The Game Had Just Begun

2015

“I am telling you… I am being wrongly accused…”

The stiffness of sweat smell filled the stifled small room, greenly Eun Ji would say, she’d go for pathetic greenly small room. Nerve racking, indeed, she had watched dramas about people being interrogated, being asked whether you know this person or not, whether you did this or not—but she was innocent. She did nothing wrong. She was innocent.

Hand cuffs were grasping her, limiting the room for her hands to move. She gnawed on her lips. “I am innocent.”

About 24 hours ago

Shutter sound was heard throughout the room, light was flashed alongside with the movement of man and woman in front of the camera who both were wearing a heavy make-up and highly new fashion trend clothes as well as accessories. A commanding voice slipped in the middle of the already chaotic situation, instructed the woman to do as what she commanded. The man cooperated with the woman’s movement as if she was taking the lead and both of them got their pictures snapped.

“Perfect, yes… A bit to the right… Hands… Good, love it…”

“Thank you for your hard work!” The woman bowed as she clapped her hands, followed by the whole crews who made the photo-shoot happened. Meanwhile the man merely stayed in his cool pace.

Models.

Eun Ji shook her head as she looked at the big computer screen, checking each masterpiece that she had taken for the last three hours. A smile of satisfaction adorned her face—finally, her work was paid off.

They had prepared from a week before the photo-shoot, regarding everything should have been neatly done. They gathered from early in the morning, while Eun Ji, as a photographer, was still half-awake, still couldn’t let off herself from her beauty-sleep but managed to keep herself in peppy state—thanks to Bo Mi’s deliciously tasty caffeine shots. Both of the models were professionals, they did lessen the time and particularly lessen lots of hassle to have the job done.

“What a day!” Eun Ji sat down at a comfy sofa, not far from the photo-shoot. She stretched her arms and legs, while the satisfaction feel was still on her face.

“Feeling tired already, Miss Photographer?” The voice was unexpected but somehow it made Eun Ji grinned. She stretched out her hand and mischievously moved her fingers.The owner of the voice snorted then handed a cup of coffee to Eun Ji, which she immediately took it as though a child received a toy.

She knew that it was just brewed as the warmth from the cup permeated her palms and one sniff told her that it was her favorite―hazelnut latte. With one look you could almost knew that it was done by professional―the zigzag strike perfectly created into a flower pattern adorning the milky foam with a touch of chocolate powder on the top created such an art in a small cup. “Our Bo Mi indeed is the world’s number one barista.”

“What a flatterer.”

“Learn from you.”

Both of them laughed. The woman―known as Bo Mi, had an aureate hair with the right hint of wave that was pulled back into a low ponytail. She was holding a tray and as she sat down, her hair that was slipped to her left-ear fell against her woolen black sweater. Eun Ji had always felt this friend of hers was a feminine-type, from the way she talk and move, everything was so girlish, no wonder she was once a prima donna back at the school days. “So, have you made your decision?”

“What?” Eun Ji gave a soft blow to the cup in her hold, “What decision?”

Bo Mi frowned, “Don’t tell me you didn’t know.” Seeing Eun Ji tongue-tied and that stupefied face of hers, saying something ambiguous was like pulling teeth, she couldn’t help but to shake her head, “Oh mighty, Miss Jung Eun Ji, it is our school reunion, remember? I am pretty I have told you weeks ago, I even put the invitation card on your working desk.”

“Really? I must’ve have missed put it at somewhere else.” She withdrew her eyes to her cup and continued having sips of the creamy mouthwatering hazelnut-scented latte.

Bo Mi seemed to burning with anger, how could she acted so siren as if she didn’t care, in fact Bo Mi knew and Eun Ji, herself knew more than anyone else what the school reunion meant. “Jung Eun Ji, it is school reunion,” she harshly put the tray on the table and crossed her arms, “that guy from ten years ago―the owner of the book you’ve bringing along with you, don’t you want to meet again? For the very least, meeting him is like not having such an anonymous person become the first love in your memory. Ask his name or what he does or anything. Just meet him.”

Eun Ji stopped blowing.

Bo Mi wasn’t wrong in fact she was right. She had been waiting for that person―the guy who had given her the crime psychological novel. In these ten years, she had been wondering, imagining that he would be an outstanding policeman, he could be a criminal psychologist, a psychiatrist who knew how to handle hypnosis or he took up other occupation but having interest in criminal things.

She was dying to meet him, not only in dreams, not thinking about that one smile had made her fallen for him but to meet him in real person, to see him, know him, even they ended up becoming friends she would be grateful, at least she knew him. But picturing him in vague―she even had forgotten how he looked like―was torturing her. It was like in love with a total stranger, how maniac was that?

It was not like she was living in a world of papers, the world of drama that a nowhere strangers fallen in love with each other, especially when she was reminded of the fact they only met once and they had been separated for ten years. She indeed was doubtful of him remembering their meeting at the bus stop, remembering that he had given the book to her.

But she desperately wanted to meet him.

“I will,” Eun Ji said after having another sip, “when did you say?”