Chapter 335 - Clash of the Idols (1)

A darkness fell all over the country. Shops were adorned with black flags while most businesses were kept shut for the day. The streets were lined with thousands of people and for once, the crowd was quiet. They were sobbing hard while many were still in shock. The people were dressed in black and the once lively town was shrouded by grief as they waited out in the cold. A day which started with devastating news no one could have fathomed.

EXOTIC's official fanclub led the procession as the crowd marched towards Mystic Entertainment's building. Police were dispatched to control the crowd but it was as if everyone was determined not to let their grief take over. They mourned in silence and obediently followed all the protocols to ensure that the goodbye would not be a difficult one. 

It was hard to believe that only a year ago, their beloved group had stood together on the stage, smiling at everyone. They had promised to stay together forever. It was a promise they made to their fans but the past year had destroyed their faith. Even though EXOTIC had disbanded, the four members were still there. They were alive and there was hope that one day, all of them would reunite. Even Ash had ardent followers who believed their idol would surely return one day.

Who knew that last remaining hope would also be shattered?

Sua and Mina, the leaders of the EXOTIC fanclubs were in the front. They were grief stricken and tried to keep themselves calm but it was impossible. The fans behind them were wailing uncontrollably and a few of them fainted out of exhaustion after crying for hours. 

The entire world woke up to the news of Dasom's death and the shock was too great to reel from. Their idol was dead? No way! Most people were in denial How could that be? How could he die? Did they not promise to be together for a long time? Then why did he leave so suddenly?

Nothing made sense to them anymore. Their hearts were in pain but for the sake of their final goodbyes, they kept themselves strong. It was a sentiment which was being shared by the entire nation. For once, there were no wars between the fans but a solidarity which was rare. It took a death to bring all of them together.

"How long would they keep the body in the agency?" Sua asked. Her voice was sapped of all emotions and she sounded like a monotone robot who forgot how to feel anything.

"Three days," Mina managed to choke out, holding back her pain. They clasped each other's hands, trying to quietly console themselves as they walked towards the agency with the other fans. They were not allowed inside the building due to the overcrowding but the fans could wait in a special tent which was set up for them where they could pay tributes to Dasom under a memorial shrine made for him and his girlfriend Eli.

It was hard to believe that the person who was alive merely 24 hours ago, was suddenly snatched from them. The newspapers and social media broke the news in the morning.

"Kang Dasom and his girlfriend were killed in a mysterious bomb blast!" The newspapers wrote. TV channels were also full of news reports regarding the deaths.

"Just last night, Kang Dasom and his detective girlfriend were killed in a tragic bomb blast," the news reporters said with a heavy heart. "At the anniversary celebrations of Mystic Entertainment, a bomb in Kang Dasom's car was detonated by an assailant, killing him and his girlfriend, Lee Eli on the spot. The police managed to recover parts of their bodies from the damage but not all of it could be recovered. A closed casket funeral will be held for three days before he would be interred along with his girlfriend at the national mortuary."

The mourners had gathered outside of Mystic Entertainment which was now adorned with long black curtains which hung from the roof till the ground floor. Hologram pictures of Dasom and Eli were put side by side, reflecting on the building. Placed on the roof was a large TV screen which could be seen from afar. The TV screen only replayed Dasom's past performances and interviews. His smile which used to brighten up everyone's day was now gone with him, leaving behind an emptiness which could never be replaced.

Inside the building, there was a silence dawned over everyone. The lively staff were quiet and working with extra diligence to make sure that the preparations went smoothly. Dasom was popular among them for his generosity and humor so they wanted to make sure that his final goodbye would not be marred by their incompetence. All of them suppressed their grief for the moment but they knew that once the three days were over, the pain would become unbearable. 

Hyun Jung and Somi were in the front entrance, guiding the guests to the funeral hall. Somi kept on glancing at Hyun Jung every now and then, worried for his wellbeing. He lost two of his friends and it was doubly hard on him. She was not close to Daom but Eli was a close confidante and while the world mourned their idol, Somi was grieving more for the friend she had lost. So she could not fathom the pain Hyun Jung must be going through.

Moreover, KJ and Mirae were out of sight. KJ was in shock, unable to move or say anything. Mirae was with him, trying to snap him out of it but all her efforts were in vain. He was numb to the pain, unfeeling and cold, sitting in his office. He did not change out of his party clothes and was oblivious to what was going around him.

"Will KJ be alright?" she whispered to Hyun Jung.

"No," Hyun Jung replied. "He'll never be alright."

The man had lost so many people in his life, that he should have been accustomed to death by now. But Dasom's demise had thrown him off the edge. It was too much for KJ to handle and he had shut himself off in a shell, refusing to accept the events. Hyun Jung was also finding it difficult to cope with the deaths of two of his friends. 

Eli's parents had arrived at the funeral, crying loudly for their daughter. They were in the coffin room where both Eli and Dasom's bodies were kept but no one was allowed to see inside the caskets. It was a horrible sight which made even Hyun Jung's stomach churn. The Cartel did not just kill them but completely annihilated the two, leaving nothing but torn pieces of their bodies behind. 

Only KJ remained unaffected by the sight which greatly worried everyone. What was going on inside his head?

Upstairs in KJ's office, he sat behind his desk, staring off into space. He had no emotions left, feeling nothing. No love, no sadness nor anger. Instead, a coldness seeped in, sucking out his will to live. Everyone around him was dying and he felt as if if he stayed alive, more people would die. He was calm, not crying even once throughout the events. People would mistake it as indifference and cruel even but how could he cry when there was nothing left in him to feel?

"KJ?"

Mirae entered the room, wearing a traditional black hanbok. Her pale face was struck by immense sorrow and she struggled to keep everything together while her own heart was being torn into pieces by the loss of two of her closest friends.

"KJ, Jinhyun is on his way back to the country," she informed him in a small tone. She knew that her husband was not only in shock but was also blaming himself for Dasom's death. "Dasom's family refused to come."

She did not elaborate on her conversation with Dasom's family who refused to acknowledge their son. According to them, he died the day he left the mansion to pursue his dreams of being an idol and hung up on her. It saddened her that while the whole world mourned for him, his own family refused to see him for one last time.

KJ did not reply but kept on staring into nowhere. Mirae did not say anything more but simply walked out, leaving him to his thoughts. As she walked away, she could not help but wonder what turn their lives were about to take.

The deaths of Dasom and Eli hit everyone hard but if all she did was mourn, then they would never get the justice they deserved.

She took out her phone and dialed a number. 

"Hello," Nida's low voice greeted her. They had kept Nida in a safehouse to guard her.

"I'm coming over to meet you," Mirae said. "Right now. And you better answer all my questions otherwise I will kill you myself."

With that, she hung up the phone and made her way towards the back exit. With a fierce determination in her heart, she was out to seek justice for the ones she had lost. Before Dasom and Eli's bodies hit the cold ground, the Cartel would be destroyed and she would see to it.

It was the only way she could grieve.

.....

KJ was still unmoving and unfeeling when his phone rang up. For the past few hours, he had been ignoring phone calls from all the well wishers, letting them go to voicemail instead. He heard the voices of condolences but none of them worked on him. He was simply too shocked.

"Hello Kwon Jiwon."

Somewhere in his catatonic state, KJ's consciousness pricked him. The raspy and cold voicemail echoed through the room and he knew who it was. In a slow motion, he re-dialed the number. The person on the other line picked up within one ring.

"President," KJ stated. "What do you want from me now?"

The President smirked and replied, "You."