One day in Seoul 🇰🇷

🇰🇷: 22

Katarina's POV

The evening breeze was gentle as we sat outside in Mari's garden, the smell of barbecue and grilled skewers filling the air. The warm glow of string lights hung over the patio, casting a soft light on the simple but perfect setup. Mari, always the energetic one, had gone all out to celebrate. The long wooden table was covered with plates of food: pizza, homemade salads, skewers, grilled meat, and, of course, beer bottles chilling in a cooler beside us.

"For old times' sake!" Mari exclaimed, raising her bottle of beer high. "After everything, we deserve this!"

John sat at the far end of the table, quietly smiling as Mari buzzed around, setting down more dishes and fussing over every detail. His serious demeanor hadn't changed over the years, but tonight, there was a small glint of relief in his eyes. It wasn't often that John let himself relax like this. With his recent success in finding some of the missing children, the case had brought a bit of peace-at least for now.

I watched him as I took a sip of my own beer. It felt surreal, seeing him here, part of this small celebration. It had been years since the three of us sat together like this. Time had passed, and so much had changed, yet somehow, it also felt like nothing had changed at all. The dynamic was the same-Mari being the loud one, me stuck in my head, and John always the quiet observer.

Mari took a seat beside me, nudging me with her elbow. "Hoy, bakit parang ang tahimik mo? This is supposed to be a celebration! I know you're thinking about him again."

I forced a smile. "Hindi naman, I'm just...processing everything."

"Hala, girl! Don't overthink. Celebrate muna tayo! You should be happy for John. This is a big win for him," she said, leaning in closer as if telling me a secret. "Pero, sa totoo lang, ang dami kong tanong. That case is creepy, isn't it?"

I nodded, my mind drifting again. The case. Yes, they had found some of the children, but the mastermind was still out there-still free, still lurking in the shadows. Just thinking about that made my skin crawl. I knew John wouldn't rest until the whole operation was shut down, but for now, there was nothing more to do except wait for the next move.

John, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke. "Iba pa rin 'yung pakiramdam. It's not over until we catch the master mind. The fact that those bullshits is still out there means more children are in danger."

His words echoed my thoughts. I could see the weight of it all on his shoulders, but at the same time, John had always been the kind of person who thrived in this kind of tension. He lived for the job. It was what kept him going.

Mari, ever the optimist, clapped her hands loudly. "Okay, enough serious talk! We're here to celebrate, remember? John, ikaw din, ha? Take a break tonight. Ang saya naman na we're all together after so many years."

We fell into a more relaxed conversation as the night went on, passing plates of food, reminiscing about old memories, and laughing about the silly things we used to do. It was easy to get lost in those moments, to forget about the dangers lurking outside this small bubble we had created in Mari's garden. But every now and then, I would catch John's expression or hear the distant sounds of traffic, and reality would rush back.

"Grabe 'tong case na 'to," John muttered under his breath after taking a sip of his beer. "We're close, but not close enough. they're slippery."

Mari, who had been munching on a slice of pizza, waved her hand dismissively. "He'll get caught. Makukulong din 'yan. I believe in you, John! You always get your guy."

But John didn't seem convinced. "It's more complicated than that, Mari. This guy-he's not just any criminal. He has connections, resources. He's willing to use anyone, even children, to protect himself."