Chapter 232 - Bringing Light-I

Deok Ji Hyeang noticed how the human girl was staring at the picture. Weird, he thought. The girl's face was not paled even after seeing the picture of someone with their heart ripped out. "He was found buried near the cemetery of the Associate headquarter building," he informed, "As you see, the man had a previous affair that ended up with him losing his finger permanently for few years because of Hwa."

The way Deok Ji Hyeang had called Jung Hwa by his name, make it seem to Seoyeon that the two had a good relationship. Was it only her thoughts? But she recalled to see the man and Jung Hwa spoke without a hitch. 

Seoyeon often see people who masked their outer smile with the intention they leaned underneath. She can't tell if Deok Ji Hyeang was an ally or an enemy.

"Would anyone kill for one finger?" she asked and she saw the man laughed faintly, almost too faint that she can't almost hear that he had laughed on her question if she hadn't sat next to the man.

"I have seen plenty of people done that," the man replied, "and I can see why it can't be this time."

Seoyeon can't ease her worries which leaded her to say, "Perhaps vampires do that."

"Hwa is a vampire and so am I but humans could do that too. I am a human previously myself. Although I don't see example to tell you, but humans are not kind, miss. They are not angels," Deok Ji Hyeang replied and Seoyeon did feel bad for pointing out that only vampires had twisted emotions, but she didn't like the way the man had been provoking her to say that Jung Hwa was guilty.

"Yes they are not angel and people are bound to make mistake or felony like you and anybody else," saying this, the man's eyes narrowed but Seoyeon didn't care. She had to say what she want to say. "But I believe for a single finger Hwa wouldn't do that. Instead, the man was the one who had provoked Hwa, leading to a fight should be the one to attacking him in anger. I remember he hated Hwa so a ton for having his finger broken."

Deok Ji Hyeang pulled a smile over his face that looked stern, "You trust him too much, don't you fear you will get betrayed?"

The words echoed to Seoyeon. She remembered her relatives, her aunt and uncle who had betrayed her. She didn't allow herself to feel pain, because she had enough of it. Being poisoned to death was the last thing she thought they would do, but then they did. 

Seoyeon stared at Deok Ji Hyeang's eyes that were light brown straight to say, "People, this includes vampires and humans, live with their days surrounded by others beside them. Possibly fifty percent chances are there for others to betray you. I am not a person who would like to live in fear, mister. I don't like to live everyday thinking people will betray me which at this point makes me do not care if anyone would blow the whistle on me. I chose to trust; and I trust Hwa that he wouldn't betray me. That belief alone is enough."

"Poetic person, are you?" questioned Deok Ji Hyeang with the still smile despite her words that could speak as offense. 

"I just speak what I thought," answered Seoyeon, choosing to then stay silent without looking at the man because of she had a cup of boiling water at the moment, she would have spill it over the man in the name of accident.

She turned her eyes again to see Jung Hwa who seemed fine as if he can't heat anything she say from the place. But there was the wide smile that Jung Hwa had that wiped her previous thought.

Reaching the building, Seoyeon inhaled a mouthful of breathe. Last time she left, she had just learned about her being a witch. For many reasons, Seoyeon could not stay calm when seeing the building. 

Stepping out first, Seoyeon saw the people behind opening the door for Jung Hwa with different method, using key instead of opening it manually from the car like how they did to her.

"Do you know about the Associate building?" Deok Ji Hyeang asked, his eyes moved from her to the building.

For the man to initiate talk after their last talk in the car, somewhere had Seoyeon to raise an eyebrow, "Yes, Hwa told me."

"Then you better be careful," he said. Confusion filled Seoyeon's eyes to hear the man say, "Ghost wander around this place morning or night. There had been cases of people witnessing ghost."

Seoyeon didn't reply to the man. Did he tried to frighten her with a story of a ghost? She was not a child. "I see. I hope you see one soon," saying this Seoyeon left the man's side to Jung Hwa. The way the man was looking at her felt as if he was watching an experimental guinea pig and it didn't sit well with Seoyeon.

Jung Hwa watched the way Seoyeon had run to him and his lips widened. Seoyeon would always retort to him when he called her a car, but the way she had run from another to him and stepped behind as if to shield herself made her look nothing less than a cat.

"We should go now," said Jung Hwa raising his hand to the stair.

"We are still waiting for Lee Young, he will come soon after," the one to reply was Deok Ji Hyeang.

"Hm, so unless the Associate accused me as a killer he would not come." Jung Hwa's hand was not bound by cuffs. Escaping from the flimsy security would be a cake walk to him, but he prefer to enjoy today's game. Seoyeon can't understand, but Jung Hwa finds other's strategy to bring him down as an amusement.

"He is a fickle man," replied Deok Ji Hyeang. 

"Finally under the bar, are you?" asked someone from behind Jung Hwa, and Seoyeon turned her head to the man who stood one step away from her right side. The man had a pale brown hair and a smirk that was not with a good intention. If she had to judge from his words, the man sounded joyful to see Jung Hwa accused.

She turned to Jung Hwa, whispering, "Do you know him?"

"Beats me," Jung Hwa pulled his brows and squint his eyes at the man in front of him as if to get a better look of the man's face when he was standing right in front of them. "I don't remember people easily."

Seoyeon had spoke in a hushed voice not to notify the man of their conversation by their volume, but Jung Hwa had to reply her question out loud. Seoyeon saw the the man didn't seem to be happy when hearing Jung Hwa's words, and instead rage came to his eyes.

"You have a rat's memory. You don't remember what you did to me?" the man pulled out his hand that Seoyeon finally noticed as it was covered by his black suit he had taken off and hang on the side of his arm. The hand had turned lax, there was no move in it as if there was no bones existent under the skin. Seoyeon can't tell the color of the man's skin until he had pulled his sleeve and took off the gloves, to see that the color was bluish purple, almost close to black.

Seeing the discoloration on the skin, people winced and Seoyeon did to. It appeared to her that the man's hand was not broken for long time ago.

"You broke my hand and now nothing could help to heal it. It's as good as gone because of you!" The man exclaimed with anger. If there was no Associates member in the place, he would have strangled Jung Hwa from his expression that Seoyeon could tell.

"No, I remember now. You are the rat that passed by my way on the visitation where the court held for the human who witness a hollowed vampire killed by me," This was her, thought Seoyeon. Then was it at the time when Jung Hwa left her side for a moment that he had a fight? "Seems like you still don't know why your hand was broken before. Speaking bla bla, should I break your arm again? I am still a suspect not the criminal, so I can do this much for you."

"Do you think hurting me again the Associate would let you off?"

"Why not? Do you think you are important?" Jung Hwa questioned the man in a way that was as if he was truly confused and had purely questioned out of wonder. Seoyeon shook her head. The condition of Jung Hwa's situation was not looking good at the moment but he was still able to provoke the anger inside the man, and Seoyeon didn't know what to say, whether she had to praise or frown at this.

"Okay, boys, cease the fight now," a different voice came and this time a man with messy clothes walked to their place settling with a smile, "There is no need for fight at this time.. The Associates don't punish fights between vampires, but we don't support either."