Date at the Dumpster

“Aishhh... He shouldn't have brought you here. My dumpster is not a place for a young lady,” the stocky ex-agent smiled at her.

“But I'm not a young lady. I'm family,” So-Mi answered cheekily. “By the way, Dalseo-ahjussi, we haven't been sparring lately. Don't tell me you are getting old on me.”

“Never ...,” he grinned.

“Oops,” she tripped on an uneven patch of the ground, as they walked to Moon Dalseo’s old trailer.

Tae-Shik caught her in time.

“Kwenchana?” Tae-sik asked her in concern.

She simply laughed, looking up at him happily, while holding on to his arms.

“Hai, daijobu,” she replied, practicing her Japanese again.

“So desuka?” he asked quietly, indulgently.

Letting her hold on to him a little longer.

“Emm,” she nodded, before running off with the dogs. “Ja ne…!”

The two men watched her running off with no care in the world.

“She's in love with you.”

He looked at Dalseo and gave his famous amused smirk.

“And you are in love with her.”

And Tae-sik burst out laughing.

“You know how I know.”

“How?” he asked, still laughing, walking towards an old frayed sofa outside the trailer.

“You smiled. And then you laughed.”

And Tae-sik stopped his laughter but still smile in denial.

The two men sat on the sofa.

Overlooking the vast garbage area, with mountains of waste spanning the horizon.

Definitely not a place for a young lady. 

“Do you know when I last see you laugh?”

Of course Dalseo did not get his answer.

“At Cheol-su’s wedding,” he supplied the answer himself. “And that was 14 years ago.”

Tae-sik bent his head in memory of their mutual friend’s reception.

With his wife sitting beside him.

It was a distant memory.

But funnily enough, he thought of it with fondness and not sadness.

Instead he looked up to where So-Mi was.

“Here's the stuff you asked for.”

Dalseo handed him a familiar brown package, interrupting his thoughts.

“Thank you.”

“May I asked what you need them for?”

Though Dalseo dreaded the answer, he still preferred to know.

“So-Mi has been getting threat notes.”

“Mwo?! From whom?”

“I don’t know. I’m trying to find out.”

“Is it because of her pictures?”

“Perhaps.”

“Has she been practicing her 'kali'?”

“That was your idea?”

Dalseo grinned.

“I thought she might need the skills.”

“How did you get her to do it?”
 

-----

(Flashback)

16 year old So-Mi was about to enter the apartment building the Chois and her lived, when she was stopped by the garbage collector.

“Is this yours, Miss?” he asked, handing her a pamphlet.

"Ani, it’s not," she had answered, making haste of entering the sanctuary of her building.

“Oh, but I heard the Ahjussi said it is a good skill to pick up. This is a good class, cheap too," and he stared at her intently, again ing the martial arts advertisement towards her.

Looking back at him and answering with her own stare, she said, "arasso. I shall give it a try."

 

(End of flashback)
 

-----

 

“It was as simple as that. I just stare at her for a little longer than necessary and she caught my sign.”

“She's astute that way. But gullible too,” Tae-sik scoffed.

“Yes, astute, yes. Gullible, I'm not so sure," Dalseo shook his head slightly, sipping on a coke bottle. "She did a stake out of the centre for a whole week before actually coming in."

The coke alternate with a cigarette.

"But I must say she is joy to look after.”

“Neh, she is.” 

Tae-sik answered, as he again looked out towards So-Mi.

-----
 

A/N - Dear Readers,

Thank you for being with me on Fireflies thus far.

May I urge you to download or listen to this beautiful soundtrack by Mad Soul Child, Dear, as you read the next installment.

It will definitey add to your reading experience. Thank you once again and god bless :)

(Flashback)

 

He got into the apartment at the soft sound of Mad Soul Child's Dear.

It was an old song, but it used to be on So-Mi's old MP3 player.

In the middle of the living room floor, stood So-Mi going through her 'kali' moves.

And he could only stare at her.

She was beautiful.

Clad only in a sleeveless white t shirt and loose red track pants.

Sleek, her movements were smooth but sharp.

She was practicing a refined art of hand to hand combat - with or without a weapon.

At a sudden wrong move that she made, he could not help himself but to move towards her.

Like a moth to the flame.

He slid his hands along the length of hers from behind.

Her surprise of him being there could only be detected by a slight stiffening of her body.

After which, she relaxed again.

Smart girl, he thought.

That was how you should react to your opponents too.

And together they moved, to the ancient steps of the martial arts.

Sometimes fast, at times slow, until he abruptly turned her around and pushed by the shoulders. Hard.

Daring her to a spar.

And she gave him an evil smile and accepted.

Lightening quick movements of hands attacking one another - by the forearms, into the chest, by the side of the neck.

Elbows sharply connected to the ribs while forelegs attacked the shins.

The duel went on till she deftly tripped him by the leg and made him fall.

He looked up, grinning.

She's good, extremely good.

And he was proud of her.

He quickly jumped up to his feet to start again.

With a ‘come hither’ flick of his finger, they began again.

He was careful not to hurt her, but this time, he did not spare her any chances, occasionally making her falter and fall.

He has not felt this exhilarated for a long time.

And cannot ascertain whether it because of the sheer physical exercise he was getting or the fact that he was in her personal space.

He has sparred with women before, during his training days.

But he did not remember feeling this euphoric, y and even.

She matched his every move, even with attacks of her own.

She was quick, strong and intelligent in predicting his moves – grinning at times, taunting him to do better.

And none of his previous female sparring partners ever dared to cheekily stick their tongue out to him.

They continued with 'kali's signature stick weapons and continued.

Agile young moves matched matured deft ones. 

Sticks hitting sticks.

Yet still they went on till they both fell to the ground in a breathless heap.

Grinning stupidly.

With him as the victor this time.

Looking down at her beautiful flushed face, for the longest time as they both caught their breaths.

Sweat glistened on both their temples and trickled down their backs.

He suddenly came to his senses.

And got up abruptly.

“Mianhe,” he looked away.

She too felt something she should not have and blushed.

She sat up, pushing a lock of stray hair out of her face.

“Neh. I'm sorry for creating such a mess,” she apologised, looking at the chairs and table she pushed aside.  “I didn't know you were coming back early.”

“Ani. I didn't expect it either. I'll go take a shower now.”

“Neh, me too.”

And like teenagers, they both fled into the sanctuary if their respective rooms.

 

(End of flashback)