"Yeonica, your dad and I have to go somewhere today. Will you be okay here?"
"Yes. But where will you go?" Yeonica asked her mom. She's currently fixing her hair in front of the mirror, wearing her school uniform.
"It's far away from here. It's for work," her mom answered, busy putting her essential things inside her bag while also packing Yeonica's lunch.
Yeonica tied her ribbon and wore her ID. Her dad just came out of the bedroom and was done preparing.
"Yeonica, we'll not be here for long today. Text us if there's an emergency or if you need anything," her dad reminded her. Yeonica smiled, nodding.
"Let's go, honey. Yeonica, eat your lunch! We love you." Yeonica's mom kissed her cheeks, as well as her dad. They both waved her goodbye with smiles written on their faces.
Not too long after, Yeonica got the keys and her bag, ready to go to school.
"Aish! It's already 7. I need to go home!" Yeonica told her friend. Her mom and dad were not aware that she'd go to her friend's house.
"Just stay a little longer! You said your parents aren't home?"
"They're probably at home already! Gosh, I'm screwed."
"Okay, then. Take care! Text me if you get scolded. Wish you luck!"
Yeonica rolled her eyes. "Stop teasing me! Don't forget that my mom knows you."
Yeonica was already near their house. "I'm doomed. How could I not notice the time?" she whispered to herself, thinking her parents would surely scold her. She silently wished they weren't home yet.
Yeonica could see from a distance that there were two people in front of their house, knocking at the door. She squinted her eyes in nervousness. "Wow, I'm really screwed," she told herself, thinking that it's her mom and dad.
But they're not.
Yeonica's walk became slow as she saw two unfamiliar figures standing in front of their house.
"Excuse me, who are you?"
Two guys turned around. They were police officers.
"I'm sorry, is this Eunice's and Vester Harmie's house?" one of them asked. Yeonica nodded, confused.
"How did you know them, sir? I'm their daughter," Yeonica told them.
The police officers looked at each other. Their eyes were hesitant and worried.
"I'm sorry, miss. But Eunice and Vester Harmie... they got into a car accident while going home."
Yeonica's ears rang as she heard them. "W-what? Where's the hospital? I-I will go to them."
The officers sighed, uncomfortable. "I'm really sorry, kid. They're gone."
"Urgh..."
Feeling different aches all over her body, Yeonica moaned in pain as she tried to move. She's a little surprised that after being hit in the head that strong, she still managed to wake up. Her arms and feet are tied, and her mouth is taped. She can't talk. All she could do was make a little noise, which no one would hear.
She tried calming herself down. She opened her eyes. She's in a confined room. Maybe inside the building's storage room. There were so many materials inside. Papers, books, folders, and even boxes of chalk can be seen.
Her head felt heavy; she's dizzy and not feeling well. After being hit in the head, it's expected.
She can't move her hands and feet; they feel numb. Only her gasps can be heard inside. Although she can hear the footsteps and noises of the students outside, she can't ask for help. Rolling on the floor to the door came to mind, but her whole body aches so much that a single attempt to move is hurting her. She definitely needs assistance.
The familiar figure of the woman who hit her came back to her mind. No matter how hard she thinks about it, she can't really remember her face. She just knows that she knows her.
On the other hand, it registered to her that Edem definitely knows something. Aside from her real identity, she already knows what Yeonica is doing inside the school and her purpose.
Another worst thing is that she doesn't know who the people are who already know the real her. Or even how long her identity was exposed to anyone.
Her eyes watered in extreme frustration. She thought everything was going her way. Her chest tightened as she felt the madness in her system. Just who are these people behind this unforgivable crime?
Just thinking about what Edem said made her heart sting in pain. Zaranaia could still be standing and breathing if she had never come in the first place. She felt the guilt slowly crawling into her body. It was harsh.
*clink sound*
The clinking sounds pulled Yeonica away from being drowned in her deep thoughts. Someone is trying to open the storage room.
She stared at the door, waiting for it to open. She thought the woman who hit her earlier would come back to kill her for real.
One of the keys finally worked; she could hear it. As the door opened, she braced herself for anything that could happen.
Only for her to get surprised.
Zarco?
Yeonica looked at Zarco, completely confused. Her eyes are asking him what he is doing there.
"I know. I can explain, Yeonica. Let me just help you first before anything," Zarco said. He read Yeonica's eyes.
Zarco first removed the tape from Yeonica's mouth. She exhaled deeply, relieved.
"What? What did you call me earlier?" she asked but she never got an answer from him. He just continued what he's doing.
He untied her hands next. Her eyes fixed on him. "Why are you here? Are the classes done?" Yeonica could say nothing.
"Do I look like a student to you?"
Confusion took over Yeonica's system. "Who the fuck is this guy?" she said in her mind.
After untying her, Zarco, or whoever this guy is, helped Yeonica slowly stand up. "Are you okay? You have bruises on your body," he said.
Yeonica nodded. "I passed out after being hit in the head. I guess that moron still hit me afterwards."
Silence dominated them. Yeonica's confused and full of questions eyes are still on him, and his defeated eyes are looking at her, slowly accepting that his real identity is about to be blown.
"Sorry for making you confused," Zarco said, pulling something from his slacks' pocket. An ID.
He showed it to Yeonica, which made her more surprised than she already was.
Zarco sighed. "I'm Zeumro Ignari. I'm the detective assigned to Margareth Yamar's suicide case. I was told to investigate further about her death as they had suspicions regarding it. That's why I came to this school as Zarco Imiaco."
Yeonica doesn't know how she'll react. All this time, the thought of Zarco, or Zeumro, rather, being an undercover like her never came into her mind.
"But Zarco—Zeumro. How did you know that my real identity is not Yumi Amuelga?" she curiously asked. The fact that her identity is now known by whoever those monsters are makes her really furious. But discovering that Zeumro, whom she called Zarco all this time, is also investigating the same thing makes her feel less lonely in this case.
"Remember when I gave your wallet back to you before?" Zarco asked, pulling another thing from his pocket. It's still an ID, but it's Yeonica's.
"I looked inside to know if the wallet really belonged to you. I've found this."
Yeonica reached the ID; it was her work ID, with her name "Yeonica Harmie" written on it. She couldn't believe that he knew the real her for that long.
Zeumro looked at his watch. "Let's go now, before any guards pass by here. We look suspicious just by being inside here," he said, and he assisted Yeonica, who currently has difficulty moving freely.
"Know that I don't trust you yet. Just because you saved me doesn't mean we're allies now. You might be a bait thrown by those people I don't know yet," Yeonica said. She can't let her guard down.
"I don't mind. Do whatever you want. I'm just doing my job," Zeumro said.