Bad X Bad: My Dear Hana - Chapter 12

Ahn Hana plays with her pen. She doesn’t look slightly affected. “Why should I believe you?”

“You are my lawyer. You should believe me.” Baek Han Sol looks at her with frustration. “You are worse than your predecessors. They tried to pretend that they believed me.”

“They were afraid of you. You are infamous for your butchering abilities.” Ahn Hana scribbles something in her notebook. “My job is to get you out of here by hook or crook. You must tell me everything. So, I can find the flaws and use this information against the system.”

Baek Han Sol shakes his head. “I didn’t kill them.”

“But, the evidence…”

“They didn’t find the murder weapon. How could they find me guilty?”

“All the victims know you in some way.”

“I don’t know them.” Baek Han Sol yells at her. “They just decided that it is me. If I walk by someone when I am shopping or driving, do I know them? They are desperate to blame someone.”

“Let’s start with the people whom you know.” She writes something in the notebook. “Tell me each detail of your first and last meeting with those victims.”

After an hour, she comes out of prison. It is nice to see the bright light again. The visit has been worth it. She opens her car door.

“Bitch! Just die.”

Ahn Hana covers her face. She nearly throws up when the smell of urine wafts into her nose. The guards catch the old man. He is dressed in rags. Ahn Hana has no doubt. He is one of the victim’s father. Her clothes have been soiled.

“We are sorry, Madam.” One of the guards apologizes. “We should have been vigilant.”

“Pay more attention from now on.” She gets into the car and drives away. Her home is three hours drive away from this place. Her workplace is two hours away. She decides to go to her workplace first. That’s just how she is.

Her colleagues are surprised to see her. They can’t dare to ask her anything. She walks straight into her office and picks up some documents. She is on her way out when Jung Kwang-Soo stops her.

“Who did this to you?” He tries to touch her shoulder, but she shows him the hand to ward him off.

“One of the victim’s father. He has been taken by the cops.” She gives him a mechanical answer. “I will be working at home today. I need to take a bath. You deal with all the calls. You owe me a big vacation.”

“Yes, I do.” For every humiliation, he owes her a big deal. Still, he doesn’t ask her to stop. He can’t. Now, she won’t stop even if he asks her to. Each humiliation is fueling her heart.

She walks out of the front office. The mob starts to protest louder when they see her. She walks to them. They cover their noses because of the gross smell.

“Do you have little faith in the laws of this country?” Ahn Hana’s penetrating gaze makes them tremble. “You seems to have a firm belief that I will fool the laws of this country. Isn’t that insulting to our country?”

One of them stands up. “People like you know how to bend the laws.”

“Then, you should go to the prosecutor’s office and asks him to do his job well.” Her voice is sharp and unbending. “If Baek Han Sol is guilty and the prosecutor is capable, can I bring him out? I don’t think so. Don’t blame me for someone’s inability to do a good job. If I see any of you in front of my eyes, I will sue each one of you. I won’t let go of one of you. Do you get it? If you want justice, go to the prosecutor. Stop yapping here.”

The crowd is rendered speechless. Ahn Hana glances at the cameras. Some people are recording. She doesn’t give a fuċk now. She goes to her car and drives straight home.

***

Do Sejin comes to her house around 11 A.M. She is not at home. He wonders if she is at work now. He checks the kitchen and the bin. He didn’t see any shrimp soup in there. She has eaten it all. He smiles to himself.

After four hours, he is awakened by the sound in the house. He walks out with excitement and sees a drenched Ahn Hana near the door. She ignores him and puts down the bundles of papers on the table. She removes every item from her purse before she throws it in the garbage bin. Do Sejin is shocked. That is the smell of urine. Who did this to her?

“Hana.” He runs to her side. She blocks him with her palm, though her hand doesn’t touch him. Her expression is unreadable.

“Don’t come close to me.” Her voice is cold and sharp. “Leave. I have work.”

He looks at her hand that is blocking the way. He ignores it and hugs her tightly. She yells at him, “Stop hugging me. I don’t feel like doing it tonight. Can’t you read the atmosphere, boy?”

“Shh!” He tightens his arms around her and kisses her on the top of her head. “Don’t think about that. You aren’t dirty.”

“I-I-” Ahn Hana stammers for the first time. She didn’t see this coming. She has been acting strong, but this boy has seen through her facade. Of course, she is shaken by what happened to her. Her mind is in chaos. Her voice becomes bȧrėly audible, unable to hide her pain anymore. “I smell bad.”

“No, you smell like the same Hana.” He moves his palm on her back in a circular motion, trying to calm her. “You are always perfect, Hana. You are always visible to all the people in the world. They are blinded by your shine. That’s why they are afraid. Don’t let the world get to you. I am here, aren’t I? I will be your support.”

Ahn Hana trembles in his arms. She does her best not to cry. She hugs him back, hiding her face in his ċhėst. It’s funny how she is relying on a 17 years old boy. After some days, they have to pretend that they don’t know each other.

“Don’t say things like that,” She finally tells him. Sternly. “Like this 31 years old woman would ever need your support.”

There, she is back. Do Sejin grins at her. “It’s hot, isn’t? Want to have a bath together?”

“Where were you last night?”

Do Sejin bits his lower lip. What should he say? “My friend was having a birthday party. I went there.”

“Oh.” She doesn’t think much of it. Ahn Hana peels off her clothes and tosses them in the garbage bin. She isn’t the type who would ever wash them. She looks at Do Sejin who hasn’t answered her question. His clothes also land in the garbage bin. She is fast when she doesn’t like something. She pushes him to the bathroom and baths him. She rubs his skin until it is red, making him cry.

“What are you doing?” He looks at her, baffled. “Do you want to take my skin off?”

“It will grow again.” She starts cleaning his face. “How could you kiss my head? My hair is still wet because of the… Never mind.”

“Ahn Hana!” Do Sejin scowls at her. “Do you have to tell me that? Can’t you just appreciate the gesture?”

“I can’t help but feel that you are a fool.” She smiles warmly at him. Taking this as a positive sign, he asks her, “Would you do this to me if I was in your position?”

“Never,” She replies within a heartbeat.

This woman is heartless.