EPISODE 85 – The Consequences of a Lie
The blaring alarms in the subterranean data center had been silenced, replaced by the low, insistent drone of the emergency backup power. Minjae and Micha found themselves cornered, the last of the guards forming a semi-circle around them. Their capture was not a moment of quiet surrender but a tense, final standoff. Facing them, a cruel, triumphant smile plastered on his face, was Mr. Kwon.
"Well, well," he said, his voice a low, mocking laugh. "It seems the little rats have been caught. Tell me, who are you? And why are you here?"
Minjae, his breathing heavy from the brutal fight, glared at the man. "You're a criminal," he spat out, his voice laced with a cold fury. "And you're going to pay for every crime you've committed, starting with that global financial network."
Mr. Kwon's laugh was a sharp, grating sound. "A cop? And your 'wife' is a cop too?" He gestured to Micha, his eyes roaming over her with a predatory glint. "Listen, you little boy, you should have known better than to come after me. I am far too dangerous for you. It would be better for me to just kill you both, wouldn't it?" He paused, his gaze settling on Micha, a dark glint in his eyes. "Unless… if you want to live, you can give me your wife. She is my type. So beautiful, so sexy. We could have so much fun together."
Micha's face, already a mask of rage, twisted into a venomous snarl. She could feel Minjae's body tense beside her, a protective, primal anger radiating from him. Mr. Kwon, emboldened by their silence, took a step closer to Micha, his hand reaching out to touch her chest. In that instant, Minjae was ready to unleash hell, to crush the man's head for the audacity of his gesture.
But he didn't need to.
Micha, with a speed and ferocity that shocked even Minjae, kicked Mr. Kwon in the chest, a precise, powerful strike that sent him flying backward and crashing to the floor. "You bastard!" she screamed, her voice a raw, unadulterated fury. "How dare you try to touch me? You fucking jerk!" She lunged at him, straddling his chest and raining punches down on his face. Blood splattered across her knuckles as she screamed, "How dare you?! How dare you?!"
One of the guards, seeing his boss being brutally beaten, raised his gun to strike Micha. But Minjae was faster. He kicked the guard's leg out from under him, sending the man sprawling to the ground before he could even touch her. The rest of the guards, seeing their leader bleeding on the floor, rushed forward.
Micha, in a moment of pure, desperate practicality, tore the bottom half of her long dress, creating a makeshift battle skirt that gave her freedom of movement. She spun around, fighting with a wild, graceful ferocity that amazed even Minjae. They fought back-to-back, a seamless, deadly partnership forged in a moment of chaos, their individual skills a perfect complement to each other.
Just as the last of the guards was about to fall, the doors of the facility burst open. Several police officers, guns drawn, stormed in. "Hands up!" a commanding voice bellowed.
Minjae, Micha, the guards, and Mr. Kwon all froze. The police quickly took them into custody, cuffing their hands and leading them away.
In a sterile holding room, a police officer started questioning them. "Why were you fighting in that place? Who are you?"
Micha, her voice shaking with a combination of lingering adrenaline and fear, played her role perfectly. "This old man," she said, pointing to a bruised and battered Mr. Kwon, "tried to sexually harass me. He... he tried to rape me."
The officer's eyes widened. He turned to Minjae. "Are you her husband, sir?"
"Yes," Minjae said, his voice cold and steady. "He humiliated my wife, and we defended ourselves. The guards appeared out of nowhere and attacked us."
"Your names?" the officer asked.
"James," Minjae replied without missing a beat. "And my wife is Jessica. We have a flight to London this afternoon, so we need to get to the airport as soon as possible."
Just then, the door opened and a familiar face walked in. It was Dohee, dressed in a sharp, professional suit. "Hello, sirs," she said, her voice sweet and composed. "I'm Dohee, an attorney. This man, Mr. Kwon, is a notorious criminal. I have proof of his crimes, including the stolen data and his plan to destabilize the global economy." She handed the officer a tablet with all the evidence.
The officer, overwhelmed, turned to Dohee. "But ma'am, this couple, James and Jessica, said he tried to sexually assault Mrs. Jessica."
Dohee's eyes flickered to Minjae and Micha, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Oh, in that case, I will add that to the charges as well. But I do think you should let this couple go." She leaned in and whispered dramatically, "Sir, they are very powerful business people. We shouldn't hold them for too long, they might have political connections. It would be best to just let them go."
The officer, seeing the mountain of evidence against Mr. Kwon and not wanting to get on the bad side of a "powerful businessman," agreed. He uncuffed Minjae and Micha. "You are free to go."
They left the precinct as quickly as they could, and a car pulled up to the curb. It was Alex, a wide, relieved smile on his face.
"Get in!" he said, and they quickly slid into the back seat. As Alex drove away, he looked at them in the rearview mirror. "Well done! You both did a great job in there! Micha, your fighting skills were amazing. I saw it all on the CCTV camera feed! I'm a big fan!"
Micha, a hint of her usual mischievous self returning, smirked. "So, then you'll treat me to food and I'll give you my autograph."
Alex laughed, "It's a deal! And Minjae, you were amazing, too. Your fighting skills are fabulous. I want you to teach me!"
Minjae, however, was quiet. He was thinking about how Micha had reacted when Mr. Kwon had tried to touch her, the raw ferocity in her eyes. He leaned in, his voice a low, dangerous whisper. "So, you didn't like it when he tried to touch you, but... do you like it with me?"
Micha, all her composure shattered, snapped. She grabbed his collar, pulling him towards her. "You jerk! How dare you say that? Do I like it? You're the bastard who sexually harassed me! I hate you! Next time, I swear I'll send you to jail!" She was shaking him back and forth, her voice a furious scream, as Alex watched in the rearview mirror, wide-eyed and silently amused.
Suddenly, Micha let go, a realization dawning on her face. She was in a car, with Alex, and she had just screamed her heart out. She puffed her cheeks and turned to stare out the window.
Alex, flustered, looked at Minjae. "Hey, Minjae... what did you do?"
Minjae just laughed, a cruel, triumphant sound, as they pulled up to the CHIPER headquarters.