The first thing that hit me when I stepped into the condominium was that my grandparents definitely didn’t design this place. It was too sleek, too modern, too… Korean-chic? Clean lines, pale wood, and furniture that looked like it came straight out of a lifestyle magazine. My grandparents were the lace-tablecloth-and-old-clock kind of people, not the minimalist-modern type.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2Xi9X7Wn3
“Did you refurbish the apartment? It doesn’t look like a place my grandparents would own…” I walked around the room, observing the interior design. It was too clean.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYKnhiTTdV
“I didn’t touch anything in this apartment. If anyone were doing any refurbishing, it would be the designer your grandfather hired.” Aunt Holly motioned us to the living room and took out a set of keys, handing me and Damian one each. “Although…it does seem strange for this apartment to look so modern.” She shrugged her shoulders, brushing off any further questions from me.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvMgvx2YoU
“There are three bedrooms and one empty room, a bathroom in the corner and a study room. Oh, and the master bedroom has a bathroom inside as well.” Aunt Holly motioned us to the corridor of doors right beside the living room. “Your grandparents had already decided your rooms before they left Korea.”
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnepUsHVsyp
“They were here recently?” I raised my eyebrows. It didn’t seem possible that they had come to Korea, since we often went back to Sabah to visit.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMhrv9T7ai
“Oh, it was years ago, really. It was one of their last trips here. The final trip was around twelve years ago, I think.”
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oA9NgYSM1
“I see.” I stared at the door which hung a plaque with my name on it. Somehow, part of me would rather sleep in the living room than my own room.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJK0HbLDAgI
“Right! Before I forget, I have some boxes your grandparents entrusted to me before they left. They’re in my apartment, about ten minutes from here. Damian, would you be so kind as to escort your favourite aunt?” Damian groaned. He was clearly jetlagged and exhausted from the flight here.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqjmIThogr
“How about I go?” I volunteered, partially hoping to get some questions answered while we were in the car. But Aunt Holly seemed to have picked up my curiosity and promptly denied me.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiJ2WJs1CV
“Damian will go. You stay here and start unpacking your own luggage. We’ll be back soon. Damian, let’s go.” She twinkled her eyes at Damian and left.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShGVWQ5UQs
“Don’t worry, Aunt Holly won’t tell me shit either. And if she did, I’ll definitely tell you when I come back.” Damian patted my shoulder as he walked out the door.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXzY9lNt3Y
“Sure you will,” I muttered in annoyance. As soon as the door closed, I collapsed onto the couch and let out a deep sigh. “Well, this sucks.”
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETppSa8Z3B
*
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbevsJ6IHSl
While Damian and Aunt Holly went to get the boxes, I explored the apartment, trying to find a clue to some of my questions.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24Xd2ivwVq
Better than moping about it on the couch. I grimaced as I studied the interior.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7i8TKjWz0S
The apartment looked like it came from a K-drama setting. Everything was meant to look aesthetic, down to the last carpet. Clean…and expensive. How on earth did Grandpa get the money for this apartment? Dozens of possibilities circled my head. Since he was a policeman before he retired, so…
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxPVHugY7o
Maybe he took high-level cases?
Impossible. Grandpa’s cases were always assigned to him, and he wasn’t a private investigator.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGtNwrdEJa
Side job?5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8Do4PrfOW
Too busy with police work—according to Dad.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9tVWrfe0N
Loan.5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMKTd9fjeF
Never trusted banks.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHHkQAE95u
Loan-SHARK.
No debts left behind.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRWRMGHBHw
Hidden funds!
Oooh… now that’s a possibility. But, where would he receive all these funds from? And now, we’re back to square one.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMV7b88ZPy
As I dragged my luggage to my room, I racked my brain with possibilities I could come up with. Neither of them seemed like a viable answer. I grumbled with dissatisfaction with my lack of understanding in this entire situation.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHg9sgDQPGQ
This really sucks.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzOhzndker
What the hell am I supposed to do when I have literally nothingto work on? Mom and Dad really dragged us into—
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEw6bV2Fgot
I stopped dead in my tracks.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnT7onAeE4R
A faint chill brushed against my skin.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8onZkphCi
There was something in the air; I could feel it.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUPoCMmpsE
WHOOSH.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8c6oSWfNu
What was that?
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhOK1g5l9c
I whipped my head toward the bathroom in the corner. There was a ‘whoosh’ sound coming from that direction, and that means there’s wind.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HriS2dYiu
In the corridor.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYEKviyVHb
With no windows.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYzAfwAU7z
As I stared at the bathroom intently, I could feel the nervousness creep up my spine. My fingers tightened around the handle of my luggage.
“…What the hell?”
I inched toward the bathroom; my heart was pounding in my chest. It was telling me to walk away there and then, but my instincts were drawn to whatever was behind the bathroom door.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ylw4Sa7It
Before I knew it, my fingers were wrapped around the doorknob.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQ26p3AZl3
Should I open it? What if there was some unworldly creature behind this door? What if it eats me?
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvbVnpuTZW
There are far scarier things in this world than the dark.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7agKwrnFzd
Damian’s words played in my head repetitively like a record player.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMK4rmIm0XG
He was right.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6yL6zlnmb
The airport incident should’ve been enough to tell me that.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8pzIm2KCd
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and prepared to turn the knob.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6T3sJucIC
God, if there’s some kind of monster behind this door, make sure it eats Damian after eating me.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAn3kE8cYM
Three.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCYtBUsSNU
Two.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjj8rDLQnO
One.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjQttng0LO
BANG!
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnr9qmo2mc
“We’re baaaack!”
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEk312KLKtj
The door flung open behind me, and Damian and Aunt Holly burst in, laughing. In that moment, my knees gave out, and I let out a sigh of relief.
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42uJD1fuMw
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtM9zQYclxY
5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLutE2mm5l
and then Add to home screen.