Chapter 26: Invitations

In Mrs. Jack's office, she and Chin were sipping coffee. After some casual inquiries about Chin's well-being, Mrs. Jack turned her attention to a more sensitive topic – Chin's mother's diary.

Chin's voice quivered with grief as she replied, "Mrs. Jack, I can't bring myself to read it anymore. Every time I open that diary, I see my mother's hopes and dreams. After each entry, I wish I could go back in time and tell her it was all futile, not to write it. Then I imagine if time travel were possible, I'd save her. I'd never let her return to England, never let her trust Mr. Kate, and countless other 'what ifs.'"

Mrs. Jack, after a brief pause, asked, "Chin, can you hand over that diary to me?"

Chin reached into her bag, pulled out a mustard-colored diary, and handed it to Mrs. Jack. "Here it is. Please let me know if there was any message for me."

Mrs. Jack held the diary with a hint of emotion in her eyes. She advised, "Chin, I don't usually say this to my patients, but I think you need rest. Your soul, body, everything is weary. Run away from everything. Fly the way you've always wanted to. Stop thinking about anything."

Chin continued gazing at the diary she'd given to Mrs. Jack, her eyes distant. "I believe the day Taewoo accepts me for who I am and I get my mother's revenge, I'll be free. After enduring so much suffering, that's all I want now."

Mrs. Jack persisted, making eye contact with Chin. "What if Taewoo turns out to be a traitor too? What if he betrays you, like the others? What's your plan then?"

Chin pressed her thumbs together, as if to hide her pain. "Some things are risky, but they're worth trying. Before he entered my life, my sole purpose was to find that person. Now, my only purpose is to protect him at any cost, to conceal my reality from him, to make him love me, or at least like me. I don't think about what I'll do if he betrays me like the others. I believe I won't be there at that time. I'll be with my mom."

Mrs. Jack discreetly placed the diary in her desk drawer as Chin handed her an envelope. "What's this, Chin?"

Chin smiled slightly. "Not Alex, but the person who pretended to be Alex gave me this. He claimed it contained information related to the Devil. But it was all fake. When you visit the memorial center, return it to him."

Taewoo and Hazel, meanwhile, were seeking more information related to the envelope. Miss Aimin's voice came through, demanding good news about the map.

Taewoo confidently stated, "Four weeks, and the map will be with you."

Miss Aimin, not entirely convinced, warned, "I trust you. If you say four weeks, I expect the map in four weeks. Otherwise, you and your team will return."

Hazel, with a smirk, reminded her, "You said the same thing last time."

Taewoo interjected, "She knows no one can do a better job than us."

Miss Aimin's office had an air of intrigue. As Hazel excused herself, Miss Aimin leaned toward her laptop and addressed Taewoo with an interrogative tone, "Nowadays, you're spending time with a girl. We obtained her data, and she seems related to the map. Can you explain why you're with her?"

Taewoo replied confidently, "If she's connected to the map, then, of course, my interest lies in the map. That's why I'm with her."

Miss Aimin pressed further, "Are you absolutely certain? Because if there are any other reasons, it could jeopardize everything."

Taewoo didn't waver, maintaining his confidence, "Some things in life are risky, but they are worth taking those risks."

The scene shifted to Chin's apartment, where Mark stood outside with a bouquet of flowers and a note bearing an apology. He knocked on the door, but before he could knock again, Taewoo intervened, stopping Mark's hand. In a stern tone, Taewoo asked, "Can I ask you what you're doing here?"

Mark retorted, "I have the same question."

Taewoo replied, "I asked first, Mr. Mark. What brings you here?"

Chin, witnessing their exchange, opened the door and invited them in. They took seats in her living room, with Chin in a chair perpendicular to the sofas. Chin looked at Mark and asked, "Why did you come here?"

Mark, glancing at Taewoo, remarked, "You didn't ask the detective. It seems like he visits you often."

Taewoo interjected, "It's none of your business. Just tell us what she's asking."

Mark turned his attention back to Chin and explained, "I came here to apologize to you for that day. I think I was too harsh."

Taewoo, smirking, pointed out, "You nearly tried to kill someone, and now you're apologizing. That's hardly the behavior of a gentleman."

Mark placed the bouquet on the table and gestured toward Taewoo, saying, "I believe that person is alive, so that's why I can apologize."

Taewoo challenged, "What if the person had died? Would you still be here?"

Mark shifted his gaze from Taewoo to Chin and suggested, "Then, I'm pretty sure that Chin wouldn't be here if something had happened to you that day. Am I right, Miss Chin?"

Chin attempted to change the topic, stating, "I don't want to talk about that incident. If you have something else to discuss, please do so. Otherwise, you're free to leave."

But before Mark could respond, there was a knock at the door. Chin got up to answer it. A delivery person handed her three black envelopes and left. Chin brought the envelopes into the room. Taewoo and Mark examined them, noting the black color. Taewoo took a moment to absorb the situation, then he remarked, "The color suggests it's from the Devil, and the number of envelopes tells us there's one for each of us."

Chin nodded in agreement and handed the envelopes to Taewoo and Mark, who each had one.

Meanwhile, the scene shifted to a house in the forest where a man in a black suit sat on a sofa. He held a cigarette in one hand and a black rose in the other. He pointed the rose toward a girl seated on another sofa in front of him. She smiled at him and remarked, "You've planned a big game this time."

The man replied with a sinister chuckle, "Since the game is getting long, I have to eliminate the players." As he spoke, he began to laugh loudly, and the girl nonchalantly applied black nail polish to her nails.

Back in Chin's apartment, they all began to read the letters they had received. The letters, identical for all of them, stated:

HELL O PLAYERS:

WELCOME TO THE SEMIFINAL ROUND.

I'M HOLDING A PARTY ON FRIDAY NIGHT. IT WILL BE A MASK PARTY.

ANYONE WITHOUT A MASK WILL BE ELIMINATED.

ALL THE PLAYERS, THEIR FRIENDS, AND SOME OF MY FRIENDS WILL BE INVITED TO THE PARTY.

I WILL BE THERE AS WELL.

IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW WELL YOU PLAY.

ONE PERSON WILL DIE AT THE END OF THE PARTY.

NOTE: DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR MASKS.

REGARDS:

DEVIL FROM HELL.