[PART SEVEN]

The two were at the rooftop, sitting beside each other in silence. It was minutes before the first period starts, the bell already rang a while ago but the two just stayed there, silent and unbothered by the fact that classes were about to start.

“Where did you get that photo, Byulyi?” Byulyi woke up that morning, reading that message from Yongsun that she only replied with a “I’ll see you at school, rooftop.” that lead to how they are now.

“So my mom’s high school bestfriend is your mom.” Byulyi said, breaking the ice and looked at Yongsun, who nodded in response. “It’s a secret, my mom doesn’t want to tell Han Gye yet.”

Byulyi sighed. “But don’t you think it would be easier to just tell my mom? So she wouldn’t be suffering anymore.”

Again, Yongsun nodded.

“Is that why you changed your name to Kim Sora?”

Another nod.

Byulyi looked away from Yongsun and closed her eyes. Her head is beginning to hurt.

“I should’ve told you earlier, Byul-ah. But my mom told me to keep it a secret, that she’ll be the one to fix her mess.”

Byulyi opened her eyes and exhaled. “Can you tell me exactly what happened?”

Yongsun bit her lip and thought for a while.

“I’ll decide if I should tell my mom about this after you tell me what happened.” Byulyi said, Yongsun looked at her and hesitated at first. “Okay. Fine.”

“Starting from why she disappeared in the first place.”

Yongsun nodded and prepared herself to tell the tale.

Flashback to HanGye and Bae Yongsun’s overnight together;

HanGye was sound asleep even before midnight while Yongsun was still awake and was feeling hungry. They were alone in han Gye’s house that time so Yongsun took it to herself to roam around the house a bit then went to the kitchen but to her disappointment, there was nothing to eat. Han Gye still has to do the groceries the next day. Yongsun grabbed her jacket and wallet then headed out to the convenience store nearby.

As it was late in the evening, the streets were empty and only a few street lights were . Yongsun braced herself and walked carefully to the store.

Little did she know that she was being followed.

“Wait. Is your mom the one who was stalkers and not you?” Byulyi interrupted Yongsun’s storytelling. “What? No- I mean, let me finish!” Yongsun rolled her eyes at Byulyi.

Byulyi chuckled, “Alright, sorry continue.”

“As I was saying..”

Yongsun safely arrived to the store and bought a few snacks and sodas. She was on her way back to Han Gye’s house when an old man in a suit appeared in front of her.

“Miss Bae.” The man said, in a calm friendly tone before bowed.

Yongsun stopped and stared at the man with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, I don’t know who you are. Please excuse me, I have to go back before my bestfriend wakes up to no me on her sight.” She bowed and just began to walk away.

As she was about to gain some distance between her and the man, another man, a whole lot younger than the other man a while ago, appeared in front of her, making her stop in her tracks. She turned around, faced the man from a few moments ago. “What is this? What do you want?”

The man simply smiled and nodded that the other man, soon the other man was beside him. “Miss Bae, I’m sorry about this but you’re gonna have to come with me while I ask nicely.” The man pressed the earpiece in his left ear and mumbled something, soon enough two ars approached, stopping in front of them, the other man went in the white one. “We won’t hurt you, Miss Bae. In fact that’s exactly the orders given to us. Collect you, unharmed.”

Yongsun looked at the two, confused. “Who gave you orders?”

The man frowned. “You will know about that later, for now, please come with us.” He went to one of the cars, the black one and opened the door to the back seat. ‘Please, Miss Bae.”

Yongsun bit her lip, she didn’t know who these men are and she didn’t know what to do. She left her phone at Han Gye’s too, she couldn’t call anyone.

The man sighed before saying, “Your father is waiting for you, please come with us now, Miss Bae.”

Yongsun looked up to the man, “M-my father?” The man only nodded. “How do you know my father?”

“I work for him, Miss Bae. Now, please. Come, he is waiting for you.” The man said, motioning Yongsun to get inside the car.

Yongsun didn’t know what to do a while ago, but now all she can think about is finding about who her real father is. She had always been curious but didn’t bother asking her mom or her step dad.

Yongsun decided, she went inside the car. Immediately after, the man closed the door after her and went to the passenger seat. He then pressed his earpiece again before mumbling something then off they went.

Yongsun felt uneasy but excited about meeting her father. She opened a snack and ate it as she drank one of the sodas she just bought. She watched outside the car, trying to figure out where they were bringing her, sadly she fell asleep a few minutes after she finished munching on her snacks.

Next thing she knew was she was on a plane, with a blanket over her. “What the-”

She stopped at the sight in front of her; a man, maybe the same age as her mother sat in front of her, he was in a suit two but unlike the two a while ago, this man’s suit screamed rich. She kept studying the man in front of her then realized that he was looking at her too.

She raised an eyebrow. “Who are you?” The man smiled at her. “Hello, Yongsun. I’m your father.” Yongsun stared at the man before her in disbelief. “I’m sorry for ‘kidnapping’ you like that, but I know I won’t get in trouble. I have rights anyway.”

Yongsun still couldn’t believe this. “What rights are you talking about?”

Her father chuckled. “Well firstly, you’re bearing my name. Second, I paid for everything in the hospital for your birth. Third, I send you to school and I give financial support for you. Fourth...well, I still have to put it in writing.”

Yongsun raised an eyebrow and sighed. “I guess so…”

Her father sighed. “I’m really sorry for kidnapping you like that. I originally asked for your mom’s permission but she won’t see me after that.”

Yongsun nodded. “So, why did you kidnap me?”

Her father smiled. “I’ll be honest, you’re my only child.”

“And so?”

“And so, I need a successor.”

End of Flashback

Yongsun stopped there and breathed. Byulyi just processing the information. “So that’s what happened.”

Yongsun nodded.

“Yongsun.” Byulyi said. “What’s your mother’s name now?”

Yongsun looked at Byulyi, again hesitating to answer the question. But she realized that she can’t hide anything anymore so she reached for her wallet in her pocket and took a card then handed it to Byulyi. “Jong Ok. Bae Jong Ok.”

Byulyi took the car, it was Yongsun’s Mother’s business card. Byulyi nodded.

“Byul-ah.”

Byulyi looked at Yongsun. “Yeah?”

“You’re going to tell Han Gye, are you?”

Byulyi pouted and opened to say something.

Before Byulyi could even answer, someone entered the rooftop and saw them there, it was Joohyun, the Student Council President. “Yeah, I thought I saw you two coming inside the campus a while ago.” Joohyun said. “Alright, I’m sorry guys but you just cut classes and you’re in trouble. Byulyi, you’re mother won’t like this, I’m gonna have to-”

Byulyi stood up. “No, it’s okay, Joohyun unni. I’m going to go to her now and tell her. “ Even if she was speaking to Joohyun, she was looking at Yongsun. Yongsun gulped and stood up too. “I’m coming with her, I’m in trouble too anyways.” She too, wasn’t looking at Joohyun even if she was talking to her.

Joohyun looked at the two, confused. “Oh? O-okay then.”

Byulyi nodded and the two of them walked out the rooftop and headed to the Principal’s office. To their surprise, Mrs. Kim wasn’t at her desk.

Byulyi shrugged and went to open the door leading to her mom’s office when Yongsun stopped her. “Byulyi, wait. Let’s call my mom. Let’s have them talk.”

Byulyi let go of the knob. “Okay, call her now.”

Yongsun nodded and got her phone then dialed her mom’s number. “Hello Mom?”

“Oh, my dear daughter, what is it?”

“Byulyi knows.” Yongsun bit her lip before continuing. “She’s going to tell Han Gye now.”

The other line stayed quiet.

“Mom?”

“Hm?”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

“I heard you loud and clear.”

“And you’re not going to do anything about it?”

“I’m coming over. Refrain Byulyi from talking to Han Gye for now.”

Yongsun nodded and hang up.

Byulyi appeared into her line of sight once again, “So? Is she coming?” Yongsun nodded. “Yeah, so hold your horses and keep quiet.”

Byulyi chuckled. “Hey, don’t get mad at me. I just want my mom to stop suffering over something that never happened.” Byulyi smiled, she was referring to the death of the original Kim Yongsun. “And Mrs. Kim, she has the right to know too, right?”

Yongsun nodded. “I know, I can’t believe I keep calling her Halmoni and it turns out to be true.”

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