Rich & Wicked

Act 1: Episode 8 - The Girl

[Chan Yu POV]

It seems Jin is already done with his game, I should remind him so we can go home for good.

“Jin, are you done playing? Please end the game, we are getting homesick here”, I requested.

{I am not done yet}, he responded.

“What do you mean? What more can you do when you already buried Lee Chun Ho alive”

{You think so?  there are still more fun things that I am expecting from him, so how can I stop when that freaking bastard spits on my face!}

“Well, he is going to be dead soon enough since you beat him up badly after he woke up from a coma plus he is already having trouble breathing and I am sure he can’t get much air inside”

{He won’t die, he will be lucky today}, Jin opened the car’s window and look up to the sky. “You see how dark the sky is?”, he asked me.

“Yes, it seems it will rain pretty hard later”, after saying it, I quickly realize what he meant why Lee Chun Ho had a lucky day.

He deliberately dug a hole near the edge on purpose. He was stomping the ground as if he was checking the hardness of the ground and it seem it was soft. The edge wasn’t that high too which is why Jin continued his plan, if he wasn’t satisfied with the location, he would have changed the location to a better place of his liking.

{I guess you already know, what I meant Chan}

“Yes, you are so calculative Jin, waah… you are incredible”

He purposely dug a hole near the edge because he knows that there will be a heavy rain. The rain will corrode the edge since the ground was soft and caused the ground to slide down. He even calculated how deep the hole should be, because after the landslides, the box to be uncovered by dirt. The box will show up back on the surface as dirt gets diminished little by little because of the rain. Thinking about how he does things is really scary, it’s better not to make him your enemy or you will bet at the losing side.

“But how will he get out? When you hammered the box with nails?”, I asked because I was confused at that part.

He chuckled, {That’s up to him on how he will get out, if he is really lucky, he will live. That is why I said to him that fate will choose to kill him or not. Knowing that fate is always by his side and his persistence to live will break a way for him to survive}, he said.

“So, you are not sure about it?”

{Yeah, but I believe he will survive}

“So, how do you plan to keep playing when you are just waiting for him to be out his misery?”

{I will be pausing the game for now, I will wait for him until he walks into the surface again}

“Then, what do you intend to do now?”

{Nothing I am satisfied already}

“Then can we go home?”

{Go home}

I look up to the staff and they were smiling faces sticking on them.

“Great, then we will wrap up the game and put it on hold. End it now so we relax now”

{End the game}, the words I want to hear finally went inside my ears.

“Ending the game!”, Min Min shouted. “Completed!”

[Broccoli Puppet] Day 1

Name: Lee Chun Ho

Age: 32 years old

Gender: Male

[Conclusion : On Hold]

“The game is ended Jin”

{Great, I need to rest too. The excitement might have worn me down, I feel tired}

“Got it Jin, see you later!”

The transmission was put down and we can finally breathe, I am finally going home after a month of getting stuck here like a rat.

“Okay, wrap it up everyone and make sure there will be no flaws in today’s game so we can avoid death”, I reminded the staff.

“Yes, Sir Chan!”, Min Min replied smiling.

“Then I am off to go”

“Take care, Sir Chan”, one the staff said and they all bowed as I left the playhouse.

[Shin Jin POV]

My head hurts and I feel nauseous. The roaring thunders outside is making me sweat despite the coldness of the atmosphere.

“Master Shin, are you okay?”, the driver ask me.

“Call Butler Ko”, I ordered.

“Yes, Master”

The driver called Butler Ko, “Grand Butler Ko, Master Shin wants to talk to you”, he hands me the phone and my hands were shaking as I took it.

“What is it you want, Master Shin?”, Butler Ko said on the phone.

I gulped and I feel really cold that it’s making me shivers, “Butler Ko, I need you to pick me up and bring the bracelet with you”, I said as I tried my best to stay awake as I was slowly losing my consciousness.

It’s really cold and I am having trouble beating. My heart beats hard that I can hear it beating inside. I wipe my forehead with tissue as I was getting really sweaty.

“Right away, Master Shi-“, I dropped the phone and look up to the dark terrible sky. I was flickering my eyes trying to keep myself awake but I couldn’t have the chance to stand back. I blacked out completely.

[Butler Ko POV]

I hurried to his own room and took out the bracelet from the compartment of his side table. Telling me to bring this, he might be experiencing panic attacks again, I wonder what triggers it this time. Let all the thinking put aside first, I must go to Master Shin right away, he needs this bracelet.

I quickly ran out of the mansion and drive the car to the destination I asked the driver to meet me with.

[??? POV]

“Wake up!”, I heard the voice of my manager.

“Oh, manager! I am really sorry I didn’t mean to sleep. I just rest my head for a bit but I guess I ended up falling asleep, I am really sorry manager!”, I bowed my head to apologize.

“How many part time jobs that you have that you can’t even have time to sleep?”, the manager asked me.

I raised my hands and smiled.

“10!?”, she said then I made another V Shaped on my fingers.

“12!? Wow, such a hardworking person. Enjoy your youth or else you will be regretting all the fun things that a person in your age should do”, she said.

I smiled to her, “I wasn’t born to do fun things”, I look down and I tried to keep my smile.

“Aigoo, you are so pitiful, it’s okay, you can enjoy things after you get successful, just hold on there”, she motivated and I feel energized again.

“Thank you manager . . “, I thanked her as I bowed my head.

“Right, I am off now, take care of the store until the other one arrives, okay? I still have a place to go”, she went out from the store and left.

I sat down and sighs. She’s right I should hold on in order to achieve my dreams, I came far and I am not giving up.

[Chan Yu POV]

I opened my eyes and cold rain pours down on me. The sound of the thunder and the swooshing of the rain made me covered my ears.

“Mom, where are you?”, I said with a really weak voice.

I stood up with all my strength and search my surrounding. I was surrounded by big trees and dark skies. Fear was getting up from below ready to consume me inside. I look back and saw a little girl running towards me. She grabs my hand and run along with me, she was smaller than I am and she was dress like a noble. I feel relieved as someone holds my hand knowing that I am not alone in the cold place. I think she is my princess in shining armor.

We hid behind a tree and crouched. I looked at her face was but it covered with a black color. She gestured not to make any sound then she looked out. I followed her and stayed quiet.

“I think we are safe”, the little girl said.

“What is it?”, I asked her.

“It’s the monster”, she said quietly.

I hear loud footsteps and the ground was shaking every time the monster step. I feel so scared that I don’t want to dare to peek it all. I was breathing heavily and fear was covering me. Then I heard a voice of an angel.

“Don’t worry oppa, I won’t leave you alone, I will protect you”, she said to me.

“You promise?”

“Yes, I promise. I will be right by your side”, her face was covered in black but I can tell that she was smiling.

“I should be the one to protect you”, I said.

“Then let us protect each other”

“Okay, let us protect each other’s back”

We sealed the promise with a pinky swear and the fear that was covering me was lifted.

“In times like this, we must be strong and rely on each other”, she said.

“Yes, I should be brave just like you”

She opened her bag and took something from the inside.

“Here, a gift for our companionship”, she gave me a doll.

“What is this?”

“It’s panda, it’s you”

“Me?  It doesn’t look me at all?”

“No silly, I mean the panda is like you, cute but strong. Pandas are known of being cute but also is a strong creature and that is who you are”, she explained.

“Then, you are a panda too”

“We are both Pandas!”, we laugh together.

“What is your name?”, I ask

“My name is-“, a terrible incident visited us.

Suddenly a big black hand took her before she can even say anything., “Noo!”, I shouted.

The monster took her away, I tried to catch up but I think they are getting farther and father even if I run hard. I was panting hard but I didn’t give up chasing them. No matter how fast I run, I couldn’t make any progress, moments passed and they disappeared. I was panting heavily and my knees are too weak that they are about to give up. I fell in the dirt still gripping the doll on the wet doll on my hand.

I suddenly remembered our promise to protect each other. I stood up and picked up the doll and continued to follow the route the monster taken.

“Where are you going child?”, I suddenly stopped as I heard the familiar voice that makes me shivers.

I gulped and turned around. Fear was multiplying inside me, they were tearing me apart.

“Boy, when your mother asks you, you should answer back”, she said as she slowly put her long hands on my face.

“I didn’t raise you to be a stubborn child,  you are supposed to be a child of wonder but instead you became a disobedient child who can’t even follow his mother”, she stretched her neck and her black face is getting near my face. I feel horrified that I can’t move, I gripped harder on the doll and it gave me strength not to be scared.

I can’t breathe, and I feel that my body was getting crushed. It hurts, I want to run but I can’t. She drags me away with her long hands and I was scraped by the wet dirt and stones. She lifts me up and throws me away in a deep hole.

As I was falling, all I can think of is the little girl who I made promises with.

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[End of Act 1: Episode 8 (Final) – The Girl]

[Next Episode – The New Game]