Most people would tell me never to talk to, or get involved with loan sharks. And here I am, about to step through this foggy doorway.
"Ah, what do we have here? Are you one of those little s who wander around looking for trouble?"
I grew serious, and took a step down the tiny stairway. There were about 3 other men along with who I'm guessing was the boss, all slumped over black leather couches. They dressed in ed dark collared shirts and long black pants with shiny leather shoes. The air reeked of alcohol and smoke, yet I got on my knees down on the floor a foot in front of the boss and let my sturdy, brave expression fade.
"My name is Park Shinhye. I've come to ask you to lend me some money, for my-"
"The reason... Doesn't matter. As long as you pay me back, I'll lend you as much as you need. Hmph, quite an honorable beg for wealth young girl."
I cleared my throat and ignored his obnoxious comments. "I need 600 million won."
"And do you have a way to pay me back?"
I paused. It was to save mother from cancer of the heart. It... Doesn't matter if I can or can't pay them back. "No." I gripped my fists as the other laughed among themselves at me.
"But I heard you have a different deal, right? A... Permanent one...?"
"Mm, you've heard right. A life for a life."
"Please, I'll do anything! I just need to save mother," I softened. The boss stood from his desk and signaled for the men to leave the room. They obeyed, and left the two of us in the fog.
"Well show me what you can do," he ordered.
"I... I can cook well. And I can clean anything no matter the mess. And-"
"Strip." I clutched my dress and frowned.
"I guess you didn't understand me. I said, strip!" I looked away and tried to think of anything else I was capable of.
"Here, don't want to listen? I'll do it myself!" He grabbed my shoulder and began sliding my sleeve off.
"Don't touch me," I demanded as I pushed his hand off. "I'll do it." I turned my back to him and brushed my hair to one side, and zipped my long sleeve dress off, and through it the side. He strolled around, scanning me.
"Not bad body, I admit." He held the back of my neck and pushed my lips next to his.
"Kiss me." I gritted my teeth and obeyed. I pulled away after he began trying to kiss back.
"Good, feisty and yet you still obey." He picked up my dress,"Time to burn this." I scoffed and tried ripping it away from his grasp. He pulled away, "Just kidding, hello?? Put your clothes on." He through my crumpled up dress at me and sat bag in his lounge.
"Shinhye, is it?" He asked watching me put my clothes back on intently. I nodded and avoided his gaze.
"Do you know what my name is?" He asked annoyingly. I looked to his desk where stood a gold name plate.
"Yonghwa."
"Mm. Well, have a seat. I'll send the money over to the hospital."
"How do you know which one she's in?"
"Believe me, I have lists and lists of them." He sealed an envelope and called one of his men in. The man took the envelope and walked to the doorway of the other room.
"Ah yes, and tell the other that you all are relieved as workers under me."

We sat in silence as he smoked cigars and stared at me.
"Why did you bother telling them to leave?"
"Because a woman needs privacy, correct?"he questioned. I lifted a brow and agreed.
"So cancer of the heart? Sounds like she ain't going to make it Shinhye."
"Don't say that!" I yelled. "She is going to be just fine!" I started to imagine life without my mother, her attention, her presence, and her high class cooking. A tear dropped onto my lap as I sobbed.
"I didn't mean it so harshly," he excused. "Anyway, what's your daily life like?"
I sighed, "I work at a caffe in Seoul. 8 am to 11 pm. Then I go home, and take care of my mom and brother."
"Sounds boring. Any drama? Like he likes her but you like him? Or any weird things happening?"
"No. I don't get involved with stuff like that. I don't have time to."
"But you just did." I nodded. I put down my purse and walked to the fish tank next to his desk. There were many salt water fishes, like clown fish, and puffer fish. I smiled and poked at them from outside the glass.
"You like fish?" He asked getting up and walking to the other side of the rectangular tank. My smile disappeared as he came closer.
"Yeah. They bring back a lot of memories of my father, and how used to bring me one fish every time he came back to Korea."
"Lucky."
"For what?" I asked, puzzled.
"For your memories. I never had a family. I raised myself, and this is what I worked to make. Endless rushes of money that I can give and throw to anyone in need. But that would be stupid and too generous. The world wasn't generous to me, so I'm not generous to them." He walked around the room with his hands in his pants pockets. I thought deeply about what he said. There seemed to be so much arrogance in his voice, but I could see he wanted a family, even at his grown up age.
"I can give you memories," I offered, staying serious. He laughed a bit, "Yeah, how?"
"I'll be your mother. Just like I told you before I signed our contract. I can cook, clean, and I will treat you like my son, even if you don't care for me."
"Hmph, you're just trying to get on the good side of me. But fine, that sounds... Alright." I thought to myself... He was right. I only smiled and talked to him to get on his good side. But if this could help me get out of here someday, then it'd be worth the faking.
"Do you have a kitchen? Or groceries?"
"No, but I have a bathroom and a microwave."
"I'm going to buy ingredients for something then," I informed, strapping my bag. He grabbed me by the shoulder before I could get to the stairs.
"Wait for me. You might run away, so I'm coming."

Yonghwa POV-
I don't trust her. She might run away. I glanced at her carefully as we walked to a nearby market, making sure she didn't get to far away from me.
"Yah, stop walking so fast."

She picked up and several vegetables and lifted them like weights.
"Hmm, they seem healthy. Can you get me a bag?" She asked, pointing to a rack with a round cylinder roll of plastic bags. Should I do this for her? She should do it herself, she's my slave. I hesitantly tore a bag off of the roll and handed it to her.
"Thanks," she said casually. She's not even scared of me... Others that come to see me are terrified of me. I cleared my throat and walked to the meat section. When was the last time I ate real food?? For the past few months I've only been eating instant ramen and occasionally packet curries.
"Which one do you want?" She asked me. I looked at the juicy red flabs of meat, the good ones. I handed one to her, and she laid it down in the arm basket. We continued on, checking almost every product we saw. To buy the overflowing goods in the basket, she used her credit card, and payed the bill that came out to over a hundred dollars.

"We're going to have to go to a grill house to cook this stuff since you dont have a stove. I know a good one." She led me to several tents over flat cement slabs.

"Ms, can I have one unit and a grill stove?" She asked.

"Oh, are the two of you a couple? How sweet! That'll be 20,000 won. I'll add in a room for 10,000 won," she suggested.

"No-"

I interrupted Shinhye and agreed to the lady's deal. "Yes please." Shinhye looked at me, upset. "There's no room in my building for another person tosleep. Plus, this way I can keep a better eye on you so you dont escape." She sighed and handed the lady 30,000 won. She whispered to me, gritting her teeth, "Now she really thinks we're a couple."

Smoke rose from the grill as Shinhye pressed the red steak against the grill bars.

"Really? One room?" She questioned me as she added green onions, round onions, and carrots to the grill.

"Well, its what she offered. Besides, if we had two rooms it'd be expensive and in convenient for me to watch you," I made up. Why did I really agree to one room...?

Some time later, she plated the food on two glass plates, and handed me one. I prepared my chopsticks and began eating.

"Your chopsticks are uneven," she commented.

"Why does it matter?"

"It just does." She smiled and began eating the vegetables.

"You dont want steak," I taunted.

"No, you can eat it." I blinked twice as an awkward feeling set in. Fine then, dont eat any, I get more for myself.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Okay, so how is the two shot so far? Lolz I hope you liked it and will read the final upcoming part when it is released (very soon)! Thanks for reading!!! ><