22 August, 9:49 P.M.
Dae Ho checks himself out in the full-body mirror. He slides a finger under the collar of his black turtleneck sweater, tugging at it. He trimmed his hair and shaven the stubble he's been sporting for two weeks. The fighter reaches out for the charcoal blazer hanging on the peg beside the mirror and tucks his sweater into his dress pants. Finally, he completes the look by pinning a golden crown brooch to the blazer's breast pocket. Satisfied with the way he looks, Dae Ho sprays cologne all over him.
He stares at himself, feeling out of place and uneasiness brewing in his gut. The last time he probably had worn something similar to his current outfit was at the company dinner party hosted by Stoned Beauty, his modeling agency. It was years ago, right before his life went to hell. Dae Ho snorts mirthlessly, donning expensive clothes and perfume while styling his hair does nothing to mask the ugliness of his soul. Nor did it wipe the blood of others off his hands. But it is of no importance who he is since the place he will soon be in would be crawling with monsters such as him.
"I must say, you haven't lost your touch as a model." Choi Yoon grins waving a golden shimmery mask embedded with stones around its eyes and three feathers stuck to one of its corners. "You'll have to wear this. I've already given one to ChangMin-ssi."
On cue, Shadow enters, wearing an all-white suit, and a black mask over the upper part of his face. "Can't I just go in jeans and a shirt?" The smaller man complains with a scowl.
"Come on old man, it's a luxurious party. You cannot go in looking like a tramp."
"Then let me be the waiter instead. You can wear this suit." ChangMin points at the uniform Pandora is wearing.
Yoon chuckles with a glint. "Not happening."
"Stop arguing and let's get over with this." Dae Ho announces moving to the main door. "Be careful and try not to piss anyone off, we don't know who we're going to encounter."
"Yes, boss!" Choi Yoon throws him a salute.
They leave the apartment and get into two cars, Pandora in his own, Shadow and Dae Ho in the back of a rented Mercedes Benz, driven by a hired driver.
"Do you have the invitations? And are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes." Dae Ho nods, patting his blazer's inside pocket to feel the cards in it. He settles comfortably in the seat, taking a deep breath. "And a piece of advice, if anything seems suspicious or out of hand, take Yoon and leave immediately."
"What about you?" ChangMin's feline eyes bore into the younger's, his jaw set stiffly.
"I'm not getting out of there until I have what I want."
"Even at the cost of your life?"
"Yes," Dae Ho answers firmly. It's been years and he would be a fool to let go of a chance like this to catch Vee. "But you have family waiting for you."
"Really?" The smaller man scoffs, throwing a glare at the other. "And yours? Do your parents and Han Jisoo not mean anything at all? Don't they deserve to have their son safe after losing him once already?"
Dae Ho swallows on his spit, turning away from the blazing accusatory eyes. He has no rebut that would justify his actions. "...Minji was my family too," he whispers, fisting his hands where they lay on the seat.
"I'm in no way denying that. She was family and probably more important than your biological one but she wouldn't want this." Shadow's voice is softer and understanding, escorted with a hint of sympathy. "And ask yourself, are you really doing this for her sake or is there something else?"
Is there?
A few other factors do drive Dae Ho in his quest to avenge his sister. His tattered mind, broken promises, and feelings of impending helplessness. He's out for Vee's blood to save himself from going insane, the drive of the particular goal keeping him focused and alive for the time being. He doesn't mind if the hunger for Vee's blood will kill him, at least he'll die doing something out of his own will rather than being stripped of life like Minji faced. And death stopped scaring him when he slit the throat of his first victim.
"Let's go," Shadow nudges the fighter, his fingers reaching for the door handle and pulling it open. The two put on the masks Yoon had given them, exiting the car and walking into the building.
Dae Ho holds out the black card between his gloved index and middle finger, waiting for the bodyguard to scan it.
"Your names for tonight?" The dark-skinned man asks.
"Bullet and Shadow." Dae Ho replies adjusting his mask.
"You'll sit at table 36."
They enter the banquet hall, slow jazz music and clicking of heels dominating the place. The vaulted ceiling is embellished with scalloped edging and glittering plaster medallions, and thick velvet drapes over the large windows standing on the right side of the room.
It's been years since Dae Ho has attended a high-end occasion. His stomach quivers, hair lifting on the back of his neck, the familiar overwhelming feeling he experienced when he first attended the charity ball with Haneul, the one Kim Yoona had invited him to.
The duo maneuvers towards table thirty-six, peering in the dim light. "Do you see Pandora?" Shadow asks pulling out a chair. The table has fresh lilies placed in a transparent vase, an iPad lying in front of it.
"No."
"This place is already giving me the creeps. Everyone looks stiff." The older side glances at the guests seated quietly at their respective tables.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention?" A voice booms from the speakers, the curtain covering the stage lifting. A man in a wine-colored tuxedo, holding a mic, waves his hand. "I'll be your host for today's auction. The bidding will be done through the screens placed on your tables. You'll type in your amount in the bar that is going to appear for every bid. But remember, there's only one chance," the man instructs, "once you enter your bid, there's no going back. The amount each table bids will appear on the screen behind me right after." He points at the large LED screen. "As for the individual requests, one of our men will assist you inside when it's your turn, but till then you can enjoy bidding on pieces of information that have been wanted by many others." He walks around the stage, snapping his fingers, the lights in the hall dimming and upbeat music echoing throughout. "Now, let's begin!"
"Would you like to have a drink, kind sirs?" A waiter asks Bullet and Shadow, a tray in his hand.
"Water will do." Dae Ho answers turning to him.
"And here I thought you were a fan of alcohol."
"Piss off, Pandora, now is not the time for this."
"Alright, alright," Yoon chuckles placing two glasses of water and a few fruit tarts.
A loud drumroll rings through the room, all attention focusing on the stage. "Our first auction is 'dirt on the congressman, Bang Eun Seok'." The words appear on the screen as the man speaks. "You have one minute to place your bids. Good luck!"
"Did they really start with a big fish like that?"
"It's attention-grabbing, so why not?" Dae Ho acknowledges. "They know what they're doing."
"Time's up!" The host announces, the bids turning up on the screen. "And table twenty-five wins the bid with $42,oo0,000. Congratulations!"
The mob claps, incoherent chatter filling the place.
"Our next auction is 'easiest and safe route to smuggle in weapons into the country'. Place your bids."
"...what?" Dae Ho gapes tapping his shoe over the marble floor. In a blink of an eye, the bid is sold to a guest for $50,000,000. The auction continues for some time, Dae Ho wondering what would happen if the authorities barge in and arrest each one of them. The police would be on a roll since Dae Ho himself can already identify a few of the people present in the room, even though everyone is wearing masks.
"Our next auction is 'secrets of project SH-832'. Place your bids."
When the bids appear on the screen after everyone's put in their amounts, a man stands up, pointing an accusatory finger at the host.
"No! You're cheating, I never entered such a small amount." He says furiously, "redo the bid."
"I'm sorry sir, there's nothing I can do. Please calm down."
"I will not calm down!" The guest argues.
The commentator lifts his hand and fists it.
"You don't know who you're deali—"
Bang!
The man's lifeless body falls to the ground, his blood staining the marble flooring. Gasps and hushes echo in the hall, every person becoming alert.
"Sorry for the inconvenience. The cleaning crew will arrive shortly." The host announces with a sinister smile. "Make sure you follow the rules too."
Dae Ho spots two gunmen standing at the top of the staircase and he's sure they weren't present before. A tap on his shoulder grabs his attention.
"Bullet, please come with us."
Dae Ho curls his toes and lets out a cold breath. He's finally a step away from knowing who Vee is. If he is being honest, he's buzzing with anticipation, his thirst for vengeance growing tenfold. The fighter follows the man, walking towards the staircase. The first floor is guarded by six men, each standing in front of the railing at arm's length.
They walk through the corridor and the man stops in front of a room, knocking on the door before entering. "I brought the client for case #114," he informs, bowing to another man seated at a wooden desk before exiting the room.
"Take a seat, Bullet." The burly man says, gesturing with his hand. Although he's hiding behind a mask, Dae Ho can make out that he is a foreigner, his ocean blue eyes shining through the mask, and blond hair tousled with an aim. He leans on the revolving chair he's sitting on, knotty fingers intertwining with each other. "How worthy is the information you want?" He picks up a red envelope from the drawer and waves it in the air.
"Let's not waste time with trivialities. How much do you want?"
"Fifteen."
"Isn't that too much?"
The man tilts his head, crossing his arms over his taut chest. "For the information you've been searching for almost half a decade, this is justice."
Dae Ho rolls his eyes, wondering how much do these people know about him. "Ten. That's all."
The foreigner laughs, shaking his head. "Thirteen."
"Eleven," Dae Ho retorts, copying the man's stance.
"Neither your amount nor mine. Let's deal it at twelve."
"Okay," the ex-model casts his hand forward, firmly shaking it with the other.
"You'll find the information at your doorstep the moment you pay."
As soon as Dae Ho leaves the room, he lets out an involuntary grunt of satisfaction, a palm pressing over his heart. He walks down to his table, giving a thumbs up to Shadow the moment he lays his eyes on him.
The older man pats his back. Congratulations, Bullet. You've finally done it."
"Honestly, if it weren't for Pandora, I wouldn't have done it."
Dae Ho tunes out the next few bids, his heart overwhelmed by the fact that he possesses the information about the man he's been searching for years. The masked man took away his sister. He's just a step behind from getting his hands on Vee.
"For those who couldn't win any bids tonight, we have a special auction for you." The host cheerfully declares. "You can choose the one to your liking." A large cage is wheeled from behind the maroon drapes, the masses hooting in delight at the view.
Dae Ho's blood runs cold at the sight. The thing that has gotten the crowd wild is children. Children with handcuffs around their wrists, dressed in white knee-length gowns. With the way their eyes are unfocused and how they sit idly, it doesn't take rocket science to figure out the children are drugged.
Dae Ho has killed men and women, both. He's broken promises and crossed several boundaries, but one. Children. No matter what, harming children was out of the question. Perhaps, it is the one moral that lets him have a small part of his humanity. Children are pure and innocent, they don't deserve to bear the cruelty the world has to offer. If anything, they are to be protected at all costs.
"You can bid for only one child." The host passes his hand through the space between the bars and strokes the first child's cheek. "This cute face was delivered to us from France just today. Her starting price is $14,000." He states the prices of the children one by one, the bidders hollering and jumping in excitement.
Dae Ho's stomach churns with disgust. He sits rooted to the chair, hands fisting under the table, shaking with anger. The seven children in the cage animatedly sway from side to side. Four of them must be in their teens while the others are not more than ten, perfect ages to brainwash and use them to one's advantage. "I'm going to kill th—"
"You're not moving an inch from here," Shadow whisper shouts, pushing Dae Ho back on his chair. "They shot the man right in front of our eyes without hesitation, what makes you think you'll survive."
"But th—"
"No, Dae Ho. Not today." The older man shudders with a warning. "I don't like this one bit either, you know it all too well. But I'm not letting you die here."
Dae Ho sucks in a long breath, pulling his collar in frustration. "Then let me bid."
"What?"
"Please, at least let me save one kid."
Shadow runs a hand over his face. "Fine."
Dae Ho closes his eyes and selects a random kid from the list. When he reopens them, he sees a picture of a Korean boy staring at him with his information underneath. His name is Chulsoo, a twelve-year-old orphan boy, bid starting at $3,000. With sweaty palms, he enters his bid.
"Never did I imagine I'd buy a human." Dae Ho lets out a humorless chuckle, his eyes fixed on the cage. He takes a strawberry tartlet and pops it into his mouth. The delicacy melts, sweet with a tinge of lemon zest but all Dae Ho feels like, is throwing up. The thought of how the children will be used as per the buyer's wish leaves a sour and bitter taste in his mouth. The fighter fidgets in his place restlessly, finger scratching the skin on the side of his thumb.
"And the new owners of these cute children are..." The list of tables indicating each bidder appears on the screen. "Ta-da!"
Dae Ho chokes, his breath hitching, and slams a closed fist on the table. He lost the bid by $100.
"I'm sorry, but you did try. It's not your fault." ChangMin assures him but the words don't help Dae Ho.
"I should've offered more. Now that child will be subjected to things he would've never imagined." The younger mutters picking at the torn skin on his thumb.
"Stop doing that," Shadow vacillates, "hold on till it's time to leave. The event will be over soon anyway."
Dae Ho replies with a simple nod. He needed to compose himself, he finally has Vee's information.
Dae Ho peels off his blazer and throws it on the couch. "Yoon, find Vee right now." He removes an envelope from his pocket and tears the top. A photo of a man in his late forties comes into view, a scar on his right eyebrow with a pug nose and round eyes. Vee always had a mask on whenever Dae Ho saw him but now the sight of his face infuriates the fighter. "I'm going to kil—"
"Woah, woah. Hold your horses, boss." Yoon snatches the picture from Dae Ho and shakes his head. "It's two in the morning, we're exhausted from the oh-so-not-wonderful party. Let's rest for some time."
"I don't have time." Dae Ho deadpans stubbornly. For years he's been waiting to catch the man and now Dae Ho doesn't know if he'll be able to control himself when he encounters Vee.
"Yoon is right." Shadow agrees, taking a seat in front of the other two. "Sleep now and we can go find Vee in the morning. We need a plan first."
"But—"
"I'm not taking orders from you right now and that's final." Shadow extends his hand towards Yoon. "Give that to me." He gestures at Vee's photo.
"Since you were kind enough to let me have your sister's number, I'll obey you," Pandora grins.
"Try anything funny and I'll strangle you myself."
"You love me too much to do that."
Dae Ho ignores the rest of the banter and proceeds to the kitchen. He grabs two bottles of alcohol from the crate under the counter and slips out of Shadow's home without bidding them goodbye. He needs to be alone, especially after the events of today. Dae Ho is supposed to be ecstatic knowing Vee will be in his clutches soon but the children's unfocused and vulnerable faces in the cage raid his mind. He won the bet he wanted but he feels as if he's lost.
Dae Ho reaches home and kicks his shoes off, popping open the booze bottle. He takes large gulps, his foot accidentally shoving an empty bottle on the floor. Dae Ho eyes his bedroom, he doesn't remember the last time he cleaned it. Dirty clothes thrown on the couch, with glass bottles and empty spicy noodle cups scattered on the floor. "I'll clean it later." The fighter speaks to his reflection in the mirror, a scoff following right after knowing the task wouldn't be fulfilled anytime soon. He stares at the empty bed sitting in the middle of his room, the space making him uncomfortable. He chugs down the half-filled bottle in one go and swipes the back of his hand over his lips.
Without bothering to strip off his party clothes, Dae Ho walks to the two-seater couch, throws the dirty clothes on the floor, and lies on it. He lets out a soft breath when his back meets the backrest of the sofa. It may be nonsensical but the small space and feel of the backrest helps calm down Dae Ho's rising nerves, a sense of security washing over him. Lastly, he cradles the alcohol bottle between his arms and curls himself into a fetal position.
But sleep doesn't come easy.
❛ ━━━━━━✦❪✥❫✦━━━━━━ ❜
"So you're telling me Park Dae Ho was at the auction?"
"Yes, sir." The brunette man bows. "He probably possesses information on Vee now."
"What!" The old man with grey hair slams his fist on the coffee table.
"There was an unexpected accident at the bidding party and since my priority was winning the project SH-832 bid, I couldn't."
"Alright. What did you learn of it?" The man scratches the age spots on his temple.
"Before killing himself in prison, Park Seonho was writing a book." The man moves forward and places the book on the table. "But it's written in codes. It'll take time figuring it out."
"Leave that to me. You tell Vee to speed up the process. Park Dae Ho must already be out on a hunt for him."
"As you wish, master."