Scourge ✝

Chapter 4 ✝

I wake up at 5:00 in the morning, i don't know how and when i fell asleep but i feel okay now, i still have an hour to reach seoul. I go through my phone and call aunt yo jung. She wakes up pretty early so i don't have to worry about disturbing her.

"hey! Good morning hye jin, did you reach seoul yet?"  My aunt said as soon as she picked up the phone. The cheerful voice actually made me feel a lot better.

"No, aunt, i still have an hour of journey left. What are you doing though?" I replied back, honestly i was just missing aunt and nothing much, but i can hear some noises in the background.

After me, my aunt lives alone so there's no one with her, then what are these noises?

"Nothing really, i just woke u--" she stopped speaking suddenly and i could hear muffled screams in the background. I dont understand who is screaming though

"aunt? Is everything okay?"
"oh yes honey don't worry about me, call me when you find that bastard, take care" she said hurriedly and as if on cue she disconnected the call.

"b-  bye..." I couldn't even complete my sentence. I dont know what is going on, anyways, i should get ready to get off the train in a few minutes now.

24th september, 6:30 AM

I reached seoul 25 minutes back and now I'm walking towards the hotel room that hani booked for me. Honestly, hani has helped me so much, i could never pay her back.

I get inside my room and keep my luggage near the couch and sit down. I liked the room, especially the windows, i loved the view. "Get your shit together hye jin, you're not here to enjoy"

I take my diary out of my bag, "According to hani's friend, she has seen Taehyung in Yeongdeungpo area a couple of times" I grab my jacket, there's no time to rest "Let's do this" I say to myself as i get out of my room.

I look for a taxi and get in. It took me nearly 40 minutes to reach there. I called park chaerin. She is hani's friend that gave us information about taehyung. Park chaerin is the local informer of seoul. She exchanges information for money, She can find out anything and anyone in a few minutes, all we had to do was tell her his full name. And thanks to the picture she sent us i could recognise his familiar face.

"I'm here, now what" i say into the phone, "303-17 yongsan-gu, my boon store, he goes there almost everyday. Let's see if he comes today" chaerin says. "Thanks" i reply and head to the area she told me about.

"yongsan-gu, yongsan-gu, yon-"
I stopped dead in my tracks.
"is that kim taehyung?"
I saw the man I've been looking for so desperately, for so many years. I cant believe my eyes. I quickly jog upto him but there are so many people in this area, it's hard even to keep track of where he is going. "Focus hye jin, focus focus focus"

I suddenly slam into a person and fall down, i dont even have time to say sorry, i quickly get up and "SHIT!!!" I lost him. How will i know where did he go now. "Shit shit shit!" i scream in frustration. I go around the area and look for him everywhere possible, i have no idea where he lives. I look inside every shop in hopes that he will be there.

I roamed around the area for hours, it's close to evening now and I'm not even sure where i am. I lost track of time and also the place where i came from. I cannot even find a taxi or something in this area now. I walk a few more minutes and it's already dark now, i closed my eyes and let out a frustrated groan.  As i opened my eyes, i saw several lanterns in the sky, "wow, seoul really is a magical city." 

I raise my hand up and move it left and right, just because i liked the air, but to my surprise, the lanterns started moving left and right. I stopped moving my hand and the lanterns stopped. I moved my hand in a circular motion and the lanterns move in a circular motion with my hand!! "Am i high?"

As much as i was surprised, i enjoyed controlling the lanterns and started playing around until i heard someone "Wow, hey girl, do you like lanterns that much?" i turn around and see a very attractive man, may be in his twenties standing there smiling at me. "Uhm, no not really, i uh, i was just playing around" I don't even know why'd i become so nervous around this cute stranger. "Are you lost? " i nodded and he offered to help.

We're both walking towards the direction of a taxi stand where i can find my ride back home. "I'm jimin" he said and smiled like a small boy, his eyes "So adorable" i say out loud "Oh sorry i didn't mean to, I'm hye jin, kim hye jin" i bowed a little both in embarrassment and in respect.

"don't worry i get that a lot" he said and laughed again. "Are you new in seoul?" he asked "Yeah, i just came here today, for the first time" he nodded. "Hey look, this is my café, you're welcome anytime okay?" he said as he motioned towards a café while we were walking ahead. "Oh sure! I would love to."

After walking a few more minutes, i could see a few taxis parked ahead of us. "I would've dropped you home hye jin, i dont like leaving beautiful ladies unsafe, but I'm so sorry, Tae must be waiting for me" he said in an apologetic way.

"Oh that's okay jimin, i shall see you again, goodbye" i said and bowed a Little, he returned the gesture and we parted ways.

On my way to hotel, chaerin called me "Were you able to find him? " she asked as soon as i picked up the phone.

"I was not chaerin, i saw him, followed him but couldn't catch him, i even lost my way and a gentleman helped me" i said back.

 "Don't trust these gentlemen a lot, they're all jerks, anyways good luck for tomorrow, try again"she said and disconnected the call. She seems to be very straight forward.

I reached the hotel room and called hani, i told her everything about what happened today. Except for the lanterns part cause she wouldn't believe it anyway, "And then the guy said he would come drop me home but Tae was waiti-" i paused when i said that name, my eyes widened in realisation. "Oh my god hani, is jimin's tae, kim taehyung?" i said out loud as i sat up straight.

"Wow you're so dumb hye jin, didn't you think of asking him tae's full name"  I am actually so dumb, how could i not notice something so important!

"I'm going back to their café" i said as i started walking out the door, "It's freaking 2 in the morning hye jin, get your ass back" Only then i realised it was so late.

"oh my God i can't hold back till morning hani" i cried over the phone.  "That's your punishment for being so dumb, Now go sleep" we said goodbye and disconnected the call.

"sleep my ass, how can i sleep knowing i lost that taehyung twice" 
I said,  and closed my eyes

.....and slept. (oh the irony)