Jiyeon was sitting on the hospital bed with deep thoughts. She sees Hyomin sleeping soundly on the bed near hers, and she could only sigh. The past few weeks were just too much for her; the CEO or someone else haunting her, and the unwanted reunion with her mother. It’s not that she really doesn’t want to see her mother, but the fact that Jiyeon is in such a state makes her so upset. She looks over at Hyomin again and feels a sense of guiltiness.

Why is my life like this? Whatever I do, I seem to hurt the people around me. It was my parents before, and now Hyomin gets injured randomly...why...she talks to herself. She lay on the bed and put the covers over her face. Suddenly, a long stream of her past events began flooding her mind, and she couldn’t help it, but think back to 4 years ago…

----------

It was 4 years ago, when the Park family was still a family full of love and joy. However a small argument started between Jiyeon’s parents and Jiyeon, who is now aged 14, never knew what really happened.

Jiyeon was walking from home to school when a scout from CCM crossed her path. “Excuse me.” Jiyeon said politely and tried to walk around the person.

“Hello! I am from CCM, and I can see you have great potential to become the next generation’s biggest star. You don’t need to decide now, all you need to do is to sign this form if you’re interested at home and send it to our company’s building.” The guy talked on and on, but surprisingly, Jiyeon was enticed by his words and took the form. “Come take a look at how you will be trained in today’s event! Come this way.”

She follows the scout with very high hopes, a new path just opened up to her!

----------

She walked home from the CCM building, hugging the audition form like her best friend and waltzed to the front door of her house. Upon arriving home, she hears someone arguing and quickly opens the front door.

“I’m home!” Jiyeon found her parents in the living room hearing her mother say with teary eyes “I am the police! You know that! I have self-pride and…”

“What happened?” Jiyeon asked with concern.

“It’s okay, everything has been resolved.” Hu Yul, her father, comforted Jiyeon while saying so.

“It’s alright, dear.” Tae Hee walked into her room after saying the words. When Tae Hee disappeared around the corner, Jiyeon held up the piece of paper she attained from the scout.

“Look pa, I got this just a while ago, they said I have potential!”

“CCM audition? You want to become a singer?”

“No, I want to take the acting course and maybe do some modelling...”

Suddenly, Tae Hee bursts out of the room and interrogates Jiyeon.

“Jiyeon, were you at school today?!”

Jiyeon looked uneasy but didn’t want to break the news of where she went today yet, so she nodded.

“Well the principal called just then and asked why weren’t you at school, and was concerned if anything happened to you. Why would you lie…where did you go?!”

Jiyeon’s heart raced and she took a deep breath and explained, “I went to the CCM building today, I just want to see how it was like if I was to become a trainee for an actor. I even got the form…” She hasn’t finished speaking when Tae Hee snatched the paper out of Jiyeon’s hands and read through it at an amazing pace.

“This is not important right now. Do you have friends that influence you to take drugs and alcohol? Did you ever have any?”

Jiyeon staggers back at this shocking question. “Wh- what? I only took a day off today because I just established my dream and was curious to know if I am capable…I am your daughter! I am not some criminal, why are you questioning me like this!? I am very conscious of my acts, I won’t take any of those stuff at this age! You happy now? Satisfied!?” Jiyeon stormed off to her room and slammed her door. She slid onto the floor with the door behind her, crying…crying because she never knew her mother would think of her like this. Crying because she felt like she had nothing right now, even her dad didn’t help her. She jumped onto her bed and put the covers over her whole body and wished this was all just a dream…

----------

Jiyeon sat up from the bed, tears now streaming through her eyes. Crying, not because she felt like she had no one, not because she never knew her mum thought of her like this, but because she thinks it was all her fault the family broke up like a piece of fragile glass shattering on the floor. It has been 4 years, but she could not stop thinking about how she ruined the family. If only her mother wouldn’t leave just a week after the incident. I wish she didn’t leave, Jiyeon thought to herself.

She looked sideways at Hyomin, and realised she has 6 very, very good friends by her side. I don’t need my mum anymore, I have 6 already. The mothers of the other members of T-ara treat me like I was their own daughter. I don’t need my mum, I don’t want my mum…

Jiyeon tried to think that way, but it didn’t help at all. Suddenly, she realised a piece of paper on the table beside her, written in red…ink? She took it and clasped with her hands at the message delivered to her:

If you don't want the people around you to get hurt

Go to room 205 in ****** Hotel

Don't contact anyone, or else you'll face severe consequences

Jiyeon was scared, very scared. At a time like this…and this ‘thing’ just keeps adding salt onto her wound. She takes another look at Hyomin, I can’t let you get hurt anymore, or let anyone around me to be injured because of me. I will get this over and done with. I am an unlucky charm, if I get disposed of, maybe everyone’s lives will be better.

----------

30 minutes later, Jiyeon arrives at the hotel. She gathers all her courage and goes into the hotel. She tries to avoid large crowds, and nervously touched the buttons to go up in the elevator.

It’s time. She walks out of the elevator and looks around, hoping for someone to be near her and to go into the room with her. She approaches the room 205, and gently pushes the unlocked door open. She takes a step inside and sees a picture of herself on a projector on the wall. She hears a ‘beep’ and the image begin to distort and uglify, she screams at the disgusting picture, and the door behind her closes…

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At the police headquarters, Tae Hee lies onto her chair and looks out at the beautiful city view. Was it really worth it to replace the sight of my daughter for this city view? If I didn’t follow my instincts to leave Hu Yul, I could be able to see my daughter’s face everyday, instead of seeing this view and solving cases everyday.

She uses her hand to cuff around the cup of tea, and takes a sip out of it. She puts it back on the table, but because she was too focused on something else, she placed the cup just on the edge, making the cup fall lifelessly onto the ground. The sound emitted from the glass cup as it crushed itself against the ground triggered Tae Hee’s memory. She remembers this clashing sound which changed her life and her family…

----------

The vase smashed against the ground. Hu Yul and Tae Hee is having an argument from 4 years ago.

“Why would you become like this!?” Tae Hee questioned Hu Yul.

“You know how I was like before we married…”

“But you promised you will change…you swore you will change! Why…why of all people must it be you?”

“This is definitely the last time, just please…”

“I am the police! You know that! I have self-pride and…” Just then, Jiyeon walks into the room.

“What happened?” Jiyeon asked nervously.

“It’s okay, everything has been resolved.” Hu Yul quickly said.

“It’s alright, dear.” Tae Hee left the living room and paced into her room to hide her tears that is now streaming her face and sat down on her bed, weeping. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. She hastily soaked a tissue with her tears and picked up her phone. “Hello, Tae Hee here”

“Hello, is that Mrs Park?”

“Mhmm.”

“I’m calling in concern of your daughter, Park Jiyeon, from ********** School. Is your daughter fine?”

“Why do you ask?” Tae Hee stood up from her bed.

“She hasn’t come to school today, is there a reason why she didn’t come to school today?” Tae Hee froze. Her police instincts led her to believe something fishy is going on with Jiyeon.

“Hang on, I’ll call you back in a few minutes.” Tae Hee looked at herself in the mirror that is placed on her bedside table. Do you believe in your daughter Tae Hee? She thought to herself. She decided to do a quick search of Jiyeon’s room for any suspicious material.

Without another thought, she slipped into Jiyeon’s room and began looking through her cupboard, drawers and bed. Good. Nothing. I should just have a small talk with her. She was about to leave the room when she bumped her shoulder onto the doorknob and hit fell with ease. She saw something hidden in the doorknob and crumbled onto the floor. It was like a meteor hit her head. Tae Hee grabbed the substance from the doorknob, replaced the doorknob and darted straight to the living room.

“Jiyeon, were you at school today?!” Tae Hee tried to suppress her anger that is overflowing all through her body. She saw Jiyeon in a state of unease. Culprit. However, Jiyeon nodded which triggered Tae Hee which made the anger reach new heights, like an explosion killing her insides.

“Well the principal called just then and asked why weren’t you at school, and was concerned if anything happened to you. Why would you lie…where did you go?!”

Jiyeon’s heart raced and she took a deep breath and explained, “I went to the CCM building today, I just want to see how it was like if I was to become a trainee for an actor. I even got the form…” She hasn’t finished speaking when Tae Hee snatched the paper out of Jiyeon’s hands and read through it at an amazing pace.

“This is not important right now. Do you have friends that influence you to take drugs and alcohol? Did you ever have any?”

Jiyeon staggers back at this shocking question. “Wh- what? I only took a day off today because I just established my dream and was curious to know if I am capable…I am your daughter! I am not some criminal, why are you questioning me like this!? I am very conscious of my acts, I won’t take any of those stuff at this age! You happy now? Satisfied!?” Jiyeon stormed off to her room and slammed her door.

Tae Hee knew that was the truth, but that didn’t answer her other question which is killing her.

“Hu Yul…we’re over.” Hu Yul looks shocked.

“Wh-Why? I knew I am wrong but…” Tae Hee showed Hu Yul the substance and the whole room was filled with silence for a while.

“You brought these things to my house, and hid it in your own daughter’s room. If Jiyeon found out about this, what would she had done? I’m leaving, I can’t ever look at your deceiving and guilty personality behind the person I loved again. We will settle other matters another time.” Tae Hee stalked out of the room in rage.

----------

Se7en emerged from the door. “Ma’am, is there something wrong?”

Tae Hee flipped back to reality and was reminded of the broken glass. “I just accidentally knocked this thing over. Please get it clean.” Se7en nodded and was about to get a brush to sweep the glass when Tae Hee added, “Also, get the team ready, we will go see Jiyeon and see what other leads we can get from Hyomin and Jiyeon.”

“Yes ma’am”, Se7en understood the order and left the room.

                                                                                                 *          *          *

Author’s Note: I finally finished! Took me like a long long long long time. I’ll try to update more frequently and get this story finished.