That Night in Seoul 2.0 / Hwang Hyunjin

Part 28 - The Pressure

What had gotten into her? She was on some kind of high after meeting all those guys the night before.

But then the man behind me, detective WooTai spoke up.

*F* "Thank you, Roxy." He chuckled. *F* "And just so you're aware ..."  He continued, "I can understand and speak English too."

There was a pause of shock.

"And so can Jihu."

Then both the men laughed.

Now I was beyond embarrassed but felt slight relief that they were playing along with her, especially Wootai.

He was very tall, towering over us with his razor-sharp jawline. His eyes were emerald green, just like Roxy's and they shined against his slicked back black hair.

The two men in uniform had dark eyes and dark brown buzz cuts. They almost looked like they could be brothers, having similar features.

Their laughing ceased when the elevator stopped moments after, the doors opening to reveal two other guests. Seeing how full it already was their eyes widened and they stepped away to signal that they weren't getting on.

The doors again closed, and we finally made it down to the ground floor where they walked us behind the front desk and through a carpeted hallway.

My anxiety, like a rollercoaster, began its ascension to the heavens when they asked to speak to Roxy first. They left me to fill out paperwork with the two officers in another room with nothing but a round conference table. 

It was just simple things, my name, address, phone number etc. There was a giant space on the back where it told me to give my statement, but it didn't say what for. It gave me an eerie feeling.

I stared at the blank space for some time tapping my pen on the desk and bouncing my leg, my anxiety almost at its peak, reaching the height of the track. The officers noticed me and told me to fill out that section after I talked with WooTai. I nodded with a loud sigh, trying to calm myself down. 

About a half an hour later he and Roxy both came to the door for us to switch places and she would fill out paperwork while I was interviewed.

She seemed unfazed and still had a smile radiating on her face along with her uppity attitude as she sat in the seat next to mine.

"It was great speaking with you, Roxy." WooTai said with a grin.

*F* "It was my pleasure, Detective." She flirted, and then turned to start the paperwork.

He chuckled and his cheeks flushed for a few moments, but it quickly faded when he referred to me.

*K* "Zeda, if you're finished, I'd like to have a word with you." 

I nodded and left my seat, stepping out into the hall and the detective closed the door behind me.

*K* "Right this way." He led me to an office a few doors down and again closed the door as I took a seat. 

"Would you be more comfortable speaking English?" He asked me as he settled into his own chair.

"I could use the practice of speaking Korean. I mean ... this is only my second time here." I admitted.

*K* "So, you'll let me know if there's something you can't understand?" He said very quickly to test me. *K* "I'm just joking." He chuckled.

I let out a nervous and awkward laugh.

My train was now stuck at the very top of the tracks, teetering forward and back. The tension in my stomach, almost like butterflies, but bad ones, hell flies, that slowly eat away at your insides. 

Paired with the dizziness, disorientation, blurriness of everything, I almost felt like I could faint. My mind fired off scenarios of the words that could come from his lips. What does he know?

*K* "Do you need anything? A drink or something to eat?"

This question slightly surprised me.  I shook my head.

*K* "Alright well, I suppose you're wondering why we're here."

I said nothing. 

*K* "Well. It's about last night."

He wasn't giving me any hints as to if it might be my altercation. So I just decided to assume it was.

*K* "Do you ... know what happened last night?"

*K* "Yes." I said, and this confused him.

He leaned back in his chair.

*K* "You do?"

I nodded.

*K* "Can you tell me?"

*K* "How much time do you have?" I asked with a subtle laugh.

*K* "All of it." He smirked.

********