“So… Ming got himself into some trouble with the loan sharks?”
Yuqi sat across from her best friend, Minnie, pressing her lips into a thin line. She stared down at her own hands, nervously rubbing her knees, then her lap, before finally gripping them tight.
Her mind drifted back to the night it all began.
She remembered unlocking the door to Ming’s apartment, slipping off her shoes. Her shift at the café had run long—again. The place was only a short distance from his building, but a long way from hers. She had texted him an hour before clocking out, asking if she could crash at his place and leave in the morning.
He never replied.
Odd, she had thought. But Ming wasn’t a quick texter. She hadn't thought much of it.
She remembered stepping inside, calling his name softly as she toed off her sneakers.
The lights were dim. The air was thick—heavy with something she couldn't name.
Then she froze.
Ming was lying on the floor. His face was swollen, bloodied. His lip was split open. Around him stood three men in suits—hard-eyed, silent, intimidating.
And at the centre, crouched low like a predator over its prey, was a man who looked almost too put together for the scene. His tailored coat hung open. His head was tilted slightly, watching Ming the way one might watch a wounded animal.
It was a small, perfect kind of horrifying.
“Yeah…” Yuqi finally answered, gripping her knees. “He said it was an investment gone wrong.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised since he borrowed money from Ezra Xu,” Minnie said, leaning forward and stressing the name. “That man is one of the most ruthless loan sharks around. He doesn’t play when it comes to his money. Either Ming’s stupid or arrogant enough to think that man is generous enough to overlook ‘an investment gone bad.’” She shook her head. “How much does he owe him?”
Yuqi fidgeted before answering, “1.3 billion won.”
Minnie choked on a laugh that was almost a sob. “1.3 BILLION—yeah, he’s cooked. No—deep fried, burnt, incinerated, you name it. What kind of business was he investing in that needed 1.3 billion won?!”
“He was tight-lipped about it,” Yuqi admitted. “Said he’d tell me once it took off.”
“Well, his ‘business investment’ left him in deep debt; there is no way he can even begin to pay that back without selling organs on the black market.”
A cold idea rose in Yuqi’s throat. Her hands trembled. “What if…” she started, voice so small it might not have reached the furniture, “what if I help him? Pay the debt, I mean.”
Minnie arched an eyebrow. “How? Your salary from the café won’t cover it. Even with a second job—”
“Well…” Yuqi blurted, each word a cliff-edge. “Would offering myself be enough?”
Minnie’s eyes widened. “What do you mean you ‘offered yourself’?”
Yuqi swallowed. “I… I offered myself in exchange for clearing Ming’s debt.”
A beat of silence.
Then—
“In the name of fuck, WHAT?!” Minnie exploded.
Yuqi flinched. "Okay. I know it sounds bad—"
“Yuqi. Bestie. You know I love you, right? You're the little sis I wish I had. But respectfully with my full chest: WHAT THE FUCK?!”
"I know, Minnie. I know. This is the only way.“
“By pimping yourself out to this guy?”
Yuqi’s face burned. “You’re making it sound worse than it already is.”
“That’s because it is!” Minnie shot back.
“Well, I don’t see you coming up with better solutions. And don’t you dare mention walking away. I am not abandoning him.”
Minnie exhaled and opened a bottle of whiskey, pouring two glasses.
"You think I'm stupid, don't you?" she asked quietly.
“No, no, no. I don't think you're stupid,” Minnie said, setting the other glass in front of her. “You are stupid. There's a difference.”
Yuqi slumped back into the couch. “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Hey. I may be your ride or die, but we don't advocate for stupidity and dumb decisions in this household.”
“But you know how much I care about him.”
“I know you care about him, Yuqi.” Minnie took a slow sip. “Can’t really say the same about him, though.”
Yuqi frowned. "What’s that supposed to mean? You doubt Ming's feelings for me?"
“Oh, I don't doubt his feelings for you. It just seems like you care more about your relationship than he does.”
Yuqi didn’t deny it. She couldn’t.
“Look, I know you don’t like him—”
“I like him enough. I just don’t respect him.”
“He’s made mistakes. He deserves a second chance––.”
“That’s the thing,” Minnie put down her glass, her frustrated gaze fixed on Yuqi. “You’ve given him multiple chances, and he hasn’t learned a damn thing. You’re basically the only one carrying your relationship while he’s being a backseat passenger.”
Yuqi opened her mouth but closed it soon after. She didn’t argue against that.
“Does Ming even know about this 'deal' you want to make with Ezra?” Minnie asked.
Yuqi shook her head, avoiding Minnie’s gaze. "No. I… I haven't told him, and I don’t plan to. I don't know how he'll react."
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