Brute

Part 6

Nine

"Trespassing? Is he serious?", I asked the guard, once again, when I came the next day and was blocked from entering. Did I look anyway dangerous? Threatening? A baby would smile looking at this face. The only weapon I carry was an umbrella, the weather was unpredictable, raining heavily or too hot to bear. Since when he became so petty? I gritted my teeth. Joong Archen, I am nothing if not determine, just you see, how patient I could be dealing with your stubborn head!

I walked away for the day, and came again, the next day, and the next and more. If not including the weekend, I already came to this company for almost two weeks. The school holiday would end in another week.

I didn't care that people thought I was a psycho. The security even beginning to talk with each other, didn't know where to place me. I didn't took even a step inside, but with a cheerful smile, I greeted them everyday, giving them bread or water that I bought, and then sitting at the bench outside the building, reading a book while waiting.

I wanted to see the coward who hid behind dark windows of his posh car. Didn't even dare to walk out at the front entrance and faced me. You wanted to test my patient, Joong? I got all day to spend. This is quite meditating actually.

At almost lunch, the guard was scurrying to open the door of a car that park randomly at the front, didn't even bother to slow down. The red heels came out first from the driver's side, followed by a rather short skirt not suitable for a lady in her age, and all the jewellery that befit a queen.

My lips tightened, my eyes went cold. This lady, who did not act as a mother at all, boiled my blood, though I was no different than her who hurt Joong. She almost went in, when she noticed that some dirt on the pavement stuck on her heels. With just a point of her finger, the guard kneeled and cleaned it up for her. That guard was already an old uncle, I stood up, shouted my protest, when I saw that the uncle asked me not to do anything more, with his eyes. I must not caused him to lose his job.

"Since when a dog guard the front of this building? Shoo!", the lady said with disgust and walked in. I walked to the uncle, put out my water bottle and washed his hands that smeared with dirt. "You shouldn't do that, kid, that is the Madam. The boss would be mad if he knows. But... Thank you". I nodded and kept quiet. His family secret shouldn't be said to others, word would spread, not that the Madam's attitude was a secret, but I didn't want Joong to be humiliated more than whatever damage the woman already brought to the news.

I was suddenly feeling the pain in my chest, must be too uptight because of the event. I clutched my shirt, trying to breathe deeply again.

"Are you alright, son? Sit! Sit!", the uncle brought me slowly to the bench again, and rubbed my back. "Maybe you should go back for today, you looked pale". I nodded, rest for another half an hour, and then went back to my home.

Joong

"He still come today, Jay?", I said as soon as we were in my room. My assistant nodded. I grunts in frustration. Jay understood. He was the one whom I trusted the most in the company. He was from a decent family, and the background check that I did on him, showed nothing bad. Jay was only in his early thirties. In front of others, we were formal, but out of work, Jay could be said almost to be my brother.

"The guards seemed to befriend him now, sir", Jay said and smiled. I was not surprised. He could do that, made people felt that warm heart, regardless of age. "Sir, could I say something, as your friend, rather than your assistant". I could sense the thing that he wanted to say, it was what I stubbornly refused to admit for weeks now. I nodded and Jay started.

"This must be something important to him, meeting you. I don't know what went on between both of you, but he is determined. And Sir, as compose as you try to pretend, you are agitated, and your worry caused you to lose focus, a lot. This is not good, when we are now at the precarious edge of being closer to what we had been trying to find out for almost a year".

"That is the main reason I don't want him to be here, Jay. I trust, those people are looking at every move I take, who I met, and they would try to find every connection possible. He is... very important to me, Jay".

"Yes, I could see".

"How?"

"Your eyes. Since he came here, your eyes have light in them, where before it was too dark".

"Jay..."

"I don't need to know the detail, Sir. But, I'd help you to find a way, to see him without being seen".

"How..", my words left unfinished. My mother barged in, as always, without bothering on basic manner. Jay just greeted her politely, and left.

"I am sooooo mad", my mom said and sat on the sofa. I ignored her and continued my work on my pad. "Fine, if you don't want to ask, I would just tell on what happened. Joong, you should fire that old guard, not competent enough. I was almost attacked by a dog".

"Quit being delusional. There's no stray pet on this side of the city center", I said, uninterested.

"Oh, not a stray one. That small guy! How dare he shouted at me, if I was not in a hurry to see you, I would scratch that mouth with my nails. Oh, but these nails were newly done, maybe, I just kick him somewhere".

Nine...my mother had seen Nine. This was not good. My heartbeat suddenly rise in anger. No, shouldn't show anything that would alarm her.

"You are too impatient. Just let the stranger go. By the way, what's so important that you said you are in a hurry to see me?", I asked immediately, to distract her from thinking more about Nine.

"Oh, yes. The wife of the Trade Minister is my spa member. She is interested to let her daughter meet you, tomorrow. It seemed her daughter had a liking to you since the dinner we had at their house".

That, was important? My mother's brain really had nothing but dollar sign in them. A match with such big influence, would soar the company to another height.

Yet, all I could think about was the person who must be waiting for me still, on that ground floor.