49.

It was a new day.

The sun was shining, it was like every other typical day.

But Sohyun didn't feel like it was.

She felt, something wrong. Something was about to happen. Something bad.

As usual, she went to work, met Kris, had lunch, and yea, that's pretty much about it.

Until they received a new case.

They arrived at the crime scene, at the back alley of a bar.

"Our client claims that on the day of the murder, he was throwing the rubbish out at the back alley, when all of a sudden, he saw a man lying unconscious on the floor. The next minute he was knocked out and when he woke up, he was holding onto the knife that is the murder weapon," Sohyun read aloud the statement in the document.

"Whether he is guilty or not, we took the case, we need to help him. Our client is always innocent and in the eyes of the law only the judge can convict him, alright?" Kris said.

Sohyun smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir."

Kris bent down and when he turned, he saw a shoe at the corner of his eye.

He immediately stood up and squinted his eyes. The shoe retreated behind the wall where he was hiding.

"What's wrong?" Sohyun asked. Kris pointed a finger at the wall and walked closer.

Before he could even catch a glimpse behind the wall, he was dealt with a heavy blow on his chest by the man and he escaped.

Sohyun quickly held Kris up.

"He may be the murderer, we can't let him go!" Kris quickly said as he stood up and immediately started running after him.

"Kris! Don't! He may be armed!" Sohyun shouted but it was too late, both Kris and the man were already no longer in sight.

Kris clutched his chest, controlled his breathing before picking up speed to catch the man.

He squinted as he saw the man, running past the crowd, pushing his way through before entering a building and Kris followed.

He ran up the stairs, and when he looked up, he saw the man a few storeys above him, looking down at him with a hoodie and a mask covering his face. The man quickly broke eye contact and ran even faster.

Kris gulped.

He saw those pair of eyes. That glare. It was somebody he knew.

Kris ran up to the the rooftop, and he scanned the area.

Suddenly, he was attacked from behind, a large wooden pole struck him at the back and he fell forward.

He quickly turned and was hit in his stomach.

He placed both of his fists in front of his face, a shield that could defend him temporarily.

He saw his chance and quickly grabbed the pole, throwing it away and he reached for the mask, pulling it away and revealing the man's face.

Sohyun took in deep breaths, before she continued running up the stairs. When she reached the rooftop, she saw the man, pulling out a dagger behind him and her eyes widened in shock. "Don't!"

But it was too late, Kris was stabbed in the chest and he collapsed.

Sohyun screamed and she immediately rushed towards Kris' side. She cupped his face, tears trickling down her cheeks and she sobbed.

"Kris.." she whispered, sniffing and she looked down at his wound, at the dagger that pierced his heart. "No,, No.. No.. Kris, don't go," she whispered.

But Kris was already slipping into unconscious.

Then, she looked up at the man and her eyes widened in shock. "Jiho.."

She looked down at Kris once more and she squeezed her eyes shut, the tears staining her face as she held Kris towards her body, placing his face near her chest.

"Jiho! Why!" she screamed. "Kris didn't do anything to you, why must you harm him.." she croaked, her voice broke.

He smirked. "Because of you," he said.

She looked up at him, with a puzzled look on her face.

"Because of your kindness, because you were lenient on me, you let me off. Because of your pure heart, killed your love one, and not you. Your kindness has also brought you pain and torture. I won't kill you, but I won't spare any of your love ones. You'll see yourself in torture everyday," he said before putting his hoodie back on.

"You're sick, you're sick!" she screamed, holding onto Kris and she cried.

She thought of Jiho's words.

Is it true? Does treating kindness to someone that done you wrong really harmed you, and also people around you? Seeing people being dragged down because of your kindness, you could only blame yourself for being so lenient.

You could only blame yourself for not being strong, for not being cold blooded.

Sohyun stared at the window, the barrier between Kris and her.

She placed her hand on the glass,the tears started to come back.

Sohyun couldn't stand seeing Kris in coma, in pain, having put in the ICU with so many machines beside him and yet she couldn't do anything. What hurt her the most was the fact that she indirectly hurt Kris by helping Jiho in the first place.

"Jiho, it was Jiho," she said.

Tao looked up at her. "You met Jiho? It was Jiho that stabbed Kris?!" he raised his voice a little higher.

"Jiho told me it was because of me that Kris is in such a state. He said he went for Kris and not me, because.. because.."

"It's not your fault. No one wanted it to happen. Jiho is finding an excuse to push the blame to you, which is entirely ridiculous," BT said, his hands on his granddaughter's shoulders, and he turned her around. "Listen to me Sohyun, Kris doesn't want to see you in this state. What he needs the most now is you. You to be beside him to overcome the ordeal, you can't just give up," he softened. "Don't always put the blame on yourself whenever things go wrong, granddaughter."

Sohyun let the final tear drop down and she hugged BT tightly. "I won't. We have many things to do for Kris. And Kris wants me to focus, I won't let him down. I won't," she whispered, closing her eyes.

No matter whether it was Sohyun's fault, or Jiho's fault, Sohyun would find Jiho and bring him to justice that is the only thing she can do to redeem herself, and to help Kris.

Seeing Kris lying unconscious on the hospital bed broke Sohyun's heart, and she knew she can't just weep everyday, she had to be even stronger when Kris is not at her side, she needs to carry on.

As long as there's hope, she won't give up.

6 weeks passed.

Kris has been in and out of the ICU for 6 weeks. 

Kris' heart was getting weaker, with bacteria invading his heart, it was hard for him to stay strong.

But it was as if he could feel Sohyun's presence beside him, which continued him to fight, fighting the endless battle.

And it has also been 2 weeks after Jiho has been caught by the police.

Running and hiding made his life so miserable and pathetic that he was found fighting food with a dog by the police, which marked the end of his fugitive life.

When Sohyun visited him, he looked so haggard, so tired of living that Sohyun could almost see his life coming to an end, because it was as if his heart was dead. He was no different from a dead person living in this world.

And that 2 weeks, was when Sohyun could finally put the burden down, when she could stop living in fear.

Sohyun and Tao walked back home, they didn't want to take the cab nor Tao's car, they didn't want to rush into anything. They wanted everything to pass by slowly. They wanted time to pass slowly.

They landed themselves at the park near their houses, and they took a seat at the bench.

"How was Kris today?" Tao asked.

Sohyun smiled. "The doctor said he's getting better. Though he is still in coma, but his condition is stable, he should be waking up soon," she said. *I hope.*

"For these past 6 weeks," he paused. Should he say it? "Have you, felt lonely?"

Sohyun closed her eyes. She was about to break down.

That word, lonely...

Yea, of course she felt lonely.

"I often asked God why must Kris be in coma, why can't I be in coma? Why must he be the one that must suffer on behalf on me? Walking around aimlessly or at work without him beside him for 6 weeks is a torture. We were preparing to get married and yet such thing happened to him. I find it really hard to handle. And once I even thought of commiting suicide if he really dies, because this was how much Kris meant to me," her voice cracked and she took in a breath shakily before putting on a strong smile.

"Then I realized, it's a test for both of us. It's a test for me to be stronger. And I have to be strong, I always rely on my family members, rely on Kris. But this time I have to rely on myself, if I die what will happen to BT and unnie? I can't be irresponsible and leave everything incompleted," she spoke.

She looked up at Tao, seeing Tao in a daze in his own thoughts. "Tao, and it is also a test for you. Hyomin is gone, you have to be strong too. You have to be over it. Pick yourself up and move on. All you might know, the girl that you need may be right in front of your eyes, she might be the one at the ice cream truck giving out ice cream to children. You can't shut yourself with others. You have to let go." Sohyun slowly pried open Tao's fists.

Sohyun's words hit him hard. It was true. He didn't let go of Hyomin despite the numerous times he claimed he had.

Kris. Kris' life on the line made Sohyun understand, and made Tao wake up from his delusional mind that he needs to move on. 

And he did.

Tao spoke. "As long as you have a heartbeat, you can't lose, right?" he said. Sohyun smiled and nodded, giving him a big hug. "Thank you, Sohyun, I will."

-----

Guys I have a feeling this story is going to end soon..........................................

NOOOOOOOOO

I started writing this story last Dec and it's almost a year, and it's ending... CRIES.

Thank you to those who have supported up till now, thank you for commenting, upvoting. Really appreciate because it really brightens up my day to see readers reading my story and enjoying it! 

And sorry for this wordy chapter, it's more of telling readers out there who are having some difficulties in life to never give up! It is just a test for endurance and perserverance for greater things in the future that will bring you to more success and to help you stand up again! It's always okay in the end, if it's not okay, it's not the end. :) Sorry for being so cliche ><

xoxo to all readers out there I love you!