Mission J

The rain only grew stronger, the wind fiercer and the temperature lower.

I shivered, pressing my back into the wall that kept me from tumbling down nine stories. My clothes stuck to my body like suctions but no longer kept me warm. If anything, it made things worse. My turtleneck was starting to feel constricting around my bruised neck and torso, making me feel trapped. I couldn’t use my coat; I had used it to bundle my not-so-waterproof sig, bullets and taser in attempt to keep them dry. But the problem now was keeping warm.

It had only taken a few minutes of the storm for the rain to soak me to the bone and start stealing whatever body heat I was trying to keep in. After a while the roar of the rain became the background and the stinging icy raindrops numbing as my skin started to lose feeling from the cold.
I sat still, pressing my back harder into the wall. Pain flared from my shoulder blade, but I welcomed it now. Where everything else was painfully numb, it seemed to be the only sensation that kept my mind sharp.

The harsh winds of the storm continued to blow, only adding to the already chilly weather. I pressed my lips together to stop myself from chattering, glancing towards the lounge chair, at the space underneath it where I had stored my weapons wrapped protectively in my coat. Its’ contents should be dry; I managed to bundle the coat tight enough before the rain got this bad.
I breathed out through my teeth, clenching my jaw shut and pulled my knees closer to my chest. Between the shivering and the loss of body heat, I was starting to feel exhausted.
Give it a few more hours; the rain is sure to stop. I told myself.

It wasn’t too long when I heard a noise over the roaring rain, coming from the apartment. I looked up and saw Mr. Park knocking on the glass door. When he saw that I noticed him, he quickly unlocked the door and pushed it aside.

“K!” he hissed. He peered up at the sky, almost looking as if he was bewildered at the volume of water it was throwing down. “Ah, hold on!” he hissed again.

He ducked back into the apartment for something, I didn’t know what. I got up from the ground and stood up cautiously, the sensation of blood rushing down to my feet feeling unnatural. I forced myself to stand still for a few moments before I went to the glass door. Seconds later, Mr. Park pushed through the curtains with an umbrella at hand. He jumped when he saw that I was now two feet away from the door. Was he coming out to get me?
The thought amused me slightly and I had to smile.
“Mr. Park, did you need something?” I asked.
Mr. Park shook his head, though his expression grave.
“Me? No, you’re the one that needs something!” he said, sounding distressed. “Why aren’t you wearing your coat?”
“I had to keep the gun dry.” I said, pointing towards the lounge chair.
The man looked at me incredulously and threw a glance in the direction I was pointing. But he shook his head again.
“Oh that doesn’t matter now! Get your things.” he said hurriedly. He then stepped off to the side and pulled the curtain away from the door. “Please, come inside and warm up.”
I blinked, looking at him and then inside the apartment.
“…Mr. Park…” I started.
“Jae-Sung seemed to have gone to sleep. He won’t wake till morning so it’s alright! Oh, and there’s food. I went to the store and got---”
I stopped him with a motion of my hand.
“Mr. Park, I can’t come inside.” I said.

That stopped him short, and he looked at me like I had three heads.

“But Jae-Sung is asleep, and I’m sure he just said the things he said in the heat of things…”
I smiled, but shook my head.
“But…but you can’t stay out here all night.” he said, sounding horrified at the idea.

“I’ve been through worse times.” I reassured him. “The rain should be over any minute.”
“It’s cold; you’ll freeze out here.” he continued to argue. “You’re already turning blue in the lips.”
I pressed my lips together, trying to bring some color back into them.
“It’s a wonderful offer, thank you.” I said politely. “But I can’t. I’m sorry.”
Mr. Park stared at me, confusion and disbelief taking turns on his expression.
“Why?” he asked.
I grimaced and blinked the rain out of my eyes.
“Well…I know I’m going to sound stupid and stubborn, but it’s because Mr. Seo ordered it.” I said.
Mr. Park looked like he was about to argue, but I stopped him once again.
“He gave me a direct order that I intend to follow. It’s not out of pride or anything, but I have a rule when it comes to orders. I also don’t like doing unnecessary things behind people’s backs.” I explained. “Besides, if I go against him now, he will never trust me to follow his orders. And I need his trust for the next five days.”
I saw a startled look come over Mr. Park, and I could see that he was done arguing.
“You will freeze out here to get his trust?” he asked.
“It’s my job to keep him safe.” I said. “I’m just trying to find a way for me to do that.”
“But shouldn’t you disregard this order? I mean, it’s your health I’m worried about…” Mr. Park said. He seemed to be begging more than arguing now.
“It’s not stopping me from doing my job.” I said. “I know how stupid I sound; I also know that I’ll be paying for this later. But it’s also partially my fault that I’m in this position.”
Mr. Park looked at me, his expression still conflicted. So I added.
“I’ll come in the moment he lets me.” I said.
Mr. Park was quiet for a moment, but then he nodded.
“I’ll be right back.” he said quietly before ducking back into the apartment.

I stood there obediently, waiting patiently. As I had predicted, the rain was already starting to lighten up, no longer the heavy pelts. But the cold was setting in.
A few minutes had passed when Mr. Park returned. I saw a rolled hand towel in a plastic bag.
“Here,” he said, reaching towards me.
I reached forward with numb hands to take what he was offering me. Mr. Park grabbed my hands and curled my stiff fingers around the plastic-wrapped towel. I felt warmth seep into my palms.
“I heated a water bottle up and wrapped it with a towel.” he said. “It should keep you warm for a while. You can drink it once it cools a bit. And here’s a snack bar; I know it’s not a lot, but you should eat.”
He pressed the snack bar into my hand and gave my hands a squeeze.
“If you need anything, just knock. I’ll be in the living room.”
With that, he nodded his head briefly before ducking back in. He slid the door closed but left it unlocked.

I looked down at the newly obtained items in my hand, feeling the wonderful heat seep into my icy fingers. It made them tingle painfully, but it was a great feeling.
I walked back to my place against the wall and sat back down. I pulled at the plastic bag so that the towel-wrapped bottle stayed covered before I lifted my drenched turtleneck and placed the homemade heat compress to my abdomen. A sigh of relief escaped me as I felt the warmth push into my stomach, slowly bringing me back to life.
Few more hours of this, and the rain was already letting up. It’ll be alright.



The rain stopped completely about half an hour later, only leaving the bitter cold. It was only mid fall, and it was already feeling like it was winter.
I had peeled off my drenched turtleneck and unbundled the coat. It had stayed relatively dry, just slightly damp on the outside. But it was warmer than the wet clothing. I left the dry weapons underneath the lounge chair and after patting myself dry with the warmed towel, pulled my coat around me tightly, the lukewarm bottle pressed into my abdomen.
This was better than nothing; in fact, I was doing much better.
The sun was just starting to rise and already there was only half the dampness. Morning frost covered parts of the balcony floor, some of the puddles turning into delicate ice patches. I drank some of the water and ate the snack bar, trying to get some of the energy back.

Hey, look at me; it’s like those surviving the wild show, balcony version.

I don’t know how long exactly it was but before I knew it, I saw two feet standing right before me. I looked up when I finally realized and saw Mr. Park looking down at me.
“Come on in.” he said in a quiet voice. “He says it’s okay.”
I felt him reach down and take me by the upper arm, helping me up. But once he saw that I was standing on my own, he loosened his grip.
I let him guide me into the apartment, past the kitchen and into a different room I haven’t seen before. But when the lights turned on, I saw it was a bedroom.
“This is the spare bedroom.” Mr. Park was saying behind me. “A package arrived for you here, and it’s on the bed. The showers are to your left. Please use them.”
I turned around to say thanks when I met Mr. Park’s eye. He winced at me when he saw me, and I could practically see the color drain from his face.
“Mr. Park?” I said, bewildered at this strange reaction. “Are you alright?”
Mr. Park nodded, but avoided looking at my face.
“I’m alright, but are you?” he asked. “Mr….ah, Jun had warned me of your injuries from your last job. I just didn’t imagine it would be…”
I frowned, and looked around the room till I saw the full-size mirror on the wall.
“Ah…” I let out hollowly.

Whatever cover-up I had applied was long gone with the rain, which wasn’t surprising. Waterproof wasn’t exactly stormproof. But add bitter cold and the lack of sleep into the equation, I looked like a drowned cat. Hell, a drowned cat would look livelier than what I did now. My skin was pale, almost light blue from the cold, my lips were a dark unnatural shade of bluish purple, and my eyes were shadowed from the fatigue. But my bruises…
Without the cover of the turtleneck top, the coat did a poor job of covering my neck even with every button fastened. With my skin a few shades lighter than life itself I was horrific looking.

I sighed and turned back to Mr. Park.
“I’m…a bit beaten up.” I admitted. “But I will be presentable in a few minutes. I can assure you that.”
Mr. Park winced again.
“That’s not really my concern right now…” he said. “Are you sure you are alright?”
I nodded and gave him a smile.
“Few minutes, and I’ll be ready to work.” I said.

Mr. Park looked at me, seemingly a bit skeptical.
“I’ll go get you a towel.” he said turning to leave.
“Mr. Park,” I said, stopping him short.
“Yes?” he replied, turning back around.
I scraped my fingertips along the bruised skin of my throat.
“Please keep this between the two of us.” I said.
A startled look came across his face, but he nodded before he left the room. He closed the door behind him and left me alone.

Now that I was alone, first things first; warm up, get clean. Since the shower was provided, may as well take advantage of it. I turned to the package on the bed. A medium size cardboard box, with no markings on the outside; it was probably the package Jun had sent me.
I reached into the leg pocket of my cargo pants and pulled out the folding blade, the only weapon I had on me. I ran it along the seam of the opening, cutting through the tape and opened the box.
The first thing I saw was an orange document envelope sitting on top of the box’s contents. I picked it up and opened it, letting what was inside spill into my hands.
A small cellphone fell out, along with a set of keys. Without hesitation I flipped the phone open and pressed in the number I had memorized and pressed call.
It only took one ring for him to pick up.
“I see you got the package safely.” Jun said smoothly. “How was your night stay?”
“Cozy.” I replied shortly before moving on to business. “Jun, I’m going to need the details on the death you were talking about last night.”
“All done.” I heard him say. “Everything you need is where you should find it. If you need anything else, you know who to call. Also, this is the phone you were assigned for the next five days. All the contacts you might need have been put in already.”
“Got it.” I said. “I’ll call you if I have anything to report.”
“Call me tonight at seven.” he returned. “Established check-in.”
I rolled my eyes but held in a sigh.
“Yes, sir.” I muttered.

I hung up just as there was a soft knock on the door. Mr. Park came in, with two towels in his hands.
“Oh, sorry…I just came with the towels…” he said, looking away.
I walked over and took the towels from him.
“Thank you. I’ll be out in fifteen minutes.” I said.
Mr. Park quickly retreated, going back into the kitchen. I turned back to the box and pulled out the last thing inside. It was my travel bag and from the looks of it, it was untouched from the trip back from Russia.
I cut the tag off the fastener of the duffel bag and opened it, grabbed a random set of clothes and a towel and headed into the showers.



With a hot five-minute shower, three minutes to change, and the rest of the time covering up the dark circles and the bruised jaw, I was ready to get going. I didn’t have much choice with my outfit; until the bruising went away a turtleneck sweater was all I really had for options. I didn’t like how it felt tight against my ribs and neck, but it was hell of a lot easier than trying to cover up the bruising with make-up.
I pulled my wet hair back into a simple ponytail and gathered all of my things back into the box. I slipped the cell phone and keys into my jacket pocket, the blade in my boot and rechecked everything before exiting the room.

I stepped into the kitchen to find Mr. Park sitting at the counter where I first saw him sit, this time, reading a magazine. He looked up when he heard me and got up from his chair.
“Please, have a seat.” he said, motioning me to the stool across from him on the counter.
I sat down and watched as he moved around the kitchen.
“Can I get you something warm to drink? I put in coffee, I can also put in tea.” he offered.
“No thank you.” I said, smiling politely.
“Maybe something to eat,” he said.
“I’m fine, thank you.”
Mr. Park came to sit back down across from me, watching me carefully.
“Jae-Sung is still getting ready.” he told me.
I nodded, not really having anything to say about that. I watched as the manager squirmed uncomfortably across from me, and I wondered if I should’ve accepted the offer for a beverage after all, at least to keep him busy. But then he turned to the stool next to him and lifted a bundled-up towel onto the counter.
“I…I, um…didn’t know if I should, but I thought I would bring them back in.” he said, opening the towel. I saw that it was the weapons I had left out on the balcony. “I was careful not to touch them with the towel.”
I picked up my sig, quickly gave a check over and tucked it into the holster fastened at my left rib inside my jacket.
“Thank you.” I said. I quickly gathered the other things off of the towel and tucked it into my pockets and hidden slots.

I turned my attention back to Mr. Park, who had gone back to reading his magazine. A closer look and I saw that it was some teen girl magazine, LUV!
That was an interesting choice of read…

Mr. Park must’ve noticed me looking because he lifted the magazine so I can see the cover fully.
“Jae-Sung did an interview for them a few days ago.” he explained. “I’m sort of curious why this interview has been on the top talk-about list.”
“He’s very popular,” I mused. “As an actor, I mean.”
“As a model and once a singer too.” Mr. Park added. “Though, he doesn’t sing as much anymore.”
I hummed thoughtfully, and let him continued to read. I saw his brows knit together in a complex expression.
“Hmm…” he let out, looking troubled. “He doesn’t normally offer in interviews…”
Curiosity bubbled and I had to ask.
“May I?” I asked.
Mr. Park wordlessly passed me the magazine. I flipped to the beginning of the interview and started to read.

I never really cared for any sort of pop culture, so I haven’t really read a lot of magazines or celebrity interviews. But it seemed to have a standard pattern of the entertainment industry.
The interview began with questions on Seo Jae-Sung’s career and bio, projects and dramas he was currently working on and his upcoming job dramatically named “SHATTERHEART”. There were some sappy flirting and obligatory compliments on his success and his style. And then they went into his personal life.

“Ah…” I mused. “So this is why this article is so popular.”
I continued to read on, suddenly intrigued with the flow of the interview.

LUV!: “I think I know what we, all of your fans want to know most…There’s been rumors going on about your relationship with fellow actress Kang Yun…”

*Jae-Sung Oppa’s expression steeled and paused. Oh~ did I hit a soft spot?? Hmm...I’m so curious~!*

LUV!: “…is it true, that you two are no longer a couple?”

*Then I saw something in Oppa’s face; he looked uncomfortable. He looked shocked and---did I see hurt?! But then he recovered and replied…*

Jae-Sung:“…yes. It’s true.” [softly spoke.]

I looked up at Mr. Park, eyebrow raised.
“Kang Yun…an old flame?” I asked.
I saw Mr. Park wince, and my curiosity bubbled further.
“Not that old.” he said. “They were still together a week ago. It was a little over a year that they have been dating.”

Wow…a year? I couldn’t picture that Seo Jae-Sung I had the pleasure of meeting yesterday to be a commitment type…

I guess my surprise showed because Mr. Park nodded.
“Yea, I know.” he said. “She broke up with him, and from what I understand, he didn’t see it coming.”
“So he is still heartbroken by this.” I said, guessing.
But to this Mr. Park hummed thoughtfully, staring at his star’s smiling picture in the magazine.
“Not sure; ‘heartbroken’ doesn’t seem quite right.” he told me. “The two were more like a spotlight item; more for show. Away from the cameras they were more like two partners working to heighten each other’s popularity.”
Mr. Park looked up from the magazine and up at my face. Suddenly a look of concern came across his face.
“K…you’re sweating.” he said. “Are you feeling alright?”

I was about to answer that I felt fine, when I heard a door open from somewhere further in the apartment. My eyes flickered over to to the other side of the kitchen, waiting for Superstar to walk in.

And so the day begins…