Yuna had borrowed Byeol's phone to take the video, since hers was crappy and low on battery. Now CK handed it back to her, and she saw the caller was "S."

Yuna's palms began to sweat. Was Byeol's killer trying to track down her phone because it might have evidence? Maybe they were even in this room trying to see whose phone was ringing...

"Want me to answer it?" CK offered.

Yuna shook her head. It could be personal. Byeol would want her friend to answer it.

The voice began speaking before she said hello. "Byeol! Are you ok? Aurea saw what happened on Flitter. There was a body at your graduation? What's going on?"

Yuna swallowed. "Gong Seojoon?"

His voice sharpened. "Who is this?"

"I'm her roommate. She's talked a lot about you."

Gong Seojoon was Byeol's boyfriend from her hometown. It wasn't that she bragged about her shy, silent drummer boy. It was just that every memory she shared with Yuna had him in it. Yuna gathered it was a childhood-friends-to-lovers story fit for a Kdrama.

"Well, could you put her on?" Gong Seojoon asked. "I've been trying to reach her forever."

Oh, no. This was not news she wanted to give over the phone. "Um ... are you nearby? Weren't you coming to graduation?"

He paused. "Byeol didn't tell you?"

A girl's breathy voice was calling him in the background. He called back, "Just a sec, honey!" Then, to Yuna, "We broke up a couple weeks ago. Aurea and I are ... mmm ..."

Yuna muted the phone and whispered something to CK. He nodded and she handed it to him.

"Listen, Byeol and I are serious about each other," CK said sternly. "We'd both appreciate it if you stop calling. Goodbye."

He ended the call. "Was that good enough?"

Yuna grinned, tears in her eyes. "I think I can hear Byeol squeeing from the other side."

Just then, a shadow fell over them. CK's assistant had returned, his expression murderous. Silently, he handed his phone to CK. CK read the screen, paled, and stood up.

Turning to Yuna, he shook her hand with a warm, confident grip. "I appreciated this opportunity to speak with you." With that, he left the room.

Yuna stared at their retreating backs. Weren't they going to look into the truth? His company, at least, had kept the image of Byeol's swinging feet at bay.

From across the classroom, the six choir girls rose from their chairs. They surrounded Yuna in a half circle, their faces angelic over their long gowns.

"Seriously, Yuna, I know he's an idol and all, but getting all hot and heavy right after your roommate dies? That's just wrong."

"Maybe she killed Byeol as a way of getting close to him! And it totally worked."

"But don't think you can hide it from us. Everyone knows what you've done. Everyone."

The six of them turned their phones to face Yuna.

Each screen showed a different social media app. All of them showed silent clips of Yuna and CK. Him leaning in to whisper. Patting her shoulder. Her smiling, laughing. All taken in the last ten minutes.

The number of views blew her away.

"What have you done?" she whispered.

Just then, the classroom door creaked open. A policeman poked his head inside. "Lee Yuna? It's time for questioning."

                                                            * * *

Yuna didn't hear a word of the police introduction. Two of them, male and female, faced her in the art studio. Student self-portraits stared at her accusingly from easels around the room.

Yuna's mind raced as the questioning began. Had they checked their phones yet? Surely not. She had to get to them first. But what was there to say? Where was CK and his lines?

Now the policewoman raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying that Hong Byeol was optimistic about her future, had no enemies, and was just a casual fan of the actor Choi Kang."

Her voice was neutral, but her expression was clearly skeptical. Yuna's insistence that nothing was suspicious was, in fact, suspicious.

"There's no such thing as a casual fan," the male cop muttered. "Did you hear where those crazies were hidden in the auditorium? They found one squeezed under the seats. What was she, boneless?"

The policewoman shot him a look.

"If you think that's weird--" Yuna began, then stopped. "Wait. We need to call someone else in."

The policewoman frowned. "We are conducting individual interviews."

Yuna turned to the policeman desperately. "Please! I think this is connected. But she might have left already."

He flipped his pen around in his fingers, studying her. Then he leaned back, propping his feet up on the art table.

"Can't you just tell us what you know about this person?"

"No. I'm really tired of rumors."

                                                                * * *

Hae-Won crossed her legs and examined her nails, frowning. "I told the security people already. You can squeeze through the heating duct and climb across the ceiling of the auditorium. It's not that hard."

"It's impressive you figured out how to do it without falling through," the policeman said.

"Oh, that," Hae-Won said dismissively. "If you stay in the ceiling over the seats, you're fine."

"Why?" Yuna asked sharply.

"Acoustical paneling, maybe." The policewoman stared into space, frowning. "It reinforces the ceiling over the audience. Over the stage, there's probably less reinforcement."

"And there's--" Yuna closed her eyes. Burned against her retinas was the image of Byeol's legs. Black streaks. Electrical burns.

She swallowed. "Wiring from the stage lights. If she'd tied herself with rope in case she fell but touched a loose wire..."

The police looked at each other. Hae-Won yawned.

It wasn't a sexy rumor, Yuna thought. But it could very well be the truth.

                                                            * * *

Yuna laid a bouquet of starflowers before the grave. It was August now, a sharp tang in the air reminding her that fall--and college--were around the corner. For her at least...but never for Byeol.

Bowing her head, she murmured a prayer, ending with, "Happy birthday, Byeol. I miss you."

A chuckle sounded behind her. Startled, she turned around and saw CK in a dark cap, sunglasses, and a black suit. It was the kind of disguise that screamed "THIS IS A DISGUISE."

He'd said he'd try to make it after his shoot for Princess Memory, but he was so late he surprised her.

"Sorry," CK said, "I'm not just laughing at you. It's just ... why is there a picture of me in the bouquet?"

"You can't guess? Wait, why are you taking it out?"

"I remember when this photo was taken! I'd just beaten the 23rd level in Dungeons and Destroyers; that's where the smile came from."

He turned it over.

"Hey!" Yuna dove for the picture, but he held it over her head.

"Dear Byeol," he read in his deep voice, "CK says hi! We've hung out a couple times this summer. And I will never admit it to you, but he's actually pretty..."

CK coughed and returned the photo to the bouquet. "Well! I knew my fans were thirsty, but that's a little..."

He removed his sunglasses, eyes twinkling. Then he sobered. Turning to Byeol's gravestone, he laid down a bouquet of white lilies.

It was the flower of memory from Princess Memory. He'd told her about that scene.

With a last farewell, they strolled up the path to the cemetery gates. "Have the rumors started to die down yet?" CK asked her. "I mean, I'm used to it, but..."

Yuna sighed. Byeol's death had been ruled an accident--a fangirl who touched a loose wire while trying to get a better view of CK. But that hadn't stopped the rumors. She was not looking forward to starting college as "that sketchy chick who killed her best friend for CK" or whatever they were saying now.

But all things passed. Byeol, bless her, and rumors too. And where there were endings, there were also beginnings.

"All right," CK was saying, "I'm going to tell you a line. Guess if it's mine or an actual drama."

Smiling, she listened to that marvelous voice as they walked on into the city.