FLAME - EPISODE 9

LEE JIM IN

I walked back to the school main entrance for the socialite. A little crowd has gathered and it made me wonder how news travel faster with the mouth.

Soon after,Rae bin walked up to me with an air of confidence and superiority. My mouth curved upward to form a mischievous smirk. Once she stood close to me with her sunglass on,I stood up and we were so close that her breath fans my cheek.

I frowned.

Murmurs began to fill the once-upon-a-time silent hall.

“You sent for me”,her voice cane out sultry.

“Move back”,I glared at her.

She removed her sunglass and stared at me with confusion.

“Move back”,I repeated myself,”I don’t like people like you a little inch close to me and also your perfume is too heavy”.

Her face drained of color as she was embarrassed with my words that everyone in here could hear.

With reluctance,she took a step back,one after the other,until she was away from me but not to far.

“Now to the business of the day”,I grinned happily.

“What was Aera offense?”,I asked her.

She smiled and recomposed herself to that prideful stance she had before and began explaining everything which is clearly a lie.

“Am I right?”,she asked the others for support.

“Oppa! Rae bin just said the absolute truth”,they chorused.

Rae bin smiled with confidence.

“Hmm”,I nodded,thinking carefully.

“I know you bully those who don’t do as you wish”,I stated.

She nodded “Yes oppa…we don’t bully those who do as as we wish. You know we are not that heartless and so I …..

“What then is Aera offense?”I cut in.

She gulped in,having nothing to say.

I smirked,”as I thought”.

I walked up to her and she stumbled back a little,scared with the way I am approaching her.

“What?”,I sneered,”don’t tell me you are scared”.

“You pick on people who don’t have anyone to stand up for them and then you’d feel satisfied…..isn’t that disgusting?”

“I’ll give you a taste of your own medicine and then Aera can decide what to do to you”.

“Are you supporting the low life”,she gasped in shock.

“Though I am a huge fan of you….I know quite well that you won’t punish me. I am a Yeong!”,she boasted.

“And you know I am a Lee and your family is an ant compared to mine”,I scoffed at her.

She had no response.

I stood before her and immediately yanked her hair.

“Oppa!”,she cried out in pain.

“Don’t do this to me….ahh! Its painful”,she screamed as I kept pulling her hair forcefully and she followed my footstep.

“This is painful?”,I scoffed,like I just heard the most ridiculous thing.

“Didn’t you send someone to do this to Aera”.

“She is different”,she answered me,even with pain.

I chuckled and pushed her to the floor.

“Really”,I sneered and I dust my hand.

“I shouldn’t be doing this…you don’t worth my time and attention and here I am giving it to you. I’ll use other ways”,I smirked,loving my thought.

“Wh..wh…what…do…u..mean”,she stuttered.

“You’ll see”,I smirked and left her dazed in the ground,completely embarrassed.

I made my way to the college sick bay to check up on Aer and I drifted into my own thought. Its funny how I am helping a lady who told me to my face that She isn’t trying to seek my attention. That alone got me amused. The very first lady who isn’t after me but is running away from me,isn’t that ironical? When other ladies will scheme and do all manner of things to get my attention. Her flinching and moving back when we were close was a testament of what she told me.

‘She flinched and even wants to have avoid me. Lee Jim in…successor of the LEE empire…isn’t it funny?

JUNG AERA
I sat still and stared at Jim in who just walked in. I don’t even know what to say.

‘Start with a thank you’,my conscience bugged me.

“Thank you”,I murmured.

He frowned and walked up to my bed and stared intently at me,”I’ll only accept your gratitude if only you’d start speaking up for yourself,it’d do you a lot of good. Imagine if my friend And I do not Attend this college…your life would have been hell”.

I bit my lips as I didn’t know what to say.

‘Why does it feel like he is scolding me?’.

“Okay…I’ll try”,I mumbled.

“No don’t try”,he disagreed with my word.

Uhn?

Didn’t he just scold me for not standing up for myself and what nonsense is he spouting now?

“….do it! Once they see that they can’t bully you anymore,they’d be stepping on broken bottles around you”(be careful around her).

“Really?”,my eyes twinkled at his word.

How nice would it be not to be bullied? Ohh…I’d be able to slap them back and lash back at whoever wants to hurt me. Isn’t is cool?

“Try it”,he challenged me.

Before I could say another word,the door opened and Tae walked in.

He touched my forehead and asked if am going fine.

I could only nod.

This type of kindness from the both of them is really making me want to cry but I won’t. I am not a crybaby and beside I am a grown up lady.

As I opened my mouth to thank them,Tae held my hand and frowned.

“This bruise wasn’t here”,he stated with a surety in his word.

” It was..”

“Don’t lie to me”,he glared at me.

‘Geez…he can be pretty frightening.

Left with no other option,I told him everything excluding my punishment of staying in the dog house.

“That is bad”,Jim in frowned.

“I need you to answer my questions honestly on a scale of one to ten”,Tae said.

I nod my head to affirm.

“How well does she feed you with her earning?”

“…Three”

“Is she partial with her actions toward you and your sibling?”

“No,very impartial…..Ten”

“How often do you get beaten?”

“.. Eleven”

They both frowned.

‘He said I should be honest’,I mused.

Did I say something wrong?

“Sympathy?”

“…zero”

“Been a mother figure to you?”

“Zero”

“This is worse than I thought”,Jim in shook his head in a disapproving manner.

“Hmm”,Tae sighed.

“You said she destroyed all I got you yesterday”,he asked,wanting to reconfirm.

“Yea”,I answered.

He sighed again and brought his phone out.

“What does she do for a living?”,Jim in asked.

“She is the financial manager of GQ concept and she earns pretty big sum as salary. She also is up for promotion for a big postion as the CFO(Chief financial officer)”,I told them.

If only Aera knew that she is selling out her mother…she would have kept mute no matter what.

“A big position indeed”,Tae agreed.

“Jim in…isn’t GQ a subsidiary of Lee empire”,Tae asked.

“Yes it is”,Jim in answered and later smiled at Tae and then excused himself.

‘What is going on?”,I wanted to ask but the nurse came in and told Tae to leave as they need to check my vital signs.

Authoress POV
Sitting in her luxury and comfortable office,Mrs Jung can be seen typing away on her computer,obviously immersed in her work. Her intercom buzzed,cutting into her work.

She frowned at the disturbance and decides to continue whatever she is doing but the persistence of the other person keeps making her intercom buzz.

“Yes…what is it?”,she snapped,knowing fully well that it is her secretary.

“Sorry ma but the director of finance requires your presence”.

Why would my presence be required?,she mused.

“I’ll be there in a jiffy”,she said and ended the call.

She stood and immediately left for his office. She doesn’t want to be queried for not immediately appearing after getting the message.

Most directors can be proud and Mrs.Jung isn’t in for a scene.

“Come in”,the director voice came out clear.

Mrs.Jung enters and was immediately handed a brown envelope. She opens it,reads the content of the letter and almost slumped on the floor.

“A letter of dismissal?”,she blurted out,not believing her eyes.

She is sure she hasn’t done anything that will attract unnecessary attention to her being….just when who will be announced the next CFO is around the corner.

“What is their reason?”,Mrs Jung voice came out with irritation.

“They gave no reason. The higher ups just want you to vacate your position and they will be compensating you for the inconvenience”.

“Also,the legal department will be seeing you to settle things since no reason was given”,the director finished.

Ara!

‘How am I going to pay her college fees and other miscellaneous?’

‘Who have I offended?’

A tear slipped down Mrs Jung eyes as she exited his office and will soon exit the building she has been working in for about Ten years.