Chapter 41.2

Chapter 41.2

At Yeongshin’s words, Heeju lifted her head. She’d unwittingly drifted into other thoughts for a moment. It was amusing how she’d arbitrarily started thinking of Kwon Gukhyun and that orphanage oppa as the same person, even though he said it wasn’t him.

“No, just… something came to mind for a second. Anyway, about what I asked for over the phone?”

“Ah, that? Hold on, I’ll get it.”

Yeongshin fetched a large cardboard box from the corner of the lab and plunked it down in front of Heeju.

“I brought what you mentioned, but what exactly are you looking for in here?”

“I don’t know either.”

At Heeju’s vague response, Yeongshin raised his eyebrows in bewilderment.

“Then why is this….”

“I think my sister hid something from me before she died.”

“….”

“I just want to know what it is.”

That was all. Heeju ripped off the tape on the surface with a ziiip and opened the box.

Even if it was Pandora’s box, it was better than not knowing.

“I can guess how you’re feeling, but I don’t see how doing this now is helping you at all.”

Yeongshin stirred his lukewarm coffee with a worried expression. Heeju was flipping open a diary she’d pulled from the box.

“I’m not doing it to help myself.”

“What I mean is… the more you think about your sister, the harder it gets for you.”

“….”

“I’m worried about you, Heeju.”

Yeongshin had watched firsthand how much Heeju had crumbled after Heejin’s death. She knew what he was concerned about, but Heeju silently turned the pages of the diary without responding.

The box was something Heeju had asked Yeongshin to bring from her sister’s studio apartment. She could have gone home herself, but then Sungang or Chulhyun would tell Kwon Gukhyun, and for some reason, she wanted to keep it from him.

“When I went to the house to get this stuff, it’s been lately empty for a while. I’m worried about where and how you’re living now….”

Yeongshin tousled his hair in frustration and let out a deep sigh.

“And now you suddenly want  to find out about some secret.”

“….”

“Everyone has things they want to hide. Like how you’re not saying anything about where you’re staying or who you’re with right now—I’m dying of curiosity, but I’m trying not to pry?”

Yeongshin raised his palms and slowly rubbed his face.

“If Heejin-noona didn’t tell you something, wouldn’t there be a good reason for it?”

Beneath his palms, Yeongshin’s face contorted heavily.

“And that secret probably isn’t directly related to her death anyway….”

Heeju turned another page in the diary. Her sister would buy a diary every New Year, vowing to live diligently, and she’d write faithfully every day in January and February, but the entries would gradually space out. This one was no different.

Confirming there wasn’t anything particularly special in it, Heeju snapped the diary shut. After her sister’s death, she’d set aside what seemed important, but this was the first time she was examining things in detail.

Putting the diary back in the box, Heeju said calmly.

“Right after unni died, just seeing traces of her was hard. Something like this diary? It was painful just to look at it. I didn’t want to accept that Ko Heejin was dead.”

“….”

“On the day the trial verdict was finalized, honestly, I didn’t want to live anymore. I didn’t know what to do next, why I had to be left alone. I hated everything, I was angry.”

Yeongshin’s body stiffened. His palms slid down slowly, as if in shock.

“Heeju, you….”

“But now, at least I have something I’m curious about. I think that’s helped me get a bit better.”

Heeju maintained her calm as she reached into the box again. She rummaged through bank documents and lease agreements before pulling out a small notebook she hadn’t seen before.

“Once I find out what I’m curious about, maybe I’ll get even better.”

“….”

“So, you don’t need to look at me so pitifully, like I’m crazy.”

At Heeju’s words, Yeongshin’s eyelids twitched.

“Hey, when did I ever look at you like you’re crazy? I’m just worried about you acting like this.”

“I told you, the time for worrying is over.”

Heeju shook the notebook lightly and gave a faint smile. Yeongshin repeatedly smoothed his devastated, crumpled face with his hands.

Just then, something dropped out from between the notebook’s pages. It hit Heeju’s thigh, bounced off, and rolled to the floor. Yeongshin bent down to pick up what had rolled under the desk.

“Looks like Heejin-noona really did hide something.”