Art of Deceit

I

CHAPTER ONE
beginning

Desolate sobs echoed throughout the entire house. Everywhere I turned, I saw someone weeping. Burying their faces into the palm of their hands, partially muffling their cries of hopelessness.

The heaviness of the atmosphere weighed down on me as I walked towards the open casket, my long black dress sweeping the floor behind me. My racing pulse became more prominent as I inched closer.

I lifted the white flower that I held in my hand, bringing it close to my face to have one last look. The tangerine rays that dripped into the room illuminated the petals, giving it a golden hue.

My mouth tried uttering an apology but my guilty conscious rendered me speechless and numb in that moment. With a huff of breath, I dropped the little white rose into the casket gently, getting lost amongst the other flowers.

I lowered my gaze to study the picture that sat in front of the casket. I smiled at the pleasant memory that was frozen into the photo frame, an unintentional sigh escaping my lips as I studied the name that was signed off below the photo. Lee Yeona.

A sharp sting pierced through my heart as I recalled the last day I spoke to her, feeling my body tremble with the memory. I tried shaking it off, turning on my heel as I headed back to my seat.

"I can't believe they still haven't found her body." I heard chatter from beside me. I glanced over and there were my friends, Dawn and Annora. They were too immersed in their conversation to realise that I was back. I plopped myself onto the seat and Annora finally notices my presence.

"Hey, you okay?" Annora peeped as she placed her hand on my lap. I don't respond, simply nodding my head as I fixed my eyes on a familiar form that approached the empty casket.

He stared right into it after placing his flower inside, with the rest of the flowers. His head hung low and heavy, causing wisps of his soft brown hair to flop over his forehead.

My brows furrowed while I studied his tense state stand in front of the casket as whispers started generating around him. "Who is that?" I asked as I turned to face Annora.

"Taehyung," she breathed out a sigh, eyes glueing onto the brunette. "I think he used to date Yeona." Annora stated with a nod.

I looked back at Taehyung and he remained rooted to the ground in front of the empty casket, his expression stoic.

"Isn't it weird?" Annora's gaze floated over to me once more. "How one day you could simply cease to exist?" She continued, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned into her seat.

"And of all people, who thought it'd be Yeona?" Dawn spoke out with shudder.

"We don't know that." I snapped and the both of them looked at me with confusion. "She could still be out there." I whispered, not wanting to accept reality. I couldn't.

"Jina, they found her dirtied clothes in the forest. I think that's—"

"I just don't know why her parents gave up so fast." I interrupted her. "She could still be out there." I repeated myself, almost as though I was trying to convince my heart that was telling me otherwise.

Both Dawn and Annora passed a glance at each other, exhaling a deep sigh as they sunk into their seats.

I shifted my gaze back to Taehyung, his body still frozen in place as someone approached him. I narrowed my eyes, hoping to make my vision clearer and in attempts to get a better look of the male that stood in front of him.