CHAPTER SIX

“I told you to get rid of her!!!”

“I will, just give me some time!”

“I’ve already warned you too many times. If she is to ever find out anything...”

“Like I told you, I will handle it. Even if she finds out anything, there’s not much she can do.”

“I don’t want to take that chance!”

“She won’t be a threat to us.”

“I don’t care if she is or not, if she remains alive there is always a chance that anything can happy. I need her gone!”

=====

“How are you feeling today?” HyungSik ask as he helps her off the bed.

“A lot better,” she smiles at him, “I think I’ll be able to check out soon.”

“Are you sure? Maybe you should stay for a few more days to be safe.”

She laughs sweetly at his concern, “I don’t think I would need to. I’ve been here for like three weeks already and I’m starting to feel suffocated.”

“Has the doctors said anything about letting you out?”

“They have, they told me if I would like to I can go home as soon as today. And I think I might do so. I need to feel more comfortable in my own bed.”

“I still think you should stay for a few more days before checking out. I’m just worry that you’re not fully healed.”

She smiles sweetly at him. She reaches for his hand and squeezes it tightly, assuring him that she is completely fine, “HyungSik-ah, I appreciate your concern for me, but I really can’t stay here any longer. I feel like I’m trapped in here.”

“What about your parents? What did they say about you checking out?”

“They already know about it.”

“What about your brother? YongHwa hyung still hasn’t woken up yet.”

She let out a sigh, “I know. I can’t do much. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

She makes her way over to the closet and begins to pack up her belongings. It has been three weeks since she was admitted to the hospital and two weeks since her parents’ first visit. She has recovered from her physical injuries and her internal injuries were still on the mend but it wasn’t something that a few antibiotics can’t handle.

A knock came at the door. YongJoo and HyungSik turn and look at each other.

“Who is it?” YongJoo ask.

“May I come in?” A masculine voice answers.

YongJoo didn’t answer but could already hear the door sliding open. She and HyungSik observe the door to see who it could be.

“I just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing.”

HyungSik and YongJoo were both puzzled to see who it was. They didn’t seem to recognize the man standing in front of them.

“I’m sorry, but you are?” YongJoo politely ask.

The man smiles at her, “you don’t remember me?”

She turns to HyungSik for any hint at who it was but he was at a loss himself. She turns back to the man and smiles apprehensively to him.

“Sorry, I don’t,” she shakes her head.

He chuckles at her reply, “that’s alright, I didn’t expect you to.”

“So who are you?” HyungSik ask again.

“I’m Choi SiWon,” he offers his hand for a shake to HyungSik and then to YongJoo, “I ran in to you at your father’s company about a month back. Remember?”

YongJoo gaze at him as she tries to dig through her memories. And then it hit her, her lips forms an ‘O’ at the remembrance.

“Yes, we bumped...” She hesitated to continue when she remembered that their first meeting wasn’t something fond to remember.

SiWon chuckles at her hesitation, “don’t worry about it, I’ve completely forgot about our...little incident?” He winks at her.

Another apprehensive smile appears on her face, “what brought you here today? Are you here to see my brother?”

“I did, and since I was here I thought I would drop by and see how you were doing. I heard that you were in the same accident,” SiWon reply.

“Thank you for your concern,” she smiles appreciatively to him, “I’m actually on my way to check out.”

“You’re good to check out already?” SiWon was quite surprise at her recovery.

“I am. There’s no need for me to be here and take up space when I’m good and ready to leave.”

“I see.” SiWon smiles understandingly, “I guess then I’ll leave you to pack. I’m glad to see you’re better now.” He nods at her and made his way towards the door.

“Thank you for your visit.” YongJoo added before SiWon made his leave.

He turns around and smiles at her before exiting the room.

SiWon made his way down the corridor of the hospital towards the exit. His assistant stood at the foyer as he bows to him in greeting.

“The girl is checking out already. Are her parents coming to pick her up?” SiWon questioned.

“I’m not sure sir, but I will make sure to find out.”

“Stay on her. Keep an eye on Director Jung and see what he’s up to.” He orders.

“Yes sir, I already have them on surveillance.”

“That was weird.” HyungSik voiced.

YongJoo chuckles at his comment, “maybe, but it was nice of him to come by and visit my brother.”

“I guess. You need me to help you pack anything else?”

YongJoo surveys the room one last time to make sure she didn’t forget anything.

“No, I think I’m good.” She answers. “But before we leave I want to see my brother first.”

HyungSik took her bag and walks her out of her room and the two made their way towards YongHwa’s room. They arrive at the room and were surprised to see who was inside.

“SeoHyun?” YongJoo was surprise to see her best friend sitting by her brother’s bedside.

SeoHyun quickly wipes away her tears as she stood up and forcefully smiles at the two standing at the door.

“When did you get here?” HyungSik asks.

“Not too long ago. I was gonna come see you YongJoo, but I thought I would come to YongHwa oppa first.” SeoHyun explains.

YongJoo smiles sweetly at her, “no need to explain. I know how you’re feeling right now.”

SeoHyun smiles back, she notices the bag in HyungSik’s hand. “Are you going somewhere HyungSik?”

HyungSik holds up the bag, “this? It’s YongJoo’s.”

SeoHyun turns her gaze to YongJoo, who was now standing beside her brother’s bed.

“Are you going somewhere YongJoo?” SeoHyun ask.

YongJoo turns to SeoHyun with a smile, “I’m just checking out. I’ve recovered enough to leave now.”

“Are you sure?”

YongJoo nods, “I’m starting to feel suffocated being in here.”

“And your parents, do they know?”

“Yeah, I’m heading home anyway, they’ll see me.” YongJoo added with a small laugh.

YongJoo turns back to her brother as she stood there gazing at him. Her eyes began to blur as the tears threatens to falls. She tries her best to hold back her emotions but it was too hard for her to contain the pain she was feeling these past few weeks.

“Oppa, please wake up. I want to see you before I go. I don’t know how much I’ll get to see you once I leave. Please, just wake up for me.” She pleaded through her sobbing voice.

SeoHyun begins to tear up herself as she listens to YongJoo’s pleads, “YongJoo-ah, don’t be like this.”

“Oppa please, I’m begging you here. Just let me see your eyes one last time before I leave.” YongJoo falls to her knees as she held tightly on to YongHwa’s hand.

HyungSik and SeoHyun quickly rush over to her side.

“YongJoo, are you ok?” HyungSik was full of concern.

YongJoo shook her head in between her sobbing.

“What’s wrong YongJoo?” SeoHyun added her concern.

“I can’t, I just can’t. I just want to see him awake and smiling at me again. I just want him to wake up and make fun of me again. I just want him to wake up and make this little sister’s life miserable again.” She utters through her sobs.

“YongJoo...” SeoHyun comforted as she pulls her closer in to her embrace.

“Come on YongJoo, let me take you home.” HyunSik offers as the two helps her up. “Do you want me to take you home too?” He turns to SeoHyun and offers.

SeoHyun smiles appreciatively, “no, I want to stay here a little bit longer and take care of him. Get YongJoo home safely for me.”

HyungSik nodded and left the room with YongJoo in his embrace.

SeoHyun turns back to YongHwa as she sat back down by his bedside.

“Can you feel the pain YongJoo’s going through oppa? Can you tell that I’m feeling the same if not more seeing you like this?” She begins to sob as she held his hand softly. “I’m missing you more than I thought I would. Please oppa, wake up for YongJoo. Wake up for me.”

She holds his hand up to her forehead, feeling his warmth that she hopes will never fade out; her tears dampening his bedsheet.

***

“I’m going abroad next week.”

He slams his feet on the brakes as the car skidded and jerks to a halt. He turns to her wide eyed.

“What did you just say?”

She let out an exasperated sigh as she stares out of the passenger window, “I’m going abroad next week.” She repeated.

He puts the car in park and turns his attention to her. He took her shoulders and makes her turn to look at him.

“YongJoo, why are you leaving so early? I thought you were going to leave once the semester ends. Why the sudden change?”

She dared not make eye contact with him. She hung her head low, “HyungSik-ah, I can’t stay here with oppa like that.”

He was thrown in to confusion, “what are you talking about? Of everyone, I would think that you would be the one to stay by his side the most!”

“He has SeoHyun to take care of him. With her there I know he’ll be well taken care of.”

“That’s not the point! You are supposed to stay here until the end. There are a lot more things we need to do together before you leave!”

HyungSik’s voice begins to rise with urgency at her sudden announcement.

Sniffling could be heard coming from YongJoo as she continues to avoid eye contact. “I’m sorry HyungSik-ah, I have to go, I have to leave to be able to feel at ease with what has happened.”

“No one ever said that this was your fault, why are you still blaming yourself?!”

“If it wasn’t for me, oppa wouldn’t have been put through something like this. If I didn’t ask him to drive me to the park that day, if I didn’t take so long with getting ready, if it wasn’t for my birthday surprise. He wouldn’t be in the state that he is now.”

After regaining her composure from her breakdown in her brother’s hospital room, she had managed to reveal why she was feeling more emotion than before. But after revealing it to HyungSik she didn’t expect herself to go through another emotional field trip. She begins to sob again as she felt HyungSik’s grip on her shoulders tighten. She knew they had a deep relationship but she would never have predicted that it would be this emotional to tell him the truth.

“What...what made you...decide...” he trailed off, unable to complete his question as his voice begins to crack.

“YongJoo, I’m sending you abroad once you get better.”

She turns to her father with complete surprise.

“KwangSoo!” Her mother intervenes.

“I’ve already made my decision. You’re leaving Seoul in two weeks time.”

“Appa?” She was speechless, what was she to say.

“KwangSoo, I thought we already discussed this? Let YongJoo fully recover and let her finish her final semester first and then we’ll figure things out from there.” Her mother reasoned.

“What is there to discuss? She wanted to go abroad anyway I’m just speeding up the process for her.” He turns to her to get her acknowledgement.

She couldn’t deny her father as he stared at her intently. She didn’t know what to say as she hesitantly nodded at her father, suppressing her tears.

“KwangSoo, why are you so insistent on this? I already told that I think we should let her stay back a bit longer. Let her at least see YongHwa wake up first.” Her mother continues her reasoning.

“SooJin, what is it that you don’t understand? I already told you, I’m doing this for her own good.”

“KwangSoo...” Her mother tried to continue her reasonsing.

“Omma,” YongJoo intervenes, “if appa says that it’s for my own good then I’ll leave.”

Her parents turned to her as she gazed upon them with her innocent eyes that were blurred with the tears that were threatening to fall.

“YongJoo-ah,” he mother runs over to her and holds her in her embrace.

Her father clears his throat as he made his way towards the exit. “I’m going to make the arrangements.”

“Was there any reason for your sudden change?” HyungSik continues his questioning.

She continues to avoid his gaze. She shook her head slowly. The memory of her conversation with her parents was still fresh in her mind and she was not about to tell HyungSik, or anyone for that matter, the real truth of why she was leaving so soon. She didn’t want anyone to know the pressures given to her by her father to leave. She didn’t want her father to come off as that type of father. No matter what happens, she still appreciated him for saving her and giving her a comfortable life. This could be viewed as her way of thanking him, thus her obedience to the decision.

“Tell me the truth YongJoo, tell me the real reason you’re leaving so soon?!” He shouted at her with frustration.

YongJoo was shocked at his sudden outburst. She quickly shot her head up and saw the pain in his eyes and the expression of sorrow on his face.

“HyungSik-ah...” she reaches her hand out to him.

He quickly looks away, “I just want to know the truth YongJoo.” He sits back on his seat as he took his gaze off her to the front of the car.

“This is for the best. I feel completely drained from all that has happened and I think it will be better for me to escape it for a little bit. I’ll be back.” She explains, trying her best to avoid any mention of her father’s influence.

HyungSik grips the steering wheel tightly as he lets out a frustrated sigh. He turns the car back on and begins to drive without saying a word. YongJoo let out an apprehensive sigh as she sat back down on her seat properly. During the rest of the car ride the two were in complete silence.

They arrive at YongJoo’s house. She got out and got her bag. HyungSik didn’t bother to get out of the car to help her. YongJoo understood why he did so; she knows he was still angry with her and her decision.

“I’ll call you later,” she bends over and sweetly smiles at him through the passenger window.

He didn’t reply nor did he respond to her. He ignores her and drives off.

She didn’t blame him for behaving so. She felt like he had every right to act like he was. She wasn’t being a good friend to him right now. She had lied to him. Of everyone, HyungSik was the one she confide in the most, but she was unable to do so this time.

She walks through her main entrance with her bag in her hand.

“Hello?” She calls out to the house.

No reply.

She walks in to the living room. There was no one there.

She walks in to the kitchen. There was no one there.

She walks in to the library. There was no one there.

She was about to make her way up the stairs to her bedroom when she notices the light from her father’s study was on. She took a deep breath as she made her way towards the study.

The door was partially open as she can hear her father and his angry tone talking to someone. She peeps in but there was no one in there, all she could see was her father on the phone with someone.

“I told you, I’m not going to kill her! I’m already sending her away. She won’t be a bother to us!”

Her father’s screaming voice surprised her. Who could he possibly be talking to? Who was he talking about? Killing? Sending her away? Was he talking about her? She stood with her back against the outside wall as she continues to listen intently.

“There’s no reason to go to that extreme and kill her!”

Her eyes widens at her father’s sentence.

“Me adopting her was not my plan to betray you or anyone!”

That was her confirmation that he was talking about her. She places her hand over to restrain herself from screaming out her cries as she stiffly stood there with tears dripping down her cheeks.

“She hasn’t found out about her real father or mother so I doubt she’ll find out at all. I’m sending her off to another country. You don’t need to worry about it anymore.”

Her eyes widened even more at the mention of her real parents. The grip she had on her bag tightens even more at the sudden discovery.

“I don’t care if you feel more secure with her dead. I’m not going to kill her! If you want her dead do it yourself!” Her father screams one last time as she heard his slam of the phone.

She couldn’t handle it anymore. Her head begins to throb achingly. She drops the bag in her hand to the floor as she pushes herself off the wall and begins to run towards the main doors.

Her father comes walking out of his study to see a bag and a shadow of a figure disappearing in the darkness of the house. His eyes widens at the realization at who it could be. He quickly runs back in to his office and grabs his phone again.

“She heard. She heard everything.” He says in a panic.

“Kill her!”

She rushes out of the house, her hands holding on to her throbbing head. Her mind was going a mile a minute at what she had discovered. She was in complete shock to know who her adopted father really was. He was going to let whoever it was kill her just to protect himself. Her mind was in complete chaos. She didn’t know what to do. The throbbing in her head starts to get more and more unbearable. The pounding was continuous and it wouldn’t stop. Her eyes were blurring from the tears in her eyes. She was wobbling everywhere. Her balance was thrown off as she tries to run off of her property.

She was in a complete daze. Where can she go, where can she run to that she will be safe. Her mind quickly thought of HyungSik, he was the closest that she could get to. She manages herself out of the gate of her property. She could hear someone shouting her name but she was too dazed and confused to notice who it was. All she could think about was finding HyungSik and saving herself.

HyungSik was parked in front of YongJoo’s house. He was feeling guilty for ignoring her and giving her the cold shoulder during the car ride. He wanted to go back and apologize to her for his behavior. He got out of the car and was about to make his way towards her gate when he noticed her wobbling out. She looked distraught. He quickly rushes up to her only to have her screaming at him and struggling to get out of his hold.

“YongJoo, are you alright? It’s me, HyungSik!” He shouts at her.

She stops her struggling as she looks up at him with tear stained eyes, “HyungSik. I need to get out of here. Get me away from here.” She mutters to him.

She continues her incoherent chattering as he looks upon her with a quizzical expression.

“YongJoo, what’s wrong?”

“Please, get me out of here. They’re trying to kill me. Get me out of here.” She continues her pleading.

HyungSik wasn’t sure what was going on but he didn’t want to further ask her anymore questions. She was looking more and more afraid and distraught. He took her in his embrace and carries her to his car.

During the drive she kept shaking and wouldn’t stop muttering to herself about someone coming after her. She would randomly scream and shout. He was beginning to get really scared for her. The only logical thing he could think of right now is getting her to a hospital so they can help her.

HyungSik walks YongJoo in to the hospital and lucky for him he recognized the doctor that had been treating YongJoo from the accident. He runs up to the doctor and begins to explain the situation. The doctor quickly got a nurse and rushes YongJoo up to the psychiatric ward. HyungSik follows behind. His mind running a mile a minute worrying about what was happening to YongJoo.

HyungSik sat outside the room that they had placed YongJoo in, after about an hour the doctor finally came out.

“What’s wrong with her?” HyungSik urgently asks.

“What happened to her prior?”

“I don’t know. I had driven her from the hospital and dropped her home. She was fine when I dropped her off. I came back to see her but I found her wobbling out of her house with her hand holding her head. Driving here all I could hear from her was incoherent chatters and she would sometimes just scream and shout for no reason.”

The doctor let out a long sigh, “the only thing I can conclude is that she had experienced something traumatic during that time to trigger something to break within her mind for her to react like this.”

“What will happen to her?”

“It’s too early to tell but there’s possibility that she might experience a strong case of amnesia.”

“Amnesia?” HyungSik repeated, unable to comprehend the doctor’s answer, “so you mean she might lose all her memories?”

Another sigh escapes the doctor’s lips, “yes, that’s most likely going to happen. Whatever it was that has caused this trigger, her mind is trying to suppress it even more now. If it continues, she's going to end up losing her memories just so she can forget whatever it was that had triggered the trauma. There doesn’t seem to be any physical injuries on her, but her mental state right now is highly unstable. Her mind his in scrambles right now. She will experience some erratic behaviors and irrational actions. If you are going to see her I highly recommend you to be cautious around her. We’ve strapped her down to prevent her from hurting anymore around her, especially herself.”

HyungSik was in complete shock at what he was told. He falters back against the wall as he watches the doctor walking off. The nurse came out of the room a few minutes later. The moment the door opened he could hear her screams coming from inside the room.

“YongJoo-ah” he mutters to himself.

***

He came running in to the hospital the moment he heard the news of her being readmitted in to the hospital again. Finding out her room number he rushes up to her room. Making sure there was no one around her room, he quietly slides the door open and made his way in to the room. He sees her strapped down to the bed as she was struggling to break free.

“No, I can’t stay here! Let me go! They’re going to kill me! Please let me out!”

Her screaming echoes the room as he stares at her with sympathetic eyes. He didn’t want it to come to this. He didn’t want it to end up like this. He felt sorry to her for having to find out this way.

He makes his way closer to her bed.

“Please! Let me out! They’re going to kill me!”

She shouted pleadingly. Her eyes were bloodshot from the crying that she had been doing the past few hours. Her eyes were dried out, there wasn’t any tears left if she had wanted to keep crying.

“This is for your own good YongJoo.”

Her eyes shot open at his figure coming closer to her.

“No. Please. No!!!”

***

“What exactly happened HyungSik?” Seohyun questions him as she follows him to YongJoo’s room.

“I really don’t know. All I know is the doctor is afraid that she might end up hurting herself.”

SeoHyun let out an anxious sigh, “did you call her parents?”

HyungSik nodded, “I called Hara, and SooHyun and JunHyung hyung too.”

The two made their way towards the psychiatric ward when they noticed a group people making their way up towards the same direction. They recognized who they were and quickly rush up to them.

“Where and when did you find her?” Mrs. Jung quickly questions HyungSik.

“I had dropped her off at the house and about twenty minutes or so later I came back and I saw her wobbling out of the house.” He answers.

“Was no one home?” Mrs. Jung utters with worry.

The group of them enters the room.

“Where’s YongJoo?” Hara was anxious as she saw the empty bed.

Everyone was surprise, especially HyungSik, to see the bed empty.

“I just brought her in only a couple hours ago. They couldn’t have moved her. She was strapped down too, she couldn’t have gone anywhere on her own.” HyungSik was in frantic mode.

At that moment a nurse walks in.

“Nurse, where is the patient?” SooHyun quickly questions.

The nurse herself was surprise to see the empty bed. Her eyes widens as she rushes out of the room and quickly grabs a few other nurses and doctors and informs them of the missing patient. The group of them looks at each other and quickly joins the search party.

The hour passed and there was still no sign of YongJoo anywhere. A search party was quickly dispatched.

Mrs. Jung’s phone begins to ring. It was her husband.

“KwangSoo,” she answers in a panic, “it’s YongJoo, she’s...” she was cut off before she could finish.

“She’s at the office with me right now.”

“What?” She utters, her surprising tone alerted the rest of them. “How is it possible that she is with you?”

Everyone was surprise to hear the news.

“What...what is she doing at your office?”

“I don’t know how she got here, but she’s not breathing.”

“What do you mean she’s not breathing?” Her voice was full of urgency.

HyungSik and SooHyun glance at each other with urgency as they turn and ran towards their cars.

“KwangSoo, what are you saying?” She pressed on, her voice quivering with fright.

“I told you we needed to get her away from here...”

Two gunshots could be heard from the other end.

“KwangSoo?” Her voice was now filled with fright at the deafening echo of the shots. “KwangSoo!!!" She shouted through her phone.

She collapses as JunHyung catches her, SeoHyun assists him in tending to her while Hara ran off to get help from the doctors.

The two boys arrive at the Jung’s company. There was no one in sight. Not even a security guard. They rush up the stairs towards the main office. There was no one in sight. The doors to the main office were wide opened. The two rush in.

They became wide eyed when they saw the bloodstained carpet. Blood splattered over the main picture of Mr. Jung hanging on the main wall. Blood stained the leather chair by Mr. Jung’s desk. Splatters of blood could be seen on the desk. Everything seemed like it was still fresh.

The two boys cautiously made their way through the office surveying the room carefully. HyungSik notices a hospital bracelet on the main desk as he reaches out for it. There was bloodstains on it as well. His eyes widens as he read the name on the bracelet.

Jung. Yong. Joo.

A/N: Finally, the game begins! I hope you guys enjoy it. I've read some of the stories on here and honestly, my writing pales in comparison to some of the quality and creativity on here. Those stories really inspires me to keep writing. So a big thank you!