22 If You're Ever In Need Of Help, Call Me.

A few minutes after leaving Min-jung's home, Nana went back home to change, she was going into dangerous territory, and she had to dress accordingly. She wasn't exactly the type to be called fashionable, but she always had the sense to dress according to the occasion.

She needed to blend well into the environment. She didn't need unnecessary attention from the thugs she was sure to meet in that area. She opened her tiny closet and brought out her only black baggy jean trouser, one she reserved for occasions such as this when she didn't want her shape to be noticed. Wearing a black top with it would make her noticeable; even though black was supposed to make you go unnoticed, wearing an all-black outfit always made people pay close attention to you. So she chose a loose gray colored long-sleeved polo shirt to go along with the trouser.

She checked her reflection in the mirror; her breast wasn't big enough to be evident in the polo. For all she could tell, she looked like a guy except for her slender frame and attractive feminine facial features. She quickly braided her hair and twisted it into a chignon, using a thick needle-like item that was more of a weapon than a hair accessory to hold it in place. Her face was makeup free, and she had no other accessories or jewelry.

She was ready to leave. She spared a glance at the small bedside clock, and the time was 4 pm. She quickly checked the envelope to ensure the money in it was complete before walking through the door.

**********

Mr. Lee sat quietly in the underground room where he was being held hostage. The room was dark and smelt badly of tobacco; it was poorly ventilated, with no window and just a single door. Music was blasting in from the clubhouse above it. He was tied to a chair in the center of the room, and at the far end of the room, four of his captors sat playing a game of hearts as they each dragged on their cigarette.

He had no doubt Nana would come through for him; she had gone to work with Min-jung and had promised to bring the money home to settle their debts. All he needed at the moment was food. "Please, I'm starving," He cried from where he sat.

"Keep Quiet! Who do you think is supposed to feed you? You are yet to pay our boss the money you owe him, and you expect us to give you food," One of the men holding him hostage shouted.

"Please, I have an ulcer; I can't stay hungry," He cried, pleading with them.

The men at the far end of the room whispered amongst themselves, and one reluctantly stood up. He walked to the other end of the room, picked a dirty piece of shirt from the floor, one Mr. Lee suspected belonged to their last hostage, and went back to gag Mr. Lee's mouth amidst his protests.

"You're distracting us. We need to focus on our game. We have a bet. So please, sit still like a good boy as we wait for your daughter's arrival." The man said to Mr. Lee with a smirk and walked back to join his colleagues.

Nana entered the club, she had never been to one, but she had heard enough tales about the things that went down in places like this. The bouncer had told her how to find the loan shark, and as she walked through the door, she received only disinterested glances from everyone.

The bouncer who stood by the door of the room she was to enter stopped her to interrogate her; after explaining herself, he went inside the room to whisper into his boss's ears. "You can go in," He said, opening the door for her when he returned.

Immediately she entered the room; she was greeted by thick-flavored scented smoke. She had to dim her eyes slightly to see the face of the man behind the smoke; she could make out other figures sitting next to him. The smoke soon cleared, and she could see his face and that of his companions. Half-naked girls surrounded the short bald man who just sat there puffing on a hookah while enjoying the attention from ladies only his money could have gotten him.

"I heard you brought me my money," He said, snapping his fingers for the girls to excuse them.

"I heard you're holding my father hostage," She said, giving him an aggressive look that made him chuckle.

"Sit down," He said as he poured her a glass of wine. She looked at him, considering whether to sit or not.

"Look, I'm not here to ask for trouble; heaven knows I have had enough for today. Just take your money and let my father go," She said, giving him that look again which told him she didn't care about him or anything he had to say. He could tell she was a quick-tempered person, and she intrigued him. She reminded him so much of her late mother.

"What is your name?" He asked, giving her a curious look, "The earlier you start talking to me, the earlier you leave this place. So you can decide to stand there and give me your standoffish attitude or sit down and talk to me," He said, relaxing against the soft black leather couch.

What harm would it do to follow his instructions? She asked herself as she reluctantly sat down. "Good girl. So, what's your name?" He asked again.

"Lee Nana," She said, meeting his gaze fearlessly. He brought out his phone and called, asking them to bring Nana's father to him.

The gangsters came up with him from a door behind the loan shark and roughly pushed him down. The loan shark said nothing as he sat back to observe Nana's reaction.

She rushed towards her father and stooped down to raise him, with her back to the men. One of them suddenly grabbed her ass and gave it a rough squeeze as his counterparts roared with laughter. Before she could consider the wisdom in her action, she released the pin from her hair in one move and stabbed his hand with it making him collapse on the floor as he groaned in pain. His colleagues suddenly rushed towards her but were stopped by the laughter of their boss.

"Let her be; I like her. She has got spunk," He said, laughing seriously, almost choking on his laughter.

The loan shark seemed to be having more fun than Nana was.

"Just hand me my money and take your father away," He said with a smile, which she didn't return as she handed over the envelope.

Nana felt a sense of relief, as the envelopes exchanged hands. She was going to make sure she never came to a place like this again.

When she got to the door with her father, she turned back to glare at the guy on the floor; she turned to the loan shark and said, "That shit is bad for your lungs," Making his lips curve in an involuntary smile.

"Here, take this," the loan shark said, handing over his complimentary card to her. "If you're ever in need of help, make sure to call me," He said, as he waited for her to take the card from his outstretched hands.

She didn't want to take it, but her father nudged her to take it from him. "Thank you," She said, collecting the card from him and dipping it into her pocket without looking at it. She walked out of the room with her father without glancing back.