Intertwined: Two fates

38 - 510 Case solved

Meilin was dumbfounded for a few seconds and she only jolted out of her trance when Jackson roared impatiently, "What are you waiting for?! Answer the call!"

Her spontaneous reflex toward her Boss' domineering voice, which had been brutally trained every single day for the past few years, abruptly kicked in and before she knew it, she had pressed her thumb on the green button and put the call on speaker.

"Hello...?" She whispered, still a bit shaken.

She could not believe it. Judging from Yoona's terrified demeanor, she had expected that the girl would need days or even weeks before she would give them a call. There was also a possibility that the paper, which she wrote her number on, would immediately be flushed down the toilet and they would end up waiting for a call that would never come.

She had been prepared for a long battle, yet as it turned out... it had not even half an hour after they left the apartment and Yoona was already willing to call them?!

The familiar harsh breathing, albeit a little muffled, drifted out from the phone. Hearing that, Meilin immediately snapped back to her senses. Now was not the time to think of why Yoona was willing to call them! This was the chance they had been waiting for and she could not let it go down the drain! She made eye contact with Jungkook and her eyes blazed in resolution. Her voice though, remained as patient and gentle as ever when she spoke.

"It's okay, Miss Ye. Just take your time. We won't force you to say anything. Listen to my breathing." She took exaggerated inhales and exhales to guide the panicking girl. "Yes... that's right, just like that. Are you sitting down now? If you aren't, then please take a seat. Make sure you're warm and comfortable. No rush, Miss Ye. Just like I have said earlier, I am willing to wait for you no matter how long it takes."

When Yoona's wheezes subsided, Jungkook gave Meilin another thumbs up, then turned to the passenger seat and placed his finger on his lips, gesturing for the two men not to make any noise. Yoongi nodded at him, whereas Jackson rolled his eyes and threw his gaze out of the window with a quiet harrumph.

Next, Meilin accompanied the student to talk. Or to be exact, it was only Meilin who was talking whereas Yoona was silent, whether she was listening or not, they had no idea at all. Meilin was perfectly capable of holding a conversation for two on her own. Her topic also ranged widely from her job in the hospital, to the diet exercise that was currently booming overseas...

Meilin talked until her mouth run dry, and it was not until she took a short water break that Yoona's soft, breezy voice drifted out of the speaker, "Sister Meilin..." it was Meilin who skillfully persuaded her to use 'sister' to promote their close relationship and Yoona was helpless but to comply. "You and your... colleagues, are you really here to ask me about the missing data?"

Meilin took a deep breath and only answered after receiving Jungkook's nod. "No, I'm very sorry but I was lying. The real reason we are visiting you is... to ask about the chronology of the incident five months ago."

As soon as those words were out of Meilin's mouth, Yoona's breathing suddenly became rapid, even harsher than when they heard it earlier. Not only that, there was also a few messy clatter as if the girl had bumped against something, causing them to fall to the ground. The loud, messy noise further served as a stimulant to her panic, building higher and higher until her mind was filled with nothing but incoherent buzz... No... I don't want to say. I don't want to remember...!

Meilin's face abruptly changed as she cried out to the phone in a firmer voice. "Yoona, listen to me! It's okay, you will be okay. It's no problem even if you don't want to talk about it... Take a deep breath, okay?"