Eun-Bi arrived at the officetel her older brother, Eun-Yeop, had purchased for her.
Having left to study in the United States three years ago, Eun-Bi had returned to Korea before completing her four-year degree. After passing the transfer screening for K University, she had finally stepped foot on Korean soil once again.
Her brother had gladly acquired the home for her, respecting his younger sister’s desire to live independently.
However, he had not fully complied with her request. Eun-Bi had wanted an officetel close to her university, but the unit Eun-Yeop secured was not particularly near the campus.
Still, because the condition of the place was excellent, Eun-Bi was reasonably satisfied.
After unpacking, she realized there were several things she still needed. Eun-Bi left the apartment to buy daily necessities.
As she descended the stairs toward the basement parking lot, Eun-Bi witnessed an unexpected incident.
*Thud!*
*Screech!*
A man was struck and collapsed by a car that had charged forward as if it had suddenly accelerated. Eun-Bi was so shocked that she froze in her tracks, paralyzed with terror.
It happened so abruptly that she didn’t even have a moment to scream. She scrambled behind the wall of the emergency stairwell, covering her mouth and holding her breath.
A man wearing a low-brushed black cap stepped out of the driver’s seat. He stood over the fallen man and muttered something.
“……Have you ever heard of it?”
The man’s voice was difficult to hear. It sounded like he was asking a question, but there was no way the man on the ground could answer.
After tossing out the cryptic question, the man in the black cap got back into the car. He then abandoned the victim and drove away immediately.
Once the car disappeared, Eun-Bi belatedly gasped for air.
She poked her head out to survey the parking lot. She could see blood pooling beneath the fallen man.
*I have to report this!*
Eun-Bi pulled out her cell phone, but the hand holding it trembled violently. Her mind went blank, and she was gripped by a sudden, paralyzing fear.
*I’d have to go back and forth to the police station. What if I get caught up in this for no reason and end up in danger too?*
Her brother, who had become a lawyer this year, had warned her never to get involved in any trouble or loud situations.
*‘If they are already dead, there’s no use getting involved. Even if it isn’t me, someone else will report it.’*
*I didn’t see anything.*
Eun-Bi hurried back up the stairs and returned to her apartment.
Fortunately, a few minutes later, the sound of sirens approached. From her window, Eun-Bi watched as an ambulance and then a police car pulled into the officetel complex before eventually leaving.
*Did the man die?*
Whether he lived or died, she hoped, above all, that no troublesome events would fall upon her.
Around evening, her brother Eun-Yeop called. Eun-Bi answered immediately.
“Hello.”
[Did you look around the house?]
“Yes. The house is nice, but it’s too far from the university. Why did you pick this specific officetel, Oppa?”
[Ji-Heon lives there.]
At her brother’s answer, her composed expression slackened with disbelief.
*Ji-Heon!*
Her heart pounded and her spirits soared like a teenage girl.
The reason Eun-Bi had transferred to K University was because it was the university Ji-Heon attended. She had heard rumors that he was about to graduate, but she still wanted to maintain a connection with him.
Three years ago, when faced with the choice of studying abroad in the U.S., the one thing that had made her hesitate until the very end was Ji-Heon.
Her brother’s friend, Ji-Heon, was Eun-Bi’s first love. And that unrequited love had not yet ended.
She had dated a few people in the U.S., but she couldn’t give up her feelings for him. That was why she had returned.
Swallowing hard, Eun-Bi asked to confirm the facts.
“Ji-Heon Oppa lives here? Do you know what unit it is?”
[That’s not the problem, but there was an accident today.]
Eun-Yeop’s voice suddenly turned dark. Eun-Bi tilted her head in confusion.
“What?”
[I heard Ji-Heon was hit by a hit-and-run car in the basement parking lot there today.]
Eun-Bi nearly dropped her phone.
“……Hit-and-run?”
[Yeah. I haven’t been to the hospital yet, so I don’t know much.]
*The accident that happened during the day… could it really have been Ji-Heon Oppa?*
“Oppa…… which hospital is it?”
Eun-Bi asked in a trembling voice.
*
[The phone is powered off, connecting to voicemail after the beep…….]
Jinseo hung up the phone with a worried expression.
Ji-Heon, who had promised to come pick her up at 3:00 PM today, had not shown up. He hadn’t answered her calls, and eventually, the automated message stating his phone was powered off began to play.
*Oppa has never broken a promise before.*
As time passed and evening fell, she became anxious.
*Could something have happened to him? Could he have been in an accident?*
*‘Or maybe he suddenly changed his mind…….’*
All sorts of scenarios raced through her mind.
The waiting time grew increasingly agonizing. Just yesterday, she thought she could embrace her situation as a blessing, but now, everything felt terrifying.
*
In front of the hospital operating room, Mrs. Youngmi Jang sat, overcome with fear.
Her son had been in a hit-and-run. She heard the accident occurred only minutes after she had spoken to him on the phone.
Her son, who had declined her request to stop by home today, had been found in the officetel parking lot.
Her only son, more precious than her own life.
She could not believe that her son, who had grown up so healthily and impressively, was now hovering between life and death.
Mrs. Jang, who had rushed to the hospital upon hearing the news, wailed after confirming her son’s condition. It felt as if her world had collapsed.
*Why, why on earth did this happen to my son?*
After screaming until she was exhausted, the detective in charge of the case approached the drained Mrs. Jang.
“Hello. I am from the Yongsan Police Station. You are Mr. Ji-Heon Jeong’s mother, right?”
Mrs. Jang looked at the detective with a blank expression.
“It is said that because of a CCTV error in the building today, no footage remains. Fortunately, a parked vehicle had a dashcam, so we have secured the license plate number. Part of the hit-and-run scene was captured, so we have also identified the suspect.”
“Please catch him…… please, you must catch that wretch…….”
Mrs. Jang appealed, grabbing hold of the detective. The dignity befitting the wife of the CEO of the large conglomerate Seryeon Group had long since been cast aside. The woman clutching the detective’s hands and sobbing was a pitiable sight to behold.
“The suspect is a man named Jingu Kim; have you ever heard of him?”
Mrs. Jang shook her head. Tears she thought had dried up began to flow again.
Because of Mrs. Jang’s distress, a woman approached the detective who was standing blankly in front of the operating room.
“You’re the detective, aren’t you? I’m the witness to the officetel hit-and-run incident.”
The detective’s gaze shifted toward the young woman.
“I moved into the officetel today. I went down to the parking lot for a moment and witnessed the hit-and-run.”
At the woman’s voice, Mrs. Jang also lifted her head. It was a face she vaguely remembered.
“Auntie, it’s me, Eun-Bi. Eun-Bi Chae. Do you remember me?”
Eun-Bi held onto Mrs. Jang firmly, as if supporting her as she swayed.
“Oh…… Eun-Bi. It’s you, Eun-Bi…….”
In her bewildered state, Mrs. Jang could only nod. The daughter of a legal family she knew. Eun-Bi Chae, the younger sister of her son Ji-Heon’s friend, Eun-Yeop.
“Auntie, please calm down and stay strong. Oppa’s surgery will go well. I’m going to go to the police station to give my statement. We will definitely catch the culprit.”
Eun-Bi comforted Mrs. Jang with a maturity beyond her years. It was as if Eun-Bi had become the adult and Mrs. Jang the child.
“I’ll go to the police station and come back. The surgery will take a long time, so please go home. I’ll contact you when the surgery is over.”
At Eun-Bi’s calm demeanor, Mrs. Jang sobbed once more. She mumbled hazily, “Eun-Bi, thank you, thank you.”
As she accompanied the detective to the police station, Eun-Bi relayed what she had witnessed in as much detail as possible.
“It was a very vicious hit-and-run. The culprit was a man wearing a black cap and black clothes. I think he was about 180cm tall, and his voice was husky.”
“Did the culprit say anything?”
“Yes. He asked the fallen victim something…… ‘Have you ever heard of a robbery hit-and-run?’ It was something like that.”
Eun-Bi embellished her memory slightly.
“I think I would be more certain if I saw his face.”
She arrived at the police station.
As soon as she stepped inside, Eun-Bi recognized the culprit. It turned out the suspect had just been apprehended at his home and brought in.
“This is the man! It’s him!”
Eun-Bi shouted in front of the suspect, Jingu Kim.
“What is this young lady talking about! Do you even know me? Why are you doing this to me! Why!”
Jingu Kim, his hands bound, twisted his body and yelled. His eyes were wide with a look of pure, wronged indignation.
But Eun-Bi was certain.
“His voice is exactly the same! I’m sure of it!”
Eun-Bi clenched her fists firmly, a determined expression on her face. The culprit who had hurt the *Seonbae* she admired was an enemy to her as well. At the same time, her heart swelled with pride at the thought that she had done something righteous.
*
After the culprit was caught, Madam Jang received her son’s belongings: his cell phone, his car’s smart key, and a ring box.
A ring box.
After turning on the cell phone, Madam Jang learned that her son had been planning a date with someone named “Jinseo.”
Because of that date, he had refused her request to come home. And because of that, he had ended up in a hit-and-run accident.
– *Seonbae, where are you?*
– *Seonbae, we were supposed to meet at 3 o’clock today. Did something happen?*
– *You’re not picking up. I’m worried. Contact me when you see this message.*
– *What on earth is going on? You’re okay, right? Please, just send me a text.*
After confirming the dozens of text messages from “Jinseo,” Madam Jang clenched her fists and pounded them against her chest.
“There’s a friend I’d like to introduce to you.”
Her son had said that in their last phone call. It seemed he was planning to introduce this “Jinseo” person. How much could he possibly like her to refuse his mother’s request just to go on a date?
Madam Jang felt nothing but resentment toward her son’s girlfriend. When she had someone look into this “Jeong-o Lee” girl, she was even more taken aback.
Jeong-o Lee. H University, junior. 23 years old. The daughter of a single mother. A child raised without a father. Not to mention her poverty, her mother was a woman who hadn’t even received a proper higher education.
“Because of a girl like this, my son…”
Though the surgery had gone well, Ji-Heon had not yet regained consciousness. With her son still unresponsive, she hated Jeong-o even more. Madam Jang sent a short text message to Jeong-o from Ji-Heon’s phone.
*
– Don’t ever contact me again.
Three days after the contact stopped, a text message arrived from Ji-Heon. The content left Jeong-o bewildered. The Ji-Heon she knew was not the type of person to say something like this.
Jeong-o went straight to Ji-Heon’s apartment. She didn’t visit often, but she had been invited once or twice a month. Ji-Heon had even given her the door lock password, telling her she could come over whenever she liked. Was this the man who had suddenly informed her of a breakup via text? Who told her never to contact him again?
Jeong-o couldn’t believe the message was genuine. She was certain something must be wrong. However, as soon as she arrived in front of his apartment, Jeong-o hit a wall.
‘Apartment 1903. This is the right place, isn’t it…?’
The door lock of 1903, Ji-Heon’s home, was different from what she remembered.
‘Don’t tell me…’
Her heart pounded. She pressed the doorbell, but there was no response from inside. With trembling fingertips, Jeong-o pressed the door lock password she had known.
The door did not open.
Jeong-o tried her own door password, her birthday, and then Ji-Heon’s birthday in sequence. After entering the wrong numbers a few times, a loud alarm began to blare. Just as Jeong-o’s face turned bright red, the door opened from the inside.
A middle-aged woman stared at her with a sharp, cold expression. Jeong-o swallowed hard and asked the woman,
“Um, excuse me, is this the home of Mr. Ji-Heon Jeong?”
“Student Jeong-o Lee?”
The other person knew her name.
“I’m Ji-Heon’s mother. Come in.”
The cold words acted like iron chains, pulling Jeong-o inside. Feeling as if she were being dragged, Jeong-o entered the officetel.
Madam Jang scanned Jeong-o from head to toe. Seeing the girl approach hesitantly with her head bowed like a criminal, Madam Jang let out a shallow sigh. Perhaps it was because she knew the girl had been raised in a single-parent household, but she felt as if she could see an inherent gloom about her. She could not have a girl like this by her son’s side.
“What kind of rude behavior is it to keep pressing someone else’s door lock?”
“Ji-Heon *Seonbae* told me the password a long time ago.”
“I’m saying it because the password has been changed. Shouldn’t you have given up once you realized it wasn’t the right one?”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t reach him, and I was worried that something might have happened.”
She was more brazen than she looked.
Madam Jang realized that gentle words might not be enough to get rid of her. She reprimanded Jeong-o more sternly.
“Just how much have you been tormenting our Ji-Heon?”
“…”
“I can only assume our Ji-Heon sent me to you because you were being so tiresome.”
At the words, sharp as shards of glass, glassy tears welled up in Jeong-o’s eyes. Madam Jang couldn’t bear to look and turned her head away.
“If you understand, don’t ever come looking for him again. Ji-Heon isn’t free enough to deal with people like you.”
“Mother, please, wait.”
Jeong-o grabbed Madam Jang, pleading.
“Could you please let me speak with him on the phone just once?”
“Who gave you the right to call me ‘Mother’?”
Madam Jang shoved Jeong-o’s arm away forcefully.
*My son is currently hovering between life and death.*
*He is in a state where he cannot speak to you, no matter how much you beg.*
The thought that all of this was because of Jeong-o Lee made her shiver with rage.
“Leave while I’m still being nice. Don’t torment our Ji-Heon any further.”
Madam Jang spoke as harshly as possible.
Jeong-o’s tears fell onto the floor with a soft *plop*.
*
Half a month had passed since Ji-Heon’s accident. He still had not awakened.
Eun-Bi visited the hospital room every single day.
“Mother, have you had a chance to rest?”
Eun-Bi greeted Madam Jang, who was guarding the bedside, with a bright smile.
“Ah, you’re here, Eun-Bi.”
At Madam Jang’s weary greeting, Eun-Bi’s expression turned worried.
“You’re going to collapse if you keep this up. I asked a doctor I know to come by—you really should get a nutrient IV drip.”
“I’m fine.”
“Please, just get the drip. I have a feeling he’ll wake up today. When he does, you’ll want to be looking your best for him.”
Eun-Bi guided Madam Jang out of the room. Madam Jang, unable to refuse the kindness, headed toward the reserved room for a drip.
Once Madam Jang left, the room belonged to Eun-Bi. She stared at Ji-Heon, who was sleeping as soundly as a prince in a fairy tale. Even with his eyes closed, his handsome features remained unchanged. How could he not have aged a single day in three years? No, if anything, he seemed even more dashing now.
Should I try stealing a kiss? He won’t know anyway.
Entranced by Ji-Heon’s beauty, Eun-Bi leaned in, her lips drawing closer to his.
One second before their lips touched—
“Ahem.”
The hospital door opened, and a man walked in. Eun-Bi immediately pulled away and sat up straight.
It was Ji-Heon’s friend, Seung-gyu Park. A friend who had been Ji-Heon’s classmate in high school and college, and his senior in the military.
“You’re here today, too.”
At Seung-gyu’s greeting, which sounded almost like a taunt, Eun-Bi responded with a smile.
“Yes. I’m very worried about him.”
Despite her kind reply, Seung-gyu did not relax his sullen expression.
“What brings you here, Mr. Seung-gyu?”
“What do you think? I came to see my friend.”
Seung-gyu replied brusquely.
Since he disliked her unconditionally, Eun-Bi had no desire to be nice to him either. Even if he was Ji-Heon’s friend. Seung-gyu sat down right in front of Ji-Heon, as if worried about leaving Eun-Bi alone with him.
The quiet room was suddenly filled with a suffocating silence.
“By the way, there’s something a bit strange.”
To Eun-Bi, who was growing bored in the silence, Seung-gyu spoke up unexpectedly.
“Ji-Heon’s accident happened at 1:00 PM, and the report was filed at 1:20 PM. The person who reported it was a man.”
“…”
“Didn’t you say you witnessed the accident? Why didn’t you report it right away?”
Eun-Bi was taken aback by the unexpected question.
“……My phone battery was dead. I reported it as soon as I turned it on, but someone else had already called it in.”
Seung-gyu nodded, looking unconvinced.
Eun-Bi felt offended by Seung-gyu’s reaction. Perhaps it was because she had a guilty conscience; her own insecurity made her more defensive.
“But why are you asking me that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing, just… Ack! Ji-Heon!”
Fumbling for an answer, Seung-gyu suddenly called out Ji-Heon’s name.
Eun-Bi turned her head toward Ji-Heon as well.
“Oppa!”
“Ji-Heon! Jeong Ji-Heon!”
Ji-Heon finally opened his eyes.
Blinking silently as he shifted his gaze around, Ji-Heon strained his face as if trying to sit up.
Seung-gyu adjusted the electric bed to raise the upper body, helping Ji-Heon sit up.
“Are you okay? Can you see me? Do you know who I am?”
Seung-gyu asked him.
Ji-Heon stared at Seung-gyu for a long time before opening his mouth.
“Who…?”
The face looked vaguely familiar, but the name wouldn’t come to him.
“……You don’t know me?”
“…….”
“It’s Park Seung-gyu! We went to the same high school and university! And I was your senior in the military. We’ve been close since you were discharged. You don’t remember?”
“Military?”
Ji-Heon asked, stuttering with his bloodless lips.
He thought he still had a few months left before entering the training center, so hearing that he had a military senior caught him completely off guard.
“I went to the military? Me?”
At his retort, both Seung-gyu and Eun-Bi’s eyes widened in shock.
Ji-Heon had no way of knowing why they were wearing such confused expressions.
Suddenly, a terrible headache surged through him.
*Ugh.* Ji-Heon crumpled his face and let out a rough groan.
“Ji-Heon!”
“Oppa!”
The voices of those in front of him sounded distant.
It felt as if needles were piercing his brain.
He felt like he had forgotten something very important.
He felt like someone was crying somewhere.
His chest ached, and his head throbbed.