Once again, sending thanks to my wonderful friend, Wheesus, for checking this chapter as well. ^^

CHAPTER 29: SECRETS

“Hey, are you sure about Yeondoo staying out this late?” Hayoung slouched on one of their lobby’s velvety sofas and yawned. “It’s almost midnight.”

Soo-ah shrugged. “Shouldn’t you be used to it by now? She never listens anyway.” The older one stated matter-of-factly. “We can’t really nag her about it though, since she only does it after work. And even if she sleeps late, she’s still the first one to wake up among the four of us.”

“Isn’t it a bit bothersome, though? I mean, you guys always wait for her to come back no matter how late it is. Especially you, Soo-ah.” The youngest of the three argued back. “How long is it going to be like this?”

“What about the ones who still wait for her return?” Namjoo chimed in. “Have you ever thought of how long they’ve been waiting? Ours wouldn’t probably compare to theirs.”

Her best friend didn’t back down. “That’s the point! She’s making everyone wait for her. I mean...don’t get me wrong, okay? I care for Yeondoo. I really do, but...she causes worry from time to time, then after that she wants to be alone?”

“Come on, Hayoung-ah. We all know that she needs all the time in the world just to figure out the questions in her mind.” Soo-ah, who got the point that her friend is trying to get across, still defended Yeondoo. “She may look fine most of the time, but Yeondoo is probably having struggles deep inside, up until now. Imagine feeling lost and confused for years. Do you think it’s easy?”

“Well...no, but…” Knowing that she lost the argument, Hayoung sank in the sofa deeper and sighed. “I’m sorry. You know how impatient I get sometimes.”

Namjoo smiled after seeing the pout on her best friend’s face. Yes; Hayoung is impulsive, impatient, simple, frank, and everything that’s not her, which sometimes make her wonder how their friendship even bloomed. But then again deep inside she knew that those traits were also the ones that made her like the latter. Hayoung may be impulsive, but that’s because she listens to what her heart tells her to do. Hayoung may be impatient, but that’s because she cares and worries about the people around her. Hayoung may be simple, but that doesn’t mean that you can fool her. Hayoung may be frank, but that’s because she doesn’t like to lie.

“I know.” Namjoo looked away and scoffed as she replied.

Only then did President Kwon’s daughter notice Bomi anxiously pacing outside. “Speaking of late, isn’t your Goddess taking a while too?” She turned to Hayoung, who was almost falling asleep already. “Hayoung-ah.”

“Why do you think I’m still here, hmm?” She answered in between her yawns, rubbing her moist eyes.

Namjoo then approached her cousin and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll go talk to her.”

Outside, Bomi just kept on walking back and forth, scratching her head out of exasperation. She glanced at her phone, crossed her arms and shook her head, followed by a deep sigh and a click of a tongue. “I swear you’re going to have it from me, Son Naeun...Where are you...” Bomi kept on muttering as a way to vent her frustrations out.

“Bomi-ya,” The younger one gently called out the road manager’s name. 

“Naeun is always like this!” Bomi verbalized out loud; a mix of anger and worry can be heard from her voice. “I’ve told her so many times that I’m always here whenever she wants to talk to someone about her problems, but no, she always goes missing!”

“Calm down. Why don’t you take a seat?” Namjoo carefully held on Bomi’s arms to keep her still and led her to one of the wooden benches in the garden they were in. “Now, now...may I ask if something happened?” She thoughtfully asked, trying not to sound like she was prying.

Bomi took a few deep breaths and gathered her composure. “Well...yeah.”

“I...thought everything’s well about her? I mean, the press con-”

“You seriously think everything you see on tv is real?” She sneered even before Namjoo could finish her question. “If only, Namjoo-ya. If only she’s really that happy…If only time can really heal all wounds...”

“How long has it been?”

“Almost three years.” Bomi looked up, afraid to spill any tears. “Three years of hoping that --”

“Oh my god, what happened to Ms. Son?!”

Hayoung’s loud voice made the two stop and just briefly look at each other with widened eyes before finally running back inside the hotel’s lobby. 

“Call the medics, quick!” Yeondoo, who was drenched in her own sweat, urgently ordered in between her heavy breathing. Even before her knees buckle, she carefully put the unconscious celebrity down on the floor. “I think she’s fine, but just to be sure…”

“Naeun-ah? Naeun-ah!” Bomi ran and slumped down beside Naeun’s still body. “What happened to you?!”

Yeondoo had the same question. What happened to you? She stared at Naeun’s face as she rested to catch her breath, and at the same time, flashbacks of what happened earlier appeared right before her eyes. 

“Excuse me, are you okay?”

“Did you say some- wait, miss? Miss!”
 
She yelled, frantic with worry as she rushed towards the body of the woman who just fainted in front of her. Now kneeling beside her, she slid an arm behind the back of the unconscious stranger for support and lifted her torso up before using her freehand to brush her hair from her face, and as she cupped her pale cheeks, Yeondoo finally realized whom she was holding in her arms. It made her more distraught, not only because the young lady was their VIP, but also because of the fact that she doesn’t usually bring her phone with her whenever she goes to this place at night. 

The amnesiac didn’t even think twice and immediately propped her body on her back, lifting her up with all of her strength in the process. Yeondoo secured her arms around Naeun’s legs and shifted her body in the most stable position before walking as fast as she could back to the hotel. 

Amidst the chilly evening breeze that passed through their joined bodies, her skin can only feel warmth due to the hot breath that touched the side of her neck. The sensation slowly crept on around her entire body, and the more Yeondoo felt it, the more she began to question the sense of familiarity that she had been denying ever since. 

Why is everything about her so…

Hurried steps squeaking against the tiled flooring brought her out of her thoughts. A pair of medics settled around Naeun, with one preparing the stretcher as the other one checked her vital signs. “Is it true that the patient fainted, Ms. Kang?”

Bomi then looked at her celebrity’s saviour, full of curiosity as to what happened. But the curiosity didn’t last long, as waves of shock and happiness welled up inside her the moment she saw who Ms. Kang was. The way she talked, the way she smiled; her clear, expressive eyes...Bomi can’t be wrong. She’s a hundred percent sure that it’s her buddy, Jung Eunji.

“Yeah. I was about to leave when I saw her crying, so I just approached and asked her if she’s okay--”

“You should stop creeping up behind other people, you know!” Hayoung teased, before dodging the shoe that Yeondoo sent flying towards her.

“Shut up.”

But even before she can lunge herself towards Eunji, Bomi felt a tight grip on her wrist. She looked at the side, and was met with Namjoo’s serious eyes; as if she was trying to convey something to her without using words. She then felt a strong tug, making her take a step back and stand behind the taller one. “We’ll go ahead.” She heard Namjoo say before she was dragged to follow the medics that carried Naeun, leaving the three unaware of the latter’s sudden change in attitude.

“W-what are you doing?” She asked, finally out of shock as Namjoo brought her in a secluded room, away from the clinic.

After the door was locked, Namjoo went straight to the point. “Do you know who Yeondoo is?”

“H-huh?”

“I saw it, Bomi-ya. I saw how you stared at her.” The younger one pressed on. “Look, I just want to know and confirm something, okay? Do you know her? What’s her name, and what’s your relationship with her?”

Bomi took a watchful glance at Namjoo and slowly nodded as she answered her questions. “She’s Jung Eunji, a friend of mine.”

“Okay.” Soo-ah’s cousin exhaled deeply as she fished her phone out of her pocket. “I’m telling President Kwon.”

“Wait, why? Why does he have to know?” Bomi questioned, baffled at the President’s involvement. She asked once again, only to be ignored by the latter, who was waiting for the other line to pick up. “Namjoo-ya, what’s happening?”

Namjoo then the loudspeaker. “Yes, hello?” a deep voice echoed within the four walls of the cold, dim room.

“Uncle, we finally have a lead.”

---

It has been two days since Ilhoon left, and it’s now time for their weekly inspection. 

Along with Junghwa who was driving the car was Hani, quietly sitting beside her, head filled with thoughts about her boss. It’s not like she didn’t see this beforehand, but now that the change in him was becoming more discernible, it confused her more as to what’s running inside Ilhoon’s mind. Was it because Naeun became a lot more passive and abiding that he saw a glint of hope in their relationship and halted the search for Eunji? Did he actually have a point about Eunji being dead? Then...why are we resuming the search? Did Naeun do something to hurt his pride again? Then why does he seem so calm about it? What is he-

“Ms. Ahn.” 

Her thoughts seemed to clear out when the music flooding her ears was replaced with Junghwa’s voice. Hani glanced at her , who had the usual cheeky smile on her face. “Yeah?”

“Care to share your thoughts?” She asked, eyes still fixated on the road. “You’ve been quiet the whole time.”

“It’s nothing.” Hani dismissed. “I guess I’m just...overthinking.”

Junghwa scoffed. “Don’t want to talk about it, huh? Alright. I’ll just assume that it’s about your one and only, Yoon Bomi.” She said with a hint of mockery.

“And what made you say that?”

“I don’t really know. Thinking about how you’ll make Ms. Yoon yours?” The taller one continued to tease. “Say, why are you fixated on Bomi and getting rid of her girlfriend? Is she that special?”

Junghwa waited for a response, but Hani didn’t utter a word about it. Through her peripherals, she saw the latter just staring directly in front with eyes showing a lot of pent up negative emotions. Since she really wasn’t the type to force someone to talk, or to do anything in general, Junghwa decided to quickly drop the topic and not say anything further. 

Much to her surprise, though, Hani responded. “I hate it when people just dispose you like an object when they have no use of you anymore...is what you said when I asked you about what you hate the most, right?”

“Oh…You remembered.” The younger one expressed her amusement as she nodded. “And to answer your question...yes, it was, and it still is.”

“Then just like you, I also have mine.” Hani declared, in which the latter didn’t respond to and just waited for her to continue.

“I hate it the most when the people I love the most are taken away from me. Once is enough.”

So that’s why you’re willing to go as far as taking someone else’s life, huh. Junghwa wasn’t even surprised anymore, as she personally knew how powerful love can be; how enlightening and life-giving it is, and also how destructive and fatal it can be. It can change a person and his ideals in life, and obviously, Hani was one of its victims.

She’s just like me. “What are you going to do then?” 

The corner of Hani’s lips went up, forming a sinister smile. “Satisfy Bomi’s needs.”

---

“Hi, I’m Kang Yeondoo.” She introduced herself to the celebrity she saved last night with a warm smile and a handshake. “I...guess I really did startle you last night? I’m sorry.” Yeondoo then let out a short, awkward laugh.

“No, no…” Naeun shook her head as she softly answered as she stared at the latter’s hand for a few seconds before shaking it. “I’d be in a worse condition if it weren’t for you. Thank you, and sorry..” 

“She’s right. Don’t blame yourself, Ms. Kang. It wasn’t your fault.” Bomi  joined in. “Naeun wasn’t feeling well that day, but she still insisted on going out. We should be the ones saying sorry since we caused you inconvenience...” 

Yeondoo smiled in return. “It’s nothing, Ms. Yoon. I just did what I have to do.” she reassured.

After the introduction that President Kwon promised, Yeondoo excused herself and went back to work with Hayoung. Bomi then gently closed the door and locked it, and as she went back to where Naeun, Namjoo, and President Kwon stood, her bright and cheery demeanor slowly faded away, revealing a heartbroken Yoon Bomi. 

Eunji was so near, and yet still so far.

“I’m sorry that you both have to go through this. I know how much you’ve missed Yeon...Eunji, but it’s for everyone’s safety.” Namjoo’s uncle apologized as he approached them.

Bomi nodded slowly. “We understand, sir. We already lost Eunji once, and we’ll do everything just not to let that happen again...even if it meant that we had to do this.”

“Don’t worry. As long as we keep on getting leads about this case, everything will be back to normal in no time.” Namjoo sat beside Naeun and held her hand as she tried to lift her spirit up. “By the way, didn’t you say you know another lead?” She asked, this time directed at Bomi.

“Yeah, but…I’m still thinking of how to break the news to her.” Bomi sighed. “I’m afraid of what her reaction will be, since she’s quite impulsive.”

“I see. May I know who this person is?”

Bomi showed a faint smile.

As the two waited for the lift to bring them down to the ground floor, Hayoung, being the fangirl that she is, kept on pestering the older one who just kept quiet ever since they left Naeun’s room. 

“So Yeondoo-ya...how does it feel to hold the Goddess’s hand? When I first did, it felt like I was being blessed by the heavens above...it was just so surreal. You know that ‘touching can harm the art’ meme? It was just -” 

“Hot air balloon.”

“Eh?” Hayoung blurted out. “What about hot air balloons?”

“I...don’t know.” Yeondoo shrugged as she wasn’t sure either. “But that’s what I thought of when she held my hand.”

---

AN: Please don't kill me orz

Work got the best of me, that's why this got delayed. I was as frustrated as some of you are. So I write whenever I had free time.

Anyway, hope you guys like this chap ^^ Don't forget to leave comments/remarks/criticisms alright? ^^

Peace. :D