“Music is always changing and the changes are unpredictable.” - Billy Sheehan

Hwa Young

The next morning Hwa Young rolled around and found herself slightly uncomfortable, maybe it was the unsettling problems hindering her mind. Deep down she felt as though as if nothing was particularly right for her. She glanced at the clock seeing that it was 7:00 AM. Reluctantly she forced herself to lift herself mentally out of bed and lugged her whole body down the stairs.

Smelling the fresh pancakes and french toast (thanks to her very sensitive and sharp nose) she felt her stomach grumbling. Arriving in the kitchen she saw Himchan in an apron holding a skillet of what looked like several pancake batter cooking and Yongguk and her mother eating at the table.

“Hi honey, did you sleep well.” Her mother looked up and smiled, did a hand gesture for her to come and sit at the table. She walked over and sat down next to her mother and rubbed her eyes, replying with a “Yeah...I must have slept through.” She wanted to add but I felt very uncomfortable because of the stressing situation. But decided not to worry anyone particularly her mother , since she’d make a big deal out of a her saying something disturbing.

“Here have some pancakes.” Her mother slid down a plate in front of her and scooped some pancakes onto her plate and added some maple syrup.

“You must be starving, thank Himchan for wanting to cook I would definitely like to have him as a son.”

Hwa young smiled slightly and glanced over to Himchan who heard the comment as well and sheepishly smiled embarrassed.

“Ah, its no problem I do this pretty often when I’m with the other guys in the dorm.” And to demonstrate his cooking skills he flipped over a pancake and did it so effortlessly. He then continued to cook it on the stove and Hwa young’s mother gave a hint towards Hwa young who was still dazed but could see what that look meant to her.

“Mom” she stressed out the word and her mother couldn’t help but laugh and Yongguk smiled and continued to eat his pancake.

After breakfast she wanted to go check on the company finding if everything was okay and there wasn’t any chaos. Her thoughts came back to Yongguk and really questioned her relationship with him. Out of all the things to be thinking about, this had to randomly pop in her mind at this time. Great.

What were they? They were friends but she felt more than that yesterday night.

And yet there it was, that feeling of something deeply embedded that she can’t really pick out what it was. Maybe she’ll have to find out another time for now she was focused on something much more important to her occupying her mind at least a distraction, for now.

“Isn’t it alright to go back to the company, please?” Her mother biting her lip with a worrying frown as she stood up and cleared the plates on the table.

“Honey..I-I don’t know if you should when the police are still investigating, it could be dangerous.”

“I know mom, but I can’t leave the company at this time not now.” She stared back at her mother with defiant eyes. It was necessary for her, she needed to know if everything was okay back at the building and nothing or no one was tampering in any way.

“I can stay with her if it makes you feel any better.” Both heads turned towards Yongguk who wasn’t in a rush and had been forgotten at the table when they were both talking to each other.

“See mom, I’ll have at least someone there with me I’m not going there alone.”

“W-well I guess why not, seemingly as I do trust him.” Himchan was busy with washing the dishes and turned his head at the slightest sound of their conversation between Hwa young and her mother.

Hwa young herself noticed Himchan and pointed to him and said to her mother “And Himchan could also be there too if he wants too just to be safe.”

She saw the look her mother had when she was thinking whether or not to let her go or keep her her. The times when she nearly could have said no but said yes instead, now would be just as a good time to say yes.

“...Okay, if Himchan and Yongguk are with you then I can be rest assured that nothing won’t happen to you if you encounter any trouble.”

“I can also have a police officer tail us too just to be on the safe side.” Yongguk spoke up as he stood next Hwa young’s mother.

“Alright, its a deal then just be careful, okay?

Hwa young smiled and kissed her mother’s cheek in a way to say thanks. “You’re the best mom.”

“Yeah, yeah the best.” Her mother broke out in a small grin and caressed her daughter's head before she went to get herself ready.

After an hour Hwa young came back downstairs and was ready to go, Yongguk and Himchan were waiting for her and they all went to the car.

“You all set?” Himchan glanced at Hwa young and she nodded as they both got into the car.

Once out of the driving lane all three of them stayed silent for a while until Himchan spoke up. “I should turn the radio on, just in case you know of any news and such…” As he turned the radio on Hwa young spoke “Do you think the company will be fine?”

“Have some faith Hwa young, I’m sure that the company is fine and when we get there you have nothing to worry.”

“Well Jiyeon’s been the one that has been taking charge in the wake of my absence.” Hwa young played with her fingers and her eyes shifted and looked straight at Yongguk’s eyes and immediately looked the other way.

“I’m sure nothing bad has happened, besides you need rest.” Yongguk said with a hint of persuasion in his voice.

“Yeah...I guess…” Hwa young looked outside the window car and could see people walking, bustling about enjoying human life. While she felt that her life was absolute turmoil and difficulty right now and then.

Sighing inside her mind she her phone to check any messages left, there was one. It was from an anonymous texter, curious she checked the message sent:

    I hope you’re ready to face your fears.

Frowning she texted back:

    Who are you? What fears?

She put her phone down and dinged after a few seconds, she checked the message:

    Your subconscious fears of course...I can’t tell you who I am its a secret of course~

Hwa young felt like that she should stop and maybe tell Himchan and Yongguk that an anonymous texter was perhaps making subtle threats on her behalf, but decided to not tell them it’ll only give them a reason to stop the car and turn around. And so she kept texting:

    Don’t tell me this is some sick joke, and that you’re just a stalker that’s trying to play a sick game.

After she paused and waited, 2 minutes went by and she heard nothing,

Upon arriving to the company building there were vans piled along the building, “Shoot…” she mumbled leaning back against the seat. Of course the media will be hounding this place, probably the only place they would know that I would come.

“Do you want to drive to the back of the building?” Himchan looked back to Hwa young, knowing that the media will voraciously ask her questions about the attackings and among other things.

“Yeah, definitely please.” Hwa young looked the other way as the car drove around the back of the building going into an alleyway.

“Okay, well will stick to you as close as we can and I don’t think we can stay long either.” Yongguk warned Hwa young nodding as she knew that they really can’t stay as long seeming as the media was being persistent in getting in.

Quietly they opened the back door entrance into the building and walked along the corridor normally busy with staff walking fast but its all quiet. Hwa young told most of her staff to take a leave off from work and not be put up with stress with everything thats going on. Jiyeon temporary was handling all the media and press outside and Hwa young was glad someone was dealing with it, because she couldn’t.

Walking towards to the elevator, her phone dinged and checked the latest message:

    I hope you’re in the elevator right now, because I decorated your office hoped you liked it~

Her teeth clenched and tried to stop herself from typing back any profusely, angry texts since its probably the reaction this person wanted to hear from her. Instead she put her phone back into her pocket and took a deep breath and silently in her head told herself to keep calm.

“Is everything alright?” She felt a hand touch her shoulder and Yongguk with his face seemingly worried, she couldn’t really tell him about this, not yet.

“Ah no, what makes you say?” She smiled, that smile that she knew that would hide from people asking them if she was okay. It always seemed that way, what a great liar she could subtly be.  

“Okay, well just tell us if you’re uncomfortable and want to go back.” Yongguk pressed the button and the elevator doors closed.

“No, I mean its pretty stressful but don’t worry I can go through this I look more tough than I seem to be.”

Looking straight ahead of the doors one question seemed to be on her mind, what do they mean by ‘decorated’ I mean this person can’t be serious, it must be some sick joke.

The elevator finally reached to a stop and the doors opened, the whole floor as like the others were pretty empty. Hwa young also had hired a couple of bodyguards at EXO’s dorm a few blocks down, knowing that the media would also question them about the case, they never had any involvement but as always the media wants to rip a hole in everything.

Approaching the door she stopped and saw the door opened in the most tiniest way, almost like that you wouldn’t have noticed unless you had sharp eyes and noticed it first. Closing her eyes she pushed the door open and once she entered the office her face was blank.

“oh my god…”

If only what she was seeing was all just an illusion.

[A/N] And hello guys~~~ I'm back after a VERY long break from posting anything just letting you all know I'm still alive and that I haven't abandoned the story. As always school, life and everything piles up and I've been doing my very best to find time to write. But to be honest I've been distracted most of the time (which isn't normal haha) I'll keep up with updating the story because I really like where its going, tweaks here and there but its all a process isn't it. 

Also check out my new story! Finding yourself was a work in progress a fan had requested this idea and I really was onboard this because I enjoyed all of this,