Jina stood there with Shinjin, staring directly at her father who was holding the gun. She could tell that the shadow was torturing him to the point that he was willing to kill the lady doctor but she must stop him from doing so.
"Jina how-"
"Stand back!" Shinjin yelled as he threw salt on Dohyun. To his relief, it worked as the shadow scread in pain because the salt burned its skin.
"Jina, go to your father and put the salt barrier around everyone like I've instructed!" he ordered.
The little girl nodded and set off to work. Jina ran to her father and pulled him into the corner where Gayoon lay, barely conscious.
"Jina what-" Minho began to ask but Jina took out a container full of salt and drew a circle around all of them.
"Don't cross this line!" she told them. "No matter what happens! The old man told not to let anyone cross this!"
Minho and Kanji were very confused by her attitude and sudden appearance. How did the little girl know of their location? But Jina did not care for their questions and bent down to tend to Gayoon who was badly injured.
"Lady Cop!" she cried. Her eyes were teary and seeing Gayoon in that state scared her. WAs she alright? Was she alive?
Gayoon was wincing in pain but her thoughts were on Jina's safety. She should not be seeing a malevolent shadow in her age!
"Jina, how did you get here?" Minho demanded.
"I"
Jina was not sure how to explain it. Her father would never believe her but the Lady Cop will. She turned to Gayoon who was barely trying to keep herself awake.
"Yumi told ," she revealed. Minho and Kanji frowned while Gayoon was shocked.
"W-what?" she stamred, ignoring the pain in her body. "Y-Yumi?"
"I know you can sense them too!" Jina revealed. "I heard you conversing with Yumi and Casper! They told you about the black shadow! And they're with here! I know you can sense them too!"
She was right. Gayoon had sensed the presence of the ghosts ever since Jina had turned up. But the little girl's claims were confusing her. She could sense them? How was this possible?
"I can see them!" Jina whispered. "I see them everyday, every night."
"Jina, what are you talking about?" Minho snapped. "I know you have an imaginary friend called Casper but now is not the ti to talk about nonsensical stuff! How did you get here and who is that stranger?"
"Minho, I think she's just distrubed" Kanji began but Jian stomped her foot in anger, frustrated at the adults who would not listen to her at all. She was tired of explaining to them that she could see ghosts and they still brushed her off as a child.
"I AM TELLING THE TRUTH!" Jina yelled, taking everyone by surprise. "I see these spirits everyday! They're walking and talking amongst us! They communicate with ! I see them everywhere I go! They're real and they're here! I AM NOT IMAGINING THINGS SO WHY WON'T YOU BELIEVE ?"
The little girl was angry at the world which was marking her truth as the rantings of a kid. She never lied and yet, no one would believe her. Yumi and Casper watched helplessly as the little girl tried to convince the adults to listen to her. Gayoon was staring at her, blank faced as she tried to comprehend Jina's words while the n were skeptical.
"Jina," Yumi said. "Repeat my words to him."
Jina was taken aback but nodded.
"Jina, this is all your imagination!" Minho argued back. "I don't know what that thing is over there but-"
"Ahjusshi, you were there that day," Jina began to narrate. "You saw my cold body in the morgue, chopped into pieces like I was so kind of wild animal."
"What is she-" Kanji frowned but Jina went on.
"What was my fault, ahjusshi? I was rely hanging out with my friends that night. The next day, I was supposed to et my favorite idols. I had dreams and hopes like anyone else"
Tears began to well up in Jina's eyes while interpreting Yumi's story. Minho was startled by what his daughter was saying. He had never told anyone else about the fact that he had seen Yumi's corpse. Only Gayoon knew about it and he was sure she would not tell anyone else either.
"The detective was urging you to give your statent," Yumi spoke via Jina. "But you refused. You didn't tell them anything even after they showed you my corpse. Why? Why didn't you?"
"Jina how do you know all this?" Minho demanded. What was going on? Did his daughter really
"Dad, please believe ," she begged tearfully. "I see them. I see the ghosts around us. They co to . They tell things. I really can see them. And so does the Lady Cop."
"Believe her."
Gayoon's soft voice ca from behind him. Jina's tearful begging brought back her own traumatic mories when people did not believe her. They would jeer at her, make her doubt her own sanity and seeing this little child going through the sa thing was breaking her heart.
And it was all her fault.
As if in a trance, Minho turned his attention to Gayoon. Even in that state, she could hear everything that Jina had just said. The words coming out of the little girl had shaken her to the very core and seeing Jina cry was even worse than the torture inflicted on her by the CCK.
Both of their eyes t, as they finally realized the truth.
"Is she...is she" Gayoon whimpered. Biting back her pain, she asked, "Is she...our daughter?"
Minho gave her a stiff nod. He could read the mix of emotions in her eyes which ranged from happiness to guilt.
"And this ability to see ghosts" he began. "Did she inherit it from you?"
Unable to speak due to the sudden rush of pain and emotions, Gayoon simply nodded and everted his eyes. Minho did not need to know anything further nor did Gayoon. They were at a crossroads, unsure of what to do with the revelations they had just unearthed.
All they could do was to wait until the nightmare was over.
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