Lucky Man [On Hiatus]

Chapter 2

Nothing much happened since the day we met, though I was more anxious of my surroundings more than ever. Jiwon said he wouldn't keep far, but I really don't feel like we should even be close. Thankfully, it has been almost a week and I don't see even a shadow of Jiwon's. 

But that's not what I'm afraid of. 

If Jiwon's nemesis can find me, won't my own family be able to find me too? 

I have constantly been kidnapped and brought back to the Lee Residence but I have managed to escape over and over again, though it gets more and more difficult each time. Every time I was caught, I had to reset everything; change where I live, jobs, and even my phone number. 

I should have changed this old phone too. Jiwon placed a tracker on the phone; not the number. 

If Jiwon had a tracker on me that early.. what if they put a tracker on Jiwon in return, in case he came to find me? 

I shook away all the paranoia and sent off a customer off to the door. This morning shift, I work at a humble flower store that just kicked off their business about a couple of months ago. The owner desperately needed help as she had just given birth and though I said I cannot work full day, she accepted it as it is. 

The sun was very bright, as if the day would be just as good... but I knew better. The corner of my eyes caught a few suspicious men amongst the crowd in the streets. They don't really have any similarities other than the fact that they kept looking at the shop by with the corner of their eyes.

I smiled and closed my eyes as if taking in fresh scent of the flowers and I saw a man who was just walking down the street from my right signaling another who was sipping a cup of coffee while leaning on the nearby café wall. Coffee man tossed his paper cup into a nearby bin, his head slightly moving, signaling to yet another man who was casually walking down the street while chewing gum with headphones on.

Three. At least three. Or more.

They are not the same people that I met a few nights ago, these men looked even more professional since they seem to be able to blend in almost perfectly well. 

I casually walked to the shop front, pretending to check the hanging door bells while stealthily locking the front door. They don't seem to be that close yet, but they are definitely keeping tabs so I must be very cautious. Controlling my footsteps to be as slow as my panicking heart can bring, I walked to the door that leads to the back office.

Out of sight, out of mind. As if.

As soon as I closed the door, I grabbed my bag and keys that was lying on the table nearby and rushed to the back door. 

Slowly opening the back door, I stretched my ears and listened to the silence for a few seconds before taking careful peeks. The back door leads to a very narrow alley and is usually all covered with stench of cigarette and alcohol. Locking the back door as quickly as I could while keeping an eye out, I walked down the narrow alley that I knew will be in the direction of the small markets. It will be easier to disappear within bigger crowds.

Oh no, I forgot to grab my cap back at the store.

I looked through the crowd and almost sighed in relief as I was able to walk for a good few minutes without seeing anybody suspicious. There were too many people walking past, my arms kept being brushed past by a number of people as I navigated through. Just about a few more shops and I should be able to turn into the next block and then grab a bus or a taxi nearby.

Of course I was talking too soon.

Coffee man appeared not even three layers of people in front of me. As soon as he spotted me, he raised his right hand without breaking our eye contact. Doing a quick sweep through the crowd, I saw people looking at his hand signal and this time.. I really panicked.