As time progressed I was waiting for tomorrow to arrive, I really wanted to get away from Seoul for some time... To get away from my fear.
In order to distract myself I decided to catch up with my book that I was currently working on, I left the bedroom and made my way to the study.
I entered the study, I sat down and proceeded to work, whenever I'm writing I feel like I'm in a safe haven. It's like I'm in the world where all my characters are, I honestly loved my career path.
After some time I wanted to read my book, The Demon Yoko. Once it got published I never had the chance to read it, I was extremely busy with meet and greets, interviews, book signing and interacting with fans. I was also in the process of completing another book and once that book was published, I got married.
I searched for the book across the study and I finally found it. I made my way back to the chair and sat down, I opened the first few pages until I finally reached chapter 1.
Here we go...
~~~
The Demon Yoko
Chapter 1
I felt the presence of death linger in this one room apartment. The presence was hard to digest, I didn't know death had such hard impact.
"Let's take a walk around the area, I'm curious about this place." Anja insisted. I rolled my eyes and got up from the mattress that was on the floor in the corner of the room.
I put on my slippers and left the room with Anja, we walked down the stairs and started with our long, boring walk.
The area had such an eerie feeling to it, the people in this area were either elderly or looked like drug addicts.
We passed by a strange man who was smoking a cigarette, he was wearing a long hoodie with a black cap. He also had on sunglasses, the sun wasn't even out on that day. Weird but I didn't seem to mind him.
We continued with our walk until we saw a vague pathway leading up somewhere, Anja being a curious cat she followed the trial. I followed right behind her.
As we walked we noticed that the place was surrounded my trees and a few flowers, I looked ahead and saw a monk standing at the entrance of some what presumed to be a temple. His hands were clasped together in a praying position.
We slowly approached him, "Aha! Welcome my children, what brings you two here?" He asked.
Me and Anja looked at each other before looking back at the monk, "would you two like to be blessed?" He added.
I hesitantly nodded my head, Anja just blurted out "yes" which was very uncalled for.
Without any warning he shook Anja vigorously which startled the both of us, he then turned to me and starting to shake me. I just stood there confused and uncomfortable.
Was that how monks blessed people?
He then explained if we wanted to seek more blessings from the gods we could come by anytime but with an offering. We both bowed and left the area in a hurry.
We continued with our walk but in utter silence, we both were probably left speechless due to what just transpired.
As we walked we came across certain places that were unusual for a small area such as the one we were residing in. We noticed a bathhouse that was pretty much close to the temple, what I've also noticed and realized that our apartment did not have a bathroom except for the toilet but other than that there was no bathtub nor a shower.
What I've calculated is that if I were to have a shower or take a bath I had to go to the bathhouse. I found that extremely exhausting and inconvenient but what could I say?
As we stood outside the bathhouse I was overwhelmed with a presence of someone, it was as if that person was either a spirit that was lurking around either the bathhouse or around me and Anja.
"Do you feel as if someone is watching us?" I asked Anja.
"No, why?"
I must've been going crazy then, if she can't sense it then that spirit is targeting me only.
Something however caught my eye, I looked at the corner of the front portion of the wall I could see an imprint of the woman. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the same spot again and the imprint was longer there.
What the fuck?
I didn't tell Anja as I knew that she wouldn't believe me.
Something about this town was fishy...
~~~
I closed the book and took a breather, the first chapter alone was already too much for me to digest. Reading the first chapter brought all the memories of what happened while I was in Japan with my friend.
I placed the book beside me and continued to write.
***
It was in the evening and I was already packing for my trip to Busan, I knew that I was going to be gone for nearly a month and so I decided to pack a substantial amount of clothes.
Before the maid left I spoke to her about living alone in that big house, she had a son who worked close to whether me and Taehyung lived. I then allowed her to have her son live with her and she too could live in the house.
She was really thankful, she was such an amazing and a motherly figure to both me and Taehyung. I really appreciated her.
As I was packing I heard my phone ring, I picked up the phone and noticed that it was a call from an unknown number.
Hajoon stop calling me.
I placed the phone back on the bed and continued packing, minutes go by and I heard the maid talk to someone downstairs. It was probably her son, but something told me to go downstairs and check.
I left the bedroom and made my way downstairs, upon my arrival I saw someone that I didn't expect to see at all.
He was wearing a pair of clear glasses, his style of dressing looked as if he was some sort of a nerd or a geek. I couldn't exactly pin point.
He was also carrying a laptop with it's charger as well, he looked at my direction and smiled.
"Oh hello Mrs Kim, I'm Toru Sato. Do you remember me?" He asked.
I felt my blood run cold, why was he trying to be someone else? What was he doing in my house.
"Actually I don't-"
"Oh no worries that's okay, I can show you my identification card if you would like?" Without having the opportunity to respond he took out his identification card and handed it to me.
Toru Sato... What the hell is wrong with Hajoon?
"I'll let you two get on with your business." The maid bowed and made her way upstairs. Once she wasn't in our line of sight I felt myself being pulled towards Hajoon.
"We meet again, missed me?" He asked in a seductive tone.
"Let me go, you're hurting my arm!" I hissed.
He loosened his grip a bit, "anyway, aren't you happy that I came to see you?"
"How did you know where I live?" I asked, a grin appeared on his face.
"I saw Taehyung's lovely pictures." He answered. I knew he saw those pictures and put two and two together.
"What I want you to do, it's very simple. You either leave Taehyung and be with me or have my child so that Taehyung can leave you and we'll both can live happily ever after." He added.
"What makes you think I would leave Taehyung or even have your child?" I asked.
"I know that you still want me, back then you were just shy." He then added.
"But let me not hold you any longer, I want an answer by tomorrow. If not, be sure to watch your back." He tried to kiss me on my cheek but I managed to push him away.
He chuckled and finally left my house, I needed to hold onto something. I quickly made my way to the dining table, I pulled out a chair and sat down.
I wasn't planning on doing anything he requested, I loved Taehyung despite everything that happened between us in the beginning.
Having Hajoon's child? That seemed like a recipe for disaster. Leaving Taehyung? That's like a free ticket for him back to Jennie.
He seemed serious about the things he demanded, I didn't know what to do.
It's like reliving my childhood trauma all over again.
***