CHAPTER 7 | CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT

 

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It had been about a month since I left home. No one called me yet, which was a surprise. Mother, of all persons, should be fuming right now and go to some extreme measures to take me back. Like cutting off my phone bills. I didn’t bring any credit cards out with me because I’m scared that they’ll track me down. However, today, father called me. Hearing his voice made me miss home, just a little. Though he wasn’t there much when I grew up, I knew he loved me a lot. He wanted to meet me so I told Roxy to cover for me today.

 

I went to Yoon Enterprises and got to the top floor. Father was still in a meeting. His table was littered with documents everywhere, and his mug was stained with coffee from the morning. Beside his nameplate, was the Yoon family photo, when grandfather and grandmother were still in Seoul. I was perhaps about five. Mother was actually smiling and everyone looked happy. Even Uncle and Auntie, holding Woo Ryung in their arms. Of course Woo Ryung is still in school now, oblivious to the horrible things the world has to offer.

 

Soon, father walked into the room. I almost couldn’t recognize him. He seemed more wrinkled, his hair turned even whiter and the bags under his eyes drooped.

 

“Oh Yu Ri ah, you’re here? Take a seat,” his face lit up, like a kid who was offered candy. I felt a pang in my heart.

 

“Yes, father. What do you want to talk to me about?”

 

“Can’t I just want to see my daughter for no reason?” He tried to lighten the mood but all I felt was sadness. I kept quiet.

 

“It’s your mother. Please come home Yu Ri. She is not well. Her anger has gotten the best of her and she slapped the housekeeper yesterday because she got a drop of water on her. Your mother loves you, that’s why she is like that now. Her pride is strong and would never admit that she is wrong. I cannot take care of her and the company at the same time. Our house is falling apart. She even tried to burn your things but I stopped her. Just go home and take a look, for me.”

 

“Father… The moment I walked away from this life is because I had enough. Not only mother, but everything. I do want to take over the company, it is not my dream. All these years I have done what mother wanted me to do but now I have enough courage to go chase my dream, don’t make me go back home. I know you wish for me to follow your footsteps and keep the company in the Yoon name but there’s also Woo Ryung. Just wait for a few more years, he will take over. I like my life now, I am happy. Please, I just want to leave my old life behind.”

 

“I understand, daughter. But treat this as a last favor from me. Just visit your mother once, and take everything you need. Don’t worry about money, I’ll send allowance into your bank account. You can forget about the past but remember the door would always be open for you.”

 

“For you father, I’ll go back one last time.”

 

I stared at the man in front of me, he doesn’t look like someone who is in charge of Yoon Enterprises. I hugged him and made a silent promise that I’ll visit him from time to time.

 

 

 

 

The house loomed like the devil’s lair. I opened the gates and walked along the driveway. The fountain stopped sputtering water and the flowers in mother’s prized garden have withered.

 

The moment I entered the house, I can hear someone shouting.

 

“I want the 1994 wine, not the 2004! Why can’t you do such a simple task? Do you want to lose your job?”

 

Mother’s back was facing me and I gestured for the housekeeper to leave.

 

“Why are you here?”

 

“To take my things.”

 

“Aren’t you great enough to runaway? You can live your own life, you don’t even want to be a part of Yoon anymore. Nothing in this house belongs to you. All I’ve done for you has gone down the drain. You will not get a cent from me. Get out, I don’t have a daughter like you.”

 

I sighed. I don’t have anything else to say to her. I went upstairs to my room and packed up my things. When I was about to leave, I saw something glinting on the dressing table. The ring! One of these days I need to return it to him, no matter how much I hate the bastard.

 

I made my way around town, not wanting to go home yet. It was already nighttime. I somehow ended up at Luna with my 2 luggage by my side. I wanted to go in but the bouncer stopped me. I had to leave my luggage by the door. Truthfully, I was a bit worried about people stealing it but after the completely horrid day, I couldn’t care less.

 

I pushed through all the people inside, neon lights embracing me which brought a little comfort. I got straight to the bar and ordered vodka. Mother won’t be here anymore, I could finally stop drinking non-alcoholic drinks. While waiting for my drinks, I looked around the club. Sweaty bodies, drunken people, all of them quite high. Except for me. Having been cooped up in the shelter my whole life, can I just let loose and have a little fun?

 

“Hey.”

 

I looked to my right, where someone just sat on the stool beside me.

 

GD.

 

Why not have his company for a little while. I am Kim Eun Ji now, I can do whatever I want.

 

“Hey yourself. Did you hang up the painting?” I asked, downing the vodka that arrived. I almost choked because it burnt my throat. Maybe I shouldn’t drink it all at one go.

 

He laughed. But it was so quiet that you couldn’t hear it unless you see the sides of his mouth going up. It was such a weird laughter, which I thought was a bit girly.

 

“She did that too…”

 

“What? What did you say? Who did what?” I asked because I really couldn’t hear him with the music around. His face went back to his usual sad, angry, and tired look. I have officially established that it wasn’t because he was drunk, his face was just like that.

 

“Nothing that you would understand. I see you’re a first timer. Never tasted alcohol before?” he raised his left brow. He doesn’t look as intoxicated as before so I guess he’s sort of sober.

 

“Of course I did,” I said in my defense.

 

“Yeah sure, wine and champagne only, perhaps?”

 

How did he guess?

 

“Nothing to say anymore right? Kim Eun Ji, what do you exactly do? You are an interesting person.”

 

Me? Interesting? That was probably the first time anyone said that to me. I kept quiet, observing this person in front of me. It seemed like he was expecting some sort of reaction from me.

 

“I do not like alcohol. But what about you? You are obviously an alcoholic.”

 

“Me? I am someone who had seen most of the world. Had enough of it I should say. I climbed and climbed and climbed to the top, but what is happiness? Who do I have now? I have gained but lost too.” He then laughed cruelly.

 

“I can’t say that I’ve seen the world, but I experienced things I do not want to. But after I took a step away, I feel this kind of emptiness inside. I can’t say that I’m the happiest now, but at least I’m happier than before.”

 

“You and me… We are different but somehow the similar at the same time don’t you think?”

 

I have to agree with him on that. After that, we stopped talking and just enjoyed our drinking. For him anyway. I was still trying to figure out alcohol.

 

For a while, we were lost in our own train of thoughts but he suddenly popped a surprising question.

 

“Would you like to go somewhere with me?” He did not look up from his drink and continued swirling the cup.

 

“Where.”

 

“You don’t need to know. Just follow me. I’m sure you have nothing else to do anyway.”

 

He pushed his chair back and looked at me with those sad eyes of his. I sighed and got up too.

 

We left the club and walked into the night. Cigarette smoke filled my nostrils as GD took a lit. I almost forgotten about my luggage as I trailed beside him but at the last minute, I shot back to collect it. Thank god it was still intact. GD shot me an irritated look and I shrugged my shoulders. What’s wrong with waiting for a few seconds?

 

I pulled my luggage behind me, making a lot of noise. We came to the residential area in the poorer part of town. The streets were dirty and the streetlamp was flickering. There was a dog who barked when it saw me but I shooed it away. It had its canines out as if it wanted to attack me. Its not that I don’t trust GD, strangely I did, but why would he take me to a place like this? We made another turn and he stopped. The building in front of us was falling apart, black and dirty and the playground looked as if it wasn’t touched for many years. This was basically a trash area.

 

“Is this our destination?” I asked hesitantly, wondering if I should break his train of thoughts or not.

 

“Yes.”

 

He pushed past the bushes that were much overgrown and walked towards the swings. And sat on it. Without cleaning. I was shocked. They were really gross and an like him would probably be all icky about it. I carefully sat down on the swing next to his, but not without using my sweater as a seat cover. It was definitely rickety and when I swung, I could hear the hinges squeaking. I was waiting for him to start to say something but nothing came.

 

“Why did you bring me here?”

 

“Just because.”

 

I didn’t question him anymore, just swung around, kicking the ground.

 

“Did you know I lived here when I was a kid?”

 

Oh. No wonder he brought me here.

 

“Our family was really poor. My parents worked really hard to support my sister and me. Sometimes we don’t even have food to eat. My sister stays at home and study a lot so she could have a better future and earn more money to support dad and mom. But I never liked studying so I come down here to play. But no one likes to play with me. They tease me about the holes in my clothes, say I have no parents because they are always away at work, they laugh at me and beat me up but I couldn’t do anything because I was too weak, and whatever they said were true. I hated my family a lot then, because I did nothing to deserve all the teasing and beatings. I kept wondering why god put me in this family, why the kids dislike me because I’m poor, why is life so unfair. I still come down to this playground but run away when I see the kids because I’m scared. I detested my family but I detested myself more for being a weakling.”

 

“I never knew.” I said, a bottle of emotions just opened up inside me. Having lived a privileged life, I had no idea what poverty felt like. But this person here, he went through so much because he was poor.

 

“Of course you don’t, no one did. You see that over there?” he pointed to the bottom of a tree. “I buried my feelings there, along with my heart.”

 

He offered me a cigarette.

 

“No thank you. I don’t smoke.”

 

“Suit yourself.”

 

“Do you see the star up there? And there and there? If you join it up, it forms a heart. If you ever feel sad, look at it take some courage. Because courage is what we all need to get on with life. Come on, lets dance till we forget about the unhappiness.”

 

I got up from the swing and start moving around, not caring if it was ridiculous.

 

“Come join me!”

 

I pulled him up and we went round and round in circles like a bunch of idiots. I started singing this song I’ve heard when I was in New York.

 

Come Little Children

I'll Take Thee Away, Into A Land

Of Enchantment

 

Come Little Children

The Time's Come To Play

Here In My Garden

Of Shadows

 

Follow Sweet Children

I'll Show Thee The Way

Through All The Pain And

The Sorrows

 

Weep Not Poor Children

For Life Is This Way

Murdering Beauty And

Passions

 

Hush Now Dear Children

It Must Be This Way

To Weary Of Life And

Deceptions

 

Rest Now My Children

For Soon We'll Away

into The Calm And

The Quiet

 

Come Little Children

I'll Take Thee Away, Into A Land

Of Enchantment

 

Come Little Children

The Time's Come To Play

Here In My Garden

Of Shadows

 

When I’m done, I grabbed his face with both hands and looked straight into his eyes.

 

“Because, GD, we are the children of the night. The darkness that shrouds us would protect us.”

 

I let go of his face and tried to catch my breath. All that dancing and singing was tiring.

 

“You can sing well.” He sounded amazed.

 

“Of course, I can do everything.”

 

In truth, I just had singing lessons when I was young.

 

“Let’s go home now,” I said. Today was long, and I’m worn out.

 

He led the way and I thought we were going to walk from here back to Suites 81 but alas, at the main road, we hailed a cab and got home.

 

In the lift, he did something totally shocking.

 

“Thank you for making me laugh tonight.”

 

I was still stunned by that statement when the lift doors opened but he shoved me out.

 

In my heart, I truly hoped that he could stay this way forever, but I know that would never happen, because he hasn’t been fully repaired yet. I know because I feel the same the way. Compared to that tiny moment of happiness, there are still many blocks of ugliness in life.

 

And I realized that I did not return him the ring yet.

 

 

A/N: I don't know if anyone actually reads this but if you do, do you think I should add some chapters to this story? Oh, and please subscribe if you like this. Thank you! xx

 

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Fortune

http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/646036

Oh Yool is accused of murder and the only who can help her is Kwon Jiyong, the man who betrayed her at the very last moment.