Love Lies Bleeding
The roses in the window box
Have tilted to one side
Everything about this house
Was born to grow and die
Oh it doesn't seem a year ago
To this very day
You said I'm sorry honey
If I don't change the pace
I can't face another day
And love lies bleeding in my hand
Oh it kills me to think of you with another man
I was playing rock and roll and you were just a fan
But my guitar couldn't hold you
So I split the band
Love lies bleeding in my hands*
22nd of April
0930h
FBI Main Office Lobby
"She broke up with me" he exhales and smoke floats above his head.
Micky Park. 24, composer, world-class pianist, and businessman, 184cm in height and 14million a year in US dollars. He is the sole heir to HJP Entertainment and all of HJP Group of Companies. Although an adopted son, he has never shown any signs of shame of his origins. Yoochun came from an orphanage; the same one Changmin was from. He was left at the doorstep of St. Therese of the Child Jesus Orphanage the day he was born. Grew up with the nuns as his mothers and Minister Moon as his father. He was eight when Changmin arrived at the orphanage. Changmin was not very social then but Yoochun can make him talk and smile. They played together, ate together, bathed together, got into trouble and wriggled out of it together. They treated each other like real brothers and the younger boy looked up to him as a role model. He was 12 when he was adopted by Chairman Park who wanted to name him Mickey after the Disney character, but local register’s typographical error provided him a more unique spelling. Changmin was left in the orphanage to be raised by the nuns and Minister Moon until he got into FBI Academy and eventually became Agent Shim whilst Micky was educated and trained in Virginia, California to groom him as the successor of Chairman Park HyunJoong. Even with the difference in time zones he never lost touch with his dongsaeng. Never.
“You’ll be alright hyung. I know you would.” Changmin gives him a pat in the back resisting the impulse to make a comment about their age difference and how it wouldn’t work out anyway.
“Baek Jiyoung.” He lets out a sigh “There are a million of girls out there swooning over me. But Jiyoung noona… she was different.” Looked down his brown leather shoes. His ankles were showing and he didn’t wear socks.
“In what ways, may I ask?” the younger man looks at his old watch seemingly anxious about time. It was a surprise visit within working hours.
“She was not like those silly girls I meet at bars. Nothing like them. She was always fashionably late. She wouldn’t call me back when she said she would. She never said those three words. She was never impressed when I made grand gestures. She didn’t seem to care about the money I make and the fortune I will have in the future. I made a song for her to sing and she said it was not good enough.” Another sigh.
“Sounds rude to me.” Changmin is mindlessly honest.
“She is… I just can’t figure out why… I don’t… I can’t find the words… I …I …”
“Love her perhaps?” the younger man suggests.
Silence.
“I don’t know” Yoochun shrugs. He lets the cigar fall on the ground and steps on it.
A woman wearing a shabby brown coat walks past them. Her wavy hair falls just beneath her jawline. The unmistakable scent of fishcake that has stuck to her hair and coat couldn’t keep up with her pace. It mixes with the scent of cigar that the two young men were breathing. The apparent bump in her belly not slowing her down one pace.
“Hyung, work needs me. Let’s talk again.”
Yoochun nods. Their hands collide in the air which in turn comes to a lock. They pull each other, bump shoulders and pat each other at the back with much understanding of things that are left unsaid.
1015h
FBI Main Office, Room 206
The room is dark and chilly. Only a big headlight hanging from the ceiling illuminates the small room. Save for a long wooden table and two chairs at both ends, the room is practically bare.
Han HyoJoo, 24, no permanent job but she gets by. Kim Jaejoong’s ex-girlfriend from Gwangju. Her appearance is quite pleasing but you can see that poverty and hard work has added a few years to her face. Raised in a poor family, she was not able to enter secondary school. Instead, she worked in a local eatery, serving chicken feet, pork blood and soju to ahjjusshis who frequently troubled her. She never had it easy. Her patched bag and worn out soles both say so. Only her beauty and life’s difficulty are what she could hand down to the child in her almost seven-month belly.
“Miss Han, how did you know Mr. Kim?” Jang asks the lady while she is staring blankly at the cup of tea she barely touched.
“We’re lov’rs.” She chokes back tears in her eyes. “Met back in Gwangju. Was only 17. He’s a regular at the place where I worked at. He’s got such aura and pretty face you don’t forget easily. Also a smooth talker.” HyoJoo talks informally and had a thick Gwangju accent. She didn’t look at Jang or anybody else in the room, as if in a trance. “Fell in love. Tho’ we’re very young, knew it was real. We ‘ad somethin’ real….” Tears are now falling down her soot-stained cheeks
“But he left for Seoul. Would you know why?” Kwon politely asks while handing tissue. “Always want’d t’be a famous singer. He ‘ad a band. One day, told me he’s goin’a Seoul to pursue his dreams.”
“Did you approve of that? How did you feel about him leaving?” Jang fired questions quicker than anyone else. Shim and Ahn both stand quietly observing.
“First, I felt sad. Honestly, I didn’t want ‘im to go. But he promised me… he promised me he’d take me wit’ him as soon as things’re stable. He said he’d miss me.” HyoJoo sniffs and wipes her tears with her coat sleeves as the tissue Kwon gave her are already drenched.
“Did he take you with him, Miss Han?” Kwon was looking at Agent Ahn while he was asking HyoJoo. Her look lingered until her sunbae catches her stare. She feels a hot flush in her face as she redirects her gaze to HyoJoo who is now answering.
“No. He couldn’t. Ne’r made it big. Tho’ he told me stuff was goin great when he called, knew he had a hard time. He’d visit me Gwangju once a month then.” She fidgets with the teabag in her cold cup.
“He stopped contacting you six months ago, would you know why?” Jang asks. No hint of sympathy in his voice. More tears fall from her already swollen eyes.
“ I, I dunno… I’ve no idea.” She breathes heavily.
“How did you feel about it?” Jang follows up.
“How’d you feel about it if you were me? Mr… ”
“Agent Jang.” He is unmoved
“Just stopped visitin’ and callin’ me altogether. Was devastated. I’m carrying his child and he wouldn’t even see me when I moved to Seoul just to find ‘im. Changed phone numbers and moved to another house they say. No one could tell me where tho’.”
“You knew his parents?” Jang continues as if Han was not in enough pain.
“He didn’t have a dad. Said he left ‘em right after he was born… for another woman. Was raised by his mom who sew stuffed animal eyes. Ne’r met her tho’. Died when he’s fifteen. ‘s far as I knew, was an orphan. I was all he had.”
“Did he ever tell you about finding out who his real father was?” Jang asks with a smirk in his face.
“Agent Jang I think we only need to ask up to here.” Kwon glares at her senior.
“No, darling I think this is essential to our investigation. We need to know if Miss Han over here, knows that Mr. Kim requested a birth certificate from the National Statistics Department six months ago. We need to know if she was aware that Mr. Kim found out that his registered name was actually Han Jaejoong and his certificate was registered by a man named Han Sungho who also happens to be Miss Han’s father. Maybe we should also ask her if she knew about Mr. Kim’s affairs with different men and women who sustained his lifestyle here in Seoul. How did she feel about all of it?”
Jang WooHyuk, you heartless bastard. I hope you choke in your sleep tonight.
Hyojoo’s mouth is agape. Her threadbare bag falls on the floor.
“Miss Han. Were you ever in contact with the victim before his disappearance?” there is no stopping Agent Jang. If Kwon was really a boa constrictor like what students in the academy call her behind her back, she would be crushing Jang’s body and swallowing him whole right then and there. Changmin was silent from the start of the investigation.
“I di’n’t kill him if that is what you want to imply, Mr. Jang!” her voice is broken. “I know nothin’ of what you’s talkin’bout. And I, I don’t believe you either. Jaejoongie…” She is weeping.“…Jaejoongie is the father of my child. I love him regardless of who he was or who his parents are. I knew he still loved me ev’n if he stopped seein’ me. I know that. He’s just ashamed he di’nt make it big that’s why he stopped callin’. I know that. I know it.” Her words were clear and there was certainty even if her voice and her body were both trembling. “He would’ve come back to me if he wasn’t killed. Jaejoongie. My Jaejoongie…” Kwon could do nothing but hand more tissue to HyoJoo and cut Jang with her stare.
“Miss Han, thank you for cooperating. We’ll inform you if we have any developments on Mr. Kim’s case… Ma'am, here is a number you might want to call if ever you’ll need assistance in giving birth and raising your child.” Kwon says softly as she tries not to shed a tear of her own. HyoJoo wipes her tears and stares at the other woman's nameplate. She manages a smile. “Kwon BoA. Such a beautiful name. You’re very pretty too. Thank you for being kind. If it’s a girl I’d name her after you.” She looks at Agent Shim who was still quiet at the other end of the table.
“You. The young handsome inspector o'er there.” She points to him. “What’s your name, if you don’t mind?”
“I am Agent Shim Changmin.” He answers in a formal and polite manner.
“If it’s a boy I’d name it after you. Would that be ok?” she smiles and Changmin just bows his head. Agent Kwon gives HyoJoo a piece of paper. And the pregnant woman leaves the room.
“You are such an asshole WooHyuk! What was that all about? That woman was in terrible pain. And you did nothing but prod her with your useless and rude questions.” Kwon is in rage. He was her superior but she didn’t care. She had to tell him off.
“Easy sweetheart~” he never takes her or any woman for the matter seriously.
“That was totally uncalled for Agent Jang.” Ahn is also serious.
“Stop calling me sweetheart or any other petname. We are not in such a relationship or position to warrant you to do so. Next time you sweet talk me I will file harassment in the women’s desk, see how you like it…” she catches her breath “When will you stop being such a douche Jang? That woman was pregnant. Can you imagine the stress she is going through when the father of her child died? And you just had to add to that didn’t you? Don’t you have a heart?” she holds the files in her hand so tightly that it crumpled.
“I have a case. A dead man. That is what I have Miss Kwon. And I was only doing my job. Now why don’t you do yours? Stop those tears of yours before they fall and make yourself useful. Get us tea or something. Shim here is tired observing us like we’re in a damn soap or something.”
“She was 6 months pregnant, how could she have killed…argh… forget it. You wouldn’t understand anyway.” She clenches her fists and closes her eyes. “I will file a report on you to Director Lee, first thing after lunch break.”
“I will sign it too.” Shim says calmly.
“I’ll be waiting for it children.” Jang mocks as he promenades out the room.
Kwon throws a folder in his direction but he was already out of sight.
“The more you show that you’re affected, the more he taunts you. I hope you do realize that. BoA.” Agent Ahn calls her by her first name and she doesn’t mind. “A few more months. Just a few more months and he’ll be out of here. They’re moving him to Busan.”
“To terrorize other agents there? Is that why he evolved from a discreet douchebag to a first class mega-douche? ” she chuckles as she rubs off a tear on her left cheek with the back of her hand.
“Hmmm.. yeah. You can say that.” Ahn smiles. They both laugh.
“Let’s get lunch. Changmin, you coming with us?” the 31-yearold inspector casually asks his juniors.
“I have prior plans. Thank you.” he bows his head before he leaves the room silently.
1320h
Fire exit
They stood a meter away from each other. She takes two baby steps forward.
“This 100days thing was you idea. You said, you will take day off.” Her Korean is passable but you can hear that she has an accent that was not from anywhere within a six-hour bus ride.
“I’m sorry . I was caught up with work. We were handling Kim Jaejoong’s case this morning. I couldn’t say pass.” He looks at her. She was a foot smaller than he is and she looked like a child in her yellow jumper.
“Ok. But you make it up to me… Me…uhm… I already cut class.” She pouts. He nods.
They were exchanging expressive looks but they were taken aback by the surprise arrival of Agent Ahn behind Changmin’s back.
“Miss Hwang, you should be in your psychology class right now, if I’m not mistaken.”
The girl’s eyes pops large. She didn’t know what to say. Agent Ahn walks closer.
“And Agent Shim, you do know that a teacher-student relationship is not endorsed by the institution. Rather, it is frowned upon.” Shim looks at his superior but utters not a word.
“If I were Agent Jang. I would take a picture and drag you both by the hand to Director Lee.” The girl swallowed hard but tries not to look scared.
“But luckily, Jang is off licking someone’s ass right now.” He snickers. “And I say that you, Agent Shim" he puts both hand on the younger man's shoulder and gently shoves him closer to the girl. "should slip into something more colorful than your work suit and take this young lady over here to go see a movie.”
The young couple let out a sigh and they all laugh quietly. As Changmin left with his girl, they wave goodbye to the older man.
“Kamsahamnida, sunbae.”
“I didn’t see you here. Don’t get caught… And hey, I forgot to say. Treat her to dinner tonight and buy her flowers. And as for you, young lady, make sure that Agent Shim laughs all afternoon, he needs to loosen up a bit. If he's too tense stretch his face to a smile. That’s an order.” She blushes and looks at her red flat shoes. Ahn waves at them as he turns his back and swaggers back to his office.
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