PLEASE READ THIS FIRST IF YOU WANT TO GET THE WHOLE GIST OF THE STORY :) >  Waiting game Prequel by Shortcut48

The bouquet I was holding was now on the floor, it fell like my heart did when I heard that there was a loud explosion at the apartment.

It somehow made sense, the heavy load on my heart wasn’t just because I was too thrilled to go up on stage to receive an award, but because there was a big sacrifice for that.

Hearing Minjoo’s voice was warm, I should be smiling, but knowing it was pre-recorded helped those warm tears instead to roll down on my face. I could hear my heart breaking into pieces. My mind halted at the thought of her smile, her smell, her body, everything about her was running inside my head like a film. Minjoo was the only actress I could see in this movie and I feel like crying.

How long has it been again? Back then when immaturity took place before her, I cheated on Minjoo with a co-star, it was a temptation to be in the field, and I was too overwhelmed to even think of controlling my emotion, I was enjoying too much, I wasted too much time, thinking I can’t redeem it any more.

“M-Minjoo,” I could only call her name after dropping my phone on the floor.

I asked my manager to quickly drive towards the place that won’t be the same anymore. It took five minutes longer to arrive there due to the commotion it caused, hence, heavy traffic, but I couldn’t care less. I quickly went down and removed my heels, I held the hem of my gown and ran as fast as I can, there were a lot of people, from the civilian, police and the firemen. Everyone was busy.

I felt dizzy looking at them, it’s like the environmental sound was slowly fading, and the only person I am looking for is nowhere to be seen.

It’s that moment that I can’t understand, I could see reporters were whispering after they saw me, they took pictures, and the flashes were blinding. It was the first time I hated those lights that I’ve always longed for.

My tears are falling endlessly, I asked some people around if they have seen Minjoo.

Like a fool, it’s not like they know about her and that was also my fault.

I hid Kim Minjoo in the world, and now that I am looking for her, no one can even help me.

It’s all my fault.

To that one person who never gave up on me,

I’ve only failed you.

“H-Have you seen Minjoo?! P-please, please, look for her, we’re…we ’re living on the 11th floor. Please,” I begged the fireman who wore a grim face while looking at me, he couldn’t utter a single word.

“I’m sorry, but the explosion was from the same floor,” Another fireman spoke for his colleague. And I looked at them, not believing a thing they say.

I shook my head hard while suppressing my upcoming tears.

“N-no, Minjoo, she’s up there, she needs our help. Please!”

“Yujin-ah! Stop, stop. Minjoo’s gone, there’s no way she can survive that,”

My manager got a grip on me and was pulling me from the helpless firemen.

Helpless, who am I kidding?

It was me.

 “No! She can’t be gone! We still have a lot of plans together; she can’t be gone!”

And that was the moment I broke down in tears, I was too messed up to even notice that people are looking at me.

I fell on my and hugged my knees. I buried my face to myself hoping that holding myself tightly, Minjoo will show up.

But to no avail.

Minjoo was nowhere to be seen.

And I passed out due to so many feelings that moment, I couldn’t breathe, and slowly my head feels like splitting up into two.

My manager’s voice echoed around until slowly, I closed my eyes.

The last thing I saw, was an image of Minjoo, sitting on the couch as she read a magazine, she looked at me and smiled warmly.

“Come back, Minjoo-ah,”

“Yujin, please hurry up, I don’t have much time, hurry up… I am getting chased by time..”

“Minjo...Minjoo,”

“Come close, I miss you, but, looking at my watch, I don’t have the chance to stay longer,”

“N-no,”

“I will always be with you, no matter what,”

“Wait...Wait..”

“I love you,”

“MINJOO!”

I suddenly flickered my eyes open, and the first thing that welcomed me were the bright lights on the ceiling.

I wasn’t sure where am I, but one thing I know is I am catching my breath, I felt like I ran for a thousand miles.

Shortly after, I looked around and realized that I’m in a hospital room.

And I got back to the same black hole of emotions.

“Minjoo.”

I dreamt of her, she was there and smiling at me. She was waiting.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry babe.” I could feel the tears again, it pained me twice.

“Yujin, are you okay?” That’s the voice of my manager.

I looked at him slowly, and his face was full of worry.

“Minjoo, where’s Minjoo?”

My manager gave me the most dreading answer that I didn’t want to know.

He slowly shook his head.

“I’m sorry Yujin, everyone on the 11th floor died due to the explosion, bodies recovered were all unrecognizable.”

I could feel the lump on my throat as another set of tears started to fall off me.

“No, NO! Minjoo!”

I sobbed so hard that my manager hugged me but I was struggling so much.

“No, Kim Minjoo, I’m not going to believe anything if I don’t see her,”

I have been blindsided by my dream so much that I ignored the only person who saw me at my worst, the person I failed when I made mistakes, the person who loved me regardless of the circumstances, the person who waited for me.

I don’t deserve anything good in this world, and I knew that moment that what the majority thought was correct.

You’ll never know how important something is until you lose it.

And it was you, Kim Minjoo.

The sadness I have in my heart feels like it won’t go away anytime soon. And it’s slowly killing me.

It kills me more than the fact that I couldn’t have been an actress. It kills me more than anyone.

And I won’t feel the same ever again.

Two years later.

“Isn’t that Ahn Yujin?”

“Oh my god, she’s very pretty,”

“Her beauty is unfathomable,”

It was the same old reaction from people around me, and I don’t even care anymore. I wore a passive expression throughout I was walking at the mall.

My manager was getting angry at me for not answering his calls, of course, I knew there was an upcoming schedule. But I don’t care, I hate to say this but I don’t think I care about my career that much at this rate.

A piece of that dream was missing, and I don’t even think it’ll come back.

I read my manager’s message at least, the text he sent me triggered my courage to continue what I have been doing since the past years after the tragic incident.

“Are you still chasing shreds of evidence? I told you it’s helpless, come back here Yujin.”

That was the text message, and he’s right. I am still looking at what happened that day.

I can never forget a moment of that voice message she last sent me, I even made a copy of it. And shamelessly, I listen to it every day.