25

"Damn, how could you still be so strong when you get drunk?" Meiqi helped Seola laying Eunseo on her bed. She did not expect Eunseo to hug and suppress her while turning aside once she left Seola's back. Meiqi struggled to escape from Eunseo's weight oppression.

She turned back and saw Seola, who has carried Eunseo up three floors, was still panting for air. She stood still at one side, wiping her sweat with the back of her hand. She felt bad to see that, "Take a break."

"I'm fine." Seola shook her head, walked to the bathroom and back with a wet towel, trying to clean Eunseo up while still breathing deeply.

Meiqi scrunched her brows . "I said, take a break first. Why can't you just listen to people..."

"It must be very uncomfortable to be sweaty. She loves staying dry and clean all the time..." Seola troublingly took off Eunseo's jacket, awkwardly rolled the sleeves up and wiped Eunseo's arms carefully.

"Why are you acting up right now? Who are you showing? You should've done this before, not now." Meiqi somehow felt angry, what was going on now?

Seola looked up and fixed her sight at Meiqi, but she was smiling, not feeling ashamed as Meiqi expected. Seola said in a soft tone, "Eunseo is very lucky to have friend like you. But it'd be better not to let her touch alcohol again."

"Do you think I want her to drink..." Meiqi was speechless, thinking another drunkard Luda still at home. Seola was here, Eunseo should be fine. "I’m leaving now. I'm afraid if I stay away from my home for too long, it will be burned down. Don't do anything across the line to Eunseo, or else, I won't let you go."

"You have my words. And, don't tell Eunseo I came today. Remember it was you who sent her home."

"This...Deal." Meiqi could not tell if she was right to lie about it. However, since she did not like them being together, she agreed with Seola to keep that as a secret.

Once Meiqi left, Seola started to became chatty.

"How naive you are. There are so many bad people in this world. How could you just accept those offers from people you're not unfamiliar with and really drink that much?"

Seola was a bit shy to take off Eunseo's shirt. When only undergarment was left, Seola could hear her own heartbeat. That moment, she felt the one who should take off the clothes was her, not Eunseo. She was burning inside and outside, but dared not to take off her coat.

Fortunately, Eunseo was sleeping soundly. If not, it would make things even more cringy.

Seola used the wet towel and wiped Eunseo's body attentively, abiding Meiqi's command. "Luckily it was us who take you home safely. What would happen if it's that disgusting lecher who brings you home? You're an adult now, should know the importance of self-protecting."

Even though Eunseo is thin and skinny, but it was a handful and strenuous effort to turn Eunseo over. It was Seola's turn to sweat once she finished task in getting Eunseo fresh and clean.

Seola opened the closet, rummaging the clothes for Eunseo to put on. She accidentally found a convenience store uniform. Her heart ached for a moment. She took a clean shirt and walked back to Eunseo.

"You work at a convenience store? Is it tiring?" Seola clumsily put the clothes on before continued to say, "It must be very tough... I know you always give your best in everything you do. But sometimes you don't have to work that hard. Take care of yourself."

Of course, the unconscious person was not able to hear all those mumbles, Seola was only talking to herself.

"Your graduation exhibition, is really amazing. You did a very good job. I mean it. You don't know how I proud I'm." Seola held her hand out and touched Eunseo's eyebrows, recalling the time when Eunseo was a student back then. Eunseo always acts complacent with a proud look every time she scores the first place in her class.

Although Seola wanted to spank Eunseo for being strutting that time, but now, she thinks it is cute imagining Eunseo's expression, beaming brightfully.

"Do whatever you like in the future, just be yourself." Seola took a deep breath. "Eunseo, I'm really sorry."

I am sorry, for letting you meet someone as terrible as me... I am sorry, for not cherishing you who have accompanied me thorough those great moments...I am sorry, for not realizing both of us are lost in this love...

26

Stepping out from the newly opened bakery, Meiqi and Luda could not wait to give it a try.

Eunseo, who was walking behind them, looking at the bread mindlessly before she took a bite.

In fact, she was not feeling hungry. She did not want to eat bread. Or she could say, she did not want to be trapped into those memories again.

"The bread tastes good, not bad!" Meiqi was very satisfied with the polo bun. Once she stopped talking, Luda took a huge bite of her bun, she smacked that bun sneaker. "Lee Luda! You have your own polo bun. Why did you eat mine?"

"Yours seems tastier." Luda was holding another polo bun in her hand.

After walking for some distance, Meiqi discovered Eunseo was far behind them, walking quietly. She slowed down and walked side by side with her.

"What's wrong?"

Eunseo took a final bite before keeping the red bean bun back into the paper bag. "She will love this. She has no specific preference, but likes to eat all kinds of bread." Eunseo lowered her voice and continued, "She is more stubborn than you know. To her, it's bread time from 10 to 3 every day. She won't eat anything else."

Luda heard what she said and tell her boldly, "Just send her a message about this bakery shop."

Eunseo smiled it off and shook her head. Meiqi hesitated to tell Eunseo about the happenings during the exhibition day.

These two are so weird. When they are together, they are unhappy. When they are separated, they are sad. Meiqi sighed, walking slowly with her friend.

While Eunseo and Meiqi were into their own thinking, they did not notice the sudden occurrence behind them until Luda yelled loudly, "Hey you!! Return it to me!!!!"

Eunseo, being the first one to recover from the shock of the shout, instantly rushed to catch up the thief who snatched Luda's handbag while calling the thief out, "Stop running!!"

Meiqi was trying to follow up, but the distance between her and the thief and Eunseo was gapping up, so she shouted to Eunseo, "Stop chasing if you can't!" She was worried something might happen if they continue.

"You gifted this bag to Luda eonnie, we must get it back!" Eunseo speeded with her long legs, leaving Meiqi and Luda far behind.

"My gosh, I can't run anymore..." Meiqi stopped and gasped.

Luda could not stop in time, slamming into Meiqi's back. They almost fell onto the ground together.

Watching Eunseo chased the thief and disappeared when they reached an alley, Luda patted Meiqi. "We can't stop here. They're gone. We'll lose them if we stop here." Luda continued to run.

However, when they stepped into the alley where they lost track of Eunseo, they were stunned. Luda felt annoyed as there were three junctions. Where should they go?

After searching crazily like a headless chicken for minutes, Luda saw people crowding in an alley few blocks away. She had a bad feeling, she grabbed Meiqi and headed to the crowd.

Meiqi was shocked and petrified at what she saw. Eunseo was stabbed by a knife at her abdomen. Although her left hand was holding on the wound, blood continued to flow from the wound. Her right hand was still tightly grabbing Luda's handbag she took back from the thief.

Luda, who relatively remained calm, immediately squatted down and checked Eunseo's injury. "Eunseo, hold on. I received first aid training before." In her mind, Luda rummaged all the first aid performance she has learned while joining the Scouts. She softly lied Eunseo's head back on the floor, took off her sweater and yelled, "Someone please call the ambulance, quickly!"

A woman among those onlookers heard and responded, "We called. Police and ambulance on the way coming."

Luda took the handbag over and threw it aside, trying to move Eunseo's hand away from the wound. "Eunseo, listen to me now, just relax your hands, put them down on the floor. Don't move. Relax."

Meiqi’s soul has finally backed to herself, kneeled beside Eunseo and helped Luda to press the wound. The light blue shirt was gradually stained by blood. Meiqi was so anxious that she started to cry.

"Don't worry..." Eunseo's face was pale, yet she was comforting her friend.

"How could I not feel worry. You'll be fine. You have to." Meiqi could not stop her tears, trembling while holding on Eunseo's wound.

"Calm down, Meiqi. Be careful with the wound, don’t touch the knife." Luda frowned, Eunseo's palms were turning cold, her breath became shorter and her pulse accelerated.

Eunseo hardly uttered, "Thirsty..."

Luda wrinkled her brow even tighter. She took a water bottle from Meiqi's bag and fed her. However, Eunseo was slowly losing her consciousness.

"Eunseo, don't sleep. Remember your wish to travel to Spain. You can't sleep yet!" Luda cupped Eunseo's face, Eunseo tried to open her eyes. This movement which is very easy in normal days, has become so difficult to complete at that moment. "Anyone who can lend me your shirt? Meiqi, keep holding!"

A man took off his outer shirt and handed it to Luda. Luda accepted and covered it on Eunseo to keep her temperature. "Eunseo, keep your eyes open and look at me! The ambulance is reaching, just hold on! Please, don't fall asleep. Open your eyes! Seola! Seola eonnie! Don't you want to see her again? Don't sleep, don't!"

Eunseo who was having last sense of her conscious, trying her hardest to open her eyes again. The pain caused her to burst into cold sweat, but everything in her eyes was blurring.

27

Seola received Meiqi's call and rushed to the hospital. When she reached the hospital, Eunseo was still in the emergency room.

Luda hold Meiqi and stood anxiously while waiting. Seola studied them and saw both of them were stained with blood. Despite trying hard to calm herself down, Seola felt her chest was suppressed by some weight, she could barely breathe.

Seola waited just for a minute, the medical staff opened the curtain to move Eunseo to the operating room.

Eunseo, lying on the bed with blood transfusion and oxygen mask, has only little conscious remained. While being pushed by the medical personnel, she tried to open her eyes. She wanted to tell her friends not to worry, but it was impossible. She merely spotted Seola, however, she could no longer hold the pain and drowsiness and closed her eyes again.

The calmest person grabbed Seola who seemingly wanted to rush forward by her arm and shouted, "If you really want her to stay alive, don't stop them!"

Seola stopped struggling, hearing Luda's words. She fell and sat on the ground instantly like a deflated doll, blankly watching Eunseo being pushed into the elevator.

To be continued...