PTT - 43

“…Shit! Save me!”

Still dangling from the cliff, Jung Ah-young screamed. Ra-on, who had thrown Tae-hyun aside and rushed over, looked down at her with trembling eyes. Below the cliff, waves crashed violently.

If she fell cleanly into the water without hitting anything, her life might be spared—but serious injuries were inevitable. By now, Ah-young was clinging to the cliff with only her left hand.

“Grab my hand!”

Ra-on lay as close to the edge as possible, extending her arm toward Ah-young. Her right arm trembled in mid-air. Instinctively trying to reach for Ra-on’s outstretched hand, Ah-young wavered, her voice shaking uncontrollably.

“Shit... You—Yoo Sa-yeon, where are the other team members?! When will they get here?!”

“How should I know? Stop wasting your energy on useless questions and grab my hand! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Her shoulder felt like it would dislocate as she stretched her arm as far as it could go, but Ah-young’s response was infuriating. Instead of grabbing Ra-on’s hand, she tightened her grip on the cliff with her left hand, her nails scraping against the rock with a chilling sound.

“Haa, damn it… If I die, so be it. I won’t accept help from you! Get lost, you beggar whore.”

“You’re insane. Pull yourself together and grab my hand!”

The absurdity of the situation left Ra-on too stunned to even laugh bitterly. With a grimace, she stretched her arm further, trying desperately to reach Ah-young. To refuse help out of sheer pride while teetering between life and death was incomprehensible within any rational framework.

But then again, Jung Ah-young was far from what one would call “normal.” She mocked others’ pain, trampled people underfoot to climb higher, and clung stubbornly to her pride no matter the cost. That was who Jung Ah-young was.

〈Poor kids are so clueless. Physical punishment is the answer for stupid ones. They learn through experience—it’s just how it works.〉

Suddenly, Ah-young’s youthful voice from ten years ago echoed in Ra-on’s ears. If she let go now, Ah-young wouldn’t last even a minute before plummeting into the sea below.

Perhaps this was a fitting end for someone like Ah-young, who held her head high even in such dire straits. After experiencing this fall, she’d surely realize how meaningless pride truly was.

But Yoo Ra-on wasn’t like Jung Ah-young.

“If you fall now, you’ll sustain severe injuries at best. Is that how you want to end your career as an agent?”

“…Hah!”

“I don’t give a damn about your pathetic pride. Fine! Even if saving you means contributing more harm than good to humanity, so be it. Rescuing trash like you will only spread rot around me anyway.”

“Bitch, what did you just say…!”

Gritting her teeth so hard they creaked, Ra-on swiftly grabbed Ah-young’s arm with her right hand. Clutching it tightly as if she’d never let go, she shouted while lying flat on the ground.

“But listen up—you trash who dragged my life into hell—you don’t deserve to die just yet. I joined the NIS to protect as many people as possible, not because I wanted to kill anyone by working myself to the bone!”

She could feel the trembling in the arm she was gripping. Suddenly, Ah-young’s mangled right hand came into view—it had been stomped on mercilessly, the veins on the back ruptured. Meanwhile, Ra-on’s own scarred right hand, covered in old wounds, held onto Ah-young tightly.

What must it feel like for Ah-young to cling to the very hand she herself had destroyed? It was an ironic and almost comical situation. Now both their right hands were ruined. A bitter laugh escaped Ra-on’s lips despite the gravity of the moment.

“Listen carefully, Jung Ah-young. You can’t die like this. You have to face the consequences of your actions first.”

Her molars ground together fiercely. Pulling up a woman weighing over 50 kilograms with just one hand was no easy feat. As her strength gradually waned, Ra-on stared directly at Ah-young, forcing every ounce of remaining power into her grip.

Looking down at the sea below, Ra-on’s eyes betrayed her fear of falling. Yet Ah-young, refusing to show weakness, glared venomously at her.

“Damn you… Who are you to lecture me?! Do you really think I’ll die if I fall from here?”

Even drowning, she seemed determined to keep her mouth above water. Still clinging stubbornly to her pride, Ah-young’s left hand suddenly lost its grip. Her shredded nails scraped against the rock before falling into the void.

“Aaah!”

“Ugh…”

As Ah-young’s left hand slipped off the cliff, Ra-on groaned lowly. Now, only one arm supported her entire weight. The sudden doubling of pressure made her shoulder feel like it might pop out of its socket. Just a little longer—someone would arrive soon.

With trembling hands gripping Ah-young’s wrist, Ra-on bowed her head. She no longer had the strength to argue. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead and cheeks, dripping heavily. Harsh breaths and groans escaped her dry lips.

“Damn you… Don’t… don’t let go. If you let go, I’ll really die…!”

“Shut up and hold on!”

Ah-young’s eyes were now filled with unmistakable fear. Realizing that falling meant certain death, she began shaking uncontrollably like a leaf in the wind.

But Ra-on’s palms kept sweating profusely. Biting her lower lip until blood pooled, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

‘Come on, please, someone hurry…’

At that moment, a gust of wind blew in from the east. Startled by the sudden breeze, Ah-young instinctively flailed, her body jerking violently.

In that instant, unbelievably, Ah-young’s wrist slipped from Ra-on’s grasp.

“Wha…?”

With a final scream, Ah-young plummeted off the cliff. Time seemed to slow as she fell, creating the illusion of descending in slow motion. Ra-on’s dark eyes darkened further with shock.

Exactly three seconds later, splash! A massive ripple spread across the water’s surface. After staring at the surreal scene for several seconds, Ra-on quickly composed herself and brought the earpiece mic to her lips.

“This is Yeon. Dian has fallen near Seowolpo. Anyone nearby, begin searching immediately. Contact the police and paramedics!”

She had to stay calm. Falling into the water wasn’t fatal if she was found quickly. Trembling fingers dialed emergency numbers while the fierce wind that had whipped her hair moments ago vanished, leaving an eerie silence.

---

Fortunately, Ah-young was rescued by a Special Team 4 agent stationed 100 meters away. Though she required CPR and temperature regulation due to the sudden fall, she regained consciousness relatively quickly. She was immediately transferred to a nearby university hospital, while Tae-hyun, unconscious from gunshot wounds, was taken to the NIS.

Thanks to the relatively low height of the cliff and landing in water, Ah-young survived—but not without severe injuries. During the fall, her right arm and leg collided with rocks, causing critical damage. Doctors predicted she might spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair, unable to use one arm.

Devastated by the news, Ah-young reportedly went berserk in her hospital room, throwing objects and screaming accusations that Ra-on had deliberately let her fall. With no witnesses nearby, her claims seemed plausible.

However, there was one fact she overlooked: during the rescue attempt, the earpiece mic attached to Ra-on’s bulletproof vest had remained pressed, transmitting their conversation live to the special agents. This revealed the truth—that Ah-young had initially refused Ra-on’s help.

〈You’ve worked hard. Take some rest, Yeon.〉

〈Haa… Why did Dian act like that? Does she have multiple lives or something?〉

〈You bear no responsibility for this incident. You did your best.〉

Her teammates and superiors consoled her, expressing sympathy rather than blame. They acknowledged the trauma of witnessing someone fall and encouraged her to recover. Ra-on merely smiled bitterly, unwilling to elaborate further.

Two days after the fall, she stood outside the door of Ah-young’s hospital room.