Fair Trade

It also meant that the chance to sweep off the drug cartel he had been aiming for so far was gone. Gavin, who lowered his head with his fist clenched, proceeded to spout a string of profanities. Then he yelled in the direction Sei entered.

“Shit!”

In an instant, Gavin was grabbed by the collar by Yuri. Yuri, who had subdued him with one hand, brought a lit cigarette close to his face. Gavin moved his hand to the pistol in his back pocket but couldn’t overcome Yuri’s power.

“What are you doing? Have you forgotten where we are?”

“I know very well. We’re in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center. By the way…”

The cigarette that fell to the floor bounced off with sparks. It was the first time he had felt Yuri’s rage so up-close-and-personal. Gavin’s body slowly stiffened as he tried to take a step back at the words that followed.

“My lover had a big problem because of some FBI agent’s petty sense of justice. Gavin… What did you say to Mackenzie Evans? Tell me.”

*  *  *

The prison was stuffy to the point it was difficult to breathe and the gazes Sei felt on her body made her feel uncomfortable. There was a table, two chairs, a window with bars, and a middle-aged man with glasses and with a book in front of him, who looked like he was keeping his ears peeled for whatever was going on in the room.

‘He said there will be only two of us…’ Sei cursed Gavin and bit her bottom lip.

Her father, whom she hadn’t seen in years, was more lively than ever. She fiddled with the tip of her nose and averted her gaze from her father’s face, which made her feel a sense of betrayal.

Jang Young-guk, scratching his temple, spoke first. “I only get to hear about you from time to time… Have you been well?”

How long has it been since I’ve heard Korean?

“Why on earth are you asking?”

“No, well… There were some things I was promised when I came here. Also, you’re very good at taking care of yourself…”

While the two speak Korean, the man who guided Sei to this place approached, put down a steaming cup of coffee, and disappeared. Sei looked around with a puzzled expression and lowered her voice.

“I don’t need to hear anymore about why you’re here or what your circumstances were. I’m only here to tell you that I’m going to get you out of here. I’m preparing to send you back to Korea.”

Jang Young-guk, with a surprised look, blinked his big eyes as he put down the coffee he was drinking.

“What are you talking about? What do you mean by sending me to Korea? Don’t go looking for trouble. And how would you get me out of here?”

“So are you going to rot like this forever? You didn’t kill him, but you pleaded guilty…! Anyway, if you get a chance, you should just grab it! I won’t miss this opportunity. I’m so sick of being an illegal immigrant.”

With Sei’s serious eyes on him, Jang Young-guk fiddled with the tips of his nails, not knowing what to do.

“I understand. I understand, but… It’s not that easy. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid it would be dangerous for you, but the FBI is looking for something. Until they find it…”

“It has been found. It’s already over. And don’t ask the FBI for any help.”

She coolly cut off Jang Yong-guk’s words. Then, sick and pale, he jumped out of his seat.

“What…? What do you mean by that? Also, how do you know what that thing is?!”

At the sudden shout, the guard sitting in the corner cleared his throat in a warning. Jang Young-guk wiped the cold sweat and sat back on the chair. He then whispered, looking around with an uneasy face, “Sei, it’s because you don’t know. That thing is very dangerous. So don’t even think about it and hand it over to the FBI. That’s for the best.”

“Ha, Dad… Did you steal it knowing how dangerous it was?”

“No, I really didn’t know. I thought it was just some guy’s eccentric taste. But it turned out to be something so dangerous. Also… It’s not Guilio Parenti’s. It’s someone you can’t imagine. It’s…”

Jang Yong-guk further lowered his barely audible voice. She stared silently into his mad eyes. A cold penetrating feeling passed through her mind. After a while, Sei tapped the paper cup that she barely even touched. Then spilled some coffee over herself and soaked her pants.

“Ah, it’s hot!”

Shocked by what just happened, Jang Young-guk rose and the watchman sitting in the corner also approached.

“Are you okay?”

“Ha, damn it. I’m sorry, but do you have any tissues? I just spilled hot coffee on myself. Why am I so unlucky? I even got a ticket on my way here today. Besides, these are my favorite jeans. Why is this only happening to me? Dad, this is all because of you! Bloody hell!”

Sei broke into a frenzy.

“Calm down, miss. Calm down and wait a minute.”

Then the watchman hurriedly opened the door and called out for a man. The man’s cry rumbled through the empty hallway. When no one responded, he took a few steps into the hallway and began to shout.

At the same time, she held her father’s hand with force.

“No way, who told you to steal it? Don’t take me for a fool. There’s no way you would steal a gun that wouldn’t cost you much money… Tell me. The future of our family is at stake. If you lie to me, you won’t see Mom again.”

Sei’s heart, which had been silenced by the new realization, started pounding fast. Jang Young-guk’s wobbly eyes veered to the open door. He looked around anxiously and whispered in Sei’s ear, “Sei… Pretend not to know what I said. Pretend you don’t know anything and go to Korea with your mom. It’s not something for us to deal with. But as long as I’m alive, they’ll never touch you or your mother, so you….”

“Don’t play with words! Just tell me. Who is it? Hurry up! Do you know who your daughter’s been involved with? Don’t worry about me. Even if a nuclear bomb falls, I will live.”

“Here…”

While her father was about to speak, the watchman entered the visiting room with a medical officer and a roll of tissue.

“Are you okay? I heard you spilled hot coffee all over you.”

“Ah, I’m okay.”

Smiling awkwardly she took a tissue and pressed it down on her pants. It didn’t seem like she was seriously burned, but she had a hunch that the sting would last for a few days.

“Why don’t we go to the infirmary and check your wounds? The coffee must have been quite hot.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll just go home, take a shower, and put some medicine on it.”

“Burns tend to last quite a while. If you see any signs, go to the hospital.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

After wiping the table and floor clean, Sei expressed her gratitude to the medical officer, and then faced her stiff father.

“I should get going now. Oh, by the way, I have moved mom to a single room. She’s gonna need intensive care…”

“Okay. Sei, I’m sorry.  Because I’m such a terrible father… I know you’ve gone through a lot.”

Having said that, Jang Yong-guk carefully placed his coffee cup in Sei’s hand. She stared calmly into his dark eyes, then announced the end of her visit and came out. The unpleasant feel of her damp jeans and the heat of the paper cup in her hand strangely got on her nerves.

She casually sipped from the coffee cup and left the detention center with her ID. Sei found Yuri leaning against the bonnet. He smiled faintly as he looked at her, with his hands resting over his thighs.

“Well done. It must have been quite frustrating.”

Sei, who poured the half-remaining coffee into the drain, smiled and stepped forward.

“I’ve never had such bad coffee before. Like seriously… I don’t know what coffee beans they use, but they’re just terrible.”

Saying so, she caressed the surface of the paper cup.

<+4/N>

Her fingernails brushed against the marks. Convinced, Sei crumpled the paper cup and tossed it into her nearby trash can. Then she opened her arms and hugged Yuri’s waist. Incredibly, the pressure from the prison disappeared as soon as she saw Yuri. He gently stroked the back of her head and kissed her on the forehead.

“Then let’s go. Let’s go buy you some delicious coffee.”