At around 4:00 am, Martin took Yuri home. Yuri was knocked out but Martin was still sober enough to drive them safely back to their quiet village.

“Yuri, Yuri we’re here.” he shook her awake. Yuri blinked beautifully and turned to Martin’s direction.

“We-we are?”

“Yes. This is where you get off.” Martin said. Unless you want me to carry you all the way to your room and have my way with you.

“Oh. Okay.” Yuri’s makeup was all smudged. Her hair was back to its messy form. And she didn’t realize that she had forgotten her waitress uniform at the old bar. Shoving all of this to the back of her head, she got down and thanked Minho’s dad for the ride. Yuri entered her house and propped on the sofa, slept and waited for the sun to rise. She didn’t even bother to change. She just laid down in her red dress and slept…drunk.

Martin drove all the way home and Minho…boy was Minho excited. He slept for only 2 hours and once he heard his father’s car park in the garage, he couldn’t wait to give him a piece of his mind. Minho spent the whole day in the house, drinking beer and eating junk foods. He must’ve gained a lot of weight or so he thought, but that’s not what’s important. What mattered most to Minho right now was confronting his father about his doings. Sensing his father coming inside, he turned all the lights out and sat on the sofa with the envelope of ic pictures sitting beside him. War was about to start at 4:00 am.

“Son! Son! Where the heck are you?” Martin drunkenly asked. Martin tried to turn the lights on but his drunk and weak state prevented him from doing so. Reaching for the switch was hard enough so Minho did his father some kindness and pulled the string the lit the lamps up.

“Hello dad.” Minho said with a stern look on his face. His eyes were bloodshot red, evidence of lack of sleep; underneath them were dark circles, evidence of stress, his hair was a mess, proof that he just got up. Either that or Minho hadn’t fixed himself since his father left.

“Son, what’s going on? What immaturity are you trying to pull off this time?”

“Actually dad, it’s not exactly what I would call immaturity.” Minho stood up with the brown envelope clamped under his arm. Martin swallowed hard and exhaled.
“I need to ask you a few questions, dad.”

“What are those?”

“Siddown first.” Martin walked over to the sofa and sat down. He had no idea what was going on. Instead of shaming his father by exposing the pictures himself (and to save him from the grossed out feeling), he handed the brown envelope to his father. “See for yourself what’s going on.” Martin shot glances-angry glances-at his son and looked through the envelope. There it was…right in his hands…the pictures that he took from wherever. Martin could feel the smoke coming out of his ears and nose and his blood boiling…way past its critical point.

“What…the……did I tell you about going through my ?” Martin yelled.

“You made the costly mistake of leaving your key behind. And don’t think I don’t know what you did last morning…” Minho warned.

“Where the were you then? I thought you were sick?”

“ sickness, dad. it very much! Because if there’s anyone between us who’s sick, it’s you! There’s no cure for your sickness, Daddy-O!”

“What did I tell you about wandering alone in the early morn?”

“You told me not to. You’re right. But you gave me every reason to. Oh and by the way dad, what did I tell you about breaking in to other people’s houses and having your way with their teenage daughters, hm?” Minho crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared angrily at his father. “That’s right. You broke your promise. Why’d you come home just now? You smell of alcohol. Think you’ve been drinking. Who you with?”

Martin fell silent and looked at his son with a pokerface on. He looked really calm but deep down inside he’d give anything to have this young man in front of him killed.

“If I had a knife right now, I would’ve shoved it down your throat!”

“Why are you doing this dad?” Minho asked, his voice shaking. “Aren’t you happy with your life? What else is missing? Huh?”

“You don’t understand what it’s like for me to come home everyday feeling pained and pressured and…”

“And what? Dad, you don’t have to do this! You’re mothering shaming yourself. I know it’s unethical to be cursing in front of your dad but this gruesome discovery…! I just can’t help but cuss in front of you! Who self-respecting son, one who loves his dad so much wouldn’t curse when he finds out that his dad has been keeping sick pictures like this from him! What’s wrong with you dad? Tell me, please!”

Martin fell silent once more. He couldn’t (and didn’t) want to let his son know that he had a growing attraction towards young girls and he was looking to victimize Yuri.

“What is this about, huh?” Minho started to cry tears of anger and embarrassment. “Aren’t you content with your life? Dad, you have everything! You have a good job that pays you well, you have a good son who would never disobey you. Your wife still loves you though she isn’t with us everyday!”

“It must be your mother.”

“I guess so.” Minho replied. “But I’m not letting this pass! I am not! Mom has to know about this!” Martin jumped out of his skin when he heard that his son was planning to let his mother know about his addiction.

“No! No! Please do not. Anything but that! My name will be ruined.”

“Stop being so ing selfish! It’s not just you who will be ruined. It’s me, too. Us! Your ing corporation!” Minho cried tears of a young man. “But if it’s for the better, you’re gonna have to face the consequences of your actions and I’m gonna have to suffer because of your stupidity!”

“Son! Please no! Give me another chance! I won’t mess around. EVER AGAIN!”

“Dad, how many times have you promised? HOW MANY?!”

“Son I’ve never broken-”

“Shut the hell up! Where have you been? How come you smell like alcohol.” Minho was feeling really embarrassed because they were fighting like husband and wife.

“Son, I’m going to confess to you now.” he said. “I went to a bar. And I wasn’t alone.”

“Who were you with?”

“I was with…” Martin took a deep breath. “Yuri.”
Minho let out a loud gasp and closed his hands into fists. Balls of fury fists ready to punch.

“Did I not tell you to stay away from Yuri? DID I NOT?!”

“Yes you did but-”

“But nothing dad! But ing nothing! You lied to me. All this time you’ve been lying to us! I checked those pictures. Some of them dated way back in 2004, when you and mom were still married! You took pictures of your underage other woman! You are a bastard, dad! You’re a ing bastard! You stay away from my Yuri!” Minho yelled.

“I have to admit something…”

“Admit it now or I’m gonna reach for the gun in your compartment and blow your brains off!”

“I am in love with Yuri. Yes, even after you told me to stay away from her, I have been seeing her. I take her to work and pick her up. I try to spy on her and stare at her every chance I get. Your girlfriend works at a bar in Seoul City as a singer. She just came home from work. We drank together and I dropped her off in her house. She’s at home, sleeping and drunk.” Martin humbly admitted. “I’m sorry son but I just can’t help myself. Maybe it’s because of the divorce.”

“ your excuses.” Minho was really angry now. “You’ve been at it since you and mom were married. I think it’s the reason why you guys divorced.”

“You don’t know about anything so keep your ing hole shut!”

“Stay away from my girl.” Minho threw the envelope on the floor and walked up to his room to get some sleep. Just as soon as his body and brains relaxed, his father attacked him from behind, pounding his back and beating him up. This took Minho by surprise but being a sturdy young man of 17, he opted to fight back. Minho spun around and punched his father square in the jaw. Martin was still brawnny at 48, even brawnier than when he was Minho’s age. Matter of fact, it was a fair fight. Martin grabbed his son by the collar of his polo and dragged him down the stairs. Minho fell and was sure that he broke his collarbone but refusing to bow down to his father. Martin kicked Minho’s side and picked his son up by the long, uncut hair but Minho punched his father in the gut and kicked him there. He knew his gut was his weakest spot so Minho did just right by targeting it.

When Martin was down and out, wincing in pain grabbing his abdoment, Minho stood up and ran outside of the house. He got on his motorcycle that was parked outside the garage and rode all the way to the local pub where he drank beer after a fight with Yuri the previous night. Upon arriving at the pub, he bust through the doors all weary and wounded. The bartender looked at him but didn’t pay him much mind as he was busy chatting with his more favorite customers. Minho pulled himself a stool and sat down.

“Scotch on the rocks. Make it two.” Minho demanded.

“Woah! Sonny! Two? Are you sure? It’s still kinda early and you young’in…” the bartender asked in a surprised, slurry tone.

“Hey,” Minho fished out some bills from his pocket and flashed it to the bartender. “You want this money? I heard you’re having a hard life now. Want it?” The bartender cocked his head and nodded, agreeing with Minho. “Then by God give me my drink and you can have this…and more!” The bartender nodded and reached for the money but Minho pulled away.

“Nuh-uh. Drink first. Money later.”

“Fine.” The bartender went to get the drinks and poured Minho two glasses. He handed them over to Minho and in exchange, Minho gave the bills.

“We’re gonna get along just fine, my man. Because I’m afraid these aren’t the only glasses I’ll be drinking. It’s your lucky day, it’s my lucky day.” Minho said.

“Good, then. Drinks at 5:00 am.”

“A toast?” Minho proposed to the bartender. “Pour yourself a drink and toast with me, you son of a gun!” The bartender smirked at Minho’s sudden outgoing-ness and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

“You better start lightening up, Choi. I like you already! You should come here often. I bring the scotch in on Wednesdays!”

“You know my favorite!” Minho and the bartender toasted. They drank and drank until Minho was sure he could pass out on the bar table.

“Hey! Hey sonny get up!” The bartender said. “It’s 6 am. I gotta get home! Don’t be hanging your lazy around here!” Minho looked up and stared at the bartender. He was drunk, wasted, and fell asleep at the bar.

“Wha?”

“It’s 6 ing o clock. Get up! I still have to close this place and clean your up!”
“It’s 6 am? Goddammit!” Minho rose from his seat and although still drunk and angry, he left and got on his motorcycle, driving away as fast as possible. He just didn’t tell the bartender, though that he was still a minor and he was on his way to school. Minho rode on the motorcycle, going at a very fast speed. Drunk, sleepy, and angsty, Minho failed to see the truck that was coming his way. Unfortunately for him, the truck driver was drunk and wasted, too so when it came down to the center of the road…

“OH HOLY !” were Minho’s last words…

The motorcycle crashed into the truck and if that wasn’t enough, Minho got thrown overboard and slammed to a tree, leaving his body in a horrible state of death. His body was all bloodied, skull crashed and bones broken. The truck driver was injured, too but survived.

A few hours after the accident, Minho’s father was called up and informed about the accident.

“Your son has died on his way home. Apparently he came from some place north of Haebaragi Village but he never made it.” said the paramedics.

Shock, grief, regret, and guilt gripped Martin altogether. His son died? But just a few hours ago they were talking, fighting even.

“Is-is his body still there?”

“Yes it is but it is damaged beyond recognition.”

“I’m coming.” Martin hung up and dashed outside of his house, entered his car and drove to where the paramedics told him his son was. Sure enough, there they were in the middle of the road, taking pictures and examining the body. The truck driver was placed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. Martin tried to take a quick look at his son’s dead body. It was indeed damaged, crush, destroyed beyond recognition as Martin couldn’t even tell if that was really Minho with a broken skull and a disfigured body. His father let out a loud cry, the loudest he’d let out in his life. Nothing could be more painful than the death of your own child but the most painful fact of life is that your son died with anger in his heart. Anger towards you. And you even fought that very morning, a good 2-3 hours before his demise. Your son died and you never even got the chance to apologize and make things right again with him.

“We’re gonna do an autopsy on his body and try to find out what happened to him really. We’ll call you up for more details.” said the paramedic. Martin nodded and went back inside his car, drove back home fighting the tears.

My son didn’t deserve to die. It should’ve been me. It should’ve been me there lying with my brains sprawled on the grass and my blood coloring the mud. Martin let the tears flow freely from his eyes as he cried with anguish and regret.

The first person that came into his mind was Yuri. He knew how Minho loved Yuri and how he’d do anything for her. Yuri would be crushed if she knew that Minho died today. So crushed that she probably would stop living and just kill herself to be with Minho.

Until the consoling, ic side of his brain . A dirty and lewd thought came up in his mind. Now that Minho was dead, Martin could have Yuri all for himself. But he pushed that thought aside, knowing that it was improper to feel happy for the death of his young son just so that he could go near his girlfriend. He remembered all the things Minho told him about one day marrying Yuri.

Shove the erted thoughts. Shove the erted thoughts. Martin tried not to think ically but he just couldn’t help himself. The desire to see Yuri and to see her hurt over her boyfriend was just very hot. Martin parked his car in front of Yuri’s house and rang her doorbell. Yuri calmly walked over to the door and received him.

“Good morning, Martin. What brings you here so early?” asked the young lady. She noticed that Martin’s face was looking rather sad.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news for you, Yuri.” Martin said with his head down.

“W-What?” Yuri stammered, a bit worried.

“Minho’s dead. He died in a car accident just this morning.” Yuri covered with her hand and nearly passed out. She felt weak at the knees and was about to fall when Martin caught her by the shoulders. It felt so good to hold her shoulders without apprehension.

“Are you alright?” he asked Yuri. Yuri moved away from him and sat on the sofa, hoping to clear her mind and try to absorb what she had just heard.

“No.” she said calmly. “No I’m not.” Yuri recalled the argument she and he had a few nights before. After that, Minho tried to make up with her, tried to reconcile but she was stubborn and refused to accept his apology, thus deepening the gap between them. She could swear they were close to breaking up. Well now they were officially broken because Minho was in the afterlife. Yuri felt regret pinching her everywhere. She wished she had listened to Minho one last time. If only she had known that Minho was going to die, she would’ve made things right again.

“Yuri, I’m very sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry.” Yuri replied. “We were falling apart anyways. He wanted to break up with me that’s for sure.”

“He never hated you, Yuri. In fact, he loved you so much he’d talk to me about you all the time.” Martin said.

“If only I could talk to him one more time, just to tell him I’m sorry, I would. I would, Martin.” Yuri allowed herself to freely break down. Martin took this sad opportunity to draw her body close to his. He put an arm around Yuri and much to his surprise, Yuri wasn’t fighting back. She was taking it all in and allowing him to touch her.

Finally. I’m getting her to open up to me. This could be the start of something.

And it was. Yuri felt Martin’s touch and decided that it was warm and comforting. That’s when she thought that all the things Minho told her about Martin were untrue. Martin was a kind and decent man.

“I know it sounds kind of inappropriate but…”Yuri started, wiping her tears from time to time. Martin knew what was coming and was greatly anticipating it.

“Yes?”

“Is it alright if you stay here with me for a while. I just don’t want to feel alone anymore.” Yuri sobbed.

“Yes. It is alright with me.” Martin said. It’s very alright with me. He held Yuri close and comforted her, assuring her that everything would be okay.

“I can’t keep crying.” Yuri said, pulling away from the embrace. “I need to go to work now.”Martin let go of her.

“I’ll take you there. Go up and get dressed. I’ll be waiting here.” Martin stayed downstairs on the sofa, waiting for Yuri. As Yuri was getting dressed, Martin felt the rush of curiousity overpowering him.

No. Do not give in to your temptations. Your son just died and do not use this opportunity to screw with his girlfriend.

Temptation is indeed hard to overcome. Knowing that Yuri was probably busy in the shower to notice him go up the stairs, he quietly tiptoed his way up and looked ofr the bathroom. The loud splashes of water weren’t hard to follow so as soon as he got up, his instinct led him to a watery sounding room which was the bathroom. The minute he leaned on the door, the shower stopped making noise. That’s when Martin peered through the small keyhole the door had. Sure enough, there was Yuri wrapped in only her towel. Martin could feel arousal in his body just by looking at Yuri in nothing but a piece of white cloth. He felt dirty and improper but it was just so hard to resist. Yuri, oblivious to the fact that she was being spied on, took the towel off and dried her body. Martin saw things that an old man mustn’t see. When Yuri was all dry, she put on her necessary garments and used the blower to properly dry her hair. Martin moved away from the door and ran back downstairs. Yuri thought she heard him come up but didn’t mind, focusing on her hair insteard.

Downstairs, Martin was close to dying due to ual arousal. He knew what he did was wrong and felt guilty but he enjoyed the feeling while it was there. Minutes later, Yuri came down and told him to give her a lift in his car.

“Sure. I’ll take you to your workplace.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it very much.” Yuri bowed. Her uniform was a tinsy bit loose so when she bowed down, Martin saw her small s enclosed in a bra.

“You’re welcome.” he diverted his attention to her eyes once she straightened her body up. The two headed to the car and Martin helped Yuri in. Yuri smiled at him and thanked him for his gentleman-ness and thoughtfulness. Martin replied with a smile. He then drove Yuri to Jin’s Eats.

“I’ll pick you up at 5, alright?” he said.

“Sure.” Yuri stepped out of the car and bowed to her senior as a gesture of gratitutde.

“See you.” Martin sped off to work and Yuri entered the restaurant to work and earn for herself. There was no hiding the despair in her eyes. She was ultimately sad that Minho was no longer with them

But there was no hiding the lust and desire in her eyes for Martin, either.