Chapter 3

It has been two weeks that Ahn Leina has not reach out to Yeong-hae. Whatever that happen to her, Yeong-hae could only imagine the worst.

Yeong-hae transferred some of the files in her pen-drive and put it in her handbag. She straightens her back and scanned everyone working in the office. Most of them were sleep deprived and looked dead with the dark eye-bags. She squinted over to Jia’s desk and saw her staring at her PC screen with such a stern look and her fingers not letting the keyboard breath. Jia was in charge of tracking down Ahn Leina.

Yeong-hae clapped to get her sub-ordinates attention. “How many of you want coffee?”

Everyone raised their hands in a flash. Yeong-hae shook her head and left the office with her purse.

She stood in line in the Monday café where they usually get their coffee. There were five people in front of her waiting for their turn. The TV in the café switched from a show to the morning news. The news updated on a case against a company CEO where the accused was released due to lack of evidence. The rich would become more powerful and the poor will be weaker. The threshold between the two has turned to a giant wall that could not be easily destructed. It was inevitable that the one with more power would win and the result of the war was already known before it began.

“Miss? Can I take your order?”

Yeong-hae snapped back to the present and stared at the young woman standing behind the counter. She was smiling at Yeong-hae while looking in her eyes. The quirky gaze made her stand there still as if she was chained around.

The woman still smiling, spoke again. “Miss? There are people waiting behind.”

“Yes. Um…I will have 7 coffees.”

The woman requested her to wait at one of the vacant tables till they call her name. Yeong-hae turned back to look at the woman one more time before sitting down on a chair.

Yeong-hae placed her hand on the chest to feel her heartbeat. ‘What just happened to me? My heart just skipped a beat.’ She took out her phone to check for updates on cases and time passed by.

“Miss Kim Yeong-hae?”

Yeong-hae lift her head and the coffee woman was standing there with her order. She quickly stood up and take the coffee.

“Are you new here?” Yeong-hae asked.

“No. I have been working here for a month now. Night shift. I started the morning shift yesterday.”

Yeong-hae replied. “I asked because I have not seen you before. Well, thank you for the coffee and have a great day. Miss- “, Yeong-hae read the name tag on the woman’s shirt. “Hanbyeol.”

>>>

[6:30 pm]

Yeong-hae got off work and was on her way to the car parking. She got in and started the engine. She checked herself on the back mirror and fixed her hair. “This pretty face can’t even get a man.”

In a distant, she saw a young boy sneaking up behind a middle-aged woman. She sighed and got off the car. The boy snatched the woman’s bag and ran off. The woman shouted and ran after him frantically calling for help. She could not run further and gasped for air. Right that moment, Yeong-hae dash off by her side, running after the boy.

The boy ran into a lane and jumped across the wall to land on another lane. A wall was not going to stop well trained Yeong-hae. She too jumped the wall and took a short-cut to catch the boy. And as she had hoped, the boy came to the end of the short-cut. The boy cursed at her and ran to the opposite side into the main road.

As soon as he reached the main road, he crashed with a motorbike. Yeong-hae caught up to him and pinned him on the ground. “How brave you are to mug someone in front of a police station.” She smacked him on the head when he struggled to break free.

“Noo. Look at this. It’s scratched.” The owner of the bike complained. Soon people gathered around to see what was going on.

Yeong-hae cuffed the boy and turned to the owner. “You can come at the police- Hanbyeol?”

The frowning face instantly turned to a delighted face. “You- are a police officer?”

Hanbyeol came along with Yeong-hae to the police station. The bag was returned to the owner and the boy was put in detention till his guardian appear. Yeong-hae helped Hanbyeol to file a complaint and get compensation from the boy’s family.

Hanbyeol filled out the complaint form and handed it to Yeong-hae. Looking at it, “Moon Hanbyeol”, Yeong-hae read and took a quick look at the rest. “You can wait for the guardian to show up and make the settlement.”

“Are you leaving?” Hanbyeol asked.

“Yes. Is there anything that you need?”

“How long do I have to wait?”

Yeong-hae sighed. “I don’t know.” She glanced at the officer behind the desk, “Ask him if you want to know anything.” With this, she walked out of the station.

Without a delay, Hanbyeol requested the officer to give her a call when the guardian comes and ran after Yeong-hae. Catching up to her, “Hi again,” Hanbyeol smiled.

“Are you not waiting for your money?” said Yeong-hae, without batting an eye to Hanbyeol. “Um!” Hanbyeol hummed readily.

“Why do you want to file a complaint for a small scratch?” Yeong-hae asked as she and Hanbyeol walked towards the parking lot.

“I worked hard to buy it. Why would I let anyone get away for scratching it, intentionally or not?”

Yeong-hae chuckled. “Yeah right. You worked hard for it. Reasonable.”

Hanbyeol suddenly beamed and asked, “Do you want me to drop you? I can give you a ride.”

Yeong-hae stopped and raised her eyebrow.

“Hey, I have a driving license.”

“Did I say anything?” Yeong-hae smirked and stopped in-front of her car. “Thank you for the offer but I have my own ride.” Yeong-hae got in and drove off leaving Hanbyeol to stand there, watching her drive away.

>>>

“Grandmaaa…”

“Oh, my baby. You are home.” Granny Kim hugged Yeong-hae to welcome her back. “Did you do something good today?”

“Of course. I helped another woman again.” Yeong-hae sat down with a thud on the couch.

Granny Kim brought a glass of juice and placed it on the table for Yeong-hae. “You are coming with me tomorrow, right?”

Yeong-hae thumbs up as she gulped in the juice. “10 am sharp.”

Granny Kim smiled watching her granddaughter laying dramatically on the couch. “Aigoo, I have such a good granddaughter. She takes care of me even than my own daughter.” Yeong-hae burst out laughing. “Mom will be angry if she hears it.”

That night, Yeong-hae helped her grandmother in making dinner. Everything was prepared and the table was set. They prayed for the daily bread and started to eat.

In the middle, Yeong-hae stopped eating to ask something. “Grandma, say if there is a group of people and one of them is telling a story but I don’t know who. I really want to know about it but I can’t hear them, and none will share the story to me. What should I do to know the story and the person narrating it?”

Granny Kim put down her chopsticks and thought for a while. “If you are really curious about it, why don’t you join the group then? If that is possible.”

“I am not sure about joining the group. Is there another way?”

“Force them?”

“I don’t want to piss them off too.”

“What story is it that you want to know? If it about some lousy guys, then don’t listen to them.” Granny Kim snapped. “You will soon be thirty. Go and find yourself a man instead.”

“Woman?”

“Jia?”

“She’s a baby!” Yeong-hae shouted, making her grandmother to laugh out loud.

That night, Yeong-hae laid on her bed brooding where Ahn Leina could be and if she was still alive.