EPISODE 87 ---- The Kitten's Fury
The knocking person is Micha. Dohee looks at her and breaks into a relief smile.
"Oh, Micha!" Dohee said, her face lighting up with a genuine smile. "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to the convenience store to get some snacks," Micha said, "and I had to give some reports to my senior. But what are you doing here, Unnie? You look sad."
Dohee sighed. "I was just on my way home from court. I was trying to call Minjae, but he won't answer. Do you know where he is?"
"Minjae?" Micha asked, a hint of her usual annoyance in her voice. "At this time? He's probably at some club party. You know how he loves parties and drinking."
"A party?" Dohee asked, her eyes lighting up with a glimmer of hope. "Do you know where it is?"
"Probably the VIP club," Micha replied, "the one called Mingle. It's near the station. But Unnie, are you sure you want to go there? It might be dangerous. Those places are full of drunk people."
"I have to," Dohee said, her voice firm. "It's for my case. It's a political case, and I need his help. Every moment is important. Can you tell me the exact location?"
Micha, seeing the desperation in her eyes, finally relented. "Okay. The club is called 'Mingle,' and it's near the station."
Dohee smiled. "Thank you. But... would you mind coming with me? I'm not forcing you, but with your fighting skills, I would feel safer. You know, just in case."
Micha's face turned a faint shade of pink, and she giggled. "Okay, I'll go with you, Unnie. I'm very strong, you know." She flexed her arm, showing off her "loose muscles," making Dohee laugh.
Micha got into the car, placing her snacks on the back seat, and they headed to the Mingle club. The building was huge and imposing, its entrance a red carpet guarded by two large bouncers. They could feel the bass from the music vibrating through the windows.
"I called Alex, but he was in a meeting," Dohee said. "I didn't want to worry him."
"That's good, Unnie," Micha said. "Don't worry him. Maybe you can try calling Minjae again."
Dohee tried, but this time, someone else picked up. "Hello, I'm Minjae's manager. Why are you calling him?"
"I'm a friend," Dohee said. "I need to speak with him urgently."
"He's in a club party right now," the manager said dismissively. "He can't talk until it's finished. Thank you." The call ended.
"What?" Micha said, her voice full of anger. "How dare he? Unnie, wait here. I'll go in and get him for you right now."
Dohee grabbed her arm. "Is that safe, Micha?"
"Don't worry, I can handle it," Micha said, flexing her arm again. "I'm strong."
They walked up to the bouncers, who blocked their way. "Sorry, ladies," one said. "This is a VIP party. You can't go in without a card."
Dohee, with a small, knowing smile, pulled a card from her purse. It was a golden, VVIP card. Micha's eyes widened.
"I don't usually like these parties," Dohee explained softly. "But my parents are super-rich, so I have this. Let's go."
They walked into a world of flashing lights, loud music, and a suffocating air of arrogance. They found Minjae in the middle of a VIP room, lounging on a couch with two girls on either side of him, surrounded by a crowd of drunk, laughing partygoers.
"Hey, Minjae, babe," a girl said, leaning in. "Go on a date with me. I love you."
Minjae laughed, a playful, yet dismissive sound. "Sorry, babe, but I'm too busy. No time for dating."
"Hey, dummy," a boy next to him said. "Why don't you get it? He doesn't like dating. He's not interested in you!" Everyone laughed.
"Are you ever going to get married?" the boy asked Minjae. "Don't you seriously like anyone?"
The girl next to Minjae leaned in, her voice teasing. "He can't love anyone, he's only mine. But honey, why didn't you come to the club the other night? You had that date with the jewelry company CEO's daughter. You said you would come here to have fun after."
Minjae, a smirk playing on his lips, laughed. "Oh, that night," he said, his eyes glazing over as he remembered the scene in the hotel. "I was busy with a dummy kitten... a kitten who loves lollipops."
The entire room erupted in laughter. "A kitten? What kind of lollipop, bro?" a friend asked, teasing him.
"That night was really fun," Minjae said, his eyes shining with a cruel, secret humor that no one else in the room could understand.
The music in the VIP room was a deafening assault on the senses, but for Dohee and Micha, the only sound that mattered was Minjae's voice, laced with a cold, cruel amusement. They were standing just outside the room, hidden by the velvet curtains, listening to every word of his conversation with the partygoers.
A guy, laughing and taking a long sip of his drink, asked Minjae with a playful teasing smile, "So, did you sleep with that kitten and get that little scar on your forehead, bro?"
Minjae, his hand going to the faint scar that was a permanent reminder of his brutal encounter with Micha, laughed, a low, arrogant sound.
Another boy chimed in, "Was the kitten so stubborn? Was she a fight?"
Minjae's grin widened, a cold, predatory gleam in his eyes. He leaned back into the plush cushions of the couch, a drink in his hand. "Oh, the kitten is stubborn, foolish... and cute. She always tries to escape, but she doesn't know how stubborn I am too."
The entire room erupted in laughter, a chorus of privileged, mocking voices that cut through the music. Minjae's words were like a physical blow to Micha. She was standing perfectly still, her hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white. Dohee, watching her friend's face turn from pale shock to a furious red, felt a cold dread settle in her stomach.
Why is Micha so angry? Dohee thought, her mind racing. And Minjae is talking about a 'kitten'? Is he talking about... Micha? No, that can't be right. When would they have had time to get that close?
Dohee knew something was wrong. She knew the anger radiating from Micha was not her usual annoyance with Minjae; it was a deep, consuming rage. She tried to grab Micha's hand, to say something, anything to stop her, but it was too late.
Suddenly, with a scream of pure, unadulterated fury, Micha let go of Dohee's hand and tore past the curtain.
"Minjaeeeeeeeeeee... you bastarddddddddddddddddddddd!" she screamed, her voice a piercing shriek that cut through the loud music. "I'll kill youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
The entire room went silent. The music, the laughter, the drunken conversations all stopped. Everyone looked up, stunned, to see a girl in baggy jeans and an oversized t-shirt, her face twisted with a frightening rage, running towards Minjae.
It was a nightmare to all of them. No one, absolutely no one, ever flew at Minjae like that. If anyone dared to insult him, it would be their last day on earth. But this girl was not just insulting him; she was a whirlwind of rage and fury, a tiny, furious goddess of revenge.
Dohee was frozen in place, her mouth agape in shock. The two girls sitting on either side of Minjae scrambled off the couch, their faces a mix of terror and confusion. Micha, with a primal roar, launched herself onto Minjae's couch. She landed on his lap, grabbing a fistful of his perfectly styled hair.
"You bastard!" she screamed, shaking his head back and forth. "You jerk! How dare you?!"