B A E K H Y U N
"Who did this to you?" My voice was low and brushed stray hairs away from her face as she smiled at my concern. She had no new cuts or bruises on her face but dried blood crusted over her knuckles.
"It's not my blood." Is all she says before giving me a quick kiss on the lips. "You should see Siwoo, she's going to need to get some work done to fix her newly busted up face."
I chuckle and place my forehead to hers taking in her scent of citrus and vanilla. "You really are a menace to society, aren't you?"
"Got to keep you on your toes." Her melody of a laugh dances around my ears, making me slightly light-head just by her presence.
"Let's talk in my office." I don't give her much time to answer before pulling her behind me and letting her sit in of the office chairs. Once her body has relaxed into the plush fabric, I move to grab a first aid kit and start cleaning up her hand. "So, you punched Siwoo."
"She had it coming."
She continued to tell me step by step of the series of events that took place not to long ago. From the moment she left the house to her absolutely beating the shit out of Siwoo and all the way up until Taeyong had dropped her off.
Her mention of 'NCT' does surprise me.
When I first met Taeyong I would never of known about his soft spot for the girl I fell in love with, when Chaeyeong said she trusted him, I trusted her enough to do so myself. I didn't know he would turn tables and want to go against Lee Dohwa, but then again Dohwa is an awful man so I'm not too surprised to be honest.
I've spoken to Johnny Suh, the leader of 'NCT', before. When we first set up shop here in Seoul, Johnny and 'NCT' were the first to set up a meeting. Not because they were intimidated or wanting to cause trouble, but to simply offer a truce. Don't mess with their business and they wont interfere with our own.
Last I heard they were stationed out at Incheon, taking care of one of their casinos that has had a few bad deals go down, I didn't realise they were back.
My heart fluttered and cause a whirlwind of butterflies in my stomach when she told me about Dohwa's ultimatum. There was never a doubt in my mind that she would side against us, but it still makes my heart run rampant when I hear everything she is doing for us. I could be more proud.
She's really fallen into a role of some sorts. She fits into the mold of doctor, yet she still somehow manages to cause immense mischief and now she's really turning into our little spokesmen. She's done nothing but stick by my side the whole time. She would make a great life partner.
Once the night was over and all our patron had left, I call a family meeting. We all gathered in the common room above the club. Jongin, Sehun and Chanyeol share a three seater while Yixing, Minseok and Kyungsoo share the one opposite of them. Junmyeon sits in the love seat adjacent to ours that Chaeyeong has relaxed into and I am leaned against the arm rest.
She retells the story she told me earlier, instead of listening attentively this time, I scan the room. Yixing always looks like he's going to have an aneurysm whenever Chaeyeong tell him about eating hurt or any danger coming to her. He looks at her like a little sister.
The one face that catches my attention is Kyungsoo, his dark eyebrows are furrowed and there is a crease between his eyebrows. "We have to make a new plan and fast. You know that right?" He questions Chae rather harshly.
"I know that." She simply says before I can interrupt and pull Kyungsoo up on his attitude, Chaeyeong leads the conversation in her way. "I'm not on the inside anymore, but I'm still a threat. We have recorded proof of the accountants plans to move money, we know his plans, we just need our own plan to take him down and the time is now."
She always manages to leave me speechless.
"And who's going to come up with that plan, huh? Because of your temper and your uncontrollable need to go against your step fathers every wish has now made thing a lot harder and with little time." Kyungsoo was now standing from where he sat.
"Kyungsoo." I say stern and leader like. "You, Junmyeon and I will meet tomorrow to advise a new plan, I have a few ideas. For now, let's get some rest and tackle this tomorrow. You're all dismissed, except for Kyungsoo, Chaeyeong would you give us a minute please?" I soften my sentence when speaking to Chaeyeong, while gaining a glare from Kyungsoo.
Once the others had left and Chaeyeong was on another level of the bar I turn to face Kyungsoo. "What?" He says to me harshly.
"What was that?" I question him. He's never once had any ill words for Chaeyeong, why now?
"Who does she think she is? She doesn't respect our code of conduct and relies solely on her impulses, she a menace!" Kyungsoo expresses to me, clearly frustrated. "And now she's making deals with other gangs."
"She's my fiancé for one and she's also one of us." I slip my hands into my pants pocket, keeping myself calm in this situation. "She chose us, she doing everything the only way she knows how to. She's not wired like us and this is her way of helping."
He rolls his eyes and lets out a sigh. "Whatever, Baekhyun. Don't let her break you like Taeyeon did, you're still our leader." He finishes his sentence and sees himself out.
I quickly shake off my leader role and move to find Chaeyeong, I planned a surprise for her tonight and it completely slipped my mind with everything going on. I take the elevator down to floor below, looking for Chaeyeong.
She was leaning against the bar, scrolling on her phone by the looks of it, completely in her own world, I walk up slyly behind her, gently placing my hands over her eyes. She tenses at first but quickly relaxing into me once my voice hits her ears. "I have a surprise for you."
"What kind of surprise?" She smiles as she gently pulls my hands from her eyes, turning to face me completely.
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now would it?" I lean into her, taking in the citrus scent of her body wash and the vanilla aroma of her shampoo. "We better get going, it's a bit away and I want to be there for sunrise." I grab her hand tightly in mine and turn around to pull her along with me, but a tug on my hand makes me turn around and halt in my place.
"Let me grab a drink first." She retracts her hand from mine, walking around the bar, opening one of the mini fridges and grabbing a tall can of redbull and rejoining me at my side, I thrown my arm over her shoulder and pull her in close while we ride the elevator down to my car.
It takes about an hour to reach our final destination and the redbull that Chaeyeong had downed the moment we sat in the car, has definitely kept her awake. I open the trunk of my car, pulling out a think flannel picnic black and a cooler bag from it.
We were at a lookout of the nearby mountains, providing the most scenic views known. I tuck the blanket under my arm and grab Chaeyeong's hand, guiding her to a more private spot up the mountain a little more.
The sun was starting to peak over the horizon, letting light start to spread in the sky. I take the blanket and lay it flat on the ground and also place down the cooler, taking out different fruits and cheeses along with a couple different meat and of course and can of soft drink for us.
Hues of pinks and oranges were starting to dance around the waking up sky, white clouds started drift along the sky, moving seamlessly around each other, careful not to distrust the rising sun to much.
"How'd you know I like sliced kiwi?" She beams as she open the container full of cut up kiwi fruit, strawberries and slices apple with a handful of blueberries. Instantly devouring the juicy fruits, moaning at the taste.
"You ate my home out of kiwi fruit the first week you moved in, layering it with your buttermilk pancakes or your cinnamon French toast." I laugh at the dumbfounded girl, pinching a strawberry from her collection.
"I didn't get Kyungsoo in trouble, did I?" She questions sullenly. There she goes again, always thinking of others besides herself.
"No you didn't, he was just grumpy." I reply nonchalantly as I lean back on my elbows. "No more work or Mafia talk." I place my hand on he knee, rubbing small circles.
"Is this a date, Mr Byun?" She grins at me as she asks me that question.
"Of course it is, Miss Eun." I use her old name. He face drops at first and I immediately think I've messed up and crossed the line, however her wide smile makes my worry disappear.
"I haven't heard that name is a while." She says, looking out to the horizon, watching as clouds moved and danced around one another gracefully. "I miss it."
I sit up this time, looking straight her. "I won't call you that if it makes you feel uncomfortable." I place my hand on the back of her head, moving my thumb slightly.
"No, I like it." She gives me a quick peck before returning to eat her strawberries.
"Thank you," her caramel doe eyes lock back on with mine. "For choosing us, for choosing me."
"It wasn't a difficult decision." She places her forehead on mine, both of us closing our eyes and enjoying each other presence. "Thank you."
"For what?" I ask her, pulling away for her slightly.
"For being patient with me and seeing potential in me." She places down the container of fruits and lays back down against the blanket.
"Believe me, you made it very different to try and ignore you." I chuckle at the memory of the swearing girl in my bar. "You put me in a headlock and held tight, lets be honest, I wasn't trying to break free."
"For a Mafia leader, you sure do have a way with your words." She giggles at me, sending shivers down my body as I lay down next to her.
"What can I say? I've been spending too much time with you." I nuzzle my arm against her own, laughing along with her.
It's moments like this that make me wish I met her under different circumstances. That she she never had to go through any of the traumatic stuff that she's undergone and survived, that we weren't in the middle of this whole mess, that Lee Dohwa wasn't such a psychopath and that he didn't have leverage on Chaeyeong and that I wasn't who I am.
If this were different, I would give her a life where danger didn't lurk around every corner, that being loved by me didn't make her a walking target or that she could live a normal life. She deserve utter happiness and love, she deserve a big house with a white picket fence. She deserves a happy, healthy and normal life.
"Once this is all over, what do you say about taking a vacation? I've always wanted to go to The States." She gazes up at the morning sky, dreams playing out in her mind.
"Of course." I say to her, smiling. Laying here with her in this peaceful moment reminds me that this is just the calm before the storm.