My phone screen lit up again, indicating there was a notification. I opened Kakoachat to see 27 unread messages from Taehyung and Jimin. My eyes widened seeing their messages asking me if I was okay. I texted them back saying I'll talk to them tomorrow before silencing the phone again. To my suprise their old school wasn't too far. It was weird seeing such a determination in both of them to find answers.
The familiar gates sent back all the memories I wanted to forget. It seemed even worse for Heejin and Lisa. I walked ahead then stopped, going back seeing them both still on their place, taking in their surroundings. It was like an old woman seeing her highschool, all the memories- both good and bad flooding in.
"Shall we go?"
They looked at me and nodded, following. Luckily Lisa had the pic of her old dance team which was enough for the guards to let us in. I looked at the exact building where I saw Heejin fall. I looked at her eyes, getting her attention then pointing at it. Words weren't even needed at this point. She gulped and nodded understanding what I said. I saw them eyeing their surroundings with bitter smiles.
I didn't know if this was a good sign but turns out the CCTV room was on the terrace. I looked at Heejin wondering if she will be okay but instead she muttered a "Let's go." Unfortunately the 11th grade still had their classes on so they couldn't see their old classrooms. We reached the terrace, Heejin having a sad grin drawn upon her face, looks back at us and points ahead.
It was another building, much more luxurious and taller than the terrace we were on. The bottom half of the building was covered by tall trees that surrounded the highschool.
"That's my dad's office. If he knows I'm here he's gonna get mad but I hope it's worth it."
I chuckled.
"It will be."
We went back towards the CCTV room, thankfully a guard sitting in.
"No way? You're Hyunjin really?"
She nodded uncertainly. He looked behind shuffling into a couple of boxes on the floor as we stood there awkwardly. He picked up a yearbook and I looked at Heejin and Lisa who seemed surprised. It occurred to me that they might not have had the yearbook since none of them made it till the last week of highschool.
He opened up a page, looking carefully then practically drowning Heejin in his gaze before he smiled.
"Hmm. You look alike."
"Sir do you mind me seeing the yearbook? I never actually got one-"
"Later, after we see the CCTVs." I interrupted Heejin, who agreed.
"Ahh... you guys want the CCTVs. I'm really sorry to say this but looking back 3 years will take a lot of time, and anyway the CCTV of that date was deleted, from every part of the school."
"Sir, isn't there any way to get the CCTV? Or some back ups."
"I wish there was but really, the media is empty."
I looked at Heejin and Lisa who seemed defeated.
"Can we atleast see CCTV footages from before that? Around the school... maybe we will find something?"
"Yes... but you won't get it now and to show you guys CCTV footages you need to be some sort of police or something so I will need permission first."
Heejin's phone rung at the moment as we looked at her, who seemed to be convincing someone to stay longer.
"Sorry guys, I need to go. My dad is calling me and this place makes my head hurt."
"Stay a little longer." Lisa tries convincing her but she says since her dad's office is right infront, he's waiting for her with his car.
"You guys, I can drop you?"
"Yea please my house is far."
Heejin nods then looking at me.
"I'll stay you guys carry on."
I sighed, watching them leave. It felt like this case was meant for us to give up. How can we not get the answers when we have the victim of the case. I walked towards the end of the terrace, in the exact position where I saw Heejin fall.
'I wonder what exactly happened that day.'
I looked down trying to figure things out. It seemed impossible when there were no traces left behind. No CCTVs, no memories, no one- a classmate or someone who knows what happened. I looked up at all the trees covering the office in the front. My eyes squinted finding them familiar.
"Dawn Redwood..."
I whispered. I remembered the tree from the pic that came in the exam. They looked exactly alike I knew I recognized the species. I chuckled, wishing I'd done the same during the exam.
"Dawn Redwood, one of the fastest growing Decidous trees growing to atleast 165 feet in height."
It was now that I remembered reading about them. They grow about 24 feet in a year... My eyes widened as I stood up straight at the sudden realization. I don't remember seeing trees around this area when I first came. If they grow so fast, when Heejin fell, 3 years back...
The view would've been clear
...from her dad's office. I stared ahead into the trees as if trying to find answers in them. I was certain now, from any floor above the terrace, there should be a CCTV facing outwards.
Even if we get a blurry or small glimpse of the person who pushed her off, maybe someone could recognize them.
'What a mastermind you are Yuri.' I wish that thought lasted longer.
She said her dad didn't approve of her looking into the past. Damn I can't even ask her for help with this. If I tell her she'll definately try stopping me. And if her dad knows I need the footages to look into his daughter's past he might aswell kick me out.
I'll have to solve this alone this time. I had a confident smirk as I started walking back. I exited the gates, thanking the guards before I noticed the heavy security of the office. One wrong move and I could probably be in prison. I finally seemed to realize this will need planning and not some impulsive decision. It was best to just go home now.
I had some things to take care of.
♤
Here I am again, stuck with Taehyung and Jimin for cleaning the school halls. It was apparently first Mark instead of me but since he was one of the boys who Taehyung fought with, Mark himself changed my role with his.
Without asking me.
I scurried away from them, especially Taehyung the most, pretending to clean other parts of the auditorium. The school said this was the last week we will be doing this which I highly think is because we've been doing a bad job but also because we've got our staff back. It was a relief really, most of us at this point were confident enough our university would have a downfall but somehow we strived to survive.
"Yuri-"
"Holy shit what the fuck."
I yelled at Jimins sudden voice who gave me a weird look as if he himself was some renowned president. I gave him back a look and then proceeded to move away from taehyung who was approaching us.
"Yuri."
I just leered at him through the side of my eye, pretending to be all busy while cleaning. It was then that I'd clowned myself. Again.
"We know what happened you may stop pretending."
I looked back at him and faked a small smile. I managed to let put an "alright." I head back to work hoping he'd leave me alone. Only if he knows how much material I myself have got to interrogate him with.
"So, who was right all along."
Oh he's getting on my nerves now. She had a smirk on leaning against the wall with an eyebrow raised. It made him look attractive to be honest but I couldn't believe he was playing with my pride right now. I turned around again, continuing to mop the same area square of the ground only to have him turn me around again.
"Gosh do yall wanna kiss or something?" Jimin scoffed.
"You wish someone would kiss you." I attacked back making him open his mouth in disbelief.
"Bestie you did not."
"Fuck that. Yuri I was right all along aren't you gonna like pay me back or something."
"Pay you back? What fuckery is this absolutely not."
I said in an annoyed tone having no reason to "pay him back."
"Alright I'll use this as a mechanism to annoy you for rest of your life then."
"What would you want?"
Jimin face palmed before leaving us alone, mopping the other side of the hall.
"Udon. The beef one please."
"Okay let's go."
...
"One beef udon and?..."
Taehyung looked at me waiting for a response but I shook my head. I didn't want to unnecessarily stuff my body with the party coming up and my plan after this.
"Nothing for me."
"Okay so 2 beef udon and one bottle of Soju."
I looked at him as if wanting to see if he was serious. Im paying how dare he order for me? The waitress gave us a fake laugh and wrote it down before walking away. I slapped my hand on his in annoyance making his groan.
"What was that for?" He yelled.
"No what was that for?"
"For your flat ass to gain some weight."
"Excuse you? Wait before this argument continues, you..."
I looked around then signaling him, opposite to me, to come closer. He bends ahead a little as I whisper.
"Your car accident was with Lisa right?"
He didn't move, his head still mid way above the table. He chuckled then crossing his arms, sitting comfortably against the back rest.
"You really figure out everything don't you?"
"You bitch ass hoe you knew all this while it was Heejin why didn't you tell me?"
I almost yelled at him showing my anger. That definately wasn't, and isn't the only thing he knew. He laughed pointing at me as if my face was funny. He removed his phone and started scrolling on it or something making me even more angry as he spoke.
"You'd figure it out anyway."
"Are you implying that I'm smart?"
"Yes, but at all the wrong times."
"You know now I wonder what else you hide since you'd been keeping your little secrets with you the whole time."
"Guess you'll have to figure it out again." He said then thanking the waiter who came with our food.
"Thank you for the meal, Yuri."
I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm and began eating. The first bite was honestly everything. The steamed, hot, spicy noodles going in my mouth. I popped in a mushroom too making a feast in my mouth. I didn't care about it being stuffed. I let out a noise slightly clapping my hands showing how much I liked it making Taehyung look at me, judging me.
"Did you just moan? There are kids in here no one wants to hear that shit."
I stuffed in a few more noodles in my mouth before looking around and seeing a few kids, one of the girls staring at me dead in the eyes. I chuckled, choking on my food.
"Tsk tsk tsk how can you have a gag reflex? That's a red flag."
"Bitch I don't live to suck dick, people have different ambitions."
"Can you lower your voice? You're kinda embarrassing."
He said with a sly smile looking back down, grabbing the noodles with his chopsticks. Its crazy how easily I get mad when I'm near him and his passive ignorance wasn't making things better either.
"Why did you come then?" I said with wide, threatening eyes holding my chopsticks straight.
"Free food."
My parents are gonna be so dissapointed knowing this is the man they think I'm dating. I scoffed continuing to eat. I then payed, I could tell the waitress by now must've made out we weren't a couple by seeing the "gentleman" not pay- being on his phone, while I struggle to find my credit card.
"Wait bruh."
I yelled at him. Who leaves without getting snacks first? Uncultured.
"We just ate." He spoke.
"Well I clearly need more food to get that ass fatter."
"You have big dreams, good luck with that."
I sweared at him before getting the snack aswell. We were going to separate now so I told him.
"Be nice to Lisa... and Heejin, even though I can't promise myself that."
"Hmm... What are you going to do now?"
"Um... nothing?"
I said finding his question weird. He looked me up and down as if trying to figure out something before nodding and walking away. Seriously not even a "goodbye" or "Thank you" for the free food. Whatever. I ignored it, walking faster knowing what I had to prepare for next.
I opened the door of my room and I told my parents I had to help my professors with something so I'd be out for the day. They didn't seem to suspect it too much so I gathered up my excitement and began my thing.
"Come on Yuri, you can do this."
I started hunting through my cupboard and managed to find an old, black bagback. I then shuffled through my room a little more before checking everything I had so far.
•Bagpack
•Tote bag
•Puffy jacket
•long skirt
•Make up remover
•cotton
•Mobile
•Hardisk
•a new pair of gloves
•Sunglasses
I removed all the possible make up supplies I had and searched up "make up to make you look older." I didn't understand how much time this would take at the start. I ended it, doing my own thing and couldn't help but laugh seeing how different I looked with all the shades put along the wrong lines. It still looked natural and like a person, but not me at all.
I took some cotton, already cringing at my actions but I knew I had to do this. I stuffed the cotton in my chest making my breasts look bigger. It was a hard time keeping them in place, I wonder how half of the girls at uni manage to do this. Finally, I put on the extremely big jacket which made me look like a plus size woman. I wore layers, for pants so there wasn't much of a size difference than the upper body.
I didn't look like myself at all damn. I put my mobile on silent and turned off wifi, so that it doesn't accidently connect while I'm at my game. It could be easy to track me down then. With one last look at me in the mirror, my gaze shifted to some papers on my desk. It was the old list of suspects I had created. I would've never believed myself knowing it's Heejin. I went closer seeing the crossed out name of Heejin.
I chuckled, a real one and wrote her name again with a tick on the side. What a twist in the plot really.