Chapter 23

(continues where left off)

The room I entered was also extremely white. I was getting those same vibes as when I visited Kazou's 'hospital' room in his penthouse. I looked around. This place was soulless. There's no one here. Was I ambushed? Then I see a dark blue metal door open and smoke coming out of it. It was the chilly frost. Is there a refrigerator behind it? Then I saw a man walk out of it. He was in a suit. Like those scientists who work with radiation or viruses. I didn't see his face. It was cover with a black elastic panel. And he didn't look at me. So the man was oblivious to my presence. 

As he closed the door, he jogged over to a table, quickly snatched a marker from some shelf and started frantically writing in his notebook. I stood there like an idiot not knowing what to do or say. So I just observed. In about five minutes he stopped writing, dropped the marker and jogged over to a silver steel door. 

But before he opened it, he jumped startled and let out a low pitched scream. He saw my reflection on the door. He stared at me unmoving for a few moments until I shifted due to the awkwardness of the situation.

- A moment!!! - he yelled and ran towards a white plastic door. This room has lots of different doors. What an odd place.

Anyways. As the man disappeared I let out a shaky breath. What is going on in here? Who was he? And why is he behaving like some crazy scientist? Is he my brother? Then why the hell he ran away? Isn't he like supposed to be happy to see me? Maybe give a hug? Or at least acknowledge the fact that he knows me? Well, in case if he is my brother.

I was bored standing by the door and decided to roam around. My first destination was the table where the mystery man wrote notes for five minutes. The notebook wasn't closed so I could read what he wrote. But the thing is, I couldn't understand it! 

First if all, who has such ty and tiny handwriting? Second of all, what language is this? Third, if this man turns out to be my brother, he needs to pass a hell lot of memory tests with me. Cuz something's wrong. Well, different. My brother had beautiful handwriting. And what I'm looking at right now is a horrible nightmare!

So I decided to flip through the notebook. And guess what. It had that same nightmare on every page except the times where there were numbers and some scientific calculations, equations. I opened back to last entry and left the table. For I was scared to peek into other notebooks. Seriously, who writes like that?!

Anyways, I decided to check what was inside a few wardrobes. They were all filled with either books, notebooks and other papers or with flasks, bottles, cans and cases of various forms. I suppose this is some kind of a lab. And that man must be its owner. Unless another person is gonna pop out of some door like he did. 

As I was nearing the window overlooking an operating room the man bursted back into the room. He was wearing normal clothes. And once my eyes settled on his face, my whole being froze. He was the perfect copy of my brother. His eyes, his cheeks, his nose. Everything was identical. 

I know I was agreeing to meet my supposedly dead brother. But I guess I never truly believed that he could be alive. And now that I see him standing before me. It's as if I'm paralyzed. Aren't I supposed to run into his arms and give him a bearhug? Where's the excitement? Why am I like this? And he just stands there with that stupid, but not really, grin on his face. Why isn't he doing something? Anything! Is he like letting me adapt?

- Sehun? That's really you? - my voice trembled. God dammit, stop being a weakling! As I steadied my voice, I continued. - You didn't change a bit.

- You grew up on the other hand. - he said and I barely held in my tears. - C'mere!

I quickly walked up to Sehun and he enveloped me in a warm and tight hug. Gosh, I missed my older brother. So so so very much. We stayed like that for a while. Then I pulled away. He studied my face and then broke out a heartwarming smile.

- You aren't surprised to see me. - I say as we take a seat on the white leather couch.

- Mrs Kim told me you were coming. I had time to prepare. It's good to see you, Rene. - even Sehun's voice is the same. What sorcery is this? How come is he not dead? I've been to his funeral! Seulgi will have to answer this question. I'll make sure she does. Or I could ask Sehun. Would he answer?

- Your handwriting is terrible. - I decided to start off with easy stuff. We'll get to the hard ones eventually.

- I suppose. It's not meant to be understood. - Sehun smiled mysteriously. Even he has that signature mystery that Kang possesses! Why is everything involving Seulgi so damn secretive?

- What are you working on? - I think I better get to the hard stuff sooner than later. 

- Sorry. That's confidential. - Sehun looked at me apologetically. 

I looked at him, like... Seriously?!

- Mrs Kim has serious penalties for destroying the privacy. Everything that happens in this place, stays in this place. The information stored here is way too important to take the risk of leaking. - Sehun explained, his face held somewhat sadness. Then it clicked.

- Do you ever leave this lab?! - I asked my eyes ready to pop out of their sockets. Sehun shook his head no. - Oh my God... How do you manage to stay sane?

- I have my projects. And Mrs Kim pays me occasional visits with her wife. Seulgi also calls in at times. One conversation with any of them could have me entertained for months. Just thinking about what they said. You know, I considered myself so smart back when I live outside. I managed to survive without our father's support. I reached incredible success in medicine. I had a good life. But once I met Seulgi, my world turned upside down. I understood that I knew nothing about life. I was so focused on science that I absolutely forgot about anything else. I'm grateful to be living in this place, Joohyun. Wouldn't trade it for the world.

- I see. - I was a little upset that if I ever wanted to see my brother I'd have to come back to this mansion. Obviously Seulgi won't stay here for long. I wonder if there is a place she'd stay at for longer than a year. - Did you miss us?

- I did. And still do. But this is my place now. I made the choice. And I'm paying for it. Everything...

- ...has a price. I know. - I interrupted Sehun. I heard this phrase so many time that if in the middle of a night someone were to wake me up and tell me 'say the first thing that comes to mind' I'd say exactly these four words.

- Knowing and understanding are two different things, Hyunie. - Sehun yawned. - Sorry, I guess I overworked myself. How are you doing? I know that Seulgi is hard to handle. How do you manage? I have enough of her even though she visits me once in half a year.

- I really enjoy spending time with Seulgi. There's just so many sides to her and I wanna figure out each and every one of them. Seulgi is rather nice when you get to know her. Though I still don't understand how she and Sooyoung became friends.

- That's a story those two have not told anyone. And they won't ever share it. I don't know why though. - Sehun rubbed his temples. He really is tired.

- How did you survive Sehun? - both our faces turned serious. My brother knew the question was coming. He looked away, then took a deep breath and locked eyes with me.

- My death was faked. What you saw was just a dead body. I wasn't in it. Just a biologically identical body that Mrs Kim has created for me. I needed to leave the world of the living in order to enter the ghost world. Seulgi is a ghost, one of the very best. Mrs Kim isn't though. No, she's a player of a worldwide scale. Her wife on the other hand is a different story. Mrs Hwang had to go through terrifying experience in order to pay off her attachment. And so did Mrs Kim. Unfortunately, this world doesn't allow attachments. For understandable reasons. I'm worried for you, Hyun.

I could see the worry and care in Sehun's eyes. But there was no way back. And he knew it as well as I did. The choice is made. The only thing left is the awaiting price.

So Sehun's death was a very detailed masquerade. I'll take it. But I have to ask Seulgi as well. Would their answers differ? I hope not. I wouldn't know who's lying. So Taeyeon is some kind of a scientist/doctor or she has that kind of people working under her. Clearly Taeyeon is huge in the dark world of mafias and dirty business. Seulgi being a ghost isn't big news. But what connects the two?

I'm still curious about how they met and how Seulgi became Kim's student. Or was it protege? Sooyoung said that Seulgi's family was dead. Then who is Taeyeon to her? The blonde is no older than thirty five. At least by the looks. Another mystery to uncover. Yay...

I feel like I'm really close to opening the door of Seulgi's mystery. Once I know how, I'd have even more questions. But isn't that the beauty of it? The never ending story. Something you will never get tired of. 

- You're deep in thought. - Sehun brought me back to reality. - Seulgi's trait.

- It's very infectious. - I smiled at my brother. 

- Irene, I... - Sehun was cut off by a loud triple knock on the door. - Our time's up.

He stood up and went to the red door I came from. I followed suit. What did he want to say? Why do we have a time limit? How come he was immediately cut off? 

- I'm always here, if you need me. I'll miss you, Joohyun. - Sehun gave me a tight hug.

- Why, Sehun? - I didn't entirely understand what I was asking.

- Your memory is the most precious thing I have. - Sehun whispered as he opened the door and pushed me out.

- Sehun! - I yelled out and punched the damn door. Why did he do that? Why did he say that? I have so many 'whys' now! Can't I have a day without getting a hundred times more questions than answers!? I turned around and saw Seulgi standing there with rather cold eyes. Sooyoung was nowhere to be seen.

- How was your talk? - Seulgi's tone was cold. Did I do something wrong?

- Nice. - I said. But Seulgi's stare told me she wanted to hear more. - Unhelpful.

- Is that so. - Seulgi's stare intensified. But I was feeling quite rebellious at the moment so I did not avoid her eyes. I returned the stare with as much intensity. You want a staredown? You'll get it. - You're infuriating.

Seulgi took my hand and dragged us both to the elevator. The cabin arrived, we stepped inside. Once the doors closed, Seulgi caused shivers to run down my spine.

- We need to talk.