She looked at her watch once again. There was no need to hurry; she was already late for her last class of the morning.

“Why don’t you answer my texts woman?”, she shrieked while shaking her cell phone. An old woman who was passing by gave her a dirty look and scoffed. Jooyeon bowed, embarrassed. Lee Jooyeon, why do you insist on drinking?

An incoming call startled her. Before answering she checked who was calling and smiled.

“Shouldn’t you be in school you rascal?”, she giggled.

“I should ask you the same Lee Jooyeon!”, an angry voice answered! Jooyeon immediately froze; she wasn’t expecting that voice.

“Dad… I thought it was Joohee calling.”, she cleared , “I’m sorry.”, she stiffened, but not for long, as the voice on the other side started laughing.

“I miss you kid! You never visit anymore.”, her father said, still laughing. “I was just calling to make sure everything is okay.”

“I’ve been busy with exams dad. I told mom that last time we talked.”, Jooyeon relaxed. You’re an adult Lee Jooyeon, you’re in college, how would your dad know about your schedule.

“But you could still call, we miss our prettiest daughter.”, her father laughed again.

“You’re just saying that because Joohee isn’t there, shame on you!”, she laughed along. “Is everything okay?”, she asked, suddenly frowning. Usually her parents wouldn’t call unless there was a problem or something that needed to be said.

“Everything’s fine, actually. But your mother wanted me to call you and ask you how fast can you come home.”, her father answered. “Your mother is going to throw a surprise party to Joohee and she would like your help.”

“Why a surprise party?”, she chuckled for no particular reason.

“Joohee is now top of her school. Didn’t she tell you that’”, her father asked, proud dripping from his voice.

“No, that girl barely tells me anything about herself. She prefers gossiping about you and mom.”, Jooyeon giggled. “I’m so proud of her!”, Jooyeon touched her chest, right above the heart.

“The oldest got the looks, but the youngest got the brains.”, her father joked and Jooyeon made a face. “So, do you think you can come on Thursday?”, her father asked.

“I think I can, but I have to return Sunday.”, she mentally checked her schedule.

“Can’t you stay longer?”, she heard a voice ask from afar.

“Dad, is this in loud speaker?”, she inquired in a reproachful tone.

“It is now! Hi honey!”, her mother practically screamed. Technology wasn’t her forte. But, then again, neither was her father’s.

“Hi mom.”, Jooyeon and to stop herself from laughing. “So, what are you thinking of doing?”

“A surprise party, your father told you.”, Jooyeon rolled her eyes.

“Yes, a surprise party. But how? Who are you planning on inviting? How are you going to prevent Joohee from finding out?”

“Jooyeon, that’s why I need you here as fast as you can come.”, her mother pleaded.

“Okay, I’ll call you later, when I get home.”, Jooyeon said, as she was approaching the entrance of her college.

“Call home honey, don’t call to your sister’s cell.”, her father said.

“Why are you calling from her cell in the first place?”

“She left it at home, I don’t know.”, she could practically hear her mother shrug.

“You guys honestly… Fine, I have to hang up.”

“Bye.”, her parents said in unison and the call ended.

Since there was still half an hour left of class, Jooyeon decided to wait for her friends at the bar. She needed to eat something aside from some weird cereals Gyuri had at home.

After ordering and taking a seat in one of the available tables, Jooyeon took out her notebook to organize her schedule and trace a study plan for her exam but she was interrupted before she could even start.

“Shouldn’t you be in class?”, she heard the question for the second time in less than an hour and, once again, she tensed up. However, this time wasn’t because she expected a reprimand, but because his voice always gave her chills.

Forcing her best smile on her, Jooyeon looked up and locked eyes with her recent company.

“Shouldn’t I ask you the same?”, she tried to sound as pleasant as possible. The boy was as handsome as he could get and yet, Jooyeon felt uneasy every time he was near her.

“Didn’t feel like sitting through a boring class for two hours.”, he shrugged as he took a seat (despite being uninvited) and nodded at Jooyeon as if waiting for her excuse.

“I had business to attend.”, she simply replied. He didn’t need to know about her life, she knew him for less than a week.

“Fair enough.”, he smiled the most enchanting and scary smile she had ever seen.

Before any of them could speak (not that Jooyeon intended on do so), one of the girls who worked at the bar brought Jooyeon her order.

“Here it is.”, she lodged the tray on the table, not taking her eyes off of Jooyeon’s unwanted guest.

Could I possibly be the only person around No Minwoo that doesn’t swoon over him?

She saw the boy smile at the waitress before she left. He doesn’t seem like a bad person, she told herself. But she couldn’t just brush off the weird felling.

“Gyuri was actually looking for you. She and Victoria looked worried.”, he informed nonchalantly.

“I imagine…”, she mumbled and then thanked him. As she was about to eat her food, a small smile crept in Minwoo’s lips and Jooyeon shivered.

“Victoria!", Jooyeon called when she saw her friend leave the room along with her other classmates.

“Lee Jooyeon!”, her friend practically screamed and ran to her. “I was so worried about you!”

“What? Why? Was I that drunk?”, Jooyeon tried to laugh it off, but Victoria just gave her a weird look. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t drink. Thank you for taking care of me, though. If it wasn’t for you I would’ve woken up all sore and with bad skin because of the makeup.”, Jooyeon bowed and smiled gratefully.

“What are you talking about Jooyeon? We were worried sick about you! Where were you?”, Victoria grabbed her friend by her shoulders.

“What do you mean, where was I?”, Jooyeon frowned. “I was with you!”

“Do you not remember?”, Victoria looked like a scared animal, her eyes wide open and her grip on Jooyeon’s shoulders tighter. “You disappeared Jooyeon! We spent to whole night looking for you!”

Jooyeon went pale and froze, not able to say a word.

“We even called Byunghee, he was worried sick! I blame Gyuri, it was her idea to go to a club on a Monday! Who does that?!”, Victoria started rambling.

“You called Byunghee?! What happened?”, Jooyeon’s heart sank and she would have collapsed right there if not for Victoria.

“We looked for you the whole night and when it starting dawning we decided to stop by Gyuri’s house to pick something yours. We were this close to go to the police station Jooyeon!”, Victoria made a gesture with her thumb and index. “And when we arrived we found you sleeping peacefully in Gyuri’s bed. We assumed you grew tired of the party and left alone. Gyuri is so mad at you! We didn’t even sleep, we took a shower and came to college.”, Victoria informed Jooyeon.

“And Byunghee?”, she managed to ask,

“That poor boy, he was worried sick about you. When we found you sleeping I swear his heart returned to his body. You should go talk to him.”, Victoria shook her head.

“I don’t remember anything.”, Jooyeon whispered, looking at the ground. Her heart was racing and her mind was out of control she didn’t know what to say or what to do. And then there was the note.

If Victoria and Gyuri thought that Jooyeon had simply gone home, then they couldn’t possible have seen the note on the counter of the kitchen. But, then again, they hadn’t been the ones taking care of her or writing the note.

Jooyeon shivered and suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

“What matters is that you’re fine.”, Victoria smiled sweetly. She was a precious friend and a truly nice person.

Jooyeon nodded, but her dark expression wasn’t unnoticed by her friend.

“Are you not okay Jooyeon? Did something happen?”, she asked worried for her friend.

“No, I’m fine. It’s probably the hangover.”, Jooyeon smiled weakly. “I’m sorry for causing you trouble Victoria.”, Jooyeon hugged her friend and felt secure for a moment.

What happened last night?

***

“Seungri, it’s my fault.”, the girl cried on the boy’s shoulder.

“Don’t say that!”, he shook the girl the best he could. The small space they were in was good for hiding, but not so much for moving.

“It’s true. I saw everything.”, she mumbled between sobs.

“See what?”, Seungri asked, worried.

“He… He… I saw it Seungri. He said I was next. He said he would come for me.”, she cried, grabbing her friend even tighter, her grip leaving marks on his arm.

“What are you talking about?!”, the boy paralyzed.

“I saw him kill Yuri. I saw it and he said he would come for me after.”, the girl cried, her face against his shoulder.

The silence that involved the two didn’t last long. The last voice they would ever hear sent chills to their spines.

“I said I would come for you.”