Crime Scene

6 : Money

~[24/06/2022]

11 September 2001.

Three hours. Just three hours and the lives of hundreds of people changed. New York's tallest buildings were burning and partially collapsed. Thousands of people were injured. Thousands lost their lives and their precious family. And Hana was one of those families.

She was still in elementary school when her parents had left for some work and combined holidays to New York. 

As the last sign of her parents, all she could see was the fire erupting and smoke coming from the buildings on the TV. It was the never forgetting day in the lives of Americans. Not only them but thousands of more outside America.

It was deadly.

Every time she recalled those images of the burning buildings, a knot of tears formed inside her throat, and her breathing got heavy. She knew how it felt to lose someone so precious to the heart. She knew the feeling of losing a family member. She didn't want that to happen to anyone. But it can't be helped when it's time for God's will.

After her Monday sessions and a conversation with Jungkook, Hana returned home. As she entered her house, her eyes stuck on the only family photo she had of her childhood. 

Mesmerized with her old memories, she wondered how Hoseok's parents must be feeling. They must be broken into millions of pieces. After all, Hoseok was their one and only son.

---

Early Tuesday morning and cheers! No classes until 4 pm for Hana. She woke up, took a chilled water bath, and dressed appropriately to meet Hoseok's parents. 

It's been more than a year since she met Hoseok and more than 6 years since she met his parents. Although, she remembered the address and reached their house.

It looked as cheerful as Hoseok from outside. Flowers bloomed in the entire garden around the cement doorsteps and walls painted beautifully with rainbow colors. She made her way to the door and rang the bell.

Detectives, Reporters. That's all they would expect but not Hana. Mr. Jung Min Su and Mrs. Jung Hyori didn't expect Hana to come. Not to mention, they didn't even recognize her at first. After Hana introduced herself, they hesitantly let her in and she followed them to the living room.

Hana reached but she didn't know what to say now. She was clueless about the words of comfort. She had no idea what words could melt their grief a little.

"I came to give my deepest sympathy." Hana managed to say through her screwed heart. "Hoseok was one of the kindest people I knew. I'm very sorry for your loss."

They didn't say anything. Mr. and Mrs. Jung exchanged a look and sighed.

Hana was worried about her words that might hurt them. She thought hundred times before uttering a word. Her words were like band-aids. But band-aids cannot fix bullet holes, can they?

"You studied with Hoseok, right?" asked Mr. Jung who smelled like a straw of a strong cigar. She wondered if he worked at some cigar-making factory or if it was just his smoking habit. 

"Yaa, we were in--"

"Were you both close or did you date him?" Asked Mrs. Jung cutting her off in a serious tone.

Mrs. Jung looked pale and maybe that was the obvious look of a mother losing her child. Her hair was tied in a bun with two-three strands of grey hair hanging on her forehead. The sleeves of her right hand were folded up and her cardigan was in a worse state, totally torn out.

Hana stole a quick glance over Mr. Jung, who didn't seem interested in his wife's question or probably he was too broken to even focus on anything. It was difficult to decide which one.