Coffee and Letters Ep. 33 - (A MiChaeng FF Story)

**Bam has no other choice but to go with the two officers who restrained him from driving on the trail. He’s still thinking deliberately what mistakes he had done for them to find out his every action. It’s impossible. He keeps on telling himself while on their way to the police station. It’s impossible. He repeated.**

**Indeed, it’s impossible because he scanned the area for several days and many times. Checking if there are CCTVs or patrolling officers in the area, but he didn’t see one. He dug into his mind once more. Did I miss something? He thought. Nothing is out of ordinary. Maybe… maybe because he rushed everything. His initial plan is not to bump into her in town, but since he’s too furious with how Mina introduced her to him, it pushed him to decide impulsively.**

Bam: This is impossible.

**He didn’t notice that he said it a little louder, instead of just keeping it to himself. And the two officers in front of him heard his every word.**

**The one who’s holding the steering wheel chuckled, while the one on the passenger seat turned to him before he spoke.**

Officer 2: You think we won’t be able to trace you, don’t you?

**Bam didn’t answer, instead, he continued to stare outside as if he didn’t hear someone spoke.**

Officer 1: You’re just unfortunate kid that the detectives working on the case are Detective Manoban and Detective Park. They’re the best in the station. I’m telling you they’ll pin you down no matter what.

**That’s the only time they catch Bam’s attention when they said they’ll pin him down. So, this is the reason they caught me. Because these detectives are too keen on his every action.**

**He still believes he didn’t do something wrong. That his plan worked out right, and this situation is making him more furious.**

*****

**Detective Manoban instructed everyone to follow them inside the forest. She even called for an ambulance, so they’re ready in case Chaeng isn’t in a great condition. Being captive for several hours might have drained all her energy. No food, no rest, no light, and count the emotional abuse she might have gotten from her captor. And thinking about these makes Detective Manoban and Detective Park impatient. They need to hurry. They need to speed up. But the trail is forbidding them to do so. It’s too bumpy and dark. Yet, they need to keep going.**

**It took them almost half an hour until they see the silhouette of the cabin.**

Detective Park: Finally!

**He pulled at the foot of the stares, and other officers stopped behind them. Both of the detectives jumped from their car and pulled their gun from their holster, anticipating for an attack, but nothing came. So, they proceeded at entering the perimeter, still holding their guns and flashlights in their hands. Detective Park nodded to Detective Manoban before he turned the knob. It’s locked, and they don’t have a choice but to break it with force.**

**Then two officers climbed the porch carrying a door ram and banged it twice. It swung open in just a few seconds, greeting them with darkness. But inside the darkness is a silhouette of a petite lady sitting directly in front of the door, trembling. The banging from the door filled her with horror, and the lights coming from the flashlights in their hands were blinding her. Is this… is this the rescue that she needs? Or another group of people who will bring misfortune to her? That’s the question that instantly popped up in her head. But it looks like the first, a rescue, ‘cause she saw a small word written on their right chest, “POLICE”.**

**She burst into tears, both in happiness and relief that finally… finally rescue came.**

**Detective Manoban ran towards Chaeng to caress her and to assure her that everything is all right now. That she’s finally saved. That they’re here to free her from her psychopath captor.**

Detective Manoban: Hey!

**She said softly while caressing her arm.**

Detective Manoban: We’re here now, and we already got him. Everything is all right now.

**She wants to hug her so she could feel safer. That this isn’t a dream, but a mere reality. But Detective Park is still busy untying her arms and feet. And then the paramedics entered the scene, which made Detective Manoban stood up so they could provide their first aid to her. Her head is still bleeding, and she wonders what happened to her. Maybe this Bam guy hit her with something or even banged her head on the wall. Who knows? She’ll talk to her a little later, when they’re done giving her the first aid she needs.**

**Detective Park stood beside Detective Manoban while other officers secure the area and even digging in for some evidence that they’ll throw to this crazy guy who had done all these things to Ms. Son.**

Detective Park: I’m glad we caught him on time. What if not? Who knows what will happen to her?

**She looks so fragile. He wants to add. But that commentary isn’t necessary since everyone is fragile no matter who they are.**

Detective Manoban: I couldn’t agree less. Good thing he made a slight mistake or else we’re still patrolling the area and losing some hope.

**Detective Park chuckled, couldn’t believe that he’ll hear those words from this stern-looking detective beside him.**

Detective Park: Do you really think that will happen? That we will lose hope and will patrol the area the whole night?

**Detective Manoban hit him on his chest, enough to make him hiss in pain before she followed the paramedics and Ms. Son.**

Detective Manoban: It’s better to call Ms. Myoui than play with you, Jin.

Detective Park: Hey!

**Detective Park ran behind her as she pulls her phone in her side pocket.**

Detective Manoban: Why don’t you start the car while I phone Ms. Myoui? I’ll tell her we have her girlfriend now and that paramedics will bring her to the hospital for proper treatment. Okay, Jin? What do you think?

**Detective Park rolled his eyes before he answered.**

Detective Park: Yes, ma’am!

*****

**Everyone got startled at the sound of Mina’s phone on the table. She’s both excited and nervous at answering it. She knows that there are two things that she’ll hear behind that call. But whatever it is, good or bad, she needs to accept it.**

**She picked up her phone, not knowing if it’s from the detectives who’s working on Chaeyoung’s case or maybe someone else. But it’s most likely not the latter.**

Mina: Uhm… hello?

Detective Manoban: Ms. Myoui? This is Detective Manoban. We… we finally got Ms. Son. We’ll be bringing her to St. Andrew's Hospital.

Mina: Is she… is she alright?

**She’s scared to know the answer to her question. But knowing that the detective mentioned about bringing her to the hospital only means one thing, she’s alive.**

Detective Manoban: She’s fine, Ms. Myoui. She has a wound on the side of her head, but she’s fine now. Our paramedics already gave the first aid, yet still she needs to be checked by doctors, just to make sure that it didn’t have a major effect on her.

Mina: Right. Right, detective. Thank you so much.

Detective Manoban: See at the hospital, Ms. Myoui.

**Then both of them hang up.**

**Mina was trembling, but relieved that finally… finally they had rescued Chaeng and she’s all right. She cried instantly when her call with the detective ended. Those tears are for all the anxiety she felt during the hours of Chaeng’s disappearance.**

Tzuyu: Is… is everything all right?

**It puzzled Tzuyu to see how Mina cried after she put back her phone on the table.**

Tzuyu: Did… did something bad happen to Chaeng?

**She asked again, eager to know the answer, and she couldn’t wait anymore. If only she could redial the detective’s number on Mina’s phone, she will ‘cause seeing Mina cry so hard makes her think that something awful happened.**

Mina: No… nothing bad happened to her. She’s… she’s safe now and already on her way to the hospital.

**But why are you on the verge of breaking down? Tzuyu wants to ask, but then let it pass, instead, since she delivered good news to everyone.**

**Mina’s still crying, but Tzuyu stood up, not waiting for her to gather herself.**

Tzuyu: Why don’t we… why don’t we drive to the hospital? She needs us there now than ever.

**Sana agreed and stood up, too, just like Tzuyu. Mina isn’t done crying yet, but realized that they’re right. This isn’t the right time for her to break down. She should jump on excitement, instead of wasting her time crying in her dining room.**

Mina: Right… I’m sorry.

Tzuyu: It’s fine. I’m sorry, too. I know you need time to gather yourself first. But we can all do that after Chaeng sees us. I just want her to feel that she has people around.

**Mina wiped the tears blurring her eyes and stared at Tzuyu. Chaeng is so blessed to have a best friend like her, and she’s glad to meet her not later, but today. She thought.**

Mina: Right… You’re right.

**Then she turned to Sana, who’s still standing beside Tzuyu.**

Mina: Let’s meet at St. Andrew, okay? 

Tzuyu: Uhm… where is it?

**Tzuyu asked, confused. Why Mina is only giving the instruction to her best friend and excluding her?**

Mina: You’ll be coming with her. It’s better that way than driving our own car.

Tzuyu: Oh… okay.

**Sana is kind of uncomfortable with Mina’s plan. She doesn’t know, but this gorgeous lady beside her is intimidating her. She couldn’t look at her that long, and she feels like she’s shrinking in her seat whenever she talks to her. Now they’ll drive to the hospital together? What’s the deal with that? Can I just go with you, Mina, while Ryujin drive Tzuyu? That thing is better, you know. She wants to protest, but this isn’t the right time for that. So she just nodded in response to her best friend.**

*****

**They transferred Chaeng to a private room as soon as the doctors finished treating her. And it surprised her to see how everyone is giving her an enormous smile. The nurses, the doctors, even those non-medical staffs were all nice to her. Do they know what she’d been through that’s why they’re all giving her a warm smile? She thought. But instead of questioning their kindness, she just simply returned their smiles with a warm one, too.**

**She’s now staring at the ceiling, thinking if Mina knows where she is or even has a slight idea of what had happened to her. I bet she’s worried when I didn’t appear in the hotel to have my dinner. But… is she the one who reported to the police that I’m missing? That maybe someone kidnapped me?**

**Then someone knocked on the door and interrupted her thoughts. It’s the two officers who rescued her. The strict looking tall lady who’s wearing a neat suit, and a guy who she thinks has a sweet smile.**

Detective Manoban: Good evening, Ms. Son. Are you feeling all right now?

**She’s pretty. Chaeng thought. And what makes her even more drawn to her is the smile she’s giving her, even when they’re still in the cabin. She could feel that this lady wanted to embrace her while she’s tied up in that place. She knows it’s weird, but maybe she just wanted her to feel safe or something. But whatever her reason is, she appreciates all of it.**

Chaeng: I’m… I’m feeling better now. So much better.

**Her head still hurts from the trauma it got when Bam hit her. But she no longer thinks about that. She’s too ecstatic now that finally, finally she’s free from being scared and that she’s no longer at the edge of not see the sunrise again.**

Chaeng: Uhm… can you do me a favor officer?

Detective Manoban: Anything.

**She ended her answer with another warm smile, which instantly made Chaeng blush. Why is she like this to me? Is she… is she flirting? Gosh, Chaeng! You were just saved from a life and death situation and here you are, thinking that someone is flirting with you?**

Chaeng: Hmm… I’m not sure if my…

**She hesitated. She actually doesn’t know what she should call her relationship with Mina. Are they girlfriends now? Is it okay now to call her as her girlfriend or what?**

Chaeng: I mean… if the owner of the hotel knows that I’m here?

Detective Manoban: You mean, Ms. Myoui? Yes, Ms. Son, we already contacted her and I’m sure she’ll be knocking on your door any minute. She’s so worried about you. She… she’s actually the one who convinced us that something bad happened to you. That’s why we’re here.

**She knew that something bad happened to me? She couldn’t believe how Mina reacted with her disappearance. If she didn’t report me, maybe… maybe I’m still there, shivering in front of that monster. She thought.**

Detective Manoban: By the way, Ms. Son. We’re just here to check if everything is all right with you now. Maybe we’ll come back again tomorrow to ask you a few questions about what really happened to you earlier.

Chaeng: Thank you, again, officers. I’ll be glad to answer all your questions tomorrow. I’m sure I’m much better by then.

***TO BE CONTINUED***

Episode 32       Episode 34