Chapter 6

The Red Notebook — Episode 6: (The Hidden Reason)

Yuri lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Her parents were back, but something had changed. They were acting normal. Too normal.

She quietly pulled the red notebook from under her mattress. The pages about Mrs. Han were still bothering her.

She turned back to the earliest entries. Most were only short notes.

Names. Dates. Places.

Then she found something from seven years ago.

August 16.

Underneath it was a sentence:

“We couldn't prove anything.”

Yuri turned the page.

Another line:

“Mrs. Han still says she had nothing to do with it.”

Yuri stopped.

So her parents had been investigating Mrs. Han for years. But they hadn't been sure she was guilty.

She kept reading.

“Every time we get close, something goes wrong.”

That was all.

No explanation. No answer.

Yuri closed the notebook for a moment. She remembered what her parents had told her before coming to Seoul.

Winter holidays.

That was supposed to be the whole reason for the trip.

Yuri started thinking that maybe her parents hadn't brought her to Seoul just for a trip. Maybe there was another reason. She had also noticed that her parents seemed much more relaxed here than they usually were at their own home.

Her phone buzzed.

Unknown Number.

“Did you read the notebook?”

Yuri's eyes narrowed.

She typed:

“How do you know about it?”

The reply came after a few seconds.

“Because I know what happened seven years ago.”

Yuri stared at the message.

She typed:

“Then tell me.”

The answer was short.

“Not yet.”

Another message appeared.

“You aren't ready for the whole story.”

Yuri almost laughed.

“Then why are you messaging me?”

This time, the reply took longer.

“Because someone else knows you have the notebook.”

Yuri's expression changed.

“Who?”

No answer.

Instead:

“That's why I told you not to follow her.”

Yuri froze.

So the person behind the number had been watching what happened outside the hotel.

She looked at the red notebook again.

There was still so much she didn't understand.

Why had her parents investigated Mrs. Han? Why had they stopped? Why had they brought Yuri to Seoul without telling her the real reason?

And who was the person sending these messages?

Yuri opened the notebook once more. Near the bottom of the page, she noticed something she hadn't seen before.

A small number had been written beside Mrs. Han's name.

214.

Yuri looked toward the hotel hallway.

Room 214 was downstairs.

She picked up her phone and looked at the time.

11:47 PM.

She put the notebook inside her bag.

If the number meant something, she was going to find out.

But she wouldn't tell her parents.

Not yet.

Tomorrow, Yuri was going to Room 214.

To be continued..