The Mutable World

  Chapter 9

  The door shut behind Eun Seo. I threw the covers off and hopped to my feet, thereby stepping on a blue plastic bottle cap.

  “Ah!” I cried.

  I staggered to the closet, obtained my clothing and donned it with swift and deliberate movements. I buttoned my shirt, tightened my belt and slipped into my socks. From my dresser, I took my phone and my wallet. I slipped out of the building, making sure to walk in the opposite direction Eun Seo would be travelling. I was lucky today. Eun Seo seemed more compassionately inclined this morning. She normally didn’t believe when I played sick.

  Soon after leaving home, I reached the subway station and descended its stairs to the entry scanners. I navigated through and then down another set of stairs before alighting upon the platform. The next train was in two minutes. Once here, I would take it to Bongcheon station, at which point I was going to need to negotiate some form of concession from Dong Hyuk. His complaints had gone too far. He was endangering the reliability of my other contracts by making the others nervous. Only two days remain. This is unacceptable behavior, and must be quelled if I am to be successful.

  My footsteps traced the path from the dirtied concrete composition of the platform to the tiled halls of the upper levels of Bongcheon station. I had notified Dong Hyuk of our impending meeting yesterday. He had offered no reply, which I decided to interpret as an affirmative. This ordeal required extensive intervention, with a personal touch.

  Dong Hyuk’s place of business was another four blocks away. I started walking. At this point, I have two courses of action. The first is to offer yet further compensation for his silence. This would likely be extremely costly as the last negotiation’s sizeable addition to his base fees did not meet expectations. My second course of action is one of force. I wasn’t sure how to execute that one. I’ll think of something.

  One block left. I stopped and inhaled deeply. I was ready. So I continued, and I rounded the corner. There was a police car parked across the street from his PC room. That is not coincidence. It could not be. After such pother and such deliberate protest, I would not allow myself the deception of coincidence. What possible grudge could he hold against me? What had I done to incite such unabashed resistance and stubbornness? He was being unreasonable, disobedient, malicious.

  I decided observation was my most favorable choice of action at this junction. I could not leave. I needed to know more, and what he planned to do. So I did. I entered a café opposite the PC room. Patiently sipping from my paper cup, I waited. Half an hour passed. No police appeared. Could they be waiting for me inside? This question lingered in anxious inaction as the next 30 minutes painfully crawled by. It wasn’t possible. What possible evidence could Dong Hyuk have provided them to convince them of waiting a full hour simply for some peeve of his. Also, if they truly wished to catch me, they would surely not be so complacent as to park their vehicle in such close vicinity. I was being paranoid.

  A small chuckle erupted from my bowels as I realized the nonsensical implications I had dreamt up upon spotting this lone car. How ridiculous. I left the café, crossed the street and climbed the stairs to the front door. Remember, monetary expense is far less valuable than moral expense. At that moment, I sincerely hoped that this horribly misguided man would accept my first offer. I had previously always held my moral standards in high regard, irreverent of bouts of anger or frustration. I was willing to sacrifice it for this purpose, however. It would be worth it.

  So I opened the door. Before me, Dong Hyuk sat at the counter. Further down the hall to his left sat two uniformed officers idling in wait—for me. The bells affixed to the door rang as it swung on its hinges. Dong Hyuk pulled himself away from his present occupation at the counter and gazed at me with lazy eyes. It took him a split second to realize who I was. I bolted in the direction I came and pulled a frantic right as I emerged from the building’s entrance. Someone was in pursuit. My legs pumped insistently, propelling me forward with adrenaline-fueled speed. I did not dare turn my head; it is the cardinal mistake of flight. Never look back, lest your mind convince your body of its inability to outpace your pursuer.

  Ahead, I spotted crowds mingling with shopping bags nested in their fists. I sprinted faster, and perceived a similar increase in the steps behind me. I was fast approaching the people, and they were beginning to notice. Heads turned, and some screamed. I plunged headlong into the fray and heaved my way through the dense multitudes of bodies surrounding me. I continued like this for another 20 meters before slowing to a walk as the expression upon those surrounding me changed from one of shock to one of curiosity as they stretched their necks in hopes of glimpsing the source of the uproar ahead. I followed their lead and craned my neck. Roughly 10 meters behind me, the crowd of people was parting.

  I continued prying my way between the thick assembly of people when I spotted a boy ahead of me. He bore the same look of curiosity instilled in the crowd around him, and was at the moment standing on his toes in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the commotion’s source. He evidently found nothing to satisfy his curiosity as he fell back on his heels with a frown shaping his features. He continued on his way, in the same direction I was walking. This was a perfect opportunity. He was sporting a red T-shirt and jeans, together with black shoes and a head of short black hair. I seriously doubted that Dong Hyuk was my pursuant. Such a portly man could never run the way I just had. That mean that the person behind me would not recognize me save for my clothes and bodily features. This young man before me was my saving grace.

  I committed myself to a quick scan of the people around me, as time was running out. I had almost reached this kid, and I could not stop moving lest I be caught. No one was watching. In his back right pocket, I observed a slight bulge in the fabric—his wallet. I moved quickly. He turned in surprise, and was met with the sight of me holding a taser in my right. Naturally, he ran. Someone behind me followed. I pocketed the wallet and taser, and ducked into a convenience store. All the running had fed my thirst.

  I had lucked out twice already in a single day. I had better not push it. I had only thought of bringing the taser as I was leaving home. Eun Seo kept it by the door for when she ventured out later at night. I don’t see why she has it. Seoul is suitably safe. At least, compared to other places it is. Not that it makes up for anything though. I live in the hub of my nation’s poison. In any case, I should be diluting this poison soon enough. Eventually, that kid’s going to be caught. He will protest, but it will not matter. They will ask him questions, and when they determine that he is of no consequence, Dong Hyuk will have lost credibility. With two days left, I’ll simply have to ignore and ban him from the forum thread. I may have to deal with the responses of the remaining contract holders when I do so, but I should be able to handle it well enough.