The Long Night

The air was getting chillier by the moment. When Chris finally finished his report he was sweating even though the temperature was cold both inside and outside the room. Clutching the file on his hand his expressionless face finally showed a trace of anger and irritation which disappeared as soon as he . He looked at the contents of the file. He felt the same headache and slightly rubbed his temple.

Chris who was standing with his lips pursed in straight line looked worried and tried to move forward to support him but with a raise of his right hand motioned him to stand still. The man finally looked at the new man Chris had brought. The man slightly trembled when the sight of the man fell on him.

Unable to withstand the pressure he knelt down immediately and begged for his life.

"Forgive me, Young master. I was wrong."

The man quietly got up from the bed and walked towards the nearby window. As soon as he opened the window, a cold wind as cold as the man himself entered the room sending shivers down the spine of everyone present in the room. He stood there his back turned to the three men present in the room his long hair dancing with the wind. His silhouette seemed calm unlike the roaring wind outside.

With a peel of thunder the dimly lit rooms illuminated for a fraction of second but in that moment he seemed like the devil incarnate itself. He turned towards the kneeling man said in a calm voice, "Kill him."

"Don't forget to parcel him to SER group tomorrow morning." "I'm sure he will be pleased to receive him."

The kneeling man could no longer hold on to himself. He thought he might be interrogated or tortured at the most. Listening to himself being talked as a gift for his boss he could no longer think straight. He launched at the man with all his might.

"If I'm dying you are coming with me to hell."

"Die you piece of shit."

This sudden outburst was unexpected and Chris couldn't react in time. He watched with fear as the maniac man was just an inch near the man ready to push him down the window along with him. Before his hand could even touch the man he was pushed down on the floor. He gnashed his teeth feeling his hand restrained behind him.

Kim stood before the man restraining the wriggling man. "Any further order boss?"

"Give me detail on his background and about his family and everything."

Hearing the word family the man regained some of his rationality and quickly cried through his choking voice, "Please don't do anything to my family. All this is my fault, my sin. Please let them go…please..." he begged until his plea turned into silent cries

The man looked at him through his calm eyes. Chris who was standing there looked at this situation with complicated feeling. No matter how calm and composed he looked on the surface, this situation was emotionally tolling for a 25 year old boy and emotional fluctuation for a group leader as such as theirs is as deadly as poison. Kim looked at the person below him and the man who didn't seem to be budging, neither from the place where he stood nor the expression on his face.

"Raise your head."

The man raised his head and looked at him with his eyes full of helplessness and fear with little anger but also small light of hope at the corner of his eyes which could diminish with a single word from the devil before him.

"Your family…Why should I leave them off the hook?"

"What happens to your family should be none of my concern…even if it's because of me or my men working on my orders." He nonchalantly said this exhausting the light in his eyes pushing the man further into despair.

"You…", he stammered, "You are not human…you devil"

"I will never forgive you. Even god won't forgive you."

"Take him away." The man said waving his hand.

The wailing of the poor man could be heard as he was dragged by Kim.

This was the best decision. This is what he should be doing as a leader but it was too cruel for both convict and the man.

"I know you were lying about harming his family. Still you should have let him stay in peace."

"It really doesn't matter."

He indeed is a man of few words. Chris sighed in his heart. "Why did you ask for the background data on his family? I don't believe it was just to taunt him."

'That poor man.' Chris sighed as he thought about the wailing man.

The man had already turned to look out of window. He spoke nothing but the silence gave him answer that he had a reason.  He finally turned to look at Chris who was still standing there looking at him. "You should go and take a rest."

"No I can wait on you a little longer. I'm perfectly okay." Chris broke out in wide smile. His brother rarely showed some concern to him.

"Oh really? But your eye bags say otherwise." He smirked a little looking at his foolish younger brother who was smiling with embarrassment. "I can take care of myself. Now don't make me repeat myself. Its late.

The man remained motionless as he looked out of window. But he had turbulence of thought in his mind. The report didn't mention well but someone had saved him after he was attacked and managed to get away. He was unconscious the whole time so he couldn't remember a thing. He could vaguely remember the fragrance on the person who carried him which was neither strong nor pungent. It reminded him of the incident...he abruptly stopped his thought. He should never think of these things and he should never forget them as well. He clutched his hands as if trying to control the waves of emotions in him.

That night was long.

It felt even longer for Elaine who was turning and tossing around on her bed. She was burning with fever and it was third day since she had mild cold. While she was coming home from work she was caught in the sudden downpour which came without any warning.

Despite feeling a little feverish she was studying whole night crazily and when she rested for a bit she fell asleep. Her hot body was sweating and a drop of tear fell from the corner of her eyes as she softly cried, "I'm sorry mom, dad….I'm sorry….." Her pillow was wet but with tears or sweat it was hard to distinguish. Her sad whimpers suddenly stopped as she opened her eyes with a jolt.