Chapter 33 - Apartment 412

"Hey KJ," Jade spoke up. KJ, who was busy looking over some surveillance documents, responded with a, "Hmm?"

"Didn't you say that your new assistant is your wife from your erased past?" he asked.

"Yes," KJ replied, scanning through the pictures on the papers.

"What if...what if you were right?"

"About what?"

"You know...about the CEO of Abyss and your PA being the same person?" Jade asked cautiously.

"You saw something, didn't you?" KJ turned on him.

"I may have," Jade admitted. He took a deep breath. "You were right. Mirae is the CEO of Abyss. And she is..."

"Don't say anymore," KJ held up his hand. "Right now, her identity isn't important but our mission is. We'll talk later."

Jade looked at him in surprise.

"But...this is a huge news!" the cat exclaimed. "Your wife is right next door..."

Even though Jade told KJ to man up for his actions, it still surprised him that KJ was not reacting to this news.

KJ stood up and turned away from Jade.

"I'm going out for some work," he declared. "I'll see you later."

Without another word, KJ headed out. Jade kept on staring at his retreating back. He knew KJ was not reacting because somewhere in his heart, he was always aware of this fact.

....

KJ did not really know where to go. He was simply driving around aimlessly around the town. It was not too late at night but it was unusually dark outside.

After driving around for almost an hour he pulled up in front of an old apartment complex. Upon entering, a bored security guard looked at him and stood up straight.

"Welcome, sir," he bowed. KJ hardly acknowledged him and walked upstairs. The building was a rundown complex and very old. The wall paint was scraping off and drainage system was not running. The stairway was dark and many of the wooden steps creaked loudly at every step. No one lived in the building. Only security guards came around the clock to look after the place, but the building did not need any protection because there was nothing of value in there.

If KJ had not paid the security guards handsomely, then they would not have bothered to work at such a dilapidated building. They always wondered why KJ did not fix the place or at least rent it out. It was a mystery as to why he even bought the whole place when he only headed towards one particular unit every time he visited the place.

KJ stepped on the fourth floor. The floor beneath him creaked loudly at every step he took. There was not a soul in sight but he did not care. He absentmindedly walked towards unit number 412. He took out his keys and unlocked the door. He pushed it open and entered the place.

It was a small, dingy apartment with only one room, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. However, compared to the other empty apartments in the building, this one looked as if people lived in it. The living room was set up with a small couch and an old box TV set. In the center was a traditional Japanese style dinner table for two. KJ walked over to the bedroom, where there was just a small dresser and a double sized bed. The whole house was spotlessly clean as KJ hired workers to keep it that way. The apartment was not a lavish one and did not contain much luxury. But to KJ, it was the only home he had and yet, failed to appreciate.

He laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. In another lifetime, he shared this apartment with Mirae. Even if he chose to erase their time together, he could not erase his memories of her. Even if she was unaware of their past, he remembered every detail. He closed his eyes as he reminisced the past once again.

....

Jiwon unlocked the door to find Mirae sitting on the couch, slurping on ramen. She looked up and a wide smile appeared on her face.

"How was your day?" she asked cheerfully as he took off his shoes.

"It was okay," he replied in a nonchalant tone. He worked at a convenience store during the day. It was a loathsome job but he had no other choice since they lived without his family's assistance. That day was particularly stressful because some rough customers created a chaos in the store. They humiliated him. Suppressing his anger, he had to apologize to those jerks. The act really hurt his pride.

"I've already prepared dinner!" Mirae said excitedly. "You should freshen up while I set the table."

Jiwon dragged himself towards the bathroom. The cold shower did nothing to soothe his mood. They had no water heater and he was shivering under the scathingly icy water. He was used to luxury all his life, thanks to his rich family. But ever since he managed to escape their darkness, the reality of the world outside was even more traumatizing.

After his marriage, he and Mirae took up various jobs to support themselves but the bills kept on increasing. Nothing was going the way they wanted, but Mirae kept on a positive front. She was unabashedly optimistic that time will let everything fall into its place. Jiwon, however, did not share her enthusiasm. There was nothing called the 'right time'. They were broke and poor. That was the reality of their time.

Jiwon came out of the bathroom. Mirae already set the table up with dinner but the sight of it made him lose his appetite. The curry looked under cooked and the meat was a little burnt.

"What is this?" Jiwon asked quietly.

"Well...the meat got a little burnt," Mirae admitted sheepishly. "But the food is edible! I tasted it myself."

Jiwon sat down, taking his chopsticks, carefully poking the meat while Mirae looked at him expectantly. He took some on his plate and took a bite before gagging and spitting out the meat. Mirae's face fell.

"Is it not good?" she asked.

"It's terrible!" Jiwon spluttered. "Ugh, my taste buds!"

He went over to the bathroom's sink and gurgled. Mirae watched in worry as he came out of the bathroom.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "The meat tasted fine when I tasted it a bit..."

"Why do you even bother to cook when you know you're lousy at it?" Jiwon scolded her. "It tasted like fucking rubber!"

Mirae looked down at the floor. She hid her hands behind her.

"I'll just head over to the ramen shop outside and get some food," Jiwon said in an irritated tone as he picked up his jacket from the couch. Mirae was about to say something but he did not pay any heed to her and exited the apartment.

When Jiwon returned after an hour, Mirae was snoozing on the couch. He placed the package on the table, when he noticed her hands. There were blisters on them, as if she touched something scalding hot object.

The crazy girl got her hands burnt while cooking, Jiwon realized. He sighed and headed over to the bathroom cabinet. He came out with a small tube in his hand.

Careful not to wake her up, he took Mirae's hand and gently applied the balm on it. He then took the other hand and once again applied the medicine on it. After applying the medicine, he carefully carried her towards the bedroom and laid her on the bed. He pulled a blanket over her and observed her sleeping form.

He always wondered from where she got her cheerful attitude from. Sometimes, he was envious of his wife. He did not know if he loved her, but she was admirable in her own right. She had the uncanny ability to find happiness even in the smallest things. At times, when Jiwon struggled to keep up with everything, she was already miles ahead of him.

Even if the marriage was forced on him, Jiwon had to admit, Mirae was quite attractive. Not just physically but also personality wise. If she was not married to him, he had a hunch she would have been the leader of some big corporation. Sometimes, he wondered if his grandpa's decision was right.

He recalled his grandfather's words that Mirae needed to be protected from the truth. But was it really necessary? Jiwon knew she was not a frail damsel in distress. The old man really underestimated her.

Mirae stirred in her sleep. Jiwon decided not to wake her up. Instead, he unpacked the ramen, poured it in a container and put it in the fridge. He then headed off to change into his pajamas and headed back to the bedroom, yawning. He was about to lie on the bed, when an envelope caught his attention.

He took it in his hands and frowned. It was already open, so he took out the contents and read it. His eyes widened in surprise.

.....

KJ's phone rang up. He opened his eyes.

I must have dozed off, he thought. The dream he had was so vivid that it felt like he was back in the past.

He took out his phone and checked the number. It was Hyun Jung.

"Jung," he answered. "What is the update?"

"Just as we predicted, Madam Hong is planning to sleep with Ash at her party," Hyun Jung informed him. "We can execute our plan."

"Good," KJ said. "Make sure all the arrangements are ready. All this will happen at the ball?"

"Yes sir," Hyun Jung replied. "However, the party is for couples only. You will need a partner."

"I already have one," KJ revealed. "She'll be there tomorrow."

He hung up the phone and laid back down.

Tomorrow will only be the first step, KJ thought. Many more hurdles are about to come.

Suddenly, he let out a laugh. KJ found it ironic that his best friend and supposed wife from an erased past were probably sleeping together at the very minute. The whole situation was so painstakingly bizarre that KJ was unsure of how to react.

He kept on laughing till tears formed in his eyes. The tears kept on rolling down his cheeks even after his laughter stopped. Then the tears of laughter turned into pain. As he lay there, sobbing over the past, he realized he never told his wife during their marriage that he loved her.