In The Dark (SNOWDROP)

"the whole story"

❄︎ — chapter 22 — ❄︎

After a regular and relatively boring day at the ANSP office, Lee Kangmu wasn't keen to spend another long evening alone, so Jang Hanna agreed to let him come with her to visit her parents.

Not much had happened that day. Hanna had gone in for a long meeting with Chief Ahn Gyeonghui, but when it was finally over she refused to relay any details to Kangmu or anyone else, saying they weren't important. Kangmu trusted Hanna, but even he could see something was bothering her that she wasn't willing to talk about. She'd only told him it was something personal before shutting down all further questions. The rest of the Haegeumseong 1 team was still out on the manhunt, and soon after the meeting she went with Dongjae to scout for a couple of hours.

The end of the day came around, and Kangmu and Hanna got ready to leave for Hanna's parents' estate outside of Seoul, where Hanna herself had grown up and where they had first met at an ANSP company meeting hosted by her father, who was close friends with Eun Changsu and Ahn Gyeonghui.

Kangmu stayed in his work clothes, not wanting to dress any more or any less formally. Hanna changed into a pair of jeans and black polo shirt. Despite the summer's heat, Kangmu brought along his heavy overcoat.

The estate was a good forty-five-minute drive from Hanna's apartment. As she drove up the long winding driveway, Hanna noticed her father's car wasn't in its usual parking spot. Jang Inseong barely drove himself anywhere, instead having his private chauffeur taking him wherever he needed to go in his expensive and fancy-looking black car, a far cry from Hanna's sturdy and beat-up jeep.

"Your father must not be home," Kangmu said, relief evident in his voice as they got out of Hanna's car.

She just nodded, not knowing whether her father would be home early or not. She needed to talk to him, but was a little scared to see how he and Kangmu would react to each other. When Kangmu had asked if her father was going to be home, all she could do was shrug and say she didn't know. She didn't tell him she'd asked her mother to see if her father could come home from work early.

Kangmu looked a little nervous as Hanna rang the doorbell to the massive house. The door opened, and Hanna was met with the familiar face of her family's long-time maid.

"Ajumma!" Hanna said. "Annyeonghaseyo."

"Annyeonghaseyo, Hanna-ssi," the maid said. "You brought Lee Kangmu-ssi?"

"Of course," Hanna said, and the maid stepped aside to let them in. The inside of the house hadn't changed a bit since Hanna had last been there.

"Where's Eomma?" Hanna asked once she'd taken off her shoes.

"She's in the family dining room," the maid said. "Dinner will be ready shortly."

Hanna nodded. "Gamsahamnida, ajumma."

Kangmu followed her down the long hallway to the smaller of the two dining rooms at the estate. The larger one was only used for social events, while the smaller one was half the size, yet still about as big as Hanna's entire apartment.

The doors were open as Hanna and Kangmu reached the room. A single figure stood inside, setting the table.

"Eomma!" Hanna called, hurrying to give her mother a hug.