Within These Shadows || Park Chanyeol/Do Kyungsoo || Book 1

33

During lunch hour, Mae, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo sat at their usual table, joined by Aiden. They all sat down to discuss about Jay's whereabouts, who was still missing and had her phone switched off.

"Chanyeol, this is Aiden oppa, my cousin. He's also a new professor in the Criminology department. And oppa, this is Park Chanyeol." Mae introduced the two men to each other.

"Annyeonghaseyo, Gyusu-nim. I'm Park Chanyeol, 4th year Business major." Chanyeol bowed.

"Annyeonghaseyo, I'm Lim Ju Hwan." Ju Hwan smiled at the younger boy.

"Oppa, I heard that you've met Jay yesterday." A worried expression had taken over Mae's face.

"Yeah, I have. She told you about me?"

"No, she didn't." Mae proceeded to tell Ju Hwan about the events of the previous day; her missing hard drive, Jay going back and forth between Seoul and Changwon, falling asleep early, skipping dinner, leaving their room early in the morning without Mae's knowledge, and keeping her phone switched off, while disappearing on them.

"I thought she would give up that habit after all these years. I guess some things haven't really changed." Ju Hwan sighed.

"Oppa, Jay's recovered a lot. You won't be able to imagine the amount of improvement she's had. She's even joined dance classes, and the Dance Club." Mae smiled.

"What?" Shock was evident on Ju Hwan's face as he heard Mae's words, which seemed like the sweetest thing he had ever heard. "Are you serious?" He sat up straight, with sparkling eyes, full of excitement.

"Yes, oppa. Our Jay is recovering slowly, oppa." Mae held her cousin's hands across the table, squeezing them as a sign of assurance that the news was-in fact-true.

"Jay dances?" A confused looking Chanyeol asked from his usual spot beside Mae.

Mae turned to look at the said boy and gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, she does."

"Oh wow, didn't know that." Chanyeol said.

"Well, we never mentioned it in front you guys. That's why you didn't know." Mae gave her boyfriend a warm smile.

"So, are you four like a squad?" Ju Hwan asked his dongsaeng.

"Yeah. We met in third year. Chanyeol and I had Economics course common, and Jay and Kyungsoo had a few common courses too." Mae replied.

"Oh, that's great." Ju Hwan smiled.

"Oppa, we need your help in this; in finding Jay. Back in the days, you used to know her the best. You even knew her escape places. Can you tell us anything that might help us find her? 'Cause if we don't get her back, I'm scared that all the recovery she's had, might just get ruined."

Ju Hwan sighed at Mae's words. He knew she was right, and he wanted to help her. While being in England for the past five years, he had thought about the two girls every single day. He wondered how much they had grown up, how their lives were, if Mae was safe and happy, if Jay had managed to get out of her dark tunnel. Jay...where was she? Did she really dislike him so much even after five years, that she disappeared at the very first sight of him? Could she never see him the same way again? Could she never understand him anymore? Could she...?

"Oppa?" Mae asked after a long silence when the older man had remained quiet after what Mae had said.

Ju Hwan broke out of his thoughts when Mae called for him. He cleared his throat before answering her previous questions.

"Mae, you know I can't tell you about Jay's hideouts, even though they're in Changwon; that would be breaking her trust. But what I can tell you is why she used to go to those places, when she was not okay."