The first thing that hit me when I stepped into the condominium was that my grandparents definitely didn’t design this place. It was too sleek, too modern, too… Korean-chic? Clean lines, pale wood, and furniture that looked like it came straight out of a lifestyle magazine. My grandparents were the lace-tablecloth-and-old-clock kind of people, not the minimalist-modern type.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4d8ARM8Gsy
“Did you refurbish the apartment? It doesn’t look like a place my grandparents would own…” I walked around the room, observing the interior design. It was too clean.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzl6nRaXfpU
“I didn’t touch anything in this apartment. If anyone were doing any refurbishing, it would be the designer your grandfather hired.” Aunt Holly motioned us to the living room and took out a set of keys, handing me and Damian one each. “Although…it does seem strange for this apartment to look so modern.” She shrugged her shoulders, brushing off any further questions from me.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyk8kDgXI0x
“There are three bedrooms and one empty room, a bathroom in the corner and a study room. Oh, and the master bedroom has a bathroom inside as well.” Aunt Holly motioned us to the corridor of doors right beside the living room. “Your grandparents had already decided your rooms before they left Korea.”
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jbqZSvGxL
“They were here recently?” I raised my eyebrows. It didn’t seem possible that they had come to Korea, since we often went back to Sabah to visit.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsptfFByLq
“Oh, it was years ago, really. It was one of their last trips here. The final trip was around twelve years ago, I think.”
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhG3QbVjEL
“I see.” I stared at the door which hung a plaque with my name on it. Somehow, part of me would rather sleep in the living room than my own room.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkSUZtZ7i0
“Right! Before I forget, I have some boxes your grandparents entrusted to me before they left. They’re in my apartment, about ten minutes from here. Damian, would you be so kind as to escort your favourite aunt?” Damian groaned. He was clearly jetlagged and exhausted from the flight here.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9C82qkhWQQ
“How about I go?” I volunteered, partially hoping to get some questions answered while we were in the car. But Aunt Holly seemed to have picked up my curiosity and promptly denied me.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUx41IzdO5
“Damian will go. You stay here and start unpacking your own luggage. We’ll be back soon. Damian, let’s go.” She twinkled her eyes at Damian and left.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RZ3tb9oTu
“Don’t worry, Aunt Holly won’t tell me shit either. And if she did, I’ll definitely tell you when I come back.” Damian patted my shoulder as he walked out the door.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93sTIrfVuD
“Sure you will,” I muttered in annoyance. As soon as the door closed, I collapsed onto the couch and let out a deep sigh. “Well, this sucks.”
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVbtdkgeuZ
*
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGomPtBAl4S
While Damian and Aunt Holly went to get the boxes, I explored the apartment, trying to find a clue to some of my questions.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzh82Geh4q
Better than moping about it on the couch. I grimaced as I studied the interior.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eykNPLA24
The apartment looked like it came from a K-drama setting. Everything was meant to look aesthetic, down to the last carpet. Clean…and expensive. How on earth did Grandpa get the money for this apartment? Dozens of possibilities circled my head. Since he was a policeman before he retired, so…
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsE3xRqW24
Maybe he took high-level cases?
Impossible. Grandpa’s cases were always assigned to him, and he wasn’t a private investigator.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VIwdthpq7
Side job?9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTmE80TnYl
Too busy with police work—according to Dad.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OyDj7Tae4
Loan.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCtNWsJ3AM
Never trusted banks.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHgPs6WH85
Loan-SHARK.
No debts left behind.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6XH8KdDro
Hidden funds!
Oooh… now that’s a possibility. But, where would he receive all these funds from? And now, we’re back to square one.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5E75ndDvwx
As I dragged my luggage to my room, I racked my brain with possibilities I could come up with. Neither of them seemed like a viable answer. I grumbled with dissatisfaction with my lack of understanding in this entire situation.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhyH8YIeQG
This really sucks.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucBrEmhDUf
What the hell am I supposed to do when I have literally nothingto work on? Mom and Dad really dragged us into—
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlUib6NuhF
I stopped dead in my tracks.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUH9NrAiRZ
A faint chill brushed against my skin.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcAwZJvp9X
There was something in the air; I could feel it.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5peRj9ktM
WHOOSH.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1F044vjHpt
What was that?
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVattJF3HN8
I whipped my head toward the bathroom in the corner. There was a ‘whoosh’ sound coming from that direction, and that means there’s wind.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeKdcURM56
In the corridor.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJlO3YkDG4
With no windows.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBKiSCfGCI
As I stared at the bathroom intently, I could feel the nervousness creep up my spine. My fingers tightened around the handle of my luggage.
“…What the hell?”
I inched toward the bathroom; my heart was pounding in my chest. It was telling me to walk away there and then, but my instincts were drawn to whatever was behind the bathroom door.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuozOMh3Ep
Before I knew it, my fingers were wrapped around the doorknob.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftDfk4EtDC
Should I open it? What if there was some unworldly creature behind this door? What if it eats me?
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2euzar0po
There are far scarier things in this world than the dark.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGu12Qatibu
Damian’s words played in my head repetitively like a record player.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdc0kqutH5
He was right.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0ueU7TOdd
The airport incident should’ve been enough to tell me that.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycVEYPqf2A
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and prepared to turn the knob.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKJgwdPpaR
God, if there’s some kind of monster behind this door, make sure it eats Damian after eating me.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RucDKPHan
Three.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWvP8nqB7P
Two.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNijdQOY8kN
One.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUM8nbehC7h
BANG!
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA02iNwY1D6
“We’re baaaack!”
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQG2ImPOTpm
The door flung open behind me, and Damian and Aunt Holly burst in, laughing. In that moment, my knees gave out, and I let out a sigh of relief.
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBcK7VmfEq
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh77jVSXaja
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYC9jkwOzl
→ Request update
and then Add to home screen.