Chapter 20 – Between the knowledge and the sorcery.

“Hi Joelle.. How’s this kid doing?” I asked Joelle who opened the door for me because my hands were full of Kyujong’s things.

“Oh, he’s doing fine.. Just fine..” She said and looking at the sleeping Kyujong. He slept like a baby while facing the window.

“Yah! Wake up!” I nudged him. But he was still sleeping soundly. “Dorry.. Come here..” I said. I’m just saying though. But Kyujong woke up immediately. Maybe the animal he fear the most is my dog.

“W-what the.. Aw..” He said when he sat right up on his bed, holding his wound with his hand. “Hyung..” He sighed and went back to sleep.

“Yah! I told you to wake up!!” I started to shout. I want to take revenge like how he wake me up everyday shouting at me.

“Hyung.. Come on.. Sick people needs sleep..” He buried his head onto the pillow. I know that sick people needs some sleep. But if you look at him, he’s still energetic like always. You couldn’t even find a spot of hint of him being sick right now.

“If you’re sick, act like one.” I said smacking his head.

“Who’s this?” Joelle asked and pulled a big teddy bear from the bag.

“Ask your boyfriend..” I said then giving Kyujong a devil smile.

“It’s yours?” Joelle asked Kyujong. He always sleeps with his teddy.

“Ow, come on Jojo.. It’s not something to talk about..” He said motioning her to give him his teddy.

“So, it’s really yours oppa?” She asked again, he just shyly nodded while hugging his teddy. He really looked like a little kid who got teased by his mother.

“Jojo..” He whined, but it only made Joelle laughing.

“Did father come here yesterday?” I asked them. They both nodded.

“Anyway hyung.. Do you know who did this?” He asked me. Crap, I totally forgot to tell Klaude. Hope father didn’t know it yet.

“No, but.. Do. Not. Use. My. Car. Again.” I said, taking out my phone and dialed Klaude’s number.

“What’s up?” He said on the other side.

“Could you go to the mall? The usual ones. Check all of the CCTV cameras at the basement. Yesterday, around 1:30 pm.” I said to him.

“Arasso..” He hung up.

“Hyung.. I thought you would bring me Glenn’s handmade ramen..” He said. It was his favourite dish.

“You could it eat after you’re out from this forsaken place..” I said while he sighed and lay back on his bed and Joelle went to the bathroom

“Hyung, come here..”

“Huh?”

“So.. How’s yours?” He asked me. I don’t even get the point of ‘yours’ .

“What are you talking about?”

“Aish.. Youngsaeng hyung told me already..” He grinned at me.

“Couldn’t you just tell me the point?”

“How’s you and Lea?” He whispered in my ear.

“What the? I’ve only talk to her about what? Five times? For goodness sake Kyujong.. I think you should take more rest..” I flicked his head.

“Aw, that hurts.. Where are you going?” He said while I walked to the door.

“Somewhere..”

“Oppa, you’re leaving already?” Joelle asked after coming out from the bathroom.

“Uhuh.. Take a good care of him..” I messed her hair. I feel like I’m having a lot of dongsaengs now. I walked at him and said, “And you, I’ll tell her about your secrets if you don’t rest up well.” Saying the last sentence in whispers. I smiled at him and went out.

“THEN I’LL ANNOUNCE TO THE WHOLE SCHOOL ABOUT YOU AND HER!!” he shouted after I shut the door. This kid. He’s really energetic, he even shouted at the hospital. I went to the carpark and went to my next destination.

-A few moments later-

“Annyeong Hyunjoong-sshi.. I don’t know that you would come this often..” Lea’s mum greeted me and told me to come in, I came to her house like what I’ve said to her before. To clear up some things that I keep questioning for.

“Oh, yea..” I gave her a smile and went in.

“Tea?” She asked.

‘Sure.”

“So, what is it? My daughter’s not home yet.” She smiled at me.

“No.. Actually I need to ask you some things..”

“Hm? Really? I thought you were coming for Lea.. What do you want to ask? I don’t know about Lea’s love life..” She chuckled while looking at me. Maybe she could saw that I’m blushing or something, because I could feel blood starting towent up to my cheeks. But that’s not the point I’m coming here.

“No, no.. It’s not about that.. Could you tell me more about uhm.. The Hyunjoong that you knew? Or his family maybe?” I asked her, her expression changed right after I uttered those questions.

“Why do you want to know?” She was looking straight into my eyes. I really hate it when people doing that to me. I feel like I was lying or I need to be honest.

“No, that.. Uhm..” I couldn’t answer. I only have one reason behind all this. Is that I want to know more about me, my family, and about them.

“It’s okay, I’ll tell you.. It’s not something that I should cover up..” She said and sighed. ‘So, where should I begin..? Let’s start from Hyunjoong and his family then..”

“He’s around your age if he’s still alive.. The last time I saw him and his family  was around 4 days before they got killed..”

“Got killed? Who killed them? Uhm, why?” I asked, I know the answer already. But I think I could get more specifically answer rather than just a family’s name.

“It may sound crazy, but it’s my husband’s plan.. I’ve asked him why. He just won’t answer. Saying that it for our own good. I’ve decided to devorce with him, but I couldn’t. My father thought that he could be trusted. But he just didn’t know the truth, the truth that he had killed my bestfriend.” I hit me right onto my heart. Should I trust her? Her husband killed my family? What the hell is this? Her husband means that he’s Lea’s father, the one that she met at the mall.

“Enough of me, let’s get back to the main story.. So, they got killed. And my husband burnt their house into ashes. They found Hyunjoong’s parents body and his brother also. But they couldn’t find any hint about where was Hyunjoong.” So that was it. She thought I was died already.

“There’s not even a single hint about him? Or something that could be used as a hint to search for him?” I asked. But my phone fell over, so I need to pick it up.

“No, there’s no specific hint. But- That ring? How could you-” She pointed at my ring. It came out when I was taking my phone.

“Oh, it’s-“ I wanted to say but she already came up to hug me.

“You’re Hyunjoong right? Kim Hyun Joong?” She asked me.

“Y-yes..” I finally managed to said. I was planning to ask few more questions, but I think I couldn’t.

“No wonder why you looked so similar.. I’m really sorry I couldn’t stop my devil husband..”

“It’s okay.. I only need to know the truth..”

“I couldn’t believe you’re here right in front of my eyes.. I’ve swore to your mom that I would take care of you when she’s not around..” She said to me.

“Uhm..” I was searching for the right word to call her. Ahjumma? That doesn’t sound right.

“Call me umma.. That’s okay..” She said. Umma? I’ve never called someone umma for twelve years already.

“Uhm.. Umma? You know about this ring right?” I asked and she nodded. “Could you tell me more about it?”

“Your mum once told me about that ring’s history. The ring was first given by an ancient Romanian, to one of your ancestor. I know it’s somekind of impossible. Even me myself couldn’t believe it when your mother told me. But I do as time goes on while people trying to take their lives because of that ring.”

“And then?”

“And then it was believed that.. It was something like a sacred ring or kind of it. A sacred ring that the symbol of knowledge and uhm.. Sorcery?” She said.

Sorcery? What kind of joke is this? How could something like sorcery even exist in this world?