The most powerful families in South Korea gather together in Chantelle Manor for the first time. A formal assembly took a wrong turn when a guest's daughter was found dead in her room. Ten suspects and a young, reputable detective meet and find them...
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"The letters!" France exclaimed and accidentally spilled the wine all over him. "Shit--" He laid the glass on the table and stood, wiping the liquid off his shirt. "I totally forgot about her." Sighing, he sat down again and stared blankly at the floor. "Right. It was Winnie."
Weeks after the incident in the elevator, he was finally able to understand why Winnie would avoid him every time they crossed paths. "This is bad," France said to himself. "I wonder if her leg's okay now." He remembered rejecting one of his classmates, and her leg bled that day. He encountered many people until he couldn't remember who he rejected. "Ugh! How am I supposed to act now that I know? It certainly won't make the situation any better if I told her that I remembered what happened."
"Hey, France!" Geo's voice coming from the other side of the door startled him. "I need to tell you something important. Do you have a minute?" Geo had to speak louder. He was almost close to shouting because the noise outside made his voice inaudible. The people in the corridor started judging him. "Hehe. He'll notice me more like this."
The door opened, and France went out, still wearing that blank expression.
"Woah. Is everything okay? I've never seen you looking like that since we met. And I can't even remember faces!" Geo looked closely and 'ooohed'. "This is beyond serious. Rarer than a blue moon--"
"Did I make her like that?" France suddenly asked. "Is she scared of meeting people... because of what I did?" He looked at Geo with a worried face, leaving the latter dumbstruck. "She still remembers that day after all these years?"
"What are you talking about? You're creeping me out, France. You've never acted like this before over a girl. You said it yourself--they're just a bunch of flowers that wither over time in your eyes. Who is it this time?" Geo asked.
"I figured out why Winnie runs away from me all the time. I fucked her up." Geo furrowed his brows. Winnie Park? Ohhh... The introverted one. They had something going on in the past? I never would've imagined that. France doesn't look like the type of guy she likes. Geo thought. "I thought they're all the same! Most of the time, they forget about what happened. They'll laugh it off and move on. I didn't know Winnie ended up like this."
"So, now you feel guilty? If she hadn't acted like that, you wouldn't have realized how insensitive and unfair you are, France." France raised a brow at what Geo said. "I think I've kept my mouth shut for too long. You have to hear it. As your friend, I've seen how you treat people. Their rank and background don't matter to you. You treat them equally but for the wrong reasons. When someone comes, you always think it's just temporary and fuck them up so you can hang out with a new one. Then, you do the same thing. I was actually surprised when you always asked me to hang out with you back then because... it's not like you."
"Oh, so you've been keeping that from me for years?" France scoffed and crossed his arms. "I end everything if I know it's not gonna work. You think I want to fuck people over just because I want to? What I did to Winnie in the past was..." he sighed, remembering everything he said that day. "...was too much. I'm aware--"
"Then why'd you do it if you know it's harsh?!"
"Because I was fucking immature! Okay?! I've grown, and I have better reasons now. Before, I thought she was weird, and the others didn't like her. That's why I thought she was no good! Who would want to date a girl everyone dislikes?" France's lips trembled. "I didn't have my own opinion on things back then. I always listen to what others think."
Geo clicked his tongue and nodded. "I think you should go and apologize to her. You know what you did wrong now. You already know what to apologize for."
"That won't make any difference. I told her I wouldn't bother her anymore. It'll only complicate things. Besides, Winnie will do fine if I stay out of her sight. That's what she told me." France looked at Geo, nodding in agreement with what he said. "Enough about this. What did you want to talk about?"
"I almost forgot!" Geo clears his throat before starting. "My mom said the parents might leave the hotel for a seminar. They won't be here for a whole week. That means us kids will be left alone, right?"
"Right," France said. "What about it?"
"I don't feel good about that. What if someone breaks in?" Geo asked with fear in his voice. "Our parents won't be here to look out for us. What are we gonna do?"
"Don't be silly. We're a bunch of grown-ups. And Kane's killer won't do the same shit again in this building. There's nothing to worry about." France was closing the door, then Geo suddenly pulled his arm, stopping him. "What?"
"What do you mean 'Kane's killer'? They said it was suicide. She had burdens and..." Geo gasped, his eyes growing wide in sync. "Now I get it. It's their way of burying the case, isn't it?"
"Did you seriously believe their bullshit? Kane had no burdens as far as I remember. Anyone close to her would know that she was not the type to kill herself over problems." France explained.
"That just makes things worse. How can you be sure that Kane's killer won't attack again? No one caught that person yet because they made it look like it was suicide. We're not safe!" Geo exclaimed, grabbing his hair in fear.
"We don't know who it was. It could be... one of the grown-ups even. If the person does attack again, it will only reveal their identity. That detective will find a connection between the victims. It will then lead him to the culprit. If that person's smart, there won't be a second murder."
"Why would they kill Kane, though?" Geo asked. "Does anyone hate her?"
"I don't know. But, the killer has a strong reason, no doubt. Murder is too noisy. There's no way that person only did that for fun, knowing we all have to maintain a good reputation in this country. They should cover it up properly."
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Reaaaaally short chapter 'cause I'm struggling with my projects😥 Another something-something will be revealed in the next chapter! I hope it can make up for this😅
I wanted to show a bit of France's side in his past with Winnie. No, he did not have amnesia. It's just because his encounters with other people (specifically women) are not very significant to him. More of him soon though!👀
Happy Easter everyone! I hope the chapter was alright🤍
