“So that’s her?”

“Yup,” Luhan nodded. I caught my bored expression on the reflection of the glass and quickly controlled it. Stretching my lips into a smile as genuine as possible, I mimicked Luhan’s giddy trembling and said, “She’s beautiful!”

My friend barked out a horrendous laughter of excitement and said, “Hey, read that will you?” He nudged my shoulder and flitted his eyes towards the golden letters on the rectangular onyx stone. I muted my sigh and cleared my throat.

“This photograph was allegedly taken by … hey wait.” Shocked, I looked at Luhan who was now grinning from ear-to-ear.

“You think I don’t know you hate museums? This is why I wanted to show you this particular piece.”

I returned my attention to the writing on the stone and blinked. “Wow,” I murmured, impressed by the discovery. “That’s… that’s my ancestor?”

“Byun Baekhyun, 1901-1990. He died a year before you were born. Your great-grandfather! He was the most underrated explorer and photographer.”

“Underrated?” I asked. “Dammit, which explorer in the world is underrated?”

Luhan nudged me again. “Read on!”

Still dazed by the discovery, I shook my head and began reading again. “A vague image of a woman, ‘Black Pearl’ was the name that Byun Baekhyun and his crew gave to the figure in the photograph. Byun Baekhyun had taken the photograph just when the ‘woman’ was disappearing behind the mist and the waves of the sea and due to bad weather, the ship could not reach that spot. While a few crewmembers thought he was insane, a young boy who worked in the ship’s kitchen confirmed that there certainly was a woman. The boy’s claims were rubbished due to his tender age of eleven but later when Byun Baekhyun retired, the boy grew up to become travel writer and historian Kim Joonseok and returned to the sea several times to find the woman. Cartographers insist that no such island exists nor any human’s survival is possible in those turbulent tides. Scientists have claimed that refraction of light could have caused the hallucination of a figure and psychologists say that Mr. Byun’s troubled marriage might have created the mysterious image of another woman in his mind. However several people who have seen the photograph have claimed that if seen very carefully, one could make out the silhouette of a woman, her hair dancing in the wind.”

“So… a ghost?” I said. I looked at Luhan who shrugged and gave me a scheming smile.

“What now,” I said and he quickly led me down the corridor. Had I been even remotely interested in art history and photography, perhaps having a friend like Luhan would have been fun. But when I wasn’t in the cinema hall with Kris or out for lunch with classmates, Luhan would drag me to the massive building where he worked as an intern and expect me to be flattered by the ‘special access’ I was getting.

I recognized the hallway that would lead to the storeroom of the museum. Records, files, names and accounts of the ‘patrons’ of the place, the cold room was the treasure chest of the place. Inside the delicate looking Japanese styled woodwork and stilts was a massive warehouse crowded with history. Perhaps the ghosts of the past trapped inside lent the eerie antique vibe to the favourite museum in the city. Another reason for its popularity was the reasonably priced food and drinks at the garden café outside and the free Wi-Fi.

Yes, definitely the free Wi-Fi.

Luhan’s tug on my arm alerted me to whatever it was he wanted me to see. It was probably a photo of the old man, though I doubt I was that interested in someone who my parents had never mentioned. Maybe the old man had some mental issues. Maybe the separation was just a lie for society, who weren’t supposed to know that he was going senile a little too early. I had never really heard about him before.

Or maybe I had. As Luhan closed the sliding door of the room and asked me to move down the small steps, the scent of sandalwood and worn out paper brushed upon a tangent of my memory I had never even reached out to before. I suddenly remembered leaving my mother’s hand and running out towards the sea at Haeundae Beach, a moment in which my grandmother had tearfully expressed that I was “just like him”. I remembered her asking my mother why she gave me “his name”. Mother dismissed the old lady’s cries and said she was being too sensitive. “It’s a nice name…Baekhyun. Very different! He won’t grow up to become like grandfather, I promise!”

I became the best student in the school and was on my way to being the best student in college. I was attentive during lectures so once I got back home after a ride around town with friends, I would just have to skim through the same topic the professor had discussed and have it embalmed in my mind until examinations. I absolutely hated rote memorizing and was far better at hands-on work. My carpentry was amazing, according to my workshop supervisor in school but once father found out that my mentor was looking for professional prospects for me, he pulled me out. He didn’t want me to be carried away by wayward pseudo-inspirational figures. “You can do it as a hobby, but if you start making a living out of it you’ll start hating it.” Father was right of course and I was realistic enough to go into a more fruitful sphere.

Once school ended, I began visiting my mentor, but the latter had entered a state of inertia and a few weeks later, he retired from his job. Now he was busy making furniture for a home design company. The pay was good, but he didn’t seem to be bothered by that. After a while, I stopped meeting him. I didn’t like the sad way with which he used to look at me, as if he had lost something that could not be returned. I didn’t like the way some old school friends would say I had potential as an artist. All I knew was that I was going to lead a pretty uneventful life and do some carpentry and sculpture during weekends. I’m happy with that and I’m sure I would continue to be.

“That’s the guy, Kim Joonseok. He’s the one who funded the restoration of the photograph, the little boy from the ship who confirmed the existence of the ‘black pearl’.” Luhan gave the black-and-white photograph a smile and handed a file to me. It held confidential information like his residential address and the managing of the accounts for his money.

“This is personal , don’t show it to me.” I was about to put it back when I caught Luhan dialling a number. I furrowed my eyebrows and asked him what he was doing, but he placed a finger on his lips and brightened up when the ringing was interrupted by a voice.

“Hello? Is this Mr. Kim Joonseok’s residence? Well yes I know he is out of town, I called in last week. I’m Luhan from the Museum of Contemporary Korean Culture. Could I speak to anyone in place of him?”

I was already on my way out of the room when Luhan grabbed my collar and tugged me back. “Wait,” he whispered. A muffling sound could be heard at the other end of the line, the sound of the phone being shifted into another hand. The voice of this speaker was clearer and louder.

“Hello?” it said. “This is Kim Joonseok’s son, Kim Joonmyun.”

“I—Wait what?” Luhan turned to me and horrified me with his smile, the same smile he would wear on his face when he would force me to flirt with the group of girls across the bar, him offering to be my wingman. “Suho, is that you?”

Silence ensued. “Xiao Lu?”

Xiao Lu? I mouthed with disdain. Luhan dismissed me and continued holding onto my neck. “This is such a pleasant surprise! I didn’t know you were Kim Joonseok’s son!”

“I didn’t know you were working at the Museum!” The voice laughed out loud, ringing as clear as a morning bell. “Why don’t we meet up?”

“Oh yes definitely! Actually I have someone I want you to meet!”

My eyes widened and I began removing my sweater to get out of his grasp. Luhan was stronger and wrapped my head in an effortless chokehold.

The guy named Suho sighed. “I hope you’re not bringing one of your sister’s friends, the last time---“

“Taeyeon and you were incompatible, that was my fault. But don’t worry it’s just a friend this time! Actually, it’s someone connected to you. We’ll meet at the garden café okay?”

“How about two hours?”

No! I mouthed but this was a conversation I couldn’t get out of. The two walls were closing in on me and all I could do was wait.

“Perfect! I’ll see you in two hours then?”

“I can’t wait!” Luhan hung up and gasped when I grabbed his hair.

“Leave my neck!” I shouted. Luhan was refusing to let me go, a sadistic laugh rumbling in his throat.

“Oh come on Baekhyun! Don’t you want to find out about this?”

“I don’t care!”

“Don’t be such a—NOT MY NOSE, LEAVE MY NOSE ALONE.”

                                                                           ****************************************

The garden café outside was small but neat; the round whitewashed wooden tables were accompanied  by identically designed chairs and lush rose couches. One of our juniors used to work there but he had left the job for an internship at a bar in the high-rise end of town. Which is why we were surprised to find Do Kyungsoo cleaning the table we had decided to sit on.

“Weren’t you serving sparkling wine up north?” I chuckled and slapped my hand on the guy’s back. He gave an embarrassed smile and bowed to Luhan.

“It was too far from the dormitories and my semester credits were being affected,” he briefly explained. The gate opened and Kyungsoo turned around to greet a lean, broad shouldered man, his pale skin looking translucent under the sunlight. Luhan ran towards him and embraced him, shocking Kyungsoo who had lifted his head to see his senior’s legs around a stranger’s waist. I waved him away and signalled for three cups of coffee. Kyungsoo wobbled away from the affectionate scene and half ran towards the open kitchen.

“I’m guessing you’re Suho?” I said, knowing fully well that without any interruption Luhan would not tear away. Suho didn’t seem to mind or was probably too used to it.

“You are---“

“Byun Baekhyun!”

The name must have rung a thousand bells in his head. Suho’s eyes widened, then crinkled, the reaction process repeated by his mouth and his nose until it concluded with a shaking of the head.

“Grandson?”

“Great-grandson,” I corrected. Luhan seemed utterly pleased by my reply and asked us to sit down.

“I’ll ask Kyungsoo to cut us some sandwiches,” he said. I told him I had already ordered for three coffees but Suho informed us that he was anyway hungry.

“Baekhyun? You want something?”

“Just a coffee,” I said and watched as Luhan skipped towards the kitchen. Kyungsoo stood up from behind the counter and was startled at the sight of Luhan leaning over like a kid at a candy store.

“He hasn’t changed,” Suho commented. He looked at me and we exchanged a smile of understanding.

“I can’t believe he’s a year older to me,” I added. “How do you two know each other?”

“Neighbourhood friends actually. I was in China for five years and then at the age of seventeen I moved back in to Korea. Father’s job required a lot of travel so when he stopped, we decided to move back in to our homeland. You?”

“College.” I nodded and murmured ‘thanks’ when a young waitress poured water for the two of us. I waited for her to leave, noticing the way she blushed when Luhan turned around and bumped into her, steadying her by holding onto her shoulders. “We’re doing the same course.”

“Business Management?” Suho asked. Luhan slid into the comfortable couch between our chairs and replied, “Yup. But I’m doing Business Management with a Minor in Art History. Baekhyun out here is going for the whole yard. HR and all.”

“How the hell do you do a Business Major with an Art History Minor?” I shook my head in disbelief. Despite Luhan’s wispy nature, his stamina for multi-tasking always left me confused and to a certain extent, even jealous.

Luhan shrugged and turned to face Suho who was busy staring at me. Upon being caught, he got flustered and apologized. “You look a lot like him, actually. At least from the photos that Father showed me.”

“My grandmother used to say that,” I said. I sighed in relief when the coffee tray landed on our table. Suho asked Kyungsoo for brown sugar, upon which the latter immediately took out a sachet from his apron’s pocket and poured it into Suho’s cup. He gave a grateful smile, which seemed to stun Kyungsoo. I wondered if all the eye widening had been responsible for the shape of his eyes.

“So why exactly did you want to see us?” Suho said, turning to face Luhan. Our friend meekly smiled at us and murmured, “Pardon?”

Suho chuckled. “I know you too well Luhan. You must have forced poor Baekhyun here to spend his Saturday evening with us. You don’t really like this place do you?”

“Only the WiFi,” I said, nonchalantly shrugging at Luhan’s scowl. 

“It’s actually a project I decided to take up,” he began explaning and for the first time that day, I heard some lucidity in his voice. Suho leaned in and I realized that he too had sensed some sobriety in our impulsive companion.

“I've been running late for classes because of the work I have been given. I was responsible for the restoration of your great-grandfather's photograph and it was a huge responsibility of course. It’s one of the prime attractions of the gallery. Anyway, while I was working on it, I noticed something in the photo.”

“Did a hand jump out at you?”

The three of us startled in fright and found Kyungsoo profusely apologizing for intervening. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” he said. “Your sandwiches.”

“It’s okay!” Luhan said. He asked Kyungsoo to grab a chair and join the conversation. The shy guy only agreed when Suho insisted he do so.

“So anyway, while working on the photograph I noticed a strange spot on it. When photographs are kept out in the light, especially the really old ones like the one I’m talking about, they tend to fade. It’s natural. It’s obvious. But our museum had preserved the photo very well and all the other photographs weren’t as affected as this one. At first I thought it was just a hallucination but when I continued working on it, even at my sanest time --- OH PLEASE BAEKHYUN --- I realized something. Someone had tampered with this photograph. Not recently, but long ago. To be precise, the same time this photo was taken.”

“Wait,” Suho said. He stared at his coffee for a second. “Are you implying that---”

“That Mr. Byun messed with the photograph himself?” Luhan said. “That is the only explanation.”

“So are you saying he made up the Black Pearl?” I deadpanned.

Luhan shook his head. “No. He tried to hide the Black Pearl. There was something else in that photograph and he covered it up. I want the both of you to help me find out what it was. Or to be more precise, who it was.”