Landing in Your Inbox

42 - mayday

December 10, 2020 9:20 AM
Ko Family Estate

Seo Dan was late to work. Her mother reassured her it was not an issue. She was free to come in anytime she wanted or better yet she could even take some time off but that was not the impression Seo Dan wanted to make. 

More annoyingly, Alberto was nowhere to be found. His last communication was apologizing to her for leaving her and Seri. Seo Dan made several attempts to compose a message - one angrier than the next -  but didn't end up sending them. Who did he think she was? A woman who hangs on desperately? 

Why did that sound familiar now? Deja vu?

No, no. She was furious because he took the minivan with him and it was nowhere to be found. Now she had to arrange for a different chauffeur. 

Then her hair barrette was missing. That was one of her favorites...

She did not recall a lot about the events of the previous night, just that it was only her and Seri drinking and her friend was teasing her about Alberto. She could vaguely remember talking about Jeong-hyeok but she could not remember the topic too well. Then she passed out at some point and was apparently taken home by a jeep.

"A jeep?" Seo Dan's brows drew together, frowning. 

"A friend, Seri said." Her mother answered, pushing her the bowl of buckwheat soup she had prepared.

"Like what kind of jeep? Did you get the plate number?" 

Much as her mother hated to disappoint her, she had nothing else to offer. "It was green, that's all I can remember." She became defensive then, "I couldn't do anything else when you're out cold, I had to take care of you! You can ask Seri...Have you heard from Alberto yet? What he did is inexcusable!"

Oh Seo Dan hated not having the answers to her questions. How did a jeep appear out of nowhere? Who was that friend? It didn't help that Seri was busy with back-to-back meetings and left her questions hanging about last night. Where the hell was Alberto? Why was he not the one behind the wheels that day? He would play one of his silly music, tease her about drinking too much, impart some questionable sage words so she wouldn't feel terrible about being late to work then encourage her for the rest of the day. How dare he disappear? 

Seo Dan exited another message draft without sending it. "He is so annoying. Who does he think he is?"

The day dragged on, she was having lunch alone for the first time. Alberto had always asked her, "What will it be today? French? Italian? Spanish? American? Korean? Japanese? Chinese? I know a place." And he always did.

She went home with no one asking her about her day. What pissed her off at work? What were some good things that happened? Surely there were one or two.

Seri called her in the evening. "It was a friend who was also in the bar. He offered us a ride."

"And you trusted him?"

"Of course he's trustworthy, I wouldn't depend on  him otherwise...Say have you heard from Alberto?" 

December 11, 2020 9:15 AM

Next morning, they received a call from the police. They found the minivan parked in one of the alleys not very far from the bar, but there was no one inside. 

The CCTV cameras revealed Alberto slipping out of the vehicle, looking around warily before running towards the right. The cameras caught around four people giving chase. They lost their tracks. Seo Dan was shocked to learn he was being pursued. But who? Why?

At lunchtime, Alberto would call her phone.

Seo Dan answered at the first ring, "Where are you??"

"Ah, getting straight to the heart of matter, Ms. Seo Dan. That's what I like about you. If you're not too busy. Could you meet me during your lunch break?"

The place he chose this time was not an elegant cafe or restaurant. It was the rooftop of a hotel, Alberto had a bandaid on his left cheek.

"What is this? What is going on?" Seo Dan demanded. 

"Do you mean this situation I'm in or this?" Alberto pointed at his cheek.

"You know what I mean!"

"I'm not actually sure what..." 

"Explain." Seo Dan commanded. "Now."

Alberto sighed, "Do you remember that time when I was about to tell you my childhood in the UK but you said you are not interested?"

It was during his first week, in the middle of traffic. Of course Seo Dan would not care to hear about the sob story of a complete stranger back then. "What of it?"

"Are you interested now?" Alberto asked.

December 11, 2020 9:15 PM
Seri's Apartment

Seri yawned as her car turned to the street of her apartment. She turned off her phone display, mind dizzy from looking at charts. 

Any other car parked around the area, she would not deign to give a second look. But it was a green jeep and she would never forget that make. Her vehicle passed it completely when Seri called to halt. 

She pulled the car door shut, jogging towards the jeep. Kwang-beom too exited his vehicle to greet her.

"Oh Kwang-beom, you're here again." Seri hugged herself, "What are you doing here?" 

Kwang-beom took something out of his pocket, "I think this is Seo Dan's."

Seri accepted the hair barrette, "Ah yes, it's hers. Did you drive all the way here for this? That sounds troublesome."

"Don't worry about it." Kwang-beom waved it off with a smile, "I have time to burn before going to the airport." 

"Okay..." She trailed like she had a question to ask, but she nodded slowly. "I shouldn't keep you any longer. Thank you, Kwang-beom."

Kwang-beom opened his mouth to speak but his phone rang, he excused himself to take the call. "Hello, yes?"

Seri wondered if she should walk away rather than just stand and wait for him to be done. It was freezing.

"...How bad is it?" Kwang-beom froze on the spot, "Where are they now? Okay I'm on my way."

Seri's eyebrows raised. "Everything okay?"

Kwang-beom faced her. The easiest would have been to say yes and go on his way. But in the curious, clueless face of the woman important to the person concerned, it was hard to lie.

"Captain Lee's plane." Kwang-beom revealed, "They have some trouble."