The End
The Hunter Or The Hunted?
Final Chapter/Epilogue
She feels cold.
She feels empty.
She feels lonely.
Lee Jooyeon has no idea where she is. Everything around her is shrouded in darkness. It feels as if she’s falling into nothingness, an endless abyss. The lids of her eyes feel unusually heavy. Jooyeon struggles to keep her eyes open.
‘Is this what it feels like to be dead?’
Jooyeon smiles to herself, yet a single tear forms and trickles down her cheek.
‘I’m going to miss everyone. I’m… already missing them…’
Nana’s tear-stained face appears in Jooyeon’s mind.
‘Jinah…’
As Jooyeon’s eyes are about to close, Jooyeon notices the smallest speck of light amidst the darkness in the distance. Although small, the little bit of light slightly blinds Jooyeon. To her surprise, the light gradually becomes bigger. She shuts her eyes.
In an instant, Jooyeon is enveloped by the bright light.
Jooyeon opens her eyes and gasps. She finds herself standing in front of her house, in front of her parents’ house. Her eyes widen when she realizes the house before her looks exactly the way it was when she was little. The paint on the house shines as if it was just recently painted. The trees, the grass, and the flowers are green and healthy. The air around Jooyeon feels strange. There is a soft glow in the air and Jooyeon doesn’t know what to make of it.
“W-What’s going on? Is this… a dream?” Jooyeon couldn’t help but utter the words aloud as she stares at the house before her.
Hesitantly, Jooyeon opens the door and steps inside. Nostalgia swells in her heart as she looks around inside. This is the house she remembers, not like when Jisoon brought her back to the house all worn down. Jooyeon touches the walls, the tables, the fabric of the curtains; everything feels so painfully real and familiar.
Jooyeon finds the stairs and feels something calling her inside her head. The more Jooyeon listens to the call, the more she realizes it’s more like someone is calling her. Jooyeon slowly walks up the stairs, and with each step she takes, the stronger the call becomes. At the top, Jooyeon looks down the hallway and sees the door to the library closed. Jooyeon places her hand over her heart. There is no doubt in Jooyeon’s mind that the call is summoning her to the library.
The same place where Jisoon killed her parents.
The same place where Jisoon also killed her.
Jooyeon walks to the door, but doesn’t open it. She stares down at the doorknob. becomes dry as her hand hovers over the knob. Jooyeon pushes away the fear that’s inside her and summons the courage to open the door. The door creeks open and Jooyeon takes a step inside the library.
(Lost Loved Ones)
Across the bright lit room stood two very familiar figures. They turn around slowly and flash tender, loving smiles at Jooyeon.
Jooyeon’s eyes go wide in disbelief. She is suddenly overcome with emotion that she falls to her knees, her entire body trembling.
Tears slide down Jooyeon’s face as the figures stride over to her, the smiles never disappearing.
“Appa… Omma…” Jooyeon breathes.
“We finally get to see you in person after all this time, our beautiful Jooyeon,” Jooyeon’s mother whispers as she bends down to hug her daughter. Jooyeon gasps as she feels how warm her mother is. She hugs her mother back, bringing her closer to her.
“This… This can’t be real… This is all too much… too unbelievable to be real…” Jooyeon utters so softly, she fears if she says those words any louder, this moment would evaporate into a fleeting moment, a painful dream before she falls back again into darkness.
Jooyeon feels a strong, yet gentle hand on her shoulder and she look up to see her father staring down at her. “This is real, Jooyeon. Your mother and I are really here in front of you,” He bends down to look at Jooyeon evenly in the eyes. “And we’re not going anywhere.”
Jooyeon smiles happily and cries more tears of joy as she embraces both of her parents. An image flashes into Jooyeon’s mind as she recalls this is what she would do when she was a little girl. Now over fifteen years later, she is reunited with her parents
Jooyeon is sitting between her parents on the couch in the library where, as a child, she would read her old storybooks out loud to them. She holds their hand with her own and looks back and forth between them with a smile that could last forever.
“Jooyeon,” Saebum begins. “Your mother and I have been watching over you since we passed away. We’ve seen all the pain and sadness that befell you, and I want to apologize to you. I completely understand if you ever held any feelings of animosity towards me. If it weren’t for my profession, you’d be living a far more peaceful life. You’d be alive…”
Jooyeon looks into her father’s eyes and sees how much guilt is inside of him. She shakes her head. “There was a point in time, when I blamed you for what happened to me. But then I remembered that I looked up to you when I was a child. My appa was like a superhero, fighting and capturing the bad guys. You did what you think was right and I no longer hold anything against you. You are still my appa and I still love you even now.”
“Thank you. It relieves me to hear that. A heavy burden has been lifted now because of you,” Saebum smiles.
“My daughter has become so strong. You’ve made us proud,” Jooyeon’s mother says, squeezing Jooyeon’s hand.
Jooyeon closes her eyes and sighs contently. “Everything is perfect… Nothing else can go wrong.”
The reunited family sits in comfortable silence together. No words are spoken but enough has been said for the moment.
“Jooyeon?” Her mother calls softly.
“Yes Omma?”
Her mother smiles mysteriously. “Someone is waiting for you in the backyard. You should hurry along now.”
Jooyeon blinks. “Someone? Who is it?”
Both her parents now smile at her mysteriously. As Jooyeon continues to ponder, realization hits her and she immediately jumps off the couch and heads for the door. She stops at the doorway and turns back to look at her parents with sad eyes.
“Don’t worry. We’ll still be here,” Saebum assures his daughter.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Jooyeon’s mother adds. “Go. She’s waiting for you.”
Jooyeon nods and painfully turns away from her parents and dashes down the stairs. She pushes the door to the backyard open and finds a young woman standing underneath their tree among the flowers her mother grew. Jooyeon’s heart tightens as she recognizes the familiar jet-black hair that is slightly swaying due to the gentle, yet almost unnatural breeze. The young woman turns around to face Jooyeon, causing the latter to rush to her. Jooyeon wraps her arms around her as more tears spill from her eyes.
“M-Miya…” Jooyeon whispers.
“Hey there, Joo,” Miya whispers back, a hint of playfulness behind her tone. The two women hug for what seemed like an eternity to Jooyeon, but to Jooyeon’s dismay, Miya pulls back to look at her. Miya smiles at her, her hands resting on Jooyeon’s shoulders. “Look at you. You’ve grown and changed for the better. Didn’t I tell you that you look better when you smile?”
Jooyeon chuckles in agreement. She then observes Miya’s features. She looks exactly the same when she was a Hunter. Jooyeon concludes she retained her image of a 19 year old woman in the afterlife. “I’ve definitely changed these past years, Miya.”
Miya grins more broadly. “I know. I’ve been watching you this entire time. That black hole in your heart has now been filled with love. That beast that was once inside you is now gone.”
“It’s thanks to the members of After School… They’ve made me a better person and, although I’m dead now, I have no regrets.”
Miya looks deep into Jooyeon's eyes. “Are you sure you have no regrets?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you want to see them again? Especially Im Jinah?” Miya asks.
The question causes a flicker of sadness in Jooyeon’s eyes. “Of course I do… But what’s done is done now. Being sad over my death will just cause me unnecessary pain in the afterlife.” Jooyeon smiles at Miya. “And why should I be sad over being dead when I’ve reunited with you and my parents in heaven? Now we can be together forever.” When Miya giggles, Jooyeon tilts her head in confusion. “Hey, why are you laughing?”
“Heh, it’s because you aren’t in heaven,” Miya says, as if it’s obviously.
“Wait… what?!” Jooyeon blinks, confused.
“Jooyeon, right now we’re in a plane that exists before heaven. The plane is created from your memories, usually from childhood.”
“Does that mean you and my parents are just manifestations of my memories?” Jooyeon asks sadly.
Miya shakes her head. “No, we really are here in front of you.”
A bright flash occurs behind Miya and Jooyeon’s parents appear side by side. Saebum speaks. “The three of us here were chosen to meet you here in this plane to offer you a second chance at life.”
Jooyeon blinks. “A second… chance? I-I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“The ruler of heaven has offered you this chance, and He doesn’t do so very often. He’s giving you a miracle, Jooyeon, but only if you accept it,” her mother says.
(Bittersweet Farewell)
A glowing ball of light emerges from Miya’s chest. It shines brightly and hovers above her hands. “This is the light of life. It exists in those who are alive. This light that I hold is your light of life, Jooyeon. If you take this light and put it inside your chest, you will fall back into darkness again… but if you continue to fight against the darkness and never give up, you’ll find yourself among the living again.”
Jooyeon stares at her light of life hesitantly. Miya notices her discomfort. “What’s wrong, Joo?”
“I’m really honored to be chosen and all… but why me? Why not any of you? Not only that, I do not want to part from any of you so soon… The time I’ve spent on this plane has been so short.” Jooyeon fights the urge to cry. “All these years, I’ve missed you Appa… Omma… Miya. All this is just too much for me to handle…”
The three important people of Jooyeon’s life step closer to her with smiles on their faces. “We don’t know why we weren’t chosen and you were, but please Jooyeon consider this offer. Your entire life has been filled with suffering and you’ve yet to life a life where you can begin anew. As your father, it would make me happy to see you live your life to the fullest. Your mother agrees with me,” Saebum says.
“If someone out of the four of us deserves a second chance, it’s definitely you, my precious daughter,” Jooyeon’s mother adds with a smile.
“Even if you don’t see us anymore, Joo, we’re always with you. You know that because you heard and felt me before Jisoon shot you,” Miya says. Miya holds out the light of life towards Jooyeon, and it floats towards her, recognizing its home. The light now hovers above Jooyeon’s hands, and she stares at her life force, feeling how warm and welcoming it is. Miya grins.
Jooyeon looks at Miya and then her parents. The pain of separation stabs at her heart, but she forces herself to smile to reassure them. “You guys promise to always watch over me?”
“Always,” her parents say simultaneously.
“Jooyeon, promise me when you fall back into darkness, you will never give in okay? You may be in darkness for a long time, but don’t let that discourage you okay?” Miya gently whispers.
Jooyeon nods, and to her own surprise, tears slide down her cheeks. “I promise.”
Miya smiles. “Say hi to Joonwook for me okay?”
Jooyeon nods again. “Well… this is it.”
“Take care, Jooyeon,” her mother says.
“We’re proud of you,” Saebum says.
“Till we meet again, little Joo,” Miya says with a gentle smile.
Lee Jooyeon smiles brightly through her tears and nods again. “Goodbye… I love you all…”
She pushes the light of life inside her and a strong surge of energy and warmth courses throughout her body. She suddenly becomes weary and weak. Her surroundings disappear before her as the plane turns into darkness. She no longer sees her parents nor Miya.
The cold darkness surrounds her once again, but this time Jooyeon doesn’t feel alone anymore.
‘Remember Jooyeon… Wherever you go, wherever you are… we’ll always be with you in your heart.’
She smiles to herself, feeling Miya’s presence.
She closes her eyes.
Jooyeon knows she’s going to see her friends again soon.
----------------
(Awakening)
“She’s…!”
“Unnie! L-Look!”
“Guys, get over here!”
“Is she really coming too…?”
“Jooyeon…”
Eyelids slowly open up, and Jooyeon’s eyes show themselves. After dwelling in darkness for so long, the light burns her pupils and she blinks multiple times for her eyes to adjust. She weakly looks around and notices she’s wearing a hospital gown. She is lying down, but her torso is elevated due to the hospital bed. Then Jooyeon looks at the people around her, their eyes glistening with tears of joy and disbelief.
The people around Jooyeon are her beloved members of After School… her friends.
Jooyeon stares at them in silence before her lips curve into a little smile.
“I’m back, guys…”
Kahi, Jungah, Uee, Bekah, Raina, Nana, Lizzy, and E-Young, begin to cry harder at Jooyeon’s words. They each take turns carefully hugging Jooyeon, who is still so weak, she cannot lift her arms up high enough to reciprocate their embraces. Everyone is so emotional that Jooyeon herself could not prevent the teardrops that formed in her eyes from falling.
They are finally together again.
They’re a family once more.
Nana is the last one to hug Jooyeon. Nana bends over and places delicate kiss on Jooyeon’s cheek before resting her head against Jooyeon’s chest. She couldn’t prevent the tears forming in her eyes as she listens to the latter’s slow rhythmic heartbeat. “This isn’t a dream, right? Are you really alive?” Nana whispers.
“I’m really here, Jinah. This is real,” Jooyeon whispers back.
“Jooyeon… I… I love you so much… So please… Don’t ever leave me like that ever again…”
Jooyeon smiles.
“I won’t. From now on, I’ll be by your side, Jinah.”
From outside the room, two individuals peer through the blinds as they watch the scene unfold. “It’s a miracle…” Haesuk mutters. “Joonwook, she’s really alive! … Joonwook?”
Haesuk turns to find Joonwook’s back facing him. The young man’s shoulders are trembling from sobbing out of happiness. Haesuk smiles and turns back to watching the interaction between Jooyeon and the rest of After School.
“Noona… I’m so happy… I’m so relieved…” Joonwook cries, the tears never stopping.
------------------
Three days later
Joonwook visits Jooyeon at the hospital and asks the nurses if he can bring her out to the hospital recreation park for fresh air. After the nurses assist putting Jooyeon in a wheelchair, Joonwook pushes Jooyeon to the park. They stroll around in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the feel of the sun and the plants around them.
“How are you feeling today, Noona?” Joonwook asks.
“I’m doing better. I still feel pretty weak, considering I can’t even walk on my own yet. Thank you for asking,” Jooyeon replies.
“As long as you’re recovering, that is all that matters.”
Silence hangs in the air again. Jooyeon could feel Joonwook’s uneasiness. “What’s wrong? You’re awfully quiet.”
Joonwook stops pushing her and hesitates before answering. “It’s just… It’s hard to believe you’re right in front of me, talking to me. It’s so surreal to me. You died Jooyeon noona. Then all of a sudden you started to breathe again. It was unbelievable… I’m happy but it’s still a shock to me.”
“It’s okay, I understand.” Jooyeon chuckles lightly. “By the way, why am I at a general hospital and not in Hyeyoung’s private clinic?”
“After you died, we took your body, Jisoon’s, and Eunli’s body to Hyeyoung. She removed the bullets from the bodies and she confirmed all three of you were dead for certain. When she was about to put you into a dead body bag, that’s when you started to breathe again. According to Hyeyoung, you were breathing so faintly it was almost as if you weren’t breathing at all. Then she checked your pulse and that confirmed you were alive… but barely. Because the Hunter’s mansion was far away, we couldn’t risk driving back there in order to save you. This hospital was the closest to your parent’s house and that’s why you’re here.”
Jooyeon slowly nods. “I see. How long has it been since then?”
“Three weeks… Three long, painful weeks,” Joonwook whispers.
“… I was out that long?”
“After you were settled into your room and examined, the doctor said you were in a comatose-like state. You were alive, but he told everyone there was a possibility you wouldn’t wake up. We were all so scared after just two weeks…”
“But you guys didn’t give up on me,” Jooyeon smiles.
“Of course not! We would never do such a thing…” Joonwook resumes pushing Jooyeon. “If there was a chance you’d open your eyes, no matter how small the odds were, we took the chance.”
“Thank you…”
They continue the rest of their stroll in silence, but it is a comfortable kind of silence. Joonwook then brings Jooyeon back to her room and helps get on her bed.
“Goodbye Noona. I’ll visit you again,” Joonwook smiles.
“I’ll look forward to it,” Jooyeon grins. When Joonwook approaches the door, Jooyeon calls out to him. “Wait Joonwook!”
He turns to her curiously.
“Miya says hello.”
Joonwook’s eyes widen as he stares at Jooyeon. He nods before leaving the room, a sad yet content smile on his face. At that moment, both of them could feel Miya’s presence hovering over them
--------------------
A month has passed since Jisoon and his men have been eliminated. After a lot of rest, Jooyeon is discharged from the hospital. Although she has made a full recovery, Jooyeon knows she cannot rest easy yet. From what she’s heard from Kahi and Haesuk, her hospitalization has caused a stir to the public.
Because she was admitted to a general hospital, news quickly traveled about a critically injured Lee Jooyeon of After School. When representatives of Pledis Entertainment arrived at the hospital, they were immediately suspicious of Haesuk and Joonwook’s presence. While Jooyeon was asleep, Haesuk explained everything to the representatives as well as the CEO, believing it was right for them to know what happened. Upon hearing the story, Pledis Entertainment released an official statement explaining Jooyeon experienced a fatal car crash.
Now Lee Jooyeon is sitting in the office of Pledis Entertainment’s CEO, looking nervously at him. She is here to discuss her future in the company… if she still has a future. The CEO stares unwavering at her, which makes Jooyeon even more nervous.
“I’ve heard your whole life story from the man Haesuk,” the CEO begins. “I cannot believe one of our artists had such a tragic past. When I first saw you, I knew you had your dark secrets, especially when you wrote in your resume that your parents were deceased, but I never fathomed your past was so full of despair and danger.”
“Now that you know everything about me, what’s going to happen to me now?” Jooyeon questions the CEO. “You know my past as a Hunter who has killed many people before the age of 20. Although my past has not gotten out to the public, would you still have me remain as part of the company… as part of After School?”
“Are you still part of the Hunters?” he asks.
Jooyeon shakes her head. “The initial reason why I became a Hunter in the first place was to avenge my parents’ deaths. Now that Jisoon is dead, I don’t really have a desire to remain a Hunter anymore. What I really want… is to stay a part of After School. While I do consider Haesuk like my father and Joonwook like my brother, After School is the closest thing I have to family.” Tears form in Jooyeon’s eyes. “I don’t want to part from them…”
The CEO closes his eyes, and taps his desk thoughtfully. “Do they really mean that much to you?”
“More than anything,” Jooyeon responds firmly.
He smiles. “Then when you guys start preparing for promotions, I expect you to work hard to make up for all the time you’ve lost.”
Jooyeon’s expression brightens and she couldn’t help but hug the CEO over the desk. “Thank you so very much…”
“You’ve been through enough. Taking away your family would be cruel of me,” he chuckles gently.
After several more minutes of discussion, Jooyeon bows to the CEO before leaving his office. She finds Nana leaning against the wall several feet away from the door. “How did it go?” Nana asks worriedly.
Jooyeon smiles. “I’m still part of the group.”
“I’m so glad!” Nana exclaims, giving Jooyeon a hug.
They hold hands, with fingers entwined, as they walk to the elevator. They step inside and wait as the elevator descends. “Are you really going to quit the Hunters, Unnie?” Nana brings up.
“I don’t have a firm reason to stay in the Hunters anymore,” Jooyeon says while nodding.
“What about Haesuk-sshi and Joonwook-sshi?”
“It’s not like I’ll never see them again. I can visit them whenever I want to. I just need to give them a call.” Jooyeon feels her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. She checks her messages. “Haesuk is waiting for us in the front.”
“Is it really okay for me to be going with you, Unnie?” Nana asks shyly.
“Of course, Jinah. I wouldn’t want anyone else but you,” Jooyeon smiles, giving Nana’s hand a gentle squeeze. The elevator reaches the ground floor and Jooyeon and Nana step out to exit the building. “By the way…”
“What is it, Unnie?”
“If I can call you Jinah, you can just call me Jooyeon,” the older girl smiles.
Nana blushes and giggles. “Deal.”
They approach Haesuk’s car and get into the back seats. He looks at them through his rear-view mirror. “Judging from your expressions, I take it everything went well,” Haesuk comments.
“I’m still Jooyeon of After School,” Jooyeon grins.
Haesuk smiles in response. “Are you two buckled up? We have a long ride ahead of us.”
--------------------
After a couple of hours, Haesuk, Jooyeon, and Nana arrive at their destination: the house of Jooyeon and her parents.
“I’ll stay in the car. You two take your time in there,” Haesuk says.
Jooyeon nods. “Thank you Haesuk. Let’s go, Jinah.”
The girls exit the car and head towards the old house. They push back the rusty gates and slowly go up the steps, inching closer to the door. Nana opens the door and they step inside looking at all the broken furniture and bullet holes in the wall. “It’s strange being here again after what happened,” Nana murmurs.
“It is,” Jooyeon agrees. “Everything started here and everything ended here… It’s even stranger being here after what I saw when I died…”
“You mean when you saw your parents and Miya?” Nana puts in.
“Yeah… I recently remembered that when my parents’ bodies were cremated, their ashes were spread around the house. After Miya died, we cremated her body and spread her ashes around this house too even though she didn’t die here. Maybe that’s why I Miya here at my house with my parents.”
“Did Joonwook-sshi tell you Eunli’s ashes were scattered here too?”
Jooyeon nods. “I don’t mind. After what she did for us, she deserves to be here. I’m just sad that I couldn’t get to know the kind side of her…”
Nana steps closer to Jooyeon and hugs her from behind when she sees Jooyeon’s eyes cloud with sadness. “Sorry about that. Come on, let’s go to my father’s office like we’re here for.”
They quickly make their way up to the second floor. Both of them stare at the end of the hallway where the library is, but both make a silent agreement that it’s best they don’t go inside. For Jooyeon, she wants to keep the happy image of seeing her parents in the library when she was in the plane in between. Jooyeon and Nana find Saebum’s office and enter inside. The big metal door that leads to Jooyeon’s inheritance has still been left untouched since the battle between Jisoon and the Hunters.
Jooyeon steps forward towards the sensor, remembering the mysterious circular slot that demanded some sort of “key”. Jooyeon closes her eyes as she tries to solve the mystery.
She suddenly feels a hand resting on her shoulder, startling her. When she turns around, her eyes meet Nana’s questioning gaze. “What’s wrong?” Nana asks, concerned.
Jooyeon blinks, but her eyes widen with realization. “Jinah, may I have my mother’s wedding ring for a moment?”
“Oh! Of course! I’m sorry for not giving it back to you sooner,” Nana apologizes. She slips the ring off her left middle finger and hands it to Jooyeon.
“It’s alright. I’m just borrowing it for a moment. I actually want you to have it,” Jooyeon smiles after seeing Nana’s cheeks flush. She takes the ring from her girlfriend and steps back in front of the sensor. Like before, Jooyeon puts her hand against the sensor, letting the red light scan her hand once more.
“Scanning Complete. Fingerprint Analysis Complete. Next Step… Voice Identification Analysis: Who is Lee Saebum’s daughter?”
Jooyeon leans forward towards the microphone.
“Lee Jooyeon.”
“Analyzing Voice Wave Pattern… Voice Identification Analysis Complete. Identity Lee Jooyeon Confirmed. Final Step. Please insert the ‘key’, Lee Jooyeon.”
The circular slot reveals itself once more. Jooyeon takes her mother’s ring and inserts it into the slot. The metal door soon opens and the ring pops out from the slot.
“How did you know the ring was the key?” Nana asks in surprise.
“I just had a feeling,” Jooyeon smiles. She looks down at the ring. ‘Omma… You’re the one that gave me a hint weren’t you…?’
Jooyeon and Nana step inside the small hidden room behind the door. Inside are four metal briefcases and a large cardboard box in the very back. Jooyeon bends down and takes one of the briefcases to open. It is filled with large amounts of money. Nana stares at the money in awe. “There must be at least several million won in just this one briefcase… That’s a lot of money when you put the four of them together.”
Jooyeon closes the briefcase. “Haesuk told me I was supposed to access this room after I get married. The money was supposed to support my future family.” Jooyeon smiles nostalgically. “My father grew up in poverty and he had a horrible, tough life growing up. He didn’t want me to grow up the same way he did and he didn’t want his grandchildren to either. Creating the Hunters, capturing wanted men for money… it was all for my sake… hoping that I will have a happy future.”
“I wish I could have met your father, Joo…” Nana whispers sullenly.
“Miya used to call me that,” Jooyeon chuckles.
“I’m sorry! I’ll just call you ‘Jooyeon’!”
The older girl laughs. “No no, it’s alright! I’ll just give you the nickname ‘Jin’ to make up for it.”
Nana giggles. “Jin and Joo… I like that.” The blonde decides to walk past the briefcases to look at the cardboard box. She gets on her knees and opens the box. Her eyes become big. “Hey Jooyeon, come look at this.”
“What it is?” Jooyeon asks, taking a seat next to Nana. She gasps. “This is…”
(Appa and Omma)
Inside the box are old stuffed toys, dolls, and her favorite books from the past. There are even a few frilly dresses she would wear and her favorite blanket as a child. Jooyeon’s eyes water as she looks upon all the memorable pieces. At the bottom of the box is a photo album entitled “Our Beautiful Jooyeon”. Excitedly, Jooyeon takes it out and places it on her lap. Nana looks over Jooyeon’s shoulder, looking through the album together.
The album features Jooyeon as a toddler, mostly marking a lot Jooyeon’s first. First time going to pre-school, first time on Santa Claus’ lap, first time walking... There were too many to count. They both giggle together whenever they saw the silly pictures of toddler Jooyeon. As they continue to look and flip through the album, they notice the pictures of Jooyeon get younger. The very last picture makes Jooyeon’s heart tight and she smiles.
It is a picture of her parents holding a newborn her in the hospital.
Jooyeon closes the door and reactivates the security system.
“Are you sure you didn’t want to take your inheritance? Not even the photo album?” Nana asks.
“It isn’t time for me to take them yet… The point for us coming here was to see if my inheritance was really worth all the trouble it brought upon me and everyone else… But it was nice seeing the photo album,” Jooyeon replies happily.
“You’ll come back here when you’re married?” Jooyeon nods in response to Nana’s question. Nana casts her eyes downward. “Would you want to marry me? I mean… even if I’m a gir- mmff!”
Jooyeon cuts Nana off with a kiss. The brunette snakes her arms around the blonde’s waist and pulls her in close, deepening the kiss. Nana closes her eyes, losing herself in Jooyeon’s soft, loving kiss. When they separate, Jooyeon says, “Silly, I already know that one day I want to marry you, just not so soon. And don’t you think you’re late worrying about our gender? I love you and that's all that matters.”
Nana laughs. “You’re right. I love you too, Joo."
Jooyeon grins, satisfied. “Let’s go back to Haesuk so he can drive us back to our dorm. I’m sure Kahi unnie and everyone else are waiting for us.
----------------
At the dorm parking lot, Jooyeon and Nana each give Haesuk a hug.
“Thank you and take care, Haesuk-sshi,” Nana bows.
“Thank you for all you’ve done for me. I’ll do my best to visit you, Joonwook, and the Hunters once a month,” Jooyeon bows as well.
Haesuk nods. “It was my pleasure. Goodbye and you both take care also.”
The girls watch as Haesuk drives away with mixed feelings. After the car was out of sight, Jooyeon and Nana make their way to their dorm holding hands. Jooyeon unlocks the door only to realize it’s pitched black inside. “Whoa who killed the electricity?”
“What happened to the lights?” Nana puts in.
As soon as they both step inside, the lights flicker on and the sounds off poppers going off ring in their ears and confetti showers over them.
“SURPRISE!”
(Someone Is You - Ending Theme)
Jooyeon and Nana look in front of them, blinking in surprise. Kahi, Jungah, Uee, Bekah, Raina, Lizzy, and E-Young are all wearing party hats and holding empty poppers. Balloons hang from the ceiling and off to the side is their table filled with trays of food and a cake.
“What is all of this?” Jooyeon laughs, walking to everyone.
“It’s to celebrate your recovery and discharge from the hospital, Unnie!” E-Young answers happily.
“Not only that, but we heard that the CEO is letting you stay with us,” Uee chimes in.
“All morning, we all spent cooking in the kitchen preparing your favorite dishes,” Raina smiles.
“And Lizzy even brought her limited edition Super Mario Wii from her house just for this occasion!” Bekah giggles.
Lizzy rubs the back of her head embarrassingly. “Well I think it’d be great for all of us to play ‘Just Dance’ together! Just be careful with my Wii okay?”
“After all these couple of months of chaos, I believe we need a party,” Jungah says.
“We definitely must celebrate the return of our Jupal,” Kahi smiles. The leader spreads her arms wide open.
“So welcome back, Lee Jooyeon.”
A single tear falls down Jooyeon’s cheek. Jooyeon brushes it away. “Thank you… All of you. It’s good to be back.”
Nana grabs Jooyeon’s hand and gazes into her brown eyes. “We’re a family again.”
“And we’ll be a family forever,” Jooyeon smiles.
END
-------------------
A/N: That concludes my story everyone. I apologize if the ending seemed a tad rushed to you all, but I didn't want to make the ending too long and personally I'm satisfied with the way I ended everything. I really want to give a big thank you to those that have read The Hunter Or The Hunted and I want to give an even BIGGER thank you to those who have left comments. Your comments gave me a lot of motivation to continue this story
Looking back, it's funny how I wasn't sure about going through with this story in the beginning. I also never thought my story would turn out like this haha. But I'm quite proud of my work (:
Below is the soundtrack for the story in order:
1) A Normal Day
3) A Promise
6) Another Perspective/The Day After - Theme of Ch. 2
7) Returning to the Dorm - Theme of Ch. 3
13) The Report
15) Eunli
16) Together Again - Theme of Ch. 7
18) Miya
19) Jisoon
20) Jooyeon and Nana
21) The House Where It All Began
22) The Hunters
23) I Love You
24) Lost Loved Ones
26) Awakening
27) Appa and Omma
28) Someone Is You - Ending Theme
It only makes sense that I make the ending theme a song from After School right? (:
I recommend you read the translation of the song. It goes well with the story
I hope you all enjoyed the epilogue and this story overall (: Thank you all again! I love you all!
Comments