Law School Crossover Hidden Identity FanFiction Series

Chapter 13: The Thinning Veil

Ara sat in the passenger seat curled up watching the ocean scenery fly by. Moo-won drove cautiously and quiet, glancing into the passenger side mirror to gauge who he was seeing every minute. Moo-won found himself taking note of Geon-woo's different expressions in the last few days; more than he'd ever done before. Even though there were subtle changes, they were all significant. In the past, he'd check-in with his detective's countenance to see how well he'd go along with the plan when a new case came in. He could tell by his soft eyes if he'd calmly abide or if his hardened brash frown would need monitoring.

Ara's eyes hadn't changed much. They appeared like they'd been struck by lightning; wild and aware, always moving around, suspicious of everything before her. In the bathroom, Moo-won had promised to take her to the only person who could give her answers as to how she could escape.

"There's only one person. One person I'll speak with. I won't speak with any of you until I talk to him...I'll tell Geon-woo...I'll tell all of them—You're a liar."

He didn't need to question Ara. He knew who she was talking about, but Moo-won had been struck by the fact Ara knew the person was alive. Yet, he wasn't. She referred to herself as the all seeing eye and she was able to pinpoint his exact location without contacting him. Ara had the same gift as Joon-hwi solidifying their connection. It also made her strangely more dangerous, because of her defiance towards the living. She hated people. She didn't care if anyone lived or died, because Ara believed she was killed by evil. Her rationalization was justified; no one had ever been good to her, not even the boys who shared her damaged mind.

"--If I don't go...If you don't take me, I'll take the body to hell with me." Her eyes lit up, satiated. "I'll take them all to hell with me." She paced and tugged at Geon-woo's sleeve while she cowered, "I'll give them a taste of hell I've been living."

It was almost midnight. Moo-won turned on his high beams and then turned off his car's headlights completely. That was the signal. He sat in his car watching Ara approach Min Tae-in sitting on a seaside park. The area was empty and Tae-in was expecting him, but who he was about to meet; Moo-won sat in anticipation for his old friend's reaction.

The fog had rolled in already. It was a cold, heavy mist that dimmed the park lamp just next to the bench. Tae-in turned to who he'd been expecting, only to find his young friend looking down at him. He stood, and angrily turned his head towards Moo-won's sedan, thinking Moo-won brought Geon-woo.

Ara's voice cackled softly in her signature rhythmic tone, "What a look."

Tae-in recognized it; the voice. He looked back, taking a double take at who he thought was Geon-woo. He noticed the piercings and the startled eyes. His mind struggled to find words. He sighed, "How?"

"Yeah. That's what I'd like to know." Ara sat on the bench like a hasty teen. She stared out at the raging black sea, "You said if I went away and let Geon-woo live, I'd be free, but here I am."

"I assumed—"

Ara appeared unenthusiastically annoyed, "You assumed? Assumptions are just lies you tell yourself, Tae-in." She was older than him. Ara didn't need to use the respectful honorifics nor title a man who was centuries younger than her. She glared at him, "I've been alive for a very long time. Don't bullshit me, Tae-in. You know I can see what you've been doing."

Tae-in hid his face, averting his attention away from her. He knew what Ara was capable of seeing. The things he'd been doing to infiltrate trafficking operations using his own body to make connections for government investigative agencies.

"The problem I have with what I've seen; I'm not sure if you've put yourself in harm's way or positioned yourself as a mole to have a bit of fun." Ara leaned forward to get a look at Tae-in's expression. "Perverts usually like to put themselves in positions where they have an opportunity to satisfy their needs."