Julie came back from her agency, excited as she would be cooking dinner this evening. Kuu would help her, of course, and Kuon would pretend to be disgusted but would really be happy.
She arrived at the doorstep after walking through the perfectly manicured front garden. She could see that the hedge had been trimmed today, it was no understatement that it needed to be done, but the previous gardener had quit and they had had to find a new one.
She rang the doorbell to announce her presence and then walked in. She was calling Kuu's name when she realized that he wouldn't be back from his shoot for another half hour. No problem, she thought, she would just start preparing the vegetables beforehand. It was as she was slipping off her coat and handing it to one of the servants to take that she noticed the eerie silence. She knew that Kuon wouldn't have come running down to say hello to her, but she at least thought that she would hear him in his room.
Maybe he left a note in the family room. Quickly she made her way over to the room, and her concern doubled when there was no note.
"Maybe Kuu knows where he is? Oh, where is that boy? Worrying me so much all the time!"
"Kuu, Kuu" she repeated into the phone as it dialed the number, "Where is he? Now pick up! I need your help. Please, come on, Kuu"
"Yes?" came the reply.
"Oh, thank goodness, Kuu. Where is he, do you know, do you know? He's not in the house, there's no note, when can you be back?"
"No, no … you don't mean Kuon? I don't know where, ah, where …" Kuu continued falteringly.
"Kuu, you know something. What is it? Is he okay?"
"Yes, he is fine, I know that, but I don't know where he is. Can I talk to you at home?"
"Why must it wait? I need to know about him now!"
"First, because I need to finish this shoot so I can come home as soon as possible. Also, because you need to be sitting down for this."