I never allow myself to finish the message, my fingers hovering over the screen. I blink and come to my senses as I realize I can’t send this message.
We’re broken up. Our engagement is over.
I gave back the ring. I told him I couldn’t have a happy ending with someone who didn’t want one for himself. He stood and watched me as I walked away.
What sense does it make to keep running to him every time I’m scared?
I’m on my own again; I need to solve my problems on my own too.
Putting my phone away, the text remains in the drafts. My subway stop arrives only a couple minutes later, and I step off onto the platform.
The walk home is short, but I’m still uneasy enough to glance over my shoulder as I go.
As far as I can tell, no one’s around. No one’s following me, yet the feeling persists no matter what.
At the front gate to my building, I stop before punching in the code. I throw one final glance down both ends of the street and remind myself I’m safe.
I’m back at my apartment, unharmed and in one piece. Then I punch in the entry code and step inside, ignoring the unease that’s followed me home.
18.Jin
I standand admire the massacre around me.
Baekho Pa soldiers flooding the Bulgeomhoe clubhouse with weapons drawn, quickly overwhelming them and forcing them to their knees.
No time is wasted and no mercy is shown.
My men squeeze the triggers on their guns and use their blades to slit throats. One low-ranking Bulgeomhoe a few feet away from me collapses to the ground gurgling from his severed jugular, twitching as he dies.
This is the annihilation I promised. The reckoning I swore would come.
It’s what they asked for when they played with fire and refused to relent; when they continued antagonizing us even after the warnings I sent.
The main room of their clubhouse has gone from being full of men smoking and drinking the night away to a graveyard. The few who are still alive remain on their knees, awaiting their fate.
Their inevitable extinction.
Min-gyu drags the Bulgeomhoe’s leader to the center of the room and shoves him down before me.
Yun Gi-tae is a relatively young leader but the eldest son of the previous boss. He has tattoos all over and a wide, stocky body. He’s suffered a deep gash to the head yet his eyes still burn with defiance as he’s made to peer up at me.
More amusing than anything.
I have always enjoyed destroying the cocky ones over the cowards.
“Seo Jin-tae,” he spits, voice thickened by contempt. “You think this ends anything? Kill me and someone else will rise. The Bulgeomhoe is eternal. The Baekho Pa is not. Your empire will fall eventually.”
I crouch down so I’m level with him, resting my forearms on my knees and letting my favorite blade dangle loosely from my fingers.
This son of a bitch has not only been a thorn in my side for months, there’s a possibility he’s behind the Black Shell threat.
That that was all a ruse concocted by the Bulgeomhoe.
“I warned you,” I say calmly. “I told you not to fuck with the Baekho Pa. You were instructed not to encroach on our territory. Yet what did you do? You didn’t respect territory lines; you sabotaged our shipments. You even sent some masked nut job to threaten me.”
“The territory you have belongs to the Bulgeomhoe!” he counters boldly. “We were taking back what is rightfully ours! As for the masked figure? Sounds like you’ve made more enemies than you realize! Which means your days are numbered.”
“Stop talking,” I command. “I’ve heard enough of your smart mouth. You antagonized the wrong enemy, and now you will pay the price. It’s time for you to meet your ancestors.”
