Stay With Me - Hwang Inyeop

Chapter 9: Secret Place

It was a very long drive and the sun is about to set when they arrived. The place In-yeop was talking about is very secluded and there is only one house in this place overlooking the vast sea.

"Who's place is this?" Chorong asked as they hop out of their motorcycle. In-yeop waited for Soomi to safely hop out of his motorcycle before he did, removing his helmet and shaking his head to fix his hair. He then ruffled his hair with his fingers to shake the sweat which made his hair a bit moist.

"You'll see," he answered and walked to the small bungalow house slightly hidden between big trees. He knocked on the door like a secret code and seconds later, the door slightly open. It was a woman and when she saw who's at the door, she widely opened it and immediately wrapped her arms around In-yeop's neck, giving him a tight hug.

"You're here!" The woman exclaimed, not believing what she's seeing. In-yeop chuckled at the woman's action and that did not escape Soomi's eyes. She doesn't know why she's feels affected seeing the man who hardly expresses his emotions easily smiles in front of this woman.

"Yumi?" Chorong cannot believe that the woman they have not seen for so long is here and alive. When Yumi noticed Chorong, he lets go of In-yeop and also gave the fat guy a warm hug.

"You're alive!" Chorong exclaimed as he slightly pulled away from the hug and gave Yumi a shocked expression. "How... How did it happen? I saw you died!"

"Almost," Yumi chuckled upon seeing her friend's reaction. "This guy here saved my life," she said as she looked at In-yeop.

"What brought you here? Who is she?" Yumi asked when she noticed Soomi. Soomi slightly bowed with respect to the owner of the house.

"We need your help," In-yeop said and with the tone of his voice, Yumi already knows they are in trouble.

"Get in," she said and they all entered the house. In-yeop immediately went to the fridge to get himself a bottle of cold water. He moves inside the house like he has been living there for a long time.

"Please take a seat," Yumi told Soomi who awkwardly stood in the middle of the dining area and the living room. She sat on the couch and stared at them.

"What happened?" Yumi asked the two boys. She as well sat on the couch across from where Soomi is sitting. Chorong also made his way to the fridge and ransacked whatever he can find. The fat guy is starving from all that happened.

"Mr. Han is after us," In-yeop said and sat beside Soomi, giving the girl a bottle of water. He slightly opened the cap of the bottled before giving it to Soomi. Soomi drank the water and because she is feeling very thirsty, she was able to drink all of what's in the bottle. In-yeop waited for Soomi to finish drinking and grabbed the empty bottle from her hand, crushing it before handing it to Chorong for him to throw. All this did not escape Yumi's eyes and she wonders who this girl is who In-yeop gives his attention.

"I believe she has something to do with it," Yumi said as she stared at Soomi.

"We were ordered to kill her because she knew about Mr. Han's plans," Chorong explained with his mouth still full of food. He is sitting at the dining table facing them. "And as what you can see, the girl is alive. Mr. Han must have ordered his men to tail us and when he knew that she's alive and is with us, he ordered to ambush us in our cabin."

"The cabin? But you worked so hard to renovate that cabin. That is the only place where you can move freely," Yumi said with worry. Chorong just shrugged his shoulders and continued eating. Yumi looked at In-yeop who just stared blankly on the floor. His elbows are propped on his legs, hands hanging limply.

"About this plan," Yumi said when In-yeop did not speak. "I think I have an idea about it."All of them stared at Yumi upon hearing what she said. Chorong placed what he is eating on the dining table and sat on the armrest of the couch where In-yeop and Soomi are sitting. They all fell silent and listened to what Yumi will say.

"I think Mr. Han is trying to create a drug which affects the immune system of a person and drastically changes a person's behavior," Yumi informed them which made Soomi alarmed. That is exactly what she witnessed in the laboratory and what her mother also experienced.

"How did you know about this?" In-yeop asked.

"Some people from a village informed my team that a group of people is buying children from poor families. We investigated it and tailed this group of men. True enough, these children are being sold to Mr. Han because I saw familiar faces. They are Mr. Han's hawks," Yumi informed them of what she knows.

"Hawks?" Soomi curiously asked.

"They are a group of men who work in Mr.Han's laboratory. They are the ones who invent the medicine they sell," Chorong explained.

"Why do they want these children?" In-yeop asked.

"They use them as a subject for their experiment," Yumi said and sighed as she pities these children. "Some of my boys saw what's happening in the laboratory. However, we are yet to discover what is this experiment for."

In-yeop's hands start to ball into fists upon hearing those innocent children are involved in this experiment. Killing someone is a part of his job but never did he imagine even hurting little children who still know nothing of how cruel this world is.

"Your information matches Soomi's words," Chorong said. "This creeps me out. It's giving me the chills!"

"Do you know why that bastard is doing this?" Yumi asked Soomi and the latter shook her head.

"No," Soomi said. "They caught me sneaking in their laboratory before I could even discover the reason for his plan."

Yumi nodded as a gesture that she understood what Soomi said. "What is exactly the reason why Mr. Han wants her dead? I mean, that old man doesn't just give an order in killing a person just like that," she asked the two boys.

"She's a reporter," Chorong answered. "She can easily reveal to the whole country of this so-called plan."

"That explains why," Yumi said and looked at Soomi again. "So what's your plan now, pretty girl?"

"I'm not sure yet," Soomi answered. "But part of that plan is to bring that asshole down and make him rot in jail," she said full of determination.

"Well, good luck with that," Yumi chuckled.

"That's what I said," Chorong agreed and went to the kitchen again to finish what he is eating.

"We have to keep you safe," In-yeop suddenly said and stared at Soomi and the latter did the same. "That's our plan right now."

Both Soomi and In-yeop stared at each other and the girl's heart is beating fast once again with the guy's words. Yumi stared at the two who seem to be in their own world then she looked at Chorong giving the fat guy a questioning stare. Chorong just shrugged his shoulders like he is used to what the two are doing.

"Aren't you two hungry?" Chorong purposely asked to make the two realize that they are not alone. "Both of you haven't eaten yet since yesterday."

The two immediately looked away as they heard Chorong's voice. Yumi wants to laugh at how these two act. These two obviously are attracted to each other. She is amazed to see her best friend concerned about a person. This is her first time seeing In-yeop acting like this towards another person who does not belong to their group.

"I'll try cooking something real quick," Yumi said as she stood up. "You can wash up while I cook. You all stink like hell," she chuckled and made her way to the kitchen.