CHAPTER 8

Silence is filled within them. Jeongyeon didn’t say a word or rather she could say a word. She doesn’t know that behind the bright smile of Daniel is a sad past.

She knows that Daniel is still in pain in losing them, as she notice tears forming on his eyes. She wanted to hug him but settled on patting Daniels back. Daniels smiled back at her bitterly

“ sorry about that, I’m spoiling the mood aren’t I?” Daniel sniffs and smiled at her

Jeongyeon shakes her head as she disagree

“these earrings, you asked me about them before right?” Daniel stood up

Jeongyeon look at him and nodded, “you said that it’s a reminder”

“that’s right, These is my memory of them, one is my dongsaeng, and the other one is for my first love” Daniel look at the sea as he tries to remember them

First love and dongsaeng the words stuck in Jeongyeons mind. She smiled bitterly, her story is almost the same from his story but the difference is Daniel has a right to grieve but she has no right to

“now that I’ve tell you mine” Daniel said breakings Jeongyeons train of thoughts, “isn’t about time you tell me yours?

Jeongyeon remained silent and look at Daniel

Is she ready? Unlike Daniel, her story is not sad but is horrible past. The only people who knows it are the teachers and Park siblings. Is she prepared to let the other people know? She knows that Daniel may cut of their friendship after hearing her story.

She felt Daniels hand on her hand, Daniel smiled of her like assuring her that he is ready to listen whatever Jeongyeon may tell him.

“You may hate me…” is the only words escape from , and she regretted it. She regrets showing weakness and vulnerable side to anyone especially to those she is close to

“tell me… and let me decide on what would I feel after hearing your story” He said as He caressed the her hair mildly, “please share your pain to me even once”

Jeongyeon take a breath , it takes a few minutes then said

“I killed my first love”

Jeongyeon looked at Daniel and took a deep breath, she know that her hands are trembling lightly so she tried to hide her hands behind her back, “I killed my first love” She begun

She saw a surprise look in Daniels eyes but the guy remained silent, indicating that he is ready to listen on her whole story from years ago

Yoo Jeongyeon was an orphan since a baby. And as she could remember, seeing ghosts and other living spirits is pretty ordinary to her.  At first she struggled on how to manage the ghost but since they are living at the church, the churchs holiness drives away the ghosts and hence the church became her safe haven.

She grew up normally at the orphanage with her bestfriends (another orphan) Daehwi and Euigeon. Euigeon is her partner in crime, her bestfriend.

Daehwi came along when the younger is only five, maybe because the two of them yearned for a family, Jeongyeon and Euigeon got closed to Daehwi in a short time.

Though Daehwi is younger than them by two years, it didn’t matter to them, the three of them are inseparable. When Jeongyeon reached at the age of nine, Euigeons’ adoption was approved, and He was adopted by an older couple looking for a child. Being a child they can’t do anything about it, Jeongyeon and Daehwi cried a bucket even after Euigeon promised that he will return to visit them every year.

But to their disappointment Euigeon was brought to New York and never came back again. After the false assurance from Euigeon, Daehwi and Jeongyeon promise each other to be together.

Her senses towards the ghost are getting stronger as the years go by. By the age of thirteen, some ghost bothers her more than before. Sometime they play tricks with her, but most of the time the just want to talk to her because “they just miss talking to an alive human being”. Anything was perfect to Jeongyeon back then; she has loving nuns who fondly takes care of them, she has a cute dongsaeng who is much attached to her then there is Jihoon and his siblings, they are caring friends who kept their promise about coming back to play with them every summer. She was very satisfied back then until it happen.

One summer at age of fourteen, jeongyeon had worked for a summer job at a flower shop because Daehwis’ birthday is coming near. She planned to buy him a guitar because Daehwi has a talent for music. He saw him composing good songs and had a talent in singing.

After her first pay she run immediately at the music store and bought the guitar that Daehwi was ogling every time they return to orphanage from school. She excitedly run towards the orphanage to surprise the younger, but she was the one who got surprised instead.

The orphanage was a mess, chairs are all over the floor broken, window shields are broken, and there are signs of fighting everywhere. Jeongyeon looked at the wall, there are red splashes and her spine chill when she recognized that the red splashes are blood. She silently tiptoed to search immediately for the nuns. As soon as she saw their mother superior and other nuns, she knows thay athey already dead

Jeongyeon Panicked, but tried her best to remain calm, she remembers Daewhi. She run towards their room knowing the possibility of being there

To her horror Daehwi was lying beside the other children, there is blood at his forehead. Jeongyeon run towards Daehwi as fast as she could. She gently shake the younger to wake up. Her tears pooled in her eyes when after a few minutes of shaking there no signs him of waking up. She hugged Daewhi tightly and started sobbing, then she heard a commotion outside. She immediately dragged Daehwi at the nearest closet and hide, praying that the unknown men won’t notice her. Her heart is pounding crazily, she even hold her breath unconsciously

“Idiots! I didn’t tell you to include the ordinary children” a beautiful lady with a tattoo on her left hand yelled, who Jeongyeon concluded was the leader

“But boss, they were shouting and crying so loudly” one of the underling replied

“How would you cover this mess? I told you to threaten them to tell where they hid that , not to kill this ing Nuns and orphans!” the leader glared at the underling

“but boss, the children fought back-“

“I don’t want to hear you lame excuses!!!” the boss silenced the underling with a slap and the underling flew hard at the wall. The woman fell, eyes wide open and no signs of life

Jeongyeon closed her eyes covered , not letting a noise escaped from . She knew the situation she is in. She looked at Daehwi and still no signs of waking up. Dear God whoever you are, please save me and Daehwi, she silently prayed.

“Should I help you?”

Jeongyeon was startled with a voice, she looked at the closet. There is nothing aside from their toys, books and clothings inside it. Maybe it’s her imagination or may be due to fear, she don’t know anymore, Jeongyeon thought

“Meet me outside the orphanage!’’ she heard the boss said and left the room.

Jeongyeon stayed there for fifteen, no 30 minutes-she wasn’t sure. What matters to Jeongyeon is Daehwis’ body is getting cold. She put her Jacket around him hoping that it would help. She silently prayed to every God and Saints whoever she could pray of

“Jeongyeon? Daehwi?” Jeongyeon heard a boy calling their name.

She silently peeked the hole inside the closet.

“Answer me please?” the boys’ voice pleaded.

“Euigeon?” Jeongyeon answered him almost whispering

“J-Jeongyeon?” Euigeon run towards the closet

“E-euigeon!” Jeongyeon slowly open the door towards to boy.

Euigeon immediately hugged Jeongyeon, “are you okay? What happen?!” He asked while checking Jeongyeon for any injury, eyes worried

“Help…”Jeongyeon answered,” Daehwi he…”

By time Euigeon heard the Youngers name, his eyes immediately flew toward the boy beside her. With eyes grew wide open he immediately checked Daehwi

“Please save him, D-Daehwi isn’t moving, he is getting colder by minute, He isn’t breathing” Jeongyeon clasped her hand hoping that the boy could help.

Euigeon checks Daehwi for a few minutes.

“we need to go” She heard him saying after a long of silence

“What?” although Jeongyeon heard it clearly, she wants to clarify it

“we need to go Jeongyeon, its dangerous here”  he said while looking at her eyes

“o-okay, but how about Daehwi? Should we carry him?” she said while collecting some things towards her bag.

“No, we need to go, just the two of us” He heard him saying

“What? What are saying? Are you suggesting that I should leave Daehwi here?” her voice slightly raised as she couldn’t understand wh