Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

"I am so tired!" Gayoon panted as she put down the bags on a bench. It was almost sunset and they had shopped a lot all day. She was shocked to see that Minjung was a damn good bargainer and has managed to get almost everything at one third of the original price.     

Upon asking, she just shrugged and said, "I'm just a miser."     

"The way you ran around the place, I'm surprised your feet didn't turn to jelly," Minjung said, calmly slurping on a cold shake. "How does a tiny person like you have so much energy?"     

"I have to keep up with my stamina if I'm to chase criminals," Gayoon claimed with pride.     

"Ah, I do know that you can throw a mean punch," Minjung recalled. "Yoo had to put on ice on his face for two hours before the swelling stopped from the punch you landed on him."     

"It was his fault!"     

"I know," Minjung admitted. "Sorry for that, by the way."     

"It's fine," Gayoon shrugged. "It's water under the bridge. At least I know that I can punch hard!"     

Minjung observed her for a while. "Are you serious about becoming a police officer?"     

Gayoon had mentioned her in passing about her future plans and Minjung could tell that she was quite serious about it. But it never occurred to her that Gayoon would be this serious about her ambitions. Frankly, she thought of Gayoon as a high scorer but laid back and kind of a pushover. Even though she snapped back at Minjung and her friends many times, Minjung still felt that Gayoon was weak for not complaining to the teachers about them.     

Moreover, some of Gayoon's antics like talking about ghosts and curses had scared many people to the point that they thought of her as sorceress or a cursed person. That had also rattled Minjung's clique and they had bullied her a lot. Now, she was ashamed that she had put Gayoon through so much torment and even admired her guts to take on such a difficult job.     

"I'm very serious," Gayoon stated. "It's what I want to do. I have to become one."     

"Why?"     

Gayoon hesitated before explaining, "The ahjusshi who raised me. I want to reunite him with his family. They are misunderstanding him for a crime he did not commit but they won't listen to him. So I want to clear his name."     

"Raised you?" Minjung echoed. She knew vaguely that Gayoon's mother was dead and her father had abandoned her. "What happened to your dad? Why isn't he with you?"     

"He…he's away on business," Gayoon lied. Minjung could see that she was lying but did not press her. They drank their shakes in silence.     

"Thank you," Minjung said. "For today."     

Gayoon smiled at her. She wanted to ask her many things especially about what she wanted to do about the baby in her womb. But Gayoon refrained from asking anything, afraid that it might worsen Minjung's mood.     

"Wanna take a picture?" Minjung suddenly asked, pointing at a small photo studio which was standing at a corner of the restaurant they were sitting at.     

"Sure!" Gayoon replied. They picked up their bags and headed for the studio which was enclosed with curtains. Once inside, they put their bags down and faced the cameras.     

"Should we pose with those bunny ears?" Gayoon asked, excitedly pointing at some of the photo props. Before Minjung could refuse, Gayoon forcefully put the bunny ears on her.     

"Why do I have to wear the pink ones?" Minjung grimaced.     

"Coz they're cute!"     

"I hate pink," Minjung muttered but Gayoon smiled at the camera which flashed at them. Gayoon then poked Minjung's cheek, making her almost giggle. The camera captured their shenanigans as they made different poses. For a while, Minjung completely forgot about her worries and felt as if she was once again the girl who used to worry about grades and boys. Their laughter echoed through the booth, renewing Gayoon's optimism.     

Everything would be okay.     

….     

"I had fun today, Gayoon," Minjung said in a soft tone. They were at her doorstep. It was late in the evening and they had wandered around the mall all day, enjoying some rare moments of happiness.     

But now, reality had sunk in and they were back to their personal purgatories. Gayoon bit her lip, unsure of how to ask.     

"What are you going to do about the baby?" she finally asked. "Have you decided?"     

Minjung gave her a strange look before replying, "I'll tell my parents what happened. Tonight. I'll tell them everything and they can help me."     

She held her breath as Gayoon's face broke into a look of relief.     

"That's a wise decision," Gayoon said. "Talk to them. They might be shocked but it's best to let the adults decide. Otherwise, it'll be too late. You only have a few weeks before the bump begins to show."     

And Seungjo might hurt the baby any moment, she added in her thoughts. The ghost had been strangely AWOL all day which only increased her anxiety. Not seeing him was more worrisome than seeing him. His unpredictability made him a dangerous spirit and he could strike Minjung anyday.     

But why didn't he? She wondered. Why was he not harming Minjung? Or was her already harming her but she just did not know?     

"I'll head inside," Minjung said. She smiled at Gayoon and added, "Thank you for everything."     

To Gayoon's surprise, she bent down and hugged her. It was a warm embrace and she could feel that it had taken Minjung a lot of guts to hug her like that. She was touched by the gesture and patted her back.     

"Good night," Minjung said, letting her go and headed back inside. Gayoon waved at her and waited until the door was locked. Unbeknownst to Minjung, Gayoon had tucked a protection charm in one of the curtain racks. Seungjo would not be able to enter her room for a while and hence, Minjung might be able to sleep peacefully until Junho was back in town. Gayoon was desperately trying to reach him but to no avail. The guy was out of reach.     

"Just come back, old man," she muttered. Turning away from the house, she went home, hoping to get a good night's sleep.     

….     

Minjung slowly climbed down the stairs, not making any noise. Her heart thumped loudly and she was afraid her parents would hear her. She was still in her pajamas, clutching only a few bucks in her palm. Her feet were also bare, not bothering to wear any sandals in case if she made any noise and woke up her parents.     

But either fate was on her side or it was playing another twisted game with her because her parents kept on sleeping, oblivious to their daughter's actions. She put a letter and the dove necklace on a table nearby for her parents to find once they woke up.     

Seeing the dove necklace almost made her want to retreat but there was no going back. She glanced at her parents' bedroom where they were sleeping peacefully.     

For a moment, she wanted them to wake up and stop her, but she knew that this time, no one would stop her. It was her choice. It was her only choice.     

She quietly made her way towards the front door and gently shut it behind her as she left the house. Hailing a cab, she got into it.     

"Where to miss?" the cab driver asked. She looked at him.     

"Blooming Sun High School," she stated. A sudden chill made her shiver. The driver revved up the engine and they drove off.     

Please forgive me, mom and dad, she thought. Tears would not flow anymore; they had dried up long time ago.     

"That's right," Seungjo whispered in her ear. "You have nothing to live for. Why are you resisting your fate?"     

Yes. That was her fate. She was not supposed to live. If she lived, then she would have to live with the stigma and reminder of what had happened to her. All she wanted, was to end her misery. Sadness was gone and there was no hint of happiness anymore. All what was left, was an unending emptiness.     

And she was going to embrace that emptiness in her heart, entangling herself with it. Forever.