04: SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET 1

"Ever since you changed, so did my heart. It keeps beating hard whenever you're around. Am I scared that this change will make me your slave or am I scared that you will turn your back at me?" 

- Joo Seok-hoon pov

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . .  .

04: SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET

Eun-bi pov:

I still have jetlag.

I've been here for weeks already, but I can still feel the difference in my body, so I just covered myself with a blanket and went back to sleep.

I was about to get back to my dreamland when the doorbell rang.

'It's not my manager since she knows my passcode.'

I didn't feel like seeing my mother, so I ignored that. But the ringing won't stop. It's actually getting noisier.

'Who the hell is ringing in this early morning!'

With my eyes still closed, I wore my robe over my sleepwear and headed to the door that's been ringing for some time now.

'It's not even weekdays; why is someone disturbing me!!!'

"It better not be you, Cheon Seo-jin, or else I'm going to shut the door right in front of you."

"SURPRISE!!!"

My eyes widened at the sudden shout when I opened my door.

The Hera kids screamed in glee. Seok-kyung had a gift bag, and Jenny was carrying a cake in her hand.

I turned to Min-hyuk, but he didn't even look at me. So does Seok-hoon.

'What's wrong with these boys?'

'Do I look ugly in the morning?'

'Well, it's their fault for barging in.'

"It's not my birthday."

"Silly, this is a gift for owning your own floor here in Hera Palace."

"Ahh. That's not. . ."

"Aren't you inviting us inside?"

"Ahh. Come in, I guess."

They entered the flat. The girls still looked amused while the boys were blushing in their ears, and their sight was set somewhere far.

'Can they even see me where they're going?'

"I didn't expect you to welcome us like this. I guess this is quite a surprise on our part."

"Ahh!"

I finally realized all the staring and the blushing. I fixed my disheveled robe, remembering that I was only in lingerie. I smiled at them before making excuses to leave.

"I don't have much, but snacks should be in the fridge. I'll freshen up. See you later."

I ran immediately inside my room and slapped myself multiple times for not waking up early. I'm an early riser, but my jet lag still kills me. The time difference between here and Russia is so different, so I'm still adjusting.

I washed my face, changed into a simple one-piece blue dress, and put some perfume on before facing my sister's friends.

"Sorry! You had to walk on me like that, but please give me a heads-up next time."

"We wanted to surprise you."

"Your own place is nice."

"You should have told us your mother is buying you your own floor. Why didn't you tell us anything!"

"You have a dance studio here. I didn't know you dance?"

Seok-kyung is already bombarding me with questions. I can hardly keep my eyes open, being so sleepy.

"Occasionally, when I am in the mood for it."

"Hmm. . ."

"I was expecting a singing studio, but I guess you forgot one."

I looked at her with a blank smile.

'She's fishing for information.'

I smirked inwardly.

I raised my brow and smiled curtly at her.

"The dance studio is for both singing and dancing."

"Hmm. . ."

"Anyway, since all of you are here already, why don't we have a light breakfast. I still don't have much, but I think I can whip something up."

'Cause I wanted to sleep all day today.'

"Don't worry, we know that, so we brought food. You have plates, right?"

"I'll go get it."

I turned away and went to the kitchen area, looking for the dining utensils we needed; when I noticed the glasses on the cupboard, my hand could not reach them.

'I have to reprimand my manager. I told him to make everything perfect.'

"Let me help you with that."

I turned around only inches apart from Seok-hoon, who was trying to take the glasses from the cupboard.

My eyes met him and saw him curiously looking at me as if he was trying to open me up and uncover me.

I looked away, conscious of his stare.

"Thank you."

I smiled as he placed the glasses in my hands.

"Do you need any help?"

"No thanks. You're a guest; you can stay with the others now."

. . . . .

Seok-kyung pov:

Seeing her in lingerie almost made me laugh.

'I guess she's cosplaying as an adult.'

'It's not as if my brother will start liking her if she does that!'

'Stupid b*tch!'

I got bored waiting for her to fix up, so I started to wander and open the closed doors.

"Yah! What are you doing?"

I turned to Min-hyuk, who whisper-shout at me when I opened a closed door.

"Shhhh!" I frowned at him and went inside.

When I opened the first door, a broad and meticulously made dance studio opened up to me.

A spacious room with a calming scent radiates from inside the room.

"I didn't know Eun-byeol danced?"

"Neither did I!"

I turned to Min-hyuk and eyed him properly.

"You really didn't know about this?"

"You? Eun-byeol's neighbor? Didn't know anything about it?"

If Lee Min Hyuk doesn't know about this, it is safe to say she has never danced before. So, what is this very wide and meticulously made dance studio for?

I walked in the middle and noticed something off. I tilted my head, "She has no studio for singing but has for dancing."

"Maybe, she plans on doing her practice on the piano outside."

"Why is it outside when she has a very spacious room right here?"

I turned to Jenny, who was also as confused as I am.

'What are you up to, Ha Eun-byeol?'

I left the room and found my brother opening another room.

"What's in there?"

"Library."

I came to my brother only to find a mini library with challenging books. Mainly in science and medicine.

"Does she plan on becoming a doctor instead of a singer?"

"It could be."

We turned to Min-hyuk, who was taking a video of everything.

"She used to say she wanted to be a doctor. Well, that's old news now, though."

"Hmmm."

'Something is wrong!'

'Something is oddly wrong here!'

. . . . . .

Seok-hoon pov:

Two rooms that have different uses. A dance studio and a medical library, but both are things Eun-byeol has never been interested in before.

Min-hyuk confirmed her previous dream of being a doctor, which is not unlikely. Seeing her dad is one, but a dance studio.

'Why?'

'You are hiding something, Ha Eun-byeol!'

'Why? Why am I curious about your secret? what are you even hiding, Ha Eun-byeol?'

We returned to the sofa, still curious about her new hobbies.

When she came out, she was wearing a baby blue dress with her hair tied up in a messy bun. She smiled at us, and as my sister started to question her, the expression on her face turned blank, covering anything that could leak out from her eyes.

I came to check on her in the kitchen since she wasn't coming out when I saw her having a hard time with the cupboard.

'Why put your glasses up if you can't reach it!'

I came over, reaching for the glasses.

'What is this scent?'

I suddenly felt my heart thump as my body pressed her back.

"Let me help you with that."

When she turned around, our eyes met, and for a moment, I saw something in here that I had never seen before.

She turned away almost immediately, and I also pulled back, holding the glass in my hand.

"Thank you."

My eyes traced her inquisitively.

She's different.

She looks like Eun-byeol, but it is as if I am looking at an entirely different person.

As if this girl in front of me is not Eun-byeol.

'What the hell am I thinking!'

'Who would she be if not Eun-byeol?'

"Do you need any help?"

"No thanks. You're a guest. You can stay with the others now."

. . . .

Eun-byeol pov:

I traveled back to where we last went.

I wanted to see where I thought of building a home with him.

'Yuhon. . . .'

I kept him in my mind while I was traveling. Everything we did together and the dreams we wanted to do together.

"Hi. I would like to book for a night."

"Here."

I took the key from him and went to my room.

This place has not changed one bit since then.

When I reached the second floor, I saw our on the wall, like a string, red and blue; from the right, it was blue, and from the left, it was red.

I traced my hand over it and smiled.

I closed my eyes as I followed the lines. I could hear my giggles from that time.

Flashback. . . . . .

"You start from there; I will start from the other side."

"Let's meet each other in the middle."

I giggled like a child as the two of us drew a line, curving and twisting it. I giggled at the sight of our doodle, and his beautiful smile made me smile when we met in the middle.

"I promise you, no matter what happens, even if it ends up knotted and all messed up, I will always find you and be with you."

I gave him a chaste kiss before running away back to our room.

End of Flashback. . . . .

A tear rolled down my cheek.

"Are you okay?. . ."

"Yes. . . . I'm fine."

. . . .

Eun-bi pov:

After they left, I took a shower and changed into my ballet dress. Now, I am practicing while thinking about the events here in Hera palace. I keep thinking about the dead girl.

'I doubt that my sister really did kill her. If she was found in her apartment, it means she was able to get out of this building.'

'But why kill herself?'

'If she really had given up on her life, why not just die here?'

'It would have been more plausible if she killed herself here in Hera palace. That way, she would have been able to put everyone involved in a tough place.'

'So why? Why go back to her apartment and kill herself there?'

'Did you even really kill yourself?'

'Something is missing.'

'What am I missing?'

I stopped dancing and focused my mind on Min Seol-ah. She keeps bothering me.

'I may have to find out more about her.'

I take my phone from the desk and call someone to have Min Seol-ah investigated.

"I'll solve all your problems here, so come home now, Eun-byeol."

. . . . .

Eun-byeol pov:

I woke up from a lemon scent.

I walked out of the room and went to the roof garden.

In the garden, I saw a plant named "Yuna."

I smiled at the flowering plant and went toward it, and held the flower in my hand.

"It's become so huge now."

I turned around and saw the same woman who accommodated us back then.

"It's become so beautiful."

"Are you okay now?"

I turned back to the flower and smiled sadly.

"I hope to be okay."

"Are you here for the box?"

I turned to see a woman wearing a blue parka and jogging pants. She has messy hair and black winter gloves on her hands.

"Box?"

"You came here 5 years ago with your boyfriend. It caused chaos, though."

"He told me you will come back soon and ask for the box."

I looked at her with curious eyes.

'Box?'

I suddenly remembered the box we both buried somewhere.

"I have to go!"

I left her to go look for our box.

I ran to the garden just behind this place and found the tree with our carved promise to each other.

"I promise to love both your beauty and scars."

I hugged the tree just as I started crying loudly.

"Yuhon-ah!!"

"YUHON-AHHHH!!!"

. . . .

Eun-bi pov:

"Do I really have to wear this?"

"Can't I wear something else instead?"

"I wore that for my graduation solo, so . ."

"So what? Do I have to wear your old clothes to my own solo now?"

"Eun-bi!"

"Eun-byeol yah eomma!!!!"

I glared at her and closed the lid of the lipstick I used on my lips.

"If you keep messing up with the names, people are bound to discover that the wrong daughter will be singing a solo on stage. We don't want that to happen, do we, eomma?"

I smiled when I saw her fuming as she left the dressing room stomping her heels.

. . . .

Finishing the song, hitting the highest note, and elongating it more before finishing with a smile earned a standing ovation from everyone. I turned to my mother, smiled at her, and bowed to everyone.

My father is the one who first got up, clapping his hand proudly, followed by the other members of the Hera palace club. I'm not sure if he knows that the daughter standing on this stage is me, Eun-bi, or maybe he just doesn't care that Eun-byeol has been missing for a few days.

I smile sarcastically, thinking that my father doesn't even know who is on the stage right now.

"Jenny!!"

"Look at how handsome Min-hyuk is!"

. . . .

Parents POV:

"Why did your daughter suddenly become a great singer? It is as if she became a different person?"

Lee Kyu-Jin hung his arms on Yoon-cheol and made a sarcastic remark about Eun-byeol's singing as if he knew the truth.

Yoon-cheol made an irritated expression toward Kyu-jin and removed his arms hanging on his shoulder.

"Lastly, the school's head of arts, Cheon Seo-jin, would like to share a word with the parents."

"Hello, I am Cheon Seo-Jin, Cheong-ah head of arts. . . ."

. . . .

Eun-bi pov:

I watch as the students hover over the trophy while I leave the place with my eyes slowly closing from being sleepy. I leaned my head on the wall, away from the students, closing my eyes as I sighed deeply.

'That crazy b*tch opened the Cheong-ah fest in her time. . . Even though she knows exactly how she won that dirty trophy?'

'She's really a psycho!'

I jumped away as something cold touched my cheeks. I stared widely at the cold lemon can that just touched my cheek and at the person who just stuck the can to my cheek.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"You look tired."

"And so?"

"Lemon juice."

"No thanks."

I coughed at the changes my voice made as if it was making me accept the lemon juice from this guy.

He smiled at me and held my hand to hand the lemon juice to me.

"Take it slowly."

He walks away after giving the lemon juice to me while I look at the can in my hand.

'What's wrong with him?'

My phone vibrated in my hand, and when I opened the message, a picture of my last ballet performance popped in the message with a caption:

"I know who you really are!"

I looked around to see if anyone was about, but there was none.

"Who the hell did just send me this!"

. . . .

TO BE CONTINUED . . .