Epilogue: Part 5

(Flashback)

“Things aren’t going well.  I need you to meet up with Ying and help her tail Jaehyo and U-Kwon,” Mai said, her voice low but sharp through the phone.  “Bring the fake case with you, just in case you have an opportunity to swap it.”

Lan bit back a sigh.  Of course things wouldn’t be going her way today.  “On my way.”  There wasn’t anything else she could say to Mai.  But she felt disappointed.  She had been looking forward to her role of distracting a man so she could stealthily swap cases.  She ran a hand down the red dress she had worn just for this occasion. 

She looked around the empty bar and resigned herself to her fate.  She stood from the bar stool once again and, hoisting herself stomach down onto the counter, she reached around to replace the phone on its cradle. 

It wasn’t an ideal position for her to be in when Jaehyo and U-Kwon burst into the room, but a girl had to roll with the punches.  And slid back to her feet and turned to face them, leaning back on the counter.

“Can I help you boys?” Lan asked.  She reached back and ran a finger around the lip of her glass.  “Care for a drink?”

“No, thank you,” the shorter of the two answered.  “We’re kind of in a hurry.” 

“U-Kwon,” the other said and pulled him away.  They exchanged words for a moment and glanced at her a couple times.  Lan took a sip of her drink. 

Finally, the two men seemed to come to a decision.  The shorter one – U-Kwon, left though the side door while the other approached her and took her hand in his own.  “I’m Jaehyo,” he said and held her eyes as he pressed a kiss to her knuckles.  “It would be rude of me if I didn’t except your offer.”

Lan smiled and invited him to sit beside her.  She enjoyed her time flirting with Jaehyo.  She even let him steal a kiss or two.  She had to admit that she was disappointed when Zico interrupted and dragged Jaehyo away.  She watched them leave and waved goodbye thinking that she’d see them again later. 

Lan leaned back over the counter to grab the phone and call Mai. 

“Jaehyo and Zico just left the bar with a real case, I didn’t have time to swap it,” Lan told her.  She conveniently left out the part where she had completely forgotten that that was part of her job as she looked down at the fake case hidden behind the counter.  “I never caught up with Ying, but I figure she’s still tailing U-Kwon.”

Mai was silent for a moment.  “I want you back to base, now,” she ordered.  “And I want a complete explanation of what has happened since I called you last.”

“On my way.”

“You better be actually on your way, this time, Lan,” Mai told her.  “I don’t need to be worrying about these boys and you.”

“So, you failed to swap a case at one point,” Zico said.  “Good, I’m glad we were able to put up something of a challenge.”  As the sun dipped low into the sea at the horizon, Zico and Mai now sat side by side on top of the boat’s superstructure, their feet hanging over the edge.  Their crew’s had all come up on deck below them to watch the sun set, so Zico lowered his voice.

 “Who was actually able to switch out the case?”

“Youngil,” Mai said proudly with a smile.  Zico shared her pride but was also relieved.  If any of the girls had bested his boys, he felt a little better knowing that it was the member that had grown up in The Block. 

“And which of my men is to be punished for the mistake?”

“Kyung.”