A million countless eyes are staring at me as I hopelessly walk down the dark street. I have been searching for hours and hours for her, but she was nowhere to be found. My throat has gone sore from the countless times I’ve screamed her name. Only hearing the harsh gust of the wind in return.

I was tired, hungry and cold. I had no food since I somehow ended up in the middle of an isolated road with no building in sight. My feet had gone numb from the all the running and walking that, before I knew it, I had already fallen to the ground. I lied in wait, hoping that death would just take me slowly. I was suddenly blinded by a white light that came from below me, thinking it was my time, I stayed completely still, waiting to awaken in the afterlife and hoping it would provide an escape to the madness that surrounded me.

I suddenly felt a pair of hands grab me by the arms and lift me up from the ground. Everything happened so fast and I couldn’t make out the people that were dragging me. I was suddenly shoved inside a car that drove away as quickly as I was grabbed.

Strangely enough, I wasn’t blindfolded but I still couldn’t make out what was happening. There were two people sitting with me in the backseat, but I could only see their silhouettes. It strangely reeked of saltwater inside the car. There was one driver and one guy sitting next to him, he was the only one that I could see properly.

He was a middle-aged man, he had a slightly receded hairline and was dressed in a dark blue polo shirt, khaki pants and had a dark jacket draped over his torso. I couldn’t recognize his face however as he was facing the opposite direction.

“We’ve been waiting for you” the man says, confusing me as I do not recognize him at all.

“W-What are you talking about?” I asked him, my voice hoarse from exhaustion. He didn’t respond, making the situation more awkward than it already is. It was completely silent for a while, causing me to slump down in my seat, intimidated by the cold atmosphere around me. He then proceeded to turn around and face me. It was there that I was shocked at what was being shown in front of my very eyes.

The man resembled Minjun. Only he was much more mature.

Could they be related?

“You owe us a great debt, a debt that your father made a long time ago” he said and stared me down. I could see the malice in his eyes, but at the same time, they looked like they were in despair.  I felt all kinds of emotions as I looked into them, confusion, fear, intimidation, but mostly, I kind of felt sorry for him. He had this strange aura to him, as if he was from another world.

“What debt are you talking about?” I asked him, but he only gazed at me for a few more seconds before leaning back in his seat.

“Since your father cannot be reached, I figured you would suffice.” He said without breaking his attention from the windshield.

A debt? My father?

Whatever was going on here, clearly, I had not been made aware of it. I grew more impatient as the people inside the car continued to ignore me. I had so many questions to ask, but all they did was stay still in their seats, further creeping me out as they were unresponsive. My father is hiding something from me, I had a feeling he was ever since I graduated from school. Whenever I would question him regarding the scar on my shoulder, or the random migraines that I would receive from time to time, he would only diverge from the topic.

“Look, whatever my father did, please don’t take it against me. If it makes you feel better, I’ll apologize on his behalf” I frantically said, my voice sounding more desperate.

“Be quiet, we’re almost there” he said. I looked out the window to see where we were heading, but it was too dark to see what was out there. The stench of saltwater suddenly grew stronger, meaning that we must be close to an ocean. I started to hear waves crashing, confirming my assumptions.

The car suddenly pulled over, startling me in my seat. One of the men suddenly kicked open the door, revealing a large ocean just outside. My heart raced rapidly as I saw the violent waves that crashed against the shore, some of it spilling inside and wetting my shoes. It was ice cold as I felt it grasp my ankles making me shiver in my seat.

The two men suddenly grabbed me by the arms causing me to tense up in my spot. Their hands were as cold as the water and their grip was so tight that I felt some of my blood vessels pop.

“Wait, what are you doing?” I exclaimed as they tried to pull me out.

“I’m sorry it had to come to this young man. Believe me, I don’t want to do this, but someone has to account for your father’s mistakes.” He said without looking at me, the two men then used their strength to push me towards the water, my own strength doing little to no effect.

“Wait, wait!” I exclaimed, but it was too late. The two men pushed me out of the car and into the water. I grasped for air as I felt myself suffocating, but rather than drowning in water, I felt as if someone was pressing a wet towel towards my face, obscuring my vision and preventing me from breathing. I thrashed about and grabbed the hand that was on my face. I pushed it away and found myself back on my bed. I panted greatly, feeling my chest pumping in and out, and my vision returning to normal.

Was it all a dream?

“Are you okay?” a voice from beside me caught my attention. I turned my head to find a familiar face staring back at me.

“Not as much as the next guy” I replied, sounding winded. I rubbed my fingers across my eyelids to relieve the stress and the ache retained from the stressful nightmare, when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. Surprised, I turned my head to find that Chaeyoung was running her hand through my shirt, her other holding the wet towel I shoved earlier.

“Take it easy, do you even remember what happened?” she asked. I took a deep breath and few seconds before responding.

“Last thing I remember was running through the streets late at night. I think I collapsed due to exhaustion” I said, not wanting to mention to Chaeyoung the kidnapping. I wasn’t even certain of what was real and what was not anymore.

“Strange, you never even left the hospital” Chaeyoung replied, causing me to furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

I never left the hospital? Meaning all the aimless wondering, all the screaming and the hysteria, was all just part of the nightmare? And more importantly, was Chewy even missing in the first place?

“Chewy…” I silently muttered. 

“What?” Chaeyoung asked. I couldn’t even think straight after all the confusing events that just took place, my head was spinning, and my brain refused to cooperate with me, let alone give an answer to Chaeyoung’s simple question.

“You were found inside Minjun’s wardrobe” she said. I was startled by her statement, this means I never left Minjun’s office? And all the suspenseful events I encountered afterwards were all in my head?

But they felt so real.

Every emotion, every touch, every pain that coursed through my heart and body, it was all too real.

“You were passed out, if someone hadn’t rescued you then you would’ve died of suffocation” she explained.

“Wait wait, I don’t understand all of this. I remember escaping from Minjun’s office and running out of the building in the middle of the night, you mean to tell me that was all just a dream?” I asked impatiently, my brain was unable to process all the information that was being given to me right now. Everything happened so fast, I felt like I was going to explode if things didn’t stop.

“Take it easy” Chaeyoung laid her hand on my back once more, calming down my breathing that began to unconsciously escalate once more.

“Why would you run out of the hospital anyway?” she asked.

I suddenly remembered the dark empty hallway, the slipper lodged in between the doors, the streets, the people, all of it came rushing back to me. That’s when I snapped.

“Chewy! Where’s Chewy? Where is she?” I panicked, I unconsciously grabbed into Chaeyoung’s arms, causing her eyes to widen to the size of mini apples.

“Chewy? Who’s Chewy? Calm down you’re hurting me!” she said, causing me to release my grip from her. I only then realized the consequences of my actions when I saw Chaeyoung’s face turn into a shade of rosy red. But worst of all, there was a series of red markings across her thin biceps immediately sending waves of regret onto my chest.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what’s coming over me recently” I said as I moved my hands frantically as I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to aid Chaeyoung’s blemishes but at the same time, I was too afraid to touch her with my very hands, knowing very well what they could do at a time like this. In the end, I just gave up and dropped them onto my lap.

“It’s fine” she told me, even though I was certain she was just sparing me from any malice, after what I’ve been through. I took a deep breath once more, feeling defeated.

I let a little bit silence past by before I spoke again, giving a lot of thought into what I would do next.

“Thank you for helping me. If it wasn’t for you then I would have died” I said, feeling a well deserved thank you was better than anything at the moment.

“I wasn’t the one that found you” she said, catching me off guard. I felt my nerves slowly creeping back to me as I pondered on her statement.

 If she wasn’t the one who found me then who did?

Was it Wendy?

Was it that elderly janitor?

Or was it…

No, it can’t be, I wouldn’t forgive myself if it was him.

I swallowed a lump in my throat as I mustered the courage to ask Chaeyoung for answers.

“Who did?” I asked, secretly dreading what she could say.

“She did” was her reply, gesturing to someone behind me. I slowly turned my head to face the couch near my bed, finding a blanket scattered across the surface and covering a long, elongated lump that extended from one end of the furniture to the other.

Someone was sleeping on my couch.

Without waiting for Chaeyoung’s next actions, I forced myself to get off my bed, shaking off the drowsiness that tried to pull me back down. I needed to know who was under those sheets, I needed to know if my suspicions are correct.

I needed to know if it was her.

I kneeled next to the sheets and reached my hand for where a pillow was protruding from the blanket. I gripped onto the edge of the fabric and slowly pulled it towards the opposite direction, revealing long locks of dark brown hair scattered about.

I pulled more and more, until the person’s head was fully exposed. Knowing very well who it was by her scent, I brushed the locks of her hair away from her face, exposing her peaceful sleeping expression.

“Oh my god…” I whispered softly as I lowered my head. I felt a distasteful mix of relief and regret, finally seeing her safe and sound in front of me. I felt my eyes moisten as I placed my palm on her cheek, caressing her face. I felt an overwhelming sense of relief feeling her delicate skin on my hands, realizing I hadn’t held her in so long.

The tears eventually broke loose, running down my cheek, my jawline, and eventually down my neck.

I had too many reasons as to why I let my emotions run free in front of a person other than Chewy.

I did so because of the relief of seeing her.

I did so because of the pain I went through just to see her.

But most importantly…

I did so because she saved me.

No words could express how much I detested myself at that moment.

I had done nothing but neglect and leave her alone. She had saved my life after I nearly ended hers. My incompetence has caused her harm, her innocence brought me safety.

I couldn’t help but feel indebted to her in every way. I didn’t know how to make it up to her, or where to even begin.

But I guess I could start by simply thanking her.

I leaned close to her and gently pressed my lips against her forehead.

Nothing but a simple, platonic kiss to show her my gratitude.

Nothing more…

“You seem to be very attached to her” a voice came up from behind me. I turned around to respond, completely forgetting that Chaeyoung was still here.

“I don’t see a reason why I shouldn’t be, considering she had just prevented me from dying” I replied.

Chaeyoung’s expression softened after hearing my reply, she tilted her head to the side and fixated her eyes on Chewy. I couldn’t help but notice a look of concern in her eyes, but at the same time, I could sense a deal of confusion coming from her. She returned her attention to me before speaking.

“Just what is your relationship to her?” she asked with a tone that sounded so passionate to acquire answers.

“She’s my family…” I said softly, remembering the façade that I had to put up when I had her treated in the hospital. Chaeyoung shook her head and shifted her attention towards the ground.

“For some reason, I’ve always had a hard time believing that” she said. I simply chose to keep quiet, knowing very well that Chaeyoung was a smart girl. She could see very well through my lies and could somehow read my emotions before I could even express them.

“Alright… I guess I’ll leave you two for now. I feel like I’ve invaded your personal space enough already” she said as she packed her things into her bag.

“I… I don’t know what to say… you’ve done just as much for me as Chewy did, sometimes I feel like I’m the one who burdens you too much. How can I ever repay you?” I said.

“Well, unless you’re willing to kiss me in the forehead, I think showing up for work tomorrow will be enough?” she chuckled, seemingly unsure of her own humor.

I let out an awkward chuckle before realizing that Chaeyoung’s words lingered in my mind for too long. Before the situation got too tense, I spoke up.

“Thank you, Chaeyoung. I promise I’ll make it up to you one day.” I said as I walked with her outside the room.

“You don’t have to” she smiled back with her chipmunk like features.

After walking Chaeyoung out the door, I went back to my bedroom to check on Chewy. I found her still asleep on my couch, the white blanket hugged her body tightly, leaving only her head sticking out like a turtle.

I smiled in amusement and relief as I slumped down on my bed while facing her. I stared at the s-line that ran across the sheets, as a result of the blanket pressed against her body. I stayed like that for too long without noticing, feeling a strange sense of warmth drape over my body.

A warmth that grew the longer I stared at her sleeping.

I snapped out of my trance before my fantasies grew too wild, choosing to lie down on my bed and hopefully catch some sleep. I quietly stared at the ceiling of my bedroom, pondering the events that have taken place so far.

Am I not doing enough to protect her?

Am I not making her happy and comfortable enough?

Why does she have to go away?

Will everything go back to normal now that she was back and safe?

But the biggest question that remained in my mind kept me restless and awake throughout the night.

Running out of patience, I jumped out of my bed and grabbed my laptop, placing it on my lap as I loaded up the browser. Remembering the article from the paper back in Minjun's place, I typed the name of the ship on the search bar.

'MV Sowon'

Surprisingly, barely any results showed up, save for one article published on an old news forum. I immediately clicked on the page and waited for the article to load.

As soon as the page was ready, I found the same headline from the newspaper written across the screen.

“10 injured, 5 Killed and 1 Missing in Boat Hijack"

No pictures were shown, but there were more than a few paragraphs detailing the events of the incident, the same words from the newspaper were present in the article as well, describing how a group of masked vigilantes hijacked the MV Sowon, taking passengers hostage when the captain refused to grant their pleas.

Six people were thrown overboard, one for everytime the captain refused to listen to the hijackers. This time, a few more details were present in the article that the newspaper seemed to omit:

One specific detail includes dialogue from an interview with one of the survivors.

But rather than an interview, it resembled more than a plea. The entire text of the passenger's plea was included in the article"

"To anyone who hears this, my name is Yoo Ji-Cheol. My daughter was mercilessly tossed overboard the ship and, up until now, her body still hasn't been found. All the other victims were found to be dead, but my girl remains to be missing. If you see her, please bring her back to me. I am willing to pay any amount just to see her again. Her name is-

The audio team were asked to leave the premises by the police patrolling the area,"

Yoo Ji-Cheol, the name sounded familiar in my mind. Strangely enough, I eeringly remember seeing a man calling out for her daughter in one of my dreams. However, I never really found out his name.

Fearing I had delved too deep into this issue, I continued reading, realizing that events of the incident were too similar to the ones I saw in my head.

The article also mentions that the bodies of the drowned victims, along with the injured passengers, were brought to a hospital that was only a short distance from the nearest cost. As soon as I laid my eyes on the name of said hospital, my eyes widened in disbelief that it felt like my eyelids touched my forehead:

"____ Medical Center"

I couldn't believe the words that lie before me. If the passengers were brought to the same hospital that I work in, then that means someone in the building must know a thing or two about the incident, or at least the passengers that boarded the ship.

But do I dare ask?

Am I crazy enough to do so?

The last remaining detail mentions that the ship sailed from the port of Seoul, the very same one that is located a few blocks from a beach that I frequent during the summer.

I closed my laptop and set it aside, taking a deep breath as I lie back down on my bed. All this information was too much for me to process all at once. I felt nauseous just thinking of the words written in the article.

All the details were there:

The ship

The masked men

The people thrown overboard

The man calling for her daughter

But strangely enough, one thing in my dream was missing from the reports:

Chewy.

She was there, in my dream. She stood in the middle of the ship, unscathed and seemingly unaware of what was happening around her. She was dressed in all white and had a pale expression on her face.

It didn't make sense, why was she there if she wasn't even in the incident itself.

Or was she? Is there something about her that I didn't know?

Either way, I knew I was going to have to find some answers if I want to end these hysterical episodes and nightmares that plague me every night. Maybe they may even hold the answers to Chewy's true identity, and the solution to fix our relationship.

I'm going to have to visit either of the two locations mentioned in the article.

Before heading back to sleep, I turned my head to where she was sleeping peacefully without a care or idea of the crazy world she lived in, whispering softly as to not wake her up.

"Just who are you?"

What awaits Jun as he sets off on a journey to seek the answers to the questions in his head? Will they reveal more information on Chewy and, possibly, secrets about himself?

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