It must be cold.?

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It would be cold.?

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I knew it all too well because I’ve been through it.?

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After looking at the black river for a long time, I took a step back.?

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I slowly took off my shoes and the rain-soaked ground touched my feet.?

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I also put very small baby shoes next to mine.?

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Raindrops kept falling on my face.?

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“…”?

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I looked down at the two pairs of shoes and the black river that ran beneath them.?

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That river was cold and dark. To think that the dead would be at peace was only a way for me to justify my pain. Because that river would remain dark indefinitely.?

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“Dad, Mom, Seo-yeon hyung.”?

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My voice was so awkward when I called them. It was unfamiliar because it had been so long since I spoke out the words father, mother, and brother’s name.?

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Now just… I tried to imagine that they would be at ease. I would imagine that they wished for my future to be pleasant and happy.?

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It took me too long to make this decision.?

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I took one step forward. I straightened my back and held two pairs of shoes in my hands.?

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…Goodbye.?

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First, I dropped my shoes into the cold river. There was no sound because of the rain.?

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Then, when it was the turn of the baby shoes that were as small as the palm of my hand, I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.?

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All I could do was say goodbye to Kongkongi, who came to me unprepared and left after suffering.?

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Goodbye.?

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Small shoes also fell silently and disappeared into the black river.?

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I put my hand on the railing and looked down for a long time.?

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Wavy black water… The black river that always came suddenly and bothered me.?

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It was ridiculously far from here.?

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And…sometimes it was as close as it was right in front of me.?

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It was then.?

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Squeak!?

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I heard the sound of a car slipping. It was the sound of an engine that was full of urgency.?

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I turned to the side where the sound came from to see if there had been an accident in the rain. A black car was sliding and speeding.?

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My heart sank coldly the moment I realized it was similar to Choi Sung-hoon’s car. ?

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My eyes followed the car with anxiety. The car slid and collided with a guard rail 200 to 300 meters ahead. It was loud enough to sound like an explosion to my ears.?

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I hurriedly ran barefoot.?

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The car was the same model as Choi Sung-hoon’s.?

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The person in Yangju would not be passing through here at this time, but the person in that car must be someone’s family.?

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As I ran in the rain, my face became increasingly distorted.?

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It was a familiar license plate.?

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No… Please no.?

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My heart was on the verge of stopping.?

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When I approached, the front part was completely distorted, and smoke rose from the damaged part.?

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“Please…”?

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It was darkly tinted and the inside was invisible. While knocking on the driver’s window by calling Choi Sung-hoon’s name, I pulled the handle just in case, and the door opened. Choi Sung-hoon was groaning between the exploding airbag and the seat.?

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“Hey, get a hold of yourself. Wake up!”?

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I patted him on the shoulder. I wanted to get him out of the car, but I couldn’t move him carelessly because I was afraid he was injured somewhere.?

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Choi Sung-hoon couldn’t come to his senses.?

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I didn’t bring my phone, so I reached into Choi Sung-hoon’s pocket and took out his cell phone. I urgently called for help, and Choi Sung-hoon awoke with a groan. Choi Sung-hoon tightened his grip on my wrist as soon as I met his black eyes met.?

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“Seo-yu.”?

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“Choi, Choi Sung-hoon ssi.  Are you all right? Are you awake?”?

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“…You.”?

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“Are you crazy… How can you drive so fast on a rainy day? You almost died. I thought you were going to die!”?

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“…”?

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Choi Sung-hoon escaped between the airbag and the seat on his own, and he kept holding my wrist. He hugged me as soon as he got out of the car.?

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Choi Sung-hoon must have been surprised a lot. But he wouldn’t have been as surprised as I was.?

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The guardrail had crumpled completely. Without the guardrail, the car could have fallen right over into a cold black river.?

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I rested my head on Choi Sung-hoon’s shoulder and hugged him tightly.?

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Even I couldn’t tell if the stream of water running down my cheeks was rain or tears.?

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I took a deep breath to calm myself down.?

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When I got out of his arms, Choi Sung-hoon looked at me with anxious eyes. He didn’t let go of my wrist. I couldn’t tell him to let go because he was holding me like a lost child.?

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“You have to look around to see if there’s anything strange or hurtful. You crashed so hard…”?

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“I think I hurt my ankle.”?

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“Stay still. An ambulance will be here soon.”?

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I looked around his body. There was no external bleeding. I felt Choi Sung-hoon’s gaze was chasing mine. When our gazes locked, I noticed that the emotions swirling in his eyes were not those of anxiety, but of anger.?

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Why… Why were you angry??

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I should be the one who was angry right now.?

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“What’s the reason?”?

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Choi Sung-hoon, who was staring at me silently, spit out anger in the form of a series of questions.?

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“Why?”?

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“What was lacking? Speak so I can fix it.”?

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“What are you talking about? Explain it so that I can understand!”?

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“…You said you were going to say goodbye.”?

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“That’s why I came here to say my final goodbye. What’s wrong with you? Why are you driving so erratically in the rain? Did you go insane and want to die?”?

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My heart screamed as it beat violently after yet another accident on the bridge. I also wanted to scream out loud. But I was barely holding back my anger and frustration for someone who would have been more embarrassed than I was.?

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“That’s why you’ve come here.”?

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Cold rainwater ran down Choi Sung-hoon’s hard forehead. I stood there watching the stream of water run over his scarred cheek.?

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“By the time I safely stopped the car and ran down, you’d already jump off and be gone. You would not have come if I hadn’t done this.”?

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“…”?

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It took me a while to understand what he was saying.?

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I lost my strength in despair. Choi Sung-hoon said he had a coat in his car and went to get it and told me to sit on it as I sank down on the floor. Nonetheless, he did not let go of my wrist. The wrist in his hand complained of pain.?

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“What kind of misunderstanding did you have…”?

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I lowered my head. Choi Sung-hoon breathed violently, “Is it a misunderstanding?”?

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An ambulance siren could be heard from a distance at that time. Choi Sung-hoon and I remained silent until the rescuers arrived.?

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* * *?

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Choi Sung-hoon requested to see Professor Chae, the doctor, so the ambulance diverted from the hospital he was supposed to visit.?

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I couldn’t trust a traffic accident patient to go to an obstetrician working at an Omega center, but Choi Sung-hoon insisted on Professor Chae, so I couldn’t say no.?

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After midnight, the doctor rushed to see Choi Sung-hoon and stated that no injuries had occurred. I didn’t like it because it seemed hastily diagnosed because there was no blood on the outside and everything was fine.?

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I looked at the doctor, who told me that I should stay in the hospital room for a while because I was fine.?

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“Excuse me, please take a look properly. It was an accident that completely destroyed the front of the car.”?

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“Really? You’re so strong…”?

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“You hurt your ankle, right Choi Sung-hoon ssi?”?

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“Ankle…?”?

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“Yes, his ankle-.”?

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“I was hurt.”?

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Choi Sung-hoon strongly continued my words.?

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“I hurt my right ankle. It’s hard to move around.”?

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“Ah… Yes… Ankle, yes… Looking back, it looks like it’s swollen…”?

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It was said to be throbbing and difficult to move, but the quack doctor’s reaction remained dull. I really don’t like this person. After a cursory examination, he suspected a fracture and ordered an X-ray before diagnosing it with a half cast.?

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Choi Sung-hoon told me to look check myself before taking an X-ray.  I refused because I was not injured and was fine, but Choi Sung-hoon asked me to roll up my sleeve.?

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“Oh, my. Did you bump into something big? There’s a big bruise.”?

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My wrist was swollen with a dark bruise. It was because Choi Sung-hoon held it too tightly. There was a huge handprint, but the doctor pretended not to know.?

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While Choi Sung-hoon was wearing a cast after an X-ray examination, I showered briefly and entered the hospital room first. Then I lay down on the bed, waiting for Choi Sung-hoon.?

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I could see what misunderstanding he had.?

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It was expected that he would drive so fast in shock.?

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I placed a hand on my chest.?

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My heart, which was still pounding furiously, accurately expressed my emotions. If Choi Sung-hoon had a serious accident… I wouldn’t have been able to bear it any longer.?

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I was relieved that it ended with only his ankle injury. I was glad.?

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Aside from his misunderstanding, I should scold him. So he never ever did that again… Really… Never did that again.