Serendipity

Chapter 10

When the concert ends, Mr. Lee leads me backstage to the room where Jimin found me earlier. After kicking off my flats again, I settle on the couch with my feet tucked under me, waiting patiently for everyone to change, ready to leave. I can barely stifle the first yawn when the second one hits even harder.

"Mr. Lee?" I call out.

He pops his head in around the corner of the door, an eyebrow raised high.

"Yes, Ms. Cho?"

"I need to ask; do you know where my bag ended up? The last place I remember having it was in the stadium security room. It has some very important things in it...like my passport and ID."

My gaze follows Mr. Lee as he comes in and walks behind me, returning with my bag, setting it on the couch next to me.

"I saw it was still on the floor by the table after you and Mr. Bang left. I brought it back with me. I'm sorry though..."

"Sorry...?"

"It might be ruined. It was sitting in a pool of blood so..."

I lift it up and see the unmistakable stain all the way down one side and across the bottom. Dropping it to the floor in disgust, I rub my hands down my face. At least I have my things now and won't have to worry about that...

"Thank you, Mr. Lee...for everything you've done today. Did you have to speak with the authorities regarding what happened?" I ask, now curious to know details of what happened after I left.

He sits down in a chair across from me, leaning forward with his hands clasped between his knees. He just sits there, searching my face.

"Do you really want to talk about this?"

"Yes. No. Yes?" I say, suddenly unsure of whether I do or not. "I don't know if it's so much a want but rather a need to know. Does that make sense?"

He nods his head.

"Yes, I spoke with the authorities. They already knew what had happened from the video recording in the room. They saw how Ms. Kang confessed to making the call, how she attacked you first and you defended yourself. They only had a few questions that needed clarification on, which I provided."

I look down at my hands, picking at the seam on my pants while I ask in a small voice, "What will happen to Ms. Kang?"

"She'll be charged with ass*ult at the very least. Chances are she'll be put through a mental evaluation to see if she is competent enough to understand the legal ramifications of her actions in this predicament. I don't know if she is though...her delusion was fairly well fixed in her mind, though she hid it well. We will be speaking more at length with Ms. Yun and Ms. Jeong to see what they know as they worked closely together as a group for a long time."

"Will she be fine...physically?" I quietly ask.

"Yes, she will be. You did break her nose with that right hook, but you didn't do any other permanent damage. The medical exam showed she wasn't pregnant...and she never was."

I just nod my head, showing that I already knew that and accept his summation.

"Remind me to never piss you off though, alright? After today, I don't think I want to be on the receiving end of your fury!" I respond with a small smile to myself, then nod.

"And what about that other guard? The one from the studio and earlier tonight? You said he was Ms. Kang's younger brother... do I need to worry about anything with him? He already seems to harbor a lot of animosity toward me."

"No, I'll deal with him," he says, shaking his head. "But...if he ever makes you feel uncomfortable about anything, and I do mean anything, let me know right away. Please. I don't anticipate anything from him other than the posturing he did tonight, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."