Don't tell me bye bye (mystery/ thriller)

Chapter 5

I wake up feeling upside down and turned around, taking a few goes to open my eyes properly until the last few months, days, and hours swirl around me in a maelstrom. I sit up and look around my room and yelp when I realise I have an audience.

"Y/n's awake, daddy." Teddy is peering at me from a few inches away from my nose. He blinks a few times then trots off to Jin who is standing by the door.

"That's what happens when you keep poking someone, Teddy." Jin smiles at me. "He's insisted on checking on you all morning."

"Hey, Teddy," I yawn. He's already lost interest in me and is fiddling with a small red shape. I squint at Jin. "What time is it?"

"Time for you to get up and go to the hairdressers," he ruffles Teddy's hair then frowns and prises the shape out of his little hands. "What did I say, Teddy? This isn't a toy. If it falls off again you give it to daddy." He notices me frowning at him and holds the shape up. It's the letter D. "The D keeps falling off his bedroom door."

"D for Teddy! D! D!" squeals Teddy. I love my baby brother but his morning etiquette needs some serious work.

"No, it's T; T for Teddy, not D. Anyway, enough of the alphabet. I told your mum I'd make sure you were up in time. If you want to get showered I can give you a lift into town."

Stuck in a car with Jin and his not-so-subtle questions about how I'm doing with all of this? I don't think so. "It's okay, I can walk."

"Good one, Y/n. I'm driving you. Can you be ready in thirty minutes?" He looks at his watch, and doesn't even give me a chance to answer. "I'll be down in the cellar getting my office sorted and trying to keep this guy entertained. See you in a bit."

Jin leaves my room and Teddy hops after him. As they argue whether it's safe for Teddy to go down the stairs on one foot, I summon up the energy to swing my legs out of bed, grimacing as I grip the duvet, my bandaged hands reminding me of the fire, of the water, and of Tae.

***

I amble along the streets alone, gazing into shop windows and looking at nothing much at all. My stomach growls. Jin made me have some cereal before we left for the hairdressers, but I haven't eaten anything since then, so I look for a Costa or McDonalds but am not that surprised to see that Seoul is apparently chain free.

A small shop window over the road advertises antiques but there's a sign swinging by the door with a picture of a tea cup and saucer on it. I cross the road and peer through the window which has Jimin's Anteaques written across it in swirly gold letters. I can definitely see people shovelling food into their mouths so I open the door and head in.

Apparently, in the absence of a Costa or McDonalds, this is the place everyone comes to after school, and judging by all the uniforms, school has just finished. The shop is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside and a flight of stairs lead up to the next floor. A dozen tables of different shapes and sizes are dotted all the way back to where the counter stands in front of the door to the kitchen. The clink of teapots and aroma of fresh bread and pastry distracts me from thoughts of Tae.

A woman wearing a navy business suit and high heels comes down the flight of stairs carrying a vase that's probably the same size as Teddy, so I step out of the way and hold the door for her. She looks down her nose at me and her hands tighten around the vase as she shoves past, then she stops in the doorway and looks up and down before she scurries down the street. Charming. I thought people in small towns were supposed to be friendly?

I look around as I shuffle to a table under the stairs, falling in love with the mix and match approach to the furniture and décor, not a single plate or cup having an identical partner. The antique part of the shop must be upstairs which is where the odd shaped vases and muted paintings dotted around have come from. I consider what a lovely place this would be to come and do some sketching, if I ever start drawing again. Being nestled under the stairs in my chair gives me the warm and fuzzys, and I snuggle down, enjoying the solitude.

"You're new aren't you?"
My warm and fuzzy seclusion comes crashing down around my ears.