Rebels At Their Finest (Block B)

06: Action

It was still early in the morning, but River knew Hee-Bong was at the club. He was always at the club, as he practically lived there. She unlocked the doors and moved inside. Deviant was a light filled wonderland at night. Neon lights filled every single space, black lights cast a fun glow over the patrons, and, as of late, bubbles were released into the air, sometimes glitter in a water mix that fell like raindrops on the crowd. During the day, however, it was just a large space with an eerie feel, and a disgusting scent of bile and alcohol, as the custodians hadn’t made the rounds yet.

She moved towards the back room doors, which just led to where the dancers prepared themselves, where the DJ’s crashed during their downtime, and where the door to the Archives was kept. The Archives was where River and Hee-Bong kept their financial information. Hee-Bong was, more often than not, inside of this room.

River punched in the password for the number pad and pulled the door open. Hee-Bong, sure enough, sat inside behind the desk, surrounded by dozens of filing cabinets. “Morning, Uncle.” River said, placing the bag she’d brought with her in front of her uncle, along with the cup of coffee. She’d retrieved his favorite fast food breakfast sandwich, which could possibly get her off the hook. “I need to speak to you.”

Hee-Bong sighed, grabbing the bag and pulling out the sandwich. “I’m listening.” He said, leaning back.

River leaned against the door. “I’ve made a few mistakes lately, but I’ve decided to come back from it.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I understand what I’ve done wrong, and it won’t happen again.”

“And if any of those boys step in my bar again?” He asked, taking a bite of the sandwich.

She frowned. “I’ll turn the other cheek?”

Hee-Bong nodded in approval. “However, you still deserve to be punished. You cannot be that naive, that careless River, do you understand? Those boys could ruin your image if they decide to when you finally make it to that match.” She bit her lip and nodded. “I’m going to revoke a portion of the bar-”

River gasped. “You are not!”

“I am, and that’s the end of it. You may have the rights to this bar, and that cut of the pay, when you prove that you’re going to act accordingly.”

River pursed her lips and nodded. “Starting tonight.” He nodded, so she leaned forward and knocked the coffee all over the papers he was writing on. “Until then, I plan to act as incredibly obnoxious as I can.”

Kyu Ree was glued to her computer screen, and had been since she’d opened the message from her brother. It was only one sentence, but it still grated on her. Come home. She would never go home, she would stay in the apartment, with River, and work at Deviant, until she couldn’t do either anymore. Even then, she wouldn’t go home.

Koharu opened the door to River’s bedroom and moved out into the living room, yawning. It was almost eleven, and she’d only just woken up, even though she’d gone to sleep at nearly eight. “Where’s Riv?”

Kyu Ree shrugged. “She went to speak to your father about the club, and then she was headed to conditioning.”

Koharu frowned. “Why does she put herself through that? All that fighting is not ladylike. And besides, she has unsightly muscles now.”

Kyu Ree shot Koharu a disgusted look. “What do you mean unsightly? River isn’t a bodybuilder, she has lean muscle. And how can you be so unsupportive? She’s your cousin, and by the looks of you,” Kyu Ree offered a slight laugh. “The genetics aren’t fair, and she’s doing what she can to change that.”