Welcome to the Underworld (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 1), Page 2

  A reel of a crying receptionist conversing with a police officer appeared on the screen. The anchorwoman's voice continued. "The police department has yet to give us any information on this matter. Our sources, however, have informed us that this is quite possibly another territorial gang war. The sources said that the cheeks of the victims had been carved into the shape of a skull, a famous branding technique of the gang who possessed the same name – The Skulls..."

  "What a sucky way to start out the day."

  Having heard enough, Yoori switched off the TV. She couldn't help but feel disturbed that she wasn't more affected by this piece of news. As tragic as it was, news like the carnage at Echo district was becoming a daily occurrence. The gang related crimes in this city was so bad that every piece of news appeared to deal, in one form or another, with gangs and their "territorial" wars.

  Her morning was becoming disturbing. First a dream about a girl asking her brother to kill her and now a report about six men being shot to death in a business lobby?

  What a peachy morning for me, Yoori thought sarcastically.

  Mindlessly repositioning herself, her eyes involuntarily landed on her digital clock. 7:44 A.M. Panic clutched her when she registered the time. She was going to be late for work!

  “Shit! This is what I get for thinking about that goddamn dream again!”

  Anxiety lacing her blood, she rocketed out of bed and flew to the bathroom like a bat out of hell. In record time, she brushed her teeth and threw on a pair of jeans and a nice green blouse for work. As she raced out of her apartment, she promised herself that she would never allow herself to be distracted with this mysterious little dream world of hers again. Never, never again.

  Her sanity, and it appears her job, depended on it.

  ■ ■ ■

  "Oof! Sorry!" Yoori shouted distractedly. She ran out of the subway and fought her way through the congested sea of people. She wasn't sure if the person she bumped into replied with words of forgiveness but she hardly cared. She was late for work and the calming, classical music on her iPod was failing miserably at tempering her anxiety. After fleeing from the cranky crowd, Yoori did the one thing she knew she had to do in order to get to work on time: she ran.

  Shit! Shit, shit, shit, she chanted in her mind, irritated that her out of shape self was running slower than usual today.

  After being scolded numerous times for being late, Yoori was desperate to get to work on time. The last thing she wanted to do was endure another speech about tardiness and responsibilities from her boss. Moreover, she wasn’t in good standing at her position. She couldn’t afford more mishaps.

  Having been a waitress at Lee's Diner since her arrival in Seoul, Yoori was known to be pretty good with the regular customers. Though she received endless compliments about her amazing customer service skills from the regular patrons who frequented the diner, it didn’t hold true for the new male customers who Yoori found to be repulsive, rude, and perverted. After arriving in Seoul, Yoori didn’t have much luck with men. She was initially flattered when she started receiving compliments from the male customers about her beauty. Standing at 5'3” with big eyes, plump lips and a naturally toned body, Yoori had no trouble getting attention. This soon became a problem in her line of work.

  In the past year alone, she had to scream at male customers for staring at her boobs and slap them across the face for touching her butt. Outbursts such as these were definitely not good for business. It was only after a formal complaint was filed from an indignant patron that her boss finally caught on to what was happening. With a lecture about responsibilities, a round of screams about politeness, and a warning about getting her ass fired, it was safe to say that Yoori was definitely on thin ice. Hence the reason for her impending aneurysm.

  Her eyes snagged onto the diner at the corner of the street. "Oh God, finally!"

  She glimpsed at her watch. Her brows scrunched together when it read 8:06 A.M. She was late.

  “Damn it!” She switched off her iPod and tentatively pulled open the glass door to confront her fate.

  Please do not let the big bad boss be here, she prayed desperately.

  She peered warily at the counter. She let out a squeal when instead of catching sight of a stout little man, she spied a lean beautiful girl who was staring at her with a smile on her face.

  "Chae Young! Oh my God. Hi!” Yoori exclaimed happily. She ran behind the counter, her heart elated to see her co-worker/best friend. “Hi! Good morning!"

  Dressed in a simple white tank top and black jeans, Chae Young appeared glamorous even in this “mediocre” look. She regarded Yoori with playful eyes.

  "Good morning to you too, little miss tardy," she said lightheartedly, side butting Yoori while she settled in behind the counter. She laughed. “Lucky you, I’m here instead of my dad.”

  “I know,” replied Yoori, feigning a pout. “I suck for being late.”

  Chae Young’s laugh became warmer. She waved a hand of dismissal. “I’m just playing. Don’t worry about it. We don’t even have any customers. No harm, no foul.”

  Yoori nodded appreciatively. She dug into her pocket and took out an elastic band. As she proceeded to tie her hair into a disheveled bun that resembled Chae Young’s, she said, “You got back early. What happened to taking a month's worth of vacation with the boyfriend?"

  Chae Young snorted upon being reminded as to why she was working that day. "I broke up with that loser."

  Yoori laughed, shaking her head knowingly. She was not surprised. Chae Young was the type of girl who had the tendency to go for guys who weren't good for her. When she became “official” with her new boyfriend a week ago, she naively informed Yoori that she was sure it was going to last forever. Even though Yoori knew better than to believe that, she kept her opinion to herself because she didn’t want to be a jerk and burst her friend’s bubble. However, shortly after announcing that she thought her newfound relationship was going to last forever, Chae Young proceeded to also inform Yoori that she was going to take a month's worth of vacation to spend time with her “honey.” Due to the fact that her father was the owner of the diner, Chae Young could afford such luxuries with little repercussions.

  Unfortunately for Chae Young, the fairytale vacation was short-lived.

  "What happened?" Yoori asked, stepping closer to the counter.

  "He took me around Seoul and showed me all the ‘nightlife’ stuff," Chae Young began, bitterness encased in her taut voice. "It was fun until I caught him cheating on me with one of our hostesses. I promptly said goodbye.” A sly smile. “But not before kicking him in the balls before I made my exit!"

  "Oh man," Yoori laughed. She definitely gave props to Chae Young for doing that. She wasn’t sure if she would ever have the nerve to do that. Slap perverted guys, yes. But kick them in the balls? Doubtful.

  She grabbed a towel to wipe some stains off the counter. Her laughter dying down, she looked at Chae Young. "I'm sorry, Chae," she voiced sympathetically. All jokes aside, she truly felt bad for her friend. “You were so excited too.”

  Chae Young waved her hand as if to say, “Don't worry about it.” Her eyes then flashed with excitement. There was something that overshadowed the misery of being cheated on. "Want to hear a story about gangs?"

  Much like a fan girl at her favorite idol’s concert, the question Chae Young posed was like music to Yoori’s bored ears.

  "Hmm, let me think," Yoori began, adopting a tone of reluctance. Her eyes perused the empty diner. "I have so many customers to tend to...but...YES!"

  HELL YES!

  One of the reasons why Yoori kept her opinions to herself about the new “ex” was because of his association with a gang – or so he said. Although she didn’t approve of gangs, she would be a liar if she said she wasn’t fascinated by the mystery cloaking this secretive society. It intrigued her endlessly. Their acts of violence were so public to the rest of the world, yet no one from the outside was privy to the inner workings of
their world. It was as if they were ghosts in her world, appearing in and out yet never leaving any trace of their identities behind. Yoori knew for a fact that Chae Young shared in this intrigue, which was more than likely the reason why she showed any real interest in the guy. Chae Young may have found him to be easy on the eyes, but his knowledge of the inner workings of the Underworld was what ultimately sealed the deal with Chae Young. Everyone likes secrets, right?

  "So what's this story about?" Yoori asked, excited to momentarily escape from her boring world and get lost in a legendary one.

  "Brief history about the Queen of the Underworld. Apparently this is the juiciest story for the gang world," Chae Young exclaimed, clapping her hands together in glee.

  "Ooooh," Yoori cooed, sharing in the contagious excitement. She pulled out a stool and slid onto it. She made herself comfortable by placing her elbows on the counter and resting her chin on her palms. She was ready to enjoy this story.

  "Okay!" Chae Young shrieked, grabbing a stool and making herself comfortable as well. Once she was settled, she began the tale. "In the underground world 3-4 years ago, three gangs ruled over the Underworld like Kings. They were known as the Skulls, the Serpents, and the Scorpions."

  Yoori shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the Skulls. She had forgotten, but was now instantly reminded of the news segment she saw earlier.

  "The three gangs had equal power in terms of alliances with different business associates. Wars broke out for territorial and reputational gain. The black market was a lucrative business. Everyone wanted the maximum profit potential. Of the three gangs, two slowly became more powerful because of an impending merge.

  As the story goes, the leader of the Skulls fell in love with the Scorpion’s ‘Queen.’ My ex told me she was basically the crowned jewel of the Underworld. Her strong knowledge in the skills of martial arts and weaponry was what made her infamous; her breathtaking beauty was what made her unforgettable. She was the object of affection for many gang members. She only showed interest in the Skulls gang leader though. The story gets murky from there. No one really knows what happened with that relationship while it lasted."

  Yoori's interest in this story was already piqued. "Tell me more about the girl.”

  Chae Young obliged. "My ex said that she was basically the reigning Queen of the Underworld at that time. Her older brother, who was the actual leader of the Scorpions, made her second in command. She had the protection of her older brother and the vow of loyalty from another powerful gang leader. She was virtually untouchable. I guess she was like the invisible leading hand of the Underworld society at the time. She did not have direct power, but she had the power to easily sway the Underworld any which way she liked.” She eyed Yoori. “Have you heard the story about the 15 people who were murdered in a Seoul club a couple of years ago?"

  Yoori shook her head.

  "That's because she was in charge of that operation. That's how powerful she was. She controlled everything: the legal system, the media and all the illegal operations. They were all under the tip of her fingers. She did what she wanted and no one dared to go against her. All the crimes she committed – and it was said to have been horrific crimes – never even made the news because she had close ties to the legal authorities as well."

  Sensing where the story was headed, Yoori asked, “What happened to her?"

  Disappointment teemed in Chae Young’s brown eyes.

  "That's the sad part. She went missing for a couple of days and her body was eventually found in the back of a known gang alley. Someone had shot her point blank in the head and disfigured her face. The ones who found her said she was not even close to being recognizable. She was only later identified when her brother confirmed a birthmark on her neck or something. After her body was discovered, fingers were pointed as to who was to be blamed for her death. Some people say that she got into a fight, got her face disfigured and ended her own life because of it. I, personally, think it's someone from the Serpents gang who didn't want the Skulls and the Scorpions to merge. But it's all speculation. It could easily be some random girl who was jealous of her."

  "Wow,” Yoori marveled. “You have to show me a picture of her! I want to see the face of a girl that powerful."

  Chae Young rolled her eyes like Yoori’s request was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. "Don't you think I want to see it too? These underground societies are all about confidentiality. No one outside of the members of the Underworld knows what each of the leaders look like. Unless you were active in the Underworld at that time, you would not be privy to her face or her identity."

  "Your ex must know then," Yoori insisted, curiosity still gnawing at her.

  "Trust me, I bugged him. He only recently joined the Skulls and he doesn’t want to piss anyone off. Apparently the mention of her name is frowned upon now. I guess the leader doesn't want to be reminded of the loss of his great love."

  Yoori nodded in understanding. Her mind ventured elsewhere. "The Scorpions, her gang, are they still active?"

  "They’re still active, but not to the degree they once were. Shortly after news of her death spread, her older brother was said to have had a mental breakdown. The Scorpions eventually fell apart, now culminating to only a few active members. Some went to join the Skulls, some joined the Serpents, some formed their own gangs and some tried to form their own gangs but failed miserably. The ones who did stay are keeping the gang alive, but only slightly. Her brother was said to have left the country as well."

  Yoori felt a tug at her heart at the mention of the older brother in the story. She could relate to him. She understood the pain of losing someone you love and the need to run away from the things that reminded you of them.

  "Sad story," she muttered. She reached for the damp cloth and started wiping the counter again. Who knew such an interesting Underworld story would be that sad?

  "Yeah," Chae Young said pensively. "Stories of a girl that beautiful with all the power and all those guys chasing after her. Kinda makes you wish you could continue on her reign, huh?"

  "I don't know about that," Yoori replied candidly.

  Chae Young gaped at her. "Oh come on Yoori, you really wouldn't want that?"

  "No, I mean, I'm pretty sure it's not a fairytale," Yoori clarified, catching her friend's scrutinizing gaze. She paused to correct herself. "Well, granted it's a 'duh' point that it's not a fairytale for her because she got shot in the head. But I mean, come on. She lived in a world where violence was more prevalent than peace. A girl like that must have had some serious demons."

  "Yeah, but still...the part about having a hot guy chase after you must have you transfixed?"

  Yoori smiled as she continued to wipe the counter. "How do you know he's hot?"

  "Hot people have a tendency to find each other," Chae Young said in a matter-of-fact tone. Her eyes glazed over. After taking a moment to fantasize about life as the Scorpion girl, Chae Young consulted her watch. She pursed her lips when she read the time. "Anyway, I have to go to the pharmacy and pick up prescription for my dad.” She grabbed her bag and flew out of her seat. Wasting no time, Chae Young waved goodbye to Yoori and ran out, slamming the door shut behind her. “Be back in 30 minutes. See ya!"

  Yoori nodded obliviously, balling up the damp cloth and throwing it on the floor. The current of her thoughts had already progressed onto something else. Her curiosity piqued when she was reminded of the Skulls gang leader. It was incredibly silly of her, but she wondered what the true story pertaining to him and the Scorpion girl was. Did he really forget about her and moved on with his life? Her state of contemplation was interrupted when the door opened.

  A tall customer strode into the diner. He wore a white shirt, black pants, and a red cap that covered the upper features of his face. His head was lowered when he took a seat at one of the booths in the center of the diner.

  Yoori let out an inaudible sigh.

  "Time to stop wondering about what happened with other peop
le's lives and worry about my own boring one," she said quietly, grabbing a menu and quickly making her way to the new customer. She didn't want him to wait.

  If Yoori had known her meeting with this new customer would end her boring life, she probably would’ve made him wait just a little bit longer. A pleasant meeting was not awaiting her.

  “Whether willing or unwillingly . . .”

  02: Personal Assistant

  "Good morning!" Yoori chirped, placing the laminated diner menu in front of the customer.

  At the sound of her loud voice, the customer jumped in surprise.

  Embarrassed that the deafening sound of her chipmunk voice indirectly succeeded in scaring the customer, she struggled to maintain a nervous smile. Her voice was definitely more high-pitched than she would’ve liked it to be. She could only imagine how annoyed the guy must be with her already.

  Take a deep breath, she instructed herself. Just smile and make it up to him by being a wonderful customer service representative.

  As silly as it may sound, Yoori was actually nervous to be this guy's server. It wasn't like he intimidated her or anything. On the contrary, positive outcomes might arise if she were to do a great job serving him. She would not only get on her boss’s good side, but she would also be guaranteed job security for at least a few more months if this new customer were to become a regular because of her. Yes, if everything went according to plan and she impressed this guy, then perhaps he would sing her praises to her boss and all would be well in little Choi Yoori’s world.

  Pleased with herself for conjuring up such an ingenious plan, Yoori’s smile widened. She continued with her much practiced line. "My name is Yoori and I'll be your server today. May I get you something to drink as you look at our menu?"

  "I don’t want anything on the menu. Just coffee please, ma'am,” the customer replied, not even making eye contact with her. He appeared impatient and edgy. He was also oddly fixated with staring at the table.