SELA - 1

It was just past midnight when Ji-Hyuk’s car was hit. A drunk driver crashed into his vehicle while he was waiting at a traffic light. At that very moment, Ji-Hyuk had been on the phone with his wife, Sa-hee, celebrating her birthday.

Suddenly, a blinding light flashed, followed by the deafening roar of an approaching vehicle. By the time Ji-Hyuk noticed the car hurtling toward him, a piercing screech of tires filled the air—but everything happened in an instant.

Crash. The heavy impact crushed the car, shaking his vision as shards of broken glass rained down like snowflakes over his body.

The two vehicles, entangled like jagged pieces of a puzzle, skidded together for a short distance before finally coming to a stop.

- Ji-Hyuk…! Ji…

Sa-hee’s desperate voice crackled through the car’s audio system connected to the phone and then went silent. Slumped against the seat, Ji-Hyuk could barely manage to exhale, let alone open his eyes.

“Oh my goodness, what do we do?!”

“Call for help, quick!”

Perhaps because it was such a major accident, not only drivers from nearby cars but also customers from nearby shops gathered around the scene. Within moments, a large circle formed around the crash site, where the two vehicles stood in a distorted "G" shape.

“Hey! Are you okay? Stay with me!”

Ji-Hyuk, who had been slipping away into unconsciousness, was jolted back by the voice of a brave passerby who approached him.

“People have already called for help, so just hang on a little longer!”

A little longer? Ji-Hyuk wasn’t sure if his body could hold out even for a moment. The excruciating pain worsened with each passing second, tightening its grip on his chest. Blood from his head trickled into his ears, muffling the voices around him and making him feel as though he were being left behind in the world.

“Sa… Hee…”

Amidst the nauseating smell of blood and the agony of broken limbs, there was only one person on Ji-Hyuk’s mind: his wife, Yoon Sa-hee.

Today was Sa-hee’s birthday. He had planned to go home, light candles with her, blow them out, and make wishes together after midnight. But fate had other plans.

Thinking about the cake that must have been tossed around in the backseat made Ji-Hyuk feel even guiltier toward Sa-hee. And now, more than ever, he longed to see her.

The acrid smoke filling the air triggered violent coughing fits. Each cough sent waves of crushing pain through his chest, making it unbearable. His consciousness faded in and out repeatedly.

“Excuse me, please step aside!”

“Patient, can you hear me? Stay with us!”

He didn’t know how much time had passed. The crumpled door, which had refused to budge, was finally pried open, and paramedics rushed in with a stretcher. In front of the deflated airbag, Ji-Hyuk lay motionless, unable to respond. Recognizing the severity of the situation, the paramedics quickly transferred him onto the stretcher and loaded him into the ambulance.

“Can you hear me, patient? Stay awake!”

The ambulance sped off almost immediately, accelerating rapidly. Amidst the rattling of medical supplies and equipment, a plastic oxygen mask was placed over Ji-Hyuk’s face, and painkillers were administered swiftly.

Sa-hee.

Even in his hazy state, Ji-Hyuk thought of Sa-hee. For some reason, he felt an urgent need to call out her name.

“The painkillers will help. You’ll start feeling better soon.”

“And your breathing should improve too.”

True to their words, the effects of the painkillers kicked in shortly. Sensations began to dull, and reality started to blur. As Ji-Hyuk slowly lost consciousness, he pictured Sa-hee’s face behind his eyelids.

---

The clattering sound of the stretcher wheels echoed loudly. Ji-Hyuk, pale and completely unresponsive, lay atop it, lost in a deep stupor.

“Bed number five! Bed five!”

“One, two, three!”

Finally, they reached the emergency room, and Ji-Hyuk was moved to an empty bed. Medical staff swarmed around him. While the paramedics briefed the nurses on his condition, various medical devices were attached to his body.

“His breathing is unstable?”

“Yes, he was fine when we left, but his condition worsened during the ride.”

Despite the flurry of treatments and checks, Ji-Hyuk remained unconscious. The doctor’s expression grew darker as the numbers on the patient monitor showed no improvement. To make matters worse, his heart rate was gradually dropping.

“Ji-hyuk-ssi… Ji-hyuk-ssi…”

At that moment, the emergency room doors burst open, and a woman hurried inside. Barefoot, wearing pajamas hastily covered by a coat, her hair loose and trembling hands clutching car keys—she was none other than Ji-Hyuk’s wife, Sa-hee.

- Who are you in relation to the phone’s owner?

‘I’m his wife. Who’s calling?’

- This is the police. Your husband has been in a car accident. We’re contacting people nearby using the phone we found at the scene.

‘A car accident?’

- Yes. Please head to the emergency room at H Hospital in Shin Yang-dong.

After that, Sa-hee’s memory became hazy. She couldn’t recall how she managed to drive herself there or park the car. Her mind was consumed by thoughts of her husband, Ji-Hyuk. All she could do was pray fervently that he was safe.

“What’s wrong with this girl!”

“I’m sorry.”

Sa-hee, dazed, apologized. She had inadvertently opened curtains around other beds in her frantic search for Ji-Hyuk, drawing disapproving looks multiple times.

“If you’re looking for someone, go ask at the desk. It’ll be faster.”

“The desk? Oh… thank you.”

In her frazzled state, she hadn’t even thought of that. Turning around, Sa-hee headed toward the reception desk. Her legs wobbled beneath her. Just then, a steady warning tone rang out—ding, ding, ding, ding—and activity erupted around one of the beds.

“Cardiac arrest!”

“Start CPR!”

As shouts filled the air, several nurses rushed past Sa-hee to the bed. Pausing momentarily, she felt an inexplicable pull and moved closer. The orange light flashing on the monitor and the flat green line indicated cardiac arrest.

“When did CPR start?”

“22 minutes ago!”

“Excuse me! Please step aside!”

Sa-hee edged closer to the chaotic scene. The flurry of medical staff blocked her view of the patient’s face.

“Switch positions on three: one, two, three!”

“Yes.”

“One, two, three!”

During the CPR rotation, half of the patient’s face briefly came into view. Even seeing just half, Sa-hee recognized him instantly. She collapsed to the floor right there.

“Ji-hyuk-ssi…”

Her trembling voice called out his name, but her plea never reached him. Gathering what strength she had left, Sa-hee crawled on her knees toward the bed. One of the nurses assisting the doctor noticed her and held her back.

“I’m his wife! That man is my husband!”

“We understand. Please try to calm down!”

“Please save him! Please, I beg you…!”

“You can’t help him by acting like this here!”

No matter what they said, it was impossible to calm Sa-hee as she sobbed and thrashed about. Eventually, she was pulled away from the bed by several people, despite her desperate resistance. To be so close to Ji-Hyuk yet unable to touch him felt like torture—pure agony. It was a living hell.

Perhaps due to the commotion, a curtain was drawn around the bed to facilitate smoother treatment, blocking Ji-Hyuk from view. Sa-hee struggled desperately to catch one last glimpse of him, but it was in vain. With trembling hands, she buried her face and wept silently, muffling her sobs.

---

“Are you the family member of the victim of the car accident?”

Dozens of minutes had passed. Lost in a daze in the emergency room waiting area, Sa-hee was abruptly brought back to reality by an unfamiliar voice.

“Yes… I am.”

She looked up to see a familiar face—the doctor who had been treating Ji-Hyuk.

Why had he come out instead of calling her in? Pushing down her rising unease, Sa-hee forced herself to stand on her wobbly legs.

“How… how is he…?”

Thump, thump, thump. Her heart began pounding painfully against her chest. Nervous, Sa-hee dug her nails into her tightly clenched hands.

“I’m sorry. He has passed away.”

Dizziness swept over her. Her stomach churned. Sa-hee steadied herself briefly against the wall before looking back at the doctor. His impassive expression made something inside her well up uncontrollably.

“That’s a lie.”

“I truly regret to inform you…”

“Don’t lie to me. I’ll see for myself.”

Brushing past the doctor, Sa-hee rushed into the emergency room. The chaotic scene from earlier had now fallen eerily silent. The stark contrast unsettled her as she took a hesitant step forward, gripping the edge of the closed curtain. If she just pulled it back, she would see him.

Swish—. Biting her lip, she drew the curtain aside. And there it was—a figure covered with a white sheet.

Sa-hee carefully lifted the sheet.

“Ahh…”

There lay Ji-Hyuk, his eyes closed, his face peaceful and composed. He looked as if he were merely asleep.

With trembling hands, Sa-hee gently traced his eyes, nose, and lips before pressing her forehead to his. A faint warmth still lingered on his skin. How could it be that this warmth remained, yet he would never open his eyes again? She couldn’t believe it.

‘Love does not betray faith, nor does it allow separation to come near; 

Neither time nor death can sever the bond forged today, 

For it is destined to endure beyond lifetimes, eternal.’

The words from the wedding sermon just four months ago echoed in her mind. The promise that nothing could ever separate them. But now, after only a few months, he lay lifeless in her arms.

Sa-hee buried her face in Ji-Hyuk’s chest. No longer could she hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.