Prologue (III)

            It was way past his bedtime when Jin Hyuk awoke. He was in his room already dressed in his pajamas. He looked over at the digital clock: 4:30 am. Gingerly, he climbed out of his bed and tip toed out of his bedroom and glanced downstairs. The adults were still awake and among them were the two families' lawyers, Yoon's grandfather, and Jin Hyuk's uncle. He climbed down a few steps and took out his disposable camera and took pictures. The adults didn't notice.

"Well, that's it. We'll finalize the papers tomorrow- uh, today actually. Please don't worry, we'll make sure that nothing happens to any of you. Then, goodbye", the lawyers left. The rest of the group tiredly looked at each other and collapsed onto the sofas. They were exhausted. The whole conference took longer than expected. Yoon's grandfather looked at his son and daughter-in-law. He was stupefied, he couldn't imagine why this was happening to them, as far as he knew, none of them had any so-called enemies. The elders didn't have any either. He gave a questioning look at Ji Min.

"Why can't I take my granddaughter under my wing? How am I supposed to live without her?"

"Sir, we can't allow that. What if something happens to you or the madam? What then? It's best that I take her and raise her discreetly. After all, I am indebted to everyone here. I need to make myself useful somehow. Also, I would be informing everyone here discreetly of how she's doing and such, just until we find the culprit".

            Jin Hyuk was confused. Why was his uncle taking his beloved future wife?  He didn't understand. He looked at Yoon, scared that she might disappear from him. He was slowly making his way down when his uncle looked up. Jin Hyuk froze in his tracks. His uncle smiled and winked at him reassuring Jin Hyuk that he'll explain,but first, he motioned him to get back to bed. Jin Hyuk sheepishly obeyed and was heading towards his room when he glanced at the opened double French doors. There was a man in black in their yard gazing up at the house and heeding its surroundings. Jin Hyuk carefully took out his camera and snapped a picture of the man. The click of the camera caused the man to look up as Jin Hyuk hid from the doors. He peered through the cracks of the door hinge. The man had turned back and leaped over the 30 feet high gates, disappearing into the early dawn sunlight.

            By the time Jin Hyuk fell back to sleep, Yoon and her parents were heading to their home, with Ji Min following the close behind. Just as Rae Won made a left turn at the intersection, a truck crashed into their car and sped away after Rae Won's car crashed into an electric pole. Ji Min had not expected such an accident and rushed over to the car. Soo Ae and Rae Won's pulses were weak, but they were still there. He looked towards the back seat where Yoon was crying, but otherwise unhurt. He pulled her out of the car and rushed her to his own car; just as he was running back to Rae Won's car, the car exploded into a fire. Shocked, with tears in his eyes, he watched them burn with Yoon crying in the car.

            Ji Min left a letter to the housekeeper at the Choi's house. He looked down at Yoon and took her down the road and disappeared among the crowds.

            Once they received the news and read the letter, Hye Sun prayed for Yoon, "Be safe, let's meet again honey. Be strong, be courageous, so that you'll take vengeance against the person who has caused this mess and took your parents' lives". When Jin Hyuk awoke, he was told the terrible news. The boy froze. He just stared at his parents for a long time, until he shouted, "No! You're lying! Yoon wouldn't die! That's not possible!"

            He ran outside to the road and searched for any trace of the infant. He wandered day and night for days with his father trailing along behind him. That day, June 3, 1994, was the first and last time that he saw her...

//20 years later...//

            A young man stood upon the Kim family's headstone. It read the words:

In memory of Kim Rae Won, Soo Ae, and Kim Yoon

May they rest in peace and be in the best place of the universe: Heaven.

Kim Rae Won- 03/19/1963- 06/03/1994

Soo Ae- 07/25/1964- 06/03/1994

Kim Yoon: 5/28/1994- 06/03/1994

"Yoon"...