Yoona wondered why she was feeling unusually and uncomfortably empty that day, as if something was amiss. It had nothing to do with the lessons. Mrs. Geum’s lecture on atomic bonds kept her at the edge of her seat, and she was all ears when Mr. Byeon continued his World War II discussion. It had nothing to do with lunch. Aunt Hana sent delicious mung bean pancakes and black tea, her favorite.

That emptiness carried on until after school as she walked across the front courtyard towards the school gates. The walkway was lined with rose bushes, the flowers stretching their deep red petals towards the sky.

That was when she remembered the Junior Agent. That morning, she had feared that he was going to follow her all day. But after the way he presented her with roses, the way he kept asking all those questions, the way he looked so innocently clueless, the way he couldn’t believe she didn’t have a boyfriend – she realized having him around wasn’t that dreadful.

Yoona sighed. Other than her family, Lee Donghae was the first guy she felt comfortable around.

However, because of Jessica, the Junior Agent was preoccupied most of the time listening to the other girl’s endless yapping about her business tycoon of a father, beauty queen of a mother and twenty-five thousand won cat.

Yoona wondered if that emptiness she was feeling was actually –

“Yoona-shi!” a familiar voice called out as a strong hand grasped her shoulder. Yoona turned around and became face to face with Lee Donghae.

“O-oppa!” she exclaimed, surprised when her heart began pounding against her chest. What’s happening to me?

Suddenly, a sound of heels tapping against the pavement shook Yoona from her thoughts. She looked up. Shrouded in an air of superiority and arrogance, Jessica and her two minions appeared out of nowhere and strutted towards them. With their pleated skirts cut high above the knees and leather shoes with kitten heels, they looked more like runway models instead of high school students.

The orange-haired girl playfully curved her glossy pink lips upwards and winked at Donghae. Then, she gave Yoona a dagger-like stare as if saying, “Stay away from him.” Sneers from Sooyoung and Tiffany followed.

Yoona watched in fear as the girls disappeared into a throng of students crowding up the entrance gates. It was as clear as ice. Jessica had just threatened her. She shuddered, “O-oppa, I have to go.”

She walked briskly away from him, haunted by Jessica’s deadly gaze. All of a sudden, Donghae’s hand gripped her shoulder.

“Wait! What’s wrong? I have to walk you home. You know how dangerous it is to go home alone don’t you? The criminal might –“

“I don’t want - ,” Yoona paused when she noticed that the agent was standing too close to her. She felt color rush to her cheeks and stepped back at once. “I don’t want Jessica to see us together. She might think something’s going on.”

With that, she swiftly turned around and began walking again. However, it wasn’t too soon when Donghae got hold of her arm. “Yoona-shi, why are you so afraid of Jessica? Why can’t you just stand up to her?”

“I-I can’t,” she avoided his eyes and gently pulled her arm away from him.

“Why not?”

Yoona couldn’t find the right words to say.

“Why not?” Donghae repeated. “Why can’t you stand up for yourself? No wonder every other person steps on you. You have to stop being such a pushover.”

Yoona lifted her gaze and looked into Donghae’s eyes for a brief moment. A lump formed in and she felt her hands turn numb. Donghae’s words stung her like poison. Choking back tears, she turned around and ran.

“Wait!” Donghae tried to follow her but Yoona was soon lost among the crowd of students. He sighed heavily in frustration and began to look for her. It was difficult since everyone was wearing uniforms.

The Junior Agent emerged from the crowd into the sidewalk along Main Street. The school was in the middle of the town and the crowd of students was soon replaced by passersby and shoppers. Tall buildings rose from either side of the school gates - some were stores while others were apartments. Donghae looked to his left, then to his right. He spotted Yoona, her gait still hurried, and immediately rushed after her.

Suddenly, as he was running, a shadow flashed by and overtook him. He turned his head in time to see a tall hooded figure dressed all in black running towards Yoona. Protruding from under the hood was the unmistakable yellow pointed, hawk-like nose of the killer.