lotus || j.jk.

01

Seoul mornings have always been cold but it was much colder today. It's noticeable, the drop in temperature.

Shivers run down bodies even through the thickest layers of clothing and mere exhales created clouds. The morning was also gloomy, a stark contrast to the usual sunny days Seoul basked in.

Even the faces of the people reflected the somber weather and Min Song-hee tries not to feel so downcast. She understood, though, why it was all like this- why everyone was like this.

How were people supposed to feel when another person too young breaks the headlines? What were they supposed to think after last night's reminder that the safety of their daughters or sisters or their own selves could no longer be guaranteed?

A shudder runs down her spine. It's absolutely terrifying and musing over it made Song-hee incredibly uneasy.

Unconscious to her, she starts to rub her arms through her pale-colored coat - a nervous habit she's always had.

Is she crazy? She must be. She has to be. Pursuing learning more about this killer for a new publication under her belt?

'It won't be just for that anyway' is what she tells herself.

She also tells herself that the danger is justified, that she would essentially be helping the whole of Seoul by her own means of field work on the 'Lotus'- information, suspects, motives, more patterns, more links in the killings, hidden pieces that might complete a bigger picture. But at what cost, now that more and more victims are showing up on the news?

She sighs and closes her eyes, her breath forming and her thoughts reflecting the now-obvious truth of her intentions.

If only the money being offered wasn't so good, then maybe she wouldn't even consider doing this. She's not dumb or naive - she knows that the pay is so high because of how dangerous obtaining information is.

She's just torn - she wants to do it, maybe even teetering on the edge of needing to, but -again- at what cost?

Her cell phone buzzing in her bag is what breaks her reverie, and though she jumps slightly in surprise, she's more than thankful for the timely distraction.

Constantly thinking for weeks about what she should do has given her nothing but migraines.

Song-hee pauses in her tracks and moves to the opposite end of the street curb when she can't locate her phone fast enough, making way for the people passing through.

She nods in bashful contrition to those who give her pointed looks, fishing for the device more thoroughly.

Kim Seokjin.

"Jin?" Her intonation comes off as surprised.

"Hey, where are you?"

Despite herself and the despondent vibe the city was under, she can't help a titter. With half a smile, she presses her phone closer to her ear as she begins walking again.

"Just dropped the decorum, huh? Good morning to you, too. I'm on my way to work but I'm passing for my coffee first. Why?"

On the other end of the line, she hears some rustling and the faint combination of muffled voices and passing cars. She guesses Jin is on the way to the office as well.

"Oh, I dropped the decorum? I didn't hear any honorifics," Jin chastises, although his jesting tone proves how serious he actually was about it.

She can already imagine the smile on his face and that, in turn, makes her grin.

"As if that matters so much to you," she counters, checking both sides before crossing an intersection. "Anyway, why are you asking?"