Quest for Joy

Chapter 7

"Oh my, what happened!? Why is she unconscious!?" Another voice followed.

Taeyeon looked at the three girls who walked towards her in hasty steps. "You know her?"

"You don't? That's Bae Joohyun! The daughter of..." The youngest looking girl announced, scolding her for being rude, but earned a smack on her head.

"BE QUIET, YERI!"

"STOOPID JOY! Not the head!! It messes up my hair." Yeri protested, hands covering her head.

"Yeri now's not the time!" Seulgi hissed at her.

"Hi, my name is Joy. This is Yeri and Seulgi." The taller of the three introduced them. "Yeah, she is our friend. Can you tell us what happened?"

Taeyeon recalled every detail about the guys he saw and what she witnessed. The news shocked the group speechless, even the 10-year-old Yeri looked guilty and didn't mutter one more word.

"I knew this wasn't a good idea." Seulgi broke the silence. She walked towards her to take Joohyun from her.

"Why was she in a club in the first place? She is definitely not 19 years old."

"It's our fault, we have been curious what's it like in there, so Joohyun went in because she is the oldest. But how could anyone know that what we were doing tonight? It's not like we planned this ahead, it was just a random idea that popped in our heads today." Joy scratched her head, trying to think hard of who might want to do this to Joohyun.

"Hey. You mustn't tell this to anyone." Seulgi followed up in a cold and grave tone. "No one must know that she was here. We are serious."

It amazes Taeyeon how serious these teenagers can sound when it comes to their friend's safety. She nodded. "That's why I took her out the backdoor and didn't go for the main entrance."

"Thank you so much." Joy thanked her gratefully, sounding much more relieved than before, her hand placed over her chest.

"Not a problem." Taeyeon smiled, glad she did the right thing. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Depend on what it is." Seulgi answered.

"Who is Park Eunhaeng?"

"That's my art tutor..." Seulgi answered again with knitted eyebrows, wondering what the stranger who found Joohyun wanted with her. "Why do you want to know?"

"Did she move here about three years ago?"

Seulgi's brows twitched. "You guys knew each other?"

"I don't. My friend couldn't find her friend with the same name. I saw her ID in your friend's pocket and thought her name sounded familiar."

"Ah, I see. We kind of 'borrowed' her ID." The younger girl scratched the back of her head nervously. "Again, please don't tell anyone if anyone asks."

"Don't worry. I don't have any bad intentions towards your tutor."

"It's late, we should probably get going..." Joy announced after checking the time.

"Ok, thanks again for saving Joohyun." Seulgi said, taking a glance at the unconscious girl.

The group was about to leave when Taeyeon remembered the girl talking to her as if she was her sister in her drunken state.

"Maybe you guys should take her to her sister. She seems to miss her."

The three girls stopped in their tracks and looked at each other with puzzled, but alert eyes. "What sister?" Joy asked her.

"She was still awake when I found her, and she kept calling me her sister and how she always protected her..."