Episode 14 #3
“On some days. He could revert, if he had to. Richard enjoys food. He still feels guilt now and then for what we spend on it.”
“So how are you still a good person?”
“Joy, I think. Or perhaps the belief in joy.” émeric tilted his head.
“After Enzo passed, it was difficult to access, but I still believed in it as a concept. Greed comes from fear. Cruelty doesn’t exist in the same space as a belief that all humans deserve a chance to create joy for themselves.
You can’t be in love with the sunshine at the same moment you’re trapping someone else in the dark. ”
“That’s…” Jun paused. Bak Gyeong had certainly never believed in joy. He did believe in fear. “That makes a disgusting amount of sense. Especially with how you appreciate food and art.”
émeric did that head to the side movement again, his lips tilted up a little. “So what are you afraid of? What got you out of bed?”
“Telling the Merchari off like this. Not just cooperating. What if it goes wrong? What if they go after someone else because of me to make a point?”
“None of this is because of you. They’d be doing it because of their greed. You didn’t ask to be born to your father. You didn’t ask to become Bak Gyeong’s pawn. All you’re doing is saying no.”
“I’d still feel responsible.”
“Because you’re a person who cares about others. They’re betting on you feeling responsible. Good people get trapped because bad people point guns at other people. Someone, at some point, has to say no.”
“This is why you don’t negotiate with terrorists.”
émeric shook his head. “All too often we do, we just try not to call them terrorists when we’re doing it.
But that only breeds more. Remember your worth.
Not everyone else’s first, yours . Your worth to me, to Damian, to Collin, to Richard, to the rest of 5N, to your fans.
The Merchari isn’t sending down edicts from a throne.
They’re negotiating. With bullets, perhaps, but it’s still a negotiation.
Don’t give them power they don’t have. That just means they collect more power to threaten someone else.
That’s how dictators start. They collect a little power and threaten someone who gives in, then collect a little more, and a little more, until they can threaten bigger and bigger institutions.
The Merchari operate on two things, fear and greed.
Fear for those who they threaten with consequences of not giving them services, goods, etcetera, and greed, all those people like Bak Gyeong or that police chief who think the Merchari will help them get what they want. Don’t give them your power.”
Jun’s lips twitched. “No, I make Damian earn that.”
émeric chuckled. “Bullies are afraid of risk. The Merchari are bullies. They’ll squish who they have to for appearances.
But they’d rather not have to flex their power.
It’s a risk each time they do. It’s better for business if people like you give in, give them money, make them more powerful without making a fuss. ”
“Talking to me at all is a risk.”
“Yes.” émeric studied Jun over the rim of his tea cup and took a sip, savoring it for a moment.
Then he set it down. “You’re in the public eye.
You’ve given testimony. You have a case and you have allies.
They should have let you walk away thinking that it was a small time scheme between Bak and an official.
They’re probably feeling the effects of the loss of your father as an operative, but you and Damian got ahead of them on that.
Your story is already official and documented.
The assets are already seized. All they have on you is a flimsy murder charge and whoever they can manipulate to make that stick.
Remember, it’s just a charge, not a sentence. ”
Jun lifted his chin. “Sometimes I forget that.”
“Don’t. Your world isn’t small, Jun. You’re not isolated like you were.
In a way, you were never as isolated as they hoped.
You’re the one who picked Damian. The one who kept finding ways to see him, who asked the questions.
With or without us, they were never going to hold you, not forever.
We make you stronger, but you wouldn’t be here without you.
Think of it this way, if you don’t stop them now, how many more trainees are going to be sold, just like you? ”
“Knowing what I know now, with all the numbers I’ve run with Collin for the Church, and working with the guys on how to make a tour happen, just the finances for dropping a comeback, looking up finances for other bands, I keep thinking, why didn’t anyone notice?
I’ve only been working at this for a couple of months.
The people who understood business, why didn’t they notice what Bak was doing?
Because seriously, knowing what I know now, shouldn’t it have been obvious we weren’t getting paid?
Nothing costs as much as he said it did. ”
émeric shook his head. “He didn’t just manipulate you, he manipulated your fans, and the people around him.
He kept information from some and gave the wrong information to others.
And he encouraged plausible deniability.
The nice guy, the friendly guy, the one they have drinks with—it covers a multitude of sins.
People don’t like turning in their own, especially when they don’t have an actual crime. ”
“Remind me to never become a nice guy,” Jun snarked.
émeric’s eyes crinkled up with amusement. “No, you’re my little crime.”
Jun snorted. And blushed. The last of his hot chocolate became suddenly fascinating.
Damian
Damian offered Eleanor a hand down as they both exited the SUV onto the cordoned off street outside the Church. A giant event tent had been set up in the intersection by the front entrance. People were moving back and forth, some setting up, some there just to join the festivities.
“It’s so… big.” Eleanor raised both eyebrows, looking around.
Damian nodded. “Investors, locals, and fans. It is an event.”
May had had the idea to invite food trucks to come and make a food ally after Jun had gotten permission to close the street.
There were a variety of benefits from doing this, not the least of which was opening a discussion with the local officials about having regular street shutdowns for events.
That had started entirely without Damian’s involvement.
Community projects had habits of growing in ways that couldn’t be foreseen.
“I’ll let you get ready,” Eleanor squeezed Damian’s hand goodbye. “Don’t worry, I’ll go make nice with all your investors.”
Damian shot her a tight, grateful smile.
A temporary stage had been set up outside on the street and a local Chicago rock band was up tweaking their sound system.
Outdoor heaters were set out and ready but fortunately didn’t seem like they would be needed.
The food trucks were already selling to a small crowd.
Some enterprising individuals were hawking from blankets and small tables.
They certainly didn’t have licenses, but he wasn’t going to report them.
Shadowed by Timothy, his security, Damian got through the not quite open festivities to the Parsonage.
Cedric met him at the door, armed and ready.
Damian shook his hand and stepped inside.
Rue and Kimbo ran up, hugging him around the waist. He hugged them back.
They were both dressed up, Rue in a big yellow dress with lots of layers and ribbon that made her look like she was popping out of a flower and Kimbo in a smart shirt and vest over black jeans and cowboy boots.
If he had to guess, they’d both had a lot of input concerning their outfits.
Armada came out of the kitchen, Habibi tied up on her back in an African print baby wrap. She’d gone for a slim black slip dress with a high neck and no sleeves. It was elegant and bold against the bright print wrap around Habibi. Someone had done her makeup in gold highlights.
Damian held out his hands to her. “You look stunning.”
She blushed. “émeric helped. I’m just glad it fits. Jun’s upstairs. Mi Hi sent them all away, now that people are arriving.”
“Are you going out?”
“The kids want to see the food trucks and the music. Anna is just finishing up. Don’t worry, Anna’s brothers and father are staying with us.”
“I’m glad they could make it.”
Damian jogged up the stairs. There was no one on the second floor, so he went on to the attic where Jaewoong usually held court with his tech.
5N was all there, dressed in black and silver, each outfit unique but matching the color theme. Yohei and Su-jin were the only ones not wearing leather straps in some way.
Damian took them in. “Well, damn.” A man had to appreciate some well done fashion.
Geun smirked, thumbs in his belt buckle.
He wore large silver rings on almost every finger and on one of his thumbs paired with oversized cargo pants with straps.
Yohei leaned back against Jaewoong’s desk.
His dark mesh shirt rode up, showing a sliver of hollowed out hip bones above wide-legged shimmering black jeans.
Whoever had done his makeup had given him a full mask of black glitter across his eyes and sweeping up towards his hair, like wings.
Su-jin came out from behind him, a black waist cincher holding a billowing poet shirt in place, the throat open down the center.
Knee-high boots and tight black jeans gave the impression of impossibly long slim legs.
Jaewoong laughed at Damian’s expression, looking them all over. He had a leather vest full of straps hanging from his shoulders. Slashed pants and leather bracers on both arms up to his elbows rounded out his look. “Wait till he sees Jun.”
Damian turned around.