Suspense: "Walk Home"
The evening air was cool, but Ava felt a chill that had nothing to do with the weather.
Her backpack bounced lightly against her side as she walked down the quiet street near campus. The streets were dim, streetlights flickering like tired eyes.
Her thoughts kept drifting to Kira …..to the kiss, to the way her heart had raced, to how safe she felt and how terrified she still was.
Then …..a flash of movement caught her eye. Across the street, near the corner coffee shop, she saw a figure standing perfectly still.
Blonde hair, familiar stance… Helen.
Ava froze.
The girl didn't move, didn't blink ….just watched.
Ava swallowed hard and kept walking, forcing herself not to run.
Her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number:
You're walking alone again. Careful.
Ava's stomach dropped. Her hand trembled as she gripped her bag strap tighter.
Suddenly, she heard hurried footsteps behind her.
Before she could react, a shadow lunged ….. but a hand grabbed her shoulder, steady and warm.
"Kie!" Ava gasped, spinning around to see Kira standing there, eyes sharp and furious. "What were you thinking, walking alone?"
Ava's legs wobbled. "I… I didn't think…"
Kira scanned the street, the corners, every flicker of shadow. Her jaw clenched. "Someone's been watching you. I saw her." She nodded toward the corner …. empty now.
Ava followed her gaze. "Helen?"
Kira's face darkened. "I don't know. But we're not taking chances. Let's get you home."
As they walked together, Ethan appeared from a side street, jogging toward them. "Ava! Are you okay? I got a weird text too…"
Kira shot him a sharp look. "Yeah, we know. Someone's messing with all of us."
Ethan frowned. "Then… we stick together. No more walking alone, got it?"
Ava nodded, heart still pounding …..and for the first time, she realized just how tangled everything had become:
Kira at her side, Helen somewhere nearby, Ethan watching out for her… and the unknown stalker pulling strings in the shadows.
And as they disappeared down the street together, Ava's mind whispered: the past isn't done with us yet.
Scene — Kira Catches Judith
It was late. The kind of quiet that made every sound louder, the ticking clock, the faint hum of the fridge, the soft rustle of the curtains.
Kira couldn't sleep. The image of Helen standing across the street earlier kept flashing in her mind like a broken reel.
Something about that girl — the way she stared, the way she smiled …. it wasn't normal.
She slipped out of bed, pulled on her hoodie, and stepped outside. The night air bit at her skin, but she barely noticed.
Then she heard it, a soft click, like a camera shutter.
Her eyes darted toward the side of the house.
Someone was crouched there.
Kira's heart slammed in her chest. "Who's there?"
No answer. Just a rustle of leaves.
She took a step closer, phone light cutting through the dark.
And there she was ...Helen.
Or rather… Judith.
The flashlight hit her face fully, and for a moment, the world went still.
Kira's breath caught.
That face….. older, sharper, but those eyes… she'd know them anywhere.
"Judith?" she whispered, voice trembling.
The girl froze, panic flashing in her eyes. "You must have me confused with someone else."
Kira stepped closer. "Don't lie to me. I saw you. The lake. The summer we—"
Judith's face hardened. "You shouldn't dig into things that are better forgotten, Kira."
Her tone was calm …. too calm.
Then she smiled, that cold, distant smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Tell Ava I said hi."
Before Kira could react, Judith turned and vanished into the dark, leaving the faint sound of footsteps and a chill that ran down Kira's spine.
Kira stood frozen, heart pounding, realizing two terrifying things at once:
Judith was alive.
And she was watching them.
Scene — Ethan & Ava: The Almost Kiss
The rain had started to fall again, slow and steady, soft against the roof.
Ava sat on the front steps, knees tucked under her chin, lost in thought.
Everything .... the messages, Helen's strange stare, Kira's distance ….it all felt like too much.
Then a voice behind her, calm but warm:
"You planning to sit out here till the rain stops or till you melt?"
She turned. Ethan.
He had that half-smile, the one that made her heart twist.
Ava sighed. "Maybe both."
He chuckled, sitting beside her. "You shouldn't be out here alone, Ava."
"I'm never really alone," she said softly, looking at the rain. "Not with all these memories chasing me."
He tilted his head, watching her. "Then maybe you should stop running."
Ava met his eyes, the weight of everything she'd been hiding swimming just under her surface.
"You talk like it's that easy."
"It's not," he admitted. "But maybe it's easier with someone who actually cares."
That silenced her. The way he said it ….quiet, honest ….made her chest tighten.
Their eyes lingered on each other, longer than either intended.
The rain blurred everything else away.
Ethan leaned in first …..slow, hesitant, giving her time to pull back.
But she didn't.
Their lips met …..soft, searching, fragile.
For a few seconds, the world felt still again.
Five long, stolen seconds.
Then Ava's heart stuttered …..guilt and confusion crashing over her ….. and she gently pulled away. "Ethan… I—"
Before he could reply, she noticed movement from the window.
Kira.
Just a flicker of her face before she disappeared behind the curtain.
She'd seen.
Ava's stomach twisted.
The timing. The guilt. The silence.
Ethan frowned softly. "What's wrong?"
Ava shook her head, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Nothing… I just….I need a moment."
She stood up, stepping back into the doorway, her mind spinning.
The kiss.
Kira.
Everything.
Behind her, Ethan whispered, "Ava…?"
But she was already gone ... leaving him in the rain, heart heavy, and unaware of the storm that had just started inside.
Kira's POV: The One Thing She Didn't Want to See
The house was quiet except for the rain tapping softly against the windows.
Kira had come downstairs to grab her phone charger — or at least that's what she told herself.
Truth was, she just wanted to check on Ava.
She stopped by the hallway window. The curtains were half open, giving her a view of the porch.
And there they were.
Ava and Ethan.
Kira froze, breath caught in her throat. She watched Ethan lean in, slow, careful. Watched Ava's eyes close.
Then their lips met.
For a moment, Kira couldn't breathe.
Her fingers gripped the window frame so tight her knuckles went white.
The world outside blurred into streaks of rain and dim light, but that image — Ava and Ethan, close and soft and safe ….. burned into her mind.
She told herself to look away.
She didn't.
Five seconds felt like forever.
Then Ava pulled back, looking conflicted. Kira barely saw it ….. she was already stepping away from the window, her pulse ringing in her ears.
She walked quickly to her room, shutting the door before anyone could see the tears threatening to fall.
Her chest felt tight, like something was clawing its way out.
She laughed softly …. bitterly …. whispering, "Of course… of course she'd pick him."
Kira sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the floor.
Her mind flashed to the night Ava kissed her …. the way it felt real, how her heart had raced, how she'd almost believed maybe… just maybe, Ava felt it too.
Now, that hope felt like a joke.
She wiped her cheek roughly, muttering in Korean,
"바보야… (baboya) stupid."
Then she glanced toward the window again — the rain still falling, her reflection faint against the glass.
But what she didn't notice …. across the street, a figure stood under an umbrella, watching the house quietly.
Helen.
A faint smile on her lips.
Eyes glinting.
Like she already knew this heartbreak was only the beginning.
Scene — Dinner Table Chaos
The dining room was glowing warm, plates of food spread across the table, the smell of kimchi stew mixing with Yuri's special pasta. It should've been a peaceful night.
Ava sat beside Kira, trying to act normal. Ethan's name hadn't been mentioned yet… but she could feel it coming.
Yuri smiled, cutting through the silence.
"So, Ava, I heard Ethan dropped by last night."
Ava blinked. "Oh—uh, yeah… he just came to, um, return my sunglasses."
Miyeong raised a brow. "At 10 p.m.?"
Kira nearly choked on her rice.
"늦은 밤에 선글라스? (neujeun bame seongeullaseu?) Sunglasses at night?" she muttered, eyes on her bowl.
Ava frowned, nudging her under the table. "Yah."
Kira gave her the fakest smile ever. "What? I'm just saying~ some people must have very special sunglasses."
The mothers exchanged amused glances.
Miyeong laughed. "Aigoo, look at her acting jealous."
"I'm not jealous," Kira said immediately … but in full Korean mode, muttering under her breath,
"그 남자 완전 이상해… (geu namja wanjeon isanghae…) that guy's totally weird anyway."
Ava tried to hold back a laugh, whispering, "You're literally speaking in Korean right now."
"Yeah, because I don't want your boyfriend to understand if he ever shows up again," Kira snapped playfully, stabbing her food.
Yuri raised her eyebrows. "Boyfriend?"
Ava groaned. "He's not my boyfriend."
Kira: "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."
Miyeong: "Someone sounds possessive."
Yuri: "Or heartbroken."
Both girls went silent ….. and that single moment of laughter turned awkward fast.
Kira looked down, quickly finishing her meal.
"I'm done. I'm tired," she muttered in English, standing up.
Ava frowned. "Kira…."
But Kira didn't look back.
"Not tonight, Ava. I'm exhausted," she said quietly, her tone cold but shaky at the edges.
The room fell quiet after she left.
Ava sat there, staring at her untouched drink ….her stomach twisting with guilt.
She didn't know if it was the kiss, the lie, or something deeper.
But for the first time, it felt like Kira was slipping away.
The Next Morning – Yuri & Miyeong
The smell of pancakes filled the house … sweet, buttery, and almost enough to hide the uneasy air left from last night.
Yuri stood by the stove, flipping a pancake with practiced ease. Miyeong sat at the counter, scrolling through her phone with a furrowed brow.
"You're too quiet this morning," Yuri said, not looking up. "That's usually my line."
Miyeong sighed. "Did you hear anything strange last night? I could've sworn I saw the porch light flicker twice."
Yuri froze mid-flip. "I thought that was just me."
They exchanged a look …. the kind of look mothers give when something doesn't feel right.
Before either could say more, footsteps came down the stairs. Ava appeared, still in her pajamas, her hair messy. Kira followed right behind her, looking equally half-awake.
Yuri smiled softly. "Well, that's new. You two having a sleepover on a weekday?"
Kira yawned and grabbed some orange juice. "Ava got scared of a spider," she said smoothly, though her tone was too casual.
Ava blinked. "Wait, what…."
Miyeong chuckled. "Still afraid of spiders, huh? Aigoo, you haven't changed."
Kira shot her a quick look, as if begging her not to ask more questions. Ava just smiled weakly, forcing a laugh.
Yuri slid a plate toward them. "You girls look like you didn't sleep at all."
Kira mumbled something in Korean under her breath.
"뭐… 이상한 꿈 꿨어 (mwo… isanghan kkum kkusseo)" ….I had a weird dream.
Ava gave her a small glance. "You and me both," she murmured.
Then the phone rang.
Miyeong picked it up, still smiling ….. but her expression changed almost instantly.
"This is Mrs. Kim," she said, listening carefully. "…Yes. Near the fence, you said? Tall man, dark jacket?"
Ava and Kira froze.
Yuri turned from the stove. "Miyeong?"
Miyeong's voice dropped. "It's the police. Someone in the neighborhood reported seeing a suspicious man near the houses last night."
The silence that followed was heavy … too heavy for a bright morning like this.
Ava stared down at her plate, her fork trembling slightly.
Kira saw it too, she thought. So it wasn't just me.
Miyeong hung up and gave a shaky laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "Probably just some drunk man who lost his way."
But no one was convinced.
Not even her.
Ava & Kira — On Their Way to Uni
The sun was bright …. annoyingly bright for how tired Ava felt.
The air smelled like wet grass and coffee, and Kira's sneakers made soft squeaks on the pavement beside her.
They walked side by side, headphones dangling around their necks, pretending the night before hadn't happened.
Kira kicked a pebble ahead of her. "You look like you haven't slept in… ever."
Ava forced a small laugh. "Thanks, you too. I think your 'weird dream' face still hasn't recovered."
Kira smirked a little. "Dream wasn't that bad. You drooling on my shoulder was worse."
"Wha— I did not!" Ava gasped, bumping her playfully.
The laughter faded after a moment though, replaced by that thick, quiet tension again. The kind where both of them wanted to say something but didn't know how.
Finally, Ava spoke. "Do you think… the guy the police mentioned was the same one we saw?"
Kira hesitated, eyes flicking ahead. "Probably just a coincidence."
"Yeah," Ava whispered. "Right."
But she didn't sound convinced.
They turned into the uni gates, where students were scattered across the lawns …. laughing, running late, being normal. It felt unreal.
Kira nudged her. "Let's not talk about it here, okay? We'll figure it out later."
Ava nodded, though her stomach still twisted. "Promise?"
Kira smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Promise. Now come on, class president can't be late."
Ava rolled her eyes but smiled back …. for a moment, it almost felt normal again.
Almost.
Because as they walked into the building, Ava's phone buzzed in her pocket.
A new message.
No name. No number.
"You still look pretty scared at night, Ava."
Her blood ran cold.
She turned sharply …. scanning the crowd …..but everyone was just talking, laughing, walking.
No one looking her way.
No one… except one.
A girl sitting under a tree, a faint smirk on her lips.
Helen.
The sun was melting into the skyline, painting everything gold. Ava and Kira strolled side by side through the campus gate, laughing quietly about nothing and everything.
Kira glanced at her. "You look less sleepy today."
Ava smirked. "You're just jealous 'cause I still look good even after four lectures."
"Please," Kira scoffed. "Kim Kira never gets jealous."
"Oh, right," Ava teased, grinning. "So Miss Kim yoon-Kira wasn't glaring at Ethan the entire time he waved at me earlier?"
Kira blinked. "Yah! Don't call me by my full name…. you know I hate that."
Ava gasped dramatically. "You love speaking Korean, but you hate your Korean name? Babo."
Kira's jaw dropped. "Did you just—"
Ava giggled and dashed a few steps ahead. "Yeah, I did."
Kira shook her head, smiling in disbelief. "Unbelievable."
Their laughter lingered in the air just long enough for the universe to ruin it ….
"Ava!"
Ethan's voice cut through the noise. He jogged up from behind, smile bright, that same familiar charm that made Ava's chest flutter just a bit.
"Hey," he said, catching his breath. "Didn't think I'd see you here."
Kira's grin faded in seconds. "Guess you did."
Ava glanced at her. "Kie…"
"It's fine," Kira said quickly, adjusting her bag. "Mom needs me home early anyway. See you later."
"Kira…."
But she was already walking away.
Ethan rubbed his neck awkwardly. "She really doesn't like me, huh?"
Ava exhaled softly. "She's… just being Kira. She'll come around."
He smiled. "Maybe. You wanna grab coffee? My treat?"
Ava hesitated, her heart split in two directions. "I—uh, I have something to do. Maybe another time?"
He nodded, trying not to look too disappointed. "Sure. Rain check?"
"Rain check," she said, smiling faintly before turning away.
Her phone buzzed.
She unlocked it—and froze.
Unknown: Meet me tonight. Same lake. You owe me a story.
Her throat tightened. The lake.
Just then, Kira's voice startled her from behind. "Who's texting you?"
Ava quickly locked the screen. "It's… nobody. Spam."
Kira frowned, watching her too closely. "Spam doesn't make you turn pale, Ava."
Ava forced a small laugh. "You worry too much. Come on, babo, let's go home."
Kira rolled her eyes, muttering in Korean, "정말 미쳤어 (jeongmal michyeosseo)" ….. you're really crazy.
But she followed anyway, not knowing Ava had already decided she'd be leaving again that night.
Late Night — Ava Sneaks Out
The house was quiet, the kind of quiet that made every floorboard sound like thunder.
Ava tiptoed down the hallway, careful not to wake anyone. The moonlight spilled through the window, lighting her path in pale silver.
Her phone buzzed again.
Unknown: Don't be late.
She hesitated only once …..just once …. before slipping on her hoodie and heading out the back door.
The cool air hit her skin as she started walking. Every sound …. crickets, rustling trees, the wind — felt sharper, heavier.
She didn't know what she was expecting to find.
Answers? Closure?
Or maybe just an end to the fear that had been eating her alive.
⸻
Meanwhile — Back at the House
Barely ten minutes after Ava left, a soft knock came from the window of Kira's room.
Kira, half-asleep, frowned and turned on her lamp. "Who…."
"Helen?" she gasped when she saw the girl outside.
Helen's voice was shaky. "You need to listen. The guy who's been texting Ava — he's dangerous. He's not just watching her… he's planning something tonight."
Kira's eyes widened. "What? What do you mean…. tonight?"
"He told her to meet him," Helen said quickly, glancing around nervously. "At the lake."
Kira didn't even think. She grabbed her phone and ran out of her room, nearly crashing into Miyeong in the hallway.
"Eomma! Ava's in trouble!"
Within minutes, Yuri and Ethan were up, confused and half-dressed. Kira's words spilled fast, panicked.
"She left, she went to the lake! We have to go now!"
Yuri's face went pale. "The lake… that same lake?"
Miyeong didn't hesitate. "Ethan, get the car. Now."
⸻
Ava's POV On the Way to the Lake
The wind was colder than she remembered.
The path that once felt like summer now whispered like something haunted.
Each step closer to the lake made her heart thump louder.
She could still remember flashes ….. laughter, water splashing, Kira's voice echoing somewhere behind her. But the rest was dark. Always dark.
Maybe this is where it ends, she thought. Maybe this is where I finally remember.
Her phone buzzed again.
Unknown: I see you.
Ava froze.
Her eyes darted around the trees. Nothing …..just shadows swaying under the moonlight.
She took another step forward, then another. The smell of the lake drifted in, cold and metallic.
And then she heard it …. a voice, soft and distant.
"You came back, Ava."
Her blood ran cold.