“What’s wrong with my face?” he innocently asked.

I looked at his face closer. Noticing that I was scrutinizing so much, he looked away.

“Wh-What’s wrong with my face?” he asked again.

“Nothing… you just look uglier than yesterday,” I said, then walked away.

“YA!’” he called. “Take that back!”

I stifled a laugh while he was calling me. But I don’t have time for this. I still have class.

Since I don’t have a next class after that, I took the opportunity to surf the internet to check some news on criminals, thinking that maybe this would lead to another of our missions.

While I was reading the news about a government official who was caught stealing money, someone appeared on my side. I tried to ignore him as much as I can, but he was also trying so hard to get noticed.

“What are you doing?” I asked, finally admitting defeat. But, I didn’t take my eyes off my laptop.

“Nothing.”

“Staring is rude,” I said again.

“I just want to-“

I stared at him, cutting him off. “Why are you sitting at Mrs. Lee’s place?”

“Oh, you didn’t notice yesterday? I have been sitting here the whole day yesterday. Anyway, since I’m Mrs. Lee’s substitute, I think it’s appropriate that I also substitute her in her place, right?”

I rolled my eyes and returned to reading the article.

“Oh, anyway-“

“MISTER KWON!” the principal’s booming voice bounced off the walls of the faculty room.

Mister Kwon panicked and stood up immediately.

"MISTER KWON! YOU ARE A NEW TEACHER HERE, AND WHAT'S THIS RUMOR I HEARD FROM THE STUDENTS? AS A TEACHER, YOU HAVE TO INVITE GOOD IMPRESSIONS THROUGH YOUR APPEARANCES!" the Principal scolded. “WHAT IS THAT BRUISE DOING THERE ON YOUR FACE? DON’T YOU KNOW THAT STUDENTS ARE CREATING RUMORS THAT YOU ARE SOME KIND OF A MEMBER OF A GANG OR SOMETHING? YOU SHOULD PROTECT THE REPUTATION OF THIS SCHOOL!”

I looked up to Mister Kwon and I saw that he remained his head bowed. He was also shutting his eyes, as if afraid for more scolding.

“TELL ME, MISTER KWON! OR ELSE I’LL FIRE YOU.”

He slowly looked up. “Mister Principal, I’m so sorry. Actually, I am really-“

I stood up forcefully, causing my chair to fall backwards with a bang that caught everyone’s attention. The principal turned his gaze towards me.

“Do you have something to say, Miss Park?!” he scolded me too.

Really! This old man is so annoying. For years that I have been working here, he couldn’t lower his voice to talk normally to us, teachers. I just want to strangle the life out of him.

“What?! Do you have-“

“It’s my fault,” I mumbled.

Mister Kwon turned his gaze towards me too.

“What?!” the principal demanded.

“I SAID IT’S MY FAULT!” I shouted. Oops! I raised my voice to the principal.

He glared at me, then back to Mister Kwon, then back to me.

“Follow me to the office, you two.”

Mister Kwon and I followed the principal. He sat and stared at us.

“How is it your fault?” he asked. Oh, so if I burst out like that, he can lower down the volume of his voice? Perhaps, I can shout at him every day.

“Mister Kwon saved me from being harassed last night,” I said.

“Where were you last night?” he interrogated further.

I gritted my teeth. I just hate people minding whatever’s happening with my life. Nevertheless, I chose to tell the truth. “I went out with my friends.”

“Why were you harassed?” he asked.

I furrowed my brows. Is he serious? Does he actually think that I know the reason behind the harassment? Perhaps, I was too pretty, principal! I thought, but I chose to remain silent.

“Were you drunk?” he asked.

I nodded slowly.

“Is this true? Are you not making this up?”

I glared at him. Seriously, this man has got to have something going on with his mind. Why would I even lie?

I was about to talk when Mister Kwon spoke. “Actually, principal-“

“It’s true,” I said, cutting him off.

“Miss Park, a three-month salary deduction…” he said.

I remain silent. I don’t have to worry about money, do I? I’m an agent for Pete’s sakes! And what I earn here as a teacher couldn’t even reach a quarter of what I earn as an agent. Ha! Take that! How I wish I could say this words directly, though. Aish!

“As for you, Mister Kwon…” he said. “…I’ll let you off this time.”

The moment we stepped out of the principal’s office, Mister Kwon spoke again.

“Thank you…” he said. “You have been helping me since yesterday.”

I turned to him. “I’m not helping anyone, so there’s no need to be thankful for anything.”

I reached my desk and started to write my lesson plan. He sat on his desk and kept on staring at me.

“Now I owe you more,” he said.

“As I said, no one is indebted to anyone. So before you ask me out to a meal or anything, I decline.”

“I won’t take no as an answer.”

“Then I won’t answer.”

“You saved me from those bully students yesterday. Today, your salary was deducted because you stood up for me. I feel like I’m indebted to you. I will surely return the favor.”

“I didn’t do anything to receive any favors from you.”

“I must take you out on a meal again,” he said, as if not hearing me.

“I must say no, then.”

“As I said, I’m not going to take a no as answer.”

You don’t? Then, I won’t talk.I thought, smiling inwardly.

“Oh, come on!” he insisted, already losing his patience. “Please let me.”

“You saved me last night for being harassed; I stood up for you in front of the principal. Now, I believe we’re even.”

He was silent for a while. “But… but…” he stammered, perhaps, still thinking for an alibi. “You left yesterday without even finishing your drink. I believe you still owe me a favor then.”

Aish! This guy is unbelievably persistent. I pounded my fist on my table, causing a little crack on it. He stared at the crack and on my fist.

“Why are you so persistent?! You’re annoying!”

He stared back at me. “I want to know more about you. I know that beneath that grumpy and arrogant attitude of yours lies a good heart.”

I hissed. He wants to know me? Really? Maybe the moment he will thoroughly know me, he will be regretting asking for this.

“No!” I said.

“Why are you so stubborn?!” he asked, standing up. It’s his first time raising his voice since yesterday. And now, he’s causing the other teachers to look at us.

Sensing that my patience has boiled up too, I stood up and stepped closer towards him. “I don’t trust people like you.”

He blinked rapidly. “Why?”

“I don’t trust anyone, okay? So, just stop it!”

I was about to leave when he spoke again. “I understand you, Miss Park.”

I stopped on my tracks. He’s the first one to say that when I’m talking about not trusting people. Both Jaejoong and Sajang-nim are insistent upon telling me to start trusting the agents. But this time, Mister Kwon’s words echoed in my mind.

He understands me?! Is he serious? He doesn’t even know me. He doesn’t even know the past that I have been living in. He doesn’t even know what I’m going through right now. And now he’s telling me that he understands me?!

“People can find it hard to trust people around them,” he continued. “So, let me help you.”

I turned to him, trying to stop the tears from falling. I don’t even know why I wanted to cry. But the tears behind my lids are already threatening to pour down.

“Fine then,” I said. “Let’s just see.”

His face brightened up.

“But… not today. Not within this week or this weekend. I’m a bit busy.”

It was true though. I heard from Jaejoong this morning that there will be a new mission we have to accomplish.

“It’s okay…” he said, still smiling.

I turned and headed towards the comfort room. I locked myself in a cubicle and the tears poured out endlessly.

When I got back to the faculty room after an hour of locking myself up, I found a red rose on my table. Seeing this particular color makes me want to wail. Red reminds me of blood, thus, the murder kept on replaying itself in front of my eyes. I picked it up forcefully and looked for the only person I have in mind. I found him talking to one of the teachers. I walked up to him and threw the rose on his face.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” I demanded.

“I just sent you a rose,” he answered.

“Don’t do that!”

“Why?” he asked.

The teacher he was talking to stood up. “Miss Park, it’s just a rose. Why are you-“

“Shut up! This matter is between us!” I told her. Then, I turned to Mister Kwon. “Don’t you ever send me roses again!”

I walked away to prepare to attend to my next class.

After my class, I saw another rose. I looked for Mister Kwon, but he wasn’t anywhere to be found. Without hesitation, I threw it into the trash can.

The whole week passed by and the rose-sending didn’t stop. I threw all of them into the trash without hesitation, even though he was just sitting on his desk, obviously witnessing how I treat the oh-so-red roses he sends me. I didn’t care if he sees me throwing them. I don’t care at all. That would be a good thing, right? Seeing that I throw everything he gives, maybe he will stop sending those damn roses. But he didn’t. He became more persistent. When at first, he would send a flower a day; right now he would send me three in a day. Aish!

The weekend came…

“Oh, where are you going?” Jaejoong appeared on my doorway.

“It’s her birthday today,” I said.

“Oh, it has been twenty years already?” he asked. “Do you want me to drive you there?”

“No,” I said firmly. “I want to have private time with them.”

“Oh, of course,” he said.

“Did you have lunch already?” I asked.

“You know why I always appear here every day at this time, don’t you?”

“Of course. I’m sorry, but I have to go. Help yourself, okay? I cooked all of your favorites.”

“Eat first before you go.”

“I already ate.”

His face fell and he walked towards me. I was currently fixing my bag when I felt his arm circle on my waist.

“I missed you,” he said. “Can’t you stay for a while?”

I pulled free from him and stared at him. “When I come home, let’s have a drink. Bye!”

I haven’t even stepped out of my car, but the tears were already streaming down my cheeks. I felt my hands trembling while holding onto the steering wheel. I wanted to steady myself but the tears and trembling won’t stop. I just couldn’t! It has been twenty years. But I have to visit them today, I promised them.

I settled myself on the grass and tried to smile.

“Durami-ah…” I said, brushing her name carved on the stone. I rested the bouquet of flowers in front of the gravestone then straightened up. “Happy birthday…”

A fresh set of tears streamed down again.

“I came…” I said, sniffing. “I promised, didn’t i? Durami-ah. If you were still alive, I swear, I can see your future. I can see that you’re a famous model and I’ll be designing your clothes. But look at us, it seems like fate has other things for us, eh?”

I brushed my fingers on my father, mother, and Sanghyun’s names afterwards.

“It has been twenty years, eh? I couldn’t believe that much time has passed. I couldn’t even believe that for this span of time, you still haven’t achieved the justice you deserve. I couldn’t believe that it has been twenty years that I have been trying to find that justice for you.”

I wiped a single tear. It seemed that the tears have dried up for now.

“I missed you.”

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TEASER:

I stood in the middle of the two men in black. Although I'm part of them, I looked like I was the one they were guarding. Aish! This would even be better if I was taller like them. Anyway.... enough of that. I have to keep my head on the game. Right now, I'm waiting for the signal.

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poster credits to SapphireQueen of Sapphire Dimension Graphic Shop