Chapter Text
Mi-ae doesn’t return home one day.
Mi-ae’s mother calls the academy and ask if her daughter left late or is still there.
They proceed to say her daughter left at a normal time and also didn’t take the academy bus.
Mi-ae’s mother calls Mi-ae’s friends parents if she went to their houses.
They all gave the same answer, Mi-ae didn’t come to their house and they haven’t seen her since school that afternoon.
Mi-ae’s mother calls Cheol’s mother to ask her son if he’s seen Mi-ae.
She said Cheol hasn’t seen her since he left the academy, which was four hours ago.
Mi-ae’s mother calls the police to report her daughter is missing.
.
“Cheol can you come here?”
At that moment, Cheol was doing homework. He stopped and was taken aback by the tone his mother used. She sounded scared and concerned. Alarmed, he went to her immediately.
“Yeah.”
He can see a phone in her hand.
“Have you seen Mi-ae? Her mom said she hasn’t come home yet.”
Cheol went tense on the spot.
“I saw her walking home after we were done with the academy and that was it.”
His mom pursed her lips and turned back to the phone to tell Mi-ae’s mom the new information her son gave her.
Cheol’s heart was racing. ‘She hasn’t gone home?’ ‘Maybe she went karaoke with her friends’ ‘Or went to the store to get bread-‘
“Her mother is going to call the police.”
Cheol snapped out of his thoughts. His blood ran cold.
‘Huh’
“They can’t find her?” His spoke loudly, his face was filled with intense stress. The world started to feel surreal.
His mother was currently putting on her shoes and gave a nod.
“Wake up Sunjeong and put your shoes on. We’re going to their house right now.” His mother was already out of the door before he can reply.
Cheol paled.
“Fuck.”
-
This was the first time Cheol has seen Mi-ae’s father without a smile. He wore a deep heart shattering frown. You can see the lines in his face more, the stress of his daughter’s disappearance has already made a huge impact on his well-being. He looked like a man that never smiled in his entire life.
“Yes sir……she was supposed to be home four hours ago……….well yes she does hang out with her friends sometimes-…….I told you already! I called them and they said they haven’t seen her!” Mi-ae’s mother’s blood pressure was through the roof. The police weren’t cooperating with her. Saying that Mi-ae was probably with a friend and forgot to call her parents that she was gone. Since it was a Friday night, the police weren’t as alarmed. She let out a frustrated yell and slammed the phone on the table so hard, the table rattled.
“The police said we have to wait a couple hours to report again.” Her fist were shaking, she was fuming.
Sunjeong sat up from her seat.
“That’s ridiculous! How incompetent of them! They don’t know Mi-ae like we do, she’s a good kid. She wouldn’t just leave without calling first!” Sunjeong stomped around and continued on with her rant.
Cheol headed towards the door.
“Where are you going?” Cheol’s mother yelled. Cheol didn’t look back.
“I’m going to go look for her.”
He proceeded to run out of the building. Everyone was scrambling to catch up to him, but Cheol was already jumping onto his bike.
“Cheol!”
Cheol turned his head around, it was Mi-ae’s father.
The look on his face was a look Cheol would have never thought he would see on the most sweetest older man he’s ever met. It was a look of ire, his eyebrow were furrowed and eyes hard. The kind light non-existent and replaced with dark thoughts.
A look he seen on a certain girl before, in her small moments of rage.
“Find her. Please.”
Something sparked inside Cheol. He nodded and peddled away on his bike. Hot determination covered the cold fear inside him.
“I’m going to find you, Mi-ae. Whatever it takes.”
He peddled faster.
-
As Mi-ae was slowly regaining conscious. She realized she was lying on her side on a cold hard floor. A sharp pain lingered at the back of her head. She winced and tried to stand up, but something was restricting her arms and legs from doing so. She frantically opened her eyes.
“Where…where am I?”
She heard a laugh above her that resembled like a hyena. She looked up and the first thing she noticed was a wide manic smile. A tooth missing in the front.
“Finally. You’re awake.”