- - - - -

Closing the door behind her Yoona stepped out of the suffocating office. Her mind was swarming with doubt and too many questions she didn’t want to answer. Instead of taking her car to head to a restaurant or whatever for lunch she hit the road and began heading up north where most of the expensive homes were.

There had been a large debate 10 years ago after detectives had reported that Victoria could never be traced. They suggested a funeral with an empty coffin for the girl that may have died under the hands of violent men. Her parents refused. Thinking of that now, Yoona felt glad that they’d decided against the funeral. If there were a tombstone with her best friend’s name engraved on it Yoona knew she would have gone after those detectives.

A small laugh escaped before she found herself staring in through the black gates. Every so often she found herself venturing around the neighborhood on purpose. Though time may have moved on and many years had passed Yoona still felt as if a big part of her were still wandering the past.

Donghae…she’d met him in high school and lost touch after graduation, found each other in university again, and began dating 2 years ago. It had been infatuation. They’d garnered so much interest. A CEO and a Deputy Sheriff, very interesting labels for them.

“What a perfect couple.”

“A handsome man, a beautiful woman. Just perfect.”

“The Lord really created two perfect lovers.”

“I admire them. Their lives must be so perfect.”

Perfect. Perfect was a fake word in Yoona’s world. Perfect girls weren’t real, real girls weren’t perfect.

There had been one night when she’d tried telling him about Victoria, but all words had failed her, then they got into an argument. It was useless. Only her family knew, only Victoria’s family knew, and the only other individual who knew was her Chief.

She promised herself there and then that she’d try to piece everything together by the time she returned to Seoul. As for now she believed that she and Donghae needed a break from each other.

“Yoona?”

A car beeped its horn so loudly that Yoona’s ear deafened for a minute.

“Yoona.” the voice called again.

She turned and found Mrs. Kim at the black door.

A few minutes later she found herself sitting at the white ornate table in the middle of the large kitchen. The wooden counters with the white countertop ran around the wall with many plates and cooking seasonings atop it. She remembered sitting there with Victoria eating snacks after school chatting away about how they hated homework, who was cute, who was not, and what they wanted to do when they grew up. Yoona wanted to be a make-up artist and Victoria wanted to be a model. Reality had ended things for them so differently that she didn’t understand why things had to be the way they had to be.

“Eat up,” Mrs. Kim set a bowl of warm soup in front of her and added a side dish of rice and kimchi just in case she wasn’t full.

“Thank you.” Yoona thanked.

Mrs. Kim smiled and sat down beside her.

Yoona picked up her spoon and took a taste of the soup then smiled, “It’s delicious!!”

Mrs. Kim smiled, “It’s good to hear.”

Yoona ate some more, taking some rice, some kimchi, and returned to the soup before she stopped. She suddenly didn’t feel so well. Turning to Mrs. Kim, who she knew had been staring at her the whole time, Yoona couldn’t help but give her a helpless smile.

Yoona laughed and felt tears at the edges of her eyes, “I don’t know why…I feel so dead…” Yoona laughed again and wiped her tears, which created some more tears.

Mrs. Kim put an arm around her comfortingly. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

Yoona shook her head, “I’m ok.”

“You always say that.” Mrs. Kim hugged her and patted her back. “We all have these kind of days sometimes. Don’t think too much.”

Yoona knew, then, that she needed to go to Kwangju. Something was pressing her inside to go to the site of murder. Whether Donghae would remain upset at her or not didn’t matter at all during that moment and she didn’t feel sorry that she had thought that way.

- - - - -

There was a knock at the door bringing Donghae to raise his head up. His secretary entered almost shyly.

“No one knows who called Ok Taecyeon. I haven’t found anyone who may have been with the Director in the past 24 or so hours. He’s left an empty trail.”

“So you haven’t found anything? Is there even a point about your report? Have you traced Taecyeon’s call to see who it was that called him at work? Ask the desk receptionist if she overheard anything.“

“What if she doesn’t remember?“

“If she doesn’t remember, make her remember.”

“Oh…” the secretary nodded and almost walked out but stopped. “And about Ok Taecyeon…”

“What is it this time?” Donghae sounded irrationally annoyed.

“His marriage life, you wanted to know, didn’t you?” he asked as if scared that he’d get a bashing from his boss.

“Oh yes. What did you find out?” Donghae felt his ears stick out, all eyes and attention were on his secretary.

“He’s not married, sir.”

- - - - -

Victoria looked through the wallet and only found five bucks. Stepping out of the room she heard bustling noises of dishes and someone moving in the kitchen. Getting closer she saw that Taecyeon was busy preparing breakfast. Inviting herself in she sat down at the table and placed her chin on her palm. She watched him silently until he turned around holding a pan with fried eggs and jumped when he saw her. She only smiled in response.

“Can’t you make some noise?” he questioned.

“Sorry, I usually have very light footsteps.” and it was the truth.

He bent over a little and placed the fried eggs on a plate and looked at her when he noticed she hadn’t taken her eyes off him.

“Wh…what?” he felt himself stutter.

Underneath her black hair Victoria’s eyes relaxed and she leaned back in her seat. “I need some clothes.”

He stood up and continued staring.

“The only suit I have is this one. Can you take me to buy some new ones?”

“What? Who in the world would only wear one suit when they’re supposedly on the run?!”

Victoria shrugged, “I just thought of it right now.”

Taecyeon fell onto his seat and let out a heavy exasperated sigh.

Moments later she found herself sitting in his car watching the buildings fly pass and people, who looked like colorful blurs, go by. Things had changed. The ice cream shop that used to be on the corner was now replaced with a fast food restaurant. The magazine store that had been between a hat store and a photography studio had been demolished and was now a resting area.

Later she followed Taecyeon into a store and glanced at the clothes on the racks, on the shelves, and the clothes on the dummies. They were all of radiant colors, something she’d been deprived from seeing. In the midst of the store she felt lost.

“Is there nothing you like here?” Taecyeon broke her thoughts.

She turned to look at him, “I don’t know.”

She turned to look at the other women taking dresses off the racks and admiring them. Should she follow them? Victoria stopped her feet from moving when she realized that she’d feel foolish and stupid. She didn’t know anything about clothes. Her sense of fashion had disappeared after wearing black and only black outfits.

“Hello.” Taecyeon called. “Pick something out. You’re making me feel dumb just standing here.”

Victoria turned to look at him and tilted her head, “Then you choose something.”

Taecyeon tried not to roll his eyes and walked toward a rack. Randomly he grabbed a dress and held it in front of her.

“And this, and this, and this.” he told shoving all the clothes at her. “Do you want to try them on? Or do you just want to buy them?”

The fitting rooms. She remembered the fitting rooms from her childhood.

“So…they still exist.” Victoria found herself saying.

“What?” he asked.

“Never mind. Lets just buy them.”

“Are you sure?” he tried kicking doubt into her mind.

The fitting room. She also wanted to go in and see how different it might look if it had changed.

“If we just leave, no refunds.”

And minutes later Victoria found herself staring at her own face. The mirror stared back at her. She didn’t know what to feel during that moment of insecurity. The enclosed space reminded her of the dungeon she’d been locked in for days. Her skin shivered and she almost dropped down to her knees. Without realizing she gripped onto the dress in her hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

“Yah, are you done?” his voice appeared from behind the door.

Victoria felt her head shoot up. Grabbing the clothes she’d dumped on the bench she unlocked the door and shoved the clothes at him.

“Are you buying these?” he asked.

“Yes.” she replied and walked out of the store.

He snorted with a laugh and watched her stand in front of the glass window as he checked out.

The sun was out and bright blinding her. Tilting her eyes to the ground she felt her loose hair wave back and forth underneath her chin. She’d been abandoned in time and there was no way she’d be able to catch up to her present. It’d take more than 14 years of her life to adjust to the way things had become now. And now that she was being hunted down by the cops, the FBI, and even her own crewmates she really had no where to go.

Victoria felt sick but refused to let the pain seep in. Balling her hand into a fist Victoria promised she wouldn’t admit defeat until she found out who had done her job.  

- - - - -

The next morning Yoona stood before the gates to her plane. All she was carrying was a tote bag strapped around her shoulder packed with her mother’s food and some books to entertain herself.

“Where’s Donghae?” her father looked around the enormous crowd.

“He’s busy. It’s fine if he can’t make it.” Yoona told.

“He should have still made some time.” she heard her father mutter.

“Be careful.” her mother said holding onto her hand firmly, a mother’s touch, something she’d had all her life but her best friend had missed out.

“Call us whenever you have time, dear.” her father gave her a hug.

“I know.” Yoona smiled as she stepped back. “I’m going to go now. I’ll give you a call immediately when I reach Kwangju.”

Her parents nodded and watched her go with smiles planted on their faces. Yoona walked onto the train ready for a long flight. As she sat down she glanced out of the window to her right. Exciting thoughts hovered in her mind as she wondered what would await her in Kwangju. And in her mind Yoona silently thanked Mrs. Kim for her comfort yesterday.  

- - - - -

Taecyeon walked through the spinning doors and toward the hall on the left where the elevators were located. His footsteps were heavy and unhappy. Why was he being blamed for stealing the specially imported wine? He had known nothing about the wine when the truck had come in for delivery. If he’d known he would have made sure not to touch it. Where was the Director and why was he hiding? Did he sell the wine? Taecyeon felt his blood rush in frustration. He didn’t want to get fired.

The elevator door opened with a ‘Ding’ and he stepped inside with some other men and women who were working on a Sunday. No one spoke. Taecyeon observed a men fiddling with his necktie and another glancing at his watch. Possibly running late on the clock. The woman, though, seemed relaxed. That’s right, women always had it easy. Taecyeon silently groaned at that awful thought.

The elevator went ‘Ding’ again and he stepped out turning right. Walking down the golden hallway he discovered two glass doors framed in gold 20 feet ahead of him. Pushing the doors open, being careful to only touch it by the handles, he walked in toward the desk that awaited him. A woman with hair neatly tied back looked up.

“How may I help you?” she greeted.

“I’m here to see Secretary Jung.”

“Ah…yes. Hold on.” she grabbed the white telephone beside her and dialed some numbers before saying, “Ok Taecyeon is here.” She hung up and turned back to him with a smile, “You can head on in. It’s the first door down that hallway.”

Taecyeon nodded and walked across the room decorated with a painting of seashells and four dark brown couches around a square table. He knocked on the dark door and waited.

“Come in.”

Taecyeon opened the door wondering what kind of interrogation he’d have to deal with this time.

- - - - -

Victoria the water faucet in the sink and watched it flow down into the drain. As if amused she stared at it for a few minutes without starting on the dishes she’d been told to do. The doorbell at the door turned her attention away from the running water and without turning it off she walked toward the door. Pulling open the door she found herself face to face with the man that had visited yesterday morning. What was his name?

Victoria thought to herself. “Lee Donghae?”

He smiled back, “Can you walk?”

“Didn’t I just walk to the door?” she questioned.

“Lets go.” he gestured down the stairs.

“Where?”

Without giving an answer he reached for her arm pulling her out and closed the door behind her. He started down the stairs and Victoria followed. His two door sports car awaited them across the building and she found herself staring while he opened the passenger’s door for her. What was this?

“Get in.” he called.

Victoria slowly walked toward the car and got in without a word.

“Did you eat?”

Victoria didn’t reply. The buildings all swirled pass along with the people on the streets. Where were they all going? How many children out of the billion out there were going to get kidnapped that day? She found herself wondering that strangely. The car made a hard turn and she found herself falling to the side when they entered a large parking lot with cars all parked neatly next to one another all vibrating different colors.

“Lets go.” the door opened and she realized she’d let herself get dazed.

She looked behind him and from where she sat she was able to make out a large expensive building made out of white concrete. Windows and windows lined across the walls. People and more people in uniforms walked about and some of them wheeled patients around. Then her eyes moved over to the sign. He’d brought her to the hospital.