Cunning and Evil

WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE

It was 5:28, and Rep. Yoon Seri woke before her alarm just as she usually does, such that the alarm clock on her bedside table became the most useless thing in her life.

After freshening up in her bathroom, she strutted her way to her kitchen.

First order of the day, coffee.

She has lived alone for almost fifteen years now, and the assemblywoman got used to the sole companionship of her mug and her iPad.

And in recent years, Young-Sil.

Seri sipped from the black coffee on the kitchen counter as she browsed through the morning news. One article stood above the rest, and she clicked that link so fast— the press finally caught wind of what was happening.

The State is about to lose its highest leader in an impeachment.

Poor man, Seri thought. He was a good person, probably too good for the office. All he had were good graces, good intentions. But what he lacked was the guts to navigate this ruthless world.

And it ate him alive.

She closed her iPad after it, as she spent a considerable time reading the article and all related ones to it... and it made her late to her self-imposed strict schedule. She should be at her personal gym right this minute. 7:20.

Spreading her mat on the floor, she began her pilates work-out. 30 minutes with 5 different exercises and she set to climb her pilates equipment, her reformer, to which she began stretching her body in a hanging position.

The music in her earbuds stopped, indicating an incoming call. Everyone in the office knew her schedule before work hours, and no one would dare call her at this hour except her Chief-of-Staff, Mr. Hong.

"This better be important, Mr. Hong." The man on the other line almost trembled, he hasn't been able to greet her boss 'good morning' yet. "because I'm literally hanging upside down right now."

She hates dilly-dallying, more than she hates people interrupting her peaceful personal time— so he proceeded to business. "Rep. Yoon, good morning. Have you seen the news?"

Yoon Seri stretched herself more. "About the president? Yes. It was inevitable and everybody knows that. What about it?"

"Not that, Ms. Yoon." Mr. Hong Chan Sik, as her chief of staff for ten years, knew everything about her. Her past, her legislative, political, and career agenda. "The farmers are rallying outside the blue house, and they have been dispersed violently. Some are wounded."

"What?! What are the guards thinking? Are they really stupid?"

"It's all over the news, but it was published at the same time as the impeachment so it wasn't getting any attention." He announced, "Open your television, Miss Yoon."

Young-sil, open the television. Hong Chan Sik heard from the background. Opening television.

"Goddamn." The assemblywoman said as she maneuvered her way out of the hanging position so she could watch the news.

"Mr. Hong, are you there?" His affirmation on the opposite end of the line prompted Yoon Seri. "Set up a meeting at 9:30. I want all hands on deck. Don't just call the senior officers. Call EVERYONE. I want a briefer on my desk at 9:00."

"Copy that, Miss Yoon."

---

Kim Ju Meok, the senior staff of Assemblywoman Yoon Seri, almost choked on his breakfast sub when he got the text. He was on his way to the office on this peaceful morning, when all hell breaks loose when he was tasked by the Chief of Staff to draft a one-page briefer, due in an hour and a half.