10 THE THIEF

I scrutinized the game and wondered why a bunch of grown up men will waste time playing this, well it was none of my business. But I bet Tae Joon noticed me looking at them.

"You like it? We can play it if you want," he smiled at me. "Today is your day, demand anything you want.….big or small, I don't mind doing all of them for you." He threw his hands in the air.

I chuckled at his words, why is he making it look like today's the first time I ever won in a wrestle match? "Tae?" I called, "why are you exaggerating like I have never won a wrestle match before?"

He quickly dropped his hands and leaned in, "sometimes I wonder if you are a foreigner in this village or a strange being here. You have lived your whole life here and you don't know of that guy you just wrestled with? He's a famous wrestler Yangdong boast of, even neighbouring villages come to watch him wrestle."

"And you just defeated him in a match? God.…..," Tae trailed off before continuing. "Buddy where kind of strength do you have? That man is like bringing you three and you managed to knock blood out of his nose?"

"And he also managed to knock blood out of my mouth," I joked as the bartender brought our drinks to us. "So it's a fair match, I was just lucky I won."

Tae Joon downed one shot of his drink and poured another shot. "You know I'm so lucky and happy I met you. When I haven't met you, I felt lost, I had to live in the shadow of those boys. They won't stop bullying me, most times I wished to be dead but when I met you in the forest that day, I knew my cause to live has come."

"Is that drink an alcoholic one?" I pointed at his tiny cup. "Cause I think you are drunk."

"Nah," he shook his head and dismissed my joke with his hand. "Why would I get drunk on just one shot?"

"But I'm serious on what I'm saying but your.….your strength. I keep wondering where and how you possessed that kind of strength. God your strength is extraordinary."

"Maybe that's why the villagers see me as a curse, as a threat to them," I joked but I meant every word I said. Tae Joon is the reason I'm still alive and in this village. I would have taken my own life a long time ago if not for him. It felt so strange to me to have someone who worry about you, who shares his jokes and problems with you. Who laughs with you and who stands up for you when the whole world is against you.

"No matter what people say about you or how much the world shun you out, I won't shun you out irrespective of your strength or who or what you're. You're my family."

I curled my lips into a small smile before concealing it. "Okay that's enough, you sound cheesy and it disgusts me."

Tae Joon pouted and downed another cup of his drink. "𝐻𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝐼 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝑆𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑑," he muttered but I heard him clearly.

I shook my head and smiled at his words, I downed my own drink. God this liquor is so bitter and Tae Joon has been downing it as if it was just water. The little I drank burned my throat and I know this is a strong drink. I watched in horror as Tae Joon down six shots in one go.

I managed to drink another cup and Tae Joon continued to drink his. Right from the beginning I wasn't a fan of harsh drinks. But if I continued to let him drink, he would be drunk and starts to talking gibberish. But then I noticed the table filled with gamblers playing the Jenga game started raising their voices on one another. The players started yelling at each other.

Oh God, this is not good. There will be a war out break here. I listened as they tell at each other. "How dare you steal from me?" One rough looking guy grabbed another guy on his collar.

"I didn't steal your money," the other guy grabbed him too on his collar, their bloodshot eyes murdering each other. "Why would you think I stole your money? We are in here together."

"So how you did my money disappear?" The first man released the other guy and looked at the faces of the people around him. Demanding who took his money.

It was getting heated and I know it would be no good if there's a fight here. I'm not ready to help or save anyone. But then my eyes landed on a being in black. He wore a black gat and from his stance something was off. My eyes followed his steps and he was one the gamblers on that table.

Was he trying to sneak away? I saw him stuffing something in the long sleeve of his hanbok and then I realized he was the real thief. But his face, his face looks nothing like a man.…..I mean his skin is white as a porcelain and his eyes though they are hidden under the gat he wore looks more feminine than masculine.

"Hey mister?" The player requesting who stole his money on the table halted the young looking man. "Where do you think you're going?"

"There's no point staying here since the whole place is in chaos," the young guy said. "And also I've lost interest in this game, what kind of game is this? Where the players fight each other?"

"Hey Tae Joon, we should get out of here," I got up from my seat and walk over to Tae Joon's. I dragged him up and he staggered on his feet or more like he was staggering. I expected this because he had too much to drink.

"But I still wanna drink," Tae Joon inserted trying to sit back but I stopped him. "I want to celebrate this day as a memorial one." He said in tipsy tone.

"And I appreciate that but we need to get out, things is not going to turn out good here." I draped his arm over my shoulder as I helped him out of the cavern but it was already too late. A fight broke out when the young guy refused to be searched, one of the players tried to grab him but got a punch on his face from the guy.

Okay I can't stay here any longer and if I get caught up in this fight and gets angry, it will be no good. Like I said earlier I told you I was also afraid of my strength, afraid of what I would do here if I get caught up in the fight.

One of the players lifted a seat and threw at the young man who was trying to get away but he ducked and that seat flied to my direction. I won't let that come near me. Cradling Tae Joon in one arm, I caught the chair with my other hand as it swinged to my direction. I carried Tae Joon out of the cavern as the ruckus broke out. People fighting and yelling at one another.

But the real culprit is no where to be seen. The young guy I saw earlier is no where to be seen in the commotion going on. I brought Tae Joon outside and he started acting in a funny manner like he will chunder any time soon and he was likely to do that on me. I released my hold on him and he squats immediately and threw up.

But I felt someone hand behind me, trying to dip into my pockets but I caught the hand in a swing, turning the culprit to face me. I came face to face with the man from earlier, the porcelain man and his hand was so soft as a girl's hand. How could a man like him have such a hand? I bet this hand never did any hard work.

"Are you trying to steal from me too?" I questioned and the man arched his brows inquisitively at me, I know he was wondering what I meant by my words.

"Hold on mister," he held his hand up in the air and halted me when I wanted to speak up again. He gave me a look, one I found so strange. "What do you mean by trying to steal from you too?"

Okay I see it, he's trying to play innocent with me but I won't fall for that. I ignored him and turn to Tae Joon who was still throwing up. I wondered if he wants to empty all the contents in his stomach, that's why I hate the idea of him being drunk. Each time he drinks, he ends up vomiting but that won't stop him from drinking.

I felt someone's hand in my pocket and I turned immediately to the man, this time anger was seeping in through me. "Won't you go away or do I have to tell everyone you're the real culprit?"

He stared at me like a maniac with mouth a jar. "Okay mister, I don't know what you're talking about but you have what belongs to me."

I stared at him for a brief moment and turn back to Tae Joon, patting his back when I felt the guy's hand slip into my pockets again. Okay that's it! I swift immediately towards him and caught his hand before it completely went inside my pocket and tackled him to the ground. He lets out a cough and grinned at me.

He stood up and smiled at me, God! His smile is so captivating. I shouldn't be tricked by his smile but I can't deny the fact that his smile could hypnotize a weak person. I knocked myself back to reality and faced him. "Listen, I don't know who are and I don't have what belongs to you, just stay away if you still love your life."

"I guess I have to take it the hard way since you don't want to give it to me." He swift his head side to side and advanced towards me and tries to grab my leg but I caught him and pushed him backwards. I stopped him on his steps using a finger against his forehead.

Okay I don't know what I'm doing or how I managed to stop him with just a finger against his forehead. He too was surprised too and withdrew himself from me. "I only want what belongs to me, why are you making me take it the hard way?"

"And listen, I don't have anything that belongs to you," I replied. But that didn't stop him, he rushed to me with full speed and bite the hell out of my hand, for a second I thought he was going to bite off my skin. I pushed him away and winced as the pain of his bite started seeping in.

He smiled as he wiped his mouth, he raised up a tiny bag to my face. "I said you have something that belongs to me." Hold on a sec, how did that get into my pockets? Did he slip it in there to avoid being caught?

He gave me one final smile and turn to leave but the anger and the pain of his bite have already taken over my senses. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and reopened it, I wanted to ignore him but what he did left me no option but to teach him a valuable lesson. I marched towards him and stopped him, ready to give him the punch of his life when the sound of horses stopped me.

I lowered my fist as we both looked up to see where the horses were coming from. We stood in awe as the heavy footsteps grew closer and the sound of horses neighing. I saw three horses came to view with the riders. They were dressed in black and they look more of barbarians.

I saw a flag head up high with a symbol that looks a dragon spitting out blue fire. These people looks like foreigners to me and from where they are heading to, they are heading towards the palace. I wondered what's going, I saw the villagers pave way for them.

I finally lowered my gaze and saw that that thief has escaped. I saw his figure disappearing out of sight. I shook my head and picked up Tae Joon who for no reason still remained on the ground.