Chapter 25: Wonderland III

“Hey Kai Doll.”

“Hey hyung, what’s up?”

“Do you want to see how wonderland looks like?”

“This is my gift of appreciation.”

Da Hyun’s gaze fell on the black suitcase and then darted at the middle aged man.

“Please forward my greetings to Cop.”

“Oh, so that’s what this was about”, Da Hyun smirked darkly.

She was sitting on the desk beside a black suitcase while the man stood in front of her with his hands behind his back. She knew that once she’d enter the scene all kind of people would contact her in an attempt to get closer to her uncle, who was known as Cop in the underworld. He never explained why he had chosen such a name, but it suited him because he always tried to maintain peace. That’s why Da Hyun had been extremely surprised when he had taken over Incheon and when she had witnessed the fight at the club over a month ago. Her uncle was usually the one solving conflicts, not the one creating them.

“I have a message for you to spread”, she said, tapping her fingers on the sleek surface of the suitcase.

“I’ll help you with anything within my power.” The man nodded, looking at her expectantly.

Da Hyun jumped off the table and signaled for the man to lean a bit lower; when he did she pulled out her gun out and pressed it to his forehead.

“Kang Daisy is not a pushover. Got it?”

The man gasped in shock when he saw the threatening look in Da Hyun’s eyes. There was a short tense silence and he had no idea how to react. She didn’t seem to be joking.

“Now fu.ck off and keep your white death out of my area. Or I’ll make you swallow it and watch you die!” she spat, pushing the gun into his forehead. She grabbed the suitcase and tossed it at the man’s chest. Of all things, she hated drugs the most and she had no sympathy for anyone who was involved in dealing. They were not human beings. They were trash and they deserved to be sent to hell. “You want Cop’s attention then go his shoes!”

*

Ever since Sehun had brought up Sating Dreams Karaoke and Kim Ah Sung, it had been bothering Hong Kyu – lingering at the back of his mind. He also wondered about Jin Ki’s attitude towards the ‘wolf boy’, he seemed to favor the prosecutor but at the same time he was extremely cautious. What bothered Hong Kyu the most was the fact that Ah Sung’s nickname had been ‘Daisy’, which was also Da Hyun’s underground name, given to her by her father. There was definitely something shady about that.

One month had passed since the incident at the warehouse but Hong Kyu had been too busy working to think about anything related to the matter. For a while, he left Da Hyun on her own and during that short time she had managed to get herself a gang. She had even purchased an old sketchy underground bar on one of the narrow backstreets of Hongdae, solely for hangout purposes. There were 15 people in the gang and all of them worked in different fields, a few were thugs for hire, some worked at the docks, others in different nightclubs and bars around Hongdae, and a few were from the red light district areas. Her three bodyguards had turned into loyal gang members too.

The focus was still to find out more about Jung Woo’s murder and lately Da Hyun was trying to get a hold of Min Seok. He constantly slipped away, always on the move or hiding. It’s not that he had many enemies – he just didn’t like being surrounded by people. Hong Kyu had a feeling that something would inevitably go wrong and that’s why he took a leave from work – to join Da Hyun so he could be around her as much as possible.

Jin Ki regarded the Jung Woo investigation a joke. He took the whole matter very lightly unlike Sun Mi, who was constantly trying to get Da Hyun to stop her stunts. But Da Hyun wouldn’t listen to anyone, she did what she wanted to do and she was determined to get to the bottom of the murder case. “Let her have some fun”, was Jin Ki’s opinion. He too seemed to be busy with something shady.

Now that Hong Kyu had more free time, he decided to snoop around Satin Dreams Karaoke. It beat him how Sehun had managed to get the favors of the madame of that place since she was known to be secretive and mysterious. She was notorious and never let anyone close, let alone favored anyone. It was hard to do business with her because she didn’t trust anyone, not even her own girls. Perhaps she didn’t trust even herself.

“Ahjussi! Today is such a nice day, right?” Hong Kyu smiled brightly at the old guard at the door. He was sitting on a chair, leaning slightly forward and nodding off. Upon hearing a voice, he straightened up, fixing his cap and narrowing his eyes at the younger male.

“What do you want?” he asked suspiciously, glancing around for good measure.

“Have you seen this man around here?” Hong Kyu held Sehun’s old photograph in front of the man’s face – he had gotten one from Shin Hye.

“Depends on who is asking.” The man eyed Hong Kyu suspiciously.

A knowing smirk tugged at younger male’s lips and he took out a thick envelope from the inside pocket of his blazer. The old man accepted it promptly and went through the cheques, counting the amount and humming with satisfaction. Once again he looked around – to make sure that no one was watching – and signaled for Hong Kyu to lean closer as he stuffed the envelope into the pocket of his pants.

“It’s been about 4 or 5 years since I saw him the last time. He was very close with the madame”, the man whispered and then he paused, glancing around yet again. “Everyone called him Rocky and he sold the goods directly to her, clean stuff, almost pure. It came from Snazz’s factory and that stuff was hard to get. You probably know that he mainly traded at Gangnam and it was really expensive. But I guess madame got it with discount.”

Hong Kyu stared at the man with skeptical look in his eyes. “Rocky, you said?” He had heard that name before. “You mean as in 3rd ringleader in Snazz’s distribution chain?”

The guard frowned, stiffening a little as if afraid he had made a mistake. “You better go to Gangnam for more information.”

Hong Kyu nodded absentmindedly.

“Go to Ritz and ask for Snake, he should know more about this.”

“Snake?” Hong Kyu blinked. “He was involved?”

“I don’t know”, the old man whispered hastily. “Go find him.”

“Oh right”, Hong Kyu snapped his fingers, realization crossing his face. “What about Daisy? Do you remember anyone by that name working here? Daisy or Kim Ah Sung.”

The old man paled. “N-no”, he hissed. “Just go! I have told you too much already.”

*

A group of eight men in their forties sat around a low table at a Korean barbecue restaurant, eating and drinking. They were already getting tipsy and the atmosphere was jolly. Other customer’s stole glances at them because they were being so loud and rude. However, judging by the looks of it they were gangsters, so no one dared to complain or say anything.

The door opened and in walked a young man in black fitting suit. He had a cute face and short spiked hair, looking way too prim and proper for such a cheap restaurant. His almond shaped eyes searched the dining area and landed at the table of the noisy gangsters – a playful smirk instantly twisting his lips. As he walked briskly past the tables women stole glances at him, his appearance was polished from head to toe and he smelled like wealth. But Hong Kyu did not notice all those flirtatious smiles, seductive glances, and cute giggles for his attention was on the male company only.

When he reached the table he bowed with respect, ing his blazer and loosening his tie before sitting down beside one of them. No one paid much attention to him and he sat still and quiet for a long while – waiting patiently. Finally, the man beside him turned to look at him questioningly and Hong Kyu leaned closer to whisper something into his ear. The man’s smile dropped instantly and his eyes narrowed, he excused himself and left the table with Hong Kyu trailing behind him. They stepped out from the restaurant and Hong Kyu offered him a cigarette, which he accepted gladly.

“Rocky, eh?” Snake exhaled strings of smoke, tapping his foot nervously. “Why are you looking into him?”

“Just”, Hong Kyu glanced around with caution. “I heard someone saw him in the prison.”

“You kidding me?” Snake scoffed. “He disappeared three years ago and no one has seen him since then. I thought he was dead.”

“Did he fall out with Snazz over something?”

“Yeah”, Snake nodded, zoning out for a moment. “There was a big deal but someone snitched and the cops appeared at the scene. It’s said that Rocky betrayed Snazz so he could take the leader’s position, but no one knows for certain. The fu.cker just vanished into thin air after that. So, beats me.”

“How did he look like?” Hong Kyu silently thanked his luck for finding Snake in a drunken state. The man was talkative to begin with, but it was always easier to crack him when he was under the influence of alcohol.

“I don’t know”, Snake shrugged.

Hong Kyu raised a brow. “Hyung, seriously. You don’t know?”

Snake on the cigarette. “He was always wearing a black dust mask or a scarf and his hair was long – it covered his cheeks and forehead. He also liked to use caps. And he was really secretive about personal matters, never came out to party either. All I know for certain is that he killed Namsoo and took his place. Before that he was just a petty dealer.”

A frown settled on Hong Kyu’s face and he crossed his arms over his chest. “You are telling me that some lowlife thug from the gutter suddenly became a 3rd ring leader for Snazz. That’s pretty outrageous.”

Snake flicked the cigarette away, furrowing his brows and scrunching up his lips. “Hey, you don’t need to believe me but he killed Namsoo for real, shot him in the head. The next day he walked into Snazz’s office and told him that he was taking over.”

It did sound like something Sehun would do, Hong Kyu agreed silently.

“I guess Snazz thought it was interesting and accepted him.”

“So Rocky owned the streets of Gangnam, eh?” Hong Kyu smiled darkly. “For how long did he stay around?”

“He owned those damn streets real good”, Snake snorted. “Ritz was the only place where it was possible to actually meet him. Let’s see, I think he was there for over a year, maybe even two. I know that he used to hang out with Bacardi sometimes.”

“Yeah I know”, Hong Kyu sighed, wondering why this all had to happen when he hadn’t been involved yet. If only Jae Hyuk was still alive everything would be so much easier.

“Did he have any close friends or right-hand men or something?”

Snake gave it a thought. Hong Kyu handed him another cigarette and waited patiently. Snake lighted the cigarette and inhaled the poisonous smoke with a satisfied expression on his round face. “There was one guy, Coco.”

“Coco?” Hong Kyu mumbled. “I have never heard of him.”

“Those two were a big mystery. Besides, Coco wasn’t anyone important, he just had a lot of connections since he was the party type of a guy. Rocky was the brains and Coco was the face, together they were like one person. Everyone just referred to them as X-Files, it was a joke but anyway, they liked their privacy.” Snake quieted down for a moment and then as if remembering something he continued:

“Rocky was real good. He spread the goods like the wind. You give him 4 kilos and boom it’s gone with a blink of an eye. The next day he’d come back with a suitcase full of bills. So, no one bothered to find out more about him. I guess, people tried but failed. I think Snazz knew, but he is a mystery himself. But yeah, because of their fall out people refrain from talking about Rocky anymore. Obviously, Snazz doesn’t like to hear that name circling around. I mean, maybe he even was an undercover cop or something. You too, be careful kid. You never know who is watching.”

“I just know one thing.

If he ever dares to come back he is a dead man.”

A lot of people came to the funeral to pay respects to the deceased priest. They called him ‘father’ for he was a gentle soul, a lovable goodhearted man with only good intentions – carrying out endless good deeds during his meaningful life. Sacrificing his own wellbeing, he had been their protector and advisor, his encouraging words leading them to salvation and peace. Now they hoped for him to find his own eternal peace, for he had deserved every single bit of it. Blessed be his innocent and beautiful soul. “We need more people like him in this world so tainted with sins and corruption.”

The funeral was held the protestant style, in a small church outside Seoul, in a town where the priest had been born. He had started his work in the little rundown orphanage there and gained a lot of respect after putting enormous efforts into bettering the living conditions for the orphans. He was also known to send them to good schools, thanks to his wide connections and supporters. Though, after he had left the town for work in Seoul the donations for the orphanage had subsided until there was only one mysterious donor. No one blamed the priest, he couldn’t help leaving and the orphanage wasn’t his responsibility to begin with. He had helped with what he could and that’s what mattered.

After the funeral all guests were invited to the memorial, which was held at the orphanage, offering a simple meal and comfortable surroundings for people to relax and reminisce about the deceased. The kids were playing football on the field, oblivious to the grief and misery, which only existed in the adult world. No one blamed them for they were only kids, after all. So innocent and precious, each one of them.

“How do you know my grandfather?”

“Wh-what?” Jongin stuttered when a young woman walked to him and Min Seok. The latter had stopped to watch the kids’ game with a distant blank look in his eyes. He tossed one different glance at the woman and then ignored her.

“It’s… a long story”, Jongin said uncomfortably, a slight frown settling on his features. He didn’t understand why they were attending this funeral and why he had been dragged along. The whole situation was confusing for him and he wasn’t sure what to think. Sickening nausea welled at the bottom of his stomach.

“I understand.” The woman nodded. “I’m happy you could make it today despite the long distance. I assume you come all the way from Seoul?”

“Yeah.”

“How about coming inside for tea or coffee? They have baked a honey cake and it’s really delicious. It was my grandfather’s favorite. You know, this area is very famous for its honey production”, the woman explained with a smile. Without looking at her Min Seok shuddered, the corner of his lips twitching downwards.

“I don-“ Jongin trailed off when he saw how Min Seok’s eyes narrowed. “Hyung?”

Without a word, the older male slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants and walked past the woman towards the entrance of the building, bumping his shoulder into hers with force. She winced from the pain and stepped aside, looking after him with a puzzled look.

“Sorry, he is just very affected by this all”, Jongin said without sounding sorry at all, his voice was flat and the look in his eyes dark. “Someone died, after all.” And that’s for the better.

“Right, we all cope with sadness differently”, the woman sighed. “Grandfather must have been an important person to him.”

“Very”, Jongin almost scoffed and then bit his lip, forcing himself to calm down before he’d boil over.

“He was such a good person. I wish he lived longer.” The woman quickly wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. “He was always so kind and caring. I’m glad he was my grandfather. This world needs more people like him.”

“You are glad?” Jongin raised a brow. “I see…” Then he walked past her with a determined look on his face. She blinked in surprise, wondering about the strange behavior of these men.

When Jongin entered the dining room he saw Min Seok standing in front of the small altar, which had been set for the priest. There was a photograph of his smiling face, fresh flowers, and a few candles. The older male bit on a small piece of honey cake and chewed slowly, his eyes expressing nothing as if he was dead, a robot. Quiet murmur and occasional sobs filled the air; the atmosphere was tranquil and pleasant. When Jongin walked towards the older male, he heard praises coming from all direction. It was the overflowing love and affection towards the priest what made him finally snap and do the unimaginable.

“Shut the fu.ck up!” He yelled, grabbing the framed photograph and throwing it on the floor so hard the frame broke. Min Seok flinched, his eyes opened wide and his lips parted, his face becoming paler than a blank sheet of paper. Surprisingly enough, he looked frightened.

The murmur died that instant and the room veiled in thick silence, absolutely nothing could be heard. The time froze and everyone’s attention was on Jongin who seemed to have gone crazy.

“He was a fu.cking e and I bet most of you sick bastar.ds knew it! So shut the fu.ck up! He deserves to burn in hell for what he did to all those innocent kids!” Without looking anyone in the eye, Jongin grabbed Min Seok’s hand and started dragging him towards the entrance. The latter didn’t say anything and didn’t struggle either.

“Doll”, he whispered wearily when they were outside and Jongin was still dragging him, now towards the car. “Doll.”

“You too, shut the fu.ck up! We are leaving”, Jongin hissed without looking at him. He was so mad his body shook and burned. It might have been rude to disrupt someone’s funeral like that, but he just couldn’t take it, none of it.

That priest didn’t deserve any of these praises, he deserved nothing. Sometimes world could be so cruel, reality was twisted, and everything was fuc.ked up. It was unfair, everything was. No matter how Jongin tried he couldn’t understand why Min Seok wanted to come, why he went to the hospital, why he kept holding onto those horrible memories of his ruined childhood. No parents, no siblings, no trustworthy adults to depend on. Five years of torture followed by the harsh life on the streets. Abandoned, out of his humanity, shattered, and completely broken. How could anyone do something like that to a little boy? Did those people know what that little boy had become because of them? Did they know that little boy was now taking his revenge on the world by committing horrible crimes?

Jongin stopped so abruptly Min Seok bumped into his back. “Fu.ck”, the former hissed wiping his moist eyes with his sleeve. “Fu.ck.” All his principles for becoming a detective just flew out the window. Were people even worth protecting anymore? There he went, sometimes even risking his life, fighting for a just and safe world – a place where no one would have to fear for their lives anymore. But then people went and did this kind of things. “Damn with them all.”

“Wait! Wait!”

The young woman from before caught up with them and Jongin pushed Min Seok behind himself. The latter remained in a confused state of mind. When he tried to step towards the woman Jongin blocked his way with his arm. Min Seok glanced at the younger male’s face, seeing nothing but hate and contempt directed at the wrong person.

“What do you want?” Jongin grunted, scowling at the woman.

“Is it true? What you just said, is it true?” She asked between sharp breaths. She had run after the two and was now out of breath.

“And what are you gonna do if it’s true?”

Her face paled and her eyes filled with remorse. “I’m, I’m sorry”, she sobbed.

“Sorry?” Jongin scoffed. “What good is an apology when everything has been fuc.ked up already? Huh? When there is no way back anymore?” He raised his voice. Min Seok frowned, trying to push Jongin’s arm away, but Jongin kept his stance, pushing the older male back. “Take your apology and stick it up your a.ss all I care”, he snarled, the corner of his mouth twitching downwards.

The woman’s lips trembled and her eyes filled with tears. “I had no idea, I didn’t know”, she whispered in a ghastly voice. “I-“

“Then shut up an-“ Jongin groaned when Min Seok’s fist collided with his cheek. The woman gasped when he was kicked to the side. He stumbled and one more kick sent him tumbling to the muddy ground. Min Seok tossed him one warning look before facing the woman. She stared at him in shock and fear, he stepped towards her but she stepped back.

“It’s okay, doll”, he whispered in a quiet voice, his lips tugging into a gentle smile. “It wasn’t your fault.” His warm hand cupped the woman’s cheek and his thumb wiped away her tears while she stared at him with wide open eyes. “No one blames you.” Unlike ever before his voice came out silvery, he didn’t sound like himself at all. With one quick movement he pulled the woman into a hug, patting her back with one hand. “Never apologize.”

Suddenly as if snapping from a trance, he pulled away from the hug and – completely ignoring the woman – narrowed his eyes at Jongin. The latter was still sitting on the ground, wiping mud off his cheek. He had an unsatisfied expression on his face, his lips curved downwards and he avoided eye contact with Min Seok. This wasn’t the first time the younger male had thrown his temper all over so Min Seok wasn’t surprised, but he was annoyed. The usual blank look returned to his face and his lips pressed into a thin line. Ignoring his surroundings, he kicked Jongin in the chest so hard the latter started coughing and then kicked him again, this time sending him in the mud face first. After delivering a few more kicks, causing Jongin to moan in pain, he finally stopped and simply walked away with his hands tucked safely in the pockets of his pants.

“Are you all right?” the woman asked in a weak voice, squatting next to the squirming detective. Her body was trembling with fear and her eyes filled with tears.

“Don’t touch me!” Jongin hissed, pushing her hand away. “Fu.ck off!”

“Y-you are b-lee-ding”, she stuttered when she saw his broken lower lip.

Jongin glared at her and slapped her hand away. He quickly got to his feet and walked to the same direction where Min Seok had walked to, wiping his face clean on his way. When he reached the parking lot he noticed that the car was gone and he groaned inwardly. This was the first time Min Seok had gotten angry with him so he didn’t really know what to expect. Well, he had expected this much and knowing that it would be useless to ask anyone for a ride, Jongin started walking in a random direction hoping to find a bus or train station. His clothes were pretty much covered in mud and he wondered if he even would be allowed to enter any kind of vehicle.

After walking around for quite a long time, Jongin finally stopped. He was suddenly feeling indifferent about everything and so he sat on the curb, took out his cigarettes, and started chain smoking. He tugged at his dirty hair once in a while, cursing quietly under his breath. It had been over a month and he was getting nowhere with Min Seok. The latter didn’t seem to have anything else to his life except drugs and . Whatever dirty things he was doing he did them when Jongin wasn’t around, and it’s not like they were together all the time. At first it was just occasionally, then the weekends, and now several times a week. Min Seok would call, pick Jongin up, and then they’d go to a party or to the hotel suite. That’s all.

It was clear to Jongin that he had won Min Seok’s favors, and the latter adored him, but so far he was only a ‘doll’. The only mission Min Seok had given him was regarding Sehun’s imprisonment. It also beat Jongin why he had received the tattoo, he had been so drunk or on drugs that he didn’t even remember getting it. And Min Seok didn’t say anything about it, not even when Jongin had asked. He knew it was childish, but he would have preferred to receive the rabbit tattoo instead of the leopard. Puffing his cheeks, he took another drag from the fourth cigarette.  

The sound of a roaring motor woke Jongin from his thoughts and he looked up, it was Min Seok’s black BMW. The window rolled down and familiar blank face came into the view, soulless eyes with thick eyeliner glared at him. No words were spoken, but the younger male got the message. He was being asked to get into the car. However, he didn’t feel like obeying. It freaked him out just thinking about Min Seok driving around looking for him – that was weird.

“Don’t make me get out, doll”, Min Seok said coldly. “Get on.”

“Fu.ck off”, Jongin hissed. He got up when Min Seok started opening the door and kicked it shut. The older male narrowed his eyes and tried to open the door again, Jongin kicked it shut. They went at it a couple of times until Jongin abruptly gave up and started walking away. He soon heard the car approaching from behind, but hadn’t quite expected to end up sliding over the bonnet. He gritted his teeth and wailed in pain when his body fell on the asphalt and rolled for a good distance. His left shoe fell off, his clothes ripped and he got scratched all over. His head was pounding so hard he saw black, blood trickled down his face, and coppery taste spread in his mouth. When he tried to push himself up he couldn’t move a muscle.

A shadow fell over him and he opened his eyes, but that instant sunshine cut through him so painfully he closed his eyes even tighter than before. Soon he felt sharp kicks on his side and when Min Seok’s sole came in contact with his bruised lower back he cried out in pain, desperately gasping for air. Finally, his cheek was pressed to the asphalt when Min Seok stepped on his face, his trademark move. Jongin tried his best to stay awake but the pain was too much to bear with and he lost his consciousness, wondering if this was how he was going to die.

“Kai Doll”, he heard a faint voice before succumbing to the darkness, and he felt a pair of arms holding him ever so gently.  “Thank you.”

That feeling of being held in a warm embrace was the first thing what struck Jongin once he woke up with a startle. Being in a confused state of mind, he first thought it was Sehun, the body was so warm and fragile. But it wasn’t Sehun because this man’s heart beat calmly and he smelled of cigarettes, vanilla and something else sweet like honey, so much unlike Sehun. A hand ran through Jongin’s messy hair again and again, repeatedly. He listened to the soft breathing and felt every rise and fall of the board chest where his head was resting.

A sleepy groan left Jongin’s lips and he slowly opened his eyes, but when he tried to move his body felt heavy and limp all over. His hand was draped over a flat stomach and he saw that he was on a drip; a needle was taped to his wrist. But he wasn’t in a hospital, it didn’t smell like a hospital and when his eyes ran over the room he recognized it to be a bedroom. He tried to roll away from the body, but the hand left his hair and held him still, an arm wrapping securely around his shoulders.

“Shhh, go back to sleep”, a quiet weary voice whispered. “It’s okay, you are safe.”

“I don’t want to sleep”, Jongin slurred, finally realizing that he wasn’t sober. His heart picked up its pace and panic started rising up his throat. He saw that his arm was bandaged and he felt that his head was bandaged too, thus he made a conclusion that his wounds had been taken care of, but he didn’t feel safe at all. He started to struggle, but that hand kept him still and he was too weak to fight back.

“Looks like the effects are wearing off”, Min Seok sighed tiredly. “Are you in pain, doll?”

He was in pain. He was in so much pain it suddenly cut through him like the sharpest knife. Jongin’s breathing grew uneven and cold sweat appeared on his forehead – he felt dizzy and weak. He heard shuffling and soon felt a needle piercing his skin.

“No, no”, he begged with tears in his eyes. “No more, I don’t want to. Please, please.”

“It’s in the middle of the night so shut up”, Min Seok said indifferently. He tossed the syringe away and pulled Jongin closer to his chest. “Go to sleep and stop waking me up.”

“I don’t want to”, Jongin sniffled into Min Seok’s chest. “Let me go.” He grabbed a fistful o