Chapter 4

pink| Gravity Part I

‘Holy . Holy ing .’

The same two lines ran through the agent’s head as she stood in the parking lot staring at her car door, keys in her hand. She had been caught – twice. And it was her first official day on the job. Awesome. Not only did she find her suspect and witness just how capable she was, she also discovered her suspect’s strange relationship with one of the most powerful women in the world.

Frowning, Tiffany finally inserted the key into her car and opened the door. Throwing her purse in, she pulled out her phone and checked for missed messages and calls – one new message.

- Meet tomorrow, your place. Nicole said you found something. –

Sighing, Tiffany sat back in her seat and closed the door. Her mind still trying to process everything she had learned today. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax her churning mind.

It didn’t seem like Kim Taeyeon was going to kill her. Yet. Still, Tiffany thought that it was strange how the young woman did not even hesitate to blatantly give her clues about who she was even though she acknowledged Tiffany’s presence and objectives. But burning even greater was the question of who this Kim Taeyeon is. Who is she underneath this shell of a bodyguard? A question Tiffany knew she shouldn’t be asking. An agent needs to always be detached from her job. Information is what she wants, everything else is just details. 

Speaking of the elusive bodyguard, she was standing right in Tiffany’s line of sight, in the middle of the large concrete driveway roundabout. The short woman seemed to be staring down at the empty street in front of the complex.

She seemed to be waiting for something, or rather, someone.

Tiffany sat still and stared at the figure that was Kim Taeyeon. Never had she encountered someone so complicated in her life, and Tiffany thought her job introduced her to a lot of complicated people. She knew Taeyeon probably had already noticed that she had been staring at her from her car but that was irrelevant. Right now, simple curiosity drove Tiffany to stay. Curiosity may have killed a cat, but it certainly never killed a mushroom.

Determined to figure everything out, the agent turned the ignition on and backed out of her parking spot. She circled the parking complex once before settling in a spot on the second floor where she could see and hear Taeyeon clearly if need be.

Tiffany sat and watched until she thought nothing interesting would happen other than Taeyeon occasionally moving from her stoic posture. About to leave, Tiffany’s fingers had yet to reach the keys in her ignition when she heard the roar of a car engine. An Aston Martin sped down the street. The driver was obviously either crazy or crazily skilled as the driver drifted into the roundabout driveway and swerved into a stop, inches away from where Taeyeon was standing.

It was Kwon Yuri. The Kwon Yuri.

Tiffany observed as the driver seat window slid down and Kwon Yuri’s face was revealed. Sun reflecting off her Dior sunglasses, the corporate mogul turned and looked at Taeyeon who bowed and opened the car door for her.

It was the first time Tiffany had seen the beautiful, powerful, and mysterious Kwon Yuri in person. A legend to many, the woman was both admired and feared. Often seen with her fiancé in tabloids and news, she could have easily been a model or movie star but instead, the young woman chose to build an empire of military weapons development, espionage, and technology.

Tiffany leaned forward to catch a better view of the two ladies of interest as she heard them speak.

“Taeyeon.”

“Yuri.”

“I’m finally back.”

“Welcome home. Congratulations on another deal.”

“Just a simple sonar system. I don’t enjoy always selling missiles and guns.”

“…” Taeyeon stayed silent and expressionless, settling into her usual demeanor.

“Did you do as she asked?” Yuri looked straight into Taeyeon’s eyes. The taller woman had a cold, piercing attitude about her.

“Yes, of course,” the body guard responded, lowering her head. The first time Tiffany had ever seen the short woman show a sign – however small – of weakness.

Yuri nodded before stepping away from her car. A well dressed valet appeared and bowed. Handing him the keys, Yuri looked down at the bodyguard.

From what Tiffany could make out, Kwon Yuri had smiled at the shorter woman. However, it was even more surprising when the CEO’s expression softened into what could only be called fondness before hugging Taeyeon.

‘This is definitely getting interesting.’

///

“Smoke?”

Tiffany winced at the cigarette jutting out of the box and waved a hand to decline the offer. She was quite disgusted at her informant’s habit – even if she herself had quit just two years ago.

“Put a shirt on Wooyoung.”

Informant? More like ex-partner.

The young man smirked as he looked down to check his attire. Lounge pants, boxers, and nothing. Except for the large bandage wrapped around his left shoulder. “Really? Are you sure you don’t just miss me a lot?”

“Just put a shirt on please?” Tiffany asked again as she sorted through the papers he had just given her. More paperwork. Great. “What is this crap you’ve given me Wooyoung?”

The two were close friends. Sure, they had ‘fooled around’ a few times - it gets lonely out there when you’re an agent for the International Police - but they both decided that a platonic relationship was for the best: It just didn’t work out that way. The pair made an awesome team when it came to information gathering – filled a lot of Blue Notice requests during their time as partners. However, Jang Wooyoung had been picked to aide in military intelligence two years ago and had to resign his position as Tiffany’s partner. Now, after two years of going solo and having almost no contact, he was her informant in Korea.

“So you think you found our man?”

“Woman. I’m sure it’s her, but we need evidence.”

“Evidence that none of our agents could find since the case started? Not even with our resources?”

“It isn’t like we’re trying to arrest her. We just want information from her,” Tiffany said, trying to think of a solution.

“Do you think she’ll give it up?” Wooyoung stood up and walked around Tiffany’s apartment, picking up some of the files she had left in the kitchen.

“Of course not.” Tiffany replied, leaning back into the couch, “That’s why we need to extract it from her.”

///

“Wow, she’s hot,” Wooyoung said with a snarky grin, obviously relishing in how uncomfortable he was making Tiffany. “Are you sure she’s our suspect and you aren’t following her because you like to stare at her? I think she looks really good in black, don’t you?”

Exasperated, Tiffany sighed and shook her head. Wooyoung could be such a guy sometimes. “Get out of my car!”

“Fine.” Wooyoung said good-humouredly before turning serious. “Be careful. Trouble likes to find her and she likes finding trouble.”

“What do you mean?” Tiffany asked. Her eyes followed Wooyoung’s pointed finger up to the second story of an antique store. A club. One of the few popular ones that Jessica Jung did not own.

///

black | Gravity Part II

Taeyeon sat at the bar, drinking her usual beverage of choice – scotch on the rocks. Actually, any hard liquor would do. It was one of the rare moments where she didn’t have to be monitoring Jessica or Yuri. The two wanted to spend the day at home since Yuri had just gotten back from Europe. Of course, there were a dozen hidden guards with them to replace her for the day. Two days to be exact.

Tuning out the hardly exciting ramblings of the wannabe 'suave' man next to her, Taeyeon stared hard into her half empty glass of scotch. She felt a pair of hands on her shoulder. She didn't have to look to know who they belonged to - one of the many coquettish ladies that frequented the club. They'd always show up without fail when Taeyeon was there. A fan group of sorts. Even when she tried shooing them away in violence, some of them would just squeal in delight. Not only that, they would try to come onto her even though she would reject them. Every single time.

Taeyeon had felt her presence the whole way here – the agent of course. Choosing to ride her motorcycle this time, Taeyeon had noticed Tiffany’s Audi trailing her. She had to admit, the woman was good at what she does – weaving in and out to make it almost undetectable that she was trailing Taeyeon. However, Taeyeon is good at what she does as well and knew from the very beginning. So it was no surprise she said agent sat down on the bar stool next to hers. Taeyeon ignored the other woman and downed the rest of her drink as Tiffany Hwang ordered vodka.

‘Vodka. Interesting.’

Taeyeon noted from the corner of her eye that Tiffany had turned to look at her, about to say something when the ‘suave’ man suddenly raised his voice to emphasize some random point he was talking about – probably how big his appendage was but Taeyeon hadn’t been listening, though she had been thinking about slicing the aforementioned appendage off but that would be a bit crude.

Irritated, Taeyeon turned and quickly flipped her favorite switchblade out and moved quickly, barely touching the man’s throat. To onlookers, she looked like a blur before she had somehow pinned the man against the counter. Of course, everyone just assumed the pair were either arguing or making out like everyone else in the club so they ignored the two.

Taeyeon ignored the feeling of the eyes of the agent and her posse on her back as she whispered calmly but threateningly in the man's ear as she pressed the flat side of the blade further into his neck.
" off. I am NOT in the mood to listen to your bull. So why don't you just go and put everything back into your pants - including your brain since that is where it seems to belong - and go hit on someone who cares. Like a e - maybe if you pay them they might pretend to care."
For good measure, she pressed the blade into the counter next to the man's ear, easily cutting into the polished wood, showing just how sharp her favorite knife is. “Now, if you don’t want me to use my favorite switchblade here and cut of something that you might want to keep, even if I doubt that there is anything there to cut off, I suggest you leave.”

Taeyeon released her hold on the man and watched as he scampered off, face red and sweaty. She sat back down on her seat, ignoring the annoying squeals from her unwanted fanclub posse, and called for another glass of scotch. She placed a couple of hundreds on the counter, a silent payment for the cut she had made in it. The bartender, used to this, took it silently as he slid her order over to her. Taeyeon took a drink and chuckled as she felt the agent’s eyes still on her.

“What? You’ve finally come to arrest me now?”

“No.” Tiffany said bluntly, downing her own drink, “There is no point. No evidence.”

Taeyeon let out a hoarse laugh. She already had around eight glasses and was finally starting to feel the bare symptoms of alcohol. Curse her tolerance.

“It must be frustrating to have me here in front of you knowing that I did it and not be able to do anything about it.” She said, expressionless. “Hey Minwoo, another one.”

The bartender looked up worriedly at her, then again, he always did when she visited. “You sure? You’ve had-“

“Actually, just give me a whole bottle.” The short woman said when a tone of finality, throwing more bills onto the counter.

Taeyeon knew that the agent was staring at her as Minwoo passed over a clean glass filled with ice and a bottle of 18 year old Highland Park. “So why are you here Miss Hwang?”

Tiffany did not reply immediately but looked stoically at the shorter woman, “Do you always come here to drink?”

Taeyeon ignored the question and poured herself another glass and finished it in one go. Eleven down.

She noticed Tiffany looking at the bartender who nodded and answered the question for her. “To a stupor, but it takes almost twenty shots of that.”

Tiffany nodded, understanding and proceeded to order a glass of milk. “I’ll be driving” she said in response from the queer look Taeyeon gave her.

Taeyeon laughed hollowly as she finished two more shots, glad to finally start feeling the effects of alcohol. She motioned for more ice. Thirteen down, seven more to go.

///

Taeyeon slammed an empty glass down on the counter, finally finishing the entire bottle. Twenty two glasses of scotch. Good stuff. Her surprisingly steady hands pulled out her wallet and took some bills out, paying for the drinks and tips. “Thanks Min. I’ll be going now.” She slurred, stumbling off her stool. “See you around Agent Hwwaang. Hope you aren’t hiding in a closet next time.” Taeyeon dragged out Tiffany’s surname as she raised her hands to rub her eyes as she walked unsteadily out the door, a trail of her posse members following her out.

Tiffany looked worriedly at Taeyeon’s retreating back and turned to ask the bartender, “she doesn’t drive does she? After she drinks?”

Minwoo looked at Tiffany with both eyebrows raised, surprised. “Drive?” He replied, “She doesn’t even go home. She walks to the cemetery after this usually. Either that or one of her followers take her home or get her a hotel room. They’re actually pretty nice – if not ually repressed.”

“Cemetery?” Tiffany said to herself as she pulled out a twenty from her purse and placed it on the counter.

///

pink | Gravity Part III

Tiffany followed Taeyeon out of the club. She looked around to see that Taeyeon had walked almost two blocks already, members of her posse dispersing as what Tiffany assumed was Taeyeon demanding them to leave. The agent walked over to her car, clearly sober after two hours of drinking milk and watching the bodyguard drinking herself into a stupor.

Turning on the ignition, Tiffany drove slowly up to Taeyeon, pulling over and following the shorter woman in her car. She rolled the passenger side window down and yelled out at the other woman. “Hey, get in. It’s starting to rain.”

Taeyeon ignored her calls, continuing to walk and eventually getting soaked by the rain. Tiffany watched and grimaced at how the usually composed bodyguard stumbled along the sidewalk, drenched.

With a sigh, Tiffany turned off the ignition and got out of her car, running up behind the shorter woman and pulled on her hand. “Hey, seriously, you’re going to get pneumonia if you keep on walking out here like this.”

Taeyeon jerked her hand away and kept walking. They were around half a mile away from the club by now.

“I’ll take you there.” Tiffany suddenly shouted, causing Taeyeon to stop moving. “I’ll take you to the cemetery.”

///

Tiffany looked sadly at the girl sitting next to her in the passenger seat. It was then she realized just how different her suspect was compared to the bodyguard image she showed to the public. Tiffany noticed for the first time how Taeyeon had dark circles under her eyes. How dry her lips were. How exhausted her eyes were when she looked into them. How sad Taeyeon is. Tiffany frowned as she turned a corner and reached a long tree lined road that led up to the cemetery.  She noticed how Taeyeon suddenly tensed as they drove down the road, closer to their destination.

///

After a five minute drive up the long road, they had reached the inside of the cemetery where the guard actually opened the gate when he saw Taeyeon.

‘She must come here quite often.’

Tiffany drove down the winding path until Taeyeon told her to stop, the first words she had said since they left the club. She followed Taeyeon up a grassy hill until they reached a lone, white marble headstone that stood under a large beech tree. It would have been beautiful during the day when the sun was out. The hill was taller than any other, looming over the entire cemetery, overlooking the grassy green fields and trees.

It was then Tiffany began to understand. When she read the name on the grave, she found the first piece to a twisted puzzle that started the game these three women played.

Krystal Jung.

The pair stood in front of the grave.  At first, she thought it was just water from the rain but she realized that the shorter woman was crying- that it was tears that were running down her pale, pretty face.

It broke Tiffany’s heart to see someone like this.

She watched as Taeyeon fell to her knees, sobbing into her hands.  Tiffany didn’t know what to do. She could only stand and watch as Taeyeon let out screams that no person should have to let out. Screams of pain that could only belong not in any physical wound, but pain that could only reside in the heart.

///

silver| Gravity Part IV

Yuri sat in her Aston Martin, watching the two figures standing on top of the hill. She knew who they were. She knew that Taeyeon would be here – she was always here on her rare days off, after drinking herself senseless. They all came here when they thought no one was looking. All three of them. Jessica, Yuri, and Taeyeon. Three best friends who could no longer bring themselves to love each other.

Yuri started when she felt fingers brush against her cheeks, wiping away her tears. Unbeknownst to herself, she had started crying. She turned to look at her passenger, Jessica, who was also silently crying. Her hands gripped the box she always carried tighter. The box that carried the revolver.

Tears still welling in her eyes, Yuri opened the steel lid of the box and picked up the gun, feeling the weight of it in her hands. She noticed Jessica flinching at the sight of the gun and took her hands in her own, comforting her. The gun was well built, sturdy, and heavy. Heavy, like the weight they all carried because of one infinitesimal second of their lives. One singular event that started a chain reaction. That started this game.

The death of Krystal Jung.

The death of Yuri’s first love.

The death of Jessica’s younger sister.

The death of Taeyeon’s first assignment.

+++++++++