The elevator stopped on the 49th floor and a beautiful woman wearing a crisped white shirt and a pair of black trousers was in it. She checked her hair – that was tied neatly without a single strand out of order – once more before going out of the steel box. She fixed the strap of her bag as she walked. She turned left and entered an office through an automatic glass door, the sign was read “CNSD, Co. Ltd.”.

Two pretty receptionists sitting in the lobby immediately stood up seeing her arrival and took a bow to greet her. She nodded curtly to greet back. She took a look at the clock hanging on the wall behind the receptionists – her wrist watch was broken – showing 10 past 11 in the afternoon. She realized she was late and was sure that her manager would like to have a say in this. But she then decided that she didn’t care about what the manager would tell her. She honestly had no respect whatsoever to him anyway.
 

She walked further inside through tables and cubicles. Some were occupied, some weren’t. There were piles of documents in some of the tables. Some workers were busy in their respective desks, some were in the meeting room to discuss a project, some others were going to and fro between their desks and the photocopy machine, preparing for an important meeting. Every worker who noticed her arrival bowed respectfully to her, and she nodded as an acknowledgement.
 

An ordinary day at work.

Seeing is believing, they say, but some visible things are actually deceiving.
 

After greeting back each of her co-workers, she entered the pantry. She made herself a cup of tea. She opened the cabinet and took out a box of green tea bags, just the brand she liked - as she had ordered to the General Affairs Division, and she was always thankful to them for fulfilling her silly request.
 

Feeling satisfied with the taste after sipping a little, she walked out of the pantry. She then entered the room adjacent to the pantry, the Archive Room, with a cup of tea on her left hand. She closed the door behind her, walking to the shelf of archives from the year 1990-2000 on the furthest left wing, pulled a blue folder on the second level. Then the shelf moved.
 

The shelf slid closer to her – prompted her to step back a little – then slid to her left, revealing a big hole on the wall, which led to another room.
A secret room.

~!@#$%^&*()_+

The pretty woman walked through a vast space that was apparently still in renovation – some parts of the wall weren’t coated yet, bricks were still visible; the ceiling was covered with plastic net; the glasses were marked with cross sign in the middle. There was no electricity, so it definitely would be dark at night. Thankfully, it was noon so she could rely on the sunlight slipping through the glass windows to show her the way. There was one door on the other side of the room, painted dark green without any sign. She walked toward it and opened it then closed it after she got inside.
 

In contrast with the bright and lively office outside, the room behind the green door was dark and eerily quiet. There were stacks of unidentified boxes around, high shelves covering the walls. She kept walking without even an ounce of hesitation. Not long after, she spotted an older woman in the room, sitting behind a table while watching a rerun of a TV drama she didn’t know. The older woman immediately turned her head to her for she had heard the sound of her shoes clicking on the tiled floor. She bowed to the older woman without a word. Then a middle aged man appeared from behind the older woman.
 

“You’re late,” the middle aged man said. She only responded with another bow to the man. “It’s not like you to be late, Seo Team-Jang,” the middle aged man named Lee Sooman – who was also her manager – continued.
 

She, Seohyun, stopped in front of the older woman’s table then put down her tea cup on the table. She reached inside her bag to retrieve her revolver and gave it to the older woman. She also took out her gloves, her fake ID, and fake name tag of some cleaning service employee.
 

“Need I remind you that your performance is being watched even more closely, now that you’re going to be promoted to be a Supervisor? Do you understand that, Team Leader Seo?” Manager Lee said as the older woman did some check-ups on her equipment. Seohyun bowed once again without a word. “You really are a woman of few words, aren’t you?” Manager Lee sighed. “Anyway, good work,” he said and walked away, but then stopped to add, “Don’t forget we’ll have a meeting after lunch to talk about the next project.”
 

Seohyun bowed respectfully once more to Manager Lee as he walked toward the dark green door on the other side of the room.

~!@#$%^&*()_+

Seohyun sat on one of the chairs in the meeting room, Manager Lee sat opposite her. One of her team members – Kai – was sitting beside her, taking notes, while Manager Lee’s staff – Taemin – was standing in front of them presenting the next project they would handle.
 

“Our next target is a male, named Jung Yonghwa,” Taemin said as the LED screen showed the pictures of a dashing man taken candidly.

A model? Actor? Seohyun guessed in her head as she stared at the pictures intently while her right hand reached out to pick up the handout on the table prepared by Taemin. Seohyun flipped over the handout on her lap and read the detail of the project as she listened to Taemin’s explanation. 

“30 y.o.-“ 30?! He looks younger, though.
“-single-“ Owh, lucky!
“-a mobster-“ A WHAT?!
“-the only son of the leader of Black Dragon gang. He was supposedly inheriting the crown after his father.“ A power struggle in a gang, this could trigger a gang war. Bad days ahead for the Cops. She then shook her head in silence.
“And the client is Jung Jaeyoung, his own father,” Taemin continued, and Seohyun looked up from her handout to stare at her junior, making sure that she heard right. Taemin looked back at her as he continued, “Jung Yonghwa was given a position in the organization as the enforcer when he was 25, with the purpose to train him directly in the field so he would be prepared when his time to rule comes. In only five years, he has taken the position of a deputy. He’s only one step away now to become the leader. And judging by the support he’s been getting throughout his carrier, it won’t be long before it happens. The problem is, he has bad relationship with his father,” Seohyun listened intently to Taemin’s explanation. Some people are just born to succeed, Seohyun thought as she stared at the picture of the handsome man in the monitor.

And some people are born to die today, she then glanced at her manager. Ugh, can that old geezer stop looking at me? Or I’ll seriously pull the trigger since my revolver has just fully reloaded. Or maybe break his neck with bare hands like I did this morning? Now that  reminds me of my broken watch. Though annoyed, Seohyun could only ignore the obvious glare her manager had been giving her since the presentation began.

“Ever since he was still in his mother’s womb, Jung Jaeyoung always had doubts about Jung Yonghwa’s parentage. He married Kim Yumi, Jung Yonghwa’s mother, without the consent of the woman. Rumor had it that she had a lover that was why she was against the marriage with the gang leader. But she had no choice because her father, who was a ceremonies officer of the mobster group, forced her to comply since it was an honor for any officer in the organization to have their relative chosen as the leader’s wife. That was why Jung Jaeyoung thought that Jung Yonghwa wasn’t his son, but Kim Yumi’s lover’s.”Drama, drama, drama, Seohyun sighed, My life’s boring.
“And the way Jung Yonghwa grew up added his suspicion. Jung Yonghwa wasn’t every bit like a mobster. He graduated from Law School with magna -laude-“ Wow.
“ -At the age of 23 he served his military duty-“ He WHAT?!
“ -He was prim and proper. He was deemed unsuitable for a gang leader. That was why right after he finished his military service, his father compelled him to join the organization.” A good kid, a delinquent father. What a great combo, Seohyun sighed again as she flipped over another page.

“But the unimaginable happened, Jung Yonghwa proved himself to be a great gang leader. His subordinates respect him, other important officers support him. In short time, he managed to reach the second rank in position, without the help of his father. Recently there was a rumor flying around that Jung Yonghwa gathering supports and forming his own army behind his father’s back. He’s getting stronger and Jung Jaeyoung feels threatened. ”What is it, a sageuk (historical drama)? The King wants to kill the Crown Prince for making a political move? Seohyun shook her head exasperatedly.

“Jung Jaeyoung wants him killed in broad daylight, where people could see it happening, as a reminder for the rest of the members that anyone, even his own son, will be punished fairly and severely if they try to go against him,” Manager Lee continued, startling Seohyun, for she didn’t expect him to talk. She stared at her manager as he continued. “But the thing is, he can’t trust anyone in the organization to do the deed because he’s not sure how many people and whoever has turned side to Jung Yonghwa’s aide. So he requests for our service.” So the King’s afraid that the headsman will betray him? What is it, now? Snow White? Seohyun snorted as she closed the handout and put it back on the table.

“Jung Jaeyoung is an important client, Team Leader Seo,” Manager Lee said, prompted her to look back at him, “If we succeed in this project, he may request for more of our services in the future. This is the chance for our company. That’s why I choose you to execute it. Do it as we were asked. Don’t disappoint me.”

“Algesseumnida,” Seohyun said as she bowed to her manager.

~!@#$%^&*()_+

Seohyun slurped her iced green tea latte absentmindedly as she focused her eyes on a certain door of a building. She was sitting in a café in front of the deputy of Black Dragon gang’s office, enjoying a slow afternoon with a glass of iced green tea latte she liked so much, while waiting for her target to come out.
 

Right after the meeting with her manager a week ago, she had gathered her team to discuss the tactic to execute the project. Even though her target was only one person, killing a Gang official in broad daylight was not exactly an easy job. There would be obstacles that was his subordinates. Moreover he was a deputy, he would be surrounded by many more people, and they would definitely be armed. And if the rumor was actually true, that he was forming an army, it would be even more difficult to break through the horde of his followers to kill him. 
 

And her client didn’t help at all. Jung Jaeyoung, in accordance with his initial objective to put his own son as an example, had sent an advance warning to Jung Yonghwa – with the knowledge of other officials, of course. He had warned his son to lay low or he would take a drastic measure – which insinuated a life taking – if his son wouldn’t comply. That was like the tiger announcing to the deer that ‘Hey, I’m gonna eat you!’ So it was only expected that Jung Yonghwa would even strengthen his defenses. Even if she was deploying all of her team members to get rid of all the obstacles to reach her target, it was possible that she would lose some of her own team members, too.
 

It was a lose-lose situation.
 

Seohyun decided that it would be best to somehow pull him out of his circle of protection, getting his attention and making him leave his protective followers on his own.
 

But how?
 

And if she managed to kill him, how would she save herself from a bunch of angry scary looking men with bulky body-built on her own?
 

This was something her manager wouldn’t even want to care. Manager Lee only cared about scoring hot shot clients, lobbying and bribing government officials, and high-paid projects. He never cared of how or what it took to get the job done. It was due to his lack of field experience that he didn’t understand the problems field staffs usually faced when they were given a project. And it was hellishly annoying how he always emphasized on the importance of the project, giving pressure to the field staffs to get the job done well. No trace, no mistake. Client happy, more money to flow to the company’s bank account, more bonus for him, and samgyupsal for his family dinner! Manse!
 

On the third day, she finally found a way to get his attention. What else would attract a man but a woman?
 

She herself was a woman, though she knew nothing of how to attract a man. But with the help of her team members, she managed to gather information about the type of woman that could attract their  target.
 

In 30 years of his existence, Jung Yonghwa was only known to date three women. One was in his high school days, and two were during college. The three women, shockingly, did have few things in common. The first was their appearance. All three of them were feminine looking, with long hair and liked wearing girly outfit. All three of them were smart – judging by their academic achievement – and loved music. One of them played piano and two of them played guitar. Based on their profile it was easy to see that Jung Yonghwa idolized his own Mother. The second rank in the ruling gang was just a mamma boy apparently.

After Seohyun made plans of the way to get his attention, she then started to arrange the escape plan with her team members.
 

And now, on the D day, she was ready.
 

She had gone to the beauty salon early that morning to style her hair. Her usually tied long hair was now flowed down to her back in a natural wave. She also put on some make up, unlike her usual bare-faceed appearance. She wore a soft pink lacy skirt that fell flawlessly a little above her knees and a matching blouse, with a pair of high heels adorned her feet.
 

Seohyun kept staring at the entrance of the building. There was a plenary session held in the aforementioned building among Jung Yonghwa’s factions. It was a perfect time to kill a future gang leader, just when all of his followers were around. She glanced at the intersection, 100 meters from the café, where a car parked – with Kai inside, waiting for her to execute the plan then would help her escape.
 

She searched her gun in her satchel once more, making sure that she brought it with her and that she had installed the muffler. She checked her wrist watch – it was new – and it showed 10 minutes to 12. Her stomach suddenly growled asking for attention but was determinedly ignored.
 

Around 1 in the noon, she saw some scary looking men emerged from the building, looking around like a bunch of mobsters that they were. Seohyun immediately stood up from her seat, but still waited for her target to come out. When she spotted Jung Yonghwa walking out of the building, talking seriously with a middle aged man that looked important, Seohyun immediately grabbed the violin case beside her that her team had prepared to get his attention.
 

Seohyun walked out of the café, producing jingling sound of the chimes hanging above the door. She looked across the street and realized most of the men were looking at her direction, since the street was pretty much empty and quiet, leaving only her and the group of mobsters across her. She immediately turned her head and walked up to the direction of Kai’s car without looking at the gangsters.
 

And as rehearsed before, she deliberately stuck the heel of her left shoe into the gap of the cover of the underground gutter. She shrieked when it happened. And as expected, she had difficulties pulling out her left foot.
 

In the scenario her team had written, that would get Jung Yonghwa’s attention. A pretty girl, wearing girly outfit and a violin on one hand, was in distress. She would be a perfect attention grabber for a man like Jung Yonghwa.
 

But 1 minute had passed since Seohyun stuck her heels. She started to get anxious that the plan didn’t work. She kept on pulling her left foot while biting her lower lip nervously, trying to quickly make plan B. She was considering to just shoot him right there and then, then ran as fast as she could to the awaiting car several steps from her. But that would mean she only had one chance. She couldn’t miss her target. Seohyun was actually pretty confident with her shooting skill, but she had to locate her target accurately before pulling the trigger, and she was afraid that by taking a good look of her target she would get the attention that she didn’t want: a suspicion. And if the mobsters thought she was suspicious they would protect her target even tighter and that would be even more difficult for her to shoot.
 

Someone was born to die today, Seohyun thought. Maybe that someone is Jung Yonghwa, or maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s my last day on earth and I haven’t gotten that promotion that old geezer keeps telling me. And I haven’t gotten the chance to put my hands on him. And I’m still a . I’ll die a . Oh fuc-
 

“Are you okay?” A husky voice broke Seohyun from her reverie. She looked up to the source of the sound and found a pair of big brown eyes staring back at her.
-k. Goodness gracious. So. Hot.
“You seem to have problems with your shoes,” he said as he looked at Seohyun’s feet.

“Ah, ye-yes,” . Why stuttering Seo Juhyun?!
 

“Here, let me help,” he said as he crouched down beside Seohyun, surprising her. Jung Yonghwa then pulled her left foot out of her shoe and put it on his thigh. “You could use my thigh for support.”
 

Seohyun was overwhelmed. Never in her life she found a man that let her put her foot on his expensive tailor pants covered thigh. But Jung Yonghwa had just done it.
She watched him trying hard to pull out her left shoe from the trap of the steel cover of the underground gutter with admiration. But a second later she snapped back to reality.

Right. I should kill him.
She looked around and found his subordinates stayed across the street, watching their boss gleefully, giggling and grinning at her teasingly.
Great. es.
She then looked down at her target. His head was just next to her satchel where she hid her revolver.
It’ll only take a second, Seohyun thought, just a second, she reached inside her satchel, got a hold of her revolver, and turned the gun inside her bag so that she pointed the gun to his head.

One second. She inhaled.

“DONE!” He announced, startling Seohyun. She almost pulled the trigger but then the bright smile – oddly charming snaggletooth, cute popping cheeks, warm beautiful eyes – of the man looking up at her stopped her movement altogether. She was paralyzed.
Jung Yonghwa put back her left foot into the shoe, “There you go, Princess.”
 

“Th-thank you,” Stop stuttering, dimwit!
 

He then stood up, smiling warmly at her, “I think I haven’t introduced myself properly. Annyeong Haseyo, my name’s Yonghwa. Jung Yonghwa. What’s yours?” he asked after he bowed politely at her.
 

“… Hyun,” was all she could say.
 

“Hyun? What Hyun?” he asked, his tone was playful.
 

“Seohyun,” she repeated. Hallelujah! No more stuttering!
 

“Seohyun,” he repeated, “A beautiful name for equally a beautiful lady,” he said, still smiling oh so handsomely, making Seohyun’s heart beat even faster. “Say, Seohyun-ssi, are you busy right now?”
 

“No.”
I just need to kill you.
 

“Have you had lunch yet?”
 

“Not yet.”
I need to kill you first.
 

“Would you like to have lunch with me? I would appreciate some company, especially if the company’s as beautiful as you.”
Oh, hell yesss!
 

“Sure, I should thank you anyway, for helping me earlier.”
 

“Oh, you don’t have to. But if that’s what it takes to have you accompanying me at lunch, then fine.”
 

“Okay,” she said, breathless.
 

“You see, there’s this pasta restaurant around the corner I know. And trust me when I say they make the tastiest pasta ever. Do you mind pasta, by the way, Seohyun-ssi?”
 

“No,” Not at all.
Okay, so maybe none’s gonna die today, Seohyun thought as she walked behind Jung Yonghwa, following him to the said pasta restaurant, watching him talking about and smiling to something she couldn’t register in her head because she was wonderstruck.
 

Yes, none’s gonna die today. But maybe they’ll kill me if they know I missed the chance to shoot him.
 

Or maybe not if I kill him first. 
 

Just not today. Maybe tomorrow. Just one more day. One more day and I’ll definitely kill him.

Just not today.

(end)

Author Note:

Hi, hi, hello... This is the second installment of The First Stanza (with Just Like  A Fairy Tale as a bonus). I hope you like this one.

Well, using this opportunity, I'd like to also address the issue about some of you guys who expect a sequel of the first chapter, You're Everything I've been Looking For. Once again I say, I don't make any sequels of the stories I posted in The First Stanza. My intention was only to depict the magical first meeting of Yong and Hyun in different universes. That was why I name it The First Stanza. If I continue writing about their stories after the fated first meeting, then it won't be relevant with the title.

I'm sorry to disappoint, but I've warned you before. Thank you for understanding. 

See you later at the next installments.

Annyeong.

P. S.: #StayStrongSONEs