Chapter 9: Chapter 9

A fly buzzed in my ear and I swatted it away. It stopped and perched right by my temple. There it landed on my eyelash and stared at me, making me blink. I felt it turn and fly away.

I never liked flies. And I still don’t. Not to mention the mosquito biting on my knee. I swat my hand down and the pest flew away. I cursed under my breath as I tried to find that blood sucking insect.

The Rat King cleared his throat, getting my attention.

“You came back.”

“Yes.” I responded.

There was a short pause between the both of us. The air wasn’t tense but awkward.

“So,” He continued. “You’ve changed your decision?”

“Maybe." I shrugged. “I'm here now. What's the point of going back?”

Another window of silence followed after I said this. 

The Rat King leaned in. HIs blue eyes visible in his mask met mine. It seems he was deciding on something. 

What for? I came back, right? Why is he mulling it over?

“Very well,” The King said in a relaxed tone. “I’m very overjoyed that you took my proposition into consideration.”

I raised an eyebrow. He didn’t seem too overjoyed. Something tells me that he’s still sour about what happened the other day. He probably wanted to turn me away, but realized that I’m the only one who could take down Kija. 

“Eh, what can I say? I’m always there to help people in need!” I said in a mocking tone, trying my best to mimic a noble hero of some kind. 

I was met with his scowl once again. Oh? He didn’t want to hear that? And here I thought that kings like him were pleased to hear such news coming from the noble hero.

I’m starting to feel like I’m in some sort of fairy tail or something. If that’s so, please, I’m begging you…wake me up!

The Rat King let out a loud sigh and regained his composure.

“Anyway, I'll leave you be for the time being. I will fetch one of my servants when the plan is in full effect.”

I gave a silent nod and stood up. 

Hae—whose presence I didn't acknowledged—stood up and bowed her head. 

The King gave us a wave as we left his tent. I rolled my shoulders and cranked my neck. Sitting in that lawn chair really stiffens the joints. He really needs to “invest” in some comfortable chairs if he wants his guests to feel at home. Then again, he is a king so, what can I expect?

We headed towards the end of the alleyway in silence. That’s weird, I expected Hae to say something but nothing came out of her mouth. She probably ran out of words of persuasion since I accepted their request. I don’t mind, in fact, I find it quite soothing. She talked my head off on the way here about my decision, and now she’s all quiet. 

“Do y’all have any weapons here?” I asked, breaking the silence. Hae looked at me confused.

“Yeah, we have weapons.” She answered

“Where?”

“Hidden in the trash cans over there.” Hae pointed at an array of trash cans to the right of us. 

I walked over and opened the lid. Inside lies a bunch of broken planks, knives, two rusty crowbars, and a steel pipe. 

Seems pretty solid. These homeless people must’ve scrounged around very hard to find these things. Impressive.

I checked the others which had the same items, except for the last one. Inside there was a medieval looking sword. The edge was jagged and rusted. The point was dull too. How are you supposed to kill someone with this weapon?

“Oh! You found the King’s mighty sword!” Hae chirped, walking by me.

Instantly, everything made sense.

I know they’re poor but at least make sure that your weapons are in perfect condition. If you can’t repair them then get a new one. 

I analyzed the sword again, grabbing the garbage lid. I hesitated a little. Putting it back in there will worsen its condition, it wouldn’t be a problem if I hold onto it for a little while. 

As I placed the lid back on the can and twirled the sword in my hand, Hae gave a worried look.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle with it.” I reassured her. 

She gave me a doubtful look before letting out a tired sigh.

I wonder if these homeless people have any cleaning supplies. I could ask the Rat King but I don’t want to hear his nagging about having his weapon in my possession.

So I had to scavenge around until I had the right materials. Some vinegar, a clean yet mangy scrub sponge, and a huge tray were the only things I could find which might be enough. 

I poured the vinegar in the tray and gently placed the blade in it. 

Hae poked her head from the corner and said, “What are you doing?”

“Cleaning this blade.” I responded, not turning around.

“But—”

“I already told you, I’ll be gentle with it.”

“Hrmmm.”

I ignored Hae’s whine and continued the process. I hope I’m doing this right. It’s been awhile since I cleaned a blade riddled in rust. 

I took a deep breath and wiped the blade off with the sponge. It's good to know that it's easier to clean steel than one would think. Some of the rust rubbed off and it's true reflection glimmered in the midday sun.

I let out a sigh of relief. “It worked.”

“Oooooh! That’s so cool!” I jumped from Hae’s voice in my ear.

I turned around to see her jumping up and down with a beaming smile on her face. 

“I'm glad you feel that way.” I told her, rolling my eyes.

She let out a huff as I continued to clean the sword. It’s a shame to see it in such condition. Swords like these are rare to come by. I wonder how much it costs.

After I finished my task, I carefully placed the sword in the trash can before showing it to Hae. 

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“See, it looks better than before.” I told her.

“It does!” She agreed.

I could’ve sharpened the tip but it’ll be fine. As long as it can pierce an opponent, it’s completely fine. After putting the sword in the trash, I backed myself into a brick wall and slid down. With that done, I can finally get some rest.

The plan that the Rat King is conjuring up better be good. Hopefully it’s worth my time. These hobos somehow persuaded me to help them out with their whining and pestering. It’s a pain. I’m ready for this whole thing to be over with so no one can leech onto me anymore.

The sound of passing cars filled the empty alleyways as Hae took a seat next to me. A cold breeze flew past and I shivered a little. Damn, I should’ve grabbed my kimono instead of rushing out of the dojo. Forgot that it sprawled out on the floor from earlier. That would explain all the weird stares and “naked feeling” despite being covered in bandages.

“Hey Minji?” Hae spoke up.

I looked over at her. “Yeah?”

“Those names you were calling out earlier. Who were they?”

My face darkened. I knew this was inevitable but why did she have to bring it up now? 

“Nothing important.” I grumbled.

“Maybe nothing but something to be concerned about.” Hae said.

“Huh?”

When did she get all philosophical? That’s a new one.

“Those names. They must’ve been people you know. Friends? Family?” She continued.

I looked away, growing irritated. “They’re nothing. Can we drop this?”

Hae didn’t look too impressed by my answer. “You know them…don’t you?”

Her eyes softened and a small smile crept on her face. Some people would feel safe but all I felt was anger. I should’ve gone to sleep when I had the chance.

“No, just forget it!” I snapped.

That small smile vanished. “You’re lying. I saw everything.”

I jumped up and stomped my foot on the floor. “Who cares?! Didn’t I tell you to drop it?!”

Hae looked hurt and a bit confused. She stood up slowly and looked down at me. “I don't know why you have to be so mean all the time?”

“I’m not mean. I just don’t like talking about those things.” I hissed.

“Why not?” Hae questioned. “I thought we were—”

I stomped over and got in her face. “Thought we were what? Friends? I’m not here to make friends!”

Hae's eyes widened and her lower lip began to quiver. “I…I just wanted to know.”

“There’s nothing to know.” I said in a low voice.

She took a few steps back. It looked like she was about to cry. 

I didn’t mean to snap at her but I don’t want to talk about my…friends with her. These people may seem friendly but I don't trust them. Never did and never will. I never wanted to be associated with them in the first place. The only reason why I’m doing this is to make sure they leave me the hell alone. 

Kill her! The sinister voice rung into my mind once again.

Again? I thought you went away?

I’ll never go away, demon! Now, go kill her!

I glanced at Hae who had her back towards me.

No, she doesn’t deserve to die.

But she intruded on your privacy. She dug up some things that should’ve been left buried. The voice shot back.

Maybe she didn’t know. You know how homeless people are. Sticking their noses where they don’t belong. I thought to myself.

Still…we don’t know her like that. She could tell that wretched Rat King about what happened. Kill her so that won’t be a possibility. The voice ordered.

I felt an unfamiliar surge of darkness in my chest as I approached Hae. She must've noticed my change in demeanor and tensed up in fear when I grabbed her by the neck. She kicked and struggled but I was too strong.

"A-A-A-Ah!" She cried out as she gasped for air.

I felt a sick twist of pleasure watching her squirm around in my grasp.

That’s it! Give into the darkness, demon! This is what you were made to do! The voice cackled.

I looked into her eyes one more time. They’re filled with life. They're brown. 

Just like mine. When I was younger…

I let go of her and she dropped to the ground. The urge to kill was nearly overwhelming but I resisted.

Hae gasped for air as I stood over her, watching her recover from the ordeal. The darkness decimated in my chest as I regained control. That damn voice got the better of me. I thought I could hold myself back but I was wrong. What’s wrong with me?

She finally regained her composure and looked up at me.

"Why?" she asked in a shaky voice.

I looked down at her for a few minutes before walking away. 

“I’m sorry.” I mumbled.

Hae got up from the ground and massaged her neck.

“Minji!” She called out my name.

I didn’t bother turning around and kept walking. I needed to isolate myself for a little bit. I didn’t want to harm anyone. But, the darkness still lingered. I could feel it. The need to go on a rampage, to kill. I had to do something before it got out of control.

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