Chapter 19

            Hyekyeong had made back alleys and abandoned warehouses her playgrounds, but she had never been to a nightclub in all her life.  Even when she became of drinking age, she chose to have a simple glass of wine and some delicious barbeque instead of drinking the night away in a Seoul nightclub.  For this reason, she brought Minyoung with her to the Indigo Lounge, hoping she had at least been to one or two over the course of her lifetime.  But Minyoung seemed just as nervous as Hyekyeong, and they wandered past the bar and toward the small stage in the back of the club.

            “Hyekyeong-ah…is that Minjin?” Minyoung asked suddenly, looking at the band on the stage.

            Hyekyeong could hardly judge Minyoung for her mistake.  Singing onstage was a spitting image of Minjin.  Even her small eyes carried the same kind of apprehension and sadness.  She sang a soft, heartfelt ballad as Hyekyeong and Minyoung sat at a table and stared in awe.

            “That must be Minseon,” Hyekyeong noted quietly.  “Wow…They definitely look exactly the same.”

            “How did you find out where she was, Hyekyeong-ah?”

            “Since the Captain basically opened the door to any questions we have…I helped myself to a couple of his files,” Hyekyeong admitted, an impish smile on her face.

            “Hyekyeong-ah,” Minyoung growled.  “You shouldn’t have done that.”

            “Hey, I was also concerned about his sanity, you know?”  Hyekyeong sheepishly began to play with a napkin on their table.  “He keeps saying all this stuff about protecting Girls’ Generation and saving the world…Aren’t you curious about his state of mind?”

            “Of course I am,” Minyoung sighed.  “But I just sort of figured his suspicions are baseless.  Either way, we get to be in a pop group, right?”

            “Yeah…But his files looked pretty legitimate.  And Minjin and Minseon’s files…they’re terrifying.”

            Hyekyeong and Minyoung sat at the table for three songs, observing Minseon carefully.  When the band began to play more energetic songs, Minseon’s solemn appearance brightened, but it was obviously due to alcohol.  She kept a bottle of soju on a stool nearby, sipping it every once in a while when the other band members had solos.

            As the performance continued, a few men approached Minyoung, offering her drinks.  She only frowned shyly and turned them down, always giving Hyekyeong a nervous look afterwards.

            “Unnie, why do you keep turning down those guys?” Hyekyeong asked in frustration.  “Some of them were pretty cute.”

            “I’m…skeptical of them,” Minyoung told anxiously.  “What do they want?  Why are they approaching me?”

            “Maybe because you’re pretty, unnie!” Hyekyeong cried, grabbing Minyoung’s hand and flailing it around playfully.  “You’re the visual, Minyoung-ah!”

            “Ah, stop it, Hyekyeong-ah,” Minyoung ordered angrily as she began to blush.

            Hyekyeong snickered happily and looked back at Minseon.  The singer seemed to be leaning on her mic stand weakly, singing gibberish into her microphone.  Her intoxicated behavior only caused the band to give a more lively appearance, and Hyekyeong was sure that a few, if not all, of the band members were just as drunk.

            “What about you, Hyekyeong-ah?” Minyoung said suddenly.  “I saw a couple guys come up to you as well.”

            “Yeah…they were asking to see my ID,” Hyekyeong explained furiously.  “They wanted to check if I was old enough to be in this lounge.”

            Minyoung couldn’t hold in her laughter, and Hyekyeong glared at her crossly.  Ignoring her vicious gaze, Minyoung waved over a waiter and asked for a glass of water.

            “It’s good that you’re actually of drinking age, Hyekyeong-ah,” Minyoung smirked.  “You can’t afford to be arrested again.”

            “Ya!  Who told you about that?”

            “No one…”

            As Minseon finally finished her bottle of soju on stage, Hyekyeong noticed a familiar woman sitting at a table close by.  She was in her late thirties and dressed in respectable business apparel.  Her bright brown eyes appeared to be glimmering with tears as if she could barely stand to see what she was watching.  When Hyekyeong finally recognized her for who she was, she quickly dragged Minyoung over to the table and sat with her.

            “Excuse me,” Hyekyeong smiled, sitting down next to the women.  “Aren’t you Heo Minjin’s friend?”

            The woman looked at Hyekyeong in shock, but a sad grin finally appeared on her face.  “Ah, yes.  I’m Ko Soomin.  I dropped Minjin off at the company that day.”

            “I knew it,” Hyekyeong smirked.  “I’m sorry, I don’t think I ever introduced myself to you.  I’m Park Hyekyeong.  And this is Kim Minyoung.”  She leaned closer to Soomin and winked.  “We’re both in on the project, you know?”

            “It’s nice to meet you two,” Soomin told amiably.  “Did you…Did you come to see Minseon?”

            “We were curious about her…”  Hyekyeong took a deep breath and looked over at Minseon.  “Soomin-ssi…the Captain recently told us about the…academy that Minjin and Minseon were a part of.  Would you happen to…know anything about that?”

            Soomin examined Hyekyeong’s suspicious stare carefully.  “I do happen to know a few things.  How much did he tell you?”

            “He happened to mention that Minseon…”  Hyekyeong peered over at Minseon nervously.  “…Minseon had…killed four people.”

            Surprise quickly overcame Soomin’s expression, and she fretfully looked away.  “Ah…You know everything, then.”

            “Well, Soomin-ssi, we don’t really know everything,” Hyekyeong insisted.  “He told us that Minseon killed them out of self-defense.  But he didn’t explain how it all happened.  Would you be able to tell us a bit more about the academy?”

            “Soomin-ssi, we don’t want to judge them for what happened to them,” Minyoung quickly added, earnestly watching Minseon’s erratic behavior onstage.  “Minjin is part of our team; we want to take care of her the best that we can.  And Minseon might be recruited by the Captain in the future.  We just want to be well-equipped to handle them.”

            Because Hyekyeong and Minyoung wore dark mini dresses, Hyekyeong’s wrapped wrist appeared especially conspicuous.  Soomin brushed her fingers over it carefully and frowned.  “Did Minjin do this?”

            “What?”  Hyekyeong noticed the overwhelming sadness in Soomin’s eyes and quickly hid her wrist under the table.  “Well…It wasn’t her fault.  I surprised her.  I should have been more careful.”

            “She once broke her boyfriend’s nose because he surprised her,” Soomin chuckled darkly.  “Minseon’s band is playing for another hour.  Do you girls have some time?”

            “Of course,” Minyoung answered.

            “Follow me.”

            Soomin led Hyekyeong and Minyoung out of the Indigo Lounge and to a black sedan parked on the street.  She ushered them into the car and told the driver to take the three of them to Seoul Hospital a few blocks away.  For the entire car ride, Soomin remained silent and in crippling thought.  Hyekyeong and Minyoung watched her nervously, wondering who exactly this woman was. 

            When they reached the hospital, Hyekyeong and Minyoung reluctantly followed Soomin inside, feeling awfully out of place in their mini dresses.  Soomin wordlessly led them into the elevator and to the ninth floor.  They followed her into a dark room containing a single bed.  On the bed rested a man with a long beard and pale skin.  He appeared almost lifeless as he lay motionless on the bed.

            “This is Kim Youngbin,” Soomin explained, walking over to the side of his bed.  She took his hand and stared at his white face.  “He worked at the academy with me.  He and I were the only ones who cared about the twins’ wellbeing.”

            “Soomin-ssi…What exactly did the twins experience at the academy?” Hyekyeong questioned, finding the hospital room somewhat unsettling.

            “Since they were seven years old, they were taught various martial arts and language skills,” Soomin told slowly.  As the memories flowed through her head, her eyes became sadder and sadder.  “The Captain may have told you that they were being trained as soldiers.  This is true.  They were going to be used as soldiers to infiltrate Daghan and successfully eliminate their bio-weapons.  My father was the general who created the academy.  He wanted them to be competent with several languages, martial arts, and firearms.”

            “Is the training what made them so scared and jumpy?” Minyoung asked curiously.  “Was it really that severe?”

            “It was very severe,” Soomin admitted remorsefully.  “But they experienced various events at the academy that shaped their tragic psychological state.  Minseon suffered more on that end…”

            “What happened, Soomin-ssi?”  Hyekyeong stepped further into the room, her curiosity becoming overwhelming.  “What made them like this?  Why is Minseon drowning herself in alcohol?  What is she trying to escape from?”

            “Minseon…”  Soomin rubbed her tired eyes as her bottom lip began to tremble.  “A convicted child molester was being held at the academy because he was genetically resistant to the biological weapon that the Daghanians were using.  One night, he attacked Minseon.”

            “Oh my gosh,” Minyoung whispered in shock.  “He…He…”

            “Fortunately, we were able to stop him before anything actually happened,” Soomin assured quickly.  “But…She was so scared.”  Soomin’s hands trembled as she told the story.  “Her little eyes were so filled with fear.  You must understand, the twins had limited knowledge of the real world.  They didn’t know what he was.  The experience was very traumatic for Minseon, and she still has night terrors about him.”

            “That’s horrifying.”  Hyekyeong sat in a chair next to the bed and stared at the wall in astonishment. 

            “After that incident, I was forced to take a short vacation from the academy,” Soomin continued.  “While I was gone…My father forced Minseon to defend herself against a Daghanian prisoner.  He made her…kill him.”

            “She was forced to kill him?” Minyoung asked.  “It wasn’t her own decision?”

            “She was only fifteen…She could hardly make such a decision on her own,” Soomin suggested.  “Youngbin told me that Minseon nearly killed herself directly afterwards.  I feel like she lost her will to live that day…And I don’t think she’s ever really found it.”

            “Was she forced to kill the other three people as well?” Minyoung inquired nervously.

            “In a way...Youngbin and I took the twins one night to escape the academy.  My father came after us and shot Youngbin.  That’s why he’s in a coma today.  After Youngbin was shot…Minseon shot and killed two guards, as well as my father.”

            While Minyoung’s eyes began to fill with tears, Hyekyeong gazed blankly at the wall of the room, forgetting to even breathe as she thought of the horrors the twins had to endure.  She finally looked up at Soomin in awe.  “She had no choice…right?”

            “If she hadn’t done it, they would have been sent back to the academy and forced to be soldiers forever,” Soomin explained coldly.  “In my opinion, she had no choice.  She had to do it.  My father was a monster.  He needed…He needed to…”

            Minyoung began to sniffle as Soomin broke down into tears.  Hyekyeong quickly rose from her seat and walked over to Soomin.  She took her hand and looked into her teary eyes.

            “Soomin-ssi…I think you took very good care of Minjin and Minseon.  And now…I promise.  Now we will take care of them.  We will make them feel safe.  We’ll fix everything that’s broken.”

            “I don’t know if that’s possible,” Soomin sobbed helplessly.  “I feel like they’re broken forever.”

            “Nothing is broken forever,” Hyekyeong assured with a small smile.  “And…Maybe they’re not broken.  Maybe they’re like my wrist.  Just a little bent and a little bruised.  They just need someone to take care of them and they’ll be fine.”

            “Do you really believe that, Hyekyeong-ah?” Soomin asked in amazement.  “After everything I’ve told you, you believe that they can find healing?”

            “I will do everything to find that healing,” Hyekyeong promised sternly, her childlike optimism shining in her eyes.  “As soon as you believe that healing cannot be found, it becomes impossible to attain.  I always believe in healing, Soomin-ssi.  And I’ll never stop believing in it.”

            “Hyekyeong is right!” Minyoung cried, quickly stepping closer to Hyekyeong.  “We won’t give up on them, Soomin-ssi!  We’re all part of the same team now.  We’ll help them as a team.”

            A dim grin appeared on Soomin’s hopeless face.  “When we escaped from the academy, I was alone in caring for the twins.  They were out there in the world, forced to hide their abilities and their past.  I could do little to help them.  Is it really possible for them to find healing in your care?”

            “I promise you, Soomin-ssi,” Hyekyeong smiled.  “We promise you.  Don’t you worry one bit.”

            “I…I really appreciate your confidence, Hyekyeong-ah,” Soomin told gratefully.  “Just…be careful as you help them.  I don’t want you to get hurt anymore.”

            “I don’t mind experiencing a bit of pain in order to help them with their own mountain of pain, Soomin-ssi,” Hyekyeong insisted happily.  She looked up at the clock on the wall of the room.  “Hmm…it’s a little past 11.  Should we get back to Minseon now?”

            “That’s a good idea,” Soomin replied swiftly.  “Let’s go.”

            Hyekyeong turned to Minyoung, who was sobbing intensely.  Wiping the tears from Minyoung’s face, Hyekyeong led her out of the room, and they followed Soomin to the elevator.

            “It’s just so sad, Hyekyeong-ah,” Minyoung wept in between hiccups.  “I feel so bad for them.  How could this happen to them?”

            “Don’t be so discouraged, unnie,” Hyekyeong whispered.  “We will help them.”

            “I know, but still…”

            They reached the black sedan again and drove back to the Indigo Lounge.  Upon reentering the nightclub, the three of them noticed that Minseon’s band was finished with their set.  After looking around the room, they finally spotted Minseon over at the bar.  She sat on a stool and groggily leaned over the countertop with an empty glass in her hand.

            “Girls, I think it’s best if you leave now,” Soomin told quietly.  “I’ll take care of Minseon.”

            “Don’t you need any help?” Hyekyeong asked.

            “We’ll be fine,” Soomin insisted.  “Just get back to Minjin.  And do everything you promised me you would do.  Alright?”

            “Yes, Soomin-ssi,” Hyekyeong grinned.  “Don’t worry about Minjin unnie.  We’ll take care of her.”

            “Thank you,” Soomin smiled. 

            Hyekyeong and Minyoung watched carefully as Soomin walked over to Minseon.  When Minseon lifted her head from the countertop, they noticed the shiny tears on her face. 

            “I’m sorry, unnie,” Minseon sobbed feebly.  “I shouldn’t have done it.  I didn’t want to do it.”

            “You had to,” Soomin replied gently, helping Minseon off of the stool.  “You did the right thing, Minseon-ah.”

            “Hyekyeong-ah,” Minyoung sniffled.  “Let’s go.  I…I can’t watch this anymore.”

            “Okay, unnie.”

            Hyekyeong and Minyoung left the nightclub before Soomin and Minseon could.  They hurried through the streets back to the Chrome Entertainment building.  Both of them walked in silence, except for Minyoung’s quiet sniffling.  They had found a resolution in the midst of tonight’s chaos, but it didn’t make things any less shocking.

            When they entered Chrome Entertainment, it was almost midnight, and only a few lights were on throughout the halls.  They took off their shoes and wandered quietly toward the dorms.

            “Minjin unnie?” Hyekyeong called quietly, slowly opening the door to their sleeping quarters and peeking her head in.

            Minjin sat on her bed, her eyes full of worry and dejection.  She quickly looked up at Hyekyeong and Minyoung as they entered the room.  Though she looked over their nightclub apparel in confusion, she finally rose from the bed and slowly approached them.

            “Hyekyeong-ah…Minyoung unnie…I thought you had decided to leave,” Minjin told miserably.  “The Captain wasn’t sure where exactly you went.  Did you…Did you decide to leave the mission?”

            Giving a comforting smile, Hyekyeong took Minjin’s hands in her own.  “Unnie, let me promise you something.  We won’t leave you, no matter what you do.”

            “Do you really mean that?” Minjin asked nervously.

            “Minjin-ah!” Minyoung cried, breaking down into tears again.  She rushed up to Minjin and wrapped her in her arms.  “Minjin-ah, we love you.  We won’t ever abandon you.  You’re safe here, do you understand?”

            As Minyoung continued to constrict her, Minjin looked helplessly up at Hyekyeong.  “What…What’s going on?”

            Hyekyeong sighed and grimaced at Minyoung’s embarrassing state.  “Minjin unnie, we just want you to know that nothing you do could ever separate us from you.  We’re a team.  We’ll go through everything together, okay?”

            Though Minjin still appeared confused, she finally gave a smile.  “Really?  You’re not leaving?”

            “We’ll never leave, unnie,” Hyekyeong promised.  “Ah, Minyoung unnie, calm down.  Let me make some ramen to sober you up.”

            “Sober me up?” Minyoung exclaimed through her tears.  She backed away from Minjin and stared at Hyekyeong in confusion.  “I’m not drunk.”

            “I’m sorry, unnie,” Hyekyeong grinned at Minjin.  “Minyoung unnie and I decided to go to a club tonight.  The alcohol is making her a little too emotional.”

            “Ya!  Stop it, you brat!” Minyoung called, attempting to slap Hyekyeong’s arm.  But the little pixie playfully jumped out of the way.

            “See, Minjin unnie?” Hyekyeong snickered.  “You’re not the only volatile one here!  We’re all a little crazy!”

            “I’m going to hurt you!” Minyoung shouted, chasing Hyekyeong around the room. 

            Minjin watched them in awe, laughing merrily.  As Hyekyeong leapt onto the beds and dodged Minyoung’s wrath, she noticed Minjin’s happiness and knew that she was right.  Healing was possible.  And she would do everything in her power to make it a reality.