PART 22
Will you be my girl? (나랑 사귈래?)Sina walked briskly along the hallway, sometimes nodded to the juniors who greeted her. Yes, she was walking along the junior’s classrooms. She had to make sure of something. Something very important. That girl from the other day, she finally knew who she was and decided to talk with her. And this should be done fast.
As she walked closer to the classroom, from afar she saw familiar figure. Only one person would wear a beanie with ‘ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME’ written on it. He was talking with a girl—whom she was looking for. Her suspicion rose as she saw this. That girl definitely had something to with what happened, whether it’s about two-timing or some other thing. And she would find out about it. Just like right now.
“Minsoo ya!” she called.
Minsoo turned to her and instantly moved between Sina and the girl, in defensive mode, as if trying to protect her.
Sina looked at him in disbelief. “What are you doing? I’m not gonna hit her or something,” she said, feeling offended.
“Who knows what you will do,” Minsoo simply said.
Well, she definitely got some history behind it, so she shrugged it off. “I wouldn’t do something like that without any reason.”
“Oh, you have no reason? Why are you here?”
Sina rounded her eyes. “Why are YOU here? I need to talk to her.”
Minsoo didn’t move. “She had nothing to do with this. Don’t involve her.”
“Oh, the more reason I need to talk to her. Now, move,” she said and added in formal form, “Please.”
Minsoo wavered a bit. He knew he couldn’t beat this girl’s stubbornness, even though she’s facing a man bigger than her, she wouldn’t back down.
Sina simply thought she need to talk, and that was it.
“She had nothing to do with this, Sina.”
“I heard you,” Sina answered easily.
“….”
“That’s okay, oppa,” the girl—Kim Hyerim—finally said, touching Minsoo’s shoulder to make him move.
Minsoo looked at Sina and Hyerim in turn. He couldn’t make another reason not to let them talk. He was just worried that Hyerim might say something. Hyerim looked at him with a certain look—like she’s convincing him that she wouldn’t say much. Minsoo sighed and nodded.
“She had nothing to do with this,” Minsoo repeated, turning to Sina.
“And I said I heard you.”
Minsoo shrugged and walked away. As soon as he disappeared in the corner, Hyerim spoke up, even before Sina could open to say something.
“Sina sunbaenim, I’m sure you wonder what happened between me and Minsoo oppa. Honestly, there is nothing going on between us. We’re just… in a middle of… something, which I couldn’t explain. Not yet.”
“Not again!!” Sina shrieked in frustration. “How can I believe in those words?! People keep saying something like this over and over again!”
“Minsoo oppa have a reason not to tell this to his friends. I hope you can believe in him more. One thing for sure, this has nothing to do with whom cheating on whom.”
“I want to believe him. We want too! But we’re like in a maze! Every assumption we make reach to a dead-end,” she spoke more. She didn’t know why she blurted out to Hyerim, but she did.
Hyerim patted Sina’s shoulder. “Stop making assumptions, sunbaenim. Just believe him…. I’m sorry, but it’s not in my place to say something about… this. Just believe him, sunbaenim,” she answered. Hyerim turned back and walk to her classroom, leaving Sina puzzled in her place.
Believe? Trust? Easy to say.
Sina mulled over what Hyerim said. Something was definitely going on. Looking at Minsoo and Hyerim’s expressions when they talked earlier, Sina couldn’t help but feeling alarmed about this. Something. She could feel her anxiety surged inside her. Here came her anxiety attack.
“Noona? What are you doing here?”
Niel suddenly stood in front of her. When she didn’t reply, he bent forward, peering at her. Sina could feel her anxiety lessened. She felt at ease whenever she saw his clear honest eyes.
“Oh, I just talked to…” she paused, suddenly a bright idea popped into her mind. “OH! Niel, can I ask for your favor?”
“Noona doesn’t have to ask that. I’d do anything.”
Sina gave a signal for Niel to bend, as she’s going to whisper it. “So, the situation is…”
+++
“Hyung, why are we here?” Jonghyun crouched next to Niel and Changhyun—whose eyes were fixed in the school main building.
They were perfectly hidden behind the bushes next to the school yard. Jonghyun tried to stand up but Changhyun pulled him back down, while glaring at him. Jonghyun might be the strongest in the group, but compared to Changhyun’s stubbornness, he was nothing.
“We’re spying!”
“Spying who?” Jonghyun frowned. “Why are we spying?”
Changhyun hissed at Jonghyun in frustration. “Will you quit asking?! Of course we are spying Minsoo hyung!”
“And why are we doing that?”
“Because we need to know what really happen!” Niel finally said, diverting his gaze from the school building. “Aren’t you curious about Minsoo hyung? He always disappeared after the dance practice. He never went home with us again. Aren’t you curious about that?”
It would be a lie if Jonghyun said he wasn’t curious. But he felt this was not a right thing to do, spying on their leader. They should have just asked, but he wasn’t sure Minsoo would reply him. He kept a lot of secrets lately.
Jonghyun finally complied with the duo, and joined on the espionage action. Not too long, Minsoo walked out of the school building, looking as composed as these recent weeks. He walked straight to the shopping district. The trio looked at each other and started tailing their hyung, maintaining safe distance to follow him without being noticed.
They kept walking through the shopping district to the more secluded area, although it was still a bit crowded with people in this hour. The trio had to make some evasion to the people while not losing sight of Minsoo.
Minsoo finally stopped in front of a coffee shop—which looked like different with their usual coffee shop. The trio stopped and hid behind a bush, only three meters away from Minsoo. They cringed to the possibility that Minsoo might catch them. They watched quietly as Minsoo looked around, typed something in his phone, and walked into the coffee shop.
“Now what, hyung?” Jonghyun asked.
“There’s no way we walk into the coffee shop and pretend nothing happen right?” Changhyun said.
“Lemme think! Lemme think!” Niel wailed. This was unexpected situation. He didn’t ask Sina what they would do if something like this happened.
Changhyun frowned his eyebrows and placed his finger in his glabella—a pose he made whenever he thought of something (or pretend to think something). Jonghyun rolled his eyes and looked around, looking for a place for their stake out without being busted by Minsoo.
His eyes stopped at a post box right in front of the coffee shop. He tugged Niel’s shirt, who was looking for another way. “Hyung, hyung, what about we hide behind that box?”
Changhyun looked at Jonghyun in disbelief. “How is that supposed to hide the three of us?!”
“Do you have another option?” Jonghyun demanded.
Changhyun fell silent.
“Okay okay, let’s hide there,” Niel complied, not having another better idea.
The trio walked quietly, while sometimes glancing at the coffee shop, scared that Minsoo might see them. Thankfully, although Minsoo sat next to the window, he paid more attention to his phone. The three of them reached the post box safely, but of course the box wasn’t big enough for the three of them. Niel had to kneel next to a small bush to hide himself, since he’s the smallest.
“Who’s hyung waiting for? Do you guys think he’s waiting for someone?” Niel asked.
“I think so. He looks nervous and keeps watching his phone. Maybe he’s calling someone,” Changhyun answered.
“Maybe he just wants to lay back a bit before going home,” Jonghyun said.
“He’s never that serious with his phone,” protested Changhyun, not going back down with his theory.
Niel nodded in agreement. “Let’s keep watching him.”
Minsoo spent about 15 minutes busy with his phone before he finally put the phone down and started looking outside the window. The trio didn’t let their eyes wander, and kept staring at Minsoo, waiting for him to actually do something. It was that time when Minsoo’s and Changhyun’s eyes met.
Flustered, Changhyun quickly looked away and pulled Jonghyun’s coat. His face was pale.
“What?” Jonghyun asked him.
“We’re… busted…” he whispered, scared of Minsoo’s wrath.
Niel peeked and surprised seeing Minsoo’s marched toward them in long steps. It was too late to run away. Before they knew it, Minsoo stood in front of them, staring down at them—who kneeled behind the post box and bush.
“What are you guys doing in here?” he asked, in such a tone they never heard before.
“Uhhh… playing hide and seek?” Niel quickly answered.
Minso crossed his arms. “With who? Me?”
The trio didn’t actually answer. They only laughed awkwardly while watching Minsoo stretched his fingers. They were going to get beaten.
***
“So, you guys tailed Minsoo and failed?” Yuri said while looking at Niel, Jonghyun, and Changhyun. She had no idea about this following thing, but she still felt bad that it failed. They were this close of knowing what happened with Minsoo when it just puffed in to thin air.
“If only I were there, you guys wouldn’t fail. Why no one notify me about this?” Chanhee protested.
Jonghyun spoke up, didn’t want to get the blame. “You were already gone with Byunghun hyung, hyung. It’s emergency anyway.”
“Oh right. I helped Byunghun with something yesterday,” Chanhee replied, glancing at Byunghun who was sipping his drink, looking back at Chanhee.
Yuri frowned. Something? But she didn’t have the time to think about that, there was more important problem in her hands. “Whose idea was that?” Yuri asked.
Niel looked at Sina, while Sina raised her hand. “Mine. I figure that is the only way of knowing the truth.”
She already told them about her encounter with Kim Hyerim—the girl in the library—and they thought of the same way. They had no idea what really happened. It seemed to be more complicated than simply about cheating Yoomi.
“Guys, don’t you think we should stop this?” said Yoomi.
Yuri looked at Yoomi with disagree look. “You, said that with puffy eyes. We know you’re still hoping there is some explanation for this.”
Yoomi looked down. Of course she did. She always prayed every night that her problem could be resolved soon. Minsoo didn’t come to her as often as it used to be. Since every time she saw him, she started throwing tantrum, Minsoo decided to make a distance first. Still, he rejected breaking up. One-sided breaking up? That might what you wanted to call it.
“Noona, we won’t stop until we know the truth. My intuition said that… there might be something bigger than this,” Changhyun said, patting Yoomi’s shoulder.
“We will help you, noona. Don’t worry! Right, Sina noona?” Niel added, throwing his arms around Sina’s shoulder—making her blushed.
“Listen to them, wanting to help you. Don’t you think you should do something? Like, talking to Minsoo? Calmly?” Chanhee spoke up.
Yoomi mulled over it a bit. It might not be a bad idea at all. She missed him so much, she just didn’t want to admit it. As November got colder, it only reminded her of the memories they had in Minsoo’s birthday last year. They should have made another party this year, just the two of them. But now…. Tears started appearing. She regretted why she didn’t listen to him in the first place. She regretted that she started getting angry over it without listening. Wasn’t it too late to speak to him…?
“It’s never too late to say sorry, Yoomi,” suddenly Byunghun spoke, diverting everyone’s eyes to him. Byunghun turned to be a bit quiet lately, and he suddenly said something like this. Yuri smiled to herself hearing those words. He’s still as caring as he used to be.
“Hey, did you hear about the and murderer?”
Their heads turned to the girl who was talking with her friends in the table next to theirs. She spoke loud enough that it attracted their attention.
“Yes, I heard about him. Scary, isn’t it? The newspaper said that he’s been operating in Seoul lately. They found bodies in Busan, right? Is he the same person?”
“I don’t know. People said the city council going to apply some curfew to girls….”
“They should capture this guy fast. It’s getting scary…”
Byunghun turned to his friends. “It’s all over the news and search engine. They said he is spotted in Itaewon and Myeongdong couple of weeks ago.”
It’s true that Byunghun spent most of his time with his phone and internet. No wonder that he was the most informed compared to his friends—especially the boys.
“Myeongdong?? That was not that far from here!” Jonghyun exclaimed.
“The news said he’s targeting girls who walked alone. Not only on night, some of his victims were kidnapped in the morning, even in a broad daylight. This guy is truly a psychopath,” Byunghun added.
“Holy! That is really scary!” Chanhee said.
Niel quickly turned to Sina. “Noona, from this day forth, I will pick you up every morning and you have to wait for me after school.”
Sina could see worry in Niel’s eyes, and she’s happy with this. She smiled and nodded. She didn’t see why she had to say no, anyway.
Yuri and Yoomi envied Sina. Yoomi thought, if only she didn’t fight with Minsoo, Minsoo would be the one who said that first to her. And Yuri glanced at Byunghun—who was busy talking with the boys about this fugitive—she secretly hoped that Byunghun would offer to walk her home, regarding the truth that they lived nearby.
“We will walk noonas home!” Changhyun suddenly said, spurting cuteness all over.
“You will do that?” Yoomi asked Changhyun.
Changhyun nodded excitedly. “Yes! Of course! We will protect the girls from bad boy. Whoo!”
Chanhee, Byunghun, and Jonghyun nodded. Yuri ruffled Changhyun’s hair, feeling more thankful that they had such caring friends.
Yuri turned to Yoomi, who was listening closely to them. “You have your night shift right, Yoomi?”
“Yes, my night shift ended this week. Don’t worry. I’ll take taxi or have my little brother to pick me up. I’ll figure out some way. It’s only 10 minutes’ walk from my house anyway.”
“You should be careful, okay?” Yuri reminded her.
“Oh, Yoomi! I remember one thing!” Sina pulled a photo from her bag and put it in the table. It was a photo of Kim Hyerim. “Is this the one you saw walking with Minsoo that night?”
“How did you get that photo?” asked Chanhee, surprised.
“School archive,” Sina answered matter-of-factly.
“You abuse your power to get information!” Chanhee exclaimed.
“Hush hush! It’s not that important now!” threatened Sina.
Yoomi tried to remember that night—which she wanted to forget. “I don’t think they are the same. That woman looked older than this girl, and definitely older than Minsoo…. I think.”
Sina frowned. They’re back on zero again. “Hmm… so it wasn’t her.”
“Maybe Minsoo hyung is…” Changhyun paused. It might not be a good idea to say that here.
“Out with that now. You already started it,” Yuri quickly responded.
“No, no. It’s just a… thought… never mind, noona.”
“Oh come on, out with it, Changhyun-ah!”
Changhyun shook his head repeatedly. “Never mind! Never mind!”
It was too scary enough to think that Minsoo might be two-timing Yoomi, now that he thought his hyung might be playing with some older women, it became scarier. It was possible, looking at Minsoo’s carefree character. But he just couldn’t say it out loud.
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