Lines Crossed - Volume 1 Chapter 33 32

Jaemin walked into my office with a look of regret on his face. He knew how busy I was, so I knew that if he was walking in, in the middle of a weekday afternoon, without me asking for him the news had to be important. Yet, also from his face I could tell it wasn’t good news either.

“What is it?”

“Did the DNA results on the fork finally come back?” I watched him carefully and knew immediately from his reaction that had to be it. It had already been a few weeks since we had sent them out.

He nodded.

“Did it not turn anything up?”

“No, it did But.”

I leaned forward, resting my arm on my desk and my chin on top of my clasped hands.

“But the results have to be a mismatch.” Jaemin said anxiously.

“I wouldn’t have brought them to you at all. But I know you wouldn’t want to dismiss anything. But you are right. I doubt she has anything to do with him.”

“Oh, and why is that?” I asked calmly, but my stomach boiled inside and I clung to his every word while trying not to look like I was.

“Because according to this Well, there was only one match But it can’t be right.” Jaemin frowned.

“Oh, and why is that?”

He paused, uncertain.

“Just tell me.” I let out a gentle puff of air, hoping that little sound didn’t reveal how anxious and interested I felt inside. I felt responsible for involving her, because I knew she could be in danger now because of me.

“Because She is dead.”

I raised my eyebrows.

I had not been expecting that.

‘Honestly, after last night I thought maybe she was someone who was living on the run. A squatter maybe that wasn’t even her house. Maybe she wasn’t even born in Korea and was an illegal immigrant who had to live her life on the run hiding from place to place. Someone could be forcing her to do many horrible things, see horrible people and places.’

And that was why she had said those words. Why she had seemed so hopeless and defeated.

But dead.

‘How could she be dead?’

***

I watched Hyeri from across the counter. Trying hard not to stare at how beautiful she was. But it never got old, not in any dimension.

I should have written her in as a model. Or some sort of famous actress not some college professor.

“Jeez, how long have we been friends Why are you staring at me like it’s only your first time seeing me?” She asked.

“I was just thinking famous sayings become famous for a reason, and that reason is they are normally true.”

“Aya, what are you talking about?”

“Just, you know. They will always find beautiful people, hanging out with other beautiful people.”

She stared at me. “You vain bird. Are you complimenting yourself or me, I can’t tell?”

I smiled.

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about you I meant Joon.” I said snarkily.

She growled at me; took off her slipper and then threw it at me playfully. I held up a soft navy blue throw pillow and knocked the shoe to the side it harmlessly bounced away.

She put her coffee down and hopped off the stool naturally.

“Be prepared to meet your end today, Miss Taylor. I will send you back to where you came from.” She grabbed a pillow and chased me around the couch. I ran for it squealing with delight.

After a few minutes she grabbed her side and fell to the couch dramatically.

“Yah, I am too old to play like this every day. Why are you over here so often now? First, I have seen nothing from you for weeks then you are over here almost every day for the past few weeks. What is going on?” She asked wiping her bangs away from her eyes and dabbing her sweat gently from her forehead with the back of her hand.

“Be honest. It feels like you are keeping something from me.”

I stared up at the ceiling.

“I can’t stay there because I am scared Mark will come look for me and I don’t know what to say”

“I mean, is his thankfulness for saving his life really so bad?”

I turned to look at her and she looked back at me, our heads near to each other. I smiled gently.

“Can’t you just accept whatever it takes to make him feel like he has done enough to repay you. Then, once he has done it, won’t he just go away?” Hyeri asked curiously.

“If he gives you jewelry, you can regift it to me. You know I love Joon, but on his salary he can’t afford much. He is just a teacher.” She said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

I stared at my friends’ happy flushed face.

We had been spending almost every day together for weeks. Ever since that night where I had hidden in that hotel waiting for Mark to leave, then called her and Joon to come get me. Ever since then I had come over every day after she had finished work.

But Mark wasn’t the only reason. Over the course of the last few days, I had realized something. Hyeri.

This Hyeri

I liked her more.

We had more in common More than my Hyeri had when we were together.

From her favorite breakfast foods to what she did in her spare time when she wasn’t busy being a newlywed. We went for walks and bike rides near the river. Stopped at all our favorite cafes for waffles and ice cream with an Americano to drink.

We fell asleep watching movies and pouring over the latest news online. Or sat down and would just talk for hours while drinking tea.

She enjoyed watching old tea ceremonies, dancing with grannies in the park and wishing at any well, we passed even if it meant stopping after dark. We had enjoyed going to norabongs multiple times, and she didn’t care and even joined in when I sang horribly off key to Jang BeomJun songs.

She liked spicy tteokbokki that was still so steaming hot it would burn your tongue if you didn’t chase it down with a giant swig from a bottle of beer right after.

And almost as if she knew I needed it and knew it stemmed from me not wanting to go home. She let me stay and played with me without question. Subtly making sure that my mind could never fall back to the things that were haunting me.

She cared.

In the weeks I spent with her I already felt closer to her than I had the Hyeri in my world.

‘Did I cling to her because if I, didn’t I would have been alone? Because if I didn’t cling to her then I would have nothing in my life; no one to root and ground me? Had I reached out and clung to her so desperately just so the darkness wouldn’t swallow me whole?’ I couldn’t help but wonder for the hundredth time since starting my stay here.

Two delicate fingers with pretty soft coral pink nails came across my vision, bringing me out of my dark circling thoughts. Hyeri flicked my forehead, and I yelped in surprise.

“What did you do that for?” I asked.

She laughed. “Don’t look at me like a wounded puppy. You are the one who disappeared into some far off place while I was talking to you.”

“I don’t want him to find out who I am.” I mumbled and reorganized my bangs on my forehead from her disturbing them.

“Ah, is that all. No one has figured out you are Lee Ahn Jun in the past five years. Heck, if we hadn’t come up with the name and the fake profile together, I don’t think I would be able to ever guess who you are.”

“Honestly, if that’s all it is I wouldn’t worry so much.” She said cheerfully then her face fell.

“Ah, but no one else has as many resources at the tip of their fingers as he does. Even the best reporters can be tipped off and avoided. But resources like his are infinite you are right, that is scary. I know on tv they paint him out to be ruthless once he locks onto a target he never lets go that’s what the news says.”

“Soo, maybe it is best if you lie low for a little while.”

“I am sure he will lose his interest in you when he sees you really want nothing from him.”

I smiled and nodded my agreement.

‘If only that was what I was incessantly worried about.’

My identity as Lee Ahn Jun was the least of my concerns right now.

‘Right now, I was more worried he would realize I was a girl without an Existence.’