Four Hearts Intertwined

Chapter 3: Admiring, the "Gang Queen"

At the nearby train station, there is a small alley. Even in the quiet of the night, the nearby train rumbles loudly, giving this alley a voice. A tattoo shop, a bookstore, and a hidden cafe were placed there. Loren was walking in the alleyway. She was wearing a loose blue sweatshirt, linen black pants, and rubber shoes. Her hair was braided into two, and she was wearing eyeglasses. No one will believe that she is a tattoo artist because she does not have any tattoos herself. She looked more like a nerd from a university school with her svelte body figure, and pale skin yet has a pretty face.

She owned the tattoo shop, it was from her mother. Her mother was a tattoo artist and met her father in Japan. They met, fell in love, and eventually settled down together in Japan. Her mother's tattoo shop was on a very busy street in Tokyo, where Loren was born and raised. She often accompanied her mother after school to watch her create beautiful body art. But the good time didn't last. Her father was caught smuggling drugs after which her mother utilized the remaining funds to open a shop once the family relocated back to Australia. And soon after that, her mom was diagnosed with cancer. After a courageous two-year battle with the disease, her mother passed away. The last time she saw her mother, she was crying as she told her she would be leaving her to grow up without anybody taking care of her. Since her mother's passing, she has taken over the business and runs it alone. As a result, she would stop at nothing to protect it.

Her tattoo shop is surrounded by different tattoo art pictures, including the Ta Moko that she learned in New Zealand. She has a part-time tattoo artist who assists her whenever she has more than two customers twice a week. However, her earnings from the tattoo shop could no longer afford to pay for the rental space, so, in some cases, she does home visit tattoos via appointments referred by her valued customers.

Her phone rang as she opened the mail containing the Notice to Vacate for non-payment of the previous month's rent. It was Charlie. A friend of hers from South Korea with whom she did the tattoo. They still communicate when they get the chance and share their problems in life.

"Hey, Loren, what's up?" Charlie said, excitedly.

"Same old thing, Charlie. You sound happy." Loren said as she checked the tools in the corner. She put the phone on her desk and turned the loudspeaker on.

"Oh well, I got my life back on track. Thanks to you though."

"Thanks to me? I did not do anything." She started sweeping the floor.

"Well, you've been a good listener, and let me realize things that I should have done before. But, anyway, that's not why I called you."

"Okay, what is it then?" she wondered.

"Ahm, my boss saw the tattoo you did on my left arm and is keen to get a tattoo done. So, I recommend you. Are you keen to come to South Korea?" Charlie said while he smoked with his comrades who were chatting nearby.

He was dressed in a black suit, but he had two buttons undone on the white shirt that was underneath. His black and red dragon tattoo on his chest is partially visible as he holds the phone.

"You know I'm broke and I cannot afford a plane ticket at this stage. Why not recommend someone from there?" Loren suggested, putting back the broom beside the toilet.

"Well, my boss preferred your tattoo artwork. Also, my boss offered to pay for your flight tickets and accommodation for a month."

"For a month?!" Loren was in disbelief. "What kind of a boss does that?" she wondered and sat on the computer desk.

"Oh common, Loren, you said you're broke. I am trying to help you. My boss will pay you generously and you will be able to pay your rent as long as you do the job well."

Loren was skeptical since she did not think someone like Charlie's boss would pay for anything. She was first hesitant to accept the offer from Charlie's boss, but after considering that she would be paid well enough to continue running her mother's tattoo shop, she ultimately decided to accept the offer. She knows she will be safe with Charlie.

"When should I be needed there?" Loren asked without second thoughts.

"I will send you all the details in 2 days, and I will see you in Seoul after one week," Charlie said, as he excitedly hung up and called out his comrade to do their day of collection in the Gangnam area.

Charlie Song came from a broken family. He ran away from home (Busan) when he was 18 years old, and went to Seoul to live independently. He worked three shifts a day to make a living and also took some part-time work as a construction worker at night during his off from daytime work. His friend owned a tattoo shop in Seoul, and that's when he first encountered Loren, who was tattooing a client at the time. When he first saw her, he was astounded because she didn't look like a tattoo artist at all. In general, tattoo artists have heavily inked themselves. It came as a pleasant surprise to Charlie that Loren had created such a one-of-a-kind tattoo for him. It was a fish-hook-shaped Ta Moko tattoo on his left arm.

Charlie's friend asked him to show Loren around Seoul before she goes back to Australia. While her stay in Seoul took longer than expected, they became instant friends because they quite have similar struggles in life. Charlie used drugs back then to help him stay awake while working the night shift. Loren could see it in his eyes before she left the country.

By the time Loren came back home, they did not lose contact. Charlie treated her like a younger sister, and so Loren treated him as her elder brother. Charlie was about to lose his mind due to drugs, and it was Loren who advised him to go to the rehabilitation center and get treated. It took more than a year for Charlie to be fully treated for addiction. Once he got free, he decided to get his feet back together. He started to work in a nightclub in Gangnam, and that's where he met his new boss who saved him from getting killed because his old friend used his identity to loan sharks during his treatment at the rehabilitation center without his knowledge. And, ended up owing them 80 million won plus interest.

And this boss who saved him was one of the most feared by other gangs, The "Gang Queen."

No one knows her real name but most of the people in Gangnam know her story and how she helped a lot of people. Charlie was one of them. She offered Charlie to work for her as her secretary and bodyguard because he had great fighting skills. The reason why the "Gang Queen" took an interest in his skills, courage, and determination. Charlie eventually became the right hand of the "Gang Queen".

**

Loren got the email from Charlie after two days. She has spoken to and instructed her part-timer on what to do while she is away. She also transferred the month's rent in advance to make sure the shop is safe from business closure. She replied to Charlie that she will be in Seoul in 5 days.