Strings & Stitches

chapter 35

The office always felt colder after sundown. Not just in temperature, but in atmosphere, as if the shadows soaked into the walls surrounding it like mildew. The windows were black with night, their glass catching only the faintest reflections of the busy city far below.

Dami stood just outside the door.

Her fingers curled and uncurled at her sides. She flexed them once, subtly. The hallway smelt like burnt coffee; She told herself to breathe through her nose, slowly, to calm her mind at least a little bit. Her reflection in the dark windowpane looked calm enough.

Finally, she knocked once. A grunt answered.

Even if she had been here for a while, this was the room that always managed to get her nerves going. Even more so after the whole situation with Gahyun had appeared.

She slowly opened the door, bracing herself for the worst. “You... asked for me, sir” her voice trembled, unable to show her usual confidence.

Behind the desk, he was standing instead of sitting on his chair as he usually does. Mr Choi, towering, block-shouldered, with an expression quite unreadable, even for Dami, who’s usually good at that.

“Yes. Come, sit” He said, and Dami tried to find the character of his tone, yet failed. She walked to the chair facing him and sat down, putting her hands on her lap.

Her heart was basically beating against her chest right now, palms getting sweaty. He was leaving a silence, something that really drove up the tension in the room. Working for a gang was dangerous, she was aware of that. But moments like these were the only time that really mattered to Dami.

She met his eyes as he took the last drag of his cigarette, putting it in the ashtray. She could feel the sweat pooling at the base of her spine, but tried not to show how nervous she really was. “I trust you’ve already gotten me the compensation for messing up your first client?” His voice broke the silence, making the air even heavier.

Dami swallowed once, not too hard. She knew better than to start defending herself too early.

“I will have it ready as soon as possible, sir” She said, voice carefully even. What else was she supposed to say? She didn’t have the money now, the one and only source she has for it is this job, and if that girl, Gahyun, doesn’t give her the money in time, well… She’s probably fucked.

The boss’ hand clenched a bit harder on the desk, eyes burning through Dami’s ones. “I’ve given you enough time” his voice stayed calm, but ice cold. It was even scarier than if he would actually raise his voice. “You wanted to prove yourself to me and I gave you a chance. But if you can’t fulfill your tasks... you’re old enough to go to the other department”

Go to the other department? Like that would be possible at all. This man doesn’t let go of his enemies that easily anyway, and Dami knew this was more than just a little warning. He circled around the desk, a bit too close now. Dami sat very still. After a moment, with just the right tilt of her head and a half-smile that didn’t reach her eyes, she looked up at him and said, “I will have the money by tomorrow. And there won’t be a next time, sir”

Words were just words. So mister Choi felt like raising the stakes a little bit. “Then midnight tomorrow will be your deadline” he put his hands on her shoulders to squeeze them. “Otherwise you’ll be earning your dues in the other department starting tomorrow”

He stared at her, long and hard, before eventually turning around, muttering something sharp under his breath which Dami couldn’t catch. The smoke from the ashtray curled up in lazy spirals, its scent hanging between them heavily.