Sandara opened her eyes, but there was only darkness. She can’t see anything except for the faint light surging through the gap located at the bottom of the door. In was eerie, except for the Schumann piece playing through the headphones. She took it off her ears, moving her head to the side to exercise it and stood up from the bed.

Hello y guy-ido
Hello handsome boy-ido
Hello hello
Meonjeo malgeoreojundamyeon
Hello dodohan girl
Hello gwiyeoun girl
Hello hello
Jeogi jamsimanyo say hello

Sandara turned to where the music came from, and saw a phone, vibrating at Jiyong’s desk. She walked towards it and picked it up, examining the phone. It has a pink trinket, so maybe it was hers. She slides the green button and places the phone near to her ear. “Hello?” She asks.

“Sandara,” Happiness pricked her heart when she heard Seven’s voice. She clutched on the phone, tightly and asked, “How did you get my number?”

“It doesn’t matter.” He said. “Look, Seungri and Daesung had spied already inside your father’s company yesterday.” Yesterday? Sandara thought. “They already know where they keep the stock of illegal drugs. It’s in a warehouse in Samcheong-dong. It’s near a sacred private temple.”

“Samcheong-dong?” Sandara repeated, bewildered. Isn’t there my ancestors are buried? She asked herself.

“Yes. Get back here right now so we can plan.” Seven said, and before she could reply, he had hung up. Sandara looked at the phone screen. The wallpaper was her and Jiyong when they bought the phone, posing like a couple in front of the camera. It amazes her, how Jiyong remains his equilibrium when those people around him just keep on praising him as if he’s a god, and he’s humble, too. He would just meekly accept the compliments and live on. Now that she thought of it, maybe Jiyong isn’t a bad person all along. Then, why did he have to be such an when they first met?

Sandara slid the phone in her bag, which is just hanging on a rack near the door and went outside. The house still smelled of fresh cinnamon, as if Jiyong only ate food with cinnamon as its main ingredient, but it was eerily quiet. Her footsteps slam heavily against the maple-colored wooden stairs, but she didn’t hear a greeting from the owner of the house. Instead, she was greeted by a bark.

Did he turn into a dog? Sandara thought, recalling the last novel she read that the female lead’s best friend turned into a scaly rat when he gulped down a glass of blue liquid. She traveled the way down, and almost jerked when she saw a pitbull, or was it, standing just right before her feet. Sandara trembled. She’s always been afraid of dogs. They bark, they bite and their nails can tear your skin into large slits, like a cat can do. At least cats are better, because they don’t look as intimidating as dogs do.

“Jiyong?” She called, glancing down at the dog rather fearfully. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re a shape-shifter?”

The dog swooned, and Sandara swore to herself that it still intimidated her. She slowly craned her neck as the dog throws its head back, so she could see the dog tag. On the tag, the name Gaho was printed.

Sandara heaved a sigh. “It wasn’t Jiyong after all.” She murmured, and walked towards the living room, trying to mind herself that there isn’t a dog trailing behind her. At least it would make her a little bit brave.

No one was home. She could guarantee herself with that fact. Even from the living room, she could see that there isn’t even a shadow traveling around. And if he would were to leave, why would he didn’t remind her through a note, or waking her up?

But Seven needed her right away, and it isn’t time to wait if someone will guard the house. Hastily, Sandara picked up a paper from the center table, scribbled a note to Jiyong she has gone home, and looked around, finding a place to where she can leave the note that Jiyong can notice. A bark woke her up from her train of thoughts, and she turned to Gaho, quizzically. An idea surged up inside her brain, and she stoops down near the dog. Setting her fears aside, she reached for the hair band in her bag and tied the note there, which she folded into a rose origami. She put the hair band on Gaho’s head, and as if he was a normal person, the dog shyly bowed down.

“Give it to Jiyong, okay?” She muttered, smiling at the dog and stood up. Sandara looked around the Kwon Manor again, twirling her body on her spot and then, went out.