The Brothers Kim

Chapter 9- Something in Common

Taehyung peeped from behind the wall to look at the steaming hot meat buns being sold across the road. He gulped as he eyed the succulent, white bread that was oozing with a mouth-watering aroma. Even from afar, he could already imagine his teeth sinking into the soft dough.

Taehyung hid behind the wall again.

"Are we really doing this?" Gyuri asked from behind him. "You're rich. Why can't you just buy the food?"

Taehyung sighed for the third time. "I thought I already explained it to you. Why should I pay for something that is rightfully mine?"

"Still..." Gyuri muttered dubiously. "It just seems so wrong. Even if you say that you used to own the land that grew the food, it doesn't erase the fact that you're stealing from the new owners."

"The new owners" Taehyung rebuked contemptuously, "are no other than the Lees. They do not deserve the money that goes to them."

Gyuri was still uncertain.

After Taehyung and herself had left the orphans in the field, they had returned to the busy market streets to 'retrieve' food. Taehyung had explained to her that the food they were going to be acquiring belonged to the Lees' tenants. And the Lees were no other than the Kim family's rivals and surprisingly... their relatives.

"Just because the Lees are the new landowners doesn't mean that you can take food from the tenants. I mean, don't you feel bad for the tenants? They work hard to sell their produce."

Taehyung scoffed. "Why would I feel bad? Part of the profit that they earn will always go back to the Lees in tithe."

"Tithe?"

"Yes," Taehyung replied. "So, the more I steal from them then the less the Lees will get in return."

"But that also means the tenants will get less for themselves!" Gyuri protested.

Taehyung was unfazed. "It is not like I take from the same vendors each time. And anyway," he pointed out with a grin, "It is not like I am taking without good reason."

Gyuri curled her lip. "I'm starting to question whether you are. Why do I feel like you're doing this more for yourself than the orphans?"

Taehyung smirked. "You are right. I will not deny that I do find the act of taking from the Lees thrilling."

I knew it... Gyuri thought. This kid's an adrenaline junkie. "Alright, let's just get this over and done with. The sooner we get the food, the better."

Gyuri emerged from behind the wall and proceeded to approach the meat bun vendor. She glanced behind her one last time and saw Taehyung give her a brief nod.

That's the signal, she thought. Okay, now to distract the vendor.

Gyuri walked up to the vendor who was a stocky middle-aged man with a bushy beard. Seeing Gyuri, he jerked his chin towards her as if to indicate what she wanted from him. He did not smile nor did he utter a single word. It was like he had sworn an oath of silence, making it hard for Gyuri to approach him.

She smiled at him awkwardly as she attempted to grab his attention. Gyuri and Taehyung had discussed that while she distracted the vendor, Taehyung would sneakily take a few meat buns.

"Oh!" she groaned as she clutched her stomach. "My stomach! It hurts!"

The vendor, startled by her sudden cries of pain, drew closer to her as if to assist her.

"I think there must be something wrong with me!" Gyuri continued to whine. "Sir! Please help me!"

With her exaggerated ruse, Gyuri managed to draw the attention of not only the vendor but also the pedestrians nearby. Taehyung observed with a sly smile at Gyuri's melodramatic performance which was both embarrassing and incredibly entertaining at the same time. Her shrill voice and terrible acting were so perplexing that it successfully gathered a large huddle of onlookers who most possibly mistook her cries of pain for some sort of street performance. Regardless, with the vendor preoccupied, Taehyung was able to swipe more meat buns than he originally hoped for.