“Hey” he caught her attention again. “Yes?” “About Yuchan’s stuff at the rent unit you mentioned the other day, if you need any help just tell me” “Well it’s true that I want to keep his stuff there. But it seems that someone want to rent that place too so I think I’ll have to take his stuff from there” “Is it urgent?” “The landlord told me that the person is in a hurry to find a place to stay. So I think I need to give up on that place. But I’m still trying to discuss with that person” “Owh I see. If you need a hand with moving those things, call us. We can help you” “Thanks. I’ll make sure to do so”

 

 

“Hey, go away” a series of pat landed on Donghun’s shoulder. Both Donghun and Yeonwoo lifted their heads. Sehyoon smirked at them. He pulled another chair nearby and joined them.

“You’re not trying to steal my date away, do you?” “Me?” Donghun chuckled. “Really I mean it, Yeonwoo. If you think of dating this guy, think again. You’ll regret it”

“What’s wrong with going out with me?” “You might end up making Yeonwoo loves those frogs too”

“Well, in fact, she did loves them. Am I right, Yeonwoo?” he glanced at her, waiting for her to back up his point. “Well that’s the point I want to meet up with Sehyoon. I need him to come with me to buy some dolls” she smiled to Donghun. His mouth agape. “You really mean it?” he looked at both Sehyoon and her one after another. She smiled sheepishly and nodded.

                Donghun laughed. “You are pulling her into your obsession, Sehyoon” He glanced down to his watch. “Hey I think I need to go now” he stood. He turned to Sehyoon. “You take care of her”

Sehyoon nodded. “Yea I know”

                They watched as Donghun left them. Yeonwoo turned to Sehyoon. “So should we go now?”

*             *             *

                Sehyoon walked around the store. His eyes ran around from a plushie to another. He glanced back. Yeonwoo was following him but her attention was occupied by her phone in her hand.

“Yeonwoo” he called. “Yea” she glanced at him. “Is something wrong?” he asked as he noticed her furrowed eyebrows. “Well I told you about the new tenant at Yuchan’s unit, right?” “Yea. What’s with it?” “I asked to meet him but he refuse. He said to only deal everything on the phone”

                He bent over to look at the screen.

“Wow he really hates human; I see” Sehyoon voiced. “So hard to negotiate with this person” she rolled her eyes. “And he took all day to reply my message. Must be a REALLY busy person”

                Yeonwoo kept her phone away and wandered around the shop. She looked up and saw Sehyoon was immersed in a few miniature vehicles. She went up to him. “Hey”

                He glanced at her with a smile before continued to look at the miniature vehicles. “I remember bought a few for Yuchan. He put them on his study”

                He put the miniature in his grip down again. Yeonwoo patted his back as his head fell to the ground. A light pat was on her hand. Sehyoon gave her a comforting smile before walked away.

“Hey” she followed him . “Yea?” “I have a question to ask” “A big problem?” “Well yea you can say so” “Does this made you come out here to release some stress?” “Well” she shrugged. “I guess. This thing had been in my mind for quite a time though”

“Go on. Tell me. I’ll help you if I can” Sehyoon stopped at an alley of music box. He bent over to take a closer look at them. Yeonwoo stared at him. She played with her sweaty fingers, nervous. “What would you do if someone dear to you hated you?”

                Upon hearing the question, he stood straight. Sehyoon approached her. “Hate you? Who would hate you, Yeonwoo?” he smiled. “No. I’m serious” “Then I think I should keep my distant from that person. If I’m the one who made the person I love most to be uncomfortable, what’s the point of staying around that person” he went to the music box again. “No I mean it” she stated.

                He paused. He sensed the tense tone trailed her words. Yeonwoo looked away. Her palm curled into a fist. *He loves Yuchan so much, yet Yuchan still want to kill him! Why?!*

“Yeonwoo” he called. She tried to hold back her tears of anger.

                Her hand was grip and dragged to the end corner of the shop. She looked at Sehyoon’s grip on her wrist.

“There” he let go off her. He shoved the huge teddy bear in his arm to her that it covered her face. “Go on. Let it all out”

                He turned around. “Let me know when you’re done”

                Yeonwoo buried her face into the teddy bear and flopped onto the floor, sobbing her heart out.

*             *             *

                Sehyoon glanced at Yeonwoo as they walked away from the town. Her eyes were puffy. She met his eyes. “Owh” she covered her face. “Don’t look at me. I look ugly”

“Nah” he chuckled. “It’s okay. As long as you feel better”

                She nodded. “Thanks to you” “Glad I can help a friend”

*Friend* she thought. Yeonwoo watched as Sehyoon walked ahead of her. *Will he believe me if I tell him about Yuchan? He must think I’m crazy. He-no. Everyone believe Yuchan is dead. How can I convince him?*

“Talk about friend” she took his attention. They stopped. He turned to her.

“As a friend, do you believe in me?”

                He nodded. “Of course. Why shouldn’t I?”

“Will you even believe me even if I tell something really absurd?” “Yes” “Really really believe me?” “Of course. What’s the matter?”

*             *             *

“Thank you for walking me home” Yeonwoo voiced. Sehyoon nodded without a reply, eyes avoiding hers. He walked away, leaving her in front of her house alone.

-Flashback-

“What?” Sehyoon was in disbelieve. “Yeonwoo, Yuchan is dead”

“No. I’m telling you that he’s alive” “All of us saw him didn’t make it out from the house when it caught in the fire” “No he isn’t in there. Believe me. He’s still alive and he plan to kill you. And you’re the first person” “First, Yuchan can’t be alive. Second, why would he want to kill me? We have nothing against each other” “I don’t know. Maybe because you know he’s the only one who’s capable to kill Donghun and Junhee” “Kill them?! Yeonwoo, what are you talking about?!” “I’m telling you the truth. Wait! Let me call him” she took out her phone and quickly made a phone call to Yuchan’s phone.

                Her arm was ward away from her ear. Her eyes widened in shock. There was not a smile on Sehyoon’s face.

“Can you just stop? Yuchan is gone. Accept the fact, Yeonwoo” “But-“ “I don’t want to hear you bad-mouthing him anymore so just” he let go off her arm. “Shut up” he whispered, holding back his tears.

-End of flashback-

“He doesn’t believe in me” Yeonwoo covered her face with her palms and heaved a heavy sigh. *What should I do? He’s the first target and he’s the closest to me. I thought he would believe me*

*             *             *

                Yeonwoo flopped into the seat of the bus stop. She recalled the words doctor told her just now at the hospital.

“I suggest you to do the operation as soon as possible. Your body can’t take with the virus longer. You may look alright in the outside, but-“

                She bent over. Her hand covering as she cough hard. *What’s this?* A few red droplet landed on her hand.

“The virus is killing you from the inside slowly”

                Yeonwoo quickly took out tissue to clean it off. She paused. Her head faced the ground as tears streamed down her cheeks. She held back her sob. *I should see this coming. But why am I sad about leaving this world? Damn it*

               

 

                She was able to compose herself. *It’s not that I want to treat myself. I know this illness can’t be cure forever* She looked down to her phone. It was already past lunch hour. “Late lunch again for me” she looked up on the internet about any interesting new recipe to try. She went to the call log.

 “Sehyoon hasn’t pick up my call for days. He’s making me worry” she heaved a sigh. “Or I just irritated him so much he hates me now?”

                She saw the messages she sent to the new tenant. “This person really not going to reply my messages?! I really need to meet this person! Everyone is stressing me out” she kept her phone away and slid the earphone into her ear. She Yuchan’s mp3 and the shuffle mode. A few of their favourite songs played.

“Why did it stop playing? Run out of battery?” she looked down to the screen. It was still playing an audio file but it was from another named ‘Journal’. *Wow he even had his journal in this. Tired of writing all the time I guess*

                Her focus went to the recording again. But it was just the wind sound for a few minutes. Yuchan deep heavy sigh can be heard. Yeonwoo could felt her heart broke into pieces. *I miss those voice a lot* But the recording was silent again. *Maybe he just felt too empty*

-Flashback-

                Yuchan was at his desk alone in his room. The mp3 was in front of him above piles of paper scattered on his desk. It was recoding. Wind blew into his room from the wide open window. He glanced out. Once again he let out a sigh.

*I just don’t know what to say. I just feel nothing. A complete emptiness*

                His eyes went down to the cutter in his right grip. He rolled up his left sleeves to reveal scars on his fair skin. He brought the cutter to his skin. His thumb pushed the blade out. *Alright this time I really want to end this*

 

                A winch left his lips. Blood stained the carpet below him as blood gushed out from his wrist.

-End of flashback-

                Yeonwoo gasped. She blinked back tears. *Yuchan…* A loud thump can be heard. Yuchan fell onto the floor. *NO! Please someone save him!* She fast forwarded the recording. A series of knock on the door was recorded. The door was opened. *Someone’s here!*

“Yuchan!”

“Junhee!” she covered .

-Flashback-

                Junhee looked at his hand that was now dip with Yuchan’s blood.

“Yuchan, what’s going on?! Wake up!” Junhee tried to shake him. Yuchan didn’t open his eyes nor give him any reaction. “Damn” Junhee hissed and was about to stand and get others. Yuchan pulled his hand.

“Don’t…” Yuchan whispered weakly. He shook his head. “You’re badly hurt!” Junhee replied. “No… Please… No one should know about this….”

                Junhee looked at both the door and Yuchan one after another.

-End of flashback-            

                The sound of door closed can be heard.

“Come let me help you with that” Junhee sighed. “Why are you doing this?”

                The movement sound can be heard. The recording stopped.

*Junhee knew about Yuchan tried to take his own life yet he didn’t tell me?! Then, that means Junhee is the only person who knew Yuchan’s secret. Wait!* she looked at the details of the audio file. It was from 2 years ago on the exact date of that day. *Sehyoon isn’t Yuchan’s first target! It’s Junhee! Don’t tell me he’ll kill him today!*

                The next thing she remembered was she ran like a lunatic toward a destination. Her mind filled with Yuchan’s plan on Junhee’s death. *Please let me save him!*

*             *             *

                Behind a wall of an alley, a man was hiding in the shadow. He fixed his black cap that shadowed his face. “Let’s do this, Yuchan” he voiced to himself. A shining pocket blade was in his grip.

“Junhee, can you put these outside?” a distant voice could be heard from the store nearby. Minutes later, Junhee walked out from the back door of the store with a stack of boxes in his arms.

*There he is* Yuchan thought. He watched as Junhee put the boxes aside. Yuchan took a step forward.

“JUNHEE!!”

                Junhee looked up. Yeonwoo doubled over in front of him, panting. Yuchan took a step back. He bit his lips. “What is she doing here?” he hissed.

“Yeonwoo, hi” Junhee smiled. “What are you doing here?”

                She was glancing around, looking for anyone suspicious. “No. Nothing” she mustered a smile, trying to look as calm as possible. “Can we talk for a bit?”

“Well, I’m still working now. But it’s okay. Let’s go”

                Both of them left the place.

*What coincidence is this?* Yuchan walked away from the alley. He removed the mask that cover his lower part of face in fury. *But it’s too accurate to be a coincidence. Does Yeonwoo know about my plan? No way! She knows nothing about it! Or maybe not. I should keep an eye on her. Just in case*

*             *             *

                Yeonwoo reached for her phone in her bag. She was at a café where she chatted with Junhee for a while. She began to type a message.

| I really need to meet you. It’s about the secret room    |

 

 

                Sungmin’s phone vibrated as it received a message. He checked on the phone. It was a text message from Yeonwoo. *Secret room* He lifted his head to see the closet that lead to the secret room before him. *She knew about it!*