CHAPTER 4: The first bride of Choi
1858 Words
ODESSA
After a quick shower and herbal tea for my dry throat, I re-join Saya in the lounge where she is steaming a top next to an open suitcase.
I was wondering about my stuff but now I see they fit my needs for lockdown, into one messily bag.
Ouch.
“You do not have to do that,” I put my cup down to mask the weirdness I feel at her attending me.
I may rank higher than Saya but she is nothing close to my subordinate. She is a Yakuza and their linage goes further than ours which makes them close to our version of royalty.
“Don’t Odessa,” Saya hangs the tool up. “Whatever it is, let it go.” She tries not to cringe at the mispronunciation of my name.
Good to see, she is still a perfectionist even with languages.
“I haven’t even said anything,” I defend despite seeing the 7 tattoo on her wrist bone.
This tells me, she got married off like most girls in the industry.
“Yeah right,” Saya starts laying out hair tools on the small dining table.
“No seriously, I can make a guess.” I take the drying brush from her hands because there is no way she is doing my hair. “Your family found out about Imogen.”
Her ex-girlfriend.
“Yes and when everyone went to university and got trusted with movie like missions. I got selected as the first bride of Choi from 4 Yakuza girls.” She exhales to move the wispy bangs falling over her eyes. “I had to live with Miyo straight after high-school and compared to my fiancé, he is a saint.”
Oh.
“I am sorry Saya.” I feel bad because I thought I had it bad with Kai but no one deserves Kiyoko’s crazy, let alone his mother’s.
“Piece of advice karate kid,” she throws boots out of a dust bag. “Rethink your entire strategy because we are leaving Korea as soon as the MAMA’s are over.”
“I know,” I leave my hair semi-dry and begin brushing it back sans heat.
“No you do not,” Saya zips up the suitcase. “We will be in Kook Academy. Ivan is a future leader so he will be with Kudo and hara-beoji Choi but you are a woman which means you will be with Miyo and the less she notices you the better.”
Solid advice, I admit.
But “what is Kook Academy?” I feign innocence because I only have an idea of what it could be.
From what I heard, it is basically like a finishing school for the Choi army. Anyone with the potential of being whatever the heck their family trains for, goes there and only leaves once deemed ready.
I found out in Boston last year that, it is where Ivan has been most of the time since he disappeared. It is why him and Kudo are so close, they basically ruled the place when they were students.
They were also one of the youngest to graduate, both at 16 along with Katana who was only 15 when they were sent out for missions.
“Save it Odessa, unlike the Choi’s. I actually know you, remember?” Saya rubs her ring to look around. “Look, we were not friends but we respected each other. so let us at least reserve that.”
Fine.
“Does Kiyoko hit you?” I cut to the chase. “I do not see any bruises but I did not feel any love when he addressed you earlier. The Choi’s have 7 sons, close to 18 cousins. Saya, you are a hot 21year old and you chose the nut?”
Saya exhales again when she faces me.
“Hey, I am just trying to understand here. Last time I saw you, we were 16 and you were into girls.” She even hit on me at some point before Imogen made her move.
I know she is bi-s****l because she kissed Chase to get back at Bianca once but her and Imogen were a really cute couple.
They were also real.
“My father found me kissing a girl with our clothes off,” Saya scorns. “Do you really think he was going to give me a choice?”
“Oh,” I forget not everyone’s family is like ours.
I need to scrap that Vecker mentality and remember this is still a battle of the fittest especially with the Choi’s.
“But still, Ki—” I shake my head.
“Kiyoko messed up on a mission and I am his punishment okay. His mother has these impossible standards hence my,” Saya gestures at her cream-white pantsuit “looks.”
“You still didn’t answer, does he hit you Saya?” I put down the brush because I swear if he abuses her then I’d just have to start with him for my hit list.
I draw the line at domestic violence even for the mob, we may be criminals but we are not monsters.
Well, not all of us.
“Don’t worry about him,” Saya actually cringes. “He only touches me unless it is necessary. When he comes back from his little killing sprees, let us just say future hubby loves his fiancée a little too much.”
I shudder.
“Saya, I am—” I walk to her but she stops me.
“Stop Dee, it’s hate s*x not a death sentence.” She stands behind me to tie my hair. “We need to do it so we can produce a child and it is the only way the marriage can be bonded or whatever.”
Now this part sounds familiar.
“Still, it cannot be easy even with our training.” I have this urge to hug her despite both our nature.
Saya found genuine love and some normalcy but because of the family she was born into, she had to give it up just to stay alive.
Of course, I pity her.
“Do not feel bad for me,” Saya hands me a hand mirror. “I plan on doing worse, especially to that she-devil Miyo Choi.”
I check her face on the mirror and I recognize a hidden strength in her eyes. “There it is, that is the Yakuza girl I know.”
I put the mirror down and nod proudly because I do not want a weak ally by my side.
“Stop,” Miyo fixes her face. “I am serious, do not get involved. You have your own fight so try to look like you are playing along, at least till we leave Korea.”
“And Kook academy?” With Ivan gone, I will need someone by my side so I am not an easy target.
“Don’t worry, it will be like high school.” She agrees, “that is why I am here.”
“Thank you,” I believe her because I recognize that look in her eyes since I have something similar.
Pure determination.
“We have 10minutes left, change.” She passes me the top she was steaming earlier.
“Okay,” I grab my jeans on the chair and walk back to my room.
A new suitcase means all my clothes are tagged so even if I try to make a run for it, Kade will find me in seconds. This means I can’t call or text Liam because I can’t have the Choi’s knowing about him.
Even if Kai does.
“Where is Saya?” I walk out of the bedroom to find Kairo waiting for me.
He is in joggers with combat boots, a plain t-shirt and grey denim jacket. Kairo is nothing like his fancy man bun having twin brother because he has an undercut with his ear length dark hair.
“Little Samori is in a meeting with Kiyoko and Kudo,” he puts down his drink. “I am your escort since I have lived in Seoul the longest and look the most normal.”
Kairo smiles but my eyes stay on his eyebrow ring. He is supposedly Kaizer’s twin but he seems lighter than his brother, a little more playful which is probably why Kudo sent him—to ease my nerves.
“I thought Kook Academy was in South Korea, why are we leaving again?” I press my fingers on my waist to feel the bruise forming there.
It is a small price to pay for leaving Kai unconscious.
“Do not bother,” Kairo unwraps a chocolate bar and tosses it in his mouth. “I know less than Katana and he hasn’t even realized we are back in Seoul yet.”
Fine. I will play the sitting lamb for now.
“Okay, help me with my bag?” I shrug on my jacket.
“No need, we will find it back at the house.” He jumps up and looks at me carefully before asking, “why do they call you frostbite? I mean yes you are more than a honeypot but there is a reason, yes?”
I look down at my outfit to check why he is fighting a frown. Black skinny jeans, emerald block boots, a grey top and a fitted dark green suede jacket seem fair for rehearsal. Seoul weather is nothing compared to tour weather so I know layers are not necessary.
“Honeypot huh?” I grab a chocolate cube myself, “is that your way of calling me pretty?” I chew and his scowl irons out.
“The prettiest,” he winks in a flirtatious way that I suspect is meant to disarm me.
Remember Odessa, sitting lamb means playing along “at least till we leave Korea.” I remember Saya’s advice.
“It comes from many reasons,” I mimic his stance. “My execution style was a little dramatic back in the day and apparently, I had no problem looking a dead man in the eye.”
It is obviously exaggerated but so is everyone’s codename.
“Why are you gluttony?” I chew.
“Pa says it is because I go the extra mile when I am in the zone but truthfully I was fat kid and I like sweets,” he takes another chocolate bar to prove his point. “Thank heavens for training because it spiked my metabolism.”
My snort comes out on its own because he is very lanky now.
“Cute,” Kairo points.
“The cutest,” I scrunch my nose because I realize there is no danger here.
At least not for now.
“I like you.” Kairo must sense the same thing because he hooks our arms, “but it’s going to be a long week so are you ready?”
No.
“Bring it on,” I pat his arm and we leave the suite hand in hand.
- Writer
