Not brave enough

Anderson got out of the car, while Rang walked over to him. "Had the meeting gone well?"

Anderson sighed, "I don't think so."

"Then, what's our next plan?"

"When did our plans go as exactly as we planned? Let it be…" as they were conversing, Anderson saw Han-na on the lawn.

Anderson wonders, "What is he doing in the middle of the night?" Both came up to him.

Han-na was looking around the garden area. Anderson asks, "Is something happened?"

Han-na said, "An hour ago, Aera was there in her room. But now she isn't there," sounding perplexed.

"You may have missed her. Rang, check her out."

"No. I checked thoroughly, she isn't in the house…!"

Anderson thought back to the incident yesterday, when Aera attempted to visit Blue mountain palace. "Ahh… shit…"

"Do you figured it out where she is?"

"Yes… Blue Mountain palace. I will get her."

"I, too, want to go…"

Anderson advised, "Han-na that place is very perilous. I can't defend both of you. Wait here, I'll be here soon." as he assured, he hurriedly departed.

Aera sighed as she stood in front of the Blue Mountain palace. She went near the palace, which appears empty. "Always the Blue mountain palace glitters, but why does it seem so off?"

She looked around the palace, "Kang's security men always guard the palace. But there is no sign of anyone. What the heck is going on here?" She entered the palace as she was speaking.

There was no light inside the palace, which was completely dark. She got into the lift, pressed floor number 20, but it was inoperable. "What is that? Why the hell it doesn't work?"

She took the stairs. She appears fatigued after reaching the 16th floor. She rested briefly, "I don't think I can go one more step… No… Aera, I should protect my father." As she said, she begins to move.

When she arrived in the hallway area on the 20th floor, it was utterly wrecked. She entered the room where she had previously stayed. She opened the windows using the moonlight, she looked through her stuffs.

Aera grinned as she grabbed the shoes from the dressing table and exclaimed "Found you…!" Those shoes were presented to her by Anderson. She exited the room with the shoes in hand.

She then went where her parents had previously stayed and yelled, "Mom… Dad… Is anyone here?" but there is no sign of any one.

She was standing in the center of the room, staring helplessly at the palace. "What am I supposed to do? I am going crazy…!" as she said, she walked around and trod on the glass bottle, which caused a loud echo.

She abruptly heard the sound of boots, approaching her. She was stunned as she saw a black jacket man. All of sudden, he tosses the knife her way, she startles.

Rang and Cho have been watching the CCTV footage in confusion. "Zoom, screen 12… Rang sir, see this footage."

Rang wonders, "How did she manage to flee without being caught by any cameras? That is inconceivable…!"

Jenny casually said, "That is piece of cake for us…"

"That's how you entered our place too, like robbers."

"Hey, if you say one more word, I'll kill you." Both got into a fight.

Bo-ra said, "Jenny, please. Stop fighting…"

As the knife approached Aera, she was in a state of shock. Out of blue, a hand that tugged Aera back, the knife passed just in front of her eyes.

She coughed, difficulty. Anderson struck the black jacketed man.

"Aera, are you okay?"

"Yes. How did you come here?" as they were conversing, again, they heard the boots sound approaching them.

Anderson and Aera startledly exchange looks. Aera suddenly grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the hallway.

She stopped by a chamber, "Kang's office…" She unlocked the room by entering the pass-code.

"Come in. This is the safest place," said Aera, shuts the door.

"How did you know Kang's room pass-code?" curiously enquired Anderson.

"He told me once," Aera casually answered. She takes a look at the enormous workplace space.

"Aera…!"

"Shh… silent. Haven't you heard any noise?"

"What?"

Aera was cautiously approaching the large table. On the other side of the table, Kang was seated on the floor. Aera shouts, "Kang…!"

"Kang…" Anderson followed her on the other side of the table.

Kang was panting heavily, leaning on the table, and his stomach was drenched in blood. Aera shockingly asked, "Kang, what happened?"

Kang smilingly asks, "Long time, no see, gorgeous. How are you doing since leaving the palace?"

"Yes, I'm doing fine. But what happened to you? Who stabbed you?"

"This cut is merely superficial. I'm not killed by it yet." as he said, he saw Anderson, "You came with him."

Anderson was standing with his hands on his hip. "Was Lucas the one who cut you?"

"Yes…"

Aera exclaimed, "What? Lucas… Why?"

"Lucas became more agitated when you vanished. He brought down my palace. Additionally, he was aware of your father's protection of you. Therefore, he imprisoned your mother and father."

"Where?"

"Don't worry. Now they are leaving the country. Lucas ordered me to watch over your parents, but I did nothing to stop your parents. Just bought tickets to Japan for your folks." Kang looked at the time and said, "The plane will take off in 15 minutes."

"What are you saying, honey? How could I go without you?" Aera's mother sobbed.

Jeson and his wife were waiting at the airport. Jeson said, "I miss Aera. Only one time, I want to see my daughter's face."

"No. I won't let you leave. It isn't safe for you, Lucas thugs are searching for us. You assured that Aera is in safe hands. Why are acting this way right now?"

"I am aware of the danger. We don't know when we will return to Korea, and I can't wait that long without seeing my daughter's face. I'll catch the following flight once I see my daughter, I swear. Now, you go…"

With tears in her eyes, Aera's mother hugs Jeson. "Take care…" Aera's mother boarded the plane.

"After that, you know, Lucas destroyed my Palace. This was done to me by him. Still his guards are searching for me, right?" asked in pain, Kang.

Aera nodded her head. Anderson leaning against the glass wall.

Kang chuckled as he peered through the walls at the moon, "I've never had the time to get a glimpse of the moon. It's extremely beautiful."

"Women have kept you occupied all the while. Therefore, you haven't had the time…"

"Yes. Women's are gorgeous, lovely and energizing… but the moon is now prettier. So I can't take my eyes off… And Aera too…"

"What did you just say? Aera… Has this pervert touched you?"

Aera sighed and replied, "Yes…"

"What?" Anderson drew closer to him and grabbed Kang's shirt collar.

Aera said, "Jimin… he is hurt, leave him alone."

Anderson, though, paid her no attention at all. Aera said. "I was the one who permitted him to touch."

"What?"

Kang said, "You aware that I never touched the woman without her consent."

"I smiled at him."

"I therefore only touched her arm. She smiled at me because she wanted to…"

"To get out of the palace, without caught on Lucas hand."

Kang shrugged his shoulder, Anderson took free of his collar. Kang continues, "She is skilled at sneaking out of a place without being seen by any CCTV cameras."

Anderson asked, "That's how you left my place too…"

"I am sorry. I have no other choices."

Kang asked, "How did you do that?"

"What? Skulking without being caught on CCTV's… I was at the orphanage with Bo-ra and Jenny when I was ten years old. That home had so many rules and restrictions. At nights, we wanted to hang out, so we snuck out of the home, without having caught anyone's attention."

She adds, "Then it continued on to dormitories at colleges, too… We sneaked into the dormitory on our way back in the late hours. You knew, Jenny entered your premises as a cook without drew attention from the security personnel's."

"Why are standing here?" Rang inquired.

"For my friend… You?" Jenny asked in a harsh way.

"For my friend." Both people were standing in the chilly breeze in the garden.

While Bo-ra and Han-na were seated next to them on the armchairs. Bo-ra wonders, "Are you okay?"

Han-na asked with a smile, "What difference would it make if I admitted I wasn't okay?"

"You seem kind of off… Tell me, I am a good listener."

"If there are two pathways in front of me. One leads to the truth, while the other to lies. You know what, I will always go for a lie…" Bo-ra looked at him strangely as Han-na spoke.

He continues, "In lies, you don't have to explain everything like… what made us do that, or what you feel, or why we liked and acted that way… those things. In truth, no matter what you say, they won't make an effort to comprehend or sense what you feel… Just… pretend like everything is fine is kind of cool act."

"And all truths are covered with one powerful lie. Pretty cool, huh…? Now, I am fine."

Bo-ra said, "Then, I will consider that as a lie."

Anderson was looking at Kang fiercely. Aera said, "Hey, Jimin… stop it. With those eyes, you might burn Kang."

Kang grinned said, "Let him be…"

Aera asked, "You said you never despise him because of his authority. Then…?"

"I hate him because he abducted my love, Lucy."

Anderson interrupted, "Ex-girlfriend."

"I might be her ex-boyfriend, but she is my girlfriend."

Aera wonders, "Lucy… was she Ji-ho's girlfriend?"

"Yes… She was… I experienced a certain warmth, tenderness, and ease that I had never before experienced."

Aera expressed regret, "I am sorry, I let her out."

"I know… She deserves a better man like Ji-ho. I am the horrible guy and I don't deserve to be with her at all."

Aera softly smiled at him.

Kang said, "Car sounds... Anderson look outside." Through the glass walls, Anderson was observing the parking lot where the vehicles were exiting.

"Lucas's thugs are leaving."

Kang advised, "Then you two must leave. Hurry up. They are going to blast this palace. Take the outside way."

Aera exclaimed, "No… come with us. How could you save yourself?"

"I will only slow you down. I am very well aware, that this is not the conclusion of my story. I will always survive." He looks at Anderson, "I know you slipped into this fiery abyss by accidentally. It was your only option. I never hated you, I only jealous of you."

Anderson chuckled, "Jealous… Is it because of Aera?"

"That's also one of the reasons. The main reason is that when you were 17 years old, you sat in your father's seat. Despite your knowing, once you start there is no going back. Even though you started it, most importantly, you were doing so well. At the age of 17, you resisted males who were in their 30s, 40s, and 50s."

"You are a highly brave person who never shows fear. I was envious of you because of that. I am not as brave as you are, yet. You deserve a better life Anderson. Keep Aera safe."

Anderson grinned, "I never knew that you were so sympathetic."

"I too… Be hasty." Aera gives Kang a friendly hug.

They both exited that palace safely.

Anderson give Aera a piggy-back ride. "I think you've gained weight."

"You are the one who persuaded me to give a ride," Aera screamed as she erupted from behind him. "You're now mocking my weight." They are both strolling across the roads.

"I am just kidding. Come, I'll give you a ride."

"Forget it. I have my legs, I walk on my own. You presume Kang will be fine?"

"100 percent. You believe that this was his first palace. He constructed Red, Black, and Green mountains before Blue Mountain. Wait and see, he comes up again and builds another palace."

Aera smiled at him as Anderson said. "It's a relief now."

He noticed her shoes, "Ahh… These sneakers I brought... How did you…? You took that in a palace."

"Yes…" He moved toward her while holding her hand. "What are you doing, in the middle of the road?"

"Look only at me. Don't care about anyone." As he said, he kissed her passionately, in the middle of the road.

Rang steps inside the empty, dark hall area. "Who the hell locked all the windows?" He approached the windows and pulled back the drapes to try to let some light into the room.

A hand extending from the curtain, Rang frightens, "Ahh…" He was dragged into the drapes by Jenny. She covered his mouth, "Don't shout…"

"Why are you in this place? You guys are playing, right? Is it hide and seek?"

"Hey, we are grown up. Why would we indulge in such childish games?"

"Yes. I forgot about your age… It is 50, your age."

"Do you want to die?"

"No… Can you tell me why we're hiding behind the curtains?"

Jenny glanced at her wrist watch, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" As Cho entered the hallway, everyone who had been hiding behind the curtain emerged.

"Happy birthday Cho." "Happy birthday Cho." "Happy birthday Cho." "Happy birthday Cho." They all wished him well. Han-na holding a cake on his hands, "Blow out the candles."

Aera placed the birthday cap on Cho's head. The party poppers were blasted by Bo-ra and Jenny.

Cho funnily cried, "Thank you, I've never had a birthday party. Even I failed to remember it."

Cho blowing out the candles, and said, "Tell me what you want. It's a gift for my birthday."

Aera said, "You've already done enough. We need Rang."

Rang exclaimed, "Me…!"