Six [Change]

While Yunseong covers up the hole in the window with cardboard and duct tape, Minju prepared a cup of warm water for Yeonhee. Seeing that she is pretty shaken up about what just happened. Minju helps herself to the seat beside Yeonhee after the lass takes the cup from her. Yeonhee thank Minju softly then proceeds to warm her hands with the cup instead of drinking from it. 

“How is it going?” Minju asks the man by the window. 

He sighs, not because of Minju’s question but because of what his girlfriend is going through, “How much longer are we going to sit this out and rule it as an empty threat?” Yunseong asks, annoyed, “I know for your father and GoldMusic’s sakes we wanted to avoid going to the police but maybe we can request they investigate this in private.” 

“Better to hire a private investigator instead,” Minju says quickly. 

“Then hire one.” Yunseong counters, his tone harsher than usual. 

Minju scoffs, “Do we look rich? I haven’t worked in a while and Yeonhee is a college student living alone—”

“I’ll handle the expenses then,” the man offers, though it sounded more like an order. Minju understands that he is angry as this is about Yeonhee’s safety, but she doesn’t appreciate him half-yelling at her. Not when Yeonhee hasn’t recovered from the scare earlier. 

“No,” Yeonhee says alas, quivering, “you’ve done more than enough.” She sneers, for being so helpless. “I already owe you a lot. Also, you promised you wouldn’t get involved in any of my financial issues that come up, remember? To encourage my independence?” 

When Yeonhee put it that way, Yunseong became the ‘helpless’ and not the ‘helpful’. He nods, agreeing to keep his words. 

The room stays quiet for a minute until Minju insists, “I’ll personally explore this issue and find out who’s behind the attacks and death threats, that way it won’t cost neither of you a coin.”

“How are you going to do that?” There are concerns in Yeonhee’s voice but Minju’s mind is fixed. 

“First, I’m going to find the group that was supposed to protect this neighborhood then second, we’re going to have a nice long chat about how they’ve failed to maintain their worth.” 

It’s 4 AM when Chaewon enters her study room and around the corner, she spots Felix eyeing the books on one of her shelves. She doesn’t say a word to him and walks over to the desk when she hears him playfully says, “You know sister, for the two years we’ve known each other, I never took you for a bibliophile.” 

As Chaewon sits down behind the desk and made note of a point that came to her in a nap, she calmly corrects him, “Six months, actually. I may have tracked you down two years ago in Australia but we’ve only spent about six months actually getting to know each other. As per your discovery of me, well, people change.” 

When Chaewon finally spares Felix a glance, she sees him flipping through the yellow pages of a book. His lips are pursed as if he’s shocked to find what kind of books Chaewon owned. Chaewon hates being the subject of judgment so she tries to distract him from prying into her tastes any further. 

“I’ve thought of a job fitting for you if you’re still interested.” Felix lowers the book and sets it on the bottom shelf, where it didn’t belong, then he strolls over to her without a word. Chaewon assumes he’s intrigued and resumes, “Kim Yeonhee’s landlady tells me that Yeonhee is behind on her rent and about two weeks from eviction. Except for lavish five-star hotels, you have nowhere to go so I suggest moving in with her for the next six months you planned on staying here.”

The man the corner of his lips then chuckles, “Wait, isn’t this Kim Yeonhee the daughter of Kim Jinho, your enemy? Why have me split bills with her?” 

“Why the sudden nosiness when you’ve already given her 15% instead of 5%?” 

“I told you, she’s cute.” 

Chaewon forms a thin line with her lips and raises her brows, “Exactly, because she’s cute your loaded self should move in and split bills with her.” 

“Sis, I’m fine staying here—” Felix begins only to be cut off by Chaewon. 

“It’s a one-bedroom apartment.” Immediately a sinister smile forms across his face and it’s enough to wipe away any doubt Chaewon had about his cooperation, “Good, I’ll have Hyewon bring you papers to sign and have a check ready. The landlady will want your security deposit today. Here, the address to your new place with Yeonhee. Check it out sometime today. Oh and, welcome to Seoul, brother.” Chaewon says with a smile as she holds a piece of sky blue paper, the note she wrote, to him. 

He returns the grin and grabs the piece from her. 

“Thank you, sis,” he says in English. 

It's 9 AM and too early for drinks for some, thus the bar was quiet when Minju makes out the back of a familiar woman. She approaches carefully, in order not to frighten the other. As she slips into the stool next to the nameless, she orders an unsweetened iced tea. Minju’s voice is plenty when the other had to identify her. 

“Long time no see, Kim Minju.” 

Minju smiles then rotate herself in the seat to face the greeter, “Kwon Eunbi, I knew you’d be here. You haven’t changed one bit.” 

The older woman with heavy makeup snickers, “Neither have you.” She takes a sip from her glass of martini then works to find Minju’s eyes on hers. “You haven’t aged a day, Min.” 

“You have,” Minju says, garnering a chortle from the woman in black from head to toe. 

“What brings you to Seoul?” Eunbi was slurring her words and her eyes appear drooper than before, “Last time I saw you, Big Boss was poisoned and you were leaving after pissing that Chaewon of a snake off.” 

The topic of Chaewon makes Minju uncomfortable. Once upon a time, they loved each other, but that was forever ago. Chaewon’s betrayal will always be lodged at the back of her mind. Before she lets the name sidetrack her intention of visiting the bar in the first place, Minju tries to focus on the matters at hand. 

“AVICIDE, who leads it now?” 

Eunbi exhales deeply as if answering the question causes her tremendous pain, “Seo Soojin.” 

Minju is taken aback to hear Soojin’s name and not Chaewon’s but she tries not to show it, “The neighborhood with the apartments, candy store, and barbershop are AVICIDE’s region, right?” 

Her company clicks her tongue and shakes her head, “Cut to the chase, Minju. I’ve left that group months ago and I don’t plan to discuss it all day.” 

Eunbi has always been one to be down and blue but Minju didn’t expect the other to treat a quick session of Q&A as labor. Either way, Minju doesn’t delay and asks, “I was attacked on AVICIDE’s territory moments after I set foot in Seoul and I want to know why. My sister has been receiving death threats again, except this time they came before a GoldMusic audition and not after like usual. I believe AVICIDE is trying to get to me by getting to my sister and I want to know why.” 

The depressed one heaves a sigh then one-shot her drink. Once she swallowed, she dodges Minju’s dark eyes and stares down at her empty glass. 

”Once you left, Chaewon did too and Big Boss’ will went missing. Soojin assumed one of you took it but seeing that Chaewon doesn’t have it, it seems you have it. After all, you did suddenly went off the grid and cut ties with everyone right after Big Boss’ death.” 

Minju evades her death glare and accusation with a question of her own, “Why is Soojin looking for it? There’s nothing in Big Boss’ will that concerned her.” 

“See, Big Boss’ lawyer said otherwise,” Eunbi assures her, “there’s a line in there that is regarded to the future leader of AVICIDE, a bank account of some sort that only the leader has access to. You were the second person Big Boss trusted most, even before Soojin and Miyeon. Surely, you know where it is?” 

“For someone who didn’t plan to discuss it all day, you surely are nosy.” Minju counters with a smirk that wipes Eunbi’s off her face, “So, since AVICIDE couldn’t find me, they threatened my sister to lure me out, attack me, then got me to dig around until I come to them. Is that it?”

Just when it all starts to make sense to her, Eunbi cuts in and tells her she’s wrong, “AVICIDE may have seen a change in leadership but like Soyeon, Soojin wouldn’t threaten family members to draw you out. That would be Kim Chaewon.” 

Minju shakes her head, “I don’t understand. If she’s not with AVICIDE then where is she?” She thought it’s a reasonable question to ask aloud when no one other than her knew of Chaewon’s crime. Or at least what Minju thought was Chaewon’s motive to grab for power back then. She still can’t comprehend why Soojin is AVICIDE’s leader. 

“The Chaewon now is not like that Chaewon we all knew four years ago. Today she leads one of the largest mafia gangs and is involved in businesses and politics.”

“Largest gang?” 

“They call themselves The Clan,” Eunbi says then gesture to the bartender for a refill. Meanwhile, Minju is left to register the news. 

Soyeon basically built AVICIDE around Chaewon, she made sure everyone knew Chaewon would lead the gang if someday Soyeon were to retire or die. Yet, here she is being informed that not only did Chaewon kill Soyeon but the woman wasted their late boss’ time, energy, love, and trust. 

As Minju gets carried away, mentally, Eunbi continues to catch her up, “In just three and a half years, Chaewon has built an empire on her own. She has over 1,000 gang members, 1,272 employees, and five properties under her name. In Seoul alone, 32% of the city is The Clan’s territory. And every week or two they cover another .5%. The Clan’s protection is greatly sought after as areas they cover has the lowest crime rate anyone has seen in the last century. Her properties are tourist attractions, three out of the five even made the World’s 50 Best Tourist Attractions. Rumor has it that she’s squeezing her way into the music industry and is looking to buy out one of the top agencies.” 

Minju frowns but remains collected, “One of the top agencies?” 

Eunbi hums, “My acquaintance tells me that small businesses around GoldMusic Entertainment are already under The Clan’s surveillance. Sooner or later that establishment will be Chaewon’s too and there’ll be no stopping her.” Minju grows impatient in her chair when she feels she’s missed something major Eunbi may have said. And when the other see the scowl on her face, Eunbi knew immediately, “You don’t know, do you?” 

“Know what?” 

The woman with all the answers scoffs in disbelief, then drowns herself in another glass of her drink before asking for another refill. She exhales, feeling refresh until she has to answer Minju again, “Ten months after you left, we heard that Big Boss may still be alive.” Minju subconsciously widens her eyes, however, she doesn’t ask questions and wait until Eunbi is done. “That Boss possibly dug her up and resurrected her with an elixir or tonic of some kind for the poison. Soojin sent out search parties to locate Big Boss but we’ve had no luck. Since then, all’s been silent. I think Chaewon spread the rumor, ‘for what reason?’ we don’t know.”  

For a while they say nothing. 

And Minju observe Eunbi taking another shot of her drink. 

“What if,” Minju holds back for a second to ask herself if she can trust Eunbi. Eunbi may have been her mentor in the past but Minju finds her forthcoming suspicious. Almost as if Eunbi was expecting her to show and be cornered with burning questions. 

Then she realizes something Eunbi had said, “Wait. Boss dug up Big Boss? You haven't been referring to Soojin as Boss and had left the group...so what does that make you?” 

Eunbi smiles at her, “I’m a member of The Clan now. Kim Chaewon is my boss and my boss will like a word with you.” The woman points across the room with her chin and instantly Minju follows with her eyes. 

Across from the bar, she makes out the oddly familiar redhead with an extremely pretty face. 

Chaewon has on a victorious grin and Minju wanted to do nothing more than clean it off her face. With her daring eyes resting only on Minju, Chaewon raises her glass of whiskey at them then she mouths the words, 

“Welcome back, stranger.”