Shadows: The Black Star

Chapter Five

"Unfair? This is not unfair, Kim Yong Sun! I want Sooyoung out of my team now!" Joohyun shouted, Jeongyeon calming her down.

"Joohyun-ssi, we still have to investigate the incident. I know Yerim is a bit secretive of her personal life, so we still have to investigate a little further and make sure--"

"Make sure?! So you do not believe a word of what I said? Fire her now!"

Yong Sun was about to speak when Moonbyul came in, surprised to see Joohyun after a year, because she quit to work with Yong Sun.

"Oh, Joohyun-ssi. Anyways, Yong Sun eonnie, you have a call from Kim Sojung, the captain of Moonlight." Moonbyul said, smiling weakly at Joohyun as she gave a phone to Yong Sun.

"Hello?... Really?... So Sinb and Yerin investigated it themselves?... Well, you know Yerin can be inquisitive at some things. Anyways, you should go here, explain the situation... Alright, over and out." Yong Sun said, ending the call and facing the eldest leader.

"Ostrich-ssi, step out for a moment. Byul, can you guide Ostrich-ssi out?" Yong Sun said, indicating that it was a serious matter.

Joohyun stared at Yong Sun, whose stares seem to drill right through her, but she didn't let it get to her.

"You almost defamed someone by just looking at one point of view. Did you really investigate thorough, or did you just let your emotion act out?" Yong Sun said, as Joohyun stiffened.

"Yerin and Sinb carried out an investigation earlier, probably after you left. They figured out that it was an imposter who did that to Yerim, not Park Sooyoung. They have the person in custody, and are waiting for orders." Yong Sun said, Joohyun stiffening even more as her eyes widened.

"Really? I'm sorry, eonnie. I just--"

"Something tells me that this isn't just for Yerim, but also for you. Tell me..." Yong Sun said, leaning closer to Joohyun.

"Why are you so obsessed with taking the organization down?" Yong Sun asked, Joohyun leaning back.

"But I think you already know why, eonnie. You just want it to come from me." Joohyun said, prompting Yong Sun to tell her truth.

"Hmm... Alright. I had a private investigator run an investigation on you, Bae Joohyun. And I found some... Some very interesting information." Yong Sun said, as Joohyun chuckled.

"And what exactly did you find out about me?" Joohyun said casually, Yong Sun chuckling back as she picked up a piece of paper.

"It's what I found about you... And Ms. Hwang Sinb of Moonlight." Yong Sun said, and Joohyun's facade broke through, her calmness gone.

"Go on, continue." Joohyun said, now practically glaring at Yong Sun as the president cleared her throat and continued, barely a whisper.

"You are the daughter of the highest leader of the syndicate, namely the Eagle. And Sinb is the daughter of the fifth leader of the syndicate, namely the Fox." Yong Sun said, Joohyun gripping the chair tight.

"Does Sinb know about that? The investigator also said that you sneaked young Sinb out of the organization when you were twelve years old, and changed her name to Hwang Sinb. She probably doesn't remember what happened" Yong Sun said, as Joohyun gritted her teeth.

"Who told you that? Your investigator ? "

"You're not the only one from the organization, Joohyun-ssi." Yong Sun said, and for the first time in many years that Joohyun worked with her, she could see the familiar black star on Yong Sun's neck, still not erased and left as a scar of the past.

"You're... You are..."

"I was the leader before those five new leaders came in and overthrew me. I am known as Solar, the leader of the Black Star."

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Yerim gladly served the two visitors a cup of coffee, Haseul and Heejin nodding as they took a sip of the coffee.

"I'm really glad you're not injured worse, Haseul-ssi. Your team is one of the best." Yerim said, Haseul chuckling as she took another sip.

"But your team is the best, with..." Haseul trailed off, sensing that it was a sensitive topic.

"With Seulgi eonnie? Of course. We were the best, if I may boast." Yerim said, chuckling to herself as the two laughed loudly.

"Anyways... Where is Joohyun eonnie? And Sojung eonnie, if I may ask. They are the ones that are needed in this planning thing." Haseul said, Yerim sighing.

"Joohyun eonnie had to go to the agency for a private matter. Sojung eonnie went with Yerin eonnie and Sinb to carry out something that I don't know of." Yerim said, as Haseul leaned back, while Heejin excused herself to take a call.

"Ah, jinjja? They must be coming back any time now, since what we're going to do is a serious matter--"

["Calling all people in the dorm, come to the meeting room for a general meeting about the syndicate."] the speakers blared, as Heejin came back to the room, clutching her phone tightly.

"Yong Sun eonnie called me, we should go back to the dorms as of the moment." Heejin said, as Haseul nodded.

"We'll just go back to the dorms. Call us if you need some help, Heejin, Hye Joo and I are still available to help." Haseul said, as the two of them left.

Yerim began to clean up before going to the meeting room, carrying the two empty cups of the visitors and prepared to wash them--

Sooyoung snatched the cups away from the younger, Yerim stiffening as she prepared to distance herself--

Yerim's heart softened as she saw the older girl's puffy eyes brought by tears, her sniffling noticed as she shuffled to the sink.

"Let me wash this, I won't attend the meeting since I would be kicked out of the agency anyways." She said, her voice cracking in the middle of the sentence as she began to wash the cups.

Yerim wanted to hug her, touch her, kiss her like the old times, the months of separation from the love of her life taking its toll as she washed Sooyoung quietly wash the dishes.

But then Yerim couldn't forget what Sooyoung did. It was etched in her heart, still broken by the act and she couldn't bring herself to forgive, thinking that it would happen again.

["Park Sooyoung and Kim Yerim, go inside the meeting room now. This matter is urgent, don't stand around doing nothing."] the speaker blared again, Sooyoung quickly finishing the chore and going inside first, Yerim going next as they saw Yong Sun's face, Joohyun beside her.

["Joohyun had brought up some... Some disturbing issue about one of you, specifically you, Kim Yerim, about an incident months past. With that, Sinb, Yerin and Sojung carried out an investigation about the incident, and proved that Sooyoung is not the one who did that to you, Yerim-ssi ."]

Yerim gasped softly, her eyes widening at the love of her life who locked eyes with her, giving a sad smile.