It's been a while since me and Lee Min had a walk by the sand in the beach. Now, we were on the way to home. As we were walking alongside the path leading out of the garden, Lee Min asked me,

“Ne maja... What might be the time?”

I turned back to glance at the sky to guess what the time might be, and replied, “Woah! Look at the sun! It's the first time I'm getting to see a proper sunset, that too live!” I kept glancing when Lee Min too, glanced back at the yellow and red mixed sheet of the sky, with the sun setting by the water. Soon, the sun disappeared and I said, “it's around 6:45 PM, I guess.”

“Ne! It is... I forgot I have my phone, it's sharp 45!”

I proudly adjusted the collar of my shirt and went inside, leaving Lee Min to follow me. As we went inside the hall, I saw eomma walking back and forth, tapping her phone in her palm, sweat dripping on her face. I glanced at Lee Min to find him already glancing at me. We were confused as to why eomma was frustrated, and all the cousins were seated in the couch, including my brothers.

I went toward her and said, “Eomma, is everything alright? Are you okay? Why are they all here? I can't catch a glimpse of appa and Jeon uncle too. Where are they? Jeon uncle went to bring Ji Hye right? Where's Ji Hye?”

I kept asking questions only to find Eomma's eyes filling with a shiny layer of tears, she forcefully held them back. I was nervous and a little frightened, my mind filled with negative thoughts. Did anything happen to Appa and Jeon uncle? I glanced down the floor to guess where they were, and why this situation is happening.

“Ki Ra...” I heard Eomma whisper, as I glanced back at her. She gulped hardly as I held her hand to make her comfortable and felt it shivering. “Ki Ra—J-Jeon Kook went to get Ji Hye—”

She gulped again, this time a tear dropped from her eye, when she averted her gaze from mine. Once she glanced back again, her lips shivered, refusing to spill the truth. she hardly poured out the words, “by 5:00 PM he informed us that—”

“that?”

“that J-Ji Hye... is... nowhere to be... found nearby the school” she released a huge breath and tightly closed her eyes, letting all her held back tears flow down and squeezed her palms together. I understood that she was in a terrible pain, She was ready to plead anyone to get Ji Hye back. I took two steps backwards and lost my balance, Lee Min who was in a shock and kinda confused, held me while processing Eomma's words.

He knew how much I love Ji Hye, she was my sister. The air in there turned silent, and the breeze of stress and sorrow passed through the hall, such a happily gathered family had fallen into a huge problem. Lee Min whispered to me as he held me, I shifted my wight onto his arms. “look Ki Ra, I know you love Ji Hye alot.” when he said this, a tear dropped from my eye. “but you have to stay strong to control Jessica aunt. She's not stable, you have to handle her, it's your responsibility to take care of her health. Give her confidence, in any instance, don't breakdown, it would only be an increase to her worries.” I understood very well, as the eldest daughter of my family, I had to take care of my parents for that was my responsibility. I wiped my tears and caged my emotions. I balanced myself and walked towards Eomma, holding her by her shoulders. I dragged her to the couch as I said, “take a seat eomma.”

Once she sat, I sat beside her and gave her courage, “Eomma, don't worry. Ji Hye might have gone to any of her freind's house. She had practises, right? She might have gone to practise at someone's place. She's a grown up girl, isn't she? Don't worry.” I glanced back at Lee Min and said to him, “Lee Min, go and try to find Ji Hye, if you catch up to Appa, accompany him and Jeon uncle and help them find Ji Hye.” he nodded and rushed out of the house, ringing a call to appa.

I rubbed Eomma's hands as she rested in my left shoulder. She was really worried about Ji Hye, she lost her control. Everytime, a tear kept dropping from her eye, one after another. She wasn't crying, her inner mind was sobbing. She wasn't making a noise, her face was blank but only the tears were dripping. I was worried about Eomma. I said again,“Eomma look at me.” she balanced herself sitting up straight and glanced at me.

I stretched my hands and wiped away her tears. I said softly, audible enough to her, “Eomma, you're the strongest person whom I ever knew. I know that you can bear any type of challenges and problems. You always faced them with courage and strength, right? That's what you taught to us, didn't you?”

She nodded, still unable to find her peace. I continued placing one of my palm on her cheeks, making her gaze back into my eye. “So even if Ji Hye was in a problem, you have to stay confident and positive, you have to muster courage and hold yourself. If you fall sick or if something happens to your health, appa and Ji Hye, both will be worried. After all, if Ji Hye really was in a problem she might be trusting her Eomma, won't she?”

She nodded again agreeing with me, but this time genuinely. She held my palm which I placed on her cheek and intertwined with hers. I continued, “So, if Ji Hye comes back home safe, but was stuck in a problem, she's still small, if she sees her Eomma frightened and worried, won't she get more tensed? You are the one who should tell her that everything is fine, right?”

She nodded and sniffled before replying me, “Ne, majayo, I'll be alright for my daughter. For the sake of my Ji Hye.” she nodded repeatedly while speaking. She cupped her hands around my cheeks and said, “you know what Ki Ra, you are the best daughter god has ever gifted to me.” she pecked in my forehead and continued, “you were, are, and will always be the best daughter to this family. Whenever I was in a problem, you took the best care of me. I understand your grief for Ji Hye even though your hiding it. It's still visible in your face.”

I glanced down to my lap as I heard her say it. She doesn't know well how am feeling, she was right about my grief. But, only I know what my heart is going through now. Only I know to which extent am I sad and broken.

Just then I heard footsteps coming towards us, it was Appa and Jeon uncle, behind them followed Lee Min. I understood that whatever the news was, it wasn't a good one, at the glance of Lee Min's disturbed face. Yet, i asked being positive, “Appa,—Appa is Ji Hye here?”

“uh—” a tear dropped as he quickly wiped it off. Eomma ran up toward appa and gripped both his shoulders tightly and asked with hopeful eyes, “Ji Hu! Ji Hu tell me! Ji Hye is home, right? Everything's fine, right? Ji Hu answer me!”

Appa let all his forcefully held back tears flow and said in a whispering voice, “Miyan chagiya, I failed to find her. If possible, please forgive this irresponsible father.” he sank up to his knees weeping, his sobs echoed throughout the house. I wasn't shocked, because I knew it was something like this. Lee Min described it for me, “well, we searched about all the houses of Ji Hye's freinds, inquired all the relatives and her freinds, investigated everywhere nearby her school, even inquired from the principal to the watchman including the Gardner, everybody says a no.”

Eomma sobbed as hse heard him, and sank to her knees too, reaching appa's level. I rushed towards them and tried convincing, but they wouldn't budge. I lost my temper and shouted throughout the hall, “Why are you two making it more tough! Everybody is stressed, we have to find Ji Hye! we can't give up like this, crying will only make things complicated. Please...” I sighed heavily when I noticed everybody frozen in the hall because of my sudden outburst.

I continued calming down, “look, Eomma, Appa, it's better if we don't loose hope and keep looking for her.” Eomma wiped her tears and shouted back feeling very much hurt, “Ottoke? Huh! What should we do!? Your appa and Jeonkook tried all possible ways, right? What more can we do!? Did you do anything that you're screaming like this to us!? If you really love your sister so much why don't you go and find her yourself!? Huh!? You've been acting too much, since ever I said you're the best! I take it back, you'll only be best if you do something for Ji Hye.” she shouted at me vigorously, that I lost my balance and was about to fall down, nobody shouted at me ever till today.

I got deeply hurt, did she just say that I was over reacting, because she called me the best daughter!? Did she just think that, saying like that would make me feel valued and help her find Ji Hye? That wasn't genuine? She thought, I was looking to be appreciated? I controlled my emotions only because I cared for my eomma. She says I'm... Okay, I've decided. I wiped my tears gaining balance and said in a broken voice, “Okay then, I'm leaving this house, and I won't return till I find Ji Hye. And if you find Ji Hye before me, don't expect me to come back until Eomma calls me. I won't ask for forgiveness, because whatever I did was for both of you, and there's no fault in me. And if you don't value it, then there's no means of me shouting in here!”

I thought that's what Appa never wanted to happen, he was already stressed at one of her daughter missing, he held eomma and cupped her cheeks, making her gaze at him. He said, “Chagiya... Chagiya, please take your words back, say sorry. I've already lost a child, I don't want to loose the other one too, Chagiya plea—”

“No use appa, she won't budge from her decision. however, taking back the words won't affect me in any way, it has already pricked my heart deeply like a sharp arrow. Even if she say me to stay back, I won't come back till I find Ji Hye. Sorry.” and I rushed upstairs leaving both of them to argue. I ran into my room and sobbed looking at the mirror. The words eomma used to shout at me was really rude, and it kept repeatedly playing in my head. I couldn't control it. I swayed my hands everywhere in the closet and made the room a mess, venting my sorrows onto whatever the things came in contact with my hands.

I dragged my backpack and the suitcase, I packed all my necessary things I would need to survive. I zipped the filled backpack and suitcase. I carried them and glanced at my table to find Eomma 's diary. I took it with me as a memorial of her if I ever missed her. I glanced at my room one last time before I left it shutting the door behind me with a huge bang, which left everybody startled downstairs.

I felt Appa's tension rise as I dragged my suitcase down the stairs. Lee Min approached to me and said blocking my path in the mid way of the stairs, “have you lost it? Do you know how much it would affect Appa? Your Eomma is emotional right now! How can you make her more upset!?”

I shoved his hands off me and said, “please, would move away from my place!? Would you get out of my way? I need to do something for my sister.” I moved him away and went downstairs straightly towards the main door. I heard Lee Min shout from behind but I didn't glance back, “We can get together and find for Ji Hy—”

By this time I was gone, as I reached for the main gate, I heard Eomma cry screaming out. I couldn't bear her cries, I ran out of the gate and garbbed my cycle from the garage. I binded my suitcase tightly to the backseat of the cycle with a strong rope and sat on the seat, paddling down the pavement.

I didn't know where to start nor did I know what to do, where to go and where to live. As I paddled down to her school and tried searching around the school, investigating people once again to get a clue, it was hopeless. I thought of complaining the police, so I went to the police station and spoke to the inspector. He said, “please take a seat.”

I sat down and as he asked my problem, I described. “Sir, my sister Ji Hye is missing, she has disappeared since today morning, she left for school and we don't know where she went after school, My appa said that when he asked the class teacher, she said that Ji Hye was in the school premises. So something might have happened after school.”

“Since when is she missing?” he aksed curiously, holding his hands together in a manner that his finger tips met.
“Since 2:30 PM”
“you inquired about her from everybody?”
“relatives, freinds, freinds' parents, principal, Gardner, watchman, nearby surroundings and even people passing by.”
“No clue?”

I glanced to my lap and sighed heavily shaking my head. He leaned forward to the table resting his elbows, “I can't file the case yet, or take any action. because, as per the rules, we are permitted to take action only if the person has gone missing for atleast 48 hours, I can consider you since you've already investigated the places, and reduce it till 24 hours, but more than that, nothing's under my control.”

I banged the table and came up to my legs shouting, “what do you mean!? If something happens to that particular person, will you hold the responsibility!? Anything can happen within 24 hours! You can rest here but not me! Am off to search her by myself!”

“you can file a FIR if you want us to find her after 24—”
“NO!” I cut him off.

I left the place and paddled down back to the school, I only searched up around the school, I sat on a bench nearby the school, 10 steps away and rested my head between my hands, sobbing. I should have listened to Lee Min, I was stubborn. I thought of a way to find Ji Hye back, as I kept on thinking deeper, a thought of footprints lingered in my mind. Footprints!? There might be alot of them, I'm just over thinking. Hey wait, maybe I could get some other sort of informations or clues. Hmm, I thought of getting inside the school.

I rummaged through my backpack and took my phone and torch with me. I wore some gloves so If I had to touch any evidence my fingerprints won't be there. So I zipped my backpack and placed it on my back, suppose If I needed anything there for emergency, it could be useful. I tightened the knot which kept my suitcase tied to the backseat and hid my cycle behind the bushes, which wasn't visible even for the dark.

I went to the gate and was intending to wake the snoring watchman, but I didn't have to do that. Just by stepping a driy stick on the floor accidently, made the watchman flinch for the sound and wake up.

“Omo! What are you doing here!? You should get going, go away!” he said in a stern voice, as he noticed me standing. I replied back, “Excuse me! You better let me in. I'm Ji Hye's elder sister, and You know what's with Ji Hye. If you don't let me in, I can file a case against your whole family and this school.” I crossed my arms shifting the weight from one leg to another and raised my eyebrows.

He nodded being frightened for I threatened him, and opened the gate for me and whispered to me, “ma'am, you can go in, but make sure you don't get in sight of anybody in the school. Since ever Ms.Ji Hye is missing, the principal has put a strict lock down to the girls in the hostel there, and have warned me to not let anyone in or out. I am trusting you and letting you in because you're the victim's sister.”

Woah, he just called Ji Hye a victim!? I don't care to bother about it, I must get to work. I nodded at him and went inside the school garden. He asked the Gardener to accompany me around the school premises. As I was having a round of the school, I reached the playground, where Ji Hye used to play with her freinds. I asked the Gardener, “do you know anything about Ji Hye when she was present here today?”

“I don't know much, the only thing is that I saw her play with her freinds in this ground, after that I didn't see her leave from the ground with her freinds. Maybe she left earlier and her freinds came later.”

“oh, so it seems something went wrong in here.” I replied as he shrugged his shoulders. I shoved the torch everywhere around the ground and to the surrounding trees. Suddenly, when a dog caught a glimpse of me, it started barking. The Gardener pulled me aside switching the torch off and hid me behind a tree. I peeked through to see what was happening, the barking dog was tied to something, so it couldn't run up to me.

I heard the Gardener speak to someone, “yes, sir?”
“Why is the dog barking?” I heard a male voice, might be around 35 - 40 in age.
The gardner replied, “maybe, it's because it saw me”
“but my dog knows you, doesn't he?”
“y-yes Mr. choi” the Gardener hesitantly replied.

“maybe he's a little hungry, want some midnight snack buddy?” the man said to the dog. The dog sat down hanging it's tongue out, happily wagging His tail. The man took the dog away with him mumbling to the dog, “then, you can sleep in my bedroom for today.”

I sighed as I heard him leave with the dog. As I tried to move, I got a glimpse of a piece of clothe hanging in a tree branch which was to my hip level. It's a strong branch which was cut down and had pointy edges, in which one of the edge was occupied by the piece of clothe. I carefully took off the clothe when I heard the Gardener approach to me saying, “he's the principal, he took away the dog. So now we are safe.” and he saw me examining the piece of clothe.

He added, “you've found something?”
“Do anybody use this path usually?” I asked
“No, not often. Only me and the wtachman go through the woods.”

“Today, did you two go?” and in response, he shook his head. I showed him the piece of clothe and asked, “Does this by any chance, belong to you or the wtachman?”

“I only use robes in school, and wtachman has his uniform, which doesn't have a colour of this clothe.”

“So it's someone else's, are you sure nobody uses this path?” and he nodded again. I switched the torch on and waved it around the forest-like place. It will be suitable to call it a forest. I asked the Gardener, “what's there in here? Does this path lead you outside the school premises ?”

“Ne, we have a hut where me and the wtachman usually dine. It only belongs to us.”

I put the facts together, “The piece of clothe ain't yours, and the path leads outside the school.” I thought for a minute and asked him, “Can you take me in there?” and he nodded moving forward, leaving me to follow him behind. I pointed my torch down, making sure my path didn't have any sort of snake or something, since it was very dark now, maybe 9:00 PM. As we walked for a fair amount of distance, I got a glimpse of Light.

I saw a hut Infront of me, maybe the ruins of the hut. So I went around the hut to find a fence behind it made with woods, and there was a door-like thing, if we open it, we're on the highway. I understood what happened to Ji Hye, someone came through this way and caught her from the ground and took her with him in a car or a vehicle.

I hurried back to the school, then to the main gate, and then to my cycle. I carefully packed the piece of clothe and paddled to the police station again.

I pushed forward the packet of evidence, I thought so. And the inspector asked, “what do you expect me to do with this?”

“Ask any of your hackers or someone to check if this might match any criminals you have here.” and the inspector shrugged taking the packet. He went inside and after 15 minutes he came out when the clock striked 9:35 PM.

He sat and said, “It does match. A person named Jonathen James. We tracked down his location, currently he's in New York. He was a criminal and had a punishment for attempt to murder for 6 years and was released.”

“Ghamsahabnida!” I rose up knowing what to do, he said me one last thing before I bid him good bye, “whatever you do, make sure you don't get into police cases. Keep in touch with me, I'll try my best to help you, tomorrow onwards I'll start investigating about Ji Hye in here.” he said signing a file and writing the details of the case himself. I signed that paper and left so he could do the investigation in Korea without any hindrance. I even noted down his phone number. I know what to do now, my destination is…New York.
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Author's note
Hey Tweeties! How ate you all doing! This week I'm regularly updating you all with 5 chapters! Enjoy and don't forget to comment and vote while having fun reading! Happy reading!