One Wish

Chapter 3

"Here's my 'secret'." Daniel announced as he led Siyeon out onto the sunny roof of one of the school buildings. In one corner of the roof, there was a large stack of broken and semi-broken chairs.

"What's with the 'secret' bit?" Siyeon asked curiously and inspected the stack of chairs to try and distract her leaping heart.

Daniel pulled out a chair beside her and sat on it. "I like secrets." He smiled sweetly, making Siyeon's heart melt.

"You do?"

"Yeah." He leaned in close to her. "You're my secret, Siyeon."

Her face blushed pink. "I-I am?"

"I like you, Siyeon." He admitted without a trace of embarrassment. "Do you like me?"

Siyeon started out of a few words that didn't link together and then managed to formulate a sensible reply. "I think I do."

"How cute." Daniel grinned and kissed her cheek. "Would you like to date me?"

"Y-yeah?" Her voice almost disappeared as if it was swallowed by her excited heart.

"Brilliant!" He gave her a crushing hug. "Seeing as we're dating, let's start by sharing secrets."

"Secrets?"

"I like secrets. You know that, beautiful. You're my secret, remember?" Daniel said softly.

"I do. But I have so many secrets, I wouldn't know which to tell."

"Pick one out at random."

Siyeon thought for several moments. "I like rock music."

"How come that's a secret? It's not shameful to like rock music."

"I know, but no one understands my taste."

"I'll understand." Daniel linked his fingers with hers. "I need something more juicy to fill me up. Let's just talk generally, not about secrets. Do you have a sister?"

"Yeah, she dropped me off at school this morning."

"Ah, I figured. When she smiled at me, because we made eye contact you see, I should've guessed you two were sisters. What does she do for a living?"

"She's a police officer." As soon as she said this, she could have sworn she saw Daniel's eyes darken in possible anger, but the smile he put on after distracted her mind again.

"Does she catch many bad people?"

"Lots of them! She's really good at her job. She always complains about two officers in her unit, Hyungwon and Wonho. She said they always unnecessarily tease her."

"Oh! I know Hyungwon and Wonho. We have mutual friends. I could tell them to stop annoying her."

"Really?" Siyeon was more than surprised to hear that.

"Hey, I've got a good idea for telling me a secret." Daniel ignored her question. "Your phone password. I'll give you mine too." He took out his phone, prompting Siyeon to do the same.

"It's 070391." 

"Mine's 011001." Siyeon flushed at his passcode. He made her birthdate his passcode? How long had he liked her?

"Hey you wanna come to the edge of the roof? There's something beautiful I want to show you."

"Sure."

They walked slowly to the edge of the roof and Daniel pointed out across the fields behind the school science block.

"Where's the beautiful thing?" Siyeon asked sceptically as she leaned further over the edge to try and look for it. "You're not going to say it's me are--"

Daniel planted a strong hand in the middle of her back and pushed. Siyeon yelped in surprise and pitched forward over the edge of the roof and out of sight.

"That's the beautiful sight." Daniel said with a smile pulled across his lips. He looked over the edge and gave a nod of satisfaction before he pulled eyedrops from his blazer pocket. "Gotta act the part now." 

He dripped the eyedrops in his eyes and blinked several times before he cleared his throat. Then he leaned over the edge again. "Siyeon!" He screamed loudly with a voice full of emotion.

***

"What're we going to be doing with this case? Taking statements, etcetera?" Yoobin asked as they exited the car and she took her notebook out.

"We're taking statements from the victim, bullies and witnesses. We may have to check CCTV too."

"Right." Yoobin slammed the door of the car shut and checked her phone. "Siyeon hasn't texted me back yet."

"Relax, she's probably having a nice time with that boy. And you said it yourself, she's tough enough to defend hersel--"

The familiar blare of a siren cut through their words as an ambulance turned into the car-park and stopped efficiently in the centre without parking properly.

"An ambulance?" Yoohyeon questioned.

Yoobin shrugged with an unconcerned face. "They can do their job, we'll do ours." She checked her phone again before they went to walk into the main school building.

The secretary opened the door for them. Yoobin recognised her, having met with her as Siyeon's legal guardian. "Miss Lee? I'm afraid your sister's had an accident."

"What?" Yoobin blanched.

Yoohyeon looked back at the ambulance. "That's for her?"

"Yes. She appears to have fallen off the roof."

Yoohyeon covered her mouth in shock. "Oh, that's dreadful! What was-- Hey! Yoobin, where're you going?"

Yoobin leapt down the steps and ran down the wide path along the side to search for her sister, knowing that she'd find her by listening out for raised voices. She dashed down another set of steps and turned into another path before she saw, several yards ahead of her, a small crowd of teachers gathered around a red-coloured form.

In an odd release of emotion, Yoobin yelled her name. "Siyeon!" She sprinted for her, whom she caught clear sight of between the legs of the teachers. "Oh God..." Yoobin pushed the indignant teachers aside and crouched beside Siyeon, who's eyes were firmly closed and clothes wet with dark red, seeping blood.

"Who are you?" A teacher asked with a touch of rudeness.

"I'm her sister and a police officer, so don't dare to speak to me in that tone!" She turned back to Siyeon as she heard several running footsteps behind her, indicating the arrival of the ambulance crew. "Siyeon! Can you hear me?"

Yoobin was desperate to see her sister's alive eyes hidden simply behind make-up-covered eyelids, but Siyeon stayed still and silent as if she was already dead, though Yoobin knew she wasn't, through some damned miracle. She looked up at the tall building. There were no open windows, leaving the only place to fall from to be the roof.

What was Siyeon doing on the roof? Daniel--

"Move away, ma'am!" A paramedic called. Yoobin instantly obeyed and got to her feet while she and the teachers watched silently as Siyeon was gently and efficiently transferred to the stretcher, covered with a thick blanket, an oxygen mask fitted and strapped securely.

A single sob escaped Yoobin's mouth that took her by surprise as more followed immediately and she covered her face to stop anyone seeing her cry. With a small start, she realised the paramedics were taking Siyeon away and ran blindly after them, leaving the murmuring teachers and the smeared pool of blood.