"Give it back, Yuri!" Yonna yelled, her voice echoing through the corridor as she chased Yuri in their room.
"I'd give it back quit whining" Yuri replied grabbing a pen simultaneously dodging Yonna's attempts to retrieve her hijacked diary, a mischievous grin on her face.
"Quit scribbling there... Tell Dad to get you yours," Yonna drawled, her voice dripping with passive anger.
"I won't, grab it if you can" Yuri made a silly face and ran outside making a mad dash down the stairs
Her voice trailed after her, "Besides I like yours more"
"Yuri!" Yonna followed suit chasing relentlessly after her. She finally managed to grab the hem of Yuri's shirt and yanked her towards her. The both of them tumbled down the remaining stairs landing sprawled on the ground.
The room went silent as both of them stared wordlessly at the star themed ceiling. Slowly, they began giggling.
Yonna climbed on top of Yuri, playfully pulling her hair and shaking it back and forth. "I told you to give it back, didn't I?"
"I give up! You can have it, milady!" Yuri held Yonna's hands her eyes rimmed red from both pain and laughter.
"Yuri... Come down and have breakfast!" Yuri's mom's voice called out, piercing through Yuri's dream and bringing her back to reality.
**
Yuri's eyes slowly opened, she sat up dragging her body off the bed, still feeling the weight that memory. She stumbled into the toilet, turning on the shower to wash away the fogginess in her mind.
After showering and changing into her uniform, Yuri took a quick glance around her room. The investigation board was still up, and the recent pictures she received lay on the table. She hesitated for a moment, pondering whether she should pack up or leave it be.
"Mom rarely enters," she muttered to herself and walked out, shutting the door behind her.
After a quick breakfast, which Yuri barely touched, she made her way to school. "I'm off!" she called out, her voice drawling as she closed the door behind her.
"Take care," Yuri's mother replied, taking the used plates off the table and into the kitchen.
Yuri's mother turned to her husband, who was seated on the couch with a newspaper in his hands. "Hubby, it seems Yuri's becoming her old self again."
Her husband looked up from his newspaper, a faint smile on his face "Hmmm, it's a good thing, or don't you think so?" he asked.
Yuri's mother let out a small smile. "Of course, it's a good thing. I can stop worrying about the doctor's words now..."
Her husband finished her sentence. "And stop mixing medicine in Yuri's food."
Yuri's mother pouted, she turned focusing on the dishes. "I do that because I'm worried. If Yuri finds out she's sick, she would be very disoriented. I... don't want to risk it." she stated defensively.
Her husband's smile faded, his expression serious. "You should inform her soon."
Yuri's mother nodded, a hesitant look on her face. "I will, after she returns today."
She paused, then added, "Before then, I should go clean up her room, right? Mrs. Ma brought in some flowers earlier this morning. I think they will brighten up the room more."
As she said this, she had already dried her hands and had gone over to pick a pot of flowers. She took light steps up the stairs, humming a faint melody.
Arriving at the door to Yuri and Yonna's room, she hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open with a bright smile. But her smile vanished in an instant.
The pot in her hands came crashing down with sudden speed. Yuri's mother's eyes shrank in horror as she took shaky steps into the room eyes taking in the scene before her.
Pictures of students hanged on the investigation board, words sending chills down her spine written next to them. She walked nearer picking up the scattered pictures on the study table. She looked at them one by one till she came across a certain picture.
Yonna's.
She held the picture with trembling hands. Her lips quivered uncontrollably.
"W...wh...what's this?"
"Is there anything wrong?" Her husband's concerned voice echoed from downstairs.
Yuri's mother clutched her chest as the room suddenly became suffocating- too claustrophobic for her to bear.
**
"Are you feeling unwell?" Jiwon asked Yuri, who kept poking her lunch at the cafeteria with obvious disinterest.
Yuri shook her head, her long, red hair swaying gently with the motion. "I just have a lot on my mind," she replied, her eyes fixated on her food.
Jiwon's eyes narrowed, her brow furrowing in concern. "Did that douchebag mess around with you?" she asked.
Yuri exhaled, trying to shake off the weird feeling that bubbled inside her. She had been avoiding him for days after the night she almost spoke up for him in front of Jiwon. Shaking off the feeling was hard, and she felt that staying around him would make it even harder, so she kept out of his way and ignored him.
"I'll be fine," Yuri said, brushing off Jiwon's concern with a wave of her hand. "Enough about me, has Woo Jin's grandma remembered anything important?"
Jiwon shook her head, her ponytail bobbing up and down. "No, she talked more about Yonna and asked about you. She seems to enjoy your company more."
Yuri fiddled with her chopsticks,as her thoughts trailed to Woo Jin's grandma. "I'll go when I'm feeling better,"
Jiwon picked up her tray, letting out a sigh "Suit yourself, I'm going to go study."
Yuri raised her head "hmm, alright see you-" her words were cut short as she suddenly caught sight of Minhwan from afar. He seemed to be searching for her and when their eyes met, Yuri could see his knotted brows slowly relax. He walked towards them.
Yuri hastily stood up picking her tray too. " wait up, I'll go with you" she said suddenly feeling nervous.
Jiwon's eyes widened, bewildered. "you.. want to come to the library with me?" she asked incredulous. " Didn't you say the smell of books made you nauseous?"
Yuri shrugged, "It still does, but we have a test in a few days, and I can't fail."
Jiwon's eyes widened even more, her jaw dropping. "You remember dates for tests?!! When did pigs start flying?" she exclaimed.
Yuri walked past her, "Last three months. You coming or not? I won't save space for you," she said.
Yuri's eyes darted towards Minhwan who raised a hand about to say something. She averted her gaze dropping her tray and walking out of the cafeteria.
Jiwon hurried to catch up with her, oblivious to Minhwan's presence. She shaked her head casting Yuri a suspicious stare. "I'm beginning to wonder if you're possessed," she said, her voice breathless. "Yonna must have seen you'd fail your test, so she possessed you so you'd pass. That's the only justifiable theory for your weirdness."
Yuri scoffed, "I doubt that. Yonna's probably mad at me for being clueless till the end."
Jiwon shoved her hands into her jacket "Or she's mad at you for being a dim wit who keeps blaming herself for her death." she retorted.
As the sentence slipped out, Yuri's steps halted, her feet freezing in place as if rooted to the spot. For a moment, her lashes fluttered, and the dark storm hidden deep within her caramel brown eyes seemed on the verge of releasing.
Jiwon's words echoed in her head.
She's mad at you for being a dim wit who blames herself for her death. Who? Yonna? Yuri thought.
"You changed your mind?" Jiwon asked staring at Yuri with a raised brow.
Yuri shook her head, her steps continuing. "I.. I'm coming."
The day breezed by quickly, and before Yuri knew it, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. She and Jiwon stayed back at the library, supposedly studying for their upcoming test. However, while Jiwon was deeply engrossed in her books, Yuri was caught up in a world of her own.
As the hours ticked by, the sun began to set, casting a warm orange glow over the library. By the time they left school, it was already dusk, the sky a deep shade of indigo.
As they stepped off the bus, Jiwon turned to Yuri "Woo Jin's grandma invited us over on Saturday. You'll come, right?" she asked, her eyes searching for confirmation.
Yuri nodded absentmindedly, her mind still preoccupied. "I will."
Jiwon opened her mouth as if to say something, but after a moment's hesitation, she seemed to drop it. Instead, she settled for a simple "Take care," before turning and stepping off into the fading light.
Arriving at the worn gates of her house, Yuri noticed the black sedan car parked outside and she could not help but feel something was off.
She opened the door, "Mom, Dad, I'm home. I saw a car parked outside I was won-"
Her words were cut short as she saw Kim Chul and Han Eul sitting in the living room.
Her face tensed up, her grip on her bag tightening. "Why are you here?" she demanded.