Don't Wait Too Long | Ryeji (reworked)

chapter seven

                               - present day -

As predicted, Ryujin hadn't seen a glimpse of Yeji in a while and It's almost been a month. She isn't a spiritual person by any means but surely having Yeji magically appear in her life again had to mean something. She didn't want to get her hopes up though. False hope had let her down countless times. People tend to disappoint her and she feared being abandoned by people she cared about. People have in the past.

She laid on her stomach scrunching her face every time the tattoo needle scratched at the skin of her back. Luckily she had a high pain tolerance and could endure the torturous pain. Takanashi had ordered her to get her back piece finished. Every member of the triad had their own back tattoo. It symbolises their dedication and loyalty to the group.

Each design holds deep meaning to whoever wears it. Committing to the tattoo means you're committing to the triad and Takanashi himself. It's an honour to have one and Ryujin holds great pride in hers.

With the help of Takanashi and her tattoo artist, she chose her design to be a tiger. It symbolises her strength. Takanashi told her that if she were to be reincarnated she'd be a tiger. A fierce predator that holds courage and power. She couldn't wait to show it off to Chris.

The day ended with Ryujin taking a girl she met at the club home. She made sure to tell her that her back was off limits, she didn't want her nails to ruin the healing process of the tattoo. After they had shared themselves with each other the girl fell asleep on top of Ryujin. Ryujin froze and didn't know where to place her hands.

Ryujin slowly moved the girl from on top of her and climbed out of bed. Cuddling after sex was a big no no, she found it too intimate for her liking. Of course sex was extremely intimate but Ryujin hated any other form of affection. She threw her black silky robe on and poured herself a glass of whiskey. She watched the girl sound asleep on her bed. She could be an asshole and kick her out then and there but she decided to be nice and leave her be. 

As expected, in the morning her one night stand insisted on typing her number into Ryujin's phone before leaving her apartment. Ryujin immediately deleted it off her contacts list. She never slept with the same girl twice. She believed that's how feelings would grow and people would get attached. Not that she was concerned about her own feelings, it was the other way around.

Chris informed her that they'll be escorting Takanashi to a meeting with their number one rivals, The Choi's. Korea had many triads but Takanashi's was the leading one. The Choi's tried to over rule and take him down countless times but failed with every attempt. Mr Choi was a seedy man and liked to play dirty, the complete opposite of Takanashi. Ryujin hadn't met him before but heard some stories from her fellow men.

Chris and Ryujin followed closely behind Takanashi as they entered a warehouse located at the fishing docks. Ryujin scoped out the room to see Choi's men scattered about. Some playing a game of cards, others counting money and drug supplies. Chris and Ryujin made sure to stay alert just in case this meeting was a set up.

One of Choi's men searched the trio before they entered Mr Choi's office. Ryujin never carried any weapons on her. Maybe an occasional gun but she believed her fists were more than enough. Choi immediately stood up with a massive grin on his face.

"Just the man I wanted to see!". Choi grinned and shook Takanshi's hand a little too enthusiastically. Ryujin eyed the two men accompanying Choi and one of them smirked at her. She held her middle finger up at him and stared him down.

"What can I do for you this time?". Takanashi asked Choi and took a seat. The tension in the room was almost unbearable. You could sense that those two hated each other. By first impressions Ryujin could tell Choi didn't have good intentions. He also didn't have a good fashion sense either, that teal suit he wore was a poor choice.

They kept talking, acting all buddy-buddy until Choi moved his gaze towards Ryujin and his eyebrows shot up. He pointed to her and let out a single laugh.

"Is this the famous Shin Ryujin?". Choi asked as if he was amazed by her presence. It made her skin crawl. Takanashi turned his head to look at her.

"One of my best". Takanashi shot her a smile before turning back to Choi.

"Wow. I've heard so many things about this one. Such a shame about her parents though. I knew her father, what a good man he was". Choi taunted.

Ryujin felt her blood boil. She flared her nostrils and clenched her jaw and fists tight. She started seeing red until Chris put his hand on her fist to calm her down. She side eyed him and he shook his head.

"Hey! If you get sick and tired of this old man come and find me. I'm sure he's hiding a lot from you". Choi teased and laughed causing his men to laugh along with him. His eyes hid underneath his wrinkles and his big mouth was begging for a punch.

It didn't amuse Ryujin one bit. She wanted to jump on his desk and bash his head in. Chris held her arm holding her back, knowing she was about to go off. Ryujin snarled and Takanashi shot Choi a warning look. The men immediately stopped laughing like a pack of hyenas.

Takanashi changed the subject and the two continued to talk about their turf and alliance. Choi wanted to expand out of Incheon and needed Takanshi's permission. He granted it on one condition and that was to keep his drugs out of Seoul. The two fought like dogs over their territories.

All the trauma and pain younger Ryujin dealt with started rushing back to her. She was out for blood. If anything, her desire to avenge her parents demise grew stronger than ever. And Choi was first on her list.

She was just like a tiger hunting her prey, patiently waiting for the right time to strike and to go for the kill.