Chapter Sixteen
Angel Vessel
Then suddenly Woohyun disappeared from beside me. He appeared right behind Myungsoo and grabbed his gun and shoved Myungsoo towards the orb of light. It all happened so fast, my eyes struggled to follow.
Myungsoo's voice cried out in pain. Then slowly something or rather someone separated from him. None of my muscles would allow me to move as I watched on, horrified. The hooded figure that had finally separated from Myungsoo stood up straight. But I could not see his face, his cloak seem to cast an abnormal shadow across it . He started to laugh. It was a cold dark laugh that seemed to grind against my nerves like sandpaper.
"You may have forced me out of the boy, but you've reached your limit." He turned to Woohyun. Woohyun was breathing hard. "I'll always be ready to fight you." He ground out. The hooded figure kicked out and Woohyun moved his hands up to block the kick but he was thrown back. "Myungsoo!" I finally found the strength to move and ran forward. "No, Minji! Stop!" Woohyun cried out throwing a hand out to caution me. "Don't touch her!"
"You can call me the Reaper." He ignored Woohyun and kicked out towards me, but I side stepped it and tried to land a kick of my own. Instead of blocking my attack, he grabbed my ankle. His grip was hard and he started to squeeze. I saw his hand start to glow red and pain ripped through my ankle as I heard an audible crack. "You are never going to be strong enough to win this. He was worried for nothing." And he shoved me away. My back hit the table and I groaned in pain.
He bent down near Myungsoo's unconscious form. "You seem to care about this one. I'll use him more." And laid a hand on Myungsoo. "N-No!"
Woohyun grabbed his arm and tried to punch him, but the Reaper chuckled and flipped Woohyun over his shoulder to the floor. Woohyun landed with a grunt. His foot came down next, right on Woohyun's chest and ground his foot into Woohyun's ribs. He coughed in pain. "No. Stop." I tried to get up. "Get back!" Woohyun growled as he grabbed the Reaper's calf and threw him off. He tried to get to his feet.
Woohyun's hand started to glow blue. "You never know who you might hurt, if you use that." The Reaper guy tsked disapprovingly. "You!" His eyes glowed again and he tried to land a blow. "Woohyun!" I cried as I saw the Reaper push Myungsoo's body between them. Woohyun stopped short of Myungsoo's head. The glow immediately went away from his hand and eyes.
"Well it's time for my farewell." He kicked Woohyun away and grabbed Myungsoo before they both disappeared. This wasn't really happening. This had to be another nightmare. I chanted both these things in my mind like a mantra.
Woohyun grabbed his chest and got to his feet to come to my side. "Are you okay, Minji?" He rested a hand on my shattered ankle and started to heal it. A pulling pain started, but then it slowly numbed and completely dissipated. He gritted his teeth and then his expression softened as he met my eyes. "Minji? Are you o-" I slapped him across the face.
His eyes widened as my red handprint appeared on his cheek. "You can't protect anything!" I shouted and slammed a hand into chest. He grabbed his chest, his expression pained. "You let him get taken. You almost killed him." I said angrily. I slapped him again. His expression became sullen and reserved.
I raised my hand again and he caught my wrist. "Stop hitting me." He said the same time the throbbing pain in my back subsided. "I don't need you to heal me!" I jerked from his grip and tried to shove him away from me. "Minji, listen to me!" Woohyun said trying to reason with me.
I tried to hit him again, but suddenly the strength left my hand and it dropped to my side. He is already injured. A voice echoed in the back of my mind. The same one that help me free myself. I grabbed my head. "Minji, are you okay?" Woohyun's expression panicked and he cupped my cheeks. Tears stung my eyes as I used my free hand to grab a handful of the front of his sweater.
"What did you do to me?!" I said through my gritted teeth and tears. His eyes dropped and he looked away. "I owe you an explanation." He said softly. "Yes. But I don't want to see your face right now." And I got up and ran towards the door. Woohyun tried to get up but one of his legs buckled from underneath him and he went down grabbing his chest in pain. "Minji, wait!" But I just took one cold look at him and left.
Hands shaking I pulled out a cigarette and lit it when I got outside the apartment complex. "I didn't ask for any of this. Someone else needs to be this stupid Angel Vessel." I said to myself, trying to control my shaking. Whenever I blinked, I could only see Myungsoo disappearing before my eyes and the chilling smirk of the guy underneath his hood.
Taking a drag, I let out a breath. "Calm down. Calm down Park Minji." I said softly to myself. I sat down at a food stand. "One bottle of soju, please." I said. "Ah, Minji. You're here awfully early. You and Myungsoo usually don't come until late at night." I gave her a weak smile. "I need a drink." I said and the ahjumma set down a bottle and a plate of spicy rice cakes. I looked up from the plate of steaming food. "But I didn't order this." I said. "Free of charge." She gave me a wink. "Detective Kim better come and cheer up his girlfriend soon." And I blinked at her. "Yeah." I looked away and took a shot of soju.
I was on my third bottle when a warm hand touched my shoulder. "Myungsoo." I turned around but it was Sunggyu. He had a concerned look on his face. "Minji, are you okay?"
"Yeah." I answered. I laid down some money and got up. "Wait." Sunggyu said and caught me when I stumbled. "You're drunk. Let me take you somewhere safe." He said. "Thank you, Prosecutor." I said. "Please, Sunggyu is fine."
"Sunggyu." I said and he smiled. "There you go."
He wrapped a hand around my waist to support me and I blushed. "Don't worry, I won't let you fall." When he said those words, Woohyun's face flashed in my mind and I felt my hands closed into fists. Was that all guys knew how to say? Useless and meaningless empty words or comfort. I blinked. Sunggyu wasn't Woohyun. I shouldn't be thinking ill of someone I wasn't familiar with.
Soon we got to his car and after he helped me into the passenger seat, he started driving. I rested my throbbing head against the window. "Where are you going?" I asked softly.
"Somewhere I can get you some tea and a mean bowl of hangover soup." He smiled. Seeing his smile in the faint reflection of the window seem to settle my nerves. I reached into my pocket to pull out my box of cigarettes and my lighter. He reached over and took them from me. "Hey." I protested a little. "Close you eyes." He put his hand over mine. "These aren't good for you." And as he said that I felt my eyelids droop close and I drifted off.
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