A Familiar Voice

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❝I think I'm going crazy.❞

-Haneul

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Haneul

On the morning of my birthday, I woke up not expecting anyone to call or disturb me, at all. My boss had given me the day off to enjoy as I pleased, as well as a voucher to spend at any store I liked.

Mr. Kang Seojin, who is both my colleague and the owner of the café I work at, had somehow seemed to think that I would need the day off today.

In fact, he'd insisted I take a few days off, even though I had made it very clear to him that I was perfectly fine with working on my birthday!

He knew I was saving my leave up for my final exams. And I had a final assignment to complete before that, for the short baking course I've been obsessed over these past few months.

Seojin, however, wasn't having any of it. He handed me the gift card and-quite literally-pushed me out the front doors of the café at the end of my shift, yesterday.

"Twenty-three is a girl's most special birthday in her lifetime Haneul," he hummed in an annoying singsong voice, clasping his hands together and batting his eyes at me.

It's actually her twentieth and twenty first birthdays, but I remained silent on the matter since I could see that he was not having any more of the topic.

Seojin was never rude or mean to me. He genuinely cared. Almost like an older brother, considering he was at least fifteen years older than me. But I didn't see him as an older man.

He looks much younger than he is and treats me like his younger sibling. Which, in hindsight, made sense. Although, he is also quite protective over me.

Another mystery I have given up on.

Of course, I did find his sudden enthusiasm over my birthday odd, I mean, no one makes a big deal about turning twenty three right? But eventually I agreed to fill out the stupid leave form he shoved in my hands, for 'administration purposes' then shoved it back at him, earning a huge grin from him.

The fact that he hovered over my shoulder the entire time, had nothing to do with it. I swear.

His odd behaviour had caught me off guard, but eventually, I gave in. These five days off work would be rather useful to me!

So, I woke up this morning with one simple thought: At least I'll have an entire week all to myself! Maybe I can start that book while I get a dozen cupcakes in the oven and the washing on the line!

I rolled out of bed, still conscious of the fact that I am sweaty and my hair was probably a huge mess from that nightmare. I could feel it plastered to my cheeks!

Striding over to the en suite bathroom-because that's all the luxury my tiny flat offered-I proceeded with my daily routine.

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Usually, I don't like how busy the café gets towards the end of the day. Especially whenever there were birthdays held on the premises.

My boss, Seojin, often hired out the booths at the back of the café to people who wanted to celebrate something special at Café de Bleu.

"It's great for business, Haneul!" he would often say to me in that irritating sing-song voice of his whenever he had a point.

He knew I bristled at the thought of him being right when all I wanted to do was simmer in my own misery. It was a big part of our weird cat and mouse relationship.

It didn't help that his wife, Sol, also found it funny! You'd think she'd cut me some slack!

But that didn't seem to change my mind. People always seemed to expect things: gifts, wishes, free cakes or coffees. It just isn't my ideal atmosphere.

Because birthdays, after all, are my least favourite time of the year.

However, since my boss was kind enough to give me a complimentary birthday voucher-which I had initially declined-nothing had stopped me from rushing off to my favourite bookstore, after work.

There I spent the voucher on a copy of a classic novel by Jules Verne. It's a book I was looking forward to reading and now that I finally have the free time to, I planned to spend the rest of my birthday doing just that!

So, you can imagine my irritation when my cell phone rang in the distance as I washed my breakfast dishes this morning. I found myself cringing at the thought of who it could be. I contemplated ignoring the call and having another slice of chocolate cake instead.

Dismissing the thought altogether, I rushed over to my bedroom, where the infernal device blared the ridiculous tune my cousin had set as my ringtone.

She thought I needed cheering up.

I didn't think so. But my lips cracked into a small smile anyway, at the thought of her.

Hastily drying my hands on my jeans, I picked up the screaming device and answered the unwanted call.

The call was from the last person I expected to call me today. I found myself stopping in my tracks and smiling to myself instead, then took a seat on my bed as I answered the phone.

No sooner did I press the answer button, did a deep, booming, male voice immediately greet me in his usual friendly tone.

"Haneul!"

"Hello?" I answered in return, waiting for him to say something.

It had been a while since I had spoken to him.

"Happy Birthday, my dear!" the man sang to me in an off-key tune.

"Thank you, Mr. Park. You didn't have to wish me," I said in a measured tone.

"Nonsense, Haneul! You're my daughter, even if not by blood so there's no need for such formalities with me. Okay?"

"Okay, Appa," I sighed resignedly into the receiver.

I called him dad even though he isn't actually my biological parent. He's actually just an old family friend.

"That's better! So, are you busy today? Do you have any special plans?" I could hear him smile at me as he asked his usual round of questions.

But I could also hear the worry in his tone. He's worried I'd be spending my birthday all alone. I know this because he always checks on me. Sometimes, he stops by to visit me. Or my cousin and her husband stopped by for supper.

"No, Appa. I just cleaned up the kitchen after eating breakfast and was about to start this novel I bought yesterday. Is there something wrong?" I asked him, already feeling anxious.

"Are you sick? Do you need me to get you medication?" I glanced at my screen to check the time.

"No, no. I'm fine Haneul!" he chuckled softly into the receiver. "I actually had something- errr..."

I heard a gravelling voice speak to my uncle in the background, probably one of his colleagues.

"Yes, that's what I wanted to say, thank you Mr. Min."

So, this Min person was butting into our conversation?

How rude!

But somewhere beneath my bubbling frustration at this intruder, my heart sank. I already had an idea about where Appa was headed with this conversation. I just hope I am wrong!

"Haneul?"

"Still here Appa," I murmured.

"Sorry about that my dear, a colleague of mine needed something urgently. Would you be able to come to my office in about an hour's time? Let's say ten o' clock?"

"But Appa, I have-stuff to do," I grumbled.

"I understand, but, my dear, this is an urgent legal matter regarding your grandmother."

He did mention stuff like this to me before. But I didn't want to deal with this right now! I wish I could forget about that altogether!

I silently huffed out, irritated by the sudden change of plans. However, I had decided that it's better to not argue over something so silly on my birthday, even though I had made it very clear to Mr. Park that I wouldn't be calling him Appa or visiting him as much anymore.

I'm now old enough to survive on my own and I already felt so indebted to him for taking care of me after-

Not now Haneul, I chided myself. Don't think about that.

Mr. Park didn't have to worry about protecting me from whatever it was he said he was protecting me from. I am twenty-three now. I can survive it on my own.

I will survive!

You see, I don't remember some of my past. It seems a little foggy, but Mr. Pa- I mean, Appa, is convinced that there is something dangerous lurking around that's out to get me the minute I set foot out my door.

It's bad enough that I didn't have any friends and my family-with the exception of Sol, were all dead. I didn't want to impose on him much longer. Sol and her husband have done enough for me as it is.

Yet, Mr. Park didn't mind. He never had any children of his own. Though, he's always cared for me as his own. Regardless of this, it still felt awkward to linger around someone I'm not actually related to.

Occasionally, over the last year or so, I'd still called him Appa to make him happy, especially on his birthday and other family holidays-for old times' sake. After all, I did spend five years under his care.

But off late, I began to feel a little anxious. And calling him Dad made me even more anxious. It reminded me of my own father-and my mother.

"Yes," I replied, "see you at ten o' clock, appa."

"See you then, Haneul," he said, but it wasn't Appa.

This voice sounded different, almost like it was a different person. It sounded a lot like the voice from before. The gravelling one that interrupted him just now.

He's up to something.

I'm not sure what it is. I just hope it's not about that topic.

I already said no!

A heavy sigh escapes me as I place the cellphone back on my side table.

Let's just see what he's got to say. I can always refuse it later.

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