- - - - -

Taecyeon became confused. What kind of a person was Victoria exactly? And why had Yoona been so insistent that he knew about her? What was the link between the two girls? He thought hard and long pacing back and forth outside. Then he finally stopped and stared back at the apartment.

“I had this friend - my best friend, we grew up together. Our class went on a trip one weekend and one night we snuck off from the campground.”

“She was taken…kidnapped before my eyes…and they disappeared that night.” Yoona gritted her teeth. “I returned alone, but her parents’ hearts were broken.” a long pause. “I feel terrible every time I see them. They’ve aged so fast and it’s all my fault. My friend’s been gone 14 years and we still haven’t found her.”

“Down in Masan, I met the man who was there that night. He told me she is alive.” Yoona bit onto her bottom lip. “I want to open up the case and start another investigation, another search for her.”

Yoona had said she had a friend. A friend who went missing 14 years ago. That friend had been taken by some men and she’d never been found. When he ran into Victoria she kept talking as if she didn’t recognize anything about the modern world. The kind of ordinary world that most normal people live in.

Suspicious? Or coincidental?

Yoona’s friend had been taken and nothing had been heard of her.

Victoria seemed to know nothing…

Taecyeon felt his heart rush. Was it true?

The way Yoona had stared at Victoria looking so lost in despair. She’d asked about Victoria that morning. If she’d asked him she must have questioned Donghae about Victoria as well. What was this? What was going on that was becoming so strange?

"Do you believe me if I say I was escaping bad guys?” Victoria had asked.

Was it true? Had she really been escaping from bad guys?

The men who had taken Yoona’s friend?

Rushing back inside he found Victoria sitting on the couch staring at the TV. Grabbing the remote control he turned the TV off. Victoria didn’t bother to turn to look at him.

“You,” Taecyeon called, “who are you?”

She still didn’t respond.

“Yah!” he shouted.

Victoria still refused.

“You know Im Yoona, don’t you?” he asked. “That’s why you said her full name last night. You know her.”

Victoria didn’t reply.

“Answer me!”

Victoria slowly got off the couch and stood up looking as if she’d jump him any moment. Feeling a little afraid and cautious he took a step back ready to defend himself if she were to attack, but she just stared at him silently. It felt deathly looking at her.

“There are some times when incidences get viewed through the news. I bet about 3 out of 50 people have heard of the name Im Yoona before.” Victoria replied. “Why is it such a surprise that I would know her name?”

Taecyeon’s eyebrows twitched again.

“I don’t want to reason with you,” Victoria told reaching for the control and as she did Taecyeon found himself flinching just in case she hit him. She smiled and sat back down turning the TV on.

He didn’t know how to deal with her anymore. What had happened to girl who wanted to know how to cook?

- - - - -

Yoona wrapped her hands together and placed her chin on top of her fingers. She didn’t know what to do. To call her up and confront her? Would that work? But Victoria had already played stranger with her. That meant she wasn’t about to admit that she was the friend that had been lost 14 years back. Victoria was going to play it hard. Why didn’t she want to admit her real identity? Did she really not hope for a reunion between the two of them?

Yoona couldn’t imagine it. Both their friendship had been very important to them. They had treasured it dearly. Something was going on. Or was Victoria in some kind of danger. Those men who had infiltrated the storage houses back in Masan were dangerous…if they were dangerous could Victoria also…

Yoona shook her head. She couldn’t see it. She couldn’t see her friend that way. It wasn’t possible.

The president’s assassination in Kwangju was done by a woman…

“Our fugitive, the person we’re seeking, is a woman who could still be lurking the streets in Kwangju or somewhere else. She took out 40 of our security guards that night, wiped out 10 more in the woods where she disappeared.” Lee Jung Hwa had reported that.

Yoona felt almost afraid. What had those men done to Victoria those 14 years?

October 18th the president’s son had been assassinated. When had Taecyeon ran into Victoria? She needed to find that out.

She awoke early the next day anxious to meet up with Ok Taecyeon. Yoona was looking forward to finding some answers from him. He had dodged every one of her questions and she believed that he may have found some things out about Victoria during the time they’d gotten to know each other. Yoona was desperate for that information. Especially when she would show him something that may surprise him. If Taecyeon verified Victoria’s identity, then she would move on to the next step.

“Tell the Chief I have something important to do. I may not be coming back,” Yoona told as she walked out.

- - - - -

Taecyeon and Victoria had eaten breakfast separately that morning. They’d been stiff toward each other since yesterday. He left for work silently and had been browsing the polished floors with intense attention that he didn’t notice Donghae walk out at all.

- - - - -

The doorbell rang and Victoria got off the couch like a robot.

“Hi,” it was Donghae.

She had long forgotten about him since Saturday night.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I tried calling you yesterday but no one answered. Were you busy?” he wondered with a soft smile.

Victoria almost looked away, “Kind of. Do you want to go out?”

Victoria sat near the café window with Donghae staring out into the street. What was she going to do with this man who was so innocent? Who knew nothing?

“Can I ask you something?” Victoria asked.

“Sure.”

“Why…did you break up with your fiancée?”

Yoona was a good woman. Victoria knew it by instinct.

Donghae stared at her then smiled, “We weren’t doing so well. That’s all.”

“Then…why me?”

Victoria felt almost nervous to hear the answer. Everything felt still. Just as if time had stopped and everyone had stopped moving. She held her breath calmly and the person passing them seemed to stop as if he were waiting to hear the answer too. Her heart thudded.

“When I’m at my worst…when I feel upset, if I see you just for one moment I feel as if I have everything in the world and I can do anything.” his eyes never left hers.

Victoria smiled and for a moment, the rain inside her stopped pouring. Some words she’d never heard before were reaching her ears, some words she didn’t understand were planting themselves in her memory.

- - - - -

Yoona got out of her car and walked through the doors. Ok Taecyeon was standing in position by the front desk. She’d probably never find him standing anywhere else.

“Ok Taecyeon,” she said coming to a stop before him. “Good afternoon.”

“Oh…Yoona.” he sounded a bit surprised.

He smiled largely.

“Want to go?” she asked.

Yoona drove pass a few restaurants before Taecyeon finally turned to look at her from the passenger’s seat.

“Aren’t we going to eat?” he asked confused.

“We can do that afterward. If you get in trouble by your boss let me talk to him,” Yoona replied.

Taecyeon stared at her, “Where are we going? Gapyeong?”

Yoona smiled with a little laugh, “Not exactly.”

She stopped the car by some brick wall.

“We have a trip to make. Actually, I want to show you something.”

“What is it?” he wondered stepping out of the car.

“Can you verify for me?” she asked.

“Verify what?”

“You’ll see.”

She walked up the hill like street and finally came to the black fence. The cars were parked inside as always. She rung the doorbell and Taecyeon watched as a curly haired woman walked down the steps. A smile erupted on her face once the black jail like door opened.

“Yoona!” she greeted before glancing toward Taecyeon.

“I brought a friend, if you don’t mind.” Yoona told. “Ok Taecyeon, Mrs. Kim. Mrs. Kim, Ok Taecyeon.”

“Hi there. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Same here.” Taecyeon nodded toward her with a smile then glanced at Yoona as they were led in.

He glanced around the large yard and at the swing set just the size for children. With one more look at the large house, he wondered if there were children inside and why had Yoona invited him along?  

“Do you want anything to eat?” Mrs. Kim wondered. “You must be on break right now.”

“Sure,” Yoona nodded. “That’d be great. I kind of traveled all the way here just for Mrs. Kim’s specialties.”

Mrs. Kim laughed and turned to Taecyeon, “Make yourself at home.”

Taecyeon nodded and watched as the woman disappeared around a corner.

“Why are we here?” Taecyeon wondered turning to Yoona, who was busy staring down the hallway.

“Follow me,” she said without explanation.

With no choice he followed her down the hall and into a room with a lit chimney glowing from behind a velvet cushioned couch. An old man and woman sat there with a blanket covering them. They seemed to be sleeping.

“They’re her parents,” Yoona told. “The friend who went missing 14 years ago.”

It was a pitiful sight for Taecyeon.

“They’ve aged fast,” Yoona explained. “Retired and live like this. Don’t you think they need their daughter back?”

Taecyeon stared at Yoona wondering if she had some motive for bringing him there. Slowly and carefully she turned to him with solid eyes.

“Verify for me. What you see from that picture in the hall,” Yoona told glancing out the door.

Taecyeon followed her gaze and turned back to her confused about what she meant. He only wanted to know why he’d been brought to the strange house. Without question he walked out and turned to the wall. A young mother, a young father, and their daughter sat between them. Her hair had been tied into two pigtails and she smiled brightly toward the cameraman, a smile full of innocent charm. A kind of smile he nearly recognized. He froze on spot. Victoria had a smile similar to it. Even though her smile had toned up and her hair had grown longer she still looked the same.

“Is it her?” Yoona asked. “From Saturday night. Victoria Song, right?”