EPISODE 94 – The Price of Protection
The car sped through the city, the silence inside a heavy weight. Minjae pulled up to a familiar high-rise. Alex looked over at him, a serious expression on his face.
"Thanks, Minjae. For tonight, and for everything. Good night, and have a safe drive," Alex said, his voice quiet.
Minjae gave him a faint smile. "Mention not, bro. It's my duty after all. I'm a CHIPER member."
Alex stepped out, and Minjae drove away, but instead of heading to his own luxurious apartment, he directed the car towards a place he had been avoiding for years: his father's mansion. The car glided silently through the dark, sprawling gates, a symbol of a different kind of prison. He got out of the car, his phone vibrating in his hand with Kevin's name flashing on the screen.
Minjae answered, a practiced cheerfulness in his voice. "Hello, bro! What's up?"
"Hey Minjae! I heard everything from Dohee," Kevin's voice was filled with a mix of concern and frustration. "The matter with Micha... you shouldn't have been so out of control. And I heard about your father. They might be calling you. Don't go to your father's mansion. I'll handle it. Just go back to your apartment and get some rest."
Minjae's smile was a bitter one. "Hey, bro. Take it easy. It's not new. It's okay. I've already arrived at my father's mansion and I'm standing outside the main door. I can handle it. Don't worry. Bye." Before Kevin could reply, Minjae cut the call. He then switched off his phone, silencing the outside world, and walked towards the heavy oak doors.
He entered the grand foyer to a tense, silent scene. His father, his mother, and several young girls were standing there, their faces a mixture of fear and disapproval. Minjae laughed, a hollow sound in the cavernous space. "Wow! Everyone is waiting for me? Now I'm feeling like a celebrity!"
His mother rushed to him, her face a mask of worry. "Oh, my baby Minjae, what did you do? You know your father doesn't like it! Why did you take such a risk and get involved in this political case? You should be resting. You have to take over the company. You're going to be CEO soon, so you should just be living peacefully until then ." She then whispered in his ear, her voice a desperate plea. "Minjae, your father is very angry. Go to him and apologize. Kneel down and beg for his forgiveness. Don't speak back to him, okay?"
Minjae just smiled, a small, sad thing. His father, a man of terrifying presence, barked an order to his mother, who immediately moved away. Minjae's father walked up to him and, with a swift motion, slapped him hard across the face. The sound echoed through the silent mansion, and Minjae's cheek instantly turned a dark, angry red.
"Honey, please, please," Minjae's mother begged, tears streaming down her face. "Forgive him. This is the last time, please! He's your only son!" She then looked at Minjae with pleading eyes. "Minjae, my golden son, apologize now to your father."
Minjae's father, in a fit of rage, kicked him so hard that Minjae fell to the marble floor. He bit his lip to stop the scream of pain, and a trickle of blood ran down his chin. His body ached, but it was nothing compared to the emptiness in his heart.
He stood up slowly, facing his father. "Dad, I'm sorry," he said, his voice low and devoid of emotion. "You are not wrong. I will never do it again. Please forgive me for the last time." It was an apology he didn't mean, a performance he had perfected over the years to keep the peace.
His father, however, was not done. He grabbed Minjae by the throat and pushed him against a wall, his face inches from his son's. "You bastard," he snarled, pressing on his throat, "you want to disrespect me? How dare you? Don't you know your father's fame and image are more important than some poor, characterless girl's justice? And your useless friends?" He let go of Minjae, who gasped for air. "This is the last time I will forgive you. Next time you do this, I will kill you."
He then turned to his wife. "Arrange the ceremony to give the position of CEO to this bastard. This jerk needs to be busy, stuck in an office, so he can't do anything like this again. It's my fault I gave him independence. If he doesn't want the position, send him abroad forever. Or I will kill him."
His father walked upstairs, leaving Minjae alone with his mother. She walked up to him, a new look of determination on her face. "Minjae, you should take this company. You're a good student of business. You studied in America, and you have too much free time. Now it's time for work, Minjae. Be serious and get ready. Understand? Bye now, take care of yourself. I have a party to attend." She then walked out, leaving him alone in the vast, empty foyer.
Minjae slowly walked out, got into his car, and drove towards his apartment. The drive was a blur of flashing lights and empty streets, a reflection of the cold emptiness inside him.
A Lollipop and a Kiss
Meanwhile, at Dohee's apartment, Micha was finally getting some peace. She had eaten her dinner, taken her medicine, and changed into a fresh set of clothes. She picked up her phone to call Minjae, but the screen showed his phone was switched off. A wave of unease washed over her.
"Unnie," she said to Dohee, "I have to go somewhere."
"What? Where are you going? What's the matter?" Dohee asked, surprised.
"Minjae didn't pick up my call, and I heard about his father. He's a terrible person, a powerful man. Maybe Minjae got hurt. Maybe he needs someone to comfort him. I have to go to him. And I haven't even said thank you yet," Micha said, her voice filled with a desperate need to help.
Dohee understood immediately. "Okay, I get it. But you can't go empty-handed. I'll pack some dinner for him." She quickly packed a meal for Minjae. "You can take my car. Here are the keys. I'll pick you up from his apartment in a few hours, okay?"
Micha shook her head. "No, unnie. You should come with Alex. We should all spend the night together for comfort. Maybe Minjae needs that."
Dohee smiled. "You're right. We should go together. You go first, and I'll meet you with Alex and some snacks."
Micha agreed and drove to Minjae's apartment. When she arrived, she saw his car was not there, so she waited outside the door, the bag of food clutched in her hands. After a few minutes, Minjae's car pulled up. He got out and saw Micha standing there.
"Micha? What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised. "You should be resting. Why are you here?"
Micha's eyes immediately fell on his face. She saw the dark red mark on his cheek and the small trickle of dried blood on his lip. Her eyes filled with tears, and she started crying, a soft, heartbroken sound. Minjae, shocked by her tears, quickly led her inside. He gently wiped her tears with his thumb. "Hey! Why are you crying? What happened?"
Micha, her voice a small, broken sob, hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry, Minjae. This is my fault. If I hadn't gotten hurt by that jerk, Jung-woo, you wouldn't have been hurt by your father. I'm so sorry, Minjae."
Minjae smiled, a gentle, rare smile. He hugged her tightly. "It's not your fault. We all did our best and got the success. My father is like this, it's not new. It's okay. I'm strong, you know. My lollipop candy cutie."
Micha was surprised and flustered by the affectionate words. She broke the hug and gave him the bag of food. "Dohee unnie gave you this for dinner."
"Oh, wow!" Minjae said, his voice filled with a genuine warmth. "Dohee unnie is the best sis. She is very kind. And I'm starving. Thank you for bringing this to me. I will eat after changing."
He went to his room to change, and when he came back, Micha had arranged the dinner on the table perfectly. She was sitting there, a lollipop in her mouth. She looked up at him, a soft smile on her face. "Minjae, come and sit. Have your dinner."
Minjae's eyes welled up with tears. For the first time in his life, someone had cared for him, cooked for him, and served him, not out of duty, but out of care. Micha noticed the tears and quickly pulled out a lollipop from her pocket and put it in his mouth.
Minjae was shocked by the sudden gesture. "It's strawberry flavor," Micha said with a smile. "It makes you smile."
Minjae smiled, the pain in his heart slowly melting away. "So, what's your flavor?"
"What?" Micha asked, confused.
"I mean, your lollipop flavor," Minjae said, a playful glint in his eye.
"It's mango flavor," Micha replied.
Minjae pulled the lollipop from his mouth. "I want to taste the mango flavor, too." Micha pulled her lollipop out and said, "But I don't have a mango-flavored lollipop currently. I'll give you one next time."
Minjae laughed, a low, playful sound. He grabbed her face and kissed her hard, a wild, passionate kiss that made her gasp. He kissed her so hard that he could taste the mango flavor on her lips, a delicious, sweet flavor that made his heart pound. He sucked her lips, his hands tangled in her hair.
Micha, shocked and surprised, pushed him away. "Hey! What are you doing?!"
"Can't you see?" Minjae said, a playful glint in his eyes. "I'm tasting your lollipop flavor." He moved towards her again, and she stepped back. "Minjae, don't do that. Don't come closer. Are you drunk?"
Minjae continued to move closer, his eyes filled with a desperate desire. He grabbed her waist, lifted her up, and pushed her onto the sofa. He leaned over her, his warm breath on her face. "I want that more. You are so cute. I want you. You are mine, Micha."
Micha's eyes filled with fear. "Minjae, you are drunk! Please let me go. You're crossing the line! Let me go!" Minjae didn't listen. He kissed her wildly, his hands holding her hands above her head.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Minjae's eyes widened, and he immediately let go of her. He stood up and walked to the door. Micha quickly stood up, her heart pounding, and wiped her lips. Minjae opened the door and saw Dohee and Alex standing there, looking concerned.
"We came as you wanted," Dohee said, her eyes scanning the room.
The rest of the night was a blur of conversation and snacks. Minjae finished his dinner, and they all settled down for the night, Minjae and Alex in one room and Micha and Dohee in another