I looked around as I unlocked the apartment building door. No Creepface, no suspicious people. But I still felt like I was being watched.
You're just full of nerves because Hajun was killed. Hurrying up the stairs, I locked the apartment door as soon as I entered.
"Jisuk, I'm home," I called. To my surprise, my roommate actually answered.
"It's about time," she said from the couch. "I thought I'd have to call your boss again to send you home."
I walked over to flop next to her. "Yeah, yeah. I thought you'd be out?"
"Nah. So how are you doing today?"
"I'm fine! Stop asking with that focused look on your face like you're waiting for me to crack!"
She sighed and moved to hug me. "Sorry Chunhwa. I know it's been a while since... well, you know, but you still worry me."
Fifty-six days since the event.
Hajun's death - the event that sharply divided my life. Before, a world of potential, with hard work and deadlines that I was contented to fulfill. Now, I had been plunged into a sphere that had previously only existed in the margins of my life - a realm of darkness and violence.
"I still can't get over what the police said - that it was a random killing. It doesn't make sense. How could someone have killed Hajun for no reason?"
Jisuk sighed. "We've been over this before. Sometimes people are just in the wrong place-"
"At the wrong time, I know, I know." I tossed a couch pillow at her. "It just makes me angry, that the killer is still out there and the police can't seem to manage to make any progress."
She sighed. "Go talk to the police. Light a fire under their lazy butts. Or stop talking about it."
I thought about the police. "No thanks, I'm not going to talk to that police officer who made me feel like a twelve-year-old that had watched too many scary movies."
"Then relax and trust the police. This is their job."
I nodded. She was right, and I needed to stop drawing connections where there were none.
Jisuk stood up. "How did your finals go?"
I sighed. I had just taken my last exam of the semester, and I started the summer internship at a news outlet in Seoul tomorrow.
"I don't think I did very well."
"I'm sure you did fine. Would you read over the essay I have to submit tomorrow? I'll make something quick for dinner."
I began reading over the essay. Several minutes later, I realized that I was just staring at the page.
"I'm sorry, Jisuk, I just can't concentrate."
"Is something bothering you?"
It took me a moment to search out the cause of my restlessness. I was trying to move on from Hajun's death, I really was. And I was doing fairly well, but something nagged at me.
I had an ugly feeling that things were not fine, like the police wanted me to believe. The two roses, the feeling of being watched... I had to wonder if someone was after me.
I was afraid of the possibility that Hajun could have been killed because of his involvement with me.
"Chunhwa?"
I looked over at Jisuk. "How would you explain the roses?"
She groaned. "That again? I told you, there were a ton of white flowers at the funeral and someone took one to put on your car and probably other cars too. And the red one is probably from some secret admirer."
"Jisuk... That would be a big coincidence."
"You're telling me you don't believe in coincidence?"
"Too many coincidences have happened to me." I turned to lie on the couch, staring at the ceiling. "Remember Creepface?"
"Of course." She came over and stood next to me. "Don't tell me you think he's behind this!"
I sighed. "I don't know."
She put her hands on her hips. "How many times have you seen him in all?"
I thought for a minute. "From May a couple of years ago to February or March of last year, I saw him frequently - two, three, or four times a week. And then once... no, twice, right after Christmas last year."
"So you've seen him twice in the past year?"
I sat up. "I guess it is pretty implausible to think that he would kill Hajun and bother me with roses." I thumped the couch cushion. "And even more improbable that anyone else would do that."
"I agree."
I sighed, reluctantly letting go of the weight that had been dragging on my shoulders. "I'm still keeping my eyes out, though."
"You go ahead and do that." She went back to the stove and pulled a pot off the burner. "But don't let it drive you crazy. You've been so jumpy lately."
"Sorry. I'll try to stop dreaming up bizarre scenarios." I joined her in the kitchen and helped dish up the kimchi stew.
She grinned at me. "Thanks. You were starting to get even me unnerved." Setting bowls of stew on the table, she pushed the textbooks and papers to the side. "Let's eat. And, just warning you," she said as I took a sip, "I might have accidentally made it really spicy."
She smiled sweetly at me as my face constricted and I broke into a sweat. "Cook dinner yourself next time," she said, calmly patting my hand.
I coughed. "Good idea."
*
Parking in front of the newspaper's building, I wondered how on earth I had managed to arrive forty minutes early. I didn't want to seem overeager, although I was looking forward to a new challenge - a new distraction. I looked around the street as a police car drove past. I liked the area - it seemed nice, and secure. It was a long drive, but I could deal with that for a summer. As long as the junker kept running.
My phone buzzed. I picked it up to see Jisuk's text - "Good luck." I smiled and was about to set my phone down when it went off again.
A text from Namjoon?
Hey Chunhwa, I was just
wondering what happened
when you left so suddenly
in the café last month?
Are you okay? Has your
boyfriend been found?
I sighed and set my head on the steering wheel. It was so hard to tell people what had happened; every time someone asked me about Hajun, or how I was doing after his death, I was freshly reminded of his brutal end.
This annoying guy. I didn't want to start the day this way.
It took you long enough to ask.
He was found Thursday night
in an alley, shot in the head.
The police say that he was
killed Monday night, the same
night he disappeared.
I'm so sorry, Chunhwa.
Are you okay?
I'm fine! I wish everyone
would stop asking that.
I'm sorry. Is there anything
I can do?
Give me some space.
I didn't feel bad in the slightest about shoving him off, until his next text came in.
Let me know if you need anything.
I'm sorry Namjoon, just
ignore me. Never mind.
I'm really sorry, Chunhwa.
Do you need to talk
to a neutral third party?
His repetition of my words to him gave me a slight smile.
Maybe sometime. Thanks.
I looked around, trying to convince myself that I wasn't miserable. I saw a police car drive by again. Well, this certainly was a well-regulated area, wasn't it?
Checking the time, I saw that I had twenty minutes. This was a good time to go in.
I gathered my things, checking everything. Phone, keys, charger, notepads, pens, pencils, laptop, wallet, ID, and my internship papers.
As I shoved everything into a bag, a third police car went by. Or the same one for the third time.
Did they think I was suspicious? I just was sitting in my car innocently! Just for twenty minutes!
I hurried to get out of my car, lock it and head inside the newspaper office. I am a responsible citizen, I mentally messaged the police car as it turned the corner.
Walking into the office, I greeted the lady at the front desk and gave her the papers. She directed me to an office on the second floor, telling me to give the papers to Park Doyun, the man in charge of all the interns.
As I knocked on the door, I had a burst of nerves. I was about to start working for a real newspaper - for a few months, anyways.
"I'm assuming you're one of the new interns?" the man said as he opened the door.
"Yes, I'm Jeong Chunhwa," I said, holding out the papers and bowing.
He took the papers and bowed back. "I'm Park Doyun. I'm overseeing the three summer interns."
I stood awkwardly as he went back into his office to check the papers.
"Congratulations, you're the first one here," he said, handing me a flyer. "Go ahead and make two hundred copies of this. Basement, third door on the right from the elevator. You can't miss it."
I bowed, reigning in my irritation. I'm an intern, I reminded myself.
I was standing for a good ten minutes while the copier churned out the flyers. Grabbing the thick stack, I hurried back to Park Doyun's office, hoping that no one would bump into me or knock the papers out of my hands.
As I was entering the office, two young men rushed in, slamming into me. I squeaked as the papers flew out of my hands and scattered over the floor.
I turned to glare at the boys. "Will you help me pick these up?"
They looked at each other and laughed. "Sure," they said in unison. They bent down to pick up the flyers, racing to see who could pick more up first.
"Now that you're all here, I'll show you around," Park Doyun said. "Pay attention, because we don't want you getting lost."
The two boys jumped up to shove the flyers into my hands. I set the stack on the desk and examined the boys. "Are you the other interns?" I asked as we followed Park Dohyun.
"You're the other intern?" one asked.
"What's your name?"
"Jeong Chunhwa."
The boys looked at each other and it seemed like they were talking without words.
"Pardon my asking, but are you twins?" I asked after a moment of silence.
"No, just really good friends." They beamed at me.
"Okay."
One of them pinched the other, who retaliated by silently pretending to punch him. When Park Doyun turned around to explain something to us, I was shocked by how fast the two of them stood up straight and pretended they'd been doing nothing.
Great. The other two interns were literal children.
*
I looked at the list of facts and numbers I had to check - halfway through.
Tedium. That described my day so far. Tedium, with a splash of chaos provided by the other two interns.
"Jeong Chunhwa!" one of them called too loudly.
"Yes?"
"It's lunchtime. Let's get out of here!"
"I brought my own lunch." I looked at the next item on my list.
"So did we, but we're going to a park to eat it. Come on."
My interest pricked up. A park? As in outside? "But won't it take too long to go there and get back?"
"Not if we take your car!"
I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, is that why you want me to come?"
"Yeah, kind of."
"How did you know I had a car?"
"We were walking here from the bus when we saw you get out of your car. Can we go now? Before we don't have time?"
I sighed. "Just this once."
They raced to fetch their lunches, and I grabbed my own food and my keys.
Driving to the park with two adult children arguing over the directions was something I never wanted to experience again. When we arrived, though, I was glad I'd come.
This park was nice and open, and it was relaxing to sit outdoors and feel the sunshine.
I cringed as the two boys ran by, talking far too loud. I'd have to come back again... without them.
It was nice to be in a new place, with no reminders of Hajun and no people constantly checking up on me to see if I was "okay." Looking at the sky, I smiled. It was the first time in a long time I'd felt this relaxed.
My phone started buzzing, and I looked to see who was calling. Smiling, I answered quickly. "Hello, Areum! How are you?"
"I'm good. How about you?"
"I'm fine. How's the job?"
"Good. And you're starting an internship soon, right?"
I grinned. "I actually started this morning. Hopefully it gets better."
"Sorry," she said. "So I was wondering if you could come with me and my parents when we go on vacation at the end of summer?"
"That's a long way away," I said.
She laughed shortly. "I know, but we've been planning this for a while. I was going to invite Seulgi, but... that's obviously not happening."
"I see. I'll have to check my schedule – maybe I could come up for the weekend at least."
Areum's voice warmed up. "Thanks, Chunhwa. I miss you."
"I miss you too, friend. I should get back to work. See you later."
The two boy-men ran by on their way to my car. I sighed. I have a feeling this is going to be a strange internship.