POV: Unknown
"Woman?" Minjae repeats, frowning.
Junho doesn't seem pleased with it either. His hands drop by his sides.
"An ordinary woman on our CV, it gives loser energy," Seo Naeun says. 41, still a beauty exuding femininity with her permed braid and purple lipstick.
"I agree," Junho adds.
Doyoon uncrosses his arms. "The client is offering 100 million won."
"I know a painless way." Minjae snaps his fingers. "Poison!"
"Suffocation is quick!" Yoona says.
Naeun wipes her flour covered hands on her apron. "We can stab her in the neck, it's quick and painless if you do it right."
Minjae had just taken out a bar of chocolate, its rustling distracting everyone as he opened it. The mention of blood makes him pause and squirm in his place. "Do we have to shed blood? Poison is good enough." The sight of blood bothers him a little.
"Yes, we can't have you fainting again. We can go for electrocution."
"I-I don't faint." Minjae throws a self-conscious glance at Yoona. Surely, she didn't actually see him fall over that day right?
Inwoo glances at all of them, an anxiety on his already nervous face. He tugs at the sleeves of his grey hoodie. It has a logo of Seoul National University. He is a final year student of Economics.
He raises his hand again. "I was thinking, do we have to kill someone to develop our CV? We can just take credit for some random murder. They happen all the time."
"No raising hands! And we did, didn't we? Remember what happened?" Doyoon reminds them.
Yoona nods. "For those boys killed in the alley. Turned out Wolya gang's Black Snake did that. Brought over his gang to beat our asses because we stole his credit. Aish, don't remind me…" She had to do the only thing she was good at, which is running.
"Still, a woman…" Junho doesn't like this. The sentimental man thinks of his two little girls at home and his eyes well up with tears.
"There there…" Naeun placates him. "You don't have to do it. We will handle it. Just provide us support from the back."
Junho wipes his eyes and nods.
Hyunsoo, who had been silent this whole time, shifts and leans forward. There is a slight stubble on his handsome face. It's the rugged, shabby sort of handsome face that's exceedingly attractive. The 39 year old man is an expert in cake decorations as well as the source of their female customers.
"You aren't truly considered a thug until you have harmed a woman." He says calmly, lighting a cigarette and puffing out smoke, much to Naeun and Inwoo's discomfort.
His words are harsh but true.
The group around him squirms and fidgets uneasily.
Although everyone here has some sort of criminal record, Hyunsoo is the only one with real experience of being a gang member. So naturally they all listen when he speaks.
"Does the client want the body or can we dispose of it?" He asks.
The ace of their gang! Doyoon looks on proudly. "He wants the body. But remember, it must be quick and painless."
"So it's decided, we are doing it," Naeun says. "I think we all should be present on the scene this time. To avoid any mishaps like before."
"Just an ordinary woman, there is no need for all of us to get involved." Minjae objects, sounding unsure.
"Unseen factors arise," Hyunsoo says. "She is right. We all should be close by."
Doyoon adds, "The priority is to do it in a quick and painless way, get the body and I will hand it over to the client. We have to do all that without leaving behind evidence, having witnesses or getting caught by cops."
Everyone instinctively glances at Inwoo, the brain of their group who is thinking something over with his thin body hunched over.
Aware of their expectations, he looks up.
"I have a plan," he says meekly, blinking rapidly.
☆★☆★☆★☆
POV: Hae Na Ri
I have done some extensive literature review.
Nevsoon is one of the largest conglomerates of Korea. It adds an enormous percentage to Korea's GDP. CEO Shin, also known as Shin Se Kyung, is among the famous family members of the Shin family. Father is Prime Minister of Korea, brother is the Chairman of Nevsoon, and social media sites like MeTube are full of fans who want her to marry their King.
Ryu Hajoon, as I found out through the internet, has developed a series of apps that includes a search engine Soon, MeTube, BookIt, LoveBook, Chat24 and several other other social media and workspace apps. He is the Chairman of Correlate but the company is mostly managed by management specialists. Old articles of Correlate's partnership with Nevsoon Electronics pop up.
Correlate has also worked on educational technology, including the use of virtual reality in education. Surprisingly, I don't find any connection with video games.
Ryu Hajoon isn't a simple politician with a fancy title.
He controls a large portion of the most dangerously useful aspect of any world: Technology.
All this information makes me sit back and reflect on a lot of things. I come to the conclusion that had been right in my face from the beginning. Their strange behaviour, their insistence on having me in the palace, and their unexpected kindness.
Ryu Hajoon is hiding something from me.
He knows something–or maybe everything–about me crossing over here.
I come to this conclusion not because Hajoon is involved with advanced technology or virtual reality, although that can be a theory. I am suspecting this because it would be foolish to not suspect it, in my position.
If I were Ryu Hajoon, I would have sent someone seemingly delusional to some hospital and get them help–if I were so kind. Or if I suspected them of lying, then I would have handed them over to the police.
Simple, right?
A politician with immense power has no reason to pay detailed attention to someone like me. It's because they know that I am not delusional.
Now the question is, what is it they are hiding from me? And is it technological or supernatural?
I can't directly ask anyone. Nor do I have any way of forcing the information out of them.
It makes me feel weak. Like back then.
A message pops up on the screen from The King, disrupting my overwhelming thoughts. Yes, that's how I have saved that man's number. He has left for Busan this morning, Jenny told me.
"There is a movie room in the palace on the first floor. Ask Mrs. Kang to show you, if you want to watch the second season of Revenge of the Fourth Wife," the message says.
I frown.
I type and send a reply, "Revenge of the Third Wife. The second season isn't out yet and might not be coming out at all."
"Why?"
"The director was friends with some Song Yerin actress who got arrested for some violent school violence incident from long ago."
"Oh…" he replies.
I put away the phone and get up to change into a black fitted long sleeved sweater and a long black skirt, soft and flowy. My wardrobe doesn't have much variety, thanks to Mrs. Kang's deep dark fears about my deep dark intentions.
I stuff the 31,000 I earned from Cafe Hanul and stuff it in the pocket of my brown coat. I leave my phone as I get out. I am 99% sure that phone tracks me.
I don't expect to see Captain Kang waiting outside.
The bright lights cause his pale skin to stand out. He is in simple jeans, white shirt and a denim jacket. Without the mask. As if he dressed to blend in a crowd. Posters of him in similar outfits used to be pasted on the walls in Jieun's room and we would giggle over them.
Although I do believe Hajoon and the people around him are hiding something huge from me, I am sure Sayoo Oppa wouldn't be a bad person in this world either.
He used to donate heavily, volunteer both before and after becoming famous, and would always come to the defense of other Kpop artists whenever they received unjust and harsh criticism for something trivial. His social views, including views on women were 'normal', even at that time when men spewed misogynist, sexist nonsense right in your face.
Though the last part hasn't changed…
"Let's go," Captain Kang says. "His Majesty told me to get you your identity card as soon as possible."