September 21, 2018

Jin’s POV
 

                 The last fire sent a shell propelling into the air, then landed right beside my foot–its dainty copper jacket clicking against the cold cement floor. After flipping the safety on the pistol, I removed the headgear, feeling droplets of sweat roll down my temples. The target paper at thirty-feet’s distance displayed twenty-three shots on bullseye; the two remaining holes were just short by an inch. I was proud. Today served as practice for firearm training for police academy. Today also kept my mind off a few things I couldn’t stop thinking about.

                 Over a week has passed since I last saw Jisoo. Jennie hasn’t heard from her either. Just a few days ago, we met up at the gaming cafe to figure out what was going on but left without an explanation. Jisoo, just like last time, wasn’t responding to any texts or calls; when Jennie showed up at her house, she was rudely dismissed by the housekeeper, behavior she wasn’t used to as the lady was usually very kind and gentle.

                 Self-resenting, I began to wonder if what I had said that night caused her disappearance–but knowing the brave and ballsy Jisoo, she would have had no trouble turning me down. The way her face fell colorless after that call worried me even more; whatever emergency it was seemed to have been pretty serious if she couldn’t stay for another few seconds to give me an answer that was just on the tip of her tongue.

                 I ruffled my hair to regenerate some volume and prepared to leave for work at the bakery. As I returned the equipment to the counter, my phone vibrated with a text from my mother asking how I was doing. She was away on a well-deserved vacation in the States for her birthday. In the meantime, I managed the walnut shop from opening to closing. The rest of my nights were spent reviewing for the Law entrance exam; on free days, I frequented the shooting range to improve my aim.

                 “Thanks dude,” the scrawny guy muttered behind the counter as he returned my ID. “Have a good one.”

                 Grunting affirmatively, I exited the building to call for a cab. As my phone unlocked, the sound of footsteps crunching on asphalt grabbed my attention. The noise amplified until a figure appeared in my peripheral; whoever it was stood just several feet away from me, the close proximity between us inviting me in for a look, so I did out of curiosity.

                 As the man in a flashy business attire came into clear, I regretted my decision to acknowledge his existence. Just about a week ago, he was dead to me. Now that he casually presented himself doe-eyed, there was nothing more I wanted than to knock the living out of him.

                 “My son” my father cooed ever-so-gently as he inched towards me. As if out of thin air, three men in black suits spawned from behind him, their hands all crisply folded. “How are you doing?”

                 Taking equally as many steps in reverse, I backed into the wall behind me–my breath now irregular and jagged. In front of me was a narrow alleyway that led to the main street with more than enough room for me to find a way out of this–but until I got past my father, it would be a longshot to make a run for it without getting into an altercation with his bodyguards.

                 “What the hell do you want from me?” I spat, attempting to discreetly navigate my phone screen to call the cops. Carefully, I tucked the hand holding the device behind my back, but to my dismay, the motion only made it more obvious. He glanced at my hidden arm, then back at my face–sneering.

                 “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he pompously chuckled; the men behind him were now that much more intimidating. “I’m not here to hurt you–all you have to do is comply and we’ll have a fruitful business relationship.”

                 “ off,” I hissed, the memories of him abandoning my mother and I came rushing back into my mind, sending my nerves on a frenzy. “You only want to use me. You don’t give a damn about my hopes and dreams. Just yours.”

                 Pocketing his hands, he threw his head back in laughter. Then, turning to his bodyguards, he fished for agreement, “You hear what this kid is saying? After all that I’ve done for him, he’s still an ungrateful bastard–embarrassing me in front of my colleagues and now denying my offer to become the greatest CEO in Seoul.” However, the men remained stone-still, their faces as lifeless as a corpse. Realizing that he wasn’t going to get a response from his toy robots, my father cleared his throat in subtle embarrassment and directed the conversation to me, “Anyway. You’re coming with me, aren’t you? Because if don’t, I’m not sure I can guarantee you’ll get to see your sweet and virtuous mother again.”

                 Hurling at him, I grabbed the collar of his dress shirt–wrinkling its pristine designer condition. My father looked down at my grip and shot me a riled glare, although I couldn’t distinguish whether he was upset that he was in a hold by his own son or because one of his many status symbols had been ruined. Gritting my teeth in fury, I brought my face just centimeters away from his, “You better not lay your ing hands on her or I’ll–”

                 “Or you’ll want?” he brazenly cut me off, the stench of tobacco in his breath. “What do you think you can do? If it weren’t for me, you’d be on the streets–just like her.”

                 And that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. All I had left since was the faint memory of flying fists, splattered red, and unconscious bodies on the cold, relentless ground.

                 I woke up to a sharp pain on my side. Even the smallest movement made it worse, so I surrendered to being still for now. Up on the ceiling was a broken fire detector, its wires poking out in all sorts of directions. The light was dimmed down to a soothing orange hue, so cozy I could almost feel the warmth of its color. Even without knowledge of where I was, all was calm. I was just glad I wasn’t in the hospital racking up bills that I couldn’t pay for.

                 Close by but indistinct, a newscast was playing on television. The tiny room I occupied wasn’t spacious enough for anything other than the bed I was on so the sound could only be coming from the other side of the door. Wanting to explore my surroundings, I maneuvered myself around the wounded cite and managed to sit upright before the soreness became unbearable. As I sat there catching my breath, the doorknob turned and in entered a man of short stature. Although mostly submerged in shadows, the smidge of light cast over his shoulder showcased a familiar Hawaiian print. It was none other than Mr. Nahm.

                 “Hey boy,” he breathed, “How ya doin’?”

                 As a response to my silent gawking, he invited himself in and sat next to me, leaning against the wall with his hands tucked behind his head for support, “I know what you’re thinking, ‘What the heck am I doing here with this old guy? It’s after hours.’”

                 “Uh yeah, pretty much,” I awkwardly chuckled.

                 “Do you not remember?” he prodded, lowering his sunglasses so his piercing eyes could meet with mine. “You were knocked out on the streets kid. Like you were at zero HP.”

                 I grimaced at his failed attempts at making a gamer joke but took what he said into serious consideration when I remembered the brawl I got in with my father and his bodyguards back at the shooting range. Although it was difficult to recall the details, I got out of there and somehow made my way back to the gaming cafe where Mr. Nahm probably found me beaten and bruised. This was probably an old storage room that he turned into a rest area.

                 “Jesus Christ,” I hissed under my breath, resting my head back on the wall in exasperation. “My dad is a complete .”

                 “Yup, that’s why you have me,” Mr. Nahm teased in his usual husky voice, quietly laughing to himself as he casually rested his arm on a bent knee. “You should be fine in a few days. Just some bruisin’ here and there. That ointment I slapped on’ll make it better.”

                 While that may have been a joke, it hit home–Mr. Nahm was a father figure to me. Ever since I was young, the gaming cafe was where I could disconnect from my family problems and life somewhat of a normal life like other kids. Even on days I showed up with a tear-stained face and empty pockets, Mr. Nahm would sneak me in for free. Despite his juvenile attitude that may have painted him to be an ignorant, senile grandpa, he knew more than I could have imagined.

                 “Thanks Mr. Nahm,” I mumbled as softly as possible, half-wishing he would hear and half-wishing he wouldn’t. We just weren’t the type to be open with our gratitude.

                 “Huh? You gotta say it louder than that Jinnie Jin Jin, I’m an olddddd man. My hearing’s starting to crap out heh,” he playfully roared as he cupped his ear and leaned in closer to me. I elbowed him away in embarrassment. “Anyway, let’s get you something to eat. Come.”

                 Using the walls as my crutch, I followed Mr. Nahm outside then leaned on the register counter for support while I waited him to put together a meal in the back. In the meantime, I pinged my mother about the incident from earlier and made sure she takes extra precaution to be safe while in The States; although she was staying with her seven siblings, she could never be too safe, especially not after receiving a threat from someone who lobbied his way through to success. As much as I hated to admit it, my father could easily utilize his connections to ruin someone’s life within the snap of a finger. The thought of it sent shivers down my back.

                 Suddenly, the sizeable television at the front of the cafe switched to a screen of color bars followed by a blaring alarm signal. A dull female voice spoke in tranquility, “Breaking News Alert: Evacuation Required For Citizens of Seoul and Surrounding Cities.” Sensing the urgency, I grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. She continued, “Due to some mishaps during research, the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology in Incheon will temporarily be shut down. Scientists have disclosed the discovery of a highly contagious flu that has caused over twenty deaths. Although the illness is centralized in the city of Incheon, the KCDC has advised citizens of Seoul and the surrounding cities to evacuate to Donghae, Sockho, and Yeongwol as soon as possible. On September 26, Seoul, Incheon, and surrounding cities will be quarantined until further notice. Subways and trains to refuge cities will be open to the public for 24 hours.”

                 “Seems pretty serious,” Mr. Nahm chimed in as he planted a cup of noodles before me, chin planted into the palm of his hand. “Just a few days ago they were saying the same thing on the news but it wasn’t bad to the point where even Seoul had to leave. Maybe it’s contagious. Well, guess it’s time to pack and go. Wanna come with me?”

                 “This happened a few days ago?” I raised my voice, flabbergasted that the government didn’t already push out an urgent notice then. “Yeah, we should leave soon. I’ll meet you at the Yongsan station in a day. I… I need some time to get my things and make sure the bakery’s properly locked before I go.”

                 Truth be told, I only needed a few hours to pack and leave; nothing was of importance to me other than Lucifer and maybe a few pairs of fresh underwear to change into. My mother was already in The States, so all she had to do was postpone her flight back home. Biting my lip in worry, I thought of Jisoo and her family. Was she aware of what was going on? Has she already left? I knew I should have gotten her number... Maybe if I stayed for an extra few hours I’d run in her and we could go together.

                 “Mmm,” Mr. Nahm grunted like he could see right through my stall. “Sounds like a plan.”