Chapter 2

Kris’s POV

“Come again. What’d you just say?” I shouted out my confusion to the caller who been talking with me on my phone. It was the call from the manager of the gemological appraisal laboratory of my company. The call was about the pink sapphire that I bought from the girl I saved from yesterday.

I dropped off the gemstone in the next morning as I arriving to my company and asked them to analyze for the identification of synthetics, simulants and possible treatments. However, the final result shocked me like a thunderbolt.

“After our repeated evaluation and testing, we discovered that the pink sapphire from you is a lab-created sapphire not a natural one.”

“That’s impossible! I’ve checked the authenticity before making the purchase.” Inside my office, disbelief was all you guys can hear from my tone while talking to the manager. I hung up the telephone and my forehead with frustration. Agassi, how could this happen?

Are you being deceived from those gangs? Or it was your attempt to hoodwink me from the very beginning? I intertwined my fingers together and put it below my chin to show my meditation. Minutes passed, I gathered myself up, and grabbed a sketched pencil and a scratch paper somewhere on my desk.

Having the paper in front of the pencil and me in my hand, I closed my eyes tightly and refreshed my memory from yesterday. In the attempt of remembering that face, I instantly opened my eyes and made a rough drawing of the girl I saved yesterday.

Reviewing the sketch, it was all the details that came up to my mind from the recall. I picked up the telephone and dialed a number. I clicked my tongue while waiting for my call to be answered.

“Mr. Park, please come over to my office immediately!” I commanded the assistant director of the Administration Department as a voice sending through the phone. The director gave me his assentation by saying yes to my order.

“Mr. Wu, it’s me!” As the call hangs up few minutes ago, I heard a voice sounded from outside of my office following by some knocks as I frowning my eyebrows into thoughts. “Come in!” I fixed my eyes to the glass door of my office. With my consent, a familiar figure made his way to my desk asking me with concern in his voice.

“Kris ah, what’s the matter? Your voice doesn’t feel right.” That was the assistant director of the Administration Department and my buddy from high school, Chanyeol. We knew each other in high school time, we were going everywhere and doing everything together in usual.

Yet, things have changed when he was forced to drop out of school because of family problems, and I went to study aboard to purse my dream of an outstanding jewelry designer. We lost our contact and didn’t see each other’s face after Chanyeol applying to my father’s company for a job.

Chanyeol changed his form of address of me as he closing the door behind him. He stood himself in front of my desk and looked at me in a worry expression. I straightened up my body after seeing his tall figure showed up. I extended my right arm and handed Chanyeol the sketch I just drew before him coming.

“Chanyeol ah, I knew that you’ve been working in different types of work. I want you to help me find the identity of this girl.” Chanyeol studied the face on the paper as he accepting the portrait from me. As soon as he finishing the quick observation, Chanyeol moved away his attention from the sketch to me. “Do you think you can help?”

“Emm, I do work in a private investigator agency before.” Chanyeol stated his words after recollecting his memory. I nodded my head with a relief and satisfy expression. Just then, I heard Chanyeol’s voice reached my ears.

“Kris ah, may I ask who is she? Anything going wrong?” I had my head up to Chanyeol’s direction and saw his worry face without doubt. I’m glad that I have such a friend like him who always cares about me whenever I’m in trouble.

“I don’t even know her, but she mattes a great deal to me.” I my hair in frustration as I making response to Chanyeol’s question. I know that I confused him by my answer. Sorry bro, same as you, I would like to know who she truly is to be honest. This Agassi I just met yesterday.

“Will it be difficult for the investigation if I’m unable to provide the info of her?” I blurted out my worry and saw Chanyeol been hesitated a bit with his eyebrows frowned while thinking about my question. Soon after, Chanyeol gave me a nod by saying this.

“I will try, but cannot be 100% guaranteed!” I realized that I make things difficult for him; therefore, I decided not to push him by giving him pressure for this request. After assigning Chanyeol a task, I dialed another number connecting to the Accounting Department in order to ask them to hold up the transaction from yesterday.

However, I’ve been told that the money has been withdrawn in this morning. I hung up the telephone as I putting it down anxious. I was trying to make a pink sapphire inlay wedding ring for my next project when I saw this gems from her. But now this thwarted my plan. I just want to know the reason behind this, Agassi. I sincerely hope you have your difficulties.

Two days after the discovery, I received the call from Chanyeol to report me the result of the investigation on my way outside around to look for inspiration for my designs. Thanks to that Agassi, my head is completely plugged.

According to the agency, one’s name is the primary element for tracing. Since they were not police investigator, it was hard for them to learn a person’s identity just rely on the drawing.

“Chanyeol ah, I understand that I’m deliberately placing obstacles here.” I apologized to Chanyeol for his hard work where he didn’t feel it bother him because we’re brother plus friends after all. Within his loyal in mind, I found myself a brat by keeping secret from him.

Therefore, as he asking me about the reason after this investigation, I unreservedly told him everything and obtained a condolence response from him as he saying. I walked down the street to a park nearby.

“Argh…how could this ever happen? So how are you going to do?” I shook my head naturally as I answering Chanyeol’s question. I don’t even know what I should do. My decision brought a profit loss to our company.  Now on, the only thing I can think of was to find the Agassi and ask her why.

On the phone with Chanyeol as I walking in the street aimlessly, a familiar voice reached to my right ear when someone who coming toward my direction brushed past me. I put down my mobile phone on left ear and turned all over to the person who now walking away from me on the opposite direction as I shouting out. “Agassi!”

It just grazed you out of nowhere, I was very lucky, Agassi! I saw her looked over her shoulder to me at the moment I called her from behind. She was also talking with someone on the phone. She just took a glance at me and attempted to walk away.

“Agassi!” I once again shouted out myself and ran to her as I grabbing her wrist to stop her from walking and make her facing me. She seems like a bit of annoying toward my action as she frowning her eyebrows. She hung up her phone and looked straight into my eyes. Fortunately, today was weekday and now was still working hour. Nobody was around, if not we surely catch attention from the pass-by.

“Agassi, how can you do that to me? I was trying myself to help you out from the mess, but you rewarded me by that fake sapphire?” Wasting no time, I fired out all my questions after seeing her familiar face in front of me. However, she shrugged off my grip and showed no acknowledgment of my words.

“Sorry, I think you’re getting the wrong person. I don’t know you, neither your accusation. Please let me go!” Denying my word, she made an attempt to walk pass me but I didn’t let happen as I grabbed her wrist one more time to block her to move forward. This time I increased my intensity of my grip in order to not let her get rid of me that easily.

“Agassi, stop playing fool in front of me! Fraud is a civil offense, there will be serious consequence.”

“This is my last and final warning, I don’t understand any single word from you. If you truly experienced a fraud, then report to the police. Please don’t accuse someone randomly in the street.” Repeatedly, she tried hard to shake off my hand from her and go away as I having no intention to let her to do that. I stood still in my position with my hand on her left wrist. Yet, she not seems to give up and make one more attempt to struggle off my grasp using all her strength. At this point, my hand ripped off the bracelet on her wrist by incident from her sway.

Due to this, I snapped the bracelet clasp and the charms fell to the ground one by one in a rhythmical way. This happened without my expectation and when I was opening my mouth and trying to speak up, a hard push against me and I stepped back a bit from my position as I losing some of the balance.

I cranked up my neck and saw the rage has dissipated from Agassi’s face; moreover, tears filled up her puppy eyes. Her performance made me feel that I had hit her limit as she angrily admitting herself after her picking up the broken bracelet from the ground.

“Yeah, it is a hoax from the outset. What happened before is just a setup. Who you really mad at is yourself, this in on you. It has nothing to do with me. Who asked you walking pass there and dragging yourself into this game?” I can tell that fury has been overshadowed her sad. However, her anger is come from her grief. But I did nothing to stir up trouble. Is that all because of the bracelet?

Tears kept on rolling down from her eyes. I was completely feeling startle when her crying face showed up to me. What should I do? Do I need to comfort her? Wipe her tear away? Tissue? Do I have any in my pocket?

I tried to look for some tissue around my pocket in panic. Oh gosh, this ever my first experience saw a girl crying in front of me.

“Now you are admitting it, Agassi?!” She wiped away the tears rolled down to her cheek with her eyes fixing from her left side to me. In addition, she avowed herself just like pleading guilty to my charge by saying so.

“Yeah, how would you like to punish me? The mastermind of this conspiracy is standing in front you now.  Arrest me and bring me to the police station.” She had an oppressive attitude of expecting subtle things of me as she proceeding to march to me. She silenced me by her plucky smothering. I had no intend to do anything harmful, Agassi. I just want to know why. Within the scope of my ability, I will do my best to help.

“Agassi, is there some hardship that couldn’t be told? You must have your reason to do it right?” I offered myself to help with sincerity, but in her eyes my action was reckless and ridiculous as a corner of her lip curved up a smirk. It confused me by seeing that jibe. I was serious to my word, why she found it that funny?

“Don’t tell me that you want to convince me that you’re a good man by saying that? Having mercy on your enemy? Guess what, I don’t believe there’s a nice folk in this world.” As she explaining herself, a contemptuous tone could be heard from her voice. Begging to differ, I spoke up myself and dragged both of us into an argument.

“Why not? Believe in the goodness of others and remember that anger and depression can be countered by love and hope.” I restated the remarks that I’ve been told by my grandmother when I was still a kid. Up till now, I still kept my faith on people as usual. I don’t want to have misgivings.

“You, such as a frumpy. A childe like you will never understand the realistic side of this world. People are not primary altruistic but selfish.” The disparaging smile appeared on her face again as she curled up her lip.

"Agassi, why so extreme?!" I frowned upon her statement as confusion whirled up around my mind. She disagreed with me as she shaking her head with a sneer and said.

"I'm not being extreme, it's just I see right through the reality of this world. Could you swear that you don't have any selfish-motives when you see that pink sapphire?"

"Just P-U-R-E-L-Y wanted to help me?" She was now acting fastidious. I was in a muddle here toward her question. No word is coming out from my mouth. She was correct, I was truly wanted to own that sapphire at the time I saw it. Therefore, I heard she decides to sell the sapphire to repay the debts, I offered her a deal without thinking about it.

"People are not naturally bad," An awkwardness dropped over us. As I trying to mediate our wrangle, I stick to my grandmother's teachings and tried to change her mind with that negative thought. Yet, my sentence halted in the middle by her annoying emotion flowed over.

"Knock it off, I have no interested to discuss this proposition with you any further." She turned her body slightly to my left side and walked pass me in which to leave the park.

"Agassi, quit the present disgraceful situation and reform yourself, being a swindler is not a right choice." Not trying to make a facile remark, I immediately turned over and yelled out my thought from the back. My voice successfully stopped her to merge forward and she turned back to me few seconds after. Included, that curls of her lip showed up on her face as she backing off herself.

"Look, when I was still a kid, I have to rely on these tricks to keep myself remain survive. Since then, I cannot find any reason to mend my way."  What?! I secretly shouted it out due to the amazement. After hearing her side of story, my heart tightened with sympathy. How awful! Agassi, your fear of trusting others caused by what you been through, right?

"The story of snow white is a good reflection on the sheep and goat. Snow white is the sheep and the queen is the goat who full of trickery. At the end, snow white still could not escape the fate of victimization and die young." Without any interruption, she added it to her statement, which makes me, frowned even more. That's not the whole story of Snow White. Although I'm not a fan of fairytales, but that was one of the famous worldwide fairytales that every kid must have read when they're little. I remedied her mistaken by telling her the real ending of snow whites. She looked entirely shock about my assertion and shook her head side to side in disbelief.

"That's not true, she ate the poisoned apple and, and" She blinked her eyes as she moving her sight down. I was able to see tears started to well up her eyes with a reminiscing look. Does my word again brought her back to something miserable? I hesitantly opened my lip to speak up in which to tell her some more about the story.

"Same as the seven dwarfs, they also thought the Snow White already a dead and put her body into the glass coffin. But a twist happened in the story that changes it entire course. The prince passed by and learned about the death of Snow White. At the moment, a miracle manifested after a kiss from the prince which breaks the spell and awakens Snow White from the sleep."

Uncertain filled her eyes. She slightly shook her head side by side with mumbling as if it was implausible for a moment. You must be haunted by the memories of your past right, Agassi?! Her performance made me realize she was not naturally bad. She can return to the righteous path if opportunity is given and I need to assist her to stop on the precipice.

“Agassi, now you should retract from the wrong path and not go any further. Let me help you!” As I telling her my thought, I made my way close to her and offered my smart phone to her. Opening my contact book, I showed her my phone and had the phone screen facing her to give me her contact number. Our company is going to hold a recruitment event few days later.

On the occasion, various job positions will be giving out, here is the chance for you to start thing all over, Agassi. Soon after, surprise was the first reaction as she looking at me deep into my eyes, and the following was bewilderment. However, under my passion and sincere, she seemingly moved and influenced by my words and input her number to my phone. Agassi, your nature is not bad and I knew it.

---------------------------------------------End of Kris’s POV---------------------------------------------

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Author Notes: Hey my lovely readers and/or subscribers, how were you guys been? I know that it took me a long time to update new chapter these past months. And I’m really appreciating your guys’ patience from the bottom of my heart. Now, I would be able to update this new chapter for this new story of our krisso couple!!! The new drama casted by LeeJunKi, LeeYooBi, and SoEun will be broadcasted soon, so I want to pre=celebrate this with you guys by sharing this chapter with you!! In this story, you will find mysterious and unique character of SoEun just like it going to be on SoEun’s new drama ‘A scholar who walks at night’. Hope you guys will like a twisted one like this, ENJOY!!!!