Her bills were paid on time and she had attempted to forcibly restart the connection multiple times, so when Hei-Ryung e-mailed her internet provider she didn't hold back and made sure her annoyance was extremely clear. Feeling completely justified in being as frank as she wanted, considering how inconvenient the internet outage was for her personal life and career, she had angrily smashed down on her keyboard and assured the company that if they did not improve the quality of their service, she would be switching providers and making sure that her ire with them reached as many other customers as was possible. Though realistically Hei-Ryung doubted she had the ability to take down an entire multi-million dollar company single-handedly, one would never have guessed it by the way she went on in her e-mail. When everything was said and done, she checked for any grammatical errors that may have slipped into her annoyed tirade, fixed some awkwardly worded sentences, signed her name, and deleted the entire thing.

      Instead, she had written a far less aggressively worded request that the company look into her situation, as she had been without internet for a while now and needed it for her work. This was the e-mail that Hei-Ryung had sent earlier that morning, and as she had expected there was yet to be a reply. Seulki wouldn't take an internet outage as an excuse for Hei-Ryung skipping her deadline, though, so after anxiously waiting a few hours to see if the internet problem would solve itself, she had decided she would just need to deliver the latest addition to the manuscript in person. At the very least, the May weather was warm enough for her to forgo a taxi and instead comfortably walk two blocks to the subway station. She would have walked the entire way to Nalgae and avoided having to decide between squishing herself into the only available seat or standing- she opted for the latter after a very short internal debate- but Seulki had already texted her twice to complain about not seeing anything in her inbox. Hei-Ryung didn't want to test the woman's patience, so the fastest way to the company was the best.

     Her feet planted firmly on the ground, Hei-Ryung kept a death grip on the railing and tried to resist the swaying of the subway car that threatened to throw her off her feet. It wasn't going very well, however, and each time the train would round a corner Hei-Ryung would stumble around for a brief moment before finding her bearing. Around her, she could hear the chuckles of the other passengers as they watched her struggle to stay on her feet. Biting down on her lip, Hei-Ryung felt her cheeks begin to burn and tears stinging at the corners of her eyes.

     "Two more stops until mine, but if I get off at the next one I can just walk the rest of the way. I don't really know where I am, but I'm sure I can figure it out. How hard can it be to find a giant publishing company?" Starting to tremble, Hei-Ryung felt a twinge of pain as the muscles in her fingers protested against being strained for so long, but if she loosened her grip on the railing then there was a very good chance that she would make an even bigger fool of herself than she already had. She wasn't sure if the whispering she could hear was all in her head or if the people around her really were beginning to murmur to one another about the young lady they were sharing a train car with. Swallowing hard, Hei-Ryung bowed her head and allowed her hair to fall in her face to try and hide from them, to obscure the tears that had begun falling freely. "I was doing better. I... I was... I was never better. I can't do this. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get better. I can't stop-"

     "Hei-Ryung? I didn't expect to see you again!" Whoever was addressing her had completely ignored Hei-Ryung's apparent discomfort and wrapped their arms around her waist, pulling her into a tight hug. Wide-eyed, Hei-Ryung barely managed to force her frozen limbs to awkwardly wrap around this woman who smelled a little too strongly of perfume and cheap hair dye. When her attacker had pulled back and she was able to get a good look at the woman's face, Hei-Ryung felt her heart resume beating. Although she still wasn't sure what to think of Sunhwa so suddenly hugging her like that, she was still glad that at least it had been someone that she sort of knew. "How have you been?" Grinning, Sunhwa nervously smoothed out the blouse and mini-skirt she was wearing.

     For a moment, Hei-Ryung resembled a fish out of water as she wordlessly opened and shut , unsure of how to respond to the situation she had so suddenly been into. "G-good," she stammered out after Sunhwa finished adjusting her outfit and turned her expectant gaze onto Hei-Ryung. "Y-you?"

     "I've been managing, I guess. Today is the day everything changes, though!" Slowly nodding, Hei-Ryung waited for Sunhwa to continue with what was apparently just waiting to burst out. "I got a call back!" She squealed, clasping her hands around Hei-Ryung's as she bounced excitedly. "Nothing's guaranteed just yet, but this is better than anything I've had before! I might actually get a contract!" Hei-Ryung vaguely remembered Jieun mentioning something about Sunhwa looking to become a model, so she assumed that this was what the other girl was talking about.

     "That's... great," she congratulated, forcing a tight smile onto her face. Grinning, Sunhwa bubbled on about the details of her possible contract. Hei-Ryung wasn't listening though. All she could focus on was the way Sunhwa's shirt was meant to be skin-tight, but hung loosely on her frame, or how fragile her arms had felt when she had wrapped them around Hei-Ryung. The skin on her wrists was pulled taught against the bones, with nothing in between, and though Sunhwa had deliberately gone for a smoky eye look, Hei-Ryung could see that some of the darkness that rimmed the woman's eyes was from them sinking in. She looked like a walking skeleton that had been dolled up in makeup in an attempt to hide what was happening. Would Sunhwa even be alive long enough to enjoy her new contract? Looking at her now, Hei-Ryung worried that she might fall apart before her very eyes. There was almost nothing there to hold her together, after all.

     "It's a small company, but everyone has to start somewhere. I'm hoping some bigger name companies will see me and decide to give me a chance. Wish me luck, okay?" Unable to do anything other than follow through on Sunhwa's request when faced with the girl's bright smile, Hei-Ryung nodded and mumbled a quiet good luck. Hurriedly, Sunhwa wrapped her arms around Hei-Ryung one more time and hugged her tightly before hurrying onto the platform where she quickly disappeared into the crowd. Hei-Ryung hadn't even realized that they had ceased moving. Worried that she might have missed her own stop, she glanced up at the scrolling sign above the door and quickly read over the platform's name.

     "Next one." Sighing in relief, Hei-Ryung took advantage of the clearing out of the car and hurriedly found a seat that was sufficiently surrounded by empty spaces. Nervously, Hei-Ryung began rubbing at the palms of her hands with her thumb and watched as the doors closed. Sunhwa was dying. It was obvious who gave her more than a passing glance, and was probably why the modeling company had called her back in for a second evaluation. While Hei-Ryung saw the horrors of a body fading away into nothing, they saw the epitome of beauty- sharply defined features, a skinny frame, and a smile that only managed to stay brilliant through excessive whitening. Any of the lingering effects of her sickness could be photoshopped away, leaving behind only the beauty that Sunhwa was literally killing herself for. Heaving out a sigh, Hei-Ryung knitted her fingers together to stop from rubbing her palms raw. She had done what she could for Sunhwa, and now that their lives had become so nearly disconnected she had neither a reason or the ability to help her further.

     Still, it was hard to watch someone slowly killing themselves. At least when you jump, it's over quickly. You don't spend every day staring in the mirror and hating yourself; you just end it all. Sunhwa didn't want an end, though. She wanted the beauty she thought she didn't possess, and she was willing to kill herself for it. Slowly, painfully, she was bringing an end to her life, and she couldn't even see it. Only about a month had passed since Hei-Ryung had last seen her former classmate, but the difference in appearance was horrifically stark. As the subway pulled into her station, Hei-Ryung wondered if Sunhwa was even eating anymore or if she had taken to starving herself. It would certainly explain the sudden decline in health, and if so much damage could be done in only a month...

     "Was that the last time I'll see her?" Wrapping one arm tightly around her waist, Hei-Ryung refused to dwell on her encounter with Sunhwa any longer. If she was going to be delivering this manuscript in person than she needed to be prepared to discuss it with Seulki, as there was no doubt in her mind that her editor would want to know exactly where Hei-Ryung was planning on taking the story. Clutching tightly to the strap of her bag, Hei-Ryung stepped off the subway and started making her way back up to the surface. The station was about a block from the building, which would give her plenty of time to sort through what she already knew about her story and make up a plausible conclusion to her writing.

     "First my internet, now the elevators- maybe all those movies were right and technology really will rebel against humanity," Hei-Ryung mused as she watched the increasingly large group of disgruntled employees gathered around the sole working elevator in the building. Not that this bothered her, as she had already been planning on taking the stairs so as to avoid awkwardly waiting for the elevator- typically filled with anxious prayers that she had pushed the right button- just so she could ride in a cramped box with a bunch of strangers. Passing the building's employees, she made her way further down the hall toward the emergency stairs. It had taken her a while to work up the nerve to use them, but after Seulki had forced her into it she had become much more comfortable with the plain, concrete staircase that was hidden behind a deceptively ornate wooden door. Everything on the first floor of the Nalgae building was, in fact, deceptively beautiful to give visitors the impression that the building in it's entirety was far more grand than it truly was. Most visitors went straight from the first to the top floor, after all, and so never saw the droll offices and coffee-stained carpets that decorated the employee spaces.

     Pushing open the door, Hei-Ryung took a moment to ensure that it closed as gently and quietly as possible so as to avoid the booming echo of a door slamming shut. The echoes were the only part of the stairs she couldn't seem to get over. No matter how softly she tried to move, her presence was always magnified by the unforgiving concrete walls. Despite this amplification, it was one of the building's more private areas as not many were interested in taking the stairs when the elevator system was- usually- so convenient. Which is why she wasn't entirely surprised when, from the floor above, she could hear the echoed whispers of someone in a fervent telephone call- there was no second voice to suggest an in-person discussion. Grimacing, Hei-Ryung shuffled her way up the stairs and cringed every time she was even the slightest bit louder than the employee above. She would have to apologize for disturbing them when she reached the landing they were standing on, as she was sure they could hear her moving around by now.

     "Don't worry, you'll be getting your money." Freezing, Hei-Ryung slowly took a few steps backward so she was obscured from view. Maybe she was being ridiculous and getting caught up in the thrill of a real-life mystery- her quickening pulse would certainly suggest that- but the coincidence of Youngjae informing her of an embezzling scandal in the company and an employee having a whispered conversation in the emergency stairwell about money just seemed too big. Perhaps the real world wasn't like books, but that didn't mean she could entirely rule out the possibility that something was going on here. Besides, if the conversation turned into a meaningless discussion then she could resume walking and pretend she hadn't heard or suspected anything. So long as she wasn't caught, there was no harm in eavesdropping a little. The detectives in novels were always sticking their noses where they didn't belong, after all!

     "They've caught on, yeah, but... no they don't think it's me. I've heard a few names being tossed around, but I have no idea who the higher-ups are really suspecting. They aren't looking in my department, though." Swallowing hard, Hei-Ryung began rubbing at her palms. "Nobody's interfered with the software. I've still got access to the money... Yes, I'm giving it all to you! Why would I take it for myself? Not like you'll leave me alive long enough to enjoy it if I don't... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I understand you've been more than patient with me. Yes... Yes... Of course I appreciate all the Ravens have... Hang on, I'll call you back." Clasping her hands over , Hei-Ryung had tried to hold back the squeak that came out but had been too slow. Heart pounding, she sprinted down the steps to the landing below and burst out the door, praying desperately that the owner of the approaching footsteps behind her hadn't seen her running out. She was so focused on who was behind her, though, that she didn't notice the inevitably oncoming collision with the man in front of her.

     Barely managing to hold back a scream as she ran into him, Hei-Ryung threw her arms up and began running a million excuses for why she was there through her mind. "What are you doing here?"

     "I'm a writer for the company and I'm here to drop off my manuscript!" As though it could possibly defend her, Hei-Ryung yanked the pages in question from her bag and them out before her.

     "I know you work here, Hei-Ryung." Still shaking, she glanced up from the floor and stared wide-eyed at Youngjae. "Why are you delivering the manuscript-"

     "Youngjae!" She exclaimed, stuffing the papers back into her bag and using her now-free hands to grab the extremely surprised young man's arms. "I know who's embezzling the money! Well, not exactly, I didn't see his face and I don't know enough of the employees well-enough to identify them by their voice, but there's a man in the stairwell who was talking about it and-" Behind her, the door to said stairwell opened and Hei-Ryung immediately shut . Going completely white, she stared at Youngjae in absolute horror.

     "Good afternoon, Mr. Yoo. Working on another advertising campaign with Ms. Kang?" Gently, Youngjae reached out and took Hei-Ryung's arm so he could turn her to face the man who had just emerged and pretend as though she weren't convinced he was about to kill her to get ride of the evidence. "I'm surprised you managed to get her out of her apartment. Her inability to cope with the real world is a bit of a legend around here," chuckling, the man grinned at Youngjae who had no choice but to return the expression, even though he could feel Hei-Ryung's noticeably stiffen under his grip. How someone could have the audacity to speak like that about a person who was standing right in front of him was beyond Youngjae.

     "We should be going now. I was just about to show Ms. Kang the posters we've planned on creating for her upcoming signing event," Youngjae announced, tugging Hei-Ryung after him as he spun on his heels to leave. "Was that the man you heard?" He muttered when they were out of ear shot, glancing over at Hei-Ryung. Some of the color had returned to her face, but she was still shaking. Quietly, she nodded. "And you think he's the one who is stealing the company money?" Again, another nod, but Youngjae could tell that she wasn't saying everything that was on her mind. "And that's everything?"

     "He's working with the Black Ravens." Immediately upon the words coming out of , Youngjae regretted having involved a novelist. His feelings on Hei-Ryung's revelation were apparently evident on his face, as she immediately began to launch into an explanation of everything she had heard. Quietly, Youngjae listened until she was finished. "I know it sounds too good to be true, but-"

     "Too good to be true? A vicious gang showing interest in our company's funds and using employees to steal it is not a good thing. Besides, we don't even know for sure that they're the ones he's working with. What would a gang like the Black Ravens want with a publishing company, anyway?"

     "Money! Nalgae is one of the most profitable companies in the country- do you really think it's that far-fetched that organized crime might just have their eyes on the company coffers?" Frowning, Hei-Ryung folded her arms over her chest and stared Youngjae down. Regardless of what she had really heard, she seemed pretty convinced that this debacle had something to do with the Ravens. Sighing, Youngjae ran a hand through his hair and slowly nodded. It would be best to entertain her for now, if only to make sure she got her manuscript into Seulki on time and he didn't miss his meeting.

     "I'll look into it and see if I can find anything. I'm not entirely sure who that was, though... anyway, I'll do some research and see what I can find. In the meanwhile, you should go give Seulki your manuscript. I'm sure she's already beginning to get upset with how long you're taking." Stopping at the door to another of the building's emergency stairwells, Youngjae waited for Hei-Ryung to push open the door and start heading inside before turning to go.

     "Be careful, okay? These are extremely dangerous people who aren't afraid to do whatever it takes to ensure they get what they want." And with that foreboding warning, Hei-Ryung had vanished up the stairs, taking them two at a time to try and avoid being scolded by Seulki.

Author's Note:

I totally forgot that I hadn't updated yesterday, so I'm sorry for this being late! Also, I'm not entirely sure if this is a good turn for the story to take. It seems a little... out there, hehe ^^;; Ah well, too late to turn back now.