Chapter 6:
The Interrogation

"Questions are only offensive to those who have something to hide." -Gary Hopkins

Everyone has someone who is extremely important to them, let it be significant other, families or friends. What matters is, all of us have someone that we truly love and want to protect, no matter what. If we have the choice to choose between that someone and a total stranger to save, we, no doubt, will choose the person that we love.

It is funny how we, without much hesitation, will automatically choose to protect our loved ones but then, we will feel bad for the other person. It is ironic how we will feel sorry for them but at the same time relieved that it is not the person that we love who will die. Humans are just strange that way.

The bungalow is filled with a gloomy atmosphere ever since Kim Joonmyun has been eliminated. Although most of the players do not know him personally, the loss can still be felt because it is kind of sad that someone has to leave. Also, not to mention that Joonmyun is actually innocent and it is technically Miyoung’s alliance’s fault that he has to go. Farewells have always been painful, after all.

Almost everyone goes to the dining room to see what kind of refreshments have been provided by Qian, after they have been dismissed. Besides, it is raining cats and dogs at the moment so it will be kind of hard for them to go home in this kind of weather. It is not that late, anyway, so it should be fine.

As stated by the host, there are a variety kind of foods that are placed on the dining table, ranging from croissants to Korean noodles. Judging by the colour of the drink in the jugs, it is most probably fruit punch or syrup. Plates, cups, spoons and wooden chopsticks are placed on the side of the table, telling them that this is self-service.

The players who have decided that they will stay behind to help themselves to the food begin to queue to get their food. Yoona is no different from the rest. The thought of going back home flashes in her mind briefly but she opts to stay because it is raining and she is famished at the moment.

The line moves quickly and soon, she finds herself grabbing a plate and picking the food that she wants to devour. When she is done, she pours herself a drink before taking her plate and cup to find a spot so that she will be able to eat peacefully. Seeing that the dining room is full and there is no place to hang around, it is obvious that she will have to go somewhere else.

Letting a small sigh to be emitted from her lips, she carries her cup and plate before leaving the dining room. She heads over to the living room and is pleased to see that there are some of the others who are already there so she will not be alone. However, she feels slightly awkward because in the first round, the only person she has talked to most of the time is Luhan and the guy is nowhere to be found currently.

Well, it looks like it is time for her to socialise. It is not that she does not want to talk to the rest of them. It is just that they do not seem like the type of people she usually hangs out with. It is then her gaze lands on Sooyeon who is sitting next to Soojung. The two of them are chatting while eating and Yoona decides to join them. She is pretty sure that they will not mind. Sooyeon is her best friend, after all.

Just as she is about to make her way over to them, she sees Miyoung approaching Joohyun who is feeling wary, judging by her expression. The owner of the cyber café struts over to her with a confident smile etched on her lips. “So, Joohyun, what did you feel when your boyfriend was eliminated?” she asks in a mocking tone as she tilts her head to the side slightly as innocently as possible.

Her question has garnered attention as all eyes turn on them. It is obvious that everyone is mortified by Miyoung’s mockery because elimination is a sensitive issue and the young woman seems to be taking it lightly. This just makes her likability decrease rapidly.

Joohyun looks away from the older woman, not wanting to answer her question. However, Miyoung peers at her expectantly and the menace in her eyes when Joohyun looks at her briefly has made the younger woman feel riled up, Yoona can see that. “He’s not my boyfriend,” the younger woman mutters at last.

Miyoung’s eyebrows shoot up at that and a smirk appears on her lips. “That’s a blatant lie and you and I both know it,” she counters wittily. Then, her eyes light up and she lets out a small chuckle. “You study Law, don’t you?” Joohyun remains mute. Miyoung snorts. “Why don’t you sue the eleven idiots who stupidly voted for your boyfriend as the wolf for slander?” Then, she cackles at her own statement. The rest of the players exchange looks of repulse but Miyoung acts like she does not notice it.

Yoona stares at the owner of the cyber café in disdain. This woman is seriously getting under everyone’s skin. It is quite obvious that Miyoung used to be a bully. She looks around her and realises that the people who were in Miyoung’s alliance are angered by her recent words. The cunning wench was the one who deceived them, after all.

Everyone in the room thinks that Joohyun is going to break down when she bites her lips as though she is trying to keep herself together. Then, something in her eyes change abruptly. She turns to look at Miyoung face-on. “First of all, Joonmyun is not my boyfriend,” she snaps, at last. “He’s my fiancée so technically, that was not a blatant lie, . Secondly, those eleven idiots that you mentioned just now were tricked by you. Getting tricked does not make them an idiot. It just means that they wanted to believe in someone. Unfortunately, it is wicked people like you that makes it impossible for them to do so.”

It is evident that everyone is surprised by Joohyun’s sudden outburst. Her eyes are flaring with fury. The words that she said are purely unintentional. The young woman has let anger take over her. “Lastly,” she goes on, “why should I freaking sue them? It’s not like they slandered me. Besides, I don’t think that this actually counts as slander, you idiot. Maybe you need to go back to school, Miyoung. Oh, one more thing, if you are not a law major, please avoid acting like you know everything about it.”

Yoona has never expected that Joohyun actually has quite a temper. The law major has a sweet and demure look and she seems like she can barely hurt a fly. Well, looks can be deceiving, after all. Yoona should not be surprised by that. Not everyone is how they seem to be. Someone who looks so innocent can turn out to be a killer. A person who acts like they are loyal can turn out to be a backstabber.

This world is filled with lies, after all. Everyone lies but not everyone is caught lying. If lying were a crime, everyone would certainly be in jail right at this moment.

Miyoung looks really shocked that Joohyun has actually stood up for herself but the owner of the cyber café quickly masks her expression although it is apparent that she is taken off guard by that. “With that temper of yours,” she starts to say calmly, “I don’t think you should be a lawyer, Joohyun.”

Joohyun gapes at her rude statement and just as she is about to retort, her phone shrills, causing Yoona to jump slightly in surprise. The young woman turns away to answer the call and Yoona figures that the show is over for now. She goes over to Sooyeon and Soojung and flashes a smile at them.

The Jung sisters smile in return. The exchange between Miyoung and Joohyun has caused everyone in the living room to be quiet. The tension in the air crackles and Yoona really does not like it. She wants to clear the tension but she does not know how to. She is at loss for words.

Not knowing what else to do, she steals a glance at Joohyun and she finds that the young woman is talking frantically to the other person on the line. Her hand is gripping her phone tightly and her face shows that she is feeling distressed. Something bad has happened, Yoona realises. She considers heading towards Joohyun’s direction when the young woman is done talking on the phone.

Just as she is about to do that, however, the young woman has sprinted out of the bungalow after trashing her plate and cup in the nearest bin, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

Since it is none of their business, anyway, they just shrug it off.

***

The rain still has not stopped even though it has been more than an hour since it started. It almost seems like the sky is crying and nothing is able to comfort it even though that is technically impossible.

The smell of medicines wafts throughout the hallway of the hospital but none of the doctors, nurses and patients complains because they are already used to it. The air-conditioner that is inside the hospital with the aid of the rain causes some people to shiver, a sign that they are cold at the moment.

However, those people try their best to withstand the cold by rubbing their palms together or tightening the jacket that they are wearing around themselves. Nobody questions what anyone else is doing because they have nothing to do with it.

Seo Joohyun just sits on the chair at the waiting room. She feels the tears burn at the back of her eyes but she fights to keep control. She does not want to cry in a public place even though all she wants to do right at this moment is to sob and wail like there is no tomorrow. Well, you cannot exactly blame her. She has just found out that her fiancée is dead.

She bites her lips and tries her best to pull herself together because she needs to be in control. She has to face the reality whether she likes it or not. Truth to be told, the pit of grief is about to swallow her and never let her go and she feels tempted to just let it do that. However, she refuses to be weak because Joonmyun certainly does not want her to drown in anguish. Her fiancée would not want that. It would break his heart if he were to see her tears.

Well, that is exactly the problem, is it not? He cannot see her tears any longer.

Joohyun clenches her fists as she remembers all the sweet times she and Joonmyun shared together. She remembers their promise of being together for eternity. She remembers how happy her fiancée made her feel. They had been dating for eight years and recently got engaged. She cannot believe that she would not get married to the love of her life. She just cannot accept the fact that her life is over now. Without Joonmyun, her life means nothing.

“I love you, Joohyun. We’ll always be together, I promise.”

His words echo inside her head and she wants to shut it out because she knows now that all of his sweet words are mere lies. All of them are just a bunch of freaking bull. His promise has been broken and it hurts her so badly because she wishes that that is not true. She wants him back. She wants him to keep his promise. She wants him to be healthy and alive again. Is that too much to ask for?

Who is she kidding? Of course, it is.

The law major craves for Joonmyun’s gentle touch. Joohyun wants him to be here to comfort her because no one else knows how to make her truly happy. She misses the way he looked at her so tenderly that she just wants to fall deep into his beautiful eyes.

His beautiful eyes that will never open again.

A sob makes its way to and she tries her hardest to muffle it. She does not want to bring any attention to herself. She just wants to be left alone right now.

Joohyun desperately wants to go back home and just cry until her tears run out on her precious pillow. She feels tempted to just leave the hospital but she remembers that the police officers who are in charge of Joonmyun’s case want to talk to her. Frankly, she does not have any mood to talk to them.

All she wants to do right at this moment is to embrace her fiancée but that is impossible. Realising how things will never be the same again is making her feel depressed. She does not know how she will survive without Joonmyun. She used to think that she would forever be with her fiancée and they would create their happy ending together. She has never expected him to die before they got married. She always thought that they would be one of those old married couples in the future. But then, life does not always turn out the way you want it to.

It has never crossed her mind that their dream to get married will not be able to come true.

Joohyun does not want to think about the future because it leaves a gap in her heart that can never be filled again. Her heart squeezes and it just hurts so much that she wants it all gone. It is then, she loses control. Tears make their way down her pale cheeks and she does not bother to wipe them away.

Why should she wipe her tears when they will fall again, anyway?

The feeling of despair is so great that it feels like she can never smile or laugh again. It is hard to imagine that she will be able to be happy without Joonmyun. It is just too painful and she really cannot accept the reality. If possible, she wants to trade places with him. She would rather die than let him die. It is better her than him.

But of course, life does not work that way. Things will go on like they always do which , really, because Joohyun does not think she can go on. Losing Joonmyun is like losing herself. He meant the world to her. He still does, actually.

Her fiancée was the only person who understood her. He showered her with concern and his gentle nature made her heart beat faster. He never raised his voice at her even during their unreasonable arguments. Instead, he would only say his points calmly and try to work things out rationally. God, she really misses Joonmyun right now.

It was only two hours ago when she last saw him. He was definitely in good health, then, albeit being eliminated from the game. She regrets not going after him. She wonders why she did not immediately run after him. What happened to their promise to stick together to the very end? More tears begin to fall.

Joohyun knows that the reason she is crying is not because Joonmyun is dead. She cries because of her own selfishness, really. Her fiancée will not be with her anymore and that is the most awful thing that could have happened to her. It is really selfish of her to think about how he will not be able to spend time with her anymore. She feels disgusted with herself but it is the cruel truth.

She wishes that she is able to speak to Joonmyun one last time. She wants to tell him how much she really loves him but then, it is too late now. Her love for him runs so deep that it is impossible for anyone else to sink in it. She just wants to feel his arms around her, his lips against hers and his body on top of hers one last time. She wants and wants and wants but she knows that it is just her wishful thinking.

It is unfair, really. Why her? Why Joonmyun? What did the two of them ever do to deserve such a tragic love story? Joohyun tries to stop crying but her vision is still blurred by her waterworks no matter how hard she tries. Breaking down in public is not her thing but she cannot stop herself. It just hurts too much and the only way to let it all out is by crying.

Footsteps sound in her ears and she sees two pairs of shoes approaching her before she looks up and sees two police officers heading towards where she is sitting. Joohyun frantically wipes her tears, trying her best to make herself look presentable to the police but it seems like the two of them are already used to such sight because neither of them looks uncertain or uncomfortable.

The two police officers, a man and a woman, are not wearing their uniforms but Joohyun knows that both of them are part of the authorities by the lanyards hung around their necks which show their identity as police officers. The man has an average height with pale features. He is wearing a plain black button-down shirt and a pair of black pants. The woman next to him is wearing a black leather jacket over a white singlet and a pair of skinny jeans.

The two of them have an aura around them that emphasises on their authority. Some people turn to look at them curiously and to be completely honest, Joohyun feels like poking their eyes out. But of course, she refrains herself from doing so. A law student should not get into trouble with the law.

The police officers stop right in front of her. The woman takes out her badge and flashes it to the law student. “Hello, I am Inspector Kim Hyoyeon,” she introduces herself shortly. “Next to me is my partner, Officer Kim Minseok.”

Joohyun merely nods in response. “I’m Seo Joohyun,” she returns their introductions simply. She is relieved by the fact that her voice does not crack or anything. She can still feel the tears threatening to stream down her cheeks at the back of her eyes but she holds them back.

“We are the officers in charge of Kim Joonmyun’s case while our team leader is away, busy with another case,” Minseok explains their presence. “Do you mind if we ask you some questions?”

The grieving young woman shakes her head and she wipes some of the tears that have escaped her eyes. “Go ahead,” she replies softly. She just wants to get this done and over with as soon as possible. All she wants to do at this moment is to let out all of her tears in her home. Her home that Joonmyun will never be able to visit again.

Joohyun really needs to stop thinking about the things that her boyfriend will never be able to do again. It is making her feel depressed but in a way, she is accepting his death slowly by realising that Joonmyun will never open his eyes again and tell her how much he loves her. He will never be able to hear how much he means to her.

There are a lot of things that the law student really wants to say to her dead fiancée but that is impossible and so, she is drowning herself in misery and remorse. She did not even have the chance to say goodbye or kiss him one last time. How could life be so cruel? The ultimate goal for her life has been crushed and torn into pieces. Her dream has been shattered, destroying her whole world.

“Do you know where Joonmyun was from before he got into an accident?” Hyoyeon asks as she takes out a small notepad and a pen from her pants pocket. Her words have successfully broken Joohyun out of her depressing thoughts.

Joohyun opens to answer the simple question but then she snaps it shut. Her mind begins to race. If she tells them where Joonmyun was from, they will ask her the reason he was there. Then, that means that she will have to tell the police about the game they are playing. Joohyun does not mind the fact that she will be sued if she were to tell them about it, frankly.

She just minds the fact that if she tells them about the game, they will want to know why she and Joonmyun joined it in the first place. That is something that she certainly can never tell them.

Minseok arches an eyebrow when he sees how Joohyun is hesitating to answer that question. That action causes the young woman to feel a little bit alarmed and she wonders what she should tell them. She needs time to think about it. She cannot deal with this right now, especially not when her mind is filled with grief.

Fortunately for her, her phone rings, saving her from answering the police’s question temporarily. “Excuse me,” she says quietly to them before standing up and walking away from them in order to answer the phone and speak to the other person on the line in private.

“Hello Joohyun,” the person greets as soon as she answers the phone.

The young woman feels that the voice is slightly familiar but she cannot put a finger to where she has heard it before. However, before she is able to ask him who he is, he answers the question for her, as if he is able to read her mind.

“I’m Kim Jongdae, Qian’s co-host,” the guy on the other line introduces himself in a gentle tone.

Something tells her that the only reason the co-host is being nice to her is because he knows about Joonmyun’s death, somehow. Judging from the attitude that Jongdae displayed earlier in the meeting room, it is obvious that the guy does not give a damn about anything at all. He is the type of person who simply lives in his own bubble and does not bother to dig around about someone else’s business unless it is important to him or has anything to do with him.

The fact that Jongdae knows does not really surprise her but the softness in his voice makes her feel astonished. Instantly, she feels wary and decides not to let her guard down. She is absolutely sure that there must be a reason as to why Jongdae is calling her right at this moment. It has something to do with Joonmyun’s death, Joohyun knows.

“What can I help you with?” she opts to respond as civilly as possible. She is slightly glad that her voice does not crack when she says that. That will really be embarrassing because she does not like it when anyone witnesses her moment of weakness.

A pause ensues after Joohyun’s polite but strained words. It is as though the co-host is thinking of what to say next. Jongdae is obviously trying to phrase his words properly so that he will not offend the grieving woman. Joohyun almost snorts at the thought because at this moment, she does not really care anymore.

Her fiancée is already dead. What is the worst that could have happened?

Joohyun hears the person on the other line in a breath before letting it out slowly. It is then she knows that Jongdae is preparing himself to say something. “I’ve heard about what happened to Joonmyun on the news, Joohyun,” he starts out slowly, as if he is treading on hot water, afraid to say what exactly is on his mind. “I’d like to offer you my condolences.”

“Thanks,” she replies brusquely.

To be completely honest, she is starting to get more annoyed as seconds pass. It is evident that Jongdae has an ulterior motive for calling her all of a sudden but he is trying to sugar coat his words. She wishes that he would just go to the point directly because she just wants him to stop wasting her time. She steals a glance at the two officers and the two of them are staring at her intently, waiting patiently for her to get off the phone.

“I can’t tell you that I understand what you are feeling because I don’t. I mean, I’ve lost someone important to me too but it’s not the same as your situation because that person, well, didn’t pass away. At least, I hope she’s still alive out there because she went missing eight years ago, you see,” Jongdae rambles, beating around the bush.

His words, however, have induced sympathy inside of her so she lets him continue to talk. She can feel herself soften slightly. Although Jongdae is obviously calling her for something that has to do with Joonmyun’s death, she knows that his condolence is sincere and he genuinely wants to try to comfort her. It is kind of surprising, really.

“I also happen to know that the police will come to you, asking invasive questions and claiming that it is just a ‘normal procedure’,” the co-host goes on. His last two words are filled with massive sarcasm and Joohyun cannot help but crack a small smile at that. She is still grieving but talking to someone like Jongdae is making her feel slightly better.

“And that is why I need to ask you for a favour,” Jongdae announces, at last, making the reason why he is calling clear.

“What favour?” Joohyun returns, feeling slightly anxious.

“Please don’t tell the police about the game,” the co-host requests simply, no longer trying to distract Joohyun from the real reason he called.

His request has successfully made Joohyun silent. She is not shocked by the sudden favour because Qian had told them that this game is meant to be kept as a secret and if words get out about it, the person who rats out on them will be fined. All of the players have already agreed to the terms and conditions. They already ticked the box.

“They asked me if I know where he was from but I haven't answered them yet because of your phone call. I'm pretty sure that they will ask me where he got the car from and what he was doing at Cheongdamdong next, Jongdae,” the young woman tries to reason as rationally as possible. “What am I supposed to tell them?”

It seems like Jongdae has already prepared beforehand on what to reply to that question because he immediately answers, “Tell them that the two of you were at a party that Qian held in her house. He was tired so he decided to leave early and he asked to use one of Qian’s cars to go home since you were the one who drove to the bungalow and you insisted on staying a little bit longer.”

Joohyun feels slightly taken aback by the cover story that Jongdae has provided for her. It makes her feel slightly suspicious because it almost seems like all of these are planned right from the start. Her mind wonders if Qian and Jongdae have anything to do with Joonmyun’s death but the rational part of her shakes the thought off, deeming it as her wanting to blame someone for his death.

The hosts just want to make sure that no one knows about the game, after all. That is all to it.

“Lying to the police is a crime, Jongdae,” Joohyun says finally. If possible, she refuses to lie to the police because she is, after all, a law student. She has her own set of principles and there is no way that she will break them. However, if she does not lie, the police will find out about the game and–

“We know why you joined the game, Joohyun,” Jongdae says casually but the warning in his tone is crystal clear. His voice has turned cold and pleasantries are no longer produced. He is not sugar-coating his words this time around and Joohyun does not know if she would rather have him do that or not.

–the reason why she joined it in the first place.

A sigh can be heard from the other line but the young woman still does not say anything. She has no idea on what to do. She is currently in a massive dilemma. She can either lie to the police and her dirty little secret will be safe or tell them the truth and everyone will find out that she owes a huge amount of money to the loan sharks. They will know that she has an addiction to gambling. That is why she needs to win the game, by hook or by crook.

Joohyun momentarily panics because no one is supposed to know about her addiction except for Joonmyun. Her father will really murder her if he finds out and her mother’s disappointed eyes will always haunt her. Her friends will start looking at her in disdain and she cannot handle that.

“Do as I say, Joohyun,” Jongdae orders, softening his tone slightly.

Or else, the unspoken words hang in the air between them. The co-host is actually giving her a choice. She can either lie to the police and this case will stay buried or tell them the truth and everything that she has been trying so hard to hide will be flashed everywhere in the news. She can already imagine the headlines – Young Heiress Is Actually a Gambling Addict, Daughter of Seo Borrows from Loan Sharks, etc.

However, it will not be fair to Joonmyun if she were to lie to the police. But then, it does not matter, does it? Her fiancée’s death is merely an accident. Whether she lies to the police or not will not matter because no one is to blame for his death.

Even though she has steeled her resolve, she still feels reluctant to lie to the police. She does not feel comfortable about breaking the law because she knows better than to do that. Taking in a deep breath, she replies, “We’ll see about that.” With that, she hangs up on the co-host, feeling emotionally exhausted.

Joohyun really cannot deal with anything right now. She keeps her phone back in her pocket and her eyes flicker over to the two police officers. Hyoyeon and Minseok are looking at her expectantly and the young woman really feels like crying because the weight of the day is starting to press down on her. She cannot do this at the moment. She needs a break from everything.

She tries her hardest to hold back her tears and approaches the detectives. She feels so stressed out and drained that all she wants to do is to cry herself to sleep. Her fiancée had just been eliminated from the game earlier and died. The co-host of the mentioned game basically threatened her to lie to the police for everyone’s own good.

Joohyun feels confused as to what to do. All she knows is that she needs to get away from everything right now. And so, she marches right over to where Hyoyeon and Minseok are standing. As soon as she is right in front of them, she speaks up before any of them is able to say anything.

“I’m so sorry, I just can’t do this, right now. I’m feeling overwhelmed by everything and I don’t think I’ll be of any help to you at this moment. I’ll answer your questions when I’m feeling much better, I promise,” the young woman says everything in one breath.

Then, without waiting for their response, she turns on her heels and walks away quickly.

Maybe it is the tears in her eyes. Or maybe, it is the desperation in her voice. But either way, the two police officers just watch her go, not even trying to hold her back which is really a good thing.

Seo Joohyun needs her own solitude time in order to heal, after all.

***

Have you ever wondered what you will be doing in ten years from now? Which path you will be taking and to whom you will get married to? Maybe ten years are too far from now and you cannot visualise what you want. How about five years from now? Have you ever wondered if you would even still be alive until five years later?

There are people who have planned everything from A to Z for the future while the rest of them just do not have any specific plans and prefer to go with the flow. It is safe to say that Yoona is part of the latter group of people.

To be completely honest, she has never expected that she would get a degree in psychology because she has never been interested in that subject before. Her SATs results are quite good, actually, and her teacher suggested that she should major in psychology. Seeing that she had no specific interest in anything, she decided to give it a shot. Much to her expectation, she did well in the subject and thus, she managed to get a degree in it.

However, she has never expected that she would have problems with her jobs. She admits that she is a really picky person and she has not found any workplace that is suitable to her needs. She gets tired of things easily and she knows that that is one of her greatest weakness. Her relationships have never lasted long and the only friend that she still keeps contact with is Sooyeon.

As Yoona is wiping the table at the café that she is currently working at, she begins to think back to how she and Sooyeon met before. If she remembers correctly, they met at a summer camp eight years ago and they exchanged phone numbers when they were supposed to say goodbye. If you were to ask her, though, she would have told you that she does not really remember anything from that summer camp. She guesses that it must have been because it has been ages since she joined that camp.

The café that she is working at gives off a very cosy feeling. It makes her want to hang out in the place almost every day and just sit at the corner while observing the people around her. That is the thing about being a psychology major; you will end up observing everyone around you and try to profile them. It is really amazing how much one can learn simply just by observing.

As the doe-eyed woman continues to wipe tables and give the customers’ orders, she glances at the clock briefly and finds out that it is three in the afternoon. She has only five hours of work left before her shift is over. Then, she will finally be able to go home. She wishes that time will move faster.

The jingling of a bell which indicates that the door of the café has been opened has grabbed Yoona’s attention and the young woman turns around to see who the customer is. A wave of surprise fills her and she raises her eyebrow immediately as soon as she sees Jinri enter her workplace.

The young woman bids a goodbye to her friends before joining in the queue. If a normal person were to look at her, he or she would most likely think that Jinri is spacing out but since Yoona knows better, it is obvious that something is bothering her.

The doe-eyed woman does not know that she has been staring until Jinri’s eyes suddenly reflect into her own. Desperation fills in the younger woman’s eyes and Yoona briefly wonders why before shrugging it off. She deems it as none of her business, though. It is not like she and the college student have talked much, anyway.

Yoona decides to go back to her own work, completely brushing off Jinri’s presence. She has absolutely nothing to talk about to the young woman. It is not like they have known what the second round for the game is, anyway. However, her desire of not talking to Jinri has been crushed when the young woman approaches the doe-eyed woman while carrying a bunch of plastic bags that contain cups of coffee after a few minutes.

“I didn’t know that you work here, Yoona,” Jinri greets as a small friendly smile appears on her face.

The doe-eyed woman stiffens slightly, feeling a little bit surprised. She has never expected that Jinri would talk to her. She has assumed earlier that the college student will most likely want to avoid speaking to her too for obvious reasons such as not wanting people to find out what their connection is.

“I started last week,” the older woman replies brusquely, wanting the conversation to end soon. She looks around the café cautiously and heaves a small sigh of relief when she realises that nobody that she knows is around the area.

Another smile graces Jinri’s lips and the college student’s face brightens immediately. “We’ll be seeing each other quite often, then,” she informs cheerfully. “Daegu University is just around the corner and I come by here sometimes to get coffee whenever my friends and I are having a study group.”

Yoona’s expression darkens and she hopes that Jinri does not notice it because she does not want to hurt the younger woman’s feelings. It is not that she dislikes the girl. It is just that she wants to keep the other players of the game that she is playing out of her personal life. She just wants to win the game and that is it. The bonds that she will have to forge will be forgotten and she will disappear from their lives forever with no strings attached.

Unfortunately for her, Jinri does not have the same mindset as she does because the younger woman keeps on talking about how cool it is for them to meet outside of Qian’s bungalow, almost like it is fate. Fate? Yoona snorts lightly. She absolutely does not believe in that . She decides her own fate and that is that.

“Are you talking to me for pleasantries or do you have something important to tell me?” Yoona cuts off Jinri’s rambling when she cannot take it anymore.

The cheerful expression that Jinri has on her face immediately disappears at the doe-eyed woman’s inquiry. The college student bites her lower lip, feeling nervous about something. This causes Yoona to arch her eyebrow quizzically because she wishes that Jinri would just say what is going on inside her mind. Yoona does not want her boss to think that she is slacking because she is not.

A few seconds pass by with nothing but silence and Yoona is getting more aggravated as time passes. Just as she is about to turn away from Jinri, the young woman speaks up. “Have you heard the news about Kim Joonmyun?” Jinri questions quietly, not wanting anyone to hear their conversation.

“That he got into an accident? Yes,” Yoona grunts in response. The news have spread all over South Korea ever since the incident happened. The doe-eyed woman does not bother trying to know all the details because she does not think that it is important. Not to her, anyway. “He’s in the hospital, right?”

Jinri’s eyes widen visibly at that and a small gasp escapes her lips. “He’s dead, Yoona,” she states softly.

Oh.

The psychology major pauses, not knowing how to react. She does not think that she has to offer her condolences to Jinri because the younger woman barely knows the guy too. “That doesn’t have anything to do with me,” she says finally.

The younger woman’s face falls as soon as the statement is out of Yoona’s mouth. Her eyes show that she is feeling disappointed. “You’re a smart person, Yoona,” Jinri starts to say, “but don’t you think that it’s strange how Joonmyun died the same night as he was eliminated from the game?”

Yoona shakes her head no as soon as she hears Jinri’s question. “People die, Jinri. It’s inevitable,” she returns, knowing fully well that she sounds like a heartless bastard right at this moment. It is true, though. She is a heartless bastard.

“Qian provided the car for Joonmyun, Yoona, and the guy got into an accident immediately after that,” Jinri points out, trying to sound as reasonable as possible.

“Like you said, he got into an accident,” the doe-eyed woman counters, beginning to feel annoyed.

A sigh is emitted from Jinri’s beautiful lips. It looks like she has given up in trying to convince the older woman that there is something strange about the game altogether. “I still think it’s strange,” she repeats persistently.

“And I think that you’ve watched too many movies,” Yoona responds airily.

A crestfallen look appears on Jinri’s face and Yoona cannot help but feel guilty for some reason. Without another word, Jinri turns around to leave the café, not bothering to say goodbye.

“Coincidences do happen, Jinri,” Yoona calls out as soon as the younger woman has reached the exit of the café.

Jinri turns around with an unreadable look. “Maybe,” she agrees. Then, a small smile appears on her lips. “Maybe not.”

With that, Choi Jinri pushes the door open and walks out of the café, leaving Yoona feeling dumbfounded.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry that I haven't updated for more than a month. I've been so busy with lots of stuff and I will get busier as days pass. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter because it was really hard for me to write this, especially the scene for Joohyun. Thank you for reading, subscribing, commenting and upvoting! I really appreciate it. Enjoy reading the next chapter! :)