Part Two

Nothing changes between Shownu and Moonbyul. Their relationship is still filled with Moonbyul’s home cooked meals and Shownu’s god awful jokes. Nothing changes. Everything stays the same. And it’s killing Moonbyul from the inside out.

She knows that the only way to overcome this is to face it head on and confront Shownu. Yet, her worries intensify with every passing day and fears that well, maybe Shownu chose not to accept a married woman into his life. It must be so taboo. To love a woman who had a child. The responsibilities would be endless and burdening onto him like a mountain; financial as well as morally. Moonbyul knew by now that the young mechanic was good with children. Her precious Hani had been asking about him way too often since the two had met. But maybe...it was not a good time.

The young florist locks the door to her flower shop. She then glances at Shownu’s garage once more. The mechanic was resting on a chair, with a cap covering his face. Moonbyul couldn’t help but smile as she inched closer to him. So the sudden loud snore that fills the air has her laughing, a wide smile tugging at her lips.

She sits down beside Shownu, gazing at him thoughtfully. Her thoughts were chaos. Her emotions at war. Her actions contradicting what she had first said when she flat out rejected the mechanic’s advances. It was so severe that she knew that nothing would help unless she spoke to the mechanic.

The man hadn’t shaved his nine o'clock shadow. His hair was beginning to form a mullet and he smelled like grease and diesel. But it was things like this that Moonbyul didn’t mind. She began to familiarize it with the young man subconsciously. So everytime she went to a gas station or the smell of smoke filled the air, it reminded her of Shownu. The man who had inched his way closer into her heart.

Shownu woke up with a start before Moonbyul could wake him. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and started mumbling, asking for the time.

“It’s almost six.”Moonbyul murmured and lifted the cap from his head. She put it aside so that she could meet his eyes. “Can we...talk?”

“Sorry I’ve got something on,”Shownu answered immediately. “See you tomorrow Byul.”

Moonbyul watches as the mechanic immediately stands up and rushes upstairs, probably to retrieve something before going to wherever he was supposed to. The florist tried her best to stop her tears from falling as she drove home. And when she was at the front porch, Hani was waiting for her already and quickly opened her arms even though she didn’t know why her mommy was sobbing her heart out.

There have only been two people who called her Byul and both of them were out of her reach.

It’s about nine pm when a mysterious car pulls up at their driveway. Moonbyul was in bed, reading Hani a bedtime story. So when they saw two figures exiting the car, Moonbyul’s first thought was to call Shownu. She turned to Hani and ordered her to stay in bed, lock the door and never open it.

She takes out the baseball bat from the closet for safety precautions. She slowly inches towards the front door when the unwanted guests start knocking on the door. They start calling out her name so Moonbyul steels herself, bat over her shoulder and ready to swing.

“Shownu is up to something,”The man behind the door yells. “And I need you to help.”

Moonbyul gasps, eyes wide in horror. She didn’t know who these two men were. But how did they know about her relationship with Shownu?

“He’s up to something and we need you to stop him.” Another voice echoes, “We tried talking him out of it but it’s no use.”

“Mommy?”  Moonbyul almost jumps out of her skin when she hears Hani’s voice right beside her. The young girl is holding her Cat Woman figurine as she looks up at her mother. “That’s the man from the comic book shop. Uncle Shownu’s brother. Uncle Shownu told me.”

Upon the realization that they may be telling the truth, Moonbyul finally opens the door. She still has the steel baseball bat over her shoulder so it shocks the life out of two men standing at her front porch.

“God help me,” One of them coughs out, already crouching on the floor to catch his breath.

“How do you know Shownu?” Moonbyul snaps, eyebrows furrowed together.

She then recognizes one of the men to be a frequent customer of Shownu’s; the man who owned the black cadillac and kept calling it Selena.

“Lady maybe you should put the bat down. I don’t want to lose my head.” The man adds.

The florist threatens to swing the bat at them again. Both men stumble backwards. “I’m Wonho. Shownu’s friend and this is his brother, Jooheon. We just need you to talk some sense into Shownu. He’s been doing that’s not like him….lately.”

Both men glance down at young Hani hiding behind her mother. Jooheon adds for extra measure, “Things we can’t say in front of your little girl.”

“Where is he?”Moonbyul questions. Both men hesitate but Jooheon is the one who answers the young lady.

“A fight club.”

Moonbyul puts down the bat but still keeps her grip around it tight. Her gaze flickers in between both the two strange men.

“Let me drop my daughter off at my sister’s,” She answers. “Then you bring me to where he is.”

⟷

The rage that boiled in Moonbyul’s blood must’ve shown through. Both the men who acted as her escorts that night were frightened into silence. They did not question when Moonbyul had shown up in a seventies’ inspired black dress and stiletto heels. They did not question when she brought a duffel bag with her containing two steel metal bats and a gun for good measure.

There were two things about Moonbyul that the world will never know. One, her scrawny knew how to fight no matter how small she was. Two, the gun was a gift from her father to protect herself and Hani some time after Minhyuk’s funeral.

“We’re here,” Jooheon announces when they pull up at a diner.

There were two police cars parked outside the diner. Moonbyul’s questioning look was answered by Wonho.

“They’re the guards for the fight club…”He says as he puts on a surgical mask over the bottom of his face. “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about this place and you probably wouldn’t want to know.”

Jooheon gives Moonbyul a surgical mask as Wonho exits the cadillac.“Better to wear this. This will tell everyone there that you’re not part of any gang. Just a civilian.”

Moonbyul is quick to realize that Wonho doesn’t have a surgical mask. As soon as she steps out of the car, she has a sharp nail pointed at his face. “You’re the one who got him into this . Didn’t you?”She seethed.

Wonho’s expression tells the florist everything and she curses a string of words that she hadn’t used in a long time. She lets the two men her towards the doors of the diner. She quickly puts on the huge pair of shades she’d stashed in her bag.

Jooheon offers a hand towards Moonbyul, politely escorting her to the back of the diner. She accepts it only for the sake of the so-called cops having coffee and donuts in the corner. Once the doors to the kitchen open, is what shocks Moonbyul.

A cage was set up in the middle of the room. Though small and cramped it could fit less than a hundred spectators. Money was being thrown on the ground; the spectators placing their bets. And in the cage stood the man Mi Moonbyul loved.

“And Shownu takes the win!” The announcer roared over the cheer of the boisterous crowd. “On his seventh streak tonight. I wonder when his face is gonna hit the ground tonight folks.”
 

The last comment had been thrown in to spite Shownu, that Moonbyul knew. Shownu spat on the ground, glaring at the announcer. Moonbyul stared in horror at the blood splattered on the ground. Shownu’s seventh victim was dragged out from the cage. Wonho grabbed hold of Moonbyul’s arm.

“Let’s wait until the fight is over,”He tells her, “Then you can try to talk to him. I’m so sorry.”

Rage wasn’t even enough to cover what Moonbyul felt when she smacked Wonho’s hands away. “A thousand apologies won’t even fix this.”

The cage doors open so that the man who’d been beaten to a pulp could be dragged out. Moonbyul took the chance to shove her way through the crowd and slipped quickly inside the cage. She heard Wonho and Jooheon curse behind her, trying to pull her away but she threw them off. She rips off the shades and the surgical mask off, throwing them to the ground together with the duffel bag she had brought.

The look on Shownu’s face was one Moonbyul would never forget.

The sound of Moonbyul’s hand strike across Shownu’s cheek echoed through the room. The crowd was suddenly silent. The announcer wasn’t.

“What’s this? Mommy came to bring you back home?”

Moonbyul’s face turned towards the man and snarled. “You shut the up and let me talk to him.”

Shownu cradled his cheek with one hand and the look of fear on his face showed that he understood what he had done. He’d disappointed her. She thought he was a good man

“Is this what you’ve been doing?”Moonbyul asks in a hushed tone, stepping towards him so close that their noses could almost touch. “Because I will ing kill you Son Shownu. You have no idea how angry I am.”

Shownu actually has a good idea because he has never heard Moonbyul curse. Not even once in the ten months he’s known her. He starts to stumble over his words,trying to explain as the announcer brings forth another contender.

“You ignored me. You never said anything for two months about our relationship,”She hisses through gritted teeth. “Nothing. But you’ve been beating up people for what?”

“For you.” Shownu answers immediately.

“Bull,”Moonbyul spat out with so much force that it tightens her lower jaw.

The bell suddenly rings and in a flash, Shownu’s arm is suddenly around her waist, pulling her back to the corner of the cage. A high-pitched scream is ripped out of Moonbyul’s throat when she sees the man throwing punches Shownu’s way. He blocks all of the other man’s advances, but there’s also another problem at hand.

Another woman was in the cage, holding a dagger. Moonbyul’s throat runs dry and luckily, her duffel bag is within arm’s reach. She takes out one of the metal bats inside, which shocks Shownu speechless. He finally manages to throw off his opponent to the other side of the cage.

“What the is that thing?!” Shownu yells as he regains his fighting stance. He raised his bandaged arms to his chest, eyes flickering between Moonbyul and the opponent in front of him.

“Shut up!” Moonbyul roared.

Moonbyul is scared for her life but she puts up a front, knowing that with Shownu, everything would be fine. Everything would be fine. She grips onto the metal bat until her knuckles turn white, ready to swing at the woman in front of her. Moonbyul knows that her chances against an experienced fighter are slim. No matter if her opponent was female and had a similar build as herself. The only way she could get out of this was to immobilize the other woman.

Moonbyul doesn’t wait for the attack.She throws all her might into the first swing, directed at her opponent’s head. The woman ducks in time, but the bat makes contact with the dagger she was holding and splits it into two. Moonbyul quickly kicks it away with the point of her heel. She remained her distance from the woman, knowing now she had the upper hand.

Running on adrenaline was not the best move for Shownu on the other hand. He was exhausted, thirsty and his shoulder was two inches from a dislocation. The fist fight had ended up in both men on the ground. Shownu was struggling to breathe from the other man’s arms wrapped around his neck. He struggled to break out of the man’s hold but was too drained of energy.

Moonbyul’s attack wasn’t one Shownu expected. She had swung her bat on the man’s knee, causing him to howl in pain and automatically lose focus. Shownu took the chance to break out of his hold. Once he was straddling the other, a flurry of punches was sent to the man’s face, breaking his jaw. Shownu saw a tooth flying out but that was what he got when he tried to hit the woman he loved.

Once Shownu had stopped, he stood up and turned to see Moonbyul in the same position. She still had her bat over her shoulder, ready to swing at any second. The woman in front of her had bruises all over her shoulders and one arm was turning a bad shade of purple. She desperately crawled away from Moonbyul’s threatening stance.

Shownu wrapped his arms around Moonbyul’s waist., pulling her away from the fight. Once Moonbyul realized it was over, she dropped the metal bat to the ground.

“I love you.”

Moonbyul pulled away to meet Shownu’s eyes. She clenched her jaw, realizing only now that she had just received a confession in the middle of a fight club full of dangerous people. She doesn’t hesitate to slap Shownu again albeit much softer this time.

She opens to answer but Shownu is already turning towards the announcer. “Tell your boss to leave us alone. I know he’s been spying on her, but as you can see..”he trails off, and kisses the top of Moonbyul’s head. “She knows how to fight. And won’t hesitate to.”

Moonbyul picks up her glasses from the floor and fixes them on. The way she tries to smooth out her dress instantly reminds Shownu of who Moonbyul really was. The innocent girl who sold flowers next door. They exit the fight club quickly, and once outside the diner Moonbyul was prepared to talk Shownu’s ear off.

She didn’t get the chance when their lips finally met. She melted into his arms, letting her arms wrap around his neck and pulling him closer. He didn’t hesitate to pull her closer to his chest even though he suspected that he had maybe three broken ribs and a nearly dislocated shoulder.

Under the moonlight, Moonbyul realized that Shownu was much more handsome and charming than when she first met him. What he had said to the announcer made sense; he was only doing it to protect her. This was probably the reason why he had warned her and asked her to move from Mokpo.

“I love you.” They whispered at the same time.

“You were so y back there,”Shownu murmurs, letting his thoughts escape. Maybe it was the adrenaline or the pain coursing through his body in waves.

Moonbyul’s lips trembled. “It was so scary. I thought I was going to die.”

The laughter that rumbles through Shownu’s chest makes him hunch over. Yes, he’s definitely broken a few ribs. Moonbyul is shouting at Jooheon and Wonho to drive to the hospital.

Yes. Shownu thinks that he definitely has fallen for the charms of the girl who sold flowers next door.

⟷

“It’s just a scratch,” Moonbyul tries to convince the other, pushing away the bottle of ointment in his hand.

“I thought you broke her knife?”Shownu asks, quickly pressing down the cotton pad onto the cut on Moonbyul’s neck. “Any deeper and you would’ve been in trouble.”

Moonbyul watches Shownu’s expression falter into disappointment and worry. She shakes her head. “I went after you. It was my decision.”

“But I have to protect you,”Shownu answers, “it’s my job.”

Moonbyul quickly sticks a plaster onto the cut, blocking any of Shownu’s ointment and cotton pads advances. “You’re in a worse state than I am. You risked your life to protect me and Hani. I’ve never been prouder.”

Shownu had just been released from the hospital today. They were now lounging in his garage, as Hani played a game of catch with Uncle Jooheon and Uncle Wonho.

“You were so y that night. You've never worn black before,”Shownu brings up the topic of the fight again. “And I never knew you could curse like that.”

Moonbyul rolls her eyes. “You’re not even wondering where I learnt how to fight.”

“You at fighting,”Shownu answers, sticking out his tongue. “If the other girl had a bat like you, you’d be in big trouble and I’d have to come save you.”

Moonbyul swats Shownu where it hurts; his chest, making him howl in pain.

It’s been two weeks since the fight club issue. The couple didn’t receive anymore threats. Shownu was making enough profit ever since Moonbyul’s business proposal; a flower delivery service that rented out motorcycles from his garage. He began renting out his motorcycles and cars to other customers which was quickly gaining profit. If they hadn't, Moonbyul feared that Shownu would be pushed to fight for money again. 

Hani had finally found herself, Moonbyul thinks. The young girl reverted back to the dresses her mother had sewn for her from time to time but still kept the comic books and figurines she loved. Moonbyul knew that it was because of a boy at school. Hani was beginning to desire to look beautiful for someone she liked. The young mother didn’t say a word to Shownu, if not, everything would turn into a mess.  Hani had three men now protecting her, after all.

“Mommy when are you going to get married to Uncle Shownu?” Hani asks.

The question makes Shownu spit out his water. Moonbyul laughs and shakes her head, “I don’t know. Why are you asking me? Uncle Shownu hasn’t even asked me if i want to marry him yet.”

Shownu looks at Moonbyul with wide eyes. “What do you mean-”

Moonbyul giggles. “Father’s day is coming up. Hani wants to bring someone special.”

Shownu points to himself in confusion, gaze flickering between mother and daughter. “You want me to come?”

“I want you to be my Dad.” Hani yells out, throwing her arms in the air. Jooheon wolf whistles in approval. Wonho is already laughing together with Moonbyul.

“I guess that settles it.” Shownu murmurs. “What the princess wants, she gets.”

Moonbyul has to blink rapidly when Shownu fits something over her finger. A diamond ring.

“Will you marry me?”