Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

"Why are you acting like that?" Jaewan frowned. It was early in the morning and Gayoon had called him to escort her to school. He was perplexed by her request because she had been making up some excuse to have him accompany her to school almost everyday. And on the days he could not make it, her grandmother dropped her off. For some reason, she looked scared and demure.     

"I'm completely fine!" Gayoon claimed but she was glancing around to see if the ghost was stalking her. Thankfully, it was not there and she could breath a momentary sigh of relief.     

"No, you're not!" Jaewan accused. "You've been acting really weird lately and it's worrying me! What is going on, Gayoon?"     

"Would you believe me if I tell you?" Gayoon asked warily.     

"Try me."     

"Park Seungjo's ghost is following me around," she stated. Jaewan blinked a few times in surprise.     

"Seriously, just tell the truth," he said.     

"See, I told you that you wouldn't believe me," Gayoon shrugged.     

"Ghost girl," he muttered but he did not press the subject any further. They were walking on the road leading to their school. The weather was gloomy and it looked as if it was going to rain. Gayoon really hated cloudy days because ghosts were rampant during rain since it was the perfect time to scare people. Moreover, evil spirits took advantage of the rain to even harm others. Water spirits also used the current caused by rain to lure in anyone unfortunate enough to be near a water body and drowned them.      

More rain equaled more deaths and it meant more ghost troubles for Gayoon.     

Entering the school premises, they headed for their classroom. Inside, the students were gossiping loudly.     

"Two deaths in this school," one of the students was saying. "A teacher and a student."     

"I heard the school authorities are covering it up," another student claimed. "It hasn't been on the news at all!"     

"I've heard Yoo and his friends had pushed Seungjo off the roof," a burly student stated. "They hated him anyway but this is so cruel!"     

"They're drug addicts," Lia said. "Seungjo was their favorite victim anyway. Their parents had managed to make the police back off from investigating them and the cops were forced by the higher authorities to close the case as an accident."     

The students gasped at the revelation. It had been over a week since Seungjo's death and they were still talking about it. Yoo and his friends had not turned up at school since that day but the students received many rumors about the case.     

Lia's eyes fell on Gayoon who had just put her bag on her table.     

"Gayoon, wasn't Seungjo harassing you?" she inquired. "Were the police asking you about it? I heard my mom saying that apparently he attacked your house!"     

"It wasn't confirmed," Gayoon muttered.     

"But that's just terrible," Lia said. "In a way, you were rid of a persistent stalker!"     

I hope that was true, Gayoon added bitterly in her thoughts Aloud she said, "He died. I was annoyed at him but I didn't want him dead."     

Lia was a little abashed and quickly added, "I didn't mean it that way! I just meant that he won't be bothering you anymore."     

"Unless she sees his ghost," one of the other students snickered. The rest joined in the laughter except Lia who reproached them. Gayoon did not care. It was true anyway.     

"Piss off," Jaewan told them. "Leave her alone otherwise I'll use my chlorine spray on all of ya!"     

He glared at them, annoyed at their intrusion. Just then Yoo, Seohyun and Woohyun walked in. The students immediately stopped chattering and stared at them in fear. Yoo was aware of the stares he was getting, everyone judging him and his friends as they passed by.     

"Murderer," one of the students whispered. Something in Yoo snapped and he turned around to grab the guy by his collar and shook him violently.     

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" he yelled. Gayoon, Jaewan and some other students stood up to help the boy Yoo was grabbing.     

"Yoo, let him go!" Gayoon ordered but Yoo did not care.     

"Murderer!" the student claimed. "You're a bully and a murderer! You killed Seungjo! And you're gonna kill a lot more! You bully!"     

Yoo was about to punch the student but his friends held him back while Gayoon and the other students managed to extract the student away from him.     

"Have you gone nuts?" Gayoon yelled at them. "Why are you taking out your anger on others?"     

"DON'T YOU CALL US A MURDERER!" Yoo shouted. "WE DIDN'T KILL ANYONE!"     

He half wanted to reveal that the button was with Minjung but he stopped himself from doing so. Ever since that day, everyone had been accusing him of a crime he did not commit. He might be a bully and an addict but he was not a killer. Yet, no one believed him.     

"You're a killer!" Lia retorted. "You killed a student and expect that people will believe you? All of us know how you bullied him!"     

"And you guys were in on it too!" Seohyun accused. "How do we know that none of you are the killer?"     

"All of us were at the fair whereas you guys were on the roof!" another student piped in.     

"He didn't fall from the roof-"     

Everyone joined in on a screaming match. Jaewan could only watch the commotion in dismay, while Gayoon was feeling a heavy guilt in her heart which was eating her conscience. Yoo was being accused of a crime he did not commit and yet, no one would believe him. She knew the feeling very well. After all, no one would listen to her claims whenever she tried to warn them of ghosts. Everyone branded her as a liar and a curse, which had tormented her for years.      

And today, Yoo was also in the same situation as her. They were not going to believe him.     

Gayoon pitied the guy but she was helpless. She could sense Yoo's dilemma and she wanted to help him but that would also put Minjung in a precarious position. The police would go on to arrest her and throw her in prison for something which was not even her fault.     

"Yoo," she said, standing up. "Calm down-"     

But Yoo was not listening. He shoved everyone away and left the classroom, slamming the door behind him.     

I must talk to Minjung, he decided as he stomped away. Gayoon was about to follow him but just then, the teacher entered the classroom. She exchanged a glance with Jaewan who only shook his head and motioned her to concentrate in class.      

Gayoon felt helpless but just then, she noticed Seungjo's sneering face looking at her through the window.     

"First strike," he mouthed to her.