Chaerin wears her trusted heels, one she loves the most. Her Louboutin.

Of course. What else would it be?

After checking herself one last time, everything looks perfect before her eyes landed on her face.

Emotionless, blank and empty.

Taking a deep sigh, she walks out her door and walk across.

She punches the code to Jiyong’s place silently and enters his premises.

Checking her watch, she has more than enough time to do her routine. Taking off her heels, she changes to the home slipper Jiyong bought for her. Exactly the one she specifically told him not to buy. Because it’s pink.

Chaerin placed her handbag on the counter with her phone and car keys next to it.

She makes her way around the house to do practically all the thing she had been doing for the past two weeks.

Chaerin opens up every door in his condo to check any irregularities.

Everything is the same. Nothing is touched. Nothing is out of place.

She then fills a small bucket with water and makes her way around the house to water his plants.

Carefully not to spill anything on his floor.

Filling it once more, she makes her way to the balcony.

She lets out a long sigh as she remembered her clumsiness when she locked herself out not long ago. Her vision starting to get blurry and she shakes her head. Chaerin had promised herself not to cry anymore.

After regaining her composure, she water all the plants at the balcony and makes her way to his kitchen.

She takes off the note she placed last night on his fridge and look briefly at the fridge magnet. A caricature figure of them both, she smiles.

She placed her note with the rest of the notes she has been writing for him on the dining table and continues on to write another.

Ji,

I’ve done watering the plants, so if you’re back, all is well okay? Your fridge is empty because the foods are getting smelly, so I’ve throw all of it away. No worries, once you are back, we’ll go groceries shopping together yeah? Oh, and all the beds I’ve taken off the sheets for hygiene purposes. Baby, don’t startled over all your missing coats and accessories in your wardrobe, I’ve keep it nice and clean.

Remember to find me as soon as you’re home.

Love,

Chae.

She puts the note on the fridge and makes her way to the counter to grab all her stuff.

She takes on final look at his place before exiting.

Just like the days before, Chaerin walks silently with unsettled feelings.

Insecurities are clouding her.

Her emotions, her mind, almost all are taken over by her insecurities.

She’s holding onto a thin thread of hope that still underlying internally.

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

“Where the is he Youngbae?”

Youngbae form a frown while he is on the phone with another press.

“I’ve told you, he is settling some stuff. What the is so important anyway that requires you to be in need of his assistance? I think all the matter that needs to be settled by Ji is already done. So why are you so worked up?”

Youngbae heard a grunt on the other line, clearly feeling frustrated.

“Photo shoot! That photo shoot.. So what am I going to use as his face, huh? You want me to use up his old pictures? What will people say about this?”

“Yo! Is it our fault that you have to reschedule the photo shoot over and over again?”

Seungri shifted his attention to Youngbae in the meeting room. They’ve just about to leave the room when Youngbae received the call and everything is getting chaotic by the sudden disappearance of Jiyong.

Seungri shakes his head towards him to indicate at Youngbae to just be cool with the whole situation.

“Hey, you reschedule this for countless of time and to think Ji and I would entertained your bull is amusing. How dare you to call up and sounded as if we are the one whom are at fault over this mess. You want his latest pic? Fine! I’ll ask his PA to send you some you ing !”

Youngbae slams his Iphone 6 on the table.

“!”

Seungri watches and release a sigh.

“Man.. chill”

“ Ji, dude!”

Seungri scratched his eyebrow over Youngbae’s frustration.

“I know you’ve been stressed over Ji’s MIA.. but you can’t be in this way.. GDYB needs you man”

“Aish!”

Youngbae slams back to the chair while brushing his hair to the back. His head is tilted up and he stare at the ceiling for quite a while before speaking out.

“Where is he, Seungri?”

“I am as clueless as you are..”

I’ll be away for some time. I don’t know when I’ll be back. I’m sorry, don’t worry about all the pending tasks, I’ve completed everything, checked your mail bro. every report in regards of all the tasks is there.

I need to settle few things. By then, please look after our baby (GDYB). Trust me, this things is so important to me I have to do it.

I’ve told mom and dad but they only know that I would be away for work. I won’t be reachable via phone. Please make sure that they are not worry. Don’t worry I will email them regularly.

I’m sorry I put you in this kind of situation.

P/s: Please look after Chaerin for me.

Youngbae recalls the texts he received just two weeks ago before the sudden disappearance of Jiyong and up until today, not one soul knows where the hell Jiyong is.

Reassuring his parents is quite a work. Especially his mom, to pretend that everything is fine and to lie to her face about Jiyong being super busy is killing him. Day by day, his parents started to be convinced that their son is just swamped with work and that the area has a ty connection.

“What I don’t understand is, why does Ji needs to be completely unreachable like this? I mean through his damn mobile?”

“I don’t know man.. but what I do know, and I’m sure you do too, this is not a small matter. It must be huge. Ji wouldn’t leave in a hurry like this if this isn’t a big deal”

Seungri is still watching the other half of GDYB looking restless in his seat.

“Chaerin, Ri. Why Jiyong didn’t leave at least after meeting her? Their relationship is not going so well last time we talked..”

Youngbae rests both his elbow on the table and place his chin on his knuckles.

“This is so beyond me. I cannot brain those two people. I’m not close to her so I am in no position to say anything about her”

Seungri pause after referring to Chaerin’s change in behaviour before Jiyong’s disappearance while Youngbae is waiting attentively for him to continue.

“As for our friend… the night before he gone AWOL, we met”

Youngbae pays attention immediately after Seungri completed.

“You guys met? Where? When?”

“He came to my place. Not saying a single word. At first I thought he is troubled over Chaerin. I offered him a drink but he refused and he just sat there silently while staring at the floor….”

Seungri and Youngbae shifted their attention to the door when it was opened abruptly.

“I’m sorry guys, I tried to stop him from entering but he… you want me to call security?”

Chunhee, Jiyong’s PA is fidgeting. Although shocked, both Youngbae and Seungri immediately stood up when they saw the person.

“It’s okay Chunhee, you can go”

“Are you sure?”

Chunhee is looking at the man in front of him whom is staring at both of the top managers and seeks assurance from both of them.

“Yes, it’s okay. Please close the door when you leave, thank you.”

Seungri reassures quickly and moves closer to the disturbed looking man in front of him after Chunhee leave.

“Hyung…”

“Where the is Jiyong?”

Seunghyun grab Seungri’s collar which cued Youngbae to move swiftly towards Seunghyun and carefully grab his wrist.

“Hyung.. please, if you let us, we would explain to you”

Youngbae search for his eyes seeking for understanding. Seunghyun shifted his eye contact from Youngbae to Seungri.

“Yes hyung, we’ll explain but not here and not like this, let’s just all relax for a bit and talk at a much more comfortable place”

Seungri is rather calm with the whole thing and Seunghyun’s grip starts to loosen bit by bit and his face is becoming relaxed as well. Finally, he released Seungri.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay hyung”

“Let’s talk at the café next to the office hyung”

Seungri wrap his arm around Seunghyun to show he’s okay with the whole thing just now and lead the way out of the meeting room.

Youngbae let out a sigh as he continues walking. As they passes by Chunhee’s cubicle, he saw that the man is watching them closely so he raised his thumb to Chunhee to indicate that everything is fine. Chunhee nod and continue to work.

Youngbae trail both of them behind. He is as curious as Seunghyun about what Seungri is going to say.

He knows for a fact it isn’t about Chaerin from what Seungri told earlier.

So, what is it about then?

Would it be about Sohee?

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