Permanent Substitute [SHINHWA]

Unpleasant Guest

Right after we finished our breakfast, his right hand went up in the air and as he snapped his fingers, one of the staff personnel came to our table while carrying an orange balloon in her hand. Eric Oppa got it from her and transferred it to mine with a key tied on its string.

I smiled like a fool. I knew that will be how I looked like. I am such a sucker for balloons. He held my lifted wrist and tied a black digital clock on it. He purposely pressed one of its buttons only to show me that it glows with an orange bright light. The series of freebies that they gave me are so remarkable in different ways. The amount of their attention to detail cannot be measured by the time you spent with them. It was like there are still a lot to solve.

Right now that I am fully awake and energized, I will be willing to go for a sprint with him but – his phone vibrated while displaying Andy Oppa's name on the screen. I saw it went off before he can even answer. It vibrated the second time around – but it was with Minwoo Oppa's number now. I watched him stare at his phone until the third ring died again. Two missed calls in a row. It is like he is waiting for something else to happen. He was silently watching his screen, his face was blank. Hyesung Oppa's number appears as the third caller. I saw him gritted his teeth. He cancelled the call and stood up immediately.

"We need to go home now. Can you run?" Eric Oppa was serious.

It was like an SOS code. I don't know what happened but it seems very urgent. I nodded in an instant and he went straight to the cashier to pay our bill. I tied the balloon on my index finger and as soon as he opened the door, his first dash left me approximately three meters away from him.

As long as I can see him in front of me, I can catch up. I tried to do my best to keep on track. My adrenaline rush spread like I was being chased by a dog. I tried to exert as much effort as I can. We arrived in front of the house with a car parked on its gate. I was surprised to see that our entrance was open without anyone to welcome us.

Eric Oppa came in as soon as he saw it. I tried to calm down a little bit and walk slowly while I am trying to stabilize my breathing. My balloon unexpectedly got caught on the edge our gate's pillar and exploded like a warning shot. I was shaken with its unexpected explosion and I looked how it's ripped parts lay lifeless on the ground.

The next thing that I caught my attention was a high pitch voice of an old lady shouting from our dorm.

"So, your great leader came in time?! I wonder who is that girl behind him. I suppose she is not a part of this trouble that you are all making." She sneered with a mean tone and looked at me with full disgust in her eyes.

We are almost of the same height but her figure made her body structure smaller than mine. She timidly walked outside the shade of our dorm and revealed her full red get up. She was wearing a velvet dress partnered with a traditional wide hat that I saw being worn by rich people on dramas. I can't get a grip of what to expect from the mole below her lips sticking boldly on her chin. The lady in red is not in a very good mood at all.

Eric Oppa stood firm on his ground. He clenched his fist like he was controlling himself so bad. I heard him cleared his throat before saying any word towards the visitor, with a low gentle calm voice he began;

"She's Kahel our sister. She lives here with us." He burst the lady's temper.

She screamed frantically like my existence inside this perimeter is being ridiculed in the most unwanted way. Her eyes began to squint at my direction. I can sense her strong desire to kick me out of our gate if ever that she will be given a chance to do so. She started tapping her foot on the solid ground of our lawn like an impatient customer.

"Well well – I can see that you have done everything you wanted ever since my cousin left. You even made this property as an orphanage for your own sake. I got a message that he's back from the states. Obviously because of this, I am happy to tell you that I will stir a chaos tomorrow in your school to banish all of you. You made it easier for me with this facade." Her voice sounded so wicked.