Chapter Ten – Contract

A few weeks later, SM was facing one of their biggest problems in history. A lawsuit was fired at them by three members of their top boy band, DBSK. Horror and shock flooded throughout the small country, corrupting the fragile hearts of the fans. Once the news was up, everyone pointed their fingers at the company that created them, but what they saw was nothing but lies. The truth was more complicated than it seemed. Yet, who could blame the public? As every little detail were forced to become a secret.  

“How can this be possible? I checked the contracts last month, these aren’t the original ones!” Steph slammed the files down in a paranoid manner. “It has to be one of them.” She slouched across the marble table as she clutched onto her pounding head.

“Before we make any presumptions, maybe you should calm down a bit,” Leeteuk advised. “The first thing we should do isn’t to find who created these contracts, but what to do from this point onwards.”

“I’m sorry, this is my fault. If only I had kept a closer eye on those three,” Yunho grumbled with a clenched fist.

“It’s not your fault, Yunho. Don’t blame yourself. If anyone should take the blame here, it should be me,” Lee So Man gave them a weak smile before looking at the pile of paper in front of him.

“But what can we do right now? Even Steph said the contract is flawless. Nobody out there would believe us,” Yunho stated logically.

“Let’s leave this for the time being and concentrate on other problems,” Lee So Man rubbed his temples as thinking was obviously straining his brain. “Leeteuk, how’s Sungmin?”

“Not very well. After Anna said that she was from the Headquarters, he practically went insane. He’s got a temper now. He won’t even call me ‘hyung’ anymore. What can I do?” he shrugged.

“Anna unnie is an idiot. How could she lie like that? You should tell him!” Steph crossed her arms in annoyance.

“Well, he has to listen first doesn’t he? Instead of worrying about Sungmin, why don’t you worry about Ryeowook instead? He’s changed a lot too after hearing you’re going out with Im Seulong,” Leeteuk commented, which silenced her.

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On the other side of the company, Sungmin was indulging himself with all sorts of alcoholic beverages in the bar. One by one, he devoured them, giving him the feeling he yearned for, the feeling of being numb and unconscious.

However, not everyone could enjoy the day as much as he could. Far away in the corner, Sunny watched him from the entrance with an aching heart. A tear managed to reach out of her eye whilst she observed the man she loved, who was slowly dying away because of another girl. Quickly, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. Calmly, she closed her eyes, praying to God to give her the courage to send him away, praying to God to remove her right to love. She had never experienced something so painful. The reason behind her pain was love. She had to stop herself from loving Sungmin before she could fall any deeper in love with him. The deeper her love, the more she would suffer, and possibly die from it. He was the reason why she was submitted to hospital six times that month. He was the reason why she couldn’t sleep at night. It was all because of him, but even knowing so, she couldn’t hate him.

Once she opened her eyes, she charged towards him, stopping him from drinking by smashing his glass onto the floor.

“Lee Sungmin, wake up will you?” she gritted her teeth whilst glaring coldly at him.

“You think I don’t want to wake up? Do you think I take pleasure in this irritable feeling? To me, this is a nightmare,” he laughed half-heartedly as he grabbed another bottle into his hand and started to pour the liquid down his throat. “Why did it have to be her?”

“Sungmin, you’re drunk. Stop it! You’re blind as well,” she grunted, but seeing as he kept drinking, she snatched his bottle and drank the alcohol all in one go. Sungmin simply stared at her, bewildered by her action.

“Hey! Are you crazy?”

“If it gets you to listen to me, then I’m not as crazy as you think,” she laughed hazily. “To be honest with you, I’m really disappointed. You always came across as someone I could rely on, someone who was brave and responsible. Yet, right now, you can’t even face your fears.”

“Fears? What do you mean? What am I afraid of?” he asked solemnly, not quite understanding what she meant.

“You’re afraid of losing. You’re afraid of losing the girl you love. That’s why you’re refusing to think logically. Let me tell you one thing. You’re an idiot to believe her. For believing she’s from the Headquarters, you’re the crazy one,” she giggled as she poured herself some beer.

“But the folder…” he started, but Sunny hushed him.

“Do you truthfully believe that Anna would work for the Headquarters? Do you remember what it was like in there? You should know her better than anyone. How could you be so stupid?” she reasoned as she searched for more alcoholic drinks.

After hearing her words, he strolled away like a living corpse, not wanting to think about it anymore. However, once he was gone, no matter how hard she cried, he wouldn’t be able to hear her.

Weakly, she dropped onto the floor with a thud, grasping her shirt tightly with the urge to rip her heart out from her body. It felt as if her heart was twisting and rotating, trying to break free from the chains of blood vessels.

“Stop it,” she cried. “Please, someone stop it.” Her breathing became heavier after every second and she could feel herself perspiring more after every breath. She squirmed and rolled on the floor as her heart continued to torture her.

Soon, she was greeted by warmth other than her own. Inside, she wondered if it was God’s embrace. Did he pity her and decide to free her from her pain? The warmth was like a silent message, telling her that her pain would be gone soon.

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Once again, Kira found herself in Mr Hiew’s office, waiting for her orders.

“Give this to Lee So Man,” Mr Hiew placed a tiny bottle onto his desk. “This is our new invention. If it’s applied on skin, it cures all skin damages such as cuts, bruises etc. If it’s consumed, it allows the user to digest food easier. If it’s sniffed, it cures blocked nose…”

“I don’t think you called to tell me that you went into promoting medicine. Get to the point, what do you want?” Kira asked before he could list any more.

“This invention - when mixed with another form of liquid other than saliva, it turns into poison. It increases the user’s sensitivity. It gets so sensitive until they go senseless. I just want you to pour this into Lee So Man’s tea. Of course, I have supplied you with medicine. So if you do drink it, you won’t die,” he chuckled as he took out another bottle. “However, this bottle is only enough for one person. You understand what I mean now, don’t you?”

“You make me sick. I understand your intentions, but may I ask when you will stop this madness?” she asked solemnly as she took the two bottles into her hands.

“Once I take over SM and Lee So Man is out of the picture, of course. I am simply doing him a favour. A man with a heart like him will surely perish in this world. He is nothing but an idiot. Even after knowing that you’re there to kill him, he still pretends that you’re not. By doing that he’s basically holding up a sign saying: ‘please kill me right now’. Now that I’ve answered your question, I would be very grateful if you do as you’re told immediately.”

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Kira sat down before her target, trying to make a conversation as natural as possible, but she couldn’t help but wonder why he didn’t throw her out or call the police on her. Even though she knew she would regret it, even though she knew guilt would haunt her for the rest of her life, she still wanted to know. What motivated the man before her to trust her so wholeheartedly?

“Sir, please have some tea,” she gestured once she poured the tea into both his cup and hers. Without hesitation, he consumed the liquid and horror instantly hung over her. She had made her intentions clear and easily predictable, so why wasn’t he suspicious of her?

“Now, I’m sure you didn’t just come here to ask of my well-being. You came to talk to me, right? So why are you so quiet?”

“I’ve come to ask you a question. Only one question,” she swallowed dryly, whilst a dark hole seemed to have consumed all the liveliness from her eyes. The old man waited for the question, but she couldn’t seem to come up with the right words to form her question. Her eyes were looking from side to side, and was hollow as it seemed like the silence was pressuring her to speak.

“Why are helping me?” she finally managed to ask. “If you kicked me out of your company, my mission would’ve failed. If you called the police, I would’ve been sentenced with a death penalty. You know I’m here to kill you, so why didn’t you do anything?”

“Killing someone because you have the desire to kill, and killing someone because you are forced to, are two different things. Killing may be inexcusable, but I understand the reasons behind your actions. If an old life like mine can exchange many of others, then isn’t it worth it? Even now, I still have faith in you. You’re not a bad person, Kira. I believe you will change one day.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t think that day would come. If you don’t do something soon, I will destroy both you and the company. This is my last warning to you,” she spoke confidently before she stormed out of his office.

Once she was out of the company, she quickly ran as far as she could before any second thoughts could cling onto her. Flashbacks of her conversation with Lee So Man kept replaying in her mind, increasing the tension in her heart.

She finally found peace once she reached an old oak tree, where students had hung their ties on its large dependable branches. The swaying of those ties was like waving hands. It was as if the tree was welcoming her to its territory, wanting to protect her. The moment she stopped, she collapsed onto the fresh, emerald grass. She wanted to cry, but nothing was coming out. She wanted to scream, but what was the use of screaming?

She glanced at the tree before leaning her forehead against it, closing her eyes as the wind consoled her. She would’ve fallen into a blissful sleep if she wasn’t interrupted by a distant pleasant melody.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELKTGbyjAtM Sorry this isn’t the best song ^^’]

She followed the melody’s trail until she reached the lake where she saw someone’s silhouette. That person was sitting peacefully, facing the lake, concentrating on hitting the notes on their harmonica. There she stood, admiring their talent, not wanting to stop them from producing such beautiful music.

Besides from the tune from the harmonica, nature seemed to have joined in as well. The green tea scented air was whistling along. The birds were chirping cheerfully. The branches on the trees were clicking as they brushed against each other, whilst the leaves danced gracefully. The water acted like a percussion instrument, creating a continuous rhythm in the background.

The orange and red light from the sky blundered into each other, creating a purplish atmosphere. The melody was swiftly putting the sun to sleep. Kira looked to the side as the sun began to set. By the time the stranger had finished playing the song, the stars had appeared, twinkling vibrantly at them.

Kira wanted to leave quietly, trying not to disturb the stranger, but when she moved, the stranger had obviously heard her.

“Who’s there?” he turned around, but due to the darkness, he couldn’t see her. “Is…anyone…there?”

Kira quickly sprinted away, heading back to her dorm before the stranger could ask anymore. However, something was bothering her – that voice was frighteningly familiar.

----

After the party which Anna prepared had been cancelled, she organised another one. She was hoping that Sungmin would’ve calmed down a bit since last time, but he continued to ignore her for the entire evening.

-

Anna was busily stirring the soup in the kitchen, until she heard someone call her name. Once she moved, she accidently brushed against the handle of the pot which contained the soup, causing it to burn her skin.

She yelped in pain as the liquid boiled through her skin on her left arm and cheek. When Sungmin heard her cries, he immediately rushed to her, forgetting the lie she told.

“Anna!” Sungmin cried, but at the same time, so did Kira.

“I’ll get the first aid box,” he quickly ran upstairs whilst Kira held Anna in her arms.

“Anna, it’s going to be ok,” she panicked with a burdened heart whilst her hands reached for the medicine in her pocket. She stared at the bottle, wondering why she would go such extents for Anna. There would always be someone in your life, who you would just want to protect, even if it meant losing your life, you would still be willing to protect them. That was how important Anna was to Kira. It wasn’t a matter of what Anna did for her in the past, but because she was Lee Anna.

“My friend gave me this. Apparently, it works very well with burns. Let’s try it,” Kira smiled gently as she rubbed the liquid across the burnt areas.

Anna cried a little when the liquid contacted her skin. However, the pain quickly disappeared and she was overwhelmed by how miraculous it worked. The burns disappeared as if they never existed in just a matter of seconds.

“Kira…how?” Anna tilted her head questionably, and to a certain extent, fearfully.

“As long as you’re alright, nothing else matters, silly,” Kira ruffled her hair playfully, but her expression suddenly changed once she felt the heat coming from her forehead. “Anna! You’ve got a temperature!”

“Temp-er-at-ure?” Anna repeated drowsily as she fainted onto the floor.

“Anna!” everyone screeched. Sungmin instantly jumped from the stairs and ran towards her, picking her up in a bridal style, running urgently to her room.

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THE NEXT AFTERNOON

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Feebly, Anna clutched onto the door handle to support her own weight, just to gain an insight of what was going on in the kitchen after she heard the crashing noises. Neglecting the fact that she could barely walk and that she was sweating all over, she was still curious about the noises in the kitchen.

Once she entered, she recognised the familiar style of clothing; it was none other than Kira. She chuckled in delight as she asked what she was doing.

“I’m cooking, silly. You skipped breakfast, so I thought I should make you a luxurious lunch. Go rest some more, I’ll bring your lunch to your room. Sungmin said he’ll come round soon too,” she replied as she was busily chopping whilst checking all the pots and pans. Anna presumed it was her first time cooking, since the kitchen looked like a war zone.

It was a simple thing, but Anna was truly touched by her actions.

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FLASHBACK

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“Mummy, I think I’m sick. Can you please cook for me?” she pleaded sweetly with her weak little voice. It was the maids’ resting time, and her mother was completely absorbed in her novel.

“Yes, sure. Just one minute.” She promised unknowingly.

Anna smiled a little before returning to her room on the far end of the house. It was 9am in the morning and breakfast was at 7:30am. Normally, Anna wouldn’t make a big fuss of hunger, since she was used to the household’s dinning routine. However, on that day, she vomited everything she ate that morning.

A few hours had passed, so Anna went to see her mother again.

“Mummy, I don’t mind if it’s just some bread. Anything will do.” If Anna could, she would’ve cooked herself, but she knew her body well. Her mind was practically spinning rapidly. There was no way she could grab some food without knocking anything over.

“I told you, one minute.”

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END FLASHBACK

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Soon, Kira entered her room with a tray of food. Anna wanted to cry, but remained strong. She wanted Kira to watch her eat with a smile, which she hoped showed all her gratitude, appreciation and gratefulness.

Kira stayed with Anna until Sungmin arrived with Kyuhyun.

“You better not bully Anna again. If you do you’ll have to face my knuckle!” Kira glared at Sungmin. Anna stared at Sungmin and a smile crawled up her face. His expression expressed over a thousand words, which no one beside herself could understand.

“Oppa, can you take me out for a walk?” Anna pleaded, and Sungmin agreed, leaving Kyuhyun with Kira alone in the dorm.

Silence pranced around the two individuals, until Kyuhyun decided to break it.

“Kira, there’s something I want to tell you,” he begun. He immediately stopped once he saw Kira’s reaction. She was covering her ears and appeared as if she was in pain. He had hardly said anything, so how would she know she wouldn’t want to hear it?

In reality, Kira was suffering from her sensitive ears. Even though Kyuhyun was talking with his average volume, to Kira, it was ten times as loud.

“Kira?” He touched her shoulder which caused her to scream in pain. It was as if millions of needles were trying to pierce into her flesh, pulling it away from her bones. Quickly, she ran to her room and locked herself in it.

“Go away! Leave me alone!” she yelled whilst she curled herself into a ball. She cursed herself for not telling him what was going on, but even if he knew, what difference would it make?

“What’s wrong Kira?! Kira!” he ignored her and continued to bang against her bedroom door. “Let me in! I’ll take you to the doctors! Kira!”

“Go away you idiot. Leave!” she cried hopelessly. For once, she yearned for someone to help her, someone who could stop all her pain.