บท 22: 22 - Jacuzzi
Jieung-yong laid his forehead on the window in his hotel room. From the five star building, he could see a black mass of ants, non-severable in the dark of the evening, walk on the street, going through their daily life as a dominated species. A meaningless species.
He got the purple curtain out of his eyes and glanced at the machine gun laid against the wall. If he wanted, I could smash each one of them. He chuckled.
They were that small too, at Manpo. Ants. Less than zeros that the Firm could have exterminated in one blow.
He pulled himself away from the window and stroked the closer barrel. The weapon didn't return his affection as it was frozen.
The Firm had enormous power. If the Revolution possessed men and weapons like that, Jieung-yong could dominate North Korea easily.
He'd be useful to Yoh Chihye's eyes, not like her cowardly son. This thought made him growl, and he threw himself on a canopy bed. The Puma rested on the bed next to him. Even though his face was in front of him, Jieung-yong was unable to know if the other was sleeping or not.
"The Puma."
His lips opened, "Yes?"
"Did you made up your mind?"
"About what?"
He stood and walked to a cart full of fruits and juices. The Firm wasn't joking about rewarding its employees. The punishment for the failing hitmen must be equally lavish.
"You know what I'm talking about." He poured orange juice and put it in the Puma's hand.
The latter righted himself and swallowed the liquid, "Now that my throat is hydrated, I think I can remember. Wait. Let me think...It's a no. I know what happened to Song-ho was horrible, but to destroy the order and put you at the head on the Firm..."
Jieung-yong clenched his fit so much his palms reddened with blood.
The Puma stood and grabbed his bath towel, "I'm kidding. Let me just think a little more." He got out of the luxury room paid for by Boss.
The sound of the clacking door triggered his anger, making him tempted to smash ants with the guns other there.
How dare him? Jieung-yong had massaged him, had accepted to play stupid games all weekend because 'we're not an employee of the week every day', as the Puma said.
Bullshit. Nothing worked.
He looked at a bump in his vest, hanging to the back of a chair. He put a taser out of the pocket and hid it in his towel.
"I won't give up on your saber skills, my dear Puma." He got out of the hotel room.
Jieung-yong came into the jacuzzi. The Puma was already swimming in the water, shared by no one else. What a weird idea to pay for an entire hotel!
But he wasn't going to complain about the lack of witnesses. Jieung-yong took slowly his toy from the towel and approached him with careful steps.
The Puma settled on the jacuzzi's rim.
Jieung-yong approached his nape. The taser was here, near his neck. He could do it. If playing the act of the one caring for the punished Song-ho wasn't working, then the kitten would surrender in high-voltage water. The Pula was strong, but he didn't have his trusted weapon on him. He could do this.
"Drop this taser, Jieung-yong."
The latter froze, then did as he was ordered.
How?
The Puma turned his head and smiled at him, "Come on, the water feels nice!"
Like an obedient little dog, Jieung-yong plunged into the water.
What was he going to do? Was he angry? Would he kill him?
The Puma touched his shoulder and made him jump, "You're afraid of me?"
"No!" he lied.
"You're lying. I can feel you're afraid of me. And of Boss."
That was idiot, but he felt like the Puma saw through his words, "It's not a crime, isn't it? After what she did to us! After what she did to Song-ho! She's a torturer!"
The Puma's hand clenched, "If Mom put Song-ho in the white box that's because he failed the mission!"
Jieung-yong added, "M...Mom? Do you consider this crazy woman like your mother? I understand now why you don't give a damn about my comrade. He may have starved to death by now."
"Because you truly care? You would know if he was dead if you visited him at least once."
Jieung-yong blushed and averted his eyes.
The Puma sighed, "Listen, I understand what you're saying but...I want to be sure you don't want to overthrow the power by pure selfishness. Admit that the facts are there."
Jieung-yong couldn't give up here. The Puma wasn't aggressive, he simply wanted proof.
He swallowed his saliva and faced the white-eyed man. Why anybody hasn't asked him to close them? "If you accept me as your chief, I would respect you more than your current one. For starters, I'll..."
Fuck, he couldn't mess up now!
"I..."
The other still considered him with his scary eyes, like the animal's name he represented so well.
"For starters, I won't call you the Puma anymore."
Subtly, the young man's eyes widened. His Poker Face fell. Touché.
Jieung-yong touched his two shoulders and ignored his feeling of powerlessness by touching his ripped muscles, "What's your true name? As the next Leader of the Firm, I refuse that my employees are treated as War machines. You're a human being with feelings. Not a scary Puma monster. So... tell me what your name is."
His eyes sparkled with joy, "A war machine? No! I am...I am D...David."
"Very good, David. Thanks for joining me." Jieung-yong began to get out of the jacuzzi's bubbles.
David blocked him in the water, "I'm joining yes, but not before knowing about you in return."
Jieung-yong rolled his eyes and hoped his recruit won't understand the annoyance budding in him, "For Korea's sake, what do you want to...I mean, yes David?"
"What's your hobby?"
"I don't know. Building things, downloading software, the usual things."
"Then I should make you visit the computer room at the Firm."
He couldn't stop a shout, "Let's go now!"
"C'mon, there is time. I want to talk with my new friend and take my time. Meanwhile, Boss will look over the Firm this weekend."
Well. Mutinies plans won't get finished right now. It'll have to wait a little bit.
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