CHAPTER 3
1865 Words
(Something Pretty on a Rubbishy City)
HIS HEAVY FOOTSTEPS reflects the feelings he have that time. Anger. He sat into the driver's seat of one of his new cars.
He has three cars. Two of them were gifts and one was from his own effort. One of the gift cars is old. This is the first car he has. He has not used it for several years. He did not want others to touch it and he also did not want to throw it away.
He looked up when Jinro knocked on the window glass of his car.
He hopped on.
"Dude, what was that?" he asked when they got out of the yard of the villa.
His buddy is referring to how he acted at the dinner table.
"MARRY HER if you want the throne."
He stopped at what his father said. His jaw tightened and his fist clenched. Fortunately, their chopsticks are not made of wood. They would have been broken by his grip.
His father knew that his throne was what he longed for the most.
He stood up and lowered the chopsticks on the table. "I'll think about it. Now, if you'll excuse me. I still have a jetlag," he said then came out without waiting for what they would say.
"NO. WHAT WAS THAT? I just came home and I was greeted like that? You know I can't marry someone else. My heart still belongs to her," he said in a descending tone of voice in the middle of driving.
"But she never showed up."
He just keeps his mouth shut.
"Aren't you tired yet?"
"That's why I'm dying to get my father's throne. That way, I can find her wherever she is."
"But to get Oyabun's throne, you have to marry. Most of the members are dying to get that throne. And they're willing to give up anything for it."
He took a sigh, arranging his seat.
"You're hopeless, dude. Don't you just want to give it a shot?"
"Ie [no]. Like I'm interested," he stated sarcastically.
"She's kinda cool," Jinro mumbled.
There was a few seconds of silence before he suddenly stepped on the brake. He looked at the guy next to him.
"Wait. You know her? You met her?" he asked frowning.
"Well, your mom gave me the picture and details about her. She ordered me to take you to the girl without you knowing," he confessed.
"But you already told me and I found out. No, thanks." He shook his head and started the car again.
"And your mom said she would break all the windshields of your car if I could not bring you to her."
"What?!" he shouted and slammed the brake hard again. "She won't do that!" he exclaimed.
The guy next to him smiled triumphantly. "So, let's go?"
He had no plan going to the girl his parents set up for him, but he just found his car driving in front of a small convenience store named 11-eleven.
"What are we doing here? Are you going to buy something?" he asked when Jinro said to park his car.
He thought they would go to the Imperials' mansion to see the girl.
"I don't have anything to buy. We're here because your fiancée is here."
"She's not my fiancée," he denied.
He didn't even know her name in the first place and her appearance. Also, he did not agree to the proposal yet. But to think that he can have the throne is making him change his mind.
"That's her," Jinro pointed out of the car.
He followed the direction of his eyes.
He saw a woman with a messy bun hair just came out of the store. She is finger signing something inside the store.
Is that her?
"Yeah? What's cool about her? Just another normal girl with make-up," he commented.
"Oh, that's ..."
He noticed that Jinro froze for a moment before speaking again. "Dude, that chick is mine. Yours is on the counter."
"What counter?"
He looked at the woman standing at the counter inside the store. Luckily, the wall is made of glass. It is easier for him to see the inside.
The woman looks more normal. She wore simple and lousy T-shirt tucked on her ripped faded baggy jeans. She wears neither lipstick nor make-up on her face. And her shoulder -length hair looks like a broom but not witchy.
Is that even a girl? How could that be cool?
"I'm following my girl," Jinro said while opening the car.
"Nani? [What?] Where are you going?"
"Here's her info," he pointed to the brown envelope on the car seat. "Buy me condoms from that store. Get to know her too. Just call me later and I will tell you where you will deliver it. See ya," he said while smiling then left without waiting for him to speak.
"What the hell. He just saw a woman, and he just left me. Unbelievable," he whispered about his buddy.
He got out of the car and entered the store. He went straight to the counter where the Imperial woman was standing.
His eyes went around and looked for where the boxes of what he was looking for.
Condoms. Condoms. Condoms. Ah! Here it is.
Upon looking at the boxes, he realized that he was not the one who is going to use them.
Damn. How will I know if what I'm buying is right for him?
"Have you already made a choice, Sir?" the cashier asked him.
He took a deep breath then picked up one and placed it on the counter.
Is this right? Kuso. [s**t!]
He gently massages his nape and took another box that was larger in size. When he could no longer hold back, he took one of each brand of what are available.
He can feel how the girl looks at him. And damn. It was embarrassing. He never felt that before.
I can really kill you Jinro!
"Maybe you want to add something else, Sir?" she asked again.
He looked at her sharply.
There he saw her up close. The dirt stained her fair cheek. It might be looking dirty, but it is obviously smooth and flawless. Even with a simple shirt and pants, she still looks rich. Even if she tries to wear a torn beggar's clothes, it would still be obvious that she came from a wealthy family. Her round cheeks are slightly covered with her side bangs. Her eyes look sleepy because of the long eyelashes. She has a pointed nose and a small lips unpainted with lipstick, but still naturally pinkish.
What does an Imperial doing in such a place? Did Jinro point the wrong girl?
She wrapped what he purchases after paying for it. "Here you go. Enjoy your night, Sir."
He quickly grabbed the bag and hurriedly went out.
For the first time, he was ashamed of what he had done.
He took the phone out of his pocket and called Jinro.
"Hey! Where are you? I already bought what you asked for. You're crazy," he told when the guy answered his call.
"I don't need it anymore. I need to go," he said in a sad voice then hanged up.
"That was weird," he said while staring at the phone's dead screen.
He got back into the parked car and then threw the plastic bag in the backseat. He started the engine and drove away, roaming around.
He can see that almost all the land that used to be vacant is now full of new buildings. People have set up their own businesses to keep up with development.
He then asked in his mind how many businessmen does the family protects. People pay for protection, not because they insist. They offer money voluntarily for their own benefit.
That kind of way of life is necessary to keep up with the pace of the city. They are the inhabitants of the underground who secretly operate in their area. That is one of the reasons why their lifestyles are prosperous and rapidly evolving.
It is difficult in the beginning. But once the people knows how to handle the business, it will be easier to grow.
Until he found himself returning to where he started, the place where the 11-eleven store is.
"Why am I here, again?" he asked himself.
The store was already closed and he saw the Imperial girl come out. She walks alone.
He is really wondering if the woman is really an Imperial. Why is she working on a store if her family is known to be powerful? She doesn't even have a bodyguard. Is this girl not afraid to walk alone at night where there are a lot of bad people?
Now, his curiosity is starting to wake up. He was driving slowly when he noticed that there is a man following the girl. He got out of the car and secretly followed them.
He was thankful and felt relieve when the man turned to another alley. He thought it was the girl he was following.
He was about to return to his car when someone suddenly pulled the girl into the next dark alley. He immediately ran to help.
Panting, he stopped at the wall before the alley when he heard the girl laughing. He simply peeked at what was happening.
He saw how she fight back and knock out the man who was following her a while ago.
One by one, she searched the man's pockets and then took all the money he had.
"You should know first whose territory you are invading," she continued as if the speaker was awake.
Her voice changed from lively to a tone full of danger. It was very different from the girl he had seen at the counter earlier. Anyway, there is no wonder. It turned out that this girl is really an Imperial, belonging to the mafia family.
So, we got the right girl, the Imperial girl.
He walked again keeping himself hidden.
"I don't have anything to worry about. She can fight like a man," he said then returned to the car.
He should have gone home but he just found himself following the girl. He drives the car that goes with the girl's pace.
She looks so happy as if nothing bad happened a minute ago. She suddenly stopped walking when she notice something.
Did she finally notice him?
She turned around and faced in the direction she came from.
She walked a few steps then stopped in front of an old beggar woman. Will she also take the money the old lady had?
He was just surprised at what she did next. She grabbed her bag and pulled out the crumpled bills. If he wasn't mistaken, it was the money he got from the man she knocked down. She gave all the money to the woman.
The beggar almost burst into tears at what the girl had given her.
The girl smiled very sweetly. He sees nothing fake in her emotions that time. Her eyes are so happy.
He did not notice that his lips curved a soft smile.
"Hmm. Omoshiroi [Interesting]."
- Writer
