Dark Blue - 深蓝の魂 by 珊


Chapter 23

Mike and Li Ann stepped off the train and made their way through the crowd out of the train station. Li Ann tiredly looked both ways, unfamiliar with the streets. Mike was just as tired. They had been traveling all day, and now it was beginning to darken in Pusan. Somehow there seemed to be a bond between them, as they both felt worn out and heavy.

“Do you want to find a place to stay first?” Mike turned to Li Ann with his question. Although she looked tired, she shook her head no.

“Let’s just find your niece first, it’s not that dark yet,” Li Ann replied as she picked up her little backpack. They checked the address once again, then started off down the busy street where luminous lights hung over the light poles. It was like a festival. It was like walking through a lithe dream as they strode down the street market.

Li Ann came to a halt when she saw the numbers on a building. It was the numbers in the address. She had guessed right. The place would be near the train station. The old building seemed to be littoral when there was no water near by. It seemed deserted and run down.

“Is this it?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” Li Ann responded with a glance to him. Mike walked on ahead in front of her into the old building. He guessed it had been an old apartment unit, no longer in use.

“Li Ann, what room number?” Mike asked from over his shoulder. Li Ann quickly glanced down at the piece of paper in her hand.

“104 B.” They continued to walk up the long staircase hallway that led to the second floor. Mike looked at the doors, tightly locked closed. He wondered if his niece would have been living in a place like this, and why had he not known about her. There were a few doors that were seemed to be made of molybdenum and cold as ice. It looked more like a prison. The smell was hardly bearable to Li Ann.

“This is the room,” Mike said as he stepped out of the way. Li Ann moved up to the door and slightly knocked. There was no reply for second. She knocked again, this time louder. Still there was no answer. After a few minutes, Mike decided to pull Li Ann out of the hallway, afraid that she might faint from the intoxicating smell.

“It’s probably the wrong address,” Li Ann implied once they were outside.

“I don’t know,” Mike replied back.

“Do you want to come back tomorrow morning?” Li Ann asked. A noise clanked from a few meters off. Both turned their attentions to the little back alleyway behind the building. Female and male voices were heard. Mike slowly walked towards the invisible people conversing.

“Mike...” Li Ann called out after him quietly. He didn’t reply. He kept on walking closer and closer to the alleyway until he was completely gone. Li Ann got to her feet and paced herself after him. She stopped when she saw Mike’s back, facing a bunch of teenagers who were lounging around in the alleyway. A few of the young boys were smoking and most of the girls were dressed in baggy jeans and tanks. Some were squatting, some were leaning on the walls, and some were just standing with their arms crossed like the leader. They looked more of a gang. Li Ann swallowed back the lump in her throat.

“Ask them for Dahye,” Mike whispered to her. Li Ann looked at him and remembered he was a ghost, therefore only she could see and hear him. She had to do this on her own.

“Um, excuse me...” Li Ann stammered out. All their heads turned towards her. They blank stares questioned her authority.

“Hey lady, you ain’t here to collect rent money are you?” one of the boys shouted with a snicker from the background. The grouped joined him and started laughing.

“No, I’m....I’m looking for Lee Dahye,” Li Ann announced. A few of them stopped laughing.

“Dahye? Why?” one of the boys in front asked as he crossed his arms.

“It’s important. This concerns her uncle Lee Mike,” Li Ann stated clearly. They all ignored her and continued to talk to each other, laughing and joking around. Li Ann turned to Mike for help. He looked stuck too.

“Hey! Please tell me if any of you guys know where I can find Lee Dahye?!” Li Ann shouted once again to the crowd. A small pair of hands squeezed herself out of the few boys standing in the center of the alleyway.

A young skinny girl wearing baggy torn blue jeans and a red tank top stepped out. Her hair was partly braided and half tied into a bun. She wore a red bandana on her right arm and had an attitude of a bull.

“I’m Dahye, what do you want?” asked the young girl. She didn’t look much younger than Li Ann.

“I’m Kim Li Ann, and I need to talk to you,” Li Ann said. Mike was still trying to absorb the fact of seeing his lost niece.

Dahye looked back to her friends, then backed at Li Ann. She kept chewing her gum as she tapped her foot impatiently.

“About what?” Dahye asked.

“Your uncle.”

“What uncle? I don’t have any relatives. Sorry lady, you got the wrong person,” Dahye said dully as she started to walk back. Li Ann pulled her elbow to stop her. Dahye turned around a bit surprised. Li Ann moved her hand and stepped back.

“Please, it’s important,” Li Ann asked. Dahye thought momentarily with brisk silence. She turned around to face her group. Li Ann thought she was going to be ignored again.

“Hey, I’ll be back later,” Dahye shouted as she turned around to face Li Ann again. She started to walk off the opposite direction away from her group. Li Ann guessed this meant to follow her.

Dahye led Li Ann away from the dirty neighborhood there and out to a promenade like street where she stopped by a store to buy a soda. She offered Li Ann one.

“So what’s this gotta do with me? I mean, who are you?” Dahye asked once they were sitting down at a bench. Mike stood behind the bench as he waited for Li Ann to explain everything to Dahye.

“Okay, listen carefully. This is very important. You had an uncle named Lee Mike, he died a few weeks ago. He was killed by his wife because she wanted his money, but since you are Mike’ niece, you inherit all the money and corporation, since he didn’t write a will before he died. Now his wife Ji Yun and a guy named...”

“Hwanhee,” Mike answered.

“Hwanhee, is trying to find you. Once they do, they’re going to make you sign a paper that consists you to give all the money to Ji Yun. If you don’t, they may kill you,” Li Ann explained, nearly out of breath by her last sentence.

Dahye stared back at her blankly. A few seconds later, Dahye started laughing out loudly. She looked at Li Ann’s serious face and couldn’t believe what Li Ann was telling her.

“Hey lady, are you okay? Are you on drugs or something?” Dahye chuckled.

“I’m not joking,” Li Ann said defensively.

“I don’t have an uncle,” Dahye cut in.

“But you did have a grandfather, right?”

“I did,” Dahye shrugged. “But it’s not like he cares about me or anything. Geez lady, what does this have to do with me? I have no uncle, and I don’t know you, so just tell me what you really want and leave okay?”

“I just told you what I wanted to say,” Li Ann simply replied.

“And why do you know all this? Are you related to my grandfather or something?” Dahye asked as she stood up.

“No, I’m just a friend...” Li Ann replied gazing down to the floor.

“Just a friend? Ha, sure, your story is really good. Thanks for wasting my time. Bye,” Dahye said rudely before she started walking.

“Dahye! Listen to me, if I tell you another thing, you won’t believe me,” Li Ann pleaded. She couldn’t believe Dahye’s stuck up attitude was so hard to get through.

“What?” Dahye stopped and turned around to face her.

“Your uncle is right here– he’s a ghost, and I’m helping him,” Li Ann explained frankly. Dahye’s stare was even more lost now as she didn’t know whether to laugh or get angry at Li Ann. She took a deep breath.

“Look, I have a hard life enough already alright? I don’t need some person who doesn’t know me to be lying to me about stupid things like this. Just leave me alone.”

“Dahye, please, you have to believe me. If you don’t come with me–...”

“Then what? What’s going to happen huh?” Dahye asked with a chuckle.

“Then Hwanhee and Ji Yun will find you and they’ll kill you!” Li Ann shouted in frustration. Dahye shook her head with sympathy.

“Look, if you come back with me, I promise you that you will inherit all your uncle’s wealth. It’s solely to you only, that’s why Ji Yun is so eager to get it. By the way I see it, you need the money now right? And why would I travel all the way from Seoul just to lie to you?”

Dahye stopped as she stared at Li Ann’s face. There was something in Li Ann’s eyes that told her she wasn’t lying. Perhaps a little crazy, but definitely not lying. Dahye chewed her gum back and forth between her teeth as she continued to stare at Li Ann.

“So...if I come with you, how much do I get?” Dahye asked as she raised her chin with interest.

“I don’t know the exact amount–...”

“9 million,” Mike cut in. He crossed his arms aggravated.

“But it’s around 9 million,” Li Ann smiled at Dahye.

“Plus the corporation and all of my grandfather’s remaining wealth,” Mike added.

“Plus the corporation and all of your grandfather’s remaining wealth,” Li Ann added to Dahye.


Dahye and her group of friends huddled as she explained to them the deal she was getting. Li Ann looked from afar with a bit of hope that Dahye would say yes. She turned to Mike, who had his hands resting in his pant pockets, gazing up at the stars, waiting along with Li Ann.

“There’s really 9 million of yours?” Li Ann asked in amusement.

“12 to be exact, but I just said 9 to make it more reasonable,” Mike shrugged without looking at her. Li Ann’s eyes widened as she couldn’t believe how much Mike had earned in his short lifetime period. No wonder Ji Yun was so aggressive to carry on her plans to get the money.

Dahye walked back to Li Ann with the same blank expression she had when they’d first met. She stopped shortly in front of Li Ann and pursed her lips together.

“If anything happens to me, my family over there will make sure you receive the first blessings of death,” Dahye stated as she looked back to her group. They were all standing proudly around as they watched Dahye and Li Ann. Li Ann smiled and nodded understandingly.

“Fine with me,” Li Ann shrugged. Mike smiled at her boldness.

“When do we leave?”