The third key is at your favorite part of my favorite place. I hope you remember, Jieun-ah

Jieun crawled down the tree trunk and landed on the soft earth with a quiet thud, leaves crackling underneath her feet. Holding the box containing the note and the key tightly in her hands, she made her way out of the silent grove of orange trees and up to the house. Cold concrete numbed her feet as she trudged up the steps to the sliding glass door of her house.

Jieun slid the door open and stepped into the warm interior of the building. The warmth may have been enough to give feeling back to her toes, but it wasn’t able to  melt the ice around her heart. Jieun still felt numb inside, and she couldn’t stop the millions of questions bouncing around her head. Why? Why would he leave me? Why did he ask me to go on this sick scavenger hunt? Is it even worth it?

She knew the answer to the last question. Yes, yes it is worth it. She had devoted almost 4 years of her life to Kris, and she needed to know why he would throw it all away out of the blue.

Collapsing onto the couch, nearly sinking into it, Jieun opened the small box again and pulled out the note.

The third key is at your favorite part of my favorite place. I hope you remember, Jieun-ah

Repeating the words over and over in head, she thought of all the places that were special to Kris. There is the basketball court... but I don’t really have a favorite part. Oh, wait. There is the small flower garden next to the court. During the summer, Kris and I would visit it all the time, inhaling the sweet scent of flowers in bloom. I remember... we used to joke about how I only came to see him play basketball because I wanted to see the flowers...

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Grasping her boyfriend’s hand tightly in her own, Jieun eagerly pulled Kris to the beautiful flower garden planted near the basketball court he loved so much. His golden hair was plastered against his forehead, and he was covered in sweat as he had just finished a very engaging game of ball. Regardless of how exhausted he was, he couldn’t refuse Jieun when she wanted to see the flowers.

“Okay, okay. I’m coming, hold your horses,” Kris teased the girl that had stolen his heart.

Jieun didn’t answer, she was too busy taking in the image of the garden, trying to imprint this moment in her mind forever. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, inhaling the light floral scents of daisies and tulips, almost masking the smell of her boyfriend’s sweat.

Kris watched her, his heart swelling with happiness. He just couldn’t believe such a wonderful girl wanted to be with him. Jieun was the only one who could ever steal his heart, if she was gone Kris didn’t know what he would do.

“I love you, Jieunnie.” Kris whispered against her hair, and Jieun’s cheeks pinked.

“I love you too, Kris.”

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The basketball court was empty, with the exception of an abandoned ball and leaves fluttering around the half court line. Jieun walked a mere thirty feet away from the court and stopped in front of the once blooming flower beds. Jieun looked at the lifeless garden with disappointment. Of course, it’s almost winter. I should have expected that all of the flowers would be dead...

Her eyes surveyed the garden with a careful eye. They landed on a small garden gnome wearing a ridiculous red and green outfit as well as a large smile painted onto its face, and a wooden box tucked lovingly into the crook of its arm. Jieun walked over to the happy gnome and reached her hand for the box, her fingers sliding it out with ease.

She opened it, and let out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding until she saw the small key marked with a 3, and another note.

The fourth key is where you first gave your heart to me...