SELA - 57

As the wind blew, dust rose from the collapse site. People reached out towards the bodies carried on stretchers, feeling the despair, sorrow, and horror that permeated the air. Ji-hyuk did the same.

“Are you sure you want to see this?”

Just as Ji-hyuk’s fingertips barely touched the white cloth, someone grabbed his wrist and asked.

Who is it? Who could it be? Why does he keep trying to stop me?

Turning his head, more puzzled than angry, Ji-hyuk finally saw “him.” A man who was the only one excited in a scene filled with tragedy.

The unfamiliar man was staring at Ji-hyuk with a smiling face. Ji-hyuk intuitively knew that it wouldn’t be good to get close to him.

Without thinking further, Ji-hyuk shook off the man’s hand and lifted the white cloth.

The moment the body’s face was revealed beneath the lifted white cloth...

Gasp... !

Ji-hyuk opened his eyes, breathing heavily. The ceiling spun once.

It was all a dream. A dream. Despite the belated relief, Ji-hyuk frowned at the throbbing headache. Cold sweat was dripping from his forehead as he rubbed his face.

Sitting up, Ji-hyuk felt his heart still pounding. Huff, no matter how deeply he breathed, he couldn’t calm down easily. It seemed to be because of the scene he had seen right before waking up.

“Yoon Sa-hee...”

The pale figure of Sa-hee lying under the white cloth... Under the white cloth that Ji-hyuk had lifted, Sa-hee’s body lay. Her face, composed as if she were just asleep, was still vivid in his mind.

“Damn it.”

A curse suddenly escaped his lips. This endless dream had been tormenting him, and now it had even brought Sa-hee into it, burning his insides. He couldn’t understand what it was trying to tell him.

He could concede that the dream was repeating due to his emotional state. But why did Sa-hee appear like that at the end? There was no reason. No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason for it. Ji-hyuk felt disgusted.

Naturally, he couldn’t fall back asleep. Sitting still only made the same thoughts spin in his head, so he finally got up to wash.

Passing through the living room, Ji-hyuk paused. What caught his attention was the large window reflecting the quietly sleeping city.

Sa-hee often stood there. Seeing her image superimposed like a mirage, Ji-hyuk slowly closed and opened his eyes. If she could appear like a miracle, even for a blink of an eye... He gave a bitter laugh, amused by his own absurd thoughts.

Turning away, he headed to the bathroom. Soon, the sound of the door closing echoed, leaving only silence in the living room.

It was just barely dawn outside.

It seemed he needed to consult with Jun-young. Ji-hyuk decided to delay going to work and visit the hospital first.

On his way to the psychiatric clinic, Ji-hyuk called Sa-hee. It was to discuss adjusting her schedule. However, for some reason, Sa-hee didn’t answer.

Ji-hyuk tapped the steering wheel with his long fingers and pressed the call button again. This time, the ringing tone was long too. Finally, someone answered.

• Hello?

But it wasn’t Sa-hee’s voice. It was a man.

“Is this Yoon Sa-hee’s phone?”

• Yes, it is. Shin... Director Ji-hyuk? Is that you? Your name shows up here. Hello, I’m Lee Seo-won. We’ve met a few times.

“Lee Seo-won?”

• Her student.

Ji-hyuk made a short, indifferent “ah” sound.

“But why do you have Secretary Yoon’s phone?”

• I wonder.

Seo-won replied with a hint of laughter in his voice. Ji-hyuk ran his hand through his hair. His face was expressionless.

“Put Secretary Yoon on the phone.”

• Hmm. She’s not here right now. Tell me what you want to say, and I’ll pass it on.

“Are you telling me to discuss work-related matters with a third party?”

• Sounds like you’re telling me to mind my own business.

“You’re smarter than you look. If you understand, put Secretary Yoon on the phone.”

• You have no sense.

“What?”

• What else could it mean when a man other than the owner answers the phone early in the morning?

Ji-hyuk’s jaw muscles slowly tightened as he looked out the window.

• You understand, right? I’ll tell her to call you when she comes out.

Ji-hyuk hung up without replying. He couldn’t suppress the sinking feeling in his stomach and the heat rising in his body. His gaze, fixed straight ahead, turned fierce.

She’s not at work and she’s with that kid at this hour? Should I believe this or not? With a cold face, he increased his speed. Then, with a growling sound like a beast, Ji-hyuk’s car sped away, weaving dangerously through the surrounding vehicles.

________________________________________

“Aren’t you going to work?”

“I took a half-day off.”

“Okay, I’m leaving first. Have breakfast before you go.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Sa-hee waved goodbye to Joo-ri and walked around the living room, trying to call someone. But it was the umpteenth time, and she couldn’t reach him, making her anxious.

“Hey! Lee Seo-won! Are you trying to get in trouble? Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

Sa-hee, who was about to sit on a chair because her legs hurt, straightened up when the other person answered. Her voice naturally grew louder, unable to be contained.

• I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose...

“Okay, I know you didn’t do it on purpose. But I’ve called you so many times... Why does your voice sound like that?”

She was about to scold him, but his voice sounded weak. In fact, it was barely a whisper. Sa-hee, who had been worked up, immediately lost her energy.

• I’m sick, Teacher...

“You were fine yesterday. What are you talking about?”

• It’s true. I’m on the verge of death.

“Are you lying?”

• I was assaulted last night.

“What? Where are you?”

Sa-hee, who was getting water from the refrigerator, dropped the water bottle in surprise. The plastic bottle fell with a thud and rolled heavily forward.

• J Hotel, room 2105.

“You, you stay there. I’ll be right there.”

Sa-hee, pushing her disheveled hair back, hurriedly started changing her clothes. Then she grabbed a random bag and left the house.

“Taxi! Taxi!”

Fortunately, Sa-hee caught a taxi right away, told the driver J Hotel, and breathed heavily. For a moment, she wondered why she was rushing so much, but then she convinced herself, “Oh, it’s for my only student.”

In fact, she had to see Seo-won today anyway, even if he wasn’t injured. She had left her phone in his car on the way home last night.

Sa-hee, who thought she had simply lost her phone, was relieved to hear a familiar voice answering her call. She thought she could find it easily since it was someone she knew. But she never imagined he would cause her so much trouble by not answering his phone.

When she rang the bell, the door opened immediately, as if he had been waiting.

“You.”

“It’s true.”

“Who did this to you?”

“Please come in first.”

Seo-won pulled Sa-hee into the room with his only good arm. Sa-hee, who entered the room, looked at Seo-won standing by the closed door. His lip was split, his arm was in a cast, and he looked tired.

“What happened? You were fine when I left you last night.”

“Ah, yes. That’s how it happened.”

“Did you fight with your friends? How could you get into a fight like this?”

Seo-won narrowed his eyes slightly at the implicit condescension. He walked past Sa-hee and sat on the sofa.

“I didn’t fight with my friends. And even if I did, do I look like the kind of person who would just take it?”

Sa-hee, sitting across from Seo-won, shook her head as if to say he was right. Unlike the weakling he was as a student, the grown-up college athlete Lee Seo-won wasn’t someone who would get beaten up.

“Then what is it? Who did this? You should report it. Look at your face... And what about your arm?”

“I can’t report it.”

“Why? Why can’t you?”

“It’s my father. He’s the one who did this to me.”

“Your father?”

His father, whom Sa-hee had met a few times during Seo-won’s tutoring days, was a well-built man with a bright impression. He was always kind to Sa-hee, saying she had worked hard, leaving her with good memories. He didn’t seem like the type to resort to violence. What happened?

“We had a disagreement. I want to continue playing sports, but he wants me to quit and focus on studying.”

“But still...”

“He’s been telling me to take over his business for a long time. I’ve always told him I don’t want to. It finally blew up. Usually, I avoid conflict or back down, but this time I kept saying no.”

“But he hit you hard enough to break your arm?”

“He was trying to scare me and swung a golf club in anger. I raised my arm to block it, and ‘bam!’ That’s it. It’s not broken, just fractured.”

“You’re something else.”

“I have a three-week prognosis. It hurts, Teacher.”

Seo-won’s voice quickly turned whiny, and he made a crying face. Sa-hee sighed, as if she couldn’t handle him.

“Your lip is injured too. Did you put medicine on it?”

“No. It’ll heal quickly.”

“Heal quickly, my foot. Wait here.”

“Where are you going! Teacher! You’re not leaving me, are you?”

Seo-won shouted at Sa-hee’s back as she turned to leave the room. He was afraid she would just leave him there, injured. Sa-hee disappeared without a word.