“MaiMai, we beg of you just please sit down will you?”

“Can’t help it, Nanamin. You know how I am like whenever I get anxious.”

“Even if we didn’t know it before, we do know. You look like a wreck.”

“Thank you, for the obvious remark Kazumin.”

“I am trying to ease the tension here Maiyan. We already have Naa-chan who looks like she is about to pass out anytime soon and now we have MaiMai who have pacing back and forth in front of our eyes, next thing you know, Rina will be the one binge-eating due to the high tension.” as Maiyan looked back and forth from Naa-chan to MaiMai she could only sigh. Kazumin was right. They are starting to look like nutcases right then.

The second they all got a call from Naa-chan demanding the reason of why Park Chorong is nowhere to be seen even though the clock had ticked past 1 in the morning, all 5 of them rushed to Naa-chan’s place ignoring all the consequences nor the lack of sleep that they are having. Only to find Naa-chan who was pacing on the streets, biting her nails as she does and the nurse just burst into tears when the five of them surrounds her asking what in the name of the heavens is going on.

Due to the legal policy that a missing person could only be filed within 24 hours, none of the six women could sleep a wink. It is already getting insanely late yet none of them are able to relax for a second, getting worried about what could ever happen to the pregnant woman.

“Naa-chan, can you just call Yamada Ryusuke-san and tell him to just screw the rules and let us file a report?” Nanamin asked and the girls know well enough when Nanamin talks like that, she has already lost her cool.

“Nanamin…” MaiMai started with her mother-tone trying to say that what she is asking for Naa-chan to do is not appropriate. “Look at the time. Yamada-san must be asleep by now. We can’t just call him in the middle of daybreak for this.”

Nanamin was about to protest but Nishino Nanase was not about to hear any of them battling their opinions back and forth about this. Without giving what she was about to do a second thought, she dialled the number instantly. After a few rings, a voice who sounds like he was woken up from the phone call made her felt sorry instantly. Maybe it was best for her to call at another time as MaiMai had said after all.

“Nana? What is it?”

“Ryu… I woke you up didn’t I?”

“Nope.”

“You are a terrible liar as you always are Ryu-kun.”

“You are the only one who find me as a terrible liar. Others seems to believe my story no matter how ridiculous they are.”

“Baka.” typical Ryusuke. He always manages to make her laugh no matter what the condition she is in. And right now, she is super thankful to him. He was able to lighten up the mood even if it is just a slight improvement.

“Nana?” lost in her thoughts she almost forgot Ryusuke was still on the line and she also almost forgotten the reason of why she woke him up in the middle of his slumber.

“Ryu, I need a favour from you.” Instantly she launched into the story about Chorong’s disappearance and how clueless they all are right now of what to do. And all that while, the male just listened intently to all that Nanase had been spilling.

“I’ll see what I can do but Nana, it is 3 in the morning. Even if I can use my influence to start up the investigation in action, there is no possible way that I can command a squad at this time of day. I’ll go to station extra early tomorrow and see what I can do from there. For now Nana, it might be best for you and the rest of you to go and get some well needed rest.”

“But-” she was about to protest but the male stopped her from going into that direction any further.

“Listen to me Nana. You girls getting lack of sleep is not going to help anyone. Neither the police nor Park Chorong-san. It is best for you all to rest for a while. Tomorrow might be a long day ahead. And I need you to contact her closest relatives. Just in case they have some kind of clue regarding this matter.”

“Alright. See you first thing in the morning Ryu.” the second she hang up, 5 pair of eyes were looking up to her, demanding explanations. Sighing, she explained the situation to them all, “He’ll do what he can but we still need to wait for the sun to actually rise.” they all sighed knowing that there is nothing more that they can do right now.

“Naa-chan, did you call Chorong’s friends or families over in Korea? They need to know.”

“Not yet Rina. I was not really in my right mind when I called for you girls. But I really don’t want to tell them yet about this. Not now anyway. Let’s just wait until the sun is up, then we give them a call. It may be cruel enough to let them worried especially when they have no way to come here.”

The girls agreed on that as they walked to Nanase’s room and tried to force some sleep into them even when that is deemed impossible because they are simply too worried about Chorong.

Chorong woke up only to realize that her hands and feet were already tied up super tight which makes it nearly impossible for her to get out of it. Her surrounding is completely pitch black, which is really not helping her in any way to help her to identify where is she currently at. Even her head is pounding hard.

The last thing that she remembered was the overpowering scent of chloroform and the face that she had hated from the first time they met each other. Lee Jooyi.

“Oh, she’s finally awake. Took you long enough.”

“Jooyi. What the hell do you  want from me?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Money, wealth, fame, practically everything that you own but most importantly, Lu Han.” just the sound of his name being said out loud is enough to send a pang to Chorong’s heart. It has been quite a while since she last heard that name being spoken out loud.

“You already got all of that remember?”

“Well, technically everything. Except Lu Han.”

“You guys are going to get married anyway. You’ll have him eventually. Can’t you just be patient and wait?”

“You really have no idea do you? The wedding is not going to happen. It’ll take years and years but the wedding is never going to happen.”

“What do you mean?”

“Lu Han is never going to do the wedding. You still have his heart. There is no way that wedding is going to happen.” it would be a complete lie if Chorong said her heart did not tremble when she heard that but she tried hard enough not to let that show on her face.

“So, the reason you are doing is because…? I really don’t think by doing this Lu Han is going to get smitten by you.” coating her words with a hundred percent of saturated sarcasm, Chorong almost spitted the words in disgust towards the woman in front of her.

“Apparently you have gain a lot of nerve since we last met do you now, Park Chorong? To answer your question, well of course that won’t happen but if you are finally gone from this world, I am pretty sure that he’ll have a change of heart.” colours were drained off Chorong’s face when she heard that. Jooyi has gone mad. She had really gone mad.

“Oh now, don’t be too worried. I’m not going to do it now, it’s getting late now and I really need to get Sooyeon to bed. She has been tired due to all this excitement and so am I.”

“You brought your daughter here to this filthy place? What kind of mother are you?”

“Shut it . What I do with her is none of your business. And for the record, if I am in your position, I’d probably behave a bit.” Jooyi stopped as she walked closer to Chorong and Chorong finally realised what the gleaming thing in Jooyi’s hands really is. Without a slight of hesitancy, Jooyi scratched Chorong’s right arm from the elbow right to the wrist with the pocket knife.

She didn’t push it deep but it still stings and Chorong tried extremely hard not to scream to not give Jooyi the satisfaction and the sick woman apparently looked amuse by that.

“Let’s just see how much you can bear. But let’s just save it for next time shall we? I don’t really have the mood to finish you off right now. Its past midnight and I don’t have enough energy to keep this up. Plus, I can’t really see your expression in this darkness. Well, where is the fun in that if I can’t even see your face when I torture the life out of you?”

Jooyi moved away from Chorong as she made her way to the door and before she exited, she turned to Chorong’s way as she smiled, “Toodles~ for now anyway.”

Chorong tried to restrain herself for a few seconds before she cannot hold it longer as the pain and sting from the cut was the only sensation she could feel. She needs to get out of here. No matter what, she is going to let her life being ended by the likes of some maniac like Lee Jooyi.