Treasure From The Stars

Chapter 35

Three Years Ago, March 3...

I heard shuffling. It was loud enough to wake me up.

I tossed and turned, but it was too noisy.

I checked the clock and it read, 6 am. I yawned.

I got out of bed and pulled on a sweatshirt over my head.

Slowly, I crept down the stairs. As I rubbed my eyes, I asked, "Mom? Dad? Is everything alright?" I sat down halfway down the stairs. I saw them by the front door and I thought I heard them sniffling.

As my senses began to become clearer, I heard the police sirens outside. My eyes widened, realizing that there were officers at our house.

I stood up and walked down. And as I passed by our open living room, the flickering tv caught my eye.

"Early this morning, singer Choi Yujun was found dead in his studio. It has been concluded to be suicide. Reporter Jin, please, take the floor."

A reporter in front of Glorious Entertainment appeared on screen, "Yes. Early this morning, approximately 3 am, the solo artist was found dead by a staff member. She had entered the studio to check and prepare for a recording session planned for later in the day, but she had found Choi Yujun dead. With too much blood loss, doctors could not do anything to save him. It had been too late."

In shock, I froze in front of the tv.

I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to.

I hoped someone would come and tell us that it was fake, that it wasn't true. But that someone never came.

I turned to the front door. I only saw the back of my parents and so, I mentally prayed that they would turn around and tell me that this was all a lie.

But they didn't get the message.

Instead, the police officer in front of them matched eye contact with me.

I stared into their eyes for a few good seconds, but in no time, he bowed his head.

I got the message.

Yujun was gone.

And it wasn't a lie.

It was the truth.

✩☽☆☾✩

My sister came home later that night.

She had dark circles and looked twice as weary as the rest of us. She immediately walked into her room and slammed her door shut. And I didn't see her for a good two weeks.

The curiosity of what she was going through was a bit overwhelming- I knew the impact of Yujun's death was great, but she had never been as close with Yujun as he was with me.

But the curiosity didn't have to stay long.

I overheard her conversation with my mother.

"Honey... Is-"

"Yujun's dead because of me," my sister lay on her bed in her dark lit room.

"Don't say that- It's not something that we could've-"

"I could've!" she raised her voice.

A bit startled, my mother took a step back.

"I took that night off to hang out with some friends. I hadn't seen them recently and I was all too excited. That night- the worst scandal about him was posted... I could've stopped it before he saw it- I could've taken it down... But I was partying with my friends that night. It's my fault... All- my... fault." She choked on her words. "I was the one who found Yujun dead. I went back to the recording studio to set things up, so that I wouldn't have to do it later. But I found Yujun- There was blood everywhere. I was horrified. I called 119, but it was too late. I checked his computer, which was open- He had seen the scandal and that's when I realized I made the biggest mistake."

Water watered in my mother's eyes. Slowly, she shook her head, "It's not your fault- It's mine." My mother sighed, "He gave me a call that night- He asked if he should come home, but I told him..." She whispered the last part, "No." She looked up at the ceiling, "I told him he should just work on his upcoming comeback- I asked why he'd want to come to this poor, half-dead house. He should just rest at the brand new, modern dorm of his. Now that I think about it, it must've sounded so cold to him."

At that moment, I wished the walls were thicker.

My whole body stung with emotions. I wished I hadn't heard it all.

I clamped my hand over my mouth, not wanting to make a sound. I walked over to my phone and I flipped it over to look at the phone case. The case with three stars... And there were three of them- One of me, another for Yujun, and the last one for unnie.

Without a second thought, I aggressively pulled the phone case off.

I opened the last drawer and threw it in. I kicked it so it would close and I dropped my phone back onto my table.

I lay on my bed, not sure what to do with everything.

The journal Yujun had gifted shined in my eyes.

I grabbed it, along with a pen.

I began writing everything out. From the grief to the shock, and the betrayal I felt.

And I apparently, eventually, fell asleep.

Because when I opened my eyes, it was already morning.

I looked down at my journal, which I had hugged all night. Half the writing had been smeared and smudged because of the tears I had shed.