CHAPTER 2...
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~ SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL ~
"What's going on? Why's the hospital so crowded? I don't think I disclosed the fact that I was staying at this hospital" Mabel said to her brother Kent who was helping her with her basket of fruit as she dragged her leg which had a cast on.
She had a face cap on so she doesn't disclose her identity. She chewed on her apple so clumsily.
"I think something happened!" Kent cut in and quickly pulled out his phone from his pocket.
Mabel dropped the apple she was eating in shock, the moment she saw Rein's manager running into the hospital in tears.
Rein's parents were running behind her as well. They were sobbing heavily.
"Rein!!"
"Re..in..." Mabel stuttered as she lost her balance about to fall when her brother held her.
Mabel looked up at the elevator and she pushed her brother and ran limping to the elevator.
She punched on the elevator button with her shaky hands but then she remembered seeing Rein's manager run down the hallway leading to the morgue.
Mabel Park is also an actress and an acquaintance of Rein. They both cast in the last movie Rein acted, they were both main leads in the movie. They became close friends after the movie ended.
Mabel is a rising star in the Korean acting industry. She's in her mid twenties, the same age as Rein.
"Sis, it's Rein! She's d..." Kent stuttered as he ran to his sister.
Mabel glared at him before he could finish his statement. Tears crowded her eyes already.
The elevator danged open but then she rushed in down to the hallway limping with her broken leg.
"Mabel, pull yourself together. Rein jumped off a rooftop!" Kent blurted in a low tone avoiding eye contact with Mabel.
Mabel's hands became sweaty and shaky. Her heart is almost beating out of her chest in fear.
Her mind went completely blank. She didn't want to think the impossible.
They got to the morgue and they could hear screaming and weeping coming from inside.
Mabel's heart melted as she broke into tears herself.
Some of Rein's relatives were standing outside covering her mouth as they wept.
"Mabel, let's leave here!" Kent cut in holding Mabel's arm.
Mabel turned to her brother, pointing at the morgue.
"Kent, what's Rein's manager doing there? Why did they go in there? Why are they crying? What's going on?" Mabel sobbed holding her chest.
Kent placed his phone in front of Mabel.
"Rein committed suicide! She jumped off a rooftop after ingesting multiple pills... These pills were found in her room!" Kent explained scrolling up to the photos taken from Rein's room.
****
Raphael drove down to the hospital with Simone.
He got out of his car but he couldn't push himself to take a step. Tears kept rolling down his cheeks uncontrollably.
"Raph, let's go see Rein!" Simone sniffed wiping off his tears.
Raphael buried his face on his palms.
"I don't want to go in there! I don't want to confirm anything... I'm better off like this" He uttered in tears.
Simone patted his shoulders.
"Do you think I also want to be here right now? I don't want to be here but I want you to go say goodbye to her! I bet she's waiting for you inside" Simone forced the words out of his mouth.
He bit his lower lips holding himself back from crying any further.
"Her family's here already!" He informed.
Raphael sniffed in his tears, raising his shoulders up confidently.
He was about to take a step when he burst into tears again, Simone joined him this time.
"I could have been there for her! I shouldn't have stayed back at the office! If I had gone to her earlier, Rein would still be with us now..."
"Why didn't I go to her?" Raphael questioned himself as he sobbed.
He began to beat his chest as he cried.
"I had a hand in Rein's death! I'm a terrible person... I couldn't even save her... I'm a horrible boyfriend.. Despicable being..." Raphael cursed himself as he kept on punching himself hard.
Simone held his hand.
"Stop hitting yourself!" He half yelled.
"Let go of me, Simone! I deserve it... I'm despicable. That girl had no one but me, she ran to me when she needed me but I turned my back on her... I'm a horrible person!" Raphael sobbed.
Some reporters sighted Raphael from afar and they came running to him.
Simone saw them coming and he quickly took out a nose mask from his pocket and gave it to Raphael.
"Raph, we have to go in now!" Simone cut in sharply.
Raphael wore the nose mask sluggishly as he sniffled wiping off his tears.
"Mr Raphael, what do you have to say about your girlfriend's death? It has been rumored that you and the nation's fairy, were in a very romantic relationship..."
"Why did Rein jump off the rooftop? Were you guys having relationship issues? Was she going through some mental breakdown?"
The reporters threw all sorts of questions at Raphael but he ignored them as he made his way to the hospital entrance door.
"Mr Raphael, did you have a hand in Rein's death?" A reporter questioned and Raphael stopped walking.
The whole strength left in him, vanished into thin air. It felt like that was a question he just couldn't ignore. At the moment he's filled with guilt and sorrow.
Simone turned to the reporters angrily.
"Would he be here if he had a hand in her death? If you're desperate to get information then wait till after the police investigation!" He blurted and guided Raphael into the hospital.
"Mr Raphael is here... What's his relationship with Rein?" Some people at the hospital gossiped as they saw Raphael.
Raphael looked straight up to the hallway leading to the morgue.
He was about to burst into tears when Simone pressed on his shoulders.
"You have to pull yourself together, Raph! You can't be captured on the camera crying your eyes out" Simone reminded and they walked majestically to the morgue.
Walking up to Mabel and her brother, Raphael turned to her. She was the first one he noticed at the hallway because she was crying her eyes out and he recognized her from the movie she acted with Rein.
He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over to her.
"Take it!" He uttered in his husky tone.
Mabel looked up at him, sniffing hard. She accepted the handkerchief slowly.
"Thank..." She still couldn't complete her statement when Raphael walked away.
He took in a few deep breaths before entering the morgue.
Simone waited outside for him.
~ TOKYO, JAPAN ~
Violet was seated in her sitting room, entertaining herself with a movie on her tablet when the news of Rein's death came up on her TV.
"The passing of an actress in South Korea, Rein Hong is still unknown to everyone. The police are still running some investigations on the cause of her death! And the reason behind her jumping off the rooftop"
The news on the TV sent a shiver down her spine. The cold breeze coming from her balcony gave her heavy goosebumps.
She felt each strand of hair on her body, rising to the shock.
She jumped out of her couch, picking up her phone and placing a call across to Simone.
She knew clearly that Raphael wouldn't be in his right senses to take any call.
Violet Sato is a Japanese Korean, her father is from Japan and her mother is from Korea. She spent most of her holidays in Japan but lived most of her life in Korea.
Violet and Raphael have known each other since childhood, they practically went to the same elementary, junior and senior high school together. They only parted ways during their university days cos Raphael schooled in the states while she schooled here in Japan. She's a model and an actress also.
The call rang a few times before Simone took the call.
"Violet, you called me for the first time in five years,..." Simone uttered forcing a smile on.
Hearing his voice and the wailing of Rein's family members, brought tears before her eyes.
She raised her head up blowing air on her eyes with her hand to stop her from crying.
"Where's Raphael?" She asked still holding her head up.
Simone kept silent for some seconds.
"You've heard..." He said giving up on his jolly attitude.
"Of course, I've heard. Where's Raphael? What's he doing now?" She asked in a low tone as she slowly brought her head down.
"He's crying his eyes out at the morgue!" Simone burst into tears just uttering the word.
Violet shut her eyes as she couldn't hold back her tears anymore.
The tears came rolling down her cheeks like a stream.
"Silly boy... Why's he crying in public? I told him to always look out for his image in public. I told him, I never liked Rein! Why would she jump off a building when she's got such an amazing boyfriend like Raphael?" Violet cried holding her forehead.
Simone sniffed.
"I'll be taking the next available flight to Seoul! Come pick me up at the airport... And look out for Raphael on my behalf" Violet cried hanging up the call.
She threw the phone on the couch and cried even louder.
"Why's he crying so much? Raphael..."
"Raphael, stop crying..." She cried thinking about him.
~ SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL ~
Raphael ran out of the morgue covering his eyes with his palms as he wiped off his tears vigorously.
"Raph, wait up!" Simone ran after him.
They walked to the exit door and the police were waiting for Raphael outside.
"Hello Mr Raphael but we have to take you to the station with us for some questioning. Your number was seen as the last dialed on miss Rein Hong's phone" The officer informed.
Simone opened his eyes in shock. Raphael was way too exhausted to fight back whatever that was coming his way. He willingly walked with the policemen.
"Raph, I'll be behind you!" Simone cut in as the police walked with Raphael to their van.
"Call my lawyer!" Raphael said calmly before getting into the van.
Mabel was right behind them as this whole thing unfolded.
She bit her lower lips sniffing as she cried so much. She had a runny nose all thanks to that.
She turned to her side.
"Kent, can you get me to speak with Rein's manager in private?" She requested still staring at the police van.
~ SEOUL GANGNAM POLICE STATION ~
Raphael was seated in front of the officers for questioning.
"Mr Raphael, did you know miss Hong was going through a mental breakdown? Antidepressant pills were found in her bedroom. We believe she had an overdose which led to hallucination... Were you aware she was on pills?" One of the officers asked and Raphael raised his gaze up.
He looked at the officer with so much confusion written on his face.
"Rein was?" He asked so dumbfounded.
The officers looked at each other and turned back to Raphael.
"Weren't you in a romantic relationship with miss Rein?"
Raphael's gaze fell on his palms which was shaking as he slowly took out her floral sandals from his pocket.
His hearing became blurry, everything being said in that room echoed in his ears.
All he could think of was Rein.
Was she really going through all of that and she never said a word to me?
Was ending her life the best decision she could make? I thought she loved me to depend on me?
Was I not enough for her? Rein?
"Do you think leaving me would make me suffer?" Raphael screamed out of the blue, his eyes turned red in anger.
The officers flinched in shock. They didn't expect him to say that all of a sudden.
"Yes, it will!" Raphael mumbled tightening his grip on the sandal.
"Mr Raphael, what was your last conversation with miss Hong?" The officer asked.
Raphael hit his hand on the table angrily.
"What's the point of all these questions? I couldn't even save her. She asked me to come over but I was too busy to meet up and the next thing I heard was this... Officer do you think I'm in the right state of mind to answer any of these..." He half yelled with tears rolling down his eyes.
Mabel ran into the station, panting heavily.
"Raphael!!"
"Rein was being threatened!" She announced loudly.
Raphael turned in her direction.
"Who's she?" The officers questioned standing up to get a glance.
The moment Raphael made eye contact with Mabel, her whole future came flashing before his eyes as the colour of his eyes turned sky blue for an instant.
He relaxed his brows tiredly.
"Not you too!" He mumbled devastated not realizing the new phase of his life.
How did he manage to see her future? The question suddenly popped up in his head and his eyes widened in shock as he looked at Mabel.