promises | ahn sooho

[9]

Harin sighed as she watched the cars zoom by. Every one of them, on their own journey, coincidentally met in front of the bus stop, where Harin was seated.

She had thought of just taking the bus back to Seoul, despite her promise to Hoyul to stay for the night. She was quickly disappointed when she found out that there were no buses going there anymore. And she was stuck between a rock and a hard place; there was not enough money in her bag to pay for both a ticket back for the next morning and a hotel for the night.

Subsequently, Harin looked up how to get to her father's house and was waiting on the bus now, thanking God for her curiosity that made her look for her father's address. She had never thought about it before, previously only ever preoccupied with being perceived by her father. Wishing for sleepovers or to see his home hadn't crossed her mind before- in the sense that she didn't even dare think about it, not wanting to hurt herself.

The USB seemed to burn itself into Harin's skin from the pant pocket she had stuffed it into. In the end, all she'd done was waste a day and get nothing out of it; she still didn't know how to solve the problem with Gilsu.

The 16-year-old sighed to herself but stood up and boarded the green bus, stopping in front of her. She pulled out her phone as soon as she settled into her seat and opened her messages, noting the barrage of messages that had accumulated during the night. The girl had texted her numerous times, eagerly inquiring about how the shoot had gone. The boys, equally concerned, had flooded the group chat with messages asking where she was and if she was okay.

Harin cursed inwardly as she opened the group chat and read their messages. Numerous messages had been texted into the infamous 'Four Musketeer' group chat, mostly directed at her, with others reporting being followed by Gilsu's guys.

Beomseok: "Hey, Harin, how did the shoot go?"

Sieun: "Where are you, Harin?"

Sooho: "We're getting worried. Please respond."

She felt a pang of guilt for not responding sooner, but the contents of the USB she had uncovered and her issues with her father made it hard to focus on anything else. She hesitated, her fingers hovering over the screen, unsure of what to say.

Taking a deep breath, she started typing.

Harin: "Sorry for the late reply. The shoot went well, but I've been dealing with some family stuff. I'm heading back to Seoul now. I'll explain everything when I see you guys. Thanks for checking in."

She sent the message and stared at the screen, watching as the typing indicators appeared, signaling that her friends were already responding.

Beomseok: "Glad you're okay!"

Sooho: "Family stuff? Is everything alright?"

Harin snorted as she watched the replies come in instantly. Sieun hadn't read the message yet; he was the only one of the four who was probably busy studying in the evening.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Just some unexpected stuff came up. I'll be back soon, and we can talk then," she replied, hoping to reassure them without giving away too much.

Harin got off the bus at the stop her phone indicated and followed the map's instructions, leading her to an impressive apartment building. The structure was a tall, modern skyscraper, its glass facade gleaming in the early morning light. The bustling city around her was bustling, with people hurrying home after work and the streets slowly filling with the hum of nightlife. She adjusted the strap of her backpack on her shoulder and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

As she approached the entrance, a uniformed security guard stepped forward, blocking her path. He was an older, tall, broad-shouldered man with a stern expression, his posture rigid and authoritative.