Exiting from the classroom, Yoona and Tiffany begin to walk towards the cafeteria. Despite what Sooyoung’s mother told them yesterday, Sooyoung is absent once again. Both girls agreed they wouldn’t eat on the roof till Sooyoung comes back to school, because it’d feel wrong and sad if they did.

“I wonder if there’ll be any good dessert today,” Tiffany wonders aloud. She looks at Yoona who seems to be lost in her own thoughts. “Yoona? What’s the matter?”

“It’s already been over three weeks since the incident. How come we haven’t heard any updates regarding Yuri’s case?” Yoona ponders. “You would think the police investigation would send word out to the town if they found a possible suspect or something.”

“That’s true… I try not to think about it, but what If someone else we know dies?” Tiffany mutters, fear edged in her voice. “The culprit is still out there on the loose and we don’t even have the slightest clue who they could be.”

Yoona nods, agreeing with Tiffany’s worry. “That’s why I’ve been thinking we should talk to Donghae oppa. He is the Chief of Police’s son.”

“That’s right! I forgot. Good idea, Yoona. Maybe he knows something.”

As they enter the cafeteria, Yoona and Tiffany quickly scan the place for Donghae, knowing that he usually eats his lunch indoors with his friends. The girls spot him sitting at a table towards the right, chatting casually with his friends. Donghae notices as Yoona and Tiffany approach him, flashing them a gentle smile.

“Hey Yoona. Hey Tiffany,” he greets.

“Oppa, can we ask you something serious?” Yoona asks.

Donghae studies their expressions. “You’re talking about Kwon Yuri’s case, huh?” When Yoona and Tiffany nod, he lets out a soft sigh. “Let’s talk somewhere private.”

Excusing himself from his friends, Donghae leads Tiffany and Yoona outside to an empty area around the main building. He coolly leans against the wall with his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know everything, but I’ll tell you what I do know from my dad. You can’t tell anyone though since the information hasn’t been released to the public. I’m only telling you two because you girls were close to Yuri, and I understand why you want answers.”

“We understand. Please Donghae oppa, what do you know?” Tiffany questions.

“If you haven’t guessed, the police haven’t found any evidence that could lead them to finding the killer, much less a suspect. They’ve questioned people around, but this is a small town, and it’s hard to hide if you have a grudge against someone. From what my dad says, he couldn’t find anyone who had something against Yuri enough to want her dead.”

“Yuri was just an ordinary girl with an ordinary life. She was kind and a wonderful person; there’s no way someone would want her dead!” Yoona protests hotly.

“I don’t disagree with you, Yoona, but the police have to think about motives so they have to consider the possibility,” Donghae calmly reasons.

“What about the bullet they found? Can’t they get any leads from that?” Tiffany brings up.

Donghae heavily sighs and scratches his head. “That bullet… is what’s throwing everyone off at the station and is why the police believe that someone had something against Yuri.”

Yoona and Tiffany exchange uneasy glances. “What do you mean?” Yoona asks.

“When we talk about the diameter of a bullet, we’re talking about a bullet’s caliber. Typical handgun bullets have calibers ranging from .10 to maybe about .16.” Donghae’s eyes darken. “The caliber of the bullet that killed Yuri is about .25; a bullet of that caliber is usually used for rifles. If the killer simply wanted Yuri dead, then the killer wouldn’t have had to use such a gun to kill her. A handgun or pistol would be enough.”

Yoona and Tiffany stare speechlessly as Donghae continues. “There’s something else. Don’t you think it’s strange how Yuri was shot on the trail behind the houses, and yet no one heard the gunshot? The only reason why Yuri was found in the first place was because her dad went to go find her. Everyone who lives by the trail, including Yuri’s family, claimed they heard no gunshot. This could only mean the killer has a suppressor attached to his gun, which is something to muffle the sound of the gunshot. That would explain why no one heard the gunshot. The problem is that there’s no way the killer could of walk away from the scene of the crime holding such a weapon without being noticed. A gun that shoots a .25 caliber bullet are usually rifles, and if you attach a suppressor to the barrel of the gun, you increase its length; there’s no way you could hide it.”

“There’s no way the killer could hold a smaller weapon and still shoot such a bullet?” Tiffany questions.

“There is and one of the officers that works under my dad put the possibility on the table,” Donghae says. “Since it’s unlikely the killer used a gun purchased from a generic story, they ruled out the possibility of the gun being officially registered so they can’t trace the killer that way. The other and most likely possibility is that the killer hired an underground weapon maker to customize him a weapon to suit the killer’s needs and specs. If the maker is talented enough, a handgun that can shoot a .25 caliber bullet could be possible. But there’s no way to pinpoint the creator with what little evidence the police has, and even if they did, most makers are sworn to secrecy.”

“But doing all that? Just to kill Yuri? Why would someone go through all that trouble?!” Yoona demands angrily.

Donghae looks grimly at Yoona. “Exactly. All these facts are driving station crazy. No one can think of a motive for the killer to go to such lengths to kill Yuri. Like you said, Yuri was just an ordinary girl. There hasn’t been a murder in this town for over ten years, and now that one has, it’s cruel and unpredictable.”

Tiffany’s eyes start to water, but she quickly wipes them with her sleeve. “Oh Yuri… Poor Sooyoung, what would she think if she heard all this? She’s already heartbroken enough.”

“About that… I heard from my dad that Sooyoung stopped by the station yesterday. She asked if they found the killer, and when they told her they haven’t, she got really angry. So angry she apparently started a ruckus at the station. My dad had to phone her parents to bring her home,” Donghae explains sadly.

“Sooyoung…” Tiffany whispers.

 “I think my dad is also planning to make an announcement soon, but regarding safety precautions. The police have a hunch the killer is still somewhere in town, and they don’t want anyone wandering alone, especially at night.”

Yoona blinks sadly and lets out a weary sigh. She looks up at Donghae and smiles. “Thank you, Oppa. You were a great help.”

“Yeah,” Tiffany says, nodding in agreement. “Although we’re not happy with what we learned.”

Donghae pats their shoulders sympathetically. “None of us are. I just hope no one else in this town dies. One tragic death is hard enough.”

~~~

The next day at school, everyone in front of the school, including Tiffany and Yoona, is shocked to see Choi Sooyoung. The tall girl approaches Tiffany and Yoona with lifeless eyes and a blank stare.

Tiffany walks up to Sooyoung, looking at her friend with concern. “Sooyoung, are you feeling okay to come back to school?”

“Mom said I should go back to school… So here I am,” Sooyoung replies with a shrug. Tiffany notes that Sooyoung didn’t answer her question, but decides not to push for an answer.

“We’re glad you’re back,” Yoona says, putting on a smile for her friend and grabs Sooyoung by the hand. “Come on, let’s go to class.”

Yoona and Tiffany stand on either side of Sooyoung, and walk her to their classroom. The two girls notie the surprised and curious stares from other students as they pass by. Almost everyone knows about Sooyoung and Yuri’s relationship, and wonder how Sooyoung has been during her absence.

The three friends enter the classroom with the teacher welcoming back Sooyoung. The tall girl bows curtly before heading to her desk, ignoring the obvious stares she is attracted. Tiffany and Yoona reluctantly take their seats in the front, constantly looking back at Sooyoung, even in the middle of class.

Sooyoung stares blankly at her unopened notebook. The teacher was already in the middle of lecture, so Sooyoung sighs and opens her notebook. When she flips to her most recent page, a sharp ache stabs her heart when she finds the notes she was passing to Yuri the day she died. The ache only worsens as she re-reads Yuri’s handwriting.

Lunch on the roof today?

I know. I just wanted an excuse to pass you a note ^^ You help me stay awake in class keke!

Tears fall onto the desk as Sooyoung reads the final note Yuri passed to her.

Silly Soo. You know I’ll always love you, and I can’t wait for tomorrow.

The teacher and the rest of the class gasp in shock when Sooyoung abruptly flips her desk, knocking it over. With tears in her eye