A DISCOVERY

( 2 HOURS AGO )

After an hour of chitchatting with these intriguing, unique women, Hugh discovered himself feeling quite giddy. Whether positively or negatively, he couldn't be certain.

And scene, whilst Hugh was laughing with the giggling women, Hunter excused himself to the restroom. Hugh was too preoccupied, he was attracted to them. Great for him.

Anyhow, the high-rise in of itself was quite exquisite, luxurious. As he exited the lounge to the corridor, the antiqued ambiance reaped a nuanced sense down Hunter's lane.

There weren't a lot of people, it was despondent.

Hunter seeped in a huge breath, and walked into the male's restroom, the male restroom being as exquisite and luxurious, and was despondent, too.

In front of the running faucet, Hunter spaced out and washed his hands vigorously as if there was something on them that wouldn't come off no matter how many times he washed.

He went on for about an unhealthy minute.

His skin could blister.

Then he stopped, fishing out a small transparent tube from his inner jacket, the tube rattling like pills. He shook one out and swallowed it, and calmly exited the restroom as if nothing happened.

Strange.

Very, very strange.

There was nothing in his hands, why did he wash them so vigorously?

And those pills, those were tranquilizers. Drugs.

What on earth for?

It appeared Hugh had no idea about this, Hugh was never unkempt, always composed and never required petty drugs such as tranquilizers. Tranquilizers in the underworld would be considered child's play, due to them being commonly medically prescribed by doctors.

Everybody knew that going to the doctors automatically makes you a pussy.

As Hunter was halfway with returning to the lounge, where he must take his leave whereas the time for the meeting was ending and he escaped in the midst of the farewell ceremony— as if he was counting the time in his head.

How anti-social can he be?

Hunter was about to reel to his left, but, interestingly, he paused when he discerned hasty footsteps of a woman's heels, echoing through the corridor. Passing by him and not seeing him in the dark of the restroom's outtrance.

It was her, the Asian woman with the chestnut haircut.

Hunter almost journeyed right past her due to his disinterest, but—

"Mrs. Choi, please wait!" It seemed the host, what was her name? June Something? June was chasing after her.

Leena must be in a hurry. And Leena halted, not turning around for a common courtesy as would be appropriate for her class, flaunting her flimsy back.

"Yes?" She curtly replied as if she had been caught shoplifting and was desperately trying to not show her face. Even so, based on what Hunter could see from afar, Leena's expression was— of a professional level of serenity.

Impressive.

Hunter waited for them to go, it was only polite. But, they did not go any time soon. They were stalling around. Tsk.

June was preparing herself into a decent posture, no longer chasing, standing there neatly in her heels and pencil skirt, neat hair tied in an updo. "About your infertility, Mrs. Choi, why did you not mention such a vital part to the Oblonskys?"

'Oh?' Hunter jerked an eyebrow, engrossed.

"Pardon?" Leena finally turned over her shoulders, expression the same. Apathetic, composed. She finally turned because she realized she had been in the clear? What had she stolen? Leena acted quite guilty, huh. Hunter thought.

"Your infertility, ma'am."

"Can't it be kept a secret?" Of course, it can. However oddly though, why would you? When you can tell the men who will be fucking you that you can never get pregnant, why would you keep it a secret? Are you a sadist?

"I am afraid secrets are not allowed in the contract." June had some expressions on her face, as for Leena, like a robot, she did not find June's questions at all concerning.

"What if I tell them? Just not now?"

"That is allowed," June said. Taking it as her cue to go, Leena bowed her head a tad bit, an Asian habit, perhaps. Bidding her farewell and trotting in the opposite direction. "Why is it that you wish to not tell them?" How nosy, June, but appropriate.

"Because it would be funny if they thought they got me pregnant, and it turns out I'm not and never will be?" Leena giggled, like one would giggle to their own joke, albeit its darkness.

Huh.

What broke Leena to be so doll-like? Why had it not crossed Hunter's mind, in that lounge with her for hours on end, how unconventionally regulated and doll-like Leena was? Her impression did not appear real, it was ethereal, so she was and could be easily snubbed in the corner of one's focus.

Hunter was the type to withhold any detail no matter how small.

Therefore, what went wrong with her? How had Leena Choi get snubbed into the corner of his focus?

"…" June fell silent.

Hunter fell silent as well.

"Mrs. Choi, I do not believe that is funny."

"It's not?" How twisted and unhinged, the gradual smile at the corner of her lips being driven by perplexity and disappointment, scowling after being rejected of her humor.

Leena was unaware of how creepy she sounded, humoring her infertility like that. It was almost as if she was proud of it.

Or, if Hunter wished to assess it more ethereally: Leena was too far gone to even be able to depart between normality and abnormality.

He felt a sense of similarity upon eavesdropping on Leena's conversation, a fucked up kind of similarity.

It popped a bitter taste on his tongue, and he fancied it, fancied how Leena Choi, whoever the fuck she was, had the audacity to end up so remote. He hadn't an ounce of why his fruition advised him to explore more of her, but it did, and he decided to listen to it.

This was about fun, after all. Right, Hugh?

Why shouldn't he break her? Break her by welcoming her to a new concept of abnormality.

Let's see if there are any unbounded limits to her doll-like persona.

Thank you, Hugh. Just as Hunter thought this was hopeless, he had found a toy in the store suitable for him after all.

The "normal" world really had everything, huh. Hunter underestimated it.