~chapter seven~
unpleasant meeting
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In the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different ‘kind’

Kai laughed at Xiumin’s joke and sipped on his coke, while Luhan was trying to show everyone some dancing moves. The sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon and the air finally got a bit colder. Kris and Chanyeol were setting the fire and preparing the food for a barbecue. Taemin was talking with Sehun about something and he was very into it, so Kai was just looking around and eavesdropping the other’s conversations. They were sitting behind Suho’s, Kai’s and Taemin’s home, and Xiumin brought his own grill and that’s why they were preparing sausages and meat.

Kai glanced at the home and fell into thoughts. It has been a one year already after he broke up with Sang Hee. He was still feeling weird sometimes. Usually she would come and spend her time with everyone. Kai felt weird, not having her by his side. It felt empty.

At the same time he thought it, a person appeared behind the house. Kai frowned and his heart clenched when he recognized the black head. Almost immediately, his fists and teeth clenched. Three seconds more and he would break his own jaw.

She was staring at the group with wide eyes. No one beside Kai noticed her and she finally looked him in the eyes. Kai saw her sadness and hesitance and got up. Taemin glanced at him.

“Where-“ he started, but Kai cut him off.
“Toilet” he mumbled and went straight to the front of the home. He got closer to Sang Hee, grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back a bit violently. She gasped and Kai leaned closer.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, examining her features. She looked tired, but still managed to smile with that silly, false smile.
“I’m sorry for bothering you” she said. “I just wanted to see you”.

Kai snorted and pulled his hand away. He frowned his brows and looked at her with all the anger he could find, but after three seconds, his face became soft and relaxed just by looking at her.

“It has been one year” Kai said. “Do you really have anything to say now?”
“I told you. I just wanted to see you” she said and stared at him with happiness.
“Stop pretending” Kai said. Her smile disappeared because of his strong tone. “I know that you came here because you need something. Tell quickly and… go”
“Why are you so cold?” she asked. Kai frowned his brows.
“Why are you pretending that nothing happened? I haven’t seen you for a year and you are suddenly appearing in my own house. Just tell me what you want” he said. Those words were hard to say for him. His throat clenched. Her reaction didn’t make it easier, she looked like she was in pain.
“I’m sorry” she said. “I know that it will sound weird… But can I stay for a night here?”
Kai’s eyes widened.
“You-“ he shouted.
“What is she doing here?” a sudden voice asked. Kai turned his head and saw Suho. He had a bowl of chips in his hands and a dangerous glint in his eye.
“Hello” Sang Hee bowed and Suho grimaced. He looked at Kai.
“What. Is. She. Doing. Here?” he repeated strongly. Kai glanced at the girl, who had a pleading in her eyes, and then back at his hyung. He clenched his fists.
“She’s staying overnight. Just for today” he said. Suho gasped, and the girl smiled.

Kai opened his eyes. His heart was beating rapidly. He sat on his bed to find out that it was 5 am. He ruffled his hair and went back to sleep, but of course, he couldn’t feel asleep. He was lying on the bed and letting the memories to flow into him.

Sang Hee’s big, brown eyes, beautiful hair, small nose and lips. Her delicate skin and serious expression. The sound of her laugh. Her happy, disappointed, proud, embarrassed and crying face. It all suddenly came back to him, even though it has been three years from the day she suddenly came and asked him to spend one night in their home. Kai couldn’t stop his heart from beating rapidly every time he thought about her. Her whole existence.

Where was she now? What was she doing? Did she found anyone good for her?

No, that’s impossible. No one besides him would never fall in love with her.

He knew that. He just did. He even told her that once. And she agreed. And still, she decided to go. And never see him again.

After half an hour spend on lying on the bed and thinking, he finally got up and his mind travelled to the red haired girl. It has been a week already and he didn’t see her anywhere. She didn’t come to the library, he didn’t meet her on the streets. He decided that he will go to the café she was working in when he was spying on her with Taemin, maybe she would be there again.

But then he thought: why does he want to meet her again so badly? Just because of the mystery she’s hiding? Or is it something more?

He shook his head and went to the bathroom. He took a quick shower and moved to the kitchen, surprised to find Suho lying on the table again. Kai frowned his brows and poked his hyung’s shoulder just like Taemin did some time ago. Suho turned his attention to him and smiled heavenly. But well, it was his normal smile. It just looked so sweet. It was Suho after all.

“Good morning” he said.
“Morning Hyung” Kai answered and sat in front of him. “Are you okay?”
“I couldn’t sleep somehow” Suho answered, yawning.
“So you came to take a nap on the table?”
“That’s pretty much like this. Are you hungry?”
“No” Kai shook his head immediately. Suho raised his head and frowned at him.
“You should eat. You are too skinny” he stated.
“I am eating” Kai said strongly. “Today I’m going to eat pancakes”
“Ohh, you are going to make pancakes?” Suho smiled widely and clapped his hands like a seal. Kai snorted.
“No, I’m going to buy myself some pancakes” he said and stood up.
“The shops are open from 8 am…” his hyung said, making a grimace. “And by the way, that was really rude” he pointed at Kai and scratched his neck. He really was tired, it seemed so.
“Hyung, aren’t you working a little bit too much lately?” Kai asked. Suho was staring at him with wide eyes and after a moment, his smile disappeared. Kai literally panicked.

Suho was smiling all the time. So when his smile disappeared, something really bad must have been happening.

“What?” Kai asked with a slight gasp. Suho raised a brows.
“Oh come on, don’t be so scared” he mumbled, playing with his fingers. “I didn’t tell you guys yet, but… it’s possible that I will have to come back to my family home for a few weeks, maybe for a month” he looked up to see Kai’s wide eyes. “My mom is ill. She’s in the hospital. The bills are freaking… high and she needs my help as well. That’s why I’m out in the job all the time” he said.

Kai was listening to him with attention. He felt bad and weird. Suho was always here, with them. He wasn’t like a leader, but like a brother who was taking care of him and Taemin. Only him and Kris could take care of their group of friends when it was getting messy. He was always happy and he was never talking about his troubles with them. And this time it was pretty serious.

“Is that something dangerous?” Kai asked. Suho nodded shortly.
“Looks like my mom will have an operation… I don’t know if she will… you know. Recover” Suho said, scratching his neck again and laughing dryly to hide his worries. “That’s why I have to help them. Donghae is home already too” he added. Donghae was his older brother.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Kai asked with accusingly.
“I’m telling you know”
“But if you would tell us earlier, we would help you with the money. And also, I don’t have to go and eat in the city, you know it well. If you needed money, you could just say so”
“Who do you think I am, Kai?” Suho asked with a bit of anger. Kai rolled his eyes and stared strongly at him.
“If I would be in trouble, you and Taemin would do the same. It’s not weird or shameful, that’s normal. We are friends. And we won’t let you go through it alone”

Suho glanced at the floor and stopped his stare there for a few seconds.

“You never let us help you when Sang Hee…”
“That’s not the same” Kai said with anger and came back to his room. Suho followed him by his stare all this time and sighed when the doors shut.

~*~

The red haired girl looked down at the streets. The wind was blowing her hair and caressing her cheeks with cold breeze. She saw three people walking in the end of that one, very well known for her, street. She bit her lip slightly and swallowed hard. Her legs went numb, but she knew that she have to get off the building and meet with them.

“Be calm, you have the money, they won’t hurt you” she whispered to herself with a soothing, but shaking voice, that only made her even more scared. She took a deep breath and went to the edge of the building she was on.

Walking on the roofs became a daily routine for her.

She went to the rusty ladder and rather quickly found herself on the ground. The alley was cold and dark as always. Even snow was black here. She took a first, the hardest step and then she walked normally, with hands in her pockets.

She saw three shadows in the shapes of men standing in front of her and waiting. She didn’t ran faster, but she didn’t slow down as well. When she was finally closer, she could see their faces clearly.

The first one was the biggest and the most muscular among them. His nose was clearly broken, his thin, blue eyes almost invisible and his bald, round head was red, maybe out of anger, maybe out of cold – she preferred not to know. The second one was the shortest, but still she was only reaching his chest. He was rather skinny, with visible veins on his neck and bare hands. He always reminded her about an elf because of his long nose and chin. The third one looked weird while standing beside them. He was well built and attractive. He was wearing a long, black coat, his eyes were calm. He probably spend a lot of time in front of the mirror, because his hair were stylized flawlessly, with his long fridge up and perfectly cut at the back.

The girl knew them well, too well. Just by looking at them, her legs became numb again, but she didn’t show it even one bit.

The first one, the one with broken nose, grinned at her, making her feel uneasy. The second one scoffed, the third one raised his look and nodded to her.

“Good morning” he said calmly. She bowed lightly, not breaking the eye contact. “You should remove your hands from your pockets while talking with the older than you” he added. She slowly pulled out her hands, squeezing her fingers and playing with them, oblivious of this. “You finally decided to meet with us?” he asked.
“Yes” she answered simply. “I-“
“Shh-shh” the third one shushed her and took a step forward to approach her. She didn’t move. He was somehow scary than the other two, even though he looked pretty normal. He tilted her chin with his finger, but she quickly turned her head. It was a sign – you can’t touch me easily. The man chuckled. It almost seemed kind.
“Don’t worry, we won’t hurt you” he said. “Give us the money first”

She stepped back and pulled out a white envelope. She gave it to him with a bit shaky hand. The man took it and opened, but never stopped staring at her. At the same time, she was staring numbly on her own feet, not blinking and almost not breathing.

The man started to count the money. Whispering the numbers, his voice sounded soft, but frightening. The steam was coming out from his lips. The girl slowly became anxious.

“Twenty…” he said and still counted. “Thirty, forty, fifty, sixty… One hundred. One hundred and ten…”

Her hands began to shake, even when she knew that she gave him all the money she could get in one month. The minutes passed and he was still counting with that scary voice that sounded like was coming out from a doll.

“One million, five hundred and thirty one thousands, one hundred and thirty three*…” he whispered. The red haired felt clenching, but she looked with an ease at the man.
“I paid off the full amount of money for this month. We are even right?” she asked. The second man chuckled, the first one grinned. She became pale and took a step closer. She glanced at the calm man and raised her brows. “Right?” she whispered.

The man smiled slightly. He slowly put the money in the envelope and hid it in his coat. Then, he took a step closer to the girl. He touched her cheek delicately, making her froze. But after that, he suddenly pulled down her hair and she shouted from pain. The man leaned closer to her, when she was whimpering and tried to balance herself on one foot.

“We were searching you and chasing your for two weeks. You were late with the payment, and you didn’t even apologize for letting us wait. You should apologize first” he hissed with a smirk. The girl shut her eyes close, not letting her tears to form. She couldn’t breathe properly and he was still pulling her hair strongly. She almost fell on the ground because of the weight he put on her by his own body.
“Apologize” he whispered into her ear. She gasped.
“I’m sorry” she said.
“Louder”
“I’m very sorry” she said with sudden strength in her voice. The man made a grimace and on his teeth.
“You shouldn’t be so unkind to us” he said. He pulled her down and she finally fell on her back. Something cut her skin on her calf and she hissed when her head hit the cold and frozen ground. She tried to get up, but the man literally stomped on her, pushing her shoulder to the street. The girl shouted from pain, when something in her bones crashed.
“You have one more week to pay off some extra money for making us wait. Bring them. If not, you will get a big surprise and believe me, it will hurt as hell” he whispered to her, looking down. He finally get off his foot from her shoulder and she moaned when he did so – her bone was back with a pain that was hard to handle.

She was shaking from cold and fear, and the men were still standing there, watching her with angry eyes and wild smirks. She put her hand to her shoulder and sat up, trying to get away.

“Oh, and one more thing” the third man said, winking at her. “Better don’t make any other new friends. Kai would be in a trouble if you would tell him anything” he finished. Girl’s eyes widened and she opened to say something, defend him, stop them from doing anything. But the man interrupted her again.
“Flash, Laser, you can take care of her. But!” he said, pointing his finger up. “Nothing extra. Just a few scratches. Understood?”

Flash’s blue eyes widened with happiness. Laser grinned. The girl whimpered and got up on her feet, starting running away.

*1,531,133 won – around 1,330 American dollars (yes, only this much) 

~*~

He felt her touch on his neck and chest. At first he thought that it’s just a dream, another weird and scary imagination of his mind. But then, her voice said something and he opened his eyes with shock. Sang Hee smiled when he did so. He was staring at her for thirty seconds, not fully awake yet, just to find out that she was almost laying on him. In his room, in his bed. He frowned.

“What the heck?” he hissed and tried to push her away, but she touched his cheek and forced him to look at her. Her skin was glowing in the night.
“I can’t sleep. The couch is uncomfortable. Can I sleep with you?” she asked. Kai’s eyes widened.
“No, get off-“
“Please, Kai. I won’t do anything. I just want to sleep here” she pleaded. Kai was staring at her, but after two minutes, he gave up. He wrapped the covers around her and hugged her tightly, like a teddy bear. She giggled and hugged him back, wrapping her long arms around his waist. Kai closed his eyes and smelled her scent. 

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First of all: I'm sorry for a slightly angsty chapter.
But in this story, something like this will happen. I was wondering for some time if I should rate it V or something, I don't really know much about rating lol but anyway. But I don't plan on doing a super-extra violent chapters with blood. Still, it's a bit scary. I hope that you don't mind because well, the main female character has been through a lot and that's a part of her life that you have to know. And one more thing was revealed. 
It was hard to change korean wons into american dollars, what's more, first I had to change my own (Polish) money into wons and then into dollars. But I think that it's very near the truth.
I will try to update today, but if not, then tomorrow. I hope so. Right now I really have a feeling for writing, so I will write a lot if nothing will interrupt me. Thank you for your comments one more time. And for subscribing as well of course. If anyone doesn't feel good with angsty chapters, don't force yourself to read this please (even though for me it's not that bad but sometimes I'm weird lol). 

Thank you and have a nice day! ♥