Serendipity: The Amazing Journey Of A Soulmate

19. The calm before the storm

REEA

I don't know how I ended up here, knocking at this woman's door. I never liked her. Just seeing her at the police station annoys me to death, with her cute face and big green eyes, walking around in her high stilettos like she owns the place. I'd have to admit that Inna Young is one hell of a lawyer, her smart mind and sharp tongue compensating for her petite figure. I guess deep inside I feel a bit envious that it looks like she found success here, she is respected and well, while I'm still struggling to fit in. I have no one here in Seoul, no friends to hang out with or go out for a drink. I'm more like a lone wolf, prefering pt own company. Even my coworkers hate me, because when I first arrived I specifically requested to work alone and have no partner. Now they are avoiding me like plague, believing I am some beagle sent here from Europe to spy on them and their forces. Pathetic! I love working alone which means I don't have to hear someone's boring rant for 12 hours during my shifts. I only have Carlos, my cat and the most loyal friend someone could ask for. He's been by my side for years, his presence always comforting.
Today was crazy at the office, I had interrogations all day and this little lady here didn't make things easier for me. All I wanted was to come home and drink a glass of wine while I lie down on the couch with my cat and watch a movie. Looks like the universe decided to fuck with me again and kicked me in the ass with a huge flood that destroyed my rented flat. When I entered the house, everything was floating, water almost reaching my knees. I will definitely move out from that place, but tonight it was too late for that. I packed some clothes, grabbed my cat and left to find a room at a hotel. Nothing available. What kind of hotel in Seoul doesn't have a damn room available anyway? Then I drove around aimlessly for a while,  until I arrived in Young's neighborhood and a crazy idea popped in my head. "Hmm..I bet she'll slam the door in my face, but it is worth a try." I thought.
This is how I ended up asking Young for help. I'm not satisfied with this, I wish things would've been different, but she was the only chance I got. Fuck with this! We can go back to hating each other tomorrow. For now, I'll crash on her couch and try to get some rest.

I step inside her apartment and look around with curious eyes. She has a pretty place here, small but modern, with everything a woman our age might need.
"Are you going to stand there and stare all night?" I hear her annoying voice from behind me. Carlos starts tossing in my arms and I bend down to let him on the floor, then I turn around to face her. "I was checking the space for traps set by you to kill me." I say, shrugging nonchalantly. She crosses her arms over her chest while rolling her eyes at me. "There are none, but you just gave me a brilliant idea" she replies raising her brows in delight. This must be her nice way of saying "I will strangle you in your sleep." I grin at her and walk further in the apartment, removing the backpack and the camera from my shoulder and put them down. I notice her living room is filled with shelves of books. Wow! A lot of books. She must be a reader too. I twist my body to face her, blurting out "You like to read?" at the same time she asks "Are you a photographer too?" An awkward silence evelopes the room and we blankly stare at each other, while Carlos finds its way to Inna, gently rubbing his head on her leg with pleasure. No way this cat likes her! "You traitor!" I say through my teeth, staring at the cat with narrowed eyes. She moves her gaze from my camera to Carlos, bending down and taking the cat in her arms. "Hi, cutie! What's your name?" she says, placing small kisses all over the cat's face then resting her forehead on its. I can't believe my eyes! This cat barely liked anyone, it's a loner just like me. I don't know how to feel about this. "Carlos. Its name is Carlos" I say in an even tone. "Hey, Carlos. You're such a cute boy. Yes, you are." Okay, this lovey dovey scene needs to stop. I clear my throat in an attempt to distract her from my cat and she takes the hint because she puts Carlos down. "Okay, buddy. Go explore a little bit" she says, putting her hands on her hips. I roll my eyes and move to the couch, where I land with a thump. Ahh, I didn't realize how tired I was until I sat down. My whole body hurts. Massaging my neck, I observe the other woman as she goes towards the open space kitchen. "You look like you need a drink. Beer?" she asks over her shoulder, while opening the fridge. "Ah, I'm not very fond of beer. Do you have wine?" I reply, raising my chin to see what she's doing. "You'll always find wine in my house." she says giggling, but then she realizes who she's talking to and quickly starts coughing to hide the giggle. While she's busy opening a bottle of wine, I let my gaze wander around the room, continuing the exploration from earlier. My eyes fall on the coffee table near the couch where a huge portfolio of photographs was resting. The curiosity got the best of me as I stretch my hand and grab it, flipping through it. A lot of profesional pictures are in here, portraits, random objects or moments of nature. This must be her work. That's why she asked me if I am a photographer too. This little annoying creature is the last person I thought I'd share the passion for photography with. I continue flipping through it until I find a bunch of pictures with a man standing on a bridge, looking in the distance. Most of them are profile pictures or taken from behind. I gasp as I realize who the man is. No fucking way! This is Kim Namjoon from BTS. I look closely, thinking maybe I have imagined it. No, this is him, I'm 100% sure. I would recognize the boys anywhere, since I am a fan of their music myself. Why the hell does she have these kinds of photographs with him? Is she a stalker or something? Well, I wouldn't be surprised if she was. The smart and pretty ones are always a bit psycho, or at least, that's what it is said. "I told you not to touch anything!" she yells at me, slamming the wine glass on the coffee table and snatching the photographs from my hands. "Are you some kind of paparazzi?" I say, fixing her with my gaze. "No, I'm not! Drink your wine" she tries to dismiss me, but I continue. "How do you know Namjoon, then?" I ask, narrowing my eyes. Something like panic takes over her features, making her eyes widen slightly, but she keeps her composure. "Stop looking through my stuff. That's private!" she replies aggressively. Her defensive attitude only makes me more curious about her whereabouts. Like in the middle of an interrogation, I ask question after question. "Do you know BTS? All of them? Are you Namjoon's girlfriend?" At that, her eyes almost went out of her head. As if some dots connected in her mind, she frowns and changes her posture into a menacing one. I have to give her credit. Small as she is, she can be scary. "Listen, Morrison. You can stay here for the night, but let's not get into these details. We are not friends, okay?" What's with that belligerent attitude anyway? She doesn't look like a stalker, but more like a protector. I'm positive now that this lucky little bastard knows them, for real, and I'm dying to know more. I am about to say something when I hear my phone ringing. Her eyebrows raise with suspicion as she hears the song I chose as ringtone. BTS - We are bulletproof: The eternal is the only sound in the room, while we're looking awkwardly at each other for the second time tonight. She opens her mouth and before she has the chance to say something I say "Don't judge, okay?"
"You're a BTS fan?" she asks, her gaze turning dark and wild. Okay, I take back what I said. She looks like a psycho now. "Yeah. You see, I work alone and I kind of listen to them when I go on missions" I confess, scratching the back of my ear. Young only shrugs at me, but her eyes are still drilling holes through me,  as I pull out the phone from my backpack. "Take that" she says making a sign with her chin in the direction of the phone in my hand. "I'll go to sleep." She leaves the living room, entering a room at the end of the hallway and slamming the door behind her. I stare at the closed door for a few seconds, before I answer the phone.
"Agent Morrison!"