I'm with you

I could taste the whiskey lingering in his mouth. It was bitter and repulsing. I felt his hand move to tangle themselves in my hair and at the same time pulling me closer. His other hand moved to hold my chin up. He bit my lower lip gently in an attempt to pry in. My stomach began to churn. T-this should be enough right?

I opened my eyes my hands shoving at his chest automatically. I stood up. He looked up at me with searching eyes. I couldn't help but scoff. Did he think I... I possibly enjoyed that??

I furiously rub my lips declaring my thoughts to him. "F*ucking stay away from me you perverted psycho." I turned walking out of the clubhouse not stopping to glance at the still stunned Minhwan. A sharp gust of wind hit me directly as I came out. I shuddered involuntarily. Not because of the wind but because of the path I was about to tread on. I was going to go against my principles. I was going to date Minhwan. I wrapped my cold hands around my body walking towards the main road. Would she have been proud with my decision? Would she see it my attempt of getting her justice? Would she have wanted this? My hand found my lips. No, do I want this? Would I be able to pull this off? I-

The loud blaring of horns brought me to the realisation that I was in the middle of the road. I hastily took a step back. As I did, I suddenly noticed that my legs felt like jelly beneath me. They seemed incapable of holding me up. The drivers were mindless to my predicament. They kept blaring their horns and continued shouting. My eyes shrank in their sockets. Condemnation. Was I ready to face that? The reason I lived mindless and ignorant of the world was because she was there with me. Now that she wasn't.... I-I was helpless.

"Do you thinking you're acting a f*ucking kdrama series?!"

" Get off the road!!"

I felt a soft fabric cover my vision. A pair of hands gripping me by the shoulders. " I'm with you." His voice was gentle yet I could sense the imposing aura in it. My legs seemed to have found strength as they began to move. The indistinct sound of cars made me guess we were far from the main road. I still couldn't see who had their hands around my shoulder. We had been walking for a while. Was I being kidnapped? I banished the thought. No if I was I would've been knocked out or something... Just like it happened in the movies I watched with her.

"Sit here." His voice brought an halt to my wandering thoughts. There was something about that voice. My body automatically obeyed it and it was unsettling. "D-do you know me?" I asked sitting down. His hands left my shoulder. I was feeling cold again. "I knew your sister." Came his curt relpy.

I tensed up. How did he know my sister? What did he want with me? Why was he approaching me now? Questions were seated at the tip of my mouth waiting to slip out as soon as I opened them. He seemed to have notice my nervousness as he spoke up again. "This isn't the time for those questions of yours to be answered."

I squared my shoulders." Are you friend or foe? " I asked. He went silent. I could feel he was staring at me. His silence and stare was putting me on the edge. "I can't promise you that I am either." He said rigidly.

He wasn't for the cause neither was he against it. Then why were we having this conversation? He couldn't be an actual kidnapper right?

I raise my hand to remove the fabric covering my eyes but he was quick. "Now that would be a quick one wouldn't it?" He asks holding my hand.

My lashes trembled softly. A quick one?!! How did he know that?

"Why are you doing this?" I ask almost whispering. He lets go of my hand. I was expecting him to say something cliche like ' just for fun ' or ' for your sister ' I hear him sigh.

"I have always thought that nobody cared. She changed my perspective. Besides I wasn't able to attend her funeral so consider this my last respects."

What last respects?? I heard him shuffle to his feet. "Y-you're leaving?" I scurried to my feet also. I sounded so stupid I cursed under my breath. "Do you have anything more to say?" He asks.

"By chance, have we met before?" I heard him chuckle softly. I had to admit it was quite pleasant to hear. "I wouldn't be surprised if you don't remember. You were high that day." He replies.

So we've met. I just couldn't remember. My lips pursed into a thin line. I cautiously raised my hand pulling the fabric off my face. He was gone and I was infront of... My house. Shock was boldly written on my face. How did he know where I lived? Did she tell him? My head spun with questions. A shiver ran down my spine as I cautiously stepped into my house.

With panicked steps, I ran up the steps and into my room. I shut the door behind me leaning against it. I dropped to the floor. My hands wrapped tightly around me. It was really chilly. I remembered his words. ' I can't promise you that I am either. ' I swallowed hard. If he was against me then there was nothing I could do. He wasn't going to stop me from finding the truth behind my sister's death. Nothing was going to stop me. Feeling better, I rose taking off my jacket. As I did, I heard a gentle crumple from the pockets of my jacket. I paused reaching to take a look at what was in it. I didn't remember putting anything in there.

I take out a slightly crumpled white envelope. I open the envelope wondering how it got in there. In the envelope was a photograph. My eyes widened as I stare in horror at the picture in my hands. S-she was around my age—probably. Her face had been battered. Her eyes were barely open and swollen from crying I guessed. Her cheeks were purple and swollen. Her neck had marks all over it. Who was monstrous to do this?? I wondered. Then I noticed it. The blue uniform she was wearing. My hand clasped over my mouth suppressing the scream working it's way to my throat. S-she was a student of my school.

Staring at her reminded me of Yonna. Why?? I was feeling light-headed. Why give me this? My mind did an automatic flashback.

Consider this my last respects.

Was this what he meant by that? My throat tightened. It was too cold for me to breathe. The photograph in my trembling hands dropped on the floor as I ran to the toilet Retching immediately.

~~

Standing in the alley outside Yuri's house stood a figure gazing up at the light in a room. Yuri's room. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He picked up the call. "Yes boss, she should've gotten the message by now. I'll wait for further instructions." The receiver said something and he nodded slightly. "I'll relay your message to them. I'll make sure they have the list ready." The call ended.

The figure stared at his phone with an unreadable expression on his face. He returned his gaze to Yuri's room. "We can't have a quick one." He turned disappearing into the shadows like he was never there in the first place.