Narrative P.O.V

Hongki was alarmed from a sudden loud scream he heard over his phone which penetrated his ear. The line was soon cut off and he quickly put his phone back into his pocket. He stumbled upon Ssam D as Hongki was trying to leave, “Ssam D, something important came up… Can you take over my shift?” He asked seriously.

“Again? Why?” Ssam D furrowed his eyebrows, “Augh, fine…” he sighed as he watched Hongki storm out of the bar without answering his question. Ssam D picked up his phone and dialed a number as soon as Hongki left. “Hongki is skipping another day of work,” Ssam D said with a stern voice into his phone.

“Where is he off to?” Choi spoke on the other end of his phone. “I’m not sure. Should I follow him?” Ssam D questioned. “That would be helpful. Once you catch up to him, make sure you catch vivid shots of evidence,” Choi demanded before he hung up. Ssam D informed his manager; (who was aware of Ssam D was temporarily working for the police) before he left to search for Hongki.

-At the headquarters…

 “Did something happen, Choi?” Su Yoon peered over his desk, and Choi turned his chair around, “yeah. Hongki is skipping another day of work.” Su Yoon sighed, “Another day? Didn’t this boy already miss a few days of work already since that car accident?”

I nodded in reply, “Ssam D is on his way. We’ll wait to see what happens next,” Choi looked at his computer screen that showed Ssam D’s hidden camera as it captured the dark alley he was wondering down. “You’re still using that boy you found on the streets as one of your helpers?” Su Yoon chuckled. “Yeah… He’s actually quiet useful sometimes…” Choi smirked. 

“I really do not understand why you are still investigating this boy when he already admitted he has done it,” Su Yoon yawned. “No, there’s something strange. I think-”
“Yah, yah… You still believe he is innocent,” Su Yoon rolled her eyes and changed her tone of voice emphasizing on each word, “Although He HAD Admitted The Truth,” she reminded him as she thought of how ridiculous Choi’s suspicion was. “I just find it a bit odd that this boy is like a trouble magnet…” he referred to the car accident from a few days ago.

“But you do remember he has finished all of his community service, right?” Su Yoon prompted and Choi nodded as he was still immersed onto his computer screen. “Okay, well just don’t stress yourself too much. On… Whatever you are trying to investigate…” Su Yoon patted his shoulder.

Meanwhile….

 “Ah , where is she?” Hongki bit the bottom of his lip as he ran straight ahead, turning his head left and right, in hopes of finding Ji Eun. He started to reconsider his second thought as to why he even decided to drag himself further into complication, as he searched for Ji Eun in the dark alley.

He heard a small screech to his left, causing Hongki to turn around instantly, realizing it was Ji Eun. Hongki gawk his eyes at the gang of guys huddled around poor Ji Eun being wrapped tightly in one of the guy’s arms as his hand covered . Hongki clenched his fist anxiously thinking to himself how much he regretted ever meeting her.

Hongki hastened towards the gang of guys, just in time before they started to abuse her more. Hongki tapped one of the guys shoulder from behind and as soon as the guy turned around Hongki punched him in the face, breaking his nose. The pain and blood caused him to loosen his grip onto Ji Eun as he looked at Hongki intimidatingly.

 “You little punk!” The guy cracked his jaw and wiped away his blood with his sleeve, whilst approaching Hongki face to face. Hongki dropped opened his mouth in surprise as he recognized the young man’s face, “L. Joe?” he spoke unsteadily as anger started to boil inside Hongki. He shifted his eyes over L. Joe’s shoulder noticing Ji Eun was being held onto two other guys. “Well, well… Look who it is…” L. Joe smirked impishly as he stared down at Hongki.

L. Joe fastened his fist near Hongki’s face but luckily Hongki’s fast reflexes prevented him from getting punched as Hongki’s right hand was held firmly onto his opponent’s fist.  Hongki twisted L. Joe’s wrist; though it caused him excruciating pain into his left arm it didn’t prevent L. Joe from hitting Hongki with his other hand.

“Choi, GET OFFICERS NOW!” Ssam D warned Choi who was on the other line of his phone, as he observed the scene from a distance.

“On my way,” Choi assured him, and reminded Ssam D, “No matter what, don’t try to get involved.”

Choi picked up his walkie-talkie and looked at the screen of his computer, searching for the street name as he spoke into the receiver, “in need of officers located in YunChungDong, Seoul, intersection Lafesta and Weseuteondom.”

“I repeat Yun Chung Dong, Seoul, intersection Lafesta and Weseuteondom.”

“You little !” He howled irritably as his punch was stopped again by another one of Hongki’s firm grasp. “Don’t you with her!” Hongki threatened. L. Joe’s eyes widened in shock as he was surprised by Hongki’s fast reflexes and steady grasp in which he wasn’t expecting from the scrawny teenager.

“Che,” L. Joe tittered, “how is life going for you, after that incident, eh?” he sneered as he kicked Hongki in the sac giving L. Joe an opportunity to yank off Hongki’s grasp as Hongki bent down in pain.
L. Joe tossed Hongki onto the ground, kicking him in his back and head, making bruises and wounds all over Hongki. Though blood started to exude from Hongki he still chose not to surrender, as he got back up on his feet and attacked L. Joe back.

The two guys from behind finally let go of Ji Eun and joined in on the fight. “Ji Eun, Go!” Hongki yelled in pain, but Ji Eun refused as she kicked and punched the boys from behind. “What are you doing!?” Hongki was angry now. He lost his focus as he gazed onto Ji Eun who was crying pathetically whilst she tried to attack the boys unwaveringly.

“Pabo,” Hongki thought in his own head whilst his eyes started to water when he heard her cry aloud, “Don’t hurt Hongki oppa!” She kicked them behind forcefully but it did no effect.

Hongki fell to the ground and the three boys punched him 3 times in the stomach. Just when L. Joe was about to punch Hongki in the face again, Ji Eun swarmed over to his side and covered his face with her own head. In the end Ji Eun was beaten brutally in the back of her head, causing blood to flow out from her skull. “I’m sorry, oppa…” a tear drop landed on Hongki’s cheek whilst her head fell hard on top of Hongki’s chest.

“ do you hear that!?”L. Joe panted as he warned the other two guys about the police siren he heard.  

“You son of a ! Don’t you dare leave! WE ARE NOT FINISHED YET!” Hongki shouted loudly at the boys who were running away. He tried to sit himself up while he held Ji Eun into his arms; however he was in too much pain to get up and chase after them.

“Ji Eun,” he said quietly and tapped her face, trying to wake her up. Hongki held her tightly into his arms and whispered quietly, “why couldn’t you have just leave?… Like what any normal girl would have done…” Hongki’s voice was unsettle and shaky due to the pain he felt everywhere in his body.

“Is everything alright!?” a police officer looked at both of them and offered his hand to help Hongki up but instead he picked himself up slowly along with Ji Eun in his arms, “I’m fine, but I think I might need to get her to the hospital.”

“What happened?” the officer stopped Hongki before he was able to walk any further. “A fight, with a group of guys…” Hongki shrugged, answering casually as if these types of situations were typical to him.

“Please describe the group of guys,” the officer said. “Look I don’t have time for this,” Hongki tried to surpass the officer but the officer forcefully commanded, “that was a demand, not a question,” he said with a stern voice.
Hongki sighed heavily, “look, I don’t want this girl to lose any more blood then she already has.” Hongki budged his way out of the officer’s way and turned his head around a little, “if you want info don’t ask me, there’s a security camera over there near that shop,” he pointed at the camera to the officer as Hongki carried Ji Eun onto his back.

“Do you need a ride?” another officer offered. “No, I want to carry her,” Hongki lied; simply because he didn’t want to get involved with the police again and also gaining another record as another suspect into his history file.

“I need you to follow up behind them, as I try to get some information from that tape,” the police said to another as he pointed to Hongki and Ji Eun. The officer nodded and got into the police car as he drove behind them quietly.

Hongki P.O.V

I walked slowly up the sidewalk as I carried unconscious Ji Eun on my back; as I felt her breath brush across my cheek. “Ji Eun…” I spoke quietly next to her and repositioned her onto my back, keeping my grip tighter. I turned my head a bit to face her while she was sleeping, as my eyes followed her face structure, examining her shut eyes, round nose, pink lips and soft skin… I shook my head and gulped, turning my focus onto something else as I felt my face reddening and heart pacing. “Aish…” I sighed and continued walking down towards the hospital in pain.

I finally arrived at the hospital and seated Ji Eun onto one of the chairs in the waiting room as I walked up to the triage, “there’s a girl who is seriously injured in her head, can she be rushed into an emergency room?” I said anxiously to the woman who was working at the desk.

The woman nodded and picked up her phone calling to see if any available doctors were able to take care of Ji Eun’s case. I sat back in my seat and filled out the form the woman handed over to me. I slipped the paper Soyeon gave me out from my pocket and dialed her number on my phone. “The phone number you have dialed is…” I hung up and bit the bottom of my lip, “how inconvenient…” I clenched my teeth.

After a while of sitting in the waiting room, my body became more brittle and the pain started overwhelming much more but I tried my best not to show any signs of emotions as I sat idly waiting for the doctor to come.

“Lee Ji Eun,” the doctor said as he flipped through his spinal board and gestured his hand towards the patient room.

I picked her up in my arms and carried her to the room, while I assured her, “just hold it in a little longer, Ji Eun.” The doctor rested Ji Eun onto the bed and checked her temperature, heart rate, blood rate and breathing. “So what happened to her?” the doctor said, breaking the awkward silence.

I cleared my throat, “she was hit in the head…” my eyes were still engrossed onto her face as I clenched my hands worriedly. “Is she going to be okay?” I asked. “She should be okay,” he said calmly and wrapped a bandage on her head and other wounds around her limbs. “But you look like you’re in more pain,” the doctor seated me into a chair while the nurse took over his place and placed bandages over my wounds. “I’m okay!” I budged away from the nurse, “I just want her to recover… Don’t waste your time on me!” I wailed, though I didn’t mean to utter that out loud.Once again my careless thinking overcame me, blurting out things I always regret saying. I turned my eyes towards the ground and apologized. “Sorry,” I mumbled.

The doctor went back to his desk and looked at the form I had written out, “she had a case of severe auto-immune disease?” the doctor’s face turned pale as if all the colors had been out from his face. “That could be a problem…” he looked up at me, “does she still have the disease?” I shrugged, “I’m not so sure…”

“Are you her brother?” he sighed.
I shook my head, “no, we’re just friends…”
“Where are her parents?” he raised his brow.
“She has no parents,” I answered honestly.
“Guardian?” the doctor was hoping for an answer but I shook my head again, “her guardian didn’t pick up her phone.”

The doctor went back to Ji Eun and placed his stethoscope onto her heart, “hold on a second,” he put the files back onto his desk as he exited the room and came back in with a packet of drugs, “if she takes these twice a day on an empty stomach she should be okay for now, but try to get her family doctor to checkup on her as soon as possible,” he handed me over the medicine. “Thank you,” I bowed.

I picked Ji Eun up onto my back again and carried her out of the hospital. My tummy growled as I noticed it was already 9:30 pm and we both haven’t eaten yet.

I sauntered down the dark route towards her house hastily though I was still in pain.

As soon as I arrived at her house, Ji Eun’s phone rang and first thing I thought to myself was to leave it but when I saw Soyeon’s name appear I accepted it without hesitation, “Ji Eun why are you so late!? Anyways, sorry that Unnie has to go to work right now and can’t stick any longer… I’m driving right now so I can’t talk any longer… I made you food so don’t forget to eat it,” she said in a rush. “Wait!” I hollered but it was too late she has already hung up.

I searched through Ji Eun’s bag for her home key and quickly found it at the bottom of her bag looped around her wallet. I stuck the key into the slot and opened the door whilst carrying Ji Eun into the house.

I sat her in the dining room chair next to me as I tried to position her carefully against the back of the chair. I sat fairly close to her as I tried to wake her up, “there’s food Ji Eun…” I spoke to her but she didn’t open her eyes. “Please just wake up…” I sighed and tried to grab food onto her plate. “Look at all the food… I’m pretty sure you’re very hungry right now…”

My eyes widened as I felt her head fall onto my shoulder, making my heart race a bit faster. I sprung out of my chair startled, causing Ji Eun to fall onto my chair. My face blushed in embarrassment as I remembered she was still unconscious, but my heart continued to race faster.

I supported her into my arms again and walked upstairs then down the hallway, leading towards her bedroom. I entered inside and placed her carefully onto her bed, covering her blankets up to her neck. “You better wake up tomorrow… Or I won’t be able to forgive myself anymore,” I gulped and realized what I have said. “What the hell? Why did I just say that!?”

Clue #3 Answered:

Look at the chapter titles put together (starting from chap 3):

Sly secrets hide beneath every truth upon the meets of irony. One shall not tame the furtive but yet one ought to uncover the satirical-lies. Only the beholder possesses the ability to decipher the puzzle. 

(the sentence titles will be stopped from this point on and remain as normal chapter headings...)