The Fall of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 2) (65 page)

“I just killed them, Tae Hyun! With my bare hands!” The thought inundated her mind. It drowned her.

“They all deserved to die,” he appeased, though she could hear in his voice that he was worried for her too.

It was no secret that An Soo Jin was trained to be a ruthless killer. The simple fact that Yoori was able to tap into those killer instincts only meant one thing: she was not only changing everyday, but it also meant that An Soo Jin,
 even in a fleeting moment, had woken up and made her brief appearance in the Underworld.

For a horrified Yoori, she feared it wouldn’t be the last time Soo Jin made an appearance.

“Chae Young needs you, Yoori,” Tae Hyun whispered, changing the subject. He knew Yoori would wallow in misery if he didn’t pull her out in time. He cupped his hands over her cheeks and brought up the one thing he knew would pull her back to earth. He stared down at her, his eyes noting the distraught in her eyes. Yoori knew that he could read what she was feeling. 

At the reminder of Chae Young, Yoori felt her heart wrench again. She also felt some sanity return to her.
 

He went on, noting the calmness in her eyes. “I know that you’re hurting right now…that you’re overwhelmed with everything going on right now. But you have to stay strong for her. We have to go see her now.”

“Where is she – ”

“She’s at the hospital.” He began to wipe away the splatters of blood on her face.
 “Jae Won is rushing over there to see her.”

“But someone needs to be with Jae—”

“Kang Min and Hae Jin are there with him.” 

“Her dad—”

“He’s already been contacted,” he interrupted understandably, still wiping the blood off with his thumbs. “He’s coming.”

She was still perplexed. Her mind was still all over the place. “But is she going to be ok—”

“She’ll be fine. I’ve already called the hospital and requested one of the best doctors to oversee her. She’ll get the best treatment and she’ll be fine. But she won’t want to see you like this. She’s been through a lot. You’re going to have to stay strong for her. Can you do that, Yoori?”

At his soothing words, Yoori nodded slowly. Tae Hyun was right. She couldn’t go to the hospital and attempt to be by Chae Young’s side if she wasn’t stronger.
 

Tae Hyun smiled when she nodded. “Good.” He pulled his hands away and tore off the black jacket he was wearing. He wrapped it around her and kissed her forehead.
 

“I’m taking you home first. You need
to wash away all this blood before you walk into that hospital.” He carefully pulled her up, wrapped her in his arms, and allowed her to lean against his body as they walked back to his awaiting motorcycle.

Snow continued to encircle them and, for the first time, Yoori felt the coldness.

“You did nothing wrong,” Tae Hyun assured her, knowing fairly well that she would be consumed with remorse if he didn’t mend the guilt for her now. “Death for them was too kind.” 

Those words were the last thing a dazed Yoori remembered before she got onto the motorcycle, wrapped her arms around Tae Hyun’s back, and fell into a trance as they drove back to the apartment before they went to see Chae Young.
 

She was still so out of it.
 

She never turned back to look at the carnage she created. She knew she didn’t have to look back. She knew that this very moment would catch up with her regardless.
 She just viciously murdered eleven gang members. There was no way to forget that or sweep it under the rug.

It was like opening Pandora’s
Box. Even subconsciously, Yoori knew it was only a matter of time before all other aspects of Soo Jin’s “being” came out of her as well.

This fact scared her.

It scared the living hell out of her.

“Your time has come.”

27: Revenge

When they arrived at the hospital, Yoori and Tae Hyun waited in the corridor beside the emergency room with Hae Jin, Kang Min, and Jae Won. No one spoke as they waited. Hae Jin and Kang Min were sitting on the tiles against the wall, each on either side of Jae Won. He was pale as a ghost
while he sat there, his eyes lost in a distraught trance. Yoori was no better. She sat on a small bench with Tae Hyun, her eyes lost in a similar daze.

Tae Hyun held her in his arms, whispering soothing words every now and then to make sure she was okay. Everyone was depressed. It was a complete 180 from their boisterous dinner two nights ago.
 

"She's going to be okay," Tae Hyun whispered into her ear, holding her hand.

Yoori didn't say anything, but she bathed in his reassuring words. His voice, his warmth, his presence…it was the only thing keeping her sane and it was the only thing that comforted her. 

In the course of this waiting period, Yoori also had to speak to two cops. They asked her the usual questions about how she found Chae Young and whatnot. Her fragmented mind proved to be beneficial to her as the cops were very sympathetic to her pain and didn't purge for more information that dealt with her running out on the scene. They just accepted her answer that she was distraught (which was true) and just couldn't handle seeing her best friend in such a condition.

In this timeframe, Chae Young's father, Mr. Lee arrived. Mr. Lee had always been a tough boss to Yoori, but she loved him all the same because behind the tough exterior, she knew he was a sweet man. It broke her heart that she had to reunite with him in the worst of situations. Mr. Lee, although frantic and panic-stricken, was incredibly appreciative of Yoori for being the one to find Chae Young. He couldn't stop thanking her and hugging her. He was crying too, which broke her heart even more.

Soon after, Chae Young was
 finally out of the emergency room and was moved to a private room that Tae Hyun arranged for. If there was one thing that continued to surprise Yoori, it was Tae Hyun's stature in this city. All he had to do was make a call, say that it was Kwon Tae Hyun calling and doors would open at the sound of his name. For Chae Young, that was what Tae Hyun did in terms of getting her one of the best doctors and getting her a private room for recovery (all at his own expense). 

When she was moved to her room, the cops went in to speak to Chae Young. After they left, Chae Young’s father went in to see her. He came out crying 20 minutes later. He motioned for Yoori to come in.
 

"She only wants to see you,” he whispered in between sobs. “She's not ready to see anyone else."

Everything still felt surreal to Yoori. Turning around, she gazed at Jae Won wearily. “Do you want to go in with me?”

"Go in first," he replied, his gaze following Mr. Lee, who was sitting on a bench, crying to
himself. "She wants to see you first."

She knew Jae Won was dying to see Chae Young though.
 He had been worried sick for his girlfriend. If Yoori weren’t lost in such a stupor, then she would've put more effort into bringing him in with her. But she had no energy either. She just wanted to see her friend. 

"I'm going to go make sure he's alright."

That was the last thing Yoori heard before Jae Won walked over to Mr. Lee to no doubt comfort his girlfriend's father. It was the last thing she heard before she left Tae Hyun's side and stepped into Chae Young's room alone. 

Chae Young had fallen asleep in the short amount of time that her father left her. Her face was free from blood now. There were stitches on her forehead, cheeks, and stitches that could be seen on her bare arms. Physically, she looked better than this morning but
psychologically, Yoori knew Chae Young was no better. 

"Chae Young?" Yoori asked, reticent with disturbing her sleep.

Yoori nearly jumped out of her skin when Chae Young started screaming in her sleep.

"Yoori, Yoori!" Her eyes snapped open and she surveyed the room in panic.

Yoori ran to her. She leaned over and framed her hands over her cheeks. "I'm here, I'm here. I’m here, hun.” 

"Yoori!" Chae Young shouted at once. Terror consumed her teary eyes. "
Yoori, you have to be careful!" 

Yoori swallowed painfully. She nodded at Chae Yong, understanding how traumatic this had been for her.
 "Chae Young, it's okay. Tae Hyun took care of those guys," she lied. "They won't ever come back to bother you."

Chae Young shook her head, fresh tears forming in her red-shot eyes. She grabbed onto Yoori's hand. Worry pulsed in her voice as she
 coherently said, "No, no, no! You have to listen to me, Yoori! Th – They came for
you
!"

Yoori's heart stopped. "What?"

The distress escalated in Chae Young’s voice. "Th—They wanted me to call you…to lure you out alone. But I wouldn't do it." Her chest started to rise and fall, sobs threatening to tear out of her. She struggled to tell Yoori everything. It was as if she was afraid Yoori would be attacked right then and there. "And – And then they took out their knives and the girl…" Horror embalmed her eyes at the reminder of the girl. "Th – The girl told them to do this to me. She told them to do whatever they needed to do to—"

"A girl?" Yoori asked vigilantly. Fire seared through her soul again. "What girl?"
 

"Something Jin…" Chae Young breathed out. She was having trouble breathing normally. "J—Jin…"

"Ae," Yoori completed for Chae Young.

It was Jin Ae.
 It was Ju Won’s niece.

The residual anger pumping through her blood was ignited at this knowledge. It was the same girl who instructed her men to rape Yoori.

It was Jin Ae. 

Rage imploded inside her.

It was fucking Jin Ae all along!

"IT WAS JIN AE! IT WAS THAT
 
FUCKING BITCH
 ALL ALONG!" Yoori screamed, running out of the hospital room.

She crashed into Tae Hyun. He was speaking softly to Mr. Lee and Jae Won. He caught her midway. He pulled her to the side, shushed her and brought her to the corner where people were craning over to see what the commotion was all about.

"Calm down, Yoori. Calm down," he hushed her gently. "You're scaring Mr. Lee."

Seeing that the elevator doors were wide open with no occupants, Tae Hyun pulled Yoori into it. Just as the doors slid close behind them, he pressed on the emergency button to stall the elevator and said, "What did you just say?"

"Jin Ae!" Yoori cried. "Chae Young said that Jin Ae was there and she was trying to force Chae Young to call me so that I would come meet her alone!"

Anger rose through her as Tae Hyun's eyes widened in fury.
 

Jin Ae was taking her revenge.

She was taking her revenge on Yoori for having to kneel before her that night.

"I'm going to kill her," Yoori declared ruthlessly. The image of Chae Young crying at the diner and crying on her hospital bed was like fuel to the fire. Wrath poisoned her rationale. "I don't care if she's Ju Won's niece. I'm going to kill that bitch!"
 

"Yoori, stop!” Tae Hyun shouted, though his eyes were
also severe with anger. "If you want someone dead then 
I'll
take care of it! Ju Won won't be able to touch me if I kill her, but he'll be able to send people after you if you hurt her. I won't risk that."

"I don’t give a fuck about Ju Won!" Yoori shouted hysterically. For her, it was just black and white. There was no gray area in wanting to kill Jin Ae for what she put Chae Young through.

"I don’t give a fuck about him either!" Tae Hyun bellowed out. "I give a fuck about you!" 

Yoori wasn't able to see reason in his argument. She was too blinded with her emotions.
 

"She did this to Chae Young! You weren't there to see how Chae Young was! You weren't there to see the fear in her eyes! You weren't there to see how amazed she was that she was still alive and how much she
 
hated 
that she was still alive! All of this happened to her because Jin Ae wanted me! She had
eleven
men rape Chae Young because she knew that it would kill 
me
! All of this happened to Chae Young because…because…of 
me
.”

Yoori’s own words hit her like a ton of bricks, finally pushing her over the edge she had been trying so hard to hang onto. She covered her mouth and started to hyperventilate. Tears bubbled in her eyes.
 

"All of this happened because
 
I
 brought her into this world. It happened because 
I
 was her friend. It happened because she was there to help me bake a cake. She was raped because of me. Me. It's all my fault."

"Yoori, stop. Stop saying that," Tae Hyun voiced when he saw the state of misery she was falling into. "She wouldn't have made it if you hadn't gone back."