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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1NDWhuZLc
“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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAwxqsAdRn
“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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinUxMZ5NFo
“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.”
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJXsgXWf5P
“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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrr9F0proiz
“Oh, it was years ago, really. It was one of their last trips here. The final trip was around twelve years ago, I think.”
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TD8zS7qNW
“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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLa3sNAwAq
“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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMMCHcbiMP
“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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFNG5zwXPC
“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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWirbie7HEq
“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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlPsGc1K3z
“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.”
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3XPoVXAJD
*
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6J9qL6Tpv
While Damian and Aunt Holly went to get the boxes, I explored the apartment, trying to find a clue to some of my questions.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2okjWeeIwC
Better than moping about it on the couch. I grimaced as I studied the interior.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdGnYnOpm0
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…
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8heqnyVPme
Maybe he took high-level cases?
Impossible. Grandpa’s cases were always assigned to him, and he wasn’t a private investigator.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXZRuSpuNe
Side job?8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6vUnriI14
Too busy with police work—according to Dad.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVnewDh9wE
Loan.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXwSLIphdg
Never trusted banks.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4F0gRO8gm
Loan-SHARK.
No debts left behind.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBB5YFzqIGc
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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwp7pWtff4
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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsE2LcPIKr0
This really sucks.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4IFhuGMhu
What the hell am I supposed to do when I have literally nothingto work on? Mom and Dad really dragged us into—
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqvB52MmWp
I stopped dead in my tracks.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmE4x1ByMfr
A faint chill brushed against my skin.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gedKBS5rc
There was something in the air; I could feel it.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHccivBHKau
WHOOSH.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIsB1FjYq6
What was that?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbI1CeP8yo
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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1u1z1JkhZ
In the corridor.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSu8rG0G8DH
With no windows.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4O0cBtsb4
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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbZSEUqTtw
Before I knew it, my fingers were wrapped around the doorknob.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleuPhzP6qZ
Should I open it? What if there was some unworldly creature behind this door? What if it eats me?
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5uJwASMIt
There are far scarier things in this world than the dark.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJ06Rgqz4p
Damian’s words played in my head repetitively like a record player.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnaHALmgED
He was right.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObn7jWJNn6
The airport incident should’ve been enough to tell me that.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZXVwpn20G
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and prepared to turn the knob.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEOSeM7Lee
God, if there’s some kind of monster behind this door, make sure it eats Damian after eating me.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgB9IhOGdCm
Three.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWQW6Vc70s
Two.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhAQwXGbnM
One.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuz5bRVlv6
BANG!
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9qjcyPMJ6
“We’re baaaack!”
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0tB6k7Qwx
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.
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDgTz0v0zZ
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fduxGncFp
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlfWakygt7
and then Add to home screen.