“Speak.” Hyesung hissed with a low tone of voice. “Of course she’s with us you bastard! Where are you right now? Aren’t you supposed to come here?” his direct hit of harsh words with a dreadful tone shocked me. His face is still as beautiful as the irony of his conversation with the person over the phone.

“No, why would I tell her that. You’re not my best-friend either. Stop making lies.” He shouted on the phone’s receiver and put it back again properly right beside his ear.

Minwoo listened while giggling on Hyesung’s side. “You take care of your own (bleep)! I’m hanging up.” He pressed the touch screen’s end call button so hard that blood seemed to occupy his thumb as it changed its complexion from light flesh to red.

 “Hyesung, stay cool. Why are you always having a love quarrel with him? Don’t push him like that, you know he is shy.” Minwoo pressed some more and Hyesung said with such disgust in his face “It’s not that I hate him but I am really sick of him being such a loach.”

“Aigoo. Hyesungie.” Minwoo tapped his shoulder to somehow ease his sudden mood swing caused by that surprise phone call.

“Oh, Kris I’m sorry. I become another person when he provokes me.”Hyesung apologized earnestly about his sudden character shift and I am willing to understand where he is coming from. Who exactly is that person who gets someone like Hyesung act this way?  Are we going to click as well like the others or am I going to list his name on the blocked list?

“Kris, stop imagining things. Hahaha. He is not a bad person. He is just hmm.. Let me put it this way, Andy normally describes their relationship as oil and water. HAHAHAHA” and Minwoo’s laughter echoed loudly as he tries to jump over Hyesung’s resting shoulders.

I finished my meal and remembered to count in 2 points for Hyesung. He knew about my preferred coffee and my favourite food. I’m wondering what are left more to come other than these.

They both decided to abandon their jobs for a while to take me home. Hyesung lead us to his white Volkswagen parked outside his café. He politely opened the door of the car’s front sit for me. I was surprised with the swift scent of floral and citrus hints that escaped from his jacket as he puts it on before starting the car. It smelled more like baby cologne, so fresh and gentle.

 It’s so funny to hear them hum playfully with each other as if they were musicians in their past life. Their voices complimented naturally but our road journey is so short and it ended right away when he stopped his car in front of a white house with a bronze gate bracing its front yard. The well designed landscape of plants gave me a territory teaser of his inviting home.

“This is my house. I just live near the Villa Kris. You can visit me anytime too.” and he smiled warmly right after pointing it to me. “We will walk from here so that you’ll have a clue where to go when you are bored.”

He is right and it is a good thing to know. We went out of his car while Minwoo is still carrying the paper bag for me. I only have my backpack hanging on my left shoulder as we started walking on the silent path towards our Villa. Pine trees where sticking out of the ground and there where lot of pebbles everywhere with different sizes and colours.  

Hyesung received another text message from that person. I can tell the way he stopped with a frowning face while reading the message.

“Kris, you don’t have a phone right?” he asked still scrolling up and down on the screen of his phone.

“Uhm. Yes. Nana took it away from me. Why?” I am puzzled and anxious at the same time. I felt like he is going to ask me my number because the last person might be asking for it.

“This loach told me to hurry up because Junjin is waiting at the Villa with a phone for you.” and he pressed the power button of his phone so hard that it died and slid it inside his pocket. “This is a violation! Nana will get mad if she will know about this.” He said with such despise in his voice matched with a worried expression.

“Chill Hyesungie... I think his idea is brilliant! We will have the chance to check on her in case of emergencies right?” Minwoo pointed out with a smile. “Right Kris?” asking for my agreement.

“Well, it’s not a bad idea too. I think, it’ll be fine as long as I only use it to communicate with you guys” there, I’ve said it. I was also thinking about the same thing too. It is such a grace that someone volunteered to go against the rule for me.

 Hyesung let out a deep sigh from his gritted teeth and openly said “Okay, I’m in. It’s been a long time since the last time we broke rules”. He puckered his lips and expressed an excited laughter brought by this idea. He covered his mouth shyly because of his sudden act of interest over such thing and cleared his throat awkwardly.

Minwoo continued shifting positions while walking. From the time that we left the car he will be always in the middle of our course and will always find the chance to slide on Hyesung’s side to bring our distance closer to each other but all I can feel is a strange unwanted situation as he tries to pull Minwoo back to where he should be – and that is clearly in the middle, a human wall.

We saw Junjin from afar sitting comfortably on his sleeping motorbike while chimes from the keys around his finger can be heard with the humming of his husky voice. He kept on rolling them around and around and caught it as soon as he saw us and waved at us with a very thoughtful smile.

“Kris! How have you been? Are these two men taking a good care of you?” he asked me like a child with my baby-sitters.

I tried to pull a smile to return him the kindness, “Yes, they even prepared treats for me too.” He’s even better looking with shades on and right now, he is no longer wearing pyjamas. Junjin looks more like a sheriff now with his denim pants partnered with a black turtle-neck shirt. His grey trench-coat with patches of leather on its elbow well compromised the ankle length boots that he is wearing. He looked more like a fashion model now compared to the other clumsy fashion criminal the other day.

“At last you listened to me.” Minwoo said and tapped Junjin’s shoulder with huge satisfaction on his face and I think I knew exactly what caused the sudden change of appearance.

“The loach told me that you’ve got something for Kris.” Hyesung approached him and Junjin went to his bike to get a white paper bag hanging on its right side mirror and gave it to him right away.

Hyesung opened the small black box in it and there was the phone that he was talking about. He went to some menu and I saw him scrolling up and down the screen multiple times. He then typed in something on it and ended the inspection pressing the back option and locked the phone. Hyesung returned it to its box and slid it right back inside the paper bag.

“Here Kris, take it. All our numbers are there and it’s all updated.” He handed it to me as he whispered something to Junjin.

“You may go in now, we will go back to work as well.” Minwoo said while he is giving me my paper bag which is full of his welcoming presents.

Hyesung waved his hand shyly as they went off and Junjin even shouted “Call me in case of emergencies!” and his voice vanish at the roaring sound of his bike.

I lazily went pass through the gate after watching them leave. My playmates are gone.

Now I think I’ll transform into a couch potato for the coming days. Since it’s March I would still have 29 days to go. My system without a planned schedule is ironically overwhelmed with too much procrastination. Every day here in Sylfaen is bed weather.

I’ve reached the entrance without even wanting to go inside. My head is still swimming with so many questions. I am still lost how to start solving this puzzle. Will it help me if I meet the sixth? I twisted the door knob and allowed my forehead to kiss the door’s face since I knew it was locked. I knocked but it seems as if it did not make any sound at all. Not removing my forehead on its place, I tried to knock again a couple of times.

And the door blew open without any warning.

I almost fell on the hard tiled granite floor when Laura unlocked it to my surprise. It’s a good thing that she was quick to rescue me and was able to grab me. Her grip was so tight that she was able to save my face from hitting the rigid surface. I had a mini heart attack and got up in a flash with Laura’s help.

“Oh my, thank you for that Aunt Laura. You saved me.” I told her with my voice still trembling from shock but her face gave a reaction that did not reflect my relief. I was confused.

She showed her hand to me, the one that she used for grabbing me; and saw stain of blood on it.

“I thought I did but I guess I did something wrong.” With apologetic eyes she pointed slowly at my elbow. I think it also served as a queue for the pain to step in.

The sting hit my nerves as soon as I shifted my eye-glass to its right position. It was my elbow that she accidentally grabbed, with my newly stitched wound from yesterday’s shameful incident. I can feel the blood rush as I try to hold it with my hand, some stitches might have snapped.

“I’m sorry dear. I didn’t know.” Were the only words that she was able to say as I try to endure the pain and do my best to put up a – “DON’T WORRY. I’M OKAY.” kind of face.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. You don’t have to be sorry too because if you didn’t do that, I may also have a broken nose right now.” I tried to speak with a normal tone. “I will be glad if you can hand me your first-aid kit in this house if you have one.” I continued with a consistent self-hypnotize ignoring the throbbing feeling.

I went to my room while Laura searches for it in one of the house’s room. My items are lucky not to get damaged too. I carefully put them on my round table near my room’s window and sat on the bed. I am too lazy and partially disabled because of my elbow. I removed my shoes with my toes sliding from its back to another.

Laura came with the first aid kit and helped me pull off my jacket. I swallowed all the agony as I hide my face in the middle of removing my hoodie. It hurt more than the first time. I didn’t look at it while she wrapped it with gauze.

“Kris, I think you would need to go to the hospital to fix this.” She said to me with so much concern in her voice. Maybe she can see my suffering too. I looked at her with much appreciation for worrying about me but I think I will skip it for now.

I’m too drowsy to go now. With the lack of sleep from last night combined with my other short extra-curricular activities and the huge amount of carb that I had in the café, I don’t think caffeine can even fight off my sleepy cells.

“I think if I get some rest it will be bearable. It’s just a few strands that came off. It is okay.” now my elbow’s getting numb as my body signals me for hibernation.

Laura held my cheek briefly with her warm hand, while her eyes are full of sincerity and left without further nagging. I like it when she does that and I went to dreamland as soon as I closed my eyes.

It was dark. It was hot. I’m screaming at the top of my lungs.

 I can’t breathe and no one can hear me. I tried to scream again but it was no good. I can’t see anything. I am suffocated to death. I am hyperventilating and I tried to twist my body from side to side. NO – I’m stuck.

My voice is fading with its own echo inside my head and I am hopeless. I tried to gather my energy and attempted another blow to fight off the pressure that’s squeezing me and it hurt.

I woke up feeling the pain on my bleeding elbow. My bed sheet looked messy with its odd irregular blood stains. The pain is excruciating to its extent but I’m glad it woke me up. It’s already dark too in my room and the light coming from the mini-lamps outside pierced through my windows’ curtain and gave me the chance to look for the switch. I put my glasses on and grabbed my watch near my lampside.

I looked at it and discovered that I overslept. I am still aware of the fact that I need to go to the hospital but how can I do that when it’s in the town proper and it’s already past midnight? I’m too shy to ask Laura about it but this kind of disaster cannot wait. I am not going to go back to sleep again and suffer.

I can be selfish sometimes and I think she will understand me. I washed up first since I’ve been wearing my clothes for the whole day and even wore it to sleep. My t-shirt has a weird design right now, almost covered with random stripes of blood on it. I slid in to one of my oversized white shirt and chose from one of Minwoo’s items. It’s still as cold as last night, so I included Andy’s scarf too.

My backpack swayed along my left shoulder. I forgot that I am a foreigner here. I am not sure where to find Laura in this huge house. I felt so miserable and decided that I don’t have any other choice but to call her at the top of my voice. I did my best not to sound disturbing even if I know that I am already committing an obvious crime.

It is a good thing that the chandelier hanging in the living room was left lit. I think she knew this would happen.

“Auntie Laura” I screamed silently, again and again. I think it was my third attempt that woke her up. I heard a door opening somewhere at some part of the house and heard her reply to me with a deep hoarse voice “Yes Kris?” and I sighed with relief.

I replied to her with my urgent need. I’m so unreasonable, acting all brave a while ago that I can handle the crisis but here I am shamelessly waking someone in the middle of the night because I finally realized I cannot keep up with it.

Laura walked towards my direction and I was so grateful to see her. She paused briefly for a moment of thought. She looked so admirable with her long pink linen night gown, with her wavy hair on a half braid she reminded me of Nana’s style at home. Well maybe, I think I wished Nana was here.

Laura then snapped her fingers. I think she was able to think of something and told me “I know who can take you there.” Her voice sounded so determined about it and I can’t help but hide my curiosity. Who can be that person?