The Summer Sting

2. When the Party's Over

Don't you know I'm no good for you?
I've learned to lose you, can't afford to
Quiet when I'm coming home and I'm on my own
I could lie, say I like it like that

Pyo Chi-su knocked on his door a few minutes before eight o'clock, and Ri Jeong-hyeok called to him to come in. He slipped into the room and closed the door, his sharp eyes immediately sweeping over the lavish interior. Jeong-hyeok followed his stare and had to admit the room was impeccably decorated. A four-poster bed made of rustic-looking walnut wood glowed warm and inviting from the cleverly designed indirect lighting behind it. Cream colored sheets were arranged artfully with darker earthy colors. The setup was contrasted by walls painted like distressed concrete and dramatic pendant lights. Floor-to-ceiling windows captured a view of the forested Malaga hills on one side and the ocean on the other.

"Nice room," Chi-su remarked, walking over to the drapes and pushing them aside for a better view of the city, where the receding sun was a buttercup yellow disc on the horizon.

"I guess not all rich people are tasteless," he shrugged and turned his gaze onto his unlikely companion, who was wearing dark blue slacks and a yellow plaid button-down. Jeong-hyeok grimaced. "I think dinner here is more smart casual," he said.

Chi-su glanced down at his outfit before releasing the drape and walking over to stand next to Jeong-hyeok opposite the full-body mirror. "I think this looks very smart." He puffed out his chest slightly.

Jeong-hyeok gave him a small, amused smile and dropped the topic. "First impressions?" he probed. It was day one, and it was hard to be on the outside of a mission. So far, Pyo Chi-su had given him little information about what exactly they were looking for. Jeong-hyeok had seen him sneak off once to take a phone call in hushed whispers. Otherwise, he'd been annoyingly in-character, impressed by everything, and getting all touristy with his plans.

At the question, Chi-su looked around the room suspiciously and shook his head, holding a single finger to his ear and tapping it in a sign that told Jeong-hyeok he was suspecting the estate was already bugged. "They seem like a lovely family," he said finally. "Casa de la Reina is really something."

"It is," Jeong-hyeok agreed. The estate was something he'd only ever seen in films and documentaries about the ultra-wealthy. Infinity pools, padel tennis courts, a mini-golf course, saunas, twenty-four lavishly furnished bedrooms, a well-equipped gym and at least ten different staff members. "Let's head down to dinner."

They walked into the hallway and down a marble staircase. Downstairs, a uniformed maid was waiting to show them to the living room, where cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were being served to a gathering that included the two Yoon brothers, three of his former classmates from Georgetown, the giggly girl from the padel courts and an older lady. Jeong-hyeok assumed the latter was the Yoon matriarch. She was elegant and had that rich untouchable aura around her.

At their entrance, Se-hyeong raised his eyebrows and grinned boisterously. "Ahhh, Ri Jeong-hyeok-ssi, come in, this is a special moment. All five of us back together," he called out, and when the rest of the group turned, it became a loud exchange of greetings and handshakes. I haven't seen you in a decade, man, you look so different! How have you been? I can't believe you made it this year. It only took you ten years! At some point, someone, maybe it was Gu Seung-jun, pressed a glass of prosecco into his hand. He was sipping it when he introduced Pyo Chi-su – albeit a little awkwardly. Se-hyeong introduced his mother, Han Jeong-yeon, and both men bowed respectfully.