Inked Bonds- My Demon

(7) The Deal

Gu-Won's POV

I was in my office, engrossed in the morning routine of making my coffee, when my manager burst through the door.
"Good morning master, so did you think about Yeona's offer?" He asked.
"Yes, it's still a firm no, she texted me yesterday saying that she'll laser off the tattoo, she's threatening a demon!"
Mr. Kim nodded, "Well, don't you smell something burning?"

As soon as he mentioned it, a whiff of charred steak hit my nostrils, "It smells like roasted steak." I smiled.
I glanced around the office space, looking for the source of the burning odor and that's when I noticed it - my own finger!
"You're on fire..I mean your finger!" Mr. Kim rushed towards me and both of us began blowing on my flaming finger.
"Is this spontaneous combustion? Will you burn away?" Mr. Kim cried.
"I don't know.."
"I think the supply of oxygen is fueling the flames!"
"Cut that scientific gibberish and save me!"

Just then, Kira barged in, "Did you get your tattoo back, Director Jeong?" Her eyes widened with fear when she took in the chaotic scene before her.
"Why did you tell her?" I asked Mr. Kim.
"I had to for the sake of my life." He replied & began blowing on my finger again.

Kira grabbed a glass filled with water and splashed onto my flaming finger, dousing the fire.
"What on earth happened here? Are you okay Director Jeong?" Kira asked, still holding the empty glass of water in her hand.
"Spontaneous combus..." Mr. Kim began but I elbowed him.
"Nothing, just a small accident." I smiled.
"Really?" Kira asked.
"Yes, I need to make deals to survive." I took out my phone from my pocket & dialed Yeona's number.
Kira and Mr. Kim circled around me.
"Will you accept her offer?" Mr. Kim said.
"Keep quiet, I want to hear her voice." Kira scoffed.
"Where are you? Are you at home?" I asked as Yeona picked up the call.
"What else do you expect? It's seven in the morning right now." She sounded half asleep.
"I need to see you, I'll come right over." I said & hung up the call.

"What's your plan?" Kira asked.
"I need to make deals, I need to go right now." I hurriedly filled a glass with ice.

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Yeona's POV

I quickly finished getting ready,grabbed my bag and made my way to the parking lot.
To my surprise, Gu-won was already waiting for me there, leaning against his car, he approached him.
"I'll be your bodyguard, Yeona."
"What changed your mind, you were so against it yesterday." I looked at the glass he was holding, he quickly hid it behind his back.
"I thought about it all night & it suddenly hit me that even insignificant things need protection, humans also protect insignificant insects like beetles."
"Are you comparing me to a damn beetle?"
"Both deserve to be protected."
"Something's fishy." But before I could question him further, he dipped his finger into the glass.

Upon noticing my confusion, he kicked the glass away with his leg, tightened his grip on my shoulder and leaned in, "Focus Yeona, we share the same fate right? We're in the same boat."
"Y-yes right, be my bodyguard, can you start from today?"
"Yes but before that we need to be somewhere." He gently grasped my wrist.

In an instant, we were transported to different place. As I glanced around, I realized we were standing on top of some really high building.
"Why did you bring me here!? I'm afraid of heights!" I pleaded, gripping the floor beneath me for my dear life.
"It's the best place to spot mortals who need help." He replied and scanned the city.
"Found one, let's go!"
The next moment, I opened my eyes we were inside a hospital.

Gu-won approached the water cooler and filled a glass, "Hold this for me." He handed me the glass. I clutched the glass in my hand.

We arrived at a room, its door slightly ajar, a woman, desperately crying, knelt beside her daughter's bed. Her trembling hands clutched the blanket, her lips forming silent prayers.
"I'll grant your wish." Gu-won spoke up.
"Who are you?" The woman wiped her tears.
"I'm a demon."
"What?"
"If you sign a deal with me your daughter will be healthy for the next ten years, in exchange you must agree to go to hell after ten years."
I stood there in disbelief, how can he be so cruel.
"I don't know you, how did you even come inside?" The woman turned away, suddenly her daughter started gasping for breath and her pulse was rapidly falling down.

Gu-won tightened his grip on my wrist & snapped his fingers, causing the young girls pulse to stabilize once again.
"How did you..?" The woman looked at him, utterly shocked.
Gu-won snapped his fingers again and a rolled piece of paper appeared in his hand.
"We both are short of time, you must sign the deal if you want your daughter to live a healthy life." He said.
"Will she really live, if I sign the deal?"
"Yes, please be quick or I'll have to choose someone else."
"This isn't right, you're forcing her." I spoke up.
"Stay out of it, Yeona, can't you see I am short of time." I noticed his three fingers were burning, he quickly dipped them inside the glass, I was holding.
"So you're doing this because of your own-"

"Wait, I'll sign the deal but my daughter should live happily, I'm willing to go to places worse than hell, if it cures my baby, I can do anything for her." The mother was desperate to save her daughter's life.

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"Do you know any good cake places?" Gu-won asked as we walked out of the hospital.
"Cake?"
"Yes, I always celebrate a new deal with a cake." He smiled.
"What happens after you burst into flames?"
"I'd burn away."
"That means you'll die."
"Kind of."
"So that's why you make deals, to stop yourself from burning away & you even celebrate it. You really are the devil." I crossed my arms.
"Nothing's free in this world. I get to live eternally in return for granting humans wishes, I'd say that calls for a celebration."
"You're exploiting people's lives, each and every moment of your life is built on the desperation & misfortune of others."
"Why are you so upset? Didn't you see the child dying in pain?"
"Will she ever be happy if she found out that she's surviving at the expense of her mother? You wouldn't be able to understand but humans feel this thing called guilt."
"Humans tend to romanticize inefficient & unnecessary emotions."
"Aren't you late? We should head to the office."
He continued.
"No, I'm not going to use you lest I end up exploiting other's misfortunes."

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In the evening, I was attending a meeting with my client in a lavish restaurant, as I sat there, engrossed in the matters at hand, something caught my attention. I noticed a young girl celebrating her birthday with her parents by her side.
She was the same girl I saw in the hospital, the one whose mother had made a deal with Gu-won in order to save her daughter's life.
Her laughter filled the room, and her parent's faces glowed with happiness and love. It was a contrast to the atmosphere of the hospital room I had visited. For a moment, it felt like Gu-won's deal really helped the young girl and her family even if it was for a short period of time.

"Mom, my wish really came true! I'm so happy!" The young girl giggled.
"Aww...my baby! C'mon blow the candles now." Her mother cheered.
"Yes, our Ae-ri turns ten today!" Her father added.

Watching them, I remembered my very own tenth birthday. My parents canceled all their important meetings and spent the entire day with me, we enjoyed our little picnic in the park, mom prepared my favorite dishes for me and dad gifted me the most beautiful dress I had ever seen.I felt like a royal princess just by looking at it. Just four days after my birthday, we were on our way to a long-awaited vacation when our car suddenly crashed. My parents were taken from me, somehow my brother and I survived, that was the worst day of my life.

A tear rolled down my cheek but I quickly wiped it.
"Ms. Park, are you okay?" Ms. Seo's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Yes, let's conclude this meeting for now, I'll let you know if I'm interested in your products." I politely bowed to the client.