His Enigma

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ xɪɪɪ: ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴜʟʟɪᴇᴅ ᴋɪᴅ

As her mind pondered on why she was in the photo with him, suddenly a bulb switched on, and spotlighted where a silver ornate box was kept.

As she approaches the box, her mind is on a rollercoaster, to all the questions left unanswered.

She opens the ornate box with the same key pendant.

The box opens to reveal a letter, written by a schoolkid, judging by the handwriting. And this letter was around 10 years old, judging by the yellowness of the paper. The box also had a note saying:

"I wanted to give this letter to you, but I couldn't find you, you were already gone"

She starts reading the letter:

Hi Heeyoung :)

You mihgt be wondering who is this writing a letter to you.

It's me Sunghoon, the kid you saved from the bullies the other day.

I'm so sorry I ran away without thanking you because I was scared you might bully me as well.

Thank you for standing up for me against those bullies. Now that, it's the last day of school, I am planning of giving you this letter, as I express my gratitude.

Regards,

-Sg-

Park Sunghoon

Heeyoung's hands trembled as she held the letter. Memories of that day flooded back, the day she had stood up to the bullies without a second thought. She had almost forgotten about it, but now, seeing Sunghoon's heartfelt words, she felt a strange mix of emotions—pride, nostalgia, and a hint of sadness.

As she carefully placed the letter back into the box, she noticed something else—a small, folded piece of paper tucked beneath the letter. Curiosity piqued, she unfolded it to reveal a map. It was crudely drawn, with landmarks she vaguely recognized from her childhood neighborhood. At the center of the map was a ❌.

Her heart raced. What could this mean? Was it a treasure map, or perhaps a clue to something Sunghoon wanted her to find? She decided she had to follow it.

~

The next day, Heeyoung found herself standing at the edge of an old playground, the one marked on the map. It was deserted, the swings creaking in the wind. She followed the map's directions, her steps echoing in the silence. Finally, she reached the spot marked with the 'X'.

There, buried under a layer of dirt and leaves, she found a small, rusted tin box. With a deep breath, she opened it. Inside was a collection of small trinkets—a friendship bracelet, a tiny toy car, a faded photograph of two children smiling, and another letter.

She unfolded the letter, her eyes scanning the same handwriting that had written the letter.

"Dear Heeyoung,

If you're reading this, it means you found my secret treasure. These are the things that meant the most to me as a kid. I wanted you to have them because you were my hero. You showed me kindness when I needed it the most, and I've never forgotten that.

I hope we can meet again someday. Maybe we can create new memories together.

Your friend, Sunghoon"

Tears welled up in Heeyoung's eyes. She had no idea that her small act of kindness had meant so much to Sunghoon. She felt a renewed sense of purpose. She had to meet him, to see what kind of person he had become.

That evening, she mustered up the courage and sent him a message: 

hi sunghoon, found ur letters and treasures: heeyoung

Let's catch up for a dinner tonight: heeyoung

Sunghoon's reply came almost instantly,  almost like he had been waiting for her to text him: 

Sunghoon: "I'd love that, Heeyoung. I'll pick u up at 8!

No, this time, let me treat you: heeyoung

Sunghoon: if you insist

I'll drop you the location of the place. Cu tmrw! : heeyoung

Sunghoon: K!