Close To Midnight

Chapter 8

She didn't have to turn around to know the face behind the voice. A face that looked at her like she wasn't a monster. She thrived on power, she thrived on the fear that her name evoked in people's mind. She didn't get to where she was without the spine chilling fear she induced. A fear that this girl refused to display. A heat rose to her skin as it flushed with anger. The status quo needed to be maintained. This girl, Mina or whoever she was, she needed to see who she was, to know what she was capable of.

"You think life is a fucking fairytale." Her voice was low and dangerous as she slowly spun on her heels. "Everything is fun and laughter." She took another menacing step forward. The smile on the younger girl's face faltered slightly. Her eyes grew as she drew nearer. "You have no idea about the darkness and evil that exists in this world. And if that darkness and evil had a face," She growled lowly, "It would be me."

The stunned expression, the parted mouth, the heaving chest gave Nayeon a cruel sense of  satisfaction. Convinced she had her status quo retained, she was about to turn away.

"Who knew darkness and evil had such a beautiful face?"

She saw red after that. The force with which she raised her hand to slap, she'd have shattered the smooth jaw in a million pieces, but the brown eyes that showed nothing but  a slight tinge of sadness, the way she stood there waiting for her hand to connect without even flinching, not a shadow of fear in her soft features, it stopped Nayeon dead in her tracks.

"There are cops around. Let's go." Jihyo urged the older girl before her barely there control relapsed.

Nayeon brought her hand down and clenched her fist by her side.

"Why couldn't you hit me?"

"Mina," Jihyo intervened, "Just go."

"That's because you're not a bad person, let alone be the face of darkness and evil." Mina continued ignoring the warning.

Nayeon gritted her teeth. "I don't hit anyone weaker than me."

Mina pulled Chiho suddenly, twirling him like a ballroom dancer and Jihyo wanted to laugh inspite of the seriousness of the situation. The girl had a tendency to treat gangsters like they were her pets, it was dangerous, a reckless thing to do, but concern for her wellbeing aside Jihyo had to  admire her foolish bravery a little. 'Your sidekick is built like Godzilla. Hit him then!"

Nayeon glanced at Chiho whose face look ashened. "Nayeonnie, don't do it."

"You can't hit him either." Mina looked into the older girl's eyes to get her message across. "Because you only hit people when your boss tells you. I bet you've never hit anyone outside of your job." Her voice was soft, but her words were thrown with conviction. "Except when you're saving damsels from distress." She tilted her head to look at Nayeon fondly.

Jihyo was amazed. It had taken her years to notice that about Nayeon. How did this girl who popped into their lives a few months ago understand her so well already?

Nayeon let out a low laugh. It was controlled in its delivery, chilling in its intention. "Look Princess!" Nayeon leaned down to utter the next words in Mina's ear, "You really don't know me. Just because I didn't hit you, doesn't mean I'd hesitate to kill you."

___

"Are you sure you've never seen this man with your husband?" Chaeyoung prodded. She hated doing this, especially to someone who'd just been widowed. But the woman smoking a cigar carelessly didn't seem to mind.

"Nope." She shrugged, dropping ashes on to a nearby tray.

"Thanks for your time anyway." Chaeyoung stood up letting out a soft sigh. Every single door they knocked on seemed to shut on their face mercilessly. "We're sorry if we bothered you."

"Detective," The woman's face scrunched like she'd just remembered something. "I don't know if this useful but-"

Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung paid attention. A useless information was better than no information at all.

"Dong-Hyun, he's, what you would call a calm, moody guy." The woman recollected without any fondness in her tone. " But before his death, he started acting a little strange."

"Strange how?" Chaeyoung queried.

"Constantly checking over his shoulder. Like someone was watching him. Like he was waiting for someone to show up."