Seol Ah walked home with Jin-ho every day after school. The other students were convinced they'd become a couple. After all, they spent so much time together, but Jin-ho made it clear he only saw her as a friend.
Before the Chuseok break, Jin-ho led Seol Ah into the woods near their neighborhood.
"Where are we going, Jin Oppa?" Seol Ah asked, following.
He turned to her with a warm smile and reached out his hand, stepping over a stream.
"Do you trust me?" he asked.
Seol Ah paused, lifting her gaze from his hand to his eyes. The humid air wrapped around them, but his question made her heart race. Her lips curved, and she took his hand firmly.
"Yes…"
Jin-ho held her hand and pulled her into his arms, sliding one hand behind her waist. She gasped.
"We're going to my little hideout, where I go when I feel preoccupied," he finally said.
Seol Ah chuckled and slapped his chest.
"You're always doing this! Stop flirting for fun so abruptly," she laughed, pushing him away.
Jin-ho giggled, yet his heart thudded rapidly and secretly. What if… I wasn't doing it for fun? He hurried ahead of her, leading her to the hideout.
As they walked, Seol Ah spotted a mossy hut. She smiled and ran past Jin-ho, looking over her shoulder as she went.
"Is that the place?" she asked.
Jin-ho chuckled and jogged after her.
"Yes."
"Race you!"
"You already started running!"
"I'll get there first!" Seol Ah laughed, her cheeks flaring.
Jin-ho waited until she was a few feet from the hut, then sprinted, brushing past her just before she touched the door. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.
"I win!" he crowed.
"You're a cheater!" she teased. He patted her head as she slowed. Although her cheeks were flushed from running, she secretly enjoyed the touch. "Should've just given me a chance to win…"
He froze, stared at her, then burst into laughter.
"Next time," he promised. "I will let you."
He turned and opened the door for her. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, then stepped inside and examined the hut's interior.
"Wow… did you buy these?" she asked curiously.
He closed the door behind them and sighed in relief.
"Yeah… I took a part-time job before I returned to school," Jin-ho said.
Seol Ah looked at him, eyes bright with fascination.
"Really? Wow! That's amazing," she stated. His lips curved into a smile, and he reached up to brush her nose gently. She frowned. "Hey!"
"Anyone else would've done this… would you think they're amazing, too?" he teased.
She giggled and twirled away.
"No… because they're not Jin Oppa!"
Jin-ho watched her move around the hut and climb the stairs to the loft bed. He followed slowly, his hand sliding along the rail. He couldn't stop staring at her—her happy face held him even when he only saw the back of her head. When she turned with a bright smile, she hurried to the bed and leaped. He laughed from the edge of the mattress.
"You didn't have to jump."
She laughed, crawling toward him and laying her head in his lap. She flinched him with the motion.
"Our break is almost here… should we just stay here?" she asked.
He stared at her, taking in every inch of her face—her eyes, mouth, nose. His heart throbbed as he raised a hand beside her chin, gently caressing her cheek before closing his mouth and smiling.
"Do you want to stay here?"
"Yes… away from everything, and have a little vacation!" she exclaimed.
She stretched her arms as she moved to sit beside him. Before she could say another word, her phone buzzed.
"Oh, let me answer this," she said, pressing the screen. "Omma?"
"Seol Ah, where is Po Lim? She didn't come home!" Yu Young's voice trembled.
Seol Ah swallowed, a lump of fear rising in her throat. Jin-ho turned to look at Seol Ah, the eerie touch tingling under his skin.
"What? What do you mean? Doesn't she usually come home late—?"
"Seol Ah… I saw someone following her a few days ago… I don't know if she's okay."
"Omma, what do you mean someone was following her? Why didn't you tell me—or anyone?"
"Because… I wasn't sure… and today, Po Lim promised to be home on time… she promised me!"
"Omma, calm down… maybe she's just with her friends," Seol Ah tried to reassure her.
Yu Young shook her head, glancing out at the street.
"No… the person who was stalking her is gone… he didn't show up today—"
"Omma! What do you mean? Are you saying Po Lim is in danger?" Seol Ah exclaimed, hurrying down the stairs. Jin-ho followed closely behind her.
"Seol Ah…" Yu Young paused, sniffling into the phone. I can't tell you everything right now… not yet. "Please… find Po Lim. I'm scared she's in danger."
Seol Ah groaned and ended the call, leaving their backpacks behind as she ran. Jin-ho searched around the neighborhood while she went down the other side. Her fists clenched, jaw tight, hoping she would find Po Lim.
"Po Lim… where the fuck are you?" she muttered under her breath.
As Seol Ah scanned the sidewalk, a car beside her flicked a cigarette bud from the window.
The man with the tattoo.
He smirked at her panic.
"Drive," he said coldly.
The driver nodded and moved the car forward.
Unaware of the danger, Po Lim walked up the hill, music blasting in her ears. Just as the song ended and silence fell, the car stopped in front of her. Seol Ah spotted Po Lim at the same time.
"Po Lim!" Seol Ah called, waving.
But then—
Seol Ah froze, catching her reflection in the passenger-side mirror. The man with the tattoo smiled at her before reaching for a gun, aiming it at Po Lim through the window.
A chill ran down Seol Ah's spine as she gasped. The noises from the outside world faded from her ears as her focus settled on Po Lim alone.
"Po Lim! Dodge!" she yelled.
Po Lim froze, pulling out one earbud and turning to see the car with its front tinted black.
BAM.
The car screeched and skidded away as Seol Ah ran to grab Po Lim. Po Lim stared at the sky while being on the ground, hyperventilating. The gunshot itself wasn't her main concern—questions churned in her mind as she slowly turned to face Seol Ah.
Blood spread across the sidewalk, pooling from the gunshot wound on Po Lim's shoulder.
Seol Ah pressed her frantic hands against it, desperately trying to stop the flow. Tears streamed down her face before Jin-ho arrived. Without a word, he grabbed his phone, called an ambulance, and helped Po Lim to the hospital immediately.
At the hospital, Po Lim's wound was cleaned and bandaged after the bullet was removed. She whimpered, terrified by the ordeal, crying as much as she could. Yu Young entered the room, comforting her. Seol Ah stood nearby, silently crying.
"Omma… I'm sorry… I should have stopped it before this happened," Seol Ah whispered, blaming herself.
Yu Young shook her head gently.
"Seol Ah… thank you for making sure she's still here. That's what matters most," she said. Seol Ah lowered her head, mourning in silence.
Po Lim frowned, glaring at Seol Ah. Rage blurred Po Lim's mind. It was definitely your fault! If you had never lied about being our family!
When Seol Ah exhaled and walked toward her, Po Lim clenched her fists. Seol Ah lifted her hand toward her sister—
"Get out of here! You're a fucking curse! You're not even my real sister, you liar!"