Fortune's Fool: Act XII
Masterlist (read previous and future ones here!)
Act XII
Tw: Lots of blood, character death, violence, murder, guns, knives, weapons, foul language, self-inflicted wounds, suicide, overall graphic content
When night fell in Seoul, it remained as bright as it was during the day. Yes it was a bit more quiet, but still the glowing neon signs from the shops and other bars made up for sunlight. The only things that could be heard in the city would be the distant sound of music and the buzzing of wires. In the eyes of a foreigner, one would say Seoul is peaceful. They do not know the danger slowly eating the city alive. They do not know that beneath the mask of calm and peace, remained a city run by violence. This time violence, but madness would soon start its reign.
In the clamor, a dancer who had just finished her night shift exited a club. She hugged her faux fur jacket close to her figure, feeling the cold wind wind of Seoul brush through her. She shook her head to free her hair from her ribbons that have been tied there all day, the sudden release calming her down. Her ribbons were a bright royal purple in color, signifying her alliance with the Viper Gang. She wore the ribbons on her wrist to keep her safe as she walked through the deep alleys where Viper gangsters remained, a sign that she is on their side and would not cause any hassle.
The dancer shivered as she continued to walk, quite certain no one was following her. She looked behind her to see no one there, she was at ease. Nevertheless, she felt someone watching every move she took. With that feeling creating an unsettling emotion bubble in her stomach, she started to quicken her pace.
A few moments passed, and the dancer completely halted in her steps. Leaving the dull buzzing of the electrical wires fill her sense of hearing. She thought she had heard panting near her, but she saw no one. The more she listened, the more she heard the droplets of water hitting the ground. Droplets of water that werenât there before.
The more she focused, the more her sense of hearing widened. She felt the presence of someone with her.
But the thing is, it wasnât someone. It was something.
It revealed itself from the shadows, its thorns shining in the dark. It looked like someone had placed ten daggers all along its back. It raised its head to make eye contact with the poor dancer, a pair of opaque silver eyes stared back.
The dancer flees, panic overcoming her entire body. She ran as fast as she could in her heels, ultimately causing her to trip and stumble to a fisherman who wore the wrong colors.
The Neo caught sight of her and her purple ribbon tied to her wrist, he was ready to fight.
âYou!â He bellows, âAre you lost?â
He mistook the dancerâs shocked silence as confusion, the dancer thought he would help her. As soon as he approached her, he whipped his gun out.
âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry, I wasnât watching out on our boundaries,â the dancer explained as she reached for her gun strapped on her thigh, âBloody Vipers,â he spat through grit teeth, âYou think you can stroll here anytime you want, donât you?â
He aims the pistol at her, the dancer shaking while holding her own gun. âY-you donât understand, something is back there and itâs comingââ
A sudden splash broke their tension. The dancer felt droplets of water hit her exposed leg and when she looked down, the water was tar black.
She sprints to her right, ducking at the alleyway. The fisherman mistook her fast pace as a sign of war and so gunshots were fired. When she had got away to shield herself from the Han river, her whole body was already shaking.
Then something erupted from the Han River
Soon enough, screams resonated all throughout the night.
The dancer had sat in her hiding place, muttering all the prayers she knew. Eyes closed tight as her knees were brought to her chest, whole body shaking. The only thing that had caused her to stop, was when she heard nothing at all. The screams were now dead silent, the only thing that could be heard was the constant buzzing of the electrical wires. The dancer willed herself to get up and go back to the scene, only for something horrible to unravel in front of her.
The fisherman, along with several other people, had dropped dead on the floor. Throats scratched until blood was seeping to the floors.
Along with that, she found several insects skittling and bumping towards each other before jumping to the Han river.
. . .
Yeji smoothed the fabric of her dress down, her chauffeur taking her to the address Karina provided her. She was on her way to Secretary-General Jinyoung Parkâs office, hopefully able to find something before she would return home. She always wore a beaded flapper dress, similar to the ones Western girls wore when she was in America. In order to blend-in, she had to look like everyone else. She had to wear her roaring 20s hanbok and finger curl her hair.
Jinyoung Park was a very secretive person. He was the chief editor of a newspaper called The Korea Press, and their address was supposed to be public information. Yeji had expected a somewhat formal corporate office, people in suits and formal attire. She did not expect a bunch of workers running around the tight office with typewriters clutched in their hands as they frantically screamed and demanded about the latest update being pressed.
As she walked in the building, she held her chin high. Yeji couldnât help wrinkle her nose as she eyed the mess that is this office. She didnât bother stopping by the front desk, they were Rovers werenât they? Surely they would let her wander around until she stumbles upon Jinyoung Parkâs office right?
Yeji smiled to herself.
As she weaved through the chaotic establishment, she snagged a random notebook and pen in attempts of making herself look busy. She made her way to the basement, the sudden brightness suddenly starting to fade. The whole basement level was darker than the floors above it, they didnât bother putting in more artificial illumination. The whole level was made out of solid cement, from the floors all the way to the ceiling. It wouldnât surprise Yeji if she found out that this establishment was used as a prison before turning it into this.
She continued striding forward, her heels clacking loudly in the process. She examined and took a look at all the nooks and crannies of the prison-like office. Everyone and everything was so chaotic that they did not mind her presence at all, it was like she wasnât there in the first place. All the workers were busy writing, making phone calls, or scribbling down notes. As Yeji scanned the desks she passed by, one desk caught her attention. There seemed to be one desk that was unoccupied, she was even more intrigued when she saw a note pasted on the clipboard: MEMO FOR JINYOUNG PARK
She quickly ducked under the desk, searching for all files she deemed useful. She found nothing but old newspapers and drafts for new ones. Why was this desk empty? Yeji thought. Surely this desk did not belong to Jinyoung Park who had his own space, she found her hands wandering to a certain opened drawer. She found drawings.
When she saw the first one, she broke out in a cold sweat. It was a drawing of wide, snake-like eyes. The other drawing was of claws and claw marks, impossible made by an animal on earth. She felt the tiny hairs on her neck spike up.
âGoemul,â Yeji breathed, a monster.
Before she could think over her actions, she quickly snatched one of the drawings, the one where it showed its enitery, and folded it as she tucked it in her pocket. It joined the masquerade invitation she had forgotten about, causing her to feel annoyed again. She stood up after glancing around the room, making sure no one was watching her. She wiped the sweat from her palms as she marched out the basement floor.
Yeji paused suddenly, hearing and seeing the door behind her shuddering.
Suddenly, all Yeji could think about was the drawing folded in her pocket. She reached for the doorknob hesitantly, fear almost clouding her vision. âHello?â She said quite hoarsely, âIs someoneââ
âWho are you? What are you doing here?â
She leaped away from the door, the door stopped shuddering. She quickly turned around.
âOh, me?â
The man wore a strange hat, his suit being more Western than the rest of the people here. Judging by the way he carried himself, and his arrogant stare, he was of high ranks. Possibly along the ranks of Jinyoung Park, he was definitely not a mere assistant.
âI came to talk to your chief-editor,â Yeji continued, âI got a bit lost.â
âThe exit is that way,â The man said, pointing to his left. It was something about the way he said it, he was treating Yeji like a lost child who got separated from her parents in a theme park. Yeji did not like anything about it.
Her blank face immediately morphed into a cold, wide smile.
âOfficial Viper business,â She said, chin held high. âMy father, Lord Hwang, sent me here.â
There was a moment of silence, the man digesting her words. You could see the manâs expression suddenly turn into discomfort. Still, he smiled and gestured for her to follow him.
The man did not bother hiding his impatience, he ascended the staircase three steps at a time. Yeji, however, took her sweet time as she looked around the establishment. The contrast between the prison-like basement and the prestigious first floor levels was abrupt. The Rovers only cared what the common people saw, which were the first floor levels. They wanted to come across as established, known, accomplished.
Yeji eyed all the designer clothing that the workers on this floor adorned, they were much different than the workers who looked underpaid in the basement. When Yeji brought her attention back to the man, the man was already waving her impatiently towards him. With a huff, she followed suit.
The both took a turn around the corner as the man led her towards a spacious waiting room. The waiting room had two parallel rows of waiting chairs, placed directly on the opposite sides of the walls. Yeji finally understood his impatience, seeing as there was already another person there.
Jeno cocked his head forward.
âWhat are you doing here?!â They both demanded in unison.
As soon the man felt the tense air of the place, he removed himself from the situation quietly. As soon as the man was nowhere to be seen, Jeno jumped from his seat and grabbed Yejiâs arm. She was so offended that he even dared to touch her that she stood grounded to her place, rage bubbling in her stomach. Jeno had already moved them to the corner of the waiting room, making the cold wall hit Yejiâs back. Only then was Yeji able to react.
âLet. Go. Of. Me.â She hissed, trying to shake her arm away from his grip. Jeno must have heard the same things, causing him to gather information for himself as well.
Yeji bit back a curse. If the Neos found answers first, the whole of the Viper gang was doomed. If the Neos knew more than they did, people would start putting their trust more in them. People would start fleeing to their side, leaving the Neos to prosper while the Vipers to suffer.
âListen,â Jeno snapped, âyou have to leave.â
Yeji couldnât believe what she was hearing, âI have to leave?â
âYes,â Jeno muttered as he reached up to examine Yejiâs dangling pearl earring. He made eye contact with her fiery eyes, flicking the dangling pearl in the process. The pearl had hit her jaw, causing her to fight back the breath threatening to her throat, she wanted to scream at his face so hard right now, but she knew better.
âI was here first,â Jeno said as he placed his palm on the side of her head, âGo play dress-up somewhere else.â
Dress-up? Was this all Yeji was to him? When she wasnât in her usual clothing? Just a dress-up? But she did not care.
âThis is Viper territory.â
âThese people are Rovers, you hold no bearing nor power over them whatsoever.â
Yeji grit her teeth hard, he was right. The only thing she found comforting was that Jeno didnât look too confident either. If she had no bearing over them, that meant he didnât either. The man Yeji met earlier immediately shut up as soon as he discovered Yejiâs identity, the neutrality was a good thing in this situation.
âOur relationship with the Rovers is, and will always be, none of your business.â Yeji refuted, âNo if you would excuse me, please get out of my face.â
Jeno only narrowed his eyes at her, taking it as a threat.
âI am not going anywhere.â
God, the audacity of this man. Yeji straightened to her full height, holding her head up high. She was in heels, their height difference wasn't much. âI wonât say this again,â Yeji breathed, toxicity lacing her voice. âGet out of my face. Now.â
Jeno held her stare a second longer. Slowly, he backed away from her. As he stepped back, he scrubbed his hands to his eyes. Yeji glared at him while making the act, but she realized it was an act of exhaustion. The shadow underneath Jenoâs eyes a bit more prominent, eyes a little red.
âHave you not been getting sleep lately?â Yeji finds herself suddenly asking, her question startled both her and the man in front of her. With Jeno striding a few steps away, she found herself wanting to kill him less.
âIâll have you know,â Jeno turned back to her, his hands finding its way to his pockets. âThat I am very much well, thank you.â
âI wasnât asking about your well-being.â
âOh just give it a rest, Yeji.â
Yeji folded her arms, not quite believing his words. She had heard of the news last night of the dancer and the fishermen, a number of deaths on the side of the Neos suddenly spiking up. It meant that Jeno wasnât gonna leave because Yeji had told him off, he needed an answer just as she did. Death was already on its way to his door.
âIs that his office?â Yeji asked as she nodded towards the door in front of them, she didnât need to explain some more as she saw Jeno nod in the corner of her eyes. âJinyoung Park is disciplined, he wonât take any line-jumpers. Donât even try.â
Try what? She wanted to ask nastily, she couldnât possibly engage in a gunfight with Jeno right now. She needed an answer so they really needed to be civil, at least for this time being.
Yeji hastily stomped down towards a chair and sat down. She lifted her gaze towards the ceiling, looking at the cracks and chipped paint of the poor paint job. She made sure to look at anything else. She dug her hand into her pockets, feeling the folded drawing crease in her hands. The drawing didnât confirm what the role of the Rovers was, but it was something. From the drawingâs blurry and harsh lines, she knew it was near the docks of the Han river.
Meanwhile, Jeno returned to his seat opposite the row where Yeji sat. He kept her gaze pinpointed on her, focusing on her whole-being. Much to Yejiâs annoyance, she could feel his burning stare directed towards her. She felt like she was being inspected, each sweep of his eyes, she felt like being torn apart piece by piece. The longer he stared at her, the more Yeji could feel the sudden rush creeping up her neck, coloring her neck and ears with discomfort and rage.
She wanted to skin herself alive, anything to make his attention turn elsewhere. He was just looking for heavenâs sake, people look all the time. Yeji decided that she would just have to wait until Jinyoung Park could finally meet her andâ
âWhat?â Yeji snapped, unable to take his stare any longer. He did not say anything, he just looked at her again. Finally, she tore her gaze away from him.
Jeno let out an amused noise, as he turned his attention towards the door. âWhatâs got you so worked up?â
âFor the last time, it is, and alway will be, none of your business.â
âIf it has something to do with the madness thenââ
âBold of you to assure that it had something to do with with theââ
Jeno roared, âWill you let me finish my goddamn senââ
The door then slammed open, revealing a very stressed assistant as she gestured for Jeno to come inside. Before joining Jinyoung Park, he gave Yeji a huff. This isnât over.
Yeji had to wait an antagonizing wait. She tapped her foot impatiently and aggressively, her fingers playing with each other. She cracked her knuckles every few minutes as she played with the hem of her skirt now and then. As she felt like a thousand years, the door cracked open.
It was clear, Jenoâs blue head of hair hung low as his shoulders slouched, that he wasnât able to get the intel he needed. He was met with Yejiâs knowing stare. She mocked him, pitied him. Jenoâs ways of persuasion had no limits, he was a liar through and through. Stopping at nothing until he got what he wanted.
âDonât look so smug,â Jeno hissed, causing Yeji to chuckle.
âThatâs just my face.â She replied as she stood up, chin held high as she entered Jinyoung Parkâs office.
âWell if it isnât my lucky day.â Jinyoung Park said once Yeji sat in front of him. He quickly put aside his letter and pen as he eyed Yeji, and then the door. âFirst it was the prince of the Neos, now we have the proud heiress of the Vipers. What can I do for you, Miss Hwang?â
Yeji briefly took in his plain office. She saw a few framed pictures of him and guessing his wife on the shelves behind the Rover. The office didnât look old, nor did it look new. It was just as plain as any regular office, nothing special. Yeji turned her gaze back to Jinyoung Park, letting out a relaxed smile.
âYou know how rumors travel nowadays, right Mr. Park?â She asked as she squinted, looking at her fingernails. âYou wonât ever guess what I heard the other day,â
Jinyoung Park leaned forward, mildly curious and entertained. âDo tell, Miss Hwang.â
âThey sayââ Yeji leaned forward as well, like a classmate telling another classmate a secret, âthat you know what caused this madness.â
Jinyoung Park didnât say anything, he remained silent after a beat had passed. He looked at Yeji, blinking rapidly this time. âI have no clue what youâthey are talking about.â
Yeji raised her brows, an innocently shocked expression graced her features. âYou donât?â She asked lightly. âYou didnât come up with this madness to kill all the gangsters? So that no one would be left to rule the city? So that the people of Seoul would be under your control and command?â
She took in his astonishment, guessing that Jeno didnât directly confront Jinyoung Park about the madness. He must have tiptoed on thin ice, not really bothering to press nor aggravate the man in question. That was very unlikely of him.
âMiss Hwang,â Jinyoung Park began, âthat isâthat is preposterous.â
Yeji wasnât going anywhere at this rate, she straightened up in her seat as she crossed her legs. The typical meek flapper girl long gone, seated in front of him was the heiress of the most brutal gangs in all of Seoul.
âThe truth will be revealed sooner or later,â Yeji said sternly, âI would save both of our time if you could just speak right now or else I will skin you using myââ
âMiss Hwang, it is safe to say that I could save both of our time right now,â Mr. Park interrupted, âI have no clue what you are talking about so please leave. I am working and I wonât allow your silly accusations to disturb my line of work.â
Yeji carefully thought about her next actions, it didnât sound like Mr. Park was saying anything false, but he sounded uneasy. He kept glancing at the door as his foot tapped the floor repeatedly. Was it because of her presence? Or did he know something she did not? If he didnât cause this madness, then what was his role?
Yeji relaxed as she leaned back in her seat, âWhat if I have questions regarding your political party?â
âYou are welcome to stop by any of our meetings anytime, Miss Hwang.â He answered stiffly, âOtherwise, please leave.â
Yeji took her sweet time stretching and fixing the fabric of her expensive dress. With an exaggerated bow and smile, she fluttered her eyelashes at him. âThank you for your patience and time.â
She left the office as she rolled her eyes, what now?
âWoahââ Yeji immediately staggered back as she collided with someone. The moment she looked up to see who the hell was in her way, the only thing she could see was red.
Jeno had caught her wrist before Yeji had the chance to slap him, he held her wrist as he bore into her eyes.
âCareful,â He said warningly, his tone too soft and feathery to be a threat. It was a trick, it was his way to lure Yejiâs attention to his lips in attempts of calming her down. It was working, Yeji wanted to strangle him alive for that.
âWe wouldnât want to cause a scene in a Rover establishment, right?â He asked as he gave a mocking smile.
Yeji tried to jerk her arm away from his grip, but he held her wrist in place. If Jeno did not let go in three seconds she was drawing her gun.
Jeno let go.
She quickly tugged her wrist back, smoothing the area of skin where Jeno had gripped. When Jeno still remained in his place, she demanded, âWhy are you still standing in front of me?â
Innocently, Jeno pointed to the chairs. âI left my hat,â
âYou werenât even wearing aââ True enough, there indeed was a hat. He simply shrugged as he went to pick it up, tipping it to Yeji as he hid his blue hair. She hurriedly made her way to the exit as she was finally able to breathe the air of the outside. She tugged her coat closer to herself as her hands found warmth in her pockets, she froze.
âHe better not haveâŠâ Yeji fished the paper from her pockets, she only had one paper left. To her fortune, she was greeted with a pair of monster eyes staring back at her, she let out a breath of relief.
Yeji scoffed, Jeno had gotten the masquerade ball invitation.
âFool,â she muttered before finally walking away.















