Chapter 9 – A deal

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"How was the kiss? Add explicit details, if it's needed."

Jinri made a face as she searched through the cupboards, looking for something to make for dinner while staying with her brother for the evening.

Jinwoo sat quietly in his wheelchair, waiting patiently for her to speak on the kiss she shared with Choi Minho.

Lee Jieun, her awesome best friend seriously should learn how to keep close.

"It was nothing special." Murmured Jinri in response, turning her back to him as she faced the stove.

"Nothing special? Have you ever looked at your boss? He's on legs, noona. You can't tell me he at kissing." Said Jinwoo.

"I didn't say he at it, Jinwoo."

"Then why wasn't it anything special?"

"Geez! I don't know." Spoke Jinri mordantly. "Maybe because I have a boyfriend? Remember?"

"Yeah, I haven't seen or talked to Hyunwoo hyung in a long time. Are you two going to get married or what? You two have been together for a while and you two look good together but I'm worried about him falling back into his alcohol addiction."

The topic of marriage brought back how she use to think. When they began, Jinri was head over heels for Hyunwoo and she did daydream often about how they would get married, live together and have a few children. But now, he was more like her best friend. How could she tell him that?

"Noona?"

Her gaze traveled to his, concern laced in her brother's eyes. She managed to put a little smile on for him. "I'm worried about him falling back into it too but enough talk about Hyunwoo. I'm starving."

Jinwoo smiled. "Me too. It's been awhile. I've missed your cooking."

After dinner, Jinri allowed herself to roam the house while Jinwoo was downstairs. She eyed the new family photograph hanging on the wall that consisted of her mom, step dad and Jinwoo. She may not be on speaking terms with anyone besides Hyunwoo and her biological dad but it hurt her that their mother didn't bother to include her in a family photo. The pictures of their old family were long gone.

Jinri came to a stop at a picture of Jinwoo and herself at amusement park when they were children. He was seven and she was twelve. Back then, Jinwoo could walk and play like any normal child but now she continuously blamed herself for his disability.

"Mom, I'm tired." Whined Jinwoo. They had spent the entire day at an amusement park.

Jinri glanced at him when he sighed dramatically to get their attention once they didn't respond immediately. She smiled and suggested, "Then take a nap. We won't be home for another hour."

"You know I can't sleep sitting up." Growled Jinwoo lightly. He was always so cranky when sleepy.

"Just take your seatbelt off then." Said Jinri and that caught the attention of their mother.

"Don't tell him that, Jinri." She scolded softly from the front seat, glancing at the two siblings through the rearview mirror.

"But mom, he's tired. It'll be fine. He can rest his head on my lap." Said Jinri and Jinwoo didn't hesitate, unbuckling himself and lying down, placing his head on his sister's lap and letting his eyes close when she ran her fingers through his hair.

They all didn't see the car colliding into them minutes later. Jinri didn't realize her little brother get thrown through the windshield.

Jinri couldn't remove the vision of Jinwoo covered in blood when she found him on the road, unconscious. She was beyond cheerful when she found out he survived but guilt buried itself deep within her when she found out he was paralyzed and would never walk again. That's when the relationship with their mother went unpleasant.

"It's your fault, Choi Jinri! You told him to take his seatbelt off, damnit! What did I tell you?! Look at what happened because you suggested something so stupid! My baby can't walk anymore!"

"Noona, I found an interesting movie! Come downstairs!"

Jinri heard her brother calling and she smiled slightly.

Jinwoo didn't blame her.

"I'm just glad to be alive, noona. That's all that really matters in the end, right?"

- - - -

Hyunwoo grabbed his girlfriend as she entered her apartment, kissing her cheeks as a greeting. Jinri smiled, kissing him quickly before looking around her soundless apartment. Something wasn't right. Where was her lazy cat? He always ran to the door when she came home.

"Where's Morae?"

Hyunwoo slowly shrugged. "He's sleeping somewhere, I'm sure. Maybe in your room?"

Jinri nodded slightly, letting him kiss her one last time before she started to remove her coat. Hyunwoo took a seat on her couch, joined by Jinri a few seconds later after tossing her coat on her table. She curled into his side as he wrapped his arm around her, telling her about his day and vice versa.

They ignored the television for close to an hour. When Hyunwoo left to go into the kitchen and make her the hot chocolate, she glanced around once again, raising her brow in suspicious. Morae always came to her, sleeping or not, he would wake up and run to her every time she opened the door.

Jinri got up from the couch to check the small bathroom, poking her head in and out. Next, she checked the closet. Morae was shut in there once or twice since they moved into the tiny apartment. She slowly shut it, worried when her cat didn't come to her when she called out for him while entering her bedroom. She checked her closet, under her bed and behind the hamper where he normally slept.

A frown came to her face. "Hyunwoo!"

"Yes?" He called back from the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder. The small smile dropped from his face when he saw those narrowed eyes of hers, aiming at him. "What's wrong Jinri?"

"Where the hell is my cat, Hyunwoo?" Asked Jinri.

"Jinri, just take a second and calm down--"

"I'm not going to calm down when I can't find my cat anywhere! He's not here, is he?"

"Well...no."

Her brows shot up as she crossed her arms, provocation sketched all over her face. "So you lied about him sleeping somewhere?" She didn't let him answer, stepping a bit closer to him. "Where is he?"

A nervous smile appeared on his lips when her glare displayed on her pretty face. "Okay…he was being a pain in the . He was sneak attacking me around every corner, he kept digging his claws into me and I lost count at how many times he hissed at me."

Jinri really didn't understand why Morae disliked Hyunwoo so much. She knew it was not like he abused her cat. Maybe Morae was just jealous because she give her attention to Hyunwoo and she wasn't so focused on him anymore.

"And?" Urged Jinri.

"So…I kicked him out to teach him a lesson." Finished Hyunwoo.

"You what?"

Hhyunwoo threw his hands up. "I put him outside your door in the hallway and I was going to make him wait out there for a few minutes to be let back in. He was pawing at the door but I ignored him because I was teaching him that if he acts that way towards me, he gets punished? I know, stupid, stupid idea, but it seemed like a good one at the time."

"So he's wandering around in the halls?" Questioned Jinri, relief flooding all through her form. If he was in the halls, then there was no problem. He was still there.

Hyunwoo rubbed the side of his face, glancing away from her. He knew how much the cat meant to her since she had it for several years, finding it on the street. "Uh, when I went down the hall asking people if they had seen a golden cat, some guy said he did and he let it out since he thought a stray got in somehow."

The relief was gone as dropped open. Someone let her cat out?! He was probably cold, starving, or a car could've hit him! Or killed by some stray dogs! Jinri thought the worse, her hands as she stared at her boyfriend.

"What a stupid thing to do, Hyunwoo!" Growled Jinri, her hands wanted to slap him repeatedly but she brushed it off as she immediately left the kitchen, grabbing her coat that was on the table.

"Jinri, where are you going?" Asked Hyunwoo as he followed her.

"Going to look for my cat, of course! I'm not leaving him out in the wilderness!"

"Wilderness? This isn't the jungle--"

"Don't play stupid, Hyunwoo. You know what I mean. The wilderness of the city or whatever." Jinri wore her coat, mumbling profanities under her breath.

Hyunwoo sighed as he watched her slipped a pair of her shoes on that were near the front door. "Look Jinri, I'm sorry. I feel really bad so let me help."

Jinri turned to him with a stern face. "No, I can look for him on my own. Thanks though." She grumbled before swinging the door open and slamming it shut, leaving her boyfriend standing in her apartment, feeling guilty.

- - - -

Minho sat quietly on his black couch as he stared through the large window of his penthouse, staring at the inky black sky while sipping his drink calmly. His eyes darted a few feet away from him when a flame appeared, quickly turning into a human figure before Jonghyun's human appearance surfaced.

Jonghyun gave Minho a cheeky smile as he held up a creature by the nape of its neck. "Look at who I bumped into while driving through a park." He said, wiggling the golden cat in his hand.

Minho raised his eyes brow in recognition. "Well, if it isn't Kang Daeho. Or as his owner calls him, Morae?"

Jonghyun's brows scrunched together. "What the hell is a Morae?"

Minho overlooked Jonghyun's question, motioning for him to release the cat. He complied, slipping his hands into his pockets as he stared down at the cat.

"It's been a while, Kang Daeho." Said Minho.

The cat stared at him momentarily, before speaking, "I've been avoiding you since you made my life a living hell, Lucifer. Or should I call you Minho."

"Do you know how many people would trip out if they met a talking cat?" Said Jonghyun, being ignored yet again from Minho.

A faint smile came to his lips as he took another sip of his drink, staring at the glass. "Humans are just so weak Daeho and they're warned time and time again that no one should make a deal with the Devil." Minho returned the look down to the helpless cat. "And you! You are the one that chose to give me your soul for riches two hundred years ago. You thought that being rich would change your life for the better, that wealth would bring you absolute happiness. But it didn't. It brought troubles instead and you wanted your soul back? That's ludicrous. I never give anything back once I have it."

Daeho was silent, having nothing to say to the man that had turne