Chapter 187 - THE OPPA (in Capital Letters) is in the House

Pearl was sold out tonight, when Ye Rim started the first song. 

The soft noise of the conversation was interrupted by applause and the light turned to the singer on stage, dramatically looking up when the curtains opened.

Ye Rim recognized several dear faces in the audience, and of course, Jun Hyeon was close to the stage with his grandfather and Mr. Go's friends. The irony was that they were the quartet he spotted at the cemetery when Ye Rim and him met for the first time. There were no free tables tonight.

She was at the end of the first song when someone entering the room made her heart skip a beat.

Ji Jae Wook.

What was he doing there, after a year without seeing each other?

The policeman was in plain clothes, more handsome than ever, and when she noticed him, Jae Wook put his hand on his heart, simulating a fast heartbeat when he saw her. This brought out a smile from Ye Rim.

She immediately felt Jun Hyeon's withering look on her. It was impossible not to feel flattered that two such special men had their roles in her life.

But if she needed some test to find out if she loved Jun Hyeon, he had just walked through Pearl's door.

Ji Wook, the singer discovered, was in the past. When Ye Rim saw him, she felt fondness, affection and respect because he was an admirable person. But she didn't felt butterflies in her stomach or any other silly thing.

Her heart was that of the strange, s.e.xy and adorably annoying Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon.

'Jun Hyeon, I love you,' Ye Rim admitted to herself, as real deal, for the first time.

At the break, Ye Rim went backstage, and Jae Wook was there. 

"OPPA!" she beamed her best smile,  and he, as always, smiled tightly, putting his hands in his overcoat pockets.

"What a diva! I saw outside that this is your last show here," he commented. His eyes showed curiosity and warmthness, but she couldn't read anything else. The singer was a little confused. What is the reason Ji Jae Wook came, after all?

"You look great, too. So you didn't come for the show?" Ye Rim asked.

He scratched his head, embarrassed, "Well, unfortunately I'm working tonight, Ye Rim ..."

"I see that nothing has changed," she winked, this time without really being hurt by it. Jae Wook was a dedicated and workaholic policeman. "But why do you need to talk to me?" out of the corner of her eye she watched Jun Hyeon discreetly coming backstage. She didn't know if she found it amusing or worried.

ºº

Dr. Kim made room to get backstage, where he had seen the tall man go. When Ye Rim smiled, seeming to recognize someone, as he sang, he couldn't resist the urge to turn his head and look at the entrance. The ridiculously tall, photogenic man had his hand over his heart, flirting with Ye Rim!

'Let me guess if this isn't the stupid Mr. Perfect, the' OPPA 'in capital letters!' he narrowed his eyes, feeling the unmistakable sting of jealousy in his chest, and the annoying pain in his temple caused by spite.

So the 'perfect man from the past', who should have remained dead and buried there, had become a zombie that threatened his yard! Impossible! What happened?! Why is it so hard? Did I sell the country in my past life? How do you, 'he said to the Gods of Fate,' dare to dig up this… damn 'OPPA?!'

He reached the door of Ye Rim's dressing room, and the couple was talking. If Jun Hyeon could scoff at any possible suitor to Ye Rim, he had to admit that they made a good sight together.

Taking a deep breath and straightening up, Jun Hyeon approached casually,

"Ye Rim?"

"Jae Wook, this is Dr. Kim Jun Hyeon. He was with me the moment we found the body. In fact, he was the one who pulled her out of the water, "she said, turning to him next. "Detective Ji Jae Wook is my personal friend, but also who is investigating Hani's death."

So that was it? Was he there because of that? His posture relaxed slightly as he greeted the other man. But he was aware of being examined from head to toe by the Detective. It was impossible not to feel a rush of exacerbated rivalry around Ji Jae Wook. 

"Yes, Dr. Kim. I'm glad you're here. I would like some clarification about the statement you gave that day, but at the same time I didn't want to return you to the police station. I was thinking of visiting you this week at your office."

"As you'd wish," he said, for the first time happy to hear that. At least Officer Ji wouldn't be alone with Ye Rim. He wouldn't even need to go back to see her.

"So…" Officer Ji scratched the back of his neck, "You were the first to arrive and also said you found Hani's cell phone. And that he played a song on repeat."

Jun Hyeon turned to Ye Rim for a moment, and they both confirmed,

"Yes. Indeed. It was the song that really caught our attention. And it was definitely on repeat," Ye Rim said.

"Do you know what the song was? It can be important."

"Why could a song be important as a clue?" he was curious to know, but perhaps his tone had sounded a little hostile. But Officer Ji explained,

"Dr. Kim, is that we have found no music apps or files installed on the phone. Just relaxation podcast files. Which is actually quite strange for a singer. So our search could be faster if you guys might remember ..."

"I heard that song later," said Jun Hyeon, while Ye Rim just crossed her arms as if she felt a sudden chill. "I actually heard that song in sad moments later. It's 'Deep Dive', which Hani recorded."

"Yes, it was the song we heard in the park, wasn't it?" Ye Rim asked, and he nodded. It was a macabre coincidence that Lee Dae Won's composition was linked to bad events.

"Did anything I should know happen in the park?" asked the policeman, but Ye Rim shook her head. "The song we heard on Hani's cell phone was the original version of the song. I heard that she was working on an alternative version, for a film ..."

"Yes. She had spent several hours in the studio that day. But as I said, there was no music file on your phone. Not even her songs."

"Didn't anyone send messages?"

The police officer shook his head, and asked questions confirming their previous statements. Jun Hyeon realized that Shin Hye Seong was around with Eun Ha, but they didn't interrupt them. 

However, Ye Rim was called by one of the musicians, and said goodbye, "Sorry! I need to get back on stage! If you need me, you know how to find me!" she smiled at her ex-fiance, and Jun Hyeon scratched his head, uncomfortable. But this time, it wasn't just jealousy. 

Thinking about that song left him with a strange feeling of having missed something important.

ººº

"Did you bring me here just to see Dr. Kim's rival?"

"Yes!" whispered Eun Ha. "He is a special person. He's OPPA!"

"Hm… I can see that he is a special person. But are you meddling in Ye Rim's love life again?" he whispered, a little annoyed. Eun Ha was silent for a moment to listen to the trio's conversation. 

And when it came to music, the two fairies paid attention to the conversation. Looking at each other for a moment, until Ye Rim left the two men, both seemed attuned to the same thought. Shin pulled Eun Ha into Ye Rim's tiny ex-dressing room, and didn't even turn on the lights, whispering,

"You sure heard what Ye Rim said. The mysterious music was the same one that played in the park that night. Do you remember?"

"How could I forget?!""Eun Ha's eyes widened. "I thought it was strange that the music suddenly started playing over the speakers. But at that moment, I was so stunned! "

"As for that ... Just as there are cursed paintings etc, there are 'cursed' songs," explained the Hunter. "This comes in line with a series of strange events happening in the city. I still hadn't been able to understand how they were connected, but… I hadn't thought of a 'cursed song' until tonight."

Eun Ha listened attentively, gaping.

He finished, rising from the uncomfortable bench he was sitting on, in the tiny environment, "I'm going to go home. I need to take a look at the library to make sure of something. You stay?"

"Oh, well ..." Eun Ha looked at the door, and made her decision, "I think Ye Rim will understand that it's for a good cause."

ººº

"Well, it was just that. Dr. Kim. I hope I can count on your cooperation in the future, if necessary," said the other man. "By the way, what happened in front of your mother's house? Have the investigations continued? I was at the police station when the complaint was made."

Jun Hyeon felt a tightness in his chest, and reflexively asked,

"So what did you think when you saw the victim? Did he look suspicious?"

"Hmmm, certainly not. We asked for a detailed search at the time, but I honestly couldn't follow up on the case..."

In a rush, although he reproached himself for that, Jun Hyeon told of his suspicions. Suspicions that her sister was alive and trying to get home. The investigator listened to everything seriously and carefully, holding his breath in clear tension.

"All of this is very suspicious and I feel like we've been duped all this time! This person can tell me if it was my sister or not. But my lawyer said he went to the address the deliveryman's mother gave, and no one knows him there! I'm desperate. But…" in the end, Jun Hyeon kept his most horrifying suspicion to himself. He was not a man capable of accusing someone of something so serious without proof.

Ji Jae Wook studied his face before completing, intrigued, "I actually have the impression that I saw the delivery guy in the audience today. You know he's Eun ha's friend, don't you? Let's talk to them right now," the policeman proved to be a man of direct actions in speaking.

Ji Jae Wook strode from the backstage of Pearl towards the hall, and Jun Hyeon followed.