Walking into work, I greeted everyone and headed to my desk. Sighing, I set down my heavy backpack with a thump. What was even in there?
I looked down at my desk to see a single rose lying there. No note.
Smiling softly, I picked up the red flower. I liked the elegance of one flower better than a full bouquet, something I hadn't thought Hajun would guess.
I set the rose gently off to the side of my desk and began work. A few minutes later, Hajun hurried to my desk. "Chunhwa, I have the pictures!" He stopped and stared at my desk. "Where did you get that rose?"
I looked over at him, ready to laugh and thinking he was joking, but his face was genuinely confused. My skin prickled.
"I thought it was from you," I said slowly.
"No," he said. "I wouldn't have given you one measly flower, I'd have gotten a whole bunch."
One corner of my mouth smiled. "Then I don't know where I got it. It was sitting here, with no note, when I got here this morning."
Hajun frowned. "That's weird."
I nodded, staring at the rose.
"Why don't you ask around the office and see if you can find anything out? And let me know if anything else weird happens," he said.
"Yep. Didn't you say something about pictures?" I said.
He smiled suddenly. "Look!" He spread out a dozen pictures on my desk. "These are the best ones."
I looked at the pictures from our evening at the Cheonggeyecheon River linear park. Hajun had insisted on doing something special for what he called our 'one-month couple anniversary,' even though I thought it unnecessary. He'd gone nuts with the picture-taking.
"They are nice," I said.
He pulled his wallet out. "Pick out some pictures of you that I can keep in my wallet, and some pictures of me that you can keep in your purse."
I smiled unbelievingly. He was so very enthusiastic about this relationship. It wasn't that I didn't like being his girlfriend; it was just hard to equal his unbridled eagerness.
"Here," I said, and handed him one of the both of us and two just of me. I chose vice versa for myself and tucked them in my purse.
"Thanks for going with me," he said. "I had a lot of fun."
"So did I," I said. I turned and held his hand. "Have you realized that it's only a month or two until the semester ends and I start my internship for the summer?"
He pouted. "I'm going to miss you so much, Chunhwa!"
"I'll miss you too," I said. "Don't get too crazy if you don't see me almost every day."
"I'll try." He sighed dramatically.
I squeezed his hand. "I should get back to work."
"Are you busy tonight?" he asked.
"Actually, yes. I need to get some substantial work done on a paper. What about tomorrow evening?"
"It's a date!" He winked and headed off to his own desk. I turned my eyes to my desk and saw the rose. Where did you come from?
Some weirdo who didn't know about Hajun, who wasn't brave enough to confess to my face? I didn't care to spend any time thinking about it.
Creepface suddenly came across my mind. But I hadn't seen him recently...
But I hadn't been looking or paying attention, either.
I picked up the rose. Who? And why? And how?
My boss walked by, and I hurried to put the rose down and get back to work. I couldn't let this puzzle stop me.
*
"Jisuk," I called as I walked into the apartment. No answer.
I grumbled. "Out with the calculus guy again?" I saw a note on the table, and indeed she was out. Again.
I sighed and flopped onto the couch, really wanting to talk to someone. I had asked around at the office, but no one had seen anything or knew anything about the rose. I was starting to get really creeped out.
I pulled the rose out of my purse and looked at it. Then I threw it in the trash.
Picking up my phone, I stared at it. Did I have the courage to call Areum and Seulgi again?
Whatever. I pressed call and waited for Seulgi's voicemail. When, as expected, he didn't pick up, I said, "Hey Seulgi. This is Jeong Chunhwa. I'm your sister, in case you forgot. I really miss you and I have a lot of important stuff I wanted to tell you about. Like, a lot. A few months ago I decided that Creepface wasn't following me, and I started dating this guy, and something creepy happened, and I really want to talk to you. Please call me back. Stop ignoring me."
I tried Areum next. Voicemail as well. "Hi Areum, this is Chunhwa. Where have you been? I've got news for you. Please call me."
I'd tried texting and calling so many times. My parents assured me that Areum and Seulgi were still alive, but neither of them seemed to be communicating with anyone just now.
Why not? What had happened? No one knew, or cared to tell me.
Sighing, I set my phone down and went to get my laptop. I was getting so tired of papers and tests... and it was only Monday.
I moved my phone over so that I could work at the table, and checked it just in case Seulgi or Areum had called back. No such luck.
Where they ignoring everyone else as blatantly as they were ignoring me? They had to talk to their parents a little bit, to keep respect, but were they ignoring their other friends?
How about Namjoon? Were they ignoring him? I wanted to find out what he knew.
Hi Namjoon, it's Chunhwa.
Have you heard from Areum
or Seulgi recently?
He didn't respond, and I figured either he was busy with idol stuff or he was ignoring me too.
I settled to working on my stupid paper and tried to erase my frown. Just smile, I heard in Hajun's voice. How many times had he told me that, just when I needed it most?
*
I got up early the next morning, wondering when Jisuk had come back. I'd finished the first draft of my paper and gone to bed at eleven, with no sign of my roommate.
She was always out with the calculus guy now. We'd talked maybe twice in the past week.
My phone buzzed, and I grabbed it quickly, expecting it to be a text from Hajun. But it was Namjoon, finally replying to last night's text.
I haven't gotten in touch with
either of them in a while. Why?
Neither of them are answering
my texts or calls.
It took him a few minutes to reply, so I pulled some leftovers out of the fridge and began to heat them up for breakfast.
They answered my texts.
Of course they did.
Is there anything you wanted
me to ask them?
I thought, chewing slowly. Ask them why they were ignoring me? No, that wouldn't fix anything.
Not really, I just want to talk
to them myself.
Why aren't they answering you?
I have no idea.
I'll ask them.
You don't have to! It's okay!
Another long pause. I changed and fixed my hair, then began to pull my work things together.
I already asked them. They said
they weren't ignoring you.
That's a downright lie. You
have no clue how many times
I tried to call them both.
That's weird.
I know.
I hesitated for a moment, then barged ahead. What was the harm in asking? The worst he could do is say no.
Would it be okay if sometime
we got together so I could
use your phone to call them?
Is it that bad?
Yes.
I should have an hour on
Thursday evening, if you
would be willing to meet me
here in Seoul.
Thank you so much!
When and where?
I'll let you know.
Thank you Namjoon!
It's nothing.
I really, really appreciate it.
He didn't answer, and I finished getting ready and headed for work.
I was leaving my desk for a class at ten when I realized Hajun hadn't stopped by to see me yet today - an unusual occurrence. Oh well, he must've been busy.
When I came back into the newspaper office after lunch, my boss came to my desk. "Chunhwa, have you seen Hajun today?"
I looked at him. "No, isn't he here?"
"He's not here. Do you know where he is?"
"No, I don't." I picked up my phone and hurriedly texted him. "I'll let you know when I hear back."
My boss walked away muttering.
I stood up and walked around the office, verifying for myself that Hajun wasn't here. Where could that kid be?
When I got back to my desk I texted him again: You'd better explain yourself, young one.
I tried my best to focus on my work through the next few hours, watching the clock and hoping for my phone to go off. As soon as I was allowed to I bolted out of work and hurried to the bus.
As I walked into Hajun's family's restaurant, the familiar aura greeted me and lifted my hopes. I hurried to speak with Hajun's mother. "Have you seen Hajun?"
She lifted her eyebrows. "No! That silly boy didn't show up to help here last night."
"Really?" A knot of worry developed in my stomach.
"Yejun!" she called. "Come here!" She turned to me. "Yejun probably saw him, since they share a room. I have to attend to my customers!"
I hoped Hajun's older brother knew a little more than his mother.
"Chunhwa! Just couldn't stay away from this handsome face, huh?"
I glared at him, not in the mood for his stupid jokes. "Do you know where Hajun is?"
Yejun looked at me. "No. I thought you would."
"No, he didn't show up for work this morning. When's the last time you saw him?"
Yejun thought. "When he left for work last morning, blabbing on about those pictures."
"He didn't come home last night?!"
"No."
I looked at him. "And you weren't worried?"
"I thought he might be with you." Yejun winked.
I frowned, knowing what was going through his gutter-entrenched mind. "Yah! After one month? You are the worst!"
"But he wasn't?"
"No, I haven't seen him since he left work yesterday!" I looked at my phone. "And he's not answering my texts!"
"Did you guys have a fight?"
"No!"
"Did he seem different?"
"No, he was the same sunny boy."
Yejun looked at me. "Nothing strange happened?"
My mind shot to the rose. But that didn't have anything to do with Hajun. "I don't think so."
"I'll ask around with his friends." Yejun patted my shoulder. "Don't worry, Chunhwa. He'll show up."