Sancutary | 박성훈

20. Secrets Unveiled

That evening, Maena came home alone in the taxi. She took the spare key from the plant next to the door and went inside. She's been alone in that house before but now that loneliness felt lonelier, knowing that Sunghoon was not coming home tonight.

Maena had just taken a shower and sat down by the kitchen counter when she heard a knock at the front door. It was late in the evening so of course it creeped her out a little, but she's not usually such an overthinker. She got up from the chair and started to approach the door. "It's just me, Kim Haesoon! Is that you Maena there? Or Sunghoon?", Haesoon's voice was heard behind the door. 

Maena opened the door and didn't get to say anything before Haesoon did. "Maena! Oh lord, it's you. Is Sunghoon home yet? I was terribly shocked by what was in the news. Is he okay?", she asked overly worried.

"He's not home yet, but he's fine.", Maena replied. 

"Thank god!", Haesoon sighed in relief. "Well, are you okay? You must have been really shocked as well."

"Yes, I'm fine now." 

"Good." 

"Do you want to come in?", Maena suggested.

"Oh, sure.", Ms. Kim replied and walked inside of the house. 

Maena closed the door behind her, then walking to the kitchen after Haesoon. "I was just about to make some tea. Shall I make some for you too?", she asked. 

"Of course.", Haesoon said and sat down on of the bar chairs by the kitchen counter. "Wow, I really got so scared of the news. It said that the headman's son was the last one to be picked up from the building and that he was rushed to the hospital. He's like my own son, I was completely queas out of worry.", she spoke, still looking so relieved that Sunghoon was fine.

"Yeah. But the luck was on our side today.", Maena showed a small smile. 

"Totally. This is why I've been believing in god since I was born and praying every night.", she said. The tea was ready so Maena poured it into to mugs and gave the other one to Ms. Kim. "Thanks.", she thanked. 

"What about that building? It must have cost millions to build. Do you think Mr. Park can restore it?", Haesoon inquired.

"I mean, definitely. He has money more than enough and insurance on top of that. Besides It's not built from wood, so that could also be a reason it has stayed better. But I don't even know what it looks like at the moment.", Maena responded. 

Haesoon nodded and hummed as a resonse. "Well, we hope it can be restored. It's such a beautiful structure."

"Indeed."

-

In the morning Maena woke up and did her morning routines alone. Sunghoon usually wakes up about at the same time as her but now he wasn't even at home. She rummaged through her stuff to find few coins and then took the bus to her university.

Something immediately felt odd as she stepped inside the university building. People on the hallways either glanced at her for a longer time or stared at her. She isn't sure if it's normal and she hasn't just never noticed it or if something was going on. 

It already started to make her slightly nervous while she walked through the corridors to her first lecture. It hadn't started yet, so there weren't many people in the classroom as she enetred. She just spotted Bora from their usual seat and Jihoon next to her. 

Maena sat down next to Bora. "What's gotten into people? Why are they all looking at me like I killed a person?", she stated with a sigh. 

"You don't know?", Jihoon inquired to which Maena just frowned. "Know what?", she asked in confusion.