Love Across Universe

Searching For 'You'

Soojin

I left for Mrs. Brown's house before Sooah returned from school. I'd get bombarded with thousands of questions if she caught me coming out from Mrs. Brown's house. Like me, Sooah didn't like her either. She was always suspicious that unnie was dating someone, and to make things worse, her son goes to our school too.

"Oh hello, Miss umm," she thought for a while, yeah she had forgotten my name.

"Soojin, Mrs. Brown. Mrs. Min's younger daughter," I flashed her a fake smile.

"Oh, how do you pronounce it? Sorry, pronouncing Asian names isn't my thing," she gave me a sarcastic laugh. I felt like burning her right then.

"You have to pronounce the S-O-O in my name as S-U. I hoped I wouldn't have to teach you how to pronounce the letters J-I-N together," I replied savagely, and she instantly regretted making her bad joke. "Now if you don't mind, may I come in?"

"Yeah sure. Make yourself comfortable." She led me in.

Now I was seated on her sofa. She didn't offer me anything, and I wasn't expecting anything from her either. I wouldn't have accepted anything from her too. Who knows she might have poisoned it?

The interior of her house was lavishly decorated with cedar ply on her walls, meticulously carved with designs. The carpet laid on her floor was expensive too. Everything was perfectly shining. I wondered how much time she spent on dusting her house. The ceiling was white in color with a small chandelier.

She could give her house for a hotel business.

"If you are done with staring at my interior, may I ask what is the reason for suddenly remembering me?" She gave me a curious look.

"It was 5 o'clock by my watch, last Sunday dawn, and I saw them entering their Ford Fusion. Master Abreo was dressed in a blue tailored suit, Mr. Abreo in a dark brown one, and Mrs. Abreo wore a yellow midi dress. Then they set off towards the West. After that, they didn't return, and I don't know what happened afterward," she said with a serious face.

"Were they carrying anything with them like any big bag or suitcase? How were their expressions or gestures?"

"I guess no. I didn't see any bags in their hands except for Mrs. Abreo's handbag, but yes, I must say that they were in a hurry," she said with her eyes focused on her new nail art.

Yes, she got new nail arts every month. Rich people.

"No more questions Mrs. Brown, and thank you for all the information you have provided and accepting my presence. I'd be forever grateful to you," With that, I left her house.

It was necessary to butter her, or else next time she wouldn't answer my questions. According to, what Mrs. Brown said and Sooah's prediction, I made a theory: They were coming to my party, but just then an emergency may have occurred to their relatives or other family members in France, so they left.

Gosh! Mystery solved.

"Mr. Min and Miss Min, please try to understand the cops are trying their best; you have to be patient," The policeman said viewing the documents.

"But it's been more than eight months now. Where are they?" I said looking straight into his eyes.

Yes, it's been more than eight months, but still, there was no sign of the Abreos. They never returned home. The cops had contacted the airport authorities of both France and the USA but got nothing.

They had sent information about the Abreos to hospitals around and in DC too, but no use.

"Did you try contacting any of their relatives?" Appa questioned.

"We're still trying, and now Mr. and Miss Min, if you excuse us, we can continue our work," the cop said keeping the documents on the table.

It was meaningless to argue with US cops, so we took our leave.

"Soojinah, want to go to Korea for Lunar New Year?" Appa asked me while walking home.

"Appa, how can you ask these things in such situations? I'm tensed, and I don't want to go. You all can go," I said looking up at him.

"See my daughter, the cops are trying, and we too. How long will we search for them? The world is huge, my dear, if they have fled somewhere, changed their identities and all, it's impossible to search for them," Appa said with eyes glued to his phone.

"And why will they do that? They aren't criminals, not Alain at least," I said with welled up eyes but I tried my best to hide it from Appa.

"You never know the people of the underworld dear. They're just like normal people like you and me. They'll not give you a single opportunity to know their real identity. They'll be talking, eating, clubbing and enjoying their lives like normal people but in secret, they'll be doing things that are nearly impossible to think about." Appa said, and I increased my speed.

It was impossible. The Abreos were really good. Alain couldn't hide anything from me. We both were each other's best secret keepers. If his parents did something illegal, I'd have kept it secret. What was his fault?