Hey all! WHAT AN INTERESTING TURN OF EVENTS TO HAVE HAPPENED IN OUR LITTLE HEROINE'S LIFE!! Before we begin, I feel I must say that this chapter will be, in the beginning, a continuation of where chapter 6 left off, and then it goes off into ANOTHER twist! YAY TWISTS!! So enjoy chapter 7 my people!! Now, in this chapter, Kimi doesn't call Mr. Sexy "Mr. Sexy" anymore. She calls him Detective Kim. But then that changes too. He goes through 3 name changes with her. lol
Chapter 7
I sat on the bed next to Su-Jung, still confused and slightly scared, barely hearing the harsh words Hee-Jin shouted to her father. She had once again threatened to get up and leave, and had actually made a couple steps towards the door, when her father had grabbed her wrist and actually handcuffed her to the bed railing. (W.T.F.) As soon as he had done that, she turned her head slowly in his direction and stared at him with a mixture of hatred and disbelief. She grinned sadistically.
"Did you just handcuff me? HUH?!" she shrieked. Her twisted smile vanished and was replaced with a scowl as she glared at her father. He looked at her sadly, then walked out of the room while the rest of the girls shouted protests at him and we were left alone with Detective Kim. He didn't seem too happy that Detective Jang had just handcuffed his daughter, nor that he was now stuck here, technically babysitting a bunch of teenage girls. He took one look at us and was about to follow Detective Jang when one of the girls called out to him.
"How did you get here? Don't tell me he 'kidnapped' you too," she said in Korean. We all waited for him to answer, all of us holding our breath. I, for one, really wanted answers, cuz I've been doing some serious thinking since I got here. For one thing, the van disappeared 3 days ago... another, if the van disappeared only three days ago, how is it that Detective Jang (as well as some other officers--I'm positive Detective Kim and Jang are not alone) knew our whereabouts in the first place...and finally, who the hell are the Triad, and why the hell are there fucking Korean cops in Hong Kong in the first place?!
"The least you could do is explain everything to us," I spoke up in English, tired of waiting for Detective Kim's answer. I then continued in Korean, "How did you get here? Are there more of you? Why is Detective Jang in this shady place in the first place? How did he know Hee-Jin was even in Hong Kong--"
"I ran away from home, and joined the talent agency," said Hee-Jin, cutting off my string of questions. She looked at me and answered, "My mother and father divorced because he was always getting sued and we were getting sick of it. We couldn't take it anymore; we just wanted to live happily. So, after everything with my father was said and done, and he and my mother split, my mother took custody of me. However, we were very much in debt so my mother had to work night and day to try and cover it; she was never home, and I never got to see her. I wanted to help her so badly, because neither of us were sleeping through the night; we were both sick with worry. So, I joined EGM hoping that I'll be able to shoot a portfolio and make it big as a model so I can help my mother."
I nodded. "So he came looking for you, and after poking around a bit he figured out where you were," I said still speaking Korean (albeit, slowly), "makes sense." I looked at her and stated, "But that doesn't explain why he's in this--" I gestured around the small living quarters--"place."
"Apparently, when Lieutenant Cha came to investigate where Detective Jang disappeared to, she went to his hotel room and was ambushed," answered Detective Kim in his native tongue.
"Who's Lieutenant Cha?" asked Su-Jung.
"She is our supervisor at the H.I.T. office," he told her.
"What's H.I.T?" inquired Hee-Jin. "I've never heard of it before."
"You wouldn't," he said. We all sat quiet, slightly offended/taken aback by his...arrogance? Nah, more like assholeness. Then he continued by saying, "It's fairly new. Myself, Detective Shin, Detective Nam, Lieutenant Cha, Prosecutor Kim, and Detective Jang are all a part of it. When Detective Jang got word of his daughter's disappearance, he didn't show up at work for a couple of days..." He paused and moodily looked at the floor. I guess he and Detective Jang don't get along so well....
"When he did find out, all he did was leave a message on Lieutenant Cha's cell phone and we didn't hear from him since then, until Lieutenant Cha took it upon herself to figure out where he went. She didn't tell us where she was going, which is against our policy, and this is how this whole mess got started," he finished. We were all quiet.
"Well you just answered my question if there are more of you in Hong Kong," I said in English. He nodded and answered me in Korean (I guess so everybody could understand).
"The entire H.I.T. team is here," he said.
"But what does H.I.T. actually stand for--" started Su-Jung, but I cut her off.
"Wait, I have one more question!" I exclaimed in my language, making the others jump. I apologized to Su-Jung afterwards and said in Korean, "Who is the Triad and where is the rest of your team?"
"Prosecutor Kim went with the consulate to see a Mr. Charlie Park. Later, I went with the consulate to meet Detective Jang and possibly find Lieutenant Cha. It was there that we were followed and chased by 3 men, and that's how I ended up here. Detective Jang thinks that those men, who were chasing us, are Triad members and are involved in international kidnapping," said the Detective in Korean.
"So...they already knew Detective Jang was here?" asked one of the girls. "How did they find--"
"Does he have evidence to prove that they're involved in international kidnapping?!" cried Hee-Jin, now already shaking with anger. "Does he have proof?! IS KIDNAPPING US GOING TO GIVE HIM THE PROOF HE WANTS?!"
I stayed silent a sinking feeling in my chest. He might not have evidence of international kidnapping...but what about the drugs? Should I tell the Detective that I found some in some breast implants? And that two girls that are here might possibly have those exact same implants in their bodies? I bit my lip.
"He doesn't," said Detective Kim, looking at me. I looked back but quickly looked away...it was too hard not to blush. "He's just going on intuition; nothing is based on solid evidence," he continued.
We all sat quiet, absorbing all of this information. Detective Kim then looked at his watch, excused himself, and went to see Detective Jang outside. From my seat I examined the position of the shadows in the wall...it was getting close to sunset. None of the girls said anything. I think we were all just mentally exhausted from all the information Detective Kim just gave us. However, we were all pulled out of our daze when we heard yelling coming from outside, and it wasn't long before Detecitve Kim came back holding a brown paper bag. He ripped its contents out and in his hand was a gun. He stared at it in disbelief for a while before Detective Jang followed two steps behind him then punched him in the face, and he fell to the ground! (this is just a never-ending day of 'wtf' moments)
Detective Jang then took the gun, searched for something else near Detective Kim's feet then stood up and yelled at him, "If you don't want to help, then don't bug me!" Us girls who were cowering on the bed whimpered. Detective Kim stood up, glaring at the other cop and wiping blood from his mouth. (why does he always bleed?!)
"Are you crazy?!" he yelled. "A Korean cop shoots people in Hong Kong...do you know what that means?!"
Detective Jang then went on to say that as a cop he protects the victim, and as a father he has a right to protect his daughter. Then Hee-Jin had to put in her two cents and be all pms-y and yell at him, and then he said something about her being only a high school junior (so what? I am too...big whoop!) and she corrected him and told him she's a high school senior (WHAT?! NO WAY!).Then she went on to say how much he embarrassed her when his arrest was in the news, and how she envied kids who didn't have fathers. After that I didn't listen anymore; I didn't want to.
I couldn't help but feel anger towards her. Couldn't she see that she has a father who loves her? He flew all the way to Hong Kong for her!! And here she is yelling at him and telling him she hates him, and here I am, wanting so much to yell at her and tell her that at least she HAS a father who cares, unlike mine who's a non-stop abusive beast!! And at least her mother manages the household to some extent. Mine just sits on her ass all day and drinks till she passes out or throws up.
I wanted so badly to tell her these things, but I held my tongue. I didn't want to cause more drama, though angry tears threatened to fall from my eyes and I wiped them away hurriedly. Now is definitely not the time to cry. Though, Hee-Jin did when she finished her little emo speech, and Detective Jang stood stunned. He didn't say a word as he took out the key for the handcuffs out of his pocket but let his hand stay by his side. It was Detective Kim who took the key from him and un-cuffed her and she drew back her hand and went to a corner and turned her back on her father as he went outside. Detective Kim followed him.
Once they were gone, Hee-Jin turned to us. "Lift me up," she ordered.
"What are you doing?" asked the girls, all gathering around her, Su-Jung included. I stayed out of it...I didn't really want to mingle at the moment. I was too busy thinking about whether or not I should tell Detective Kim about the drugs and annoyance with Hee-Jin and her dysfunctional family issues. I watched the girls and Hee-Jin go to the opposite wall and saw her pry off some netting from a window and climb out. She said she was going to phone the people from the agency and didn't care whether or not her dad found out. God, she pisses me off!! I ran a hand through my hair, and a cold thought went through my mind sending shivers all down my body.
If Hee-Jin tells the guys where we are, they'll most likely come with guns...and guns make noise. Meaning that it will disturb the people around here and they'll call the police and we'll be taken downtown, we'll all be fingerprinted or whatever, the girls will be sent back to Korea and--although I have a Visa, Green Card, passport etc--I am still legally a minor and as of now, I have NO current residence in Korea. I might have to get sent back home. The words of Mi-Young's father rang in my head.
"Don't come here if you fail..."
Technically, I didn't fail but I suppose this counts as near close to failing. Or just completely passed 'failing' down to 'how the hell did I end up in this mess?' I'm thinking the second option. Either way, I can't go back to Mi-Young's place, and I will sooner than later drop DEAD before going back home. I clawed my fingers into my hair trying to think, but no bright idea came into my head. Fifteen minutes passed and Hee-Jin came back, much to the delight of the other girls. Unfortunately, her father and Detective Kim came in at that exact moment and Detective Jang was none too happy. Actually, he was more panicked than happy. Hee-jin explained everything when he asked her where she had been and he got even more panicked.
"We've got to get out of here," he told us and attempted to drag Hee-Jin out the door, but she stayed put and sat in a chair and told him that we're not going anywhere.
Tch. To hell with her, I'm out! I don't want any part of this anymore; I've had enough excitement in my lifetime, I'm done. Why can't I just be a normal kid, who just goes to school and has a loving family?
Because that would be waaay to boring! I thought. Hee-Jin and her father started arguing again, but this time, instead of it continuing back and forth, Detective Jang knelt in front of his daughter and actually begged her to follow his directions. We all sat, stunned at Detective Jang's actions as he begged his daughter (who started crying again). Then there was knock near the window sill and everybody stood shocked still, waiting.
"Are you sure, they're Triad?" asked Detective Kim. He looked scared and he was pale...well...paler than usual. As an answer, his fellow Detective took out whatever it was he was searching before when he punched Detective Kim in the face and handed it to him. He told him that they were keys to a boat out back and that he should take it and us to safety.
"Is anyone in there?" asked a voice outside and I recognized it to be Chen's. My mood quickly brighted, but was snuffed out when we heard gunshots. We screamed and coward behind the detectives, and Detective Kim ushered us out the door and onto the waiting boat. I sat next to Su-Jung and we clung to each other petrified. Detective Kim went to go get Hee-Jin who had stayed behind clinging to her father, but after a couple seconds he managed to drag her to the waiting boat and they both climbed in. We heard more gunshots and we screamed and clung to each other and ducked our heads as Detective Kim stared at the scene, waiting for Detective Jang to come on board.
He called his name in warning, but the other Detective refused to come on board, saying that whatever happens to him it is of the utmost importance that Detective Kim gets us back to Korea safely. More gunshots were fired but Detective Kim didn't move. It took a verbal assault from Detective Jang to actually make him move us out of the line of fire and into open waters. The rest of us didn't look back, except for Hee-Jin who was in hysterics, though we all found it very hard not to. Su-Jung was crying onto my shoulder and I hugged her, but said nothing as I looked behind me at Detective Kim. He looked like he was fighting back the urge to turn the boat around and help Detective Jang.
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It was nighttime now, and Detective Kim managed to book us all a room in a small hotel (*dirty thoughts*). Though I'm pretty sure none of us will be getting much sleep tonight, partially because of all the events that have happened and also because Hee-Jin was still crying...and everybody was still crying. In fact, the only people who weren't crying were me and Detective Kim. He wasn't crying because I think he needed to be a manly-man and not show weakness in times of immense peril and danger (or something), and I wasn't crying because I guess there's something wrong with me. I didn't feel the need to cry. Truthfully, I was getting a little sick of the water works... but I was also worried about Detective Jang and a whole lot of other things. Right now, those things pretty much outweighed the crying.
Detective Kim took time to try and comfort Hee-Jin who was sitting on a chair...but she kinda ruined it because she went back to being emo and started crying again. This time I couldn't blame her. She had every right to be emo now. I watched from my seat on the bed with the other girls, as Detective Kim stood up and slowly walked out. Instead of sitting with the others, like a good cry-pillow, I stood up and followed him out of the room, down the hall and out the hotel door. I thought he was leaving us, so I ran the last couple of steps but he was only standing near the entrance. He was brooding.
I watched as he paced slowly back and forth across the entryway, seeming to become more anguished with every step he took. He constantly shook his head back and forth and seemed to be fighting with himself. I steeled myself and stepped out from the shadows onto where he was standing. He seemed to have heard my footsteps because he turned sharply and looked at me and I stared in shock. He had tears in his eyes.
Now, I've never seen a grown man cry before, and I honestly never expected to. Like most people, I thought a grown man crying was an EXTREME sign of weakness, and mamby-pansy and junk.... but when I saw the tears in Detective Kim's eyes, and how in pain he looked, those feeling pretty much went out the window. Although he and Detective Jang have their differences, I could see now that he really cares for him, and right now he'd do anything to get him back safely.
"What are you doing out of the room?" he asked me in English. I blinked, realizing I was still staring at him and tucked some hair behind my ear, stalling for time.
"Um....I was...uh...." I stammered like an idiot and looked anywhere else but at him. I fixed my gaze at the nothingness in front of me and added timidly, "Do you think Detective Jang will be all right?" He didn't say anything. I glanced at him and asked another question, "Are you angry?" I don't know why I asked it, but he did seem angry.
"Yes," he told me, "But not about Detective Jang getting us into this mess. I'm more angry at myself."
"Why?"
He sighed and said,"I've always followed "The Book" when it comes to police work and not doing anything by intuition or instincts. It's what's made me keep my job and how I was also promoted through the ranks. I wanted to go by the book on this investigation, but now I don't think that will help us much here. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to be a little more like Detective Jang; I envy his character... when before I used to look down upon it. I don't know how to explain it..."
"What rank are you anyway?" I asked, raising a questionable eyebrow.
"Lieutenant," he answered quickly. I thought about this for a second before asking again.
"Why are you on the H.I.T. team when there's already Lieutenant Cha?" He looked at me, then up at the night sky and gave another exasperated sigh, his breath crystallizing in the frigid air. I totally forgot it was winter and I just realized that I'm only wearing socks, jeans, a turtleneck, and a white zip-up sweater. I. am. freezing.
"That's not important right now," he told me, as I stood beside him with my arms wrapped around myself, shivering. Yup...I'm an idiot. "What's important now is that I get you girls back to Korea safely...and I get Detective Jang back from the Triad." He looked at his watch. "It's getting late," he said, looking at me, "you should get some rest. You've had a long day." I nodded and was about to go back inside when I felt weight around my shoulders. I looked down at myself and found Detective Kim's black leather jacket around my body. I stared at him.
"Go inside before you catch a cold," he ordered me.
"Aren't you coming inside?" I asked.
"I'll be in shortly. You just go inside and get some sleep."
I nodded, said a timid "thank you" for the jacket, and went inside, but not before stealing a glance at how his grey turtleneck fit him perfectly!! (omg....did I mention TEH HOTNESS?!!) When I got back into the room, to my surprise, all the girls including Hee-Jin had managed to cram themselves onto the one and only bed in the corner (which was fairly big) and were all sleeping. There was no pull-out bed, but there were a couple of long couches and I immediately lay in one and went straight to sleep, breathing in the scent of Detective Kim's cologne that had lingered on his jacket.
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I woke up the next morning with quite a stiff neck, not being very well rested. I sat up and saw that I still had Detective Kim's jacket, which I had used as a blanket. I blinked groggily at it, as I ran a hand through my hair, and found out that it was filled with knots and tangles, so I came to the conclusion that I must look like crap. Oh joy...
I looked around the room and saw that the girls were still sleeping but Detective Kim was nowhere in sight. At first I thought he was just going to the bathroom or something, but then my mind got the better of me, and I thought that he had actually left us last night to go and get Detective Jang by himself. With that completely possible (and technically rational...I mean, he's a guy, guys do that...) thought in my head, I shot out of my makeshift bed, still holding on to that leather jacket, and ripped open the door....only to find Detective Kim staring at me surprised.
"Good Morning," he said. I could smell the mint of his toothpaste, as his breath washed over me. I waved, not wanting to open my mouth because I had stinky morning breath. I looked down and saw that I was still holding his jacket, and thrust it to him. He smiled and took it as I pulled a Siwon and thanked him for it with elaborate hand gestures and such. In return, he handed me a toothbrush in a little plastic package, and some toothpaste and told me the directions to the bathroom. I nodded then went straight to cleanse my mouth of the stinky germs.
When I arrived back in the room all the girls were awake, and Detective Kim was nowhere in sight...again. Instead of obeying the annoying voice inside my head to go and find him, I decided to sit with the girls and wait for him to come back. Hopefully he brought food cuz I was starving. Unfortunately, he didn't because when he came back, he told us to get ready quickly because the Hong Kong police were coming. He had told them everything that had happened, and they were coming to get us and take us to the Korean Consulate (but I'm hungry!! I want food!!)
The rest of the girls freshened up, while I waited outside the room, since I was already dressed, with Detective Kim. I didn't speak to him, nor did he speak to me...which I was quite fine with seeing as how I was too hungry to talk. I think the last thing I ate was a bag of chips....yesterday. (soo hungry!!) Half an hour later, we were ushered outside to an awaiting police van and car. Detective Kim beckoned us towards the van and told us to sit and we would be taken to the consulate. I sat in between Su-Jung and Hee-Jin. I stretched my already stiff neck (bad idea) but I didn't see where Detective Kim walked off to. Sooner than I realized, we were off to the Consulate, where we were told we will be questioned later and we were brought to another nearby hotel. There we finally ate and around 2 in the afternoon, we were finally questioned by the Hong Kong police.
One by one the girls were asked their current residence and citizenship, and I grew even more nervous as they came closer to me; but I had no choice but to answer.
"My name is Kimimela Holmes, I am 17 years old, I am originally from Toronto, Canada, I am a Canadian citizen, though I do have a Visa and passport," I told them. Obviously, this shocked almost everyone but right now, I didn't really care. They then asked me what I was doing in Hong Kong and I told them that I came here for a job with EGM working as a stagehand. They kept asking me a string of questions, and when they finally got to the reason why I was part of the kidnapping...that was when I hesitated. Hee-Jin had already explained about the implants...but she didn't know about the drugs...I guess I would have to explain then. So I did. Not to my surprise, everyone was stunned.
The police asked me if I knew which of the girls who had implants, and I said no. They asked the other girls if they had implants and they said no, but I saw a couple of them shift uncomfortably in their seats. They were lying. After a few more hours of non-stop questioning, we were returned back to the hotel, where we waited until nightfall. We hadn't seen Detective Kim since this morning, and I was kind of worried about what has happened to him along with Detective Jang. It was about 11:30 at night when Mr. Sung Dong-Joon--the head of the Korean Consul--came and asked for Hee-Jin. She practically flew to him.
I didn't know what time Hee-Jin came back because by the time I went to sleep, it was 2 in the morning, and when I was lightly shaken awake by one of the Hong Kong police at 7am the next morning, Hee-Jin was already asleep in one of the pull-out couch beds. The police man told me to get up and get ready and to meet him outside; there were several people who wanted to speak to me. I nodded, still half-asleep, but followed his orders nonetheless, and by the time I was fully awake, I was shaking with nerves.
I was led to a room where Detective Kim, a woman whom I assumed was Lieutenant Cha (she had short hair and was wearing a track suit), and a man I assumed was either one of the other two male Detectives that Dectective Kim talked about. Though he didn't quite look like a detective. He wore a beige trench coat, and dark-wash jeans. The room they were sitting in was an interrogation room...and I was the one that was going to be interrogated. The police man opened the door for me and I went and sat in the sole chair behind the only desk and waited.
"Is your name Kimimela Holmes?" asked Lieutenant Cha in Korean. I jumped...I wasn't expecting that. I was still a little groggy.
"Yes," I answered also in Korean.
"Are you a citizen of Canada?" asked Detective Kim in English.
"Yes."
"Do you have a Visa and passport?" asked the other guy also in English.
"Yes."
"Where are they?" said Lieutenant Cha. I thought for a moment...and then my heart sank into my stomach.
"I left them in a drawer of the hotel I was staying at before I was brought here," I answered. They all sighed and bowed their heads at my stupidness. Why am I such an idiot? Detective Kim looked at me and asked, "Do you have family in Korea?"
"No. My family is in Canada, but I will kill myself if you send me back there," I answered menacingly, looking him dead in the eye. I was prepared for this question; no way was I going back home. "Please don't send me back home, I can get by on my own once we're back in Korea. I've done it before; I have money, I can get a job, get an apartment--"
"What about school? You're just going to quit school?" asked Detective Kim. I hesitated. Lieutenant Cha asked me what grade I was and I said I was a junior in high school. They all looked at each other, then excused themselves and went outside, but not before telling me that I will have to tell them the name of the hotel and the room number where I stayed so they can search for my passport, Visa, and--I just realized--my wallet. It felt like forever, but they came back and spoke to me again. Well, Detective Kim was the only one who came inside.
"When is your birthday?" he asked me.
"I'll be turning 18 next month," I answered. He nodded. "My colleagues and I have talked it over and we feel that you going back to Canada is the best--"
"No! I'm not going back there!!"
"Why not?!"
"Would you want to go back to a broken home with your abusive father and drunk mother who do nothing but beat you and drink until they pass out while you clean up their vomit all over the carpet?!" I shrieked, my voice choking inside my throat. I stared at him through eyes that were gleaming with tears. I brought my knees up to my chest and buried my face in my arms and just cried. Detective Kim was silent for a long time. When he finally spoke he told me a suggestion rather than a question.
"We could send you to a foster home--"
"I'm not going to a foster home either! I wouldn't be Kimi there, I'd be just another kid with problems, living with other kids with problems who talk about nothing but their own problems all day!!" I shouted, my voice muffled slightly. I looked up at him with my tear-stained face and added, "I don't want to be another kid with problems. I just want a normal life; that's why I came to Korea in the first place. I don't want to be put in a foster home, I sure as hell don't want to go back to Canada.....I just want a life. A normal one." Detective Kim stared at me for a long time, then nodded and excused himself and went back outside, while I went back into my little ball.
It felt like another 3 or 4 hours before Detective Kim came back. I was still in my little ball of securedness nodding off to sleep, when I felt his hand on my shoulder and I looked up. He sat down in front of me with his hands folded on the table and looked me in the eyes. Somehow the air felt ominous, and I waited with bated breath.
"I talked it over with the consulate as well as my colleagues," he said. "Lieutenant Cha is too busy with her own work--she only sees the suspect and not everyone around her--so she's definitely out, Prosecutor Kim is too busy worrying about Lieutenant Cha, Detective Shin is as corrupt as a crook, Detective Jang has his own issues to sort out at the moment, and Detective Nam is an idiot."
I stared. "That's a pretty harsh thing to say about your fellow workers....especially Detective Nam. Wasn't he just here?" I asked.
"That was Prosecutor Kim, but that's not the point," he told me.
"Then what is the point, Ajusshi?" I asked, giving the Korean term for "mister." He gave me a look that said 'don't be a smart-ass, I'm doing you a favor.'
"You don't want to live in a foster home, and you don't want to go back to Canada," he said. I nodded. "My colleagues and I feel that you do still need to have proper guardianship, and an education...both would be in your best interest." And? I already knew that. I waited for him to continue. "So...I talked with my colleagues....and we've agreed that you will come and live with me."
I stared at him for a long time before finally speaking.
"......What?" I said. I was going to live with the epitome of sexiness? Holy shit....
One by one the girls were asked their current residence and citizenship, and I grew even more nervous as they came closer to me; but I had no choice but to answer.
"My name is Kimimela Holmes, I am 17 years old, I am originally from Toronto, Canada, I am a Canadian citizen, though I do have a Visa and passport," I told them. Obviously, this shocked almost everyone but right now, I didn't really care. They then asked me what I was doing in Hong Kong and I told them that I came here for a job with EGM working as a stagehand. They kept asking me a string of questions, and when they finally got to the reason why I was part of the kidnapping...that was when I hesitated. Hee-Jin had already explained about the implants...but she didn't know about the drugs...I guess I would have to explain then. So I did. Not to my surprise, everyone was stunned.
The police asked me if I knew which of the girls who had implants, and I said no. They asked the other girls if they had implants and they said no, but I saw a couple of them shift uncomfortably in their seats. They were lying. After a few more hours of non-stop questioning, we were returned back to the hotel, where we waited until nightfall. We hadn't seen Detective Kim since this morning, and I was kind of worried about what has happened to him along with Detective Jang. It was about 11:30 at night when Mr. Sung Dong-Joon--the head of the Korean Consul--came and asked for Hee-Jin. She practically flew to him.
I didn't know what time Hee-Jin came back because by the time I went to sleep, it was 2 in the morning, and when I was lightly shaken awake by one of the Hong Kong police at 7am the next morning, Hee-Jin was already asleep in one of the pull-out couch beds. The police man told me to get up and get ready and to meet him outside; there were several people who wanted to speak to me. I nodded, still half-asleep, but followed his orders nonetheless, and by the time I was fully awake, I was shaking with nerves.
I was led to a room where Detective Kim, a woman whom I assumed was Lieutenant Cha (she had short hair and was wearing a track suit), and a man I assumed was either one of the other two male Detectives that Dectective Kim talked about. Though he didn't quite look like a detective. He wore a beige trench coat, and dark-wash jeans. The room they were sitting in was an interrogation room...and I was the one that was going to be interrogated. The police man opened the door for me and I went and sat in the sole chair behind the only desk and waited.
"Is your name Kimimela Holmes?" asked Lieutenant Cha in Korean. I jumped...I wasn't expecting that. I was still a little groggy.
"Yes," I answered also in Korean.
"Are you a citizen of Canada?" asked Detective Kim in English.
"Yes."
"Do you have a Visa and passport?" asked the other guy also in English.
"Yes."
"Where are they?" said Lieutenant Cha. I thought for a moment...and then my heart sank into my stomach.
"I left them in a drawer of the hotel I was staying at before I was brought here," I answered. They all sighed and bowed their heads at my stupidness. Why am I such an idiot? Detective Kim looked at me and asked, "Do you have family in Korea?"
"No. My family is in Canada, but I will kill myself if you send me back there," I answered menacingly, looking him dead in the eye. I was prepared for this question; no way was I going back home. "Please don't send me back home, I can get by on my own once we're back in Korea. I've done it before; I have money, I can get a job, get an apartment--"
"What about school? You're just going to quit school?" asked Detective Kim. I hesitated. Lieutenant Cha asked me what grade I was and I said I was a junior in high school. They all looked at each other, then excused themselves and went outside, but not before telling me that I will have to tell them the name of the hotel and the room number where I stayed so they can search for my passport, Visa, and--I just realized--my wallet. It felt like forever, but they came back and spoke to me again. Well, Detective Kim was the only one who came inside.
"When is your birthday?" he asked me.
"I'll be turning 18 next month," I answered. He nodded. "My colleagues and I have talked it over and we feel that you going back to Canada is the best--"
"No! I'm not going back there!!"
"Why not?!"
"Would you want to go back to a broken home with your abusive father and drunk mother who do nothing but beat you and drink until they pass out while you clean up their vomit all over the carpet?!" I shrieked, my voice choking inside my throat. I stared at him through eyes that were gleaming with tears. I brought my knees up to my chest and buried my face in my arms and just cried. Detective Kim was silent for a long time. When he finally spoke he told me a suggestion rather than a question.
"We could send you to a foster home--"
"I'm not going to a foster home either! I wouldn't be Kimi there, I'd be just another kid with problems, living with other kids with problems who talk about nothing but their own problems all day!!" I shouted, my voice muffled slightly. I looked up at him with my tear-stained face and added, "I don't want to be another kid with problems. I just want a normal life; that's why I came to Korea in the first place. I don't want to be put in a foster home, I sure as hell don't want to go back to Canada.....I just want a life. A normal one." Detective Kim stared at me for a long time, then nodded and excused himself and went back outside, while I went back into my little ball.
It felt like another 3 or 4 hours before Detective Kim came back. I was still in my little ball of securedness nodding off to sleep, when I felt his hand on my shoulder and I looked up. He sat down in front of me with his hands folded on the table and looked me in the eyes. Somehow the air felt ominous, and I waited with bated breath.
"I talked it over with the consulate as well as my colleagues," he said. "Lieutenant Cha is too busy with her own work--she only sees the suspect and not everyone around her--so she's definitely out, Prosecutor Kim is too busy worrying about Lieutenant Cha, Detective Shin is as corrupt as a crook, Detective Jang has his own issues to sort out at the moment, and Detective Nam is an idiot."
I stared. "That's a pretty harsh thing to say about your fellow workers....especially Detective Nam. Wasn't he just here?" I asked.
"That was Prosecutor Kim, but that's not the point," he told me.
"Then what is the point, Ajusshi?" I asked, giving the Korean term for "mister." He gave me a look that said 'don't be a smart-ass, I'm doing you a favor.'
"You don't want to live in a foster home, and you don't want to go back to Canada," he said. I nodded. "My colleagues and I feel that you do still need to have proper guardianship, and an education...both would be in your best interest." And? I already knew that. I waited for him to continue. "So...I talked with my colleagues....and we've agreed that you will come and live with me."
I stared at him for a long time before finally speaking.
"......What?" I said. I was going to live with the epitome of sexiness? Holy shit....
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I left Hong Kong with the other girls and the Korean detectives in the afternoon. The Hong Kong police had retrieved my bag and passport and Visa, so I had no problem boarding. Detective Kim told me to keep my living quarters a secret to the other girls, which I had no problem doing because, really....I had a hard time believing it myself.
When we finally landed on Korean soil, Hee-Jin and the other girls were sent home, while the other detectives went to the Police Agency. Detective Kim--my new guardian--would meet them shortly after he had taken me to his house. As he drove home, neither of us said a word. I'm guessing because we were both trying to mentally get used to our new company. He lived in an apartment on the 6th floor of a building which I thought looked pretty damn awesome considering where I've been living.
He opened the door and allowed me to step inside. I looked around in awe...it was a pretty spacious apartment and had all the essentials a house needs and then some. It looked pretty sweet! He led me to my room (apparently he had a second room) and placed my bags on the floor and gave me a tour of the house. I stand corrected....his apartment is AWESOME! When the tour was concluded, he led me back to the living room/kitchen.
"I have to get back to the agency, but this is pretty much it," he said. "Tomorrow morning come by the agency at 9 with the other girls. We'll figure out where to send you to school later, but for now just get some rest." I nodded as he put on his shoes and headed for the door but he stopped and turned to me.
"I hope you enjoy your stay....and...uh...welcome to your new home?" he said, awkwardly (and rather cheesily). I nodded and put on a smile and waved goodbye. When he closed the door, I lay down on the couch in front of the big screen tv (holy crap~!!) and stared up at the ceiling....a giant grin unconsciously spreading over my face.
I am living with Mr. Sexy.....holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!!! :DDD *big grin of doom!!*
When we finally landed on Korean soil, Hee-Jin and the other girls were sent home, while the other detectives went to the Police Agency. Detective Kim--my new guardian--would meet them shortly after he had taken me to his house. As he drove home, neither of us said a word. I'm guessing because we were both trying to mentally get used to our new company. He lived in an apartment on the 6th floor of a building which I thought looked pretty damn awesome considering where I've been living.
He opened the door and allowed me to step inside. I looked around in awe...it was a pretty spacious apartment and had all the essentials a house needs and then some. It looked pretty sweet! He led me to my room (apparently he had a second room) and placed my bags on the floor and gave me a tour of the house. I stand corrected....his apartment is AWESOME! When the tour was concluded, he led me back to the living room/kitchen.
"I have to get back to the agency, but this is pretty much it," he said. "Tomorrow morning come by the agency at 9 with the other girls. We'll figure out where to send you to school later, but for now just get some rest." I nodded as he put on his shoes and headed for the door but he stopped and turned to me.
"I hope you enjoy your stay....and...uh...welcome to your new home?" he said, awkwardly (and rather cheesily). I nodded and put on a smile and waved goodbye. When he closed the door, I lay down on the couch in front of the big screen tv (holy crap~!!) and stared up at the ceiling....a giant grin unconsciously spreading over my face.
I am living with Mr. Sexy.....holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!!! :DDD *big grin of doom!!*