"Valerie. Wait!" Jiyoo called out desperately, whereas she stopped in her tracks and gazed off into space morosely.
She wondered why he wasn't there to protect her, except for Taeyun. Even though he also left her for him and their popular group of friends.
"I was hoping you would be by my side, even if the world was against me and yet... You let them destroy the beautiful place where I feel the most safest. You turned your back on me because you didn't want to become a total loser and decided to be friends with them. I thought I was important to you and Taeyun, but it turns out you are exactly the same as everybody else in the school. Every day, I walk alone in the hallways, being shoved in the lockers, getting thrown by trash in the washroom, posting pictures... I don't think I'm able to forgive you..." Valerie explained without daring to look back at him.
Though she just plainly shook her head and made a turn to leave as a tear drop from one of her eyes before quickly wiping it away.
"Valerie, please..." Jiyoo pleaded until he shut his eyes closed and swallowed a hard lump in his throat, knowing that he was very much disappointed in himself because of the things he said and did to her.
The night had grown quiet as the rest of the K-East members sprawled out on couches and blankets, deeply asleep after a long day. The soft hum of the air conditioning and the faint sounds of the city outside were the only things breaking the stillness. Ryung and Taeyun, however, remained awake, their eyes sharp despite the late hour. They sat across from each other in the lounge area, speaking in low tones about the next steps for the group. Both had an air of quiet vigilance, knowing that tonight wasn't over yet. The two shared a history of keeping watch over the others, especially when things felt... off.
Suddenly, a faint noise cut through the stillness-an engine revving in the distance. Both Ryung and Taeyun's heads snapped toward the window, their gazes locking in silent understanding. Outside, the silhouette of a motorcycle blurred past, the headlights slicing through the dark like a beacon.
"Is that... the imposter?" Ryung muttered, sitting up straighter, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Taeyun narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. Gone again." He rose slowly, pushing past his fatigue, his tone laced with frustration.
Ryung's expression darkened as he stood up, glancing at the other sleeping members before stepping toward the door. "How strange... she just briefly left." His voice was low, almost as if he didn't want to disturb the fragile peace in the room.
"Maybe because this person is trying to figure things out on their own," Taeyun replied, rubbing his forehead, looking torn. "Still, I don't get it, though."
"Yeah, well... trust doesn't always come easy for some people," Ryung muttered, his eyes lingering on the darkened street outside.
The motorcycle's engine was already fading into the distance, leaving behind only the silence that hung heavy in the air.
"Maybe we should follow her?" Taeyun suggested, though his words felt more like an afterthought.
Ryung shook his head, a bitter smile on his lips. "No. We're not doing that again. If she wants to keep running off like this, fine. But we're not chasing her down anymore."
There was a long pause, the tension between them growing thicker.
Taeyun didn't reply right away, but his expression said everything. There was no sense of resolution in his face, just quiet concern. He called his best friend on the phone, laced with urgency as he leaned against the seat just when the call was being answered. "Jiyoo, what happened back there?" he asked tensely.
Jiyoo couldn't respond immediately as he was staring down at the platinum object that was given to him by Valerie. His heart is still racing from the events earlier.
"Jiyoo, what happened back there?" Taeyun repeated his words came sharp, tinged with concern and confusion. "You said you saw someone-the imposter, right? What the hell happened at that empty crack house?"
Jiyoo exhaled slowly, trying to steady his breath, but his mind was reeling. He knew he couldn't tell Taeyun the truth-not yet. He couldn't tell him that it was Valerie, the woman they all thought had died a year ago, standing there in front of him, alive and unchanged. His voice came out hoarse, strained. "I-uh, I'm not sure, Taeyun," he began, his eyes flickering over to the shadows that seemed to haunt him even now. "It was weird. I thought I saw someone at first, but when I got closer, they weren't who I thought they were. Just some... imposter, I guess. They looked like they were trying to be someone else, but I could tell something was off."
Taeyun's voice tightened on the other end, sensing the hesitation in Jiyoo's tone. "An imposter? What do you mean, off? Who exactly did you see?"
Jiyoo bit his lip, his hands trembling slightly as he recalled the face-Valerie's face-staring at him with that unsettling mix of familiarity and disbelief. His mind screamed to tell Taeyun everything, but the words stuck in his throat. "I don't know, Taeyun. It was just... off, okay? I didn't get a good look at them. Maybe it was just some trick of the light, or... or I'm just imagining things. It's fine. The place was just empty after that." He tried to sound casual, but even to his own ears, it came out hollow.
There was a long pause, and Taeyun seemed to pick up on the uncertainty in Jiyoo's voice. "Are you sure about this?" Taeyun asked, his words sharp but full of concern. "You sound... off. What really happened?"
Jiyoo clenched his jaw, forcing his breathing to stay even. "I'm sure," he said, though the doubt gnawed at him. "It's nothing, Taeyun. It's just a weird moment. I'm fine. No one was there when I went in. It's over."
Taeyun was silent for a moment, as if trying to gauge the sincerity in Jiyoo's voice. Then, he sighed. "Alright, just be careful, okay? I don't like this. It's not like you to brush things off."
"I will," Jiyoo replied quickly, pushing his feelings aside, locking the truth away. "I'll check in later, but I will explain it later on to you. Just please... don't tell anyone, not even our hyungs..." He hung up the phone, his mind still spinning, but the weight of Valerie's appearance pressing on his chest. It was a secret he wasn't ready to face yet, even if it meant lying to the person who trusted him most.
In just about ten minutes, Jiyoo climbed into the passenger seat of Taeyun's car, his mind still racing with the truth he had yet to fully grasp. The weight of what he had learned-what he had seen-felt unbearable, and the silence between him and Taeyun was thick with unspoken questions. The ride back to the Big Prime headquarters felt like it took forever, every second stretching out in uneasy anticipation.
When they finally arrived, the air inside the headquarters felt charged, the hum of activity from the K-East team barely noticeable in the background as the group congregated in the living room. Jiyoo, still shaken, held the object tightly in his hand-a small, platinum-plated relic, almost glowing in the low light. He had found it at the crack house, and he knew it held significance, but the feeling of urgency gnawed at him. He had to show it to the others, though he could already sense the surprise, even disbelief, that would follow.
The team was already gathered around, and there were a mix of confusion and curiosity as they glanced between Jiyoo and the object. Taeyun stood off to the side, his expression unreadable but tense. Jiyoo took a deep breath, stepped forward, and placed the platinum object on the low coffee table in front of them.
He explained his situation steadily but was carrying an edge of frustration. "I found it back at the crack house... and I think it's tied to something much bigger than we thought."
One of the group members, Hwan, leaned forward with his brows furrowed in astonishment. "Is that what we think it is?"
"That's what they were looking for, right?" Min-Jun pointed out.
"The Platinum," Ryung stated in speculation.
"Yeah, and it belongs to our chairman, Si-woo or whoever is looking for that," Jaesang guessed.
"So, have you figured out who the imposter is back there?" Joon-woo asked curiously.
Jiyoo paused for a moment as he kept telling himself not to spill the beans just yet. Then, he answered lightly, saying. "No... I couldn't see her face. She was wearing her mask."
"I see... Well, that sums about it, then. Now what?" Min-Jun wondered.
"Are we still going to keep hunting this imposter down?" Jaesang asked in reassurance.
"I don't know. It's such a hassle," Joon-woo replied with a tired sigh.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKAVt4gKj5
"Not going to lie, but I kinda agree," Hwan muttered.
"I can take that and give it to Si-woo in his office later in the morning. Does that sound okay to you, Jiyoo?" Ryung glanced at him casually.
Jiyoo looked up and nodded in agreement with a neutral smile.
"Awesome," Ryung grinned as his eyes twinkled at the shiny object.
Taeyun spoke again gravely and clapped his hands. "Alright, then. So the problem is solved."
"Yeah, let's call it a night," Jaesang said.
The members exchanged looks of apprehension, but all of them don't know the weight of what Jiyoo is carrying. Whatever secrets lay buried in the past, whatever twisted truth the Platinum object held, it was clear: they were all in this together now, whether they were ready for it or not.
Ryung observed Jiyoo interact with the rest of the K-East members. The way Jiyoo had acted earlier-avoiding eye contact, his hesitation when explaining the encounter at the crack house-didn't sit right with him.
There was something Jiyoo wasn't saying, something he was keeping from the group. Ryung's instincts were never wrong, and he could feel the tension in the air.
Jiyoo had seemed far too unsettled when talking about the imposter, and Ryung was starting to suspect that Jiyoo may know exactly who it was, even if he wasn't willing to share that information.
As the conversation around him shifted to the platinum object, Ryung's mind kept drifting back to that moment at the crack house. Jiyoo's unease was too noticeable to ignore, and Ryung couldn't shake the feeling that Jiyoo had recognized the imposter, maybe even had known them. He needed answers-and he needed them fast. If Jiyoo was holding something back, then Ryung had to find out who that imposter really was. If he could figure that out, maybe he could piece together what was happening and inform Si-woo and the rest of the group.
Ryung leaned in slightly, his eyes narrowing as he watched Jiyoo closely, trying to gauge his reaction. After a moment, he cleared his throat, speaking up casually but with an underlying edge. "Hey, Jiyoo," he began, his voice smooth, almost nonchalant. "You never did tell us much about that imposter, you know? The one you ran into at the crack house. You said they were trying to be someone else... but I'm still curious. Are you sure you didn't recognize them?"
Jiyoo's expression flickered, just for a split second, before he regained his composure, his eyes briefly darting away. "I told you, Ryung, it was just some random person. I didn't recognize them. It doesn't matter."
Contrarily, Ryung raised an eyebrow, his suspicion growing. "You didn't recognize them? Really?" His tone was soft, but there was an edge to it that made Jiyoo pause. "I'm just saying, with everything going on... it's odd, don't you think? That someone would just show up like that, at a place like that, and you didn't even get a good look at them?"
Jiyoo hesitated for a moment, but then his shoulders relaxed, as if he was trying to brush it off. "I told you, it was nothing... Besides, he was too fast enough for me to catch him."
But Ryung wasn't certainly convinced. He narrowed his eyes heatedly, watching Jiyoo with sharp attention. "Okay..."
Although Jiyoo's gaze hardened when he glanced briefly at Taeyun, as though seeking a lifeline.
Ryung noticed this subtle shift and felt his suspicions deepen.
"I'm telling you everything you need to know," Jiyoo said finally and confidently. "There's nothing more to it."
Though Ryung wasn't convinced. The way Jiyoo was acting, the way he was covering his tracks-it all pointed to something bigger. He could feel it in his gut. "Sure, Jiyoo," he said, his voice calm but laced with unspoken challenges. "But remember, it's better for all of us to be honest with each other. We're all in this together, and we need to know everything."
Jiyoo didn't respond, his eyes hardening as he turned back to the rest of the group.
But Ryung's mind was already made up. He couldn't let this go-not without finding out who that imposter really was. He'd figure it out, one way or another. And once he did, he'd be sure to tell the others about everything.
There was more to this than Jiyoo was willing to admit, and Ryung wouldn't stop until he found out what he's hiding.
A few hours later, after the adrenaline had worn off, Jiyoo found himself sitting on the edge of his bed, the weight of the day pressing down on him. He couldn't shake the image of Valerie or Yon-hae. Her eyes were locking with him in that old, abandoned crack house. He had tried to forget it, tried to tell himself it was some kind of hallucination, but he couldn't. It felt too heavy to deny.
He pulled his phone from his pocket, staring at it for a moment, before dialing Taeyun's number. It rang twice before Taeyun picked up, his voice still tinged with the concern from earlier. "Jiyoo, what's going on? You sound off."
Jiyoo exhaled slowly, trying to calm the storm inside him. "I... I need to tell you something, Taeyun," he said, his voice a little unsteady. "I wasn't being honest earlier."
There was a brief silence on the other end before Taeyun spoke again, the tension in his voice clear. "What do you mean? You're scaring me, man."
"I saw her," Jiyoo whispered as he was barely able to get the words out straightforwardly. "I saw Valerie. Or... no, it wasn't Valerie. It was her, but it wasn't. It was Yon-hae. I swear to God, Taeyun, she's alive."
Taeyun was quiet for a long moment, processing what Jiyoo had said.
"Alive?" His voice was incredulous. "But that's... how is that even possible?"
Jiyoo ran a hand through his hair, pacing as he spoke. "I don't know, man. I don't know. I thought I was losing it, but she looked exactly like her. The same smile, the same eyes... but it's like... like time had stood still for her. And she was acting like everything was normal. Like she'd just been hiding all this time."
"That's-that's impossible," Taeyun replied shakily. "We saw her die, Jiyoo. We watched it happen."
"I don't know what to tell you," Jiyoo muttered, his voice cracking. "I know what I saw, Taeyun. It was her, but there's something wrong. Something isn't right. She... she told me to forget about it. And I don't know why, but I-I can't tell anyone else. Not yet."
Taeyun's voice grew quieter, more cautious. "So, what are you saying? We just pretend this didn't happen? We just keep this between us?"
Jiyoo's heart raced. "I don't know, Taeyun. I don't know what's going on, but I'm telling you because I trust you, and I'm scared. Whatever this is, it's bigger than us. I'm not sure what I'm walking into, and I don't want to drag you into it. We can't talk about this to anyone."
Taeyun was silent for a moment, processing everything. Then he sighed, his voice low but steady.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VLNi9HslV
"Alright, Jiyoo, but don't shut me out."
"I won't," he replied quietly as soon as the weight was lifting off of his shoulders. "Thanks, Taeyun. I don't know what this means, but we'll figure it out. Please, let's keep this between us."
"For sure, bro," Taeyun agreed, though Jiyoo could hear the wariness in his tone. "Also, we need to be careful. We don't know who we are going to be dealing with."
"I know... and thanks, I'll see you soon," Jiyoo muttered, his mind racing with thoughts he couldn't yet put together. He ended the call, staring out the window, the silence of the night pressing in around him. Valerie, or Yon-hae, had returned, and nothing felt certain anymore.
"I wanna be with you13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2hW1TYj2v
And I wanna stay with you13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCfSVMDmLL
Just like the stars shining bright13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNkfBvXHqf
You're glowing once more13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy068qU7XQM
Right here beside you13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9OdKI0Vid
I'm still walking wherever you go13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cpQ78ccEX
You will live forever in me13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjewrRsDKFU
Breathing deeply, within me..."
Jiyoo laid back in his own bedroom as his mind was replaying the moment over and over again-the moment she had slipped away. The memory felt fresh, as if it had just happened, even though hours had passed since that encounter in the crack house. The way she had looked at him, those eyes filled with a mixture of familiarity and sorrow, haunted him. He had barely been able to process what he was seeing, let alone ask the right questions.
"Just take it all13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNomlAOZYC
I'm nothing without your love13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9fY09NPDP
I promise I'll never leave your love13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Cw9ZFhOA8
My heart is beating 'cause of you13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQR8sxB3zD
Forever and ever and ever13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsSOAravj9
Only you can take my heart13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhfLe1UsCE
Dear my love, love, love13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1rt9VsLk3
I wanna stay with you..."
He had tried to stop her, tried to make her stay long enough for him to get answers, but she was gone in an instant, vanishing into the shadows. Jiyoo's knuckles tightened around the edge of the bed as the frustration was welling up inside him once more. How could she just leave like that? How could she vanish without saying who she really was without giving him the truth? The truth he so desperately needed.
"추억은 늘 여기 마음이란 방에13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcQ71yWFNH
너와의 얘기들로 가득 차 있어13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbObUCqqbY
언제부터였는지 나도 잘 모르지만13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYoLudcJPj
너에게 말하고 싶어 나의 모든 얘기를..."
His mind drifted to the words she had spoken, her quiet plea for him to stay quiet, to not tell anyone. She had warned him-don't look for me, don't try to find me. However, Jiyoo couldn't shake the feeling that if he just knew more, if he could just find her again, everything would make sense. He had to find her. He had to know why she had disappeared all those years ago and what it all meant now.
"Just take it all13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO175L1taYs
I'm nothing without your love13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrXHEVUF08
I promise I'll never leave your love13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjD23u8t8Oc
My heart is beating 'cause of you13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbtWj2MbZu
Forever and ever and ever13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0vs2xHYU6
Only you can take my heart13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyW8gjVedM
Dear my love, love, love13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WsMCva3lP
I wanna stay..."
His thoughts circled back to the Platinum object, now resting heavily in the hands of his group members. It seemed like the only lead he had.
Maybe it was tied to her in some way. Maybe it was part of something larger, something he still couldn't see clearly.
No matter what, Jiyoo couldn't just sit back and let it go. She had gotten away this time, but he wouldn't let her slip through his fingers again. He had to find her.
He had to know why she had returned, why she had hidden herself all this time.
"If I can just find her again..." Jiyoo thought to himself, clenching his fists in frustration.
The thought of losing her again was unbearable, and yet, he couldn't shake the fear that she might disappear once more-this time for good. He had to find her. There was no other choice.
"Tore my heart, now I'm in the dark13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECc2FgerTd
Will we meet in our dreams?13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztMyPQ2jbo
Breaking my heart, here, we are apart13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSMEk1rvE6
I wanna stay near you...13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RGVSvOTe5
