Loving A Triple Threat

Dong-Moon almost growled, "You want an intro? You do a delivery. No pay."

"So, all I have to do is one delivery, no charge, and you will vouch to the ol' geezer at Prime?"

Dong-Moon shrugged, "Sure. You cool, but a favour, needs a favour."

"Agreed," Sena said holding out his hand.

Dong-Moon slapped it away. That was normal for Kkangpae members. They didn't shake hands as a rule. "I'll text you address and instructions when its time, you need to use this app."

Dong-Moon showed Sena an app which the gang used for communications and texted him a link to download.

He shuddered at the thought of the added features, the hackers who created this app, decided to include. He nodded and left, he would have to wait for the job and ensure he was ready to go at a moments notice. It wasn't a simple delivery, and he knew it. He also knew not to ask.

He walked home. It was only a few blocks and not worth free-riding.

"Sena," Mrs Kim called as he passed her hovel, she was the live-in landlord at this old boarding house for wayward youths.

Sena bowed respectfully. Showing due respect, as he knew he needed the old bag for a while longer.

"Extras?" she asked.

Sena handed over 80k won (70USD), in cash, while maintaining the bow.

"You good boy," she said as she took the money, then retreated back into her hovel.

That was half his money, he would need to steal something to sell, or get this job with the Prime Kkangpae soon. The extra money for the old bag was worth it, it afforded him air conditioning and a refrigerator. He also had one of the best rooms, it had a window that he could use to enter or exit his room if he needed.

Sena hadn't had a home since Juvie. His mother had remarried, and he and his stepfather didn't get along to put it mildly. He was kicked out of the home as the last straw, the last time he went to Juvie. They didn't want him being a bad influence on their new family. He didn't know where his real Father was, and he didn't care about it either.

Sena went straight to the roof, it was where he did his best thinking. He sat on the edge, hanging his legs down. He didn't understand people who were afraid of heights, he couldn't empathise. And if he fell, only two or three people would miss him. So dying wasn't a major concern in his mind as his life was an absolute shambles.

The bright part of his day was helping his two goofy friends from elementary school. They were together for a few years when his parents used to spend money on his education. Three lifetimes ago, and had somehow stayed friends ever since.

He looked up and thought about her. She was probably having the time of her life under the same sky. But a world away.

It was over, and he knew it. Hyuk and Seok were good friends, and they told him the truth when he asked. Even though they knew it hurt him. False hope would hurt him more.

He didn't belong in her world. And that was it. And he didn't want to make trouble for her. She was kind, and true to her word. She gave him his moment.

A moment he purchased, it cost him two months in Juvie, and his home.

He leaned forward. And thought about it.

He would miss Hyuk, and Seok especially.

His phone buzzed, a name, address, and time came through. It hadn't taken long. Dong-Moon must have a lot of delivery business to farm out.

It was decided then, he stood, put his phone in his pocket and headed down the fire escape. It pissed Mrs Kim off, but she never knew who it was, he was gone by the time her tiny old legs got her outside to look.

She put a camera in last week. He cut the wire the same day. They replaced it with a wireless camera. He stole it and sold it for half the won he just gave her. Then they gave up.

Too costly to catch a parkour enthusiast who merely made some annoying noise.

The pickup was across town, it was early Saturday evening, and the trains would be only lightly occupied. Sena looked at his T-Money card, strictly speaking, it wasn't his, he "found" it two days ago. It had worked in the morning and the chances of cancellation on the weekend were lower.

He scanned it at the checkpoint, and it flashed green. Smiling, he placed it back in his pocket and made his way to the platform. In less than twenty minutes he was at his destination station and walking to the pickup.

It was a hotel, he didn't know if it was seedy or not, he wasn't a hotel connoisseur. Looking up the reviews and costs, it seemed middle of the road. He didn't really care about the hotels quality, but it was an indication of the type of pickup he was getting. The seedier the hotel, the more likely the pickup would be dangerous.

The name in the app was merely Chung. And as soon as he arrived at the hotel, Sena looked around for someone that looked like a Chung. His phone vibrated. Sena looked at the app, speculating that the hackers who made it had GPS location in it for sure. A message appeared.

Chung: Rm 302. That's room 2 on third floor in case you stupid.

Sena chuckled, no he wasn't stupid, thanks, Chung. The client or partner must have been used to Dong-Moon's usual runners.

He only had to wait thirty seconds after knocking before Chung appeared. He spoke with a thick accent and looked Chinese, "Your charge will be here shortly. Stay in the hall."

'Charge?' Sena thought before a girl in a red dress appeared behind Chung.

Chung inspected her, "Fix your hair properly. Go." Chung then turned to look at Sena and shook his head, "Can't even look after themselves. I swear if I didn't baby them they would starve."

Sena was dumbfounded. It was an uneasy and unusual experience for him.

She returned, and Chung inspected her, he finally nodded.

"Do you know what to do?" He asked the girl.

She looked confused, "It's a date with an investor, I am to be polite and have dinner with him. If I'm a good companion, he will invest in our company."

"Good girl, I can't look after you. I have to escort Ji-Hye, so," Chung stopped and looked at Sena. "What's your name?"

"Sena," he replied.

"Sena will escort you and bring you home, understand?"

"Yes sir," she replied and bowed before walking out to Sena.

Chung peered at Sena, "She is our company asset, look after her, understand?"

Sena nodded.

Chung continued to peer, "I asked for reliable and smart and paid extra. You know what to do?"

Sena bowed, "Yes sir," he lied. He would just text Dong-Moon if instructions weren't forthcoming.

"Good, you look smarter than the usual," Chung stated, and Sena fully understood. Dong-Moon's usual crew were as thick as two short planks.

Deciding not to wait, Sena messaged Dong-Moon as soon as the door closed.

Sena: you better send through instructions asap. I have "package", and no instructions - client will not be happy.

Sena led the way and politely indicated for the girl to follow.

"Sena," he said after he touched the down button, "What's your name?"

"Ye-Rin," she said.

Sena was dying to ask, but waited for the elevator to open and close behind them, in case Chung was in earshot, "What type is your company Miss Ye-Rin?"

"Entertainment," she replied.

Sena smiled, that told him almost zero, "As in dancing?" He asked, that field would cover quite a few bases.

"Yes, and singing," She replied.

"Like Kpop?" he asked, confused.

"Yes," she said.

Sena was puzzled for a moment; why would the manager have two investor meetings on one night. And why wasn't he needed? It suddenly dawned on him. He wasn't. She was, and the reason was obvious.

"Have you been on one of these investor meetings before Miss Ye-Rin?" he asked as instructions started to flood his phone. He wasn't surprised that this business of Dong-Moon's wasn't organised. So much for organised crime, he thought.

"Just one, the last time we were in trouble," she replied.

Sena nodded. He speculated that the trouble she meant was mostly likely financial.

Once in the foyer, he read the instructions. Then ordered a car, one which he would have to pay for. He supposed it was a small price for the introduction and vouch.

"We will wait in the foyer until the car arrives miss," Sena said, and he was happy that he was able to remain calm while theories of slavery and prostitution ran through his mind. It was bad but not as bad as it could be.

She was merely a naïve girl who wanted to be an idol.

Just like Gi.

He addressed her, "Miss," she turned to face him, and he continued, "I promise to protect you tonight okay. Know that you are my charge, not the investor."

She looked confused.

'Yep, definitely naïve,' he thought.

<>

Sena approached the desk, seeing the old geezer known as Jeol seated behind. A thin man with only a few wisps of grey hair left on his head. Sena reckoned he must be nearing a hundred and it was amazing he was still in charge of numbers for the Kkangpae known as Prime.

The irony wasn't lost on Sena that Prime's business was in numbers, whether it was illegal gambling, easy loans, or grifting. It was probably a clever name for a clever gang.

They didn't have the muscle for more traditional pursuits which suited Sena just fine. This was the place he wanted to be, not some thug Kkangpae, or even worse the Jopok.

Every choice that he made, and every event that happened to him this year, led to this room. He wanted at least a tiny portion of control of his future, and he didn't want to be a thug.

He wanted to be a smooth criminal.

(AN Kkangpae is a street gang, but the Prime Kkangpae is fairly unique, more will be revealed later about it. The Jopok is a more serious organised crime group, almost a Korean mafia.)