Dark Secrets

Chapter 17: Do You Say That I'm A Freak? (2 of 2)

He got off at Chang-dong station and gave me money for his fare from the hospital to his destination, he told to pay the rest from where he got off to my home.

Come to think of it he paid the cab fare earlier when we went to the hospital and I forgot to contribute because I’m too preoccupied with the thought of the spirit and I only added a few won for our whole fare to get home.

“I really should be generous to him to our dinner on Sunday.” I mumbled as I drink the half bottle of beer I saved from last night.

The next morning, Pluto wasn’t that harsh to me like he was last Saturday since I could catch his pace now and I only make small mistakes so let me off the hook an hour before my next class.

“What time are we leaving for Suncheon tomorrow?” Pluto asked while wiping his sweat on his face and neck.

“Oh shoot! Tomorrow is Sunday, right? 30th of May?” confirming.

“Why you lost the track of time now that you don’t know what day is tomorrow??” smirking at me.

“I’m going out with Diso-sunbae tomorrow.” rubbing my nape. “I already promised him since last week before you asked me to accompany you to Suncheon.” biting my lower lip. “Can’t you go by yourself? Or ask somebody else to accompany you??”

“But you agreed to me that we’ll go together.” his expression changed from good mood to bad.

“I know but I promised to him first. Hmm … how about we leave tomorrow by 4am? We’ll arrived by 8am there and I could make it back here before 3pm if I stay there for an hour or two.” I said.

“4am?? So, you’re asking me to wake up by 3am or earlier to follow your schedule?” raising his eyebrow at me as he crosses his arms.

“I’m adjusting my time to accompany you but if you don’t like it then go on your own. You’re the one who needs to go there and not me, I can visit them anytime I’m available.” I shrugged my shoulders to him. “I’m supposed to be doing laundry anyway.” mumbles.

“Fine!” he said agitatedly. “If only I don’t need you, I won’t do such thing. I’ll pick you up at 4am so make sure you won’t make me wait.”

“Mmm. I’ll go now to have lunch. I need energy to do a community service.” turning my back against him. “Why does the midterm have to be cleaning the environment??”

Since I’m getting paid tomorrow, I ordered a combo set meal for my lunch, and when I’m about to find a table to eat, Diso called out my name and gesture to join him and Dr. Han at the faculty corner.

“You have a combo meal today.” Diso noticed my tray.

“I already used up my energy earlier at the dance practice, I need to replenish for cleaning later. We’re doing community service for midterms.” complaining to him.

“I see. You need this to boost your energy.” handing me a chocolate bar from his pocket. “Ace-hyung came home this morning and he filled our fridge with lot of chocolates.”

“Hey!” Dr. Han called Diso’s attention. “I’ve been asking you for that chocolate since this morning but you gave it to Desa instead?!”

“Go to my place later, get as much chocolate as you want.” Diso said.

“Really??! You’re inviting me and Ace is also at home?!” she exclaimed excitedly. “You invited me, so don’t you dare tell a lie to Ace later.”

“I won’t so just shut it and eat your lunch.” Diso brushed her off.

“Hmm … Let’s wrap up earlier so I can go home first before going to your place. I need to look at my best when I meet him again.”

“Don’t wear a gown like what you did before, you’re not going to a party, so keep it low, alright?” he uttered.

“She likes your brother to much isn’t she?” I whispered to Diso.

“Every woman likes my brother.” he nodded. “You want to see his photo?” taking out his wallet. “Here, he put our picture in my wallet he wants me to do the same as him but I don’t want to so he put it there himself.” handed me his wallet.

“Oh wow! He really is handsome. Let me guess he looks like your father and you … your mother?” I gave back his thick wallet to him.

“Uh-huh. We don’t look like brothers at all, right?” he said.

“Yes, but you two got the same shape of lips.” I replied.

“So, there’s no doubt that Diso is a good kisser too just like Ace.” Dr. Han uttered. “It took me so long to realize that Desa but you noticed it immediately just by looking at their picture together.”

“I got a good eyesight that even small details are noticeable for me.”

“Well, you have big eyes which is rare for us Koreans.” Dr. Han said.

“Did you fall for my brother too?” Diso asked.

“I admit that he’s good-looking but I prefer Koreans than foreigners, ideally like my Dad.” I responded.

“Ooh a Daddy’s girl.” Dr. Han reacted. “I prefer handsome men, I’m thinking of my future children so their father should be godlike.”

“Haha. Well you got a point, but handsome men are hard to keep.”

“Yeah, I know, specially his brother who got a lot of ladies around him. So, I gave up the idea of marrying Ace, I only want a child from him, that’ll be enough as a memento.”

“Sunbae, do we really have to talk about your sad story during lunch?” Diso telling her to stop.

“He’s annoyed that’s why he’s calling me sunbae and not Dr. Han.”

After having lunch with my seniors, I went to my next class where I have to climbed up to 5th floor just to come down again after checking our attendance.

It would’ve been fun if the bus is taking us to a field trip but it took us to clean up the park and also for tree planting activity.

I’m picking up the dried leaves on the ground when I suddenly have a premonition that I can’t ignore easily.

The pregnant woman sitting on the bench will be stabbed multiple times by the man wearing a cap who will sit beside her.

It’s not just one life but two will be lost when I don’t do anything and even though I know that the woman and her child will die after 37 days, I could at least buy them some time.

“Uhm … excuse me.” I mustered up my courage to approach the pregnant woman on the bench.

“Yes?” the woman looks at me. “Do you need anything?”

“Can I sit here beside you, unnie?” looking around to check the area.

“Sure. Are you one of those cleaning the park today?” she asked.

“Yes. We’re assigned to do community service for our midterms.” I saw the man coming to our way but he sits on the nearby bench instead. “Unnie, do you mind if I ask when is your due?”

“Next month, 3rd or 4th week of June. I hope my baby’s father got his leave approved by that time. My husband’s a police officer and he’s rarely home because of their operations, he’s in homicide department that’s why he’s so busy with work.” she explained.

“Ah, I see. I’m a nursing student at SNU.” keeping our conversation going so I could keep her company.

I can’t let her be alone with the man lurking around her so when the instructor called me, I convinced the woman to take the bus with us.

I told her to visit her husband at the police station and asked him to come home with her.

I don’t see the grim anymore at her so I succeeded in giving her an extra life and she could probably give birth to her child next month.

But the thing is when I cheated death it bounced back immediately to someone else in a freakish way.

“Hey, watch your head!” I yelled at one of my classmates who peek his head outside the window while we’re in transit.

It only took less than a minute when a passing truck to the opposite direction got him beheaded.

His blood is splashing to people around him so everyone panicked and screamed out loud in horror before our bus make a full stop at the side of the road.

Everyone run out from the bus and I’m the last one to get off as I assisted the pregnant woman to walk.

I’m already used to see such death so I’m all calmed but I’m still shocked although I’m not like others who are completely stupefied.

“Will you accompany me to the police station?” the pregnant woman holds my arm. “I-I don’t think I can be alone after what just happened.” she’s trembling in fear.

“Sure. Let me hail a cab for you.” hailing a cab immediately before the others pull themselves together.

She’s grabbing me tight while we’re in transit to Hyehwa police station, I was like that at first when I saw a dead body right in front of me, trembling in fear.

When we arrived at the station, I paid the cab fare as she rushes out to meet her husband inside.

We were sitting at the back seat of the bus when it all happened, far enough for us not to be stained by blood but when we passed by the fresh dead body, we got some on clothes but not too much.

“The plate number has 255 at the end, it’s a dark blue truck.” I told the pregnant woman’s husband. “That’s all I can remember, it’s too fast that I couldn’t see the face of the driver or the whole plate number but I hope it helps with the investigation.”

“Who is this?” the police officer asked his wife.

“I met her at the park earlier she’s one of the university students who’s doing a community service. She invited me to ride their bus since this station is on the way. She also told me to visit you and asked you to come home with me.” the pregnant woman explained.

“Officer please take care of your wife and don’t leave her alone she needs you now after witnessing such incident.” I uttered.

“Of course. Student, what’s your name?” the officer asked.

“Ha Desa, officer. I’m a 1st year nursing student at SNU. If there’s nothing else, I’m going now. I need to go to my part-time job.”

“Student Ha Desa, thank you for keeping my wife and my baby safe.” the officer slightly bowed his head to me.

I bowed to him in return before I turned around and walked away from the police station.

I saved two lives but in return a life of a promising youth was taken.

When I came to Caracciolo, since I’m assigned to the kitchen today, I volunteered to be the dishwasher instead of assisting the chefs.

I just want to be alone and clear my thoughts as the water continue to run down, I should also wash away my memories of today.

“Desa.” Alessia came to me in the locker room while I’m changing clothes. “Troye and I already did the grocery; we’re sleeping over to your place tonight. Sweetheart what’s wrong? Your scent is just the same for those who lost someone.”

“I saved a pregnant woman earlier in return death took one of my classmates, the news probably will be on paper tomorrow morning.”

“My goodness!” Alessia embraces me in her arms. “It’s not your fault, so don’t blame yourself for this again.”

“That woman will give birth to her baby next month, she could at least be a mother for one or two weeks before she dies, but the baby will survive because of he or she is a newborn.” I uttered.

“You made the right choice. You did well, Desa.” patting my back.

“If only I could save everyone and not let anyone die.” sobbing.

“Foolish girl! You’re not a God, you’re only human. Even superheroes can’t save everyone given that they have superpowers.” she said.

“Having a friend like you makes me feel that my problem is as light as feather and not to worry about it at all.” I laughed at her.

“Because if you keep on blaming yourself, you’re just being pathetic. People die every day, sweetheart, that life you sacrificed might be taken away sooner or later, in the end it’s just the same.” she pulled away and wipes my tears. “You have to move on from that memory.”

“Easier said than done but I’ll be fine in a few days or so.” I said.

“Troye and I are here for you, together we can make it.” smiling at me. “You know you’re not alone, right?”

“Mmm. Thanks, I don’t have time for self-pity anymore because you guys are here for me, who truly understand what I’m going through.”

“Our abilities made our lives closed to death so who else would understand a freak like you aside from your freak friends?”

“You know what when people call me a freak it’s a bit offensive even though it’s true but coming from you it’s a bit comforting.” I said.

“Because we’re alike. To be honest, I got an incident today and I lost 3 lives in a fire. I tried to warn them about their impending doom but they didn’t believe me and called me a freak instead.” she said.

“Ah, that’s why you’re using the word freak.” tapping her shoulders. “I got that a lot before too when I warned them about their death, but who would believe us, right?”

“A few who believes that everything is possible and odd people, like all the members of SOS. We’re not the only one who’s crazy.”

-End of Chapter 17-