212 The Spy
The clock in Hei-Ran’s room chirped loudly. She looked up and saw the clock. “We will continue this in our next session. I am sorry that I can only take you up once a week. So, Wednesday’s fine with you?”
“Doc! What did you mean by I wanted to tell him?” shouted Nivritti as if she didn’t hear what Hei-Ran said.
“Nivritti! Patience! We will discuss everything next Wednesday. Meanwhile, it will be your homework. Figure out what I just said. As for the medicine for sleep, I am not prescribing any as you are already on some pain meds. I would recommend some breathing exercises before you go to sleep, and I will see you next week,” said Hei-Ran, smiling.
“Okay,” sighed Nivritti. She stood up and grabbed her bag. “Wait! Did you just call Kyung-Soo, ‘King’?”
Hei-Ran just smiled at her but said nothing. “Are you, his fan?” asked Nivritti.
“Yes, I am an ASDian,” replied Hei-Ran.
“Wow!” exclaimed Nivritti. “Okay, I will see you next Wednesday.”
Nivritti walked outside, and Kyung-Soo and the party were gone. She took her phone and messaged Jae-Geun that she was leaving and thanked him again for all his help. She called a cab and went home.
All the way to her house, she kept thinking about what Hei-Ran said. Why did she say that she wanted Kyung-Soo to know everything? Was that the truth? Did she trust him or told him everything because he forced her to? How would she trust a person who she just met a few weeks ago? It was years since she stopped trusting people, then why did she tell everything to Kyung-Soo?
.....
Cogs of her brain kept turning but she had no answer. She reached her house and as she was not in shape to cook, she ordered in, ate her food, took her medicine, messaged goodnight to everyone and slept. She was way behind in her script reading and today was a complete waste.
Dae, when he came to the office was set up with everything. He had his social media account set up with Nivritti’s name in the mail-id. He even used her name in his account. Now he didn’t need an anonymous account, he had Nivritti as the fall guy. He had his untraceable bank card ready too. He was so happy that day.
The moment he came in Chung-Ho informed him that Nivritti was taking leave and he would not have to go to the practice room, they can stay in the office. He was happy that he would not have to look at Nivritti’s face or get ignored by ASD.
But the next moment Chung-Ho scolded him for sharing the template with his team members. He again gritted his teeth at Nivritti. “I said that would mail her but no, she had to go and complain about it to Choi-ssi. She always has to show herself as superior to me.”
He apologised to Chung-Ho, “Oh, I completely forgot, I was supposed to send them a mail.” He again controlled his anger by biting his lips and stared at Nivritti, “what am I going to do with her? I try to be civil, but she always irks me. Why did she have to backbite? Why does she always try to gain points from Choi-ssi? Just a few more days, you witch, and you will be gone. I will destroy your name and your reputation.”
For a minute he showed concern for Nivritti but was glad that he won’t see her for the whole day. After she left, Jae-Hwa and Dae kept reading the scripts and Jae-Hwa kept following the template Dae sent to her.
At lunch, Dae messaged Missmatch with the account he made and gave her his card number. Within seconds, he received the amount she promised him. Dae beamed with happiness. Everything was on track. He didn’t have to see Nivritti’s face and he was getting paid on the same day. He felt as if he was in seventh heaven.
When it was time to leave the office, he received a DM. he opened the app and it was Missmatch saying, “meet me at 6.” But where she didn’t say. Dae was surprised after receiving her message. What did she want so soon? He already gave her a scoop and what if someone sees them together? Meet with her at 6 but where, how?
He messaged her back, “my office gets over at 6. I don’t think I will be able to meet you anywhere at that time. Send me the name of the place and I will be there at half past 6 depending upon traffic.”
“Don’t worry about that. Just leave your office at 6. Rest you will understand,” she messaged back. A chill ran down Dae’s spine. It was not fear but excitement. He felt like a spy going on missions. He felt like his handler was sending messages to him. He shuddered and a smile ran across his face.
He left the office a few minutes early. He needed time to think so he took the stairs. Without feeling any pain, he kept climbing down from the 11th floor. “Where is she going to meet me? Does she meet with people often? Does she not have her team to find news? What does she want to talk about? Oh, the anticipation is killing me.”
After almost ten minutes he reached near his car. Absentmindedly, he opened the door of his car and threw his bag in the backseat. For a minute he kept sitting in the car staring at oblivion. “She said 6. I am here, what now? Should I wait for another message or move towards my home?”
While he was in his thoughts, the passenger door opened and a stranger in black trousers, a black hoodie and a black mask entered his car. He jumped with fear and yelled loudly.
“Shut up! It’s me,” said Missmatch and lowered her mask.
Dae clenched his chest and kept breathing heavily. “You almost gave me a heart attack!!!” shouted Dae.
“Ugh! So weak! Are you sure you are up to this, sharing secrets with me?” taunted Missmatch.
“Yes, yes, I am,” replied Dae and sat straight.
“Then drive,” said Missmatch and covered her face again.
“Where?” asked Dae.
“Where you go every day,” replied Missmatch.
“You are coming to my house?” asked Dae, shocked.
“No, idiot, I will get down after some time, after talking to you. This way no one will see us meeting at places you don’t want to be seen. I am a paparazzi, but paparazzi follow me too, for your kind information,” said Missmatch.
“Fine!” said Dae and started the engine. He drove the car out of the parking lot, and they were on the main road. “Why did you want to meet?” asked Dae.
“Obviously for more information,” replied Missmatch.
“Couldn’t you wait?” said Dae.
“You said you will send me a list of scripts that you shortlisted and I have been waiting for that. I have to publish my article, you know,” said Missmatch.
“I didn’t say that I will send you the list so soon,” replied Dae. “You will have to wait for that. I need time to compile the data.”
Missmatch turned to look at Dae. There was a twinkle in her eyes. Her narrowed eyes signalled Dae that she was smiling at him, but the mask hid that. She tilted her head and placed her palm over his thigh. Dae’s eyes widened and he jerked his head to look at her.
Missmatch lowered her mask and showed her beautiful teeth to him. “Seong-ssi! Dae! Darling! Can I call you darling?” she asked with a raspy voice and batted her eyelashes at him. Dae could not reply to her, he just gulped at her action.
Missmatch removed her seatbelt and leaned towards Dae. Dae shockingly turned his steering wheel away from Missmatch and the car made a screeching sound. “Careful, darling!” Missmatch whispered in his ears.
Dae was breathing heavily, and he finally stooped the car on the roadside as he was afraid that he might get into an accident. “What are you doing?” he shouted.
Missmatch placed her long, slender forefinger on his lips and shushed him, “shhh… it’s okay.” She came close to his ear and placed his earlobe between her lips. A chill down his spine, he forgot how to breathe. She sucked on his earlobe and pulled it seductively with her teeth.
“I just want a preliminary list, Darling,” said Missmatch and moved her lips towards his neck. She exposed his neck under his shirt collar and placed the wettest kiss Dae ever received in his life on his neck and kept sucking his neck leaving a dark red hickey on it.
Dae had never cheated on his wife even though he liked touching women but touching them was not considered cheating. It was okay to slightly brush with women’s breasts or their asses. But now this young, beautiful thing was kissing him. He didn’t even ask for it, she initiated it. If he didn’t initiate it, it meant he was not cheating, he was not in the wrong. It was Missmatch who was wrong.