“Have you heard the news?”

Eyes still fixated on her computer screen, Yuna returned a question to her colleague, “What news?”

“The rising pianist, Kim Yewon, is currently in a coma. She got shot the day before her recital. I wonder which scum despises her so much for them to do such a thing to an innocent person. She doesn't deserve this at all. I was actually looking forward to today.”

“You bought tickets to her recital?”

“It was my boyfriend who bought the tickets. He knows how much I like the pianist.”

“Well, that's just unfortunate then.”

“I hope the culprit will be found soon and be put behind bars for good. How can they even live normally knowing that they had almost killed someone? I hope Yewon will not give up and continue fighting for her life…”

“I'm sure she's a strong person, Chaeyeon. Just keep her in your prayers.”

♫

Yuna left the office at half past nine p.m. after having completed all of the tasks she had been assigned to do that day. Before heading home, she decided to stop by a nearby small noodles restaurant to fill up her empty stomach since she had missed dinner. Chaeyeon had offered to buy her food earlier, at around six p.m., but she declined it, not wanting to burden the woman who was already prepared to end work. She could survive a few more hours without food, she had reassured her friend.

“Tsk, girls like you shouldn't be going home late at this timing.”

Looking up from her bowl of kimchi ramyeon, Yuna furrowed her brows when she saw that there was no one sitting beside or opposite her. It was no doubt that the voice did not belong to the store owner because it sounded light and soft— of a female— and the store owner was a man probably in his late fifties so whose voice did she just hear then?

‘I must be too tired that I'm hearing things,’ she thought lightly of it.

Five minutes later, at roughly around one minute past ten p.m., she finished her meal and left the store after paying, not forgetting to give an extra 1,000 won tip like she always did whenever she ate there.

“I hope you're not going anywhere else. You should be heading home now.”

Whipping her head to her right (where she heard the same soft voice more clearly), she felt goosebumps forming on her skin when once again, she saw no one else in sight.

“Miss, are you alright?” asked the cashier.

“I'm fine,” Yuna nodded.

Instead of taking the bus home, she decided to hail a cab that evening. Maybe, she really was tired. Too tired.

♫

Yuna took a much deserved warm shower once she got home. Once she was done, she picked whatever she saw first in her wardrobe and ended up in a plain white tee and a pair of black shorts.

It was close to 11:30 p.m. when she was done with her daily night routine. Not feeling sleepy yet, she left her room to head to the kitchen, wanting to get herself a glass of warm milk after sending a last text bidding goodnight to her boyfriend, Seokmin.

Yuna liked to think that her life was in place. She had a stable job, a supportive family, a boyfriend who loved her as much as she loved him, a small circle of friends whom she could trust all her secrets with and her very own apartment all at the age of twenty-two. Seokmin had once brought up the topic on marriage but she was quick to end it, mentioning that they were still young and that they should not rush into things especially with something sacred like marriage. Yuna wanted to live her life to the fullest first. The idea of settling down was unnerving.

“I wish I could have a glass of milk too right now.”

“Not again,” Yuna muttered, lightly banging her head against the fridge.

“Not again what?”

Feeling an unknown presence somewhere around her, Yuna braved herself to look up, only to release a high pitched scream when she saw another figure standing opposite her, staring at her with wide eyes.

“You can see me?” she heard the stranger ask.

Backing away, Yuna carefully reached her hand out to the back and grabbed whatever she could hold on to use it as a weapon.

“A knife? Really? I'm not here to kill you or anything,” the stranger huffed.

“How did you enter my house?” Yuna gritted, pointing the sharp edge of the knife straight at the unwelcome guest.

“You really can hear and see me?”

“Leave now or I'll stab you with this,” Yuna further threatened.

Raising both her hands, the stranger took a step back, though, her eyes showed anything but fear. “I had been shot a day ago. I don't want to get stabbed this time. Do you know how much it hurts?”

“You got... shot a day ago?” Furrowing her brows, Yuna lowered the sharp object, a sudden unsettling feeling bubbled up in her chest.

“I'm very sure it's all over the news.” The stranger looked amused that it only made Yuna more confused than she already was. “Kim Yewon was found with a gunshot right below her chest in her apartment. Kim Yewon's recital is cancelled after she was found all bloody in her apartment. Rising pianist Kim Yewon is currently in a coma after being shot in her apartment. Does any of the headlines ring a bell to you?”

“Pianist… Kim Yewon?” The information was too much for Yuna to take in that she was starting to feel light headed.

“Ouch,” Yewon placed a hand over her chest and feigned a hurt expression. “Do you really not know who I am?”

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter