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Keun-suk's Sincerity

The first bit of morning sun started to filter into the large warehouse windows. Everyone was tired, and their heads hurt. Krystal ran into the room with a large smile on her face, holding a tray of food. “Anyone want instant noodles?” She asked, but everyone just stared blankly at her, making her frown at her failed attempt to cheer them up.

Tired and frustrated, Jisoo got up and stomped over to Keun-suk. “Teacher Jang, hurry up. Sincerity, sincerity.” She demanded. “Jangmi already gave the keys back to you. Can you think of something quick?”

Keun-suk’s eyes went wide suddenly, as he quickly jumped to stand up and reach in his pocket. “Why am I only remembering now?” He pulled the set of keys Jangmi had left with Jisoo and held one of the two keys out for her to look at. Jisoo tilted her head in confusion as she eyed it. “One of these isn’t mine.”

“Jangmi is pretty confused.” RM said from his chair in the corner.

“No.” Jin said as he quickly moved next to Keun-suk. “That key is what Jangmi wants Teacher Jang to solve as the first cypher.”

Everyone rushed to their sides and looked at the key as it shined in the light that hit it. “You’re right, that must be it.” Krystal said patting Jin proudly on the shoulder. She turned her attention to Keun-suk. “But…this key, what does she want you to open?”

“Why don’t we check online?” RM suggested as everyone went back into thinking mode. “See what kind of things this shape key opens. Let’s go.” Jhope, Taehyung, and Jimin all followed him over to the laptop sitting on the desk.

“A jewelry box.” Jhope guessed as RM started to type.

“No, I think it’s a safe.” RM said making his own guess.

Krystal laughed as she took a better look at the key. “I think it will open something that links Jangmi and Teacher Jang.”

“I got it.” Keun-suk said as he gripped the key tightly.

“Tell us.” Jisoo said frustrated. “Hurry up.”

“Jangmi and I met when we were studying in the US. She came back to Korea a year before me, but didn’t have a permanent address. So…” He let his explanation hang for a moment.

“So?” Krystal said trying to bring him back on topic.

“If I needed to write her, I had to send the letter to a P.O. box.”

“Ah!” Krystal said excitedly. “It must be the key for the P.O. box.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go open it.” Jisoo said.

Jangmi’s POV

Jangmi pulled the picture she had been clutching to her chest away. She ran her finger across the glass as she stared down at the image of Keun-suk with his arm around her shoulder. She was driving herself crazy wondering if he had figured out her clue. She hoped with all her aching heart that if he hadn’t, he would soon.

Keun-suk’s POV

Keun-suk walked through the post office, nervously rubbing the smooth metal of the mailbox key as he searched for the number it matched. Just as he thought he would never find it in the endless rows of small metal mailboxes, the number was right in front of him. He let out a loud breath to calm himself as he pushed the key into the lock and slowly turned it. Hearing the metal lock on the inside scrap made his heart stop momentarily in fear. He was worried of what the mailbox would hold, or if he even wanted to know.

Fighting back all the negative thoughts, he opened the door and looked inside. A small white envelope sat inside. His hand shook as he reached inside and pulled out the letter. He quickly relocked the mailbox and opened the letter up to read. His heart sank as he looked over the words written in Jangmi’s handwriting.