Dangerous Acquaintances

Jisoo looked at the back of the tall, slim waist with defined abs that match his broad shoulders and long muscular legs. With chiseled features, the man walked away, his steps ever-silent. Jisoo covered her warming cheeks before turning around. Only to meet the gaze of a woman with dark blue eyes smirking at her with her canine-like teeth.

"Well, aren't you grown up now?"

"Leiko."

"Jisoo!" she tried to wrap her arms around her. Jisoo avoided her like a plague. She bared her canine-like teeth on her.

"Come on, don't you like me? Ah, is that it? Now that you've a hubby you forget your sis?"

"We aren't sisters, Leiko."

Leiko circled around Jisoo and hooked her arm around her. "Confess. Who was that hottie?"

"Just my partner for a job."

"Well, you seem happy enough to take him to your special place. One that YOU never invited me to. What's up with that? Why? Why? Why? Do you love him? Do you like him? Have you given your heart to him? Hey, hey, tell me ,tell me, please, Jisoo?"

She was certainly a beautiful blonde woman. She was one of the stranger girls that Jisoo had met. She was Augmented with Mutant-like changes.

Not answering made the woman in front of her somewhat dazed.

"Ah, you've been seduced. Turned to the unrighteous path. No, no, how could Jisoo be seduced?"

The woman muttered to herself.

"Jisoo, were you drugged? No, no, you Augments shouldn't allow that. I know it better than you have quite the Augments. Still, still, why were you in this favorite place with a man. No, you must have been tricked," she laughed. "No way Jisoo would ever do that."

Jisoo raised head.

"You are insane. Mind your own business."

Jisoo tried to walk. Leiko barred her from walking away. Jisoo placed her hands on her waist, clearly irritated.

"Stop annoying me, Leiko."

"I am not. I just want the truth. Why are you with that man, Jisoo?"

"I told you already. Pissed off."

The woman bared her fangs. The warped eyes. The behavior of hers made Jisoo uncomfortable. She looked at the direction where Nikolai walked. Leiko's stare remained on her.

"He's my friend. Don't bother him. He isn't part of our world."

Leiko's face turned bland. Her eyes became half-squinted, almost like a glare. Jisoo took a step forward, her uncovered green eye digging into Leiko.

"You touch a strand of my friend, and I'll maim you, Leiko."

Leiko's shoulders sagged. She lowered her head and then raised it back with a grin that reached up her ears.

"I just got back from work. You wanna hang out? Same place?"

"Will that stop you from asking about my business?"

Leiko nodded. Jisoo kneaded her forehead, hiding the frustration on her face. She followed Leiko. The streets of High-Garden remained what it was. Busy and crowded with corporate folks going their own way. Students from universities and colleges walked around in their uniforms. Cars carried on like normal. Unlike the rest of the city. Jisoo found the somewhat purified air of High-Garden far better than the rest of the city.

Up above the skyscrapers were gardens that were the reason for High-Garden's literal name. It was said that they were using the plants for something. Jisoo never really did get to ask what that meant.

Jisoo and Leiko entered a living street. It was narrower than the lane they walked. It was a single-lane and there were many shops and stalls on the side. Young men and women populated the area while some who wore business attires sat on the side of the shops drinking their coffee or preferred drink.

Leiko favored this coffee shop that was isolated from the eyes of the living street. It was hidden behind this narrow alley. The narrow alley was spotless. No puddles or loitered trash could be found. Once you get past the narrow alley, you'd spot the shop's name which reads 'Moonlight Crossing' on it.

"Kastor! We are here!"

Entering the shop Jisoo spotted the giant of a man with a muscular frame. His bulging muscles. His sharp glare. The scar on crisscrossing his chin made his attire and profession questionable to others.

"Kastor," Jisoo greeted.

Kastor wiped his mug and placed it on the counter. He leaned his bulky figure on the counter and stared at the two.

"Been a while, Jisoo. Looks like you're done with your work outside of Pacifica, Leiko."

"Hi Kastor, the same drink as always."

"Got that. Hmm, didn't think you'd drink with her."

"I was forced to. She's acting crazy again."

"I mean Jisoo here has been hanging out with nobodies! I can't stand it!"

"Oh, you did that work a while ago. Heard that it was quite something, Jisoo."

Jisoo held a finger near her lips. "You know that I don't like talking about biz when I'm not working."

"Everyone's rightfully impressed. Hell, they want your driver."

"Shut it, Kastor."

"Driver?"

Leiko moved her head stiffly to Jisoo. "D-don't tell me that was that guy?"

"He is. I asked him a favor. That's all."

"But you took him to your favorite spa!" Leiko said as if her voice's being squeezed. "You don't do that."

"I owe him. He's a friend of mine."

"B-but he's clearly using you!"

"If anything I'm using him. I pay less than what he should be paid. Plus, he's not bad enough and Leiko. When did you have a say on who I should speak to or who I should partner up with?"

"But Jisoo you haven't taken me to that spa and you get to bring that man!? No, my Jisoo has been seduced, corrupted, TAINTED by a man. This can't be happening."

"Did you take your meds today?"

"I did! But don't change the subject! Why! Did! You! Take! Him! To that spa?"

"Maybe because I like talking to him more than you. I do prefer people who don't actively annoy me. I mean he does sometimes, but it's charming compared to what you do."

"No… you've been seduced… tricked. Persuaded to do what you don't want to do."

"Keep repeating that and it may come true. Just leave me alone. Will you?"

Kastor finished brewing their drinks, handed it to them. Jisoo took her drink and let the black coffee and milk linger in her mouth. She took out her PDA and saw a message from Nikolai. She replied mindlessly while ignoring Leiko.

She tried to look at Jisoo's phone. Jisoo however would not let her even take a peak. Seemingly defeated, Leiko took her drink and warmed her hands around the cup. Kasto, who had nothing to do, sat on the side while Leiko was listless.

"She needs to take her meds."

"I agree."

"But Jisoo. That strange obsession of hers. I think she means it."

Jisoo stared at Leiko with a complicated gaze. "I don't even know why she likes me so much. I partnered with her for a month and now she's like this."

"You underestimate your charms then, Miss Kim."

"Maybe. But I don't like how she behaves."

Kastor leaned closer. "I want to talk, biz."

"Go ahead."

"Is it true?"

"I cannot tell. You know that I'm bound to my superiors and I'd rather not let the Red-Sun Group take me for a traitor, especially now that they are locked in battle with the Corpos in this City."

"The underworld's going through a lot of shit. Corpos are raiding every market looking for the items stolen. Now the Gov wants to find the fuckers who stole Bullion. Now, I know that it was a quiet job, and if someone found it. They'd wonder who'd done it."

"Please, I know that you got the idea. I can trust your mouth, Kastor. But in the event that it goes out. I'd kill you."

"He must have impressed you, Miss Kim. To have such a tone of voice. I must say that I'm impressed, truly. That's a container worth of Government gold and these folks nabbed them. I even got footage of the drones recovered from the blackbox."

"It hurts me that you're quite keen, Kastor. I was sure that I did a nice job in hiding it."

"The moon shines everywhere, Miss Kim. And besides, I am merely curious. You should bring that person to this café once in a while. I'd like to get acquainted."

As he said that Jisoo eyed Leiko who was muttering to herself, lost in her own world. Kastor followed her gaze and sighed deeply.

"At least do it secretly since I would rather not have her throwing a tantrum. This is a peaceful establishment to do biz after all."

Kastor's face was calm. His countenance seemingly satisfied after knowing that he was right. Among the people that she knew, Kastor was one of the trustworthy ones. He was neutral and if you want to get to know someone. Then you get to talk to Kastor who'd act as the middleman. He was, if not, the best Fixer in the city. Hardly anyone who worked with Corpos and Mercs would not know where to find something.

"So how was your work?"

Jisoo asked Leiko. Being called Leiko raised her head. "It was fine," the muttering, and the warped expression stopped as if it was nothing more than an act. She runs her finger on the table. She stares without light. "Mostly it was an extermination. Most of the Mutants were quite fierce. They were trying to extract equipment and carry them back to their base. I had support from Strike Fighters so it was an easy job. I don't like the land outside of Pacifica. I guess this is the only place who thinks that we are natural, not unnatural. I guess they got used to us."

Jisoo leaned back. She folded her arms. Raised her head and stared outside where light came in. Leiko's face remained unchanged. This was their life. The moment they made changes in their body, they knew that it was the baptism that made them unable to get out of this profession easily.

"So are you going to take a rest? Tend to your wounds?"

"No. You know me better than that. I can regenerate. I already had myself injected with a Nano-serum to hasten the process."

"One day you'll grow animal ears if you keep on taking that."

Leiko shrugged.

"Better than being in pain. I hate relying on Anesthetics. Morphine doesn't do justice for me and besides it's a few wounds."

Scarless. The Augmented. They had many names and yet it doesn't stop others from thinking that they are more vicious than others. Jisoo already accepted that Pacifica City was their home and no City with purist views would easily accept if they know what they can do.

Not to mention that it was rare for the Augmented to be like them. There are many who are rational, but the Augmentations give something to the Augmented that increases their confidence in whatever they believe in. Sometimes turning them into monsters or to the person who they truly are.

Jisoo leaned back. She closed her eyes and thought fondly of the man he met. He was not Augmented and she made sure of that. And yet he held nothing other than the look of a person looking at another person. That was what Jisoo could ask for. But she knew herself that she kept him around because it made her feel like she wasn't a girl who'd easily slaughter people into pieces.

With her closed eyes. Jisoo didn't notice the change on Leiko's face. Her troubled mind warping and concluding into directions that did not benefit Jisoo or the person that Leiko was suspecting to have tricked Jisoo.

Jisoo opened her eyes. The warped light on Leiko's eyes vanished. She produced her fanged-smile and drank her coffee while avoiding Jisoo's eyes. With a raised brow, Jisoo nursed her coffee and stayed in the café before leaving without Leiko.

After a while Leiko stood up. Kastor, who was behind the counter, warned. "If you go that way, I hope she forgives you."

Leiko turned stiffly. Her eyes opened wide with a frozen smile.

"It's okay. Jisoo loves Leiko far more than anyone!"