Dream Me a Sonatine

17 - Twelve

Under the canopy of stars stood a stranger. The world tilted on its axis like a see-saw and somehow, everything had changed. Heejin didn't understand that, not yet. All she knew was that she was seconds away from twisting a switchblade through the girl's throat.

Still lying on the grass, Hyejoo twitched awake and Vivi opened her eyes blearily. Neither of them seemed to recognise the shawled girl, so Heejin started forward.

A crease appeared between the girl's eyebrows as Heejin raised the blade. Suddenly, they were nose to nose, and something squeezed Heejin's arms flat at her sides, constricting her movements.

It took her a moment to realise she was being hugged.

'You look so lonely,' whispered Haseul. Heejin was dimly aware of Hyunjin's trembling form and the crescendo of footsteps behind her. But she couldn't move. No one had ever held her so gently, so warmly.

'Who are you?' Haseul let her go, leaving Heejin bemused. Vivi sat up, glancing between them as if some telepathic connection might explain to her what was going on. Hyejoo looked utterly nonplussed.

The footsteps crunched to a halt and Heejin turned. Relief blossomed within her.

'Heejin.' Jiwoo's face was blank, as if she couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. Several others stood around her, Chaewon amongst them. She looked tired, thought Heejin.

'I didn't know you were coming,' said Heejin. The air felt suffocating. She should've been happy to see Jiwoo, but tension stiffened her body.

'How much do they pay you?' asked someone suddenly. Heejin vaguely recognised her: Sooyoung.

'Sorry?'

'For your job. How much do you get paid to slit throats?'

Her pulse momentarily plummeted, then rose to a rapid thud. Her skin burned and prickled as the words sunk in and she met Jiwoo's unsurprised eyes. Jiwoo knew.

'Annie Levett,' said Heejin, the name rotten as a corpse in her mouth. 'She was your friend.'

Sooyoung's expression was cold. 'She was.'

Numbly, Heejin thought the situation looked like a game of chess. She, Hyunjin, Hyejoo and Vivi faced Jiwoo and her companions, pawns of the Faceless Greywaren. He was playing both sides and he was winning.

'You killed her for money,' said Sooyoung flatly.

There was no point denying it. 'I did.'

Jiwoo let out a choked noise. She tried again and this time the word came out: 'Stop.'

'S-stop?'

'Stop looking like that.' Tears overflowed down her face. 'Like you're sorry. Like I ever knew you at all.'

I am unknowable. A sob caught in Heejin's throat, but she forced it away. She had no right to cry, even if Jiwoo was looking at her like she was a monster. She was a monster, because she didn't regret killing Annie. Couldn't.

So she kept her mouth shut, even as disappointed, watchful eyes judged her.

Chaewon stood with Jiwoo, smudgy and difficult to perceive in the dark. She shook her head, like her friends were having a playground spat and she was caught in the middle of it. Jiwoo followed her gaze.

'Chaewon's dead,' she said.

Heejin smiled nervously. Was Jiwoo trying to ease the tension? It was quite a Jiwoo thing to do.

'She's right there.'

The grief tearing Jiwoo's face apart didn't look funny. 'No, she's not. Not all of her.'