Chapter#32: Dumbfounded
[Jacob Seo's P.O.V.]
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I was startled to wake up in a familiar place. This is the laundromat I woke up last time.
“Why am I here again. Where is Clyde? Am I in Incheon again? Shit! What date is it?” confused I said to myself as I dug in my pocket to see if I had any money or a phone with me.
“What is this shit all about! How can I go home if I don't have anything with me?” I'm confused because I know that maybe when I come home Clyde will be mad at me again.
I looked for a wall clock or any kind of device that I could find the time. It looks like I'm the only one left here again but it's afternoon right now and not early in the morning.
I checked to see if the door of the establishment was open but it was locked outside.
Oh My God, how can I take it home? I'm already hungry and my foot hurts a lot. Maybe there's a ghost here too.
“Young Master...” I was a little scared when I heard someone speak.
I rolled my eyes all around. There is no one else.
“Oh My God! Mommy! Mommy! Lord God, I'm sorry if I don't go to church anymore, but pleaseeee protect me from those evil spirits who like to hurt me!” Afraid, I prayed while hugging my knee.
“Young Master, don’t be afraid of me. Talk to me.”
I closed my eyes especially when the voice seemed closer to me. My chest is beating too much.
“Young Master, I'm sorry for what I will do but you need to open your eyes,” I heard a voice speaking to me.
I felt as if I was suddenly floating at the same time as a strong force was resisting me. I forcefully opened my eyes directly looking at the body mirror in front of me. I saw my handheld by a tall, white man, he looks not like an Asian but can speak in Korean.
I don’t know if I will be more afraid of what I see in the mirror or not. From what I see in the mirror he doesn't look like a scary man but inside I'm scared.
Now, I’m feeling I’m still floating out of my body but I feel my body. I tried to ground myself as my psychiatrist told me that whenever I feel anxious or have panic attacks I need to ground myself to reality.
I panicked but I tried to look at the mirror again. I was more scared because what I saw in the mirror was not myself. I saw the man earlier holding my hand. And what is weird is that my hand is still raised.
I look at my hand and saw it raised high. I scream at top of my lungs.
“No, no, no. What's happening with me?” I said to myself and try to calm myself down.
I don't know why I can see the man in the mirror but I can't see him in front of me.
He's in front of me now. He leaned over me according to what I could see in the reflection of the mirror. But when I turn to my side I see no one.
“Young master, calm down okay. I'm not a ghost,” he said and I was shocked when I heard my voice.
I looked in the mirror and tried my best to calm down.
“W-who are you?” I said in the air.
I don’t know why my feelings are divided into miserable pain and fear. I was feeling pity for myself but not because I was seeing a ghost. Like, I felt some emotion but certainly not my own emotion. Pity because I turned like this.
Fuck, the mess I feel. My thoughts are clouded. I saw the reflection of the man touch my hands and I kinda creep out when my right-hand touches my left hand.
Fear, pain, and confusion divide my mind.
“If you're an evil spirit, can you leave my body?” Trembling, I said and forced to remove the hand I was holding.
I felt like my body was controlled but I don't know because I can feel that I'm still in control of my body. But honestly speaking, at some point I can't seem to feel my own feet on the ground.
I looked at my foot, which landed on the floor. I looked again in the mirror. Why is my foot on the man's foot?
“I can't do what you want me to do, young master. I will try to do my best to protect you,” he said then removed his foot under my foot.
In an instant, I felt my foot but the emotions that were present are still within me.
“Young Master, don't you remember me?” said the man, and I saw in his reflection in the mirror how his face appeared so worried ...
“You... can you smile?” I told him when I noticed my face also looked worried and not in fear!
He smiled which made my chest throb to the point that I wanted to run away. I know in myself that I'm not smiling and I can't smile at this moment because of my fear!
But my freaking self was smiling in the freaking mirror!
I covered my face and closed my eyes.
“Okay, young master let's do it like that. I'm just going to talk to you. You don't need to see me in any mirror but please listen to me,” he said.
“W-wait something's weird is happening,” I said as I closed my eyes.
I can see myself sitting down and the guy in front of me. I tried to look at my arms but it was only pitch black. I don't have my freaking hands! This is freaking confusing because the me that I was seeing distance away from me was the one who was looking into his arms. Like I was a damn ghost watching my body move on its own.
"Am I a ghost?" I asked the man and he shook his head as a no.
“Then why am I out of my body?” I said while my voice is breaking.
“I'm you,” he said and touched my head.
“How come? Are you my future self? And why are you asking if I remember you?” I will ask.
“I also don't know the answer but I'm not your future self. I am you. You created me,” he said and then suddenly grabbed her chest.
“Are you alright?” I asked but I didn't know why my chest was also tight. I can't breathe properly.
“I need to go, y-young master. I feel weak...” he said and then he suddenly disappeared like a bubble in the pitch-black space. And the second he disappeared, it was as if I was magnetized again in my body. It was still pitch black ...
___________
[Haesoo Seo's P.O.V.]
We just finished class and I went out early because I was worried about my brother. What happened at their check-up or if something was wrong with him.
I told him that after their check-up with his psychiatrist he should text or just call me over the phone. He knew that even when I was in class when he called I would answer his call.
It's just refreshing that both Jacob and little Lee don't inform me. Do they still have LQ to this day? Haven't they resolved what happened yesterday?
“5 more minutes... If no text, chat or call; I will call daddy because something is wrong already,” I said to myself together on the bench I was sitting on.
What a day, it made me crave food. Can I go to the convenience store first? I'll call Jacob later.
A little more walk and I’ve reached the convenience store where I often go when I’m skipping my diet.
“Good afternoon Ma’am, come in,” said the guard of the convenience store then smiled at me. I was walking around shopping for what I wanted to eat for my cheat day when I overheard the conversation between a man and the guard at the counter.
“Have you watched the news in Incheon? It is said that the same laundromat that exploded last week was now on fire and then a teenager was found inside trying to rape a 9-year-old boy,” said the man guarding the counter.
I listened even more to their conversation because I was on the shelf near the counter.
“I don't know if the teenager will go to a social worker or rehab because he looks like he has a bad head injury. It is said that he didn't do that, I saw you on the CCTV. Young people today! What I know will be broadcast on the 4 pm news,” said the man who was talking to the guard at the counter.
I shrugged when I heard that. Seriously really kids now. It's a good thing my brother isn't like that.
I brought the things I bought to the counter and then I smiled back at the guard at the counter.
“Is this all you're going to buy, Ahgashi?” he asked while staring at my face and putting my purchases in the plastic bag.
I frowned then smiled hard. “I'll eat the instant ramyeon here,” I said then took a chopstick from the countertop.
“Ah, sorry for my act of staring at you, I know it made you feel awkward. It’s just that…You look like someone. It's like you've been torn apart from the same piece,” said a few by the one guarding the counter and then handed me my change. He also gave me the ramyeon and I bought another one.
“You saw her? It looks like him. Can't they have children?” I heard him say while guarding the counter
“What are you, why do you think like that? You know there are many similar people from Seoul,” he scolded when he spoke.
I just quietly ate while hearing them talk. I didn't know that such a beautiful face was generic. Just make sure those old people look like me.
'I'll turn on the TV because it will be announced. I'll bet $ 50 if I'm right that they look alike, 'said the guard at the counter.
I kind of laughed and wanted to join them in going that they were wrong and I didn’t look like anything.
I'm enjoying my ramyeon while still listening to the gossip of the two men when they stop murmuring because the news report has already started.
“Flash Report. A Franchise Laundromat in Incheon that was recently bombed causing the death of five people was again set on fire this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Two minors that were both males—a sixteen-year-old and a nine-year-old—were found inside the laundromat. The events are still being investigated. The news will return on 6 PM news,” said the news anchor.
I literally but unintentionally spit and threw away the ramyeon I was eating; regardless of the heat of the broth that spilled on my uniform.
“Tell you what he looks like. I have the fifty,” I heard someone at the counter said.
My abundant tears began to flow from my eyes and my heartbeat and breathing seemed to take precedence.
At the same time, my phone rang and rang.
“Are you all right, miss? You are burned,” said the old man.
I just looked at him then I stood up straight and left all the things I bought. I almost stumbled on the road just to take a taxi.
“Daddy. I-I'm going to Jacob. Kindly send guards and doctors and shut down the TV network ******. PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO JAIL, MY BROTHER! AND I DON'T WANT TO BE THE BROTHER OF A RAPIST!” I shouted and scream while talking to Daddy over the phone.
No one can know. What kind of bullshit is happening ... Jacob's face is in the news but I know definitely that he won't do that and he's not the mother fucker who smiled on TV earlier! Why the freaking hell would Jacob smile in front of the media?! This son of a bitch.
to be continued…
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