Chapter 8 (1/2)
Published
at 13th of September 2019 05:36:23 PM
Chapter 8
Track No . 04 – Negotiation (1)
The fact that rock music was playing was my only comfort in that moment . In a situation like this, it was much better than silence .
Kim Ahyoung, sitting on the bed with her legs folded to her chest, gestured towards the chair with her chin . When I obeyed her command and sat down, we were forced to look at each other face to face, as if this was the true beginning of the conversation .
“I already mentioned this, but I ran away from home . ”
“Then go back home . ”
“If I wanted to, I wouldn’t have run away to begin with . If you’re trying to nitpick every trivial thing, just shut up and listen . ”
How could she say that?
I shuddered at her sharp words . It seemed that I was not even allowed to make a joke, though I had meant what I said .
“That’s why I broke your phone back then . All of the students in our cla.s.s will probably have their locations tracked . I left my phone at home, too . Didn’t the school contact you?”
She was more like a fortune-teller than an angel . Kim Ahyoung scoffed .
“It’s too obvious . If they immediately contact the ma.s.s media, there would be an uproar and my reputation would crash, or at least fall . That’s why they’ll try to find me secretly . They won’t be able to find any clues at school, so only innocent people would suffer . ”
I wished that she would acknowledge the fact that I was also one of those innocent people . However, there was something that I wanted to ask first .
“So, why did you bring me here?”
Kim Ahyoung stared at me intently as she lifted a finger .
“First of all, you saw me . ”
“Because you ran away . ”
“That was because I was caught off guard . Anyone would have done that in that situation . Why the heck was it 13,000 won anyway? That price is so random!”
“Don’t lash out at me . I only sold it at the listed price . ”
“It was fortunate that you followed me . If you hadn’t, I would have needed to wait to ambush you in this weather . After all, it’s true that you saw me . ”
Kim Ahyoung spat out those terrifying words with indifference . In any case, it meant that I would have ended up here no matter what .
“At the moment, there should only be a few people who know that I’ve run away . I mentioned this before, but I can’t walk around openly because there are a lot of searching eyes around . In the end…”
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
The more she talked, the more I felt that she wasn’t going to give me the answer I wanted, so I cut her off and asked another question . However, Kim Ahyoung answered as if I were asking something obvious .
“What do you mean ‘what’? You have to stay here until it’s over . ”
“Until what’s over?”
“My getaway . ”
I was stupefied . I could understand that she had to bring me here to talk . However, telling me that I had to stay here for the length of her who-knows-how-long getaway was a different story .
I raised my voice .
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“Are you kidding me? After dragging me here, all you’re telling me is that you don’t even know when…”
“I’m not kidding . You’re actually going to have to stay here for a while . ”
Kim Ahyoung’s expression didn’t change at all . Chills ran down my spine .
“You can’t possibly be trying to tell me that I should let you go because you won’t tell anyone, can you? Think about it carefully . You’re the hostage here . If you still want to find out what will happen if you leave, you can do so . ”
I didn’t want to know .
I didn’t like it, but it was a fact that Kim Ahyoung had the upper hand here . There was nothing that I could do right now .
Regardless of my inner circ.u.mstances, Kim Ahyoung confidently lifted a second finger .
“What’s important is the second reason . To be honest, the first was merely bait to bring you here . ”
“…And what is that?”
“You can help me . ”
“Me?”
“That’s right . In order for you to help me, I have to tell you my plan first, right?”
She said that in a deliberate tone, as if she was doing me a favour, but I wasn’t happy at all .
“I never told you that I’d help . ”
“Then help . ”
Kim Ahyoung seemed to have already realized that I couldn’t talk back to her if she maintained her high-handed att.i.tude . d.a.m.n it . This was clearly blackmail . The problem was that it was intentional .
“I ran away to give a performance . ”
Although I was exploding with anger inside, I was dumbfounded by Kim Ahyoung’s reason . If I remembered clearly, she had announced an indefinite hiatus in early November . It didn’t make any sense .
“You’re the one who stepped down, and now you’re saying that you want to perform?”
“The entire reason I stepped down was for this . I want to perform in a rock band . ”
“Why?”
“I can’t tell you all of the reasons right now . I will tell you everything someday . For now, just know that my Dad hates rock . ”
It seemed to be about her reputation, like she had mentioned earlier . One of the few restrictions she had on her . I shook my head .
“It’s impossible . ”
“Why is that?”
“How are you going to perform in a rock band by yourself? You’re hiding your ident.i.ty right now, but if you perform with somebody, you will have no choice but to reveal yourself . Did you plan to walk around wrapped in G.o.d knows how many layers? I don’t think anyone would accept performing with such a suspicious person . ”
I thought that my points had been quite accurate, but Kim Ahyoung was confidently smirking . I wondered if I had missed anything, but nothing came to mind .
“That’s why I told you that you can help me . ”
“I don’t know how to play any instruments, and a performance is out of the question . ”
Even while I was refuting her, something didn’t feel quite right . How had she been planning on performing if she had not encountered me?
Kim Ahyoung laughed, as if she had read my confusion .
“Don’t worry . I won’t make you stand on stage . What I need isn’t anything like that . ”
“What is it, then?”
“Let me ask you something first . How did you get your part-time job at the concert today?”
How, she asked . The performer herself had lured me in with 5,000 won per hour .
“From Part-time Heaven . ”
Kim Ahyoung responded to my half-hearted answer by kicking my s.h.i.+n . It wasn’t like she kicked it hard, and I admit that it was my fault, but I hadn’t expected her to kick me immediately, as if she were kicking an animal .
However, I had no choice but to be shocked at Kim Ahyoung’s follow-up comment .
“As if . I never found it . ”