Kang-Jin sighed, he didn’t want to go to some rural area where the residents were so dimwitted they couldn’t read. He went there before, and found it appalling how they couldn’t hold a proper conversation without resorting to violence. His father said they were the scums of the earth, no one wanted them, and Kang-Jin couldn’t help but agree. Why the did he have to go there? He would rather stay and spend time with Hyo-Sun.

He knew Hyo-Sun was too good for him, she was far too beautiful. But for some reason she chose him, others would understand why she chose him, considering he was a chaebol who would soon be inheriting the globally successful RAVEN hotel chain. But Kang-Jin knew Hyo-Sun had her pick of wealthy chaebols who were more handsome and richer than he was, and while he thanked the universe for blessing him, he always wondered why she chose him…

Driving through the country wasn’t all what it was cracked up to be, movies always made road trips seem like some meditative experience. That was bull, he was tired, and he wasn’t even half way there. This countryside was so remote, that the roads were nothing but dust and rocks. It was a bumpy and stressful ride and Kang-Jin was beginning to get pissed off.   

He tried to get his mind back to thinking about Hyo-Sun but then he heard a thump. , he thought, it was probably some wild animal, and for a moment he thought to forget about it and not bother to check, but his conscience got the better of him. Getting out of his car Kang-Jin’s body started to sweat, what if, what if he thought that it wasn’t an animal he hit, it could maybe possibly be human. He wanted to get back into his car and ride off, he so desperately wanted to, and as be bent to check beneath his car, his fears were confirmed.

The girl lay there whimpering, Kang-Jin’s hands were shaking now, how, how, could this be happening to him? In a few days he was going to be promoted to being the CEO of RAVEN hotel, his whole future flashed before his eyes, everything he saw, his marriage to Hyo-Sun, building the RAVEN hotel chain to be a fiercer competitor in the global market and making his father proud, everything was going to be shoved down the drain. EVERTHING.

The girl started to say something, but he couldn’t hear it, it was too soft. Kang-Jin’s thoughts were going a millions miles a second, he didn’t know how to get out of this sticky situation and he didn’t know how to get the person out from underneath his car. He tried to call 119 but there was no ing reception. The girl spoke again, this time a little louder.

“Move the car please, please.”

Kang-Jin was shocked “I- I- I- I can’t move it, if I do I’ll trample you”, he replied whimpering.

The girl’s leg was trapped beneath the wheel, and if he tried to reverse the car to free the leg he would trample her head. Staying still and unable to move her body the girl said “there is an inn, just less then a kilometer from here, run straight and get help”.

Kang-Jin knew it took a lot of will power for her to say that, and he wondered that if he ran and got help and came back would she still be breathing? But he had no other choice, he ran, ran as fast as he could, as if his life depended on it, ironically it did...

***

Once he got to the inn, he shouted for help and then everything just seemed like a blur, getting help, the rescue, all of it was a blur. The next thing he knew he was in the inn, sitting and waiting and waiting. It felt like he was waiting for years, there was a physician tending to her, but without actual medical equipment he wondered if she’d survive, she looked in bad shape when they pulled her out, and all he could do now was pray, pray to the universe to give him one last miracle….

***

Whatever people were saying to him, he didn’t hear, until finally someone said loudly that she was fine, that she was still breathing, that she ing survived. His heart skipped a few beats from pure joy, he never felt so relived in his ing life, never felt so grateful as he did now, she was alive, she was ing ALIVE!

***

He asked to see her, but they told him she needed to rest and that it was best he rest too, he’d been waiting nearly ten hours, but he couldn't take that as an answer. He pleaded; he just needed to see her with his own eyes that she was alright.

Kang-Jin entered the room; she lay there on the bed,  she was still badly bruised but she was breathing. A sigh of relief overcame him, he sat across her, she was pretty, if a little young. He took her hand and pressed his mouth against her palm, he said he apologies and also thanked her for being strong.

As he was about to leave the girl said “It wasn’t your fault, so don’t be sorry.”

Kang-Jin was baffled “Yes it was, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

She smiled again as if she was too exasperated to argue, it was such a sweet smile, such a welcoming one. He felt at ease, she seemed like such a nice person, and even though he felt even guiltier for what he did, she made it seem as if everything would be alright, just from her smile….