SELA - 4

Splash splash splash—

The sound of water filling the bathtub brought a strange sense of calm. Leaning against the wall, Sa-hee watched silently as the tub filled before finally turning off the faucet. The water brimmed and rippled gently.

Still in her pajamas, she sank into the tub. Water overflowed onto the floor. Through the rising steam, her expression looked distant, almost vacant.

“Disgusting...”

Cheol-woo’s voice still echoed in her ears. It wasn’t just strangers; even her last remaining family member saw her only as someone to be measured by money or survival. She felt humiliated, shamed, and guilty—guilty for making Ji-hyuk’s memory a topic of gossip.

Taking a deep breath, Sa-hee wiped her face with her wet hands. Her face, dripping with water, seemed devoid of spirit.

“I’m so tired…”

Sa-hee wanted to let go of everything. Her body felt limp, the prejudiced world exhausting, and life without Ji-hyuk meaningless. That’s why she released her grip on the edge of the tub.

In a state of surrender, she slowly submerged herself underwater. Gurgle gurgle, the sound of water filled her ears, and soon her body began to feel suffocated. As she sank completely beneath the surface, she thought of Ji-hyuk—the peaceful, serene face she had seen when they lifted the white cloth.

Her breath grew shorter, but Sa-hee didn’t move. She just wanted to linger a little longer, thinking of him.

---

“Hah…”

Sa-hee gasped for air as she opened her eyes. Cool air rushed into her lungs.

“This place…”

Where was she? The high ceiling, the elegant finishing touches, the chandelier—it all felt unfamiliar.

Her heart still pounding, Sa-hee blinked, trying to recall what had happened. No matter how hard she tried, the memories wouldn’t come.

After lying there blankly for a moment, she pressed her hand to her forehead and slowly sat up. As the blanket slid down, she realized she was completely naked beneath it. Sunlight illuminated her bare chest.

Embarrassed, she pulled the blanket up to her collarbone and looked around. Curtained windows, a table and chairs, a TV, and a lit hallway—all unmistakably indicated this was a hotel room. But why was she here? And when had she arrived?

As Sa-hee struggled to piece together her fragmented memories, she sensed movement beside her.

Startled, she turned to see a lump under the blanket next to her. Someone else was there.

How could she have ended up in a hotel, naked, with no memory of it? Had she done something reckless?

Biting her lower lip, Sa-hee hesitantly reached out. Who could it be? Who would make her do such a crazy thing? Slowly, she pulled back the blanket.

“Ah…”

But Sa-hee couldn’t speak or react. Frozen, she could only stare at the reality before her.

There lay Ji-hyuk, sleeping peacefully and quietly.

Her eyes quickly welled up with tears. Overflowing, they streamed down her cheeks as she hesitated to touch him, instead tracing his features lightly with her fingertips.

From his handsome forehead to his well-defined eyebrows, deep-set eyes, high nose bridge, neat lips, and strong jawline—his entire silhouette radiated familiarity.

Even just tracing his outline, her fingertips felt warmth. Proof that he was alive and breathing. But how could that be? Ji-hyuk was dead, and the funeral was over.

Was this a dream? Or had she died too?

Beep beep beep.

While Sa-hee was lost in confusion, a faint sound came from somewhere nearby.

Beep beep beep.

Listening closely, she recognized its source. Rising from the bed, she loosely wrapped herself in a robe and followed the sound.

Under the bed were scattered clothes, underwear, and bags. Avoiding them, she traced the noise to her familiar bag, where her phone vibrated incessantly.

“Mom?”

Checking the screen, Sa-hee’s eyes widened in disbelief. It read, “Beloved Mom.”

Though it wasn’t unusual for parents to call their children, Sa-hee’s mother had passed away two years ago. She had even deleted her number. So how…?

With trembling hands, she pressed the answer button and slowly brought the phone to her ear.

- Hello? Is this Yoon Sa-hee?

“Yes, it’s me. Who’s calling?”

- This is H Hospital in Mokwondong. Your mother collapsed on the street and was brought here.

“…”

- Hello?

“Yes.”

- We’re contacting the guardian to confirm.

“This is H Hospital in Mokwondong, right?”

- Yes, the emergency room.

“Is the patient named Kim…?”

- Kim Yang-sun.

A chill ran down Sa-hee’s spine as goosebumps covered her body. That was her mother’s name. And suddenly, the memory of a similar incident came flooding back. Her mother had collapsed on the street due to anemia and been rushed to the hospital. On that day, just like now, she had received the call the morning after spending the night with Ji-hyuk.

The déjà vu-like familiarity made Sa-hee rush to the window. Pulling back the curtains, the sprawling view of Seoul greeted her. This was the famous A Hotel downtown—the very place where she and Ji-hyuk had first shared a bed. Could it be?

Picking up the phone from the table, she checked the date.

“This can’t be real.”

The date showed exactly two years earlier.

Sa-hee’s hand trembled as she clutched the phone. Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned around. Ji-hyuk still lay peacefully asleep on the bed, as if nothing had happened.

Only Sa-hee was pale with shock, unsure of what to do.

‘Alright. I’ll grant your wish.’

‘I’ll let you meet your husband again.’

Suddenly, a voice flashed through her mind—the mysterious man she’d met in the rainstorm. She had thought him either mad or simply mocking her, but now his words seemed undeniably true. Nothing else could explain this situation.

“Haha…”

An incredulous laugh escaped her lips. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the bed.

On her 29th birthday, her husband had died.

When she had given up on life, overwhelmed by grief, she woke up to find herself two years in the past.

Everything was real—not a dream, not an illusion. In this overwhelmingly shocking reality, only one question burned in her mind:

Does this even make sense?

Climbing back onto the bed, Sa-hee moved closer to Ji-hyuk. He was lying on his side, facing her direction, sound asleep.

“Mr. Ji-hyuk… Ji-hyuk…”

Just as she reached out to wake him, her hand froze mid-air. If this truly was two years ago, and if this was “that night”—the first time they had spent the night together—then their relationship was nothing more than that of a boss and his secretary. At best, it might be considered an accidental one-night stand.

Realizing this, Sa-hee withdrew her hand. She doubted he would believe anything she tried to explain. The most she could hope for was avoiding being fired with a comment like, “Secretary Yoon must have lost her mind from overwork.”

“…”

After gazing at his sleeping face for a moment, Sa-hee made up her mind. She picked up some clothes scattered around—hers mixed with his—and headed toward the walk-in closet.

Entering the dimly lit, wood-toned dressing room, she quickly removed her robe and started putting on her underwear.

A quick glance in the mirror revealed her body covered in vivid red marks. Even her wrists and ankles bore traces of last night’s passion. Checking further, she noticed remnants of intimacy still lingering on her inner thighs. Blushing furiously, Sa-hee glanced around, found some tissues, and hurriedly wiped away the evidence, rubbing her skin until it was clean.

Once satisfied that her inner thighs were free of any trace, she took a deep breath and began dressing. There was no time to waste.

Seeing Ji-hyuk with her own eyes had been one confirmation. Now, there was just one more thing she needed to verify to truly believe she had returned to two years ago—that everything was exactly as it had been back then.

Sa-hee resolved to visit her mother immediately.