The rain calmed down, the sky had coral hue over it and thin darkened clouds of rain started disappearing or drowned in the orange shade as the sunset was approaching.
"The rain's gone" Jake said as we all were playing UNO cards and looked at the sky.
"It's looking lovely" I muttered and Dean looked at me and then at the sky and nodded in appreciation while looking at it.
"That's cheating" Timothy said as Jake peeked at his cards because they were sitting on the same backless bench.
"I just saw..my eyes took me" Jake said shrugging.
"I'm not playing" Timothy banged his cards at the table and stood up and went to sat on broad stairs probably grumbling to himself.
"That was really cheating" I said and sighed.
"HUH? You guys saying you're better than me" he said and pouted.
"I won" I declared as I've been winning, they're not taking this seriously.
"Le..ts p..play again" Jake said as he realized he has been losing since the time we are playing.
"Yeah, no way, bye" I said and stood up and went to talk Timothy and, I heard him from behind
"YOU BETTER COME BACK SELENAA"
I ignored him and came to sit beside Timothy, I could see the whole football ground, it shined bright green lighted by evening sun rays.
"Hey" I said
He looked at me and said
"H..hello"
Without any further delay, I straightforwardly asked him.
"Why did Jake join union?"
His eyes widened at the question and then he told me
"A tragedy happened.. and because of it he made a deal with Baekjin Na" Timothy muttered as his face hung low.
"What tragedy?" I asked and gulped, I don't know if he'll answer it or not.
"Do you know Manwol?" Timothy asked
"What is that?"
"Manwol was the one who controlled this area before Baekjin took the role of the leader with his newly formed Yeongdeungpo Union. Jake's older brother was the member of Manwol."
"Hm? I don't understand..?" I asked as I was puzzled if his brother was in Manwol, why did he join the union.
"Manwol wanted to recruit Jake as he was strong but his brother Kenny denied, he wanted Jake out this gangs mess, but that Manwol leader on his denial beat him in a pulp and broke his leg, from which he could never recover, so in order to pay for his brother's hospital expenses, he made a deal with Baekjin to take revenge on Manwol and ultimately ended joining.." Timothy explained and I gasped.
It's heinous, how can they....just because he was protecting his little brother...that's .....that's ....just, I didn't realize but tears pooled in my eyes and my vision became blurry, I had to remove my glasses as they started falling.
I felt crestfallen as I couldn't stop my tears.
"Selena..don't cry.." Timothy surprised by my reaction said.
I sniffled.
"Yea...h" I said as I could feel my voice breaking...Jake...I feel so sad....despite all this, he's still cheery, how amazingly strong he is.
"What's wrong with you?" Dean asked and I looked up to him and my tears were still on my cheek.
"You crying?!? Why?" he asked as he crouched down and looked at Timothy and he sighed.
Jake and Eunchan came running when they heard Dean and started questioning me
"WHY..did we do something bad?" Jake asked
"Were you crying because in my mind I called you devil?" Eunchan asked as worry inflicted on his face.
I chuckled, while sobbing and said
"N..o because Ace di..ed in O..ne p..p.piece" I said in my broken voice.
At that point Jake started crying as well so Timothy and Eunchan took him in to calm him down.
Dean was with me the sun has sunk down completely and it was quite dark but the lights of football field were switched on and I could hear the distinct chirp of grasshoppers and buzzing of other insects in the background.
"Tim told ya...." dean said and gazed at me from corner of his eye.
I nodded
"It's impossible for a person like you to not to cry.." Dean muttered
"How is his big brother now?" I asked as fidgeted with my fingers which were on my lap.
"He couldn't play football again.." Dean said.
I looked at him questioningly and he glanced at me and said
"Kenny's dream was to become a football player, but by condition of his foot, he can....never play again"
I clenched my skirt at the frustratingly sadness forming in my chest after hearing what happened with Jake.
"There's nothing we can do now..revenge is done on Manwol" Dean told me as I saw the football field with despair in my eyes.
"Thank you" Dean said suddenly.
My brain couldn't comprehend and I asked him
"Wh..y?"
"For coming here" Dean said.
"It's nothing, we're friends after all" I said and the after rain cold wind blew and the surroundings seemed calm.
*
Here I am, eating ice popsicle with Jake, Dean and Eunchan. The earthy scent after the rain hung in the atmosphere and my back against Eunchan's motorcycle as Jake was on Dean's.
Th people were minding their business and the street lights were blinded by the store's sign were gleaming in the dark and the street seemed busy as ever.
"I need to to go meet Mr Na" Jake declared as he had his phone in his hand.
"Right now?" Dean asked and Jake nodded.
Hearing that, I think its time for me to go home because I really don't want to get acquainted with leader of the union, he must an intimidating person..
"Well see ya, its time to go" I said.
Dean looked at me and asked Jake
"Its okay, if Selena comes?"
I was stunned on why he asked, and stared at him with my dumbfounded expression
"N..no Its alright" I said waving my hand.
"Yeah its okay let's go Selena" Jake said with grin.
"I d..don't.." I said but they dragged me anyways.
We went to Yeoinaru building..wait this one...today with Jin, I was here. The tall glassed building.., it reminded me of Jin, I wonder why he was acting weird today...not weird but something felt off about him.....but why am I thinking about him, I slapped my cheeks in order to get him from my mind.
"You okay Park?" Dean asked, visibly shocked by what I did.
"HAHAHAHAAAHAHA" Eunchan was laughing as he pointed his finger on me.
Why am I tense, its not usually like me..
"What happened?" Dean asked as we entered the lobby of the building, the ceiling was high and and dark, the atmosphere looked gloomy. The lights were less and the interior was festooned with just some hazel bulbs.
"Well I'll go" Jake said pointing to a shadowed corridor entrance at the midst of the lobby.
We sat on the the coffee colored couch and waited for him quietly, I was getting edgy , its been fifteen minutes since he went.
I stood up and asked them
"Where's the washroom?"
"Just beside the corridor where Jake went" Timothy said.
I was walking towards the washroom but saw someone tall emerging from corridor, I lowered my cap to avoid the passerby and walked fast but my luck, I bumped into that person hard and fell on my butt.
"Ouch-" I said under my breath
"Are you okay?" the person asked in an extremely familiar voice and I saw a tattooed pale knuckle extended to me, who had rings on.
I looked up and my eyes met that pale, crimson eyed face.
"Jin?" I asked in surprise, what is he doing here..
"Huh?" he asked gaped in astonishment and I went tongue tied.
I saw Jake coming from behind him and I was still on the ground.
"Selena..you okay, she's a friend of me Mr Na" Jake hurried to me and extended his hand to life me up, I took it and gaped at Jin in surprise.
Mr Na....don't tell me...HE'S BAEKJIN NA?
"YOU'RE BAEKJIN NA?" I shouted out loud as realization stuck me and I pointed my finger at him as if accusing him of some crime.
Jin...Baekjin Na was quiet as his head hung low and he stared at me with a blank expression. He's the leader of the union and the one which I treated like my buddy??! I'm hopeless, god I'm failure. Why didn't my hunch act sooner?
Baekjin smirked and suddenly grabbed my wrist with his hand and said
"Come with me"
I looked back at Jake who was stunned as I was and before I could gaze at Dean and others he led me into a narrow dark corridor, whose bulbs only emitted dark golden light.