Suzy was walking down the shore when her stomach began to growl. It was a long day and she was starving. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a piece of paper and started to curse herself. Being in a foreign place with foreign language and foreign people... let alone on how to buy some food, she even not able to read the directions. All those korean words were like irregular pictures dominated with lines, round and boxes shapes. She started to think towards her days ahead. How can she be able to survive here? 

She threw her things onto the clean white sand before laying down to take a rest for a moment. Suddenly, from an unknown direction, a small object was thrown away and hit right to her head. She was so surprised as she jumped out of her position and rubbed her innocent head. What is that? Today definitely is not her day! Her eyes wandered around and found something sticking out among the sparkling white sands. Out of curiosity, she crawled towards the small object and gasped...

“A ring???”, she widened her eyes.

Without any hesitation, she reached the ring that almost burried in between the sand and stared at it deeply. It looks really sparkling beautiful as it exposed by the dusk. She rubbed it onto her shirt to clean it up and tried it on her finger. She kept admiring the ring which now safely attached on her finger. Again she wandered her eyes to search for anybody who seems looking for any missing ring. That’s the time where her eyes fixed on a figure of a man who was walking into the sea. She hissed in surprise...

“What is he doing? A suicide? Are you kidding me??”

◆※◆

GD sat alone in a very quiet part of the beach. He stared blankly towards the sea with mournful eyes. He couldn’t even describe what he felt at that moment… confused? Disoriented? Sad?

His memory flied back to the happy times together with Im Yoona, his beloved one for five years. To him, Yoona is the only woman who can understand him as a while, the only one who can convinced him to continue their relationship to the next stage. But, what was actually happening? What has he done to her? Why did she betray him? Was his love not enough for her? Or else? Or else? Thousands or else lingered on his mind.

His stared at the ring which he was supposed to put on Yoona’s finger last night as his eyes filled with angry tears. He laughed desperately.

“GD! You stupid bastard!”, he shouted out loud before he threw the ring away, out of his sight… forever...

The dawn began to fall. He pulled out his shirt and ran into the cold water. The only thing he wanted to do now is to cool off his burning head. Only cold water… very cold water can sooth his angry feelings right now…

“Bastard GD! Forget about Im Yoona!”, he shouted to the wide sea. The sound of the waves swallowed his words without any trails. “Forget about Im Yoona!”, he shouted harder.

◆※◆

Suzy ran up towards the suicidal guy she saw just now. Without thinking twice, she pulled him up and dragged him towards the coast. The guy was startled and accidentally fell down, making it as if he tried to rebel and really wanted to die. Out of her breath, Suzy finally succeeded in dragging him towards the shore.

He panted heavily as he rested helplessly on the coast. Suzy was pissed off as he threw herself besides him. Not long after, the guy gathered his breath and yelled at her.

“Are you crazy!?”, the guy shouted in Korean. “You wanted to kill me?”

Suzy glared back to the guy. Even though she didn’t understand any single word he said, but she definitely knew, it wasn’t a praise either.

“What kind of a person are you?”, Suzy replied in English, “Let alone a single thanks! You even shouted at me! It would be better if I just let you die! You bastard!”

The guy stared back at her from head to toe.

“What!”, she yelled, pissed off.

“You are not Korean…”, the guy softened, still speaking in Korean.

“Are you swearing at me?”, Suzy flared.

The guy smiled, “I said, are you not a Korean?”

“You can speak English?”, now it was her turn to gasp.

“A little…”, he still analyzing her from head to toe, "You are not a Korean…”, he kept saying the same thing.

“Of course I’m not a Korean! If I’m a Korean, I already shouted at you in Korean!”, she grumbled.

“Wow…”

“ Wow what? Why are you staring at me like that? Do I look like an alien to you?”

“No… you look like a Korean… that is why…”

“I have Korean blood, but I can’t speak Korean, so what?”

“Do you know that what you did just now is so dangerous, young lady? With that kind of power, you can strangled me to death you know?”

“Me? Dangerous? Strangling you? Are you out of your mind? You’re supposed to thank me because I can stop your suicidal mind! I stop you to do something you’re going to regret later! Bastard! And instead you’re yelling at me!”

“Me? Suicide?”, he laughed out loud.

“What are you laughing at?”

“It seems like you’ve mistaken me, missy”, he continued, “Have you ever seen someone took off their clothes on a suicide attempt?”

It got her thinking for a while, before she protested, “Why didn’t you explain just now?”

“How could I explain to you? You were just pulling me out in a sudden without any warning. It startled me. I fell down and almost choke on the water…”

“So you really weren’t thinking of… suicide?”

“I can’t imagine that much power on that small body of yours…”

“Are you mocking me?”, she rolled her eyes.

“No… It’s a praise…”

Suzy rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“I’m Kwon Ji Yong… but you can call me GD…”

“I’m no one… and you don’t need to call me…”

◆※◆

GD went inside the pojangmacha with a bottle of soju and mineral wanter. He pulled an empty chair in front of Suzy and sat on it.

“What’s with your shades and cap?”, Suzy asked in confusion

“What’s what?”

“Why do you have to wear a shade and a cap at this kind of time? For God sake, it’s already dawn! It’s just weird and… too much… you know?”

“Well… just say that I don’t like people recognizing me…”

“Oh, so you’re an anti-social? Cool… a suicidal plus anti-social! What a great way to make a friend…”

“You’re fun!”

“And you’re not…”, she mockingly answered, “Where’s my food? I’m starving!”

“Be patience! I was just ordering like 5 minutes ago.”, GD snickered and handed her a bottle of water.

“Why do you bring soju and you gave me a bottle of water instead?”

“Why did you have so many questions?”

“Fine…”, she muttered in annoyance.

“How do you know soju?”

“I’m not a Korean, but I’m no stupid, you know?”

“Where do you come from?”

“Long story short… my dad is a Korean, my mom is not! End of discussion!”

“Another wow!”, he was amazed. “Are you always being this straightforward to everyone?”

Suzy nodded slightly. Her eyes were fixed on the drinking GD. GD started to sip the soju cup by cup. It seemed like there was something that bothering his mind, but… who cares! This will be the first and the last time they will ever spend time together in one dining table, so… heck with it!

Not long after, an old lady served their orders to the table. Suzy smiled widely and did a quick prayer before she pulled her stone pot nearer.  

“Oh my God! Kimchi jjigae! My favorite!”

The stone pot was overly heated. Suzy quickly rubbed her finger to her ear for some seconds while muttering something. GD paid attention to her gestures before he finally laughed. He helped her to push the stone pot nearer.

“You even know kimchi jjigae! I can’t believe it!”

Suzy glared back at him, “I told you I’m not a Korean but I’m no stupid, okay?”

She pulled a pocket book from her bag and showed it to him. It was a small Korean food dictionary. GD couldn’t help it but laughed.

“You have a food dictionary? Oh my God!”

“Of course! This is very important! But, anyway, why did you order this kind of hot-soupy food on summer? Wouldn’t it be better for winter? You know... to warm your body?”

GD shook his head in disagreement, “Do you know we have a saying… fight poison with another poison? We often eat hot food on summer to perspire. It’s a good way to expel toxins out.”

“Is that so? So do you eat ice cream on winter time?”

Again, he couldn’t helped it but laughed it out.

“What makes you come here?”, he asked her after he sipped his last drop of soju on his cup.

“And why should I tell you?”, she asked him back.

“Maybe because this is the first and the last day we know each other. Tomorrow, we’ll be going back to become stranger to each other. Don’t you think so?”

“You’re right!”, she nodded in agreement, “Fine... I’ll tell you. I came here to look for my father.”

“Your father? You were separated with your father? Just like in those tear-jerker drama? I can’t believe it…”

“I’m not asking you to believe me. I was just telling you. I don’t care if you believe it or not…”

“Wow… I thought those things only happened on dramas. Seriously, what’s your name?”

“Suzy… Suzy Bae…”

“It’s not that hard to say your name isn’t it?”

“Why did you ask so many questions. My turn! Tell me about your suicide attempt just now…”

“For all the things that’s unholy!!”, he rolled his eyes in disbelief, “How many times I told you! I wasn’t planning to kill myself! Why do you keep thinking that I wanted to kill myself? Do I look that suicidal to you?”

“I can see from the way you finished down the whole bottle of soju, something’s bothering you!”

“You’re just a kid… you won’t understand…”

“Don’t call me a kid!”, Suzy protested.

“Fifteen? Seventeen?”

“It’s none of your business!”

GD laughed and ruffled her hair gently before Suzy was able to brush his hand aside.

“We, adults, have more problems than what you can think of. Soon you’ll understand it…”, he softened his words.

“I am not a kid, okay!”, she yelled in annoyance before she realized all the eyes were staring at both of them.

“Allright… allright!”, he gave up, “I love and hate Im Yoona at the same time! Satisfied?”

“Who is Im Yoona?”

“Why would you ask? You won’t know her either…”

“You’re right…”, she nodded in agreement. “It’s not my business to know anyway…”

Suzy grabbed her water bottle and gulped it down in a sip. That was the time when GD realized Suzy was wearing the ring he threw away on the beach. Without much thought, GD pulled Suzy’s hand towards him. She hissed in surprise.

“What the hell?”

“How did you get this?”

“Get what?”

“This ring!”

Suzy pulled her hand out of GD’s grasp.

“The ring? I found it by the beach”, she replied and tried to pull the ring off her finger.

“I thought I threw that far away!”

“This is yours?”, Suzy asked in confusion, “This supposed to be a girl’s ring…”

GD nodded, “Im Yoona’s… it supposed to be Im Yoona’s…”

The ring seems to be trapped on her finger. Suzy tried so many ways to pull it out but it didn’t work.

“Wait!”, Suzy replied in panic, “I’ll give it back to you. Just help me to pull it out!”

“Never mind… that ring has no meaning anymore. Just keep it.”

“No!”, she protested, “I won’t ever take something that doesn’t belong to me!”

“Just let it be…”

Suzy looked around and found a 24/7 minimarket across the street. She then grabbed her bag in a flash.

“Just wait. I’ll just buy a lotion there. Wait here…”

“Forget it, Suzy…”

Suzy didn’t listen. She ran outside and cross the street without paying attention to her surroundings. Unfortunately, from the opposite way, a motorcycle speeded towards her. Suzy froze there. She closed her eyes, praying that this was just a dream.

◆※◆

GD sat nervously in front of the emergency department. He didn’t know what mistake he had done in the past to make all this unfortunate things fell upon him. He’s having such a bad luck!

It was yesterday when he found out that the girl he loves so much had betrayed him. And today, he was facing a responsibility towards a young girl he barely knew that’s currently lying in an intensive care for a hit-and-run accident that occurred in front of his eyes. Is this some kind of a joke?

How should he explain it? How could he tell the police who are investigating the case? A girl he just met? A friend? What would he say to them? He barely knew her. He didn’t even know where does she came from! Should he tell them the story on how they met before? Suicide attempt? Beach? Are you crazy?

“Heck!”, he was frustrated, “This is getting me crazy!”

GD was cursing his life when his phone rang. Lazily he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“Yeah… it’s GD…”

“Am I speaking with Kwon Ji Yong?”

“Who’s speaking?”

“This is Seoul General Hospital. Yo-”

GD widened his eyes and looked at his screen. He looked around anxiously. How possibly the hospital knew his number? Were they calling on behalf of Suzy? No! That’s impossible. He never gave them his number when he brought Suzy there.

“Hello? Are you there, Sir?”

“Yeah, sorry. I was just a bit busy just now.”, he lied. He was getting nervous second by second.

“We need to confirm whether you know someone named Im Yoona?”

“Yoona?”

He remembered the last time he saw her. It was last night. He was waiting on her porch after he caught her kissing another guy behind the wheel. He told her that it was so stupid that he ever thought he could bring their relationship to the next stage. What has happened after that?

“Do you know Miss Im Yoona?”

“Yeah I do. I just met her last night. What’s happening?”

“We just need to inform you that there’s a patient admitted today by the name of Im Yoona. Based on the report made by her friend, she was found over-dosed on her bed last night. We got your number from-”

Without any hesitation, GD closed the connection and jumped right into his car. Seoul General Hospital! He has to be there…

◆※◆

Morning light began to creep through the sidelines of the curtain covering the window. Suzy slowly opened her eyes. She tried to move her arms and tried to feel the air surrounding. She felt so dizzy. She tried to remember what had happened to her. It was the time when she was eating at pojangmacha with a guy she just knew, a guy who she thought was attempting suicide. Then… the ring… yeah… the ring. She tried to remove the ring he found on the beach from her finger. So then she ran out of the stall to buy lotion and then… everything is dark. She couldn’t remember the rest. What has happened?

She then aware on a presence of someone who was holding her hand. She seemed to know this guy… he is…

“GD?”, Suzy mumbled helplessly as she tried to get up.

GD woke up from his nap. He smiled as soon as he saw her woke up from her sleep. He caressed her hair softly.

“You’re stupid, Im Yoona! You’re just as helpless as I do… I was so angry with you! But I was even angrier with myself. After everything you’ve done, I’m still in love with you! Thank you, Yoona… thank you for coming back…”

Suzy tried to fight his embrace. She stared at him in confusion. Is he crazy or something? Didn’t he know that she can’t speak Korean? Why was he speaking Korean with her? What’s with the embrace? As far as she can remember, they barely knew each other. What’s with the acting?

“Did you hit your head with something? Are you crazy? What’s wrong with you?”, she asked in annoyance. “I’ve told you a thousand time, I don’t understand Korean! Are you swearing at me again??”

GD stared back at her in shock.

“Yoona? Baby?”, he trembled, “What are you talking about? I don’t understand!”

“What are you talking about? What Yoona? I don’t understand you! I’m Suzy! Suzy Bae! I can’t speak Korean for the love of God!”, she yelled pissed off, “What’s happening to you?”

◆※◆