Around the centre of the public park, which was a recreation area, nearest to Seoul International Airport, it was unusually crowded, with more and more people filling the area.
Mark was one of them, holding a bouquet in his hands and standing before the sea of flowers, bouquets and letters, placed by the family members and beloved ones of the other victims.
It was the seventh day after the plane crash; as the mourning for the victims, the government and airline officers held this memorial ceremony.
Around him, Mark could hear some of the people sobbing and comforting each other. He had missed the spokesperson of Allway Air Asia giving a speech. But that was not important.
Like Youngjae had said, Mark had thought being among the other victims' family members would lessen his sorrow. But it did not work. The sight of several people crying and murmuring words, gazing at the flowers, only worsened his saddened emotions.
It had already been days but he still could not get out of this nightmare. It crashed him down slowly every single day and every thought of Jinyoung haunted him.
He stared at the white roses in the bouquet in his hands and pressed his nose against them, inhaling their fragrance deep into his whole body. Afterwards, he stepped forward and placed the bouquet among the other flowers.
Just when he stood up straight again, he felt a squeeze on his shoulder, causing him to turn around.
"Wonpil," Mark muttered and gave the younger a smile, "I didn't notice you."
"I just arrived," said Wonpil, a bouquet in his hands, "Have you been here long? I guess it's started since the early morning."
"Not very long. Did you perhaps come from your work?"
"Yes. My teammates are understanding. But I'm afraid I can't stay for long." Wonpil glanced around the area and smiled, "I'm glad they at least give this ceremony."
Afterwards, they fell silent as Mark was in his own thoughts and Wonpil put his bouquet beside Mark's, before starting to pray.
After a long time of silence, Mark said, "Do you want to go grab a coffee nearby? We could talk. To be honest, you're the one who's closet to Jinyoung, and I'd like to hear more about him."
"Ah, I'd really love to talk about him. What about meeting this weekends? I think I should be back to work now," said Wonpil, apologetically.
"Right. I forgot. What about you coming to my place this Saturday?"
Wonpil agreed and bid Mark good-bye. After glancing at the memorial flowers one last time, he left the place.
Mark stayed there longer and when he left, it was already noon. Instead of going back home, he roamed around the area in search of a restaurant to have lunch.
The sun of the noon tired him and when a phone call came, he took the shield of the nearest bus-stop to take the call.
It was an unknown contact but he answered the call without any second thoughts.
"Hello?"
"You're Mark Tuan, am I right?"
Mark frowned slightly, "Yes, and you're?"
The other end of the line laughed and Mark's frown deepened, "Of course, you're Mark Tuan. Nice to talk to you finally. And you're curious of who I am. Who do you think I'm then?"
Mark hissed in annoyance and confusion, "I've no time for your games. If you're calling for nothing, then I'm hanging up."
"Hold on. Perhaps, you'll be interested if what I'm talking about is concerned with Park Jinyoung. The one you hold so much hatred towards, do you still remember?"
"What?" Mark tried to regain his composure and said, "Who're you? Do you know Jinyoung?"
"Oh, I know him very well. Been so intimate with him too. You may not know me because he has so many boyfriends. Let's just say I'm one of them."
"Why're you calling me then? I'm not sure if you already know that Jinyoung's dead."
The sound of a laughter, loud and deep, entered Mark's ear sharply, and it gave him an unnameable feeling.
"Too bad, he isn't yet. But going to be. Very soon, in my own hands."
Mark felt like his whole world turning upside down at those words and a chill running down his spine at the voice, which said those words.
"What do you mean? If you're fooling me, you'd better stop. It isn't something to be joking about."
"You all are nonsense. Did you even search for his dead body? And announced that he's dead? But don't worry, because he's going to die anyway. Even now, he's begging me to stop talking to you. Interested, Mark Tuan? You hate him, don't you? I guess someone like you, one of his enemies, would very much like to watch him die, wouldn't you?"
Mark tried to steady his voice before saying, "Do you think I'd believe you? Why, I've been so happy this whole time that he's already dead. Why isn't he yet?"
The same dark laughter appeared again, "That's the kind of words I've expected from you. For his claimed-death story, what is funny is he had never been on that flight. But the thing is either on that plane or in my hands, his fate is death. And it now happens to be in my hands."
Mark felt his heart beating faster with every word, "H-Have you killed him then?"
Mark could hear the person moving around, through the line, "Not yet but very soon. I'm thinking if he dies quietly in my hands, that's not so fun. What about him dying in front of the very person he hates the most? That'd be so delicious to watch."
Mark forced his brain to function properly and come up with a solution. "I'll come then. He and I, we're always hateful enemies to each other. Where's he?"
"Ho! Why sound so desperate? You'd better not be playing with me."
"I want to see him die."
The other end went quiet and Mark was tensed lest it was already hung up.
But the voice came out again, "I'll send you the address in two days. No police, no weapons. Only you. Otherwise you'll be dead as well. I'm not afraid of any law."
"I promise."
"Good then. See you two days later."
The line went dead and Mark stared at his phone incredulously. What had just happened?
But if what that person had said was right, he was all ready to rescue Jinyoung, even if it cost his life.
