Chapter 5 : Hurt

« Hi I'm Bobby ! Can I talk to you please », the boy said a large smile plastered on his face, making his eyes squinted.

Hayi was eating with Jennie and Eunbi when this boy showed from nowhere. She remembered he was Hanbin's best friend.

« What do you want ? »

« Chill, Yoonhyeong send me. »

« Oh » Was he taking her to see Hanbin ? She wished she can apologize properly.

« Stand up »

« No need to talk like this ! », she said pissed but stood up nonetheless, another cheeky guy.

« I was sure he liked feisty girls ! » He was laughing. Again, a friend of this boy mentioned he was liking her. She knew they did this to make fun of him or her probably. She didn't care, all she wanted was to make things clearer between him and her.

« Sorry, you're ready ? », he said seeing the girl stoic face.

« Yes, I follow you » and she left her friends who were dumbfounded. She will explain all this mess to them later.

Dong Youngbae was sitting in front of her in his usual hiphop style and bright smile. He hadn't change much, forget the fact he matured. The second he had entered the bar he had recognized her, she had been his good friend before then, more of a confident. Dara was thrilled to see him, she was happy he accepted the appointement whereas in the past years she had not really bothered to know about him. They took different paths. She was also very curious of what he could tell her about this "Jiyong". They started the conversation naturally, as if they had left each other last eve.

First, they talked about random things : work, lovelife (he was single), hobbies, weather... Soon Dara had to ask him about what she had searched for him.

« You remember when you always complained about your friend at highschool ? I had almost to console you sometimes... », she started to chuckle but saw him stiffen.

« Ah yes, you remembered that ?... », he seems bothered.

« I'm sorry Youngbae, I didn't want to make you unease. », she regreted, « I've to confess that I wanted this meeting because I need your help... »

« About what ? », he asked suspicious.

« Well, I'll explain you the all story... I've got a friend who had been swindle and it happened that when she said the name of her crook, I'd remembered you mentioned it : Jiyong... »

« What do you want to know ? I warn you, it's a sensitive subject for me, can I trust you ? What will you with the informations I tell you ? » It seemed that she had irritated him as he was questionning her.

« Sorry, I'm really sorry, but I do this for my friend. If you mind about what I'll did, I can't guarantee you that I'll be sitting doing nothing whereas that friend of yours is making his illegal business. I want justice, that's what I work for. »

They looked in each other eyes intently. Then, he sighed :

« Ok, I trust you and to be honest it doesn't bother me so much if you get him to trial », yet he smiled, he continued : « I know well this world, you don't know but I went two years in jail... »

« I know, can I recall you that I work in a trial ? At that time I was studying for my future whereas you... »

« Don't feel guilty, I'm not mad at you, I understand your choice... moreover I'm happy now, jail didn't make me worse ! », he joked.

« You're kind », she said thanking him.

« But if I remember you're not an investigator either », he smiled cheekily.

« You, you didn't really change... » Inside, she was so grateful to him. He became a real gentleman.

Kim Hanbin came out of the gym, thanks to sport he had released his anger. Indeed, he was angry at Hayi, why she didn't defend him ? « Because you have been a jerk to her » Yes, but he had apologize before this crazy woman pretented he was a heartbreaker ! How people can believe that he can hang out with Hayi ? thinking of it... No, moreover she stood up to him, she called him names, he couldn't deal with the fact this girl had resisted him at the convenient store. He had to shut , but on an other hand he didn't want to anymore, he was feeling bad about it. Keeping his bad boy image would be difficult.

He was going to class, when he saw Bobby and... Lee Hayi, the girl of his nightmares. He furrowed his brows when they approached him. « What on earth is Bobby doing with her ? » he asked himself. Nonetheless, he waited for them.

« Hi bro' ! Look at who I met... »

« Why are you bringing her ? », he asked sharpely.

« Chill, Hayi is my friend now, ne ? » The girl didn't know what to respond, the cold stare of Hanbin was immobilising her.

« Bobby, stop acting, stop all this  », he turned to her, « what do you want ? »

« Hmm, I... I just wanted to apologize to you... », she stammered, she didn't believe he will react so harshly.

« You know what ? », he smirks, « you can put it in your your apology ! »

« Why are you reacting like that ? », she was hurt, « I just wanted to... »

Suddenly, he cut her sentence by pushing her out of his way. She watched him move away on her bottom, shocked. She had fell at his hard push. Bobby tried to help her but she refused. She went away, holding her tears.

In the metro that was taking her home, Dara recounted about what Youngbae had said. At the beggining, he and Kwon Jiyong were bestfriends, they had known each other since primary school, same story as her and Bom. They had grown in the suburbs of Seoul and with financial difficulties they started to steal little things like chocolates or sunglasses, they were playing. It became worst at highschool when they met hyungs who teach them better tricks and enroled them in their stealing business. It wasn't a game anymore, Youngbae quickly saw that he must stop there, that this illegal worls was too dangerous, too violent, he didn't want to waste his life in drugs and streetfights or be shot. When he was arrested, he confessed he had steal alone or in gang ten shops, big or no, but he had never used violence as beating or shoting on someone. It is because that he had a merciful sentence, to be exact he did less than two years. He had reclaimed his life and began successful.

About his now former friend Jiyong, this one did not follow the rendemption road, quite the opposite he became a famous crook in Seoul with numerous victims. All he was doing was swindle, he wasn't in fights or drugs (he had for a short period) and was his own boss, making his own business. He was very influent, he got many contacts, but he also had a few enemies. Youngbae saw him swallowed by the darkness, he was loosing him and tried to stop the process but went in jail. When he had been liberated, he had searched for him but was stopped on his tracks because he had get worse and that he didn't want to mix with illegality anymore. He had abandonned the hope to see him again.

When she had ask for a place he usually go, he had hesitated a moment, but finally had writen a casino adress on a paper, saying he will be there with any luck. She saw that she made him melancolic, searching for sad memories made him wounded even if he had reasured her. She was touched and grateful that he trust her and let all of this out of his chest. Now, she can take revenge on this shark for Bom and Youngbae.

Choi Seunghyun and Park Bom met in a café called "Enjoy this moment", but they enjoyed anything. Their first meeting was a disaster. At the beggining, they were polite, even exchanged some jokes, but when Bom started to tell her misadventure, he found her stupid to fell into a so obvious swindle, and argue on the fact that nothing but the man's behaviour should have warned her.

« And you give this money away like that, without blinking ! You didn't realise what you were doing Miss Park ? » It didn't sounded as a question but an accusation. Bom couldn't stand all of this anymore, he called her stupid !

« Hey Mister, wasn't you here to help me ?! Stop being cheeky ! »

« If I had known that Dara's friend was a social case... »

« Did you just call me a social case ? You think you would have see the trick Mister Perfect ?! »

« In fact... yes. »

« What a jerk !! », she insulted him.

« Watch what you are saying stupid female ! And stop being noisy, you're not improving your outcast position... », he said putting his fingers in his ears.

« Hya ! You stupid jerk, you think I'm a fool ! I'll show you how I'm a stupid fool ! », she threatened him banging her fist on the table.

« Yuk, you're actually not a woman but a gorilla ! », he told her with a disgust look.

« I'll hit you if you are not stoping right now to send me insults... »

« Idiot » One provocation too many.

She stood up so harshly that her chair fell on the floor causing a crashing sound heard by all the customers, who were yet looking at them because of Bom's screaming. She approached him as if she was going to slap him, but stopped midway. Her face was red and marked by anger.

« Screw you » she finally said with a death glare. He glared back at her, but he didn't have the time to respond she was yet out of the café. Everybody stay silent after the slamming sound of the door. Then the waiter gave him the bill : Bom left without paying. Damn, she will have to pay him back. Really, she was talented for contracting debts.

******

Annyeong everybody!

A lot of argument in this chapter, a real tumult!

Hope you enjoy it! I promise you better hanhi and topbom moments ;)

Love and peace,

wanderingmood