Grey or Gray? Well, it doesn't matter really

Author's Note: I am going back through my chapters and going to correct some grammar issues and misspelling some words. I also want to apologize for using wrong honorifics, I will rectify this.

The denizens of South Korean citizens, tourists, and foreigners are bustling in the capital city Seoul. Fortunately for them, the Sun is up and early, and it's beaming rays are illuminating the streets. It is a beautiful day, life is good, and it's a perfect day for children to be playing in the park. Or so I thought.

I was exiting the same bathroom I usually freshen up after my subway commute, I made my way to the same exit out of the station, and I walked past the same people who are sleeping on the linoleum floor with cardboard boxes as their mattresses. And also, drowning out the noisy kids on and off the subway train.

Walking the same path to your job tends to blur your perspective a bit. I turned my darkened gazes away from them and I made my way to the stairs. Seoul's sunlight has graced me as I exited Gangnam subway.

*I'm in the mood for some cheese danish and a ham sandwich to start my day before I go to the theater*

Wait- there's a random chick coming at my way, she could work on her balance if she's going to crash into me.... WAIT, she is going to crash into me.

"Gotcha, are you alright, Miss? " I spoke. I turned my head down and see who is this person in my arms.

She wore a blue sundress with polka dots and flowers, some nice flat forms, and an amber-ambient type of sunglasses. The petite girl quickly bounced back to her feet and then bowed to the older man to show some respect. She is also accompanied by another girl who has really striking features on their face and have really pleasant raven black hair. Not as good as mines, but I give credit where it's due. Her gaze is fixated on the annoyed old man. The raven haired woman is wearing a white button-up shirt with long sleeves, some black stockings, and a modest skirt that reaches to her knees. As for the old man... he looks rather auspicious underneath his furious eyes.

He has some odd choices of attire, no button-ups don't usually come with that many pockets. And also, who taught this man to steal? His right hand is concealing something brown, it looks like a purse or some sort.

"TCH, don't stand in the middle of the sidewalk, tto-rhai." The peculiar old man remarked. As soon he walked past me, I noticed the stolen purse and calmly snatched it without him noticing.

"I'm very sorry I bumped into you, and I also thank you for catching me." The petite girl smiled.

"Excuse me miss, I believe this belongs to you? I think you dropped this." I presented the brown purse and her eyes lit up.

"Yes! That is mine, oh my gosh, thank you!" The petite girl brushed off her brunette hair and took her purse back, she later placed it in her bag.

"It is no trouble really," I warmly smiled, earning a blush from the petite. The raven-haired chick has an amused look.

"We have to get going, we have to get ready if we want front row seats to the concert Hyo-joo." Her dark haired companion replied.

"Ah, of course, Minji. By the way, thank you again uh-" Hyo-joo trailed off.

"It is no trouble, please excuse me, I must make my leave." I bowed, and I made my leave to the coffee shop, leaving the two girls confused as they gave each other puzzled looks.

.o0o.

The cheese danish was delicious, but the ham and cheese sandwich never fails to impress me. I'm not much of a coffee guy, the aftertaste of cocoa messes with my taste and breath. I rarely drink it, however, my coffeeholic co-workers down 2-3 cups per day. Furthermore, I never understood how people can be hooked onto something so distasteful. How does coffee manage to have the reputation of being a "drug"? There is always tea for an alternative, but preaching something against the common notion would be a waste of time, and it would be for naught. It's useless.

Both tea and coffee have caffeine, both drinks can jumpstart your day, and one of those drinks won't be much of a nuisance to you. Coffee drinkers have this lingering breath of cocoa, it's this horrid odor that messes with my senses. Why? Because caffeine has this chemical property that slows down saliva production and dries your mouth, leaving only the smelly odor. And if you are one of these coffee-breathers, please don't lean too close to someone and talk to people. It is unbecoming to not be mindful of your own hygiene. Now tea can have caffeine properties in them, however, only a few have smelly properties such as black tea. Oolong tea has much better health benefits and it does not have that smelly after-breath. Which is why making your cup of tea is more important than waiting in a 15-30 minute queue for some cup of coffee. And now, this whole thing screams irony.

I exited the shop and made way to my job site, where I am contracted to add finishing touches to a concert venue. All they need is some tests on the light fixtures, the stage must be tidied up, and making sure nothing is in the way for the performers at backstage. And I'll be able to get my moneys worth by the end of it. I pushed up my black-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of my nose. I know this will be all worth it in the end, all I need to do is to complete my job and I will be on my merry way. Nothing nor no one will get in my way.

Speaking of people with poor hygiene...

A man is trudging towards me. It looks like he has a baseball bat behind him. He stopped and then nodded in a different direction, swaying me from my destination. Looks like that contract will have to wait, I wonder what this guy wants from me now.

We made our way to a secluded park. It looks like he won't be dismissing his bat anytime soon. It looks like he isn't much of a talker with that.

"Do you know who I am, Akira Khuzwayo?" The bat-wielder smiled. Too bad his mouth didn't reach his eyes. I was about to feel safe around him.

"Yes, you are chisaui Hyun. You were involved in a fight with somebody with whom you had a disagreement. They started to retaliate by stabbing your left shoulder multiple times until it ceased functioning. However, your right arm wasn't out of commission, so you caved their skull in with your bat. Your influence over these parts has built you a reputation as being a gatekeeper and a man that expects tributes from whomever he deems fit. Your deadly background has painted you the 'Deadly Striker on the Plate', hence your moniker. " I continued, "and to top things off, it looks like you have the police in your pocket. It is futile to let the police know of your past sins. Because to everyone else, you are feared."

Hyun is wearing a long green trench coat that reaches to his knees, his left arm is dangling by his side, and a stained white t-shirt with some pants. He has brown hair and black eyes. His black eyes was not too subtle about eyeing my wallet that is sticking out of my blazer.

He let out a bellowing laugh. I don't recall making a joke that pertains to humor.

"Drop the formalities, please take a seat next to me boy," I merely stood there with my apathetic look on. Can he take a hint?

"Sit down next to me, kid." It's obvious that he never went to parties. He doesn't know how to read the room. I sat down next to him, my annoyance was starting to show.

"How old are you, Akira?" Hyun the greatest tto-rai. I would call him the greatest nut job ever. However, that implies he's got the stones. Spoiler alert, he definitely does not have any.

"20 and adult, Hyun nim."

"Whoa! For an outsider, you sure know your manners when it is appropriate. I tell ya, kids these days don't know how to respect their elders. You on the other hand can set an example for the poor brats that stumble around here. Now you see, Akira, there are rules for a healthy friendship between the two parties. First off, you must treat others the way you want to be treated. Secondly, you must be understanding of your friend's circumstances, never question their motives. Finally, helping your friends who are in need. And I need you to hand over something to me. So help me here Akira~." Hyun kept on droning on about these empty platitudes of friendship. I doubt anyone would want to be friends with you.

"Pardon me, is there something I can help you with?" Hyun grasped the bat's handle and pushed it against my right cheek. Something tells me, he didn't like that question.

"WHO THE HELL GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO TALK BACK TO YOUR BOSS HUH? I KNOW YOU ARE LOADED WITH CASH, THAT PART TIME JOB OF YOURS PAYS WELL. SO, FORK IT OVER!" Hyun clumsily rummaged through my blazer's inside pockets for my wallet. Too bad for him, I already spent all my physical wons. Get with the digital age, people are using e-cards.

"I hate to break it to you, but I do not have your cash. I've already paid off my cash to another source. So, I will ask you to let me go and give me my wallet back." I coldly stated.

"Hey, you dirty foreigner," this idiot is trying to shake my wallet down, hoping for some cash to fall out. "You are not slick, I've studied as much as you have but I haven't gotten the chance to take tests at school. Come on, kid, hand it over, or I'll take it by force."

"Hyun nim... I am not fond of the idea of repeating myself. As for my aforementioned payment, I already paid off my cash to another source," I lifted my head up to meet his furious gaze, only my glasses were holding back my grey-stern gaze. "Would you kindly stop making me repeat myself for the third time-"

Hyun had tried to take my head off with his wooden bat. I leaned my body back to dodge the strike. He's already at two, so it'd be wise of him to not go to the third strike.

"Sibal geseki byungshit!" Hyun spat out. He started to march towards me and readied his bat for another swing. I slowly walked backwards to another bench. This time he looked a bit shorter from my perspective. Perfect.

"Before you swing at me, I'd like to inform you of what is about to happen." That got him to stop. He was giving me a confused, yet angry look.

"You tryna to live? If you got no money, don't bother opening your mouth, dickhead!" Hyun yelling is starting to get on my nerves.

"You know that isn't a toy, right? Your bat, it is not worth mentioning, but here you are with it. There are more gruesome ways to die. Yet you chose a baseball bat, it screams of a time when you used to play baseball. Once upon a time, you grew fond of the sport, but the painful memories never stopped coming. Your father was a piss-poor excuse of a man, shoveling the family's money for some betting. And whenever he lost, he took out his frustrations on you. His favorite weapon was using the bat to break down the door and hit you until you passed out." This has enraged Hyun, he is charging steadfast towards me with a bat. I backed up until I bumped into something behind me. Since you like opening your mouth so much Hyun, I think it can stay that way.

Permenantly.

"Since you swung twice and missed, your life has ended-," I began.

"Shut your DAMN mouth! You will die here, in a pool of your own blood!! Die, you filthy outsider!" Hyun screeched.

"once you picked up that bat." I finished. At the moment, Hyun had his bat ready to cave my skull in. Unfortunately for him, he did not pay attention to his surroundings, his foot was caught in a open hole. This was my cue to slide out of the way. His last moments was him yelling, a look of brief surprise, a loud cracking of bones, and then death.

His forehead scuffed the water fountain. And then, a meaty thud resounded from the concrete, his head bounced off the concrete. The water fountain will be his resting place. I let out a sigh and picked up my belongings: my cards, a photo, some coins, and my stage id for my theater contract.

"In your brief final moments, your own decision became your undoing, your path to riches was the cornerstone to your death. So I will let you know now, I've been tipped off on your planned misdeeds for me. You have done a great service to society, by ridding yourself from society. No healthy human beings ever wake up to the thought of murder for their own selfish gain, you were so far gone from ever being human." I readjusted my black blazer and dusted off my light-blue jeans. I made a note to change my shoes when I arrive to my workplace.

"Anyone would have made an effort to preserve something precious as life, you on the other hand take them. I've kindly asked you to not make me repeat myself for a third time. Your lunacy has given me more trouble than your bat and it was futile to reason with you. It was useless. Useless, just useless."