The Arrangement

07

As if dress and suit shopping wasn't enough out parents summoned us to dinner. This is the most uncomfortable table I've ever sat at. Seonghwa is basically having a stare down with his father, while my parents pretend like nothing is wrong.

Mom: Seonghwa I hope our daughter isn't a burden to  you.

A burden to him? The nerve.

Seonghwa: I ignore her existence.
Mr.Park: Seonghwa.
Dad: I'd like you to come down to my company one of these days, take a look around.
Seonghwa: For what?
Dad: To get acquainted.

From the look on his face Seonghwa has no interest in that. Unfortunately my father doesn't know how to read the room.

Mom: Do you remember our old neighbor May?
Me: Yeah, she use to do my hair a lot when I was younger.
Mom: Her son went off a while ago and now he's back, do you remember him? You guys use to play often.
Me: Who?
Mom: Song Mingi.

A lightbulb goes off in my head, that's why the name sounded familiar. Surely he isn't the same boy though, is he?

Mom: I met him the other day when May and I met up for tea. He grew up to be quite handsome with striking red hair.

That is him.

Mom: He tells me he's involved with Park Corp.
Mr.Park: Ah Mingi, I recruited him when I was out on business in China. A promising lad.

Our parents talk amongst themselves, Seonghwa distracts himself with his phone while I hammer down glasses of champagne. This is all so stupid, so trivial. Making young kids get married for the sake of money.

Our we not humans? Just pawns in their little game? It pisses me off, badly. The rest of the dinner goes simply, our parents say their goodbyes before disappearing.

Seonghwa: I'll call a car for you. I'm going to handle some business.
Me: I'm fine, I'm going to a bar.
Seonghwa: Fine.

We both go our separate ways. That champagne was nowhere near enough. I find a small but sociable bar. The bartenders seem welcoming and the customers aren't creepy at all.

The two shots of vodka burns my throat, opening my inner mind to the fire that sat dormant inside me. Do they think just because they took care of me they can do this?

Fucking selfish.

I continue to drink, not caring about my surroundings.

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Seonghwa's point of view

Troublesome, very troublesome.

I look at the bruised up boy tied to the chair. Hongjoong pulls off his bloody apron before sighing.

Hongjoong: He's a tough one, torture alone won't do it.
Me: So kill him, we don't have time for this.
Hongjoong: If we kill him we won't get any answers.

I shrug. A dead mouth and a closed mouth is the same thing in my book. Joong shrugs grabbing a knife and slicing the unconscious boy's throat.

Hongjoong: How was the dinner?
Me: Shut up.

My dad's plan better happen over these five years or I will lose it on him and everyone else. I'm sacrificing a lot for this dumbass marriage.

San and Wooyoung comes downstairs, they're a bit dusty but no real wounds.

Me: How'd it go?
San: A grown man begging for his life always makes me happy.
Wooyoung: The choking and stabbing was overkill, no?
San: I was in a bad mood. Where's Yunho?
Me: Out collecting data. Where's Jongho?
Wooyoung: His flight won't be in until tonight.

I nod my head, the crew is almost together.

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Yunho's point of view

I thank the heavens above once my target leaves the stinky bar. I've been sitting here for a hour tapping into his phone, I hate this atmosphere.

A crash from the bar grabs my attention, a girl is a drunk mess trying to balance herself. Nia? A piece of scum tries to take advantage of her being incoherent. I kindly slip over there moving him away. She hiccups before saying my name.

I drag her out the building and into my car.

Me: Look at you! You're a wreck.
Nia: Mmmm.
Me: You have to be careful, going to places like this alone is dangerous.
Nia: Mmmm.

I sigh, there's no point in lecturing her now, she won't remember. I reach over to out her seatbelt on and she giggles. A shade of pink covers her face.

Nia: You're cute Yunho.

My face gets a little warm.

Me: Just rest, I'll take you home.

I push a piece of hair out her sleeping face.

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anytime i start a book of slow im proud of myself, usually i jump right in to smut and drama shsjjs