Moon Star (Moonbyul x Xiumin)

Chapter 8

"Welcome to Hangout, may I take you to your seats, gentlemen?" A waitress came over to us the moment we walked into the grand restaurant. Chandeliers here and there, making the place look so bright it was hurting my eyes. Plus, the classic music made the atmosphere fancier.

"How about you take us somewhere more comfortable?" I smiled at the waitress.

She furrowed her well-made eyebrows, looking a bit confused. "Pardon me, sir?"

"It's the city of flower, city of Mon." I cut her off. "Take me there, please."

Almost instantly, her facial expression changed 180°. Her lips instantly curved into a smile, but this time it was a smile hidden with meaning. Damn, she has great acting skills you bet.

"Follow me, gentlemen."

I nodded, signalling Xiu Min to walk beside me. He was giving me the normal confused look, and I could already sense my eagerness to make him stay that way.

The waitress stopped at the nearest counter and took one of the black menus. "Hey," she called for the guy at the counter. "Another special customer." She smiled at the two of us again and the guy did the same. He immediately nodded and the waitress took us somewhere back near the toilet entrance.

"Erm, what are we doing here?" Xiu Min asked. I gave him an eager grin. "Patience, youngling. You'll see."

The waitress then stopped in front of the brick red wall, the dead end of the toilet walkway. She began to knock on the wall as if it was a door. Xiu Min frowned to her actions. He must have been thinking that the waitress was crazy or something.

After a few seconds, the wall began to make a sound. A clicking sound loud enough for us to hear. Then it began to slide to the side, revealing another metallic door which had a doorknob on it.

The waitress didn't wait longer and twisted it, pushing the door open for us her to enter. It wasn't my first time seeing this, so I followed her without a doubt. Then I felt a hand over my arm. I turned my head towards Xiu Min. He was still frowning. "Is this normal?"

I pouted, thinking. "To me, yes. Let's go." I took his hand off of me and gripped it tightly, dragging him to enter the mysterious hallway. When we were in, everything was pitch black. I could hear the waitress' high heels making this clucking sound behind us, closing the door with a soft thump. After a few seconds, the lights were on, again revealing this long hallway of metallic design. The wall and the floor had the same silver colour. A red carpet was strecthed long towards an unknown door.

Xiu Min gulped as we all began to make our way towards the door.

"Moon Byul, are you planning to kill me somewhere people won't find my body? Is that your plan all along?"

This time I was the one to frown. "Are you kidding me?"

He didn't answer, which made me realize that the waitress had already opened the door for us. I smirked to see his face as I told him to enter.

"What in the world?" He gasped.

I followed his gaze and smiled. There were customers, maybe more than the customers back at the fancy place. This one, on the other hand, had a more modern vibe to it. Everything was the same, all designed with metal. What made it looked so cool was the black and red leather seats which were designed to float above the ground and stuck to the wall. There were stairs on each corner of the room, with a swirl design as it goes upwards, and tables with chairs were stuck to the pole in the middle which held both the stairs and tables. There were small screens above every single table, and on the table there was a touchscreen menu displayed. Waiters and waitresses were everywhere, but they wore different uniforms from the ones outside.

"Gentlemen, let me show you a seat." The waitress who accompanied us offered.

"Oh, it's okay. We're meeting someone." I kindly rejected, and she nodded in response. She must be too familiar with the customers in there.

"We are?" Xiu Min blurted. "Who?"

"You'll see," I said. "thank you, miss."

The waitress nodded and walked away.

"What is this place?" Xiu Min continued to watch in awe. I started to walk away as he tagged along. "Last time you brought me to a hangout for assassins, but this is even cooler!"

"We call this place Ma City."

"Ma City? Isn't there a song with that title?" Xiu Min questioned, looking like he was thinking of it seriously.

"What crap are you talking about?" my eyebrows furrowed. Just how random can he get?

Xiu Min ended up shaking his head. "Nevermind. So is this a restaurant or?"

"I told you, it's a place where you can get good food and good fighters." some people were looking at us, some even recognized me and gave courtesy nods. I returned the same way.

"Good fighters?"

"Yes, agents from different types of companies are here. All trained with at least one type of martial arts. If they are dressed in navy, there are agents at the sea and black is on land. White is for agents on board airplanes, and any other colours are usually undercover agents. But there are also other normal citizens here, usually the ones finding help from agents. This is one of the places where they find help."

When Xiu Min finally got the hang of it, his jaws could hardly stay closed. "Oh my gosh, this is so cool!" He exclaimed, full with thrill as he made fists with his palms.

"Yeah, yeah. Save that to yourself. Now, where is he?" my eyes wandered all around the place for someone who will look familiar. It's not that I've seen him before. I've only heard his voice before, but I do know who he is. Or, who he was, I guess.

Then, my phone rang. I didn't wasted any second and picked it up.

"I see you have already arrived. I'm here, left corner. Black cap, black sunglasses."

I quickly searched for the signs he mentioned, and there I saw him. He was signalling us to go to his place. I nodded, turned back to Xiu Min who was busy staring at the whole place. "Yah, Kim Min Seok. Come with me."

"Where?"

"To meet the one who will explain why I kidnapped you."

His face dropped. "What?"

Well, I managed to drag him with me as always, and not even more than a minute later, we were already seated in front of the requester. Xiu Min looked dazed, of course. Me? I was busy staring at the man who paid me so handsomely for this boy.

"Hello, Moon Byul. Thank you for coming." He started. I examined his clothes. He was black all over. Then his head turned towards Xiu Min. Xiu Min gulped, looking awfully confused. "What is this about?"

"Min Seok-ah. It has been so long. How are you?"

A deeper frown formed on Xiu Min's pale face. "Do I know you?"

"How could you not?" the requester laughed. He took off his cap, ran his fingers through his free flowing hair and took off his sunglasses. A smile was plastered on his face as he looked for Xiu Min's reaction.

And Xiu Min was frozen, like ice. Like an iceberg. 

"Why are you here?" His eyes were stuck on the requester. I could tell that his shocked face was genuine; those enormous goldfish eyes widening and the drop of his sharp jaws.

The requester shifted his look at me. "I asked for her to bring you to me."

I rolled my eyes. Too much talking! Xiu Min looked at me and back to him and back to me and back to him.

"Okay guys, let's stop the chatty moment for a while." I smirked at the requester. How easily he shows his face in a place like this. "So, Mr Requester, when will you tell me more about this task?"

The guy smiled.

I looked him in the eyes, ready to listen.

"Or should I call, Luhan-ssi?"