thank you for worrying about me, for coming to pull me out of trouble earlier. I’m sorry that I snapped at you today and I’m sorry for not telling you what was happening but…’ I say and he shakes his head.
‘You were trying to protect us, I know. You didn’t want us mixed up with that and I get it but I’d rather be the biggest scandal in South Korea than see you face something like that alone.’ He says.
‘Oh Hobi!’ I say and as I say that, he pulls me into a hug. I hug him back and then, unable to help myself, kiss him on the cheek. ‘I should get back inside.’ I say and he nods as we pull away from each other. Even though it’s dark, I can see how red his cheeks have gotten. I smile as I turn around and practically run to the door.
Minji
It’s Monday morning and while usually, I am the first to be in the lecture hall, today I’m delaying. Usually, a few minutes after I am there, Byung Hoon would come in. He’d come next to me and talk, well tease and mock I guess and then as soon as the others start coming in, he’d go and sit at the back and wait for his friends. I don’t want to see him and even more so, I don’t want to talk to him so I waited in the library until the last few minutes. As I am walking inside, I see our professor and he gives me a smile. ‘Ah Minji, I’m surprised to see you right now. You’re usually always inside before me.’ He says with a warm smile.
‘Sorry professor but I was at the library and lost track of time.’ I say, partly saying the truth while also bending it a little. He gives me a nod and I hurry inside. I walk in with my head bowed down but from the corner of my eye I see Byung Hoon stand up as soon as he sees me. He almost seems to start to approach me but he sees the professor walking in so he sits back down. I can hear laughter from the back and I recognize Marc and Seob’s voices among the crowds.
I find my seat next to Rei and Usagi who both look at me worriedly. ‘You’re late, well, you’re not, I mean compared to usual.’ Usagi says, fumbling in her words.
‘I was at the library.’ I say. They still don’t know what happened on Friday at the party with Byung Hoon and his clique and if possible, I don’t want them to know. I don’t want them to feel guilty about having fun.
‘You disappeared on Friday. I couldn’t find you.’ Rei says and I shrug. ‘How did you go home?’ She asks.
‘I got a cab.’ I say. ‘Now shush, the lecture is about to start.’ I say as I pull out my notes and pocket. They nod as we all turn forwards just as the Professor passes the attendance sheet and begins the lecture on Vygotsky’s Theory.
The lecture passes smoothly and as the professor walks out, everyone is busy packing their things. I do as well when suddenly I feel someone beside me and I look up to see Byung Hoon.
‘Minji, you were late today. Why? That’s not like you.’ He comments and I scoff and return back to my things, ignoring him. ‘Minji don’t ignore me, why were you late? Did something happen?’ He asks.
‘It’s none of your business.’ I snap at him as I continue to pack my stuff. From the corner of my eyes I see some of the students having stopped to look at us, even Rei and Usagi. Byung Hoon grabs my arm and *s me forward to force me to look at him. His eyes land on the scratch on my forehead from when I bumped my head. Well, if it weren’t for Jungkook, I would have more than a scratch there.
‘What happened to you? Did someone do this to you?’ He asks and I just scoff again, unable to control my temper. How can a * like him sound so sincere?
‘I told you – it’s none of your business now let go of me.’ I say, my voice dripping with anger and acid.
‘No, not before you tell me what’- He begins but I stop him abruptly as my hand goes flying across his cheek, forcing him to let go of me. I hear a couple of gasps from the other students and I see him blink his eyes as he slowly turns to look at me. He touches his cheek slowly from where I slapped him. You should be grateful I slapped you instead of punching you.
‘Why do you want to know? I’m just a pathetic loser, right? Isn’t that what you said?’ I say as I grab my bag and run down the stairs of the hall, refusing to give him any more of my time.
‘Minji wait!’ I hear Usagi call out but I can’t wait. I just run to the one spot I know they won’t look for me which is the track. I’m grateful that I have this period free so I can stay here until I calm down. I go to the lockers and I open one up. I place my bags there along with my jacket and lock it up before I go to the track and begin a quick jog.
Who the hell does he think he is? Does he really think he can do all that stuff to me and then pretend it is nothing? How dare he pretend to care? Why does he even pretend in the first place? Does he enjoy the idea of humiliating me?
I shake the thoughts away and focus on the track – my jog turning into a full-on run. Byung Hoon can go to hell for all I care.
