The Second Key
8 KeysThe second key is where we used to hide at midnight.
Jieun walked back to her house, turning the small box over and over in her hands, deep in thought. Where we used to hide at midnight... There are tons of places that we hid at midnight. What is he talking about?
Jieun walked up the three steps to her front door and opened it, entering her house with a small frown on her face. She wasn't crying anymore, as there weren't any tears left for her to spill. She set the smaller box down next to its larger counterpart with a quiet thunk, and turned around so her back was against the cold marble countertop.
Where we used to hide at midnight... How am I supposed to know? Jieun sighed and walked over to the cabinet above the dishwasher, pulling out a red plastic cup. She set it on the counter and headed to the fridge, still lost in thought. Does he mean the old gas station on the corner? We hung out there sometimes when it was late, but that wasn't really hiding. She grabbed the carton of orange juice out of the door of the fridge and poured it into the cup, watching the orange liquid slosh around as she poured it.
Orange... Wait. That's it. The orange grove in my backyard- we would hide in my treehouse every night during the summer. That must be what he means.
Jieun thought back to those summer nights where she would lie in Kris' arms, talking to him for hours on end.
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"Ahh..." Jieun sighed, content to have Kris' arms wrapped around her comfortingly. They were in her small, but comfortable treehouse situated in Jieun's orange grove. Jieun was sitting in Kris' lap with her head against his chest.
"Hey Jieun-ah. Want to hear a joke?" Kris whispered against her shoulder length, slightly wavy brown hair.
"Sure." She snuggled against his chest, and he laughed.
"Be prepared. It's pretty lame." Kris warned her, "Okay. So... How does the man in the moon cut his hair?" Kris asked with a grin.
"Hmm..." Jieun thought carefully for a moment before giving up, "I don't know, how does he cut his hair?"
Kris laughed, "Eclipse it!"
Jieun rolled her eyes and laughed with him. "You're right, that was pretty lame."
He flicked her forehead softly and , "Yah! Jieun, you should appreciate my humor."
"Yes, oppa." Jieun laid against his chest, and they sat there in a comfortable silence, Jieun listening to her boyfriend's heartbeat and Kris watching the stars above them fade in and out, twinkling ever so slightly.
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Jieun slid open the sliding glass door that led to her backyard, and stepped out into the chilly air. She shivered slightly, but continued walking out to the grove of orange trees, towards the abandoned treehouse. She stopped visiting it a couple of years ago, and it sat there, forgotten. Until today.
The grass rustled between her toes and she climbed up the old wooden boards nailed into the trunk of the tree. She reached the base of the treehouse and pulled herself inside with no difficulty. The floor was littered with small sticks and dried leaves that crunched under her feet, and as she walked to the middle of the small hideout, the floorboards creaking under her weight, she found another small box.
I knew it would be here... Jieun bent over and picked up the box, opening it slowly. Inside was a second silver key, this one with a 2 etched into the metal, and another note.
The third key is at your favorite part of my favorite place. I hope you remember, Jieun-ah
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