Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Ah..." This is so annoying. This is why I hate dealing with people. Bothering me with text messages is really crossing the line. I have no idea who's doing this or why. Still, I should probably check. What could it be? This time, it's a picture, not a link. "A picture of Si-hoo...?" Two people in academy uniforms. Si-hoo, and next to him, a girl wearing an eyepatch. The picture caught them eating together. "...
Huh?" I play the video. A girl sitting in a chair appears. It's the same person. I didn't even need to check the video, really. She looks exactly like the girl from my memory. I just want to deny it. I thought if I denied it and denied it, it would all disappear. "Why are Si-hoo and her...?" Has it been about two months since I met Si-hoo? Honestly, we're not that close. Definitely not close enough to pry into his past. We were just starting to get friendly. *Ding.* -Si-hoo is friends with Seo-ah. "Friends?" I send a reply. -Who are you? Who could it be? Who would do something like this? Why drag up something from so long ago? And how do they know about Si-hoo's past? I hate this. I don't even want to think about the old days. But some things you have to face head-on. Running away won't solve anything. "Fine, the video... I just have to watch it." I really don't want to. The video was filmed six months ago. It's a miracle she was even alive six months ago. She should have died a long time ago. The fact that she's connected to Si-hoo makes it even more of a problem. My head is a mess. The thing I hate most is people dredging up the past. The girl sitting on the chair, Seo-ah, comes into view. A single chair in an empty room. It doesn't look like a place where experiments are conducted. "No sound." It's a surveillance camera, so I guess that's to be expected. I should probably be grateful the footage is in color. Shortly after the video starts, a person who looks like a researcher enters. The researcher gestures as if to say, "Follow me." Seo-ah follows. And then she disappears from the screen. Nothing but the chair is visible. I feel a strange sense of dread. "What is this..." The camera angle is awkward. It doesn't even show the whole room, which is frustrating. Something is happening just out of frame. Blood splattered. From the direction the researcher had just taken Seo-ah. And then nothing. The video plays for another three minutes before anything changes. It looks like someone is walking back. A person's shadow appears. Seo-ah is back in the frame. Covering one eye with her hand, she stumbles, looking for the chair. "Uh..." She fumbles around until she finds the chair. She has trouble because the chair is turned sideways. She sits down, head bowed. And then nothing happens. I don't know what was done to her. They must have sent me this video on purpose. Why? "Haa." Was her eye injured? That's a shame. So what? What do you want me to do? It's in the past. Just leave it buried. -But are you that desperate? You were the one who chose to take the drug, weren't you? A conversation I had with Seo-ah comes to mind. -No. Choice? No. Well, maybe... but no. She had said it with a smile. The Seo-ah in the video was smiling, too. She's smiling even while covering her eye. Why? Why is she smiling? -So, what are you going to do when you're all better? -I'm going to hang out with my friend. She smiled again. I wondered who that friend was. Was it Si-hoo? Really, Si-hoo? I guess so. I don't get it. What was so great about her that Si-hoo was friends with a junkie like that? Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. *Prick.* I jab the syringe into my arm. A sense of peace washes over me. I feel a bit calmer. Truthfully, I'm in no position to call her a junkie. I use it from time to time myself. Ah, right. We do look alike. That girl, Seo-ah, and me. I'm grateful she was there. If not for her, I might have been in that position. My mind feels elevated. I think I'm calming down. "Hmm. What a peculiar hairstyle." A bob, slightly grown out? Well, considering she was in a lab and couldn't get her hair done properly... "Does Si-hoo prefer short hair?" Maybe my hair is too long. I should try a new style next time. The video is still playing. But I don't care. Whether she takes her hand away to reveal her eye covered in blood, or for some reason starts hacking and spits out a cigarette butt. I don't care. She's probably dead by now anyway. I can just live out her life for her, right? I'd be more useful to Si-hoo than you, anyway. A video like this won't change anything. I think I have a good idea who sent it, too. So, she was close with Si-hoo. Well, isn't that just another fact I can use to my advantage? -I'll contact you later. That was the text Si-hoo left me. -Let me know if you find out anything or if something happens. The text itself is purely professional. But that's about to change. Come to think of it, Seo-ah. He probably hasn't been able to forget her. In that case, I'll help you find her. That's it. We can go look for her together. I'll just tell him I'll help him find her. Should I just send the video to Si-hoo? We'll go around looking for Seo-ah together. We won't find her, of course, but we'll be together the whole time we're searching. And when her death is confirmed... that'll be a shame. Then I can comfort him and get even closer. It's a perfect plan. I don't attend the academy, so I don't know the details. I don't know how things turned out. I want to hear about his past. No, I need to. How? There were definitely things about his past he avoided mentioning. Should I just ask, pretending I figured it out with my Saintess powers? Right, I was too hasty. If he asks how I knew he was connected to Seo-ah, it'll be hard to answer. Same if he asks how I know Seo-ah. Hmm. If I use my head, I should be able to find an answer. I wonder if they'll send more videos. No, honestly, I never intended to use her like this. I was going to save her. I told her to hold on for just one month. That I'd cure her, whether she was a severe drug addict or whatever. But I couldn't find out where she was. I searched every lab I knew. When she didn't turn up, I just assumed she was dead. "...
Could she still be alive?" If so, she's one tough cookie. Then again, there are all kinds of experiments. Maybe they just kept her on the verge of death. "Hmm..." What if Seo-ah is alive and meets Si-hoo? That could be troublesome. She'd be direct proof of my involvement. "No way." The video is from six months ago. Even if she isn't dead, there's no way she's in her right mind. My head is a mess. "...
Hahaha. This is so annoying." I can't figure it out, no matter how much I think about it. Why is Si-hoo's friend a junkie... I don't get it. Hmm. First, should I change my hairstyle? To a bob. Good. As similar to Seo-ah's as possible—no, if it's too obvious, he might notice. I'll cut it to a reasonable length. And since I have short hair now, I can bring up Seo-ah naturally. Si-hoo has so many girls around him. But he never seemed to show any special interest in them. Was it because of Seo-ah? What's the intention of the person who sent the message? What do they hope to achieve by letting me know Si-hoo and Seo-ah are friends? Do they think I'll feel guilty? Of course, I feel sorry for her. But there's nothing I can do. "Should I try calling?" Let's do that. *Ring, ring, ring.* I call the number that sent the text. I wonder why I didn't think of this sooner. I should have done it from the start. Oh. They answered. "Hello?" A woman's voice? "Who are you to be sending me things like this?" "Who are you." "What?" "I asked who you are. What reason do I have to believe..." No, is this believable? They seem to know everything, sending that video and picture. This might be a good opportunity to exploit. The voice is strangely flat, devoid of emotion. Who in the world is this? Well, it could be a voice modulator or something. "...
Where do I need to go?" "No, I mean. Hah... Is she even alive?" "Alright. I'll try... Where did you get the video and picture? Do you have more?" "You... you're an insider at the facility." I don't know who it is. It's probably a ploy to capture me. My status as the Saintess makes me an easy target. But if I'm with Si-hoo, won't it be fine? I think so. Even if I get captured, wouldn't Si-hoo save me somehow? "Fine. I get it. You want me to go save her, right?" It's absurd. A laugh escapes me. *Click.* The call ends. Was she laughing? I don't know who this person is, but they're amusing. Anyway, this is good. This gives me a solid reason to get involved with Si-hoo. Is it some kind of trap? Probably. A cheap trick to catch me? *Ding.* A text with an address arrived. I'll have to go all the way out of the city. A pretty distant place. Well, that's fine. I'm glad I'll get to go on a long trip with Si-hoo. Will an opportunity like this ever come again? Even if it's true that Seo-ah is alive, well, I'll figure that part out somehow. Ah, I feel a little better. Has it been two weeks since I last used the drug? It felt good to use it after so long. "Hmm... what should I tell Si-hoo?" Let's think. I need a good excuse. "Should I say I found the data while infiltrating a government facility on my own? That's good. Yes." Let's go with that. "I'll say... I found a girl who looks like your friend... hmm... yes. That sounds good." I want to stick with Si-hoo for as long as possible. Going straight to the address they gave me would be too hasty. Hmmm. As I kept thinking, a plausible plan started to form. "Yes. Good." Perfect.