Chapter 31
Troublemaker

"To be the face of the company." She smiled, and turned to Chansung, "We both know that I am more than qualified... I believe you've seen MY everything, with or without clothes on." Chansung gulped, though he fought greatly with his anger, trying hard not to throw her off the building.

"You have no longer access to be here. I suggest after this meeting, you'll leave and never come back." Chansung said firmly. "Our Chansung have been bold now, hasn't he... She can't touch you the way I could..." Hara caressed his face, then to his neck, to his chest and his abs. Chansung stopped her from going any further.

"Get out." He said, growling low, his eyes flaring with fire. Hara responded with a snort and force her hands off of Chansung's grasp.

"You thought she loves you...how very funny. Once she knew what you really are, Hwang Chansung, you'll come running to me, begging me to comeback." Hara said. "Don't flatter yourself..." Chansung scoffed. "Am I?" Hara replied.

"...I know where your house is. I know where she is. It will be a matter of time that she'll know who you are." Hara heads for the door with her purse. She puts her hand on the knob but turn once more to face him, "And Chansung-honey, you know very well what I'm capable off." She left the office. Chansung throws his glass to the wall.

*****
Nichkhun. "Good morning, beautiful...You've been asleep long enough, have you?" He pulls her closer into his grasp. "I need to text someone," but she fell back to the bed, when Khun pulled her waist. "You won't be doing no texting with me this morning. Here comes tickle attack!" Khun joked. He laughed heartily, his face mischievous, with naughty thoughts. The way her hair smells like vanilla, or how she bit her lips when she feels guilty, how she surrenders to his hugs everytime they touch. Khun imagines her lips on his chest, and her hands in his hair, the way she moans his name, and the heartbeats accelerates. The buzzing sound of the phone vibrating by the bed makes Khun snap his eyes open. "Hello?"
*****

Heart sprinting like my steps through the police station entrance. Hairs all over the place but I have got no time to worry about that. There are bigger things than looks itself. I glanced over, through the chaotic scene standing ahead of me. Wails, indescribable cries, chairs screeching, policemen shouting all wrapped in one place.

There he was.

Standing with bleeding lips, bruised just underneath the eye, and he still dressed in school uniform. I sighed heavily in absolute regret. This is not the place I would be wishing to fetch him up from. "I'm Shin Seon Mi..." I marched up to the police who is holding him in custody. "Oh...Welcome. We caught him fighting in the alley behind the school. Someone could've got killed." The policemen greeted with a quick smile. "Thank you for capturing him before he does anything stupid. I don't know how this works..." I said helplessly, as the convicted stood by my side, handcuffed up the front.

"You didn't have to come for me." I heard him say. I quickly glance at him, "Is there a reason for you to be talking." I glared, I leaned on both elbows and signed a few papers presented by the police in order to bail him out. He surrenders. I watched as the policemen uncuff him, he grunts and massaged his wrist. His knuckles were red and swollen. He's gotten to serious beat up session. "Go easy on him. These things happens all the time. You know young kids." The policemen adviced. I nodded and smiled. Before I could say anything else, he was already on his way out of the station.

That ungrateful bastard.

I dashed after him as he sped off with his long legs. His uniform was covered in dirt and drips of blood, and no school bags. He is one thick headed moron. I took off one of my heels, and threw at his direction.

Hits the head. Bullseye!

He turned around with a pained look in his face, I took him by the neck and lay him on the concrete, I pushed my elbow further to avoid him moving. "The more you move, the painful it gets." I grunted, gritting my teeth together. "Ah! Ah! A-ah...O-Okay. I won't- I won't." He plead. "Is there a reason why you were fighting?" I asked. "That bast--," I dig my elbow deeper to his neck, "...Ah!! Don't do that, please. Fine. That kid , the kid said I'm fuc--," cursing, dare you? Once more I pushed him to the ground, "Alright. Alright. The kid called me a punk and I was a trash, he said I copied his looks..." I let him go, and he elbowed his chin, looking at far distant, "...How could he even dare to say so? I have a style. I got swag. He is the one who has been copying me. Geez. The nerve that he had." Now he just looked like a drag queen, with discontentment of another drag queen stealing his look. "These shoes are MacBeth! No one else in Korea has this. This is an unlimited edition only, FYI..." Kai continued to babble.

I threw a weird look at him without him watching, and slapped the back of his head. "Is that even something to be fighting about?!" Smack. "Who cares who copied who?" Smack. "Celebrity 101. Create the trend. If he copies your shoes, your hair or the way you walk...Ball up and create a newer trend, you stupid." I continued to smack the back of his head, time and time again. Until at last, he whines and sat, crossing his legs, opposing me who is on both knees. He pouted, and looked down. I put on his red NY cap. "Let's get you home." I said and stood up fast. But Kai remain seated.

"I missed you, noona. I wanted to see you." He mumbled, still looking down.

The cars passing by paid no attention to anything happening on the sidewalks. Ironic. It felt like the world halt to a stop, and the sound of the car engine hurling hushed, heart beats slowing down. Oh my little brother, Kai...

"Shall we go for lunch before that?" I crouched, hugging my knees, coaxing him. I poke his knee with my knuckle, lightly, and when he didn't respond to that, I crept lower to see his face, and poke his cheek with my index finger. "Our pretty Kai...," I sang. "With legs like penguin, that waddles like one." I stopped. "He has a snouty nose, with light brown eyes..." I waited for him to continue. "And a one pack...?" I poke the side of his abs, he wriggled and laughed.

Kai is very ticklish.

So I keep on tickling, he lays on the ground, laughing till he is out of breath. "Finish it! Finish the song!" I continued tickling him. He curls around like a centipede, giggling like a boy. "...And a one pack tummy that bloats like a balloon..." He said, barely containing his hearty laughs. "Stop-stop..." He pleaded, hands trying to conquer mine. "Good. Now, get up. Or I'll tickle you again." I threatened him playfully. He chuckled and stood up. "Ya~Noona. My nose is straight now...," He stuck up his nose with his finger as he follow me from behind, "...And no more one pack. I have 6-packs now. 6-packs! Noona, look!" I think he lifts his shirt up to show me, but I covered both ears. "I don't want to look at it! Blalalalala...Blahlalala." I loved to .

And for one moment, it feels like we were young again. Felt like there's no one else but us. I took care of him, and he took care of me.

I watched him in awe as he finishes his 3rd bowl of meat noodles. "Bowl number 4 coming right up!" The ahjumma yelled as she delivered on our table. "I'll eat well! Thank you for the food!" Kai bowed and happily continued eating. "How long have you starved? Aigoo, our precious Kai..." I said and wiped the corner of his lips with the back of my hand. He responded with a smile that lit up to his eyes. "We need to get that treated." I eyed on his knuckles. It was swollen red awhile ago, but it has receeded. Kai gave a small smile. "I've troubled you a lot." He said, in almost an inaudible voice. I pulled his ear and wriggle them as I coax him like a child. He whimpers cutely. "Good that you noticed..." We were then accompanied by a sudden silent.

He kept his head lower and took a small strip of meat into his lips, he nibbled on it for awhile. I knew he was trying to say something, or ask something, but is not sure if he should. "What is it, Kai...?" I asked softly, and took a drink as I go. Kai brazen up and look into my eyes briefly before returning to his food.

"...Have you seen her?" Kai asked. I tilted my head to the side. "Our mother?" He said. Cold wind surge into my body as I try to reconfigure the question. Obviously, it was a no. I shook my head. "You want to see her?" I asked. I am more scared of his answer. He stopped eating and leaned back, looking elsewhere. "...She came to see me."

Kai return and fixed a firm gaze to me. His voice was cold, uncaring, and heartless. I could feel the bricks in my head crumbling. I fiddled with the tissue ends, masking the insecurity in my voice. "...Did she say anything?" I asked Kai. Kai shook his head. "...She stood by the court when I was competing in basketball..." Kai shifted in his seat and hurrowed deeper into his food, more interested in the food than the topic we were talking about, "...She just stood there. A friend of mine came to me, and handed me..." Kai leaned back to reach for his front pocket, and took out a crumpled envelope, "...this." He threw it in front of him. I took it slowly, and realised it was still sealed. "You haven't open them?" I said. Kai shook his head. "I don't want to know what she wrote. I don't want to care about it." He said, coldly.

"Aren't you curious?" I looked at him deeply, but he just refuses. "What do I need to know about someone who threw me...No...correction. Threw us away? I am not going to read it. You can't make me." He said, shaking his head. "Alright. If you say so..." I cooed him, nicely, I am after all his sister. We walked along the pavement as we talked more.

"How's your adoptive family treat you?" I asked. "They're okay. They gave me a lot of sport tools to play with, and they encourage me doing all kinds of sports. I broke this finger in football practice," He showed me his pinky finger. I smiled. "Looks like you're doing well. How's your academics?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him. "I'm working on it." He slums in small smile, thinning his lips, feeling shy I suppose? "Let's get you cleaned up." I said and drove to the mansion. I took out a grey V-neck shirt from Chansung's closet, and placed it on the bed.

He was looking around like a kid in a toy store, in total daze. "What did you work as, to have afford this? Did you found the cure for cancer that I don't know about?" He asked as I patch on his cuts, apply ointment and massage on his bruised ribs. He's right. He has no one pack now. It's 6-pack and really hard. He must've stayed in gyms. He whimpers every now and then. Everytime he does so, I'd slap his arm and ask him to man-up. "After I am 20 and can choose my guardian, can I come and stay with you here?" His eyes glistened with sparkles of awe.

I took the used Q-tips and stood up, feeling heavy.

Kai didn't know about the wedding. He wasn't even invited. Kai lives with his adopted parents in Daegu, we were separated since we were young, but we wrote each other letters as we grew up, then became friends on Facebook, and call each other every now and then. And only now has he shown up in person to see me. I'm glad nothing else changed but his appearance. "Noona." He whispered my name. I took the cloth by the sofa and hand it to him. "Wear this while you wait. Once the clothes dry, we'll send you to the school." I said.  He comply and did as he was told. How am I going to explain this.

It's almost 6. Chansung would probably be on his way. I thought, as I was cooking. After watching his favourite reality show, Running Man on a 60-inch plasma flatscreen, Kai hussles down to the kitchen and gasped loudly at the feast placed at the front of him. "Noona, my birthday passed..." He said, with a blank look. "Of course it is. It has been awhile since I've cooked for you." I chuckled silently. He wriggles his index finger, and pursed his lips, "... I'm not getting myself fooled. It was you all along," shaking his head. "What? What did I do this time?" I asked him, tilting my head. "...You're giving me a one pack tummy like you did, before." He said, and shrugged. I put both arm on my waist. "Fine! Then don't eat." I said and started by lifting two of his favourite dishes. He hold my hand down and stopped me. "I was joking, aigoo noona...". I pushed my fist on his head.

The front swung open. Chansung was looking surprised.

"Chansung-oppa." I greeted. Kai joined me, looking more confused than ever. "Who is this?" Chansung asked. "This is Kai...My younger brother. Why don't you guys sit down, while I grab something, quickly..." I sprint off to the bedroom. "I'm Kai. Nice to meet you." Kai was being polite to this new stranger. But it doesn't seem like so with noona. Who is this man to her? It can't be her boyfriend. Because noona always believed in -after marriage.

"Hwang Chansung." Chan smiled. "You're one of the owner of the biggest hotel francais in Korea right?" Kai intterogate. "I suppose." Chansung sits. "Awesome. Our noona is the best." Kai whispered. I came with another dish and sit to join them. It was smouldered with silence at first, and soon it ease.

"How old are you, Kai?" Chansung asked. "I'm 18." Kai answered with admiration. He had more respect to him than to me. Hmm. "Kai is studying in the best school for sports in South Korea. He is waiting for a scholarship for further studies." I said. Chansung hmm-ed. "Have you done any interviews, so far?" Chansung asked. "No. I am still waiting for the scholarship interview list to come out and see if I have the chance to be interviewed." Kai nodded. "How's your grades?" He asked. "Err..." Kai hesitated. "Chansung..." I whispered. "...What sports do you play?" Chansung changed the topics. "All kinds. But I love wushu and basketball." Kai answered. "You play well?" Chansung asked. "Always gold." Kai smiled widely. "Hwang Corporation is sending out 10 scholarships to study abroad in sports and academics, and if you'll work harder on your university entrance exams, I'll save one for you. How's that sound?" Chansung stopped eating and leaned on his elbow. Kai was excited, he was all fired up. "...I'll work hard!" He bowed in appreciation. "But then, who are you to my noona?". I almost choked out of my food when I heard Chansung's respond.

"I'm her husband."