EP. 4 [YERIN]

It's been years since Baekhyun has slept in his childhood room, nevertheless, police still search through it. They leave dresser drawers open and clothes in disarray amongst the floor. Bedsheets hang carelessly off one side while fallen pillows crowd the bedframe.

Everything they touch is out of place.

Yerin can hardly recognize it. To think her brother had once left it spotless only for strangers to ransack the room top to bottom only heightens how anxious she feels about the situation.

A part of her doesn't want to believe what the police say. That Baekhyun was last seen entering his office at seven this morning by Dal, his secretary. No one saw him leave, which makes Yerin nibble away at her fingernails.

She doesn't have to be a detective to know how odd that is, disappearing in an enclosed office with only one entryway. There are windows, each small in size. About the width of a piece of paper and twice as tall. But needless to say, Baekhyun wasn't going anywhere unless it was through the door.

So, where is he?

Curled up on her bed, Yerin forces herself to sit up straight. She's still in her pajamas even though it's half past noon. Her hair is also slightly matted on one side from all the tossing and turning when she tried to fall back to sleep after the police left. Too many thoughts later, she gave up. It's not that she couldn't, but her desire to find Baekhyun just happened to be stronger.

It's so overpowering, she's decided to go and see his office herself. The police could've missed something. After all, they don't know Baekhyun as well as she does.

She hurries to get ready, and then she's out the front door. When she reaches NyctoCosmos, Dal is there to greet her. Not at his desk, but at the building's entrance.

"Yerin," he says in greeting. His tone lacks his usual warmth, which is understandable considering everything.

She's a bit surprised to see him there. Mostly because it's like he'd been expecting her to show up. All she can muster is a tight-lipped smile in reply.

"Have the police told you anything?" Dal lowers his voice the closer she gets.

It's no secret that Baekhyun is missing. News travels fast amongst coworkers. Rumors are sure to spread concerning their boss' disappearance but talking about it so publicly is bound to put everyone more on edge.

Yerin sensed how tense the atmosphere was the moment she stepped inside. The usual rambunctious lobby is now full of whispers. Several employees have glanced in her direction. Some are still staring at her as she talks with Dal.

"Can we talk in your office?" She would rather not see all the gossiping knowing exactly who it's directed at.

Dal nods, grasping her wrist and leading her to the elevators across the lobby. The ascent to the fourteenth floor is spent in silence. Only when they're entirely alone does she answer his question and explain it all.

"They searched his house too," Dal adds on once she finishes. "At least, they said they would when they left this morning. Did they tell you what they found?"

Shaking her head, Yerin sighs in exasperation. "If they have, they didn't say anything to me or my mom. They didn't ask us any questions either. I can't help but feel like they're blind siding us."

"It hasn't even been 24 hours yet. They're doing more than they're supposed to."

Yerin plops down on one of the two cushioned chairs in front of the desk. "I know, but I don't think they actually care that he's missing. It could just be a formality because he's a CEO."

"Possibly, but I'm glad you came." Dal remains standing by the door, an unsual eager hint in his otherwise sodden expression. "There's something I need to show you."

Just as quick as she sat down, Yerin gets right back up and follows Dal further down the hallway, opposite to the elevator.

This isn't the first time Yerin has ever been to this part of the building. Baekhyun had given her and their parents a tour just days after he bought it. That was back when most of it was still in the dark, aside from the few lightbulbs straggling on lead pipes.

Now, there's a grid of lights, brightening the wide hall as Dal leads them further and to a practically empty room aside from a cabinet imbedded into one of the four walls.

"What is this place?" Yerin glances around the room, partially in awe at the sleek, ebony panels and deep crevices at the ceiling's edge.

The entirety of the room almost looks like it's made of glass, but the reflection she sees of herself is hazy. She can make out Dal's blurry figure as he goes to the opposite side of the room and taps on the wall. An array of electric blue dots scatter from where his finger had touched.

Yerin whips her head around to get a better view. The dots swirl for a second before welcoming him and logging into the system.

It's a screen. Does that mean every wall can be activated just by a single touch?

She reaches a finger out to the wall in front of her but doesn't get a response.

Maybe it just doesn't work for her. She's not an employee. Still, Yerin finds the whole thing fascinating. She's never seen anything quite like this, so futuristic and very much real.

"This is the Holoprojection Room. Baekhyun, however, refers to it as the Holodeck."

Of course, leave it to her brother to take advantage of his love for Star Trek. He was such a nerd, actually bringing that fantasy to life.

To say she is impressed would be an understatement. Baekhyun truly outdid himself.

"This is amazing," Yerin says breathlessly.

She doesn't need to see much to know what she's about to experience.

Dal keys in something, and the system boots up.

"Loading prototype JHS-021894.V4"

Yerin's gaze is focused above her as several lights tangent at the center of the ceiling before immediately directing to the floor. Familiar blue dots wisp into the air.

At first, their movement seems random but as they continue to travel upward, Yerin can make out the sole of a shoe. She carefully observes as a man she's never seen before is drawn to absolute perfection.

From top to bottom, he's a beautiful, luring sapphire. It lasts only for a second, because once the dots recede back into the floor, a rush of color swatches the handsome individual.

Wearing a lilac suit, the slacks cuffed in white with a matching shirt and the blazer bunched up to his elbows, the man stands there with a heart-shaped smile.

"Mr. Dal, it's a pleasure to see you again."

His voice is light, tone mature and higher pitched, and somehow, it sounds so human. Yerin isn't sure what she had been expecting. Likely something more robotic and monotone, but oddly, how he speaks complements his appearance.

"It's good to see you too, Hope. I wish it had been under better circumstances." Dal ambles to the hologram and comfortably rests a hand on his shoulder.

"The thing is," he pauses for a breath, "we need your help."

Only then does Hope look at Yerin.

"Oh, my apologies." His dark eyes unrealistically sparkle, and then it's gone in a flash. "You look so much like Mr. Baekhyun. Are you perhaps siblings? Facial recognition shows a similarity of 93%."

Yerin can do nothing but stand there in shock, which causes Dal to chortle.

"Yes," he answers for her. "This is Ms. Yerin. She's Mr. Baekhyun's sister."

Hope a takes a moment before bowing his head and coming back up with a small wave, crescent eyes, and barely noticeable dimples. "It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Yerin."

All Yerin can muster is a nod in response.

"Hope, we were wondering if you could answer some questions for us."

The hologram's gaze returns to Dal, expression relaxing slightly. "Of course. How may I be of service?"

"Could you please access all video files under BHO-111222 with a timestamp between 7 AM to 9 AM?"

On the wall Dal had previously touched, a short list of MP4s are shown. "Under BHO-111222 with a timestamp between 7 AM to 9 AM, there are currently 4 video files with 30 minute intervals. How would you like to view them?"

"Playback in chronological order at 0.75x."

Yerin and Dal watch the first three without any trouble. In each one, her brother remains at his desk, constantly rubbing his hands down his face or drinking water. It almost looks to be repetitive. When they get to the fourth one, about eight minutes in, the video glitches and goes black.

Dal immediately intercedes. "Hope, rewind 0.1s before it crashes."

Without saying a word, Hope backtracks by three frames.

"Play frame by frame in 0.5s intervals."

In the first one, Baekhyun has stood up and is facing the camera. In the second, he's hoisting himself onto his desk, and in the last one, he's completely out of the camera's angle.

Yerin says the first thought that comes to mind. "Did you show this to the police?"

Dal doesn't miss a beat. "Of course not. How am I going to explain to them what we just saw? Baekhyun did something to the camera, and if that's true then they won't investigate at all. There's no foul play. He doesn't want to be found, but Yerin, when he needs time away, he always tells me or you. He didn't say a word to me."

"Not to me either," Yerin quickly replies.

"Something's wrong," he confirms her worst fears. "And whatever it is, he doesn't want us to be involved."

Just like that, Yerin's brain goes into overdrive. "He wouldn't do that unless it was really important. There's no reason for him not to tell us."

Dal gives her a sympathetic look as she comes to a terrifying conclusion.

"Unless," Yerin's breath hitches, "he's in danger."

Dal retracts back to the wall and pushes a finger exactly where he had before.

Hope bows once more before he disappears with the help of the blue dots as they retrace their steps from head to toe. "It was a pleasure, Mr. Dal and Ms. Yerin."

As soon as he's gone, Dal turns to meet Yerin's fear-stricken gaze. "That's exactly why we have to find him."

Yerin couldn't agree more.