𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 || 𝗣.𝗦𝗛

[ 37 ]

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
- SHE'S A MURDERER -
───── ⋆♡⋆ ─────

"Here," Sunghoon's grandmother said as she set a cup of coffee on the table for Sunghoon and placed a chocolate chip cookie next to it. "You must eat and drink well."

Sunghoon looked up at his grandmother and smiled before taking the cup of coffee in his hands and bringing the cup to his lips. He took a sip and then set the cup on the table. "Thank you."

Grandma giggled and sat down across from Sunghoon at the table. She bent over a little and ruffled his hair. "You seem cheerful today. Did something happen that your favorite grandma doesn't know about?" She laughed.

"Something like that," Sunghoon chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders. He quickly took a bite of his cookie.

"Tell me everything! Or as your generation calls it, spill the tea!"

"Grandma! Stop!" Sunghoon laughed with his mouth full.

His grandmother laughed along with him. "I was just kidding!" She said. "Just tell your story."

Sunghoon swallowed the last bite of his cookie. "Jungwon, Jake and I found out with the three of us that Jiwoo is still alive so I have another chance to run into her and tell her everything."

The smile that was on Sunghoon's grandmother's face slowly faded away. She licked her lips before looking up at her grandson, who sat across from her with a widespread smile.

It was hard for her to believe. She had hoped that after the news report, Sunghoon would now finally pick up his life, but so has his reasons for believing that Jiwoo is still alive.

She's dead, right?

Sunghoon's grandmother sighed softly so that Sunghoon himself could just barely hear. Then his grandmother put a fake smile on her face. "I'm so happy for you, dear!" She said with doubts in her voice. "I hope you see her again soon and build a beautiful life with her."

The boy smiled and took another sip of his coffee. He choked as something suddenly popped into his head. He coughed a few times and patted his chest. After coughing it out, Sunghoon looked up. "Had you heard that Dad was back?"

Grandma looked up in fright. Her eyes widened. "Your father is back?"

Sunghoon nodded. "I ran into him suddenly yesterday, but he was acting so strange and-"

"Stay away from him," his grandmother warned. "He hasn't taken care of you in years! Don't believe anything he says, because he's a dirty liar!"

Sunghoon fell silent. He blinked his eyes innocently a few times and quickly stood up from his chair. Why was his grandma suddenly so angry?

"Understood," he said. "I'm going to take a walk through the park."

He walked over to the sofa and grabbed his headphones from there. Then he walked through to the hallway of the house and put on his coat and shoes.

"What about your coffee?" His grandmother yelled from the kitchen.

"I'm not thirsty anymore and if I do get thirsty I'll buy some at a stand or something!" Sunghoon yelled back. "See you later!"

With those words, Sunghoon opened the front door, put his headphones on his head and walked out the door before closing it behind his back. His grandma couldn't even say anything back to him. He put on some music and walked towards the park.

Finally some peace.

-

"Good morning!" Jiwoo giggled as she ran down the stairs toward the living room of the house. She smelled a familiar scent, the smell of home.

It felt good to be home again. Like a big cloud of warmth embracing you and making you feel like you were right here in your place and didn't need to go anywhere else.

After three years it was finally here, finally home again.

And it felt amazing.

"Don't fall down the stairs!" Her brother's voice sounded like delight to her ears. The voice she hadn't heard in years was finally back.

Her lips slowly formed a smile. "Calm down, Jungwon! I sure know how to climb stairs," she chuckled.

Jungwon, who was sitting on the living room couch, chuckled too. When Jiwoo was downstairs, she plopped down on the couch next to Jungwon and laid her head down on his shoulder.

Her brother cast a glance toward her as he admired her sister's new features. "You've changed a lot," He said as he ran his hands through her hair. "Who cut your hair so short and dyed it?"

Jiwoo closed her eyes. "A guy I was living with. He never told me his name by the way," She replied. "The whole story takes so long to tell. Maybe a few minutes, maybe an hour or maybe even a whole week!"

"You don't have to tell it now either," Jungwon said soothingly. "Take the time you need for it. You're here now and that's the most important to me."

Jiwoo giggled. "Aw! I've never heard such words of you coming out of that mouth of yours! You really changed!" She said.

"Too bad I didn't get to see my lovely big brother grow up!" She said in a squeaky voice as she smiled teasingly and squeezed Jungwon's cheeks.

"Argh! Stop it!" Jungwon said irritated as he slapped his sister's hands away. "I'm not a kid anymore, Jiwoo!"

"Now this is the Jungwon I know," Jiwoo laughed.

Jungwon laughed along after a few seconds. He ruffled her hair. "What do you want to do today?"

Jiwoo cheerfully jumped up from the couch and spread her arms. "I want to meet everyone again today that I haven't seen all these years! Like Jake and Eunji! But I especially want to see Sunghoon."

"So soon already? Shouldn't you get your rest first? You came running yesterday like you were a hobo and-"

"It doesn't matter! I feel fine!" Jiwoo said. "I'm going for a walk in the park!" She continued. "See you later this afternoon!"

Jungwon looked up at his little sister in concern, who meanwhile ran happily toward the hallway of the house to get her ready to go out.

"Be careful, will you?" Jungwon called from the living room.

"I will always do that! No worries!" Jiwoo called back.

Then the front door sounded, opening and a moment later closing.

She is so happy now that she is home now. After all, I hope it won't get her in trouble. Not that she will come home later with a broken leg, an exhausted body or like how she looked yesterday.

Jungwon sighed as he thought about his thoughts and leaned back on the couch. He turned on the TV to watch television.

The news was playing with the subtitle: dead body found in a vent in a party room.

Jungwon enlarged his eyes and turned up the volume of the television so he could hear the reporter.

"This is where it all happened," the reporter began as he stood in a party room. Behind him were all the police and investigation teams. "Last night a boy of about 25 years old was murdered here by a girl of 21. It seems to be about this girl:"

The TV image flashed to a picture of a girl in an alley taken by a camera from a store. The girl was wearing a light pink dress that was completely ruined at the bottom. She had no shoes on and her shoulders were bare. She had black, short hair and had blood stains on top of her breasts. She also had bruises on her face, like a cut in her lip and some blood under her nose.

Jungwon enlarged his eyes when he saw the picture. The girl looked exactly like his own sister.

It wouldn't be...