Chun Hyang woke up that same night. She just had a weird dream and she woke up with her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She sat up in her bed and was breathing heavily. She looked all around the dark room and she stood up. She tiptoed across the hall to her mom's room. She turned the doorknob and she peered inside. She saw that it was dark inside but the lamp shade is open. She noticed Young Ah sitting in her bed, looking out the window. "Eomma?" Chun Hyang called silently. "May I come in?"Young Ah didn't answered and she went inside. She sat slowly beside Young Ah and stared at the swaying leaves of the dead oak tree outside the window."Why are you still awake?" Young Ah asked her daughter.Chun Hyang smiled and shook her head."Nothing. I just had a weird dream so I woke up all of a sudden," Chun Hyang shuddered at the thought of her dream.Young Ah looked at her and frowned, "Really? About what?" Chun Hyang shook her head and just smiled, "Nothing really important though."Young Ah smiled back when she remembered Jin Hee. "Chun Hyang, "she began to speak. "About your friend, Jin Hee ... is she really seeing that ghost in your school?"Chun Hyang was surprised at the question and she stifled a small laugh."I don't know. But that's what she said. Wae Eomma?"Young Ah just smiled as she smoothed Chun Hyang's hair down her back."Aneyo ... I'm just wondering," she answered. "You go back to bed. You still have school tomorrow."Chun Hyang stood up and smiled, "Kurrae (ok). Good night eommoni." When Chun Hyang left the room, something ignited inside Young Ah ... a fear that she's been holding and keeping all these years. ---->> The following day at school, Jin Hee is sitting alone at the cafeteria when Ga Eul, Yeon ha and Sun Young approached her. Sun Young sat in front of Jin Hee with a mocking smile."What?" Jin Hee asked with an irritated voice."Wae yo Jin Hee?" Sun Young asked with a mocking voice. "Not happy to see us?" Jin Hee scoffed and she just concentrated on her lunch. Ga Eul glared at her and she hit the back of Jin Hee's head. Jin Hee closed her eyes in pain."You better act appropriately around us Kang Jin hee!" Ga Eul said with a hard voice."I think that should be the same statement suited for you, " Chun Hyang interrupted.All of them turned around to see Chun Hyang fuming in anger as she saw what Ga Eul did to Jin Hee."Who do you think you girls are?" Chun Hyang asked with a hard voice.The three of them laughed and Yeon Ha made a puppy look, "Oh how sweet!"Ga Eul raised her eyebrow at Chun Hyang and smirked."So you're protecting her, huh?" Ga Eul asked with a mocking voice."I am because she's my friend. And I don't wanna see the three of you hanging around her ...ever again!" Chun Hyang had a serious tone as she said it. That brought Jin Hee's heart flowing with gratitude.The three of them were silenced and Chun Hyang is still glaring at them. "Go!!" Chun Hyang raised her voice, bringing everyone's attention to their table.The three bullies started to walk off and then Ga Eul glanced back at Chun Hyang with a sharp look in her eyes. "We're not yet through Park Chun Hyang, " Ga Eul said with her voice full of threat. Then the three of them strode off the cafeteria. Chun Hyang scoffed and look at Jin Hee, her eyes so full of concern."Kwaenchana?" Chun Hyang asked. Jin Hee nodded and smiled at Chun Hyang. "Ne (yes) ... I'm ok." Jin Hee answered. ---> Jin Hee and Chun Hyang stepped inside the old administration building and waves of nausea hit Jin Hee like a cold water splashed on her face. She gets this feeling everytime she's near the building or within the boundaries of it. They looked all around and they saw Ms. Nam walking towards them. "Annyeong songsaenim! (hi teacher)," they both called out politely. Ms. Nam looked at them sternly, as if she doesn't want them around the building but then she smiled when she looked at Chun Hyang."How are you Park Chun Hyang?" Ms. Nam asked.Chun Hyang smiled and Jin Hee glanced curiously at them while walking away."Nan jaejinaeyo songsaenim (i'm ok)," Chun Hyang answered politely. "Good. How's Young Ah, by the way?""Eomma's doing fine. She actually had her birthday yesterday. Too bad you weren't able to come," Chun Hyang said.Ms. Nam sighed and nodded, as if regretting it. "Tell her my greetings. I apologize if I wasn't able to attend. I was so busy with school works lately," Ms. Nam said.Jin Hee couldn't hear the rest of the conversation since she's now walking away towards the stairs. She stared up at the winding staircase and gulped. She mustered all her courage and began climbing the stairs one step at a time. With every step she took, her nausea is getting worse. Is this how it feels when you're in an old, creepy building? Jin Hee reached the last three steps towards the last floor when a little girl came skipping toward her. Jin Hee was surprised when she saw the little girl with a scary look in her eyes. "Ya! Eonni! (big sis)" the girl shouted at her face. "What are you doing here?" Jin Hee was dumb founded for awhile and she stared at the girl."Nothing ...I'm having a class upstairs." Jin Hee answered.The little girl looked up at the stairs and put her finger on her lips, as if silencing her."Sssh!" the little girl said. "She doesn't want anyone upstairs."Jin Hee frowned and looked at her with a weird look."Nu-gu? (who)" Jin hee asked. "Is there a teacher upstairs?"The little girl shook her head and looked up at the stairs. As if she saw something scary, she ran down towards the stairs, leaving Jin Hee behind. Jin Hee was surprised at what she heard but she didn't even know what the little girl mean. She started to go up the stairs when she heard Chun Hyang's voice calling from afar."Kang Jin Hee! Where are you?" Jin Hee decided to just go back to the hall, and she ran back down the stairs. Little did she know that in the stair banister was a girl with her bloodshot red eyes and very white face, sticking her face out of the stair banister. ---> Chun Hyang and Jin Hee went to town that day after school, they went to the local fastfood to munch on burgers and Coke. Chun Hyang noticed Jin Hee's perplexed expression."Wae? What's wrong?" Chun Hyang asked her friend.Jin Hee stared at Chun Hyang. She still couldn't take off the little girl from her mind."Are there any classes held at the fourth floor of admin building?" Chun Hyang shook her head and answered her."No. The school administrators decided to close the last floor ten years ago after the accident.""After Yoon Ji Hae's death?" Jin Hee asked all of a sudden.Chun Hyang just nodded and shuddered. Why is her friend so interested with all these ghost stuffs about the building? "You have to keep that out of your mind Jin Hee, "Chun Hyang said. "The stories are not true.""What if it is?" Jin Hee asked, surprising Chun Hyang.Chun Hyang giggled and concentrated on her snacks. "I don't think so. There's no such thing as ghosts." Jin Hee didn't say another word and just continued to eat. ---> It's a weekend night and Jin Hee just stayed home all day. Eun Soo went out to her weekend activity with her co-workers in the government office. Jin Hee decided to do some cleaning around the house. She decided to clean Eun Soo's room. Stepping inside, she smiled at the thought that Eun Soo and her mom have the same tastes for arrangements. She began wiping at some stuffs when she hit on something. A box filled with pictures fell to the floor. Jin Hee bent down to pick it up and most of the pictures were that of Eun Soo when she was young and with her grandparents and mother. A particular picture stood out from the rest and she picked it up. It was of Eun Soo and her friends when they were in high school. Eun Soo went to Kangwon-do High so it's obvious that the uniform is familiar. Just then Jin Hee noticed the face of a familiar girl in the picture. That same sad eyes and the sad smile, hidden by something. Then the pretty girl who looks like Chun Hyang in the center. Jin hee flipped the picture and she saw a note in the back, "Bring it to your grave." "Weird, "she murmured. Just then the door opened and Eun Soo was surprised to see Jin Hee inside."What are you doing?" Eun Soo sounded mad.Jin Hee stood up and put the picture back inside and Eun Soo snatched the box away from her. "Mianhae (sorry) ajumma, " Jin Hee stammered. "I was just cleaning when I accidentally hit the box.""Then you shouldn't have touched this!" Eun Soo raised her voice.Jin Hee fought back tears and bowed as she apologized."I'm sorry." Jin Hee said silently. She then stepped out of the room and ran towards her own room. Eun Soo sighed and sat on the bed, staring at the box filled with pictures. She didn't mean to raise her voice at Jin Hee. ----> That same night, Jin hee fell fast asleep because she was really tired from cleaning the house all day. Then that dream came again. The same location and the same day. She was brought back to the scene where the pretty girl was climbing the stairs two step at a time with a mad look in her eyes. "Ya! Yoon Ji Hae!" the girl was calling as she reached the last floor. The girl went to Room 409 and saw Ji Hae standing there, staring out the window. The girl strolled in angrily and stepped in beside her."What do you think you're doing?" the girl asked her.Ji Hae turned to look at the girl and creased her forehead, "What?"The girl scoffed and raised her eyebrow."You don't think I know what you're doing?"When Ji Hae didn't answer, the girl raised her voice."You're stealing Seung Ri from me!"Ji Hae smiled and shook her head. Even if someone is shouting at her, she remained polite and coy."I don't know what you're talking about Young Ah, "she said slowly.Young Ah scoffed and slapped her hard on the cheek. Ji Hae was surprised."You know right from the start how much I like Seung Ri." Young Ah is crying right now. "We're friends, right? Friends don't go behind each other's back."Ji Hae was silently crying too. She looked at Young Ah with a sad smile."Young Ah-ssi ...mianhaeyo." she said silently. "But I love Seung Ri. You can't do anything about it now. I'm the one he loves, and not you." Young Ah scoffed and glared at Ji Hae, her anger is reaching out the peak level. "You know what? You're a traitor!" Young Ah said angrily and she started strangling Ji Hae. Ji Hae closed her eyes, feeling the air out of her lungs. Young Ah is strangling her harder than ever, her thumb and forefinger hitting the carotid glands in her neck. Ji Hae tried her best to speak."Stop it Young Ah... I can't breathe." "You deserve this!" Young Ah shouted. Just then two of their friends, Eun Soo and Hyun Joo, arrived and saw the commotion. "Young Ah!" Hyun joo was really scared. Eun Soo just stood there outside, her heart thumping loudly. "Ya! Stop it!" eun Soo shouted. Young Ah couldn't control her anger and she pushed Ji Hae away. Ji hae hit her head hard on the wall, and she slid down the floor, blood coming out of her head. The three of them were shocked and Young Ah is still shaking with anger. Hyun joo and Eun Soo ran inside and Hyun Joo took Ji Hae's palm and felt her pulse. It's not beating anymore.They looked at Young Ah and Eun Soo shook her head. "You killed her Young Ah, "Eun soo said, shaking with fear. "Why did you do that?"Young Ah just stared at the dead Ji hae on the floor and stared at her hands. Just then they heard the sound of footsteps coming near the hallway. They ran out and headed towards the emergency exit and ran all the way down to the field. Young Ah sat on the field and stared at the last room on the building."Nobody should know this whole thing," Young Ah said. "Bring it to your grave." ----> Jin Hee woke up with a start and was breathing heavily as she sat up in her bed. She looked all around and saw the faint figure of a woman by the doorway. She covered her face with her bed covers and went to hide her face in the pillow. "Bring it to your grave" ... it's the exact same words she have read on Eun Soo's picture. (to be continued) ...
