Flowers Are Bait

“No one’s dead,” Kwon Chae-woo assured her. “Lee-yeon, are you all right?” Kwon Chae-woo seemed to be the one who was injured the most. Cuts and bruises covered his body.

“Kwon Chae-woo,” Lee-yeon whispered weakly, “Offense would’ve been the best defense.”

Her heart was heavy with guilt. She had forgotten that Kwon Chae-woo was the kind of man who would take Lee-yeon’s words as if they were the words of God. She blamed herself, thinking that it was her fault that he got hurt simply because she tried to change him into someone he wasn’t. Kwon Chae-woo did not resist even though he was being beaten up and tortured. The terrible pain he endured had left a deep mark on her heart.

“I’m okay, Kwon Chae-woo.” Lee-yeon took a deep breath and glanced up at him. “There will be times when you’ll want to smash things, and there will be times when you’ll just want to spend a quiet night with someone else. It’s totally normal to feel that way. You will feel that way, not because you’re mentally sick, but because that’s what your instinct says. I tried to change you to someone I thought you should be, but the truth is everyone is different.”

Lee-yeon nodded her head as if trying to convince herself. “From now on, don’t try to change yourself for me. These days, being a good fighter can be a plus. With your level of skill, you can help Gyu-baek catch insects with wings, or you can protect your family from bad people like these men we met today. Thank you for saving me.”

Lee-yeon avoided Kwon Chae-woo’s gaze the whole time she spoke. Kwon Chae-woo furrowed his eyebrows and put on a sweet smile. Ignoring the throbbing pain, all he could feel was a tingle in his heart. “Let’s go home now. Let’s get out of here. But, before that, can you take a picture of this place?”

Lee-yeon turned on the camera on her phone and started collecting photos for evidence. Kwon Chae-woo rummaged through the old phones he took from the men’s pockets. They all seemed to be burner phones. As he scanned the message boxes with cold eyes, the corners of his lips twitched upward.

Tiriri-

Suddenly, one of the phones rang through the cold night air. Lee-yeon, who was nearby, held her breath when she saw the name on the small screen.

「Jo Kyung-cheon」

Lee-yeon stretched out her arm to pick up the phone when a hand stopped her. She shrieked, almost having a heart attack, from Kwon Chae-woo sneaking up behind her. For some reason, he had a thin black cloth over his head.

“What, what are you doing?” she asked.

“Lee-yeon, do you want to go boating with me?”

“What?” He was scaring her again.

“We haven’t been able to finish our date, so why don’t we go boating?” Lee-yeon could hear Kwon Chae-woo humming joyfully under the cloth.

* * *

Hwaido is an island. When you travel a few kilometers from the mountains to the wharf, you’re able see the fishing boats floating in a line. Lee-yeon clasped her palms as she watched the quickly changing scenery outside the car window. The old van rattled badly every time it hit a bump in the road.

“Kwon Chae-woo, are you out of your mind?” Lee-yeon asked nervously. “Why are you doing this to me? You’re scaring the life out of me.”

Kwon Chae-woo was still wearing the black cloth on his head and had bound his two hands with rope. Anyone who saw him would mistake him for a hostage.

“You told me to smash everything if I wanted to. I want to be useful.” He had a murderous look in his eyes. “I’ll become your proud husband who deserves to be awarded.”

Whatever you’re trying to say, if you’re dressed up like that, nothing will sound convincing at all, Lee-yeon thought. If she were to wrap a rope around his neck, he would have looked like someone who was about to be executed. The thin cloth stuck to his mouth every time he breathed.

Lee-yeon couldn’t make up her mind whether she should call Kwon Chae-woo’s brother for help or call the police first.

“By the way, Lee-yeon. Was flower arranging the only thing I did before I got into the accident?”

“Why are you suddenly asking me that?”

“Because I feel like I’m more used to using a knife than creating art with flowers. I know where and how I need to stab people to kill them instantly. My brain can tell me hundreds of ways to torture people, ways that will give them the greatest pain.” Kwon Chae-woo said all of this without the slightest hint of emotion in his voice.

Lee-yeon clasped her hands tightly and swallowed. I take back everything I said. You should never be allowed to leave the house. She pretended as if she wasn’t surprised at his words. She spoke in what she hoped was a calm and convincing voice. “Your hobby…was boxing.”