Pursuit Of Fate

Chapter 3

Seong Im's phone had been ringing for the tenth time. She continued to clear the trays and wiped the table, ignoring her phone completely.

"Noona, aren't you picking it up?" Kwang Soo asked her, feeling slightly annoyed by the constant vibration and the continuous repetition of the her ring tone, 'hot issue.' She picked up her phone and rejected the call.

"Who was it? You didn't even bother to answer it." Kwang Soo stood next to her and took her phone, wanting to check who the caller was.

"Yah!" Seong Im shouted and glared at him. Kwang Soo quietly placed her phone back on to the counter and looked at her. Her phone started to ring again. He managed to catch a glimpse of the unknown number before Seong Im reaches out to switch off her phone.

"That was the eleventh time.." Kwang Soo pointed out.

"Just go and do your stuff." She replied while washing the cups. Halfway through, she stopped and stared at the white square tiles wall opposite her. The tap was still running. "Kwang Soo, are you able to close the counter today?" she asked.

"Yea, why?" Kwang Soo stopped what he was doing and looked at her.

Seong Im off the tap and quickly untied her apron. She folded it and placed it on the counter along with the work cap. "I need to rush off! I'll get you more canned coffees in return!" she replied and walked towards the door, thanking him before leaving.

"Just make sure you do as what you promised!" Kwang Soo shouted, not sure if she actually heard what he said since she was already outside the café.

Seong Im thought about what the debtors told her a week before. "We can't guarantee what will happen if you don't pay us back within a week."

"Are they going to destroy my house again?!" She thought out loud and fastened her pace back home. As she walked into the dark alley, she was grabbed by the arm with a hand cupped over her mouth and pushed towards the wall with her back leaning against it. She tried to fight back but her arms were quickly held down by Jong Kook. "Yah! Ahjumma! Why didn't you pick up our calls?" Dong Hoon shouted at her. She could feel his saliva all over her face.

"I don't answer calls from unknown numbers." she replied. Her heart was pounding and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

"What kind of excuse is that?" Jong Kook scoffed. He inched closer towards her face; she could feel him breathing down her neck. "You're coming with us." he said to her and dragged her towards the van. Hee Gun slid opened the side door as he watched them approached the van. Seong Im pressed her foot against the edge of the van, struggling to not enter the van.

"Jong Kook hyung, ppali!" Dong Hoon shouted from the driver's seat. Left with no choice, Jong Kook carried her and entered the van. Her hands were bound together with a rope and tied to the bar attached under the seat. "Let me go!" She shouted while kicking her legs, targeting at Jong Kook but her legs were too short to hit him.

"Yah!" He got up and slapped her across the face. "Just stay still and be quiet!" He shouted loudly. She immediately quietened down.

"Hyung! How can you slapped her?" Hee Gun asked, shocked by his action. He hate it when they use violent against women. Her cheek was red and blood trickled down the corner of her lips. Hee Gun took a tissue and attempted to wipe the blood but Seong Im turned her head away.

"She don't even appreciate your help. Just get back to your seat." Jong Kook grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back.

Soon, they arrived at the basement of their boss's apartment. Jong Kook stood behind her with his hand on her shoulder and told her to walk forward. Dong Hoon and Hee Gun followed behind them. "Hyung-nim, we brought her here." Dong Hoon informed as Jong Kook forced her to kneel down.

"You're prettier than I thought." the boss stub out his cigarette in the ashtray and said.

"Who are you?" Seong Im asked.

"Ah yea.. I realized I haven't introduce myself. I'm Ji Suk Jin." he got up from his chair and walked towards her. He took a look at her face and looked at his men. "Yah! Who hit her?" he yelled.

"I did." Jong Kook stepped forward and confessed. Suk Jin hit him hard on his head with his knuckle and stared at him. "Untie her." he instructed.

"But, hyung-nim you don't understand. She isn't like those kind of normal girls." Jong Kook tried to reason with him but Suk Jin cut him off and grabbed him by his collar.

"Are you disobeying my orders right now? I said, untie her!" he shouted in his face and released his grip on his shirt.

Jong Kook clenched his fists tightly and took a step backwards. "Algesumnida, hyung-nim." he bowed and proceed to untie the rope around Seong Im's wrists. With the rope in his hand, he stood some distance away from Seong Im.

"I'm sorry that my men treated you like this." he squat down in front of her and said. "Looks like you came here empty-handed." he continued with his hand cupping one side of her face.

"One week is not enough. How am I suppose to earn 30 million won in a week? It's not possible. Give me some more time." she argued.

Suk Jin stood up and looked at her. "More time? How long more do you need?"

"One month." she answered without hesitation.

Her eyes followed him as he walked back to his desk. Suk Jin rubbed his chin and stared at the ceiling. A few moments later, he turned to look at her, tapping his fingers on the surface of the table. "What if I don't receive the full amount in a month time?"

"Then you can do whatever that you want to me." she replied.

"Anything?" he confirmed with her. Seong Im nodded her head profusely.

"Alright. I'll give you a month." Suk Jin accepted the deal but his men objected to it. He lifted his hand up and stopped them from speaking. "But if you dare to run away, don't blame me for being cruel to you." he warned.

"Algesumnida. Kamsahabnida!" Seong Im stood up and did a 90-degree bow towards him. Suk Jin instructed his men to let her go and they followed her out of the building.

Upon returning back to the basement, Dong Hoon stormed to the front of Suk Jin and asked, "hyung-nim, I don't understand. Why did you agreed to her request?"

"Yea, why?" Hee Gun chipped in.

Their boss chuckled at their strong objections. "She's a girl and everyone deserves a second chance, don't they? Besides, she promised that she will do whatever that I said if she can't pay up within a month." He replied.

"Anything that I want." He continued with a sinister smile on his face.