dahyun
it was the next morning. i was alone at ray's house.
soon after hearing kai's return, everyone rushed over to the hospital where he was residing. the police said that he wasn't badly injured but was terribly traumatised. i was worried and confused, we all were. what could have traumatised him to the point where he's mute?
i wanted to see him but obviously, me being the most wanted criminal in korea, i couldn't just waltz up at a hospital thinking i wouldn't be caught.
i grimly sat on the ground, legs spread apart. waiting for any news was getting too stressful by the minute. i didn't know what to do with myself in the meantime.
i decided to text rose to ask what was happening. she replied two minutes later.
"hey, we're waiting outside his room. he's okay but still in shock."
after reading that message, i replied quickly.
"do you know what happened to him in the forest? why he's so scared?"
but a few minutes later, i was disappointed to read her next reply.
"no, the police don't know what happened either. i'll ttyl, we're going in now."
with that, i tossed my phone away, laying back on the ground.
for some reason, as i stared up at the ceiling alone, my mind started to remember everything that happened over the course of this year.
it was scary to think that i was a criminal being chased by the police. it was like three years ago when everyone thought i was a murderer who kill jimin's parents. everyone treated me like shit. i was in juvenile for a year before i got released. that didn't change anything because high school was worse than juvenile prison. especially when jimin was there every day to torment me.
my eyes started watering at the thought. every single day, he would find a way to torture me. i would be so scared to turn up to school.
that was until..i met taehyung.
okay, now cue the waterworks.
taehyung..oh, taehyung. he was the angel that saved me from the hell i was living in. he was my best friend and everything was going so well. but that truck had to ruin everything. if i could rewind back to that day, i would take taehyung's place.
i remember how broken i was that day. i stopped going to school. i stopped eating and sleeping. everything in my life was broken at that point.
then jimin turned up at my doorstep a few days later, telling me to come with him.
that was when the whole dramatic scene of me falling over the bridge happened. to my surprise, jimin saved my life. if he didn't do that, i wouldn't be here today. i also wouldn't have seen that vision of jimin's dad in the container.
that vision...it was the starting point of this whole investigation. because after that, we saw ray who told us that jeju island was the place to go.
then when we finally arrived at jeju island(after my ridiculous dream about momo and the votty school and how jimin saved me by crashing a van into a lake to escape the police). jimin had a head start in the investigation when he found my mum who was now a renowned author.
we found the address and travelled to where my mum stayed. but after we met her, she told me secretly to read the even chapters of the book. she also mentioned not to get jimin involved.
so that's what i did. i left jimin the next day and ventured alone with the book in my hands.
the next series of events flew by without a trace. it was an emotional rollercoaster from losing ms momo, my mother's only friend to reuniting with kai and rose at school. then that accelerated to reuniting with ray on the train. but then the whole forest disaster happened where we lost kai.
then things accelerated more when i bumped into jimin again, only for him to drop the bombshell that i was now the most wanted criminal in korea.
and now it's the present time..i was here waiting for the news about kai's condition.
i released a breath, closing my eyes.
even after all that, i still don't know where jimin's mom or my dad is. i only found out that my dad is part of a gang but nothing else. we even came all the way because jimin's mum was last seen in that forest.
something clicked then.
i opened my eyes and sat upright quickly.
"holy shit.." i breathed out. seeing my phone on the ground, i grabbed it quickly and dialled jimin's number.
he answered moments later, "hello?"
"jimin! i think i have a lead!" i said excitedly.
he groaned through the phone and said, "can you not yell? what is it?"
"oh, sorry. anyway, your mum was last seen in the same forest kai got lost in."
i could picture jimin roll his eyes from behind the phone, he said, "so what."
"kai is in some shock, right? rose told me he's really traumatised," i replied.
"he's shitfaced, more than traumatised," jimin said.
i rolled my eyes, telling him, "so do you see the connection? your mum..kai..the same forest."
"i don't fucking speak your language, just spit it out," jimin said.
i scoffed and said, "you idiot, your mum was probably traumatised too! there's something in that forest that frightens people. remember when my mum said your mum is still alive? she could be in that forest!"
i heard jimin sigh and said, "my mum went missing three years ago, i doubt she'd be hiding in some forest. she's as good as dead if you ask me."
i got up onto my feet, i said, "i still have hope. i'm coming over there. kai has to know something about what's in that forest. it has to somehow lead to your mum."
"what? no, you can't. you stay-" he started but i cut him off, "see you soon."
i hung up the line and ran out the door before grabbing a hat. i pulled on a cap and started making my way to the hospital.
we're getting closer to the truth, i can feel it.
---
sorry for the wait. that was like a summary chapter, just reminding y'all what happened in this book haha
thanks for reading and the next chapter is coming soon!
alunaticdi
