ENEMY

Park Jimin, CEO and Owner of Posco Steel and Construction Company, is known for being a charismatic, corporate servant who grew his great-great grandfather's business to massive profits. But the brilliant CEO also has another pesky little family business - one that he's not as fond of.

When his path crosses with a young, eager detective by the name of Jeon Jeongguk, the two enter into a game of cat and mouse as each tries to out smart the other.

Very heavy angst, heavy themes of violence, morally ambiguous character, absolutely insane sex.


✅ Complete

AUTHOR'S NOTES ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WARNING: Read the tags CAREFULLY. If you are able to get through them and you still want to read this one then, CONGRATULATIONS. But I will warn you, please go back and read the tags again. And then if you still want to be here - Let's Get It.

During my break - this story came to me and it started to keep me up at night because I could not get it out to my head. I decided to write it and give it a chance. I never intended to post it. But as I kept writing, it developed into something with spice and flavor. I decided to share it. Guys, I say this at every fic drop, but I am really scared about this one. I am going to ask you to please not compare this to my other stories, just try to evaluate based on its own individual merit. Let it have it's own little place.

Full disclosure, I have never really watched a mafia fic in my entire life because the images of gore bother me. However, I decided to write a fic that depicts some of those same images that I have always sworn off. Why? Because I truly want to explore the human element of being caught up in this type of lifestyle either by choice or by force. So many stories make mafia men out to be robots. But they aren't. They are real humans who suffer from conflict and moral dilemmas just like we do. I wanted to play around with that concept here.

This story is deeply plotted (What else is new?) but it is not too difficult to follow. What I really want everyone to notice is the emotional push and pull that constantly surrounds these characters. They aren't so different from you and me, but they live very different lives. They are fallible and deeply flawed. They make horrible decisions based on emotions, but they are also emotionless. I tried to weave a story that's intriguing, but not over the top. My focus is on how the corporate life and mafia life intertwine and the difficulty caused by each.

Now a word about my main characters. I have never written them this way. I love them so very much in real life, so it's difficult not to make them perfect. But these guys in this story are NOT perfect. In fact, they are borderline evil. Not good people - but their motivation for being this way is very interesting. I also played around with the element of religious persecution. If you are easily offended by talk of religion or religious judgment, and criticism of religious beliefs, then this story is probably not for you.

For the first time in my fics you will see an introduction and a prologue. I have been working with my screen writers consortium and they have convinced me to really let me light shine and try new things. One day I hope that you will see one of my stories on the little screen (Television). I am working hard.

There's some angst, but nothing heart breaking. Mostly, it's just an interesting tale. Leave your morals at the door. You voted on twt that morally ambiguous characters were ok, well here they are. I also want to stress that this is Jimin focused because it is mostly a story about him. JK is a very, very big part of it, but Jimin is the one who runs this show.

As always, if you like this story, please leave kudos and comments. I promise to read all of them and respond. See you in the comments!

Tags

🍃CEO/Mafia Boss Park Jimin

🍃Police Officer Jeon Jeongguk

🍃Gang Violence

🍃Public Sex

🍃Sexual Awakening 

🍃1950's Post WWII Korea

🍃Bottom Jimin

🍃Top JK

🍃Extreme Graphic Violence

🍃Graphic Mutilation

🍃Sex Workers

🍃Extreme Child Abuse

🍃Murder/Violence

🍃Domestic Abuse

🍃Grief/Mourning

🍃Hurt/Comfort

🍃Major Angst

🍃Murder

🍃Revenge Plotting

🍃Sexual Abuse


Introduction

Risen from the ashes of abject poverty, the Park clan came to dominance in 1903 when they founded a robbing and prostitution crew known as the South Street Kkangpae.  They were known as vicious thugs who fought their way to power through unique fighting skills that dominated the region.  From Judo, to Taekwondo, to boxing, the clan could fight and they were known to kill their adversaries with their bare hands, leaving their bodies in the street as warnings to rival gangs. 

Now of course their violence was not simply for the sake of terrorizing the region.  They were robbing and running illegal businesses as a way to escape poverty during the Japanese occupation of Korea.  The idea of forming street gangs came from the Japanese themselves with the formation of the greatly feared Yakuza organization.  Korean citizens soon learned that if they wanted a way to make money to feed their families, they needed to set up business, however the path to legal business ownership was nearly impossible.   The process was expensive because many political palms needed to be greased to even begin.  If you weren’t someone of influence, who already had a political insider within both the Korean and Japanese governments, there was no way to set up a legal operation.  For that reason, many in the slums of Seoul turned to unorganized crime and thus the Kkangpae was born.  

The South Street Kkangpae was founded by Park Tae-Joon, Park Jimin’s great, great grandfather.  Tae-Joon was a brilliant fighter, but he was also wickedly intelligent.  He was the first to realize that fighting his way to dominance would eventually result in failure as members of the crew aged and were challenged by younger more violent opposition.  Recruiting new members wasn’t guaranteed because of the gang’s violent history.  In addition, the escalating deaths from gang wars were beginning to bring much unwanted political attention to poor villages of Seoul.  Law enforcement and political leaders tried to put a stop to the senseless violence.  Back then, the robbing gangs never used weapons.  Their fights were fair, noble because they relied on physical skill only.  Years of training created battle tested fighters who were equally yoked in their skill levels.  But as new gang members were attracted to the seedy life, and trade with western countries began to flourish, weaponry eventually made its way into the once pristine battles; thus removing the honor and integrity that once regulated the practice. 

It was around 1913 that Park Tae-Joon sought to change the methodology of the typical gangster.  He recognized that after years of dominance and with backing by the Yakuza organization which he had befriended, he had enough money and power to transform his illegal racket into a legitimate corporate business.  United Silla architecture that defined the 10th century began to fade, and was replaced by more modern western style of architecture with taller buildings made from steel infrastructure.  Tae-Joon saw a chance to enter the construction business as a legitimate contributor to the growth of Korea.  It was at this time that Park Tae-Joon founded Posco Construction Company.  Posco was an acronym for Park’s Original Steel Construction Company.  He maintained one of the largest payrolls of any business at the time.  His team of 130 Oyaji, also known as subcontractors, were some of the most skilled in all of Asia.  They became pivotal in building some of the structures that became what is now known as the skyline of Seoul.  And they did it all legally – kind of. 

Although Tae-Joon was a pioneer in the construction trade, many of his rival gangs followed his lead and also ventured into legitimate businesses.  Most of the businesses were not intended for profit, but instead used to launder money from their illegal activities such as prostitution and illegal alcohol sales.  Park Tae-Joon however, built something substantial, something real that contributed to the betterment of the country.  But competition was still fierce.  Instead of fighting over territory, the crews fought over large government contracts.  So even though the South Street Kkangpae evolved, Park was still reliant on his thuggish underpinnings to keep the competitive edge over his rivals.

Fast forward to present day, Park Jimin, the great descendant of Tae-Joon sat at the helm of South Street Kkangpae.  Just as business savvy and ruthless as his great, great grandfather, Jimin ran Posco with an iron fist.  He was feared by many, despite his outwardly kind warm exterior.  The following recounts his rise to become one of the most successful business men in all of Asia.

Chapter Two: Prologue

The Wheatfields Of Monticello, North Florida

 

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then call off your guards,”  Jeongguk said casually as the silhouette of his svelte body disappeared behind the towering stalks of wheat grass.

Jimin continued to follow along the furrowed dirt path.  He strained to keep his eye on the elusive detective as he weaved seductively in out of the shadows of the long green grasses.  The flowering heads of each stem tickled Jimin’s cheek as they brushed against his face.  Dwarfed by the long stems that extended several inches above his head, he could barely see in front of him.  Everywhere he looked, he was surrounded by brush.  At times he found it hard to breathe as the weighty flower heads wrapped around him.  He stepped gingerly down the path, uncertain of where he was going or where the path would eventually take him.  Yet, he followed the young detective without hesitation.   There was peace within this field to nowhere.  Peace quite unlike any that the city boy had ever known before. 

From above, the wind swept down over the empty wheat field, creating waves that billowed over the dry land, much like the waves of the ocean.  The tall green grains swayed in the warmth, bowing over in bunched up undulations that veiled the two men as they made their way towards the center.  The soft whistle of the rustling stems sounded in their ears.  Peace.  Quiet.  Beauty.  Love.

Jimin could barely see the shadowed outline of the guards who were stationed around him, but he knew they were there.  He turned and gave a quick nod to the three men who stood evenly paced around him in a 360 degree circle.  The smallest of the three men, Xio, gestured to the other two and motioned for them to head back to the dirt road and leave the couple alone.

“Thanks Xio,” Jimin said as he watched the light of the dimming sun bounce off of Jeongguk’s shiny brown hair.

The further they traveled into the brush, the dimmer the light became.  Detective Jeon suddenly appeared next to Jimin, just inches away with a thinly layered row of stems between them.  He had come to guide him to the light.  He was the light in the dark closet, the light in the hallway, the light that chased away his darkness.  He was his Angel on earth.

With his eyes balanced upon the dark pupils of his lover, Jimin barely noticed the heap of dirt collecting upon his pricey brown loafers.  His thoughts were siloed upon the adoration he felt for his handsome lover of ten months.  He watched the smile of contentment fall across Jeongguk’s face once the guards were dismissed. 

Jimin quipped, “You’ve got your way.  Are you happy now?”  

With a bit of honest reflection, Jimin was able to admit that Jeongguk always got his way.  Whatever Jeongguk wanted, Jimin would provide; clothes, jewelry, vacations, money...murder.

Now of course Jeongguk, being the honest principled man he was, never actually asked for any of those things, and he’d especially never asked Jimin to kill anyone as a testament of love.  However, Jimin stood ready to fulfill the wish should the moment ever come where it became Jeongguk’s desire.  

“I’m very happy.  Happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”  Happiness was indeed embedded within the smile that Jeongguk flashed before Jimin.  On this very special evening, there was something different in Jeongguk’s eyes – something that Jimin just couldn’t explain.   

As the brush grew even thicker, Jeongguk clutched Jimin’s hand and pulled him wildly through the field.  The base of the stems wrapped around their legs and grabbed at their ankles as they sledged through the tumultuous swell of grass.

Jimin, quite alarmed, yelled hastily as he ran to keep up with Jeongguk, “Hey!  Hey slow down.  Where are we even going?  It’s getting darker and darker.  Maybe we should turn back?”  Jimin said, out of breath.

Jeongguk gave Jimin no attention.  He released Jimin’s hand and sprinted full speed, leaving Jimin behind in the thick of the dark brush.  His gleeful yelps continued as he ran towards a clearing in the middle of the field.  His linen shorts and long white button down shirt clung to him as the heavy breeze whipped around his body.

Once again Jimin shouted out a stern warning, “Hey, it’s dark.  I’m not going any further,”  Jimin stopped in his tracks, “I could fall and break my neck or something.”

“Chicken.”  Jeongguk bellowed.  “Are you scared of a little darkness?”

“Chicken?  Are you calling me a chicken?”

“Not only are you a chicken, but you’re a chicken shit,”  Jeon Jeongguk was the only man alive who  dared to talk to Park Jimin in that manner. 

Jeongguk continued to cat call Jimin to get him to take the last few steps into the clearing.  But Jimin was so dismayed by the dark surroundings that he was almost frozen in fear.  He flashed back to the days of his youth when he would be locked inside of the closet by his angry mother.  Darkness, did not bode well for him.  Yet there he was, surrounded in darkness.

Jeongguk grew concerned about how long it was taking Jimin to emerge from the brush.  The sun only had a few more minutes before its departure and he had hoped they could savor it before it disappeared.  He decided to go back in and fetch his companion.

Jimin turned round and round in a circle, unable to find his bearings.  Despite hearing Jeongguk’s voice, he could not decipher which way to go.  It was too dark.  He looked towards the sky only to see the faintest orange hue.  It was growing darker by the minute and he just wanted out of the creepy wheat field.  At the point where he felt he was going to scream, a soft hand gripped his wrist.  He turned to see Jeongguk standing there.

“How did you get lost that fast?  All you had to do was follow me,”  Jeongguk teased.

Their brown eyes twinkled in greeting as Jeongguk clutched Jimin’s hand and pulled him quickly through the last few rows of the tall wheat grass.

Jimin took a deep breath.  Just beyond them was a massive steel windmill that spun with jerky stops and starts.  The rattle of its blades provided a calming cadence in the distance.  He surveyed the beautiful land that surrounded them before his eyes fell upon a small checkered blanket that sat in the middle of the clearing.

“A picnic?  All of this for a picnic?  I could have just had food catered to the hotel...,”

Jeongguk interrupted, “...of course you could have.  You could have done a lot of things.  But none would have ever been as memorable as this.  It’s the simple things in life, Min.  The simple things.”

Jeongguk held both of Jimin’s hands and then stepped into his body.

Jimin sighed, “I won’t deny, this is oddly beautiful.  Serene.” Jimin felt his heart hitch as the young detective held him close.  More gentle breezes swirled around them.

“The sun is putting on quite a show for us.  Her final bow.”  Jeongguk said as his expressive eyes bore into the center of Jimin’s pupils. 

Jimin wrapped his arms around Jeongguk’s neck and they fell into step, allowing the rhythm of the cranky old windmill’s spinning blades to dictate their movements.  Their dewy bangs fell limp against their foreheads as they wordlessly proceeded to dance.  Dance?  In the middle of nowhere?  Beneath the rising moon?  It was only befitting of the two.  Because in their seclusion, away from peering eyes, judgmental busy bodies, and fear of persecution, they were – free.  Free to be themselves and free to release the chains that wilted the blossoms of their newly formed love.  The heavy movement of their feet reflected the heavy burdens that they carried in their hearts.  But they did not allow any of that to sully their moment. 

Jimin’s weighty lips fell against Jeongguk’s ear, “Promise me that you’ll always remember this day, this minute, this hour...,”

“Why?”  Jeongguk’s skin burned against the sensual feel of Jimin’s lips.

“Because this will forever be known as the first time I told you that - I love you.”

“What?”  Jeongguk ceased.  He danced no more.  A fissure opened within his heart as the blood rushed through his body and poured through his veins.  He was suddenly very aware of everything.  His senses tingled as he asked Jimin to repeat the words he’d just uttered, “What...did you say?”

“I love you.  It’s been hard for me to say – I know.  You’ve waited for a very long time to hear these words – I know.”

Jeongguk smiled gently and with the most tender expression, he replied, “But...I hear them now.  That’s all that matters, isn’t it?”  Once again he focused on Jimin’s eyes,  “Tell me.  Had I not sent your guards away, would you have been able to freely say those words?  In front of them?”

“Yes...well no...well yes in front of Xio, yes.  Maybe. He knows.  He’s always known.  Kumo too.”

“Kumo?  And where is your beautiful wife these days?  I still find it difficult to believe that she sat idly by and allowed you to whisk another man off for a romantic vacation.”

“You’re right, she didn’t sit idly by.  She actually purchased the airplane tickets,”  Jimin winked.  “Besides, we’re here scouting for real estate to buy.  It’s not just a romantic vacation.  There’s some business being done here too.”  Jimin stole another kiss.

“I’ve always liked her,”  Jeongguk said as he restarted their slow cadenced dance.  He placed his head on Jimin’s shoulders and continued to hold the man’s small body in his arms as they carefully churned over the soft green grass beneath their feet. 

“It’s your turn now.”

“My turn for what?”  Jeongguk said as he lifted his head and looked over Jimin’s shoulder.

“Your turn to say you love me back.”

“Is the great Park Jimin feeling insecure?”  Jeongguk mocked.

“You’ve said it to me before, just don’t leave me hanging.  Let’s leave this conversation on equal footing,”  Jimin said seriously.

Jeongguk opened his mouth to speak.  Jimin waited breathlessly to hear the reciprocated words. But instead of returning the sentiment, Jeongguk suggested, “We have a beautiful dinner prepared.” 

Jeongguk stepped over to a large pit that sat a few feet from their prepared dinner.  With a long piece of metal, he stirred the steel firepit to life by building a small fire with wood and matches that he had prepared along with their picnic basket. 

The tall windmill still rotated in the distant shadow. 

“Shall we eat?”  Jeongguk asked.

He grabbed Jimin’s hand and pulled him harshly back towards the waiting blanket.  An opulent, well packed menu had been prepared by Jimin’s staff in anticipation of the casual dinner in the field.  A charcuterie board with truffle seasoned cheeses, a jar of fresh caviar with buttered dry toast, avocado summer rolls, caprese sandwiches, fresh spring rolls and cold ramen were all delicately wrapped and stored inside of their large wicker picnic basket.  A chilled bottle of Jimin’s favorite, Vinglace Champagne rounded out the feast. 

“Jimin looked around, impressed, “Did Xio help you with this?”

“No.  This is not really his thing,”   Jeongguk said politely. 

“Then who?”  Jimin pressed.

“I have sources.”  Jeongguk was purposely vague.

The two huddled under the blanket as they watched the burning embers of the wood pop into the air, only to be immediately dampened by the brisk wind.

As Jimin laid his head in Jeongguk’s lap, he stared into the sky.  His eyes were cold with worry behind them. 

Jeongguk already knew the source of Jimin’s discontent.  “You said you trusted me.”

“I do.  Of course I do, otherwise – you’d be dead by now.”  Jimin joked, but not really. 

“I would indeed be dead by now.”  Jeongguk smiled and nodded with agreement.  “But that’s not what I mean.”

“Then what?”  Jimin twisted his head on Jeongguk’s thigh to look up into his face.  He gave him a grim stare.

“I love you too, Jimin.  Is that what you needed to hear?  Is that what has you staring into the dark night like a child abandoned on his birthday?”

Jimin sat up.  He deepened his gaze into Jeongguk’s face.  The man was magnificent.  His eyes were a clear, warm brown, surmounted with bushy brows a few shades darker that his hair.  Living in the ice temperatures of the northeast made his skin pale with gaunt cheeks.  

Jimin explained, “I was so afraid that you wouldn’t...I mean...loving someone like me takes courage.”

“No Jimin, loving someone like me, takes courage.  Between us must lie an unwavering trust.  At any moment, on any given day, we could destroy each other.  How we came to be – I’ll never fully understand, but we are where we are and at this moment, underneath the beauty of the red moon, I am proclaiming my love to you.”   

“Love is one thing Jeongguk.  Loyalty is another.  Will you be loyal to me?”

“Love and loyalty are the same.  Yes, Jimin, I am more loyal to you than I will ever be with anyone else.”

Jimin managed to release a relieved smile.  “I needed to hear this from you.  And I love you too.  May I say it again?  I love you – too.”

Jeongguk caressed Jimin’s world-weary face.  Jimin was a man who had seen a lot, experienced a lot and survived a lot. His countenance was stoic, with very little room for jocularity.  Yet somehow, Jeongguk managed to bring out the kid in him.  He managed to dig deep into Jimin’s soul and emancipate his happiness from the bondage of his inner turmoil.  Jeongguk did that.   And for that reason, Jimin could not imagine a world without him.

“I need you so badly,”  Jeongguk took Jimin’s hands into his larger ones and caressed the soft creases inside of his fingers.  A shiver of longing chased down his spine as the beating of his heart pulsed in a labored rhythm.  He meant it when he said he was in love.  

Heedless of the fact that they were in public, in the open, Jimin stripped off his clothing and climbed into Jeongguk’s lap.  His seething insides tangled in knots as he felt Jeongguk stiffen beneath him.  With absolutely no modesty, he growled into Jeongguk’s ear.  “Push it inside of me, detective Jeon.” 

“Now?” Jeongguk smirked as he looked around to make sure they were still alone.

“Yes, now.  Because it’s my job to make sure that you always get what you want...” 

 

***

Chapter Three:

About

What Lies Beneath

Lee pulled open the shaving kit and searched around for the brush.  He found it.  There wasn’t much else he could do; actually there wasn’t anything else he could do.  Brushing his little brother’s hair was the only thing that gave him a sense of purpose. 

His brother’s hair had always been so thick and bouncy.  Truthfully, Lee had always been envious of it.  Lee’s hair had always been thin and brittle.  His mother’s genes for great hair went straight to his brother, bypassing him altogether.  How silly that envy seemed at the moment.

“Your bangs are growing so much.  When you finally open your eyes, you won’t be able to see because there will be hair everywhere,” Lee laughed. 

He took the soft bristles of the brush and planted them at the root of his brother’s scalp.  He watched the long toothed bristles collect the strands as he gently pulled the brush upward.  Every day it seemed as if the journey from the root to the tip took longer and longer to complete.  Several brush strokes later, the hair was all neatly piled on the right side of his little brother’s forehead.  He placed a soft black headband around the perimeter of his brother’s head and used it to gently pull the hair back and hold it in place.  It was not easy to navigate around the tubes and monitors but he did his best.  The breathing tube that attached to the ventilator was the most important and the one that he most carefully avoided disturbing. 

“There.  All done.  Now you’ll be able to see me when you wake up,”  Lee said to his unconscious sibling.  “Hey, do you remember that Christmas when we both got leather journals?  What about that time you made a fake police badge out of some old steel from the steel mill?  You patrolled the neighborhood looking for bullies who were beating up on little kids – even though you were just a little kid yourself.  At the time I thought you were such a dumbass.  Looking back at it though, I now realize that you were pretty cool.  Not too many kids back then were willing to stand up to protect others.  I should have known back then that you had a certain “leadership quality” that the rest of us didn’t have.

Lee looked down at his brother, desperate for some sign of life; something that let him know that he was still in there.  Over two hours had passed since the doctor had promised to provide an update on his condition.  But other than the Charge Nurse, no one had arrived to give him any information.  Lee was growing antsy, but the hospital was full and the staff was busy.  He felt guilty about bothering them repeatedly about updates.  Afterall, his brother’s case was far from urgent.  For the second week in a row, he lay there, unchanged, unmoving, unconscious, vacant...

Lee felt a firm hand on his shoulder.  He opened his eyes, only to realize that he had fallen asleep while resting at the edge of his brother’s hospital bed.  He pulled his glasses down from the top of his head and quickly gathered his wits.  He was relieved to see his visitor.  It was his brother’s Neurologist, finally coming to give him an update on his condition.

“Dr. Nam.  I’m so happy to see you.  What do you have for me?  Please give me some good news.  Please, tell me.  When is my brother going to wake up?”  Lee said desperately.

“Follow me, sir.  Let’s find a comfortable place to sit and talk.”  Dr. Nam pulled open the door of the hospital room and headed towards a small waiting area just next door. 

Lee followed quickly behind him.  There was something in the Doctor’s face that worried him; something in his eyes that seemed devoid of hope.  Lee could feel it, but he remained optimistic that he was just misreading the face of a tired physician.

Although kind, Dr. Nam was not one for bullshit.  He was a straight shooter and dedicated to stating the facts as thoroughly as possible.  After working with him for two weeks on his brother’s case, Lee had come to expect very forthcoming conversations with the doctor that were not sugarcoated.  This night was no exception.

“Your brother is in a coma.  I believe it to be irreversible. One of the reasons that took me so long to come and see you, is because I was waiting on the final results of his latest EEG or electroencephalography exam.  The test measures electrical activity of the brain cells.  When your brother was found, he had been laying there for quite a while.  The gun shots were severe and he lost a great deal of blood.  He also went for a very long time with no oxygen to his brain.  We immediately put him on ice to lower his body temperature for the first 24 hours.  Our hope was that we would slow his metabolism enough to preserve his brain function.  We were very optimistic for the first week.  But after several days when he didn’t wake up, we became increasingly concerned.  His latest EEG shows very limited brain activity.  Right now, the only thing keeping him alive is the ventilator.”  Dr. Nam took a deep breath, and continued, “Does your brother have a living will?  I mean, has he made his wishes known for medical situations like this?”

There was too much information at once.  Lee tried to take a step back to go back to the beginning, “How long was he laying there with no one to help him?”

“We don’t know.  It could have been minutes, it could have been hours.  We don’t know,”  Dr. Nam advised.

“Oh God, Dr. Nam what are you saying?  What are you saying?  He’s not going to wake up?  Ever?”

“I’m afraid not.  His condition has degraded since he was first admitted.  There was just too much blood loss and his brain was starved for oxygen for too long.  He’s no longer breathing on his own.  The machines are keeping him alive.  We don’t have much hope.”

Lee fell to his knees.  “My little brother.  My little brother.  NO, please God no, this can’t be.  He’s an innocent in all of this.  He’s done nothing wrong.  He’s an honest man.  He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  This can’t be.  GOD NO!”  Lee screamed as loudly as he could.

He purged all of the vile wretched pain that strangled his stomach and knotted up his chest.  He screamed like a lunatic as he raced from the waiting room and powered through his brother’s hospital door.  He collapsed over his brother’s unresponsive body and continued to scream through tears. 

Dr. Nam walked slowly behind him.  Even for a seasoned physician such as his self, this case was unique and incredibly painful to witness.  “Who can I call?”

“NO ONE!  It’s just the two of us.  My parents are dead, my grandparents are dead.  We don’t have any children or other siblings.  It’s just us.”  Lee cried and cried.  “Wake up.  Please wake up bub, please.  PLEASE!”  He shook his brother, trying to force him to open his eyes. 

Dr. Nam stepped into the hallway to beckon the Priest who stood on standby.  Along with a security guard, they stepped into the room to provide a few words of comfort.  But seeing the Priest in his black suit and Priest collar was too much for Lee. 

He screamed at him, “NO!  He’s not dead.  He’s not dead yet.  He’s still alive and I will not let you treat him like he’s already gone.  He’s NOT DEAD!  GET OUT!”

The Priest took this as a sign to step away.  The only other option for Dr. Nam was to ask the security guard to step in to pull Lee away from his brother’s bed.  Thankfully there was also a social worker nearby who offered to step in to help.  She was a petite, strikingly beautiful, woman with short grey hair and large owl-like eyes.  She held the security guard back and gestured for him to allow her to tend to the grief stricken man.

Dr. Nam gave her one very difficult task, “We need to know if he should be taken off of life support...if he has a DNR or a do not resuscitate order.  We need to know that information.”

The social worker, Chu-lun, nodded with understanding.  But she was much more concerned with the grief-stricken man’s mental state than she was with learning the patient’s DNR mandates.  Her goal was to address Lee.

Chu-lun stepped into the hospital room with the security guard close by.  She spoke casually to Lee as if continuing a previous conversation, “My little sister was in a coma for two months.  And guess what?  She came out of it.  She’s perfectly healthy now and just as annoying as always,” she joked to lighten the mood.

Lee continued to cry over his brother, “The doctor said there is no hope,”  Lee wept.

“What do doctor’s know about miracles?  Absolutely nothing.  They look at their fancy charts, and predictor models.  They make educated guesses about test results, but they never ever study the power of hope.  I am not by any means suggesting that what the doctor has told you is wrong, but I am suggesting that it’s too soon to give up.  These things can take time.”

Lee suddenly stopped crying.  He sat up and turned to look at the beautiful grey-haired woman.  “Hope?  Miracles?  Does the hospital know that you’re going around using those trigger words?”  Lee managed to smile.

She smiled back at him.  Despite her fully grey hair, Dr. Chu-lun had a very young face and even younger disposition.  She reminded Lee of the tales of the ancient Imugi, young dragon hybrids born with white hair even in their youth. 

Dr. Chu-lun touched Lee’s hand, “I take full responsibility for my actions.”  She pulled up a chair and sat next to Lee at the edge of his brother’s bed.  “Handsome young man.  He’s still in there, Lee.  He is.”  She said, almost mystically, as if she had inside information that no one else knew.  She continued with her sage advice, “There is nothing I can say or do to make this any easier.  Just know that I’ve been here, so there is no one else more qualified than me to understand what you’re going through.  I know you feel helpless, but there are things that you can do.  First, we need to know what his wishes are.  As painful as this may be, if he has a standing DNR, then by law we must remove him from the machine and abide by his wishes.  But if he doesn’t...well...then as his next of kin, his fate becomes your decision.  The second thing I need for you to do, is prepare for him to come home.   Treat every single day as if that will be the day that he will wake up and come home.  I’m not talking about false hope here.  I’m talking about faith, belief, speaking it into the universe.  Not for his sake, but for yours.  You have to find a way to go on with your life and be able to smile again.  You can’t do that if you only think of him in the state he is in now.  You have to think beyond that.  Either be ready to let him go or...be ready to take him home.”

Lee wasn’t sure if he liked any of his choices.  But he appreciated that what Dr. Chu-lun was saying made perfect sense.  He had to find a way to cope mentally with the unknown state of his brother.  Remaining in a state of limbo was the surest way to go mad.  He had to look forward, and it was up to him to define what looking forward meant. 

“I can go back to his apartment and look around.  He gave me the key to the apartment.  I guess he always knew this was a possibility, given his line of work,”  Lee explained.  “I honestly just never thought I would have to...,” he broke down again.  There was nothing further that he could say without crying. 

“Would you like me to go with you?  I could ask someone to cover my shift and drive you back to his apartment,”  Chu-lun offered, even though it was against policy.

“No,”  Lee sniffled, “I could never ask you to do that.  I’ll be fine.  I’m his big brother.  He’s counting on me to help him through this.  Whatever I need to do, I will do,”  Lee said sadly.


The apartment was dark.  There was also a terrible smell, no doubt spoiled food coming from the refrigerator.  Lee covered his nose and gagged a little. 

“Shit that smells awful.”

It had been two weeks since his little brother had last occupied the apartment, so it was understandable that his food had all spoiled and the garbage needed to be taken out.  Lee immediately grabbed a garbage bag and pulled all of the old moldy bits out of the fridge.  He also emptied all of the trash bins inside of the swanky 500 square feet apartment.  Despite the rancid smell of the garbage, the apartment was immaculate.  His brother had always been obsessively neat, even when they were younger.  It was a habit that remained.  Everything was in order, from the neatly stacked books on his desk, to the color coordinated clothes hanging in his closet.  It was a pleasure to be inside of his brother’s home. 

Once the smell was gone, Lee was free to begin his search for his brother’s legal documents.  But first, he had a phone call to make.

He found the chorded phone against the wall next to the computer and quickly dialed the number that he’d committed to memory.

“Seoul Police Department,”  an officer answered.

“Uh-yeah, hello.  I’m calling for information.  I spoke with a Sergeant Han about three days ago and he advised me to call back today.  There was a shooting at the old Steel Mill near Heechang Trading co.  My brother was shot.  I need to know if you have a suspect in custody or any leads.  His name is...,”

Lee was quickly interrupted by the curt officer, “We know his name.  Everyone knows his name.  This case is very high profile and our number one priority.  It is still under investigation and we have no information to share at this time.  We have no leads.  The Sergeant isn’t available right now but he’ll call you as soon as we have something.”

“No, please don’t hang up.  You have to understand.  My brother...he’s...he’s in a coma and the doctors don’t think he’ll ever wake up.  This...case may quickly turn into a homicide.  My brother could die...he could...,”

The officer interrupted him again, “I’m sorry for your loss.  We have your number and we’ll be in touch if there is any information to share.”  

“Wait.  But wait, don’t hang up!” The phone went dead, leaving Lee screaming at an empty dial tone.  He picked up the phone and threw it against the wall.   The police were no help.  It was as if they didn’t even care.

The first place that Lee decided to look was the most obvious, his brother’s desk.  There were several drawers full of documents, files, photographs, but none of it seemed personal.  In fact, Lee quickly concluded that it was all work related.  But the one object that he did find, was a key.  While searching through the middle drawer, he found an envelope taped to the underside of the drawer.  It was very well hidden and if it hadn’t been for a memory that sparked from his childhood, he would have never thought to check there.

When he and his brother were kids, they would often hide important things like bad report cards, notes from the teacher, even notes to each other by taping them to the underside of the drawer where only the two of them knew to look.  It was by pure chance that Lee decided to check the undersides of each drawer; and sure enough, in the middle drawer, was an envelope addressed to Lee.  The writing was in his brother’s handwriting and there was a note inside:

“To my dearest brother Lee-Sung –

If you’re reading this, it probably means that I’m dead.  Under no other circumstances would I ever allow your messy ass in my home to rifle through my personal belongings (joking).  But seriously big brother, I can’t even imagine how much pain you must be in right now. So here are a few words of comfort.  I love you.  You’re the best big brother that the world has ever known.  You are my hero.  You have been a perfect role model for my entire life.  I tried to emulate you.  I tried to be as good as you, but I fell short.  Please understand that none of who I am, was ever your fault. 

After my death, there will be some things that you will learn about me; some things that may trouble you.  Lee, I am not the man that I pretend to be.  I have sinned mightily and I have done it with no shame – all in the name of love.  You don’t know who I really am big brother, because I have hidden this part of myself from you for your own protection. 

I don’t know how I died.  I hope that I died hero, saving kids from a burning building.  Something noble.  I hold out hope that I breathed my last breath with nobility.  But alas, I know better.  I can safely assume that my death was at the hands of an enemy.  Possibly my enemy, possibly someone else’s.  In the end, does it really matter?  The result is the same.  I’ve failed you big brother, but it was not your fault that I took the path that I did.  Sometimes destiny pushes you in ways that you never thought possible. 

I realize that I have no right to ask you this, but I’m going to ask you anyway - don’t mourn for me.  I lived an incredible life.  I was loved, Lee.  I was in love.  I made love.  I was madly adored and protected and spoiled and doted upon.  I had the most incredible life that a man could ever hope for.  At times it was highly pressurized and extremely dangerous.  In fact, I imagine that ‘good life’ is what led to my eventual death.  But I always knew it was coming and I was prepared for it.  Starting with this letter.  It is time for you to learn the truth, Lee.  My truth.  It’s time to tell you everything and I’m ready to do it.  Thank God I’m dead so that you won’t be able to kick my ass when you learn my secrets.   I’m so sorry for the pain that I’ve caused you big brother.  I’m so sorry.  Promise me that you will never blame yourself.  None of this was your fault.  You are the most loyal Priest.  You have led so many who have gone astray.  You are one of God’s children and I am just – a sinner.   

I’m gay Lee.  I know this goes against everything you believe as a Priest, but it’s true.  I was born loving men and I will not apologize for that.  I can only hope that you can live with knowing this about your brother.  Now that I have probably knocked the wind out of you, there’s more salacious gossip to tell you.  For that, I will need to take you on a journey.  Inside of this envelope is a key.  The key opens a file cabinet inside of my closet.  In the very last drawer is a very special tool used for prying up floor boards.  Find the loose floorboard big brother.  Everything is there.

I love you forever - J

 

There was just too much coming at him at once.  Lee collapsed to the floor and writhed in physical pain.  It couldn’t be.  It just couldn’t be. 

“Gay?  Impossible.  Gay?” Lee mumbled. 

Their mother had always believed that his baby brother was gay, but as a man of the cloth, Lee refused to entertain her assertions.  His father had always warned him that his baby brother needed extra prayer, but Lee never knew why he felt that way.  Both of his parents had known for years what Lee had only known for seconds; his little baby bub, was homosexual.  Lee had always believed that there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for his brother’s lack of a relationship.  He assumed that he was just shy with the girls; a late bloomer.  But he never expected this.  

The stunned Priest wondered if God was set to take him right there.  He wondered if he was going to head towards the light, just like his brother.  He wondered if it was meant for them to die together, because the pain in his chest was too great for him to survive the shock of his brother’s news.  How could he pray for his brother’s soul, knowing what he was – what he had done.  As a man of the cloth, finding out this information was much worse than his brother’s horrific condition.  A sin of this magnitude with the inability to repent meant the destruction of his brother’s eternal life, his soul.  The information in the note was devastating.  It was enough to make Lee fall to the floor and weep for the next several hours. 

When Lee awoke, he found himself lying in a puddle of his own tears.  Tears that had slowly seeped into the hardwood floor beneath him.  He had been asleep for hours but obviously still crying, even in his sleep.  His back ached, his face was swollen, and he was exhausted.  Two weeks of holding vigil by his brother’s bedside was finally catching up with him.  He didn’t know where to turn for help.  He didn’t know what to do next. 

The key that he’d found hidden in his brother’s drawer still lay clutched in his palm.  He stood to his feet as he stared at the shiny metal key that would certainly be a gateway to hell.  Did he really want to know his brother’s secrets?  Did he really want to know the details about his brother’s torrid sex life and affairs of sin?  The answer was obviously no.  But there was something that Lee did want to know – who had tried to kill his brother?  The unfortunate truth was that his baby bub had predicted in his note that he would be a victim of attack that would lead to his death.  So if he knew the attack was coming, he probably also knew the attacker.  For that reason and that reason alone, Lee knew what he had to do.  He had to take his brother’s journey – sort through all of the details of his hidden life, with the hopes of finding the man who had done this to him.

Dr. Chu-lun had also sent him on another mission – to find his brother’s Last Will and Testament.  For all intents and purposes, the doctors considered his brother to be brain dead, with irreversible damage.  The ventilator machines and IV  fluids were the only things keeping him alive.  A decision had to be made.  Were they going to allow him to remain in that condition or were they going to let him go peacefully?  Lee prayed to his God that the decision did not fall in his hands. He needed to find his brother’s Will to understand how he wanted his last days to be managed. 

Lee sat upon his knees and leaned against the side of his brother’s bed.  He went through a litany of prayers; vague, unorganized, unfocused prayers for anything and everything, but mostly strength.  He removed his black Priest suit, the one that matched the exact suit that the hospital Priest was wearing.  With a soft thud, he dropped the Priest collar on the bed.  Next he sorted through his brother’s drawers looking to borrow a t-shirt and a pair of sweats.  It was going to be a long night and he needed to be comfortable.

Per his brother’s note, the key belonged to a file cabinet.  Lee made his way to the closet where the cabinet was supposed to be hidden.  After several seconds of filing through his brother’s array of designer suits, his foot rammed into a large steel casing towards the back corner.  Quickly, he parted the color coordinated dress shirts to reveal a four foot steel filing cabinet with a protruding lock that was the perfect match for his key.  He unlocked it with a click and pulled forward the first of three drawers.  Inside was a goldmine of information.  Every single file was labeled, color coded and stored in alphabetical order.  Document after document crowded the overloaded drawers. 

“What is all of this?  Investments, stocks, real estate?  What were you dealing with little brother?”  Lee mumbled as he surveyed all of the documents, many of them bearing his brother’s name.   After about fifteen minutes, he grew tired of swimming through all of the papers.  Surely, at some point they would all need to be examined, but most immediately, the Will was his primary focus.  

“Ok, I’ve made it to the G’s.  Maybe if I skip a few drawers, I can get to the L’s or would Will be under the W’s?”  He debated with himself. 

As a Priest, Lee was not supposed to consume alcohol.  But given the week he’d had, and the hellacious night he had ahead of him, he decided to partake in one of the beers he saw while cleaning out his brother’s refrigerator. 

His brother was so organized.  Lee had confidence that a Will was someplace buried alongside all of the legal documents and real estate holdings.  Somehow, quietly, his brother had amassed a small fortune in stocks, bonds and property.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars were represented amongst the documents. 

“Little bub, you’re rich?  But...you were always so meek and humble.  How can you be worth this?”  The plot had already begun to thicken and he wasn’t even one hour into his discovery.  He followed his instincts and decided to skip the middle drawer.  Based on his brother’s system he correctly deduced that if a Will did indeed exist, it would be under the W’s.  Three file folders in and Lee stumbled upon it. 

He expected to find a 100 page document full of instructions and Trusts and Executors.  Instead he found a single page with a single paragraph.  In that single paragraph his brother had two edicts 1). All of his earthly belongings, financial holdings, real estate properties and intellectual property would be bequeathed to Lee.  And 2)  In the event that he would become incapacitated, Lee would become his legal guardian responsible for all medical decisions. 

There was no DNR.  There was no detailed instruction on how to handle long term illness of debilitation.  There was simply a footnote that said, “I trust you to do the right thing big brother.”  Lee turned the paper over and over, backwards and forwards looking for more.  He opened up the file folder and emptied it out.  There was nothing.  Surely there was another folder that he had just overlooked.  He tore through the entire drawer, going well past the W’s, praying to find something that would take the burden of his brother’s health off of his shoulders.  There was nothing.

“FUCK!”  As a Priest, Lee was not supposed to swear.  But since he was racking up the sins, he saw no harm in adding one more.  This was the absolute worst scenario ever because now his brother’s life was completely in his hands.  He was responsible for making all of his medical decisions with the state being the default should something happen to Lee himself. 

“Why me?  Why do you trust me?  Why couldn’t you have just made this decision yourself?  I’m not capable baby bub.  I can’t do this.  I can’t decide your fate.  This is so unfair.  This is NOT FUCKING FAIR!” 

Lee threw the paper, the folder, the steel drawer and all of its contents across the room.  It was too much.  The pressure was too much.  His shoulders dropped and curled over as his chest caved in.  With glassy, empty eyes, he stared through the window of his brother’s 13th floor apartment. 

Lee did not have the strength of his brother.  Despite his sibling being five years younger, he was one thousand years braver.  Unlike Lee, his brother was not afraid to take chances.  He was not afraid to speak up and make decisions.  He was a true leader, a protector – a boss by nature.  But Lee, even though he was five years the elder, was a cowering recluse.  One of the reasons that he had chosen the Priesthood in the first place was because it was a safe place to hide from the world.  He could spend his days preaching against sinful, worldly ways, without actually having to face the world.   He was not a man of decisiveness or bravery.  He was just – a man.  His brother was a superhero compared to him.  This was exactly the type of scenario where his brother would have thrived and made all of the right decisions.  But not Lee.  The only thing he knew to do was cry in the corner and pray for someone to save him from his responsibility. 

The hospital floor where his brother had been moved for long term recovery was very quiet.  Many of the patients on that floor were comatose, so the activity was limited as were the visitors.  It was all very sad.  After a long night of prayer, meditation and reflection, Lee had finally come to a decision about his brother’s care.  He had promised Dr. Chu-lun that he would make a decision within 24 hours by either producing a notarized DNR or coming forth with proof that he was the legal guardian over his brother’s medical health.  Unfortunately for Lee, he was saddled with the latter. 

Still wearing an old t-shirt and a beat up pair of his brother’s sweatpants, Lee made his way to the hospital room and once again took up the duty of brushing his brother’s hair.  With soft loving caresses, he brushed his brother’s cheeks and stared into his gaunt face.  He was so thin.  It had only been two weeks but living off of IV fluid and artificial minerals was quickly dwindling his brother’s mass away.  Despite his rapid weight loss and his pale, sickly skin, his brother was still incredibly handsome.  Regal.  Royal.  Respected. Rich?  

“I learned quite a bit about you last night.  To say that I was stunned is an understatement,”  he spoke softly as he tamed his brother’s tresses.    “Why didn’t you ever tell me about...your...problem?”  Lee whispered. 

He didn’t think ‘problem’ was the right word, but he wasn’t sure what else to call it.  Being a homosexual in Seoul in the sixties was certainly a problem.  In what he anticipated would be his dying confession, his brother had admitted to being gay. 

Logically, Lee felt his brother’s sexuality should have changed everything about how he viewed him. But, surprisingly, it didn’t.  The love he felt for him was exactly the same.  The pride he had in being his older brother was exactly the same.  The desire he had for his brother to wake up and hug him was exactly the same.  Nothing had changed emotionally for him.  But in his heart, he knew that everything was different.  If his brother did survive this, the two of them were going to have find a way to deal with his homosexuality.  Lee felt it was a blessing that he didn’t have to address it right away because he wasn’t ready.  He just – wasn’t ready.

Dr. Chu-lun entered quietly and stood behind Lee as he finished up his daily brushing of his brother’s hair.  “Good Morning.  Thanks for calling me.  I assume you have news?”

“Yes.  I’m officially my brother’s legal guardian.  I have filed the necessary paperwork with the court and as soon as his Neurologists signs off on his comatose state, I will be able to make all of his medical decisions.”  Lee fastened his brother’s long brown hair behind the headband and then turned to face the attractive social worker, “You should know Dr. Chu-lun, I have decided to...prepare my brother’s apartment for when he returns home.  I have chosen prayer and hope.  The timeclock on my miracle has officially begun,”  Lee smiled.

“Noted,” Chu-lun smiled back.

“I’ll have you know that I am not living in a fantasy world.  I understand his condition and I understand that the odds of him coming out of this are low.  But I’m committed to giving him some time.  Six months seems fair.  If we see no improvement and no signs of recovery, then I’ll consider letting him go.  Until then, we shall fight,”  Lee said concretely.

“Also noted.  I hope that I’m not overstepping when I say, I think you’re making the right decision,”  Chu-lun nodded.  “You’re a man of the cloth, even though right now you look like a car mechanic, but as a man of the cloth, I suspect that you will endure this journey much better than most.”

“You expect too much of me.  Regardless of my faith, I’m only human.  But I’m going to do my best,”  Lee said pessimistically.

“Lee, I’ve been reading up on this young man.  He’s never been in any trouble in his life.  He’s an upstanding citizen, some even say he’s a hero.  Any idea who did this to him?  How did this happen?  What did he get mixed up in?”

“I don’t know and the police seem less than interested in telling me anything.  I don’t even think they care.  But last night I made a promise to him and myself.  I’m going to find out who did this.  I’m going to get to the bottom of this with or without help from the police.  They won’t get away with it,”  Lee said threateningly.

“Be careful.  Don’t do anything crazy. Good luck to you, Lee.  If you ever need to talk, here’s my card.  I'm the social worker here and my job is help family's navigate these difficult times.  I'm a licensed therapist, so consider me your emotional support.”

As soon as visiting hours were over, Lee rushed back to his brother’s apartment.  After talking to Dr. Chu-lun, he was more determined than ever to begin the journey that his brother had so carefully crafted for him.  He raced up the stairs and bolted through the front door.  On the way to the bedroom, he kicked off his shoes and grabbed another beer. 

He dug through the back of the cabinet until he found the wood tool that his brother had referenced in his note.  The key now was to find the loose floorboard that needed to be lifted to get to – whatever it was that his brother had hidden.  Lee moved as much of the furniture against the walls as possible to expose the long wooden beams of the antique flooring.  Wearing just his socks, he slid his feet back and forth along the seams until he found an area where his socks snagged on the upturned panel. 

“Gotcha’,” he whispered. 

He immediately went to work on pulling up the back corner of the loose beam.  It took some work, but after a few minutes, the entire plank popped right up revealing a large underground compartment in the joist of the support beams.  Inside, just as his brother promised, were stacks and stacks of leather bound journals, all of which were filled to the edge with his brother’s beautifully immaculate handwriting.  The journals were all numbered in a series from 1 to 130.   Wrapped around the first journal, labeled as number 1, was another note.  It read in part:

 

Hey big brother.

If you’ve come this far, it means that you’ve forgiven me.  That is a good sign.  But now comes the hard part, accepting what I’ve done for the last six years, and the secrets that I’ve kept from you.  Within these journals is enough information to send many, many people to prison – including me.  But since I will already be dead by the time you read this, I’m pretty confident that I’ll escape any prosecution (another joke). 

But please understand that this information could hurt many people and it is for that reason that I beg you to please keep this confidential.  I beg you, Lee.  Promise me that you won’t give this information to the police.  Promise me.

Some of this is going to be hard for you to read, but please don’t stop.  You need to understand my full story.  Within these pages is who I really am, Lee.  I hope you can still accept me and find it in your heart to forgive me. 

Love Always – J

Lee contemplated his brother’s note.  He was more than ready for all of the surprises to stop.  But he guessed that he was in for many more as he took his time to read through each of his brother’s journals.  He held the beer close to his chest and whistled into the open neck of the chilled glass.  He questioned himself one final time.  Did he really have the courage to do this?  How was he going to read through all of this without it changing the way he felt about his brother?  Would he still love him once he discovered the full truth?   It was a lot to think about.  But he tossed all of his apprehensions aside because there was one piece of information that he needed that trumped all others.  He had to know who had tried to kill his brother.

After a large gulp of beer that emptied half the bottle, he opened up journal one and read the first entry.

“Summer 1950 – Something happened today.  Something important, it was the day that everything changed...,”

***

Chapter Four: The Good Detective

Summer of 1950 - Busan

During Jeongguk’s youth, Busan was mostly a fishing and import town without much trade or industry.  The people were of humble means and relied mostly upon the fishing markets to feed their families during World War II.  But with its attractive geography along the ocean strait between Korea and Japan, the crystalline waters of the ocean front city became a major component in the movement of weapons, supplies and food during Japanese occupation.  It was a tough place to survive and most of the residents were living in the dark ages with little technology, even in the late 1950’s.

Both of Jeongguk’s parents were teachers.  They taught Japanese to the Korean children in one of the local prep schools.  It was not by choice.  However, during the Japanese occupation post WWI, the residents did what they had to do to survive.  Although Jeongguk was not considered wealthy, his parents did bring home enough money to feed their children well and make sure they were educated.

Born Jeon Jeongguk in 1933, Jeongguk and his older brother were two of the most peculiar kids in the city.  They spent too much time alone while their parents worked long hours.  And as most unsupervised kids did, they often found themselves in trouble.  Jeongguk’s brother Lee was five years older but that didn’t matter because Jeongguk was the undisputed leader of their two-pack.   Wherever he said to go, they both went.  Whatever he said to do, they both did.  He was a dynamic, charismatic, youthful boy.  He was Lee’s best friend and no two brother’s in the history of siblings had ever been closer than Lee and Jeongguk.

But Jeongguk had another peculiarity all his own. He was ridiculously nosy which often led him down the dangerous path.  Jeongguk had a way of inserting himself into everyone else’s business.  Sometimes it was welcomed, but most time it was not.  He meant well, but his interference was not always appropriate.  And nothing caused him greater concern than bullies.  He hated bullies and he was not afraid to take them on, especially when he saw them picking on the poorer kids.  Jeongguk had the unique advantage of being bigger, taller, faster and smarter than most of the other kids his age.  He used his physical supremacy to his advantage and made it his duty to patrol the neighborhood looking for innocent kids who were being bothered by annoying bullies.  He made friends everywhere because those who appreciated what he was trying to do, understood how much courage it took to protect someone else.  With a bright and booming personality like his, it was very difficult not to love Jeon Jeongguk. 

By the time he was thirteen, most of the bullies of Busan had been run off or grown out of their bullying ways.  Jeongguk’s brother Lee had joined the priesthood, leaving Jeongguk alone without a sidekick.  Lee’s departure was very difficult for Jeongguk and he would often call his brother and cry over the phone, begging for him to come home.  It took time for the younger sibling to understand that Lee had been called by God to serve a higher purpose and that he had to obey the calling.  It was difficult to comprehend because in Jeongguk’s mind, Lee had chosen God over him.  It was silly teenage angst, but it was very real to the sensitive boy who was quickly growing into a man.  His body was changing, his mind was changing and he had no one to help him through his troubling thoughts of sexuality and puberty.  With his parents working all of the time, Jeongguk felt so alone.  But, soon enough he accepted his reality.  Lee was gone and he had to find a way to move on.

By the age of sixteen, Jeongguk returned his attention to other problems in the neighborhood that he sought to resolve: stolen cattle, missing milk bottles,  petty vandalism - all of the little nuances that plagued his small community.  What started as being just plain nosy transitioned into healthy curiosity.  He wanted to understand the criminal mind and what motivated them to do the things they did. His obsession with solving crimes began innocently enough – watching cop shows. 

Although he didn’t have a television in his home, there was one at a local restaurant two blocks down.  He would often venture inside to steal a few hours watching the old black and white movies that played on Fridays.  The restaurant was somewhat out of place for a poor city like Busan.  It was bright, flashy, and expensive, definitely like something out of the movies.  The place was always filled with well-dressed men in fancy suits and clouds of cigarette smoke. It was rumored that the garish men were mobsters; part of a group of criminals from the South Street Kkangpae. 

Jeongguk quickly became attracted to their ostentatious personalities.  He liked being around them.  They were kind to him and even slipped him food and bottles of wine whenever he came around.  The men were like deities to young Jeongguk. They could fight better than anything he’d ever read about in books.  They always had money and expensive cars.  It was unlike anything he’d ever seen before.  They were a foul mouthed, sexually charged, impeccably dressed group of thugs and Jeongguk loved them. 

Many of them were also extremely handsome.  In the midst of untamed puberty surges, Jeongguk found himself fantasizing about them, even though they were years older than he was.  There was one in particular that turned him on the most, a man named Hyun who was the youngest of the crew.   He and Jeongguk had known each other from school.  Even though he was much older than Jeongguk, they often spoke, told jokes in passing and even exchanged a few baseball cards.  But once Hyun was recruited into the gang, he lost interest in Jeongguk, or so he thought.  But that didn’t stop the younger from having a hot and heavy crush on him.  And at times, even though Hyun was with the South Street crew, it felt as if Hyun had a thing for Jeongguk as well.  Each time that Jeongguk would visit the restaurant, he would find Hyun staring at him, sending flirtatious glances and even giving him gentle knee rubs under the table.  There was definitely something there but Jeongguk didn’t give it much thought.

Jeongguk’s feelings, however, were not just for Hyun.  Every one of the thuggish gangsters intrigued him and piqued his sexual curiosity.  He knew it was wrong to think that way, but his pubescent, immature mind was not strong enough to mute his sexual desires.  Raging hormones confused him and often left him feeling guilty about his fantasies of being with them.  At the age of only sixteen, he knew that he physically desired them.  The revelation was so shocking that it frightened him.  He liked men.  He liked these men.  Never had any woman made him feel this way, no matter how beautiful.  It was only - the men.

On more than one occasion he found himself sexually aroused by watching them grope, fondle and sometimes publicly fuck their women.  They were brutes, but so fucking addictive.  He wondered what it would take to make them want him.  Could he be one of their whores?  Could he be the one bending them over the bar counter and squeezing his dick into their forbidden places?  Could he make them scream while he pounded them with his worthy hips, forcing their knives and guns to break against the wooden surface?  Could he?  Of course he couldn’t.  But the fantasy of it all was enough to make him shoot his load every night while jacking himself off.

Through Jeongguk’s young eyes, they were glamorous, vibrant, beautiful, alive.  They were so much more exciting than the boring teachers and fishermen that were pushed as role models.  Every Friday after school he would rush to get to the restaurant to occupy his normal seat near the television.  He became a regular and they welcomed him with open arms whenever his tall frame popped through the front door.

“Kookie!” They would all yell as soon as he walked in. He loved the nick name, and he loved the adoration.

But the mobster life was anything but glamorous.  Sure, Jeongguk saw the opulent care free side of things, but he was carefully shielded from the reality of what it meant to be a low educated thug with no morals.  Had his parents known about his growing obsession with the mobster life, they would have surely intervened, possibly even forcing him to Seminary school with his brother.  But alas their busy lives kept them away, out of touch with what was happening with their lonely son.  Jeongguk transferred his longing for his only brother to a brutish bunch of hooligans who meant him no good.  It was a problem.  Fortunately for Jeongguk, one single evening changed his perception of the mafia forever. 

Nothing was out of ordinary on that Friday night back on September 1st of 1950.  Jeongguk had just turned seventeen and a few of the mafia Hyungnim’s decided to celebrate him with a hearty dinner.   As Jeongguk made his way down the block towards the restaurant, Kim Hyun greeted him in the alley at the back.  It was dark outside and Jeongguk wondered why the older man suddenly had so much interest in him.

“Hey Kookie.  I hear it’s your birthday,”  Kim Hyun said as he approached the young bright eyed teen. 

“Hey Hyun-hyung.  Yeah, 17 today.”  Jeongguk swallowed. 

Kim Hyun was the one.  The first man who ever made him want to bust his nut just from looking at him.  He was so sexy and Jeongguk couldn’t understand for the life of him, why the man was so eagerly waiting for him to arrive. 

“Nice.  I guess that means you’re old enough to bust a really good nut with a whore, huh?  Pick one.  They’re all inside.  I’ll pay for her.  She’ll be my birthday present for you.”  Hyun stood with his hands inside of his pockets.  His hair was a light brown and it was dropped in bangs over his forehead.  His face was finely chiseled, with a broad chin and petite nose.  The shoulders were extremely muscular from all of his taekwondo training and street fighting against rivals.  And his hands were hardened and calloused.  His tone was seductive and definitely meant to tease.

Jeongguk’s eyes bulged.  He had no interest in whores, but he was very much interested in twenty-two year old Kim Hyun, who’s shirt was casually unbuttoned, revealing his entire chest, “Uh-no-no, not interested in whores.  That’s not my thing.”

“Oh?”  Hyun said curiously.  “Then what is your thing - Kookie?”  He stepped closer to Jeongguk, caging him against the back wall of the restaurant.  He was testing him.

Jeongguk looked around nervously.  Hyun was extremely attractive, and he smelled so good.  Jeongguk was embarrassed.  He covered his dick with both of his hands to try to hide his erection.  Never had he been this close to another man and never had his dick lurched so hard.  Whatever Hyun was up to, Jeongguk wanted it to stop because the man was driving him crazy.

“What is your thing?” Hyun pressed.  “You know...do you like to watch porn or fuck girls from school...or maybe even...fuck boys?”

Jeongguk closed his eyes and stuttered,  “You Hyun-hyung.  You’re my thing...,”  he said boldly. 

His voice was full of confidence and he had no regrets for flirting back with the much older man.  Hyun looked around again.  With one massive tug, he pulled Jeongguk inside, into a small broom closet behind the kitchen.  Just like that, they were kissing and fondling. 

“I’ve wanted you from the first day I fucking saw you.  But the boss told me that I had to wait until you were 17.”

“You picked the perfect day,”  Jeongguk whispered back sarcastically.

  “Oh shit Kookie, you’re the fucking beast of my fantasies,” Hyun muttered disgusting things into the ear of young Jeongguk.  His words were definitely not those of a straight man.

Jeongguk loved every bit of it.  His cock throbbed in a heavy rhythm, like a fucking heartbeat.  He was finally one of their whores.  Jeongguk couldn’t believe it was happening.  He worried if he was being set up, but it felt too good for him to stop it.  Whatever was happening, he was going to allow it because he wanted it. 

Like a hungry lion ready to devour, Hyun tugged down Jeongguk’s trousers and released Jeongguk’s overly hard cock.  Hyun dropped to his knees, closed his eyes and used his lizard-like tongue to tickle the hole from which Jeongguk’s precum oozed.  He slid is entire mouth over the large hardened stick.  He simply loved the way Jeongguk’s thickness distorted his mouth and filled his throat.  Hyun struggled to consume all of it.  Spit ran down either side of his mouth as he sucked the life out of the teenage man.  The rounded red lips puffed out as Jeongguk’s shaft glided between them.  Jeongguk’s deep grunts only encouraged him to suck harder.  He stroked him with his powerful jaws, pausing just briefly to concentrate on the swollen bulbous tip.

Jeongguk’s adolescent, uncontrolled screams bloomed from the broom closet.  He grabbed the back of Hyun’s head and began fucking into his mouth.  Out of pure instinct, he worked his hips as he braced for orgasmic impact. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,”  Jeongguk repeated over and over.  His eyes clenched tight and his bottom lip quivered as he shot a heavy load into the stranger’s mouth.   At the same time while Jeongguk climaxed, he could feel that Hyun was jerking himself off as well.  While Jeongguk’s cock was still in his mouth, he released his own load as he gargled soft climatic moans beneath the gagging in his throat.

Jeongguk had never been pleasured by another man before.  It was his first time and he loved it.  He always thought he was gay, but this cemented it in his mind.   He liked men.  He liked these men of South Street.

As soon as Hyun felt Jeongguk release in his throat, he pulled away and stood to his feet.  He powered into a dominating kiss by gruffly forcing Jeongguk’s mouth open.  Jeongguk could taste his own cum as the viscous fluid mixed just below their exchange of saliva.  The taste of his own cum only made him more ravenous.  Even though he’d already orgasmed, he wanted more.  He wanted to fuck.  He wanted to angle his dick up Hyun’s ass in the most brutal way and fuck him as he screamed in ecstasy.  As Hyun tried to put his leaky dick away, Jeongguk foolishly tried to pull down the man’s pants, and expose his ass.  He wanted to tongue it, finger it, fuck it.  He was crazy with physical desire.  He wanted it...but that was more than what Hyun would allow.

“Hey slow down Kookie.  Slow down.  I just...wanted to give you a birthday present.  That’s all.”

“I like you so much,”  Jeongguk sputtered as he tried to kiss him again,  “You like me too right?  Otherwise you wouldn’t have sucked me, right?”

“ I like women,”  Hyun said degradingly.

“What?  But you just...,”  Jeongguk was confused.

“It was a birthday present.  One of the guys told me that you had never been sucked off before, so I did it.  There’s nothing to this kid.  This is our secret.  It felt good right?  Now you can say you’ve been sucked before.  But if you want a real fuck, get yourself a whore and fuck her until your brains fall out.  But as for me, I like chicks.”  Hyun worked in the dark to tuck his shirt back in and wipe his mouth.  He wanted to hide all evidence of what had just happened before he returned to the restaurant with the rest of his gangster crew.

Jeongguk was completely humiliated.  He was relieved that it was so dark inside of the closet because he didn’t want the gangster Hyun to see him whimpering, pouting.  He folded his arms in shame?  Disgust? Confusion? All of the above?  He had been used by an older man and he knew it.  There was also something else that Jeongguk knew.  Hyun was lying.  Hyun didn’t like girls.  No man could suck a dick like that unless he was very well practiced.   Hyun wanted to suck Jeongguk’s cock because he very much liked men.  But it didn’t seem like quite the right time to bring that to Hyun’s attention.  Afterall, he was still a lethal gangster who was perfectly capable of shooting him.

As Jeongguk and Hyun escaped the broom pantry and headed back into the main dining room, Jeongguk fell back and cowered in the kitchen.  He wasn’t quite ready to face the scores of gangsters who were there to celebrate his birthday.  As Hyun reappeared,  Jeongguk could hear the others asking where he had been and why he had disappeared.  Jeongguk cringed as he heard Hyun recount a lie about having “a threesome with Kookie and a few whores for his birthday.”  That was not at all what had happened, but Jeongguk knew that he would never be allowed to tell them the full truth unless Hyun admitted to it himself.  Jeongguk was pissed off.  But at the same time, he had never cum so hard in all of his life.  A few seconds of reflection made him realize that one of his most outlandish fantasies had just come true.  This caused a deviant smile to creep across his face.  There were worst things that could have happened to him other than having a mobster suck his dick.  He considered his little encounter with Hyun, a lesson learned. 

Jeongguk fixed his collar, straightened his pants, held his head high and walked right into the dining room to greet his gangster friends.  They all applauded him and congratulated him on his first time nutting with a whore.

Around 7pm, a medium sized man with cropped black hair and a tweed fedora stepped into the restaurant and took a seat at the bar.  Everyone around him immediately bowed and offered to buy him drinks.  He waived them all off and sat quietly at the bar, alone. 

His name was Park Ye-Joon and he was the CEO of a large corporation based out of Seoul. Even though he and his family were from Busan, his company had been founded in Seoul in 1913.  Park traveled back and forth between Busan and Seoul to monitor the shipment of construction supplies coming in through the port.  He appeared to be a legitimate businessman, so his reasons for mixing with the crowd of mobsters in the restaurant was unclear to Jeongguk.  

What Jeongguk didn’t know was that Park was not only a CEO, but he was also the leader of the South Street Kkangpae.  He was the owner of the restaurant.  In fact, he owned the entire block and most of Busan.  He was the mystical and elusive “mob boss” that Jeongguk had heard so much about.  It was not until he overheard a few of the others talking about him that he realized who - or what - he was.  Jeongguk watched his every move.  The man was so suave and debonair, but there was also something distinctively evil about him.  Jeongguk could see it in his gaze, the way he addressed others, the way he observed the room. He was always thinking, plotting, strategizing.  He gave Jeongguk the chills, yet he was intrigued by him at the same time.

Later that evening, as Jeongguk was heading home, he heard screams coming from an alley.  They were just a few meters from the back of the restaurant so Jeongguk wondered if it was maybe some of the whores goofing around with their mobster boyfriends.  Out of curiosity and just plain nosiness, he decided to investigate.  He crept around the corner of the building and walked upon a horrific scene.  The screams were real.  A petite woman with long brown hair was being physically accosted.  She was punched repeatedly by a group of three men who had her pinned against an old hay truck.  Her dress was ripped and they were attempting to force her underwear to her thighs.  She screamed and she fought, but she was no match for the three of them who held her down.  She appeared to be drunk because her words were slurred and her eyes were glassy and blood shot. 

Young Jeongguk was horrified.  He was not a fully trained fighter, but a couple of years of hanging around the Kkangpae of Busan had taught him a few things.  He could hold his own, especially against three bastards assaulting a woman.  He ran full speed towards the melee with his fists drawn.  The one pulling at the woman’s clothes was his first target.  He just needed to distract him long enough for the woman to get loose.  With a stinging punch to the face, followed by a kick to the balls, he dislodged the first man, allowing the woman to free her hands and fight back against the other two.  A roundhouse kick to the second man caused him to release the woman as well.  It was the element of surprise that worked in Jeongguk’s favor because by the time the third man realized what was happening, Jeongguk had forced him to the ground and kicked him in the stomach.  The fight was not pretty, but it was the best he could do.  He was fueled by outrage.  What kind of pathetic losers would attack a defenseless woman, and try to violate her, no less?  He hated bullies and these were the very definition of bullies.  He took great pleasure in kicking their asses. 

But all was not well.  The three men eventually got back on their feet and surrounded Jeongguk.  One of them had a knife.  Jeongguk shielded the woman while she screamed for help.  As Jeongguk looked around, he recognized that these were not just any random men, they were mobsters from a rival gang known as the Ging street boys.  They didn’t have much presence in Busan so it was strange to see them there, attacking a woman on Park’s territory.  It took Jeongguk seconds to realize that the attack was not random.  This woman, for whatever reason, had been targeted.  She had to of been of some importance to Park. 

Jeongguk feared that nosiness had gotten him into a lot of trouble this time.  He raised his fists and prepared to fight to the death, or at least until it hurt really, really bad.  The first one approached with the knife, but before he could get to Jeongguk, a large man in a tweed fedora stepped in front of him and stabbed the man through the throat with an ice pick.  Jeongguk screamed.  It was so viciously brutal that he almost cried right there on the spot.  The man threw a few deadly punches before stabbing another one of the men through the eye with the same ice pick.  The puncture went straight through the man’s brain, killing him instantly.

Amidst the flashing blades, thundering punches and rapid kicks, Jeongguk realized that his savior was none other than Park Ye-Joon himself.  Within several seconds Park had killed two of the attackers, but it was the third and final attacker who suffered the most.  With his arms still held protectively around the woman, Jeongguk watch as Park Ye-Joon unleashed his fury.

“My wife?  My fucking wife?  You dare to assault my wife on my turf?  Is this how Jung wants to play?”  Park held the lone survivor against the ground with his knee on his chest.  He stabbed the man in the ear with his trusty ice pick and then gave another quick jab, stabbing out both of his eyes.  Blood gushed upwards like an erupting volcano from the man’s eye sockets as Park plucked his eyes out with the tip of his ice pick.  His intent was to make the man suffer greatly – and it worked.

Jeongguk was terrified.  He had never in his life seen such violence, such abject brutality.  He closed his eyes, but even closing his eyes couldn’t rescue him from the sound of the man’s ear shattering screams of pain. The woman who stood behind him wreaked of alcohol as she screamed at Park about “fucking his whores”.  She wasn’t in her right mind and Jeongguk immediately regretted choosing her as the one to rescue. 

Park continued to torture the man, stabbing him intermittently in vulnerable areas around his body.  But it was his final act that sickened Jeongguk mentally and physically beyond repair.  The attacker was already blinded, with blood pouring from the holes where his eyes used to be.  His ear was hanging from his head by a few layers of skin.  And his other wounds were slowly bleeding out.

Park chose to finish him off by plunging the ice pick deep into the man’s groin, stabbing and pulling repeatedly until his nuts and dick were ripped away from his body.  With each strike, the man’s screams grew louder and more macabre.  Jeongguk began to cry.  He couldn’t stomach it.  No matter what the attacker had done, he didn’t deserve to die this way.  It was too vile, too animalistic. 

This was the true mobster life, a life that had been hidden from him for years.  This was the ebb and flow of how mobsters operated, retaliated and sought vengeance.  It was despicable. 

Jeongguk didn’t stick around to listen to the man die.  He sprinted full speed down the block in an effort to get away from everything he had seen.  As he fled he could hear the woman screaming at her husband about how she had followed him from Seoul to “catch him fucking his whores”.  She was insane.  Park was insane.  The entire situation was insane.

Jeongguk rushed back into his house and locked the door.  He didn’t know what to do or how to process everything that he’d witnessed.  A woman had almost been raped, three men had been killed, and he had seen all of it.  His first instinct was to call his brother, ask for help, ask for prayer.  He needed to talk to someone – but he had no one.  His parents weren’t home because they were working late hours, so he was all alone.  Jeongguk fell to the ground and cried.  It was the worst birthday of his entire life.  With his back firmly against the door, he held a knife in his hand, prepared to fight if any of the men followed him home.  He was so scared, so scared.  

The following morning, Jeongguk’s mother sent him to the store for a loaf of bread.  He tried to get out of going, but she insisted.  Getting to the market required him to walk right past the back of the restaurant where the murders had taken place the night before.  He didn’t want to go, but he had to.  He couldn’t very well tell his mother that he had witnessed a murder and needed to let the situation breathe before returning to the scene of the crime.  

He set out on his journey that morning, hoping that it was too early for the late night mobsters to be out and about.  Gingerly, quietly, he walked behind the buildings where the assaults had taken place.  To his surprise, the bodies were gone.  The blood was washed away.  Even the old abandoned hay truck had been removed.  There was no trace of anything that had happened that previous night.  Jeongguk absentmindedly stopped and stared.  The entire alley was quiet and unassuming.  It was incredible.  How could such a violent, bloody battle have been so quickly erased?  He stood there a moment too long.  A voice came from behind him.

“Hey Kid.  I was hoping I would find you.  Let’s talk for a minute.”  It was Park Ye-Joon, the Hyungnim of the South Street Kkangpae.  The murderer stood in front of him, glaring at him with those cold evil eyes.

“Y-y-yes sir,”  Jeongguk said nervously.  He placed both of his hands over his nuts, scared that Park would suddenly whip out his ice pick and stab them until they ripped off.  He was terrified.

“I waited all night for you, hoping you would come back.  Kid, what you did last night was fucking incredible.  That crazy dame that you saved was my wife.  You stood in there against some of the most violent gangsters in Korea and you protected her honor.  You remind me a lot of my son.  I just wanted to take a minute to thank you.”

Jeongguk was stunned,  “Thank me?”

“Yes, thank you.  I got word while I was in the restaurant that she was out here, yelling, making a mockery of herself.  She had followed me all the way from Seoul and she was drunk, as I’m sure you guessed.  My wife has a bit of a problem with the alcohol.  Anyway, I was on my way out to get her when I heard the commotion.  I guess Jung had his men following her and they attacked her as soon as she showed up here.  I ran as quickly as I could and that’s when I found you there, shielding her, fighting all three of those assholes by yourself.  You’ve got balls kid.  My wife is a lot of things, but she didn’t deserve what they were trying to do to her.  Especially since their beef is with me.  Taking it out on my wife is against the code, but Jung has never played by the rules.”  Park reached into his wallet and pulled $1000 U.S. from it and then handed the cash to Jeongguk.  “Not sure if this is even enough to thank you for what you did but here, take it.  Get yourself an education or something.”

Jeongguk had never seen that much money in his entire life.  For a kid in an impoverished nation in the 1950’s, this was an obscene amount of money.  He immediately stuffed it into his pockets and looked around to make sure that no one had seen him.

“Thank you.  This is...uh...well I honestly don’t even know what to say.”

“Say you’ll accept it, do good things with it.  But hey, one small favor.  Keep everything that you saw here to yourself?  Yeah?”  Park confirmed.

“Saw?  Saw what?  Where?  I didn’t see nothing,”  Jeongguk said peevishly.

Park smiled, “Good boy.  I knew I could trust you.  You’ve got more mob ethics in your pinky finger than Jung has in his entire crew.”  Park patted Jeongguk on the shoulder, “I better get going.  I have a shipment coming in.  Thanks again kid.  See you around – or not.”  Park dropped his tweed fedora on his head and turned to head back inside of the restaurant.

“Mr. Park?”

“Yeah?”  Park turned around.

“You’re right.  The money you gave me for keeping my mouth shut isn’t enough.”

“Oh?  Well what else do you want?  Name your price,”  Park was intrigued.  The boy indeed had balls.  He placed his hands in his pockets and waited for what appeared to be a shake-down by a teenager.

“Your hat.  I want it.”

Park smiled broadly.  He removed his hat and folded the brim between his fingers.  The hat had been custom made for him.  His initials and the name of the milliner were embroidered inside.  He really liked the hat.  But if the kid wanted it, he could have it.  It was a minor price to pay for the kid’s silence.  Besides Park had plenty more of them at home. 

“You drive a hard bargain kid.”  Park nodded before placing the hat on Jeongguk’s head.  “Is there anything else or can I go now?”

Jeongguk laughed, flashing large dimples on each side of his face.  He tilted the hat like a proper gangster,  “You may go now.  Thank you, sir.”

It was the first time that Jeongguk had officially hidden evidence to protect a Park – but it would not be the last.

Never again did Jeongguk visit the restaurant.  In fact, that day marked the last time he ever interacted with mobsters at all.  From that moment on, he realized that he wanted nothing to do with such evil and violence.  He wanted something better for his life.  Even Hyun, the sexy mobster who had given him his first blow job, was no longer attractive to him.  That single night changed everything for him. 

Much like his loving parents had tried to explain; living an honest life and making an honest living was nothing to be ashamed of.  It may not have been glamorous but having morals was important.  Too much of who he was had already been sacrificed.

Jeongguk used a small bit of the money from Park to buy his own television and that was where his love for detective crime shows blossomed.  He quickly realized that he wanted to be one of the good guys.  He never wanted to have to worry about some mob boss stabbing him in the dick.  Putting mobsters in jail seemed like the much safer route.  He wanted to be a detective because they weren’t just regular police officers.  They wore cool suits, spiffy shoes and sexy hats.  In a way they resembled the mafia types except without all of the killing and bloodletting. 

No one asked for it; but Jeongguk appointed himself  Jr. Detective of Busan.  He even made a badge out of a piece of discarded steel that he’d found beside of a shipment of abandoned supplies from Posco construction.  He was official - said no one.  Before school and after school, while other children were playing soccer and working on the farms, Jeongguk was solving crimes and he became quite good at it.  During his time as an unofficial detective, he began journaling to keep his facts, thoughts and memories organized.  Journaling would become one of his greatest passions as well as the key to chronicling his turbulent life.

At the age of 20, Jeongguk’s parents urged him to go to college to pursue his dream of becoming a cop.  He went to college to study criminal justice and immediately joined the police force upon graduation.  Formal secondary education was still rare in war torn Korea but thanks to the funds from his mob friends, he was able to achieve what few did.  Park’s hush money paid for his entire degree.

At the age of 24 he became a beat cop and then at the age of 27, he moved to Seoul and was promoted to detective.  Every single day he wore his trusty fedora that had been gifted by the gangster who paid for his silence.  Jeongguk had a special attachment to it.  That hat was a constant reminder of the horrific things that had happened that night back in 1950.  It kept him grounded and committed to avoiding a life of crime.   It reminded him that his focus should always be on protecting the victims, not being one of the criminals.

Two years later, Jeongguk was assigned to investigate both South Street and Ging Street Kkangpae.   As he studied the history of the two gangs, he recognized the names of some of the South Street family.  The name that stood out the most was Park Ye-Joon.  Jeongguk was shocked to find that he was Jimin and Xio’s father.  Unbeknownst to either of them, Jeongguk and Jimin had a connection.  The man who had inadvertently launched Jeongguk’s career in law enforcement was also the man who had launched Jimin’s career of crime.  The world worked mysteriously.  That unique connection through Park Ye-Joon would become the springboard for an incredible bond between the two men who had never met.

After Jeongguk came on board, the violence between the two gangs fell to an all-time low.  He made some critical arrests that really made progress with taking petty gang members off of the streets.  Most of the cops around the precinct attributed the lack of gang activity to Jeongguk and his ability to infiltrate the organizations.  He was considered the best of the best and he was given a vast budget for surveillance and wiretapping and anything else he needed to bring down the Kkangpae.  The streets felt safe again with the containment of the violence.  Eventually, Jeongguk was given all of the credit even though he knew he didn’t deserve it.

The reality was that Park Jimin, leader of South Street, had brokered a deal; a cease fire between Ging Street and South Street that would allow both sides to essentially ‘grow up’.  Everyone was tired of the senseless violence and the back and forth retaliatory fights between the two sides.  Jimin, being the young, forward thinking leader that he was, changed the mafia game by making them decidedly less – mafia.  Were it not for Jimin’s brother Xio, peace would have reigned for decades and possibly forever.

A year passed.  Both the Ging street and South street investigations were so high profile that another detective was assigned to split Jeongguk’s workload.  Detective Kim was assigned to Ging Street, while Jeongguk was allowed to focus on Park’s gang, South Street.  Although Jeongguk had made significant inroads with catching the small fish in Jimin’s crew, there was not enough evidence to go after the big kahuna, Park Jimin himself.  From every single angle, Jimin appeared to be 100% legit; a savvy CEO who ran his business like a well-oiled machine.  But that was impossible.  Rumor of Jimin’s brother’s maleficence was widespread, so there was no way that Jimin could be so squeaky clean. 

 

October 13, 1962 – The first time Jimin and the detective met

Jeongguk needed to make the arrest if he was ever going to make Sergeant.  Taking Park down would be the pinnacle of his career.  But Park stubbornly refused to do anything fucking illegal.  The lack of evidence against him infuriated Jeongguk. At the very least he needed to bring Park in for questioning, maybe scare him a little or rough him up.  He needed to do something to put pressure on the smooth operator and force him to make a mistake.  It was October of 1962 when Jeongguk had an idea...

 

“A parking ticket?”

“Yes.  Maybe this will teach you to be more careful with where you leave your pricy, obnoxious limousine.”

“I see.  But...aren’t the handcuffs a bit much?” Jimin tried not to laugh.

“You’re an animal, engaged in violent thuggery.  You’re lucky I didn’t hog tie you,”  Jeongguk tried to sound intimidating.

“Hog tie...for a parking ticket?”  Jimin couldn’t help himself, he giggled.

Jeongguk paced around the attractive detainee.  He was secretly captivated by his ravishing beauty.  “I’m not playing any fucking games here, Park.  I know who you are and what you are.  I’m not falling for your CEO bullshit.” 

“CEO bullshit?”  Jimin snickered.  His body shook as he tried to hold in his laughter.  The cuffs around his wrists softly clanked against the metal table in the interrogation room.  “And what exactly do you think I am?”  The new detective wreaked of desperation, but he was so fucking gorgeous that Jimin luxuriated in toying with him.

“The leader of South Street.”

“You give me too much credit.  Historically that was a business where my family flourished, that part is true.  However, I don’t have the appetite for such violence.  I’m more of a law and finance type of guy.  I have a law degree, detective Jeon.  I run a multi-million dollar corporation.  I don’t have time for...what did you call it?  Violent thuggery.”  Jimin flashed a deadly smile. 

Jeongguk quietly counted each one of his perfect teeth, they were so beautiful, flashy, like diamonds.  A small tendril of Jimin’s hair fell over his eye.  It took everything in Jeongguk’s power not to lift it gently back into place.  Jeongguk suddenly rushed from the room.

“Detective, detective where are you going?”  Jimin asked with surprise. 

Jeongguk rushed into the men’s restroom of the Seoul police precinct, “What the fuck?  What the fuck?”  He had never seen such a gorgeous man in his entire life.  He felt ill equipped to deal with him.  His palms were sweaty and his mouth was dry.  “...fuck he’s gorgeous,” he said to himself in the mirror.  He’d been alone in the interrogation room with Park for ten minutes and he was already losing his mind.  The man was charming, witty, smart, funny.  He was everything.  Why did he have to be a fucking mafia boss?

Jeongguk paced back and forth.  He gently bumped his forehead against the mirror.  He didn’t know if he could do it.  He didn’t know if he could go back in there and finish questioning Park without sneaking in at least one little kiss.  It was their first meeting and Jeongguk was just not prepared.  He had seen him on television and in the newspaper but seeing him in person was an entirely different experience. 

Jeongguk immediately flashed back to the men he’d known as a teen, the gangsters who’d entertained him in the seedy restaurant in Busan, the ones that he’d found so sexually alluring.  It was happening all over again, but this time with his own suspect.  He banged his head against the mirror once more as he thought through what to do next.

“Detective Jeon, where are your manners?  It was extremely rude to leave me in that chilly room, all alone, in handcuffs.”

Jeongguk swirled around, “Park! What are you doing in here?”

“I told the arresting officer that I was lonely and my host had disappeared.  He led me to you.  His mother works for me at my company, where she receives a regular paycheck that is completely unrelated to violent thuggery,”  Jimin laughed.  “Seriously, these cuffs are scratching my very expensive watch.  Are they really needed?  I promise to behave.  And if I’m naughty, you can spank me,”  Jimin joked seductively.  He knew what he was doing.

“This is not a fucking game,”  Jeongguk grabbed Jimin by the arm and led him back to the interrogation room. 

As he trailed beside him, he could smell the clean musk of Jimin’s cologne.  Beneath the expensive fabric of his suit, his arm had a sleekly defined musculature.  His hair was thick and gently postured in a wave on top of his head.  Everything about him was divine. 

By the time they reached the interrogation room, Jimin’s attorney had arrived. 

“Sung, thank you for coming.” Jimin smiled and pointed at him with his cuffed hands.

Sung glared at Jimin’s handcuffed wrists, “What is this?  The clerk said it was a parking ticket?  Where did you park, on top of someone’s chest?  What parking infraction warrants an arrest with handcuffs and an interrogation?  What the hell are you up to detective Jeon?  I want him released immediately.”

“Calm down Sung.  The detective was just doing his job,”  Jimin defended Jeongguk’s actions.

“Take him.  He can go,”  Jeongguk decided to cut his losses.

This was not the victory lap that he had hoped it would be.  He could barely even breathe around Jimin, let alone rough him up and get him to talk.  Jeongguk’s palms were still so sweaty that he had to wipe them on his slacks to dry them.  He needed to get as far away from Park as possible.  Jeongguk unlocked Jimin’s cuffs.  He was careful not to make eye contact because he just knew, looking Park Jimin in the eyes was bound to make his dick hard.  It was a 'lose-lose' situation.  He humbly took the loss.

As Jimin and his attorney headed out, Jeongguk decided to step outside to get some fresh air.  He walked back to the coat rack and grabbed his trusty fedora.  He rested it on his head and followed behind Jimin and the attorney.

Jimin saw a glimpse of Jeongguk's profile. He turned to face the detective.  He stared at him as if he were looking at a ghost, “Where did you get that hat?”

Jeongguk lifted the hat again and held it in his hands.  It had never dawned on him that Jimin would recognize it.  An already tense situation had just become even more awkward.

“It...uh...was your father’s,” it was such an odd sentence that Jeongguk couldn’t believe he had said it.

“Yes, it was.  I recognized it at once.  All due respect, why do you have my father’s fedora?”  Jimin was not angry, but he was stern.  His disposition was much more imposing and serious than it had been before.  Someone different was suddenly in the room.   It was Jimin, the mafia Hyungnim.  Jeongguk knew the look, the presence, the glare.

Under the most obdurate circumstance possible, Jeongguk realized that Jimin knew nothing about the story of what had almost happened to his mother.  Jeongguk was conflicted.  Was it his place to tell him?  Was the police station the right place to tell him?  Why had Jimin's own father not told him about the attack on his mother?

“Well, there is quite a story behind this.  But I assure you, it was a gift.”

“I believe you, but I need to hear the story.”

“I’m not sure this is...appropriate...I don’t know if this is the right time?”  Jeongguk was a confused mess.

Jimin turned to his attorney, “Sung, may I have a word alone with detective Jeon?”

“Sure, I’ll meet you in the limo.  I’ll be working on our lawsuit for false arrest,”  Sung said with a bite.

Jimin approached Jeongguk and stood very close to him.  For a smaller man, he was extremely intimidating.  However, Jeongguk stood his ground.  Jimin smelled divine and Jeongguk wanted to stick his nose into the side of his neck and sniff him until his cop-dick burst.  But that was not the appropriate response.  Jimin stared into Jeongguk’s eyes.  Just as Jeongguk expected, his dick got hard. Park Jimin was dickalicious.

“Whatever torrid history you have with my father needs to be shared with me.  He loved that hat more than he loved his kids.  When I asked him about that hat a few years before he died, he told me that he had misplaced it.  So you can imagine how curious I am to know how it came into your possession.  But I agree with you, this is not the right place to have this discussion.  I’ll be by your apartment tonight around 7pm.  I’ll bring the wine if you cook dinner.”

“Dinner?  What the fuck?  Why would I have dinner with a criminal?” Jeongguk questioned.

“I don’t know, why would you?  My advice would be – don’t have dinner with criminals.  You can’t trust them,” he squinted.  “However, you can have dinner with me since I too frown upon violent thuggery.  See you tonight.”

Jeongguk objected as Jimin turned to leave, “You don’t even know where I live.” 

“Yeah – I do,”  Jimin said over his shoulder.

Jimin knocked on Jeongguk’s door at 6:59pm.  He was casually dressed, if you call a cashmere sweater, suede saddle shoes, and silk slacks – casual.  Jeongguk had never been more confused in his life.  He was sure there were rules against galivanting around with suspects, yet Jimin was insistent upon having what appeared to be a date.

Jeongguk opened the door.  “I reserve the right to record our conversation.  Anything that I find incriminating will result in your arrest and eventual prosecution.  I will take you down Park.  I will find your secrets and I will find the evidence needed to put you in prison.”

“You seemed like a white wine guy, but based on your little welcome speech, I’m wondering if I should have gone with the Merlot,” Jimin seriously contemplated choosing a different wine.

Jeongguk laughed.  He hated himself for laughing.  He hated himself for falling victim to Jimin’s charm.  He hated that he was about to let a known criminal into his apartment and he hated that he already wanted to fuck him.  It was a mess. 

“Come in,” Jeongguk held the door open.  He was careful to let Jimin see his gun still strapped in his holster around his waist.

“Are we having a shoot out later?  I don’t shoot much myself, but my guards could probably take you on while I watch,”  Jimin joked again.  “You really are a Merlot man.  I screwed this up.”  Jimin came in and looked around, “Nice place.  But...uh...what’s for dinner?  I don’t smell anything delicious cooking.”

Jeongguk rolled his eyes, “Oh come on.  Did you really think I would fucking cook for you?  This isn’t a game, Park.  I don’t want you here.  I could have had you arrested one hundred times over for interfering with an official investigation.  I only agreed to this because I feel...you have a right to know the story behind your father’s fedora.”

Jimin sat on Jeongguk’s couch.  “I’m really hungry.  I spent the entire day in meetings and...well...is it too much to expect a little rice?”

“Yes, it’s too much.”  Jeongguk refused to sit.  Instead he stood across the room and spoke to the window, “Your father gave me this hat as part of a deal that I made with him when I had just turned 17 years old.  I used to hang out at this restaurant when I was a kid in Busan.”

“Busan?   You’re from Busan?  Me too...I mean...we went back and forth between Busan and Seoul for business.  When my dad opened the new Posco headquarters, we moved to Seoul permanently but we would often go back to Busan to visit.  He had a lot of business there. I still have to go quite often to handle shipments that come in through the bay.  So Busan is where you met him?” Jimin questioned.

Jeongguk wasn’t interested in small talk.  He just wanted to get the story finished so that Jimin would leave his home. “Yeah, Busan.  Anyway...I was walking home late one night from the restaurant.  A lot of gangsters used to hang out there.”

“I know the place. We actually owned that restaurant.  My family, we owned it. But we sold it right before my father died,”  Jimin added.

“Please let me finish.  I don’t give a fuck about your fond family memories.  I’m just trying to tell you what happened so you can get out of here.  I want this little visit to be over. Anyway...on my way home, I saw a woman being attacked.  Three men ganged up on her and they were trying to...have their way with her.”

Jimin’s face went pale.  “Who was the woman?”

“Based on the conversations with your dad afterwards it was...your mother.”

“Ah, I see,”  Jimin said nonchalantly.

Jeongguk found that strange.  He expected a much more emotional response from Jimin given what he’d just told him. “As I was saying, I stumbled upon them as they tried to attack her.  Jung from the Ging street had ordered her to be attacked in order to send a message to your dad, I guess.  Well I jumped in and stopped it.  I fought them off.  She was drunk, and she was in no shape to defend herself.  I had no idea who she was.  I just saw a woman in distress and I helped.  She was very beautiful, a lovely woman, despite her foul mouth,”  Jeongguk smiled.  He tried to say nice things about Jimin’s mother even though at first he regretted getting involved.  “Your dad found me the next day and thanked me.  He gave me a shit load of money as a reward for my bravery.  I used it to go to college.  But he also gave me this hat.  Actually I conned him out of it.”

Jimin’s interest was piqued, “Conned him?  My father?  How?”

“The money that he gave me was not just for stopping the attack on your mother.  He also asked for my silence.”

“Ahh, got it.  You saw something that maybe you shouldn’t have?  Knowing my father, what you saw was probably pretty horrific, especially for a kid at that age.  I imagine he was not very kind to the men who were caught trying to rape his wife?”

“It was the worst thing I had ever seen.  I credit your father’s actions that night for singlehandedly ending my glorification of mafia life.  I won’t lie, I loved the style and vibrato of gangster life back then.  I was stupid and didn’t know any better.  But your father and the things he did, set me on the straight and narrow and I’ve been dedicated to taking down criminals ever since. Including you,”  Jeongguk said spiritedly.

“I still don’t understand why he gave you his hat?”

“Because I asked for it.  I made it part of the deal in return for me agreeing to never repeat anything about what I had witnessed that night.”

“Not very moral of you.   People died?  Yet, you said nothing to the cops?”  Jimin intentionally pushed Jeongguk’s buttons.

“I made a promise to your dad.  I kept that promise.  Besides, let’s just be honest about what Jung’s men were doing.  They were trying to attack an innocent woman.  What kind of men would do that?”  Jeongguk asked.

“Are you saying that justice was served by what my father did?”

“In a way – yeah,” Jeongguk admitted.

“Congratulations.  You’re much more impressed by violent thuggery than I am.  Maybe you should be more careful about the names you call me.”  Jimin smirked.

Jeongguk didn’t appreciate Jimin’s flippant attitude.  “If you want this hat, you can have it.  It’s rightfully mine, but I can understand if you need to have this as a reminder of your father.”

“No.  Keep it.  I don’t need any more reminders of my father.  Carrying his fucking name is enough, thank you.”

“Well then...why were you so upset about me owning it?”

“You misunderstood.  I don’t give a fuck about you owning that hat.  I just wanted to know how you got it.  The end result rarely matters to me.  It’s the process that intrigues me,”  Jimin explained.  He stood to leave, “You’ve answered my questions.  You have no dinner prepared and I brought the wrong wine.  I think it’s probably time for me to say goodnight.  Nice meeting you detective Jeon.  I’ll see my way out.” 

“You’re leaving?”  Jeongguk was taken aback.

“Yes.  You said you wanted to get this over with.  Well, it’s over.  And for the record detective Jeon, you will never, ever find dirt on me or my company.  I’m the CEO of Posco Construction Company.  I don’t dabble in bullshit or petty crimes.  I’m highly educated, well connected and philanthropic.  Shuttling whores back and forth for soldiers and politicians is well beneath me.  You can continue with your fake parking tickets, and illegal leg crossing violations, but you will never make a case against me because I’m an honest, hardworking man.  Don’t believe me? Come sit with me for a day and watch all of the fucking meetings that I have to attend just to get my budget delivered,”  Jimin quipped.

“Ninety percent of the men in prison claim that they’re innocent,”  Jeongguk said, out of spite.

Jimin clenched his jaw in irritation, “Good night, detective,”  he swaggered off.

Jeongguk watched him as he walked to the end of the hallway.  He was without a doubt the most incredible man that Jeongguk had ever met.  And for some reason, Jeongguk believed him when he said that his hands were clean.  But something wasn’t adding up.  Even if Jimin wasn’t committing crimes, he was definitely covering them up.

For several months, the cat and mouse game between Jimin and Jeongguk continued.  Jeongguk worked harder than ever to find solid evidence of Jimin’s criminal enterprises.  He came up empty. 

But one thing that he did discover was that Jimin’s brother was very problematic.  Although he didn’t have proof, the informants on the streets told pretty convincing stories about Xio’s involvement in major crimes.  It seemed as if Park Xio was the real gangster of the family.  This of course was of little use to Jeongguk because it was Park Jimin who he needed to take down. 

Lee took a break from reading.  His mind raced and his thoughts jumbled in his head.  There was no sense to be made of any of it.  He was sad and disappointed by everything that he’d read.  He just couldn’t understand how someone who was so committed to doing good had gotten mixed up with hiding evidence and protecting criminals. 

The Priest took a moment to think about everything he had learned.  He threw the completed journal on the bed with the others and then pulled himself to his feet.  He needed to think, process, understand.   

He wandered through the apartment and headed to the restroom to pee.  All of the beer he’d been drinking had filled his bladder.  Despite still being chilly outside, he opened the windows to allow fresh air to circulate through the small apartment.  He ate several sandwiches, read a few passages in his bible and then returned to his brother’s journals.  His brother’s first few journals had taken him back to the beginning of when he first encountered the Park family.  He had even given Lee a glimpse into the beginning of his sexual deviancy.  Lee felt intense guilt.  He couldn’t avoid the guilt.  If he had just stayed there to watch over his brother and take care of him instead of leaving for Seminary school, maybe he could have protected him from the influence of such derelicts.  Maybe he could have even lured him away from the homosexuality.  Maybe he could have done something - anything - to change the fate of his baby brother. As it stood, his beautiful baby brother, Jeon Jeongguk was in the hospital, possibly dying.  Lee blamed himself.

But the Priest was energized to keep going.  He was getting closer and closer to the answers that would explain everything, he could feel it.  He started again with the next journal in the series.  He grabbed more beer, resettled himself and continued to read...

***

chapter Five: Beautiful Monster

December 24th 1965: 10:00am

Droves of families from Guryong village traveled by foot to the furthest edge of the encampment.  The residents of ‘moon village’ as it was referred to by the locals, never missed this opportunity, no matter how difficult it was to reach the plaza.  The impoverished women with their eager children in tow, made the difficult journey as swiftly as possible, fearful that the supply may run out before being able to partake.

As was the tradition of the last five years, the owners of Posco Construction posted up in the wealthiest part of Seoul at the Dogok-dong in the Gangnam district to host a holiday celebration.   Much to the ire of the wealthy residents, Posco Construction and it’s young entrepreneurial owner, Park Jimin, would set up shop in the lobby of the great Samsung Tower every single year to distribute free food and Christmas gifts to the poorest families of moon village.

From a hired band who sat in the plaza and played Christmas music, to tables full of free catered food in the lobby, Park Jimin left no stone unturned during his annual celebration.  Included in the event were a myriad of elves, toy mascots, magicians, and story tellers who turned the entire plaza into a winter wonderland.  Even Park Jimin himself got in on the fun by dressing as a western version of Haraboji, known as Santa Claus.  With his red Santa suit and naturally blushed cheeks, he marched around the plaza with a large bag full of wrapped gifts thrown over his shoulder.  If a child wished for a toy that he didn’t have, he would send one of his assistants out to purchase it and return it to them.  He was as jolly and spirited as the character that he portrayed.

There was no expense too great for the children of moon village and their struggling parents, who, without Park’s generosity, would know nothing about Christmas.  All 4000 residents of Guryong were invited, and Park prepared food enough for all of them.  Each family received gifts for their children, a small Christmas tree, and enough groceries to prepare a special dinner.  For one special day, the villagers were free to live like everyone else, despite their poverty. 

It was no surprise that Posco Construction and their generous owner were quite favored by the villagers of Guryong.  But that favoritism did not stop there.   Great political figures, leaders, members of Parliament, wealthy businessmen, Idols and other social elite of Korea all adored the infamous Park Jimin.  He could do no wrong in their eyes.  Park and his lovely wife Kumo were the social elites of Seoul with power and influence that carried throughout the entire country – all of Asia actually.  Everyone adored them and accordingly, everyone turned a blind eye to their suspected, shady under dealings. 

Posco Construction Company’s little holiday party didn’t just attract the families of Guryong, it also attracted the Seoul Police Department.  The worst kept secret of the century was that Posco Construction Company, as well as its generous owner and CEO Park Jimin, had been under police surveillance for three years.  Led by Detective Jeon Jeongguk.  A long standing investigation into the Park family’s dirty dealings operated out of the Ministry of the Interior’s Office.

Every year, under the watchful eye of Detective Jeon, the Seoul police department would send undercover officers to Posco’s Christmas party, looking for any small infraction that could give them justification to haul in Park or his employees.  And every year, they left empty handed. 

So many in Seoul society looked up to Park Jimin as a pillar of integrity, but detective Jeon was not fooled.  After three years of surveillance and careful observation, he knew Park Jimin better than anyone and the CEO was far from innocent.  Only detective Jeon understood that beneath Park’s benevolent philanthropic disposition, was a very complex and dangerous man. 

Immediately upon exiting the car, detective Jeon pushed his tweed fedora snugly over his head to keep the chilled air from settling over his ears.  The December of 1965 was one of the coldest winters ever recorded.  No matter how he tried, detective Jeon couldn’t get used to colder than normal weather.  After quickly twisting the first two buttons to secure his blazer, he motioned for the five undercover officers to gather around him.  It was too cold to linger in the wind.  He wanted to get inside as quickly as possible.  With a simple gesture, he began giving the men their assignments.

“Fung, head to the rear of the lobby and stand guard around the elevators.  If Park or his wife tries to disappear upstairs, I want to make sure someone has eyes on them,”  Detective Jeon commanded.  “Kim and Cho, circle around the back of the building to make sure all entrances and exits are covered.  Keep a watchful eye for Park’s brother Xio.  If he shows up, alert me immediately.  I’ll personally make the arrest.  We have enough evidence to take him in for questioning about the fight outside of the gambling hall last week.  Lastly, Jen, there’s a group of Park’s cars lined along the west side of Gomurae-ro.  Watch the cars and be on the lookout for any activity.  I want eyes open for anything; suspicious including strange women, money exchanges, drugs, whatever...no matter how insignificant, I need to know about it.  I’ll take Park myself.  He’s a sneaky son-of-a-bitch and he likes toying with me.  One day, I’m going to take his ass down and these long miserable years of investigating him will be worth it.”  Jeongguk said with a snarl.  He seemed to be fantasizing about the day where he would finally be able to arrest the elusive Park Jimin. He snapped out of it and refocused on the officers standing around him, “Do you understand your assignments gentlemen?”

“Yeah, yes, yeah, got it,”  they all said in tandem as they immediately rushed to their posts to escape the frigid temperatures.

Once his men scattered, Jeongguk inconspicuously made his way inside of the lobby.  He pulled himself free of his scarf and gloves and stuffed them into the inner pocket of his wool blazer.   As he made eye contact with one of the villagers who stood at the buffet table, he removed his fedora and tucked it underneath his arm.  With a single hand he slicked his hair back and adjusted his collar.  Detective Jeon looked around the lobby and decided to hover towards the rear.  So many villagers had come out to join the charitable party, that the line had quickly begun to snake around the building.  After scanning the entire lobby for a second time, he finally spotted his target.  With a quick parting of the crowd, Jeongguk made his way towards the center of the plaza where Park Jimin sat surrounded by smiling children.  The two made brief eye contact, but neither acknowledged the other.  The sworn enemies were indifferent to each other in such a setting.  Jimin knew what Jeongguk was there to do.  And Jeongguk appreciated what Jimin was there to do.  But they were still pitted against each other in the eyes of the law.  Without breaching Jimin’s personal space, Jeongguk stopped short and stood a few feet from ‘Santa’.  He crossed his arms and watched as each child visited with him.   With his oddly placed positioning and intense stare, he looked more like Park Jimin’s bodyguard than a detective who was intent on arresting him.

Park Jimin, CEO of Posco construction, and enemy number one, was posted up on a make-shift throne adorned with green garland, gold accents, and tacky red velvet fabric.  It was the perfect pew for Korea’s Prince.  Sitting askew, atop his jet black hair, was a red, velvet hat that was bordered with a soft white mink fur.  The entire thing barely covered the streaks of black hair that lay just above his sideburns.  Despite hiding behind a wooly, white, Santa’s beard with a matching mustache, the glow of his taut porcelain skin declared his handsome youth.  For added giggles, Jimin had stuffed large pillows beneath his Santa suit to give him the truly rotund outline of a Western Santa.  The entire lobby was adorned behind him with hundreds of lavishly decorated Christmas trees. 

“Ho-ho-ho,” he blustered as the happy children listed towards him.

The children loved it.  As each one stepped forward, he invited them to sit upon his lap and tell them everything that they wanted for Christmas.  Even though Jimin knew he couldn’t fulfill all of their wishes, he listened intently to each of the small children who greeted him.

For most of his conversations with the children, he maintained a level head, ending their brief visits by allowing them to select a gift of their choice from his bag.  But for others, their tales of impoverished  suffering touched him deeply.  This was especially true for children who referenced instances of abuse within their homes.  Jimin, who was also abused and bullied as a child, had a soft spot in his heart for any child who was brave enough to share their experiences.  He tried not to show favoritism because no one child’s suffering should have felt greater than another.  But for Jimin, there were a few who he related to on a much more personal level. 

So was the case of one particular little boy, around the age of eleven, who reluctantly approached Jimin.  He refused to sit in his lap, but instead glared doubtfully at the cos-playing Santa.  His eyes shifted randomly from Santa to the undercover cop who stood awkwardly only a few feet away.  He wondered why the man was there. 

Jimin noticed the boy’s trepidation, “Hello.  It’s nice to meet you.  And what is your name?”

 

 

“Yang.”

“Yang.  Great name.”

Yang took another look and Jeongguk and frowned towards Jimin, “You know that asshole’s a cop right?”

“So...I’ve been told,”  Jimin made no attempt to acknowledge Jeongguk’s presence. “And how old are you young man?”

“Eleven.”

“Ahh, well I understand why a boy of your age would be uncomfortable sitting on Santa’s lap.  But I hope that won’t keep you from telling Santa what you would like to have for Christmas.”  Jimin smiled hopefully.

“You’re just a man – you’re not a real Santa.  You’re just here once a year to make us feel better about being poor.  You’re not special.  You have no power to fix real problems,” Yang lamented angrily.

“You’re right.  There are a lot of things that I can’t fix,”  Jimin said honestly, “but since I’m here, and I’m willing to listen, why don’t you tell me about some of your real problems?”

Jeongguk absentmindedly took a step closer.  The conversation between Jimin and the boy who called himself Yang was intriguing.  It was difficult for him to hear amidst the noise of the growing crowd so he craned his neck to lean even closer.

The boy dipped his head.  “What I want, you don’t have in that bag,”  he said concretely.

It was then that Jimin noticed the bruises on the boy’s face and his bloodied knuckles that looked as if he’d been fighting.  “What happened to your face.”  Jimin reached his hand forward to lift the boy’s chin, but thought better of touching him without his permission.  “Come close, may I see your injury?”

“No!  It’s fine.”

“What happened?” Jimin pressed.  He truly needed to know how this boy had ended up in such rough condition.

“I was beat up.  A bunch of bullies from that rich private school – Global Christian - caught me on my way home.  They teased me because I was from Guryong village.  I was outnumbered three to one, but I held my own,” he said defiantly.

“I’m sorry.  Does this happen often?”  Jimin wasn’t sure what else to say.  He was disturbed, but didn’t want young Yang to see his anger.

“Yeah.  A few times a month.  People are assholes.  These are the real problems that we face Mr. Park.  Every day I have to walk past all of those rich people and be teased and beat up just because of where I live.  It’s not fair.  What do you have in your bag to fix that, Santa?” he asked sarcastically.

“Look inside of my bag and pick a gift,”  Jimin said, seemingly indifferent to Yang’s question.

Yang shook his head, “Yeah, you talk a big game, but you don’t really care about us.”  Yang was exceedingly disrespectful to Jimin, especially considering that Jimin was his elder and a very rich and powerful man.  But Jimin didn’t mind.  In fact, he somewhat admired the boy for speaking up for himself.

“Please, pick something.”

Even though Yang was spiteful and full of anger, he couldn’t resist free toys.  He buried his arm into the bag.  When he lifted it free, his hand was gripping a large box with a bright green bow.  “Thanks, I guess.”  Yang turned to leave, but Jimin grabbed his arm.

“Thank you for being honest with me Yang.  One last question before you go.”

“Sure.”

“If I paid for you to attend that rich fancy school right alongside those bullies who think they’re better than you, would that be a way to ‘fix your problem’?”  Jimin smiled.

“It’s the kind of education that I’ve always dreamed of.  I want to be a pilot when I grow up, but I can’t do that going to the schools for Guryong kids.  Yes, that would fix my problems because they would never beat up on one of their own.  But Mr. Park...you can’t do that.  It’s not just tuition, but we need money for uniforms and school books and school lunches.  You can’t do that...it’s too much, sir.”

“You know Yang, I can do whatever the fuck I want.”  Jimin swearing in front of the child made Jeongguk giggle.

Jimin turned to one of his guards who stood a few feet from Jeongguk.  He summoned him over and then whispered into his ear, “Find this boy’s parents.  Also, get the name of his bullies.  The gyo-jang seon-saeng at Global is a good friend of mine.  He also owes me a few favors.  Contact him and tell him that I want all of Yang’s bullies expelled by noon tomorrow, never to be allowed attendance at the school again.” The guard nodded with understanding.  Jimin turned back to the boy, “Yang, go with these gentlemen to find your parents.  Not only will I pay for you to go to Global, but I’m also going to pay for your college tuition as well.  My guards here will work it all out with my lawyer.  You don’t have to worry about anything.”

“REALLY?”  The boy was stunned.  He jumped into the air and pumped his fists and then ran to give Jimin a hug.  “ARE YOU SERIOUS?  ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO DO THIS?”

“Consider it done, Yang.  My only request is that you work hard, get good grades and make it to Pilot school.  I’ll be checking in with your parents to monitor your progress.  And if those bullies ever lay a hand on you again, you call me,”  Jimin lectured.

Upon seeing Yang whoop and holler, the rest of the crowd began cheering.  They all just assumed that Yang was really happy with his wrapped present.  Yang stepped back and then dropped to his knees to give Jimin a full bow.  Jimin stood and bowed back.  Jimin’s guard placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder and asked him to lead him to his parents. 

As the chilly day waned on, Jimin performed several more Christmas Eve miracles.  From giving parents cash to pay for medical bills, to sending kids to fancy private schools, Jimin gave freely without inhibition.  His position and cash flow allowed him to truly be a Santa, even if only for one night. 

Jeongguk stood transfixed by Park Jimin’s duality.   No one understood Jimin as he did.  The man was complex.  On the surface, he played the role perfectly of a doting, soft hearted man who only wanted to make the world a better place.  But underneath his charming exterior, was one of the most ruthless, shrewd, manipulative and heartless business men that Seoul had ever known.  Even if his hands were technically ‘clean’, he turned a blind eye to the violence around him, if it suited his needs and advanced his agenda. 

Jeongguk shook his head and smiled.  “If only they knew what you’re capable of,” Jeongguk whispered slyly.  He snapped his suspenders and took one last patrol around the lobby.

The evening was ending.  The line had waned and all 4000 of the residents of Guryong had been fed, gifted, and acknowledged.  It was getting dark outside and the temperature was dropping.  Considering that most of the residents had walked to the facility, Jimin decided to order a group of buses to run routes that could take the villagers back home.   He didn’t want them and their young children to be exposed to the elements. 

Before the lobby was completely empty, Jimin stood and said his goodbyes.  He and his platinum blonde wife Kumo were whisked out to a waiting limousine just beyond the back entrance.  As Jeon pulled his men together for a debrief, he coincidently bumped into Jimin and his wife just before they entered the limo.

“Detective Jeon, so nice to see you again.”  Jimin extended his hand for a handshake, but Jeongguk refused.   “I’m afraid that once again, you’re going to leave my holiday party empty handed.  Not even a parking ticket,”  Jimin’s guards all released laughter.  They loved it when the boss chided the annoying detective. “No arrests for you today,”  Jimin winked.  “When are you going to give up this wild goose chase and just accept that I’m a legitimate business man?  I’ve tripled this company’s profits over the last five years since I’ve taken over.  Stop holding my family’s unfortunate past against me and appreciate me for the incredible business man that I am today.”  Jimin tilted his Santa hat and guided his beautiful wife into the backseat of the Limo.

“I didn’t get anything this time Park.  But your luck is going to eventually run out.  I would be careful if I were you,”  Jeongguk’s odd phrasing caught Jimin, as well as his guards, off guard.  If felt like a threat.  They all glared at him, including Jimin.  Two of the guards actually stepped close to the detective as they placed their hands on the butt of their guns that hid within the holsters of their jackets.

“And what does that mean?  Is that a threat?”  Jimin asked curiously.

Kumo and Jeongguk made certain eye contact.  Even Jimin’s wife was taken aback by Jeongguk’s words.  The detective had never been threatening or shown his hand in any way during the three years that he had Jimin under surveillance.  But this warning felt different – it was different. 

Jeongguk repeated himself, but this time his voice was much softer, “Just – be careful.”

Jimin refused to look at him.  He was worried about what he would see in the young detective’s eyes.  Instead he slid into the backseat of the Limo next to Kumo.  Without breathing another word to detective Jeon, he gestured for the driver to take off.

As he turned to his officers, Jeongguk watched the warm vapor of his breath chill into a billow of smoke within the frigid air.  “Anything?  Did anyone get anything of value?”

The cops around him all shook their heads.  Once again, they had failed to find any wrongdoing by Jimin and his crew of thugs and bodyguards. 

“Ok.  Well, let’s not consider this wasted time.  We’re putting pressure on him and soon, he’s bound to make a mistake.”  Jeongguk flashed a dimpled smile and then tugged his beloved fedora lower over his head.  He took one final look at his officers, “It’s Christmas Eve gentlemen.  Go home and be with your families.  Merry Christmas,”  he said happily.

Were it not so cold, many of them would have hugged and given warm handshakes before saying goodbye.  But under the circumstances, everyone immediately fled in different directions, desperate to escape the cold.  Jeongguk once again donned his hand knitted scarf and leather gloves.  Once he was alone, he turned in the direction where Jimin’s car had driven.  He watched with a soft sigh as Park Jimin’s limousine disappeared on to the expressway.   

It was a terribly, terribly cold Christmas Eve.

Later that same day, Christmas Eve - 7:00pm

In the interest of maintaining quiet, Kumo, as she often did, decided to forego television.  Jimin was working and he required peace to concentrate.  She sat, fully erect, with her plump bosom resting just beneath the fabric of her white silk robe.  The delicate goose feathers tickled her neck as she leaned over her dead deck of cards.  With her long blond hair slung over her left shoulder, she embodied the regality of a trumpet swan; rare and unique in her beauty, yet prescriptively predictable in her trendy stylish image.  She was the quintessential mobster’s wife.  She looked the part, she acted the part and she embraced the role.  With her lavish wardrobe, long voluptuous legs, and expensively dyed hair with the deep curly waves, Kumo was a stunner. 

Kumo had agreed to become Jimin’s wife about three years prior.  As Jimin entered his thirties, the fact that he was not married became a major topic of interest amongst the society folks.  And that was where Kumo came in.  In return for standing in as a loyal, gorgeous wife to the one and only Park Jimin, she received a hefty salary that included unlimited clothes, shoes, and vacations.  But for Kumo, it was not the gangster life that she was drawn to.  But rather, it was Jimin’s steadfast commitment to getting out of the gangster life that most heavily influenced her decision to marry him.  In Kumo’s eyes, Jimin was different. 

Unlike his father, his brother, his grandfather and grandfather before him, Jimin had a vision.  He understood how the corporate game was played and he understood how to be successful.  The long standing beef with the Ging street gang had been all but silenced with the onboarding of Jimin as the new leader of the South street gang.  He immediately pulled back all illegal activity and forced his gang to gain useful trades that would allow him to officially employ them.  He stepped completely out of the prostitution game, and divested his interest in all of the gambling rackets.  Jimin wanted to be legit; not just as a cover, but as a genuine business that had no illegal dealings.  Now of course he was never above placing a bribe or two, but that was how corporate business was handled and he did nothing that his corporate counterparts wouldn’t do.

Kumo was disgusted by how bad her hand of cards were.  She blew at the feathers around her robe. The feathers displaced for a moment before tickling her nose and landing back in place. The cards released a crisp syncopated rustle as their plastic backs collided when she reshuffled the deck to start anew.  A quiet, but firm knock came from the door.  Kumo was two rooms over in the den.  It took her a minute to glide down the hall, past all of the decadent Christmas decorations.  It was just a few hours before Christmas and she couldn’t understand who would be visiting at that hour. 

“Who is it?”  She asked with her sultry deep voice.

“It’s me.”

Kumo swung open the door with a broad happy smile, “Kookie!  This is a pleasant surprise.  I thought you were on duty all night tonight and tomorrow.”

“The Sergeant asked me to do surveillance on my favorite little mobster, so technically I’m working,”  Jeongguk explained.

“Uh huh, so what brings you here to our apartment?  Let me guess...you couldn’t stand watching him from across the street as he bounced around in his sexy Santa suit.  Am I right?” She laughed.

Kumo was as witty as ever.  However, under the circumstances, Jeongguk chose not to give her the full truth about why he was there.  Instead he spun up a partial excuse, “No, nothing like that.  I’ve got some official business.  It’s important.”  Jeongguk nodded, trying to look convincing.

“Yeah right,” Kumo said as she watched the sparkling anticipation dance in Jeongguk’s eyes.  “He’s going to be so happy to see you.  I think he’s got a little bit of the Christmas blues.”  Kumo pulled Jeongguk in and encouraged him to have a seat.  “Hearing some of the stories from the villagers of Guryong was difficult for him.  He helped as many as he could but I know he wishes that he could have done more.”

Jeongguk removed his fedora, “Yeah.  I could tell they were getting to him, especially that Yang boy.”

“Yeah, he was difficult,”  Kumo said sadly. 

“So where is he?  I really need to see him,” Jeongguk pressed.

“He’s in his den, coddling a glass of gin like it’s a pet.  I think he’s working through the details of the Mapo contract.  You know how that always distracts him.”

“Yeah I know.  I’ll be glad when that’s finalized.  He seems worried about it.”

“Oh Kookie.   It’s not just that.”  Kumo poured Jeongguk a drink.  “The shit with his brother Xio is taking a toll on him too.  They just don’t agree on Xio taking over the Busan expansion of Posco.  He’s about worn down with all of the constant bickering over the matter,” Kumo explained as she took a seat next to him.

“He has reason to be worried,”  Jeongguk stifled himself.  He was afraid of saying too much to Kumo.  Although she was Jimin’s wife, he didn’t want to burden her with business. He placed both of his hands on Kumo’s shoulders, “Listen sweetheart.  I need some time alone with him.  I know you were worried about him being alone, but I’m here.  Let me take care of him and you take a break.  Tomorrow’s Christmas - go visit your family for a day or two.  And...,”  Jeongguk added, “...since all of the stores are open tomorrow, you should head into the department store and buy me something pretty.” Jeongguk smiled.

Kumo objected, “You mean buy myself something pretty?”

“No sweetheart, I live on a cop’s salary.  I’m literally broke.  I mean buy me something pretty.”

Kumo laughed again.  “You’re so incredibly charming.  I see why he loves you.”  She stopped laughing and judgmentally picked at his suit blazer with two fingers,  “Now that you mention it, you really do need a full coat.  You wear this same ratty blazer everywhere you go.  It’s simply too cold for this thing to protect you against the elements.”

“I like my blazer...but I did almost freeze my nuts off tonight at the party.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, we can’t allow anything to happen to Jimin’s favorite nuts.  Maybe I do need to do a little shopping for you.  But hey isn’t he the one who’s supposed to spoil you?  I mean 80% of the gifts under that fucking tree belong to you,”  She gestured towards the obnoxiously large, gold and white Christmas tree that stood by the window.

“Kumo, how do I say this?  None of the gifts that I want from Jimin right now, are under that tree,”  Jeongguk said impishly.  “Now get dressed and run along.”

“Ah-ha!  I knew this wasn’t just a business visit.  You horny pervert.” Kumo laughed as she disappeared into her bedroom.  She reemerged five minutes later wearing a pristine red dress and crazy tall heels.  She grabbed her mink stole and wrapped it around her shoulders.  With a few gifts for her mother and sister stuffed under her arm, she headed out. 

Jeongguk tried to rush her away but before she stepped out of the penthouse she asked him one final question, “What size suit jacket are you?”

Jeongguk looked confused, “A medium, why?”

“Just in case I actually do buy you something pretty, I want to make sure I get the right size.” She winked and kissed Jeongguk on the cheek.  She added one small but serious warning to the detective, “Don’t rip him, he’s got important meetings this week,” she said as she tossed her long platinum blonde hair over her left shoulder.

Jeongguk removed his shoes and suit jacket.  He untucked his crisp white collared shirt and allowed it to hang loosely. His tortoise shell tipped suspenders still clung to the top button of his trousers.  With a single quick movement,  he snapped his suspenders from his shoulders and then dropped them down to hang around his waist.   The holster that held his .357 police issued hand gun as well as his badge was subtly placed on the bar counter without making a sound.  Softly, he walked through the halls of the palatial penthouse until he came upon the door to Jimin’s den. 

There Jeongguk rested.  He closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead against the door.  His anticipation was palpable, with his heart thundering in his chest.  On the other side of the door sat his life’s blood, the extension of himself, his reason for being, his everything, his Jimin.  It took a moment to calm his racing heart.  The love was maddening. 

He had given Jimin no warning that he was coming.  In fact,  Jimin assumed that Jeongguk had to work so he’d planned to spend a quiet evening alone just he and Kumo.  Jeongguk anticipated the surprise and shock on Jimin’s face upon seeing him. However, sneaking up on an armed mobster was never a good idea, even if he meant him no harm.  But, somehow, Jeongguk had a wide breadth to do things to Park Jimin that others could not.  Jeongguk reached for the crystal door handle only to realize that his palms were sweaty from nervousness.

He berated himself, “You still burn for him.  Still after all this time?” He felt pathetic; like a puddle of jelly.  How could his petite little CEO still have such an effect on him?

Jimin had three different contracts laid in front of him as well as six different blue prints.  The bid for the construction contract for the Mapo apartment building loomed as one of the largest paid assignments in the history of Posco Construction Company; all the more reason why Jimin had to get it right.  He had to make sure that his interests were protected.  And more than anything, he had to make sure his bid was low enough to win over G&S Engineering; a company backed by the Ging Street boys.  The Kkangpae that ran the Ging street boys were a violent bunch who didn’t mind breaking a few skulls to intimidate board members into accepting their construction bids. 

Jimin didn’t want that for his crew.  Fear tactics and intimidation campaigns were droll and outdated.   Jimin wanted Posco above the fray, with clean hands, winning the business fairly.  But doing so was not easy.  He had to make sure the contract was right.  Having studied law in college, he breezed through the legalese of the hefty paragraphs.  With his head down, mind focused, he deconstructed every sentence of the 113 page document looking for gaps or opportunities that he could exploit to his favor. 

Three random items lay just in front of him atop the large glass desk; his contracts, his legal books and his watered down glass of gin.  It was really all that he needed to get him through the lonely night as well as Christmas day.

The apartment was quiet.  Jimin assumed it was because Kumo was playing a quiet game of solitaire instead of watching television.  More than likely, she wanted to keep the place peaceful so Jimin could work.  Jimin thought she was a very respectful and caring companion in that regard. 

He suddenly felt a large warm hand on his shoulder.  It was too heavy to belong to Kumo, so he assumed correctly that it was...

“Kookie?”  He said without turning around, “You know, this is exactly the kind of sneaky shit that could get you killed.”  He could barely contain his smile.  But, he didn’t want to seem overly excited because he didn’t want it to appear like his entire world revolved around Jeongguk – even though it did.  He closed his eyes and melted into the hard, masculine grip upon him.  How could a simple touch feel so good?  He wondered to himself.

Jeongguk gently massaged Jimin’s shoulder, “Hi Santa.  You were incredible tonight.  You never cease to amaze me with your willingness to give.  You have to be one of the kindest men I’ve ever met.  You have the heart of a saint,”  Jeongguk said quietly as he took the few necessary steps needed to embrace him.

“But I’m all sinner baby.  I think we both know that,”  Jimin said as he allowed his cheek to rub over the firm grip that still held the top of his shoulder.  He evinced no hint of what was in his heart.  There was no need to recount the complex tangle of emotions that he kept locked inside, because his sensitive knowing lover, already knew.  Jimin turned around to face his life’s love.

Jeongguk stared directly at him, “You’re not a sinner.  What you are is a bit more complicated than that,”  Jeongguk stated.  His breath hitched as the full view of Jimin filled his seeking eyes.  His lover was divine.  “Whoa.  I mean wow.”

Jimin laughed, “Wow?  Wow what?”  His brown eyes sparkled and a slightly dimpled indentation appeared in his cheek.

“Fuck you’re gorgeous,” Jeongguk admitted.

“You’re being overly flirtatious...and for what?”  Jimin playfully responded.  He blushed a deep red.  The CEO of Posco Construction and the mafia boss of the deadly South Street Kkangpae, literally blushed at being called gorgeous by his lover. 

Jimin was dressed in a knee-length, wine-colored, silk robe that fastened in a hard knot at his waist.  Beneath his robe, his chest was bare.  The undulations of well-formed pectoral muscles teased seductively just beneath the soft fabric.  His finely tailored silk slacks lined his long legs, while the hand-stitched seams curved over his ample rear end.  Bespoke leather loafers from an exclusive shoe store in Itaewon, covered his large feet.  Solid gold rings, two on each hand, circled the joints of his small fingers.  He was no taller than 175 centimeters but his presence was dominating, rivaling that of the mighty Goliath.  However, none of that mattered because whenever his sexy detective Kookie was in his presence, he became putty in his hands.

 “Stop causing trouble.”  Jimin tried to cool his warm blushed skin.  “I thought you had to work for Christmas,”  he asked.

“I am working.  The Sergeant put me on surveillance tonight.  His sources say that you’re planning to move a shipment of weapons in a caravan to Busan.”

“Ah I see.”  Jimin laughed at the stupidity of Jeongguk’s Sergeant of police.  He continued with his line of questions, “And where’s my wife?  I don’t hear her,”  Jimin asked as he prayed that Jeongguk would give him the answer he wanted to hear.

“I sent her to her mother’s house to spend time with her family.  It’s been a long time since she’s seen them and she was happy to go.  I told her that I needed to discuss some personal business with you and that we needed to be alone.”

“Ah ok,”  Jimin sighed with relief.  That was exactly the answer he wanted to hear, “and can I assume that the business you need to discuss somehow involves my sexy Santa suit?”

“I won’t lie.  It does it for me every time.”

“You’re an absolute deviant,”  Jimin began to laugh.

“I have a Christmas present for you,”  Jeongguk advised.

“Is it your dick?  Is your dick my present?  Did you wrap it again?  Because last year, you wrapped it in gold wrapping paper with tape and a bow and everything.”  Jimin burst into laughter as he thought back on Jeongguk’s previous Christmas presents.

“It is my dick but I’m afraid I didn’t wrap it this year.  It’s just too big and hard, I couldn’t find a box big enough,” Jeongguk flirted again.

Jimin leaned back, mouth open, and laughed.  Jeongguk had a way of bringing out the kid in him.  Jeongguk turned his attention to the pile of papers that covered Jimin’s desk.

“What’s all this?  Mapo contract bid?”

“It is.  We’re set to submit our final bids in a few weeks and I just don’t know if my numbers are low enough.  G&S is going to come in with a strong bid, plus there’s a rumor that they’ve been threatening some of the board members who don’t want to vote for them – you know that same old intimidation shit.  My hope is that tactic will backfire and they’ll choose us.  Kookie, everything is riding on this contract.  If we get this, it will officially mark a new era.  I’ll finally close the loop on the vision that my grandad had way back in 1913.  We’ll be fully legitimate.  Once we land this Mapo deal, we will officially be the largest corporation on the entire Asian continent.”

“Game changer,”  Jeongguk nodded.

“For sure.  Now do you fully understand why this deal is so important?”

“I’ve always understood why this deal was so important, Min.”

“Oh yeah, then why are you here with your dick-in-a-box Christmas present, trying to distract me from my work?”

“I told you – I did not wrap the dick this year,”  Jeongguk said with a delicious smile.  “You’re going to win this Min.  There’s no question in my mind.  We just have to stay off the radar, you know.  Be discreet in your operations and don’t give the Mapo board of directors any reason to doubt that you’re on the up and up.  I’m sure I don’t have to remind you, if they for one second think that you’re still in the mob game, they won’t touch you,”  Jeongguk said wisely.

“I know.  I know.  A lot of pressure, especially keeping Xio in check,”  Jimin took a sip of his gin that was completely diluted by the melted ice.

Jeongguk started, “...about Xio...I feel we need to talk about...,”

Jimin suddenly stood to his feet and pressed his tongue into Jeongguk’s mouth. 

Jeongguk’s words were cut off as his bold lover took possession of his lips.  Jeongguk could taste just the slightest hint of the cardamom and coriander of expensive Gin on Jimin's tongue. With a small labored breath he mumbled “So, we’re avoiding the topic of your brother?”

“No.  But suddenly, I very much want my Christmas present.”

__________________________

In the most ironic of ironies, detective Jeon and CEO Park first began their physical relationship two months after Kumo and Jimin were married.  In the early days of their sadistic cat and mouse relationship, they both discovered their mutual attraction for other men and each other.  But learning they were both gay was not so surprising.  Even in Korea in the late 60’s, the practice of homosexuality was becoming more and more common as the country looked towards the westernized free love movement.  However, finding a man who was willing to openly admit his preferences with the sexual experience to match, wasn’t exactly easy to find.  So when the very experienced Park Jimin first attacked Jeongguk with his Beauxbaton-Veela like seduction, Jeongguk was turned into a whimpering, sobbing, sexually whipped mess.  Never had his fantasies and desires been fulfilled the way that Jimin fulfilled him. 

From day one, sex had been Jimin’s domain.  He ruled over the bedroom, with the same seductive charm that he used to rule over his empire.  But more often than not, Jimin had to remind himself that love was a partnership.  He was in love and Jeongguk was his partner.  The detective was not some paid thug who gave him whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it.  Detective Jeon was the man of his dreams; the one with whom he wanted to build a future.  Jimin understood that every now and again, he needed to stroke the young one’s ego and make him feel as if he were calling the shots.  But it was all bullshit because at the end of the day, they both knew that Jimin was the owner of Jeongguk’s dick.

Jimin unbuttoned Jeongguk’s shirt and exposed his chest.  He ravaged his nipples with his tongue while peeling the shirt away.  Before throwing the shirt to the ground, he quickly unbuckled his lover’s pants.  There was no time to strip him naked, Jimin’s hole was too anxious, too desperate.  He demanded his lover’s dick right away because the dick was what he craved.  The palm of Jimin’s hand slid inside of the open slot of Jeongguk’s zipper and pulled his cock free. 

With several swift movements, Jimin unlatched his robe and dropped his own pants and underwear.  He forced Jeongguk’s warm paws to clutch and slap his plump ass. His tongue slathered all over the detective’s face, eventually finding its way into his mouth.  Jimin was uncontrollable as he licked, pinched and bit every inch of Jeongguk’s upper body. 

Jeongguk felt heat in his lower lip as Jimin carelessly bit it, drawing blood.  But with no hesitation, Jimin slurped the salted fluid into their kiss, until the bite bled no more.

“Oh fuck!”  Jeongguk mumbled,  “I missed you too.”

Jimin hissed under Jeongguk’s touch, “We’re going to fuck hard, yeah?  Really hard?”  It was more of a demand than a request.

Jeongguk moaned as he struggled to keep his footing against Jimin’s greedy advances, “I have to be careful, please don’t make me hurt you.  I promised Kumo that I wouldn’t rip you.”

With pre-cum already dripping from his tip, Jimin flipped around and leaned over his desk.  He presented his generous backside to his over excited lover,  “Put your dick in me.  Fuck me, now.  Don’t hold back.  Get the first one over quickly and then we’ll move to the bedroom.  I plan to keep you all fucking night and work the shit out of my Christmas present,” Jimin said with a rugged authoritative tone.

“Fuck, you’re so fucking sexy,”  Jeongguk whispered into Jimin’s ear as he entered him roughly. 

He didn’t even lube, or prep Jimin’s hole because Jimin wouldn’t allow it.  So Jeongguk simply parted his ass cheeks and shoved his dick inside.  He moaned a painful cry as he fought to push through Jimin’s rim.  But eventually he found his mark as Jimin’s warmth collapsed around his shaft.

Naked, vulnerable and painfully impassioned,  Jimin gasped as he felt the intrusion.  A slow, high-pitched, squeak came from Jimin’s desk as Jeongguk fucked their weight against it.  Jimin never worried about lube for the first fuck because he knew that his Kookie could never survive more than two strokes; especially if it had been a long time.  And true to form, his horny detective was already about to burst.  A groan swelled in Jeongguk’s throat as the pace of his thrusts increased.

Jimin pushed all of his Mapo contracts to the ground as he leaned completely over the glass desk.  He pressed the side of his face against the glass and stretched his arms behind him so that he could hold Jeongguk’s hands as he fucked him from behind.  He loved Jeongguk so much, that he wanted to give him everything.  But even everything didn’t feel like enough.  Jimin smiled devilishly as he listened to Jeongguk groan deeper and deeper until his voice was so low that it vibrated inside of Jimin’s ear.

“Cum hard baby.  Cum for me,”  Jimin demanded.

He could feel Jeongguk nibbling on his skin, tasting it, licking it, savoring it on his tongue.  As Jeongguk grew closer to his moment, he began to slow his pace.  He used his hands to open Jimin’s ass cheeks again but this time he watched his cock disappear into the warm abyss. 

“Tell me you love me when you cum, Kookie.  Scream my name,”  Jimin gave another demand.

Jeongguk groaned harshly, “I love you Min...,” he barely formed the words before his body began to shake with unbearable pleasure and he exploded inside of Jimin’s ass. 

He continued to beat against Jimin until the muffled clapping of their colliding bodies quieted. 

Gasping in the aftermath, he fell over Jimin’s back and once again kissed his soft clean skin.  His cock went limp and fell from Jimin’s hole, dripping the remnants of his fluids to the ground.

Jimin quickly turned around to face the detective.  There was something about Jeongguk’s freshly fucked after-glow that deepened Jimin’s love for him each time.  He had to see it.  With the wine colored robe fallen against his shoulders, he immediately engaged in a kiss with his favorite set of thin lips. 

“I love you so much,” he mumbled over and over.

Jeongguk quipped, “If I didn’t know better, I would say that you absolutely loved your Christmas present.”

“I did.  I did love it.  I did. I did. I did,” Jimin smiled as he continued to nibble at Jeongguk’s lips.  His robe fell to his waist, revealing his nude body underneath. 

“It’s my turn now.  Let’s go to the bed.”

“We can and we will.  But Min, wait.  Baby...I need to talk to you,”  Jeongguk tried to slow things down so that he could discuss an important matter.

“Can this wait?  Just for once, can it wait?  It’s Christmas and I want more of my Christmas present before it expires.”

“Dicks don’t expire.  This one is good for your entire life time,”  Jeongguk retorted.

“No.  We can talk later...,”

“Ok, but...,”

“Don’t argue with me.  Just fuck me.  It’s been two weeks and I need you,”  Jimin said passionately as he ripped the remaining clothing from Jeongguk’s body. 

Jimin was in a mood.  He was so fucking horny that he was barely able to think straight.  Wisely, Jeongguk decided to pull a few orgasms out of Jimin before trying to have the serious conversation that he needed to have.   

“Ok.  You can have your way with me.  But promise me, we’ll talk later?”

“The only thing I can promise, is that I’m about to ride you so hard that your dick will fall off.”

Jeongguk frowned.  Dick damage jokes were not funny to him, “That’s not seductive or attractive at all.  Don’t say those things. I want to keep my dick.  It’s the only Christmas present that I can afford,”  Jeongguk pouted.

“Oh stop that,”  Jimin laughed as he pulled Jeongguk back to the bedroom.

 

They walked backwards down the hall, kissing, embracing, loving...   

“Hey?”

“Hey.”

“Good, you’re awake.  Got a minute...to talk?” Jeongguk swooped in to give Jimin a light kiss.  He placed one of his heavy legs over Jimin’s body.

“For you, my love, I have much more than a minute.  How about forever?”

“Yeah, I don’t need that long,”  Jeongguk joked.  But Jimin didn’t laugh.  He was very sensitive when it came to matters of the heart.  It always irked him when Jeongguk treated their love too casually.

“Come on, you know I was just kidding.  Let’s be deadly serious for a minute here, Min.  I have something to tell you.  When I told Kumo that I needed to talk business, I was telling the truth.”

“Ok, what is it?”  Jimin sat up, attentively. 

Whenever Jeongguk needed to talk business, it was critically important because Jeongguk was Jimin’s eyes and ears.  He was his version of a confidential informant.  Jeongguk was the lead detective, assigned to dismantle Jimin’s organization and arrest him for trafficking and racketeering.  Jeongguk was the inside man and nothing happened inside of the Seoul police department without him knowing about it.  His ear was to the ground and his nosy nature benefited him very well when gathering information that Jimin needed to know.

But Jeongguk also fed information to the police – about Jimin.  Unfortunately most of it was trash.  What the Seoul police didn’t know was that Jeongguk was feeding them false information.  He and Jimin worked closely to come up with clever schemes that kept the Seoul police department running in circles.  The entire department marveled at how Jeongguk knew so much about Jimin’s organization and how he was always able to anticipate his next steps.  They never figured out that the info was all fabricated to make it appear that Jeongguk was making progress in his investigation.  The only thing that Jeongguk was consistently investigating was Jimin’s ass.

Jimin, however, was never truly the problem.  It was Xio who was the criminal mind that kept Jimin running from the cops.  For some reason, Xio just couldn’t keep his nose clean.  He was a mobster through and through and he caused a lot of friction within Jimin’s legal operations.  But, whenever the police got too close, or whenever they had a lead on one of Xio’s crimes, Jeongguk would give Jimin all of the details about what the police actually knew.  Jeongguk was the most loyal informant that Jimin had, except he didn’t do it for money, he did it for love. 

Jeongguk continued with his important news, “Min, we have a guy...he’s some ex-hustler who just got out of jail.  He comes into the station from time to time and snitches on some of the low level criminals around town.  In exchange for the cops giving him a break, he helps them make a few arrests, they pay him and we keep the petty thieves in check.  It’s a win-win for everyone involved.  But the other night, just before we headed to your holiday party, I overheard him talking to another detective.  Detective Kim.  He was telling him about a body that washed up on the shore of Busan beach.  The victim’s name was Takeshi Tagahashi, a petty gambler from Japan.  The informant knew information about who the killer was.  As bad luck would have it, he actually saw the murder and saw them stuff the body into the trunk of the car.  He wasn’t absolutely sure the man was dead, until he saw his face on the news.  Immediately he ran to the police to tell them what he knew.  I guess he was hoping to really score some big points with the boys down at the precinct.  Anyway, he told a compelling story.  He said he was walking through the alley behind the fish market and came upon three men fighting around 4am.  He ducked behind a trash can because he didn’t want to be seen.  They were beating the guy, Tagahashi, pretty good.  From what the informant could tell, the guy owed them money from gambling debts.  They eventually stabbed him several times and then threw him in the trunk.  Jimin, he gave a description of one of the men.  About 173 centimeters, black hair, salt and pepper tweed grey suit, slight build, loud booming laugh and – a limp.

“SHIT!  Xio?”

“Yeah.  I think so.  He didn’t know Xio’s name, thank God and the description could fit many different people...but Jimin....this isn’t good.”

“No.  It’s not.  Xio’s Polio has gotten worse over the years.  That fucking limp causes witnesses to always recognize him.  This is the last thing we need right now.  We’ve got the Mapo contract bid coming up.  I don’t fucking need this.”  Jimin rubbed his fingers through his hair.  “Is this what you meant yesterday at the Christmas party when you told me to be careful?”

“This is exactly what I meant.  Xio is...on another planet.  He’s out of control, Min.  Can you talk to him?  Try to calm him down?” Jeongguk asked.   

“SHIT, FUCK!”  Jimin swore again.  Angered beyond belief, he punched into the air.  “So what happened?  What did the detective say?”

“He gave the informant a few bucks and took his report.  I subsequently snuck into the file cabinet and removed the report.  I threw it into an incinerator on my way to the holiday party yesterday.  Baby,”  Jeongguk took Jimin’s hands into his and kissed his fingers, “I will keep this covered up.  I’ve already destroyed the evidence.  I’ll make sure this case remains unsolved forever.  But please talk to him.  He’s out of control, breaking legs, and threatening dignitaries and…the murders.  I know this contract means a lot to you, but Xio can’t keep on like this - I mean there’s only so many of his crimes that I can keep under wraps.  The Sergeant is already on my ass for not solving that attack on the Minister of Veteran Affairs’ wife.  That was very high profile Min and I can’t…I can’t keep hiding your brother’s crimes.  I’m starting to think he enjoys killing, just for the fun of it,”  Jeongguk purged his frustration.

Jimin was deeply troubled.   Everything that his handsome lover was telling him was true.  Xio was becoming a problem and Jeongguk was having to go through greater and greater trouble to keep it quiet.

Jimin tried meagerly to defend his brother, “He doesn’t enjoy killing, he just has very poor negotiation skills.”

There was quiet in the room.  Jeongguk sat up and glared at Jimin through the darkness.  After a few palpable seconds, they both erupted in laughter. 

“I’m sorry.  I know this is serious.  I knew some of this was going on, but Kookie I’ve been so caught up in this Mapo deal that I just turned a blind eye.  I know that he’s doing some of this for the good of the company, but this isn’t the way.  We’ll never become a legit business if he continues down this path,”  Jimin said.

Jeongguk gave another piece of sage advice, “I know you hate him Jimin.  But thanks to your fucked up bloodline, Xio is a member of the family and a member of the board of directors for Posco Construction Company.  No matter how you try to keep him in the background, he’s one of the faces of your family’s franchise.  He’s part of this company’s legacy.  He’s going to get you killed, fuck he may get us all killed at the rate he’s going.  This investigation into the attack on the Minister of Veteran Affairs’ wife is not going away.  Minister Ji is a known associate of the Ging Street Kkangpae and they don’t like people messing with their own.  I’m keeping this attack out of the press, I’ve destroyed every lead, every witness statement, every recording, but the Sergeant is not going to give up on that one.  There’s pressure coming all the way from the President’s office.  I’m trying my best Jimin, I really am, but maybe you need to reconsider the expansion?”  Jeongguk explained.

“I can’t ask you to do anymore for him.  You’ve already put yourself at risk.  It’s too dangerous to keep doing this Jeongguk.  Xio is a troubled man.  He’s always been a piece of shit, but it’s been much worse since dad handed the business over to me five years ago.”  Jimin laid back down and wrapped his arms around Jeongguk for comfort.  He continued, “Xio’s my elder, by five years.  This entire enterprise was supposed to be his.  He worked at my father’s side so that he could learn the business.  He just knew that he would own it all.  And I was so happy about him inheriting this shit because I never wanted to be saddled with this responsibility.  I just wanted to be a lawyer, Kookie.  I looked forward to the transition of power to Xio so that my aging father could step down.  But it didn’t happen that way.  For some fucking reason dad gave everything to me.  Can you imagine being the elder of two boys, thinking for your entire life that you’d be the next Hyungnim of the most notorious gang in Korea, only for it to be passed to your younger brother because your father didn’t have faith in your ability?  Xio fully expected himself to be the next to reign over the family empire, but instead he had to watch helplessly as it was passed to me.  You can’t imagine what it did to Xio’s already fucked up heart when my dad made me the new boss.

Jeongguk had a clear memory of that event, “I remember watching the press conference on television when your dad made the announcement that you would be the new CEO of Posco Construction Company.  As a cop, I knew what you were really inheriting.  In fact, about a year later, you became the newest target of my investigation into the South street gang.  All along we had been preparing for it to be Xio.  I still remember your brother sitting next to you with this vacant look on his face.  Even though he knew what was happening, he still looked shocked.”

“It was the worst time of my life,”  Jimin said sadly,  “Dad died less than a year after handing over the reins to me.  He and Xio had a major argument about it.  Both of them had savage and violent tempers.  Even as adults, they often came to blows that erupted into violent physical fights.  My dad was the superior fighter and he would beat him mercilessly.  It was like dad hated him.  My dad was Xio’s hero and he wanted to be just like him.  But he never forgave him for what he did.  The rift was so deep, that they never reconciled.  My brother didn’t even come to the funeral when dad died.  I didn’t want this shit Kookie, I really didn’t.  But my dad knew something that none of us knew at the time,  Xio was never meant to lead this organization.  He’s too volatile, uneducated, temperamental, impulsive, violent, ignorant – all of the qualities which make for a very poor Hyungnim and an even worse CEO.  If it were left to him, we’d be battling in the streets daily with Ging Street.  Dad was right, I was the better choice.  Look where we are now, on the verge of becoming one of the most successful construction conglomerates in the history of this nation.  We would not have gotten here under Xio’s leadership and my dad knew that,”  Jimin said proudly.

“What are you going to do, Min?”

Jimin took a deep breath.  He suddenly looked pensive.  What had started as a spectacular night, had ended in Jimin’s despair.  “I plan to spend Christmas day making love to you.  After that, I’ll travel to Busan to speak with Xio.  He’s there on business, trying to help secure ownership in a new loading dock.  I’ll handle this Kookie.  But in the meantime, I just want to enjoy a little more time – with you.”

The following morning, Jimin rushed to awaken Jeongguk.  With childish joy in his heart, he leapt upon the bed and dropped his entire body over the top of Jeongguk’s torso and began tickling him.  “Wake up. Get up.  It’s Christmas.  Come see what Santa left for you under the tree.”  Jimin laughed.  He was exuberant.

“Santa?  Min we’re in our thirties.  Shouldn’t we relax the Santa agenda?”  Jeongguk said groggily.

“No.  I will never relax the Santa agenda.  Now get up.  You have so many gifts to open.”  Jimin pulled on Jeongguk’s heavy arm. 

As he moved Jeongguk from his cozy spot in the bed,  the soft satin sheets fell away, revealing Jeongguk’s naked body. The dick that had been officially offered as Jimin’s Christmas gift was mildly erect.

“Your dick is delectable.  So beautiful,” Jimin said softly as he stared at the incredible man that belonged all to him.

“Yes, I agree.  That’s why I keep recycling it as your Christmas present every year,”  Jeongguk quickly retorted.  He teasingly cupped his nuts at the base to hide them from his lover’s greedy glances. 

“I think I’m addicted to it,” Jimin frowned as he continued to examine the young detective.  “You’re a bit bruised around your stomach.  I didn’t realize I was that rough last night.”  The bruises that Jimin referenced were small circular indentions around Jeongguk’s private areas where he’d been bitten; evidence of their passionate, beautiful Christmas Eve of love making. 

“You didn’t hurt me, Min.  You never do,”  Jeongguk said as he agreed to finally step out of the bed.

The striated muscles that cut across Jeongguk’s thighs added bulk to his already substantial foundation.  But in perfect balance, his upper body was equally stuffed with sleek chiseled musculus.  Jeongguk was a specimen, a God of beauty with a sweet caring soul to match.   It was his striking good looks and model-like physique that first attracted Jimin three years prior and earned him the nickname Stallion.  But, it was Jeongguk’s authentic, and humble disposition that made him irresistible.  From the very first day they laid eyes upon each other, they were destined. 

As Jeongguk slowly lumbered his nude body forward, Jimin was faced with a dilemma.   Seeing Jeongguk there with his messy hair, swollen balls, and sleepy eyes made the thickness between Jimin’s legs twitch.  He had to make a decision.  Did he want to open all of Jeongguk’s gifts under the tree or did he want to take his detective’s dick for another ride?  He chose the gifts.  He rationalized what seemed like a horrible decision by thinking that he could fuck his Kookie anytime but Christmas only came once a year. 

Jimin threw one of his spare silk robes around Jeongguk’s nude body and rushed him to the main living area where the large white Christmas tree stood.  The tree was obscene in its stature and opulence.  Standing at least 10 feet tall, it was covered in gold ornaments, gold ribbons,  gold pine cones and crisp white lights.  Tens of gifts were stacked underneath the tree and Jeongguk feared that most of the gifts belonged to him. 

The entire penthouse was filled with snowmen, mistletoe, poinsettias and stuffed Santa Clauses.  It was the most American home in all of Korea.   Kumo was Jimin’s favorite little elf because without her, none of the joyous, over the top decor would have been possible.  Her understanding of what Christmas meant to Jimin was her motivation for giving him the very best, every year.   

Jimin forced Jeongguk to the floor in a position just under the tree.  He smiled so brightly that Jeongguk couldn’t help but smile as well.  Jimin’s mood was contagious.  Every year was the same because Christmas was the time when Jimin was at his happiest.  But this was the first Christmas in three years of dating, that he and Jeongguk were able to spend the day alone together without Jeongguk having to work.  So in Jimin’s eyes, this Christmas was particularly special.

“Breakfast Mr. Park,” a bellow and a knock came from the front door.  It was Jimin’s personal caterer there to deliver breakfast. 

“Yes.  Leave the cart there.  I’ll fetch it in a moment. Thank you and Merry Christmas,”  Jimin yelled happily.

Jimin waited for the man to leave before rushing to the hallway and wheeling the cart inside.  It was a Christmas breakfast fit for a King and his King was Jeongguk.

“Food!”  Jimin yelled as he came around the corner pushing the cart full of catered goodies.  

Upon the seeing the trays and trays full of his favorite foods,  Jeongguk yelped, “I love Christmas,” even though before meeting Jimin, he had never even celebrated it.

Jimin took over again with instructions, “You have to multi task here.  Eat and open gifts at the same time.”  He rushed to the tree, “Ok.  This one is yours, and this, and this one, and - this I think, yes and this one, and this, this, this, this one, this, and this too…,”

By the time Jimin was finished, the bottom of the tree was virtually empty.  The only gifts that remained under the tree were marked as belonging to Kumo.  Jeongguk thought he even saw one with Xio’s name on it.  Jimin truly was Santa.

“GO!  Start opening them,” Jimin danced in circles around Jeongguk with a piece of bacon in his hand.

“This is too much...I can’t accept all of these.”

“Yes, you can and will,”  Jimin said as he began ripping open the first box.   Jeongguk was taking too long.  Jimin clawed at the wrapping paper, throwing bits of it all over the floor.  The first gift was a new gun.  A high powered .500 Smith and Wesson.  Jeongguk gawked.  “Jimin!  This is too much.”

“No it’s not.  No detective of mine will be forced to defend himself with that piece of shit department issued Glock.  Your job is dangerous babe.  And who knows when you’ll end up in a shoot-out.  Open the next one.  There’s a bullet proof vest too.  We have to protect you, Kookie.  You mean too much to me to be careless with your safety,” Jimin lectured.   “Now keep going.  No time to linger, there’s too many to open,” Jimin sang.

“Jimin I don’t need this much stuff.  I only need you.   Don’t you understand that?”

Jeongguk’s refusal to match Jimin’s excitement about opening presents was becoming annoying.  Jimin chewed more bacon, “Keep going,” he said in his unique tone.  Jimin was an innate leader, a true mafia boss.  There was a certain tone in his voice that could send chills down a spine.  When he spoke using this tone, everyone obeyed without question - even Jeongguk. 

Jeongguk turned back toward the pile. It took another hour to plow through all of the gifts that Jimin had for him.  While most of the boxes were filled with clothes, and jewelry and other expensive trinkets, the flat boxes near the bottom were a completely different kind of surprise.  Inside each box was a deed to a different property that had been purchased in Jeongguk’s name.  Each of the properties were purchased in cash to avoid any ties back to Jimin or his organization.  They were clean, legal purchases that Jimin used to build Jeongguk’s real estate portfolio.

“Is this property in Florida?  The United States?”  Jeongguk asked, mouth agape.

“Yes.  And one in Narita, Japan and two in Malaysia.  All yours, Kookie.  I need to make sure that if anything ever happens to me, you’ll be well taken care of and you’ll never have to work again unless you want to.  A healthy diversified portfolio with a lot of expensive real estate is the best way to set up for life,”  Jimin said proudly.

“Nothing will ever happen to you.  All due respect Jimin, I’m very thankful for these gifts, but I don’t want property, or jewelry my love.  I just want you.  There is no life without you,”  Jeongguk said honestly.

Jimin spoke over him, “Listen to me, Kookie.  We’re in a dangerous business, you and I.  We have to accept that – things could happen.”

Jeongguk wanted to protest Jimin’s statements, but he didn’t want to cause an argument.  Jimin didn’t want him thinking negatively, especially on Christmas.  He continued to pile presents in front of him and forced him to resume opening them again.  There were so many.  With each additional present that he opened, Jeongguk felt more and more inadequate.  Until finally he spoke his mind, “Jimin you’re so kind.  But this is too much.  I - I only have one gift for you.”

Jimin assumed Jeongguk was referring to his dick-in-the-box, “Shit baby but it was a really good gift.  In fact, I want more of it…,”  Jimin was interrupted when Jeongguk chimed in, slightly irritated.

“Do you really think that my dick was your gift?  It was a joke.  It’s always a joke.  Every year, it’s just a joke,”  Jeongguk rose to his feet laughing.  “Wait here.” 

“Where are you going?  You have more gifts to open,”  Jimin called out.

Jeongguk ran to the den and found his blazer.  Inside his inner pocket was a small box.  It was delicately wrapped with shiny reflective paper and a spiraled red ribbon.  He rushed back to the living area.

Jimin’s eyes sparkled.  Jeongguk’s distorted image reflected in the brilliance of the silver packaging.  The younger man gently placed the box into the palm of his elder, “Open it.”

Jimin opened the box quickly.  He fished his way to the bottom to find a gold piece attached to a long gold necklace. 

With the presentation came a few carefully constructed thoughts as Jeongguk explained, “There is no such thing as the concept of marriage for people like us, even though the concept of love is ours for the taking.  It’s a cruel joke really.  We’ve been together for three years and probably in love for an eternity.  So what do you do in such a situation?  How do you commit to forever?  I love you so much, Min.  I mean...there is nothing that I wouldn’t do to make you happy.  But the thing that I wish I could give you the most, my hand in marriage, is the one thing that has been denied to us...,”

Jimin was not a crier – he couldn’t afford to be a crier in his line of work.  But something about his love for Jeongguk scraped away the dead emotional layers that plaqued over his heart.  Jeongguk lived inside of him, and only he could bring out the emotions of frailty that Jimin thought were long dead and buried.

Jimin pulled his bottom lip into his mouth to keep it from trembling.  He could already feel it coming.  He didn’t want to hear the rest of what Jeongguk had to say, because he knew what the words were going to do to him.  But yet, he didn’t dare interrupt him or stop him from speaking his heart.

Jeongguk continued, “...this necklace belonged to my grandmother.  It’s a solid gold image of Korea’s Mugunghwa flower.  The rose of Sharon.  It means, ‘eternal blossom that never fades’  just like our love.   I’ve never believed in miracles until I fell in love with you, Park Jimin.  The way we got here is a miracle. The fact that we’re still here and we’ve found a way to make this work...it’s a miracle.  Every year, our blossoms continue to bloom.  That’s a miracle too.  So although I can’t give you a wedding ring, I hope you’ll accept this in its place.”  Jeongguk leaned over and placed the necklace around Jimin’s neck.  He breathed sweet breaths behind him as he fastened the large clasp that secured the delicate chain.  “This is something that you can wear without shame or without questions.  With this charm, you’ll always carry me with you.  It’s my way of making you mine forever.  From now on, I’ll forever call you – my husband.”

It was just as Jimin feared.  Jeongguk’s gesture was so beautiful that it caused his emotions to implode.  He held the small beautiful necklace with both hands, admiring it from upside down, before he finally slumped over into Jeongguk’s lap and wept.  Jimin hadn’t cried since his youth; the last time that his mother locked him in the dark closet without food or water.  That was the last time that he’d cried, over 28 years ago. 

The act of crying was unfamiliar to him.  Even the wet of the tears felt strange.  Admittedly, there had been many moments over his three years with Jeongguk where he’d almost been driven to tears, especially during the purity of their love making, but he’d always managed to fight them off.  Tears, human frailty and emotional vulnerability were his nemeses.  They were to be gagged and bound at all times.  But not this time.  This time he stood at the intersection of eternal love and destiny and it overwhelmed him.  He couldn’t see his way out.  He couldn’t push it back.  Something had taken ahold of him that he could no longer fight.  He sobbed loudly in his husband’s arms. 

But unlike his tears from 28 years ago, this round of crying wasn’t born of the beast of fear, hunger, neglect, or even heartbreak.  This cry rose like a Phoenix from the ashes to celebrate love, happiness, contentment, elation.  A return to life. Jimin never considered himself a religious man or even a good man.  But for reasons he could not understand, he had been blessed beyond his worth.  The day that God gave Jeongguk to him, was the day he knew that he was God’s favorite.

December 27th, 1965 – Two days after Christmas.  The day of Jimin’s trip to Busan to speak with Xio... 

Jeongguk grabbed a paper cup to fill it from the water cooler.  The office was full and it seemed as if every single cop had chosen that day to puff on cigarettes.  His nerves were frayed enough without dancing through clouds of smoke billowing through the air.  His throat was dry and he felt like he had no spit.  But he didn’t know if was because of all of the filthy smoke, or his nervousness over Jimin’s trip to Busan to meet with Xio.  Whatever it was, he found himself refilling his plastic cup at least twice an hour. 

As Jeongguk walked back to his desk, telephones rang off the hook, while the low grumble of voices reverberated around him.  He wasn’t used to being cooped up in the office.  Typically, he was assigned to surveillance detail for either Jimin or one of his crew.  The Sergeant as well as his direct reports were fully committed to chasing down every single lead that Jeongguk provided.  But unfortunately for them, almost every single one of those leads were fake; manufactured by Jeongguk and Jimin before, after and sometimes during their weekly fuck fests.  It was a total and absolute waste of department resources.  But until Jimin secured the Mapo contract and took Posco Construction Company fully legit, it was a necessary evil to keep the cops off his back, especially with Xio around.

 Jeongguk needed to talk to the Sergeant, but the Sergeant had been busy most of the morning reading the riot act to detective Kim for losing the confidential informant’s report about the body that washed up in Busan.  The informant had been their only lead and their only witness and now the informant was missing and so was the police report.  Although Jeongguk felt badly about seeing detective Kim get chewed out for something that was absolutely not his fault, his conscious was clean because he alone knew his motives for stealing the file.  He felt justified in doing so because it meant protecting Xio. 

It took another full hour for Sergeant Majuk to finish screaming at detective Kim.  Jeongguk wasn’t too excited about visiting with the Sergeant while he was in such a bad mood, but he needed to give him some critical information.  As he watched detective Kim slink away in humiliation from the boss’ office, Jeongguk stepped forward and gave a rapid knock on the open office door. He stepped into view of his commanding officer.

“Detective Jeon, there are only three fucking things that I want to hear from you right now, 1) You have an arrest warrant for Park Jimin, or 2) You have leads on the attack on the Minister of Veteran Affairs’ wife, or 3)  You know a good place for me to go and get my dick sucked because I’m fucking STRESSED OUT!”  Sergeant Majuk gritted his teeth in anger. 

Jeongguk laughed.  He actually did know of a good place for the Sergeant to get his dick sucked.  It was a brothel in the red light district of Mia-ri inside of the Wolgok-dong area.  It was run by the Ging Street gang, Jimin’s rivals.  Since Jimin was out of the prostitution business, they were the only game in town where hot prostitutes could be found.  Jeongguk contemplated telling his Sergeant about it, but decided against it.  Afterall, they didn’t need any more officers struggling to stay on the right side of the law.

“I’m sure that an officer with as much integrity as yourself, would never visit a dick sucking establishment.  I guess you’ll just have to jack off to calm your stress, but please wait until after I leave.”  Jeongguk joked.

Despite his foul mood, Sergeant Majuk actually smiled.  “Why are you hear Jeon?”

“None of the three reasons you mentioned.  But I do have a hit on Park.  Wondering if I can get the ok to run a surveillance Op outside of his penthouse tonight?  It’ll probably be an all-night thing.  My sources say he’s on a business trip and coming in later this afternoon.  I was able to snag a few pictures of him boarding his flight.”  Jeongguk threw some staged pictures of Jimin on his Sergeant’s desk. 

“Suave son-of-a-bitch.  Have you ever seen him without at least of billion won of clothes on his back?”

The answer to that question was yes, considering that almost daily Jeongguk fucked him while he wore nothing but his birthday suit.  But, the response to his Sergeant was, “No.  He loves the lifestyle and the expensive clothes, obviously,”  Jeongguk said malevolently.

The Sergeant continued to complain about Jimin, “He runs around living the life of a Playboy meanwhile he and his crew are leaving countless bodies in their wake.  Sick bastard.”  The Sergeant glared angrily over the pictures.  He had an idea as soon as he noticed that Jimin’s wife Kumo was not with him,

“Have you ever given any thought to making a play for his wife?  I mean shake her down and maybe scare her into giving us an inside view.  You’re a handsome charmer, you may even be able to get her to work with us.  I’m sure she’s sick and tired of her husband’s affairs.  Maybe looking for a little payback?”

“Affairs?”  Jeongguk was very interested in that statement, “How do you know he has affairs?  I’ve never seen any evidence of that.”

“Kid listen to me.  He’s a mobster. Wake up.  Don’t be so naïve.  He’s fucking plenty more dames than just his wife, that I can assure you.” 

“Ah yes, indeed.  Were I not so naïve, I probably would have picked up on that right away.  Good call,” Jeongguk smiled like a greedy canary.  He was having too much fun.  “So are you ok with me watching the airport and the penthouse tonight?”

Sergeant Majuk was still staring at Jimin’s pictures.  “Yeah, yeah whatever.  Handsome kid, this Park Jimin.  How does someone like this get caught up in such a piece of shit life.  I almost feel sorry for him.”

“You should.  I’ve seen his struggles up close and...well...it seems like...he never ever wanted this life.  I think he’s just trying to deal with the hand he was dealt,”  Jeongguk said lovingly, much too lovingly, so much so that the Sergeant looked up at him. 

“Detective Jeon.  Let me ask you something.  You’ve been on this case for three years now with no breaks, no vacations, and hardly any other cases to break up the monotony.  Is it time to pull you off?  Maybe let another detective take over for a while?”

“NO!”  Jeongguk said it quickly, firmly, almost with a yell.  He covered, “I mean...I’ve put my blood sweat and tears into this fucking case.  I’m this close to making an arrest.  It may not be Park, but it will be someone close to him.  As soon as I do, his entire house of cards will fall.  You can’t let me get this far and then pull me back. It’s not fair to me. I deserve to be the one to bring him down.”  Jeongguk placed his fedora on his head and walked out of Sergeant Majuk’s office. 

Jimin’s flight out of Yeouido airport in Seoul took off at 6:40am that morning.  It was two days after Christmas and he was headed to Busan to talk to his brother.  His black fedora, which was made of the same exquisite fabric as his suit, was tilted elegantly over the top of his head.  With his large leather satchel in his lap, he sat buckled into the seat of his private Beechcraft King Air jet.  The flight to Busan was a short one, so immediately upon takeoff, he began rifling through his satchel for one final read over the paperwork for the formation of the new corporation; the corporation that would belong to Xio. 

For one year straight, Xio and Jimin had been at odds over the creation of a Posco Construction Company subsidiary that would be based in Busan.  What Jimin knew, was what everyone knew; Xio was not equipped to run a subsidiary of their company alone.  Xio’s lack of qualification was the crux of their argument.  Xio resented Jimin’s gatekeeping of the company’s expansion.  He wanted more power, more prestige, more respect.  He was sick and tired of being at the beck and call of his little brother. 

Jimin, in an effort to protect the business, refused to allow the company expansion under Xio’s leadership.  He felt that all branches of the franchise should be headquartered in Seoul with Jimin as the CEO.  It was fine to place Xio on the ground in Daegu or Busan whenever a face to face negotiation was needed, but it was foolhardy to allow Xio to have total and complete control of his own subsidiary.  Xio was not qualified, but he was completely ignorant of his own shortcomings.  The tension between the two brothers over the expansion plans had only grown more intense over the last few months.  But there was another problem with Xio brewing and this one was much more troubling. 

The pressure was on Jimin to get the Mapo contract signed.  It was a huge undertaking, but if successful, Jimin would sit alone atop a conglomerate unlike any Asia had ever seen.  But there were problems.  They were bidding against Jimin’s rival company, G&S construction.  And the rivals did not play fair.  G&S was owned and operated by the Ging Street crew.  As where Jimin refused to use intimidation tactics, the Ging Street clan were more than willing to do whatever it took to blackmail, coerce, and terrorize the members of the Mapo board who were responsible for choosing the winner of the contract. 

Jimin made Xio promise to stay out of it.  He wanted to legally win the bid for the new contract and he did not want Xio muddying the waters by stooping to the level of the Ging Street Kkangpae.  The head of the Mapo board who would be choosing the finalist was a woman named Hae Woo-Jin.  She also happened to be the wife of the Minister of Veteran’s Affairs.  Woo-jin and her husband had done many business dealings with the Ging Street crew’s construction company and they considered themselves business partners with Jimin’s rivals.  In Xio’s mind, Woo-jin’s close relationship with them put Posco at a disadvantage.  Despite his promises to Jimin, Xio decided that they needed to even the playing field.  His plan was to do it without any violence.  He only wanted to bribe her a bit, and convince her to choose Posco for the contract. 

So one night in early October of that same year, Xio decided to pay a visit to the wife of the Minister of Veteran Affairs, Woo-jin.  He showed up with flowers and jewelry.  He even offered to send her and her husband on a few trips.  But Xio was not a charmer like his brother.  The conversation between Woo-jin and him did not go well.  Woo-jin was highly offended that Xio offered her a bribe for her vote.  She assured him that despite past dealings with the company known as G&S, she planned to make her decision fairly and purely based on merit.  She demanded that Xio leave her house and threatened to report him to the police.  When all was said and done, Xio felt disrespected.  Even though he had approached her with nothing but respect, he seethed over the way the Minister’s wife spoke to him and belittled him.

About a month later,  while walking to her car in the parking lot of a shopping mall, Hae Woo-jin was attacked.  She was dragged behind an alley and beaten until unconscious.  She sustained significant injuries from the attack and was hospitalized for weeks.  An intense search for the perpetrators began.  Woo-jin was the wife of a very high official so the case took priority over many others. 

There was heavy speculation that either the Ging Street gang or the South Street gang were involved in Woo-jin’s attack.  And because of that possible link, Jeongguk was brought into the investigation.  He had no idea that Jimin’s brother was involved until one night he got word from an informant that Xio had hired him to attack Woo-jin and to “rough her up” a little bit for payback of how she treated him.  Jeongguk was disgusted.  He knew that Xio was capable of some fucked up shit, but he never would have guessed that Xio would have initiated an attack on a woman.  Especially considering what had happened to his mother when he was young.

Jeongguk immediately learned as much about the case as he could. By the time his investigation was over, he had all of the evidence that he needed to put Xio in prison for Woo-jin’s attack.   So he did what every love sick detective would have done, he gave all of the evidence to Jimin.  They threw it on the bed and fucked on top of it.  And then they burned it in the fireplace.

The attack on Woo-jin was considered a personal insult to Jung Sun-dook, the leader of the Ging Street Kkangpae.  He was determined to find out who had arranged the attack.  And he was close to finding the truth, until Jeongguk threw him off of Xio’s trail by destroying all of the evidence.  If Jung Sun-dook had ever discovered that a member of Jimin’s crew was behind the attack on the Minister’s wife Woo-jin, it would have started the mob war all over again.  Thanks to Jeongguk, the immediate aftermath was avoided, but as long as Xio continued down his path of reckless violence, they were still in danger of word getting back to Jung.

And there were more problems with Xio.  To Jimin’s irritation, Xio could not let the old life go.  He relished the gangster lifestyle of violence and killing despite his ancestors attempts to pull the family from that way of living.  He excoriated Jimin for disbanding the prostitution ring.  Once he realized that Jimin was too busy running the legit wing of Posco, Xio secretly rebooted the gambling halls that they ran out of Itaewon.  And it was that illegal gambling ring that led to the death of Takeshi Tagahashi – the floater that the police had found washed up on the shore in Busan.  It was no coincidence that Xio had also been in Busan for the last few days on business.  Once again Jeongguk had evidence that Xio was involved in the murder and once again, he told Jimin all about it. 

Too many bodies were falling.  Xio was a walking hazard.  So in order to calm him down and get him refocused, Jimin, after months of disagreement, finally decided to allow Xio to expand his own franchise of Posco that he would own and operate out of Busan.  But there was a caveat to Jimin’s offer.  Xio had to agree to no more bodies, no more gambling halls, no more fights.  Xio had to walk the straight and narrow as a law abiding citizen and CEO of Posco Busan.  The paperwork was drawn.  The lease space for the new office building was secured.  Jimin even found Xio a luxury apartment in Busan.  All he needed was Xio’s signature. 

The offer seemed like a slam dunk, but Jimin was very unsure.  The expansion battle between he and Xio had been so vitriolic that he wondered where his brother’s head was.  He had no idea if Xio would be willing to walk away from his life of crime, even if it meant a chance to build his own brand. 

Nothing spooked Jimin.  Nothing unsettled him.  He was a genius, a thinker a brilliant legal mind.  He was a solid rock who was always playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers.  But at the end of the day, it was his loser brother that became his weakest link.

There was a strong loud knock on the door.  Kumo rushed to open it.  Jeongguk came barging in.

“What took you so long?  I’m about to go out of my mind.  Have you heard anything?”  She immediately began fussing at Jeongguk.

“Me?  What do you mean have I heard anything. You’re his wife!  Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”  Jeongguk laughed as he kissed Kumo on the cheek. 

“And you’re his dick, you take priority over me any day kiddo,”  she clapped back at Jeongguk with all of her wit.

“Merry Christmas?”  Jeongguk said as he placed his tweed fedora on the coffee table.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever Christmas was two days ago.  Let’s get drunk.  Pick your poison.  I’ve got a vintage 1961 Merlot, a bottle of whiskey, a very large bottle of vodka,  some scotch, oh and this shit that tastes like gasoline.”  She held up a bottle of tequila with a bright orange label.

“Hey!  I brought that for Jimin from the Gwangju flea market.  It was a gift.”

“The shit tastes like gasoline.  Petrol, diesel fuel.”

“Jimin likes it.”

“Jimin is dick drunk.  He’s literally under the influence of your dick.  Plus he loves you and anything that comes from you.  You could cum in a bottle and stick a label on it and he would drink it from a wine glass.”

“Ok, so yeah, he is definitely a cum drinker, so yeah that’s an accurate statement.”

“Eww, see you took it too far.  We were just having fun and then you took it too damn far.  You always take it too far,”  Kumo teased her friend.

Jeongguk fell back onto the couch, kicking his legs up with laughter.  Kumo was such a character.  She placed the gasoline tequila under the bar and decided to start both of them off with shots of Bourbon.  She also pulled a thin brown cigarette from a box under the cabinet and lit it.

“Eww Kumo.  I thought you were giving up that practice.  It’s so un-lady like,”  Jeongguk ripped the cigarette from her hands and immediately tapped it out.

Kumo growled at him for taking her cigarette, even though she knew it was for the best.  “I’m so nervous, I’m about to pee on myself.  Kookie, he’s alone with Xio.  You know how badly they’ve been fighting lately.  What if it gets out of hand?  What if Xio refuses to sign the paperwork or agree to Jimin’s terms?  What if...?”

Jeongguk grabbed both of Kumo’s hands and held them.  He gently spoke over her, “...and what if Xio is eternally grateful for Jimin giving him this chance?  What if he signs all of the paperwork and they make amends and this turns out to be the best business venture that Jimin has ever made?  What if that happens Kumo?”

Her eyes fixated upon his, “See...this is why he loves you.”

“He loves you too, just a bit differently.”  Jeongguk shrugged.  “Listen Kumo, please don’t worry about this.  I’m sure we’ll hear from him soon.  They had a lot of business to discuss - the lease of the building, the new staff, the joint meetings and conference calls. Not to mention the official press announcement.  This is a big deal.  I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up staying really late or even overnight.  Let’s just sit here, relax and get drunk until we hear from him.”  Jeongguk picked up his shot glass.  He took an excruciatingly small sip of his Bourbon and then closed one eye and frowned.  “This isn’t very good.”

Kumo rolled her eyes. “Oh you drink like a girl.  This is how it’s done,”  Kumo took the entire glass and turned it up against her lips so that the liquid poured down her throat.  She winked at Jeongguk and then poured herself another.

Jeongguk was affronted, “Listen, not all of us have experience with being a drunkard,” he joked.

“I’m a lush. There’s a difference,”  Kumo laughed.  She and Jeongguk shared a well-needed chuckle.

“Feel better?”

“I do.  Thanks Kookie.  I just...worry about him...but I’m sure that no one understands my worry more than you.”

“That’s an understatement.  There are a lot of things that we keep from you Kumo because we don’t want you to worry, but the environment is really tense right now.  He’s so close to winning this deal with Mapo and that makes the situation even more intense.  He’s incredible.  I don’t know how he shoulders such burdens,”  Jeongguk confessed. 

“He has you.  That’s how.”  Kumo turned on the radio to its lowest setting.  “How about a glass of wine?  I think that may be more your speed than 4 year old Bourbon.”

“I would agree with you,” Jeongguk smiled and pushed the Bourbon away. 

Thirty minutes into their drunk fest and they still had not heard from Jimin.  Kumo ran to the phone several times to make sure there was still a dial tone.  She untangled the chord and even called the operator twice to do a test call.  Everything was in working order.  She had to accept the fact that Jimin had just not yet called.  With a few too many drinks in her stomach, she suddenly asked Jeongguk a very bold question.

“Kookie?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Getting drunk with my husband’s wife?”

“Damn that sentence was complicated...but no that’s not what I was referring to.  Why are you risking your career, your freedom, your life, to help cover Jimin’s crimes?”

“Oh haven’t you heard?  I’m in love with him.  Love can make you do some really fucked up things,”  Jeongguk joked again.

“No Jeongguk.  Love cannot.  Whether in love or not, a person is only capable of doing what they are capable of doing.  Love won’t change that.  Love won’t make you kill unless deep inside you were already willing to kill.  Love may give you a different reason for doing it, but it doesn’t change the fact that the wrongdoing was always in you.”

“Well if you already knew the answer then why did you ask?” Jeongguk quipped while giggling.  “The things that I do to help Jimin are not really that out of line.  I think you’re over reacting, giving me more credit than I deserve.”

“My grandmother used to say if you’ll lie, you’ll cheat.  If you’ll cheat, you’ll steal and if you’ll steal, you’ll kill.  It’s a slippery slope Jeongguk.  How far are you willing to go for him?”

“I help him.  That’s it.  And my role is temporary.  As soon as we get Xio under control and Jimin wins the Mapo contract, this will all be over and my services will no longer be needed in that regard.  We can focus on growing old together and playing shuffle board at the old folks home,”  Jeongguk said flippantly.

“I see.  This conversation scares you.  I get it.  It scares me too,”  Kumo said reflectively.  “Let me ask a different question.  Where did you cross the line?   I mean, how did you go from wanting to put him in jail, to watching him drink your cum?”  Kumo giggled.

Jeongguk blew a long hard breath, “That is quite the question.  Where do I start...uh...from the first moment I saw him, I think I loved him.  But feelings aside, my investigation into Jimin and the South Street gang going well.  I needed a break in the case, something to get some traction for a possible arrest.  At the time, I really thought I wanted a promotion to Sergeant.  The only way to get that promotion was to arrest Jimin.  I was so desperate to move the case forward that I made a few hasty decisions.”

“Hasty decisions? Oh I can’t wait to hear this.  What did you do?”  Kumo was already laughing.

“I’m so embarrassed to say this, but Kumo, I had him arrested - on a parking ticket. It was weak I know, but it was all that I had.”

“Parking ticket?  You had the CEO of Posco arrested on a parking ticket?”  Kumo laughed so hard that she snorted, causing liquor to burn her nose.  She fell over to her side and laughed heartily at Jeongguk for three full minutes.  “What a dumbass!”  She added. 

“I know.  I know.  But I was so desperate to find something on him. I thought I could shake him up, you know.  Scare him a little.  Boy was I wrong.  Kumo, he was so beautiful that I had a panic attack.  I had to run to the restroom just to get away from him so I could breathe.  What a fucking heartthrob.  I knew then, I knew right then that he was meant to be mine.  But of course all of my annoying morals and cop oaths got in the way.  My job was to throw him in prison, even though I didn’t want to do it.  I’m a good cop and I’m very good at what I do.  It didn’t take me long to figure out what was going on.  It was never Jimin who was the problem.  It was always Xio.  All of the petty crimes, arrests of his crew, rumors of gambling rings and illegal alcohol – I traced all of it back to his fucking brother.  Xio was ruining everything that Jimin was working so hard to build and it was only a matter of time before his thuggery took down the entire empire, Posco included.  I know it was wrong...and I don’t know why I did it, but instead of taking all of my evidence to my Sergeant, I went to Jimin and told him about everything that I knew.  I felt that I needed to warn him about his brother’s shit.  I told him that I didn’t want to hurt him, but that I was eventually going to have to take his brother down and that there could be...residual damage.”

“What did Jimin say?”  Kumo asked.

“He told me to do what I had to do, but to please keep Posco’s name out of it.”

“You never turned Xio in did you?”

“No.  Months went by and I just sat on the evidence.  I barely knew that family, yet I had this strange allegiance to them. Jimin was and still is a great man.  If I had turned in Xio, by extension, Jimin would have gone down too.  I couldn’t let that happen.”

“And that was the turning point?” Kumo asked.

“Yeah.  Ethically, it just felt wrong to allow Jimin to pay for his brother’s fuck ups.  Posco was thriving and Jimin was doing all of it legally. The courage that it took to walk away from the criminal enterprises was astounding.  Jimin insisted on being his own man. 

I followed every press conference, every quarterly earnings speech, every charity event.  I was falling in love with him, Kumo.  How stupid is that?  Love....with a known mobster who I was supposed to put in prison.  I felt myself slipping.  I called my brother almost every day and begged him to pray with me.  I wanted it to all just go away.  I didn’t want to feel those things for him.”

“Jimin is a wonderful man.  Honest man.  Falling in love was only natural,”  Kumo reassured him.

“I couldn’t report him or Xio.  I just couldn’t.  For the second time, I had information that could have sent a Park to prison and I chose to stifle it.”  Jeongguk took another sip of his drink.  “One day, I was walking out of my apartment building and I saw his limo parked across the street.  He was standing outside of the car, leaning against the rear door.  Holy shit, he was gorgeous.  He had been waiting for me.  He sent his driver away and then asked if we could talk.  I sat in the back of the limo with him and the only thing he wanted to know was why I had changed my mind about turning in his brother.  I explained.  He then proceeded to beg me not to throw my career away.  He warned me against choosing him over my job and my oath to being an officer.  He was so selfless.  He was more worried about me than about the potential of going to jail.  I begged him to get control of his brother.  I told him that I had no intention of turning him in because I didn’t want to see him destroyed.  That was three years ago.  You two had just gotten married.”

“That’s so incredibly romantic.  And then what happened?” Kumo sniffled, she was becoming teary eyed.

“He fucked me.” Jeongguk said easily before taking another sip of his drink.

“WHAT?” Kumo choked.

“Yep.  Right there in the back seat of the limo.  Raw, profanity laden fucking right there in the middle of the street where we were parked.  I was just sitting there and suddenly he kissed me.  I kissed him back and then oh fuck we were fucking.  In a flash we were naked.  My cock was so hard that I thought it was going to break off.  He was all over me.  And he was so good.  He knew exactly what he was doing and how to do it and where to stick it and how to stroke it and oh my fucking God.   Kumo, the feelings between us were never one-sided.  He wanted me just as badly as I wanted him.  The attraction between us was slowly building and that night, it all just exploded.  Next thing I knew, the limo was rocking, the windows were steamed over and I was squirting all over the leather in his back seat.  He rode me like a fucking...,” 

Jeongguk stopped.  Kumo’s eyes were wide as she hung on Jeongguk’s every word.  He realized that Jimin would not have approved of him having such a  graphic conversation with Kumo.  He continued more judiciously, “...as I was saying, the attraction was mutual.  But that was the turning point. That was the day that everything changed between us.  From there on, I was committed to protecting Jimin.  I never gave a fuck about Xio, but because he was attached to the family name, I had to keep his shit covered up.  And that’s how I became Jimin’s inside man.  It was never planned that way.  I just fell in love with him Kumo.”

“And he fell in love with you too.  You’re right Jeongguk, the love was never one sided.  We used to spend hours and hours talking about you.  He loves every bit of you.  Love is a really complex thing.”

Jeongguk watched as Kumo pulled out a small bag full of different nail polishes.  “And now it’s your turn.  What was your turning point?  Why are you here Kumo?  You’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.  You could be with any man,  ANY man.  Yet you chose to be with a gay man who’s in love with someone else.  Why do you stand by his side?  Why are you so invested in making him look good and hiding his secret?”  Jeongguk took a few jabs of his own. 

“You mean...you don’t know?”

“No.  Not the full story anyway.  I know bits and pieces. I know you’re from Guryong.  I know that you have a sister and a mother.  That’s about it.  I always feel like he’s holding back when he speaks about you...like he’s not telling me the full story,”  Jeongguk said kindly.

“I - am very surprised that he’s never spoken to you about me.  My sweet Min.  I guess he was trying to protect me.”  Kumo leaned over and drank the rest of Jeongguk’s wine.  “You really aren’t a drinker, are you?”  She opened the first bottle of nail polish and then placed her feet up on the coffee table and began to tell her story.  “Before I was Mrs. Park Jimin, I was Wu Kumo.  Born in the village Guryong.  When I was nineteen years old, I left the village to live on my own because I didn’t want to live in that poverty anymore.  I had no place to go, my father was dead and my mother and little sister were suffering.  I needed to do something to help care for them.  Eventually I was swept up into the underworld of prostitution.  I didn’t hate my life, mostly because I didn’t know anything better.  I had a few friends.  I worked hard.  I stayed out of trouble with my handlers and I did as I was told.  For about fifteen years, I worked in the red light district, doing unimaginable things with men from all over the world, but mostly with the U.S. soldiers stationed in the DMZ. 

My handlers felt that there was something different about me, I don’t know what they saw.  Whatever it was, it helped me to rise up the ranks pretty fast.  Before I knew it, I was considered “exclusive talent”.  That’s when I started hosting businessmen, politicians, actors, singers, gangsters...,”  Kumo paused with a naughty grin. 

“Huh!”  Jeongguk gasped, “Don’t tell me that Jimin...?”

“No, it’s not what you think.  Jimin is all gay all the time.  But he’s also beloved Jeongguk...by everyone.  He’s especially bonded with the business community of Japan.  Post war, he made some pretty serious connections in the Japanese business community.  He even has inroads with the Yakuza.  It’s no accident that Jimin is where he is today.  He’s wickedly smart and so incredibly charming.  He could charm the rattles off of a rattlesnake.  He has friends in high places.  Well one day, one of those friends wanted to send him a little “gift” as a thank you for helping him close a big acquisition deal.  The gift that they sent was me.  Oh Jeongguk, we melded instantly.  He was so kind and so much fun to be around.  He was like my little brother.  I’m ten years older than him, but I loved our conversation.  However, I was sent there to do a job.  But when it came time to do the deed, he had no interest at all.  Instead he just wanted to talk.  He told me all about his dreams, and how he wanted out of the mafia business.  He even told me that he had intimate feelings for a detective who had been assigned to take him down.  He was so brutally honest, vulnerable.  He hid nothing, even though we had just met.”  Kumo watched Jeongguk’s eyes as he processed her story.

“So what happened?  I can’t help but notice that you’re married now,”  Jeongguk smiled.

“I became his exclusive girl.  I worked for Jung’s crew at the time.  And you know how much he hates them, but he brokered a deal and paid for me to be his exclusive girl.  Almost weekly, he would request me.  And do you know what we talked about every single time?”

“How to melt the chocolate inside of the tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe?” 

“No asshole.  You.  We talked about you.  Oh Kookie, he wanted you in the worst way.  He was in agony.  He couldn’t believe that he had fallen in love with the man who was sworn to ruin him.”

“Yeah, that made two of us.”

“I was his sounding board.  I listened, I gave advice.  We became best friends.  Eventually, he paid for my release.  The Ging Street crew, let me go.  They no longer claimed me against my will.  Jimin and I started talking about where I would live and if I wanted to go to school.  He did his best to push me into a new life of freedom from my past.”

“But Kumo you still haven’t answered my question.  How could you marry a man who you knew would never love you?”

“Because I knew that I could never love him either.  I knew Jimin was gay.  I knew he was in love with you.  But I also understood his vision for getting out.  He wants to be free Jeongguk.  Free of all of this.  It’s the only thing he’s ever wanted since the day he took over.  He wants to be free to live his life...with you.  He gave me my freedom so I vowed to help him get his.  In order to maintain his status in the corporate world, he needed a wife.  Even though it was for appearances only, I agreed to do it.  He also needed a cover to be able to date you without people becoming suspicious.  Again, having me as his wife checked off that box as well.  And lastly, he needed a loyal friend.  Check, check and check.  I love him like a sibling.  I’m loyal to him.  I have no expectation of ever having a relationship with a gay man.”

“But Kumo, what about you?  Don’t you want to fall in love and get married and have a family of your own?”

“I can’t have children.  It’s an unfortunate byproduct of my past.  As far as falling in love with a man...I don’t know that I can ever do that, not after the role that men have played in my life.  When this ride with Jimin ends, I shall become the cat lady.  I will happily live the rest of my life, rich, single, still hot and with very expensive breeds of cat,”  Kumo laughed at her honesty.

“Ginger Rogers – the American actress – do you know her?” Jeongguk said suddenly.

“Yes.  She was in a movie with Gene Kelly.  Yes.  But what does she have to do with my expensive breed of cats?” Tipsy Kumo questioned.

“No silly, I’m answering your question.  You said you didn’t understand why you rose through the ranks so quickly and became a fan favorite in the prostitution ring.  It’s because you have the class, looks and grace of a Korean Ginger Rogers.  I bet you even dance like her.  You’re absolutely beautiful and you carry yourself like someone who comes from money.  That’s why no one has ever questioned you and Jimin,”  Jeongguk said lovingly.

“Oh Kookie, that may be the kindest thing that anyone has ever said to me.  You know if I do ever fall in love, it’s totally going to be with a gay man,”  she frowned as she thought through the flaws in her statement. 

Jeongguk laughed again.  “I’ll let you in on a little secret.  When Jimin and I first started dating, I was worried about so many things; his safety, him ending up in jail, me getting caught, us getting caught, how the relationship would survive, and how we would handle being on two opposing sides of the same coin.  It was a scary time, but I took the plunge and slowly we built the trust and loyalty that we needed to make it work.  But there was one thing that I was never worried about – and that was you. Even if I didn’t fully understand your marriage, I definitely understood you.  I could see the love and the loyalty that you had for him.  I also knew that I could trust you.”

“Well I would hope so.  I’m nothing if not transparent and honest.  I’ve been rooting for you, since day one.”

***

Jimin decided not to give Xio notice that he was coming to visit.  He wanted to take the opportunity to sneak up on his older brother to make sure that he was behaving while in Busan.  Jimin’s personal car dropped him off at the Hilton in the fledging city of Korea’s shore.  Thanks to a few tips from Jeongguk. Jimin knew exactly what room Xio was staying in.  As he entered the lobby, Jimin captured every eye in the room.  Without knowing a single thing about him, it was outwardly evident even to strangers, that Jimin was of wealth.  But it wasn’t just the way he was dressed, or his expensive shoes.  It was the way he carried himself; fully upright, eyes focused, head held high.  He walked with an extremely confident swagger,  swaying his body just slightly with every powerful step he took.  His fedora dipped low over his head, covering his eyes and cloaking him in even more mystery.  Everyone knew he was important without even knowing who he was. 

Several children followed him into the lobby of the Hilton.  They were too young and untrained to realize that staring was rude.  It was Jimin’s soft heart for kids that caused him to notice the tiny admirers.  He stopped and knelt down on one knee.  The three kids between the ages of about four and nine appeared to be siblings.

“Why hello.  May I help you?”  He flashed a dimpled smile at the three of them.

“Hello.  Are you the President?”  One of the smallest children asked.

“No.  Not even close.  My name is Park Jimin, and I’m a business man,”  Jimin explained.

“A businessman.  What kind of business do you do?”  The oldest one asked.

“Construction.  I build buildings,”  Jimin explained.

“You have a jack hammer?” The middle child asked.

“No, not exactly.  But the people that work for me own jack hammers.  I mostly just pay the bills and sign the contracts.”  Jimin was patient and kind. 

“I want to pay the bills when I grow up,” the oldest one said.

Jimin nodded, “You can be a business man too.  You can be anything you want to be, honestly.  You three better run along now.  I don’t want your parents to miss you.”

The only little girl amongst the three said her peace as well, “You’re pretty.”

Jimin grinned with his open mouth toothy grin, “I’m nowhere near as pretty as you.”  He booped her nose.  “Are these two your brothers?  I bet they protect you very well, don’t they?”  Jimin looked at the boys as a reminder to always protect their little sister.

She nodded.  She was missing two of her front teeth. 

“Well you three look a little hungry.”  Jimin reached into his pocket and pulled a wad of bills from his wallet. Indiscriminately, he gave the bills to the three children.  “Run along now and get some groceries for your family.  Be safe.  Now run along,”  he said again.  The time for them to stare at him had expired.  He really did want them to get home, before their parents became worried.

Once the children were gone from the lobby, he resumed his sexy strut.  He arrived at his brother’s hotel door.  But before he knocked, he heard noises, moaning coming from inside.

Xio had three women in his bed at one time.  Getting serviced by all three simultaneously was not cheap, especially since he no longer had a prostitution business.  He had to call in a few favors to get them on short notice.  The three of them laid naked in the bed.  One of them sat on top of him, riding his cock.  The other nibbled on his neck while holding his cigarette.  And the last one, fondled and kissed the other two. 

Xio grunted,  “When I finish her, you’re up next.”  He fucked into the first girl hard, trying to make her cum.  She groaned and carried on as if his dick felt like the best thing in the world.  Finally after bouncing him so hard that she caused the bed to squeak, she let out somewhat of an orgasmic scream.  She panted and writhed over Xio’s dick.  The Parks were very good lovers and Xio was no exception.  What may have started out as a paid mercy fuck, ended with her being very well satisfied. 

The second prostitute, an older Japanese woman with large natural breasts, pushed the first woman away, causing her to fall to the floor.  The second woman mounted Xio, taking the other girl’s place.  Without even a break between the two women, Xio continued fucking.  His dick was still incredibly hard and he had loads of cum to share. The second took her turn riding the very handsome, petite man who looked so much like his brother.  The third woman placed the cigarette to his mouth to allow him to take a puff. 

“You’re so fucking hot, daddy.  Fuck me,” the third woman called.

Jimin could hear filth from outside of the hotel room door.  Instead of barging in, he decided to go back to the lobby and call his brother first.  He wanted to give Xio ample time to get rid of the women.

Once he made the call to Xio’s room, he waited another five minutes.  He wasn’t exactly sure how long it took for whores to put their clothes on, but he assumed it was a rather quick turnaround time.  Sure enough, as he sat at the bar waiting for time to pass, he saw three scantily clad women stumble down the elevator and through the lobby.  He could tell by their voices and disheveled appearance that they were the whores belonging to Xio. 

He rushed up to Xio’s room.  His hope was that Xio would accept the agreement, they would make a few phone calls, schedule a few follow ups and then Jimin would be back on his way home to Jeongguk before dinner.  The quicker he addressed Xio and had the discussion, the better.  Once again Jimin leaned his ear against the door to make sure that the room was quiet.  The only sounds were those coming from the morning news.  Jimin assumed it was safe to enter.  He wrapped his knuckles across the door and called to his brother.

“Xio-hyung, it’s me.  Open up. I have a – surprise,”  there was a smile in Jimin’s voice.

Xio, wearing a white tank top and a pair of expensive slacks, opened the door.  On sight, he immediately offered a handshake as a show of kindness.  Despite months and months of fighting, they did their best to remain civil.  Neither one liked the other, but they respected their blood line and shared heritage. 

The time away had done both of them some good.  Xio didn’t immediately launch into a tirade.  Jimin was relieved.  No matter how the rest of the meeting went, he was off to a good start. Xio slid to the side and invited Jimin to enter his room.

As soon as Jimin walked in, he held his nose and gagged, “Oh God, it smells like a plethora of pussy in here.  My God, hyung, you’re going to catch the mange if you keep raw fucking those whores.”

Xio laughed loudly.  His little brother had a good sense of humor.  Xio’s laugh was identical to his brothers, as was his predilection for falling over whenever he experienced a hearty guffaw.  Xio searched the room until he found a room freshening spray.  He sprayed it all over the room while carefully avoiding Jimin’s expensive suit.

“Better?”  He asked Jimin.

“That is subjective. Now it smells like a plethora of pussy and flowers.”

Xio laughed again, “Well you can’t blame me.  I was just having a little fun.  You’re the one who showed up here unannounced.”

“I’m happy to hear that...that you’re having fun.  Look Xio-hyung, I’m here for a reason.  We have some business to discuss,” Jimin jumped right into it.

“Yeah, that.  So I was able to secure the extra docks for the shipment coming in on the 30th.  We should have a truck waiting there as well so that we can move the steel straight from the cargo ship to the construction site.  It’s done.  In fact, I was planning to head back to Seoul tomorrow.  That’s why you’re here right?  To make sure that I secured the extra docks?”  Xio asked cluelessly.

Jimin jumped in with both feet, “Hyung, what do you know about a Japanese gambler named Takeshi Tagahashi?”

Xio turned beet red.  Without saying a word, Jimin already knew exactly what Xio knew.

“Listen – it was a misunderstanding.  I thought I was helping out a friend, turns out the guy was a tourist and didn’t know the rules.  We didn’t mean to kill him, I swear.  We roughed him up a little bit, but he fucking died on us.  Who knew he would die from a rough housing and a little stabbing?  It was an honest mistake,”  Xio seemed authentic.

“There was a witness,”  Jimin said curtly.

“...a-a-a witness?”  This was not news that Xio expected to hear. 

“A witness.  A fucking witness.  You dumped him here in Busan didn’t you?”  Jimin asked again.

“Yeah.  There was too much heat in Seoul so I just drove him down here in the trunk.  How did you find out about it?”

“Jeongguk,”  Jimin said simply.

“Are they on to me?” Xio asked sheepishly.

“No.  You owe him, again.  He’s still catching heat about that shit with the Minister’s wife and why he hasn’t solved the case.”

“He’s always protected me.  Seems like I’m always the one fucking up.  One thing is for sure, he definitely loves you.  For him to risk it all to keep me out of jail is a testament of how much he cares about you.  I do owe him and I’ll find a way to repay him,”  Xio said graciously. 

“How’s your leg Xio-hyung?”  Jimin asked another question.

“My leg?  It’s been better.”

“The witness recognized you because of your limp.  Do you need to go to the doctor?”

“Nah.  I’m good.  You know they have a vaccine for Polio in the states.  Maybe one day, I can fly there and get one, huh?” Xio asked.

“I don’t know if it would work for you since you already have the disease.  But there are other treatments that we could look into,”  Jimin said kindly.  He smiled tepidly at his brother. “Now, on to my next topic,”  Jimin transitioned.

“The visit’s been going well Jimin.  I’m not in the mood to fight about the expansion anymore.  We’re at a stalemate.  You’re being fucking disrespectful to your older brother and that is that.”

“Calling me disrespectful is a bit of a stretch.  We have a difference of opinion.  I have business acumen, you do not.  That is not as fucking disrespectful as you claim,”  Jimin pushed back.

“Oh here we go.  I’m the dumb fucking idiot and you’re the genius. Is that the argument again?  I spent my entire life at dad’s side learning the ins and outs of this fucking business, not just the construction side Jimin, ALL OF IT.  Even the sides that you were too fucking scared to take on.”

“Scared?  Fucking scared?  I’m not scared of shit you asshole.  I have sense enough to know when to get out.  Do you want to spend the rest of your life in prison?  Because that’s where you’re going if we keep running things your way.  It’s time to grow the fuck up and legitimize.  That’s not being scared you dumb ass,”  Jimin was disrespectful to his elder.

Xio was willing to skirt the conversation all together.  He said he didn’t want to argue again and he meant it.  “You said you had a surprise for me.  What is it?”

Jimin smiled.  He pulled open his leather bag and placed each of the corporation papers in neat piles in front of Xio.  His explanation was short and sweet, “I’m giving you the expansion into Busan.  I have several conditions.  No more gambling.  No more whores.  No more dead bodies, fights, booze running.  None of it.  You’re going 100% legit.  You will still report to me as the CEO of the Posco Corporation Enterprise, but you will be installed as the sole CEO of the Busan division.  The building is already secured.  All you need to do is hire the staff of your choosing. But do be careful to vet them to make sure you get the best people, especially in finance.  I’ll stay out of your way and let you run this company as you see fit.  But never forget, I’m still the boss over the entire organization including this division.  In the event that I find out you’ve reverted to your old ways, I will snatch this company from you in a heartbeat and give it to Kumo to run as a hobby when she’s not painting her nails.  If you fuck with me, I will destroy you...hyung.  Do you accept my terms?”

It was 3am by the time a very tired Jimin reached the front door to his penthouse.  His eyes were so heavy that he could barely keep them open.  He squinted to insert his key into the lock.  He would have just rang the doorbell, but it was so early.  He didn’t want to wake Kumo.  As soon as he walked inside, he was met with a scene of upended liquor bottles, empty shot glasses, wine glasses and half eaten sandwiches all over his bar.  He had seen it before.  It was the sign of a very nervous wife...and husband.  Whenever they were worried about him, they would huddle together, get drunk and eat everything in Jimin’s house.  This night was no different.  As he continued on, he found both of them asleep – or possibly passed out – in the living area where the Christmas tree still sparkled.  Kumo was sleeping with her head tilted back and large droplets of spittle dripping from the side of her mouth. 

Jeongguk was asleep on the floor.  His shirt was open, revealing his perfect chest.  His nails were painted and he had red bows in his head.  Jimin wished he had a camera.  “What the fuck?”  he laughed to himself.  Since both of them were totally and completely unconscious, it was up to him to get both of them to bed.  He started with Kumo.  As delicately as possible, he lifted her from the couch and carried her back to her bedroom which was on the opposite side of the penthouse from Jimin’s.  Once she was settled, he went back to retrieve Jeongguk.

How to get Jeongguk to bed was a riddle of a different kind.  He was big, and heavy, and big.  Jimin could have lifted him too and carried him, but after the long day that he’d had, he really didn’t feel like it.  He decided to wake him, but just before placing his hand on him, he was distracted by the glow of Christmas tree lights that cascaded over Jeongguk’s sleeping face.  It was something so simple, yet it affected Jimin so deeply.  He just wanted to stare.  As the lights flickered on and off, they pushed the details of Jeongguk’s features in and out of darkness.  He was so handsome.  Jimin stepped back.  He removed his suit jacket and threw it over the couch and then pulled his tie over his head.  He unbuttoned his shirt and peeled himself out of it.  Wearing just his undershirt, he dropped his suspenders and unbuckled the first button of his slacks.  Surely it was time to wake Jeongguk and make him go to bed.  But Jimin just couldn’t force himself to do it...not yet.  Just like the children inside of the lobby in Busan, Jimin just wanted to stare at him, no matter how rude it was. 

He pulled off his under shirt so that he could feel the weight of his Christmas necklace against his bare skin.  He loved that necklace.  Of all of the fancy jewelry and watches and rings that he’d had over the years, nothing compared to Jeongguk’s most humble gift – the one that he used to declare Jimin as his husband.

The silent Christmas tree lights continued to blink on and off.  They shone as the only light within the darkened room.  Jimin watched for countless minutes as his lover lay dormant on the floor.  Thoughts of getting him to bed were slowly replaced with a desire to have him – right there as he slept.  

The penthouse was whisper quiet with the only sound coming from Jeongguk’s gentle breathing.  As the flashing lights of the Christmas tree continued to highlight and dim over Jeongguks’ features, Jimin surveyed the sleeping man from head to toe.  

“Fuck you’re incredible,” he whispered to his stallion.  

He surprised himself by stepping out of his trousers and walking fully nude through the halls of his penthouse.  His dick, not his intelligent mind, guided every single step.  Despite being dog tired and barely lucid, he needed to fuck.  The sex kits full of lube and toys that Jeongguk used to fuck Jimin were all stored in the den behind a fake row of books.  It was not the type of paraphernalia that he ever wanted Kumo or his cleaning crew to stumble upon, so he kept its location discreet.  He removed a tube of the first lube he could find and inserted the capless tip straight into his ass.  He squeezed for several unlimited seconds until he felt the cold substance fully occupy his intimate space.  The excess that dripped from his hole rolled down his leg as he walked back to the scene of the crime.

Positioned just above Jeongguk’s sleeping image on the floor,  Jimin found himself on the edge of the couch, naked, legs spread, masturbating as he watched his motionless stallion slumber.  He tried to keep his groans quiet.  But even as Jeongguk slept, his body reacted to Jimin’s soft collection of sensuous sounds.  Quite possibly, he unconsciously sensed that his Min was about to ravage him. 

Jimin began to whisper filthy things as Jeongguk slept.  Not surprisingly, his stallion’s dick began to awaken.  Jimin whimpered.  He watched the slack in the crotch of Jeongguk’s trousers disappear as it slowly filled with his meaty growth.  Jimin continued to stroke himself, with legs spread wide and a hand full of his own pulsating cock.  He curled his toes over the couch’s edge while he imagined Jeongguk stuffing his growth into him.

The lights of the Christmas tree dimmed again, but when they flashed back on, there were suddenly two on the floor.  Jimin could no longer resist the touch of the man he burned for.  Like a snake slithering through the night, he crawled over him, straddling him as he worked Jeongguk’s trousers down below his waist.  He released another guttural sigh when he felt Jeongguks hard cock thump heavily against his thigh as it was pulled free.  Like a King taking his throne, he sat upon his lover’s body.  With lustful greed, he pressed the heavy pelt of his pubic hair down over Jeongguk’s stomach.  He held his cock upward in his hand as he rubbed his sensitive area over his lover’s abs, crushing his balls against the younger’s skin.  Jeongguk moaned loudly as Jimin moved his hips up and down Jeongguk’s body, forcing both of their hairy regions to massage over each other. 

Jimin continued to grind his lover’s stomach, creating a slippery path as he pushed the undulations of Jeongguk’s abs against his quivering wet slit.  The warmth of their combined touch caused Jimin’s legs to shake.  He took his own cock into his hand once again as he urged his lover to wake up.

“Fuck me baby.  Wake up and fuck me,” he growled, almost angrily.  He slapped Jeongguk across the chest and then suffocated his lips with his own.  He wanted to be fucked, hard and raw.  His desire was quickly spiraling out of his control.  If Jeongguk didn’t awaken soon to take him, Jimin was going to be forced to fuck him in his sleep.

“Please wake up, I need...,” Jimin’s body suddenly heaved forward.  “FUCKING CHRIST!”  There was no need to tell Jeongguk what he needed because like a sleeping giant arisen from the dead, Jeongguk furiously clutched Jimin’s hips to hold him in place while he fucked his cock into him.  He gave no warning.  He slammed into Jimin’s ass with such force that Jimin was tossed about, like being caught in the eye of an angry tidal wave.  Jimin lost his voice.  The strokes were so rich and fulfilling.  His every thirst was quenched by the turbulent fucking from his pseudo husband.  But there was not enough time to savor the ecstasy of his lover’s cock, because he was already thundering towards his violent release.

“I’m c-c-c-cumming,” he cried.  Their balls bounced against each other as Jeongguk owned Jimin’s body, pounding his hole like the bucking stallion he was.  It had taken many, many years and a lot of hard work, but Jimin had trained his stallion very well.  “Fuck,”  Jimin’s moans morphed into cries.

Jeongguk covered Jimin’s mouth as he continued to devour him, “Shhhh, you’ll wake Kumo.” 

“OH GOD!”  Jimin’s voice shifted up three octaves.  He hyperventilated as his orgasm surged, causing his body to tremble and his eyes to roll.  Jimin’s cum splashed over the dark nipples of Jeongguk’s chest. 

Jeongguk took Jimin’s cock into his hand and stroked him mercilessly while he also fucked him mercilessly. Jimin was the boss but Jeongguk knew what he wanted and how he wanted it. Through years and years of training, Jimin had molded Jeongguk into the perfect lover. Jimin was the one with all of the experience but Jeongguk was the one with all of the skill. Together they formed the perfect union. So Jeongguk knew, if he didn’t properly fuck the life out of him, there would be consequences from the prickly little mafia CEO. Accordingly, he milked Jimin of every drop of fluid.

Kumo awoke the next morning with a pounding headache.  She was in her bed, but she had no memory of how she had gotten there.  And in news of the weird, she had a hefty tuft of goose feathers in her mouth that had come from her very expensive robe.  She wasn’t sure if she decided to have them for a snack at some point during the night or if the mouth full of feathers was accidental.  She hoped it was accidental. One thing she knew for sure was that the feathers were clogging her throat and making her gag.  She spit them all free and looked around her night stand for a glass of water. 

Did she need to vomit?  Had she already vomited?  Was she pro or anti vomit?  She wasn’t sure of that either.  Her body felt like shit and she was willing to go with the flow of whatever it took to make her feel less dead.  With her lovely elegant hand pressed firmly against her temple, she rose from her bed with one eye open.  The room was too fucking bright.  She stumbled over to the curtain and closed it right away.  Her memory churned over the previous evening’s events.  No details of the evening came to mind, which meant she probably got much drunker than usual.  Only two things could ever drive her to drink; death of a friend and worry about a friend.  A memory was triggered by the latter.  Anxiety, worry, panic was the reason behind her bender and at the center of it all was – Jimin.

“Min?”  She said softly under her breath. 

She stumbled out of her room towards Jimin’s bedroom.  She knocked and knocked, but after several moments, he still didn’t answer.  She peeked inside to find that he wasn’t there.  His bed hadn’t even been slept in.  This made her worry even more.  If Jimin had planned to spend the evening in Busan, he would have called.  But Jimin had not called, yet he wasn’t in his bedroom, so where was he?  Her anxiety ramped up.  Her first thought was to call Jeongguk to see if he was with Jimin, but then she remembered that Jeongguk had been with her.  In fact, he was probably still there.  They had spent the evening together, waiting for Jimin to return from his meeting with Xio.

“Oh my God, what if something happened?”  Kumo lamented.

She raced to find Jeongguk.  But, what felt like running at full speed, was actually a slow, uncoordinated walk while holding onto the wall.  She coughed and a goose down feather popped from her throat.  “What in the actual fuck happened with my robe last night?” She questioned as she continued her journey.  Not too surprisingly, it took her almost ten minutes to reach the living area where the Christmas tree stood.  To the best of her memory, that was the last place she’d seen Jeongguk. 

She released an endearing yelp when she saw it, “Oh dear God!”

The two of them were sleeping with Jimin laying straddled on top of Jeongguk.  They were both completely naked and their lengthy cocks were pressed between them.  Jimin’s entrance was flushed pink and slightly enlarged with Jeongguk’s cock sleeping just beneath it.  It almost seemed as if they had fallen asleep mid-fuck. 

It was a noteworthy moment because Kumo had never seen Jimin naked before.  In fact, she had never seen either of them naked before.  Even after three years of angry mobster fucking, they remained very discreet with their sexual practices.  Kumo was never exposed to that side of their relationship, even though she was more than aware that it existed.  However, she was exposed, almost daily, to the love that existed between them.  It was that part of their relationship that they chose to flaunt openly. 

She stared at them a little longer; not out of deviancy, but out of beauty.  She thought the two of them, in love, pressed together, frozen in the ultimate act, was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.  Throughout her torrid history as a sex worker, she’d seen more gay fucking than she cared to remember.  For such a publicly forbidden practice, it firmly held its footing in the seedy underworld.  The world of gay erotica was full of politicians, actors, and businessmen who secretly liked to take it up the ass.  So none of this was surprising or new to her.  However, it was the first time that Kumo had ever seen the sexual act possess so much beauty.  And that was what drew her to them.  Before heading to the kitchen to start breakfast, she took one final longing look. She loved them, both of them. 

Kumo assumed wisely, that Jimin would be mortified if he ever found out that she had seen them in that state of dress.  So as quiet as a mouse, she covered them with a blanket from Jimin’s bed and tip toed away.  The fact that she had witnessed their loving, naked embrace would forever be - her secret.

***

Chapter Six: The Gangster In You

Quick Character Matrix

Quick Character Matrix:

👤Park Xio: Jimin's older brother
👤 Ji Huyoung: Minister of Veterans Affairs. Strong allegiance to Jimin's rivals the Ging Street Kkangpae. Also a business partner and friend to Jung Sun-dook
👤Woo-Jin: Ji Huyoung's wife. She is a Mapo board member. She is also the woman who was attacked and left for dead in alley. Business partner to Ging Street gang
👤Jung Sun-dook: Hyungnim (Leader) of Jimin's nemesis, the Ging Street Kkangpae. Also the CEO of G&S Construction
👤Jung Baek-hyun (aka Lee Baek-hyun): Jung Sun-dook's grandson
👤Dr. Chu-lun: Hospital social worker assigned to trauma the care unit
👤Cho Yen-Eum: Head of Jimin's Corporate Security and old friend from college
👤Min Chan-yeol: Forensic Accountant
👤Kosuke Takata: Notorious leader of the Japanese Yakuza
👤South Street Kkangpae: Mafia organization belonging to Jimin's family
👤Ging Street Kkangpae: Mafia organization headed by Jung Sun-dook, Jimin's rival
👤Posco Construction: Jimin's construction company where he serves as CEO
👤G&S: Jung Sun-dook's construction company where he serves as CEI

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

January 26th, 1966 – One month after Xio becomes CEO of Posco Busan

Jimin sat with his back straight, legs crossed, body leaning forward.  He shook his wrist to spin his watch just slightly so that he could read the time.  The watch, solid gold with a black onyx face, had small crusted diamonds in place of each of the numbers.  By the twisted position of the solid gold hands, he could tell that it was 8:00pm.   Time was getting away from him. 

Xio sat across from him, nervously fidgeting as he watched Jimin meticulously comb through the first month of Posco Busan’s signed contracts.  The younger did not look pleased and that only made Xio even more anxious.  With a large red felt marker, he scored through paragraph after paragraph of Xio’s hard work.  The last and final page looked as if there were blood oozing from the pages because there was so much red ink.  Nothing, it seemed, could satisfy Jimin no matter how hard he tried.  Finally after two excruciating hours of silence, Jimin looked up.

“These look good,”  Jimin took a sip of water and gave a single nod in Xio’s direction.

Xio’s mouth dropped, “They look good?  Well I would have never known judging from all of this fucking red ink you’ve dropped all over the place,”  Xio said with irritation. 

“Nothing for you to be too concerned with.  These are just notes for the legal team.  I need them to tighten up a few things and make a few changes.  Give these back to them and tell them to make the updates and then send them back to me for final approval.  I can’t believe they missed some of that shit.  It’s unacceptable.  After they make the updates, fire them all and hire new lawyers,”  Jimin said simply.  “And also, make sure to have your accounting team do full reconciliation audits after each of the invoices are paid.  Understand?”

“Yeah, yeah...Jiminie...you’re really ok with these?”

“Why the fuck would I send you to legal with my approval if I wasn’t ok?”  Jimin grew tired of water, he wanted a whiskey. 

The famous Japanese restaurant had closed early for the evening.  With the exception of a few mob approved customers, the place was mostly empty.  Those who did remain in the restaurant were Xio’s bodyguards and their girlfriends.  Whenever Park Xio needed to have “private meetings”, the owners would be encouraged to shut the entire place down in exchange for Xio generously paying their night’s receipts as quid pro quo.

“Whisky, dry, please,”  Jimin smiled as he summoned the waiter over to their table. 

“Yes, sir,” the waiter bowed and walked backwards away from the table where the two men sat.  Under no circumstances did anyone ever turn their backs to a table full of Parks.

“The place looks – different,”  Jimin reminisced.

“Yeah, after dad sold it, there were quite a few changes made by the new owner.  Starting with turning it from a Korean restaurant to a Japanese noodle house.  But it’s all fine.  I hated this fucking place when dad owned it.  At least now it’s tolerable.”

“I hated it too.  So much fucking debauchery went down within these walls.  Our father was a fucking savage.  I don’t know how we survived him,”  Jimin shook his head, with a slightly crooked smile.

“You survived him.  I didn’t.  He adored you.  You have no idea how savage he could really be,” Xio stared straight ahead.  He had a lit cigarette in his hand.  He tapped it lightly against the tip of an olive green ashtray as the smoke danced in front of his sullen face.

“Why do you come back here?  There are plenty of other restaurants in Busan.  We could have even met in your office.  Why here?”

“Because they have the best fucking Yakitori in all of Busan.  Besides, it’s a safe place.  The owners know me well.  My crew and my guards are always welcome.  All I have to do is drop a few dollars in their pockets and I get the service of a king.  As you can see, we have the entire fucking place to ourselves.  They know who I am and they respect who I am,”  Xio said arrogantly.

“They know who you used to be.  You’re no longer that person.  Are we clear?” Jimin gave a kind nod to the waiter as he delivered his whiskey, but his stern voice was directed towards his brother.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re fucking clear you arrogant dick.  I fucking hate your high and mighty act.”

“There is nothing high and mighty about me.  Your opinion is simply a reflection of your own self-worth that you’re projecting on me,”  Jimin gave a nasty resentful smile.  He was ruthless where his brother was concerned and he rarely made attempts to spare his feelings.  Jimin changed the subject purposely to make Xio even more uncomfortable.  “Remember when we caught dad chopping off the fingers of one of the waiters who had stolen some carrots from the refrigerator?  Holy shit that was brutal.  He made sure that we saw all of it, didn’t he, Xio?”

Xio’s eyes shifted down, “So we could learn...I guess.”  The elder brother didn’t want to talk about his pitiless father. 

Jimin could see the anguish building in his brother’s eyes.  He should have felt sympathy for him.  He should have blamed their parents for the blackness of Xio’s soul.  But Jimin felt – nothing.  Because he knew all too well that Xio was not just the product of lousy parents.  Xio was born evil.  His parents did nothing but train and refine the devil that already existed.  Jimin hated him.

“Happy Birthday, hyung.”  Jimin removed a small box from his suit pocket and pushed it across the table.

“What the fuck is this?”  Xio cursed behind a giddy smile.

“Cufflinks.  Bullshit really, but it’s not every day that your brother turns forty.  Fuck I wish someone else was my brother.”  Jimin said jokingly, but not at all.  “But I’m stuck with your incompetent ass, so Happy Birthday,”  He drank the entire glass of whiskey in one gulp.

"I'm 41 shit face.  But thanks...anyway,”  Xio smiled a genuinely happy smile as he opened his box of cufflinks.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”  Jeongguk suddenly appeared at their table. 

Jimin had no idea why he was there or why he had shown up unannounced, but he was pleasantly amused.  “Detective Jeon.  How lovely to see you again.”

Jeongguk flipped a toothpick over his tongue and used his fingers to flick his fedora up a few inches.   “This place brings back great memories.  I used to hang out here on Friday nights when I was a kid.  Back when your asshole of a father owned the place.”

The few mobsters in the restaurant gasped.  It was very well known that Detective Jeon Jeongguk was on a mission to bring down Park’s entire organization, Posco included.  He’d been investigating them for years and the rumor was that he was close to an arrest.  Many of them immediately began to scatter, fearful of what was about to go down.

“Why are you here detective?”  Jimin said flirtatiously. 

Jeongguk winked at him.  “I’m watching you Park.  I’m always in your ...I mean on your ass.  You can’t make a move without me knowing.”

“Do I need to have my lawyers prepare another harassment law suit against you?  If I didn’t know better, I would think you had a crush on me.”  Jimin played his part well.

“You can call your fancy lawyers all you want.  I know about the weapons, the gambling,”  Jeongguk acutely glared at Xio.

Jimin continued, “So, help me understand.  You followed me all the way here to Busan from Seoul just to make cute little threats about my ass and accuse me of gambling?”

“Does this turn you two dick lovers on? Playing these fucking games?  What a sick bunch a fucks,”  Xio whispered his opinion.  He wasn’t interested in joining their role play, but he wasn’t going to blow Jeongguk’s cover either.  He scowled and ordered a plate of sushi.

“I have nothing to hide.” Jimin shrugged.

“Where are the drugs?” Jeongguk demanded artificially.

“In your medicine cabinet, I presume,”  Jimin rolled his eyes.  He tried not to laugh.  “Or do you want to just issue me another parking ticket?”

Jeongguk closed his eyes and pursed his lips together.  He didn’t want to laugh either.  The parking ticket was indeed a fiasco.  “I...,”  but Jeongguk didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. 

As if moving in slow motion, he saw Jimin’s eyes widen as he jumped from his seat and lunged for him.  Jimin crashed his full body into Jeongguk and rolled him to the floor.  Within a blink, Jeongguk was under the table with Jimin laying on top of him shielding his body.  And then he heard the bullets ring out.  The sound of broken windows, screams and dented metal boomed all around them.  Gunfire raced through the small dining area of the restaurant, sending the patrons running and screaming for cover. 

Jeongguk grabbed his gun and attempted to join the fray, but Jimin held him down tightly, refusing to let him move.

“And where exactly do you think you’re going, baby?”  Jimin said casually as bullets continued to fly all around them.

“To help!  There’s a fucking shoot out.  People could get hurt,”  Jeongguk tried to push Jimin off of him but Jimin wouldn’t allow it.

Jimin held Jeongguk close to him, with his arms wrapped completely around him.  “You’re so incredibly handsome.  Who do you get your looks from, your mom or your dad?”

“MIN!  What the fuck?  People are shooting at us.”

“Indeed they are.  Just stay down and answer my question,”  Jimin said as he pulled his gun from his holster.

“Why does the CEO of Posco have a fucking gun on him?’’ Jeongguk said with anger.

“You learn very quickly when dealing with my brother to always be armed.  I pack a little heat every time he and I visit one another.  He has a lot of enemies Kookie.  Stay down.” 

Jeongguk was impressed, “I didn’t even know you knew how to use a gun.”

“I’m a trained marksman...my dad made sure of that,”  Jimin said casually.  He surveyed the area once again, searching for the safest way out.  

Bullets whizzed by, left and right.  Several bullets struck the table just above their heads.

Jimin pressed again, “Now answer my question.  Which of your parents made you so gorgeous?”  Jimin held Jeongguk and continued to lay on top of him.

“This is not the time...,”

“Answer...my question,”  Jimin insisted.  His intention was to distract Jeongguk to keep him from going into hero mode by involving himself in Xio’s mess.  Jimin needed just a little time to figure out how to get them out of there.

My mom...or my dad...b-b-both I guess?”  Jeongguk stuttered as he winced from the sound of the flying bullets.  “Jimin who are these people and why are they trying to kill us?”

Jimin rested the full weight of his body over Jeongguk to keep him still, “I would imagine, they’re after Xio.  These are amateurs baby.  If they were the real deal, we’d be dead by now.  They can’t even shoot straight.  They’ve emptied about 300 clips and hit absolutely no one.  I guarantee you this is some of Xio’s shit.”  Jimin was cool and casual.  “They’re not after us my love.”

“Well if Xio is the target why are they shooting at us?  Why won’t they just shoot him?”  Jeongguk yelled angrily at the shooters.  “Shoot him.  Shoot him, he’s right over there.”  Jeongguk pointed.

Jimin burst into laughter.

“Let me go Min.  I have to get out there and help.  People could be hurt,”  Jeongguk flinched as another bullet flew past them.

“Let them fend for themselves.  They’re Xio’s guards, they know how to handle these situations.  Baby, why are you here?”  Jimin asked seriously. 

“I missed you.  I took the train from Seoul and then grabbed a cab to the restaurant.  It was just supposed to be a surprise – a joke.  I never expected a real life reenactment of Bonnie and Clyde.”

Jimin looked around at the scattered debris, “Kookie, I have to get you out of here.  You’re not supposed to be here.  You can’t fire your weapon either.  They’ll trace the shell casings back to you and everyone will know you were here. It won’t look good to the Busan police to see a cop from Seoul in a known mobster hang out.  We have to sneak you out before they get here,”  Jimin explained.

“Well if I can’t shoot my way out, how are we supposed to escape?”

“I’m going to have to shoot us out,”  Jimin said.   He could see his brother cowering under a table a few feet away,  “XIO!” Jimin yelled through gritted teeth,  “What the fuck is this about?”

Xio tried to explain, “Listen Jimin, this started before you named me as CEO.  I swear.  There’s a few gamblers who are a little angry with me about a bet I placed almost a year ago.  Amateurs.  But I promise, I’ll handle it.  It’s just a little disagreement.  This won’t be a problem.”

“It’s already a fucking problem, you clown.  I’ve got to get Kookie out of here before someone recognizes him,”  Jimin screamed over the fire of bullets.

Suddenly a thunderous clap exploded over them, causing shards of glass to rain down all around them.

“FUCK!  What is happening?”  Jeongguk winced and covered his head.  He grabbed on to Jimin even tighter as he tried to pull his CEO away from the raining glass.  His mouth fell open with shock as he rolled Jimin over.  With reproach he questioned, “Oh my God is your dick hard?”   

Jimin shrugged, “You smell good and you’re fucking gorgeous.”

“We’re being shot at!  This is not the time,”  Jeongguk quipped incredulously.

“Listen Kookie,”  Jimin looked straight into Jeongguk’s eyes.  “We’re going to make a run for it through the kitchen’s back door.  Don’t you fire a single fucking shot.  We can’t let them trace your bullets.  The Busan police are probably already on their way and we’ve got to get you out of here.  You shouldn’t be in a restaurant full of mobsters.”

“You’re not a mobster, you’re a CEO.”

“Not sure they’re going to be able to make that distinction under the flurry of bullets, baby.  On the count of three, run for the back door.  My limo is parked right out back.  I’ll run behind you and provide cover.  Got it?”

“This is insane.”

“Is that a fucking yes or no?”

“It’s a yes, yes I got it.”  Jeongguk smiled.   He was getting horny too.

Jimin yelled over the noise of the gunshots as they ricocheted off of the metal pots and pans.  “Park Xio, handle this fucking mess.  Whatever you have to do, settle this gambling debt.  And get the fuck out of here before the police arrive.  We can’t have the CEO of Posco Busan caught in a shoot-out.  I’m taking Kookie through the back door.”   

Jimin found Jeongguk’s eyes, “Ready?”

“On the count of three?” Jeongguk suggested.

“Yeah count of three, but wait,”  Jimin stalled.

“What?”  

“I love you,”  Jimin gave Jeongguk a quick but passionate kiss.  

“I love you too.  Don’t get fucking shot,” Jeongguk requested kindly.

“Ditto.  Ok, one, two, three...,”  

 

 

Jeongguk kicked over the table and used it as a shield as he and Jimin crawled out.  They both stayed low to the ground.  The air was thick with the smell of gun powder and they could hear the bullets hitting the wooden tables.  They crawled for a few paces while the bullets flew overhead.  He and Jimin held hands as Jeongguk found his footing and ran straight into the kitchen towards the open back door.  Jimin trailed behind him, facing the front window, and shooting towards the black car where the shots were coming from.

They reached the kitchen only to find a small woman shrinking behind the stove, screaming as the bullets scattered around her.   Jeongguk immediately ran to her.

“What are you doing?  We have to go!”  Jimin said impatiently.

“We have to get her out of here.”  Jeongguk wrapped his arms around the elderly woman and heaved her away from her hiding place.  He ducked down as the bullets continued to fly and pushed her hard towards the open door. “Run,” he demanded.

The woman scurried away screaming.  Jeongguk looked around the kitchen for more victims but Jimin lost his patience.  Amidst a flurry of gun fire that showed no signs of stopping, he grabbed Jeongguk by the arm and pulled him once again towards the open door.  But they never made it. 

One of the hooligans responsible for the reign of bullets suddenly popped into the door frame and began firing upon the two as they attempted to escape the kitchen.  The man was a lousy shot and bullets flew everywhere.  Jeongguk, being the trained detective that he was,  instinctively drew his gun and fired back.   The first bullet hit the man square in the upper shoulder but exited through his back and lodged into the side door of Jimin’s limo.  Jeongguk continued to fire.  However, his subsequent shots were all deflected when Jimin grabbed a frying pan and waived it into the path of Jeongguk’s gun fire.  Jeongguk’s bullets embedded into the flat body of the pan, allowing Jimin enough time to scream a reminder.

“Don’t fucking shoot!  You’re not supposed to be here, we can’t have your bullets come up in a forensics investigation.”  Jimin lectured amidst the flurry of activity.  Quickly he gathered the empty bullet casings from the ground and dropped them into the expensive pocket of his suit jacket.

The hooligan at the door flew backwards when Jeongguk’s bullet entered his shoulder, but he quickly regained his footing and returned to start shooting again.  Thinking with the speed of a ninja, Jeongguk grabbed another one of the cast iron skillets from the hot stove.  This one was full of hot tempura grease. With both hands gripped around the handle of the scalding skillet, he swung the heavy cast iron straight into the shooter’s face, spilling boiled grease all over him.   The man fell onto his back, screaming and writing in pain from both the bullet wound and the grease burns.

“Good shot!” Jimin smiled.  He grabbed Jeongguk’s hand and pulled him forward again.  In unison, they jumped, hurdling over the man’s kicking body.  Once again, hand in hand, they ran towards the limo.  Jimin continued to fire shots to keep the other assailants at bay while they made their escape. 

Once at the limo door, they pulled it open and dove inside, falling all over each other as they tumbled to the floor.  Eyes closed, bodies pressed against the limo floor, they held each other close as they whispered frenetic I love you’s in the midst of the chaos. Rogue bullets continued to ricochet off of the bullet-proof glass of Jimin’s gangster fortified limousine.  But, they were safe.  There was not a bullet known to man that could pierce the reinforced Posco steel that had been built into the side panels of Jimin’s expensive car. 

But soon, the flying bullets and murderous outlaws surrounding them became the least of their concerns.  They could feel the heat of their hot cocks burning their trousers as they rubbed against each other on top of the thick limo carpet.  The intensity of their escape and their brief brush with danger impassioned them; turning them horny at the most inconceivable moment.  They clawed at each other like mad men;  scratching and pulling, panting loudly over the pings of the bullets.

“We’re being shot at,”  Jeongguk mumbled as his mouth grinded over Jimin’s lips.

“We could completely die right now,”  Jimin answered, his mouth indescribably delicious as he opened it to complete their kiss.  He spread his hands along the lapels of Jeongguk’s jacket and began pulling him away from it.  Buttons from the detective’s shirt exploded over his face as he violently ripped it open, to seek his detective’s firm nipples.  His lips parted over the excited buds.

Jeongguk moaned as he felt the sliding caress of Jimin’s tongue across his chest.  Recalcitrant to the laws of logical behavior, they groped and wrenched and tugged at every stitch of clothing until they lay naked on the floor with their two hard cocks between them.  They could no longer hear the bullets.  But the wet passionate slurps of their twisting tongues were the only sounds that mattered. 

Ravenous, as if they hadn’t seen each other in years, or hadn’t touched each other in months or hadn’t fucked each other in decades, they greedily attacked.  Jeongguk could not get his dick inside of his little mobster fast enough.  Time moved too slowly.  Every movement of their bodies felt like they were being weighed down by quicksand even though they were moving at lightning speed.  They wanted to fuck now, they needed to fuck right away.  They were in a race that only existed in their minds.

Jeongguk’s hands delighted over the dense flesh of Jimin’s ass as he pulled him open.  But even in the midst of the frenzy, Jeongguk had the foresight to pause for a moment.  He stared lovingly into Jimin’s eyes, worried about the pain he could cause him.

In filthy low whispers, Jimin urged him on, begging him to fuck him until he cried.  He grabbed the back of Jeongguk’s hair and pulled his head back as he licked and kissed his neck.  Jimin fell onto his back.  He spread his legs apart while he sent more seductive demands to his waiting partner. 

Jeongguk smiled the malevolent smile of a sinner in church.  He crawled between Jimin’s open legs and with one ruthless surge of his hips, he pushed his cock forward like a steel pipe.  The intimate sundering of Jimin’s body caused the elder to cry out with a perfectly balanced degree of pleasure and pain.

“Fuck!  Shit...oh God.”

“Shit is right.  Do you feel me baby?”  Jeongguk exerted steady pressure against Jimin’s vulnerable opening until he was nuts deep inside of him. 

Jimin trembled.  The voracity of his husband’s thrusts were incomprehensible.  He was assuredly being ripped in half.  Kumo would not have approved.  With his face damp with sweat, he pressed his palms against Jeongguk’s chest to push him back ever so slightly, just enough for him to relieve some of the pressure.  He writhed beneath him to accommodate him, but there was no escaping his husband’s violent fucking. 

Jeongguk watched Jimin’s face.  He knew that look.  The moment was transforming.  It was just a matter of time before Jimin’s pain erupted into lavish pleasure. “This is what you wanted, this is what you trained me to do,”  Jeongguk savagely teased his lover as he matched his strokes with his smothering kisses.

Jimin crinkled his eyebrows inward, like he was going to cry.  His lover was exactly right, this was exactly how he had trained him to fuck.  The words were combative and taunting, everything that he needed to hear to push him to the edge.  With each of Jeongguk’s thrusts, he spat another obscenity as his loins caught fire.  He was about to cum.  Was it the dirty talk? The savage fucking? The bullets shot at them? The ...love?  He didn’t know but he was on the precipice of the best orgasm of his life. 

“It’s so tight.  Fuck Min, FUCK!  I love you.”  Jeongguk squeezed his eyes closed. 

Jimin’s breathing became irregular.  His eyes fell upon his lover in complete disbelief of how much he cherished him.  He panted, with each of his pleasure screams growing louder and louder, until finally he arched so violently from the floor that he almost threw Jeongguk off of him.  Tears dropped from the corners of his eyes as his cock pulsated like a rocket.  He spewed cum in heavy ropes all over everything.

Jeongguk broke into laughter, “You ok?  Did I hurt you?”

“Holy shit what was that?”  Jimin swiped at his tears, “I’ve never felt anything like that in my fucking life.  It’s like the sex just keeps getting better and better...HOLY SHIT!”

“I know.  I don’t know what’s happening, but I really like it.”

“Baby, wait, did you cum?”

Jeongguk winced, “Yeah, about five minutes ago.  It was too good baby, sorry I couldn’t hold it.  I’m sorry.  You’re so fucking tight in there,”  Jeongguk rolled to his side laughing.

“Hey!  I don’t hear any more gun shots.”

“Neither do I.  It must have stopped.”

Suddenly Jimin’s limo driver jumped into the front seat.  Rightfully so, he had been hiding behind a garbage bin until the shooting died down.  Both Jimin and Jeongguk startled.  They grabbed their clothes and tried to cover themselves.  Fortunately for them, the solid black partition between the backseat and the driver hid their debauchery.

“Sir.  Sir are you ok?  I saw you jump into the back, but they were still firing and I was afraid to come out.”  The driver’s voice came through the speaker system in the back of the limo.

Jimin cleared his throat, “Uh, yes.  We’re fine.  It was a close call but we’re ok.”

Jeongguk roared with laughter.  “We got busted, huh?”  He whispered as Jimin tried to play it cool.

Jimin shooshed him, “We need to get back to Seoul.  Since you drove me here, I hope you don’t mind driving me back? Are you nervous?  I can understand if you’re uncomfortable.  I can hire another driver.”

“No.  No I’m fine.  I’m more than happy to take you back, sir.”

“The police are here.  I can hear the sirens.  We need to get out of here.  Let’s step on it shall we?”

“Yes, Sir.” The limo driver replied.

Jeongguk continued to dress himself.  He turned towards Jimin with a serious question, “Do you think the guy that I hit with the pan is going to be ok?”

“He’ll live.  But need I remind you that he tried to kill you?  I wouldn’t be so concerned about his well-being if I were you.  He had no concern for yours,”  Jimin said as he hastily pulled on his trousers and shirt.

“But we’re supposed to be better than them, remember?  Humanity is the only thing that separates us really.”

Jimin gingerly sat on his back side and stared straight into Jeongguk’s eyes, “Humanity is sometimes overrated, my love.”

Lee realized that his hands were shaking.  The tales of his brother’s deadly escapades were harrowing.  He had already read through ten of his brother’s journals and the information that he’d uncovered thus far was mind numbing. 

“I need more fucking beer,” the Priest swore under his breath.  “Dirty hands.  Sinners.  All of you.” Lee cried.  There truly was no hope of saving his brother’s soul.  Mafia?  Murders?  But what Lee couldn’t understand was how all of this had gone on for years without him knowing.  Of course he was aware of Park Jimin of Posco Construction Company.  Everyone knew that cast of characters,  but he never had a clue that any of them were related.  

He had seen the lovely Kumo at charity events and in the news.  In fact she was heavily involved in children’s charity as well as events for the women of Guryong.  She even hosted a fund raiser for the orphanage where Lee served as a Priest.  Their paths had crossed so many times, but he never knew that the degrees of separation between them were so few. 

“Park Jimin is a homosexual?”  Lee kept replaying that fact over and over in his head. “With a beautiful wife like Kumo?”

 It was impossible to believe.  Kumo was just a cover for Jimin’s homosexuality.  It sickened Lee to read his brother’s explicit words recounting their deviant sexual experiences.  He felt the need to pray – not for his brother – but for himself.  Because through it all, the sex, the lies, the dishonesty, the dishonor of the  badge, one thing stood out to him more than anything; his brother and Park Jimin were in love.  Honest and true love.  Jeongguk had even given Jimin his grandmother’s necklace as a show of his commitment.  In Lee’s mind, Jeongguk would have never done that, NEVER, unless he had truly met the person of his dreams.  So how could Lee justify raging against their union when it was so uniquely beautiful?  Love itself wasn’t sinful.  In fact in Lee’s opinion, everyone deserved to experience a love affair at least once in their lifetimes.  But the evil around their love was why Lee felt the need to pray.  He also needed more beer, that was another reason to continue to pray...

There was so much to digest.  He needed a moment to breathe, but he also needed to keep going.  It had taken him twelve hours to read through the first ten journals, but with the completion of each, he felt closer and closer to figuring out the truth behind who had attempted to kill his brother.

“Ten down, one-hundred and twenty to go,”  Lee said to himself as he picked up the next bundle of journals.  Before he opened journal eleven, he fell to his knees and said another heartfelt prayer.  Once he was all prayed forward, he resumed his reading.  There was only one thing missing - more beer.

 

March 13th, 1966 – End of Q1 Earnings

Jimin walked into the offices of Posco Construction Company.  His black suit, as always, was classically elegant although a bit morose.  Jimin was never one for much color.  His preferential hues ranged from black to grey with the potential for tan to be thrown into the mix whenever he was feeling daring.  His suit was tailored to perfection and his suit jacket hugged him like a second skin.  With a slight flair at the ankle, his trousers fell perfectly over his long legs, while leaving ample space for his ample ass. Another pair of custom loafers dressed his feet as he swaggered into the building.  With the perfect bit of pomade gel, his hair was slicked back away from his face.  Contrasted against his porcelain skin, his jet black hair made him appear Vampiric.  He was, without a doubt, breath taking.

Every head turned, even for those who knew him and had seen him a million times.  There was a low buzz of conversation as he swept by.  The distinct, rich, musk of his expensive cologne caused everyone to swoon, even the men.  Yet, none of them dared to act too familiar because they were all smart enough to maintain a respectful fear of his power.  The beautiful Park Kumo was a lucky woman to have such an incredible man as her husband – at least that’s how outsiders viewed it.

Jimin took the elevator to the eleventh floor and stepped directly into the board room.  The long fibers of the orange shag carpet muffled his footsteps.  He walked to the head of the table and took a seat.  Just beyond the large oval conference table hung orange velvet drapes that complimented the hue of the room’s carpet.  The walls were wood paneled, made of the same material as the mahogany table in front of him.  Each of the light fixtures overhead were cylinder shaped canisters that hung from the ceiling on invisible strings.  It gave them the appearance of floating on air.  There was a large, avocado green phone with a long twisting chord that sat in the middle of the table.  It was the first of its kind and the latest technology.  It allowed for board members to call into his quarterly meetings from anyplace in the world.  Leave it to Jimin to be on the cutting edge.

Jimin did not allow smoking in the building, another cutting edge decision.   Many of his fellow board members could be found huddled just beyond the rear exit, taking their final puffs before coming upstairs to join him.   A stickler for timeliness, Jimin was always the first to arrive.  Their annual Q2 kick-off meeting was a time for the entire board to come together to discuss the company’s goals, budget and strategic marketing plan.  Jimin’s vision for the growth of Posco was aggressive and it was imperative to start the year on a good footing.  Other than G&S, Posco had forced all other competitors out of business.  No other construction company could compete with Jimin’s savvy, liquid cash flow, political connections and bribe money.  He also had a damn good team of employees working as architects and engineers within the company. 

With his mind focused, he sorted through his leather satchel and pulled all of the memos that he had personally typed for the board’s review.  He heard someone enter.  Naturally, he assumed it was one of the local members arriving early to escape the cold.  He looked up to greet them, but was over taken with surprise when he recognized his first attendee.

“You little shit, why are you always thirty minutes early?  You make it impossible for anyone to get in here before you,”  Xio smiled. 

Jimin swelled with pride.  For months, Xio had been the model CEO and his early presence at their first board meeting was proof of his commitment to his new role.  Jimin was not a hugger, nor was he one to gush publicly over things that pleased him.  However, his megawatt smile did all of the talking for him.  He grinned from the moment Xio entered the room, until the moment he took his rightful place to the right of Jimin’s seat.  Xio looked suave and debonair.  He had the look of a CEO but with a slight edge that warned others not to fuck with him.  He was a long way from the greasy hair and gaudy jewels that had defined his life of crime. 

“Nice suit, hyung.  You’ll have to share the number of your seamstress,”  Jimin teased.

“Fuck you, I’m not sharing.  Besides you look like a fucking American GQ model, you don’t need my help,” Xio was still a bit rough around the edges, but Jimin gladly accepted it.  It was a big improvement over the old Xio. 

The relationship between Jimin and his brother was not healed.  There were too many decades of hurt and resentment between them to suddenly consider themselves healed.  The hatred was as potent as ever, they were just more efficient with hiding it.  Deep fissures still existed.  However, Jimin agreeing to allow Xio to oversee the Busan division of Posco went a long way towards mending some of the surface wounds.  In addition, Xio was so busy with trying to prove himself to Jimin, that he completely abandoned his small time rackets that kept him in trouble.  Xio had aggressive numbers to make, he had growth projections, contracts to review, employee payrolls to manage, everything that a successful CEO needed to stay in business.  He had no time for anything that didn’t advance his agenda with Posco – Busan.

Jimin leaned in to have a quick word with his brother, “What are you doing here?  I told you that you could have just called in.”

“I borrowed the jet.  I can do that now that I’m a CEO,”  Xio boasted.

“Yeah well, did you put gas in it?  Because I’m going to Japan next week and I’ll be pissed if we run out of gas,” Jimin joked.

“Ah fuck you,”  Xio punched Jimin playfully in the stomach.  “Hey, Jiminie, uh listen, about that thing that happened a few months ago.  The entanglement over my gambling debts,”  Xio said vaguely.

“You meant the shoot-out in Busan that almost got me and my husband killed?”

“Yeah, that thing.  I took care of it, okay?  It won’t happen again, it’s handled.  No one was seriously hurt, except some jack ass that fell into a pot of grease or something.  Like I said, it was no big deal.  We’re good?”

Jimin rubbed his temples, “We’re good.  But no more of that shit Xio.  No more.  Do we understand each other?  Beside, you look too fucking good in your CEO suits to hang around with those low-life’s,” Jimin said encouragingly. 

Xio refused to be lectured again so he moved on, “Listen, I have something else.  I never had a chance to uh, ah, thank you properly for coming around and deciding to give me a chance with the expansion into Busan.  I won’t disappoint you, I promise.”

Jimin did not respond.  Instead he stood to welcome the group of board members who’d just arrived.  As CEO of the Busan division, he urged Xio to do the same.  They smiled like politicians as they greeted the voting branch of their corporation. 

Although Jimin was very pleased with Xio’s progress, it was too early to do a victory lap.  Xio had a lot of work ahead of him and Jimin questioned if he had the business acumen to do it.  All Xio knew was gang life and intimidation.  Working inside the boundaries of the law, even with Jimin’s careful guidance was going to be a challenge.  Jimin knew his brother too well.   No one could snatch defeat from the arms of victory like his wayward older brother.

Jeongguk rubbed his temples as he lowered his head.  The phone’s long chord dragged along the ground as he rested the headset on his shoulder.   The shrill voice of the ‘witness’ came blaring through the phone’s ear piece.  The witness, a fifty year old bakery shop worker, had a lot to say about nothing.  She swore up and down that she had seen Jimin, the Park Jimin, in a back alley beating a mime with a hula-hoop.  A hula-hoop and a mime.  Never in the history of Korea had there ever even been a mime sighting.

This week she accused Jimin of assault.  The previous week she had called to tell Jeongguk that she was pregnant with Jimin’s baby.  The week before that, she called to talk about the lovely plane ride they took to Madagascar.  Jeongguk correctly concluded that her stories were all rooted in television programs.  Because each week, her story about Jimin had a different theme.

It was well known that Hye Choi had a mental issue that caused her to have hallucinations.  Rumor was that she suffered from an untreated case of syphilis that caused her to have delusional thoughts.  She also happened to be obsessed with Park Jimin.  Ever since she first saw him on the cover of Entrepreneur magazine, she began making weekly calls to the Seoul police department to report various infractions.  And then at other times, she just called to chat.  Of course all reports dealing with Park Jimin and South Street gang were immediately transferred to Jeongguk, no matter how foolish or inane they were.

Jeongguk tapped his pencil impatiently against his wooden desk.  Once again he kept his head low to try to avoid breathing in the floating smoke.  He wasn’t sure how much more he could take of Hye Choi and her crazy shenanigans.  However, after fifteen minutes of rambling, she did say something of interest that caught Jeongguk’s attention.  She was adamant about the date and time that she’d seen Jimin in the alley.   

“Mrs. Hye could you please repeat that date? The date that you saw Jimin in the alley beating the mime?”  Jeongguk asked politely.

“It was January 1st, of this year.  He had on a red clown suit with a black bow tie.”

Jeongguk smiled.  January 1st was indeed a special day.  It was the day that he and Jimin had traveled to Hong Kong for a short romantic weekend.  The sex was insane.  The memory made him smile.  He was so happy. 

Although not needed, Jeongguk was able to provide an alibi for Jimin that proved he wasn’t the clown that Mrs. Hye had seen in the alley on January 1st 1966.   In fact, Jeongguk questioned if Mrs. Hye had seen anyone at all.  There had been no reports of any injuries or assaults that entire weekend.  He did however remember an episode of the Korean crime drama called “The Missing” where a clown did indeed assault a man in an alley.  He realized that Mrs. Hye was intermingling her reality with television.

Tired of her ranting, Jeongguk finally interrupted to put an end to the phone call, “Mrs. Hye, you’re wrong about seeing Jimin,”  he said solidly.

“How do you know?”  She protested.

“Because at the exact time and date you claim to have seen him, I was fucking him in the swimming pool at the Hilton in Hong Kong.  Good night.” Jeongguk slammed down the phone.  He knew better than to say such a thing, but he didn’t care.  The woman was as looney as a doe-doe bird.  Even if she did tell anyone what he said, no one would believe her. 

Jeongguk was done.  It was the end of the day and he had had just about enough of witness accounts.  He took the last thirty minutes of his shift to update his leather journal and then he threw all of his belongings into his briefcase and said goodnight.  He was halfway to his car when he heard a voice call from behind him.

“Judging from that expensive suit you’re wearing, it looks like my brother is taking pretty good care of you.”  The voice came from the dark corner of the parking lot. 

With his hand on his gun, Jeongguk spun around.  The only thing he could see was the cigarette illuminated bottom-half of a face.  The man was wearing a black fedora that fit low over his head.  Once the voice had time to register, Jeongguk removed his hand from his gun.  He smiled broadly at the dark figure.

“You have the balls of a fucking elephant.  You do realize this is the Seoul police department, don’t you?  Are you lost?  You’re a suspect in at least four murders over the last three years.  I’m thinking you shouldn’t be here,”  Jeongguk teased his husband’s brother Xio, who he hadn’t seen since the infamous shoot out in Busan.

“Thanks to you, I don’t really worry about cops on my back these days,”  Xio said genuinely.  “Besides, I’m here to see you.”   He remained hidden in the shadows of the dark corner.  “I figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to call you, and it’s probably not a good idea for us to be seen together, but I do want to buy you a drink.  If you’re up to it, I know a place,”  Xio smiled.

Jeongguk continued to smile.  “Lead the way.”

The dive bar that Xio proposed for his meet up with Jeongguk was the perfect place for a cop and a gangster to catch up on old times.  Were it not for Jimin, Jeongguk would have had absolutely no dealings with a man like Xio, but because he was his lover’s brother, he needed to make sure that he gave him the respect he deserved as Jimin’s sibling.  Still, it wasn’t easy. 

Up until Jeongguk uncovered Xio’s involvement with the attack on the Minister’s wife, Jeongguk had considered Xio an acquaintance -  distant acquaintance.  But after learning what Xio was capable of, Jeongguk really had no desire to have any further dealings with him.  Jimin had tried to warn him that Xio was of a different breed.  But Jeongguk also understood that Jimin too was of a different breed.  So if Jimin could have redeeming qualities, he figured so could his brother.  He was only partially right. 

Xio was a complicated man, just like Jimin but without the charm, intelligence or warm fuzzy appeal.  He was almost as good looking, slightly less commanding, and much less authoritative, but he also lacked the humanity and decency that Jimin had.  For Jeongguk, that made him hard to love – or even like. 

The two sat down at the bar.  The entire place was full of gay and bisexual men who were there to pick up other gay or bisexual men.  Most of them had wives at home who were completely unaware of their dealings outside of their marriages.  It was the perfect place to see and be seen without the rest of the world ever finding out about it.  Everyone there worked under a certain code of secrecy and that was the protection that Xio and Jeongguk needed to feel free to talk.

“Well first, let me say, congratulations on the new subsidiary.  Jimin says you’re already pulling in new contract work.  That’s pretty incredible.  A toast.”  Jeongguk raised his glass of wine.  Jeongguk was not a drinker and did not do well with the hard stuff so his light glass of wine was all that he needed for a good time.

Xio toasted. “Don’t think that I don’t know the part you played in this.  Kookie, I know my brother.  There is no way in hell he would have backed down and agreed to give me this expansion if you hadn’t talked him into it,”  Xio said gracefully.

“You’re giving me too much credit. I had nothing to do with this.  I just asked him to talk to you again to see if you could work something out.  That’s it.  That’s all I did.”  Jeongguk was truthful.  He had nothing to do with Jimin caving and giving Xio the expansion.  The reason that Jimin had changed his mind was because Xio was causing so much shit in the field, that he worried his antics would eventually take down the entire empire.  Giving Xio the subsidiary was Jimin’s only choice.

Xio continued, “You’re the only one he listens to these days.  He listens to you more than he listens to his own brother. What does Kumo call it...?”  Xio thought for a moment, “...dick drunk.  You’ve got him dick drunk.”  Xio laughed. 

“I don’t know if I like that term.  It belittles what we have between us.  We’re in love Xio.  I would marry him if I could,”  Jeongguk admitted openly.

“I know, I know.  The feeling is mutual.  He loves you too.  He’s a queer through and through.  For a while there I thought maybe he would fuck you and Kumo, possibly at the same time. But he seems pretty dedicated to the gay side of things,” Xio said uncouthly.

There was too much in Xio’s statement to correct, so Jeongguk just ignored him. 

“That’s all good, but Kookie, that’s not why I’m here.  I heard that you found out about the thing that happened...over the gambling debts.  You know the thing that ended in Busan.”

“Yeah Xio.  Which thing?  The one where me and Jimin ended up being shot at or...”

“No, not that thing...the other thing.  You know the one that ended with the fish in the Busan river.”  Xio’s eyes shifted with guilt.

“Yeah, I know all about the thing.  And so does the witness who saw the man with the limp.”

“Yeah, that witness was taken care of.  He was an informant who knew too much,” Xio said morosely.

“Yeah, but you really shouldn’t have done that and you damn sure shouldn’t be telling me about it.  I’m a cop for fuck sakes Xio-hyung.”  Jeongguk was beyond aggravated.

“You’re a cop on my payroll.  That means I can trust you.”

“I’m not on anyone’s payroll,”  Jeongguk objected.

“Oh yeah?  I would call seven new private acquisitions of real estate – payroll.  And don’t even get me started on the fancy new suits and jewelry that you’re sporting on a cop’s salary.”

“Those were gifts from the man I love.  I don’t even want them, that’s not what our relationship is about.”

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Kookie.  I was just trying to say thank you.”  Xio smiled.  His face was soft and gentle as if he truly was trying to make a peace offering.

“Park Xio-hyung, that has to be the most fucked up thank you I have ever heard in my life,”  Jeongguk quipped.  This drew laughter from both of the men.  “Xio listen to me.  I have done some things...some things that have...helped.  But I can’t keep this up.  Things are getting complicated and I need you to keep your nose clean.”

“I’m the fucking CEO of Posco Construction.  I’m legit now.  I wish you and Jimin would stop throwing empty threats around.  Both of you are such piss ants.  If you were both real men, instead of dick lovers, maybe you would understand how valuable my firm hand is to this organization.”  For the briefest second, Xio’s eyes darkened.  The man who shared so many of the same features with his brother, looked nothing like his brother.  

“Yeah, ok.  It was nice seeing Xio-hyung, I better go,”  Jeongguk stood to leave.  He was tired of Xio’s shit.

Xio grabbed Jeongguk’s arm and pushed him back down onto the stool, “Sorry, please forgive me. My temper gets the best of me sometimes.  I didn’t mean that.  No hard feelings, huh?”

Jeongguk spun his legs back under the bar and settled in.  “No hard feelings.”

“I know how hard it is to cover up my bullshit and I’m sorry for putting you in this position.  But I promise, this is the end of it.  No more.  No more dirty dealings.”  Xio was committed to his word.  “You know Kookie, life wasn’t easy for me and Jimin.  Our father was one of the best Kingpins this organization has ever seen.  But he was a piece of shit father.  Our mother was always drunk and our father was never around.  When he was around he tortured us.  We saw so many beatings and murders.  He never lifted a finger to protect us from seeing that shit, you know?  Jiminie suffered the most.  He internalized that stuff and never had an outlet to release it all.  He and dad worked well together, but he and my mom were oil and vinegar.  My mom was heartless when it came to Jimin.  You know what she would do?  She would lock him in the closet whenever he did the smallest thing wrong.  Mom and I got along fine, she mostly ignored me and let me do my thing.  But she and Jiminie didn’t do well at all.  One day he was sick and he threw up on the bathroom floor.  He had a fever of 104 and do you know what that bitch did?  She locked him the closet for three days.  She didn’t even take him to the doctor.  He could have died.  He had no food, no medicine, no one to look after him.  He was three, I was eight.  I was too young to really understand it, you know?  She would put him in there all the time for no reason.”

Jeongguk held steady.  He knew about Jimin’s past, but it hit differently to hear it from Xio’s own lips.  “Why did your mother treat him so differently than how she treated you?”

Xio thought for second, “It’s like she hated him for being attractive, smart and charming – all the things she wasn’t.  Fuck, I don’t know.  No one really understood what went on in that bitch’s mind.  If you ask me, she was the real mafia boss of the family.  No one was as ruthless as she was.  After she started locking him in the closet,  Jiminie developed this horrible fear of the dark. The closet was always so dark and even though we lived in a decent neighborhood, we were still in a pre-war Korea.  Rats and vermin ran the streets back then.  The rats would fall down from the attic and crawl over him.  He would scream and scream, begging for someone to help him.  But no one ever did.” Xio released a poorly timed chuckle.

Jeongguk wanted to punch him in the fucking face.  Even at only eight years old, Xio should have had the heart to help his baby brother.  Jeongguk lost his temper, “Why didn’t you fucking help him?” He seethed.

Xio laughed, “...because...it was none of my business.  My folks always taught me to mind my own business.  I kept quiet.  You see, where mom was Jimin’s nemesis, my father was mine.  He always loved Jimin more than me.  Mom never pulled that shit with Jimin when dad was around.  She kept it completely hidden from him and she vowed to kill us if we ever told him. Dad loved Jimin, more that he loved his own wife.  We were all afraid of our father, but he always took the greatest of care with Jimin.  He took him sailing and fishing, he was close to a real father to Jimin as he could have been.

Me, on the other hand, I was the one that dad took his frustrations out on.  One night when I was about sixteen, I woke up and he had a gun to my head.  I was so fucking scared.  I didn’t know what I had done.  I truly believed that he was going to kill me.  He pulled the trigger, it misfired.  He was playing some sick game I guess.  I don’t know.  But do you know what that fucking asshole said to me?  He laughed and said, ‘I guess it’s your night to live’. I decided that I hated him from that day forward.  He didn’t have to love me or even like me, but I fully expected him to respect me.  I worked my ass off to earn his respect and to prove that I could be the new Kingpin.  But he passed me over in favor of my little brother.  I was fucking humiliated.”

“Jimin told me how tough it was for both of you.  He didn’t want this life, Xio. He wanted to go to law school and be a lawyer and stay out of the family business.  He’s done a brilliant job with Posco, because he’s not like you,”  Jeongguk said regretfully.

Xio laughed.  “Not like me?”  He laughed so loudly and so hard that he drew stares.  “Yeah this is just more of your dick drunk behavior shining through.  Yes Jeongguk, you’re right.  Jimin’s not like me - he’s worse.  Has he ever told you the truth about what happened to our mother?”

Jeongguk dropped his glass of wine.  He didn’t like what Xio was inferring, “NO.  I’m sure there is nothing to tell,”  Jeongguk said defensively.

“Well you should ask him.  Maybe it will give you a little more insight into what type of savage you’ve chosen to fall in love with.  Yeah, yeah, ask him what happened.  But make fucking sure you’re ready to hear the answer,”  Xio took another drink of his liquor and slammed the glass on the table.  He watched Jeongguk shift uneasily and then laughed mockingly at him.  “You don’t fully know the monster you fuck every night.  The real reason that my dad picked him to run the empire, was not just because he was smarter, but because he was much more ruthless.  Do you really think all those years of abuse and torture just disappeared?  No my friend.  It lives deep down inside of him.  Mom locked Jimin in the closet for the last time when he was twelve years old.  There were no screams from Jimin that time.  When she opened the door four days later, the rats lay dead all around him.  He had killed them all with his bare hands.  Kookie, I’m the evil that you know.  Jimin is the evil that we don’t know.  God help us all, if its ever unleashed again.”

August 13, 1966

Xio slammed his fist on the desk.  For the sixth month in a row, he failed to meet his revenue growth projections.  The Mapo board was set to make their decision any day but the earnings reports for the Busan division of Posco were far below the success of the rest of the company. 

Jimin looked to Xio for answers.  But as opposed to pulling the rug from under him, Jimin allowed Xio time to get his company back on track.  Afterall, it was not unusual for a new company to have a turbulent first year.  The company was in the black overall and there was plenty of revenue to carry Xio’s part of the business.  But still, Xio was infuriated.  He had done everything right.  He had followed his brother’s model exactly as it was laid out.  Business was booming.  There wasn’t a new construction project in Busan that he didn’t have a contract for, yet his profits just weren’t where they should have been.  

If there was anything that Xio had learned from his savvy younger brother, it was to follow the money trail.  Xio needed to know exactly where every penny was going.  He decided to hire an auditor to take a deeper look into his financial logs. Something wasn’t right and he knew it.  Xio almost felt as if he and his company were being - sabotaged.

Jimin clenched his eyes shut so tightly that they burned.  Tear droplets escaped the tight creases between his eyelashes and fell in tiny beads towards the pillow.  His voice was gone.  His teeth chattered and his body fell into one giant seizure as his husband fucked into him.  Jimin held on, balling anything and everything into his small fists.  Trapped on all fours, with his head pressed down into the cool pillow, he welcomed the smooth pounding of his ass.  In the years when he and Jeongguk had first met, Jeongguk had always been very timid and careful with their love making.  But after years of Jimin demanding he be more forceful, Jeongguk was finally giving him what he wanted – each and every time.  It was unreal.

Curses poured from Jimin’s lips as he prayed to God to never let the feeling end.  The bed sheets beneath him became soaked with Jimin’s cum as he rounded the final mountain of ecstasy.

The whispers of I love you filled the room like religious chants.  The words could not be said enough.  Three years into a love affair that never should have been, and they were just as passionate about each other as the first day they met. 

Never had Jimin cried so easily, never. But the feel of Jeongguk’s warm and powerful thrusts made him weep like a baby.  Each time it happened, he felt weak and vulnerable.  Only children locked in dark closets were supposed to cry.  It was only because of the sensitive reinforcement from Jeongguk that he was able to rebound without humiliation. 

“I need you to stop making me cry,”  Jimin said through salty tears of embarrassment. 

“I need you to keep crying.  There’s a part of you that you’ve blocked off, Min.  You need to get in touch with those emotions and not be afraid of them.  Being vulnerable doesn’t make you weak.  Otherwise...,”  Jeongguk thought back to the horrific stories of Jimin’s youth.  “...otherwise, you could lose your humanity.” 

Jimin had been woefully abused as a child.  Jeongguk feared that if Jimin didn’t face that demon, it would one day explode into fury and rage that he couldn’t control.  Jeongguk fell into the fetal position with Jimin facing him.  Jimin caressed the pure curve of his lover’s neck with his hand.  He stared into the younger’s eyes.  With his thumb, he brushed Jeongguk’s soft, thick tendrils of hair away from his forehead.  It was there where he planted his sweetest kiss. 

“Your hair is nice.”

Jeongguk grimaced, “I’m pretty sure you’ve rubbed your dick in it before. How can you just now be noticing that its nice?”

“I’ve never had my dick in your hair, but let’s make sure we do that tonight.  I think that would probably feel pretty good,”  Jimin told a rare joke.

There was a long pause in the conversation as they kissed; genuinely and passionately kissed.  They kissed just for the sake of kissing.  The moist lips and wet tongues made beautifully delicate sounds.  They passed each other’s souls back and forth in what was truly an act of making love.  With each touch of their lips and each swell of their tongues, they created more and more love to pass between them.  Jimin clawed the back of Jeongguk’s hair, as he dug his fingers into his scalp.  He greedily pulled at him.  Enough was never enough. 

It was a rainy night in Seoul.  A rumble of thunder cut through the silence causing them to pull apart. 

Clamping his lips together, Jeongguk repressed a sudden laugh.

“What, what is it?” Jimin asked as he pressed more unhurried kisses over Jeongguk’s neck.  His fingertips dipped into the valley of his lover’s spine.  His touches danced over the tensile muscles along his stallion’s shoulders.  With each passing moment, he became more hedonistic and needy.

Jeongguk’s laugh bubbled up again, “You just shot your load, how can you possibly...?”

“A man wants what he wants.  Besides this one isn’t for me.  It’s for you.  I need you to cum all over me.”  Jimin quickly responded.  Once again his hard dick pressed into Jeongguk’s thigh.

“I have business talk Jimin.  It’s important.”

“It can wait.” 

Jeongguk rolled out of bed and stepped away from Jimin.  He was serious. “There’s a new surveillance team.  They’ve been assigned to G&S to determine if there’s a link between the corporation and some of the dealings with Ging Street.  A wiretap has been installed on all of Jung’s phone calls.  They tried to put one on your phone but the judge refused to approve it.  I called your lawyer and he got an injunction order against it.  But they’re coming for you next.  If you have any dealings with Jung, you must know that they will be recorded.  Do you understand baby?”

Jimin laughed, “I get it.  I swear I need to buy you a little villa in Italy for that very informative news.”

“Not funny, Jimin.  Things are heating up and I need you to be extra careful.”

“Damnit Jeongguk.  How many times do I have to remind you, I’m not involved in any of that.  If the police want to tap my phone, let them.  They’ll hear nothing except for boring stats on the costs of raw materials to improve the heat tolerance of steel.  I have nothing to hide.”

“But Xio has everything to hide.  Jimin, the noise about him being behind the attack on the Minister’s wife is really starting to get loud.  I destroyed all of that evidence, but detective Kim is working his angle and people are willing to talk.  Everyone knows it was Xio, baby.   Every time Kim finds solid evidence, I make sure that it disappears, but there’s going to be a time when I miss something.  I’m almost positive that the information has gotten back to Jung.  They’re going to want to retaliate because of their close relationship with the Minister and his wife.  You have to be prepared.”

Jimin snickered, “You know what I find interesting?  Jung pretends to be so appalled about what Xio did.  He has positioned himself as the moral authority over such things such as attacking women.  But twenty years ago, not only did he order an attack on my mother, but he also paid his thugs extra to rape her.  But now he wants to claim that my brother is moral excrement because he did something similar.  What a pathetic clown,”  Jimin said with slight disdain.  “Xio should leave this family and go work for Jung.  They really are two peas in a pod.”

Jeongguk laughed.  “You know...I never thought about it that way.  I was a witness to that attempted assault all those years ago.  If you ever need me to testify, let me know,”  Jeongguk flirted.

“Can you skip the part about my father killing three men and de-balling one of them?”

“Probably not,”  Jeongguk added.

“Ok, so let’s keep quiet about that then.”  Jimin fell to the ground and began to crawl across the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“Jeonggukookieeee...,”  Jimin playfully called out his name.  “It’s your turn.”

Jeongguk giggled like a school girl.  “Ok.  My turn for what?”

Jimin crawled across the floor on all fours, with his cock swinging and dripping beneath the frame of his body.  “You know you want to.”

“There are about 10,000 things that I ‘want to’ do to you.  Can you please help me narrow it down to which one in particular you’re referring to?”

Jimin laid on his back with his tongue extended.  He flicked it in and out, up and down like a serpent.  “Come take a seat.”

“Holy fuck!”  Jeongguk took a deep breath.  He loved face sitting.  He carefully lowered himself to his knees and hovered over Jimin’s face.  He leaned forward to give a few sucks to Jimin’s dick as he settled into a sixty-nine over Jimin’s body.  With perfect precision he aligned his ass directly over Jimin’s flickering tongue.  He could feel the soft whisper of Jimin’s breath against his hole as Jimin spread his butt cheeks to expose him.  He rotated his hips slowly as he felt Jimin begin to lick him.  His little mobster was a great ass eater.  His tongue was warm and lax while it rolled in soft waves that flickered in and out of Jeongguk’s hole. 

“Fuck baby.  FUCK!”  Jeongguk yelled again.

“You like fucking my face detective?”  Jimin whispered.  He reached around Jeongguk’s thigh and grabbed his cock. He began stroking it as Jeongguk rode his tongue. 

“Aw baby shit.  SHIT.  SHIT!”  Jeongguk screamed unevenly.

Face sitting was his detective’s absolute favorite.  Jimin knew that he wouldn’t last long. He laughed beneath his stallion as he licked him to orgasm while yanking on his long rigid dick. Jeongguk was a steady lover most of the time but something about getting his ass licked just did it for him.  His legs began to tremble. His ecstatic screams were so loud that he woke Kumo who was clear across the penthouse on the other side of the building.  He bounced up and down over Jimin’s tongue, begging him to suck his hole with his pink fluffy lips.  Jimin did everything that his baby wanted.

“Ooooooooo shit, Min!  I’m ready. Hurry!” 

“Ready now, now, now, now...,”

Like two acrobats, they tumbled over the floor, quickly changing positions.  Jimin sat his lube-slicked ass on top of Jeongguk and plowed his hole down over his detective’s quivering cock.  He leaned forward and moaned loudly as he fucked his young detective, “Breed me baby, cum inside of me.  Cum, cum...oh shit cum,” Jimin moaned helplessly as his cock jumped in steady pulses.  He came first.  He squirted his warm juice all over Jeongguk’s neck and chest as he rode him like the stallion he was.  At the same time he felt his insides gush as Jeongguk’s dick released its wet salty seed against Jimin’s inner walls.  They both screamed screams that pierced the ceiling.

Jimin rolled off and then curled into the side of Jeongguk’s body as they lay on the floor.  Jeongguk placed his arm around him.  “I know.  Go ahead, baby.  You can cry.”  Jeongguk pulled Jimin closer so that Jimin could lay his head on his chest.

Jimin boo-hooed.  He hated crying.  He hated it.  He hated it.  He hated it.  But every time Jeongguk made him cum that hard he was reminded just how in love he actually was.  And it was in those tender moments, when his tears could freely fall. 

August 23rd, 1966 – Day of the Mapo Contract Announcement

Flanked by several of his board of directors, Jimin approached the headquarters belonging to Mapo Industries.  After a year-long bidding process which included everything from bribes to political favors, it was finally time to announce the winner of the Mapo contract.  Winning this deal was the last cog in Jimin’s plan to turn Posco into a global empire.   A few insider tips assured him that he had won the bid.  But Jimin was too savvy and too astute to put any stock in those predictions.  Until he heard the announcement for himself, he refused to think in either direction.  But at the root of his caution, was the third quarter results from the Busan division of Posco.  Their poor showing in revenue really made the company overall look weak.  Nothing could have been further from the truth because business was exploding across all sectors.  But convincing Mapo of that, when all they saw were losses on paper, had proven a very steep hill for Jimin to climb. 

Xio had asked to attend the announcement, but given the performance of his sector, Jimin requested that he stand down.  Xio was only tolerable when he was making money.   When he was losing money, he became an annoying liability.  In addition, his shady history with attempting to bribe Woo-jin just before her attack, did not sit well with anyone on the Mapo board. 

Woo-jin was the wife of the very prominent and powerful Minister of Veterans Affairs, Ji Huyoung.  The investigation into who had attacked her was still ongoing, but word on the street was that Xio was heavily involved in ordering her assault.  It was a foolish decision that would set off a great chain of events.  However, thanks to Jeongguk, no one had any proof of Xio’s actual involvement.  Still, the rumors persisted which was another reason for Xio not to be present at the announcement.  The last thing Jimin wanted to do was make her face someone who she strongly suspected of trying to kill her.  For those reasons and many more, Xio was forced to sit this one out.    

On the other side of the table, across from Jimin sat Jung Sun-dook, the Hyungnim of the Ging Street Kkangpae and CEO of G&S Construction and Engineering.  With Sun-dook being in his mid-sixties, he and Jimin were not close in age, but they were very like-minded people.  The two were rivals in every way possible.  But for years, with Jimin as CEO, they had managed to be civil, ceasing the war between them.  They even sent each other Christmas gifts every year.  Plus, with Jimin pulling out of his illegal rackets, the Ging Street Kkangpae were free to rule the underworld with no competition from Jimin. 

But where G&S did pose a threat was in the corporate world of construction.  Jimin locked horns with Sun-dook and they fought for supremacy and control of the construction industry.  It was a very delicate balance that Jimin maintained between keeping the peace and all-out war with Sun-dook.

Jimin walked to the other side of the table, “Sun-dook nice to see you.” He bowed.

Sun-dook stood to his feet and did the same.  To the casual observer, these two looked very friendly.  “Nice to see you as well.  I noticed that your new CEO is not here today.  Pity,  I would love to hear his plans for turning around his revenue projections for fourth quarter,”  Sun-dook smiled maliciously.

“No need to wait for my brother.  Let’s set a date for dinner and I’ll be happy to fill you in on our plans,”  Jimin went straight at him with no fear.  Just then, Jimin happened to look up.  He saw a familiar image pass by the window.  “Gotta’ run, I see someone that I need to speak to.  I’m serious about that dinner.  Contact my secretary and she’ll get it set up,”  Jimin bowed again and then slow jogged back through the lobby into the blustering heat.  He caught Jeongguk by the arm and then rushed him around to the back of the building, away from peering eyes.  He immediately burst into laughter, “What the hell are you doing here?  How did you get away from the office?”

“There was no way on earth I was going to let you face the most important day of your life alone.  I had to be here.  I gave a bullshit story to the Sergeant about a tip that you were running a load of heroin to Daegu.  They like that stuff down there.  Anyway, the Sergeant didn’t even question it,”  Jeongguk explained.

“Oh my God, I don’t think I could love you any more than I do right now.  You have no idea what this means to me for you to be here.”  Jimin was so enamored with his husband.  “I have my necklace on.  I wore my lucky shoes.  I even have my lucky coin.  But I don’t know if it’s enough to overcome that board’s hatred for my brother,”  Jimin said with concern.

“I have on my lucky underwear.  You know the ones that I wore the first time you sucked my dick?”  Jeongguk teased.

“I came all over those, they are fortified with my cum thus they are very, very lucky,”  Jimin joked back.

“By the way, Kumo is back at the penthouse pacing back and forth.  We can expect to find her drunk as a buzzard when we get home,”  Jeongguk advised.

“Poor thing.  She really does get very anxious doesn’t she?”

“We all are.  We all understand how important this is.”  Jeongguk became serious, “I’m here for you, Min.  No matter how this plays out, I’m right here.  And damn, you’re hot.  Fuck I love you.  I’m fucking you when we get home.  Period, win or lose, you’re getting ass fucked.” Jeongguk took a quick look around to make sure that no one was there.  He pushed Jimin against the wall and laid a hard, loving kiss upon him.  He pulled himself away, gave Jimin a wink and then disappeared around the corner.

***

The members of the board took a seat around the large table.  On one side was G&S Construction and on the other side was Posco Construction Company.  Woo-jin smiled at Jimin, which was a positive sign.  She pulled free a piece of paper that she proceeded to read from.

She cleared her throat, “Gentlemen.  Thank you both for submitting bids for the new Mapo apartment complex.  This is a very exciting venture and we are thrilled to partner with one of you as we build affordable housing for our community.  The bids were very competitive.  However, as you both know, we must also carefully consider revenue projections, sustainability and future growth capital when considering the winning bids.  I will be honest with both of you, Posco, by far submitted the superior bid.  However, Mr. Park, we had some major concerns with the recent numbers from your Busan division of Posco.  It was a very tough decision, but in the end, we chose G&S.  Congratulations Mr. Jung.  Thank you both again for participating and we hope to work with both of you in the future.”  Woo-jin casually bowed to both men before walking out of the room.

Just like that, it was over.  Two years’ worth of work, a year worth of negotiations and months of intense contract reviews and it all came down to this.  Within an instant, Jimin’s dreams were dashed.  He closed his satchel and immediately walked over to Sun-dook and his team as they celebrated the news.

“Congratulations old friend.  Well-deserved win for you.  I look forward to watching you transform the skyline with your new building.  This is a win for Korea,”  Jimin said politely.

“Thank you Jimin.  I enjoyed the battle.  Good luck next time,” Sun-dook said genuinely.  Both men were as civil as could be.

Jimin whistled and greeted many as he walked back to his limo.  He said goodbye to all of his board members and thanked them for their hard work.  He shook hands, gave cheek kisses, and encouraged everyone around him who was disappointed in the news.  He opened the limousine door only to see Jeongguk sitting there.  He had also heard the news and decided to meet Jimin in the limo to comfort him.  Jimin didn’t cry because this was not a tear invoking moment.  But he did collapse into the embrace of his lover’s arms. 

Xio was in the middle of another threesome with another set of prostitutes when he received the call from Jimin.  One of his spare whores answered the phone.

“Hello?  Park’s room,”  she said with a sultry satori accent.

“Let me speak to my brother,” Jimin said curtly.

“She pulled the phone over to the bed where Xio was fucking one of his regulars from the brothel.  He paused mid-stroke to answer, “Yeah hello who is it?” The woman he was fucking grabbed at him and pulled him back towards her.  She was close to cumming and she didn’t want him to stop.  He palmed her face and pushed her away when he heard his little brother’s voice.

“Xio-hyung?”

“Jimin?  It’s only 10am, I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon,” Xio pulled away from the prostitute and sat naked on the edge of the bed.  His hair was messily tossed about his head and he was covered in sweat, and cum and other disgusting sexual fluids.  “Is there a decision already?” 

“We didn’t get it,”  Jimin spat the words in one quick breath.

“No way.  That’s impossible.  D-d-did they say why?”

“Busan revenue projections.  They didn’t have faith in your division of the company,”  Jimin said truthfully.

Xio exploded, “That’s bullshit. BULLSHIT!  I have an auditor coming in to get to the bottom of this shit.  I was sabotaged.  I was framed.  Business has been off the charts.  There’s not a single fucking contract that has come up that I haven’t been able to win.  My name is everywhere in this fucking town.  Someone purposely fucked with my numbers.  I...,” about three minutes too late, Xio realized that he was talking to a dial tone.  Jimin was gone.

Min Chan-yeol was a mousy little man in his mid-fifties.  He wore cheap suits,  cheaper cologne and even cheaper shoes.  Despite making a hefty salary on Xio’s payroll, he refused to spend any of it.  He hoarded his money shuffling, it into various savings just like all the other paranoid accountants.  He was single with no family or friends.  Work was his only passion.   

His checkered tweed jacket was too small.  He’d purchased it from a second hand store.  His brown polyester trousers were too big.  Those too had been purchased from a second hand store.  He was balding, but didn’t want to admit it.  He had seven strands of hair remaining on his head.  He chose to allow them to grow three times their reasonable length just so that he could swipe them across the large bald spot in the center of his head.  He was nervous, near-sided, and constantly smelled of pork. 

But Chan-yeol had something more than just his quirky disposition.  He was, without a doubt, one of the best accounting minds in all of Korea.  He was an accountant by trade who dabbled in an emerging new field of accounting called Forensic Accountancy.  Basically, Chan-yeol’s responsibility was to find missing money and determine why it went missing. 

Chan-yeol and Xio did not know each other very well, nor did they interact very often.  It was only when Xio needed to scream about payroll or revenue numbers that he even could remember Chan-yeol’s name.  He was Xio’s trusted money guy, even though Xio gave him all of the attention of a cock roach. 

It had been four weeks since Xio had instructed Chan-yeol to complete his audit.  After countless sleepless nights, Chan-yeol had finally discovered news that he could report to Xio.  However, the news was so shocking that he feared how the CEO would react when he found out.   Chan-yeol was so frightened of Xio that he actually begged a friend to accompany him to the meeting.  But his friend couldn’t come and Chan-yeol was left to face the mafia boss alone. 

With his briefcase tightly tucked under his arm, Chan-yeol walked slowly towards the aluminum door of the abandoned airplane hangar where Xio had suggested they meet.  Xio was in the middle of bidding on a contract for remodeling the hanger to make it a railroad warehouse.  He figured it would be a great place to talk without people eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Good evening Sir.  M-m-mr. Park,” Chan-yeol said nervously.

Xio was sitting at an old wooden desk in the far corner of the large empty building.  He had a cigarette hanging from his lip and he appeared to be counting a large stash of money.  He smiled when he saw Chan-yeol walk in.

“Chan-yeol, thanks for coming.  Have a seat.”  Xio stood to shake Chan-yeol’s hand and then directed him to a seat right in front of the desk. 

Xio was not wearing his suit jacket.  His expensive trousers, buttoned directly into his suspenders and he wore a pair of brown and white saddle shoes.  His sleeves were rolled up to reveal an arm full of gang tattoos.  The look was much more gangster than it was CEO and that concerned Chan-yeol.

There was also something else that worried Chan-yeol.  Xio had a large hand gun strapped to his waist in a diamond studded holster.  Chan-yeol was terrified of guns and just knowing that he was in the room with one sent his anxiety through the roof.

“Can I get you a drink or something to eat?  A smoke?” Xio offered.

“No thank you, sir.  If you don’t mind, I’d like to get right into this.  The things that I’ve found are very, very disturbing.”

“And you say this kid – Baek-hyun – was somehow involved in this?  Exactly what did he do?  You really weren’t clear on the phone.  Start from the beginning, please,”  Xio gave an overly wide smile that was just centimeters away from being maniacal.

“Sir.  Per your request, I immediately pulled all of the receipts for the year starting with Q4 of 1965, just before you launched the full roll out of the new subsidiary.  For the first couple of months, everything was perfectly normal and accounted for.  But around April of this year, some anomalies began to occur.”

“Anomalies?  What kind of anomalies?”  Xio sat on the edge of the desk and glared straight through Chan-yeol’s eyes. 

The poor nervous man wanted to throw up.  He was so scared that his seven strands of hair had fallen into his face because of the sweat.

“Someone was undercutting the invoices, sir.”

“What does that mean?”  Xio stepped closer to Chan-yeol with a gaze that was even more intense, almost threatening.

“I’ll g-g-give you an example.  Let’s say a contract comes in for 4billion won.  Where Baek-hyun, the project intake accountant, would only bill for a fraction of the contracted prices.  So when the bills were sent out, much less money would be paid than what was supposed to be charged.  Here, I have quite a few examples.  Let’s start with this one.  This is for labor.  We contracted the work for 10 million won, but Baek-hyun changed the invoice to reflect one million won.  And that is what was paid.  The client paid their bill as it was presented to them.  On this one deal alone we ended up with 9 million won less than we were supposed to be paid.  It’s a way of undercutting the revenue without getting caught.  This kid would simply change the books to make it look as if we were paid the full amount, when actually we weren’t. 

“So what?  Was he skimming off the top?  What was the purpose of this?” Xio questioned.

“My guess – to throw off your profit margins and revenue numbers.  I have hundreds of examples, sir.  This has been going on for months and months.  Your spending for business expenses far exceeded what was actually in the corporate bank account.  Sir, Posco Busan is virtually bankrupt.”  Chan-yeol pulled out hundreds of receipts to share with Xio.  Typically, each contract is vetted by the accounting department to reconcile with the invoices after the jobs are done, but for some reason, that step was skipped.

Xio went pale.  It was something that Jimin had repeatedly told him to do, but he never saw the importance of it at the time so he skipped it.  It was a huge blunder that was now coming back to bite him.  “No – no this can’t be.”

“Sir, if you’ll remember, I strongly suggested you hire someone certified in GAP analysis for this position.  But you insisted on hiring this kid straight out of high school.  Your brother would never have fallen for this scheme he’s too...,” Chan-yeol did not finish that sentence. 

Xio grabbed him by the collar and ripped him from the chair.  “If you breathe a word of this to my brother, I’ll stick my lit cigarette up your ass and fuck you with it until your insides catch on fire!” Xio was an animal.

Chan-yeol pissed himself.  He was so frightened that he shut his eyes just to keep from seeing the man’s angry dark glare.  “I-I-I’m s-s-sorry.  I just meant that we need better controls and if you allow me to help, I can fix this so that it never happens again.  We-we-we can fix this and replace this Baek-hyun kid with someone more qualified.”

Xio realized that his forensic accountant was the only one with receipts to what this Baek-hyun kid had done.  So he settled down and released him, allowing him to sit his pee stained bottom back into the seat. 

“What do you know about this kid?” Xio said more calmly as he lit a fresh cigarette.

“Not much.  He has no secondary degree.  He has no references.  According to his file, he just showed up one day and was hired on the spot.  I think at the time you were just desperate for employees who could work in the finance department.”

Xio rubbed his temple.  His hair had broken free of the neat coifed undercut and was now loose across his head.  He looked like a mad man. “I need to know exactly who this kid is and how he conned his way into my business.  I have one last question for you Chan-yeol.  How much?”

“I’m afraid it was – extensive.  Enough to force you to miss your revenue projections by 62%.” Chan-yeol was so scared.  He really, really, really didn’t want to have to give Xio this news. 

“How.Much.” Xio repeated.

“About one million dollars U.S. or 1,465,000,000 won.  This division is bankrupt, sir.  The revenue from the parent company – Jimin’s wing of the business – is the only thing keeping us afloat.  This is one of the oldest scams in the business and you fell for it, sir.”

“Is there any way to recover the losses?”

“Not unless you go back through approximately 150 invoices and tell those companies that they owe you more money. The work has already been done, they have already paid and the contracts are all expired.  You have no legal standing to demand anything from them.  It would costs millions in legal fees to pursue payment,”  Chan-yeol gave more bad news. 

“Find out everything you can about this Baek-hyun kid. I want to know if he has any affiliation with any of our rivals.  I also need to know...,”  Xio paused for a very long time before his voice croaked, “...I also need to know if this guy was hired by – my brother.”

***

Ever since he’d taken over as Hyungnim of South Street, Jimin’s mission was to elevate his family name.  He plotted endlessly to pull his generation out of the gutter and place their heritage next to that of dignitaries and politicians.  He wanted to remove the asterisk that always besmirched the Park name.  No matter how generous, or how rich, or how successful they became, there was always someone waiting in the wings to remind them of who they really were.  There was always someone ready to sully their family’s history and devalue or diminish their accomplishments. 

Had he wanted to, Jimin could have been the most notorious and powerful mafia leader that Asia had ever seen.  His ruthlessness, intelligence and union with the Yakuza would have guaranteed it.  But Jimin chose not to go that route.  Not just because he didn’t want to live a life a crime, but because he felt that he was the true embodiment of his great, great grandfather.  None of the generations before him fully understood his grandfather’s vision the way that Jimin did. Park Tae-Joon, one of the greatest minds to ever walk the continent, understood that there was a better way.  He understood that the Parks were meant for greatness and not thuggish mediocrity. 

But there was another reason that Jimin wanted freedom from his life of crime, and that reason stood about 178 centimeters, with large doe eyes, thick obtrusive dimples and a heart as big as the moon – detective Jeon Jeongguk.  The elephant in the room that neither openly spoke of was that Jeongguk was risking both his career and his freedom by being a defacto part of Jimin’s crew.  His relationship with Jimin placed them both in a very precarious situation.  It was one thing to just fuck around and make each other cum twice a week.  But falling in love, deeply, madly in love was a downright sin.  It was against every mafia code to ever exist.  The two should have never, ever been.  It was too fatalistic.  Yet the love was undeniably strong, overpowering, and breathtakingly beautiful. 

The facts were impossible to deny;  Jeongguk was a dirty cop and from the outside looking in, it looked as if he were taking bribes from a mafia boss in return for help with evading arrest.  It was an infraction so severe that Jeongguk would end up in prison for life if anyone ever found out.  Imagine a cop in prison – a gay cop with ties to the mafia.  It would be a death sentence for him.  Yet, he insisted on taking the risk.  His love for Jimin was so blinding, that it was downright foolish. 

Xio, on many occasions, openly questioned Jimin’s love for Jeongguk.  Not because he cared about Jeongguk, but because he rejoiced in pointing out all of his little brother’s flaws.  Chiding Jimin about Jeongguk was the best way to get under his skin and remind him that he wasn’t so perfect.  In Xio’s opinion, Jimin selfishly allowed Jeongguk to risk his entire life.  He poignantly questioned Jimin’s dedication to the detective, accusing him of using Jeongguk for sex and protection.

Xio’s taunting of Jimin hit its mark.  The issue was constantly on Jimin’s mind.  Jimin had many regrets about the things Jeongguk had done for him, but at the same time, he had never asked him to do any of it.  Most of the battles that Jeongguk took on were completely without Jimin’s knowledge.  In fact, Jimin begged him repeatedly not to get involved, not to sully his reputation.  Their disagreement over the matter almost led to their break up two years prior.  But Jeongguk was a stubborn mule and not even the Hyungnim of the South Street Kkangpae could tell him what to do.  And it was for that reason that Jimin’s desperation to get out of the mafia business became deathly urgent.  Deathly urgent as in a matter of life and death.  The walls were closing in on them.  Thanks to Xio, there was too much shit flying around and Jeongguk’s fingerprints were all over it.  It had to end.  No more could he allow his husband, the man he loved, to cover the dirty deeds of he and his family.  The situation had escalated to the point where Jeongguk was scrambling on almost a monthly basis to hide some foul shit that Xio had done.  Enough was enough, Jimin needed him out.  But alas, his plans were in shambles all because his bumbling buffoon of a fucking brother couldn’t manage to keep his financial books straight.  It was a fucking disaster and there was no easy plan-b.

In a sense Jimin was grieving, not the loss of a loved one, but the loss of a dream.  For days, Jeongguk had begged Jimin to talk, to cry, to vent, to scream, to do something that would quell the beast that broiled within him.  But Jimin refused.  An emotional breakthrough eluded him as he coveted his failures and allowed them to choke him like rancid hot air.  Instead of dealing with his pain, he chose trivial conversations, blank stares into nothing, and emotional incompetence. - at least that’s how Jeongguk perceived it. 

Jimin laid on his stomach with his long muscular arm hugging the pillow that was propped under his chin.  Despite both eyes being wide open, he could see nothing but grey.  Both eyes were locked inside of a cold, flat stare.  The light that once danced in his pupils was now black, like the black closets he had been locked inside of when he was a kid.  With all of his thoughts carefully and intentionally purged, his mind sat vacant.  There was too much to think about, so he decided not to think.

Jeongguk tried repeatedly to get Jimin to turn to face him, to look at him, to stare into his hopeful eyes.  But, still Jimin refused.  Instead, he chose to keep his head buried in his goose down pillow with the weight of failure resting heavily upon his shoulders. 

Jimin could feel his life’s love busy behind him; walking through the bedroom, opening and closing drawers.  He didn’t bother to look to see what Jeongguk was doing, it didn’t matter.  Even though he didn’t want to admit it, the sound of his lover’s presence and the knowledge that he was there, was the only thing keeping him sane.  He could hear the wooden floor boards shift beneath his husband’s large bare feet, releasing a raspy creak each time he walked by. 

Jeongguk doted on Jimin as if he were in mourning.  Delicate with his words, careful with his actions,  selfless with his encouragement; every move Jeongguk made was for the benefit of helping Jimin overcome his disappointment.  From the lighting of the wax candle to offset the grim darkness of the moonless night, to the stroking of his hair each time he passed by the bed – it was all a method of catering to his Min.

If love had a name, a face, a description, a persona, it would be called Jeon Jeongguk.  If love was a person, he would have the same doting smile, the same satisfying embrace.  If love had a human form, it would possess the same intuitive clairvoyance that understood you better than you understood yourself.  If love was a real person, he would protect you with his life, but not just your physical presence, but your emotional presence as well.  Love would have the ability to crawl into your soul and ground himself, displacing all of your self-loathing and insecurities.  Indeed if love were a man, a tangible person, he would without a doubt be called - Jeon Jeongguk.

The room was silent with only Jeongguk’s busy footsteps behind the bed.  Jimin remained stretched naked beneath the sheets.  As he lay there in his oversized bed, he felt diminutive and small, like the world was much too big for him.  There was a slight pang of fear, reminiscent of his childhood.  In fact, he looked very childlike in his melancholy state.  His hair was all natural, limp and tossed over his forehead.  Without his arrogant bravado, he appeared very ordinary.  He felt like a three year old kid hiding in the body of a 35 year old man who was still afraid of the dark.

The electricity was out due to the storms.  Darkness did not bode well for Jimin, but Jeongguk understood that.  The footsteps around Jimin continued until suddenly, they stopped.   Jeongguk’s beautiful face came into view as he knelt down on one knee in front of Jimin and his pillow.  With his long elegant fingers, he rubbed Jimin’s skin underneath the chain of his grandmother’s necklace.  With a feathery light touch of their lips, he kissed even more love into his Hyung.  His brows furrowed and there was fear behind his eyes as he finally spoke after hours of silence.

“This can’t go on.  You have to release this and let it out.  I know you’re upset about the Mapo deal, but this isn’t the way to handle it.  Something has to give or else it’ll eat you up inside,”  Jeongguk said softly.  Despite Jeongguk’s touch, Jimin looked straight ahead.  Looking at his husband would serve no purpose.

“Please release this, Min.”  Jeongguk said one last time. 

There was a finality in his voice that Jimin recognized as surrender.  He held strong, refusing to say a word.  Once again he heard the groan of the baseboards and Jeongguk walked away.  Once again Jeongguk asked Jimin to turn to face him.  Once again Jimin refused.  The footsteps stopped again, but this time he could feel Jeongguk crawling into the bed.  The sheets were lifted from Jimin’s body leaving him exposed.  He still refused to acknowledge his eager husband.  There was no way he was going to allow their eyes to meet.  Whatever Jeongguk had planned, Jimin didn’t care.  It wasn’t going to work.   

Jimin’s eyes suddenly shuttered, opening wide and then shutting just as quickly as he felt the heavy weight of his lover cross over his back.  His body was pressed into the mattress as Jeongguk entered him, softly, lovingly, but with definite purpose.  Jimin had to be set free from his self-imposed emotional cage.  To do that, they needed to make love; lovingly make enough love to overcome the bitterness and hurt that dwelled within Jimin’s heart.

Jimin released a helpless squeal as he felt his lovers thick cock inside of him.  He yelped again as Jeongguk began to stroke him thoroughly, filling every inch of Jimin’s ass and forcing a bulge into his stomach. 

Jeongguk released a breathy moan behind Jimin’s ear, “Release it, baby. You have to cry this out, to move on.”  But there was nothing sexual or seductive in his tone.  In fact, it was much the opposite.  Jeongguk was almost pleading with him to lower the walls of protection that he’d built around his emotions.  Emotional limbo was akin to psychological torture.  Jeongguk had to help rescue him from that depressed place.

His rhythm was soft and intentional, as his cock slid steadily and smoothly in and out of Jimin’s hole.  He had taken great care with lubing himself to make the sex as pleasurable as possible.  This explained all of the busy footsteps that Jimin had heard behind him.   

As the emotional tug of war commenced, they experienced more passion than they ever had before.  It was instantaneous the moment Jeongguk breached him.  It was so clear to Jimin what Jeongguk was trying to do.  But even though Jimin knew his lover’s plan, he found himself unwilling to protest it.  He knew it was going to happen, he knew that Jeongguk was going to get what he wanted. 

“Release it baby, please.  You can’t hang on to this,”  Jeongguk pled again as he massaged Jimin’s hole, gracing his prostate delicately with each stroke.  There was anguish in his voice, he wanted to cry too, but he needed Jimin to cry first.  But Jimin still refused.  Jeongguk fucked into him even harder, grabbing the back of Jimin’s neck, pressing the chain of the necklace into his skin, “You have to let go.”  Jeongguk’s whispers were operational, not intended to be seductive.

Jimin’s dick surged underneath him as he felt himself begin to rise.  It was so good.  The detective could fuck him better than anyone else in the world.  He knew all the right places to hit, he knew all the right kisses to give, he knew all of the right things to say.  Jimin thought he was going to lose his mind.  He struggled to rise to all fours so that he could pound against the loving thrusts by banging his ass into him as hard as he could.  He wanted it deeper.  He wanted all of the love - but he didn’t want to cry.

  Jeongguk gently encouraged him once again, “Give it all to me, your hurt, your fear, your disappointment, your anger, let it all out.  I promise, I’ll carry it for you so that you can be free of it.”

“Ahh fuck!”  Jimin purred, “How can you love me so much?  I don’t deserve you,”  Jimin tried to push back the tears that were queued up, ready to fall the moment he dropped his guard.

“I love you...infinitely because you were meant to be loved by me.  You were created to be mine; mine to love.  You are me and I am you.  Let me carry this burden with you.  Please let go baby.”  The clapping of their bodies grew louder as Jeongguk continued to beg. 

But their love making was becoming a fuck and that wasn’t what Jeongguk wanted.  He had poured so much energy into trying to make Jimin release, that he’d almost cum himself.  The moment wasn’t about him, it was about freeing his Jimin.  He grappled for control and decided to pull out. 

Jimin was surprised when he felt Jeongguk pull away from him.  He turned to him, desperate to see the beauty of Jeongguk’s flushed cheeks and the fast twitching of his muscles during his mid-fuck form.  With the strands of his brown hair covering both of his eyes, Jimin breathed a few shallow breaths before grabbing his lover’s shoulders and tumbling back down to the bed with him.  Now on his back, he opened himself, sticking his fingers into his ass to lure his exquisite detective back inside of him.  He arched his back as Jeongguk crawled over him, licking his skin, milking his nipples, positioning himself to start again. 

Jimin’s hole caved inward as the dripping wet tip was once again introduced.  But the entry was ever so delicate, so thoughtful.  The first stroke dove all the way through his entrance until it once again bulged in his stomach.  The detective backed himself out, pushed Jimin’s legs further apart and entered him again, and then again until the strokes became a cadence.  Jimin reached between them to grab his own cock.  He jerked it hard with his palm sliding up and down over his rounded cap. 

  “That’s it, it’s what you need baby. Give in to me.  Release. Clear your heart, give it to me.”  Jeongguk whispered as he stroked slowly, deeply.  He leaned down to give Jimin intermittent kisses as Jimin’s mouth fell open.  Each time he pushed his cock into his lover, he growled the words into his ear, “Give in to me.”

“No,” Jimin finally snapped back.

“Give in to me, Min, please baby.”

“No.”

“Fuck me back, give everything to me.  It’s ok to cry.”  Jeongguk lifted Jimin’s left leg and kissed along his knee and shin.  He rested the leg over his shoulder as he rotated his hips in large circles to stretch Jimin’s entrance to the fullest point possible.

Jimin’s throat swelled with more tears, “No.  If I start...I won’t be able to stop,”

“Cry, Min.  Give in to me.”  Jeongguk said again, kissing his lover’s trembling lips.

“Noooo, Kookie don’t make me do this, please.  I can’t cry, not over this, not over this.  Only children cry when they don’t get their way...,” Jimin rambled senselessly.

“You have to.  Cry for me,”  Jeongguk fucked him with his entire heart.  It shouldn’t have come down to this, but he knew it was the only way to break through and make Jimin release his pain.  

As he sped up his strokes, he whispered to him again, “Cum for me, cry for me.”

Suddenly Jimin released a pain filled scream.  It was the sound of an aching soul.  All of the anger, fear, disappointment, disgust and heartache of the last few days had finally bubbled to the surface.  Jimin squirted his cum in healthy doses all over his own stomach.  As his orgasm peaked, he arched his back while pounding both of his fists into the wooden headboard.  He screamed again and again and again and only a small bit of it was due to the sex.  And when he opened his eyes, he saw the one thing that he had so intentionally avoided for days - the love and warmth of his husband’s gaze.  Jeongguk was there mentally and physically, just as he’d promised, ready to catch Jimin and shoulder the burden of his sadness. 

It was the hope in Jeongguk’s eyes that became Jimin’s final breaking point.  In his most honest reflection he realized that he had failed him.  All he wanted to do was make Jeongguk proud of him.  Be a noble and honest man worthy of Jeongguk’s love.  But despite his failure to do so, the man still loved him, adored him, hoped for him.  It was the double edge sword of being in love. 

Jimin gave one last scream that collapsed into tears before grabbing Jeongguk around the neck and pulling him tightly into his body.  He wrapped both arms and legs around Jeongguk’s torso, surrendering his entire being to his husband. 

“I failed you.  I failed you.  I promised to get you out of this shit and I FAILED YOU!  This was my chance to change both of our lives and I failed you.  I failed my grandfather, I failed my dad, I failed everyone.  I promised to rescue you from this life, I promised and I FUCKING FAILED!”  Jimin released it all – everything that clogged his mind.

Jeongguk didn’t say a word.  It was not his time to speak.  It was incredibly important that Jimin be allowed to purge freely, without interruption.  All Jeongguk could do was hold him and wipe his tears.

Jimin had been right all along; once he started crying, he couldn’t stop.

Min Chan-yeol jumped from his skin when his phone suddenly rang.  Before even answering it, he knew there was evil on the other end. 

“Hello.”

“Chan-yeol, my man.  What do you have for me?”  Xio bellowed from the other end.

“I-I-I have what you’re looking for,” Min Chan-yeol responded.

“Good boy, good boy.  Tell me, was my brother involved in any way with bringing this kid into the Busan division?”  Xio questioned Chan-yeol right away.  The first and most critical piece of information was to know if Jimin played a role in taking him down. 

“The records indicate that you hired this young man yourself, sir.  Your brother had nothing to do with it.  In fact, they don’t even know each other.”

Xio was relieved.  That was one enemy he could check off of his list. 

Chan-yeol continued, “The boy’s name is not Lee Baek-hyun.  That’s the name under which he applied for the accounting position and the name under which you hired him.  But his real name is Jung Baek-hyun. He’s the grandson of Jung Sun-dook.  I followed the money trail, sir. It all leads back to Jung Sun-dook, the Hyungnim of the Ging Street Kkangpae.  He’s the one who sent this kid in to sabotage you.  They probably knew you were desperate to get your accounting team up and running and would not have time to do proper background checks.  I’m afraid you were a target, sir.  This is how they won the Mapo bid, by intentionally sinking your division.  You were the weak link in Posco because you were a new start up with not much experience. They knew they couldn’t run this scheme on Jimin, so they targeted you,”  Chan-yeol was much more willing to tell the truth through the safety of a telephone call.

Xio was perfectly calm.  His rival gang, the gang with which Jimin so peacefully co-existed, had conspired against them.  Xio had always told Jimin not to trust them.  He had warned Jimin repeatedly that they were after the Posco empire, but Jimin refused to listen.  And now he had proof.

“How quickly can you get over to the airport hangar?”

Chan-yeol grimaced.  The very last thing he wanted was to visit with Xio in person.  “Do we, um, I mean do we really need to meet?  I can give you all of the information you need over the phone.”

“I need your receipts.  You had over 100 of them that you shared with me last time.  I need you to bring them as well as all of your audit findings.  I need everything.  And if I find that you’ve overlooked a single piece of evidence...I’ll kill you.  Now how quickly can you be here?”

***

Chan-yeol chided his taxi driver to drive faster.  Xio had only given him twenty minutes to make the thirty minute trip.  They maneuvered at dangerous speeds, down dirt roads and through multiple red lights.  The rain beat down hard over the city of Busan.  There was no moon.  Chilly darkness blanketed the city, extinguishing its light. 

As Chan-yeol exited the taxi, he took great care to protect the many receipts and financial logs that proved his case against Jung Sun-dook and the Ging Street Kkangpae.  The man had indeed used his own grandson to infiltrate Park’s operations and Chan-yeol had the evidence to prove it.

As Chan-yeol reached the rusted door to the hangar, he found it closed and locked.   Peculiar, considering that Xio was the one who insisted that Chan-yeol meet there.  Why was the door locked?   Was anyone inside?

“Hello, anyone there?”  Chan-yeol called through the loud rain and thunderous lightning.  Within milliseconds of his inquiry, the rusted door was raised and Chan-yeol was physically pulled inside.  It was dim inside of the hangar.  He had expected to see bright lights and a room full of lawyers and strategists, planning their legal case against the Jung family.  But instead he saw something quite different.  There were two scary looking guards who stood around Xio’s wooden desk.  At first Chan-yeol was relieved to know that he and the crazy mafia man wouldn’t be alone, but that relief quickly shifted to terror as he made his way into the large room. 

About two meters in front of Xio’s desk, sat a fresh faced kid, who’s eyes were bloodied and bruised.  The front of his shirt was soaked through with his own blood and he was missing several teeth.  His arms were tied behind his back and affixed to the bars of the metal chair in which he sat.  Chan-yeol released an audible gasp.

“Ah Chan-yeol, the star of the show.  We’ve been waiting for you.  Meet our new friend here, Jung Baek-hyun or you know him better as Lee Baek-hyun.”  Just saying the name enraged Xio, he lurched forward and slapped the young man across his face causing blood to splatter on his expensive white shirt. 

It was at that moment that Chan-yeol noticed Xio’s bloody, cut knuckles.  It had been him who had beaten the boy, not his bodyguards.  Like a common thug, the CEO of Posco Busan had savagely beaten a twenty year old kid.  From the appearance of it, they had also kidnapped him and they were holding him against his will.  Chan-yeol was disgusted but he was also terrified. He had to get out of there.  By simply being there, he was party to the crime.  He quickly emptied his folders, log books, notes, and photographs onto Xio’s desk.

“H-h-here is everything that I have.  I have kept nothing from you.  This is everything you need to prove that what I’m saying is true.  May I please go now?”  Chan-yeol bowed erratically and kept his eyes to the floor.

“Thank you Chan-yeol.  But please, don’t rush off.  Stay awhile.  I need your help deciphering through all of this.”  One of the guards pushed Chan-yeol down into a metal seat right next to Lee Baek-hyun.  Xio turned towards Lee Baek-hyun, “So, one million stolen.  That is quite impressive for a kid your age.  I just have a few things to clear up and then you’ll be free to go.  This will all be over and you can go home and sleep in your own bed tonight.  But do – answer my questions honestly.  You don’t want to make me angry,”  Xio was extremely cold.  “Who put you up to this?”

“Fuck you,” Jung Baek-hyun said.

Xio laughed, “Ok.  Zero for one.” He folded his arms and leaned against the wooden desk,  “Let’s try again, is this your signature?”  Xio pulled several of the receipts and held them up to the young man’s face.

“You know that’s my signature you dumb fuck,” Lee Baek-hyun was a bit too mouthy for someone who was tied up and had been beaten half to death.

“Ah so that brings us back to the first question.  Your grandfather was involved with this?”

Lee Baek-hyun spit blood onto the floor.  He glared defiantly, refusing to implicate his grandfather.

“Chan-yeol, I think this is where we need your help.  You’ve got proof that Jung Sun-dook was involved in this don’t you?”

Chan-yeol nodded, “Y-y-y-yes sir.” He was so afraid that he almost pissed himself again.

“Would you kindly share your findings with the class?” Xio said facetiously. 

Chan-yeol stood and began rustling through the many folders that he’d placed on the desk.  He found a series of thirty documents tying Lee Baek-hyun and Sun-dook to the fake invoices.  In fact, it appeared that Sun-dook himself had been the one to create the fake invoices that were eventually sent to clients.  He was known for his skill with forging documents and he had forged hundreds of fake invoices to manipulate the accounting books for Posco Busan.  It was a low level scheme that any seasoned businessman would have picked up immediately.  But poor Xio was completely fooled. 

Xio moved in close to the bold, fearless young man.  He whispered somewhat maniacally, “Now, are you still going to deny that your grandfather put you up to this?  The proof is right here in black and white.  You did this to me and my family so that you could win the Mapo bid, didn’t you?  You knew that with my division showing weak profits, they would be hesitant to give us a long term deal.  You rigged this so that your grandfather’s company would win.  Tell me the truth you cock-sucking son-of-a-bitch,”  Xio began to lose his cool.

Lee Baek-hyun spat a mouth full of blood onto Xio’s pristine leather shoes. Xio immediately punched him in the face, breaking his nose.  The boy screamed, but stood in and took the beating.  He spat blood again, “We knew that you were our ticket in. We knew you were the weakest link.  We knew that you were the asshole of the family.  My grandfather respects Jimin.  He always has, but you’re just a low life, uneducated piece of filth.  It was a pleasure to bring you down.  Jimin will be fine, but you’ll be kicked back onto the streets.”

Xio immediately pulled his gun and aimed it at Lee Baek-hyun’s head.  Chan-yeol bounded from his seat and rushed over to Xio pleading, “NO! NO! You can’t kill him.  Do you know who he is?  He is the direct descendent of the Ging Street empire.  He is Jung Sun-dook’s grandson.  If you kill him...if you kill him...it will start a turf war like this country hasn’t seen since the 1900’s.  You can’t do this.  You can’t kill him.”

Lee Baek-hyun chimed in again, “You won’t shoot me.  You’re scared of my grandfather.  You always have been.  Even if I hadn’t cooked your books, you still would have lost the bid because everyone knows you were the one who had the Minister’s wife attacked in that parking lot.  When my grandfather finds out what you’ve done to me, he’s going to hang you by the balls in the middle of downtown Busan and sell tickets to tourists to come and watch you bleed.”  Lee Baek-hyun held the upper hand.  He knew that harming him would incite an all-out mafia war and he trusted that Xio had enough sense to avoid that.

Xio lowered his gun.  Chan-yeol took a deep sigh of relief.  Even Xio’s bodyguards seemed to stand down. 

Chan-yeol gave a nervous smile, “Now, let’s all calm down and...,”

But Lee Baek-hyun couldn’t stop talking, “How did you blackmail your brother into letting you ruin his business?  It’s going to take years for him to recoup the losses from your division.  If I were him, I would have killed your fucking ass after you publicly embarrassed the family with the beating of an innocent woman.”

Xio still clutched his gun, but he listened to Lee Baek-hyun.  It was curious how much he knew about Xio’s crimes.  Xio took a few steps away and he continued to de-escalate.

But Lee Baek-hyun had more to say, “It’s so easy to see why your father chose Jimin.  You’ll never be as good as...,”

Xio fired, shooting Baek-hyun right between the eyes.  The childish fool never had a chance to complete his sentence. The demoralizing comparison to Jimin was a step too far and Xio snapped.  The man’s limp, dead body fell over, pulling the metal chair to the ground with him.  The crimson puddle of blood expanded quickly across the cement floor, eventually reaching Chan-yeol as he screamed.  The mousy accountant tried to contain himself, but he couldn’t.  The sight of the poor boy with his head blown off sickened him, gagged him, terrified him.  He could still smell the odor of the fresh gun powder.  Chan-yeol jumped up on the desk to avoid blood touching his shoes.  He needed to get out of there.  He couldn’t be a part of this.  He had just witnessed a murder.

“AHHHHHHH.  OH GOD. OH GOD. OH GOD. WHAT DID YOU DO?”  He screamed. 

Xio removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the splatters of blood from his face. 

Chan-yeol still screamed.  “This is Jung’s grandson.  His only grandson, his only male heir.  His daughter is dead.  He will never have any more grandchildren by blood.  This is the heir to their fortune, the next Hyungnim of the Ging Street empire.  You killed him.  Do you know what you’ve done?  You’ve killed him,” he muttered quickly, almost incoherently.  He began to scream and cry and rock back and forth as he stood on Xio’s wooden desk, trying to avoid the expanding puddle of blood.

“Calm down.  It’s ok.  Everything is ok.  Gather all of these folders.  Place them back into your brief case.  We need to keep them safe,”  Xio said calmly, rationally.

“Yes. O-o-ok.  Chan-yeol jumped down from the desk and then leaned over and scooped all of the papers back into the briefcase.  He glanced nervously over his shoulder to make sure that his feet touched none of the blood.  He never even noticed Xio step behind him.

Xio pressed the gun to the back of Chan-yeol’s head and fired. The bullet traveled through the rear of Chan-yeol’s skull and exploded through his forehead, forcing a warm spray of blood to splash against the face of the guard who stood closest the desk.  Chan-yeol fell over dead, landing right in the center of the pool of blood he had been trying to avoid.  If there was one thing to be said about Xio, it was that he never left behind witnesses that he couldn’t trust.  He motioned to his guards for help.  They wrapped both of the bodies in garbage bags and threw them into the trunk.  The bay of Busan received two new fishes that evening.

The following morning, Kumo sang as she pushed a cart full of lovely breakfast foods towards Jimin’s bedroom.  She knocked softly on the door and with a loving whisper said, “Hey, open up, it’s me.”

Jeongguk opened the door, but only partially.  He was robed but Jimin was naked and sprawled across the bed sleeping. Jeongguk wanted to protect his modesty, so he blocked Kumo’s view of her husband.

She was full of smiles, “Has he stopped crying yet?”

“About two hours ago.  It was a long night,”  Jeongguk teased.

“I could hear his wails all the way in my room.  Poor Min.  Oh Kookie.  Thank you for taking care of him.   He was so bottled up.  He wouldn’t allow anyone to see how hurt he really was over losing this Mapo deal.  I knew if anyone could get to him, it would be you.  I don’t know what he would do without you,”  Kumo began to cry. 

Jimin losing the Mapo deal wasn’t just a blow to Posco and Jimin, but it affected everyone around him as well.  His entire family was now faced with finding a plan-b.  One thing was for sure, Jimin was definitely not going back into the mob business.  Even without the Mapo contract, the business was still booming and he was still a man of great power.  But with the shifting of the winds, they all needed a new plan.

Jeongguk embraced Kumo, “Don’t cry sweetheart.  It’s going to be alright.  Everything is going to work out.”

Kumo sniffled, “I know.  Listen, are you both going to be here today?  I mean...will you both just stay with me?  I don’t want to be alone in this big apartment.  I need to know that my two boys are with me,” Kumo asked timidly.

“Jimin isn’t going into the office today and neither am I, so yes, we’ll be here.  But give us a little while ok?  I need to have a serious talk with him.”

“Talk or fuck?  Because you have a tendency to use those words interchangeably,”  Kumo said suspiciously.

“Ok...fuck.  Are you happy?  I want more fucking, now get out,” Jeongguk playfully pushed Kumo through the door and slammed it closed.  Then he opened the door again, grabbed her and gave her another loving hug.  Their giggles caused Jimin to stir.

“What’s going on?”

“Uh oh busted!”  Kumo pushed the tray inside of the room and then ran for her life, back down the hallway.  Her silk robe billowed behind her as her platinum tresses fell down her back.  She laughed the entire way.

Jimin sat up and rubbed his eyes.  The sun was out again, the light was back, the darkness had been defeated.  It was the perfect euphemism for how Jimin felt.  He was refreshed, refocused and hopeful.  After days of moping around, he finally felt at peace. 

“Good morning,”  Jeongguk suffocated Jimin as he spilled his heavy body all over him.

“Good morning – that’s all you have to say?  After forcing me to cry for four hours straight while you fucked me...good morning is all you have to say?”

“Uhhh, good afternoon? I guess I could say that too,”  Jeongguk shrugged.  He was intentionally obtuse.

Jimin raised his naked body from the bed and sorted through the breakfast that Kumo had provided, “I assume this is from the Christmas elf who doesn’t seem to realize that Christmas is over and she’s off duty?”

“Bingo.  That’s the one,” Jeongguk sipped ramen.

Jimin found more bacon.  He really loved bacon. “Sit down, I need to tell you something.”

Jeongguk sat at the edge of the bed.  But instead of allowing Jimin to talk, he pulled him into his lap.  “You still lubed or do you need more?”

“What do you mean?”  Jimin looked into Jeongguk’s face to try to discern what he was talking about.  He cooed when he felt Jeongguk’s finger slip inside of him.

“Oh you’re still so slippery.  Real quick baby, please?  Let me just bust a quick nut.” Jeongguk opened his robe to reveal his stiffy.

“You know, I’m supposed to be the decision maker about when we fuck.  I don’t appreciate the liberties you’ve been taking around here lately,”  Jimin joked as he lifted his body to help guide Jeongguk’s hardened cock into his slick hole once again. 

Jimin began to ride him while simultaneously eating bacon.  Jeongguk gripped his hips to slow him down and then licked the pork flavored salt from Jimin’s lips.  He nibbled on a piece that Jimin had trapped between his teeth as he watched Jimin slide up and down his dick.  He could already feel his nuts getting hot.  He buried his face into Jimin’s shoulder as the smaller man rotated his hips, taking Jeongguk’s full cock like a champion bull rider.  The clapping of their body’s was much subdued, but the intensity was just as passionate.  Jeongguk began to buck into Jimin, pushing himself as far in as he could go. 

“You’re better than bacon,” he said needlessly.  Jeongguk moaned his signature orgasm moan and a signal to Jimin that he was about to cum.

“I’m not sure about that.  Bacon is really great,” Jimin mumbled his bacon breath into Jeongguk’s mouth.  “Thank you for last night, thank you for loving me.  Thank you for making everything ok,”  Jimin took advantage of the moment.  He wanted Jeongguk to hear him, really hear him.  He wanted his thank you’s intermixed with his lover’s orgasmic shivers.  He wanted to deliver his body for his husband’s exclusive pleasure.  He wanted to show his gratitude in the manner that mattered the most.  “Cum for me and make it a good one,”  He kissed the lids of both of Jeongguk’s closed eyes.  As soon as Jeongguk’s mouth opened to release his final groan, Jimin licked the row of his perfect white teeth.  He was so extremely grateful for Jeongguk’s presence.

Just as Jeongguk had promised, the fuck was quick.  It took him less than five minutes to breed his husband and leave his seed in his ass.  Once his tank was empty, he turned his attention back to Jimin’s previous conversation.

“Now, what did you want to tell me?”  Jeongguk was still hard, even though he had already released. 

But neither he nor Jimin seemed eager to move, so they sat there and continued their conversation despite Jeongguk’s manhood being stuck up Jimin’s ass.

Jimin began, “Today, is your first day of freedom.” 

Giggles came from Jeongguk’s stretched lips, “And what exactly does that mean?”  Without dismounting Jimin, he leaned towards the cart and got both of them more bacon.

“Thank you,” Jimin smiled. “It means that this protecting Xio shit is over.  It also means that no matter how much of a financial hit I have to take, I’m never going back to a life of crime.  Kookie, Xio’s losses were significant, I’m not going to lie.  But Posco is doing so well, even without the Mapo contract, there is no reason for us not to keep building.  In fact, the more I think about it, the more I wonder if this was a blessing in disguise.  Maybe we need to let the heat die down for a while – considering that Xio has a body count of at least three or four men that we know of.”

“Why Park Jimin!  Is that a glimmer of hope that I just heard from you?”

“Glimmer is too strong of a word, small speck of hope is more like it,”  Jimin laughed.  The shaking of his body reminded him that he still had a hard dick stuck up his ass.  “Oh, that’s nice.  I like casual dick sitting.”

Jeongguk laughed loudly.  “Ok then make yourself comfortable.  I think I like it too.”

Jimin continued, “I mean, I can second guess myself about giving Xio that expansion until my balls are blue.  But the bottom line is that I always knew he was going to fail.  I thought it would take a few years, but I knew it was inevitable.  We can take the financial hit from the failure of Posco Busan.  We can probably even save that side of the business but it’s going to take more oversight from me.  But what I was really after, was to give Xio a purpose in life so that he would get off of the street.  I accomplished that.  Jeongguk he’s been in absolutely no trouble whatsoever since he took the seat as CEO and that, ultimately, was what this was about.”

“Jimin, what you did for your brother was incredible. He should be kissing your feet right now,”  Jeongguk said angrily.

 “It’s no secret that I hate that son-of-a-bitch.  But at the end of the day, he is my elder, he is my blood, he is my brother and he is the only family that I have left.  We are the last hope for keeping our family legacy alive.  Unless that nasty seed you dropped into me is going to spawn a couple of kids, Xio and I are the end of the line.  My only choice is to respect him and keep him contained.  Besides, keeping him out of trouble, means keeping you safe.  The more heat on him, the more light is shined on you and I can’t allow that.  So that brings me to my next point.”  Jimin gesticulated as he talked, causing him to unintentionally squeeze his ass walls around Jeongguk’s cock.

“Fuck this feels good.  I’m trying to pay attention to you...but...well shit...,”  Jeongguk said nonsensically.

“Eat more bacon and stay focused because this is the most important part.  I want you to quit the department.”

“What?  Resign from the police department?”

“You’ve been mentally out of that game for years now.  You’re much more committed to me than you are to fighting bad guys.  Why don’t we just make it official?  Come to work for Posco.  I’ll find a great job for you, something where you can use your talents and really build your own brand.  For fuck sakes, you’re one-thousand times smarter than my fucking brother and he runs an entire division.  Surely you can become a success,” Jimin said confidently.

“If I leave the police force, we’ll have no idea what’s coming.  I’m your eyes and ears to the street.  If I leave, who’ll look out for you?”  Jeongguk protested.

“I’m 100% legit now...and so is Xio.  We don’t need anyone to look out for us anymore.  I’ll open my books to anyone to show my profits and show my full operation.  I have nothing to hide and neither does Xio.  That shit in the past, will stay in the past.  We’re all on the right side of the law.  If we can get you out of the police force, we can sit you down at a nice safe desk job where you’re out of this mobster shit for good.”  Jimin smiled.  For the first time in days he smiled a genuinely happy smile.  His night of tears and passion had truly given him new perspective.  It was lovely to see.

“Xio’s cases aren’t closed just because he’s legit now.  If I leave, there will be no one to keep the police off of Xio’s trail.  We really need to be careful here.  I’ll need some time to think about this.  There is so much to consider here, but I like where this is going.  Can I give you my answer soon?”

“Take all of the time you...oooh...are we fucking again?”  Jimin said as he felt Jeongguk begin to thrust his hips into him again.  His dick was ready for more action.

“No, this time we’re making love.”

“Fucking, making love...it all ends the same way,”  Jimin bracketed Jeongguk’s face and covered it with kisses as he rose and fell over his cock.  They pressed their bodies together with a particular greed that could only be fed by each other.

“I love you Park Jimin.”

“I love you too, Jeon Jeongguk.”

***

Chapter Seven: Skull

Jimin raced up the stairs to his office at Posco.  His first order of business was to call his board together to make a statement and give them a few words of encouragement.  After taking a week away to recover himself, he felt that his employees needed to hear from their CEO.  He whistled happily as he opened the door of his office.  His second order of business was to call Xio and work through a plan for making Q4 fiscal year goals.  He was determined to turn that business around, no matter what it took.  And lastly his third order of business, was to give some thought to finding Jeongguk a position within his company.  Even though Jeongguk had not yet given him a decision on coming to work for him, Jimin felt confident that after a few convincing dick strokes, he would get his way.

Jimin opened the door to his office.  It was pitch dark inside, with all of the curtains drawn.  Jimin found that suspicious because he never closed his curtains.  His view of the emerging city was too beautiful for him to close himself off from it.  So the fact that the curtains were closed now, meant that someone had been inside of his office.  Darkness was his nemesis, even in the safety of his own office, he didn’t like facing it.  He took no further steps until his hand found the security of the light switch.  As quickly as possible, he flipped it on. 

The room lit under the bright canister bulbs that were embedded in the ceiling.  He proceeded inside only to stop dead in his tracks when he noticed someone sitting in his office chair.  The man’s back was to the door so all that Jimin could see was the top of his head.

“Excuse me.  May I help you?”  Jimin was much kinder than he should have been.  Back in the days of his youth, he would have just stabbed the man in the neck, with no further questions asked.  Encroaching upon a Hyungnim’s domain was supremely disrespectful.  But as a seasoned business man, Jimin had developed much more decorum and grace for dealing with difficult situations.

The man slowly turned to face Jimin.  Jimin immediately smiled, “You know Bang, this is the quickest way to get shot,”  Jimin said playfully to his old friend.

“Long time no see, Min.  Yeah, sorry about trespassing but I didn’t want anyone to see me visiting you to day.  I needed to be discreet so I snuck in.  Jimin, we need to talk.  It’s urgent,”  Cho Yen-Eum stood to his feet and gave Jimin a firm handshake.

“Talk?  About?”  Jimin said with confusion.

“What else?  Your fucking brother,”  Yen breathed heavily.  “Mind if I fix myself a drink?”  Yen was rattled and looked pale. 

“Jesus buddy, the way you look, take the whole bottle,” Jimin smirked as he watched Yen make his way to the mini-bar that Jimin had stationed in his office.

Cho Yen-eum was an old friend of Jimin’s, an ex-cop who’d left the police department to become head of Jimin’s corporate security.  He was a good man of good character, who understood Jimin’s vision of building a corporate enterprise.  He and Jimin were also old college buddies from Busan University where Jimin studied law.  They had a tight friendship, but more importantly, he was one of Jimin’s most loyal confidants.  Yen worked out of Busan and was extremely effective at his job.  Rarely did he have problems that he couldn’t solve on his own.  But when Yen did come around, he rarely had good news and this day was no exception.

Jimin paused to allow Yen to take a few sips of his drink before he continued, “So what has the CEO done this time?”  Jimin joked.  He had no idea the severity of Yen’s visit.

Yen gulped down his drink and then poured himself another, “I have two men, solid men, assigned to your brother.  Neither of these guys are prudes.  They have seen some shit and they are the most reliable and trustworthy guards in my organization.  They’re loyal to you Jimin and by default, they have tried to be loyal to Xio.  But one of them came to me a few days ago with a very disturbing story.  These guys, they understand Xio, they speak his language.  They know the kind of trouble he can get himself into and most of the time, they’re right there to keep things from getting out of hand.  But not this time.  Xio crossed the line and there was no pulling him back.”

“Shit,”  Jimin fell into a chair and closed his eyes, and rubbed his temples.  “What did he do?”

“Ah fuck Jimin, I don’t even know how to find the words to tell you how bad this is,” Yen was already half way through the bottle of Merlot that Jimin had gifted him.

“Well find the fucking words.  What’s going on?”

“Xio found out that someone within the Posco Busan accounting department was stealing money from him.  He ordered an audit, tracked the guy down and decided to rough him up a little.  He pulled the guy off the street, took him to an old airplane hangar and beat the shit out of him.  My men, Xio’s guards, didn’t know anything about it until Xio called them to the hangar and they found the kid tied up and beaten half to death.  Naturally they played it cool, but Xio was in a bad state of mind – you know how he gets?”

“Kid?  Did you say...kid?”  Jimin didn’t like the sound of that, “How old?”

“Only twenty.  Xio hired the kid himself, not realizing who he really was.  The kid was an implant, sent to Posco Busan to infiltrate your brother’s side of the business.  Xio was targeted intentionally.  They stole a great deal of money by creating forged and counterfeit invoices - about one million U.S.  This theft is why Xio didn’t make his revenue projections.”

Once again Jimin, as clever as he was, put the pieces together, “The Mapo deal.  That’s why we didn’t get it.”  Suddenly a chill ran up Jimin’s spine, he replayed something that Yen had just said, “Did you say counterfeit?  Forged documents?”

“Yes.”

“The only counterfeiters in town are part of Jung’s gang.  They have a solid business and they rake in a lot of money through forgeries and counterfeit documents.”  Jimin hated what he was about to ask, but he needed to know, “This kid that targeted Xio, he wasn’t by any chance associated with Jung Sun-dook and his crew, was he?”

“That’s why I’m here.  Yeah, not only was he affiliated...,”  Yen just didn’t want to say it, but he had to tell Jimin what he knew, “...not only was he affiliated, he was the heir to the Ging Street Kkangpae, Jung Baek-hyun...,”

Jimin screamed over him, “Baek-hyun?  Baek-hyun?  Jung Sun-dook’s only grandson?  HOLY SHIT!  FUCK!  No way my brother’s that stupid! He roughed this kid up?  FUCK!”  Jimin paced in front of the window. “Ok, ok, ok, look, I can handle this.  I’ll just go to Jung, lay it all out on the table, offer to pay for the kid’s medical bills and promise not to pursue an embezzlement charge in court.  After all, Jung had to know that Xio would be pissed when he found out the kid stole a million dollars from him and cost us the Mapo deal.  He put his grandson in this situation and I’m sure he understands his role in this.  Sun-dook is a reasonable man but I know why he did this.  It was retaliation against Xio for ordering the attack on the Minister’s wife, Woo-Jin.  He wanted to humiliate Xio publicly.  There’s no other reason that he would have involved his grandson.  This is fixable.  I’ll give the kid a job in my organization, pay for his therapy and hospital expenses...everything.   I’ll make this right.  We can make this go away,”  Jimin’s mind raced as he thought through a way to get them out of Xio’s latest fuck-up.

It was time for Yen to deliver the worst news of the morning, “I’m afraid it’s not going to be that simple.”  Yen reached into his suit pocket and threw a series of photo’s onto Jimin’s desk. 

Jimin looked at Yen, “What is this?”

“Look at them.”

Jimin picked up each of the photos.  The pictures were gruesome, but Jimin had seen worse.  He studied each of the crime scene photos that Yen had provided.  They were pictures of dead bodies that had been fished from the bay.  Each body was swollen and puffy.  The flesh had been eaten away by scavenger animals.  Each of the partially exposed skulls had massively large holes blown into them – gun shots.  Jimin’s eyes widened, “No fucking way.” 

“Yeah.  Xio killed both of them, even the innocent accountant who had done the audit.  The man was a witness to the first murder and I guess Xio felt that he needed to be disposed of as well.   My guards who were there saw it all.  Xio even made them help dispose of the bodies in the bay.  He couldn’t do it himself because of the Polio, his left leg was too weak.  He needed help.  One of the guards came to me that same night after it had all gone down because he felt that you needed to know what your brother was up to,”  Yen explained.

Jimin walked to the window and stared out over the city.  This was a game changer.  It was Xio’s ultimate fuck up.  “Does Jung know?”

“Does he know the boy is missing? Sure.  It’s been a few days since this happened.  Does he know that his only grandson is dead?  No.  But I’m sure as soon as the kid is identified, the family will be contacted.  It’s just a matter of time.  I don’t need to tell you what will happen if Jung ever finds out that his rival gang, the South Street Kkangpae, were involved with killing the heir to his empire.  It won’t take him long to tie this to Xio and by extension – you.”

Jimin kicked the fuck out of the garbage can that sat next to his desk.  He was seething with anger.  “It’s always fucking Xio.  Always.”

“I’m sorry to be the one to deliver this news but...I felt you needed to know,”  Yen was at a loss for what else to say.  It was the worst scenario possible.

Jimin was truly saddened by the death of Baek-hyun.  He had never met him but from the little that Jimin knew about him, he was a smart, hard-working kid who was destined for greatness.  If anyone had the wherewithal to pull G&S out of the gutter, it was Baek-hyun. 

Jimin just couldn’t believe this was happening.  He took a moment to speak his heart, “I was at the funeral when Sun-dook’s daughter died.  He adored her tremendously.  He never wanted her to take over the company business because she was a woman.  But...he was still heartbroken when he lost her.  But she gave him a grandson and that was Jung’s greatest treasure.  That boy was everything to him.  Everything.  He was the only blood he had remaining.  Bang, I fear this isn’t going to end well.” 

***

Jimin’s private jet landed in Busan a couple of hours later.  As he stepped off of the airplane, the tail of his trench coat whipped in the wind.  His face was cemented in darkness, fury, outrage.  His eyes that were so much like his father’s, cut critically at everyone around him as malevolence floated just beneath the black of his pupils.  The quick rub of his nose was a rarely seen gesture, but those who understood it, knew that it was the signal of impending wrath.  Jimin was on a mission and God help whoever got in his way.

He immediately had his driver take him to Xio’s apartment where he had it on good authority that Xio was there with another group of women.  He banged on the door and then gave one mighty kick, knocking the door off of its hinges.  He did not come to play.

There were women everywhere.  It was as if Xio needed to drown his sorrows in the pussies of prostitutes to feel whole. Jimin drew his gun and pointed it at all of them, “Get the fuck out!”  His eyes were wild with rage.

The women all went screaming, half nude, eager to escape the madman with the gun. 

“XIO! XIO! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?” With his gun drawn, Jimin blew through the apartment, checking door after door looking for his brother. With a single kick, he destroyed tens of bottles of priceless liquors that Xio had on the bar. He punched his fist through the wall, sending cement dust and spackle all over the kitchen. Ferociously, he picked up Xio's floor television and threw it through the window, where it exploded upon making contact with the cement patio. He growled with the fullest volume of voice, “FACE ME LIKE A MAN YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!” Never had Jimin been so out of control.

Xio rushed from the last bedroom in the hall, he was naked and there was a naked, screaming woman standing behind him.  Jimin threw her a pile of clothes and demanded that she get the fuck out.  He then raised his gun to Xio’s head. 

“Jimin, what – what’s going on?”  Xio began to tremble.  He raised his hands with his palms open in a show of surrender.  He had no idea why Jimin was in such a rage, but he feared that news of the Jung kid’s murder may have been at the root of Jimin’s anger.

“I knew you were a piece of shit when you were eight years old and you refused to get me out of that closet.  I begged you to help me and all you did was sit there and listen to me scream.  You let the rats eat me alive.  I knew then that you hated me and from then on, I hated you.  I knew you would be my fucking downfall, you shit for brains.”

“P-p-p-put the gun down you piss ant.  You aren’t going to sh-sh-shoot me,”  Xio pulled on a robe and lit a cigarette. 

His hands were shaking, and his heart was pounding out of his chest.  He sat at the edge of his bed with his legs open and his slimy dick peeking from beneath the opening in his robe.  He was terrified of his angry little brother, but he didn’t dare let it show.  He puffed on the cigarette as if he were living his last few minutes of life.  Jimin placed the gun to Xio’s head and pulled the trigger.  Xio screamed and tried to protect himself, but the gun was empty. 

“I guess it’s your day to live,”  Jimin repeated the same words that Xio’s father had spoken to him.  “I’ve locked you out of the headquarters to Posco Busan and will be seizing the property.  Kumo will assume her position as CEO effective immediately.  Whatever personal belongings you had in the building will be dropped off here tomorrow afternoon.  You’re fucking fired.”

“FIRED?”  Xio, still reeling from the fake gun shot, jumped to his feet in protest.  “YOU CAN’T FUCKING FIRE ME.  THIS IS MY COMPANY.  I BUILT IT FROM SCRATCH.  I  OWN EVERY MAJOR CONTRACT IN THIS CITY.  THIS IS MY COMPANY!”  Xio screamed so loudly that he shook the walls.

Jimin jumped into Xio’s face.  He was now perfectly calm which only made him more threatening.  Being calm meant that he was in control and able to think clearly and that always put him at an advantage,

“No you stupid asshole.  I own every fucking thing.  Our father burned the mark of the Kkangpae Hyungnim onto my fucking ribs, not yours.”  Jimin pointed his finger into his own chest,  “I’m South Street, I’m Posco, I am the one, the almighty, the fucking BOSS!  This is my company.  I fed pieces of it to you like the infantile baby you are; still sucking at my tit, trying to take your first step into being a man.  I own you.  I own your very existence and now I’m your worst enemy.  You have broken the code.  The fucking code.”  Jimin pointed the gun at Xio again and fired a shot just over his head to make sure that the piece of shit understood that the gun was loaded.  “Father hated you because you were a spineless beast with no compass.  You’re very lucky that I’m only firing you.  Because if I really wanted to stoop to your level, I’d take the cars, the apartment, your fucking whores, EVERYTHING!  But I have a heart and brains and I still respect the fact that we’re blood brothers.  We’re the last of the Park line.  FUCK!  Why couldn’t you have been the one who died in the closet?”  Jimin, a viciously talented fighter, round-house kicked Xio in the face causing him to tumble from the bed.  He placed his gun back into his holster as his chest heaved in and out.  He walked in circles around his brother with hatred spewing from every orifice.  “Did you really think that you could kill the heir to the Ging Street Kkangpae and there would be no consequences?  Did you really think that – you DUMB FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT?”  Jimin kicked Xio again in the ribs, causing him to wail painfully.

Xio couldn’t control himself.  His breaths burst in and out as his face turned ashen.  With each of Jimin’s angry words, Xio flinched and turned away; fearful that Jimin would point the gun at him again.  His shrill voice yelled back at his baby brother, “Who are you listening to?  Don’t you even want to hear my side of the story?  Don’t you even want to know what happened?”  Jimin didn’t respond so Xio continued, “I was set up...we were set up.  We were manipulated and Jung planted a snitch inside of the organization to steal from us.  He stole one million U.S.  That’s why I didn’t make my projections.  I ran an audit and found the theft.  I have paper trails, I have signatures, I have logs and recordings.  I can prove they did it.  It was Jung Sun-dook and his fucking grandson.  I killed that kid because I had to make them pay; teach them a lesson.  Show them that they couldn’t fuck with South Street or the Parks. What they did to me was CRIMINAL!  You should be on my side with this.  I’m your blood, I’m a part of this company.  You should be happy about what I did to protect our family and our HONOR!”  Xio’s tendons bulged from his neck as he angrily defended himself. Dingy cigarette flavored spittle flew from his lips.

Jimin unleashed, “Happy?  Happy?  I should be happy that you blew the brains out of a twenty year old kid because you were too stupid to know that he was cooking the books?  You got conned and somehow it’s his fault for being smarter than you?  I should be happy?” Jimin paced back and forth, trying to maintain his composure, “You know what?   You’re right about one thing Xio, what they did to you was criminal.  Criminal – do you know what that means?  That means they broke the law by doing a criminal act.  Plain and simple, they broke the law.  So let’s talk about how this would have played out if a fucking adult were running this operation instead of a petulant child: the police would have been called, Jung and his grandson would have been prosecuted for embezzlement, theft, and who knows what else.  We would have presented the pile of evidence that you collected from the auditor and we would have been able to prove our case in court.  Once the accountant testified, the one that you killed by the way, we would have sued them and we would have won.  They would have had to repay the entire amount – the entire one million plus penalties and interest.  That, you stupid fucker, is how the real corporate world works.  I have a fucking law degree, this would have been a slam dunk case for us.  We also would have received the Mapo contract by default because the other side illegally influenced the bidding process.  Even Jung knew that he would end up paying the money back.  In the end, this was just dirty business, a price Jung was willing to pay to publicly humiliate you for the attack on Woo-Jin.  Everyone knew how the game was played, except for your dumb ass.  Now because of your pre-pubescent behavior, we’re on the verge of war.  What do you think Jung is going to do when he finds out that you killed his only grandson – his only remaining blood relative?”

Xio gasped.  The truth was that he had not thought about it at all.  He had given no consideration to what Jung would do to retaliate.  Suddenly, he realized that he was in grave danger without Jimin’s protection.

“You’ve set us back fifty years by killing this innocent boy.  You...,” Jimin was too furious to even continue speaking.  He ran his fingers through his hair.  He tapped the handle of his gun again and looked around the room aimlessly.  “It’s just a matter of time before Jung figures this out.  And when he does...everyone I love is going to be at risk.  Because of you, because you, you fucking piece of filth! I fucking hate you.  I fucking HATE you.” Jimin kicked Xio in the bottom of his face.

Xio grabbed his bloody chin and yelled desperately as the crimson liquid from his wound flowed between his nicotine stained his fingers, “You can’t just kick me out of the family business. Where will I go? How will I make a living?” Xio asked angrily.

“Who gives a fuck.  Sell some of your cars or your whores.  Everyone has been put on notice that you’re no longer part of Posco Construction Company or South Street Kkangpae.  No one will ever do business with you again.  I’ve taken it all from you.”  He took one last look at Xio before leaving, “And don’t you dare look for Kookie to save you.  He’s done with you.  He’s done coming to your rescue.  From now on, you can rot in hell.”

October 13th, 1966 – Jimin’s Birthday; one month after the murder of Jung Baek-hyun

Jimin walked into his office to find a large box sitting on his desk.  He smiled.  Before even reading the tag, he already knew who it was from. 

“Kosuke, you never forget do you?”  Jimin whispered. 

The gift was indeed from a man named Kosuke Takata.  Takata was one of the most powerful men on the planet and was definitely the most powerful man in Asia.  He was thirty years Jimin’s senior and had known Jimin since he was a young boy. Takata was wealthy beyond words and more powerful than the United Nations.  A strategic genius, who also happened to be one of Jimin’s mentors.  And every year, the old fool would showcase his softer side by buying Jimin a birthday gift.  It was a bright spot in a day that was anticipated to be full of dread.

Jimin sat down and opened the generous gift.  Each year he looked forward to Kosuke’s unique brand of gift giving.  This gift was no exception.  It was a phonograph that played Vinyl records.  Jimin had seen them on television, but never had he seen one in person.  Not to be outdone, Kosuke also included a series of albums for Jimin to play.  He immediately plugged it into the wall and selected from the ten different Vinyl records that were included in the box. 

“Elvis - Live, Frank Sinatra, The Supremes, The Mamas and the Papas?  Who the fuck are these people?”  Jimin snickered. 

He assumed they were all American artists and some of Kosuke’s favorites.  As intrigued as he was with the gift, he wasn’t sure about the music.  He decided to start with Elvis since that was the only name that was familiar to him.  He placed the needle down gently into the first groove of the charcoal colored vinyl.  Beneath the loud scratches and crackles, the record spun around and around.  Eventually, the staticky distortions of the needle pushing into the vinyl were replaced by the warm baritone voice of the man known as Elvis Presley.  Jimin closed his eyes to absorb the full compass of his silky voice.  The man’s singing drew a smile.  As the record continued to play, he sat back down and read the note that was attached. 

The note read: “To: CEO Park.  Heard about your situation.  My deepest sympathy for having a fucking asshole as a brother.  It took courage to do what you did.  I’m proud of you my friend.  Happy Birthday - Takata.” 

Kumo swept into the office like a gust of wind.  She was dressed in all black from head to toe with pumps that were at least six inches tall.  Her black trench coat was tied taught around her waist and she wore a small black hat with netting that covered her face.  It was funeral attire, but somehow she looked like a runway model wearing it. 

Jimin looked up at his beautiful wife.  He simply adored her.  Her presence was very comforting considering the tumultuous times he was facing.

“Good Morning.”

“Good Morning.  Happy Birthday.  There are about thirteen very expensive gifts sitting on your bed waiting for you.  I would have given them to you earlier, but you left this morning without saying goodbye,”  Kumo said cautiously.

“Didn’t want to wake you.”

“Or...did you not want to deal with the 20 dozen roses that you knew would be arriving from your husband?”

Jimin released a small snort, “Yeah that too.  He really does love my birthday doesn’t he?”

“He loves you.  Too much I think,”  Kumo said curiously. 

“Are you about ready to go?  The car has arrived.”

“Yes, but before we go, a quick word?” Kumo asked.

“Yeah, sure of course.  I assume this has to do with the financial books for Posco Busan?  Is it as bad as we thought?”

“Much worse.  Xio has made a mess of things.  Posco Busan is bankrupt Jimin, despite the massive capital that you dumped into it.  With the dip in overall construction bids because of the new legislation, we’re going to have to really tighten up on expenses in order to cover for the losses.  Let’s not even talk about how he intermingled his personal funds with the corporate funds.  Even some of his gambling debts made their way through the payroll.  We knew he was going to be a disaster, but I must admit that I didn’t realize it would be this bad,”  Kumo said honestly.

Jimin nodded.  The news was nothing that he didn’t expect, “If anyone can clean it up, it’s you.  I trust you sweetheart.”

Kumo teared, “I know you do.  You’re right, I will get this shit cleaned up.  It’ll take some time, but we will get Posco Busan back on top again.  And I will never, ever be able to repay you for giving me this chance.  It’s not often that a man allows a woman to run an entire division of a company as CEO.  What you’re doing is unprecedented.  My God, you’re incredibly brave Jimin.”

“I’m incredibly smart Kumo.  You’re the best person for the job...always were...but my hands were tied.  I did what I needed to do at the time, but now...that’s behind us.  You’re doing a great job and let me know if you need anything.  Unlimited resources are at your feet.”

“Understood.  When are we going to make the announcement?”

“Soon.  Before the end of the year,”  Jimin explained.

“Perfect.” Kumo had more to discuss, “Jimin are you sure that we should go to this Jung kid’s memorial service?  I mean, your fucking brother is the one who killed him.”

“I cannot let this day go by without paying my respects.  I couldn’t go to the funeral last month, so this memorial tribute is the next best thing.  Jung needs to know that I wasn’t a part of this.  I’m not going to hide.”

“Fucking balls of steel,”  Kumo clutched her purse under her arm.  “Shall we?”  She held her hand out for Jimin to grab it. 

“We...shall.”

***

Jung Baek-hyun’s memorial service went as well as could be expected.   Not too surprisingly, Jimin and Kumo were asked to leave half way through the service.  It was just as well because Jimin couldn’t stomach seeing Jung doubled over his grandson’s grave.  So much pain. Even for someone as rigid as Jimin, it was tough to watch.  And all of it could have so easily been avoided.  Once again, Jimin seethed with hatred for his brother Xio. 

But what concerned Jimin the most was Jung’s seemingly lack of appetite for retaliation.  Jimin had been on guard for weeks, waiting for Jung to strike.  But there was nothing.  After seeing Jung at the memorial service, Jimin finally understood why.  Jung, the Hyungnim of Ging Street, was in too much pain.  He was lifeless, in ashes as he stumbled through an extended grieving period for his cherished grandson.  That both concerned Jimin and relieved him.  His hope was that Jung would see the folly in his ways and admit his own culpability in what had happened to Baek-hyun.  But what he feared was that Jung’s silence was just the calm before the storm.

Jimin dashed off of the elevator and headed to his front door.  Kumo had taken the private jet to Busan so he and Jeongguk were set to have the entire Penthouse to themselves.  He burst through the door so excited to see him, that he could hardly breathe.

Sure enough, Jeongguk was there, sitting on the couch, stark naked, wearing nothing but his trusted fedora.  Written on his chest in black marker were the words, “Happy Birthday Baby.”  He had a red ribbon tied around his waist that blossomed into a humongous bow around his stomach.  Roses were everywhere, as far as the eye could see.  But the most heartwarming and tender gesture of all, was the fact that every single light was on.  There would be no darkness, not on this day.

Jimin could not move because he was paralyzed with laughter.  Jeongguk had gone absolutely overboard with silliness. But what Jimin understood was that Jeongguk’s antics were no coincidence.  They were plotted and methodical.  Jimin had spent the previous weeks so full of anxiety about the situation with Jung and the financial state of Posco, that he’d lost almost all of the joy in his daily life.  Although Jeongguk couldn’t change the situation, he could distract him from it and once again lead him towards the hopeful side of things.    

“Hi.”  Jeongguk opened his thighs and his stiff dick popped free. 

He was already in his top form and ready for action, all he needed was his little mobster to sit on him.  He stroked himself with his long fingers, stopping every now and again to show Jimin how much precum had dripped from his tip. 

Jimin did not hesitate.  He was naked before the front door even closed.  He ran towards Jeongguk and jumped on the couch.  Jeongguk caught him and covered him with kisses before melting all around him, “Happy Birthday, I love you Min, I love you.”

“You give the best gifts,”  Jimin teased.

Jeongguk laughed and threw Jimin over his lap.  With the meatiest part of his palm, he gave him several hard slaps across the flesh of his ass. 

Jimin squirmed around, “Are you spanking me?  What did I do to deserve a spanking?”

“Its tradition.  You get 36 slaps for your birthday,” Jeongguk said seriously.  And these were not soft slaps either.  He pounded his palm across Jimin’s ass with as much force as necessary to leave him red and bruised. 

“I could have you killed for this.” Jimin continued to squirm as he tried to get away from his birthday beating.

“Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one...,”  Jeongguk ignored the hell out of every objection that Jimin brought forth.  Watching his lover’s ass turn crimson under the strike of his handprint was driving him absolutely insane.  He wondered if he would make it all the way to 36.

With each strike Jimin’s dick grew harder and harder.  Until finally he found himself presenting his mounds, eager to be hit again.  He laid across Jeongguk’s lap, breaths intermittent as he bit his bottom lip, waiting for the next stimulating strike.  It was when Jeongguk got to twenty-four that the spanking intensified. Between each of Jeongguk’s strikes, he plunged lubed fingers into Jimin’s ass, working his hole open.  He finger fucked him with his right hand while slapping his ass with his left.  It was an entirely new experience for Jimin and he felt that he was going to fully cum before he was even fucked.

But his horny lover did not allow that to happen. 

“Do you like this?  This is how you trained me.  This is the deviant sexual monster you created,” Jeongguk said mockingly.

“Fucking YES, I like this.  You’re the perfect monster baby,”  Jimin whined.

Jeongguk pushed Jimin down on all fours so that his red ass remained within striking distance.  He ripped the bow from his body and grabbed his cock in his hand.  Like a heat seeking missile, he guided his dick directly past the rim of the warm entrance and began stroking him.  Except this time, along with each stroke came another hearty slap on the ass.  Jeongguk’s fedora dipped seductively over his eyes, as he sat on his knees, spearing his husband over and over.

Jimin was over stimulated.  Between the ass pounding and the ass slapping, he had no chance.  The sounds of Jeongguk’s hard strikes against his bruised bottom were infinitely satisfying.  He urged him, “Harder, slap me harder.  Fuck me harder.”  His lubed hole began to quiver as Jeongguk passionately delivered his birthday fuck.

As for the detective, his hard angry slaps eventually transitioned into him melting over his husband’s back and kissing the undulations along his spine.  He was so whipped.  He couldn’t form words, just breathy moans sprinkled with profanity, “Huhhhhhhhhhh fuck!”  He breathed in. 

Jimin screamed over him, “Right th-th-th-there...d-d-d-don’t st-st-stop.”   

It was the warmth of Jeongguk’s squirting cum inside of him that pushed Jimin over the edge.  His eyes shut tight as the friction against the carpet burned his knees.  He balled his fists and released one final orgasmic roar into the rose scented air.  And just like that, he emptied his entire load on Kumo’s newly installed flooring.

Jeongguk was not one to do much cooking, so every year for Jimin’s birthday it was tradition to order take out from as many different restaurants as he could find.  This year he had found three.  As they sat there, surrounded by white take-out boxes, they cuddled beneath the blanket on the floor. 

Jimin was the first to speak after minutes of comfortable silence, “You’re so much fun.”

“Fun?  I’ve never been called fun before,”  Jeongguk responded.

“I mean it.  I feel like a kid when I’m with you.  I feel like...this life that surrounds me doesn’t really exist.  I feel like I’m just a normal person and it’s ok to be happy.  I feel amazing.  You make everything alright.  How do you do it?”

“It’s called love.  You’re in love with me so you think I fell from the sky.  But honestly, I’m really just a regular man.  Nothing special about me.”

“Everything is special about you.  Everything Kookie.”

Jeongguk said a few words that he felt Jimin needed to hear, “What Xio did was fucked up Jimin.  You had a right to exile him, yet sometimes it seems as if you feel guilty about it.”

“Guilt?  Me?  Not in the least.  But more...disappointment.  I’m disappointed that it had to end this way.  Xio is the last of the blood line.  It’s me and him.  I’ll never have children of my own, nor do I want them.  But Xio, he had a chance to find a woman and settle down and produce heirs to this legacy of ours.  But with him being exiled, he and his future offspring are banned forever and will never be part of this organization.  No matter how shitty my brother is, at least we shared the legacy together.  It’s much less pressure that way.  But with him gone, it’s me – just me.”

“It feels lonely, I know.  But you have me.  Forever...and ever, I’ll be by your side.”  Jeongguk kissed Jimin’s knuckles.  “By the way, the thought of Xio being a father to impressionable offspring – no thanks.  I don’t ever want to meet that trainwreck of a kid.”

Jimin laughed.  “Ditto!”  He scooted closer to Jeongguk and wrapped his legs around him, “See...how do you do that?  How do you make me happy no matter how sad I am?”

“Because deep inside of you, there is happiness.  You just have to learn to give yourself permission to access it.  I give you permission.  Each time we make love, or we laugh, or tell jokes or we go for long walks in the park, I’m giving you permission.  That’s my only role here.”  Jeongguk was as sweet as he could possibly be.

“No Kookie.  You just don’t understand.”  Jimin shook his head and held back tears.  There is no happiness inside of me.  I didn’t even know what the fucking word meant until you came along.  Its you.  You’re my happiness.”

“Nope, that’s selfish.  Your happiness is not my responsibility.  You must take control and decide to be happy for yourself.  Give yourself permission.  I may not be here forever, so then what?  Your happiness dies with me?  Nope, not accepting that responsibility.  You’ve got to find your own way baby.  Embrace your humanity, your decency, your big heart because at the end of the day those are the things which make us the happiest.”  Jeongguk flexed his hand and looked at his nails,  “In the meantime, I’ll be here, minding my own business, experimenting with the different colors of Kumo’s nail polish,” he joked.

Jimin laughed so hard and so loud that he kicked both of his feet into the air, ripping the blankets away from them.  He rolled on top of Jeongguk and smothered him with kisses.  “I love you and your nail polish ways.”

***

 December 24th, 1966 - Five months after Xio was exiled...

Another Christmas rolled around, which meant another one of Jimin’s Christmas Festivals for the people of Guryong village.  This year’s festivities were twice as big as the previous year as Jimin made a generous outpouring to the community. 

Things were tough at Posco.  Business was down and the loss of the Mapo contract stunted many of Jimin’s growth plans. Still he refused to allow his company’s struggles to dampen his outreach to the community that he loved.  

As was his routine, Jimin invited everyone to the party under the stars.  For the fourth year in a row he gave away lavish gifts, money, free education, and even job opportunities for those who were qualified.  He once again made every Christmas wish come true.  With Kumo by his side, he sat upon his Santa throne, dressed as his own garish version of a westernized Santa.  Kumo sat next to him, as stunning as ever, with her own Santa hat made of rare mink fur.  Despite her age, she looked every bit Jimin’s equal in youth, beauty and vibrancy.

Jeongguk watched from afar.  He stood near the door, greeting the villagers as they arrived.  The event had a special place in his heart.  He couldn’t help but mingle amongst the people, immersing himself in the fantasy.  This had quickly become his favorite time of year because it was when Jimin was at his happiest.

Unlike the previous year, Christmas in Seoul in 1966 was a beautiful night.  There was a nip in the air, but it was tolerable.  The event was scheduled to wrap up at any moment, so there was no need for Jeongguk to remain inside.  With his scarf wrapped tightly around his neck and his leather gloves cozy around his fingers, he chose to step outside and patrol the outside of the building.  Jeongguk’s wool fedora sat high on his head, keeping the frost from biting at his ears.  With a dimple laden smile and kind disposition, he tipped his hat to everyone that he passed on the street.  His mind danced around the thought of making love to his husband again.  He loved their Christmas Eve fucks.

For weeks, he and Jimin had been apart.  Jimin, in an effort to grow the business, had been traveling like crazy to different countries.  He secured some very important contracts for Posco.  And even though Jeongguk understood the importance of Jimin’s travel schedule, he secretly hated it.  He missed his little CEO whenever he went away.  It physically pained both of them to be apart.  

But all of that was set to change because Jimin’s travel schedule was complete.   He was finally back home.  And for the first time in almost four weeks, he and Jeongguk were going to be able to spend time together, making love.  Jeongguk was full of excitement and anticipation.  Just like one of Santa’s reindeer, he clicked his heels and frolicked through the crowd, spreading his own holiday cheer.  Beneath his sexy, love-sick smile, he fantasized about the beautiful kisses he was going to smother over his husband’s face.   Everything was perfect.  He loved his Jimin so much.

After making the block, Jeongguk rounded the corner to head back inside of the plaza of the Samsung building.  He glanced to the right to see the caravan of vehicles that belonged to Jimin and his guards.  Jimin’s limo was parked at the front of the row of cars, but his driver was taking a well-deserved break while waiting to receive word that Jimin and Kumo were on their way.  So when Jeongguk noticed a shadow of suspicious movement around the back of Jimin’s limo, it caught his attention right away.  He knew the driver was in a nearby restaurant getting a cup of coffee, so who was lingering around Jimin’s limo?  Call it good old fashion cop instincts, but Jeongguk immediately sensed that the man was trouble. 

He picked up his walkie talkie, “Let me get a patrol car please.  On the north-east side of the Samsung building on Yeoksam-dong.  Suspicious activity sighted.  I’m about to approach the suspect and I need some back up.” 

Jeongguk placed the walkie-talkie back inside of his coat pocket, all while keeping his eyes locked on the suspicious man near the back of Jimin’s limousine.  The man looked nervous.  He worked fast as he pulled item after item from his inner coat pocket.  Finally he dropped to the ground, and laid on his back as he worked to attach something to the undercarriage of Jimin’s limousine.

“What the fuck?”  Jeongguk mumbled to himself. 

The eagle eye detective continued to approach, but he didn’t like what he was seeing.  He pulled his gun from his holster and pointed it forward.  He ducked down as low as possible.  Quietly, he approached the stranger from the right rear side.  He crept closer, closer, and still closer until the light from the street lamp shined over one of the metal pieces that the man held in his hand.  The bundle of material that the man was installing under the bumper was easily recognizable: long sticks of dynamite, bundles of black and red wire, and a timing device – it was a bomb.  Whoever this man was, he was planting a bomb underneath Jimin’s car.

“SHIT!”  Jeongguk grabbed his radio and whispered urgently into it, “Rope off the area, the entire block.  The suspect has a bomb near Park’s car, don’t let anyone near here.  If this shit goes off, it could kill hundreds of innocent people.  Call in the bomb squad, stat!”  His heart raced and he began to sweat beneath the band of his fedora.  This fucker, whoever he was, was trying to kill Jimin.  Jeongguk stepped from behind the row of cars and yelled loudly, “Freeze!  You’re under arrest.  Step away from the car.  Raise your hands where I can see them.”

The man literally shit his pants.  He never expected for anyone to catch him.  There weren’t supposed to be any cops in the area.  He left the bomb resting on the asphalt and stepped away from the car, with his hands up. “D-d-don’t shoot officer.  It’s just...uh,” the perp slid over the back of the limousine and took off running down Yeoksam-dong.

Jeongguk yelled into his radio, “In pursuit, down Yeoksam-dong.  There’s a bomb, do not approach without the bomb squad.”  He heard several responses, confirming that his entire crew understood the danger.

The foot chase was on.  But the detective had a physical advantage over the perp.  Jeongguk was big, strong, athletic and in perfect shape.  He was a stallion, as Jimin lovingly referred to him.  The perp got the jump on him and had several seconds head start, but it didn’t take Jeongguk long to catch up to him.  The man’s eyes bulged as he looked back to see the detective gaining ground.  In an effort to cut him off, Jeongguk glided through the air, jumping onto the rear trunk of a parked 1964 Mazda.  The sound of his heavy weighted feet denting the steel, reverberated loudly along the quiet street as he ran over the top of the car, landing on the hood.  From there, he launched himself through the air, tackling the suspect and rolling him to the ground. 

Out of pure frustration, Jeongguk pushed his knee into the man’s chest to hold him down and then he began pummeling him in the face. The man had tried to plant a bomb under Jimin’s car.  Anger poured out of him.  Jeongguk punched the perp again, and again and again.  If he had an ice pick, he would have stabbed him in the nuts.  That’s how much anger was inside of him.  Finally the man began to cry and plead for his life.

“Stop. Stop, please stop!”  He cried.

Jeongguk gritted his teeth.  He wasn’t done beating the shit out of the man, but he knew that he needed to stop.  If he had continued to beat him, given his state of anger, he would have killed him.   He pulled the man to his feet and immediately cuffed him. 

He strangled the man by the collar, “Is the bomb active?”

“No...no...I didn’t have a chance to activate it.”  He continued to cry as he stared into the cop’s resentful eyes.  Surely this cop was going to kill him.  He didn’t understand why he was so angry over a murder attempt that involved a mobster, but the officer was clearly pissed off.  He negotiated, “Please, don’t kill me.  I’ll tell you everything. Everything.”

“Why are you doing this?  Do you know who that limousine belongs to?”  Jeongguk questioned him right there in the street.  He punched the man in the face again, out of pure spite.

“Ahhhh stop!  Please, don’t hurt me.  I was hired to do it.  It’s the limo of Park Jimin.”

“Hired to do what?  Blow up his car?”

“Kill him - and his wife too.  A bomb was the cleanest way.”

The sound of sirens could be heard in the background,  Jeongguk didn’t have much time, he needed to get the full truth out of the trembling fool, “A hit?  Someone put a hit on Jimin?”

“Ye-ye-yes.”

“WHO!”  Jeongguk raised his fist to hit the man again.  

He cowered and began to sob even louder, “Park Xio, his brother.”

Jeongguk suddenly released the man.  He stared at him with disbelief.  “Xio?  He put a hit on his own brother?”

“Yes.  He was angry for being cut off or some shit like that.  He said that I had to make it look like an accident.  He said that Jimin needed to be killed with no chance of survival.  He tried to hire quite a few others but he didn’t have enough money.   I was the only one who would agree to do it for what he could afford to pay.”

Jeongguk stumbled back two steps.  “His own brother ordered this?  Are you sure?”  This was low, even for Xio.  He suddenly realized just how close he had just come to losing Jimin and Kumo.   Xio wanted Jimin dead?  It should not have surprised Jeongguk at all that Xio was capable of this, but for him to actually go through with it?  Jeongguk felt as if he were going to throw up.  He turned his attention back to the hit man.  “So you were going to blow him up?  Did it ever occur to you that thousands of people are here including children for the holiday festival?  You could have killed hundreds of people not just Park.”  Jeongguk was incredulous.

“Xio said it didn’t matter.  He said that this was the time to strike.  He wanted there to be as many witnesses to his brother’s death as possible,” the man was still handcuffed.  He was shaking violently in the cold.  He was underdressed, scared and the absolute worst hitman ever.  He continued, “His plan was to be the first person here to identify the body and claim leadership of the company as soon as his brother was declared dead.” 

“Be here?  What do you mean be here?  Xio is here...in Seoul?”

“Yes.  I’m supposed to report back to him immediately when the deed is done.”

“Where is he?”  Jeongguk grabbed the man up by his collar again and screamed into his face, “WHERE IS HE?”

“He’s staying in a boarding house, not too far from the airport.”

“Give me the address and the room number,”  Jeongguk took out a pencil and scribbled the information onto one of the pages of his leather journal that he kept in his pocket.  He said one last thing to the man, “You will not breathe a word of this to anyone, do you understand?  Tell no one about what you just told me.  Do you understand?  I’ll help you out of this mess, but you have to agree to be quiet and not repeat this story to anyone.  Do you understand?”

“I-I-I understand,”  the man stuttered, still terrified.

Jeongguk continued, “This job is over.  You will not attempt to harm Park Jimin again.  Keep his money, it’s yours.  If I find that you or anyone you know is going after him, I’ll kill you,” Jeongguk’s eyes were black, focused, murderous.  Maybe he had spent too much time living the life of a mobster, but his threat was very real, very much like something Xio himself would do.  He had no regrets and he meant every word of what he said.

“I-I-I won’t say anything.  I won’t touch him.  You have my word,” the perp said.

Just then, several patrol cars arrived along with the bomb squad.  Jeongguk gave one final stern look of warning to the perp before pulling him towards the other officers on his team, “This guy was trying to plant a bomb.  He wanted some attention, that’s all.  Could have killed a lot of people though.  It was lucky that I came along.  Take him in and put him in a holding cell.  I don’t want anyone interrogating him but me.  I’ll get the truth out of him.  Please make sure that one of the officers escorts Park Jimin and his wife home in a patrol car.  After what almost happened, we need to make sure they’re under careful surveillance.  I’ve spent four fucking years on Park’s racketeering case.  If he dies, so does all of my hard work.  Keep him safe,”  Jeongguk covered.  “I’m sure the bomb squad is going to be busy here for quite some time, so make sure the area stays roped off.  You guys are in charge, I need to go file some paperwork.”  Jeongguk disappeared.  He ran full speed towards his car and jumped in before heading to the boarding house to find Xio.

The boarding house where Xio was held up belonged to an elderly man.  He rented his spare bedroom for extra money for bills and food.  He lived alone and most of the time he wasn’t very sure of what was going on around him.  He was 92 years old and his best days were behind him.  The room he had for rent had its own private entrance, making it very desirable for renters looking for privacy.  It was also the reason that Xio had chosen it. 

Since being exiled from the family, Xio had fallen on hard times.  Even after selling his cars, he had blown through all of his money.  Jimin had also cut off his stipend, leaving him with no viable income other than robbing and gambling.  Gone were the lavish hotels, expensive dinners, fast cars, rent-a-whores, and expensive suits.  In the days following his exile, Xio struggled just to survive.  Months of humiliation only made him more and more bitter towards his brother who had stolen everything from him.

On at least six different occasions he had tried to hire someone to kill his brother.  He placed a bounty on Jimin’s head and he was willing to pay whoever was brave enough to step forward and take the job.  There was one problem however, he wasn’t willing to pay much.  Living just above the level of poverty meant that he didn’t have the buying power that he once did.  So he had to settle for a second rate bomb maker who agreed to do the work.  It wasn’t ideal, but he didn’t care.  As long as Jimin ended up dead in the end, Xio would be satisfied. 

The fact that Xio was still alive was a miracle within itself.  After the ruckus he’d caused with the killing of Jung Sun-dook’s grandson, Xio was on edge, fearful of when Jung would declare an all-out war against South Street Kkangpae.  Word on the street was that Jung knew about Xio being behind his grandson’s murder.  But Jung still seemed to be waiting quietly for the perfect time to strike. 

None of that mattered because in Xio’s mind, once Jimin was dead and he took his rightful place as both CEO of Posco and Hyungnim of South Street, he would have all of the protection he needed to stay safe from Jung’s attacks.  All he had to do was be patient.  Word was due any minute of the deed being done.  Soon, very soon, his arrogant, selfish, dick loving brother would be dead, and that made Xio extremely happy.

Xio was startled by a violent, angry knock at the door.  He assumed it was Kris Wun, the hitman that he had hired to place the bomb.  He smiled.  The deed must have been done.  Jimin was dead. He bounded from the bed and enthusiastically opened the door.  He was immediately blinded by a painful strike to the face that broke his nose.  Jeongguk thundered into the small one bedroom and pinned Xio against the wall.

“YOUR BROTHER?  YOUR OWN FUCKING BROTHER?  DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES HE COULD HAVE KILLED YOU, BUT DIDN’T?  DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH RESTRAINT HE HAS SHOWN?  DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH RESPECT HE HAS SHOWN YOU, NO MATTER HOW MUCH HE HATES YOUR FUCKING GUTS?  HE WOULD HAVE NEVER DONE THIS TO YOU!  YOUR OWN FUCKING BROTHER?  YOU PLACED A HIT ON YOUR OWN FUCKING BROTHER?”  Jeongguk was not a man that Xio recognized.  He was seething, full of fury and vengeance.  He punched Xio again, causing him to roll over the bed. 

Xio cursed into the air, “SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!”  The fact that Jeongguk was there meant that the plot to kill Jimin had been foiled.  He had given his last lump of cash to the hitman to blow his brother to smithereens and the man had failed.  “Why did you fucking interfere? This is between me and him, not you.”  Xio yelled.  He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it against his bloody nose.

“You’re a pig.  A pathetic pig.  No wonder he hates you.  I tried Xio, I tried to help you two mend fences and be civil.  But he was right all along.  He told me that you weren’t worth it.  He told me that you were an unredeemable piece of shit and he was right.  Your own brother?  You put a hit out on your own brother?”  Jeongguk just couldn’t believe it.  Jimin and Xio were blood brothers.  How had it come to this?  How had things gotten so bad that Xio would try to have Jimin killed?  He fell onto Xio’s bed and just glared at him.  He thought back to how much he loved his own brother and how he could never do anything to intentionally hurt him.  He just did not understand.  “Jimin has so much grace and integrity, yet you’re just pure evil.  How could you have even come from the same parents?”  Jeongguk searched for understanding.  “This is over Xio.  I have the hitman you hired in custody.  You don’t have money for another hit, so this is over,”  Jeongguk said with finality.

“You’re so pathetic.  You think that your little dick lover is just perfect and could never do anything wrong.  You don’t even know him, not like I do.  He’s just as evil and maniacal and FUCKED UP AS I AM!”  Xio screamed with deep vitriol, “Did you ask him what happened to our mother Kookie?  Did you fucking ask him?  Since you think he’s so perfect, with no flaws...did you ask him?”

“None of that matters.  What matters is what you...,”

Xio rushed to his feet and stormed Jeongguk.  He stood inches from his face spitting angry words, “HE KILLED OUR MOTHER! You asked me what kind of man could kill his own blood brother, well I ask you what kind of man could kill his own mother?”

Jeongguk fell from the bed.  He stared at Xio, looking for any sign of deception.  But there was none.  He could tell from Xio’s expression that he was telling the truth.  Had Jimin killed his own mother?   It was too big of a thought for Jeongguk to process.  It wasn’t the time, he would have to deal with that later.  In the immediate future, he needed assurances from Xio that he would not try to have Jimin killed again, “Whatever Jimin may or may not have done in the past is not my business.  I can only speak for the man he is now.  He's a kind, gentle man who has been nothing but respectful of you.  This feud ends now, here today.  Give me your word that you will not go after him again,”  Jeongguk demanded.

“Alright, I’ll make a deal with you.  I’ll agree to take the bounty off of my brother’s head if you agree to help me with my plan-b,” Xio said boldly.

“Plan-b?  What’s plan-b?”  Jeongguk didn’t like where the conversation was headed.  He was still so angry with Xio, that it took all of his discipline not to kick the shit out of him.

“I know you think you love my brother.  But if you really take a step back and look at him for who he really is, I’m sure you’ll quickly realize that you can do better.  There are many men out there Jeongguk, many who are better than him. You can do better.”

“Xio, what the fuck...?”

“Just hear me out.  Do you see this large suitcase?”  Xio pointed to a humongous suitcase that sat in the corner, “This is our history.  This is all of the information that the police need to take Jimin down.  I’m going to turn him into the police and I want you to be the officer who makes the arrest.”

Jeongguk still couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Xio, I’ve investigated Jimin for years.  He’s never done anything illegal and you know it.”

Xio continued, “Ahh, you naïve shit.  I told you, you don’t understand anything about the man you’re fucking.  Before you ever came along and before he was officially named the leader, his hands were not clean.  There’s dirt on him and I’m the only one who knows it.  I can tie him to my mother’s death.  I can show the police where she’s buried.  I can prove that he knew about most of the illegal gambling rings that I was running.  I can take him down by showing that he was complicit in the running of the South Street boys.  I have all of the information you need, right here inside of this suitcase.  If you partner with me on this, it’ll catapult your career.  You’ll make Sergeant in no time.  You’ll be rich and famous.  They’ll make movies about you.  We can work together to take Jimin down once and for all.  Come on Kookie.  You have to see that he’s been using you for all of these years.  He doesn’t really love you.  Get revenge.  Make him pay for using you and allowing you to risk your life for him.  If he loved you, he would have never put you through all of this turmoil.”  Xio’s eyes brightened.

Xio was playing mind games.  And he honestly thought that Jeongguk would fall for it.  He really was a dumb piece of shit, Jeongguk thought to himself.

At first Xio thought that Jeongguk was convinced, but after a while he realized that the detective was reticent to cooperate.  Xio bared his teeth as his lips flattened, “You really think you love him don’t you?”  Xio grew enraged.  “You’re such a pathetic piss ant.  You’re so dumb, so fragile.  You can’t even face what Jimin’s done to you...how he’s ruined your life.  Walking around here wearing my father’s hat. You’re obsessed with my family but you don’t have the fucking balls or thick blood to truly be one of us.  I know your history Jeongguk.  I know about you secretly fucking some of the men in my dad’s crew when you were a teenager.  Oh yeah, I know about that.  Have you told that nasty little secret to your little CEO?  Does he know that you got your dick sucked by gangsters in the alleys behind his father’s restaurant?  You’re fucking disgusting – you and my dick loving brother deserve each other.”  Full of desperation, hatred and indignation, Xio hurled accusations at Jeongguk.  He settled on one final threat, “Let me put it this way, either you help me, or I’ll kill him...and Kumo too.  I won’t stop until they’re both fucking dead.  Don’t think that I don’t know about him leaving everything to her in his Will. He even left her in charge of Posco.  A whore!  He left his family’s entire business to a whore.  He chose her over his blood brother.  I won’t allow it, I won’t.  I’ll go to the police with my information too.  He will die, HE WILL DIE!  I PROMISE YOU ON MY MOTHER’S GRAVE I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL JIMIN IS DEAD!”

Jeongguk’s eyes glistened with tears.  He couldn’t comprehend Xio’s brand of evil, “You can’t do this.  You just can’t.  Don’t you realize that if you inform on Jimin, you’ll go down too?  Where is your common sense?  Where is your heart? Where is your humanity?” 

“I’m all evil, remember?”  Xio responded.  He rose to his feet and pulled a gun from his dresser drawer.  With a limp that had grown even more pronounced since Jimin stopped paying for his medication, he moved towards the door.  “This ends tonight.  He’s going to prison, and I’ll see to it that he dies in there. I’ll make sure that he goes to jail and is constantly tortured.  I’ll laugh as his ass is ripped open and violated over and over again.  You have my promise that he’ll die in there in the most tortured, painful way possible.  And when he’s finally out of my way,  I’ll take my rightful place at the top of this organization and you willnot stop me.” 

The light from the neon sign outside of the window reflected in Xio’s eyes, glowing them red at the same time as a shadow behind him gave him the appearance of having horns.  Xio was capable of doing everything that he had promised to do.  The man was not rational and he was full of anger, spite, jealousy and yes – evil.

Jeongguk couldn’t breathe.  His heart pounded in his ears as his mouth went dry.  Xio’s threats towards his beautiful Jimin were very real.  His mind swirled as he stared at Xio’s small frame.  The room began to spin around and around.  As Xio rushed to the door, Jeongguk jumped up to stop him, but Xio pulled his gun and pointed it at him.  They struggled.  Several shots were fired before Jeongguk managed to rip a telephone from the wall.  He struck Xio several times in the temple with the heavy body of the phone, before snapping the long spiraled cord free.  He looped the cord around Xio’s neck several times and squeezed it tightly against his throat.  Once again Xio fired several shots that all went through the ceiling.   Jeongguk pulled the cord tighter and tighter around Xio’s neck, “You will never hurt him. I won’t let you.”  He continued to tighten the phone cord as Xio cursed him and continued to fight him.  They struggled again with Xio punching Jeongguk in the ribs, desperate to make him let go.  Once again Xio lifted the gun and tried to point it at Jeongguk’s head.  The struggle continued with Jeongguk only pulling the cord tighter and tighter.

“Stop struggling.  Stop it, STOP!  Don’t make me hurt you,”  Jeongguk sputtered.

But Xio continued to struggle.  He fought harder than he had ever fought in his entire life.  He began to gag and gasp for air.  The gun fell from his hands as he clawed at Jeongguk’s tight fists that held the cord.   Xio began kicking and fighting trying to get the cord away from his neck.  His eyes bulged and his mouth was forced open as his airflow was slowly choked off.  Jeongguk held the cord so tightly that he lifted Xio into the air.  Xio’s feet kicked back and forth as they dangled below him.  With his last breath, he tried to pry his fingers underneath the phone cord to loosen it but the detective’s grip was too tight.  Xio was no match for Jeongguk’s brute strength.  Once his hyoid bone was crushed, it was over.  All at once, he stopped moving.

It took a few minutes for Jeongguk to notice that Xio was no longer struggling.  In his blind rage, he was semi-conscious and not fully aware of what was happening.  He released the cord around Xio’s neck, expecting him to come at him again with the gun.  But instead, Xio slipped from Jeongguk’s arms and fell hard to the floor.  He lay there unmoving. 

Jeongguk’s eyes widened, “Xio?”  He reached down and pushed him, expecting Xio to curse or scream at him.  But Jimin’s brother didn’t move.  Xio’s eyes were open, staring off into the abyss.  It was the stare of death.  “XIO?”  He screamed.  Xio was dead.  Jeongguk knew it, but he wasn’t ready to accept it.  He immediately began CPR to try to revive him, but it was too late.  There was no bringing him back.  Jeongguk pounded on his chest, “Wake up.  WAKE UP!  FUCKING WAKE UP YOU ASSHOLE!” Xio did not wake up.  “Please, please, please get up.”  He screamed a thunderous cry of rage and frustration.  With both hands he grabbed at the thick strands of his hair as he began praying to God to forgive him.  “It was an accident. I didn’t mean it.  Oh God forgive my sin, I didn’t mean it.  I didn’t mean it!”  He rocked back and forth over Xio’s body. 

Jeongguk had never killed before.  But in the line of duty, he had seen several lives taken.  He had seen plenty of dead bodies and even more gruesome dismemberments.  But never had he seen anything like this; never by his own hand.  Never had he suspected that he was capable of something of this magnitude.  For ten minutes he tried to revive Xio, performing CPR on his blue lifeless body.  After some time, he realized that it was too late – Xio was gone.  Jeongguk jumped away from the body.  Xio’s icy stare of death followed him as he paced around the room, rubbing his hands nervously.   He crumpled to the ground when the full understanding of what had happened finally penetrated his ravished mind.  Jimin’s only brother was dead and he was the one who had killed him - murdered him in cold blood. 

He immediately screamed again at Xio’s body, “It was an accident!  I didn’t mean it.  I didn’t mean to do this!  It was an accident!” 

But was it?  Once he started choking Xio, did he really have it in him to stop?  Or, did all of the hatred he had for Xio come rushing through him, urging him to keep going?  Jeongguk wondered to himself, was this really an accident or was he just as evil as the man he had killed?  Did the truth even matter?  The result was the same.  He didn’t know the answer.  There was only one thing that was clear in his mind.  He had to get to Jimin and tell him what he’d done.

He covered Xio’s body with a blanket that he pulled from the bed.  With tears burning in his eyes, he slid down the wall and pulled his leather journal from his pocket.  He had to confess his sin.  He didn’t know how Jimin was going to react and he didn’t know how much longer he had to live.  But for the sake of his soul, he had to make sure that the biggest confession of his life was documented with full accountability.  Quickly he scribbled his account of what happened.  His stomach twisted as he glanced between Xio’s dead body and the tear stained pages of his journal. 

As he rushed from the small room and stepped into the dark, stale night, he was suddenly reminded of a conversation that he’d once had with Kumo.  She had asked him poignantly how far he was willing to go to protect Jimin.  And after his latest act, he finally knew his answer.  The answer was – murder.

Lee screamed,  “NO JEONGGUK NO!”

He dropped the journal to the ground and screamed and screamed.  His tears fell in heavy blankets over his dimpled cheeks.  With a start, he backed away from the stack of leather journals as if they burned his eyes and his skin.  What had his little brother done?  What had led him to become this person?  Was he evil?  What kind of toxic love could drive one man to kill another?  No matter how bad Xio was, he was one of God’s children and his brother, his baby brother, had taken his life.   How had so much corruption woven its way into his little brother’s existence?

“Oh God no, bub.  My bub, no.”  Lee cried.  He fell across the bed, knocking over the seven empty beer bottles that had gathered around him.  Learning of Jeongguk’s homosexuality was something that he could accept.  But murder?  Cold blooded murder?  Lee tried to defend his brother in his own mind.  He tried to convince himself that Jeongguk had only killed Xio in self-defense.  But it was a bitter pill to swallow.  There was no redemption in the act and his brother could not be defended.  All that Lee could do at that point was pray.  Turning to God was his only answer. 

Lee had only started reading his brother’s journals because he needed to find out who had tried to kill him.  But it was becoming pretty clear that whoever attacked Jeongguk had motive.  Contrary to what Lee initially believed, Jeongguk was just as foul as the others and he had possibly brought on his own attack.  Even though Lee had only read through 120 of Jeongguk’s 130 journals, he decided to stop.  Through the tears of his broken heart, he glared at the small stack of journals that still remained.  What would he find?  What more did his brother have to tell him?  How much worse was it going to get?  Lee had spent seven days locked up in Jeongguk’s apartment going through the last five years of Jeongguk’s life – a life that broke Lee’s heart.  Enough was enough. 

The trauma laden Priest needed time to breathe.  He needed to take a long break.  He decided to head to the hospital.  Despite everything he had read, he needed to see his brother.  He needed to talk to him, and pray over him.  What kind of Priest had a murderer for a brother?  Despite Jeongguk telling him repeatedly not to, Lee blamed himself.  What in their happy childhood could have led to this?  Jeongguk’s behavior was an affront to God.  It was obscene.  But if all of that were true, why was Lee still so quick to forgive his brother for his horrible sins.  Why did he still love him?  And most of all, why was he still praying that somehow Jimin and Jeongguk had a happy ending?

As was becoming his routine, Lee called ahead to ask Chu-lun to meet him at the hospital.  She had become his confidant, willing to talk whenever Lee needed support.  He had even found the courage to share some of the details of his revelations from his brother’s journals – only the legal revelations of course.  Specifically he talked to her about the concept of love and all of its forms.  There was love of a brother, love of a spouse, love of a lifestyle, love of power...so many possibilities.  He wondered, how could love exist where it shouldn’t, like the love between Jimin and Jeongguk, but not exist where it should have, like between brothers, Jimin and Xio?  It was all very complicated to him.  As a man who was supposed to have all of the answers, he had none.  Chu-lun’s open-minded, non-judgmental warmth was noteworthy.  She never had a foul word to say about anything Lee told her about Jeongguk and Jimin.  But she also never judged Lee for what he was feeling either.  She explained that how Jimin and Jeongguk chose to live their lives were valid given their perspective moments in time.  She explained that even though Lee was reading his brother’s words, he did not have the benefit of hearing Jeongguk breathe the life into his own story.  The emotional conundrum that he must have been experiencing at the time was noteworthy and without that element, Lee could not judge his actions.  Her encouraging words helped ground Lee. 

Lee stopped in front of Jeongguk’s door and waited for Chu-lun to arrive.  He looked through the small glass window and stared at his beautiful brother.  There had been little change in Jeongguk’s condition but Lee was still hopeful that he would wake up.  He remained ready at a moment’s notice to take him home.

He felt a comforting hand on his back coupled with the low steady voice, “How is he today?  Is it just me or does he look stronger as each day passes?”

“I think it’s just you,” Lee said morosely.  Jeongguk looked no different.

He took doctor Chu-lun’s hand and walked into Jeongguk’s hospital room.  The steady beat of monitors followed by the huff of the respirator sent chills down Lee’s spine.  He hated that sound and looked forward to the day when he would no longer have to associate it with his brother.   As was his duty, and his absolute reason for living, he procured the brush from Jeongguk’s nightstand and began tussling with his overgrown hair.  But on this day, each tug with the brush grew more and more aggressive.  He did not show his typical tenderness and care.  He was also fully dressed in his Priest attire, with his collar and black suit.  In his mind, he needed to be as close to God as possible.  Dawning his full garb seemed like the right thing to do.

Chu-lun observed him.  “What has you so upset today Lee?  What have you found in the journal that would cause such passive aggression?  Were he here, with you, conscious, I dare to say that you would bop him in the nose,” Chu-lun smiled.  She had a unique method for de-escalating even the most intense moments.

Lee smiled as well.  He realized that he was being a bit rough with his brother’s gorgeous hair. “Bop him indeed.  And then possibly banish him to his room forever.  This one has been very – naughty.”  It was the only word that Lee could think of to explain all of Jeongguk’s sins.  He also realized that he was infantilizing a grown man by downplaying the gravity of events that were happening in Jeongguk’s life and summing them up as being “naughty”.  He looked at Chu-lun and asked a difficult question, “Is there a thing such as a justifiable sin?”

Chu-lun laughed.  She crinkled her brow and flashed small teeth that looked like a perfect row of chicklets, “That is a question that I should be asking you.  I believe you’re the expert on the sins of man?”

“My teachings say no.  Never.  Sinning is never justifiable.  But the flesh and blood, highly flawed me says, it’s not always that black and white.”

“I’m not a religious person myself, but I do believe that every sacred book has opinions on the matter.  And in every case, regardless of the religion, sins are a no-no.”  Chu-lun continued, “Let me give you just a bit of advice.  Whatever you have come across in your brother’s journal that you are now trying to justify, don’t.  The only justification for what he did or did not do, must come from him because he is the one who did the act and he is the one who must find a way to live with it. Your justifications of his actions, are irrelevant.  It’s not about you.  And back to your original question about sin being justifiable...you already know the answer.  It’s in your gut.  Listen to your gut.”  Chu-lun spoke as if she knew exactly what Lee was asking, even though she had no idea. 

Lee hated her answer because it was not what he wanted to hear.  It was so philosophically profound that it required even more thought.  He wanted an easy way out and she did not provide it.  Once again, Lee was too rough with his brother’s hair.  Chu-lun commandeered the brush from his hand and took over the task of brushing Jeongguk’s hair.  Just as she had watched him do countless times, she secured the thick locks behind the headband. 

She smiled at Lee.  “Don’t be angry with him.  He’s suffering enough, don’t you think?”  She had a very powerful method for forcing self-reflection upon the Priest. 

Lee fell over Jeongguk’s chest and wept.  “You’re right.  He doesn’t deserve my anger.  It’s just...the things he’s done.  If you only knew.”

“I don’t need to know.  Those are secrets that are best kept between you and him.  When he wakes up, I imagine it will be a lovely first conversation,” Chu-lun leaned over Lee and gave him a warm hug, even as he continued to weep over his brother’s bed.  “Now it’s my turn to ask you a question.”

Lee sat up.  He gripped the entire box of Kleenex on the nightstand and proceeded to blow his nose.  “Anything.  Ask me anything.”

“When you set out on this journey, you had a very definite purpose.  You wanted to know who did this to him.  Have you found your answers?”

“No...but I don’t think I can continue.  I’ve decided not to read any more of the journa...,”

She raised her voice and spoke over him, “...THEN YOU are not done.  Your journey is not complete and you must finish this.  You will never find peace until you know more about why this happened.  What led up to his final days?  I promise you, Lee, you will thank me when your journey is complete.”  Chu-lun said stoically. 

Lee stared at the stack of beautiful leather journals.  There were ten remaining, only ten.  But only God knew what filth, deception, despair and heartache was yet to be discovered within them.  He didn’t want to continue.  But Chu-lun was right.  He needed to complete the journey.  He had not only promised her that he would do it, but he had also secretly promised Jeongguk. There was a reason that Jeongguk had so carefully documented every single event in his life, no matter how negatively it reflected upon him.  There was a reason that he took his big brother on this journey.  Lee felt he owed it to Jeongguk to finish it.  With another beer in his hand, Lee laid down on Jeongguk’s bed and opened the journal labeled, 121.

***

December 24th 1966 – the same night that Jeongguk stopped the hitman from blowing up Jimin’s limousine, and the same night that he killed Xio...

 

Jeongguk stumbled blindly towards the building of Jimin’s penthouse.  He had no thoughts, no feeling.  Even his feet, and fingers were numb.  His knuckles were bloody and bruised from his fight with Xio and before that, the fight with the hitman. 

There was so much that he needed to tell Jimin, but he had no idea where to begin.  Never had he imagined he would have to say the words, “I killed your brother”.  Never had he imagined he would have to say the words, “Your brother, your blood brother, put a hit on you”.   In was unfathomable.  Jeongguk’s chest was restricted, and he had difficulty finding each breath.  He was likely suffering from anxiety or a panic attack, but whatever it was, it was powerful.  Just before entering the lobby to Jimin’s penthouse, he felt faint.  He collapsed on the curb and lay there underneath the blinking street lamp, staring at the stars.  The moon was non-existent.  It felt like it had been missing for centuries.  Even the bright stars abandoned him as a dark grey storm cloud rolled in, covering their sparkle.  The entire universe, even the heavens seemed to be turning against him. 

When he heard the sound of approaching voices, he realized that he needed to get upstairs.  He needed to say his last few words to Jimin.  It was likely that Jimin would have him killed.  It was the mobster way after all, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a body...for a body.  What pained him most was knowing how devastated Jimin was going to be when he finally realized that he had to kill him.  Jimin loved him, deeper than anything he’d ever loved in his life, Jeongguk knew that.  But Jimin, as much as he wanted to claim to be a corporate CEO, had mob blood running through his veins.  There were rules, codes of conduct of how the mafia worked.  Jeongguk had to be killed and it had to be at Jimin’s hand.  There was really no way around it. 

Flashes of Xio’s dead body triggered more painful wails from his chest.  Jeongguk wanted to be killed, he wanted to die, especially after what he had done.  There was no one better to snuff out his pathetic life than the man he loved, Jimin.  The one thing that Jeongguk knew was that death at the hands of his lover would be humane.  Jimin would not make him suffer.

He stood in front of the Penthouse door, frozen.  He wished with his whole heart for the door to just open so that he wouldn’t have to be the one to initiate the beginning of the end.  He closed his eyes, and the door opened.  His eyes popped open in surprise.  Kumo screamed and pulled him inside. 

“Thank God you’re ok.  We heard about the bomb.  We heard about it.  You stopped it, you saved us. Thank God you’re ok.  Come in, hurry.  Come in. Jimin’s been on the phone all evening trying to track you down to figure out where you went.”  She hugged Jeongguk and then yelled over his shoulder, “MIN!  HE’S HERE!”  Kumo yelled down the hall to Jimin’s study.

Jimin came running down the hall wearing his silk robe and suspenders.  He still had on his Santa trousers and expensive leather saddle shoes.  He ran full speed and jumped into Jeongguk’s arms.  “Thank God,” he whispered.

“I’m ok.”

“No you’re not.  What happened to your hands and your face?”  Jimin asked with concern.

Within the blink of an eye, Kumo had disappeared and returned with several bags full of ice, cotton swabs and peroxide for Jeongguk’s wounds.  She gave it all to Jimin so that he could attend to him. 

“Oh Kookie, you’re ok. I’m so relieved.  We heard about you tackling that man to the ground and stopping him.”  Kumo looked at both Jimin and Jeongguk with worried eyes.  She pulled both of them lovingly into a hug and then turned towards Jimin, “I’m going to go for a walk so that you can spend some time alone with your husband.  You two need each other.  I’ll be back soon.”

“Wait,”  Jimin called to her before she left, “make sure to take your security with you.”

“Of course I will,” she said as she headed through the door.

Jimin placed one of the ice packs on Jeongguk’s eye and the other across his right hand.  “What’s going on here Kookie.  Where did you run off to?  We came out of the party a few minutes later and it looked like World War III was about to erupt.  There were cops everywhere, bomb dogs.  They said that you stopped an attempted bombing.  But when I looked around for you, you were nowhere to be found.  No one knew where you had disappeared to.  I was out of my fucking mind.  Why didn’t you come talk to me and tell me what was happening?”

Jeongguk decided that the best way to start, was just to start, “Xio put a hit out on you.”

“A hit?” Jimin was casually surprised by the information, he didn’t flinch.  “There’s a hit on me?  From Xio?  And what makes you think it was him?”

“It was him.  The hitman told me.  Jimin, the idiot planting the bomb was completely careless.  So many people could have been killed.  Me stopping the attack was just pure luck.  I decided to patrol around the building while I was waiting for you and Kumo to leave the party.  I walked up on this guy just as he was placing the bomb underneath your limousine.  I called for backup and then chased him for three fucking blocks before I finally caught him and beat the shit out of him.  I demanded to know who sent him and he confessed.  He told me himself that Xio had hired him.  There was a bounty on your head, placed by your own brother.  This guy’s mission was to blow you and Kumo to smithereens and then report back to Xio once you were dead,” Jeongguk explained. 

“Why am I not surprised?  Any idea why Xio decided that I needed to die?”

“Furious about you firing him.  He wanted you out of the way so that he could take over Posco.  He wanted Kumo out of the way because he knows that you left ownership to her in your Will,”  Jeongguk explained everything he could.

Jimin allowed the news to soak in. He stood to his feet and walked over to the fireplace.  Kumo’s Christmas tree was twice as big as the previous year.  There were twice as many elves and snowmen scattered across the living area.  Jimin had twice as many presents under the tree.  He was still partially dressed as Santa yet there was anything but Christmas spirit in his heart. 

“Xio is so self-absorbed and arrogant.  He can’t even stop for a moment to realize his role in his own demise.  He never learns a lesson, ever.  I knew he would spiral after I cut him off.  But I had to disassociate from him.  He was too dangerous to continue as part of this family.  I no longer trusted him Kookie, and it seems as if I was right.”

Jimin walked back over to Jeongguk and once again tended to his wounds.  He kneeled down to his knees in front of him and pushed his hair away from his eyes.  And beautiful eyes they were indeed.  He could sense that Jeongguk was not in a good place.  There was so much fear and shock on his face.

Jimin kissed love into him as they always did to reassure the other, “Hey, look at me.  Don’t worry about me ok?  I have protection.  I even called in a few favors from the Yakuza to help keep an eye on things.  Xio is missing right now and we aren’t quite sure of where he is, but once we find him, we’ll keep a trail on him and he won’t be able to get anywhere near us.  We will all be watched carefully from now on.   All of my cars will be swept for explosives and our homes will be searched.  I’ve got a lot of friends in this business.  We’ll be safe, I don’t want you to worry.  Ok?”

Jeongguk nodded as tear droplets fell from his eyes.

Jimin smiled, intent on lifting his husband’s mood, “Kookie, you saved my life.  You saved my fucking life.  I mean, I’ve always had a bit of hero worship where you were concerned and this is just going to make it worse.”  Jimin laughed. 

But Jeongguk had almost no reaction to Jimin’s words.  He almost didn’t seem present.  He wouldn’t even speak. 

“Kookie, please snap out of this.”  Jimin assumed he was in shock.  He rushed to the bar to get him a glass of his favorite wine and then knelt down in front of him again, “Drink this.  It’ll put some hair on your chest.”  Jimin’s joke fell flat because once again, Jeongguk didn’t even respond.  He took a couple sips of the wine but then handed it back to Jimin.  Jimin realized that Jeongguk was experiencing some type of trauma. “This isn’t going to happen again Kookie, I promise.  Xio has no money.  I know how to handle my unhinged big brother.  There’s no way he’ll be able to order another hit.  Xio is deathly afraid of me, Kookie.  No matter how he pretends to be a tough guy, he knows what I’m capable of and now that I know about the hit that he put on me, he’s going to be running scared.  I’ll handle him.  This is going to be ok.  Tell me you understand.  Tell me you trust me.”

Jeongguk mentally withdrew.  He was unable to see his way out of his own misery.  Every time he blinked, he saw Xio’s cold, dead eyes as his body lay on the ground.  It was time to tell Jimin the truth, but how?  How was he going to do it?

Jimin knew Jeongguk well, and he always knew how to get through to him. But on this particular night, Jeongguk was barely recognizable.  Something was ailing him.  He accepted that maybe the night had just been too traumatic for him.  He accepted the fact that maybe he just didn’t want to talk about it, not yet. 

“I have something to tell you,” Jeongguk’s voice was so strained. 

“No.  Not right now.  You’ve been through too much.  I think we need to clear our minds and give ourselves a break from all of this.”  Jimin still sat on his knees.  He stroked his lover’s cheek and kissed both of his bruised hands.

“But Min, I...,”

“Shhh, stop talking.  Not now.  We need each other Kookie.   It’s been a very long time.  Please give yourself to me.”

“Jimin! I have something to tell you,” Jeongguk crumbled into tears but Jimin wouldn’t allow him to continue.

“Whatever it is, it can wait.  I know you’re hurting but we can only heal through each other.  Please lay with me.  Make love to me.  Hold me.”  Jimin placed his lips gently over Jeongguk’s tears and with his ringed thumb he wiped away all of those that he could not kiss away.  He stood in front of Jeongguk and removed his robe and then his ridiculous Santa pants.  Before soon, he was completely nude. 

Even in his grief stricken state, Jeongguk could not resist the allure of the man he called his husband.  He knew that he needed to speak up.  He knew that he needed to tell the truth, but could he do it at the expense of making love to him one last time?  This was it, their final moment, possibly the final moment of his breathing life.  He had a right to be selfish about how he wanted to spend it.  Because surely Jimin would not hesitate to kill him once he confessed what he had done.   Never had he known a love like what he felt for Jimin.  It was a love so powerful that it had driven him to kill.  Or had the drive to kill always been inside of him?

He relented to Jimin’s touch.  He interlaced their fingers as Jimin pulled him back to their bedroom.  The body that had been so numb for so many hours was suddenly alive with feeling.  Every single nerve ached for his Min.  His cock sprang forward which only deepened his shame.  Could he go through with this?  Could he allow Jimin to give himself to him knowing what he had done?  The answer was a resounding - yes. 

The animal inside of Jeongguk raged forward.   He was convinced that this would be the last time that he felt the insides of the man he loved more than his own life.   He kissed every inch of him, from the top of his head to the bottoms of his feet.  The word I love you became a song with its own melody as it fell from his tongue in sickening repetition.

He begged him, “Wrap your legs around me.  Don’t let me go, please don’t ever let me go.” 

Jimin’s legs were wide open and suspended in the air as Jeongguk fucked between them.  He planted his lips against Jimin’s neck and there they remained as he unleashed his rolling hips.  He alternated his strokes fast and then slow, medium and then deep.  Every inch of Jimin’s tight hole was nurtured.  He gave him all of his dick because that’s what Min needed.  No one would ever satisfy Jimin the way that he did and he knew it, so for Jimin’s sake, he made sure that their last fuck was the ultimate one.  He clamped his hairy bush against his husbands slick hole with a mind numbing cadence.  He sat up for a brief moment to watch his dick disappear into the ass that he found so hypnotically majestic.  Like a slickly oiled engine piston, he fucked in and out.  The more aggressive his thrusts became, the more air that escaped their conjoined space.  Soft popping noises, along with the loud clapping of their thighs left no question to the veracity of their love making.  The addition of  Jimin’s textured moans completed their symphonic soundtrack of fucking.

Jeongguk began to gabble against Jimin’s neck, saying things that only he understood, “Please forgive me for my sins.  Purge my soul of this terrible evil.  Please forgive me.  Say you’ll forgive me.”  He spoke to both Jimin and God.

Jimin lay there, back arched,  mouth open, on the verge of his third orgasm. He wasn’t sure what had possessed his husband.  Maybe it was the time they had spent apart or maybe it was the fear of almost losing him in the explosion.  Whatever it was, he became his willing captive.

Jeongguk continued to plead with each desperate stroke, “Please don’t hate me.  Please forgive me. Please forgive me.” His cries became more pronounced, the closer he came to orgasm. 

Despite drowning in his own personal sea of pleasure, Jimin found Jeongguk’s words peculiar.  He could tell that he was also crying.  As his third and final orgasm approached he found himself speaking back to him with loving assurances, “I forgive you.  Nothing you could do would ever make me hate you. There’s nothing to forgive.  I love you Kookie.”

A tug in Jeongguk’s stomach grew into a full body convulsion.  He felt as if he were being lifted into the sky.  As he traveled through the glow of the pristine clouds, he could see his beautiful husband’s face.  He kissed him passionately as together, they continued to elevate.  He could hear the clapping grow louder as he fucked his lover off the bed.  His orgasm was so rich and full that he bit his own tongue.  

 “Oh God I love you.  Everything I do is for you, ” Jeongguk panted as he reached the absolute apex. 

He quivered uncontrollably as his stream of cum flooded the tight walls that surrounded his dick.  He floated, higher and higher, finally releasing a low grumbling moan.  He bruised the delicate skin around Jimin’s waist as his fingers burrowed into him.   But just as suddenly as his moment of ecstasy had begun, it was over.  Even though their bruising, sacrificial fucking had lasted for hours, it still wasn’t enough time. 

Jeongguk rolled off of Jimin and immediately retreated to his corner of the bed where he lay there in the fetal position.  Jimin was concerned because that was not Jeongguk’s typical behavior.  Jeongguk was a man who loved to touch and be touched. He felt there was healing power in touches, licks, hugs and post fuck kisses.  It was not like him to be so cold.    

Jimin approached him differently, ignoring his melancholy with the hopes of distracting him from it, “It’s almost midnight, Christmas.  I have so many gifts for you.  More property in the United States, Key West Florida.  This will be your third property there.”

Jeongguk lay there huddled, naked and shivering.  His cries were barely audible, but they were there.   Jimin folded in behind him and nuzzled his face into Jeongguk’s back.  “Let’s talk about it now.  Clearly there’s something here that needs to be addressed.   If the situation were reversed, you would never let me hold it in.”

“God please be with me,” Jeongguk groaned underneath his sobs.

Jimin was growing increasingly concerned, “What’s happening?  Why are you saying these strange things...uttering these strange phrases...praying to God at every turn?  Talk to me Kookie…,”

Jeongguk was still shivering, “I’ve done something…something terrible.  Something unforgivable.”

“There is no such thing. Whatever it is, you can tell me.  I’ll never judge you.  You know that.  There is no room for judgement from me,”  Jimin said convincingly.

“Stop!  Stop being so kind to me.  You can’t continue to love me – not anymore.”  Jeongguk jumped from the bed.  He rushed over to the chair where his clothes were strewn and he pulled his gun from his holster.  He gripped his firearm loosely and waved it around aimlessly.  It was fully loaded.

Jimin screeched, “Baby,  what are you doing?  Put the gun down baby please.”

Jeongguk walked forward with the gun pointed partially at Jimin and partially at the ground.  He stopped at the edge of the bed where Jimin sat, “Take it.”

“What - no I don’t want your gun.  Take it and do what?  Take it for what?”

“TAKE IT!”  Jeongguk turned the gun around and placed the butt of the weapon into Jimin’s hand. 

Jimin barely had a grip on it.  He didn’t want it.  He didn’t want Jeongguk’s gun nor did he understand what was going on.  Jeongguk grabbed the barrel of the gun as Jimin held it in his hands.  He pressed the muzzle against his chest.  Directly over his heart. 

“Shoot me here, so that my broken heart is the first part of me that dies.”

“What?”  Jimin jumped from the bed.  He securely placed the gun on the dresser and pushed Jeongguk away.  “I’m not going to fucking shoot you.  Have you lost your mind?  What’s wrong with you?”

In a jumbled heap of incoherent words, Jeongguk spoke, “I killed him.  He threatened to go to the police and turn you in.  He tried to leave and he said he was going to kill you and send you to prison.  We fought and I-I-I…”

Jimin fell back onto the bed, mouth agape.  “He?  He?  Xio?”

“He wouldn’t call off the hit.  He said he wouldn’t stop until you were dead.  Then he tried to make a deal with me for turning you into the police.  He put a hit out on his own brother.  HOW COULD HE?”  Jeongguk screamed.  “Where was his heart?  Where was his compassion?  Where was his appreciation for all of the things you had done for him?  I couldn’t stand the sight of him but…I didn’t mean to kill him.  It was an accident.  An accident.  I’m so sorry Jimin.  I’m so sorry.”  Jeongguk broke down. 

Jimin sat there, stunned.  His stomach was queasy, and his brain glitched.  Had his lover just confessed to killing his only living relative?  The room spun as uninvited memories suddenly filled his scrambled brain.  He could see his three year old self in his mind in terrifying flashes: The dark walls suddenly were caving in on him.  The sound of the rats, as their bodies hit the ground, rang loudly in his ears.  He could feel them biting him, ripping his skin.  He could hear himself screaming as his older brother sat outside and did nothing.  What was happening, why was this happening?  Why did they all hate him so much? 

“You killed my brother?” Jimin asked calmly, masking the chaos that was erupting inside of his brain.

“I didn’t mean to do it, yes, it was an accident.  Please believe me.  I would never willingly take him from you.” 

Jimin now had the full picture.  He stood and picked up the gun.  He held it in his hands, not because he wanted to hurt Jeongguk, but because he was afraid that Jeongguk would try to hurt himself.  He placed the gun in the pocket of his robe for safe keeping. 

And then he asked a rather odd question, “Are you sure he’s dead? Absolutely certain?” Jimin glared at Jeongguk.  It was imperative that Jeongguk answer correctly.

“Yes.  I know a dead body when I see one.  I’m a cop...remember?  I tried for ten minutes to revive him.  He’s gone Jimin.  I choked him until he stopped breathing, and I broke his neck.”

“Ok.  Where is he?  Where’s the - body?” Jimin asked quickly.

Jeongguk painfully mumbled his confession, “An old boarding house near the airport.  He was here in Seoul waiting for the announcement of your death so that he could claim his right to Posco.  He planned to take over immediately after you were killed.  But when that didn’t work out, he decided to turn you into the police. There’s a suitcase full of evidence that he wanted to turn over to the cops.  His body is laying right next to it.”

Jimin pulled on his robe.  Without saying another word to Jeongguk, he swung the door open to the bedroom and ran barefoot down the hall to get to the phone in his study.  Jeongguk didn’t understand what Jimin was doing or why he had rushed out of the room. 

Jeongguk took his time getting dressed.  He had no idea what was next.  Jimin’s reaction or lack thereof, confused him.  He expected tears, remorse, hatred and attacks.  Instead he got - nothing.  What was he planning?  Was he so devastated by Jeongguk’s actions, that he couldn’t stand being in the same room with him?  Was he still trying to process the death of his brother and the fact that his husband was a murderer.  Was he trying to call an ambulance to get Xio some help?  What was happening and why had he suddenly disappeared?

Twenty minutes passed before Jimin finally returned to the room.  He carried a glass of wine with him and more ice for Jeongguk’s hand.

Jimin looked weary but otherwise very relaxed, “Come here.  Your knuckles are bleeding again,” 

Jeongguk stared at him as he placed his hand into Jimin’s lap.  Jimin placed more ice on his knuckles and then handed him the glass of wine, “Drink this,  you’re a nervous wreck.”

“You don’t have to do this, my hand will be fine,”  Jeongguk was almost afraid to speak.

“It’s not fine.  I think your finger may be broken at the knuckle, but only time will tell.  Let’s keep it on ice and see how it looks tomorrow,”  Jimin said lovingly.

The loud ringing of a phone startled them.  It was the telephone in Jimin’s study.  Once again Jimin left to run down the hall.  Jeongguk could hear him speaking to someone in a very authoritative tone.  A few minutes later he was back.

“It’s all taken care of Jeongguk.  The suitcase too,” Jimin said coldly.

“Taken care of?  What do you mean by that?”

Jimin did not answer him directly.  Instead, he told an interesting story, “There was a terrible tragedy today at the home of Kim Shu-yun,  an elderly man who lived alone on Dosan-daero 67-gil.  A fire consumed his entire home.  Heartbreaking really.  In order to make a little extra cash, Shu-yun often rented his spare bed room to strangers.  Well this time, he rented to a careless man who was an avid smoker.  He fell asleep with his cigarette lit and it started a fire.  He was burned alive – he’s dead now.  The home was completely destroyed and so were all of the contents including all of the man’s luggage. The old man, Kim Shu-yun, who lived next door was rushed to an elderly care facility, thankfully he was unharmed.  He’s going to live in the facility with the absolute best care thanks to a kind stranger.  As for the man who died in the fire, I’m afraid he was burned beyond recognition.  He’s unidentifiable.”  Jimin paused and took a sip of wine from Jeongguk’s glass.  “So as I said, it’s all taken care of.”  His face was hard.  There was absolutely no emotion living within him as he recounted the story of how he had just ordered his brother’s body to be burned.  He made very definitive eye contact with Jeongguk.  He crossed his legs and continued to sip from Jeongguk’s wine glass.  He was perfectly well adjusted to the news of his brother’s death. 

Jeongguk realized at that very moment that he had just witnessed a small glimpse of Jimin’s power.  Without even leaving the comfort of his home, Jeongguk’s mess had been instantly tidied up at the snap of Jimin’s fingers.  Jimin was as ruthless as Xio had claimed and that very much turned Jeongguk on.

“Thank you,”  Jeongguk said softly, with his head bowed in shame.  “What happens...next?”

“Breakfast, I guess?”  Jimin said softly as he finished the glass of wine.

Jeongguk addressed his fear, “I know mafia code, Min.  I know that you can’t allow your brother’s death to go unpunished.  I’ve disrespected your family name.”

“You’ve also protected this family from the age of sixteen.  You have protected me and my brother and you have honored the Park name at great risk to yourself,”  Jimin explained.

“But Jimin, I’ve killed the last of your blood line.  This can’t go unpunished.  I’m not sure I even want to live after what I’ve done.  I accept whatever you have to do to me.  I’m just sorry that it had to end this way.  I’ve been around mobsters my entire life baby, I know the rules.” 

“Yeah,”  Jimin scratched the back of his neck.  His expression was strange and not readable. “but I’m not a mobster.  I’m the CEO of Posco Construction Company, we do things - differently.  Probably not as much drama involved.”   

“I don’t fucking understand.  How can you not be mortified by what I’ve done?  Why aren’t you more upset?” Jeongguk was terrified.

“I am fucking mortified, but not for the reasons you think.”  Jimin casually uncrossed and then recrossed his legs, “I love you more than I will ever love my fucking brother.  I stopped loving him when I was three years old and I started hating him when I was three years old.  But you are my eternal love, the one that I will go to the ends of the earth to please.  I will never choose anyone over you – ever.  You should know that, but the fact that you don’t makes you even more innocent.  You’re truly hurting over what you’ve done.  I could never punish you more than you’ve punished yourself.  If I’m upset with you about anything, it’s that you lost your composure and allowed my piece of shit brother to get to you.  Kookie, murder is not something that easily clears the waking conscious.  I would never in a million years wish for you to have this on your conscious.  It’s like torture and that’s something you don’t deserve.  The fact that you did this because of me, makes it all the more terrible.  My grief lies with you and your golden heart that now has to carry this.  You’ve been systematically compromised by your exposure to this lifestyle.  You’ve done things that you would have never done if weren’t for me and my family.  If anyone is at fault here, it’s me.  I should have pushed you away years ago.  But I was too selfish, even though I knew I was destroying you.”  Jimin’s head dipped and several tears fell.  He truly was grieving for Jeongguk’s soul and not his brother’s death. 

 

“I wouldn’t have left even if you tried to make me.  Don’t you understand...I didn’t start living until I met you...,”

Jimin shook his head. “...no.  You’re so foolish.  You’re so in love that you can’t even see what I’ve done.”  He was in no condition to hear Jeongguk’s loving platitudes, not as guilty as he felt.  He continued, “My brother was bound to cross the wrong person, with this exact same result.  I’m just shocked that it was you.   I won’t speak ill of the dead, but we’re both well aware of his faults.  Will I miss him?  No.  Will I miss knowing that I had another blood relative out there who looked like me and smiled like me, yeah, a little bit.  Am I reeling to think that the last of the Park line is now gone?  Yes.  Honestly, this family is so fucked up, maybe it’s time to eliminate us all, even me.  But my biggest concern is for you.”

Jeongguk took a moment to breathe.  What he had to say next was grotesque and insulting, but he had to know.  For his own mental health, he had to know, “Xio said some things to me just before I killed him,” Jeongguk was careful to take ownership of his deed, “he said...that you killed your mother and that was partially why he hated you.”

Jimin’s expression slacked.  His eyebrows pinched together as his face transformed into that of a child.  He balled his hand into a fist and began kneading at his chest.  It was, without a doubt, the most heart wrenching, pained visage that Jeongguk had ever seen in his life.  He instantly felt vile for bringing it up.

Jimin retraced the steps of the most painful experience of his life.  “I had another brother.  I never told you about him because it’s too hard to talk about.  When I was sixteen, my mother gave birth to another child.  Another fucking child at their old age.  But things seemed different with him.  She seemed to love him, just like she loved Xio.  I was hopeful that her pattern of abuse would not extend to him.  For the first few years, things were good for him.  She still treated me like shit, but by then, I was hardened to it.  I managed early admission to Busan U and I was able to move out of my parent’s toxic household.  I would come home to visit with my little brother every other weekend and we bonded.  He was so much like me.  I truly loved him.  His bright smile, and loving hugs.  He was an angel.  One weekend, during my junior year in college, I came home to visit with him.  I was eighteen, nineteen...something I think.  He was three.  The house was dark and I couldn’t find him.  Mom was there laying on the couch, drunk as usual, but my little brother was missing.  I searched everywhere.  I screamed for my mom to help me look for him.  She refused.  And then a voice from within my own head told me to check the closet...and I did.

He was there and he wasn’t breathing.  I put him down on the ground and immediately began CPR.  I begged for her to call for help, but she wouldn’t.  I didn’t have a car, so I decided that I would carry him to the hospital and beg someone there for help.  His tiny little body was so pale and he was so cold to the touch, but I thought he could be saved.  As I attempted to leave, my mother attacked me.  She wouldn’t let us go, she wouldn’t let us get help.  She screamed at me about how much she hated me. She told me that she was going to lock me in the closet again, this time with my little brother’s dead body.   She wouldn’t even let me pick him up from the ground.  Out of rage, I pushed her off of me and then punched her several times.  I punched her over and over as years’ worth of rage flew out of me.  I’m a trained fighter and I took all of my skill out on a poor, drunk defenseless woman.  But what I didn’t expect was for her to stumble back and hit her head on the hearth of the fireplace.  Blood went everywhere.  She died instantly.”  Jimin did not shed a single tear as he spoke.  It was the most eerie recounting of murder that Jeongguk had ever witnessed.  He kept still as he listened.  Jimin continued,  “I just stared at both of them as they lay on the ground.  It was only then that I accepted that my little brother was dead.  He had been dead, possibly for hours.  My fucking mother, who was now also dead, had allowed him to die in that closet with no food or water.  It was the same treatment that she had given to me for so many years and for some reason, I had survived.  But not my sweet little brother.  He didn’t make it because he was too weak, too frail, too trusting, too loving, too good. 

At that exact moment, my father came home.  He asked what happened.  Half of his family was dead on the floor and I was the lone survivor left standing.  I never felt that my father really loved my mother.  And it was proven that day because at no point did he ever shed a tear for her.  But seeing his little boy crumpled on the ground broke his heart.  At the time, my father was the most powerful Hyungnim in all of Korea.  The war between the different organizations was at its peak.  He didn’t need police snooping around or asking a lot of questions.  He made a decision that haunts me until this day.  He decided to get rid of both of the bodies by burying them in the back yard.  I helped him dig the graves.  Anyone who asked about my mother, we told them simply that mom had run off with my brother and had married someone new.  It was a story that no one dared question.  When Xio found out the truth, he blamed me, rightfully so.  After it was over, I repressed those memories and I went on with my life as if nothing ever happened.”

“That’s why your father felt that you were the more ruthless of the two?”  Jeongguk suddenly understood so much.

“My father believed that anyone who could kill their own mother, could kill anyone.  It was an accident Jeongguk, I swear.  That’s why I believe that you didn’t kill Xio on purpose, because I’ve been there. I know what rage and fury combined can do to a person.  But my father never saw it that way.  He felt that I was defending my little brother’s honor and fighting for his life.  He felt it was the ultimate show of loyalty.  He always favored me, but that was the first time he respected me.  Fucked up, right?”

“Incredibly fucked up,”  Jeongguk’s heart ached for Jimin.  His story was beyond words.

“I have faced those demons, Kookie.  I’ve been around murder and mayhem my entire life.  I’m desensitized to it.  Now do you understand why I never, ever wanted this for you?  My ultimate act of love was to protect you from all of this, but I failed.  And now I don’t know what to do.  I’m so morally bankrupt myself, how can I guide you through this?”

Jeongguk withheld his true feelings about Jimin murdering his mother.  Given his own deeds, he felt he was in no position to judge him.  But the news did affect him, severely.  “I’m going to see my brother.  I need his guidance, his prayers,”  Jeongguk said suddenly.

“Your brother, the Priest.  How long has it been since you’ve seen him?”

“A few years.  But we talk almost every week.  He constantly travels because he does missionary work for different orphanages across the continent.  He counsels troubled youth and tries his best to lead them to God.  He’s a good man...a good man.  Watching you and Xio has reminded me of how much I adore him and how lucky we are to have a healthy relationship.”

“He’s a Priest who doesn’t know his little brother is gay.  How do you think he’ll handle that bit of news?”  Jimin asked.

“Well that ‘bit of news’ will remain my secret until I’m dead and buried.  He knows of you and he knows of Kumo I think.  But the depths of what exists between me and you, is my most painfully kept secret.  I would love to showcase you to the world and sing your praises to him but I just...can’t.  It would hurt him too much.  He wouldn’t be able to handle it.  Fuck Jimin, I don’t even recognize myself anymore.”  Jeongguk began to cry again.

“You’re a good man too.  A good man who has found himself in very bad circumstances.  I’m walking towards the light because of you.  I’m on a mission to be a good man as well.  If your brother were here, he would tell us to repent for our sins and then start anew with God’s forgiveness.  That is what we must do, we must put this behind us and start anew.  Promise me that we will look at this as a new beginning.  Xio’s death officially ends this chapter of our lives.  I want you to quit the police force and come work for me.  Please Jeongguk.  Walk this road to redemption with me.” 

“How can you possibly still love me?”  Jeongguk asked as he watched Jimin kneel before him.

“I’m not sure that love is a strong enough word.  I am you and you are me.  I bow down to you because you are the King of my soul.” 

Park Jimin had an estimated wealth of over 13 million dollars U.S.  In the entirety of his legal entities, he employed over 1300 people.  Some of the most well-known buildings in Seoul carried his name.  Posco Construction Company was one of only three companies to survive WWII.  And the man behind all of that power had fallen hopelessly in love with a simple detective from Busan.

Christmas day came and went, but with a different meaning and a different purpose.  The joy that Jimin tried to force into existence, just didn’t resonate.  Even the plethora of gifts underneath the tree remained unopened.  Kumo was a bundle of nerves and Jeongguk was still deeply depressed.  It was the most difficult time imaginable for the three of them. 

Despite their steadfast insistence that Kumo be kept out of official “business” Jimin felt it imperative to tell her everything about what had happened with Xio.  It took a moment for Kumo to process that her sweet doe-eyed Jeongguk could have strangled a grown man to death.  She was more curious than anything, asking a series of very inappropriate questions.  It took Jimin’s redirection to get her to understand how traumatic the event was for his husband. 

Jeongguk realized that he’d promised lifelong alliances to an extremely morally bankrupt crowd.  It was all the more reason for him to visit his brother and reset.

“Kumo, as I told Min last night, I’m leaving for a couple of days.  It won’t be long but I just need some time away to reflect on – things.”  Jeongguk turned to Jimin, “I’m resigning from the police department.  I’ll turn in my resignation before I leave.  When I come back, I want us to find some time alone to just talk without all of this pressure around us.  I want to walk that road to redemption with you Jimin, but we need to figure out how to get there.”  Still wearing the same clothes that he’d worn when he killed Xio, Jeongguk gathered his coat and stood to leave.  I’m driving down to see Lee. He’s back in the country, staying at a hostel in Gwangyang.  It’s about a three hour drive, so I’ll call you when I get there.”

“When are you leaving?” Jimin said with worry in his eyes.

“Tomorrow afternoon.  I need to run by the police station and pick up a few things and then say goodbye.  And then I’ll hit the road.”

“Kookie, tell me you’re ok.  I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t be.  Nothing about my feelings for you have changed.  I’m just as in love with you as I’ve always been.”  Jeongguk unbuttoned the first few buttons of Jimin’s dress shirt to reveal the necklace that he had given him a year prior.  He rubbed the gold chain between his fingers before reaching down to kiss Jimin’s soft skin beneath it.  “I’ll see you soon Min.  I love you.”  With that, Jeongguk smiled at them, and then disappeared into the night.

Several minutes after Jeongguk left, Jimin and Kumo realized that he’d left his beloved fedora sitting on the bar. 

“Do you want me to call him? Or I can have one of the guards take it to him?”  Kumo asked.  It was very, very unusual for Jeongguk to forget his hat.  It was a reflection of just how upset he was.

Jimin closed his eyes and sighed, “No.  Don’t mention it to him.  I’m sure he’ll remember that he left it.  Besides, as long as his hat is here, I know he’ll come back to me.”

Jeongguk sat down at the desk in his apartment.  There was so much left to do before he hit the road for his visit to his brother.  He decided not to call Lee or give him a heads up that he was coming because he wanted to see the gleeful smile on his face when he arrived unannounced.  He looked forward to the reunion, the chance to reset his life and confide in his brother.  He truly felt lucky to have him. 

Saying goodbye to his fellow cops at the precinct was more difficult than he anticipated.  He had been there for six years, four of which he had been assigned to the South Street Kkangpae.  He had made good friends there.  They were people that he could trust to always have his back.  His Sergeant was shocked by the news because Jeongguk’s resignation was very sudden.  He had given no hint of wanting to leave his job or start a new career.  Although the Sergeant was sad to see him go, he was most concerned about the case against Park Jimin and his brother Xio.  Without Jeongguk, he worried if they would ever be able to solve the case. 

But Jeongguk was resolute.  If he wanted to turn a new page and start a fresh life with Jimin, he needed to move on from some of the memories.  He no longer wanted to be Jimin’s public adversary, he wanted to be Jimin’s husband and best friend.  His detective days were over.

As Jeongguk packed for his three day trip, he decided to sit down and make a few entries into his journal.  Quite of few of his custom made leather journals had collected underneath the baseboards.  He was sure there were more than 100 of them.  Meticulously, he labeled each journal as he started a new one.  He also persisted with making his journals as thorough as possible because he considered them the keepers of his life’s tales.  Every detail of every significant event, even his sexual encounters, was documented in his own pen.

However sitting down to talk about his life was not just for people to know his story.  It was also cathartic – a way for Jeongguk to process his life and reflect on his choices through the filter of truth.  Prior to meeting Jimin, he had never even considered journaling his life story.  He had only used his journal for police notes.  But as his days grew more and more conflicted, he found himself walking a fine line between good and evil.  He wanted to be a good cop, but often he prioritized being a good husband.  His loyalty was to Jimin through and through but it was important for him to document that metamorphosis as it happened.   

However, the entry that he needed to make on this particular day was not an easy one.  He had already confessed everything in his previous entries; Xio’s murder, his dirty dealings as a cop, the crimes that he had covered up.  Even before leaving Xio’s body, he made sure to confess everything to his trusty leather journal that he kept in his pocket.    

But he also felt the need to address the events of the last 48 hours.  Including the truth about Jimin’s mother as well as his confession to Jimin.  As painful as it was, he also wanted to recount the lengths that Jimin had gone to on his behalf to cover up what he’d done.  He didn’t want to hide any of it because he was hopeful that the next phase of his life would be filled with redemption.  But in order for his brother to understand how high he had risen, he first needed to understand how low Jeongguk had fallen, and that meant telling him everything. 

As he opened up his journal, he cried over the previous entry.  It was his recount of what had happened to Xio.  The pain of that evening came rushing back stronger than ever.  After digging deep to find the strength to continue, he took the next three hours to complete his entries.  He had to stop several times, just to cry.  But eventually he was able to recount everything that had occurred over the last 48 hours.  He was just about to shower and change when a knock came from the door.  He wasn’t expecting any visitors.  He decided, just to be on the safe side, that he needed to hide his journal.  It probably was not the best idea to have a document where he’d confessed to murder, just laying around the apartment.  He made one final entry...

“Someone’s at the door.  The next time I make an entry, it will be the first on my road to redemption.”

Jeongguk jumped up and ran to the loose floorboard.  He carefully wedged open the piece of wood and placed the journal in the bottom of the make-shift storage area.  He scribbled on the top of it, #130.  Presumably he returned to his living area and opened the door.  That was the last entry that Jeongguk ever made in his journal.*

“What?  No! NO! NO! NO! NO!  This is it?”  Lee screamed.  “It can’t end here.  It can’t end here!”  Lee jumped up.  He tore through the closet looking for another journal, or note or something to tell him what happened next.  There were no answers.  All of this time, all of this investment, all of the disgusting shit he had to read through in search of his brother’s attacker and it all led to a dead end? 

Lee still had so many questions.  So many things unanswered.  Starting with, if Jimin loved Jeongguk so much, why was he not there by his side as his lover clung to life?  Why had he never visited him even once?  Where was he?  Why were the police so disinterested in solving a case that involved one of their own?  Who had attacked Jeongguk?  Where had it happened?  Why did Jeongguk go missing or disappear on the day that he was scheduled to make the surprise visit to his brother?  Did anyone know the truth about Jeongguk’s involvement in Xio’s murder?  Who was involved in Jeongguk’s attack?  Was it even related to Jimin’s mob ties or was Jimin the one who had attacked him?  Maybe Jimin wasn’t as casual about Xio’s death as he pretended to be.  With Jimin being nowhere to be found, he looked more and more likely to the be the suspect.  Maybe Jimin had taken his revenge out on Jeongguk.  Anything was possible and without knowing the answers, Lee was at a lost. 

Reading through his brother’s journals and ending in this empty place was like going through a really lousy, undesirable fuck only to be denied an orgasm at the end.  Even in his Priestly virgin mind, he felt like he was in orgasm denial hell.  A full week had passed and he was no closer to finding his brother’s attacker than when he started.

Lee ripped Jeongguk’s apartment apart, in one last desperate attempt to get more leads.  He had no idea where to go next.  He was stalled, stuck in the most painful position imaginable.   Suddenly he had a thought.  It was a long shot, but it was all he had left.

He ran to the phone in Jeongguk’s kitchen and slipped his fingers into each of the digits on the rotary dial.  After what seemed like hours, even though it was only seconds, Chu-lun answered the phone. 

“Hello.”

Lee screamed, “WE HAVE TO FIND PARK JIMIN!”

Chu-lun responded, “Park Jimin?  Jeongguk’s,”  she stalled to give herself time to think of the right word, “...friend?”

“Yes.  Him.  He’s the key to understanding what happened to Jeongguk.  He is the missing link in all of this.  He has not once come to see the man that he claims to love.  That is suspicious.  I think he may have been involved in Jeongguk’s attack.”

“Do you really think that?  Given all we know about their affair...,” she stopped herself again, “...um, er, uh friendship?” 

“It’s the only thing that makes sense.  We have to find him, all of the answers trace back to him,”  Lee insisted.

“You make a good point.  Ok.  I have an idea on where we can start our quest.  Meet me at the library tomorrow morning 10am,” Chu-lun had a smile in her voice.  Even though Jeongguk’s situation was still dire, it was good to see Lee show signs of life.  He was hell bent on keeping his promise to Jeongguk and Chu-lun loved to see it.

 

***

Chapter Eight: The Platinum Blonde

January 20th, 1967 – Three weeks after Jeongguk’s accident...

Jeongguk’s accident had occurred on December 28th, 1966.  Three weeks later,  Jeon Lee was still clueless as to how his brother had ended up in the hospital.  Lee and his partner in crime, Chu-lun, sat patiently at a pair of microfiche machines, searching through the latest newspaper headlines.  They were looking for something - anything that may have given them insight into Jeongguk’s attack and the whereabouts of one Park Jimin.  Afterall, he was the CEO of the biggest corporation in Korea, so there was no way that he could just disappear.  Was there?

“I can’t see a damn thing,”  Lee swore as he fiddled with his thick reading glasses.

“You’re still a Priest, am I correct?”  Chu-lun gave a gentle reminder to Lee to watch his language.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry,”  Lee smiled at her.  Even though they had only known each other for three weeks, he was becoming rather smitten with the doctor.

“Uh, I think I have discovered the source of your blurry vision.  She removed her thick rimmed glasses and swapped them with Lee’s thick rimmed glasses.  “I believe us two old people have our glasses mixed up.  Is that better?”

Lee laughed, “Much!”  He had dimples like his brother.  He turned to the good doctor to make a small correction. “...and we’re not old.  I’m only 39 and I’ll be 40 next week.”

“I’m 41, and I can’t do any of the new dances these kids do nowadays.  And have you heard that noise from that American singer Elvis Presley?  I mean, what’s that about?”

“Ok, maybe you’re old, but I’m not because I love Elvis,”  Lee teased.  Once again he was smiling.

“Well stay focused young whipper snapper, we have much work to do.”

For a few fruitful hours, they searched for sightings, last known addresses, business deals, friends...whatever they could find.  But there was one search in particular that they had managed to completely overlook.  It was Chu-lun who came across it first.

“Oh my God.”

“What?  What is it?” Lee pushed up his thick reading glasses to stare over at Chu-lun’s screen.

“Park Jimin – he’s dead.  His funeral was two weeks ago.  It was an open casket.  Look, he’s dead,” Chu-lun increased the size of the image to focus in on Jimin’s body.

It was true, there he lay, inside of the casket with the expressionless face of death.  He was decked out in his best suit, with gold rings on every finger, even his thumb.  The funeral home was covered in thousands and thousands of flowers from wall to wall.  Mourners, dressed in all black stood in long lines to pay their respect.  It was surreal.

“Dead?  No, he can’t be dead.  Oh God no.  How will I ever explain this to Jeongguk when he wakes up?  It says here that he died just a week after Jeongguk’s attack.  Now I understand why he didn’t visit Jeongguk at the hospital.  He’s so young.  This is not the answer that I wanted.  What does it say killed him?  How did he die?”  Lee asked.

“Heart attack.  Sounds suspicious for someone only 36 years old.  You don’t think he was murdered do you?” Chu-lun pontificated.

“I hope not,”  Lee was suddenly distraught again,  “but it is certainly possible.”

Despite everything he knew about Jimin, he secretly wished for he and his brother to have a happy ending.  The love between them was undeniable.  He felt guilty for suspecting Jimin of any involvement in his brother’s attack.  It was clear that Jimin was having problems of his own.  After all of the hope and anticipation Lee had of finally getting to the truth, he was once again faced with a dead end. 

“Park Kumo to be named new CEO of Posco Construction Company Global Division.”  Chu-lun read aloud as she skimmed through the article. “...formerly served as the CEO of Posco – Busan division, an office vacated by ousted CEO Park Xio after a bitter family feud over low performance.  Park Kumo is the widow of Posco Owner and deceased CEO Park Jimin.”  She looked at Lee.  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Yeah.  It’s a great start.  She may not have all of the answers but at least she can help fill in some of the gaps.”

“Great start, but explain something to me.  If Jimin was married...how were he and your brother uh, um...such good friends?”  Chu-lun asked gently.

“It was complicated.  Let’s just say, it’s the polyamorous relationship that we never saw coming.  Come on, I promise to explain it all to you on the way over to her apartment.  It’s quite a story if I do say so myself.” 

Kumo sat in Jimin’s study.  She had been on back to back business calls all morning.  She was not supposed to be in the office because technically she was still within her grieving period.  But without Jimin or Xio, there was no one to provide oversight for the multi-million dollar corporation but her.  Honesty compelled her to admit that she loved the power of it all.  She was driven to lift the company to greater heights all while navigating the turbulent financial waters.  It was a challenge that she was ready to take on.

Thanks to Jimin’s hard work, the company was again stable and completely outshining the competition.  Even G&S was on the ropes, despite winning the huge Mapo deal.  Of course changes in leadership at the top also contributed to the fall of G&S. But Kumo stood alone, as the only female run construction company in the history of Asia.   She was quite proud and very humbled by Jimin’s most generous gift. 

As promised, he had left everything to her in his death.  Not only did she receive 100% vested ownership in Posco, but she also inherited Jimin’s smaller business ventures as well.  And lastly, with the death of Park Jimin as the last sole heir to the South Street Kkangpae, the criminal faction of the Park legacy also died.  Kumo was all business, all legit, all profit. 

Lee and Chu-lun stepped off the elevator that led to Kumo’s penthouse.  It was the same apartment where she, Jimin and to a slightly lesser degree, Jeongguk, used to all live.  But now, sadly, she lived there all alone.   The two of them, Lee and Chu-lun whispered in front of the door as each dared the other to do the knocking.  It was Lee who finally made a move.

Kumo, fresh off of the phone, scooped up her youngest low hair Ashura kitten and nuzzled it in her arms, “Who’s at the door Kookie?  We have a visitor, isn’t that exciting?  We never have visitors.” 

She opened the door to find two strangers standing there.  One of them, the gentleman, looked oddly familiar even though she was certain that she had never met him.  Her new kitten meowed in her arms, nervous about greeting the strangers.  He jumped from her arms and sprinted back towards the study.

“Kookie, don’t be afraid,” Kumo shook her head and greeted the strangers, “Hello.  May I help you?” 

Lee stepped forward, “Park Kumo?”

“Yes.”

“We’re looking for Park Jimin,”  Lee knew it was a strange thing to say considering that Jimin had been proven to be deceased, but he needed to start somewhere.

Kumo’s back immediately straightened defensively.  Her face dropped and she looked on suspiciously, “Park Jimin is dead.  He died two weeks ago.”  She attempted to close the door but Chu-lun stuck her foot in before she could get it completely closed, “We were afraid you would say that.  We need to talk to you in his absence.  I promise, we mean you no harm but we do need your help,”  Chu-lun said in her kind social worker tone.

“I can’t answer any questions about my Min.  I miss him too much,”  Kumo began to cry.  Her kitten Kookie seemed to hear her crying because once again he sprinted to the front room and wrapped himself around Kumo’s legs.  “Hi Kookie, mommy is sad again.”  She picked up Kookie and stepped back to allow Chu-lun and Lee inside.

“Excuse me, but what did you call him?”  Lee asked curiously.

“Kookie.  It was the name of someone very dear to me... a cop that I used to know.”

“Jeon Jeongguk?”  Lee said.

“Why...yes! Do you know him?”  Kumo’s eyes sparkled.  The fact that someone knew Jeongguk was quite a surprise for her.  Jeongguk had many friends in the precinct but not too many outside.  And then she noticed Jeon Lee’s Priest collar.  She dropped Kookie to the ground and instantly wrapped her arms around him, “I knew you looked familiar.  Your face, it’s so warm and welcoming and your eyes and dimples are just like his.  My God, you’re Lee...his brother.  He used to talk about you all the time.”  Kumo collapsed in Lee’s arms.  It was as if she had been waiting to meet him all of her life.  “You’re here because he's missing right?  Because you haven’t heard from him?  I would have called you, but I didn’t know your phone number.  Lee I’m so sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Jeongguk is – dead.”

“Oh he’s not de...,” Chu-lun started to speak to tell Kumo that Jeongguk was still alive, but Lee stepped on her foot to make her clam up, “...ouch!”  She looked at him and took note of his expression.  Clearly Lee did not completely trust Kumo and didn’t want her to know that his brother was still clinging to life.  Chu-lun continued with, “he’s not dead-dicated to a funeral.  I mean we’re still holding on to hope.  We heard through his friends at the police station that he was missing.”

“Oh.  I see.”  Kumo’s eyes glistened with real tears.  She was thin and gaunt and looked nothing like her pictures.  It was obvious that she had been through some trauma.  Losing her husband and his husband were a definite part of her long sad journey.

Lee and Chu-lun took a seat on Kumo’s suede couch.  Lee looked at her with kind eyes, “That’s why we’re here Mrs. Park.  We’re hoping that you can help us understand what happened to Jeongguk.  I mean, I find it curious that you assumed he was dead when we just believe him to be missing.  Why do you think he’s dead?  Please tell us.  What did you know about his investigation into Park Jimin, your husband.  Was Park involved in this?  Is Park’s involvement why you believe my brother is missing?  Was he behind this?  Mrs. Park, please help us.”  Lee implored.

Kumo wiped her tears, “Please call me Kumo.” 

She sat in a suede chair not too far from the couch.  Her hair was still platinum blonde, but it was shorter than in her pictures.  She had cut it down to look more corporate and less Hollywood.  Her suit was expensive, her shoes and nails were exquisite.  She was a woman of money and she knew how to use it. Being a kept CEO wife suited her quite well.  But being an astute business woman looked just as good on her. 

Kumo blew a hard breath.  From her long talks with Kookie, she knew that his Priestly brother Lee knew nothing of his mafia ties nor his affair with Jimin.  But never in a million years did she think she would ever be the one to break the shocking news to him.  Furthermore, the two simpletons understood nothing about Jeongguk and Jimin’s last days.  She had quite a mountain to climb to bring them up to speed. However, she needed to be careful to avoid revealing too much about the days surrounding Jimin’s death.  That was a secret that she needed to keep to herself.

She began bluntly, “I’m not a woman who bullshits around.  I simply don’t have time so I’m going to give it to you straight.  Jimin would never hurt Jeongguk, ever.  He was not involved in Jeongguk’s accident.  In fact, he was so devastated by what happened to him that...,”  Kumo took another breath to organize her thoughts.  “I’m an ex-prostitute who became enamored with one of the kindest men to ever walk this earth.  I married him despite the fact that he was in love with – another man.  Jeongguk and Jimin were a gay couple.  Not just any couple, they were the most destined two that I have ever encountered in my life.  The love between them was incomprehensible.  Jimin and I had an arrangement.  I was a front, a beard a...mafia wife used to uphold Jimin’s image and hide the fact that he was gay.   There was nothing romantic or sexual between us.  No attraction whatsoever.  We were best friends, and he was like my little brother.  Jimin was completely committed to your brother.  Now...if you can swallow all of that without fainting dead away, I can continue.  However if that bit of news made you piss yourself, then you should get off of my suede couch and consider leaving.”

“Did you piss?” Chu-lun asked Lee.

“No, did you?” Lee questioned back.

“No.  I think I’m still dry,” Chu-lun confirmed.

They both looked back at Kumo, “I think we can continue.  But do you have any beer?”  Lee asked.

“You are a Priest correct?  You’re wearing a Priest’s collar.  Or is that just a Halloween costume in January?”  Chu-lun provided another gentle reminder that Priests were not supposed to drink alcohol.

Kumo laughed at them, “Given what I’m about to tell you,  I suggest both of you have a few sips of liquor.  Stay here, let me get you something.”  Kumo returned in a flash with two ice cold beers for Lee and Chu-lun.  “Good?  Ok, let’s continue.”  Kumo looked towards the ceiling in pensive thought, “Where do I even fucking begin?”

“How about the fucking beginning,” Lee said with agitation.  He was anxious for Kumo to tell him what she knew.

“Does God know you have a potty mouth?  Are you still on his team?” Chu-lun teased Lee again.  He was the most unpriestly priest she had ever met.  She adored him.

Lee ignored her, “Jeongguk left me a series of journals.  I know almost everything and it was quite a story.  However, his last journal entry is incomplete.  The last entry was on December 28th, and then there are no more entries after that.  I have to assume that was the day he went missing.  It was right after he confessed to killing Jimin’s brother in his journal.  He was set to come and see me for a few days and that’s where everything ends.”

Chu-lun’s eyes bulged.  Murder was not something she knew about.  Jeongguk had killed someone?   Never had it come up in any of her heart to heart discussions with Lee.  Kumo didn’t seem surprised by the news either, which meant it was something she already knew.  No wonder Lee had been so upset with the things he read in Jeongguk’s journal.  What kind of spicey ramen were these mob people eating?  Chu-lun needed some popcorn because the story was starting to get quite juicy.


Kumo looked at them.  She was flabbergasted by how much they already knew.  “That’s good information.  Now I know where to begin.  Although, being honest, I’m a bit surprised to know that he was so forthcoming about what was going on in his life.  But it’s good because it will make things much easier for you to understand.  The reason that I know Jeongguk is dead is because - I was there when he was killed.  I was shot too.”  Kumo pulled open her blouse to reveal two of many bullet wounds in her upper shoulder.  They looked horrific.  “It was part of a vicious gang war between the South Street Kkangpae and the Ging Street Kkangpae.  The beef had nothing to do with Jeongguk, me or even Jimin.   It was all shit started by Xio, Jimin’s brother.  It resulted in all-out war.  Even from the grave Jimin’s brother caused trouble. 

To help you understand what happened, let me go back to the day that Jeongguk was scheduled to drive to visit you in Gwangyang.  We had all just celebrated Christmas together and Jeongguk felt that he needed to visit you, Lee.  The stuff that happened with Xio was fresh on his mind and he was troubled by it.  Since Jeongguk is not here to tell you this – I will.  Xio’s murder was not planned.  It was an accident that Jeongguk deeply regretted.  In the heat of passion, something terrible happened and Jeongguk just – went too far.  Your brother was a very, very humble and loving man who would never hurt anyone.  He was in love and love can sometimes make us do the wrong thing...,”  Kumo sniffled.  Talking about her best friend was difficult.  “...but he was a beautiful man, Lee, beautiful.  In fact, the reason that he needed to come to visit you was so that he could confess what he had done.  He felt he needed guidance.  The pain was killing him...

Three weeks earlier, December 28th 1966 – the day of Jeongguk’s attack

Jimin’s thoughts went immediately to his brother.  It was the first thought that greeted him that morning and the last thought that had bid him goodnight.  Xio was gone.  His elder brother, the one he tried so hard to love – was sadly no more.  And Jimin had saw to it that there were no remains, no body, nothing to identify him.  There was no one in Xio’s life who even cared enough about him to report him missing, even though he had not been seen in four days.  At the age of only 41, Xio’s life was over.  And in the most ironic disposition known to man, the person that Jimin loved more than life itself, was responsible for killing him.  Jimin searched for deeper meaning and understanding in Xio’s death.  But every intellectual journey led him back to the same place - Xio was a piece of shit with absolutely no redeeming qualities what so ever.  Jimin tried to connect with the human side of himself that was compassionate and caring, but when it came to his brother, the walls of tender compassion were irrevocably blocked off. 

As such, his thoughts meandered to where his heart truly resided, with Jeongguk.  In an attempt to give him some space, he had avoided calling him.  It was a few hours past when he was due to have arrived at his brothers, but Jimin wasn’t concerned.  When Jeongguk was ready, he would call.  It was time for work, so Jimin put all thoughts of Xio out of his mind and readied himself for the office. 

Meanwhile, Kumo sat in the front den reading through all of Posco Busan’s finance reports, including the forensic accounting files that had mysteriously shown up after Xio’s death.  She was certain that Xio was an idiot for not being able to recognize that funds were missing from his financial ledgers.  Kumo had much work ahead of her if she was going to bring Posco Busan back to profitability again.

Kumo’s rise to sudden prominence was not accidental.  It was a carefully laid out plan that had taken years for she and Jimin to put into place.  In fact, before Xio begged his way into becoming CEO of Posco Busan, the expansion was supposed to go to Kumo.  Kumo didn’t care about Xio being named.  She was happy to bide her time because she, like everyone else, knew that it would be just a matter of time before Xio screwed up.

The road to CEO had been quite methodical.  After Jimin pulled Kumo from the underbelly of prostitution, he paid for her to attend college.  She was one of only a few women in Korea in the sixties to have both a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in business.  She had more qualification in her little pinky than Xio had in his entire body.  Jimin knew that he needed a backup plan for Posco in case something happened to him.  Jeongguk had made it clear one hundred times that he wanted nothing to do with running a company.  And Jimin couldn’t depend on his brother to be competent to operate such a large corporation. So, he found the only other person that he could trust and molded her to be his predecessor.  For that reason, Jimin left all of his business holdings to her in his Will.  If anything were to happen to him, she would become the new CEO of Posco. 

But while Kumo received all of his business holdings, Jeongguk would receive all of his money and property.  When all was said and done, the two people that Jimin loved more than anything would be left very, very wealthy after his death.

It was another day at Posco.  Jimin had several meetings lined up as well as several discussions about a potential new acquisition.  The shift in the economy caused finances to be strained.  Only a bright strategic mind like Jimin’s knew how to navigate the waters.  Several businesses that had popped up within the last year, were already bankrupt.  The corporate landscape for construction businesses was tough.

As Jimin walked towards his office, he sifted through his mail, shuffling between the envelopes of junk mail and contracts that required his attention.  The door to his office was slightly ajar.  Once again there was someone sitting in his chair.

“I’m about tired of this shit,” he mumbled to himself as he stepped inside.  “When did it become fashionable to break and enter into the CEOs office?”

This time however, instead of seeing an old friend, Jimin saw his worst nightmare.  “Jung Sun-dook.  What brings you to my office unannounced?”  Jimin bowed. 

In his heart, without Sun-dook saying a word, he knew that the leader of the Ging Street Kkangpae was there to bring war to his doorstep. 

Sun-dook did not stand to bow back.  Instead he spun around in Jimin’s chair and glared at him.  “My wife was only able to have one child.  I prayed for a boy but was devastated to learn it was a girl.  I didn’t want my daughter anywhere near this filthy business and that left me with no heir.  But I was hopeful that someday she would have a son of her own, and she did.  But he was the only grandchild that she was able to give me before she died from pneumonia.  I raised him as my own son.  He was every bit as arrogant, smart and fearless as I was at his age.  He was the one Jimin.  He was the one who was going to give this business a new face, a new identity.  Just like you, he was going to change my family’s legacy.  He was going to take the world by storm and surpass everyone – even you.  He was my pride and joy.  But he was taken from me.”

“Sun-dook hyung, I heard about his passing.  I was at the memorial.”  Jimin moved cautiously.  He knew exactly what Sun-dook was talking about but he played coy.  He was honestly surprised that it had taken this long for Sun-dook to circle back with vengeance.

The old grey man looked firmly into Jimin’s eyes, “Since the day you were installed, I knew you were different.  I knew your father, he was shrewd and smart but nothing compared to you.  You had my respect from day one.  Shit, there were even times when I wished you were my kid.  So intelligent, so business savvy, so much integrity.  But your piece of shit brother – I always knew he was a troubled looser.  But I never thought that even he could be this stupid.  We were never going to touch you Jimin.  We were never going to come after you.  We knew that your business acumen was enough to cover for the losses from that Busan division.  We also knew that you would survive not getting the Mapo deal.  Our plan all along was to take down your piece of shit brother Xio.  We licked our chops when we saw you give him the Busan division because we knew that he was our way in.  We knew we could take him down and embarrass him and expose him for being the ignorant shit head that he is.  We wanted him to be a failure in your eyes.  But he went too far...he took it too far.”  Sun-dook began to cry.  He produced several pictures of his grandson and held them close to his heart.

“Whatever happened to your grandson, I assure you that me and my brother weren’t involved.”  Jimin played dumb.  ”

“You know what happened to my grandson.  Don’t you fucking insult me.  You exiled your brother and we all know why.  It’s because he killed my grandboy.  Shot him in the head and then threw his precious body into the bay, like he was trash,”  Sun-dook wailed loudly, still clutching his grandson’s pictures in his hand.  It had been five months, yet he still grieved as if it were yesterday. “I’ll be honest, when we first started stealing from Xio, we didn’t think we’d ever get caught.  He was such a dumb shit.  But obviously your brother learned a few things from you.  He hired an auditor...one of the best in the country.  And they traced the forged invoices back to us.  I knew he would be angry.  I didn’t fucking care.  BUT HE HAD NO RIGHT TO KILL OVER IT!”  Sun-dook jumped to his feet. 

Jimin braced.  “Let me pour you a drink.  I’m sure we can work this out.  You can tell me everythi...,”

Sun-dook yelled again, “I don’t want a fucking drink with you.  This is about Xio and you know it.  I was only trying to teach him a lesson for ordering an attack on an innocent woman, the Minister’s wife Woo-Jin, but then he went a step too far when he KILLED MY GRANDBOY.”  Sun-dook’s voice cracked as his thunderous screams shook the walls.  “Out of respect, I came here to tell you in person, this is war Jimin.  No more peace.   No more partnerships.  This was the ultimate betrayal done by your brother and by extension, you.  I won’t stop until I bring him down.  However, out of respect for you, I’m willing to make a deal if you hand him over.  Hand over your brother Xio and we can avoid raging war against you.  Where is he Jimin?  We had been trailing him for days and suddenly he just disappeared.  You have him in hiding...and we’re demanding that you turn him over.”

Jimin had no hand to play.  Xio was dead, but he couldn’t very well tell Sun-dook that because then he would have had to admit that Jeongguk had killed him.  Besides, he had no corpse to show to prove that he was telling the truth.  This was the worst of all possible scenarios.  They only wanted Xio, but Xio was the one thing, he couldn’t produce.  “I don’t know where he is.”  As you said, I exiled him from my family and my family business. 

Sun-dook stuffed the pictures of his grandson down into his suit jacket and placed his hat over his greying head.  Slyly, he dropped a few more photos on Jimin’s desk.  He flew past Jimin with one last warning.  “I’m saddened that you have made the decision to protect him.  It is the...wrong choice.”  Sun-dook casually walked away from Jimin’s office. 

Once Sun-dook was gone, Jimin took a seat at his desk.  He needed to think, find a way out of this mess.  Even from the grave Xio was a fucking menace.  But as he pulled up to his desk, Jimin noticed a small stack of pictures sitting on top of it.  He picked them up and began sorting through them.  They were all pictures of Sun-dook’s grandson in various stages of growing up.   He was such a handsome boy and once again Jimin’s heart ached because of his death.  But it was the very last picture that sent chills down Jimin’s spine.  It was a photo of Jeongguk.  He was smiling, wearing his trusty fedora, patrolling the lobby during Jimin’s Christmas party.  Jimin clutched his chest.  Scribbled over the top of the photo was a red target circling Jeongguk’s face. 

Jimin pulled Kumo roughly inside of the penthouse.  He rushed into the hallway and quickly paced up and down with his gun drawn.  He needed to make absolutely sure that Kumo had not been followed.  He grabbed Kumo by the shoulders.  The look in his eyes was absolutely terrifying.  “Have you heard from Jeongguk?  I’ve been to his apartment twice.  I have my men looking all over Korea for him.  His car is still in the parking lot in front of his apartment.  He never made it to Gwangyang and I can’t find him anywhere.  ”  Jimin was not a crier.  But there were tears definitely lurking behind his panicked eyes.

“No, no.  He hasn’t called.  I haven’t seen him since he left here the other night.”

Jimin released Kumo and began spouting off nonsensically, “Tokyo.  You leave tonight and you’re staying there until things cool down here.  There’s about $100,000 U.S. in this suitcase.  Take this with you.  You can convert it to Japanese yen once you get there.  Any bank in Tokyo will know the Park name.  It should be enough to allow you to live very comfortably until I send for you.  As soon as I find Jeongguk, I’m sending him to be with you as well.  You’ll stay there until things calm down.”  Jimin kept repeating himself.  He was out of his mind with worry.  “Get fucking packed.  You have thirty minutes.”  Jimin had never raised his voice towards Kumo ever in their entire relationship.  That was when she knew that Jimin was not himself. 

“Ok,  Min,” Kumo treaded lightly, “but tell me what’s going on kiddo.  What has you so frazzled?”

Jimin took a hit of whiskey straight from the bottle, “Sun-dook showed up at my office a couple of hours ago.  He left this,” Jimin dropped the death card on the coffee table for Kumo to see.  The death card was how mobsters made threats and warned of their next victims.  “Kookie has a bounty on his head, a hit.  As retaliation for Xio killing his grandson, Sun-dook is planning to kill him.  And with Kookie already missing, I...,” The panic in Jimin’s eyes was heart clenching.  His worst nightmare was coming true.  Jimin took shallow, weak breaths but he just couldn’t get enough oxygen no matter how hard he tried.  As his adrenaline surged, he ran back and forth aimlessly through the living room.  “I just need to stall for more time until I can figure out how to handle this...I just need more time.  More time.”

“Fucking Christ!  NO!  This can’t be happening!”  Kumo’s eyes filled with tears.  “We have to find him.  We have to get to him before they do.”

“Yes.  We do, but never in my life have I ever felt this helpless.  Its Xio’s final revenge from the grave.  He did this.  He set it up for my Kookie to be taken even though he’s an innocent in all of this,” Jimin choked up but he did not cry.  “That’s why you have to get out of Korea.  I don’t know how bad this war is going to get and I don’t want to have to be worried about you too.”  

“Is there a threat against me?  Code is that wives are never to be touched.  Do you really think I’m in danger.”

“Code?  What fucking code?  Jung doesn’t care anything about the code.  He’s out to avenge his grandson and he’s not thinking.  You’re in danger Kumo, even though there’s no specific threat against you yet.  I think he started with Jeongguk because he thought it was be enough to spook me.  And it has.  They want Xio, but I can’t produce Xio nor can I prove that he’s dead.  They think I’m protecting him.  If I fail to hand over Xio, I’m almost certain they’re going to come after you too.”

“Do we have a snitch on our team? I mean how does Sun-dook know that Jeongguk means anything to you?  From the outside looking in, you two should hate each other.  He’s the cop who’s trying to send you to prison.  You’ve been nothing but discreet with your relationship.”  Kumo just didn’t understand how such a highly coveted secret had been exposed.

“I told you, Xio is behind this.  I did some snooping around, talked to some contacts.  Xio shopped around for a while trying to hire someone to kill me.  He wanted to destroy me in any way possible, even if it meant using Kookie.  Xio sent Jung an anonymous letter, pretending to be a detective from the Seoul police department.  He made sure to get the word out that Jeongguk was very important to me.  I don’t think he went into great detail, but he told them enough for Jung to understand what Jeongguk means to me.  Xio betrayed me and Kookie in every way possible, by feeding this information to the enemy.”

Kumo clenched her fists, “I know this is wrong to say.  But I’m jealous of Kookie,”  Kumo said through gritted teeth.

Jimin rubbed his forehead, he couldn’t focus, “What are you talking about?” 

“Because he got to be the one to stop that son-of-a-bitch’s heart from beating.  He got to be there to see Xio’s last fucking BREATH!”  Kumo raged, turning over the coffee table before collapsing to the floor in tears.  She hated Xio.  Hated him.  And she hated what was happening to them. 

“Now do you understand why you have to get to safety?  I have to find Jeongguk.  But I need you to be ok too,”  Jimin said softly. 

“I’m not fucking leaving you alone.  So don’t mention it again.  I don’t care who you are.  I don’t care that you’re the Hyungnim of South Street or the CEO of Posco...I don’t give a fuck.  I’m not leaving you.  We’re going to face this together, we’re going to find Kookie and we’re going to fight.”  Kumo was as defiant as she could possibly be.

“Fine.”  It wasn’t fine, but as much as Jimin loved Kumo, he had no time to deal with her defiance.  If she wanted to die, that was on her.  His mind was on his missing detective. 

Jimin had repeatedly warned Kumo that she needed to lay low and stay inside of the Penthouse.  Kumo understood that it was for her safety, but there was one event that she could not miss.  It was a charity event for a local orphanage and Kumo was the host and the sponsor.   Jimin had been out for hours searching for Jeongguk and Kumo was left home alone.  She tried to get word to Jimin to let him know that she was leaving, but he was so deeply buried in his search that no one knew where to find him.   Kumo figured that as long as she had her guards with her, she could make an appearance at the event, stay for a few minutes and then safely rush back to the safety of the penthouse.  She never made it.

As Kumo stood on the corner waiting for the limousine to pick her up, she noticed two suspicious cars that seemed to be circling the block.  At first, she paid them no attention, thinking they were lost.  But by the third pass, she became suspicious.  Her limousine driver was just a couple of blocks away.  She could see him stuck at the stop light.  Both of her guards were stationed inside of the limo.  She felt that she was safe waiting in front of her penthouse just for the two minutes that it would take for them to arrive.  But she was wrong.  One of the circling cars stopped just a few feet away from her.  She decided to head towards her limo.  She could see it,  it wasn’t far.  She just had to get there.  But as she walked past the alley, a large man dressed in all black, grabbed her.  She tried to scream, but in the blink of an eye she was gagged and her hands were tied.  It all happened so fast, she had no time to fight back.  She was thrown into the trunk of the second car. 

She was not alone.  Just before the kidnapper closed the trunk, she turned to see Jeongguk next to her.  He was gagged and hog tied, struggling to get free. 

Kumo stopped her story there.  It was a lot for Lee and Chu-lun to take in.  She needed to make sure they were ok.  From the looks on their horrified faces, she could tell they needed a quick breather.  She offered them more refreshments, but they both declined.  This was the information that Lee had been waiting for three weeks to hear.  He needed to know what happened to his brother during his final days.  He was eternally grateful to Kumo for filling in the gaps, but he needed to know more.  He could not wait a single moment longer.  He begged her to continue.  He was already in tears, but as long as he had Chu-lun by his side, he felt that he could go on.  She clutched his hand tightly and placed it in her lap.

“Please continue, Kumo.  We can handle it.  Whatever you have to say, we can handle it,” Lee assured her.

Kumo held her sweet kitten in her arms and continued with the most difficult part of the story.

“We were left in the trunk for hours...,”

After a full day of searching for Jeongguk, Jimin came home empty handed.  Jeongguk was still missing.  Even with all of Jimin’s resources, they couldn’t find him.  It was a sign that things were even worse than he first anticipated.   

He walked up to the front door of his Penthouse, full of angst and despair.  A note was waiting for him.  It said: Hand over your brother, or they both die.  Jimin focused on the word both.  Both.  Both?

He burst through the door screaming, “Kumo?  Kumo where are you?  Kumo, answer me sweetheart.” 

But Kumo did not answer.  The house was dark, the curtains were drawn, there was no one home.

Jimin collapsed against the door.  It was exactly as he had feared.  Sun-dook had Jeongguk and now, somehow, he also had Kumo.  Sun-dook was raining down terror upon Jimin in retaliation for his grandson’s death. 

But as Jimin sat there, contemplating his next move, a strange sensation began to grow within him.  The placatory persona of the Posco CEO retreated as the truculent mafia Hyungnim stepped forward.  Sun-dook was playing a dangerous game.  He took Jimin for weak because Jimin avoided conflict.  But Jimin had a switch, a detonator that unleased his rage.  Fucking with his husband and his wife, using them as pawns in a game of manipulation, was unforgivable.  Jung had written his own death sentence.  Jimin’s eyes suddenly went dark.  If sun-dook wanted to continue down this dangerous path, then Jimin would meet him there.  He never wanted Sun-dook to be his enemy, but the foolish, old man brought the war to him.  So enemies – they were.

The trunk was small and cramp and they were tossed over each other as the car sped away.  It was difficult to breathe, especially while gagged.  Kumo managed to get her gag loose and speak.  She tried to whisper to Jeongguk.

“Kookie, Kookie are you ok?”  She used her teeth to grab the gag and pull it from Jeongguk’s mouth so that he could speak.

Jeongguk was groggy.  He had been drugged.  There was no way that guards could have gotten a stallion like Jeongguk hog tied and tossed into a trunk unless they had compromised him.  He had been drugged and the medication had not yet worn off.  Jeongguk tried to speak, but no words came out.

“Oh Kookie.  I’m scared.  Oh my God, but at least you’re ok.  You’re ok.  We’re going to get out of this ok?”

Jeongguk could barely open his eyes.  He was bleeding from a gash in his temple and his binds were extremely tight. “K-kumo...its going to beeeeeeeee ooook, ooookay.  Justttt dooooo as they saaaaaaaaay,”  Jeongguk’s speech was slow and slumbered.  He did his best to soothe his friend’s fears but he was barely conscious himself.   

“Kookie, just relax.  They have us locked in a trunk.  But Jimin...Jimin is going to find us.  He has everyone looking for us.  Everyone.  He’s going to find us.  They think we’re hiding Xio.  They want Xio, Kookie, not us.  Jimin just has to prove to them that he’s dead and then they’ll let us go.” Kumo whispered.

The car was moving quickly.  It felt as if they were on the expressway, but it was difficult to gather their bearings in the dark cramp space.  Jeongguk continued to merge in and out of consciousness, but each time he came to, he would try to muster encouraging words for Kumo.

“Don’t worry about me Kookie.  Don’t try to talk.  It’s going to be ok.  Jimin will save us.  He will,”  Kumo said.  But with each passing hour of them being hopelessly crammed in the trunk, she became more leery.  Wherever they were going, they were creating more and more distance between them and Jimin which would make them more difficult to find.  Kumo tried not to panic, but things were growing grim. 

She fought against her restraints.  The kidnappers had bound Jeongguk with long telephone cords, but they had only used a couple layers of tape on Kumo.  She found a sharp corner on the trunk release and used it to cut through the tape around her wrists.  Jeongguk did not look good.  She really felt that they needed to get help.  She began to understand that they were on their own.  They could not rely on Jimin.  They were too well hidden and he had no leads to follow.  It was going to be up to she and Jeongguk to save themselves. 

***

Jimin sat in his chair with his legs crossed.  He twirled the telephone cord around his index finger as he waited patiently for Jung Sun-dook to pick up the phone.  One of Jung’s guards answered the phone and immediately placed Jimin on hold.  Jimin grew exponentially more irritated with each passing minute.   Jung was intentionally making him wait. 

“Park Jimin.  I presume you’ve come to your senses and agreed to hand over your brother.” Jung’s voice croaked over the phone.

“I told you that my brother is not available.  My brother is dead, Jung.”

“Tell me where he’s buried.  My men will verify it and it will all be over,”  Jung said.

“You know that I can’t do that.  We – destroyed the body,”  Jimin stated.

“Come now Jimin.  You really expect me to believe that?”

“Why would I lie?  The only two people in the world who mean anything to me have been captured by your men.  I need them back Jung.  I wouldn’t lie to you about Xio.  Do you really think I give a fuck about him?  Are you so old and out of touch that you think I would favor my brother over my two friends?  I wouldn’t favor my brother over a pile of shit.  That is how little I think of him.  He is dead, Jung.  Please, don’t make a mistake that you’ll regret.  It’s not too late to turn this around.  Let them go.  I’m asking you out of an abundance of respect, to please let them go.  We were once friends.  You don’t want to make an enemy out of me,” Jimin said passionately.

“Are you threatening me?  You?  The corporate CEO?  Let me explain the problem here boy.  You’ve lost your touch.  You’ve been cuddled up with that dick lover cop, living the life of a Hollywood movie star, tycoon type.  You have no idea how things work on the streets nowadays.  That is one thing that your brother has over you.   He is a ruthless gangster through and through.  You are something north of that.  So here is how it will go.  Either you deliver Xio to me within the hour or both of your whores will die,”  Jung countered. 

“Are you dense you old ass fucker?  I told you that he was dead!” 

“One hour. Good Evening Mr. Park,” Jung disconnected. 

The dreaded hour that Jung Sun-dook had given Jimin to produce Xio had come and gone.  Despite Jimin’s best efforts, there were no sightings of either Jeongguk or Kumo.  Jimin’s crew had stormed the offices of G&S looking for Jung, but he was not there.  With the help of the Yakuza, Jimin’s crew tore through all of Ging Street’s whore houses, gambling casinos, forgery rackets, and drug dens.  But there were no clues as to where Jung had taken Jeongguk and Kumo. 

The surveillance that Jimin had on Jung reported back that Jung was not even in Seoul at the time.  He was in Gwangju. He was careful to keep his distance from the actual scene of the crime. 

Jimin’s only comfort was in knowing that Kumo and Jeongguk were probably together.  He knew that if Jeongguk had even the slightest opportunity and a fair fight, that he would win.  He knew that his stallion had it in him to take them all single handedly.  But would the fight be fair?  Knowing Jung, it would not. 

The only thing Jimin could do was wait.  He had no leverage, no plan of attack, nothing.  Kumo and Jeongguk had just disappeared without a trace.  Jimin’s heart was officially deactivated.  He could no longer allow his emotions to be involved. Whatever happened from that point on, would be all about business.  There was a reason that mobsters never fell in love...

Jeongguk was still not capable of communicating very well.  Kumo finally snapped through the tape that bound her wrists.  With her free hands, she worked to also release Jeongguk.  His binds were much tighter, but after some time she was able to get him loose.

The car continued to drive on and on for hours until they finally stopped.  Kumo took that as a good sign.  It meant that they were finally going to be let out of the trunk.  She needed to get she and Jeongguk out.  Jeongguk was still bleeding from a wound and he had not come out of his grogginess.  He needed help.  He desperately needed help.  Whatever drugs they had given him were powerful.  She hoped that they would at least get him some water and bandages as they tried to contact Jimin to negotiate. 

“Kookie?  Do you hear that?  Footsteps?  They’re coming to let us out.”  Kumo could not have been more wrong. 

Time was up for Jeongguk and Kumo.  Jung had given his men the official signal.  Thankfully neither of them knew what was coming.  Kumo could hear clicking coming from behind the vehicle.  It sounded like large guns being cocked or something.  She wasn’t sure.  She waited patiently for the moment the trunk door would open and she could take a whiff of fresh air - but that moment never came. 

Instead, she heard loud explosions clanging against the steel outer frame of the trunk.  The car rocked violently as explosions kept coming one after another.  Shrapnel began to fly everywhere as Kumo raised her hands to protectively cover her face.   What she eventually recognized as gun shots, were coming from not one gun but two.  She and Jeongguk were under attack.  They were being executed; murdered in cold blood. 

Suddenly Kumo felt a heavy solid arm around her, pulling her close as she was shielded from the rebounding bullets.  She wrapped her arms around Jeongguk and began to cry as she felt the first hot sting of bullets enter her back.  She screamed, but stopped.  It was in her best interest to play dead.  If the shooters thought they were both dead, maybe they would stop shooting. 

As luck would have it, the steel frame of the old 1959 sedan created a semi-protective layer around them by absorbing much of the fire power aimed against them.  The shooters had no idea that only a fraction of the shots fired were actually making it through the car’s thick skin. The damage, however, was still devastating.  Both Kumo and Jeongguk took multiple shots to the legs, back, chest and shoulders. 

When the shooting finally stopped, the car was decimated.  There were over 150 bullet holes.  All of the windows were busted open.  And all of the tires were flattened.  It was an execution so brutal that only the devil himself could have ordered it. 

Kumo, despite being in excruciating pain, did not say a word.  She did not move a muscle.  She kept her eyes closed and just listened.  She was growing dizzy but she would not relent to the darkness.  She had to get out of the trunk.  She and Jeongguk had to get to safety.  Suddenly the trunk popped open.  She remained as still as possible.  She could not let them know that she was still breathing. 

“Shit, what a mess.  There’s blood everywhere,  I’m going to be pissed off if the boss makes us clean this up,”  one of the men said.

The other explained, “Nah.  The instructions are to leave them here.  He wants them found by Park.  He’s sending a message.  Are they both dead?”

“Looks that way. I don’t see either of them breathing.  Let’s go.  Leave the trunk open.  The boss wants them found.”  The first man propped the trunk partially open.

They turned and walked back to another vehicle that they had waiting on the side of the road.  They were in the middle of nowhere, off of a dirt road just outside Seoul.  It was slightly isolated, but just busy enough for passersby to eventually find the bodies. 

As she heard them drive away, Kumo opened her eyes.  She began to cry in pain.  “Jeongguk.  Kookie.  Kookie are you ok?  Baby please.  Open your eyes. Open your eyes.”  Jeongguk did not move.  He was riddled with bullets and bleeding profusely.  Kumo screamed quietly, “KOOOOOOKIEEEEEEE!  NOOOOOOOO!  Baby please wake up! Open your eyes. Open your eyes.”  She beat him on the shoulders,  begging and pleading with him to take a breath.  There were large holes all over his body.

Jeongguk did not stir and he was not breathing.  “Please, don’t leave him Kookie.  Please.  He won’t survive this.  He needs you.  Please, baby, just open your eyes.  Please.  Jimin needs you, you’re his entire world, please baby, just open you FUCKING EYES!”  The horrible truth was beginning to sink in.  But still she begged him to just open his eyes, take a breath, say a word.  She cried his name over and over, “Kookie.  Koooooooookie! Kooooooookie!”  She screamed as loudly as her bullet tattered chest would allow, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO BABY NOOOOOO!”  He was gone.  Gone.  Jimin’s husband, his beloved, his reason for living, his moral compass - was no more.  Even in Jeongguk’s weakened state, he had sacrificed himself to save her.  He had taken the brunt of the gun shots as he shielded her.  He had died to save her. 

Kumo was delusional, in shock, traumatized and gravely injured. But she knew she had to get out of the trunk or she would die too.

 “Ok, Ok.  I have to get out of here.  I have to find someone.” She whispered to Jeongguk quietly. 

Every inch of her body was in pain, but she fought through it.  The dead weight of Jeongguk’s body still covered hers. She found his blood stained cheek and kissed him, as she gingerly pushed him away so that she could move.  Tears blurred her vision that was already blighted by the dark enclosed space.  She loved him so much, but he was gone and she had to get help.

A mixture of salty blood and dirt filled her mouth as she repositioned.  The inside of the trunk was musty, full of the smell of oil soaked rags, gasoline and tire rubber.  She could feel the icy surface of the tire irons, spare tools and old cans that were trapped beneath her body.  It was cold outside and the chill had begun to seep into the trunk of the abandoned car with no heat.  She had to get out.  She wedged her bloody fingers into the latch of the trunk and pushed it up so that it would open fully.  Her dizziness grew more intense but she was determined to make it out alive.  White spots flashed and disappeared before her eyes as she teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.    

She pulled her leg free and hoisted it over the back end of the trunk. She had no strength to move any further so she just allowed herself to fall to the ground.  Her once gorgeous blonde locks were now sullied with the crimson stains of her own blood.  She was covered in dirt and filth.  She crawled to the side of the car before pulling herself to her feet.  There was a busy street just a few meters away.  There were cars there.  If she could be seen, someone would help them.  She made her way, stumbling a few meters away from the car until she was back on the main highway.  She waved her arms when she finally saw someone coming.  She had given all of the strength she had.  But before she could speak to her rescuers to tell them what had happened and beg them to help Jeongguk, she blacked out.  She fell hard to the ground. 

She never saw Jeongguk again.

“When Kumo awakened after the shooting, she was in her own bed.  She was heavily bandaged and heavily sedated. There were voices, a couple of them, whispering in the hallway.  She swore that one of the voices belonged to Jimin.  Was she dreaming?  Hallucinating?  Instantly, her memory of what had happened snapped into place.  She remembered everything and began screaming, “Kookie!  Kookie!  He’s dead...HELP. HELP he’s dead!”

Jimin and the doctor ran into the room.  “Kumo, it’s ok.  Calm down.  It’s ok.  You’re safe now.”  Jimin sat on the edge of the bed and embraced her.  His emotions were turned off, so even seeing her in her deepest despair calling out for Jimin’s husband did not affect him.  That portion of himself had been destroyed once and for all.  Everything was business.  “You saw Jeongguk?  He was with you?”

“We were ambushed.  Shot by a firing squad as we were locked in the trunk.  Jeongguk is dead.  They shot us until they were out of bullets.  Jimin it was horrible.  I don’t know how I survived.”

Jimin’s personal physician stepped forward to explain the extent of her injuries to Kumo, “You were shot nine times.  You’re a very lucky woman.  All nine shots hit you in non-fatal soft tissue.  You lost a lot of blood, but you’ll make a full recovery.” 

“Where’s Jeongguk now?  Or should I say where did you last see his body?”  Jimin asked.

“Min, he was in the trunk next to me.  How did you find me?  Where was I?  Was I still in the trunk too?  Where is he?”

“No.  You were found on the side of the road.  You had wandered into the street and collapsed.  You were found about ½ a block from where the bullet ridden car was discovered.  There was no report of anyone in the trunk,”  Jimin explained.  “Kumo, are you sure he was dead?”

Kumo’s eyes filled with tears, “I’m positive.  He wasn’t breathing, he had been shot so many times.  He covered me, he protected me.  He had been drugged Jimin, he wasn’t even in his right mind.  I’m not sure he even knew what was happening.  He was hog tied and bound and gagged but I was able to get him free.  He didn’t deserve this Jimin.  Why did this happen?  Why did Jung do this?  And WHERE IS KOOKIE?”

Jimin was all business.  “Stop screaming.  You’ve got about 8000 stitches.”  Jimin placed a cold towel over Kumo’s forehead.  He did his best to explain, “Jung felt that he was teaching me a lesson.  He was too ignorant to realize that I was telling the truth about Xio being dead, so he went after the only two people I have ever cared about.  As for Jeongguk, we don’t know where he is.  How did they grab you Kumo?”

“I was waiting on the corner for my limo to arrive.  The guards were with the limo driver.  I didn’t think there would be any harm in heading out to the corner to wait.  They were less than two minutes away.  But they got caught at a light.  I guess Jung’s men had been watching me and waiting for their chance because out of nowhere, some guy dragged me into an alley and threw me into a trunk.  Jeongguk was already in there.  He had been drugged and hit on the head with something.  He was in and out of consciousness but he was coherent enough to say my name.  The car drove around for hours and hours.  And when we finally stopped, I was so happy.  I thought that we were being let out or maybe you had found us.  But instead, they opened fire on us and tried to kill us.  It was the most...,”  Kumo cried again.  She could not face the trauma of what had happened to her and Jeongguk. 

Jimin wrapped his arms around her again.  “I begged you to leave.  I begged you to get out of the country.  I warned you that you would eventually become a target.”  Jimin was cold in his response.  He looked up at the doctor, “Can you give her a sedative or something?”

“I already did.  It should kick in within the next hour or so.”

“How did I get here?  How did I get back home yet Jeongguk isn’t with me?”

Jimin tried to explain.  “My guards had been out patrolling all day, looking for the two of you.  There was a witness who saw you walking up the block while the two cars circled you.  She got the description of one of the cars.  A few members of my reactivated crew were out looking for a car that matched that description.  When they got off the expressway to get gas, they saw you laying in the road.  You had managed to walk away from the car before finally collapsing.  They traced your steps back to the bullet ridden car. It matched the description of the car that the witness had described.   But there was no one inside and the trunk was empty.  They called me and I had them rush you to a private hospital where I knew you would be safe.”

“But Jeongguk wasn’t in the car?  Then where is his body?  He was dead Jimin.  He didn’t just get up and walk away.  Where is he?” Kumo questioned.

“I don’t know Kumo,”  Jimin was emotionless.  “You were in the private hospital for surgery but then we brought you home to recover.  I had to bring you here to protect you.  We couldn’t leave you in a facility where someone could potentially find you.  We made a statement to the news that you had been taken to the hospital but died of your injuries.  Jung thinks you’re dead, Kumo.  If he finds out you’re still alive, he could come after you again.  As for Jeongguk, I don’t know where he is or who took him.  Its possible that Jung has his body and plans on using it as some negotiating tool.  I really don’t know.  But he wasn’t in the trunk Kumo.  I went to the car and checked myself.  His body is missing.”  Jimin said stoically.  There was not even the slightest hint of emotion in his voice, despite the horrific things he was saying.  Every emotion had been turned off, walled up, vaulted behind cement.  He was nothing more than a cold callous robot. 

There was a reason that mobsters didn’t fall in love...

Jimin called every funeral home in Seoul.  Jeongguk was not there.  He called every single morgue as well, still no sign of him.  He checked all of the common dumping grounds and even paid for the bottom of the river to be dredged.  Nothing.  Jeongguk’s body had simply disappeared. 

 His only hope for finding his husband was to get the location directly from Jung himself.  But since he knew that Jung was not willingly going to talk, he had to find other means for gathering the information.  Through some very well connected friends in the prosecutor’s office, Jimin was able to gain access to the wire taps that the police had placed on Jung’s phones.  He was able to secretly eavesdrop on every single conversation between Jung and his crew.    

From Jung’s perspective, Jeongguk had indeed been killed in the attack.  However there was no mention of his body and no one claimed to know where it was.  As far as Jung’s men were concerned, the matter was closed.  They had made a point to leave Kumo and Jeongguk in a location where Jimin could find them and that was as low as it could possibly get.  Jung was in full mobster mode.

For several days,  Jimin patiently listened to every single phone call going in and out of Jung’s office.  Twenty-four-seven he sat in his study waiting for the smoking gun that could lead him to Jeongguk’s body.  All he wanted was the decency to be able to return him to his brother so that he could give him a proper burial. 

Finally on the third day of monitoring Jung’s phone calls, Jimin stumbled upon a conversation between Jung and one of the men who had kidnapped Jeongguk.  They joked about how difficult it was to get Jeongguk into the trunk and how they had to hog tie him and drug him to take him down.  They joked about how they threatened to fuck him up the ass since he liked dicks so much.  They joked about how they were going to tell his old precinct about him being a gay.  They joked about his brother being a Priest and having a brother who was a dirty cop.  And they joked about how he begged them not to hurt Kumo when he learned that they were going to kill her too.  Finally, they joked about how many bullets they shot into him and how he didn’t even try to fight for his life.    

Jimin heard it all.  There was a reason that mobsters didn’t fall in love.  All he could see was grey.  He ripped the phone from the wall.  His breathing slowed as he stared up at the ceiling.  His entire body relaxed as his face transformed under the pressure of rage.  He rolled his head around is circles, popping his neck and cracking the bones in his back.  The change was coming. The fury had sprouted within him.  The Park Jimin that had prevailed for so many years was forced out.   Something dark, something evil, and something deadly was unleashed in its stead. 

“And when she opened the door four days later...all of the rats were dead.  Jimin had killed them all with his bare hands...,”

Kumo stopped the retelling of her story.  Lee’s shoulders had slumped over and he was now wailing openly into his hands.  He thought he was strong enough to hear about his brother’s final moments, but he was nowhere near it.  The pain was extraordinary.  In the dark room created by his closed eyes, he saw a vision; countless tubes and needles and monitors that were connected to Jeongguk’s body as he lay in the hospital. He also saw the nurses and doctors who were working so hard to keep his brother alive. 

Jung had ordered the execution of an innocent man to resolve a vendetta.  It was all so useless and unnecessary and Jeongguk was the ultimate victim.  Lee wanted to blame Jimin, but he knew that Jimin was as much of a victim as the rest of them.  It was only Xio who he could fully denounce – but he was dead so what was the purpose? 

There was nothing left inside of Jeongguk.  He was just an empty shell.  His light had been extinguished for no valid reason.  And, after hearing the brutality of Jeongguk’s attack, Lee wondered if it was foolish to continue to have hope.  Secretly, for the very first time, he contemplated removing Jeongguk from the machines that were keeping him alive.  With Jimin dead, and knowing how Jeongguk was suffering, he wondered if it was better to just release him so that he and Jimin could be together forever in peaceful death.  The thought of saying goodbye to his brother ripped him to shreds.  He sobbed even louder, with his hands covering his face.  Lee’s tears fell so rampantly that the entire top of his shirt and collar had become soaked.

Chu-lun searched through her purse until she found a large ball of tissue.  She handed it to Lee, but not before holding a single tissue back to wipe her own tears.  Even though she didn’t know Jeongguk well, the pain that Lee was suffering was enough to tug at every single one of her heart strings.  It was a tragic tale that would have affected any decent human being.  She wrapped her arms around Lee.  He found the warmth of her shoulder and released all of his pain. 

Kumo’s kitten Kookie suddenly wrapped his body around Lee’s ankles.  He was the ultimate emotional support animal who could sense a distressed soul from a mile away.  He walked back and forth between Kumo and Lee as he did his best to console them both.

Kumo cried as well.  As traumatic as it was for Lee to hear her story, it was three times more devastating for her to tell it, because she had lived it.  It was her and Jeongguk’s story.  Still, she felt terrible watching Lee suffer, “I’ve said too much.  I’m so sorry.  I cannot imagine how painful this must be for you to hear.  I’m so sorry.  I should have never told you this.  I won’t say anything further.”

Chu-lun spoke for Lee.  Although he was unable to say the words, she knew exactly what he was feeling in his heart. “Do not stop.  You must finish.  We must know everything.  Lee will be fine, he can handle it.  Just give him a moment, and then please continue.  We can’t leave here until we know the truth about everything.”

Lee nodded and smiled.  It was exactly how he felt.

Despite their insistence that they go on, Kumo took the time to give them a much needed break.  She ordered food, sat them down at the table and saw to it that all of them ate.  It was exactly what the two strangers needed because after a little food and light banter, they were much stronger and better equipped to hear more.  With full bellies and pleasant dispositions, they started again. 

Kumo began, “As I continued to heal, Jimin continued to withdraw.  We barely spoke over the week that passed after the shooting.  He came and went, all hours of the night.  Most of the time I had no idea where he was going.  Something changed in him.  I just didn’t know what to do...he wouldn’t talk.  He wouldn’t cry.  He wouldn’t even say Jeongguk’s name.  He would only refer to him as “the detective” and that’s only if he referred to him at all.  I didn’t understand who my husband had become...,”

December 31st, 1966 - International Association of Global Conglomerates; Tokyo, Japan...

The lights inside of the board room were dim, with only several sconces illuminated along the four walls.  The men could barely see each other, but operating under the cover of darkness was their standard motive operandi.  They could be more relaxed and settled without garish lighting that revealed too much.  The room inside of the International Association of Global Conglomerates was large enough to fit 50 people around the mahogany oval table.  But on this day, only five men convened.  Each of them were well established, polished, immaculate, wealthy and deadly:  Kosuke Takata, Jeff Yamamoto, Steven Nakamura, Harimo Matsufuji, and in the center with his legs crossed, back straight, eyes focused, and a $10,000 gold bracelet dripping from his right arm, Park Jimin.

The five men had several peculiarities in common: they represented the most powerful members of the Asian cartel, they were staunch businessmen who owned profitable corporations, they served on boards internationally including several in America, they held index funds in the richest companies across the globe, and they were the most formidable enemies that anyone could ever make.  And Park Jimin walked amongst them.  They were the leaders of the modern day Yakuza.  The founders of the Asian mafia - the Japanese.  They were the standard upon which all others were built.  They were one of the deadliest and most feared organizations the world had ever known.  Furthermore, every single one of them owed a debt to Jimin.  And he was there to collect.

At the age of twenty-one, fresh out of college, Jimin cultivated friendships and gained alliances in powerful places.  Even as a young man, Jimin had a vision, not just for himself and his own family, but for the Asian crime families as a whole.  The brilliance of his great, great grandfather was that he knew the community had the wherewithal to escape lives of crime, especially after the war.  Jimin expanded upon that idea by spearheading a new concept that would retire the old crime-ridden business model and replace it with a new approach to wealth and sustainability. 

He took his idea to the Yakuza, since they were the oldest crime families within Asia.  The result was the creation of a multi-billion dollar conglomerate that represented the largest organizations in the world.  It became known as the Asian Cartel Coalition or the ACC. Through his savvy business acumen and brilliant legal expertise, he helped the entire Asian criminal enterprise transform by legitimizing themselves into corporate operations through strategic partnerships.  Nothing like this had ever been done on such a large scale and all of the major crime families across the continent immediately saw the benefit of Jimin’s vision.

At the age of thirty, Jimin was installed as a member of the Yakuza.  It was a rare honor for a Korean since the Yakuza were exclusively Japanese.  But his position as part of the Yakuza legacy supplanted him as one of the most powerful men in the world.  It was a little known fact that even his nemesis back in Korea didn’t understand.  Jimin was much bigger than a common thug pretending to be a CEO.  Men like Jung Sun-dook were never on Jimin’s level, but out of an abundance of humility and respect, Jimin never flexed his true power, his true connections – until now.

Kosuke Takata, the leader, rose to call the meeting to order.  He paced around the room, bowing to each of the men who stood to bow to him in honorable return. 

“Gentlemen, we have been called here today by one of our own.  As lovely as it is to see all of you again, I’m afraid this is not a friendly visit.  This is about a serious business matter.  Our brother has given us a call to action and it is time for us to respond.”  Kosuke Takata yielded the floor to Jimin. 

“Brothers, it is not my practice to ask for favors, nor is that my intention now.  But what I do need is for you to listen to my story and understand why I must act in accordance with my honor and principles.  There is a personal component of this that I must handle myself.  I ask that you not interfere in anyway.  But there is a larger part of this situation where I believe it will be in your best interest as Yakuza to make a show of power.”  Jimin was cold, unfeeling, glassy eyed.  He summarized his tale as quickly as possible, “A war has been declared on me, through no real fault of my own other than being dealt a bad hand in the sibling department.”  Jimin looked around the room.  Each man knew exactly what he was referring to.  “A petty criminal by the name of Jung Sun-dook has decided that he wants to destroy me.  Interesting really considering that I could have crushed him long ago, but chose respect and restraint as I have always urged from each of you.  But this man is being fueled by grief, and he is making bad decisions.  Understandably, I am now also being fueled by grief, but I will be making very good decisions. 

Sun-dook is the leader of the Ging Street Kkangpae, an organization that I have almost completely eliminated, legally of course.  They have a business front known as G&S Construction and they are very real competitors in the business world, winning several bids from me.  But in a foolish attempt to humiliate my now dead brother, they started down a path of what I can only consider – disrespectful behavior.  They have stolen from me, they have cost my company significant losses, they have publicly embarrassed me and they have trespassed on my property.  But through it all, I have ignored them.  I have allowed them to have their silly tantrums while I remained focused on running my business. 

But last year, things grew more intense after my brother involved us in a feud that would have been better suited on a playground.  He crossed the line and in no way did I authorize his actions or condone his behavior.  And that brings us back to Jung Sun-dook and his previously aforementioned dumb decisions.  He has chosen to direct his anger for my brother, towards me.  He has made this personal.  He ordered an execution of the last two people on this earth that I consider family.  One survived the attack, one did not.  Many of you are already aware of the events of December 28th because you kindly sent men to help search for them when they were missing.”

There was a light grumble across the room as the members of the ACC reacted negatively to the news of Jimin’s family being attacked.  It was the ultimate disrespect of the Yakuza of which Jimin was a member.  They all secretly wondered how Jimin managed to be so calm and composed given his tragedy.  Everyone knew Jimin’s power and knew what he was capable of, but they respected his judicious use of authority.  They respected that he never was an aggressor or allowed himself to be caught up in petty games.  He was a big thinker and a strategist, not impulsive.  He did not deserve to be targeted and they all agreed.

Kosuke Takata spoke on behalf of the group, “Our condolences for your loss.  This is a personal matter, you have made that clear.  You have asked us to stay out of it, you have made that clear as well.  But what do you need from us?  What show of power do you wish to see?”

Jimin gave a quick nod, “It’s time for Sun-dook’s house to fall.  I want all of his assets frozen.  He has a large property in Gwangju and I have it on good authority, he has not paid his taxes.  Please see to it that property is seized.  There are several infractions on the construction site of the new Mapo apartment complex.  I want it shut down.  And if you are so inclined, please see to it that the contract is granted to a smaller company who needs the business.  I have leads on all of his illegal dealings, his forgery shops, his drug dens, and his gambling houses. I want them all shut down.  I want him destroyed financially. I want his legacy to burn with nothing left but ashes.  This Kkangpae will never do business again legally or illegally.  Am I clear?”  Jimin stated, like the total and complete bad ass that he was.

“All due respect young one, we suggested you eliminate him years ago, but out of your mutual respect for that man, youasked us to refrain.  It’s good to know that you’ve had a change of heart,”  Takata smiled.

Jimin gave one final message, “I do not take this request lightly.  I begged Jung to be sensible.  I begged him not to take actions out of grief.  He did not listen.  I warned him not to make an enemy out of me.”

January 2nd, 1967 – Five days after Jeongguk and Kumo’s attack

Jimin stepped out of the shower.  He stopped briefly in front of the mirror to stare at the necklace around his neck.  He reached behind him and unlatched the clasp, then removed the beautiful necklace from his body.  With the delicate gold medallion bundled in his cupped hands, he gave it one final kiss.  He closed his eyes.  For the briefest moment, he could feel his husband’s lips kiss his chest where the necklace always hung.  A vision appeared of Jeongguk standing in front of him, kissing the skin of his chest for the very last time.  Foolishly, Jimin felt that as long as he had Jeongguk’s fedora, Jeongguk would always come back to him.  But it didn’t work that way, because his beloved detective was never seen again.  The memory was so crippling that Jimin’s knees buckled.  He was almost too weak to even hold himself upright.  The pain tried to bubble up once again, but Jimin quickly repressed it.  He immediately cursed those emotions and beat them back like the evil burdens they were.  He banished them, for good this time.  He walked to his bedroom dresser and placed the necklace softly on top of the jewelry box. 

His blood ran cold with unfeeling vengeance.  A new phase had begun.  From that moment on, every move he planned to make was a calculated business decision.  Park Jimin was truly gone.

The phone rang within Jimin’s study.  He placed his robe around his shoulders and walked to his study to answer it, “Park.” 

“Jimin, we have uh...news.”  The man on the other end was Yen.  Jimin’s old friend and head of corporate security.   Yen had volunteered to secretly trail the men who had shot Jeongguk and Kumo.  The hope was that the men would eventually lead Yen to where they had stashed Jeongguk’s body.  

It occurred to Jimin that with Jeongguk being a cop, Jung probably changed his mind about wanting to leave his body where it could be found.  So likely, Jung had returned to the scene of the crime to retrieve it and hide it.   

“News?”  Jimin knew what the news was about.  It was news on Jeongguk.  Based on the tone of Yen’s voice, they had finally found him.  “Tell me.” 

“We believe he’s buried behind an old barn near Busan.  We followed Jung’s men there and saw them digging a grave. Based on the clothing the dead man was wearing, we think it was – him.  I’m so sorry Jimin,”  Yen said.  Yen didn’t know much about Jimin and Jeongguk’s relationship, but he did know that Jeongguk was a dear friend of Jimin’s; thus why he had offered to help when he learned of his missing remains.

Jimin was curt.  Signs of warmth no longer existed, “Make no further moves until you hear from me.  Keep an eye on the location.  I’ll be in touch.”  He hung up the phone. 

Jimin did not want the body to be dug up without him being there.  He had to see him.  He had to say one last goodbye.  But first, he had other business to address.

He walked back to his bedroom and proceeded to get dressed.  His dark grey tweed suit sat freshly pressed on the edge of his bed.  Jeongguk had helped him pick it over a year ago.  It was Jeongguk’s absolute favorite suit of Jimin’s because it represented Jimin’s best attempt at adding “color” to his exquisitely monotone wardrobe. 

The rest of Jimin’s outfit was just as dapper.  His dress shirt was so well starched that the collar stood on its own.  Each of his cufflinks were made of diamond clusters that shined like two large engagement rings studded inside of each of his sleeves.  And then there were the leather loafers from his favorite mom and pop store in Itaewon. 

He took a few minutes to brush his hair back and away from his forehead, applying just enough gel and hair spray to keep it in place.  He opened his suit jacket to slide his hand gun into the holster.  In addition, each of his pockets were filled with the necessary accessories for a fruitful day in town.  He took one final look at the finished product before heading out.

“Wow!  You look handsome,”  Kumo was sitting on the couch, near the front door, recuperating from her gun shots.  She once again dawned her silk robe with the abundance of goose feathers around the collar.  It had only been five days since she and Jeongguk were attacked but she was already on the mend.  Her personal doctor sat beside her, taking her vitals and changing her bandages.  “But where are you going?  Jimin...don’t you think we need to talk about – Jeongguk?  You act as if nothing has happened; making mysterious trips and coming and going at all hours of the night.  Min, I’m worried about you...I know how much you loved him.  Shouldn’t we at least try to talk about this?”  Kumo began to tear up.  “At least let me talk.  I need you, Min.   I loved him too, he was my friend too,” Kumo cried into her hands.

Jimin didn’t face her.  Instead, he looked around the room until he spotted Jeongguk’s fedora.  Jeongguk had left it there during his last visit.  It was important for Jimin to wear it.  He placed it on his head, grabbed his keys and softly proclaimed, “I’ll be back.”

Jung Sun-dook was not on the run.  He was far too arrogant and cocky for that.  But he was cognizant of the fact that he’d just ordered the killing of a high profile cop within the Seoul police department.  Cops were always extra motivated to solve a case when they involved the murder of one of their own.  The heat was on.  Even though Jung was confident that his men hadn’t left a trace of evidence, he decided to lay low for a few days until the fuss blew over.  The killings had made the newspapers and both victims were listed as deceased, which meant there was no one left behind to talk.  Jung was satisfied.  His men had done a good job making sure the two were dead.  They had also sent Park a very strong message. 

Although, he was concerned that Xio had not yet surfaced.  Jung openly wondered if Jimin had been telling the truth.  Was Xio truly dead as Jimin had claimed?  Had Jung had his men kill the cop and the wife for no reason?  Either way, someone needed to pay for what had been done to his grandson, so if it wasn’t Xio then it had to be Jimin.  That was the code.  That was the way. 

It was unusual for a man of Jung’s stature to be held up in a tiny apartment in Seoul as opposed to a fancy hotel.  But Jung had to do things a bit unconventionally if he were going to stay in Seoul.  Jung decided to stay in an obscure location, which was the apartment belonging to his nephew.  No one knew about the existence of his nephew and certainly no one knew where he lived.  The place was as safe as any for hiding out until the heat was off. 

Jung Sun-dook’s nephew was the eldest son of his sister.  The boy was a known drug addict, who lacked common sense. But with the designated heir of the Ging Street Kkangpae dead, Jung had to look to the future.  His wayward nephew was his only hope for training up a new generation to take over the business and keep the family name alive.  Of all of his sister’s children, this one was the best of the lot and that wasn’t saying much.

Jung didn’t take any chances.  He had two guards stationed out front, two inside and one right in front of the entrance door.  If there were any signs of police, he and his nephew would be given a heads up.  The guards around Jung were some of the best around.  They were loyal and willing to put their lives on the line to protect him.  He trusted them.    

As his nephew napped on the couch,  Jung sat on the phone working through G&S business.  Since he couldn’t work from the office, he set up a make-shift desk inside of the bedroom inside his nephew’s apartment.  Business had to keep going.

The building where Jung was hiding out was close to the brothels.  There was nothing of importance that stood out about it.  It sat in a row of ten other buildings that looked identical to it.  There were six floors and most of the units only had one bedroom.  On that particular night, the street that ran in front of the building was mostly deserted.  A low chilly fog hung thickly over the sidewalk, reducing visibility.  Everyone who traveled along the way was an indistinguishable shadow.  Everything was grey.  It was definitely creepy foreshadowing of what was to come. 

It was easy for Jimin to sneak up on the first guard because he had no entourage, no foreboding vehicles, no heavy weaponry; just him and his impeccable suit.  With Jeongguk’s fedora seated low on his head, his face was partially obscured.  There were two men there.  One on the left side of the building and one on the right.  He approached the one on the left side first.

“Good evening,  beautiful weather we’re having,”  he said to the guard. 

He pulled an ice pick from the inner pocket of his tailored suit and twirled it around in his hand like a baton and then he punched it through the man’s carotid artery along the front of his neck.  With two quick jabs straight to the throat, he killed him.  Blood poured from the man’s neck like the flow of a powerful waterfall.  But by that time, Jimin was gone.  His suit remained pristine. 

Jimin’s attack was so quiet that the guard on the right didn’t realize anything was happening.  He walked up and down the sidewalk whistling with not a care in the world. 

Jimin twisted the silencer over his .500 S&W hand gun and gently held it in his pocket.  He walked over to the second guard and called him from behind.

“Hey, its nice out.  Isn’t it?  Jeongguk loved weather like this,”  Jimin pointed the gun.  As soon as the guard turned around, he shot him right between the eyes. 

The elevator slowly lumbered to the sixth floor.  The building was old and rickety, full of roaches and vermin.  It was a fitting place for Jung to hide out.  Jimin stepped out of the elevator and immediately spotted Jung’s third guard.  He was stationed in front of the apartment door.  This guard was much more attentive.  He was clearly one of Jung’s more senior men. 

There was a room to Jimin’s right where the trash shoot was located.  The trash shoot was an opening to a long metal tube that ran the height of the building, and emptied directly into the large garbage bins below.  Jimin stepped inside of the small room. It was filled with rats but none of them concerned him.  He removed the silencer from his gun and then fired one shot down the shaft of the trash shoot.  The noise of the bullet bouncing off of the metal was deafening.  It caused the guard from the front door to come running towards the sound. 

As soon as the guard opened the door to the trash room, Jimin grabbed one of the fat, dirty rats and threw it into the man’s face.  The rat was terrified and clawed into the man’s hair, pressing his filthy body against the man’s lips and nose.  While the man screamed and pulled at the vermin, Jimin twisted behind him, battled him to the ground and wrapped his hands around the man’s head.  With the confused, unsuspecting guard gripped between his powerful thighs, Jimin twisted the man’s head around with one quick snap.  The man’s neck was broken instantly.  Despite the guard being twenty five pounds heavier, Jimin had killed him with his bare hands.  He dragged the man’s body into the trash room and closed the door behind him.  He watched the nasty little rat scurry down the hallway, towards the apartment where Jung was held up.

Jimin secured Jeongguk’s fedora on his head again and continued along his journey.  The guards who were stationed inside of the apartment were the two who were directly responsible for killing Jeongguk.  Although his preference would have been to torture them for days and watch them slowly die, he chose expediency and stealth.  Killing them quickly allowed him to maintain control of his emotions.  It was a very, very good decision.

Jimin replaced the silencer on his gun, opened the unlocked apartment door and walked right over to the couch where Jung’s nephew was sleeping.  With one single shot between the eyes, he killed him dead.  The man never woke up. 

The next guard came from the kitchen, but before he could take two steps, Jimin slashed his throat with a long blade that he had hidden in his pocket.  As soon as the man fell, he stabbed him in the neck, leaving the blade lodged inside of his windpipe.  The man gurgled up blood until he stopped moving.  Jimin’s attack made absolutely no sound and his suit remained pristine.

But there was one surprise that Jimin didn’t anticipate.  One of the guards was missing and he wasn’t sure where he was.  After a few seconds however, the missing guard emerged from the restroom with a newspaper under his arm, completely oblivious to the fallen bodies around him.  Jimin spun on the spot and fired two rounds into the man’s chest.  For good measure, he also shot him between the eyes.  But the man had a chance to scream before Jimin could kill him.  This alerted Jung who was in the back room on the telephone. 

As Jimin heard Jung Sun-dook’s footsteps approaching the front room, he slipped into the closet.  His element of surprise was gone, but that didn’t faze him.  Jung burst into the room with his gun drawn.  He fired indiscriminately, expecting someone to be standing there.  Afterall, Jung was a gangster too.  He knew how to handle a good old fashioned shoot out.  But Jimin had no appetite for a shoot-out, he only desired pain, suffering, vengeance. 

Jung looked around the room frantically until he saw the dead body of his nephew, “What the...?”

“So we meet again.”  Jimin stepped out of the closet and stood behind Jung. 

Jung spun around pointing his gun at Jimin, “Park!  You?  You did this?  You never learn.  YOU NEVER FUCKING LEARN!”

Jimin moved faster than Jung’s beating heart.  Before another breath could be taken, Jimin punched his ice pick directly into Jung’s chest, piercing his heart.  Jung’s eyes widened as he stumbled backwards and fell backwards to the ground.  Jung’s pain was excruciating as the labored chambers of his heart struggled to beat despite the bloody spear sticking from his chest. His gun was still in his hand.  He tried to lift it with one hand while clutching at his chest with the other. 

Jimin leaned over him and examined him curiously.  It had been a long time since he’d watched the life drain from someone’s eyes.  He made sure to speak his peace before the old man completely faded away, “It didn’t have to be this way.  I offered you peace.  I offered you a way out.  I told you that my brother was dead but you insisted on finding out the hard way that I was telling the truth.  And now you’ve pissed me off.  I killed your father this morning and I just slaughtered your nephew over there.  Two more of your best guards are hanging from the entrance to your estate.  And everyone in this building who was involved with the murder of the detective is now dead.  I didn’t enjoy the killing, but it was a necessary business transaction.  My deepest desire is to continue my wrath until I have destroyed everything and everyone that you love.  The Ging street Kkangpae will never walk this earth again.”  Jimin twisted the ice pick to maximize Jung’s pain. 

Jung’s eyes softened into a smile and blood gurgled from his mouth,  “You have balls of steel.  Killer instincts in your blood.  I wish you were my son.  B-b-b-bravo kid.  I-I-I never knew you had it in you.” Jung’s eyes froze, his heart stopped and he took his last warbled breath.  His breathing stopped.  The stare of death was upon him. 

Jimin closed Sun-dook’s eyes and said a few last words, “We’re no longer enemies, Sun-dook hyung.  Consider us – even.”

Lee and Chu-lun stared at each other.  As if the tales that Jeongguk told in his journals were not bad enough, the sadistic plot of sin only thickened with Kumo’s side of the story.   Lee couldn’t believe that his sweet, innocent, law abiding brother had sunk so deeply into the underworld.  It sickened him, terrified him.  If only he had known, maybe he could have stopped this. Maybe he could have prayed Jeongguk through this difficult time, maybe he could have pulled him away from these terrible influences.  Once again, Lee blamed himself. 

And despite Jimin being a killer, a savage killer, Lee identified with him.  He understood the depth of the toxic love that Jimin and his brother shared.  He understood the justification of Jimin’s actions.  Jimin’s love for Jeongguk had pushed him to be a better man, a perfect man.  But the loss of Jeongguk’s love had driven Jimin to become an animal.  Lee had never witnessed a love so complete, yet deeply flawed. 

Kumo concluded, “That was the end of the Ging Street Kkangpae.  And what Jimin didn’t destroy, the Yakuza did.  They kept their word.  They shut down everything.  Within a week G&S headquarters was bulldozed.  It’s now a vacant lot.  Jung’s home was seized and given to Jimin’s favorite orphanage.  The blood line of the Jung family was virtually eliminated.  The money was gone, the assets were gone.  It’s because of the actions of the Yakuza that my company, Posco, is thriving today. 

“This is simply incredible.  The loss of Jeongguk affected Jimin that much?”  Chu-lun had never seen such acts of love.  She barely knew any of these people but they had the most entertaining lives she’d ever heard. 

“There are no words to express the way that Jimin loved Jeongguk and vice versa.  It was probably a once in a lifetime phenomenon.  I’m just lucky to have been there to witness it, to aid it.  They were incredible and two of the people I loved the most.”  Kumo, for the fourth or fifth time during her painful recounting of the events, began to cry.  “We never found Jeongguk’s body.  We thought we had a lead on where he may have been buried, but it turned into another dead end.  I wish I could tell you that we found him.”  Kumo observed Lee and his companion.  For two people who had just learned that their loved one was dead, they were very reserved and calm.  What did they know that Kumo didn’t?  Kumo decided to challenge them further,  “Lee, something feels off.  Like maybe you know more than you’re telling me.  Are you sure you don’t know anything about Jeongguk’s remains?  I’ve been completely honest with you about what I know.  I have given you the honest truth about his painful last hours.  He was my friend, he meant everything to me.  If you know something that you’re not telling me...,”

Lee decided to come clean.  Kumo had proven her honesty.  Although no suspects were mentioned, much of what Kumo told them about Jimin’s revenge had been printed in the newspapers.  Jung was a known thug with criminal affiliations.  So when the bodies were found, most assumed it was because of mob affiliations.  The police closed the case without even searching for suspects.  But Kumo provided details that no one knew about.  She was clearly an insider and telling the truth.  She also had an obvious love for Jeongguk, even naming her kitten after him.  Lee felt that he could trust her.  He gave Kumo the missing piece of information that she needed to hear.

“Jeongguk is alive.”

“What?”  Kumo jumped to her feet and grabbed her coat.  “Where?  Where is he?  Oh GOD WHERE IS HE?” 

Lee stood and pulled her back down to her chair, “Please, wait.  Kumo, let me finish.  The day of the incident, I guess you were able to stumble away from the scene.  Jeongguk was still in the trunk, but he regained consciousness just briefly and managed to crawl out.  A group of teenagers driving by found him lying there.  He had lost tremendous amounts of blood.  His brain was starved for oxygen and he lapsed into a coma.  He’s still alive Kumo, but he’s in a vegetative state.  The doctor’s say there is no hope, but I believe there is always hope.  Anyway, while I was looking for his Will and trying to make medical decisions for him, I came across a series of 130 journals that recounted everything – his entire love affair with Jimin.  My bub isn’t technically dead, so technically, I should not have read any of the information that he left for me.  But I was so desperate to know who tried to kill him, that I committed to reading everything in hopes of finding his attackers.  But now that I know who shot him, I can rest knowing that his attack has already been avenged.  It is not the way of God, but fuck it feels good to know that bastard got what he deserved.  He had no right to try to kill my poor brother,”  Lee said without shame.


Chu-lun threw her hands up.  The Priest was a lost cause.  Nothing about what he had said was Godly at all.  But deep inside, she understood completely what he was feeling.  He may have been a Priest, but he was a human first.

Kumo’s face was frozen in horror.  She had gone from elation back down to despair in mere seconds.  “How are his doctors?  Have you gotten a second opinion?  A third?  A fourth?”  Mrs. Park Jimin had learned well from her husband. She was not one to allow things to just happen around her without her express permission.  She challenged Lee on how much he’d done to truly help his brother. 

“I’m a man of meager means.  I’m doing what I can.  Doctors cost money and although Jeongguk seems to have amassed quite a bit of wealth, he’s still alive and I cannot legally access his finances.”

“Can I see him?” Kumo rushed her words and sat on the edge of her seat. 

Lee looked at Chu-lun.  She held his hand and whispered, “It might help.  It might do him some good to hear her voice,”  Chu-lun advised. 

“Yes. But ...we’re not finished here Kumo, please.  I have just a few more questions...,”

Before he could continue Chu-lun jumped in front of him, “What happened to Jimin?”

Kumo realized that she had avoided telling the most painful part of her story; the facts about what had happened to her loving husband.  She handled it as delicately as possible, “That night...the night that he went after Jung’s crew, he came home around 9pm.  His suit was pristine but his mood was terribly somber.  Had he not told me with his own two lips what he had done, I would have never believed it.  The next day, as you know, it was all over the news.  And that’s when I knew it was my Min’s work.  I knew it. 

I went to him the following morning with breakfast, just as I always did.  He was sitting on the edge of the bed, not feeling well.  I made him a glass of ice water and made sure that he drank it.  He seemed better temporarily but then when he tried to stand, he fell over.  Lee, he died right there of a heart attack.  Paramedics tried to save him, but there was nothing more that they could do.  It was the day that Jimin had been planning for, for a long time; his own demise.  Everything was in place, his Will, his funeral arrangements, even the suit he wanted to wear.  Because of Jimin’s stature within the community, we held the funeral the very next morning.  Jimin had many admirers and many who loved him, that’s why we decided to hold an open casket funeral.  So many needed to say goodbye.  Lee, Chu-lun?  For the last three weeks, I have struggled on, thinking that two of the most important people in my life were gone for good.  Now you’re telling me that there is hope one of them is still alive.  Please let me see Jeongguk.   Please...,”

Kumo arrived at the hospital with an entourage.  With her were two medical doctors from America, a permanent guard that would be posted in front of Jeongguk’s room and a stylist to cut his hair.  Typical Kumo.

Lee met her at the door, “Uhh, um, who are all of these people?”  He bowed respectfully even though he knew who none of them were.

“It’s his crew.  You have medical authority over his treatments, correct?’

“Uh, well I do...um...but...,”

“Please give these two doctors permission to review his medical files.  They’re the top neurologists in the world.  If Jeongguk is still in there, they’ll find him.  If you like their work and what they have to say, then I’ll pay all of the expenses to have them take over treatment of Kookie.  Is that agreeable?”

“Holy shit?” Lee swore. 

“God is watching.  God is frowning.  God is writing strongly worded notes about your un-priest-like behavior,” Chu-lun laughed heartily as she overheard the Priest’s naughty language.  “Good to see you again Kumo. Thank you for coming.  I have a long shift today but if you two need anything, I’ll be in my office. Good luck you two.  I hope there’s good news.”

Lee caressed Chu-lun’s arm, “Thank you doctor.  I’ll keep you posted.”

“Well shall we begin?”  Kumo said impatiently as she stared at Jeongguk through the glass in his hospital door.

“Follow me, I’ll take you to meet with his current doctor,”  Lee said as he and the two American neurologists headed to the consulting rooms.

In the meantime, Kumo entered Jeongguk’s room.  She turned to her stylist and the guard and whispered, “Wait here.  I’ll let you know when we’re ready.”  She took two steps and then immediately exploded in tears.  The sounds of the machines and the constant huffing of the respirator was supremely unsettling.  But the most disturbing image of all, was seeing her best friend lay there barely clinging to life.  The last time she had seen him, he was riddled with bullets.  She thought he was dead.

“Hi Kookie.  I missed you so much.  It’s me Kumo.  Before we begin, I want you to know something.  I would have never intentionally left you alone in that trunk.  I only left to try to get us some help.  I passed out before I could tell anyone where you were.  I hope you know that I never meant to leave you.”  She laughed at his shoulder length hair, “You would be so pissed off if you saw your hair right now.  I know your brother means well, but this shit is awful.”  She tugged at the headband that kept his mane under control.  “Not to worry.  I’m going to take care of it.  Your stylist is just outside in the hallway.  She’ll fix you right up.”  Kumo pulled at his blankets to make sure that his chest was covered.  She held his hand, the one that had all of the tubes pinned into it, “Are you there?  Can you hear me?  Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”  There was no squeeze, “Alrighty then, I guess you’re resting.  I guess no one has told you the news about Min?  That’s just as well I suppose.  No need to upset you.”  Kumo raised his hand and gave it a kiss, “You were such a beautiful couple.  I bet the sex was so hot.  Ok, truth telling time.  One time, I found you two asleep on the floor.  You were naked,”  Kumo giggled, “and based on Jimin’s red ass you had given it to him pretty good.”  She opened her mouth and released a much louder laugh.  “I never said anything about it though.  Your business...not mine.”  Her voice trailed off.  Her once strong happy tone crumbled into tears.  “We’re going to fix you.  Right now, you’re just lost and you don’t know which way to go to get out.  But we’re going to fix you.  Well, I don’t really know what else to say other than I love you.  I’m so happy that Jimin found you and you found him.  No matter what happens next, no one will ever be able to take away the love you two shared.  See you soon Kookie and I mean literally - see you soon.”

Kumo ordered the guard to stand at Jeongguk’s door.  Jung and his crew had all either disbanded or were dead.  But Kumo didn’t want to take any chances.  Almost everyone on the planet thought Jeongguk was dead and she felt it was better for it to remain that way. 

Kumo motioned to the stylist, “Can you please do something nice?  Maybe a little off the top or the sides?  Maybe make him look like - Elvis?”

Kumo walked through the penthouse taking notes and making vague sketches to share with her contractor.  Since Jimin was officially declared dead, she was now in charge of Posco, all divisions.  And as CEO, she had access to the best engineers and builders in the nation. 

Now that Jimin was gone, it was time for her to do a little remodeling.  It was a project that she and Jimin had discussed, but he kept postponing it.  Without him around, she felt it was finally time to do it.  She thought carefully about which changes she wanted to make as she planned for the expansion of her home.  She walked through Jimin’s study and decided to leave it untouched.  There were too many memories there that she did not want to disturb.  She moved into his bedroom and decided that room would become her new office. 

As she walked through his large space, she came upon something shiny sitting on top of his jewelry box.  She froze.  It was the necklace that Jeongguk had given Jimin for Christmas.  But why was it here?  She thought back to what Jimin was wearing during his funeral.  She was so distraught that she never even noticed that he wasn’t wearing it. Why had he taken it off?  After a few minutes of contemplation, the answer came to her. 

Removing the necklace was Jimin’s last step in burying his emotions, permanently.  His final transition into a sadistic, emotionless killer could have never been complete as long as he held the depths of Jeongguk’s love around his neck.  Leaving the necklace behind was the final parting of ways between the Jimin who loved Christmas and loved Jeongguk and the Jimin who just existed for the sake of breathing.  Of all of the sad moments that had happened between the two of them, that, by far, was the saddest. 

Kumo sat on the edge of Jimin’s bed.  She ran her fingers over the sheets and smiled.  His scent was still in the room.  His presence was still in the room.   It was so comforting.  She began to feel melancholy again.  Right on cue, Kookie, her new kitten, jumped up onto the bed and nuzzled against her lap.  She petted him gingerly.

She spoke to Jimin, even though he was no longer there, “I’m so sorry that it had to end this way.  I’m so sorry for what I did.  You had to go Jimin.  There was nothing left here for you.  We all needed to move on – without you.  It was time.  It was time baby.  Please understand that I had no choice.”  Kumo had never recounted to anyone the truth about how Jimin had died.   The heart attack story was a convenient cover that was backed by the corrupt doctor that she’d found to collaborate her account of the events.  It was her secret and only she knew what really happened the night that Jimin returned from killing Jung Sun-dook.  She thought back and reflected on every single detail.  It was a terrible night and many people had done terrible things.  Her deeds were amongst the worst...

January 2nd, 1967 - The night of Jung Sun-dook’s murder...

 Jimin returned home at approximately 9pm.  His face was flushed red and partially hidden beneath Jeongguk’s beloved fedora.  Kumo waited for Jimin to settle down. 

“Where...did you go?”  She asked a question that she didn’t really want to know the answer to.

“I made a visit to Jung and his family.  It was a lovely time,”  Jimin said dryly.

“Jimin, what did you do?”

“I completed a transaction.  They will never bother you or anyone else again.  Tonight begins the fall of their empire.  I have shown them far too much grace for far too long,”  Jimin removed Jeongguk’s hat and took a seat on the couch.  He held the fedora against his chest.

“Did you...?  I mean...all of them?”  Kumo asked, slightly frightened.

“I did what I had to do,”  Jimin answered dryly again, refusing to fully admit the truth.

Kumo stood up, “So this is over?”

“Yes Kumo.  The new era is upon us; a life that exists with no more mobsters, no more gangs.”

“Oh my God.  You said you were going to do it, but I didn’t believe you.”  Despite her painful wounds and stiff legs, Kumo moved quickly to the bar to pour herself a glass of water.  “Why didn’t you tell me?  Why didn’t you tell me that you were doing this?  You’ve shut me out and walked down this terrible dark path...you’ve shut me out.  I’m a part of this.  I have a vested interest in what you do.  You never even gave me a chance to talk you out of it.  Kosuke was right.  You’ve completely changed.  If Kookie were here, you would have never done this,” she frowned thinking about Jimin’s husband.  But tears began to fall when she saw what the mention of Jeongguk’s name did to him.  “I’m so sorry.  I shouldn’t have...,”

“...it’s ok.  I can’t expect us to never speak of him again.  That’s not realistic, nor is it proper storage for his memory.  It’s just going to take some time for me to accept that he’s gone,”  Jimin said softly. “You spoke to Kosuke?”

“Yes, he’s been calling.  He’s very worried about you Jimin.”  Kumo took a few sips from her water glass.  Jimin was still flushed and warm.  She poured him a glass of ice water.  “I have no idea how this all ended so badly.  I’m so sorry Jimin.  I’m so sorry it ended this way.  But you said it yourself, the new era is upon us.  With have to move forward in a life with no more mobsters,”  Kumo gave Jimin his drink. 

Jimin offered to toast, “To new beginnings.”  He clutched Jeongguk’s fedora in his arms.

“New beginnings, yeah, definitely,”  Kumo said hesitantly.  She watched carefully as Jimin drank the entire glass of water.  A few anxious seconds passed before Jimin began to speak.

“Now let’s discuss the new steel plant acquisition for Posco Busan.  I...I...I,” there was a down turn in Jimin’s voice.  His arm went numb and then his fingers.  He suddenly could no longer grip the glass in his hand.  Then, the entire left side of his body went numb.  He had no feeling and no control.  He looked at Kumo with terrified eyes, “Help me.”  Jimin fell to the floor, clutching at his chest.

Kumo burst into tears.  “I’m so sorry, Min.  But it has to be this way.  It’s time for me to take over Posco.  The company needs to be free of you and your dangerous path.  You said you would never go back to this life, yet you did.  You have murder and revenge in your heart and you have to be stopped.  The entire corporation needs to be liberated from you.  I’ll be taking over both Busan and the Global division.  You said it yourself, the new era has begun.  Baby, Jeongguk is dead.  He’s free.  So now, it’s your turn to be free too.”  Kumo knelt down next to Jimin and felt for a pulse.  He was still breathing.

She closed her eyes.  She was so scared.  After all that Jimin had done for her, she couldn’t believe that this was how it would all end.  It took guts to do what she had done to Jimin, but she knew it was for the best.  She waited.  That doctor who had sold her the poison advised her that it only took about 10 minutes before Jimin would stop breathing. 

Three minutes had passed, but she still had seven anxious minutes to go.  She paced around her husband, waiting for him to die.  Her task seemed insurmountable because killing Jimin wasn’t even the most difficult part of her plan.  She also needed to keep his suspicious death from reaching the public by selling the heart attack story to his guards and friends to keep them off of her trail.  She needed to pre-empt the politicians and business owners who would all undoubtedly hound her with a flurry of questions.  She had to get Jimin buried immediately.

The funeral home was ready.  Before anyone had a chance to talk of autopsies and investigations, she was going to make sure that Jimin’s funeral was done.  She made a few phone calls to open up the grave that she had chosen for his final resting place.  The funeral was going to be the following morning, leaving no time for visitors to make arrangements.  The fewer visitors, the fewer questions.  Murder was not an easy task to pull off.  Making a murder look like the natural death of a thirty-six year old, was even more difficult. 

That same evening, Kumo released a brief media statement about Jimin’s death.  The doctor who had sold her the poison was there to sign off on the death certificate.  Heart attack was the official cause of death and a copy of the death certificate was widely circulated.  No mention of the fatal dose of poison in his blood ever made it to the public.  Per Kumo’s plan, the business world of Korea and beyond were shocked to hear of Jimin’s sudden passing.   Also according to plan, few were able to make the trip on such short notice.  It was standard for the funeral home to make the body accessible for seven days, but Kumo didn’t have that kind of time.  She rushed the funeral so fast that they were barely able to get his casket ready in time.  Those who were local, were able to make Jimin’s funeral.  It was a devastating event that was well attended, despite Kumo’s plan to try to shut everyone out.  Jimin was very much loved. 

Kumo’s rush to get Jimin buried was so that his Will could immediately be put into place.  Confidence in Posco’s future was dismal, as many felt its fate was unknown without the brilliant leader in charge.  In order to save the company, Kumo needed to take the helm of Posco immediately to avoid any further degradation in the company’s assets or value. 

With no surviving family, Kumo, as Jimin’s wife, was the sole executor of Jimin’s will and recipient of all of his business assets.  With Jeongguk’s body missing, it was just a matter of time before he would be declared dead and she would receive all of the money and real estate holdings that Jimin had bequeathed to him as well. Kumo didn’t want Jeongguk’s part of Jimin’s fortune, she only wanted the business.  Upon successful execution of his Will, Kumo would become the wealthiest and most powerful woman in Korea’s history.  Not bad for a former prostitute from Guryong...

January 31st, 1967 - Back to their present day and Lee arrives with news...

A loud knock at the door pulled Kumo from her reflection.  She could hear Lee squirming outside of the door, calling her name. 

“Kumo, Kumo, please open the door.  It’s me, Jeon Lee.”

She wiped the tears from her eyes and then rushed to open the door for him, “Lee. Hello...,”

“KUMO.  Did you mean it?  Did you mean it when you said that you would pay for Jeongguk’s care if we decided to hire the American doctors?”

“Yes.  Of course I meant it.  Do you have news?”

“They found something.  The doctor’s that you hired, they found something.  It’s going to be a slow process but they think they can bring him out of it.  Kumo, it’s a very expensive procedure, please, please before I get my hopes up, promise me that you’re committed to seeing this through financially.  I have no money.  I live from hostel to hostel on a Priest’s salary.  I cannot afford this.  Please, be honest with me.  I can’t get this close to saving him, only to lose him again,”  Lee said passionately. 

“You have my word.  Last night I transferred $130,000 U.S. to your bank account.  That’s plenty to pay his doctors.   I will provide more as needed.  I love him too, Lee.  You are not the only one who has a vested interest in his survival.  We’re in this together,”  Kumo hugged Lee lovingly.  “Now can I see him again?  I really want to see his new haircut.”

Kumo, Lee and even Chu-lun spoke with the new team of doctors to understand why they felt so hopeful about Jeongguk’s condition.  What they found was jaw dropping.  Through a new technology that had only been practiced in the United States, Germany and China, doctors were able to stimulate and regenerate dormant brain cells that had been starved of oxygen.  It was a breakthrough treatment and it was showing tremendous promise.  With an 87% success rate, Lee and Kumo realized that they were on to something.  Still, an abundance of patience was needed because the process was slow going.   

Kumo was a very intelligent business woman because she understood her strengths and embraced her weaknesses.  Wherever she had shortcomings, she hired the best in the business to overcome them.  For example, she did not have the legal acumen that Jimin had, so she hired the best team of lawyers that money could buy.  She didn’t have eyes and ears to keep close tabs on Posco Busan so she appointed one of Posco’s longstanding, trustworthy board members to serve as the new CEO. 

Under Kumo’s reign, being a leader was not about knowing it all.  Being a leader was about leading and letting others shine.  As long as the company was the winner, she didn’t care who received the credit.  She was just as exceptional as Jimin always knew she would be.  He was a sharp, intelligent man who always made very good business decisions when he was alive.  Kumo was a very good business decision.

A few times per week, Kumo would drop by to see how Jeongguk was progressing.   She would drill the doctors on his progress and remind them every chance she had that she was paying them to succeed. 

She would insert herself where she did not belong and insist that Lee take Chu-lun on dates.  She would do all of the typical Kumo things that made Jeongguk and Jimin love her.  She was the biggest cheerleader, the brightest star, the one with the most hope to spare.  But Kumo, for all of her outwardly appearances, harbored a terrible secret. 

Lee never left Jeongguk’s side.  Day in and day out, he talked to him, watched television with him, sang to him and played music for him.  The doctor’s felt that it was the best way to stimulate his brain.  It appeared to be working, because each ECG showed better and better progress each week. 

Jeongguk had been unconscious for eight full weeks, Jimin had been dead for seven.  They were the darkest days that Lee and Kumo had ever experienced.  But against all conceivable odds, the Priest and the ex-prostitute became friends.  Their shared love for Jeongguk and their shared respect for Jimin provided more than enough of a foundation for them to bond. 

“Take her to a movie.  Get dressed up, put some baby powder on your nuts and take her somewhere special,”  Kumo advised.

“Baby powder?  Is that what the kids do these days?”

“Just go.”

“I have nothing to wear.  I can’t go on a date wearing my Priest suit,”  Lee complained.

“Your brother has suits that cost more than your car.  Borrow one.  You’re about the same size.  Take her to dinner or someplace.  It’s on me,”  Kumo insisted. 

Lee thought about it, “I would like to see that new Godzilla movie.”

“Hmm, is that girl friendly?  Seems more teenage boyish...but you know what?  Go for it.  It’s not about the movie after all, it’s about holding hands, kissing, taking a long walk.  She’s right for you Lee.  I just know it.  Jeongguk would approve,”  Kumo said encouragingly.  “Go tonight.  I have the day off tomorrow because I’m flying out of town.  I would love to spend some time with Jeongguk.  So go.  I’ll stay here with him.”

“Tonight?  Go tonight?”  Lee asked again.

Kumo rolled her eyes, “YES!  Tonight.” Lee was very similar to his brother.  Kumo enjoyed very much being around him.

“Ok.  I’ll do it.  I’ll go call her now and ask her.”

“Great.  Have a nice time,”  she smiled at him and headed into Jeongguk’s room.

Kumo settled in for a long night of visiting with her friend.  For the first hour, they played ‘go fish’ with her fishing for the both of them.  The doctors were in and out, bringing more and more encouraging news each visit.

Jeongguk’s lead neurologist, Dr. Dennis pulled Kumo aside to talk to her, “He needs as much stimulation as possible.  His brain activity is off the charts, it’s almost like he’s back to normal.  He’s started breathing on his own.  The nurses will be in to remove the respirator soon.  It’s no longer keeping him alive because he doesn’t need it.”  Dr. Dennis smiled, “Push him, talk to him.  We’re so close Mrs. Park.  He’s ready to come out of this thing, we just need to motivate him.”

Kumo’s eyes widened, “Thank you doctor.  I will.  I’ll do everything I can.”  This was the best news she’d heard in weeks.  It was too bad that Lee was not there to hear it as well.  But she was perfectly happy to fill him in after his date.  In fact, she hoped that he would return and see his brother breathing on his own.

Kumo rushed back into Jeongguk’s room to tell him the news, “KOOKIE!  You’re back.  The doctor says you’re back.  Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand.  No, no, not that uh, talk to me.  Talk to me.  I have so much to tell you.  Koo...,”  Kumo stopped herself mid-sentence.  “Wait! I have to go.  I HAVE TO GO!  Don’t you move.  Don’t you move!”  Kumo ran out of the room.  Despite promising Lee that she would not leave Jeongguk alone, she left him alone.

For more than an hour Kumo was away from the hospital.  But that was how long it took for the trip to the penthouse and back.  When she returned, she was frazzled.  Her platinum locks were all over the place,  her heel of her left shoe was broken, her eyeliner was smeared from crying, her face was covered in grime, and she had a hole in her silk shirt.  Remembering where she had put it almost drove her to have a nervous breakdown.  But she had finally found it and she was back.  She ran down the hallway towards Jeongguk’s room.  When she got there, the ventilator was gone.  The hissing and huffing of that terrible machine was no more.  The monitors were still there, but that was a much more tolerable sound.  She found a chair and moved quickly to sit next to his bed. 

“Listen to me.  I have something very important to tell you...something very important to give to you.  But you must wake up after hearing my news.  You must wake up soon.  If you don’t I’m going to kick your ass.  Are we clear?”  Kumo sounded ridiculous, threatening to kick the ass of someone who was unconscious, but it was Kumo’s way.  “Are you ready?  Of course you are.”  She opened Jeongguk’s hand and placed something inside of it.  She made sure to close his fingers around it and then she squeezed his closed hand tightly so that he could feel the shape of it.  To her surprise, Jeongguk’s hand remained closely fisted.  He did not drop it, nor did it slide away.  That was a good sign. 

She looked around the room to make sure the guards were away.  She and Jeongguk needed to be completely alone.  The room was empty and there was no one outside of the door, but she still wasn’t satisfied.  Even though they were the only two there, she still refused to say her words out loud.  She looked left and then right and then leaned into Jeongguk’s ear.  For several minutes she whispered something to him, a full conversation meant for his ears only.  What she said would remain a secret that only they knew. 

***

Chapter Nine: Light In The Hallway

January 3rd, 1967 – 24 hours after Jimin’s funeral; here’s what really happened...

Slowly, his appendages came to life, beginning with the soft flexion of his index finger as it suddenly jumped.   Soon, his entire hand was open, tapping against the hard surface beneath him.  His arms were fully extended, resting at his sides.  His legs were stretched with no bended knee.  He rolled his ankles to recover feeling in his feet.  Even though he was wearing shoes, his feet were still cold.  Unconsciously, he took a mighty breath which caused his eyes to pop open.  There was darkness all around him, nothing but darkness.  Fuck he hated the darkness.  His mind could not register much, but his absolute loathing of dark cramp spaces was instinctively triggered.  It was an innate, preconditioned response that required no cognitive decisioning.  He had to get out.     

There was a tremendous pounding in his head.  He felt like he had been kicked by a mule.  He managed to lift his arm and rest his fingers along his temple, “Where am I?”  He said to himself.  His voice reverberated around him, indicating that he was in some type of enclosure.

There was a thin linear crack that ran in a straight line to his right.  It revealed a sliver of what seemed to be ambient light coming from beyond the boundary of where he lay.   He anxiously sought that sliver of light, no matter how meniscal.   He tried to roll to his side, but once again, he encountered some kind of wall.  He used his hands to feel all around him.  There was velvet lining above him, under him, beside him – everywhere.  And although it should have been soft, it was supremely uncomfortable.  His back ached like fuck and each passing moment made him more anxious.  Where was he?  A tube?  A bed?  A box?  A box?  A box!  He was in some kind of box.  He closed his eyes again to try to think back.  What was his last memory?  How did he get inside of a dark box?  Nothing came to him.  He couldn’t remember.

Without thinking he yelled, “Jeongguk!  Kookie, help.”

He could hear footsteps running towards him as someone called his name in – Japanese?

“ジミン”

The lid of the box suddenly popped open.  His fight or flight reflexes caused him to immediately spring forward, jumping clear of his tomb.  Despite the stiff, ache in his back, he moved faster than a bolt of lightning.  He covered his eyes as the light of the bedroom flooded him.  The transition from the darkness of the box to the bright sunshine of his surroundings, was painful.  After several hundred blinks, the blurry bedroom slowly began to come into focus.  He spun around in a full circle, with his eyes finally landing on the box from which he had emerged.  There was a man standing behind him, but Jimin had not yet processed him.

“WHY WAS I IN A FUCKING COFFIN?”  Jimin clawed at his suit as if he were covered in bugs.  “Where the fuck am I?”  At that point, he wasn’t even sure who he was talking to.

“Key West, Florida, United States of America,”  the man explained. 

“AMERICA?”  Jimin surveyed his surroundings again.  He wasn’t sure if this was an attempted kidnapping or an execution, but he didn’t like it.  His mind told him to prepare to fight.

The man standing behind him spoke again, “I personally insisted on making the trip with you. Especially since so much care has been taken to get you to this point.  I escorted you here after your funeral.” 

“FUNERAL?”  Jimin whirled around.  Most surprisingly, he recognized the face behind the calm voice and mild Japanese accent, “Kosuke?”

“Hello Jimin.  How are you feeling?”

“Like SHIT!”  Jimin snapped.  “Why the hell was I in a coffin and why the fuck am I in America?  And what funeral?”  Jimin said angrily.

“Deep breaths.  You’ve been through a lot.  Take this,” Kosuke Takata, supreme leader of the notorious Yakuza, handed Jimin a large glass of ice water, “You’ve been unconscious for 28 hours.  You need to hydrate.”

Jimin looked suspiciously at the glass of water.  He had a faint memory of water, and he felt that somehow it was related to his current condition.  He wasn’t clear why, but he was repulsed by the thought of drinking it.  Given his current circumstance, he felt it prudent not to trust any more large glasses of water; at least not until he figured out what was going on.  He refused to take it.

“It’s clean, I promise.  Nothing in it.  But you need to drink because there are many medications floating around in your system.  Like I said, you’ve been unconscious for a very long time.”

“Unconscious?”  The word bounced around in his brain.  Everything suddenly came into focus.  He remembered Kumo giving him a large glass of water. It was the last thing that he remembered before waking up in a casket in America.  “That BITCH!”  Jimin gritted his teeth.  He immediately cursed Kumo as his scattered memories came together.  “And you?  Did you help her do this to me?”  Jimin turned to his mentor and spoke in angry Japanese, “Kosukeさんを尊敬していますが、これについては非常に適切な説明が必要です.”

“Ahh, berating me in my native tongue.  You really are the son I wish I had.  I do regret not being able to have children of my own.  Your closed minded, abusive father was blessed with two boys and almost destroyed both of you.  Were it not for your natural skill as a survivor, he would have ruined you just like he ruined your shit brother.  But even your father knew that you were the diamond amongst stones.”  Kosuke laughed and gave Jimin a hug, despite the younger man’s anger.  “Don’t be too upset with Kumo.  She did well, considering...,”

Jimin had too many questions to ask and he couldn’t get them all out at once.  He started with Kosuke’s own words, “Considering?  Considering what?  And what fucking funeral?”

“Considering – if she had added just a tenth of a milliliter too much of the doctor’s poison to your drink, she would have killed you.  She measured it perfectly.”

“Kill me?  And what fucking funeral?  She meant to kill me?”  Jimin repeated himself at nauseum.  He was lethargic and dismayed but still demanded answers. 

“No she didn’t mean to kill you, not at all.  But the end result was intentionally close to death.  She slipped you a paralyzing agent.  It makes the body appear to be dead by slowing your breathing and making your pulse undetectable.  To the world, you looked dead.  But Kumo knew you were just fine.  You were supposed to remain ‘dead’ for a few hours longer, but you emerged early,”  Kosuke smiled as if it were all a light hearted joke.

Jimin couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  Kumo was one of his most trusted friends.  He trusted her so much that he even married her and told her all of his secrets.  And Kosuke was his most trusted friend, yet somehow they had both conspired to betray him.  It was unfathomable. 

“Why would you do this to me?”  Jimin said with a stern, unrelenting voice.

“We didn’t do this to you, we did this for you.  There’s a difference.”

“You and my wife have drugged me and smuggled me into America as a dead body.  How can that possibly be of any benefit to me?  What about my home, my business, my...,” Jimin was about to lament his dead lover, and the fact that he never got to visit the location where Jung’s men had buried his body.  Instead, he stopped talking.

“I’ll explain everything.  But drink water.  If you don’t trust my glass, go to the kitchen and find a glass and prepare it for yourself.  But you need to wash the drugs out of your system before they have nasty side effects.

Jimin wanted to explode but he kept his cool.  He walked through the unfamiliar home until he reached the kitchen.  His mind was not sharp.  Kosuke was right, whatever drugs were left in his system needed to be purged before he could return to top form.  He found a random glass, washed it well, washed it again and then drank water directly from the faucet. 

He clenched his jaw and tightened his lips.  He tried to quash his anger, but he was so furious that he trembled.  What the fuck had Kumo done?  And his disappointment with Kosuke was profound.  Despite the closeness between he and his mentor, the man had completely deceived him.  Kosuke was like a father to him. He was there for him whenever his real father wasn’t.  He was everything to Jimin, yet he had done this?  Had their entire relationship been fabricated? Was this some plot to get Jimin out of the way or remove him as a threat?  Had Kosuke brought him to this isolated place just to kill him?  He hated doubting the man that he so respected, but it was his reality.

 The prominent leader of the Yakuza was an extremely powerful man.  Jimin knew he had to tread lightly.  He had to be respectful despite his feelings of anger and betrayal.  He was so full of confusion.

Jimin sighed, “Why Kosuke.  Why would you do this to me?  You said it was done to help me.  Tell me how?  I’m losing my patience and I don’t want to appear disrespectful, but I need answers – now.”

There was a knock at the door.  For the first time since jumping from the coffin, Jimin paid careful attention to his surroundings.  He was in a quaint little beach house, possibly two or three bedrooms.  Based on the loud rumbling of the crashing waves, he assumed the home was relatively close to the beach front.  The house was well decorated in warm beachy hues of peach, green and blue.  There was a fully stocked bar and kitchen.  Everything about the place was very quaint but also familiar?  After a few moments, as the water began to wash away the medication, his recollection became clear.  This was his property.  This was Key West Florida - property that he had purchased as one of Jeongguk’s Christmas gifts.  But why had Kosuke brought him to that location?

Kosuke, dressed more casually than Jimin had ever seen him, opened the front door.  Several men dressed in Chef’s uniforms crowded the small bungalow and placed trays of food all over the tables and counter.  It was a food delivery service.

Kosuke began unpacking the trays.  He tipped the servers as they left.  “Food.  You need to eat to keep your strength.”

Although the offer of food was generous, the kidnapping was a more pressing matter.  “I’ll eat after you tell me what’s going on.”

“Suit yourself.  I’m going to have a bite.  It’s been a long trip.  Smuggling you here was not easy.”  Kosuke prepared a large plate of everything, but became agitated when he couldn’t find a pair of chopsticks.  He had to settle for a fork.  “I hate Americans.” He cursed the entire country.  After taking a few bites of food, he sensed that Jimin was growing impatient, so he paused eating dinner to begin his long tale.

“Jimin the Yakuza consider you like blood.  Despite your heritage, you have earned your rightful place with us and we’ll go to any lengths to protect you,  even if it means protecting you from – yourself.”  He sat near Jimin with his arms folded and proceeded to explain, “When you came to us to seek our cooperation with taking down Jung, we immediately supported your decision.  Even though none of us wanted to see you travel down that dark path, we all understood.  You behaved exactly as any of us would have.   The pain on your face that evening was powerful enough to break one million hearts.  You were hurting and we knew it.  We did our part by shutting down all of Jung’s assets and businesses.  We saw to it that his legacy was ruined and his family was penniless.  Even his wife was left without a dime.  She had to move in with her sister.  And we executed it all within 48 hours of your call to action. 

But Jimin you need to understand, we were only able to do that through very powerful connections.   Most of our resources cooperated fully because they wanted to see Jung go down.  But some were not as cooperative.  They had to be bribed or threatened, and still others had to be uh - shall we say – exposed?  One of those who had steadfastly refused to do his part was none other than Minister of Veterans Affairs, Ji Huyoung.  You see the Minister was appropriately loyal to Jung and his crew.  Back before Ji Huyoung became Minister of Veterans Affairs, he was a gambling addict that owed many debts.  Jung paid them off for him in exchange for a few political favors as he rose through the ranks.  But the friendship grew from there.  Both Ji and his wife, Woo-Jin were very good friends of Jung’s and they were shocked by the news of his brutal death.  It didn’t take them long to conclude that you were somehow involved with the brutal slayings.   They were extremely angry over your actions that evening.”

Jimin didn’t need to hear anymore.  His mind was already working through a plan of how to take out both Ji and his fucking wife; the same woman who’d denied giving him the Mapo contract.  He didn’t care how high of a ranking politician he was,  if he had alliances to Jung, he needed to die.

Kosuke recognized the darkness in Jimin’s eyes.  He placed a friendly hand on his shoulder and said, “Enough is enough.  What you’re feeling right now, right at this very moment, is why we had to get you out of Korea, Jimin.  Jung’s blood was not enough for you.   Something has been unleashed inside of you and it’s not...,”  Kosuke stopped.  He returned to his original train of thought, “...you see – the Minister already had a hit out on Xio.  But of course no one knew that the rat bastard was already dead.  Even we didn’t know Xio was dead until you told us.  Whoever you hired to do the job, was very stealthy indeed.”

Jimin laughed because ironically enough, there was no request for Xio to be killed.  It was old fashioned rage that led to his untimely demise.  “I didn’t have my brother killed.  I had nothing to do with his death.  I want to be on record.”

Kosuke was surprised to hear that information.  He stopped for a moment to ponder.  “Maybe the Minister got to him?” 

Jimin shrugged.  “I don’t know.  And I’m afraid I don’t care.  Whoever it was...probably had good reason.  I won’t seek revenge despite the code.  I consider the matter closed,”  Jimin said harshly.

Kosuke stared suspiciously.  “Interesting.  You won’t seek revenge on whoever killed your blood brother but the attacks on your wife and your friend are...unforgivable?”

Jimin clenched his lower jaw again.  His patience was wearing thin and he didn’t like being questioned, “Please continue. I still don’t have answers as to why you’ve done this to me.”

Kosuke reluctantly moved on, “With Ji already having a hit out on Xio, he simply contacted his hit man and had the murder plot expanded to include you as retaliation for what you did to Jung.  He was furious about the shutting down of all of Jung’s businesses and corporations.  But of course when he found out that the Yakuza were behind it, he did not dare say a single fucking word to us.  Even the Minister understands the power of Yakuza.” 

“I’m a member as well.  So why should we be afraid of his power?”  Jimin was intrigued.

“Because he doesn’t know you’re a member of Yakuza.  Jimin you have chosen to keep that Ace up your sleeve.  For ten years you’ve refused all public affiliation with me.  You’ve never once flaunted the Yakuza name or asked for favors.  No one in Seoul understands just how powerful you really are.  At first we didn’t understand your discretion, but over time we realized that you kept it a secret because you truly wanted to make a name for yourself without all of the baggage that came with ties to the Yakuza name.  It was then that you earned more respect than anyone who had ever graced the halls of our organization.”  Kosuke’s eyes softened like the tender hearted mentor that he was, “We all knew that you were special.  And no Jimin, we aren’t afraid of Minister Ji.   And if he were anyone else, we would step aside and let you have your way with him.  But this is bigger than just him.  We’re concerned about the potential of destabilizing the entire Korean government.  Minister Ji has a direct line into the Blue house, all the way to the President.  We cannot have you engaging in a retaliatory war with someone of that stature.  The attack on his wife was bad enough, but an all-out war with him would mean an all-out war with the government.  No one wants that Jimin.  No one.”

“Why would anyone inside of the Blue House protect a man like that?  Why would they side with him?”

“His political cronies don’t know anything about his past transgressions.  And Jung made sure that his gambling debts were all hidden.  They think that Ji is a good man.  Not even the President understands how corrupt he actually is.  Taking bribes, giving bribes, prostitutes, you name it, he’s done it.  They would consider any act against him, an act of treason against the country because he’s a political leader.  We can’t let that happen.  We can’t allow your name to be associated with any of this.  If we had known that Ji was involved, we would have intervened sooner.”

Jimin just couldn’t believe it.  He sat down on the couch, “All of this back and forth with Jung and Ji started because my brother ordered the beating of his wife.  Even from the grave, he’s still fucking me up the ass with NO LUBE!”  Jimin stood to his feet and knocked several of the food trays off of the counter.”  He was uncharacteristically angry.

“Calm down brother.  What’s done is done.  We can’t go back and change any of that now.”

“Ok, fine.  So you needed to get me out of Korea to give me time to cool off.  Is that it?  Is that what this is about?  Why couldn’t you just fucking tell me?  Why the drugging and the fake funeral and all of this bullshit that you’ve put me through over the last 48 hours?”

“Would you have left Korea without his body?” Kosuke said suddenly.

“What?”  Jimin spun around.  He had not shared any of the details about Jeongguk’s death or the fact that his body was missing.  He was more than perplexed about how Kosuke knew about it.  “What do you know?  Tell me,”  Jimin’s real question was – did Kosuke know where Jeongguk was buried? 

“I know that he was brutally murdered and dumped.  And you don’t know where.  You’ve had your men out looking for him for days, since the murder took place and your wife escaped.  And no Jimin, I don’t know where he is either.  I swear on my life that I would tell you if I did.  So answer my question. Would you have willingly left Korea and gone along with this plan without first finding his body?”

Jimin didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to.  The answer was crystal clear to Kosuke.

“Jimin,” Kosuke spoke more like a father than a mob boss, “I will remain neutral regarding whatever shit was going on with you and that detective.  But your retaliation against Jung had consequences.  Minister Ji was out to get you.  He had low level assassins after you and they would have made a mess of things and innocent people would have gotten hurt.  We had to get you out of there before that happened.  If we had told you about this plan, you would have been as defiant as possible.  I know you – you’re a stubborn son-of-a-bitch and you would not have left until you held the detective’s decaying body in your arms one last time.  You’re a member of Yakuza and if there had been a strike against you, we would have had to retaliate...it is the code. Again, I repeat, no one wants to start a war at the President’s doorstep.  Faking your death liberated all of us.”

“You sacrificed me because you were too chicken shit TO FUCKING KILL HIM!”  Jimin screamed.  “Minister Ji had an alliance to Jung which meant he needed to die,”  Jimin was too emotional.  His reaction only proved Kosuke’s point. 

“We did what we did for peace.  And for your...wife.  She’s your only surviving family.  They didn’t kill her the first time, but do you really think she would be that lucky twice?  If she dies, who’ll run Posco?  Who will preserve your family’s empire? With you and Xio both being gone, South Street dies once and for all.  No one has to carry that burden any longer.  Posco is now free to thrive.  Everyone thinks you’re dead Jimin.  Kumo misses you, but she’s happy with her new responsibilities.  Your Will left everything to her and she’s making the best of it.  She’s going to make you proud.  This was the best way to save her life and preserve your company.”

“So what’s the plan for Minister Ji?  There is a plan isn’t there?” Jimin snapped curtly.

Kosuke smiled, “Oh definitely.  You don’t put a hit out on a member of the Yakuza and get away with it.  We’re going to take him down, but slowly, methodically, legally.  He will be his own demise.  He’s corrupt and he’s been in bed with mobsters for his entire career.  Everyone will see who he really is.  Your brothers in the Yakuza will make sure of that.  Let us handle this.”

“So, now what?  I’m stuck here alone?  Until you figure out how to take him down?”  Jimin still didn’t fully understand what he was supposed to do on a fucking island in America.

“We faked your death.  That’s pretty permanent.  We brought you here because it’s safe.  No one will ever know that you’re still alive.  You can make a new home here, slow down and enjoy life for once.  You have enough money to last for generations and generations.  Maybe – I don’t know – enjoy it?”

“Stay here?  Permanently?  Fuck you, sir, with all due respect!  I don’t want to live in America.  You can’t make this decision for me!  Fuck this.  I’m coming back home as soon as this is over.”

“Jimin...you’re dead.  We’ve filed a death certificate.  We’ve executed your Will...there is no going back.  Not as Park Jimin anyway,”  Kosuke said as tenderly as possible.

Jimin screamed, “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS WITHOUT TALKING TO ME?  HOW COULD YOU TAKE MY ENTIRE LIFE AWAY WITHOUT ASKING ME?”

Kosuke jumped to his feet and screamed back, “BECAUSE YOUR FUCKING HEART IS BROKEN.  AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT ANYONE WILL EVER BE ABLE TO DO TO HEAL IT.  YOU’RE NOT THE SAME MAN.  WE ALL SAW IT IN YOUR EYES THAT NIGHT AT THE COUNSEL.  YOU’RE FILLED WITH RAGE AND REVENGE AND YOU’RE WILLING TO KILL ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT GETS IN YOUR WAY.  YOU’RE A LIABILITY.  DO YOU THINK WE WANTED TO DO THIS?  NO ONE WANTED TO EXILE YOU.  YOU LEFT US NO CHOICE.  THIS IS A FUCKING WASTE OF TALENT AND WE’RE ALL PAYING THE PRICE! YOU BROKE THE MOST COVETED FUCKING RULE – YOU FELL IN LOVE.  YOU FUCKING FELL IN LOVE!  MOBSTERS DON’T FALL IN LOVE JIMIN BECAUSE IT MAKES US DO SHIT LIKE THIS!” Kosuke raged.  He was so angry that spit flew from his lips as he spoke.  The decision to exile Jimin had not been an easy one and it broke him to know that Jimin didn’t understand.  Kosuke was hurt too. He didn’t want this, but the situation with Minister Ji had left him no choice.  He calmed himself down because he didn’t want his last words to Jimin to be so full of anger, “You’re too valuable to the Yakuza to end up dead or in jail.  At least this way, we keep you alive and safe.  You’ve snapped Jimin,  don’t you understand?  Can’t you see it?  The death of that detective destroyed you.  It’s almost a blessing that you never found his body.  Because I know in my heart that you would have held his decaying flesh in your arms and refused to ever let him go.”

Jimin’s heart lurched, because everything that Kosuke was saying about Jeongguk was true.  If he ever found his body, and ever had the ability to touch him again, no matter the condition, he would embrace him and hold him until his own heart stopped beating.

Kosuke continued to pace around Jimin, desperately trying to get through to him, “The calm, gentle, level-headed man we once knew has vanished.  Find him again Jimin.  You will remain here...at least for the foreseeable future.  Once you’ve had time to reflect and maybe a little therapy...we can talk through a plan to bring you back home.  Until then, we’re keeping you safe from your assassin and from yourself.  Do I make myself clear Park Jimin?”

Jimin fell back onto the couch.  He couldn’t believe what had been done to him.  He was one of the most powerful men in Korea, yet it had all been taken from him in the blink of an eye...all because of his fucking brother.  The worst part was that he would never find Jeongguk’s body to give him a final resting place.  He had never been so low in his entire life. 

“What about my company?”

“Kumo is running it and doing a fantastic job.  But I’m sure she’s going to need help.  It may be a good idea to give her a call and let her know you’re ok.  Don’t be angry with her, please.  She wanted no part of this, but she had no choice.”  Kosuke stood to his feet, “Well, I better get going.  I have a flight back to Tokyo.  You have plenty of documents and a passport, even a fake birth certificate; everything you need to live a very happy life here.  America is a big beautiful place.  Make the best of it.  You own all of this land on the beach here, and you have several other properties throughout the country.  Travel, get to know people and maybe, think about starting a brand new corporation that isn’t tainted by your family’s shady past.”  Kosuke gave Jimin a final hug, “I don’t know when I’ll see you again so...oh hey, Kumo packed quite a few bags for you.  Clothes, mostly beach stuff.  It gave her an excuse to shop.  There’s some extra cash, a few pictures, the most important stuff.  Your money is stashed over several bank accounts here in the states.  But most of it is offshore.  You have all of the documents you need to access every penny.  You’re quite wealthy.  Your great, great grandfather would be tremendously proud of you.”  Kosuke smiled.  The moment was awkward.  He took one final look around and then said conclusively, “Bye Jimin.”

Kumo sat in Jimin’s study waiting for news.  It had been almost two days since she’d drugged Jimin, held his fake funeral and then smuggled him into the United States.  She was nervous because she hadn’t heard from him.  If she had over drugged him, then surely she would have heard from Kosuke.  But since it was silent, she had to assume that the reason she had not heard from Jimin was because he was angry with her.  The moment her thoughts became focused on Jimin was the same moment that the phone rang.

“Hello?”  She sang with a long worried tone.

“Yen believes that he knows where Jeongguk is buried.  I need you to grab a couple of my guards and go there and dig him up.  He’s marked off the location.  I know this is a lot to ask...but Kumo...I need you to go with them.  Make sure they treat him with the care and love that he deserves.  We have to return his remains to his brother, no matter how badly decayed they are.” The weary, depressed voice on the other line was Jimin.

“Jimin?”  Kumo said as she began to cry.  Just as she feared, Jimin was cold and distant. His only care was for Jeongguk. She wanted to explain herself and plead for his forgiveness.  She wanted to explain how the Yakuza had left her no choice but to go along with the plan.  She wanted to talk about how much she loved Jeongguk and how sorry she was for his death.  All of it swelled right on the tip of her tongue as she spoke into the telephone, but none of those words were said.  Instead she said, “We’ll go right away.  I’ll call you with what I find.”  If Jimin didn’t want to talk about what she’d done, then neither would she.

Kumo bundled up in her long white mink coat that Jimin had purchased for her.  She was careful not to let it drag on the ground as she walked along the heavily wooded path that led to the lake. 

“Are you sure this is where Yen said to go?” Kumo asked.

“Positive.  See these yellow ribbons?  He tied these around the trees to mark the exact location where he saw them dump him.  The boss told us not to touch anything until he got here, but of course he had the heart attack and...well, Yen marked the spot and we’re sure this is it.”

Kumo nodded, “Ok.  Start digging I guess.”  It was a cold January night.  Although she wasn’t too keen on digging up dead bodies, she had to keep reminding herself that this was not just any dead body.  This was her beloved Kookie.  He deserved to be entombed surrounded by love.  He didn’t deserve to be stuck in the cold ground all alone.  She was willing to do whatever it took to bring him home.  She also needed to relieve Jimin’s anguish and this was the only way to lessen it.

It took the men about thirty minutes to clear the dirt from the burial site.  It was a large spot just beyond the edge of the lake.  The dirt was soggy and became muddier as they neared the bottom.  Once they were down about three feet, they saw a hand and then a leg sticking above the layers on which they were standing.  They could already smell the rotting flesh.  The stench of excrement, maggot swollen muscle, rancid blood, and intestinal acids wafted through their clothing.  The smell was so formidable that they could taste it on their tongues.  Both of the guards jumped away from the hole and covered their noses with their handkerchiefs.  It was only Kumo who stepped closer.  She didn’t want to see him, not like that, but she had to know for sure.  She noticed something peculiar.  The hand that was sticking up had a large tattoo on the inner palm.  A large star with the letter B inside of a rectangle.  That was not Jeongguk’s tattoo.

“HEY!  Hey guys, I don’t think that’s him,”  Kumo said cautiously.  In fact, she was certain it wasn’t him.  Even in death, she would have recognized him.  Her heart would have known immediately if the dead man in the hole were Jeongguk.

“Are you sure?  That’s the suit, it looks just like the suit he was wearing in the picture,”  the first guard insisted.

“No, this isn’t the suit.  This suit is brown.  Are all of you fucking color blind?  Kookie was wearing a grey suit on the night he disappeared.  This isn’t grey – it’s brown!”  Kumo threw her hands up in frustration.  “Plus, this guy still has his hat.  Kookie owns one fedora and he left it at our place that night.  He didn’t have it with him.  Pull him all the way out, I need to get a better look at the entire body,”  Kumo said authoritatively. 

Begrudgingly, the two men jumped back into the hole.  They tried to tug on the dead man’s arm to pull him free, but the skin came off in their hands.  The flesh had rotted almost completely off.  One of the men vomited while the other grabbed at the dead man’s clothes to pull him free of the sinking mud.  He was able to pull him to the side so Kumo could take a good look at him.  The man wasn’t even Asian.  He was a westerner.  It definitely was not Jeongguk.

“Holy shit!” Kumo was now certain, “You guys made a mistake.  This isn’t Jeongguk.”  The beautiful woman in the long white fur stood amidst the brush and decay of the shallow grave.  She was completely perplexed and even more distraught.  If this wasn’t Jeongguk, then where was he?  Who had removed his body from the trunk and why?  The mystery was deepening and she hated it.   But more than anything, she hated the fact that she had to call Jimin and tell him that it was another dead end.  His husband’s body was still – missing.

 Kumo stared at the phone for more than two hours.  Each time she lifted the receiver to make the call to Jimin, she broke down in tears.  How was she going to tell him?  How was he going to react to the news.  And on a more selfish note, would Jimin ever forgive her for what she’d done?

It was through her curtain of warm tears that Kumo finally found the courage to call Jimin.  It was 8am in Key West.  She switched on the table lamp in Jimin’s study and unfolded the piece of paper with the phone number to his cottage.  Once again she picked up the phone.  She placed her long red fingernails into the rounded slots of the rotary dial and began spinning the many numbers required to make an international call to America.  The phone only rang once before Jimin’s hollow voice answered on the other end.

“Was it him? Have you recovered his…remains?”  It was the only question that Jimin had, the only thing he cared about. His bitter distaste for his wife precluded him from giving a shit about her wellbeing. 

“No.  It wasn’t him.  He’s still missing, Min.  I’m so sor…,”  the phone disconnected.  Jimin was done.  Kumo should have known that’s how he would react. 

Was this how it was going to always be?  Would he ever be able to forgive her?  She was not proud of what she had done, but she had done it to protect him.  She was right and Jimin was the one who just didn’t understand.  Still, how was she going to survive knowing that her best friend in the world now hated her?  She dropped the phone and collapsed on the floor crying.  She had lost Jeongguk and now Jimin.  It was like losing the pain of two brothers all at once.  For the remainder of the evening, she cried.  Jimin just didn’t understand.  He just didn’t understand...

What Jimin didn’t understand was that his life was not ruined.  Quite the contrary, his life was saved.  It was a unique gift that the Yakuza had given him – time to reflect.

Jimin had been safely relocated to one of the properties that he had purchased for Jeongguk.  It was there in America where he was to remain while under the protection of the Yakuza.  Until the shit with the Korean government and Minister Ji was resolved, America was the safest place for one of Yakuza’s most precious assets.  Why had such a powerful organization gone to such great lengths to protect one man?  The answer was simple,  it was because they needed him. 

Jimin’s brilliant legal mind and business acumen put him at the forefront for replacing Kosuke as the new leader of the Yakuza once the elder stepped down.  Jimin, although he didn’t know it, was the designated heir to the throne of one of the most powerful mafia enterprises that the world had ever seen.  They wanted him at the helm, they needed him at the helm.  Jimin was the man with the vision.  At his young age he’d already transformed their way of life and helped legitimize their economic footprint.  They valued him and he had to be protected at all costs.  But first they needed time to clean up the mess that had been left behind by Xio. 

With the world thinking Jimin was dead, the Yakuza were free to go after Minister Ji and the entire government - if that’s what it took.  In the meantime Jimin would be safe, Posco would be safe and Kumo would be free to work in peace without fear of retribution.  Contrary to what Jimin believed, it was not an attempt to usurp his power, nor was it a punishment.  The Yakuza had chosen to protect him out of their own self-interest.

March 1st 1967 - Three months after Jeongguk’s attack and Jimin’s funeral...

 

Kumo sat around the large oval-shaped boardroom table.  She stared out through the window as she watched the beautiful Mapo complex slowly come to life.  Jimin had been devastated when he lost the contract bid.  But in retrospect Kumo realized it had been for the best.   After the Jung clan and G&S fumbled the bag on the very lucrative deal, the government had stepped in and reallocated the contract to an up and coming entrepreneur who’d taken over the construction.  His work was impeccable and the huge building was the beauty of Seoul.  

With her pristine, form fitting white suit, Kumo welcomed the first day of March.  Her rise to power had only made her more beautiful.  Gone was the platinum blonde hair and in its place was a more conservative sandy brown.  She wanted to be taken seriously in the business world and walking into a room of gawking men looking like Ginger Rogers was not in her best interest.  In only twelve weeks, she’d already made her imprint on Jimin’s company.

First quarter earnings reports had not yet come in.  It was much too early for that.  But the posting of Posco’s performance was expected to be stellar.  With G&S out of business, Posco became the monopoly contractor with all of the business coming their way.  Jimin’s plan that he’d laid out for the board the previous year, was well executed by Kumo.  She was doing a good job and Jimin would have been proud of her - if he were speaking to her.  Other than a single phone call that Kumo had made a few weeks back to tell him that Jeongguk’s body was still missing, she and Jimin had not spoken.  He had refused all of her phone calls.  He had returned all of her letters.  And he had refused all of her gifts.  His heart was broken and Kumo’s betrayal only added to his pain.  She understood but it still hurt.

As the board members trickled in, Kumo stood in her six inch heels and greeted each of them with a bow and warm handshake.  It was her first time addressing them as the new CEO of Posco.  She was relieved to have good news to share.  Even the Busan division was running 200% over projected revenue goals.  Things were good indeed and Kumo felt very confident. 

So much was happening around them.  Everyone had moved on.  Posco was a different company, Kumo was an independent woman, Jung and his entire crew were dead and even the relationship between Lee and Chu-lun was progressing. Yet, Jeongguk remained stagnant.  He was the one thing that hadn’t changed.  He hadn’t even aged.  It was as if he were frozen in time.  Jeongguk’s health was improving every day but he still had not awakened.

For his protection, no one even knew that Jeongguk was still alive, not even the Yukuza.  Kumo had kept it a very closely guarded secret.  As long as the world thought he was dead, he would be safe.  It was the perfect cover under which Jeongguk could take his time to wake up and regain his health.  Just the same, she kept guards stationed around the hospital to watch out for him. 

Her decision to keep the information from Jimin was purely out of love for her husband.  Jimin had already lost Jeongguk once.  Knowing that Jeongguk was alive but in such a terrible state would have tortured Jimin beyond the point of cruelty because there was nothing he could do.  He couldn’t even be by his side.  And if by chance Jeongguk did not survive, then Jimin would have to grieve him again.  Kumo didn’t want that.  She stood by her decision to keep quiet.  But only time would tell if she had made the right choice.

Lee found it peculiar that Jeongguk’s hand remained closed.  For weeks he had been clutching on to something.  It was something that Kumo had given him.   Lee wondered what it was, but he didn’t bother to disturb it.  Even in his unconscious state, Jeongguk held the item firmly, refusing to let it go.  It was the first real sign of his motor function returning.  But for Lee, it was much bigger than that.  His stubborn refusal to let the thing go was the greatest sign yet of Jeongguk’s cognitive presence.  Lee was overjoyed, so much so, that he dropped to the side of Jeongguk’s hospital bed and began to pray, thanking God for giving his little brother another chance. 

Since Kumo had entered the scene, Jeongguk’s standard of care had been significantly upgraded.  Lee didn’t even need to brush Jeongguk’s hair anymore because Kumo had a stylist come in to cut it and dry-wash it on a regular schedule. 

For some unexplainable reason, he held on to the brushing of Jeongguk’s hair as a way of showing love.  And now that it was no longer needed, he wondered if his brother still understood how much he loved him.  Kumo had inadvertently displaced a cherished tradition that meant a great deal to him.  Lee was at a loss for what to do.  He felt useless and unnecessary because the hair brushing was truly the only connection that he felt they had. 

“I love you, bub.  Even though you’re a gay, murderous, dirty cop who’s in love with an even more gay, murderous gangster, I still find you pretty amazing.”  Lee burst into laughter as he spoke to his unconscious brother.  “Your life is spicy, that’s for sure.  But when you wake up, I think we need to figure out where you took that left turn.”  He laughed again. 

Despite all of the things that he’d learned about him, and despite all of the trouble that Jeongguk had gotten himself into, Lee loved him just the same.  And for the first time since the entire debacle had started, Lee realized that Jeongguk had trusted him with his deepest, darkest secrets simply because he knew that Lee would forgive him.  It was the greatest show of love that one brother could give to another – total and complete trust.  It was an enlightened moment that brought absolute joy to Lee’s heart.  He kissed his brother on the forehead.  His skin was unusually soft, Kumo had been giving him weekly seaweed facials during her visits.

Lee pulled a chair next to Jeongguk’s bed to sit - and wait.  What Lee was waiting for was anyone’s guess.  Not even he knew what he wanted to happen.  He only knew that he needed to be there when it did. 

Chu-lun entered the room.  No words were spoken.  She simply found another chair and sat across from Lee on the opposite side of Jeongguk’s bed.  She reached across Jeongguk’s stomach and embraced Lee’s hand.  There they sat in silence holding hands and smiling one towards the other.  Whatever was blossoming between them, it was special.  

The roar of the rolling waves awakened Jimin each morning as they tip toed towards his window.  Being fully honest with himself, he admitted that being stranded there in that particular location was not the worst thing that could have happened to him. 

Jimin loved the beach and so did Jeongguk.  Being both from Busan, it was only natural to have an affinity towards the water.  He had traveled there, Key West, on several occasions prospecting for property to buy for Jeongguk as Christmas presents.  There was something about Key West that always stood out to him.  More than New York or California, the sleepy laid back town held a sense of transparency, honesty.  It reminded him of how Busan used to be back during their childhood.  Everyone was exactly who they portrayed themselves to be.  Key West felt like Jeongguk’s town, a place where his lover would have been happy to vacation.  Never did he imagine he himself being stranded there though.  Still, there were worst things that could have happened and this was not the worst.  Jeongguk being dead was the worst.

Jimin was going into his ninth week since losing his beloved detective.  Not a day went by where he didn’t blame himself.  He should have known that Jung was going to strike. He should have anticipated Jung’s movements.  He knew that the man was raging and he should have been better prepared.  He should have known that Jung would strike at his heart, going after those closest to him.  But he never knew that Xio had told them about his love affair with Jeongguk.  Kumo being at risk, could have been foreshadowed, but not Jeongguk.  Never did he believe that his sweet detective would be a target.  Even from beyond the grave Jimin seethed towards his brother. 

“I fucking hate you,”  Jimin said through the gritted teeth of vitriol.  His hope for Xio’s afterlife was to be trapped in some house serving out eternity as a bitter poltergeist with no purpose.  Heaven was too good for his brother and so was hell.  Eternal damnation as a wandering soul was what Xio deserved. 

The only thing more beautiful than the sunsets in Key West were the sunrises.  Each morning Jimin rose to take a long stroll down the sandy drift as the warm water rushed over his feet.  It was a way to clear his mind, with the hopes of dropping tiny granules of his grief along the way, allowing them to blend with the sand. 

Jimin wrestled back and forth with his feelings for Kumo.  One half of him felt the deepest betrayal, but the other side felt the deepest gratitude.  In his mind’s eye, he knew that Kumo had no choice but to do what she did.  The Yakuza were very persuasive and had likely threatened her life if she didn’t cooperate.  But more importantly, Jimin understood her.  She meant no harm.  This was not a money grab.  It was an honest, albeit poorly conceived, attempt to help.  Kumo was always overly protective of him, so having him banished to a different country in order to protect him from jail, death and government persecution was very on brand for her. 

As he always knew would be the case, Kumo was a rock star when it came to serving as CEO of Posco.  Kosuke sent him newspapers from Seoul every single week without fail.  Jimin was able to keep close tabs on both the financial market, the industry and by default, Kumo’s performance as CEO.  He was extremely pleased with what he saw. 

As he watched his sandy footsteps disappear behind him, he continued his soul searching journey.  It had been weeks since he’d spoken to Kumo and that did not bode well with him.  Yet, he wasn’t ready to face her and all of the things that she had done.  He was suspended, trapped, caged in an emotionally damaging space from which he couldn’t escape.  His chest was tight and he just wanted to move on from the grief, from the pain, from the betrayal, from the sadness, from everything.  But everything was trapped inside of him, he couldn’t make progress and he understood why. 

Not once had Jimin cried since Jeongguk’s death.  Not once.   Because without Jeongguk, crying was unachievable.   With purposeful skill and intent, Jimin had completely shut down his emotions.  And if Kosuke had not stopped him, he would have been perfectly satisfied to keep on killing until everything that ever touched Jung was destroyed.  His thirst to avenge his husband’s death was unquenchable.  Kosuke was right, Jimin would have killed the Minister, his wife, their children, Jung’s wife...anyone.  Creating more death would not have assuaged his pain, but revenge did hold a satisfaction all of its own.  Kosuke was also right about something else - Jimin did need to be saved from himself.

The shorts and beach shirts that Kumo had packed for him were perfect fodder for the sleepy little town.  Kumo was the consummate shopper and her sense of style was always spot on.  Each week she sent him another massive trunk filled with his belongings as she tried to equip him with everything he needed for his new life in America.  She even sent his suits and shoes and fancy briefcases.  It was much too much for the small bungalow in which Jimin lived.  But he appreciated her efforts. 

As he sat to sort through the latest bevy of crap that Kumo had shipped his way, he came upon his jewelry box.  Over $100,000 worth of jewels and watches and cufflinks were closed inside of the large wooden box. But none of it really mattered to him.  There was, however, one piece of jewelry that he was disturbed to see missing.  He searched and searched, calmly at first but more frantically as time went on. It wasn’t there.

“Oh my God,” he said as the painful realization hit him.  It was gone, lost.  It was the most devastating moment of his life, other than Jeongguk’s death.  How could something so precious be gone?  He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t function.  He just collapsed on the floor.   But still - he did not cry.

Jeongguk lay in the middle of them, still unconscious.  He was breathing on his own, his lips and face were full of color. His hair was fantastic.  All they needed was for him to wake up.  Lee and Chu-lun sat around the hospital bed engaging in friendly banter.  The doctors felt that talking directly to Jeongguk, and speaking regularly around him, was great stimulus.

“You did a great job on his hair.” Chul-lun smiled as she stared at the Priest who had become her sinful crush.

“Oh, uh, yeah, that wasn’t me.  Kumo has a stylist for him.  I’m no longer needed to brush his hair so...,”

“What do you mean you’re no longer needed to brush his hair?” Chu-lun’s back straightened.  She appeared to be irritated.

“There’s no need.  It’s always perfect.”

“Jeon Lee!”  She said as she placed her hands on her hips.  “You and I both know that brushing his hair had nothing to do with style or looks.  There was a much deeper purpose...,”

“...I know, but it seems silly now.  I’ve decided to leave it alone and allow the stylist to handle things.”

“Over my dead body!” Chu-lun used both of her hands to rub Jeongguk’s head forcefully. She dislodged his organized tresses and piled them into a ridiculous mess.  She licked her left palm and used it to pull a few strands of Jeongguk’s hair into long spikes that stuck straight up from his head.  “There. His hair needs to be brushed.  Brush his damn hair Lee!”  She said authoritatively.  “Don’t you ever allow anyone, no matter how well-meaning, to take that from you.  If I have to come in here every damn day and give him Alfalfa sprouts, I will fucking do it.  Don’t test me.  I haven’t had my coffee,”  Chu-lun was a bit insane.

Lee took one look and Jeongguk’s terrible new hairstyle and burst into laughter.  He fell across his brother’s chest and laughed so loudly that he had to hold the sides of his stomach.  And just as he was commanded, he immediately found his trusty brush and began stroking the strands of Jeongguk’s beautiful hair back to order.  He gazed at Chu-lun, “My life kind of sucked before I met you,”  he laughed as he carefully pulled at the strands.

Kumo and her gust of exclusive, perfume-scented wind, fell into the room.  She felt the room was always too cold whenever she visited, so she stood there, full on glam, in her full mink coat.  It was obnoxious and Chu-lun took great exception to her wearing fur.  Kumo, however, was not bothered.  She loved her coat.  It had been another present from Jimin two years prior. 

“Hello everyone.  Our patient looks fabulous.  I brought breakfast for you two if you’re hungry.”  Kumo was in a great mood.  She hugged Chu-lun and gave her a kiss on the cheek before handing her a large shopping bag that said Gucci on the side.  “Here.  This is for you doctor.  Just a small thank you.  It’s from the spring line and its absolutely gorgeous.  It matches your hair.  I’m almost positive that it’s the right size.  It cost $1200 U.S. so you have no choice but to accept it.  You’re going to look gorgeous.” 

Chu-lun’s mouth dropped.  She accepted the gift, but was too taken aback to really argue.  She had never received a $1200 dress before. “Uh...th-thank you?”  She stared at Lee who tried to peek into the bag to see the dress.

Kumo commenced with hugging Lee and kissing him as well.  “No gifts for you.  I paid $300,000 for your brother’s treatment.  Plus the only thing you ever wear is that ugly ass black suit.”  Kumo was referring to his black Priest uniform and priest collar. “When the church starts allowing colors, give me a call.  You’re welcome,” she joked. 

And then she turned to Jeongguk, “You’re fighting really hard, aren’t you?”  She checked his hand.  It was still closed tightly with no sign of loosening.  She pumped her fists, “That-a-boy.”  She kissed him on the forehead, “Ohhh, your seaweed facials are doing wonders.  I have a new mask that we’ll try this weekend.”

Kumo’s unique brand of love for Jeongguk was more than welcome by Lee.  After months of getting to know her, he realized that Jeongguk had been very fortunate to have her in his life.  She was a true friend indeed - true to the end.

Kumo pulled up a chair and sat next to Chu-lun.  She stared at Lee and his quirky little doctor girlfriend for untold minutes.  She watched as the two gawked at each other while Lee did something ridiculous to Jeongguk’s hair.  For almost twenty more minutes she sat silently observing the two.  They were quite interesting to her.  The smiles, the flirty touches, the deep dimples that Lee flashed whenever Chu-lun made him blush. 

Tapping her six inch heel against the white tile of the hospital floor, she squinted, pondered and then finally just said it, “Are Priests allowed to fuck, because the way you’re looking at her, I feel it’s about to go down at any minute.”

Lee was appalled.  “I have taken a vow of celibacy and that’s a highly inappropriate question to ask a man of the cloth.” Lee touched his Priest collar as a show of reinforcement. 

Chu-lun was pleased.  She adored Lee and Kumo.  They definitely were an entertaining bunch.  “Fuckin...err...uh...I mean...making love is a very natural act.  It’s necessary, even preferred for maintaining optimal health.”  Chu-lun gave her expert opinion as a therapist.  “I’ve always been very confused about the church’s stance on this.  You would think that God would want his team in the best mental health possible when they go to battle for souls.”

“Exactly.  Sex totally helps that,” Kumo added.  “When I was a whore, I had at least eight Priests who were steady customers.  They prayed to God a lot when I got finished with them.”  Everything Kumo said was highly offensive and inappropriate. But again, she remained unbothered. 

“This is not appropriate!”  Lee found a bible in the side drawer next to Jeongguk’s bed and hugged it for reassurance.  The thought of sex with Chu-lun was delicious and he needed God’s forgiveness for allowing such a sinful thought to occupy real estate in his sanctified mind. 

“I bet you’re a wonderful lover,” Chu-lun prodded.

“I hear his brother is very good. According to Jimin he was the most gentle, yet powerful man he’d ever been with.  He always found it incredible how Jeongguk could be such a perfect balance of both,”  Kumo said fondly.

Chu-lun added another one of her expert opinions, “I’m sure Lee possesses the same skills.  The same movement of the hips, pressure in the thrusts.  Most of it is in the biological construction of the body, which is genetic.  It’s all been scientifically proven.  Siblings are very similar.”

Lee frowned at their conversation and covered his ears.  He ignored the fact that he had read disturbingly intimate accounts of his brother’s sex life.  Jeongguk’s journals had taught him more about gay sex than the Seminary had taught him about the last few chapters of the bible.  He had definitely been schooled by his little brother’s words. Still the conversation with the two women was inappropriate.

“I entered the Priesthood at the age of seventeen.  My life has been committed to God and I wish that you would respect that and drop this conversation,”  Lee advised.

“SEVENTEEN?”  Both Kumo and Chu-lun said at the same time.  “YOU’RE A VIRGIN?”  They both said at the same time.

“Oh my goodness, there’s so much you could learn,” Chu-lun said haphazardly. 

“What a fun experiment.  I envy you two, that’s going to be great when you finally work that out.”

“I HAVE TAKEN VOWS!”  Lee tried to interject and defend his own honor, but the ladies weren’t interested.  They were more focused on naughty ways to devirginize him. 

“I don’t get it.  You’re allowed to kiss and hug and fondle.  You’re quite fond of brushing against my breasts, but your faith draws the line at actual intercourse?  What sense does that make?  All due respect, your God is ridiculous,” Chu-lun complained.  Now that the idea of sex with her virgin friend was in her head, she suddenly realized how much she wanted it.

“I’m not allowed to do those things,”  Lee said sadly, “but I’ve done them with you because I’m weak.  There is just something about you that has made me re-evaluate everything.”  Momentarily he stared into her eyes.  He saw his own reflection and realized how he’d grown to care for her over the three months since they’d met.  “I have not shown the discipline expected of me and as a result I’ve broken my Priestly vows quite a few times.  I’m ashamed of that and I’ve been in constant prayer, asking God to give me strength to fight these earthly desires of the flesh.”

Kumo was blunt as always, “Did you ever anticipate a day when you might want to date and fall in love?”

“God is supposed to fulfill all of those needs.  That and my charity work.  Temptations of the flesh are for the weak,”  Lee sputtered.  It was a very serious conversation for him and both women could see the conflict in his eyes.

Kumo asked fearlessly, “Did you ever consider that maybe the Priesthood is no longer for you?” 

“It’s my entire life.  It’s all I know.”

“Do you always agree with your teachings?” Kumo rebutted.

“Sadly, no.  My brother and my acceptance of his lifestyle are perfect examples of where I stray from my teachings.”  Lee closed his eyes and shook his head, “This is not something I’m equipped to talk about right now, especially with the two of you.  I need to seek counsel from my brothers in the Priesthood.  I need to talk to them about this very sensitive matter.  So can we please refrain...?”

“You owe it to yourself to figure this out, Lee.  I adore you as a Priest and I will adore you if you’re not a Priest.  If your faith can only allow us to be friends, then I will accept that.  But I’m proclaiming right now that I...,”  Chu-lun was interrupted.

“Where’s Jimin?”  Jeongguk’s eyes were wide open.  They were bright and clear, focused straight ahead and wide open.

Screams filled the hospital room.  None of them had even noticed him stir.  They were so engrossed in conversation that they hadn’t even noticed that their very special patient had suddenly awakened after three long months in a coma. 

Kumo fell off of her chair.  With her long mink coat dragging along the ground, she crawled to the door, opened it and crawled into the hallway screaming? “GET HIS DOCTORS.  GET HIS DOCTORS.  HE’S AWAKE!”

Jeongguk’s memory was spotty.  The doctors warned his friends to be gentle and patient.  Gentle probes, reminders, were the best way to help Jeongguk fill in the gaps.  Quite a few years, events, occasions were missing from his synapse, but it was nothing that he couldn’t eventually recover from.  The great gift of time was on his side and he had plenty of it.

What did not go so well however was their attempts at dancing around the questions surrounding Jimin.  Lee and Chu-lun both thought Jimin was dead, as did the rest of the world.  But Kumo knew the truth.  Once again she was in the position to withhold information until she felt it was the right time.  Jeongguk however, was extremely persistent.  If there was anything that he insisted upon, it was knowing where Jimin was and why he had not come to visit. 

“What are we going to tell him?” Out of shear nervousness, Lee began brushing Jeongguk’s hair again as he slept.

“Thank God he’s asleep.  We need time to figure out what to do.  We’ve been avoiding the topic of Jimin for two days, but he’s not going to let him go.  I explained to him last night how he had been shot and how he got here.  Tears rolled down his cheeks because he couldn’t understand why Jimin wasn’t here.  He hasn’t put all of his thoughts together coherently yet, but it’s just a matter of time.”

“The doctor says he’s being released tomorrow.  Tomorrow Kumo.  He’s healed from his wounds, his brain function is optimal.  The doctor feels that he needs to go home to be around familiar surroundings to help him recover his memory.  He has at least another month of physical therapy ahead of him, just to get all of his motor functions back.”  Lee’s eyes became teary,  “While we were talking to the doctors and they were explaining to him that he was going home, he asked me if I was taking him home to Jimin.  I’m scared that once he finds out that Jimin is dead, his recovery will relapse.  I have no idea what to do or what to say.”

“What does Chu-lun suggest?  She’s a therapist.  This is her specialty,”  Kumo asked.

“She says that he needs to be told the truth immediately so that his healing can include grieving as well.”

“Oh fuck Lee. How do we even say those words to him?”  Kumo didn’t like any of the options, but telling Jeongguk that Jimin was dead when she knew that he wasn’t, was her least favorite.  It was time to make a tough decision.  She grabbed Lee’s hand and pulled him forcefully from the hospital room.

“Whoa hey where are we going?”

“I have to talk to you alone.” Kumo’s heels clicked against the glossy white tile floor as she hurriedly rushed Lee out through the front doors of the hospital.

“We shouldn’t leave him...,”  Lee protested.

“This will only take a second.” She raced to her car and forced Lee into the front seat.

“You mobster bunch are very aggressive,” Lee frowned.

 Once inside she locked the doors rolled up the windows and pulled down the shades in the backseat.  “You cannot repeat anything that you’re about to hear.  Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Lee understood and agreed vehemently.  One thing he knew for sure about the mobster bunch was that they could get quite murder-ry when angry.

Kumo looked around one last time before spilling, “Park Jimin is not dead.  I faked his murder and smuggled him out of the country - against his will of course, but yeah.  He’s living the good life on a beach in an undisclosed location.  Lee, Jimin thinks that Jeongguk is dead.  Even after all this time, I never told him the truth because I was so uncertain about Kookie’s future.  But now that we know he’s ok, this changes everything.”  Kumo was nothing if not a crier.  She collapsed in happy tears over the top of her steering wheel.

“I’m sorry...you what?”

She curled her upper lip in frustration, “I drugged Park Jimin with an illegal paralyzing agent, faked a death certificate, hosted a fake funeral with an open casket, instated myself as CEO of his company, and then smuggled his unconscious body out of the country before dumping him on a remote beach in the southern united states.”  Kumo did not blink.

Lee scooted over a few inches to put more space between them.  This entire mobster bunch was fucking maniacal.  He didn’t even know where to begin with addressing everything that Kumo had just said. 

He finally found some words, “Wait a fucking minute!”  He cursed.  “Why did you never fucking tell me about this?”

“Is that how you people of God communicate?”  Through her tears, Kumo poked fun at Lee’s profanity.  She continued, “Even now, I shouldn’t be telling you about this.  This information could easily invoke a country wide event...and not a good one. Listen Lee, Jimin was in some deep shit when we had to suddenly make him disappear.  Xio left behind a trail of enemies, very powerful ones and they all wanted to take their shit out on my husband.  Jimin’s exile was not of his choosing.  But he also has very powerful friends and they banned together to protect him.  A mafia syndicate known as the Yakuza found great value in Jimin remaining alive.  Of course Jimin knew nothing about this plan.  Had it been up to him - he would have never willingly left.  At least not until he killed every one of Jung’s friends and family and until...he found Jeongguk’s body.”

“What?  He was still searching?”

“He still searches until this very day.  He calls his guards at least once a week with new places for them to search for him.  He won’t rest until Jeongguk has a proper funeral.  Their bond is indescribable.  We can’t even begin to understand how much these two love each other.  We think we know...but we have no fucking clue what lies within each of them.  They were meant to be.  From the very first day they met, they were meant to be.”  Kumo cried again.  Even Lee was getting tired of her constant tears, but the Priest in him appreciated her ability to be in touch with her feelings.  Kumo sniffled, “Do you know why Jeongguk came back to us?”

“Because he was tiring of peeing through a tube...?”  Lee insisted.  He was absolutely serious with his answer.

Kumo squinted.  She pondered.  She ignored.  “...because I gave him a very special task that he must complete.  I won’t tell you what that task is, it’s between me and him.  But trust me when I tell you that he’s only here with us right now because of his desperate desire to get back to Jimin.”

“By any chance does this have something to do with that thing he has clutched in his hand?”

“It has everything to do with that.”  Kumo smiled.

“Why is everything so complicated with you mobster types?”  Lee rubbed his temples. “What are we supposed to do now?  How do we keep Jimin’s secret, yet, not allow my brother to needlessly mourn over him?”

Kumo crinkled her eyebrows, “I have...a plan.”

Even amongst the strangers of America, Jimin had a presence.  You couldn’t ignore him, with his fair skin, high cheekbones and beautifully sculptured nose.  No matter what room, what city, what country, all eyes were always upon him.  He was every fantasy come true.  He was important.  His thick lips, straight back and omnipresent disposition spoke for him, so that he didn’t have to.  He had power, it was in his strut, his smile, his character.  Even without knowing him personally, everyone knew it.  Everyone could also see the grief that had permanently embedded within his face; behind his eyes and within the creases of his downturned mouth.

But despite his confidence, he felt too old to be a college student.  At 36, he was the oldest person rustling around the College of Florida Keys.  But if he wanted to improve his English and eventually start a new business venture, he needed English lessons.  He had only been in class for about three weeks, but he was pretty certain that learning English was the hardest thing he’d ever attempted to do.  His studies while in college in Seoul were nothing compared to learning the properly written versions of there, their and they’re.  Read, read and red also annoyed him.  But he did his best not to take it out on the Americans who had been nothing but kind to him since his enrollment. 

After arriving home, Jimin turned on the television to watch the financial news.  It was honestly one of the highlights of his day.  There weren’t many exciting adventures happening in Key West in 1967. But he did what he could to keep himself busy.  He visited the local ballet, the local symphonies.  He attended every play, sitting center front.  But even those grew stale after a while.  The library was one of his favorite places because he loved doing research on America’s largest companies.  He loved to read.

On a whim, he purchased a sail boat.  Fishing was something to do.  Watching American television also had its perks because it helped with his conversational English.  Game shows were quickly becoming annoying though. 

However, he did like hearing the social commentary about the turbulent times happening in the United States.  America was fascinating with all of its protests and free speech, anti-war and anti-government sentiments.  It was a practice that would have been excoriated, possibly even prosecuted, in his home country of Korea.  The complete freedom of the American people seemed to lead to endless chaos and conflict.  Yet the people and the anarchic process seemed effective in creating change.

But Jimin spent most of his time studying the American stock market.  He found it intriguing.  He also found it lucrative.  Jimin had the innate ability to pick winning stocks just from a quick study of a company’s prospectus.  He knew when to get in and when to get out, but he mostly looked for secure long term investments.

He and his Yakuza members had always maintained global holdings in America.  Mostly low yield index funds that didn’t garner many profits.  But after immersing himself in the workings of the fortune 500, he immediately shared his new found appreciation for stock investing with his Yakuza members.  With his guidance, they managed to build even more long term wealth.  It was another, in a long line of reasons, why Jimin was worth much more alive than dead.  Even in his exiled state, he continued to elevate and legitimize the state of the Yakuza.

Every evening around four o’clock, Jimin would take his boat out for a sail on the high sea.  He would spend hours drifting away from the shore as he daydreamed about his detective Jeongguk.  He could smell a hint of his scent in every passing wind.  He could hear his voice beneath the call of every seagull.   He could see his face in every floating cloud.  His Kookie was everywhere, yet nowhere.

On more than one occasion he’d found himself masturbating as he stared into the photographs of his lover’s deep brown eyes and gorgeous toothy smile.  No one could touch Jimin like Jeongguk and no one would ever touch him again.  Like a Priest sworn to celibacy, he swore to never be with another man.  As his deepest honor to Jeongguk, he allowed their last time together to be his last time ever. 

However, Jimin still remained in limbo.  Every time he thought of Jeongguk buried someplace, rotting in the ground, far away from those who loved him, his heart lurched.  He desperately wanted to find his lover’s body, but doing so was quickly becoming less and less feasible.  Time was not on his side.  Jeongguk could have been anywhere, bottom of the river, top of a mountain, buried in a cement truck...the possibilities were endless and he had run out of ideas of where to look.  It was heart wrenching, soul crushing.

Just before Jimin headed out to his boat, a rare phone call came through.  He figured it was his stock broker or some other order of business so he answered right away.

“Hello?”

“Min?” Kumo said softly, “Please don’t hang up,” she implored.

“Hello Kumo.  How are you - sweetheart?”

“Sweetheart?” Kumo covered her mouth with her diamond ring covered fingers.  She wanted to burst into to tears, but it was not the time.  “It’s been a very long time since I’ve heard you call me that.  I’m not doing too well Min.  I miss you...so much that it’s almost unbearable.  I had to purchase two cats just to give me motivation to get up every day.”

Jimin smiled, “You always said that when the ride was over, you would become the cat lady.”

“And I meant it.  I have two and next month I’m going shopping for a third.  But Jimin, if we could just talk regularly, that would help me, but you hang up on me every time.  Every.Single.Time. I don’t want to be a burden to you.  I don’t expect you to just forget what I’ve done.  But I do expect just a little decency, in honor of everything we’ve been through together,” Kumo said sadly.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m still here.  I didn’t hang up,”  Jimin smiled into the phone.  He sat on the couch and pulled the long twisted phone cord taught, “I guess I should apologize for the way that I’ve been treating you.  I still don’t approve of what you did.  You should have told me about this plan.  You should have prepared me, warned me.  But you chose them over me and that’s what I find most difficult to forgive.”

“Great fucking apology.  Saying that I chose them over you.  How preposterous.” Her smooth deep voice rose in anger as she slipped into a biting Sartori accent,  “I would choose you over my own mother.  I love you Jimin.  I have always wanted the best for you, but I also know how stubborn you can be.  If we had told you about this, you would have never agreed.  You would have fought us the entire way and even more people would have been hurt.  You are the CEO of Posco, the path you were on was beneath you.  We all understood the fucking code, but you were on another level.  Kosuke approached me right after your visit to the counsel and told me what you had planned.  That’s also when he found out about the Minister’s bounty on you.  He warned me what was happening.  He gave me a choice to cooperate or go against him.  I had less than 24 hours to make a decision and get everything in order.  I wasn’t going to do it though, Min, even if they killed me.  I wasn’t going to do it.  But that night when you came home and told me what you had done to Jung and his family, I knew Kosuke was right.  I had to protect you.  I did this for you, even though you’re too fucking stubborn to admit it.  I accept your fucked up apology, but you better promise me to never doubt how much I love you and why I did this,” Kumo set the record straight.  She was no shrinking flower and she’d never been afraid to challenge Jimin, even though she should have been.  She never expected Jimin to appreciate what she did, but she also never expected to be accused of betraying him either.

Secretly, Jimin loved it when she stood up to him.  He had chosen well in a mate.  This was the unapologetic fighter that he had signed up for.  He couldn’t continue being angry with her because she had had the balls to actually stand up unapologetically, and fight.  He smiled.  He wished that she had been his big sister when he was three years old.  His life would have been completely different.   

Jimin chose not to respond to Kumo’s outburst.  Instead, he moved the conversation forward, “Are you ok?  You sound tired, unnerved.”

“This ironically is a very good day.  I’m fine, Min.  I just called to say that I love you.  Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Despite the whole drugging fake death and smuggling thing, I love you too.  And I’m doing ok Kumo. It’s not so bad here.”

“So you’re happy?”

“I wouldn’t consider what I’m going through as happiness.  Honestly, I don’t believe that happiness will ever find me again. My only goal right now is to keep the pain from killing me.  Each day that I can do that, is a win.  I would call it...living each day neutrally.”

“Do you have any friends Min?”

“There are faces to talk to.”

“Oh Min.”  This was not what Kumo wanted to hear.  She knew her husband very well and the signs of a deep depression were all there.  If only he had agreed to talk to her, maybe she could have been that loving, motivating voice that he needed to get through.  “Have you traveled?  Do have travel plans?” Kumo gently probed further into his mental state.

“No travel plans at the moment although I may head up to New York within the next few weeks.  I’ve always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty and the New York Stock Exchange.”

“Good.  So no immediate plans?  You’ll be home for a while?”

“Yes.  Kumo, I need to talk to you about something.  Have you ever considered taking Posco public?  On the global trade market?”

“Why yes, how did you know? I already have a team in place working on our new IPO.  Jimin, this is going to sound like a crazy idea, but if we can go public, you can buy the majority stake in Posco and become majority owner of your company again without ever having to step foot into Korea.  It would take a lot of weight off of my shoulders to have more financial backing to shore up the company’s resources plus you would maintain your family business.  It’s an idea that I’ve wanted to talk to you about but you’ve refused all of my phone calls...,”  Kumo’s voice trailed off.

Jimin was so impressed that he let out a huge laugh, “That’s my girl.”

“What?”

“Great minds think alike.  Would you believe that I had the very same idea?  Listen, Kumo, I’ve become really well educated on the stock market since moving here.  There is a fortune to be made that could elevate many of our family owned businesses to another level.  Mergers, acquisitions, company splits, it’s all ours for the taking.  Taking Posco public would instantly make us all billionaires,”  Jimin smiled.

Kumo choked, “B-b-billionaires?” 

“Billion – with a B.  You keep your team in place and tell them to get moving – fast.  I’ve also hired a few people here in the states to study our stock valuations and initial IPO offering.  It’s big Kumo.  The miracle that you’ve performed with the Busan division is one of our greatest assets.  I always knew you were the right person for this job,”  Jimin gloated. 

“I’ll get right on it.  God it feels good to talk business with you again.  But...listen, Jimin, can we talk more tomorrow?  I have a lot on my plate and I really need to go.”

“But we just started talking...plus you called me.  You have to go already?”

“I know, I know yeah but...I have to go.  Say you understand.”

“Ok, yeah sure. If you have to go, I understand.  It’s tough being a CEO,” Jimin joked.  Suddenly he didn’t want Kumo to hang up.  Suddenly he wanted to hold on to her, and linger within the empty spaces between her words.  He missed her.  He missed home.  Jimin clutched the phone tighter in his hands, as if that would keep Kumo from hanging up.  “You promise we’ll talk tomorrow?”

“You have my word.  We’ll talk tomorrow and every day after that.  I have a lot to tell you,”  Kumo said happily.  “Good thing you’re rich because I’m totally going to blow up your phone bill.”

Just as Kumo promised, they continued to talk every single day.

May 1st, 1967 – Key West Florida  

Jimin returned home from a long sail.  He had chosen that day to trace a route that took him almost to Tea Cable Key. Jimin was a solid sailor thanks to his years on the water when he was a child in Busan.  It was one of the only fond memories that he had of his mentally abusive father.  They would often sail deep into the bay to dump body parts of people that his father had killed.

By the time Jimin reached the dock and tied up his boat, it was just after sunset.  He’d spent hours on the water, studying his English and watching the dolphins swim just off of the starboard side of his boat.  It was a decent day. 

He still had a few hours before the sun went down so before heading home he decided to drop into the local bar to say hi to a new friend.  His name was Vince and he was about twenty years Jimin’s senior.  He was a Korean who’s real name was Park Jihon. His family had moved to America during World War I.  The fact that he was also of the Park class was pleasing to them both.  Jimin found him fun to talk to.  They spoke a lot about American business and the different opportunities that existed there.  He convinced Jimin that America had its flaws, but there were opportunities.  He also spoke Korean which was comforting when Jimin needed it the most. 

Jimin had become a regular in Jihon’s bar.  The people there were friendly, loved American football but also appreciated what Americans called soccer.  It had quickly become Jimin’s home away from home.  Even in his isolated, despondent state, he recognized that he needed friends.  It was something that Jeongguk had always impressed upon him.  Friends were important.  And although this bunch didn’t rise to the occasion of being besties, they were just close enough to keep the lone-lies away. 

It was just after 10pm when Jimin left the bar.  The soccer match between the U.S. and South Korea had come down to a nail biter with South Korea pulling out a win.  It was something to smile about.  It was also good to be with other humans who only knew him as ‘Jimin’ and not the CEO of Posco or the Boss of South Street. 

But despite Jimin’s progress, overall, he remained in emotional limbo.  Not having Jeongguk with him, felt like a noose around his neck.  No matter where he went or what he experienced, the rope was always there.  It was only through school, sailing and visits to the bar that he kept the rope from tightening.  Not knowing the location of Jeongguk’s remains greatly contributed to that feeling as well.   

But as he meandered home, his thoughts meandered with him.  With Christmas only nine months away, he wondered if it was too late to pull together a Christmas event for some of the less fortunate in Florida.  He knew nothing of the people, less of the language. But he knew that with the right help, he may be able to find some people down on their luck who needed a hand.  He pondered.  The warm wind picked up around him, pushing his bangs down further over his forehead.  The wind seemed to whisper something in Jeongguk’s voice.

“Humanity.  It’s what separates us from them...,”  Jimin looked around. 

Far too often he heard that cryptic whisper belonging to his dead husband.  It was both comforting and mind numbing because Jeongguk was never there.  No matter how electrified Jimin’s body felt when he heard the whispers, he had to accept that it was just an illusion. 

“Humanity?”  Jimin repeated.  “Yeah, that’s exactly right.”  Jimin agreed with him.  The realization made organizing the Christmas charity event even more pressing.

For months and months since Jeongguk died, that was what had been missing.  Humanity.  The   change that Kosuke saw that terrified him enough to exile Jimin to another country was - simply put – Jimin’s loss of humanity.  Loss of humanity was at the root of the virulent beast who had ruthlessly killed ten people in a single night.  Loss of humanity was the foundation for his seething towards Kumo and refusal to accept her apology.  Loss of humanity was the reason for his utter unhappiness.  He realized painfully that his humanity had been Jeongguk.  It was something the younger had warned him about multiple times, but Jimin never listened.  And now it was all coming back full circle. 

“Thank you baby.  I get it,”  Jimin returned a whisper to the passing wind.

Jimin’s small bungalow on the beachy shore was only a ten minute walk away from the bar.  The evening was warm and for the first time in months he notice the stars.  But when he approached his front door, he saw that almost every light inside of his house was on.  As much as he hated the dark, he didn’t remember leaving every single light on.  Possibly one or two, but all of them?  No – something was off.  Had someone broken in?

Jimin trusted his small community in the Keys.  If anyone was there, he was certain they meant him no harm.  For that reason, he didn’t hesitate to enter, even though he was unarmed and his gun was in his bedroom drawer. 

He was immediately greeted with a friendly face, “You’ll excuse my intrusion...again, but I needed to talk to you and felt it was best to have the conversation in person.”  Kosuke Takata once again stood in Jimin’s living room. 

Jimin immediately bowed and then followed with a hug.  “Kosuke, it’s incredible to see you again.  I feel like our last meeting was...what I mean to say is...I was out of line.  It’s taken a few months, but I’ve had a lot of time to think and I get it now.  I understand why this had to be done...I still don’t agree with not telling me about the plan, that was a betrayal.  There were things that I needed to take care of before leaving Korea.  But overall, I understand why I’m here and I’m not going to fight it anymore.”

Kosuke bowed back to Jimin, “No one ever said that you could never go back.  We said that Park Jimin was dead.  But other arrangements can be made,”  Kosuke said elusively. 

“Sit down.  Have a drink?  Tell me what brings you back to the states?  Surely you didn’t come all this way just to see me?”  Jimin prepared Kosuke his favorite drink, a dry martini.

“Seeing you was very important but I’m here on business.   Headed to New York tonight.  But as I said, you and I need to talk and it’s better to do it in person, so I made a special stop here to see you.” Kosuke accepted his drink from Jimin and settled into a seat,  “It’s beautiful here Jimin. I hope you’re doing – ok.”  For the first time Kosuke expressed a bit of remorse for Jimin’s exile.  He too had time to reflect on the decision to smuggle Jimin out of Korea.  And, although he stood behind his choices, he had to admit the execution was poor. 

“I’m not too proud of a man to admit that we could have done a better job getting you out of harm’s way.  In the heat of the moment, we had to make decisions fast but you should have been included in them.  It was wrong to rip you away from the company that your family founded.  Although I must say, your beautiful widow is doing an incredible job.  Some of her moves are very distinctly Park Jimin.  Makes me wonder if maybe she has your influence?”  Kosuke  laughed. 

“Maybe a little bit.  We’ve worked hard to mend our relationship.  We talk almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day,”  Jimin admitted.

“That’s very good to hear.  And that’s partly, while I’m here.  We can work on a plan to get you back to Korea.  A few more months and this ‘situation’ with Ji, the Minister of Veterans affairs, will be resolved.  I have it on good authority that some unfortunate video of him fucking a whore in the back of a casino will be making its way to the President in the very near future.  In addition, he’s racked up another 1.2 billion won in gambling debts through the new legal gambling casinos in Japan.  Jung is no longer here to protect him, so this is not going to end well.  I believe his suicide note is already written,” Kosuke said maliciously.  “Maybe at that time...,”

“No.”  Jimin interrupted.  “I mean, thank you for the offer, but I’m staying here.  You’re right, there really is nothing back in Korea for me except excruciatingly painful memories.  And as you said, Kumo is doing an incredible job with Posco.  She’s applied for an IPO valuation.  Once the company goes public, I plan to become a secret investor and buy the majority interest in the stock.  And at that point, I’ll be able to run the business from anywhere in the world, including my quaint little bungalow here on the beach.”

“Kumo’s idea or yours?”

“Both.  Great minds think alike.  She will remain CEO and I’ll maintain control of the company founded by my great, great grandfather.  Win – win,”  Jimin smiled.  He had clearly been making power moves even from his isolated beach front in America.  “Now, you said that was only part of the reason that you came to see me.  What’s the other part?”

“There’s an important matter that needs your attention.  You own a property in Monticello, about an hour plane ride from here.  Something urgent has come up and you’re needed there.  The license for commercial property is being revoked.  Some wealthy private investor wants to come in and build a home there, making it private property.  Because the land is in the name of Jeon Jeongguk and he is well...unavailable...they have declared imminent domain.  They think they can do this under the radar without detection.  You need to get there immediately,” Kosuke advised.

“How do you know all of this?  This is my personal business, how did this information make its way to you?”

“How many times have I told you...I have connections that run very deep.  Those connections will soon become yours as well,” Kosuke smiled.

Jimin wasn’t sure what Kosuke meant by that, but he moved on, “Fine.  I’ll leave first thing in the morning.  Where is this meeting being held?”

 “On the property, tomorrow 11am.  They have an open auction scheduled and that’s when the investor plans to swoop in and take ownership,” Kosuke explained.

“Thank you.  I have copies of the paperwork in the files that Kumo sent me.  I’ll take care of it.”

“I know that area means a lot to you.  As a friend, the least I can do is make sure that you don’t lose it because of my actions.”

“Why Kosuke, are you expressing a bit of remorse?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, don’t rub it in,” Kosuke gave Jimin a hug.  I better be going.  I have a chartered flight to New York tonight.  Call me and let me know how everything goes tomorrow.  Ok?  Call me, don’t forget.”

“I will.”

 

It was a crisp sparkling day in north Florida.  The sun was bright and the weather was a balmy 72 degrees.  Jimin’s private car shuttled him from the airport in Tallahassee to the rural town of Monticello which was 40 miles away.

Jimin’s heart was full of angst.  As much as he understood the need to fight for Jeongguk’s property, he wasn’t sure how he would react to being back in Monticello again after so many years.  The place was special for so many reasons.  Being there again was almost debilitating because of the memories that came flooding back to him. 

As he took his first step out of the limo, a welcoming breeze immediately swept through, lifting the dark bangs that covered his forehead.  He could almost smell Jeongguk’s scent.  This field belonged to him.  His presence was so very strong.  Jimin could remember so clearly how they’d made love on the checkered blanket.  It was unfair that Jeongguk was gone.  It was unfair.  Jimin didn’t know if he could go on.  He turned and asked his driver not to leave because he was unsure if he had the courage to stay much longer. 

Kosuke had not given many details about exactly where the public auction was to be held.  Since there was an old barn near the steel fire pit, Jimin instinctively thought to go there.  But to get there, he needed to travel directly through the swaying green stems of wheat which were now over seven feet tall.  There was no other way to reach the location and there was no option to go around.  The heavily shadowed paths of planted wheat traversed in and out of complete darkness.  Even though it was early morning on the brightest sunny day, the rays were impenetrable through the thickly hooded wheat spikes.  The last time that Jimin had tried to make his way through the darkness alone, he had failed.  He had been so overcome with fear that his body shut down, refusing to push him any further.  Had it not been for Jeongguk doubling back to pull him from the darkness, he would have likely died there.  He wondered if this time, without Jeongguk, if he would actually die there.

Following the main path was the easiest way to get through, but it was also the darkest route.  The last time they visited, Jeongguk had posted a small wooden sign that read J+J forever.  It was a reminder to Jimin for how to get back to their picnic spot in case they got separated.  Jeongguk was always thoughtful that way, always thinking ahead. 

There were no fancy loafers this time around, no expensive suits, no bodyguards, no Xio.  Just Jimin with his ten dollar sneakers and Tommy Bahama palm tree shirt that Kumo had purchased for him.  How quickly things had changed in only four years.  He took one more look back at the Limo and warned the driver, “If I’m not back in an hour, send help.”  He laughed as he took his first step along the path. 

There was a peaceful rustling of the stems as the wind once again visited, more aggressively this time.  He stood and watched the grasses sway, as he listened to the sound of their bristles brushing against each other.  This truly was beautiful land.  Jimin understood completely why he had purchased it for his Kookie.

Almost immediately the full sun waned into dappled lighting as he stepped gingerly over the dirt mounds, traveling further and further towards the center of the wheat field.  Most of the rows were numbered with markers along the way to help him stick to the main path, but that didn’t change the fact that his surroundings were growing darker and darker with each step that he took.  It was only a ten minute walk to completely cross the field and get to the other side.  All he had to do was place one foot in front of the other and continue on.  But his mind was gripped by the darkness.  The anticipation of being completely surrounded, all alone, was too much for him.  He stopped.  He could see ahead and there was no escape.  He had to travel through it. 

His steps continued until he could see no more.  There was only the faintest shadow above him where the sun had once been.  He continued to look upwards towards the sky, trying to find his way, but the tall grasses swayed overhead covering him completely.  There was no sky, there was no compass, there was nothing but darkness.

At three years old, Jimin kicked against the closet door trying to force it open as he scurried away from the rats that were attacking him.  He was feverish and weak.  Trying to escape took all of his strength.  The rats were big, larger than his foot and they saw him as a source of food.  The creatures were relentless, attacking over and over with their filthy teeth.  As their long tails whipped against his skin, he screamed in terror.  He kicked and kicked and kicked at the closet door, trying to get it open, but he was too small and too feeble.  The door remained locked.  He could hear his brother Xio sitting right outside of the door, laughing at him, teasing him, rooting for the rats to eat his heart.  How could the big brother that he loved so much, hate him so much?

Even at three years old, Jimin was an erudite decision maker, with core intelligence and survival skills.  Despite his fevered hallucinogenic state, he thought quickly.  There was a hole underneath the baseboard and many of the rats used it to escape the closet and funnel their way through the walls.  He fell to the corner where the hole was located and used his hands to pull the opening even wider.  The rats attacked his legs, with four of them piercing his skin with their sharp teeth.  He endured the pain as he focused on setting a trap to force them out.  He had a small package of crackers in his pocket.  He placed them deep inside of the hole to lure the rats out of the closet.  He then jumped as high as he could and grabbed on to the bar above him where the coats were hanging.  He pulled his legs up,  suspending himself in the air so that the rats that covered the ground couldn’t reach him.  Since the vermin could no longer feed on him, one by one they wandered through the hole to devour the crackers.  Jimin hung there, holding on to the clothes bar for dear life, until all of the rats were gone. 

But his solution was not permanent because every few hours the rats would return, especially at night.  He couldn’t even sleep for fear of them dropping down on him again as they fell from the attic.   Once again he screamed.

“Xio-hyung, please open the door.  Please help me.  PLEASE!”  His screams were horrific, loud, anguished.

“It’s what you deserve.  I hope they eat you alive,” his brother responded...

Jimin pulled himself into a ball as he laid within the dirt of the wheat field.  He began to shake as he felt the darkness fall around him.  The four walls of the closet were caving in, the rats would return at any moment.  He covered his head, closed his eyes, and lay there in the fetal position.  It was too dark.

“Min?”

Jimin heard a voice call his name. He wasn’t quite sure where the voice had come from.  He wasn’t sure if he recognized it.  But the tone...the tone was so soothing that he immediately stopped shaking.  He sat up and looked around but it was too dark to see anything. 

“I don’t remember much these days.  I mean, I have gaps.”

Jimin stood to his feet.  He had definitely heard a voice.  But there was still no owner.  He began to wonder, was he dead?  Had he died in that wheat field?  Was the mysterious voice an Angel coming to guide him into the afterlife?  Why was the voice so soothing?  Why did his heart recognize it before his mind did?

Jimin spun around.  It was too dark, he couldn’t see anything, but he was certain that he heard, Jeongguk’s voice. 

The voice spoke again, “But I will always remember this place, and that very special day.  It was the first time you told me that you loved me.  You made me promise to always remember.  I have forgotten a lot, but I will always, always remember that day.”

“Kookie?”  Jimin continued to turn around in circles.  He covered his ears, believing that he was having a mental breakdown in the darkness.  His eyes widened and his heart raced as the panic set in.

Detective Jeon suddenly appeared next to Jimin, just inches away with a thinly layered row of stems between them.  He had come to guide him to the light.  He was the light in the dark closet, the light in the hallway, the light that chased away his darkness.  He was his Angel on earth.

“Kookie?”  Jimin said again with a trembling wet voice, “Am I dead?”

“No baby...and neither am I.”

Jimin suddenly felt his husband’s flesh press against his wrist.  With a slight pull, Jeongguk lifted Jimin’s palm and gently cried into his fingers.  “I’m here.  I’m...ok.”

Jimin conceded death.  It was a lovely way to go.  “How did I die?”

“So...you didn’t.  This isn’t a dream, or a nightmare, or a journey into the afterlife.  I’m really here baby.  I needed a safe place to reveal myself.  Kosuke was thrilled when he found out that I was alive.  He helped me lure you here.  I didn’t want to just show up at my bungalow on the beach.  This seemed like the right place.  The place where our love began.  It’s me baby.  I’m alive.”

“No.  It’s impossible.”  Jimin fell to his knees again and shook his head.  He ripped his hand away from the soft flesh that felt so real.

Jimin wasn’t sure what was happening to him.  Possibly, his inability to cry had finally seized his heart and destroyed his mind.  Being trapped in emotional limbo for so long had driven him mad.  He’d never lost complete control of his reality before. 

Jeongguk was dead.  He was dead. 

As he only did in his most crippling moments of anxiousness, Jimin balled his hands into fists and kneaded them against his chest.  He pulled at his hair and rocked back and forth as he fought for his own sanity.  The ghost of Jeongguk was so strong, so powerful, so convincing.  Jimin couldn’t allow himself to fall for it, not again.  He pressed his fists into his chest, harder and harder as if he wanted to rip out his own heart.  He couldn’t live through any more of these attacks, with these terribly realistic visions.  He had to let Jeongguk go, but how could he when his lover’s ghosts insisted on chasing him to his grave. 

Jeongguk was dead.  DEAD. 

Kumo had seen his dead body riddled with bullets.  Jung’s guards had laughed and mocked about how they had killed him.  Everyone on Jung’s team saw him lying dead in the trunk.  Jeongguk’s body was missing and nowhere to be found, because he was dead.  If he were still alive he would have resurfaced.  It had been almost four months since that cold night in December. Of course he was dead.  Of course Jeongguk was dead.  Of course he was...dead?  So then, who was the man standing in front of him? 

Jeongguk lifted Jimin to his feet and then pulled him a few steps further until they were in the clearing and out of the wheat field, “See. You were almost there.  You were almost out.  You pushed through the darkness all on your own.  I waited for you, praying that you would come out on the other side, but when you didn’t come, I decided to come and get you.”

Jimin just stared at him, shaking his head, evaluating his body, calculating, processing.  He wasn’t there, he wasn’t ready...it was too much.  He was so confused.

Jeongguk could see that Jimin still was having a hard time accepting his sudden rising from the dead.  So he did what he could to quickly fill in the blanks.

“Kumo didn’t tell you I was alive because I was in a coma.  She didn’t know if I was going to survive and she didn’t want you to have to mourn me twice if I died.  I’ve been unconscious for months.  You’ve been looking for a dead Jeongguk for all of these months, but not a living one.  You never checked the hospitals because you assumed I was already gone.  I was on life support and they told Lee that I would never wake up.  But Kumo found doctors who cured me Jimin.  She was relentless.  She found the best doctors in the world and she brought them to Korea to treat me and paid for all of it when my brother couldn’t.   I survived the attempted execution by Jung’s gang.  I crawled out of the trunk, looking for Kumo and I blacked out.  Someone found me on the side of the road and took me to the hospital.  Kumo had walked away from the car, so they didn’t see her.  They only saw me.  She was left behind while they rushed me to the ER.  Thank God Kumo was found later, but by that time, I was already in the hospital.  That’s why you could never find my body, because I was in a public hospital.” 

Color began to return to Jimin’s cheeks.  He still stood several feet away from Jeongguk, afraid to trust what he was hearing.

Jeongguk continued, “You have to understand, my brother Lee knew nothing about you.  And Kumo thought I was dead.  It took time for everyone to put the pieces together.  By that time, Kumo had faked your death as well.  My brother Lee had been caring for me for months and it wasn’t until he found Kumo, while looking for you, that he realized that both of us were still alive.  I was released from the hospital a month ago, but I had to receive therapy to walk and talk again.  I’m still struggling with my memory, but I’m here baby.  I’m here.” Jeongguk cautiously approached Jimin.  He wanted so very much to scoop him into his arms, but he was sensitive to the fact that Jimin was having a moment. 

Jimin could smell him.  It was the same beautiful scent of cherry blossom shampoo that he’d come to expect whenever they embraced.  Could it possibly be true?  Was this why he had never been able to find Jeongguk’s body, because there was no body to find?  Jimin was still very slow to accept what was quickly becoming a reality. 

“I-I-I don’t understand.  Kumo saw you die,”  Jimin said wearily.

“No. Kumo saw a very significant series of injuries that almost killed me.  Not to mention, she was gravely injured herself.  The fact that she got away from that car and walked as far as she did, is a testament to how strong she is and how much she loves me.  She was trying to get help, but she needed help herself.  So forgive her for believing I was dead.  The way I looked, it was a good assumption to make at the time.  I lost so much blood that I lapsed into a coma shortly after arriving in the ER.  But Jung and his violent thuggery couldn’t kill me.  They gave it their best shot and I still walked away.”  Jeongguk smiled.

It was the smile that finally did it.  It was the smile that finally broke through Jimin’s defenses; his protective cocoon of doubt.  The smile was real and undoubtedly Jeon Jeongguk.   Jimin rushed forward and wrapped his arms around him.  Incredibly enough, he didn’t cry.

“Violent thuggery!”  Jimin exclaimed.  “No one, no one, not even a ghost would say that shit.  It has to be you!  It’s you.  It’s really you.  How...how...how?”  He ran his fingers up and down Jeonggk’s face, kissing him and feeling his skin, touching his shoulders and arms and stomach.  He couldn’t get enough of him. 

“Like I said, this was a very sensitive situation.  We needed someone we could trust to reach out to you.  Once Kosuke learned what had happened, he was more than willing to help.  We asked him to help lure you here.  I took the flight alone.   But Kumo has several doctors lined up here in the states to care for me as I continue to recover.  I’ve chosen to remain dead Jimin.  I’ve completely left my old life behind.  We are restarting together.  I’m here to walk with you as we figure out what comes next.  This is our new chance. This is our road to redemption,” Jeongguk squeezed Jimin’s body.  He was just as relieved as Jimin to be together again.

Jimin stared into Jeongguk’s eyes.  They were real, they were very real and the sparkle was still there.  His husband was very thin and seemed taller, but other than that, he was exactly the same.   Jimin’s lip quivered, but still he did not cry.  

“I just suffered through the worst months of my life. I had lost all hope, all feeling, all desire to live.  And now...you’re back.” He did not cry.

“I don’t know what happened between you and Kumo and your fake death, but she only did it because she was forced to.  The Yakuza gave her no choice.  But from what I understand, they are keeping their promise to settle things in Korea.  You have to forgive her Jimin.  You cannot hold this over her head.  It wasn’t her fault,”  Jeongguk said with passion.

“I’ve already forgiven her, Kookie.  I have.  I love her and I understand why she did this,”  Jimin explained.  “We’ve been talking for weeks now, almost every day.  We’re fine.”

“Good because Min, Kumo has been incredible.  I’m here...and I’m alive because she and Lee wouldn’t give up on me.”  Lee could have unplugged the machines the very same day that he got the news, but he wouldn’t.  He refused to give up on me.  Jeongguk suddenly burst into tears.  “And you...never stopped searching for my body.  The love that you three have shown me...,”  He wiped his tears on the bottom of his shirt.  He was wearing a matching Tommy Bahama shirt and pair of slender jeans with tennis shoes.  No doubt he had been styled by Kumo. 

Despite the miracle standing in front of him, Jimin still did not cry.

“You’re going to stay?  With me? Forever?”  Jimin was scared to ask the question, but he needed to understand.

“Where else would I go?  I’m your husband, remember...that is if you still love me.”

“Still love you?” Jimin didn’t even know how to respond, “Love is just not a big enough word.”

“Good, then I have something for you.”  Jeongguk pulled a small box from his jeans pocket, “I made a promise to Kumo.  This promise kept me alive.  This is why I’m awake and standing in front of you today.  I had to keep my promise.  It was my one job.”

Jimin was still in shock, “Promise?  What kind of promise.”

“When I was unconscious, Kumo came to me one night and she gave me a very important task.  She told me that I had to wake up and she put something in my hand.  I could hear her Jimin and I knew what she wanted me to do.  I just had to find my way back.  I’m here now and I’m ready to complete my mission.”

Jeongguk removed his grandmother’s necklace from the box, the same necklace that he had kept gripped in his palm for weeks. 

“Kumo told me that I had to give this back to you. She said that no one would help me and that I had to do it myself.  She told me that I had to get my ass up and find you and make you my husband again.  She made me promise...,”  Jeongguk cried again, “Even in my coma, I could hear her.”  He was barely able to continue.  He slumped over as his tears fell fast from his eyes.  His shoulders shook as he wept away months of pain, “I could hear her and I held onto it until I was ready.  Park Jimin, I will never let you go.”  He stepped behind Jimin and placed the necklace around his neck.  “Will you be my husband again?”

“I never stopped being your husband.”  It was then and only then, that Jimin finally collapsed into tears.

***

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