"Shit… when we find him, let's bury him alive."
Eun-Jong grinded his teeth in frustration as he spoke. In turned, I shook my head.
"I was in the army just few months ago shoveling away for two years and two months. Let's just tie him to a rock and throw him under a bridge. That's way simpler."
I lifted my fist subconsciously as I stepped in front of an entrance to a nightclub with flamboyant sign. The person we were looking for should be in there somewhere.
At the entrance of the nightclub, there was a huge palm tree made purely out of neon lights. The light was so bright that the palm tree illuminated the night like it was a day. As I approached the palm tree, I thought back on the phone call that me and Eun-Jong received forty-five minutes ago.
When we picked up the phone, Jeong-Chan was on the other side of the phone screaming with an angry voice saying that we should hurry over and help him beat some guys. He sounded dead drunk when he added that they had the advantage in numbers. We were too busy watching TV for Jeong-Chan's nonsense.
At first, me and Eun-Jong agreed that the bastard became a dog after getting himself drunk and was acting foolish again. We dismissed his phone call without much guilt.
However.. exactly five minutes later Jeong-Chan's phone call, a seon-bae* who came to visit us from our hometown and went out with Jeong-Chan that night called us with an urgent voice saying Jeong-Chan was dragged away by bunch of people.
*seon-bae is not a name but a title that people use to call their senior*
He also added 'that bastard's gonna die!!'.
Only after that last sentence I became scared enough to turn off the TV and got up to my feet. I found Eun-Jong in his shower. Together we left the rented room and ran out to the nightclub.
It is proper for a friend to run out in a barefoot, if they must, in order to help a friend in danger. However, there was something even greater than friendship that bound me and Eun-Jong to Jeong-Chan.
Indeed, it was much important… For Jeong-Chan to spend his time with beautiful girls and have a banging night, he needed money and a nice pair of suit. So, Jeong-Chan took fifty dollars from my wallet and Eun-Jong's, imitation of 'Armani', 'Alimony' suit which Eun-Jong sparingly wore.
My conviction to not have him dead until I get my money back combined with Eun-Jong's desperate wish to not ruin his best imitation suit by 'Alimony' had us running for a cab in the early morning. By the time we reached the entrance of the nightclub, our blood vessels were visible on our forehead because of desperate worries for our money and 'Alimony' suit.
But.. Where was this blockhead? We were looking around in front of the dazzling palm tree when the seon-bae who called earlier found us.
"Jung! Eun-Jong!"
Seon-bae ran toward us panting and puffing. Because we never saw our seon-bae like this, it made us feel ominous about our situation.
"What is going on? Seon-bae, where is Jeong-Chan?"
"Ah.. it's a long story.."
For a moment, seon-bae did not speak, but he hesitantly grabbed my and Eun-Jong's arms and began walking.
Instead of going into the nightclub, seon-bae led us toward the back of the building as he opened his mouth to speak.
"…Jeong-Chan..he was drinking and he gotten himself into a quarrel with some guy…Ah-i-shh*..and then."
*Ah-i-shh is a type of rejoinder for when one becomes frustrated*
Behind the hotel that was attached to the nightclub, there was a ten-floor building. Seon-bae stopped us beside the ten-floor building and scratched his head. He looked as if he was at his wit's end. Seon-bae met my and Eun-Jong's eyes as he continued his sentence.
"The guy brought his friends… it looked like they were part of a gang."
"Eh-ehk~!!"
"..That's crazy."
Eun-Jong exclaimed while I commented, feeling dumbstruck. We stood there speechless. Seon-bae who was one year older than us, shorter, and looked younger bowed his head and said something even more absurd.
"So that's why.. Jeong-Chan is imprisoned in there."
Seon-bae pointed up at the ten-floor building beside us. Engulfed by the shadow created by the hotel building in front, the building looked suspicious from a far and appeared creepier up close. Is seon-bae pointing at that building?
"Then we should call the police."
Eun-Jong, have had enough, shook seon-bae's arms as he shouted under his breath. Seon-bae shook his head as a respond.
"Of course I called them…at first, that is,.. but you know-"
We urged seon-bae to continue with our eyes and seon-bae bit his lower lips as he mumble.
"They came and just left without doing anything.., the police."
"What, why?"
"I don't know.. the boss of the gang came out and said something to the police and they just left.."
"The enforcer of the law left, just like that?!!"
After getting a ticket for jaywalking, Eun-Jong was sure the enforcers were enforcing the law of evil. Now he was livid to hear that they simply left the situation unresolved. I agreed with Eun-Jong now by spitting curses in small voice.
"Hell.."
"Now, what do we do?"
Seon-bae asked as we all took glimpse of the grey building beside us. It was still dark outside with a touch of early morning light which made the building look even more unapproachable.
A gang, huh.. But that wasn't reason enough for me to give up my fifty dollars.. I turned my gaze to the side where Eun-Jong was deep in thought, looking pained. It looked like Eun-Jong was having trouble giving up his 'Alimony' suit as well.
"What do you mean, what do we do-"
I breathed a small sigh as I made my decision.
"Only thing we could do now is to pray for Jeong-Chan's welfare in his future life."
As I said this, I turned my body away from the ten-floor building.
Yes, more than fifty dollars which I can buy one week worth of food, my life was much precious.
The problem was Eun-Jong's lingering attachment to his 'Alimony's artisan suit. Because, as soon as I turned to go, Eun-Jong expressed his refusal to give up by yelling out,
"No! Even if I have to find a corpse, I will strip my 'Alimony' off of him and bring it back with me!"
I was going to kindly warn Eun-Jong by saying 'before you strip anything off of anyone the gang is going to skin you alive!' But, before I could retort, someone else heard Eun-Jong's outcry and responded in return.
"Shit! Who the hell are those guys!!"
From the dark corner of the alleyway behind the ten-floor building, a group of people, a.k.a gang members, revealed themselves, carrying with them sound of uproarious laughter.
To this new development, all three of us muttered in low and harmonious voice.
"We're f***ed.”