Unanswered Questions

I couldn't sleep properly after that, and it was nearly dawn when sleep finally kicked in. Even then, it was unsatisfying. I thought I had a dream, but I couldn't recall what it was, just that it wasn't something good. Probably because of the restlessness I felt after Min Gi's phone call.

Yet, as the sun rose and shone through my room's window, I awoke with a start. I remembered Min Gi's words last night right away, so I wasted no time. I washed my face and changed clothes. Usually, I wouldn't wake up until past ten a.m., but there was an important task that I needed to do today. A task that might help Min Gi and I figure out where Min Gyeong could be. I hoped she was doing fine.

Min Gyeong's apartment was close enough to where I worked, just behind Gyeongsang-gamyeong Park. She once invited me to live with her, and it was reasonable because of the close distance between it and my workplace, but I declined. At that time, I was still living with my mother when she was sick. I looked after her until her death and used this as an excuse that I couldn't stay with Min Gyeong. But even after my mother's death, I still couldn't leave the place. Maybe I couldn't afford to leave the house where I grew up.

The apartment's block looked empty; no one was seen around it. The park, however, was crowded and full of families having picnics together. The children's laughter and their mothers' voices were reaching the apartment clear and loud. Nobody looked my way; hence I casually went inside the apartment as if I was living there. Getting into Min Gyeong's apartment wasn't tricky since Min Gyeong had told me how to get inside and where she put her spare keys.

It was a small, simple apartment, with huge windows facing the park. The inside of her apartment was as bright as the outside once I opened the curtain, but after giving it some thought, I decided to close it again—in case someone was watching over this room. Nevertheless, I was still intruding on someone else's home—it was better if no one saw me here.

Because I didn't open the windows, it felt a bit airless, so I took off my sweatshirt and looked around. Min Gyeong, I knew, wasn't fond of house chores, so I could see how dust had accumulated on the desk and TV. She also forgot to water the plants for a few days, and their leaves now drooped. Dirty clothes were strewn around, on the floor and the bed, along with a few magazines (featuring Min Gyeong's face on several pages). The kitchen, however, was clean, and I meant clean even from the kitchen utensils. Min Gyeong didn't like to cook; she preferred to buy instant meals or eat out. The bathroom was a little cooler than the bedroom and the floor was slightly slippery; otherwise, it looked clean.

I saw nothing unusual in her room. I felt driven to clean it, but my time here might not be much, and I needed to move. I checked her books, opened them all, and looked for anything resembling diaries or notebooks. I quickly found a few journals, but they were all notes from the past years. One book contained a list of contact numbers she kept, and I scanned the numbers in the book. It wasn't that hard—I immediately found Min Gyeong's agency's number in Daegu. I mulled over if I should call the agency or tell Min Gi first, but I saw nothing dangerous in contacting the agency, so I dialed the numbers.

The person who picked up the phone was a woman, and I immediately explained that I was Min Gyeong's sister (I thought it was safer to say that I was blood-related to Min Gyeong rather than simply saying that I was her friend) looking for her. She hasn't called me since last night when she was leaving for Seoul, even long after her bus had arrived in Seoul. Can the agency tell me where Min Gyeong might be, or do they know the name of Min Gyeong's workplace in Seoul?

"I'm sorry, Miss, but I don't know how to answer your questions properly," the woman's voice tinged with regret. "Min Gyeong was supposed to be in Seoul for about a week. We only received the invitation two days ago, through a representative from another agency in Seoul. It was so fast, everything happened in such a short time. We already told the agent that Min Gyeong also has a full schedule for today and it couldn't be canceled. But he insisted, saying that his famous client, a photographer in Seoul, wants to work with Min Gyeong."

"Did this Seoul agent specifically mention that they want Min Gyeong as their model?"

"Yes, Miss."

"And who's the name of the photographer?"

"Sadly, the agent didn't mention it," the woman sounded confused. "We asked him, of course, who the photographer would be, but he didn't say anything. That was really weird. And to top it off, we didn't receive any information or work contract with this photographer. Sure, it sounded suspicious, but when we called Min Gyeong, she was so excited that she didn't listen to us and didn't pay attention to the whole situation. She just said yes and immediately told us that she'd be leaving for Seoul. Once she agreed, the Seoul agency bought her bus ticket."

I thought about all this. The Daegu agency seemed to not agree with Min Gyeong going to Seoul, and they were aware that there was no contract or clear information about where Min Gyeong would work and with whom. Least of all, the salary she'd accept once the job is done. "And now, so far you only know that Min Gyeong is in Seoul?"

"Yes, Miss," the woman replied, almost automatically as if she was a robot programmed to answer in a monotone voice. "Which part of Seoul, though, we're not sure yet, I'm afraid." She paused. "This morning, however, there was another peculiar thing that happened."

"What is it?"

"We tried calling the agent, but the number couldn't be reached. The whole situation right now is really confusing, because the photographer's agent had promised us to send more information about the work this morning, but there was nothing. We start to suspect there's something wrong, but right now we're really busy and we don't have time just to sit and wait for a phone call."

I asked for the Seoul agent's phone number, and she quickly gave it. After that, there was nothing more I could say. The agency was as clueless as I was. I thanked her and ended the call. My mind was a bundle of mess, and I needed to fill my stomach first. I decided to call Min Gi later before going to work. Before I left Min Gyeong's apartment, I had a hunch that her notes could be useful, so I took all her diaries and shoved them into my shoulder bag, then went to the nearest restaurant.