Eunha laid on her comfortable bed as she keyed in Sojung's number. Hesitantly, she entered KakaoTalk and looked for her name. What should i start off? Hello Sojung, i am Eunha... Urgh no that's so lame. Eunha frowned as she typed in her greetings but deleted it repeatedly because she found it lame. Frustrated, she tossed her phone to the side of her bed and burried her face into her pillow. Why is it so difficult to just send a message? Is that the power of Sojung? She makes me feel that i should be more self-concious of myself... She merciliessly pulled her hair continuously and Eunha was pretty sure that the roots of her hair is already loose from all the pulling.

As Eunha was wrecking her brain for a suitable greeting to introduce herself online, she heard a knock on the door before she heard it click open. Sitting up straight, she smooth out her messy hair that was caused due to the inability to create a beautiful greeting. She heard the door shut softly and looked at who it was. A middle aged woman appeared and Eunha smiled, indicating that the middle aged woman was welcomed into the room. 

"Eunha ya." The middle aged woman called out softly as she settled herself down onto Eunha's bed. Eunha tilted her head and waited for the woman to continue her words. "How was today's date? Did Sojung treat you nicely?" The tone from the woman's words showed how much she worried about the outcome today. 

Hearing the name Sojung lit up her face even more. She beamed widely as she typed on her phone. Memories of the date played in her head like a broken MP3 player which made her face turned pink. Eomma.. Sojung treated me nicely and i just noticed that when she smiles, a dimple will appear on the side of her chin! It's so cuteee! She also told me how i should appreciate myself and not look down on myself just because i have a disability. Oh and we were watching the sunset when she told me she had to rush to a place. I thought she was going to dump me after today but she still showed concerned to me. I forgot to bring my scarf today and hence my face was freezing, but she noticed and gave me her scarf. She even helped me put it on and i almost kissed her because our faces was so close to each other. She walked away and i decided to run after her to ask if we could go for another date. But she wasn't sure and she gave me her contact number so that i could ask her later. 

The woman whom Eunha address as Eomma, patted Eunha's head. "Where is the scarf then?" Her mom asked curiously. Eunha looked around her bed and had a slight mini panic attack when she couldn't find it. It was then when she saw it hidding under her blanket. Raising it up, she gave it to her mother who took a look at it. "Keep it well okay? You don't know if this is expensive or it is a memorable scarf. Give it back to her when you see her again." Being an obedient daughter she was, she nodded her head.

"Wait, have you sent her a message?" Her mom asked and that was where Eunha swear she had totally forgotten. She went into full panic mode when she realised she didn't know what to send. Seeing Eunha stressed out, she could not help but chuckle. "I'll help you a little."

Taking Eunha's phone, her mother typed in a few sentence before showing it to her daughter who was peeping. "Okay?" Her mom asked. Hi Sojung, it's Eunha. Is a date tomorrow okay?

Eunha shook her head, hands forming a big cross, showing that she didn't like it. It's too lame. Eunha used hand signals to express how she felt. But unfortunately, her mom didn't take her words and pressed the send button, which sent Eunha into a hysterical mode. It's really lame. what if she is not impressed? Eunha showed using her hands. 

"Eunha," her mom placed both hands on her daughter's shoulders. "You don't have to impress her. People fall in love with ones true self and not a fake one. If she hates your true self you can forget about Sojung." There after, Eunha's mother left the room, letting Eunha digest what she had just told her. 

***

The lingering warmth from Eunha dissipated almost immediately as she walked into the silent neighbourhood. It wasn't a really nice place to live in as this estate were all owned by rich people whom rarely enter their house. Sojung wondered at times: Why buy a house when they pratically live in the office? The estate were all kept clean, as good as new by maids they employed and if Sojung didn't live there for a long time, she would think that it was a museum.

It was quiet. It has always been. There are kids of course, but not many will go out and play because one, there wasn't any playground nearby and two, their parents only allowed them to play in the house. But mostly, they were dragged by their parents to follow them for meetings, showing how they did their work, hoping one day they could quickly pass the company over to their kids. 

That is rather sad. Sojung pitied. She was allowed to go out of house, but Sojung didn't see the need to when she didn't have many friends. It was just school and home for the 23 years of her life.... and to her, her family only consisted of the maids in her house and... her older sister.

Speaking of which, Sojung deliberated if her sister was doing well on her own. She was only 15 when her older sister left the house infront of her. Sojung could remember that day, she went home early, sick of the teacher's nonsense, hoping to get rest for her slight headache. It didn't happen, she saw her sister holding a luggague, preparing to go out of the house, but halted when she saw Sojung. 

"Unnie, where are you going?"

"Far away from this sickening place... I'm sorry Sojung-ie, i can't stay with you anymore."

"What? Why? Unnie, Mom told us to stay together! If you go, i will also follow you!" Sojung grabbed the wrist of her sister's tightly, preventing the latter from moving anywhere. 

"Sojung-ah, you always wish the best for unnie right?" Her sister asked slowly. Sojung nodded.

"Listen, Unnie cannot stand staying here anymore. I would love to bring you out of this hellhole, but i don't have enough money to support both of us, espescially when you are still studying. One day when you graduate finish and i am stable, I will bring you out of this place."

"I can work!" Sojung protested, tears streaming down her face. Her sister was taken aback. In her entire life, she only saw Sojung crying a few times. She wavered. Almost. Wiping Sojung's tear, her sister said, "You weren't suppose to know that i am going to leave today. I have been planning for many years, please Sojung. Let my plan work. Don't tell father that i am leaving. Tell him that i am going overseas for a while. Most of my stuff are still in my room, so it is not suspectable. If you miss me, just go into my room and look around."

"P-please.." Sojung cracked, getting down on her knees. rubbing both her hands together, she begged. "D-don't le-ave me.. Who will comfort me when i need it? Who will entertain me if i am bored... P-plea-se.."

Sojung's sister almost wavered once more, but seeing the door still open, her heart hardened and wa determined to get out. Removing the grip off her wrist, she strode out, resisting the urge to look back, only muttering a soft sorry to the weeping Sojung that could only watch her sister's back figure getting smaller and smaller.

As a familiar sight came to her vision, she sighed and wiped a lone tear that dripped out and walked faster, hoping that ten minutes hadn't gone by. Her mind was in a mess and she needed answers. Sojung stopped right into her tracks, ringing the doorbell so that the gate could open for her to enter. "It's Sojung." She said into the speaker. The gate opened and closed behind Sojung when she walked into the house that suffocated her for many years. 

Maids bowed to her as she walked down the small concrete road. She bowed back in politeness, muttering a soft hello as she passed by each and every maid. "Miss Sojung, Mr Kim is waiting for you." The maid whom she called Ms Lee affectionately told Sojung and guided her into the house. Ms Lee clicked the door open and gestured Sojung to enter. Sojung took a deep breath and looked into Ms Lee's eyes, finding comfort and strenght through that. She bowed to the maid, indicating that she could go and leave the daughter and father alone. The maid understood and bowed back, closing the door behind Sojung.

Once they were by themselves, Sojung fixated her eyes on her father and spoke in a cold tone. "What 'bout Eunha?" 

Her father merely laughed. "Straight to the point as always. But are you going to just stand there? Take a seat. This conversation is going to be a long one." Her father spoke. Sojung heasitated, before sitting down on a sofa beside her father. "How the hell did you know about Eunha?" Sojung asked, the cold tone not wavering a single bit.

Her father locked his fingers on his knees and he leaned forward. "Eunha.. that girl... you have been hanging with her for the past few days. I presume more will come, which is why I am going to tell you something. Do you like her?" 

"So what if i do?"

"Sojung, stop hanging around with her." Her father's tone hardened.

"Why?" Sojung asked.

Instead of replying Sojung, her father merely rang the servant bell and asked her to bring a document on his table. "You can't order me to come back into this house just to tell me to stop being around with her. What kind of logic is that?" Sojung questioned her father. Sometimes, she could not understand her father.

The maid came back with a brown document. Her father waited for the maid to retreat before handing it to Sojung. "Read." he commanded. Puzzled, Sojung flipped open the document to find a photo of Eunha attached to the corner of the paper. Information on where Eunha stayed and about her family were all there. Nothing surprising, Sojung already knew how her father got all those information until one caught her attention.

Brother: Jung Eunguk (1990-2002)

Cause of death: Gunshot. Bled to death.

Sister: Jung Eunji (1991-2002)

Cause of death: Gunshot. Bled to death.

"So?" Sojung asked after she read everything. "Wait... don't tell me, you had relations with the Jung's?"

"As expected, my smart daughter. I had relations with them. It wasn't a nice one." He leaned back onto the posh sofa and continued. "I was their assassinator." 

The truth struck Sojung like a lightning bolt. "Y-you wha-t?" Sojung choked.

"I killed them." Her father repeated the truth calmly.

"W-Why?"

"Eunguk, Eunji and Eunha caught me killing someone. I tried to run after them but they hid somewhere. I was afraid that they might tell anyone, thus I hunted them down and killed them in their house. As for Eunha, I couldn't find her at all, so I let her go, thinking that she was too young to comprehend anything and will most probably forget as she grow up."

Sojung's fist clenched tightly together. She didn't know what to feel. "That is why i don't want to take over the company. All you do is kill people for stupid reasons made by your 'customers'."

"Sojun-" her father called out but was cut off. 

"Have you ever thought about me? What if the person you killed is actually one of my friend's parents? Or the person you killed is my future boyfriend or girlfriend's parents or siblings? What should I tell them? Would they even be my friend after that?" Sojung lashed out at her father. 

"Sojung, listen to me." her father said with calmness, which made Sojung's blood boil. How the hell can he still stay so calm?

"This is why you should stop hanging out with her. Stop communicating with her. If she gets closer to you, she will bound to know sooner." Her father said.

"If i stop getting close to relatives that you killed, i will have became a loner. And the point is that Eunha, she gave me warmth that you couldn't provide. She is extraodinary, I can't shake her off just like that." Sojung stood up.

"I'm sorry-"

"You shouldn't have told me all about this. I don't even know how to face Eunha anymore." 

"Sojung, I just wanted you to know that if you get closer to her, she will know everything even if you don't. That is why i have to tell you first." Her father tried to explain.

"I wished you weren't my father. You have taken Mom away and i will not let you take Eunha away from me. I will never take over that ing business of yours. I don't care if you remove me from the family register after today, but do not touch Eunha. If you do that, the knives and bullets used to kill others would be directed at you." Sojung's tone entangled with coldness like the negative temperature outside. Pushing the door open, she glared at her father, making him flinch a little before regaining his composure.   

"You know when i say it, i mean it."

***

To Sojung, Eunha is a nice pocket girl who needs to be showered with care and love and protected from the cruel society, and most importantly, Eunha was the light to Sojung's darkness.

Sojung slumped her body onto the warm hotel bed and rubbed her face with her hands and groaned loudly. How she wished that she could rewind time and not go to back. They said curiosity killed the cat and Sojung finally knew why. Knowing the truth hurts. 

It was an understatement to say that she felt frustrated. There were many other emotions rushing at her. Pain, sorrow, guilt, anger, resentment and many more flooded Sojung until she suffocatted. She turned her phone, hoping to distract herself from the immense emotions she felt at the moment. The first thing she saw was a notification from KakaoTalk which she clicked on it. 

A number which she didn't save appeared. Hi Sojung, it's Eunha. Is a date tomorrow okay? Was what the message said. Sojung screamed in irritation. Why of all times must i see this message.. what should i reply? Think Sojung... you aren't the top scholar for no reason. 

To be really honest, Sojung wanted to agree, but after knowing the whole truth divulged from her father's mouth, she wasn't ready to meet Eunha. At least not for now. She needed to calm herself down, digest whatever her father had told her and think what she should do with Eunha. I'm not really free tomorrow or the next few days. I'll text you if i'm available. Was what Sojung had replied. It wasn't really a lie for she would be busy sorting out the mess her father gave to her, but still she felt really bad for Eunha who wanted to see her.

***

[Day Thirty-nine]

Walking out of her apartment doned in black down jacket, a blue jeans and the colourful scarf loaned from Sojung, Eunha never thought she was a stylish person. She headed down to the park that held many memories. Her shoes treaded on dried leaves that made a loud crunching sound in the mist of the peacefulness. Her wandering pair of eyes found themselves staring at the scattered messily dried leaves on the pavement of the park.

She wonders why the park mantainence have not swept the dried leaves that have been long abandoned during autumn, at the same time she wishes the leaves to stay at where it was; it gave her a feeling of a historic place. But it was Mother Nature to decide how things are supposed to be. A gust of wind appeared suddenly, blowing the leaves away from the pavement, with some soaring into the air, somersaulting as the wind took them to another island which made a tranquillize ambience which Eunha finds delight in such small yet graceful moment. The wind steady lowered down to a halt, the pathway now cleared of leaves and Eunha smoothen out her disatrous hair that was made by the wind.

She walked forward, heading to the shabby swing located all the way at the end of the park. Funny how it used to be a glamorous place, with fresh paint and well oiled swings, merry-go-round and see-saws, well polished monkey bars, geodesic dome and animal springers. Lots of people came here too. Eunha mused. As time went by kids grew up and they stopped coming, parents of those kids don't find a reason to come here if their kids weren't coming. This playground became a past, the park mantainence stopped refurnishing it when they realised no one was going back there. The equipments were covered with dust and became rusty, with some parts even dropping out and left on the floor. Paint started fading away, some parts were chipped off but it soon became many.

Eunha dusted off some dirt on the swing and sat on it. Breathing out hot air, she used her short legs and rocked the swing back and forth. This was something she used to do before Sojung came. And every single time when she hears the familiar footsteps, she would run and hide somewhere along with her papers because she thinks her poor heart can't take it if she saw Sojung up close. And also, she is mute, she can't talk. Who would want a partner that can't talk? It would be like talking to a wall, she realised over time.

It was already a few days into Feburary and she realised that it was going to be the favourite time of the year again. Ironically, there is a certain unberable chilliness that surges within her, maybe it was a certain memory, time or.... a person.

Her endless train of thoughts was interupted by a certain footstep whom she dearly misses. She jolts in surprise and halted her swinging, contemplating if she should run away, but she decided against it. She quickly composes herself and waited for the certain person to arrive.

The sound of footsteps grew louder and louder but stopped. Eunha looked up and found Sojung staring at her what seemed like with wide eyes but it dissipate to a forced smile. "Hello. Can i sit beside you?" Sojung asked polietly and got a reply when Eunha nodded her head, blushing furiously after not seeing Sojung for a long while. Sojung walked over to the other swing just beside Eunha and settled herself down, internally wincing at the loud creak of the run-down swing. Both of them sat in comfortable silence, looking at the same scenery, but having different thoughts.

Sojung thought it was fine to get out of her hotel after a while of brooding on the topic. As she walked along, she found herself walking to the park where she first felt warmth. Maybe she just need a little comfort from the certain someone. But the moment she saw Eunha on the swing looking at her, her shoulders felt heavy. It was as if the times in her hotel thinking had no use. To avoid or not to avoid. Sojung pondered. 

Perhaps Sojung was too lost mentally to feel a slight tap on her shoulder. Another light tap didn't help. An accustomed warmth that she missed s her hands and that managed to pull her out of her tiny problematic world. Startled, Sojung whipped her head to the left to find a familiar phone right in her face with a message. It has been 13 days since we last met. Were you busy?

Sojung nodded meekly. She opened to say something but paused for a while, debating if she should tell Eunha. She decided against it. "Yeah i was pretty busy.... I had some family issue going on... it messed my mind and I was in a bad temper. I don't really want to meet you with such foul mood...." Sojung explained slowly, in fear that she let a word or two slip out. 

Eunha hesitated a little before putting a hand on Sojung's back and rub it gingerly until she felt the latter relax. "Thank you." Sojung softly said, but yet at the back of her mind was filled with immense guilt. Would Eunha comfort me when she finds out the whole truth? 

The only way to find out was to tell Eunha, Sojung realised. She slowly crafted her question, fearing that the smart side of Eunha could quickly infer the hidden message. And the whole time, Eunha only watched Sojung without interfering because Eunha knew whatever Sojung was thinking must be serious. Unwittingly,her eyes stayed fixed to Sojung's eyebrows, finding a little amusement as she watch it moving up and down into a frown.

"Eunha-ya.." Sojung called out carefully, not wanting to scare Eunha as she knew Eunha had zone out. Eunha snapped back from her trance and felt embarassed when she realised she was caught once again for checking Sojung out. She tilited her head to the side showing that she was trying to say 'Yes?'

"My father did a really really bad thing to my friend's siblings. The bad thing done is not known to my friend yet, but i am scared that she will blame me and not be my friend anymore... but the problem is that she holds a part of me, i can't bear to lose her.." Sojung swallowed her saliva.

"Would you blame me?"

***

Hello, i am back! School will be reopening for me and hence, I will have slower updates.... 

Hope you enjoyed reading and don't forget to comment!