Brute

Part 27

Joong

"He wanted to hurt Nine? He could kiss the hell's door first before I let anything to happen to Nine. What is the thing that he asked for, Jay? And be quick, Nine is in the room searching for fresh towels, only got minutes to spare".

"A list of beneficiaries...said your father had them for everyone; including politician and businessman, even officers; that earn a 'benefit' when some deed was done to smoothen your family's businesses".

"And how did he come to know that? Wait...Jay, my mom! He told me before, that she got out from serving jail time because of some dirt she had on the higher ups...".

"Then, you need to suddenly be a filial son. Madam is...how shall I say...quite tricky, Joong".

"Filial? As in, how?".

"Shaved your stubbles, wear a nice shirt and make a call. Congratulation, you'd be on reconciliation date!".

"I have a loved one, Jay! He'd be hurt if that happen. The press sure love to make anything out of nothing"

"A temporary pain, Joong. When you got the list, it would be easier to track all the transactions and people involved. Much faster to settle the case this way, than grabbing only on loose air".

Jay was right, my mother would not relent unless she got what she wanted. And right now, she really wanted a connection with the influential trade minister. I am a goat to be sold as the deal maker.

"Ermm, Jay...about us, are we okay? Do you just worry about Nine, I am no more included?", I asked hesitantly.

"I couldn't decide, Joong. Right now, there's so much going on inside my head, things that I wanted to know the answer, which only you and my Por have".

"I understand". I really liked Jay, only just a little less than Nine, he could be my second favourite person. But, I also know, this friendship was built on an unstable ground based on only half of the truth.

"I don't want to assume in a rush, until we find a time to talk first. But...Joong...no matter what, I would never want anything to happen to you, still...ehem...well, alright, later". Jay immediately ended the call.

Nine

As I rubbed my wet hair with a towel first, and walked to give Joong another towel that I brought, Joong was not at the living room, but the open door let me know that he was outside. As I drew near, there're some hushed words that were said, meaning he was on the phone, so I halted my steps and waited for a bit to not overhear anything. That was his privacy that I must respect. As soon as the hushed words stopped, I moved again, but my step was halted at the doorframe. Joong was only wearing his pants, shirt that was wet and soaked through the rain; was already pulled off. He insisted I took a bath first, so that I wouldn't get sick, but he was soaked through too, so I wanted him to dry off a little.

It was not his solid broad back, or the contour of his muscle down to his lean waist that attracted me, but the huge scar near his right shoulder. His shoulders sagged, and a loud, heavy sigh came out from him. What is it again that always burden his mind and body?. I moved again to be near him, tentatively touching the long white line of elevated skin. He didn't move, but his muscle flinched when I kept my touch light, caressing the scar.

"How did you get this? You had an accident before?", this was the first time I saw this scar on his back, that he didn't have back then. He turned and his eyes darting, assessing whether I could listen or would break down again, I guess.

"My parents were fighting, my father was drunk and getting aggressive. He smashed the wine bottle and almost hurt my mother, so I blocked him, and earned this scar. Regardless of how my mother was, she never hurt me physically, and one or two times, she did try to stop my father from landing his hand on me, but my father was just such a big guy. Even I could only fight him back when I built myself up later", he said with a bitter smile.

Sometimes, I wished I didn't have to hear all the brutality that Joong had to face, caused it made me want to scream in anguish and kick the ball of that monstrous dead person too! I took a deep breath to contain my feeling, and shook my head to dismiss that hateful thinking.

I gave him the towel, but suddenly, didn't want to release my hold on it. My heartbeats were rising rapidly, but I was determine, "You wanted...to take a shower?", I asked Joong, nervously.

"Yes, but you go ahead first, you catch a fever too easily. The last time you were tired of waiting for me down at the office, you needed to be warded...that scared me till now...", he said with a concern face looking at me now.

I gulped a little, and took another breath,"No, maybe I didn't make it clear. You wanted to take a shower, together...with me...errmm, now?", my face was blushing heavily. Joong's mouth hung open a bit, his eyes were blinking hard. My confidence was shaking when he said nothing. I sighed a bit and gave up, "But, then again, just forg.... ", my words were unfinished, caused my lips were smooched hard. I lost my breath in that sudden attack. Yet, before I could gain my sanity back when he pulled away; I was carried bodily on his shoulder, laughing uncontrollably by such swift, raw response. Ah, I forgot to tell him, with our pants on...or maybe that was just, an option?