The veil is lifted

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SHROUDED with mystery this case had felt when Wheein, along with her brother Hoseok, had first began wading into its uncharted waters. Each time they got close to apprehending someone, their suspect either died or was proven innocent. 

Her cell-phone dinged in her pocket, indicating that she had an unread message. She didn't need to check it to know its contents; she knew it was Hoseok, dutifully informing that he had proceeded with his plan.

Despite her disagreeing with her brother that it was too soon to arrest Yerim, she couldn't deny that all the evidence pointed at her. Even the lipstick mark on the sticky note found on Joohyun's bathtub bore her DNA. Strangely, they had found Joohyun and Hansol's fingerprints on them.

Wheein let that seep in her mind, before she entered the shady dwelling that used to be Joohyun's workplace.

*

Yerim sat on a stool in the dingy jail cell, her hands folded and legs crossed so tightly that Hoseok wondered if they would ever come free. She stood out like a banana in the cell, despite being clad in black velvet.

"For the last time, if you could just tell me what you were doing in Jeju Island, we could come to an understanding," he said as patiently as he could.

"For the last time," she mocked. "If you could simply understand that when I say you won't understand my reasons, then we could perhaps come to a better conclusion. I didn't kill my father, my step-mother and that stupid manservant, what more do you want from me?"

"Ms. Kim, you do realize that that isn't how cases work."

Yerim parted her mouth to emit a soft scream. "Ah! I told you that if I tell you why I went to Jeju Island it won't help my case! It will only make things worse!"

Hoseok raised his eyebrow. "However, it might help your case. Perhaps, it could provide you with an alibi. You do want a solid defense against all this evidence, don't you?"

"I will exchange all those details with my lawyer," Yerim said, narrowing her eyes. "Not with a puny Inspector."

Hoseok then had enough. "Well then, I have attempted to play good cop and to no avail, it seems. Then, pray tell me, how did you do it?"

Yerim stiffened. "I told you, I didn't do it."

Hoseok stood up. "Then you will have to work very hard to prove that statement, Ms. Kim. Because from the way everything works out - even your DNA is against you - it looks like you committed triple murder at the House of Kim."

He slammed the door of the cell shut, leaving a shell-shocked Yerim behind.

*

Seokjin, Taehyung and Jungkook were in the library in the House of Kim. Seokjin's parents had left, after much coercion from their son that he required no assistance of any sort. Yoongi made no comment and only shook his head slightly as he returned to his quarters.

Seokjin massaged his head as he sank into the cushioned chair that Kim Namjoon had died in.

"First they arrest Hansol because he had an affair and now they arrest Yerim because she might've had one with Jimin. What are they playing at?"

"They do have some solid evidence," Jungkook offered helplessly.

"Solid? Why, even I can print off a fake airplane ticket and pass it off as evidence," Seokjin muttered.

"This is the Korean Police Force we are talking about, Jin," Taehyung pointed out. "I think it's hardly likely they'll fake stuff just so they can get someone to arrest."

"Really? Have you never read the newspapers? Have you never heard of police getting desperate enough to pin the blame on anyone they can lay their hands on, just so that they can close a case?"

"That's because it dragged for years, Jin. It's been more than a month since Father was murdered."

Seokjin let out an exasperated sigh and decided not to reply to that statement. He whipped out his cell-phone and punched some digits.

"Who are you calling?" Jungkook asked.

"Our family lawyer. I need to get the best defense for Yerim and I'm asking him for legal advice," Seokjin said, without looking up.

Taehyung stopped him. "First, we need to ask Yerim. I'm sure she will say yes, but don't you think she should be offered the choice for her defense?"

At first, Seokjin slated the very idea but he gave it some more thought. Perhaps Yerim would prefer to be asked, for once, about something concerning her. It was less about the urgency to get her a sound defense and more about respecting her wishes. Namjoon had always planned her path out for her and never let her have her own way - which ultimately led to her own heart breaking.

"Alright then, you get your way Taehyung. I will go and visit her right away," he said finally.

Taehyung smiled weakly. "On the contrary, I would like it if you would have me visit her instead. I would like to be given the chance to be a good brother for once. May I?"

Seokjin sucked his breath in. He, too, wished to prove Yerim wrong and be the caring older sibling she never got, especially when she needed him the most. He, too, wanted to end her suffering. His guilt continued to gnaw his conscience, knowing the extremes of Joohyun's harassment.

He locked eyes with an earnest Taehyung and sighed.

"Fine. You get your way, again."

*

Wheein gingerly walked into the place. She had worn plain clothes, of course, so she naturally didn't attract much attention. However, it was day-time and there were no customers in sight. Had she walked in during evening hours, she would have certainly attracted more attention; talking bars were the haunts of middle-aged men.

Now, in the lighter part of the day, it was mostly inhabited by the staff which consisted of two ladies and a girl who looked as if she was in her early twenties. She was dusting the seating areas while one of the women was cleaning drinking glasses at the bar. The other one was flipping through a thick accounts book.

Hence, none of them noticed her until she cleared her throat.

"This is the Attaboy Bar, right?"

The woman doing accounts raised her head, wearing a bemused smile. Her silky, jet black waves were open and she was dressed very fashionably for someone who was the owner (or co-owner) of a talking bar.

"Did you hear that, Byulyi?" She asked, utterly failing to answer Wheein's question.

Even the cleaning girl stifled a small laugh.

"Um, excuse me-" Wheein began but the woman called Byulyi didn't let her finish.

"Sorry, we're not the Attaboy Bar, dear. We are a regular bar like every other bar you see," Byulyi said. She was the only one who didn't have an immature smile.

"Oh yes, we are a regular-regular bar," the youngest girl impishly said. "All squeaky clean and straight."

"Sooyoung! Get back to work!" The first woman hissed. "You're annoying the nice confused lady!"

Wheein was at a loss for words.

"Ignore Yongsun. I think the bar you're looking for is on the immediate right of this one," Byulyi said.

"You are most welcome to stay here, though," the woman named Yongsun said.

"Yongsun," Byulyi warned.

"I'll get going then," Wheein said, stepping back.

"Of course, sorry for the unhelpful behavior that Sooyoung and I just displayed," Yongsun suddenly said, feeling apologetic.

"It's no biggie," Wheein said, smiling awkwardly. "I should really leave-"

"I didn't catch your name, miss," Yongsun said.

Byulyi exhaled an audible sigh. Sooyoung snorted in the background. Yongsun shot her a death glare and she quickly went back to wiping the tables.

"It's Jung Wheein," said Wheein and made a dash for the door.

She only managed to catch their final words in earshot.

"I envy her; what a pretty name. Quite unlike yours, boss, you sound like a North Korean-"

*

Taehyung was permitted to talk to his sister after a lot of pleading. When he entered the cell, he was distressed to see his sister look so pale. She cracked a smile and motioned him to take a seat. Taehyung looked around him and saw another stool propped against the wall.

It screeched when he dragged it closer to where Yerim sat, to which Yerim twitched her eyebrows in irritation of the sound.

"Sorry," he said when he noticed.

She immediately smiled. "It's no problem. I can tolerate so much."

Taehyung's heart panged. "Stop it. You've been enduring so much since I was gone. Mrs. Song told me about all that Joohyun did. It may not be much if you see it from Father's perspective but to live with that everyday of your life must break your confidence a lot."

Yerim scoffed. "I don't want pity, Taehyung. Not from you, not from anyone. Beauty wins everywhere and I am living proof of that. My husband-to-be found me less beautiful than my step-mother. My father listened to a woman who he had known for less than two years than to his daughter who he had known all her life. And I am casted for the villain because I am definitely not the damsel in distress."

"I don't think it's a case where there is a damsel in distress," Taehyung said.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Yerim's face.

"I can tell that the inspector feels sorry for me, too. I'm not sure about his sister. And I'm so afraid that if I tell them why I ever was in Jeju Island, they might find me more suspicious."

Taehyung leaned forward. "Incidentally, why were you there?"

Yerim looked uncertain. She glanced shiftily from side to side before leaning forward as well.

"I was afraid," she whispered. "I was afraid I might do something very horrible had I stayed in the mansion. This was before I met Hansol, of course."

"Of course," Taehyung agreed but looked concerned. "What were you so afraid of?"

Yerim licked her lips. Her white hands kept clenching and unclenching.

"It was a horrible month. I had accidentally consumed some whole wheat bread and had a stomach ache for an entire week and a vomiting fit the next week because someone had replaced my almond milk with cow's milk. My monthly periods were on as well so it looked as if the bathroom had become my second home. And to add a cherry on top, the next day, a gossip tabloid published a scoop that I had rhinoplasty done two years ago. I had a horrible feeling that Joohyun had something to do with it; her ghastly satisfaction was quite visible, seeing me all fucked up."

She stopped then and looked around her again, as if she was afraid someone might eavesdrop on her.

"The day the article was published, I thought I might do something to her. I was so angry, I didn't know whether to cry and give her the satisfaction of seeing me break down or to do something as mean and terrible in return. My own mind scared me when I took a deeper look into the petty ways I wanted to get back at her. They didn't look petty, at all, Taehyung. They were big, big things with consequences. I got scared of myself and decided to go take a break from it all. I didn't even bother telling Seokjin. I just booked a ticket to that camp under a pseudonym, bought the flight tickets under the same name and went to Jeju Island for a month."

Taehyung was silent. He wanted to hold her tight but he let her keep going on.

"When I came back, I was engaged to Chwe Hansol. I thought I could overcome this by trying to get fond of him. I did but I suppose he never did. Why, I-" Yerim broke off, overcome with emotion.

Taehyung held her hands. "What, Yeri? What did you do?"

"I even gave up my virginity for that man," she sobbed. "I really, really grew fond of him, didn't I? I let my inexperience in love swallow me whole as I ignored the red flags blossoming before my very eyes. I tried, so many times, to please him. But he never left my room with a smile. And now that I know who he was with when he wasn't with me-"

Taehyung felt as if a shard of ice had pierced his heart. He felt wetness on his own face.

"It's going to be okay, Yeri. You will find someone better, or heck, you don't need anyone to prove your worth. We will get you out of here and-"

"I've had enough, Taehyung," Yerim said, lightly pushing him away. "I don't want to carry this baby anymore."

Taehyung gasped. "B-baby?"

"A cell, technically," Yerim said, wiping her eyes. She looked determined, even though all the light was gone from her eyes.

"Can you do me a favor, brother?"

*

Wheein was mortified that she walked into the wrong bar and accused them of being a talking bar. It was fairly embarrassing since speaking about talking bars, let alone brothels, was a hush-hush topic. No wonder that girl, Sooyoung, was giggling so much.

She got what she needed from Attaboy Bar (the owner was more somber and the air was not as light-hearted as the previous bar). Joohyun had indeed worked there and they recognized the photograph of Kim Namjoon, who turned out to be her most loyal customer. She had quit shortly before getting married to him.

Unfortunately, none of them could recognize Yerim, Seokjin or Taehyung. They had recently replaced most of their staff with new people so it was unlikely anyone would recognize them; Wheein comforted herself with that fact.

She sighed as she stepped out of the bar. Oh well, at least she had tried. She glanced at the bar's name and snorted.

Why did they all have such weird names?

Her eyes shifted focus to the sign next to it, which read: Waggy. Simply Waggy, nothing else. When her eyes travelled down, she realized it was the same bar she had stepped in. It was so close to Attaboy, she deliberated about the gap between them. Customers of Attaboy would have had a fine view of Waggy's interior space and vice-versa. Pretty girls courting old farts on one side and young people loosening their sleeves on the other. Seoul's night life was one of a kind, indeed.

Well, she knew which one she would step in. Waggy's staff seemed more friendly; a little too friendly. She smiled as she thought about them. Her next thought made her heart drop. She slowly blinked her eyes and stepped back for a side-by-side comparison of both bars.

Attaboy, Waggy.

"I didn't do it!"

Attaboy, Waggy.

"A peculiar lot, eh?"

Attaboy, Waggy.

Lip quivering, she dashed in one of them to make some enquiries.

Five minutes later, she was on the phone. She prayed and prayed that it would connect to the other end. Her prayers were answered and a husky voice spoke from the other end:

"Yes?"

"Hoseok, this is important. I will send you everything in a minute but you must listen to me and act quickly. Quick as the wind, you understand?"

"What's the-"

"Shut up and listen. It is imperative that you act as quickly as you can. Okay?"

An annoyingly long sigh followed. Wheein bit her lip to stop any snarky comments, lest they lose any time. Time was the one thing they couldn't afford to lose.

"Okay."

Wheein took a deep breath in and uttered four words. Four words that almost made Hoseok drop his phone. Four words that should've set them on the right path from the start. Four words that even Min Yoongi couldn't have guessed. Four words that made the difference and changed the entire perspective.

*

Yerim stared at the pills in her hand and gave a quick look around her. Nobody was watching.

Good.

She knew she would have to face the consequences for what she did. This was her only escape. In a way, she deserved to suffer such a fate. She sighed and shook her head.

"Poor Taehyung. If only, he knew what was up."

She took a sip of water and was just about to pop the pills when a hand knocked them from her hands. Incensed, she turned behind and gasped.

"You!"

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